God’s Work in Our College Students

We are very excited to have another fall semester just around the corner! The Lord in his kindness has blessed the College Ministry in many ways over the past year. Chief among them, we have had the privilege of watching the Spirit grow many of our students in their faith in Jesus and their knowledge of the character of promises of God. Our students consistently remark how blessed they feel to sit under the faithful preaching of God’s Word. An active student in our ministry recently said to me, “I can’t imagine finding a better church to worship God with than First Presbyterian Church.” It truly is a blessing to see the Lord growing our students! Even more, students who love Jesus tend to attract other students to Jesus. This past fall, for example, we hosted the largest retreat our ministry has ever had with over 70 students at Bonclarken Conference Center. Even this very summer, our weekly Bible studies have almost doubled in size compared to past summers. Truly, the Lord has been gracious! 

On a practical side, however, one of the things I am most excited to celebrate with our College Ministry is that our staff team is growing. On July 1, Abram Danielson became our new pastoral intern and, on August 1, Sophie deMaine will be joining Liz Grooms, Avery Sirmans, and me as a full-time College Ministry staff member. This means we will have more hands and feet than before to bring the good news of the Gospel to college students who begin to flood our city in August. We are grateful to God for all He has been doing and for all the ways He has continued to bless this ministry. Please be praying for our team to have joyful unity, a spirit of faithful perseverance, and much fruitfulness as we get ready for all our welcome back events in just a few weeks.

If you would like to be involved in our College Ministry, please contact me or one of the other College Ministry staff members. We have various opportunities for the church body to serve the Lord through serving our college students.

Nate Cesky

Director of College Ministry

Summer Lecture Series

Our 2026 Summer Lecture series speaker for Sunday, July 26, is Dr. Jonathan Gibson, an ordained minister in the International Presbyterian Church, UK. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge, and he presently serves as professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia. He is married to Jackie, and they have four children. 

All lectures will be held during the Sunday School hour beginning at 10:00 a.m. in the Family Life Center. 

Children's Ministry Volunteers Needed

Have you ever considered joining the First Presbyterian Church Children's Ministry Volunteer Team? We would love to have you! It takes many caring hands to love, encourage, and teach the children God has entrusted to our church family.

There are many ways you can serve, including:

• Sunday School Teacher or Helper
• First Friends Coordinator
• Nursery Volunteer
• Special Needs Buddy
• Children's Church Helper
• Sunday School Substitute

Whether you can serve every week or only occasionally, there is a place for you. If you are interested in learning more, we would love to help you find a role that fits your gifts and schedule! Sign up by completing our online volunteer form here.

Sign Up for the Music Ministry Email

If you would like to receive updates about upcoming Music Ministry events and concerts, please sign up to join our email list at firstprescolumbia.org/music.

Update Your Contact Information

If you have moved, changed phone numbers, especially cell phone numbers, or have a new email address, please let us know by contacting Lisa Eargle at leargle@firstprescolumbia.org so we can update our records. Thank you!

People for Prayer

July Calendar

27 Senior Men’s Quarterly Breakfast - 8:00 a.m. in Jackson Hall

31 Youth Scotland Mission Trip team departs.

August Calendar

8 Young Professionals Lake Day

9 Stewardship Sunday - Joint Adult Sunday School class at 10:00 a.m. in the Family Life Center

14 Seniors Ministry CIA Ice Cream Social - 6:30 p.m. in BR125

16 Rally Day - Sunday School classes resume, and children are promoted to their new classes for the fall. 

18 Encouragers Governor’s Mansion Tour and Lunch - 10:15 a.m.

For more information on any upcoming events, please check our website at firstprescolumbia.org or our church app.