Our T&Ts and fpcQ crew will be gathering for a Rooftop Happy Hour at Larry Slagle and Mete Egemen’s house in Center City. Join us for drinks, conversation, and community! Please RSVP to Larry !
First Church is heading to an afternoon Phillies Game on Saturday, June 6 at 4:05 PM (against the Chicago White Sox). First Church will cover $24 of each ticket, so individuals will be responsible for $20 of the remaining price per seat. To reserve one of the 30 tickets we have purchased, please RSVP to Laura Colee (laura.colee@fpcphila.org).
Journey through the history of Christian art and uncover how artists across centuries respond to and transformed their faith, with art historian and Princeton seminarian Louisa Raitt. This course will provide a brief survey and illuminate the stories behind a smattering of sacred paintings, sculptures, and icons from the early church to the modern era. The experience culminates in a guided visit to the Princeton University Art Museum on June 13, where participants will engage directly with extraordinary works from the museum’s collection both as works of historical and cultural significance and sites of devotional encounter with the divine. (MacColl Room)
Join us for a special guided tour of religious and devotional art at the Princeton Art Museum on the Princeton University campus. The guided tour will last approximately an hour, leaving time to explore other areas of the museum on your own. Please register to attend (and please re-register if you registered for the originally scheduled tour), as the number of participants will be capped at 20.
Join us for a guided tour of First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, on Monday, June 29 from 11 am to 2 pm. Each 20-25 minute tour will offer an intimate glimpse into one of America's most historic congregations.
Established in 1698—nearly 80 years before the nation's founding—First Church has served as the birthplace of organized Presbyterianism in America, counting three signers of the Declaration of Independence and two Constitutional Convention delegates among its early members. The current building at 21st & Walnut, erected in 1872 by Second Church (with whom First Church reunited in 1949), is a cruciform sanctuary filled with remarkable artistry: Tiffany Studios windows, a majestic Reuter organ with over 5,000 pipes, the "Prophet Windows" depicting Old Testament figures, and a Steinway grand piano once played by Ignace Paderewski. In addition to the Reuter organ in the gallery, First Presbyterian is home to three European antique organs. In the sanctuary stands a Dutch cabinet organ built by Ibe Peters Iben in Emden, Germany, in 1783, incorporating metal pipework and carved figures dating from the seventeenth century. Old Buttonwood Hall houses an antique Italian organ from around 1750 by an anonymous builder from Verona, Italy. The third instrument, dating from 1741, is located in the Music Director’s office on the second floor.
Visitors will also encounter the Washington Chandelier from President George Washington’s house and a 1791 letter from Vice President John Adams. Tours begin in the sanctuary and will explore both the architectural splendor and the congregation’s enduring legacy of faith, from the Great Awakening to the present day. Tours will be led by congregant and author, Michael B. Smith.
Join organist Bálint Karosi for Let Freedom Ring, a celebratory Independence Day recital on Thursday, July 3 at 3 PM at the First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia.
Performed on the church’s distinguished American-made Reuter organ, the program commemorates the 250th anniversary of the United States through a rich and colorful survey of American organ music. Works by Horatio Parker, Dudley Buck, Charles Ives, and Florence Price will explore the many voices of the American musical tradition, from hymn-inspired grandeur and transcendental lyricism to bold modernism.
The recital will also feature live improvisations by Bálint Karosi on audience-submitted themes, continuing the historic American tradition of spontaneous organ performance.
Let Freedom Ring celebrates the organ as one of America’s great civic and sacred instruments in the historic city where the nation first declared its independence
Interfaith Philadelphia will be hosting their monthly Young Adult Brunch series this month at First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia! Join folks in their 20s-30s from all faith backgrounds monthly for meaningful dialogue across lines of difference, building community and explore timely social & cultural topics…all over brunch! Register here or on the Interfaith Philadelphia website.
Join Dr. Baron Mullis for an informal discussion of faith on May 17 at 10 AM in the MacColl Room. Participants will watch noted New Testament scholar Amy-Jill Levine’s TED Talk on Life After Death: Jesus, Judaism, and Justice, in which she examines Jesus's claim to be “the way, the truth, and the life” from an interfaith perspective. A discussion will follow. This program will be in lieu of a Parent Coffee during May; all are welcome to join!
