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!

The fpcQ Christmas Party will be held on December 14 from 6:30-8:30 PM  LGBTQIA+ friends will gather for a festive potluck dinner and holiday cheer!  The venue has limited capacity, so RSVP is required!

Join the Band of Boomers to celebrate the season! Diane and Jon Rogers have once again offered to host us at their home.

The main menu salutes Philly! Everything you love about a Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich (steak or chicken) will be served with a twist: as cosy casseroles (“WIT or WIT-OUT” fixings, of course). Please bring your favorite appetizer or dessert and choice of beverage.

Please RSVP!

The Chancel Choir, Period Orchestra, led by Dr. Bálint Karosi

with
Kyle Leigh Carney, Soprano
Maren Montalbano, Alto
Matthew Newhouse, Tenor
Brian Chu, Baritone

Concerts@First presents a program of Advent and Christmas music from the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris and the Thomaskirche in Leipzig, featuring Bach’s quintessential Advent Cantata Nun Komm, der Heiden Heiland BWV 61 and the much less famous, but equally breathtaking Christmas cantata In Nativitatem by the French Baroque composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier. The concert will also feature hymns by Johann Schein and a Magnificat setting by Charpentier, all played on period instruments. (View the concert program.)

The concert will be followed by a reception in Old Buttonwood Hall. On-street parking is available with placard!

FPC Kids Night is back! On Friday, December 6, from 5-8 PM, we are inviting kids 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.

If you’re interested in having your child/children attend the Kids Night event, please register!

After worship on Sunday, December 1, T&Ts will walk over to the Philly Christmas Village next to city hall. We’ll enjoy some warm festive beverages and do some holiday browsing together. If you’re interested in joining us, please RSVP at youngadults@fpcphila.org!

Come explore the spectacular art collection at the Barnes Foundation with other FPC T&Ts. We will be reserving spots on their 1:30 PM “Highlights Tour” that day. If you’d like to join us, please RSVP to Laura!

Come to the MacColl Room to share coffee, tea, and conversation with Matthew, our new Minister for Congregational Care. The small setting will give us an opportunity to get better acquainted with Matthew and for him to get to know us better. I'm sure we'll also want to hear about how Matthew sees his role, and we'll be able to offer our insights as well. Goodies provided! Please RSVP!

On Thursday, November 14, T&Ts will meet at Brooklyn Bowl in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia for 2 hours of bowling. Whether you’re an old bowling pro or you haven’t played in years, come join us for a fun night! If you’re interested in joining us, please RSVP!

First Church is holding a new members class on November 10.  Our membership class is an opportunity for you to learn more about our history and our values, how our past has shaped us and how we believe God is leading our church in the present.  You can attend for information only, and those who wish to join will be received into membership that day.  If you’re interested in attending, please contact Rev. Laura Colee.

Anyone interested in singing in a parish choir, led by Music Director Bálint Karosi, is invited to the first session on November 3 following the 11 AM worship service, in the choir room.  This is an opportunity to sing and learn music on a regular basis with Dr. Karosi.  Experienced singers, and music enthusiasts are welcome to join.  If interested, feel free to speak with Bálint or email balint.karosi@fpcphila.org.

On November 3 at 12:30 PM in the MacColl Room, Jeff Jarvis will speak on the age of artificial intelligence, the internet, and what a printing press from 1450 can teach us about how these technologies will develop and shape our societies. Mr. Jarvis directs the Tow-Knight Center for Entrepreneurial Journalism and is the Leonard Tow Professor of Journalism Innovation at the CUNY Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism.

Join us for our regular brunch outing on Sunday, October 27 after the 11 AM service! We’ll be heading to Goldie on Sansom Street for falafel and delicious vegan milkshakes. Please RSVP to Laura if you’d like to join so we can make a reservation!

Part two of our series on the history of the organ, taught by Director of Music and organist, Dr. Bálint Karosi, will cover romantic and modern organs in the 19th and 20th centuries in Europe and the United States.

Part 2 will take place in the sanctuary.

Join us as a group of T&Ts volunteer with Books Through Bars on Saturday, October 26 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!

The Missions Committee is hosting a Missions Fair on October 20 in Old Buttonwood Hall. We have invited a number of mission partners to join us for the fellowship hour after both the 9 am and 11 am services. The congregation will have an opportunity to talk with some of our partners about their upcoming projects and ways that the church can get involved. Please join us to check it out!

It’s been a while since we gathered!  Connect with the fpcQ, our LGBTQIA+ fellowship group, for food & fun at Dave’s house on Friday, October 18, 6:30 - 10 PM!  Please RSVP to Dave Huting.

Part 1 of a two-part series on the history of the organ, taught by Director of Music and organist, Dr. Bálint Karosi, will cover the development of the organ from the Roman Hydraulis through the golden age of tracker organs in the Baroque until the mid-19th century.

Part 1 will take place in the MacColl Room.

(Part 2 is scheduled for October 27 in the sanctuary, and will cover romantic and modern organs in the 19th and 20th centuries in Europe and the United States.)

Bring your pets (leashed or in a carrier) for Blessing of the Animals at our Celebration! service on Sunday, October 13 at 9 AM in the sanctuary. If you can’t bring your pet, bring a photo of your pet to be blessed.

Our Gen Xers will be gathering after 11 AM worship on Sunday, October 6 at Jane G’s (1930 Chestnut Street) for dim sum! If you’re interested in attending, please RSVP to Laura Colee.

T&Ts will venture out to Linvilla Orchards to explore their apple picking, corn maze, pumpkin market, and more. We will meet in Old Buttonwood Hall after the 11 AM service and carpool over together. If you’d like to join us, please RSVP!