The Welcoming Center, a new mission partner, will be hosting a community event called Language Café: Our Voices in Community in Old Buttonwood Hall on December 7 from 3-5 PM. The Welcoming Center provides services to our immigrant communities in and around the city. Join us to spend time engaging with conversation, eating, and playing games to help others who wish to practice their English-speaking skills. For more information and to register to the event, please register!

Join us in the MacColl Room at 12:40 PM, when Music Director Balint Karosi will lead “Preaching the Gospel Through Music: Theology and Music in Cantatas for Advent BWV 10 and 62.” The presentation and discussion will focus on the musical language and theology through these Bach cantatas before the Advent concert on December 13.

Join the Band of Boomers for our Christmas party at the home of Diane and Jon Rogers.

2026 promises to be a big year for our City of Brotherly Love, so our main menu once again salutes Philly.  Everything you love about a Cheesesteak Sandwich (steak or chicken) will be served, with a twist: as cozy casseroles (WIT or WIT-OUT fixins).

Please plan to bring your favorite appetizer or dessert and choice of beverage. 

Please email your RSVP to boomers@fpcphila.org.

You are invited to our winter 2025 FPC Kids’ Night! On Friday, December 5, 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 the kids hang out with us, their grown-ups 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!

Our mission partner Child Houses is hosting an event at First Church on December 3 from 5-7 PM to learn about the latest chapter in Child Houses’ work.

Child Houses invites you to experience the warmth of Syrian hospitality — and to be part of a mission rooted in one simple truth: Every child deserves the love and safety of family.

At Family is a Gift, you’ll step into the heart of a Syrian home: welcomed with tea, mezze, and music, surrounded by stories and traditions that make strangers feel like family.

The event is free; RSVP is required. Learn more here.

Join First Church T&Ts for our regular brunch outing on Sunday, November 30 after the 11 AM service. We’ll be going to Hart of Catering & Cafe on 21st and Sansom. If you’d like to join us, please RSVP to Laura (youngadults@fpcphila.org), so we can include you on a reservation!

The Women of Wit & Wisdom will meet on November 20 at 10 AM in the MacColl Room for morning coffee/tea and the opportunity to hear Cindy Jarvis and Laura Colee talk about their trips in Spain, where Christianity, Judaism, and Islam have all been an important part of the country's history.  Cindy went on an interfaith pilgrimage last spring, and Laura took a spiritual pilgrimage on an ancient pilgrimage path, through the different communities and cultures in Spain. Both will have slides to show and it promises to be a fascinating program!

Join First Church congregants at the Kimmel Center for a performance of the Galilee Chamber Orchestra—the first professional orchestra in Israel comprised of Jewish and Arab musicians. Their orchestra aims to bridge the divide between Arab and Jewish communities in Israel through music and to serve as a worldwide model for cooperation based on cultural exchange, dialogue and partnership. At their Philadelphia performance, you will be able to hear this ensemble’s special harmony in a concert featuring Mendelssohn's “Scottish” Symphony and Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K. 488.

First Church has reserved a block of tickets for this event. If you are interested in reserving a ticket, please contact Laura Colee.

Join First Church T&Ts as we gather on Thursday, November 13 at 6:30 PM at Village Whiskey (118 S. 20th St) for our Spirits & Sorrow Theology on Tap, where we’ll be discussing loss and grief from a theological perspective. Pastor Laura and seminary graduate Ethan Park will lead our conversation. All are welcome! Please RSVP to Laura (youngadults@fpcphila.org) so we can look out for you!

Parents of young children are invited to join us for a new series of monthly programs to be held at 10 AM, immediately following the Celebration Service, while the children are at Sunday School or in the nursery.

We hope to provide a space for parents to have informal but meaningful dialogue on a broad range of topics related to parenting in the modern Christian faith.  These sessions may be peer-lead or facilitated, depending on the specific topic.

In November we’ll explore how mainstream media’s portrayal of Christianity differs from our faith practices. This conversation will be facilitated by Cindy Jarvis. Come to share, learn, and spend time with other parents while the children are at Sunday School or in the nursery.

Concerts@First presents Nosferatu

Halloween Silent Movie with Live Accompaniment performed by Kalle Toivio.

Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror is a 1922 silent German Expressionist vampire film directed by F. W. Murnau from a screenplay by Henrik Galeen. It stars Max Schreck as Count Orlok, a vampire who preys on the wife of his estate agent and brings the plague to their town. Nosferatu was produced by Prana Film and is an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula. Various names and other details were changed from the novel, including Count Dracula being renamed Count Orlok.

Tickets $20 ($10 for members and students)
Click here for tickets!

