FPC folks are joining the Christian Association at UPenn (118 S. 37th Street) for dinner on Wednesday, April 2 at 6:30 PM. We’ll be having Thai food take-out and spending time in conversation with UPenn students and with the wonderful Rev. Megan LeCluyse. Everyone is welcome!! Please RSVP to Laura so we know how much food to order.

Our T&T Book Club will meet after 11 AM worship on Sunday, March 30 in the Penn’s Village Room. We’ll be discussing the pages 115-165 of Rachel Held Evan’s book Inspired together. If you’d like to join us and are in need of copy of the book, please RSVP!

The Reverend Cindy Jarvis will lead this three-part Bible study as a time to talk together about how we are feeling about and responding to all that is happening to our democracy. We are not the first to find ourselves in this sort of crisis. The biblical narrative invites us seek wisdom from the stories of God’s people who have gone before us.

Three sessions will be held on Sundays @ 12:30 PM in the MacColl Room:

• March 30 - Session I: “The Shadow of Tyranny in Scripture”

• April 6 - Session II: “The Foreshadowing of Mary’s Magnificat”

• April 13- Session III: “The Prophetic Voice”

Read the complete syllabus here. The readings from Timothy Snyder’s book On Tyranny are offered as an additional resource but not necessary for participation in the conversation. Please email or call (215-567-0532) the church office to reserve a copy of the book.

Join our regular brunch outing on Sunday, March 23 after the 11 AM worship service. We’ll be going to Hart of Catering & Cafe on 21st & Sansom. If you’d like to join us, please RSVP to Laura Colee.

On Sunday March 16 @ 12:30 PM, Bálint Karosi will play a 30-minute program on the 1750 Historic Italian Organ "Veronica" in Old Buttonwood Hall, with organ works by Girolamo Frescobaldi, Correa de Arauxo and Jan Pietersoon Sweelinck.

Monthly discussions on Reformed theology, based on chapters of Daniel Migliore’s Faith Seeking Understanding, are open to all, including those new to the Reformed tradition and those seeking to deepen their theological understanding. Books are provided for all registrants. The group meets on the third Sunday of most months at 10 AM in the MacColl Room.

The March discussion is “Finishing the Trinity”
Suggested: Chapter 11 - The Holy Spirit and the Christian Life"

To receive a copy of the book, please register online or email the church office.

You are invited to our Spring 2025 FPC Kids Night! On Friday, March 14 from 5-8 pm, kids are welcome to join us at First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia for pizza, snacks, crafts, games, and a movie. While your kids hang out with us, parents and guardians are able to have a night to themselves.  Here’s the info for the event:

• The event is for children 2 years old and up

• There will be a maximum of 20 children at the event

• We will have 3-4 certified adults leading the event, including Pastor Laura

• This event is free for FPC members and regular attendees

WWW will meet on Thursday, March 13th at 2:30 in the MacColl Room for coffee, tea, and the Lake District presentation that was postponed from last month. We'll share munchies and conversation, and then enjoy some beautiful scenery while hearing about some of the people who made the Lake District famous. Please let Diane Rogers know you are coming at womenwitwisdom@fpcphila.org.

The T&Ts are going to a Flyers game! Join us on Tuesday, March 11 at 7 PM as the Philadelphia Flyers take on the Ottawa Senators at the Wells Fargo Center. Tickets will be $20 per person and we only have a few remaining tickets available, so if you’d like to join us for the game, let us know ASAP!

Ash Wednesday marks the start of Lent.  First Church will hold services with imposition of ashes at 12 noon and 7:00 PM.  The evening service will be live streamed.

On street parking is available with placard.

In the Presbyterian Church (USA), women were first ordained as elders in 1930, and they were first ordained as ministers in 1956; today, women serve at every level of the church.  In recognition of Women’s History Month, join a discussion of women in the ministry and leadership of the Presbyterian Church (USA) with Rev. Cindy Jarvis and Rev. Laura Colee on March 2 @ 9:45 AM in the MacColl Room.

Join us for a fun Mardi Gras Celebration service on Sunday, March 2 at 9 AM. Let the good times roll!

Our T&T Book Club will meet after 11 AM worship on Sunday, February 23 in the MacColl Room. We’ll be discussing the pages 59-115 of Rachel Held Evan’s book Inspired together. If you’d like to join us and are in need of copy of the book, please RSVP!

Are you interested in learning more about how theology is relevant to public life in divisive times? We will dive into the work of notable theologian James H. Cone to understand how we can work in and around racial and social divides in our present era. We will meet on February 23 at 9:45 AM in the MacColl Room.