The First Presbyterian Church Choir presents a concert that traces 250 years of American choral tradition through music of profound beauty, faith, and innovation.
This program honors the rich lineage of American sacred music, beginning with William Billings of Boston, widely regarded as the country’s first choral composer. His pioneering voice laid the foundation for a tradition that continues to evolve even today. The concert also features spirituals as shaped by composers such as William Dawson, Florence Price, and Alice Parker, whose works preserves and elevates this deeply expressive and essential part of the American musical heritage.
Contemporary voices bring new dimensions to this tradition. Excerpts from David Lang’s Poor Hymnal (2023) offer a striking and contemplative reimagining of communal song, adding a modern layer of spiritual reflection. Music by Caroline Shaw, including And the Swallow (2016), represents the creativity and originality of today’s composers, building on the past while speaking with a distinct and personal voice.
The program also includes excerpts from Music Director Bálint Karosi’s new composition, The Seven Last Words, with Paul Fleckenstein on the organ. This work contributes a fresh perspective to the ongoing story of sacred music in America.
The concert concludes with selections from Morten Lauridsen’s Lux Aeterna, a luminous and deeply moving work that brings the program to a close with a sense of peace, hope, and radiant beauty.
A reception will follow in Old Buttonwood Hall. All are warmly invited to attend this celebration of tradition, innovation, and the enduring light of choral music.
Admission is free, with a suggested donation of $20 to support Concerts at First.
After worship on May 10, our T&T Book Club will be discussing the final chapter entitled “Love” of Jesus and the Disinherited by Black minister, theologian, and Civil Rights leader Howard Thurman.
If you’d like to join us and are in need of a copy of the book, please let us know at youngadults@fpcphila.org!
Join us after worship on Sunday, May 3rd as our T&Ts grab boba tea across the street at the Tea House Café. Please let Laura (youngadults@fpcphila.org) know if you’d like to join so we can look out for you!
In this class, Cindy Jarvis will lead us in tracing the history and basic beliefs of this movement, critiquing it from the perspective of our own Reformed theological tradition. The class will also consider the text of an overture (OVT-002) that will be before the PCUSA General Assembly “Repudiating Christian Nationalism and Affirming Our Faith Commitments.”
Join our team for the Sojourner Truth Walk on May 2nd! You can register to be a part of the team or support our team through contributions that go directly to Camp Sojourner, our mission partner who provides leadership programs for girls living in Philadelphia. Email the Missions Committee for more information.
We’re suiting up again! Join 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, April 23 at 7 pm for this escape-room activity. If you’re interested in joining us, please RSVP!
As part of its SpringFest, the Philadelphia Film Society is screening the documentary, Jane Elliott Against the World.
Premiering at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival to excellent reviews, the film profiles a rural schoolteacher who becomes a national voice against racism after leading a 1968 lesson in discrimination with her all-white third day class. Now nearly ninety, she refuses to hold back amid today's fights about race, history, and power after a lifetime of speaking out.
Jane Elliott Against the World
Wednesday, April 22, 6:30 p.m. (runtime 99 minutes)
Philadelphia Film Society East
125 S. 2nd Street, Philadelphia 19106
We are currently negotiating tickets and pricing. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP ASAP!
After worship throughout the month of April, our T&T Book Club will be discussing individual chapters of Jesus and the Disinherited by Black minister, theologian, and Civil Rights leader Howard Thurman.
On April 19 we’ll be discussing Chapter 4, “Hate.”
If you’d like to join us and are in need of a copy of the book, please let us know at youngadults@fpcphila.org!
We invite parents to join us for our Young Families Please Touch Museum Trip on Sunday, April 19. FPC Families will meet at the PTM around 11:15 am and spend a few hours playing together. FPC will cover the cost of entrance tickets. Please email Laura if you are interested and let her know how many tickets you will need.
First Church is holding a new members class on April 12. 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.
