Volunteers are needed on Sunday, June 14th in Old Buttonwood Hall for a Casserole Extravaganza starting at 10 AM (between 9 AM and 11 AM worship services). This popular volunteer activity provides an opportunity to bond with fellow casserole-assemblers while serving our neighbors in West Philadelphia. We put together 30 to 40 casseroles for the University City Hospitality Coalition (UCHC), which provides free meals for those experiencing food insecurity. Join us for a time of fellowship and service! Contact Laura Colee to volunteer.

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.

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.

The Missions Committee is coordinating a winter clothing drive for our unhoused community. We will be collecting clothing to support two of our partners, Sunshine House and PhillyHouse. Donate new and gently used men’s and women’s coats, other winter clothing (hats, gloves, and scarves), and men’s t-shirts, socks, and underwear.

From January 11 through February 8 donations can be dropped off at a designated locations in the sanctuary and Old Buttonwood Hall. For more information contact the Missions Committee.

Philly House is a program for men that provides temporary housing and comprehensive services to support transitions to long-term housing. Sunshine House is a community outreach center that supports individuals experiencing housing insecurity located in the Kensington neighborhood.

Please join the FPC Peace & Justice Group on Wednesday, February 4, at 12 noon as we gather peacefully in front of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Philadelphia Field Office at 8th & Filbert Streets to hold a prayer vigil in support of immigrant respect and safety. 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 by clergy from First Presbyterian Church, and will include words of inspiration taken from Scripture, song, and prayer. It will last approximately 45 minutes.

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!

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.

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!

Our Casserole extravaganza was such a success that we’re doing it again! On Sunday, August 31, we need 15-20 volunteers to help make 30-40 casseroles for our mission partner, University City Hospitality Coalition (UCHC).  We’ll set up after worship and fellowship (11:45 AM) in Old Buttonwood Hall.  Please contact Laura Colee to volunteer.

On Sunday, August 10, we need 15-20 volunteers to help make 30-40 casseroles for our mission partner, University City Hospitality Coalition (UCHC).  We’ll set up after worship and fellowship (11:45 AM) in Old Buttonwood Hall.  Please contact Laura Colee to volunteer.

The Missions Committee is hosting a Missions Fair on June 29 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!

Join our team for the Sojourner Truth Walk on May 3rd! 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.

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.

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!

Join or Sponsor the First Church Team!

FPCP’s Missions Committee is sponsoring a team of walkers for the 11th Annual Sojourner Truth Walk! Please join or sponsor the First Church team to help build the leadership of Philly girls. Contact Jordana Woodford for more information.

The 11th Annual Sojourner Truth Walk: Honoring Youth Leaders

This event is named in honor of Sojourner Truth, an American abolitionist, women’s rights and economic justice activist, who escaped slavery and then fought to end it. She, along with many others, has served as an inspiration and role model for generations to come. We are walking in their footsteps! This year we are also lifting up youth leaders, as important contributors to political movements in Philadelphia and beyond. (Read more here.)

All proceeds benefit Camp Sojourner Girls' Leadership Camp, and help to fund scholarships for summer camp as well as free year-round creative arts and other leadership activities.

Join or Sponsor the First Church Team!

FPCP’s Missions Committee is sponsoring a team of walkers for the 10th Annual Sojourner Truth Walk: Growing Food Justice, Honoring Those Who Feed Us

This event is named in honor of Sojourner Truth, an American abolitionist, women’s rights and economic justice activist, who escaped slavery and then fought to end it. She, along with many others, has served as an inspiration and role model for generations to come. We are walking in their footsteps! This year we are also lifting up Food Justice and the people who feed us, as an important political movement in Philadelphia and beyond (see more info here). This is a family-friendly event—all are welcome!

Please help build the leadership of Philly girls by sponsoring or joining the First Church team!

All proceeds benefit Camp Sojourner Girls' Leadership Camp, and help to fund scholarships for summer camp and year-round leadership activities.

On November 9, you can be part of Camp Sojourner’s workday at Bartram’s Garden, tending to their vegetable plot (putting it to bed for the winter) and helping with the community garden and organic farm. The day starts at 9:30 and includes lunch and a short program afterwards, ending at 1:30. This provides an opportunity to get to know both some of girls for whom we help to provide a summer camp experience (Camp Sojourner: Girls Leadership Camp) and one of Philadelphia’s hidden gems. Please contact Beverly Cowart for more information.