• First Church members: use promo code "FPCMEMBER"

• Students: use promo code "STUDENT"

On-street parking is available with placard!

First Church is holding a new members class on October 26.  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.

FPC folks are joining the Christian Association at UPenn (118 S. 37th Street) for dinner on Wednesday, October 22 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.

T&Ts and Gen X are teaming up to show off our robust, intergenerational trivia knowledge at Tuesday night Quizzo. We’ll be gathering at Founding Fathers (1612 South Street) at 7:45 pm on Tuesday, October 21st. Everyone 21+ is welcome to attend! Please RSVP to Laura so we can look out for you!

On Sunday, October 19th at 2 pm, everyone is welcome to meet at Brooklyn Bowl (1009 Canal St, Philadelphia, PA 19123) in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia for 2 hours of bowling. The event is sponsored by the fpcQ affinity group and absolutely everyone of all ages is welcome to join. Whether you’re a bowling pro or if you haven’t played in years, come join us for a fun afternoon! If you’re interested in joining us, please RSVP to Laura Colee.

The Missions Committee is hosting a Missions Fair on October 19 in Old Buttonwood Hall. We have invited a number of mission partners to join us for the fellowship hour after both the 9 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!

Come to learn about the history of immigration in the United States from Joanna McGill Gardner, an immigration lawyer with HIAS. The program will cover historical immigration laws and trends, modern immigration categories and procedures, and—with input from the Rev. Cindy Jarvis—how the Presbyterian church views immigration. Please note that this is not intended to be a political discussion but rather an educational presentation of facts and the status of our immigration system.

Bring your pets (leashed or in a carrier) for Blessing of the Animals at our Celebration! service on Sunday, October 12 at 9 AM in the sanctuary. If you can’t bring your pet, bring a photo of your pet to be blessed.

Join us October 5 at 5 PM when First Church hosts Night Church with the Christian Association at Penn. Night Church is a worship service centered around music, Scripture, and quiet reflection, based on the Taize community in France. Their music is simple and easy to learn, but very meaningful. After the service, those who can stay are welcome to join for a simple supper of soup and bread. 

Join the Rev. Ken Ross for a discussion of the Presbyterian Church’s historical call to resistance through, for example, the Theological Declaration of Barmen. This program will be a refresher for those who attended the two-part discussion of “The Continuing Relevance of the Barmen Declaration” in 2020, but no prior knowledge is needed or expected. The Barmen Declaration is available here.

Parents of young children are invited to join us for a new series of monthly programs to be held at 10 AM, immediately following the Celebration Service, while the children are at Sunday School or in the nursery.

We hope to provide a space for parents to have informal but meaningful dialogue on a broad range of topics related to parenting in the modern Christian faith, and that the series will foster deeper connection and community among the FPC young families.

On October 5, our topic is "Pragmatic ways to incorporate faith into your family life." Please join us in the MacColl Room.

Because of unforeseen complications, Boomers' Cinema is canceling this event. We offer apologies for any inconvenience and look forward to future film matinees soon!

Pandora’s Box (1929)

In honor of annual Silent Movie Day on September 29th, the Philadelphia Film Society presents one of the greatest achievements of the silent film era from the renowned German cinema master G. W. Pabst. The surprisingly modern epic follows the exploits of an alluring young woman and her intoxicating beauty that draws a string of lovers into her orbit, leading to a tragic chain of betrayal, obsessions, and self-destruction. 
FPC pricing is $3.00 pp. RSVP to boomers@fpcphila.org 

Join us as our First Pres T&Ts meet with the First Unitarian T&Ts for their monthly brunch. Our T&Ts will gather in Old Buttonwood after our 11 AM service and walk over together to First Unitarian at 22nd & Chestnut. We’ll bring sandwich trays, chips, and drinks for the gathering. You’re welcome to bring other goodies to share as well! If you’d like to join us, please RSVP to Laura, so know to look out for you.

Every Sunday, we invite children ages 2-to-12 years old to join us for Children’s Sunday School after our Celebration Service from 9:50-10:30 am in Old Buttonwood Hall. We will be telling Bible stories, making crafts, and learning about how to share Christ’s love to the world. We will primarily be using curriculum from Godly Play, which explores stories from the Old and New Testament using play-based story-telling.

We invite parents to fill out our 2025-2026 Sunday School Registration Form during the first few weeks of Children’s Sunday School so we can best care for your kids in class.

Here are the stories we’ll be exploring our first few weeks together:

• September 28 - The Church Calendar and God’s Time Lesson

• October 5 - World Communion Sunday Lesson

• October 12 - Creation Lesson/Animals Blessing Lesson

• October 19 - The Tower of Babel Lesson

• October 26 - The Great Family