Dr. Heath Carter, Associate Professor of American Christianity at Princeton Theological Seminary, will join us again for a series of Adult Christian Education classes, this time in recognition of the United States’ Semiquincentennial. Dr. Carter, who teaches and writes about the intersection of Christianity and American public life, has previously led programs at First Church on white Christian nationalism (2024) and the 325th anniversary of our congregation (2023). In this 3-week series, Dr. Carter will address pivotal texts and moments in American religious history, focusing on the following themes and texts:
April 12: City on a Hill? Early Visions & Early Trials
Readings: John Winthrop, “A Model of Christian Charity” (1630)
The Examination of Anne Hutchinson (1637)
April 19: The Christianity of this Land and the Christianity of Christ
Readings: Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Appendix (1845)
Abraham Lincoln, Second Inaugural Address (1865)
April 26: The Sense of our Small Effort: Faithfulness in Dangerous Times
Readings: Dorothy Day, Loaves and Fishes (excerpts to be provided) (1963)
Martin Luther King, Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail (1963)
Sessions will be held in the MacColl room beginning at 12:40 pm. All are welcome (and reading in advance is not required)!
Parents will gather in the MacColl Room after the Celebration! service to find community, engage in meaningful discussion, and form connections with other parents here at First Church. Come to share, learn, and spend time with other parents while the children are cared for at Sunday School or in the nursery.
You are invited to our Spring 2026 FPC Kids’ Night! On Friday, April 10 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 the kids hang out with us, their grown-ups are able to have a night to themselves. (On-street parking will be available with placard!)
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!
All are invited to a panel discussion between author Courtney McKinney-Whitaker, Don Mullen, and David Latimer, moderated by Stephen McKinney-Whitaker at Carpenters’ Hall (320 Chestnut Street). The panel will discuss McKinney-Whitaker's new book, Charles Thomson: Irish Emigrant, American Founder and the historic connection between Ireland and the United States.
Founding Father Charles Thomson was an elder of the First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia; he was elected secretary of the First Continental Congress in 1774, a position he held until George Washington was elected as President in 1789.
The evening will feature appetizers and refreshments, a short historical scene featuring Founding Father Charles Thomson and artifacts on display from Charles Thomson's estate courtesy of Harriton House. This event is presented in partnership with the Irish American Business Chamber & Network, The Harriton Association, and the Government of Ireland.
The T&Ts are joining the Christian Association at UPenn (118 S. 37th Street) for dinner on Wednesday, April 8 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.
First Presbyterian will join with Salt & Light Church on Wednesday, April 8, at 12 noon to lead a peaceful prayer vigil in support of immigrant respect and safety in front of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Philadelphia Field Office at 114 N. 8th Street (on the corner of 8th & Cherry Streets). This is part of a 40-week series of prayer vigils initiated by the New Sanctuary Movement (NSM) of Philadelphia and sponsored by various Philadelphia faith communities. NSM builds community across faith, ethnicity, and class in their work to end injustices against immigrants regardless of immigration status and to express radical welcome for all.
This vigil will be led jointly by clergy from First Presbyterian Church and Salt & Light Church, and will include words of inspiration taken from Scripture, song, and prayer. It will last approximately 45 minutes.
Our T&T Book Club has returned in 2026! From March 1 through April 12, we’ll meet every other Sunday after 11 am worship to discuss the book Jesus and the Disinherited by Black minister, theologian, and Civil Rights leader, Howard Thurman.
On March 29, we’ll be discussing Chapter 3, “Deception.”
If you’d like to join us and are in need of a copy of the book, please let us know at youngadults@fpcphila.org!
Please join fellow First Presbyterians for the No Kings Day of nonviolent action on Saturday, March 28 at noon. We'll gather at 11:45 am on the northwest corner of 16th & JFK. For more information please contact Diane Rogers at peace-justice@fpcphila.org.
Our midweek Lenten study explores the biblical book of Revelation. Join us on Wednesdays through March 25 on Zoom at 12:15 as we spend this season passing through heaven’s open door into a world of wonder and possibility. This study is led by our seminary intern Dr. Kristofer Stinson and is open to all regardless of familiarity with Revelation or the Bible. Please register to receive the Zoom link!
