About Us – First Presbyterian Church

We are a church where faith is nurtured, curiosity is encouraged, diversity is welcomed, and all are loved, and we exist, not for safety and comfort, but to be Christ’s hands, feet and heart in a hurting world.

These aren’t just words to us – they are essential to who we are, how we live, and where we are located. We are a church of Jesus Christ! Jesus loved without exception. He invited people to follow him, and took time to teach them, to help them wrestle with their questions. He even loved Thomas with his doubts. He famously ate with “sinners and tax collectors” and touched the untouchables. Everyone was welcome in his family. His love took the form of service to and with others. That is our model for our life together and in the world. That is what guides us as we build relationships and as we work side by side with each other and with our neighbors near and far to give hope and make this world a better place.

We are a very loving and flawed group of people. We try to walk in Christ’s footsteps, and sometimes we do well, and other times not so well. It is actually those times when we don’t do so well that are the most important for us, for when we become aware of how we have failed to love as Christ loves, we have an opportunity to look at ourselves and learn from that, which helps us to not only deepen our own faith, but to enrich our relationships with others. I’ll be honest – if you are perfect, this may not be the right church for you! You may become frustrated with our imperfections. But if you are simply needing a place to accept you as you are, if you are looking for a church home where you are loved in spite of your flaws, if you are looking for people who share your journey, and if you want to be a part of something special, then there’s a place for you here.

What else will you find? You will find a unique collection of people who come from different places, speak different languages, love differently, think differently, and who have vastly different ideas and opinions, and yet still come together to worship, to work, to care for each other, to learn, and to make this world a better place. If that speaks to you, then there’s a place for you here.

We are a neighborhood church. Many years ago, as other churches were moving out of the downtown area, we made the decision to stay. This downtown neighborhood has been our home for over 150 years, and we could not imagine leaving it. Even though the neighborhood around us has changed dramatically since we were founded over 150 years ago, it is still our neighborhood – but it is not the limits of our neighborhood. Today through our online ministry, our neighborhood stretches across the world, reaching people in Australia to Malawi to Scotland. It doesn’t matter where you live, we are one community.

Like any church, we are called to be a sanctuary and a crucible for the faithful, and a light to the world. What does that look like for us today? How is God calling us to grow in faith, in service, and in relationships, right where we are at, in the 21st century?

THIS is what it looks like:

Meeting the real needs of people – REAL needs, not what we think people’s needs are. We are focused on building relationships and working in partnership with people, through long-term relationships with nearby schools and agencies, to the new Justice in Action coalition of over 20 faith communities working to address issues of mental health, LOW INCOME HOUSING NEEDS, and criminal justice reform, to partnering with some of our online participants in other countries to build schools, EMPOWER WOMEN AND CHILDREN, and provide clean water to villages.

Building a strong, inclusive church community, where people from all backgrounds, cultures, economic status, sexual orientation or gender identity, political viewpoints, etc. have a voice, know they are valued, can participate and have leadership roles. Together we reflect the rich diversity of God’s beautiful creation, and many voices help us hear more clearly how God is at work among us.

Being a neighborhood church – in-person and online. We not only welcome our neighbors into the church space (whether virtual or physical), we reach out to our neighbors, build relationships, and create community to work together for the common good, whether that is meeting a specific need, or simply creating a space where you can breathe and belong.

Nurturing a strong faith that changes lives. We join Christ in making this world a little more like the kingdom of God, where the abundance of God’s gifts are available to all people, where God’s distributive justice is shared among all, and where we work together to share God’s love, grace, forgiveness, mercy, and life, with others. We are called to nurture a faith that changes lives – ours and those around us. So you’ll find classes for people of all ages, children, youth and adults. You’ll find special events with speakers who touch on intersections between faith and life. You’ll find safe places to share your needs, and ask your questions. You’ll find ways to put your faith into action.

We understand that faith is a journey and that’s why we are passionate about helping you discover what that means in your life. Together we help each other on that journey, those who are well-steeped in the stories of faith have much to learn from the questions and stories of those just starting out. The richness of having many who are at different places on their journey with faith is a celebrated gift here as we help each other grow deeper in relationship with God, and put our faith into action.

Do you have questions about the existence and concept of God, the character of Jesus, how the Bible relates to today’s world, and even about the traditional Christian story? Join the no-fear zone and let’s explore these significant questions together as we build relationships of trust and fellowship.

