News & Events

Make a Donation to “Walk the Wildwood”

Posted on April 27, 2022 (August 31, 2022) by First Presbyterian

Thanks to Joe Whittington and Marilyn Howe, we have lots of fun pictures from our recent Walk the Wildwood event to raise money for the new carpentry and welding shop at Kamwenge Secondary and Vocational School in Kamwenge, Uganda. We raised over $7,000! Thanks to all the walkers, donors and volunteers for making our inaugural event so successful. To see the pictures from the event go to https://pim-africa.org/walk-oregon-thank-you Registration for Walk the Wildwood is now closed but you can still contribute to this fundraiser event by making a donation! Saturday, August 13, 2022, is “Walk the Wildwood”, an event supporting Good Shepherd Primary School and Kamwenge Secondary and Vocational School in rural Kamwenge, Uganda. Our church has an ongoing relationship with Partners in Mission (PIM) which supports these schools, having sent three mission groups to Uganda since 2015 with [...]

Covid Update (February 10) – In-Person Worship To Resume

Posted on February 10, 2022 (February 10, 2022) by First Presbyterian

In-Person Worship to Reconvene on Sunday, February 20 This Sunday, February 13, will be our last Sunday of worshipping by streaming only. As the virus picture is improving, our church’s Reopening Group has met and decided that in-person worship will reconvene Sunday, February 20. Singing and saying of prayers will be allowed, while those attending remain masked. We ask that people make their decision to attend in person or by streaming based on their health and vulnerabilities, keeping in mind underlying health conditions, age, and whether they have been able to have the vaccine. Sunday School will recommence from February 20, with the nursery reopening in March. Groups in the church will have the option of meeting in person from February 20. Some groups may wish to continue meeting by Zoom as virus numbers continue to decline, and others may [...]

Weddings at First Presbyterian Church

Posted on February 2, 2022 (March 3, 2022) by First Presbyterian

First Presbyterian Church (FPC) is a unique treasure nestled in the heart of the city. With its Victorian Gothic-inspired architecture, it is the perfect location for a large or intimate affair. Built in 1890, it is one of the oldest and largest churches in Portland. The hammer-beam trusses, original hand-carved pews, Povey stained glass windows, and magnificent Jaeckel pipe organ provide the perfect setting for a romantic and unforgettable wedding ceremony. Click here to learn more about booking your wedding at First Presbyterian Church. [...]

Covid Update (January 18) – Worship Services Online Only

Posted on January 18, 2022 (January 18, 2022) by First Presbyterian

Between the high rate of infection and steep rise in cases of the Omicron variant, COVID-19 has put an incredible strain on our healthcare systems and its workers. Following the recommendations of the Presbytery of the Cascades to do our part to help limit the spread of the virus, the Reopening Working Group has voted to move worship services to streaming exclusively. The suspension of in-person worship will begin this Sunday, January 23, and stay in place for four weeks, with the possibility of an extension if the caseload stays high. We are also suspending all in-person church gatherings including Sunday school classes. We are encouraging all groups of the church to meet over Zoom during this time. The church office will remain open during business hours. Please call the office to arrange a time if you need to come [...]

In-Person Children’s Sunday School and Nursery Closure

Posted on January 12, 2022 (January 18, 2022) by First Presbyterian

Because of the particular vulnerability of babies in this season of the pandemic, the church nursery will be closed throughout the month of January. Children’s Sunday School will continue to meet in person (children gather in classes immediately following the Children’s Moment in worship). Thank you for your flexibility, families! If you have questions or concerns please reach out to Pastor Carmen. [...]

COVID Update (December 30)

Posted on December 31, 2021 (January 12, 2022) by First Presbyterian

Due to the recent rise in cases of the COVID Omicron variant, we ask members and visitors who recently traveled, attended large gatherings, or who are at high health risk, to please worship with us online. For those who choose to continue in-person worship, please note that there will be adjustments to our normal practices in order to ensure safety for our community. We are grateful for your continued patience as we seek to care for all of God’s people, but in particular, our most vulnerable. Please review the new guidelines regarding meetings and worship service at FPC. [...]

Pastor’s Note for January 2

Posted on December 29, 2021 (January 12, 2022) by First Presbyterian

The introduction to the gospel of John is both a poetic and theologically rich text. It calls forth images of a time before the world was created. I always imagined it to be a rich darkness with a soupy swirl of light in the center. The center of what, I am not sure. I imagine it to look like the pictures that satellites are shooting back from deep space of wonderful things. Things like bursting stars and new galaxies; but that in this light rests God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit. The text goes on to talk about John’s role of not being part of the light but to testify to the light. I can’t help think what an enormous task that must have been. Let us not forget that this is not just John’s task but it is something that [...]

Pastor’s Note for December 26

Posted on December 23, 2021 (January 12, 2022) by First Presbyterian

This year, we’re grateful for the hope that Christmas brings, that we will hear again the Christmas story of the angels announcing the birth of the Christ child, born in Bethlehem. We are glad for the carols of Christmas that lift our hearts as we celebrate the Savior’s coming. This year, we’re grateful that we can gather (whether in person in the sanctuary or by streaming the Christmas Eve worship online from home) to remember and take heart that the Christ Child is born, and the light shines in the darkness. There will be a 5pm Children and Family Christmas Eve service, in which children attending are invited to take part, and a 9pm service of Lessons and Carols with candle lighting. These services will be live-streamed, and also available to view after the times of the service. I look [...]

Pastor’s Note for December 19

Posted on December 16, 2021 (January 12, 2022) by First Presbyterian

Here we are, right in the middle of the “Peace on Earth, Goodwill to All” season. I think we might widely agree that this isn’t the case in our world right now. I’m reminded of a time when our world was a good deal more violent. It was the beginning of the First World War, Christmas 1914. Somehow, people on both sides of No-Man’s-Land managed to call a halt to the hostilities; at least for a little while. One website wrote: The starting of this Christmas truce was very amazing! It bubbled up from the ranks, with both armies making small gestures of goodwill in the days before Dec. 25. In France, some Germans suggested a brief, local cease-fire, even sweetening the deal with a chocolate cake. Along the Lys River, a battalion of Welsh infantrymen hoisted a banner reading [...]

Pastor’s Note for December 12

Posted on December 10, 2021 (January 12, 2022) by First Presbyterian

“Saint John the Baptist,” Alvise Vivarini, c. 1475

In this season when the days darken so early, it’s a joy to see the myriad Christmas lights strung on our energetic neighbors’ houses, shining in the dark, a note of hope amid all that these days are holding. Next week, on the evening of Wednesday, December 15, we will have a Blue Christmas service that is a time to remember, to grieve what has been lost in the year we’ve had, and to begin to look ahead in hope, to take comfort in the presence of Christ’s Spirit. This service will be both in-person in the sanctuary and streamed for viewing at home. This Sunday, we read the story of John the Baptist, or John the Prophet, as might better describe his work and witness. We hear of his call for us to turn and to look for light [...]

Make a Donation to “Walk the Wildwood”

Covid Update (February 10) – In-Person Worship To Resume

Weddings at First Presbyterian Church

Covid Update (January 18) – Worship Services Online Only

In-Person Children’s Sunday School and Nursery Closure

COVID Update (December 30)

Pastor’s Note for January 2

Pastor’s Note for December 26

Pastor’s Note for December 19

Pastor’s Note for December 12

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