Join First Church T&Ts for our regular brunch outing on Sunday, March 22 at 12:45 PM. We’ll gather in Old Buttonwood following the 11 am service and walk together to dine at El Rey at 2013 Chestnut Street. If you’d like to join us, please RSVP to Laura so we can include you on a reservation!
Join us for Bach Birthday Philadelphia, an immersive celebration of Johann Sebastian Bach featuring acclaimed performers and historic instruments. The afternoon showcases organ masterworks, chamber music for traverso and harpsichord, and culminates with a complete performance of the Goldberg Variations.
Performed on the 1783 Eben Organ, our large sanctuary organ, and period instruments, this event offers a rare opportunity to hear Bach’s music as it was meant to sound—rich, expressive, and deeply human.
Click below to view the complete afternoon schedule and to purchase tickets. Tickets are $20 for the entire afternoon; you may come and go for any portion of the program.
On-street parking is available with placard.
Sunday, March 22, 2026 – 11:00 AM Worship Service
Cantata BWV 150 Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich
Performed by the First Presbyterian Choir & Period Orchestra
Conducted by Bálint Karosi
Join us for a fun and engaging morning for the whole family featuring a reading and musical performance of Peep the Piper, the beloved children’s exploration of the pipe organ by Swiss organist and composer Guy Bovet. Through story and music, this charming multi-media presentation introduces young listeners to the history and unique character of the pipe organ, making it a wonderful way to spark curiosity about this magnificent instrument.
Our Director of Music, Dr. Bálint Karosi will be on hand to answer questions, demonstrate how the organ works, and offer an up-close look at the impressive pipe organ at First Presbyterian Church. This interactive experience is perfect for young learners and families alike.
Admission is free. Please register!
The Women of Wit and Wisdom will gather on Thursday, March 19 at noon in the MacColl Room for lunch and conversation. We’ll be able to connect over how the winter has treated us, books we have enjoyed and might suggest, favorite TV and streaming series, thoughts on the universe, aging (well, who really wants to talk about that!), and more.
Please join us! RSVP to Diane Rogers at so we can order lunch for you. We look forward to being in community with you.
Our midweek Lenten study will explore the biblical book of Revelation. Join us on Wednesdays through March 25 on Zoom at 12:15 as we spend this season passing through heaven’s open door into a world of wonder and possibility. This study will be led by our seminary intern Dr. Kristofer Stinson and is open to all regardless of familiarity with Revelation or the Bible. Please register to receive the Zoom link!
Our T&T Book Club has returned in 2026! From March 1 through April 12, we’ll meet every other Sunday after 11 am worship to discuss the book Jesus and the Disinherited by Black minister, theologian, and Civil Rights leader, Howard Thurman.
On March 15, we’ll be discussing Chapter 2, “Fear.”
If you’d like to join us and are in need of a copy of the book, please let us know at youngadults@fpcphila.org!
Our Lenten Donation Drive this year supports two of our mission partners:
Maternity Care Coalition - we are collecting donations of baby wipes, boxes of diapers of all sizes, and baby formula.
PhillyHouse - we are collecting men’s t-shirts, underwear, and socks.
Donations can be dropped off at designated locations in the sanctuary and Old Buttonwood Hall. We’re collecting donations through Sunday, April 12. For more information, contact the Missions Committee.
Our midweek Lenten study will explore the biblical book of Revelation. Join us on Wednesdays through March 25 on Zoom at 12:15 as we spend this season passing through heaven’s open door into a world of wonder and possibility. This study will be led by our seminary intern Dr. Kristofer Stinson and is open to all regardless of familiarity with Revelation or the Bible. Please register to receive the Zoom link!
First Church will be hosting a dinner to welcome students from Howard University on March 8 at 5 PM in Old Buttonwood Hall. The Howard University students are traveling from Washington, D.C. to spend their spring break engaged in volunteer work around the city of Philadelphia. All are welcome to join us!
If you would like to come for dinner to meet the students, please RSVP by March 1; email or call the church office (215-567-0532).