Curiosity, for us, extends to the scriptures, to each other, and to the world we live in. We do not check our brains at the door, and we welcome explorations of Biblical interpretation, science, the issues of the day, and anything else that helps us ask good questions about who we are, who God is, and how to live responsibly in the world and in relationship with other as followers of Christ.

We love diversity, the more the better. No matter who you or where you came from, including your cultural practice, your history, your economic condition, your politics, the color of your skin, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, you are welcome here. Come celebrate with us as we learn more about what God is doing among us, and where God is calling us to put our faith into action.

We welcome you in your uniqueness, whether that is around your sexual orientation or identity, your economic status, the color of your skin, your culture or language, or your background – whatever your uniqueness includes.

The reign of God is wonderfully diverse, and when that diversity is represented in God’s community, we are all the richer for it. Sometimes that diversity challenges us to be curious about each other, for one person’s story is never the same as another’s. Sometimes that diversity requires us to confess when we unintentionally hurt each other, and sometimes that diversity causes us to break out in joy, for the reflection of the fullness of God when we are together.

If you are looking for a faith community that isn’t perfect, but is living into God’s wonderful reign, then we invite you to experience the love and fellowship of this congregation.

We are a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA), a denomination with a rich history of faith and works. We believe God calls us to live out our faith in community, which means we support each other, and at times we wrestle with each other, for there is a broad range of beliefs about God and what it means to follow Jesus Christ within our denomination. One of the strengths of the PCUSA is that we allow everyone the freedom to study and explore their faith, for we believe God speaks to all people, and not just the pastor. So when you come to worship or listen to a sermon, you will not hear the pastor say “you must believe this.” Rather we invite you to listen, to question where you need, to wrestle with uncomfortable ideas, and to work out your beliefs together in community.

We are a connectional church, which means we believe God calls us into community – not just of a single church, but a community of churches as well. None of us has to figure out faith alone. None of us has to face challenges alone. We are there for each other in the local church, and we support the rest of our congregations as well, for we are all one in Christ, and we are all called to work together for good. We have a Book of Order that guides our communal life, and a Book of Confessions, containing statements of faith written over the span of 2000 years that guide us as we consider our beliefs about God, about the world, and about our role in it.

At First Presbyterian Church, we welcome people wherever they are on their faith journey, and whatever their beliefs.

1. We are unapologetically a Christian

Church. Jesus Christ is the head of the

church, he is at the center of our life and

faith, and it is his teachings and example

that guide our living.

2. We hold scripture to be authoritative for

our lives. The ancient words of faith matter

to us, and they guide us as we seek to live

faithfully. We study the historical context of

the stories, we seek to understand what it

meant at the time it was written. We

recognize that many of the issues we

struggle with today as a society look

different than issues in the days the

various scriptures were written, so we take

seriously the challenge of wrestling with

that those ancient words mean in today’s

context so we can apply the teachings of

scripture to our lives today in ways that are

not rigid but life-giving.

3. Sin is real. Sin, said the 16th century

reformer John Calvin, is pride. It is placing

our trust in ourselves, and not God. It is

wanting to be in charge of our own lives,

instead of recognizing that we belong to

God and to each other. Sin can also be

defined as that which separates us from

God. We recognize that we all sin, and

therefore the grace, forgiveness, and

mercy of God is a gift we treasure, and a

gift we seek to share with others.

4. We believe salvation is both a gift and a

responsibility, and we have different

ideas of what that means. For some

people, salvation means a time when this

world as we know it will end and God’s

perfect world will be established for all

eternity. For others, alvation is about

creating that world in partnership with God

right now. You will find both understandings

present in this church. No matter how you

understand it, we believe salvation is both

a gift from a loving God who claims us as

God’s own for all time and beyond, and a

responsibility to work out in our daily lives.

5. We believe God loves us unconditionally.

The sacrament of Baptism celebrates that,

and in baptism, we respond to the grace of God who loves us no matter what and who claims us as God’s own, even before we

are able to understand who God is. We

practice both infant and believer (adult)

baptism. Infant baptism emphases God’s

choice for us. When child is baptized, their

parents take responsibility for the child’s

faith until that child is old enough to claim

that faith for his/her/their own. Adult

baptism emphasizes our acceptance of

God’s choice and commitment to

discipleship.

