What to Expect
As one of the oldest, largest, and strongest congregations in the Presbytery of the Cascades, First Church has a long tradition of meaningful worship, inspiring choral and instrumental music, strong Christian education and a caring community of members. Our location and heritage affect our work together. First Church worships and speaks God’s word at the heart of Portland; our parish is the entire metropolitan area. We respond to the human needs at our doorstep by meeting them directly and bringing our experiences to the attention of the broader community. Our ministry of caring and proclamation goes beyond the walls of our building to the city, the nation and the world.
First Church’s members have a wide variety of experiences, perspectives and talents. We cherish the diverse views of our congregation and seek to foster and maintain our diversity. No one person or group can fully know God’s truth. Thus we recognize that to discover God’s collective purpose for us in any specific situation calls for each of us to act within the basic framework of the church’s confessions. We expect to listen to one another in love, seeking God’s help to hear what may have been misunderstood. And we expect to speak to one another in love, seeking God’s help to express our ideas in ways that are respectful of other points of view. We join all Presbyterians in proclaiming that God alone is Lord of the conscience, not so that members may impose their wills on others, but so that each may speak from his or her own conscience, and each may conscientiously hear.
Music ministries at FPC have been important from the beginning. We have been leaders in this aspect of our joint ministry and believe music is one of our “set apart” features. We love traditional, sacred music that is well integrated with lessons of the day. The music at First Presbyterian Church has always been a centerpiece of the worship experience. Beginning with the first pipe organ in Portland (a used instrument installed in its first church building in 1864), sacred music, of the highest level of performance, has enhanced worship at FPC.