Join us for our regular brunch outing on Sunday, February 16 after the 11 AM service! We’re planning to dine at El Rey at 2013 Chestnut Street. Please RSVP to Laura if you’d like to join so we can make a reservation!

Just in time for Valentine's weekend! Join your fellow Boomers at a play about…Boomers! "A couple at the Grand Horizons retirement community decide to divorce, so their adult children convene to fix the problem..." What could possibly go wrong?

• We’ll begin the evening at 6 PM with cocktails at the home of Baron Mullis & Lester Morris

• At 8 PM we’ll attend the Stagecrafters Theater production of the 2020 Tony-nominated play, Grand Horizons, by Bess Wohl.

FPC special block group (15) price: $20 per person. Ticket cost payable by cash or check to Alan Southergill. Please RSVP with first and last names of attendees by January 31.

For more information about the production, as well as directions and parking, visit thestagecrafters.org.

Redlining is an illegal practice by which lenders avoid providing credit or financial services to communities of color based on their race or national origin. Unfortunately, the practice has a long and enduring history in the United States and has greatly contributed to wealth inequality among its citizens. In particular, it has defined the neighborhoods in Philadelphia from the 1920s to the present day.

The 57+ Blocks Coalition is a group of over 70 organizations around Philadelphia dedicated to reducing gun violence. The premise of the Coalition is that gun violence is most prevalent in the formally redlined areas of Philadelphia: specifically, major portions of North Philadelphia, West Philadelphia, and lower Germantown. Join a discussion of solutions to reduce that gun violence led by Greg Holston, a social and racial justice activist who previously served as a senior advisor on policy and advocacy at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office.

The Session has set Sunday, February 9, as the date of our Annual Meeting.  The meeting will be held in the sanctuary at 10 AM. All members are encouraged to attend. The meeting will be live-streamed for those unable to attend, but members must be present to vote.

The congregation will receive the 2024 Annual Report and hear and act on the recommendations of the Nominating Committee to elect officers and members of the church’s Nominating Committee for 2025, as well as voting on changes to Dr. Mullis’s terms of call.

The annual report and additional materials will be distributed before the meeting to allow time for review. A link to view the information on our website will be emailed a few days prior to the meeting.

FPC T&Ts and Gen-Xers will gather together on Saturday, February 1 at 4:30 PM at Franklin Square (200 N 6th street), where we will enjoy the Lunar New Year Celebration there. We’ll then venture into Chinatown for a meal, desserts, and shopping. We’d love to have you join us! If you’re interested in joining us, please RSVP!

Join us as a group of T&Ts volunteer with Books Through Bars on Saturday, January 25 at 11:30 AM.   We will be filling requests for reading materials for incarcerated individuals in PA and throughout the tri-state area.  If you’d like to join us, please RSPV to Laura Colee!

Our T&T Book Club will meet after worship on Sunday, January 19. We’ll be discussing the first 60 pages of Rachel Held Evan’s book Inspired together. If you’d like to join us and are in need of copy of the book, please RSVP!

Suit up with your fellow T&Ts as we attempt to crack codes, dodge lasers, and disarm a giant paint bomb within an hour. We’ll meet at Beat the Bomb (1218 Chestnut Street) on Thursday, January 16 at 7 PM for this escape-room activity. If you’re interested in joining us, please RSVP!

The deacons will be hosting an Epiphany Brunch on January 12 @ 10 AM with the theme “The Road To Bethlehem.” The brunch will celebrate the journey of the Magi following the star of Bethlehem to visit the baby Jesus and will feature foods that they would have encountered during their journey.

Join congregants from both the 9 AM Celebration! and 11 AM Traditional services as we celebrate Epiphany together in a festive time of fellowship. This brunch is open to all! Please feel free to invite your family, friends, and neighbors.

This Sunday we will celebrate 35 years of MANNA. We will be joined in our 11 AM worship service by Executive Director Sue Daugherty and founding board members. We look forward to celebrating this vital organization founded by members of First Church.

Please join us for a joyous Service of Lessons and Carols for Christmas Eve.

On-street parking is available with placard. This service will be live streamed.

Christmas Eve Family Worship for all ages. Communion will be served.

On-street parking is available with placard.

A Service of the Longest Night will be held in Old Buttonwood Hall.  This is a winter service of hope and healing that encourages those going through times of sorrow and grief during the holidays.  Inspired by the solstice, winter’s longest night, this service will have special music and liturgy while allowing you space “to be.”  We hope you will join us as we worship God during this special time.

On-street parking is available with placard.

Our T&T Book Club will have its first meeting after 11 am worship on Sunday, December 15 in the MacColl Room. We’ll be discussing Rachel Held Evan’s book Inspired together. If you’d like to join us and are in need of copy of the book, please RSVP!