6. We believe the sacrament of the Lord’s

Supper (communion) is central to our life

together. Jesus tells us that he is the vine

and we are the branches. It is through our

connection with him that we live and move

and have our being. In communion we

share to Christ’s life, and we are

empowered to go out in his name. What

exactly happens during communion? There

are different opinions on that, depending

on what faith tradition you look at.. In the

Presbyterian Church, we believe that Christ

is truly present in the bread and cup of

communion, however we do not believe

that it is his physical body and blood. It is,

however, his essence, his strength, his love

and his call that is experienced when we

eat the bread and drink the cup together.

We also believe that God is not limited by

time or space, so whether you are

participating through our livestream, or are

sitting in the sanctuary, God is at work

when we gather together for communion,

and can use whatever we have handy to

use for the bread and the cup.

7. We believe that God calls all people. We embrace a fully inclusive, open and

accepting, and welcoming church,

believing that ALL people are all called by

God to service in and through the church,

including to leadership positions,

regardless of any label one may embrace,

including those of race, ethnicity, gender,

sexual orientation, or gender identity or

expression. We are a member of the

Covenant Network of Presbyterians. The

Covenant Network of Presbyterians is a

broad-based, national group working for a

church that is simultaneously faithful, just,

and whole. The Covenant Network seeks to

support the mission and unity of the

Presbyterian Church (USA); articulate and

act on the church’s historic, progressive

vision; work for a fully inclusive church; and

find ways to live out the graciously

hospitable gospel by living together with all

our fellow members in the PC(USA).

8. We believe we are called to service. Faith

isn’t just a personal relationship with Jesus

Christ, we are called to be disciples, going

out into the world, sharing our faith in

personal relationships, and acting on our

faith in the public sphere. In other words,

we believe we are called to service for the

sake of the whole world. We are called to

be a light. We are a member of the

Covenant Network of Presbyterians. The

Covenant Network of Presbyterians is a

broad-based, national group working for a

church that is simultaneously faithful, just,

and whole. The Covenant Network seeks to

support the mission and unity of the

Presbyterian Church (USA); articulate and

act on the church’s historic, progressive

vision; work for a fully inclusive church; and

find ways to live out the graciously

hospitable gospel by living together with all

our fellow members in the PC(USA).

We welcome you in your uniqueness, whether that is around your sexual orientation or your gender identity or expression, your economic status, the color of your skin, your culture or language, or your background – whatever your uniqueness includes.

If you are looking for a faith community that isn’t perfect, but is living into God’s wonderful reign, then we invite you to experience the love and fellowship of this congregation.

Over many decades the Presbyterian Church (USA) struggled with the question of whether or not self-affirming, practicing homosexuals should be ordained, and later, whether same-gender marriage should be allowed. I was called as the interim pastor of First Presbyterian in 2015 when the marriage debate was going on.

It was an interesting time to be here, as the church knew going in that I was in a same-gender marriage and that it was important that I and my wife, Linda, be fully welcomed wherever we served. At the same time, the session (the governing board of the church) wanted to have conversations with the congregation about whether or not they should allow same-gender marriages in the sanctuary. Part of my job was to facilitate those conversations. We invited in Mark Achtemeier, theologian and author of “The Bible’s Yes to Same-Sex Marriage: An Evangelical’s Change of Heart,” to come lead an educational event on this topic. The next step was for the session to make a decision about same-gender marriage in the sanctuary based on what they learned and conversation with the congregation about their thoughts.

Meanwhile (this is the fun part of the story!), the church was seeking a permanent pastor (I was the interim, or temporary pastor, there to assist them while they sought a permanent pastor), and they overwhelmingly voted to ask me to stay. I was thrilled to say yes, which, as I told the session, basically meant they had effectively decided on the marriage issue without ever having to vote on it. They agreed, and as a testament to this congregation, it has never been an issue since. We are united in welcoming all people, regardless of how they identify, into our church family. I can honestly say that Linda and I have been welcomed without reservation, and we are not alone in being the recipients of that welcome.

We invite you to come experience the love and fellowship that Linda and I have experienced at First Presbyterian Church, and to join us in ministry with Christ to our neighborhood, and beyond!