Weekly News — September 23, 2026

Contents

News

• Quick Glance At The Calendar
• Parking At First Pres - NEW
• New Volunteer Opportunity
• Children's Choir Registration
• Domestic Violence Center Of Chester Country Gift Card Campaign - until October 15
• Thursday Evening Men's Study
• Moms Group Returns
• Fall Stewardship Project For Kids & Youth
• Bibles For Third Grade Students
• Nursery Families Play Date
• Nominating Committee
• Connection Groups
• First Pres Travelers - Joshua

Prayers

Quick Glance At The Calendar - Sept/Oct

9/23: Start of Women's Fall Bible Study

9/24: Start of Evening Men's Study - Sacred Thread

9/27: Kid & Youth Fall Stewardship - cash exchange

9/27: Moms Group Returns

10/10: Nursery Families Play Date

10/15: Deadline for gift cards for Domestic Violence Center Of Chester Country

10/18: Deadline for nominating ruling Elders & Deacons

Parking at First Pres

Parking in the borough has been more challenging lately due to street closures and changes in parking payment hours. Here is what we understand to be the most updated information:

Sunday parking:

• Road work pauses
• Free until 5pm in Lot 9 (Miner & Darlington) or on the street
• Justice Center parking (Floors 4-7) - $3 per hour
• Bicentennial Garage (High St) - $3 (2 hours)

Parking during the week:

• The 50 and 100 blocks of Miner St are closed M-F to parking from now until October 9 for road work
• Lot 9 is $1.75/hr with a 12-hour maximum.

If you have questions about parking, please call the church office and we can either get you more specific information or help trouble-shoot for a particular program or need. Thank you for bearing with these changes! 

New Volunteer Opportunity

The church is blessed with several part-time volunteer receptionists and we'd love to have some more volunteers serve in this role! This job includes greeting visitors to the church, answering the phones, and some light administrative work as needed. Training will be provided. If you would like to try this out 2-4 hours a week or even once a month, there is a spot for you! To find out more about becoming a volunteer receptionist, please email Ministry Administrator, Karin Khan at kkhan@firstpreswc.com.

Children's Choir Registration

Come sing, learn, and have fun together this fall! Our Children’s Choir welcomes young singers to grow in confidence, make new friends, and discover the joy of making music while praising God. No prior choir experience is needed - just a love for singing. We’d love to have your child join us for a fun and meaningful season of music starting this afternoon at 5:15pm. Use the below link to register today and be part of the choir this fall! 

Domestic Violence Center Of Chester Country (DVCCC)

Gift Card Campaign - until October 15

Presbyterian Women of First Pres has supported the Domestic Violence Center of Chester County (DVCCC) for many years and will be running a gift card campaign starting today and running until October 15. 

Due to a lack of storage space at their locations, they would most graciously appreciate gift cards to local supermarkets, as well as Walmart and Target. Please consider helping these families by supporting this on-going need. You may do so as follows:

• Place Cards in the Sunday Offering Plate marked for DVCCC
• Take them to Claire Kramer or Pete Galloway during weekly office hours
• Drop them in the locked mailbox at the office entrance
• Send them by mail to the church (be aware of possible delivery delays)


Please clearly label your envelope with your name (or mark as Anon), DVCCC, and the amount of the card. The mission of the DVCCC is to provide intervention, education, outreach, advocacy, and programs to prevent, reduce, and remedy domestic in Chester County. DVCCC is committed to empowering survivors of domestic abuse through providing information and supporting them as they reclaim their lives. They provide services at their main, confidentially located site and satellite sites in Coatesville, Kennett Square, Oxford, and Phoenixville. Services are available in English and Spanish. All services are free and confidential.

Thursday Evening Men's Study

All men of the church are invited to participate in a new 7-part study of the Lord's Prayer entitled The Sacred Thread beginning tomorrow Thursday, September 24 on Zoom from 7-9pm. The study's host states: "Through cinematic storytelling and accessible scholarship, The Sacred Thread invites viewers into the world of the Biblical text. The series cuts to the heart of Scripture, exploring the historical, cultural, geographical, and literary contexts behind the Bible’s most iconic stories." The study materials will be available online at no cost. Contact Phil Heaver with any questions via email at Fivormor59@aol.com or via cell at 610-310-088.

Moms Group Returns

Moms Group is back for its first meeting of the year on Sunday, September 27 from 4 - 5:30pm. Whether you are parenting a newborn, college kid, or any age in between, this is the place for you to find friendship, encouragement and fun. We'll spend this time catching up, having some fun together, and discussing the start of our slow read for the year Love like a Mother: How the Sacred Work of Motherhood Reveals the Maternal Heart of God by Elizabeth Berget. Moms are encouraged to reach Chapter 1 before coming but don't let that stop you if you're not a reader! If you have any questions or need a list of babysitters, contact the church office to reach group leaders Mary Hambleton and Liz Single.

Fall Stewardship Project for Kids & Youth

This October, First Pres kids and youth are invited to participate in a new program that will encourage them to serve and love others! Participants in the Sight Squad will be responsible for completing tasks at home that contribute to family life. In exchange for their completed tasks, kids will earn money that they can bring into church to contribute to a meaningful fundraising goal - paying for a surgery that will restore someone's eyesight. More information is available in the packet below, which will also be shared with families Sunday. Talk to Sara Pantazes with any questions. 

Bibles for Third Grade Students

Every fall, First Pres gifts a Bible to the church’s 3rd graders to encourage them to continue growing in their faith. If you would like a 3rd grader in your life to receive a Bible, please contact Sara Pantazes by calling the church office or emailing Sara (spantazes@firstpreswc.com) by October 4. The Bibles will be presented in worship on October 18, but children do not need to be present in worship to receive one.

Nursery Families Play Date

First Pres is excited to invite all families with Nursery aged kids (preschool and under) to get together for a play date! Hosted by Pastor Andrew, his wife Megan, and their preschooler, we'll be gathering at Marshall Square Park on Saturday, October 10 from 9 -10:30am. A nut-free snack will be provided. If it rains, our back-up location is Fellowship Hall at church. We hope to see many of our Nursery families there for a fun time of playing and fellowship! 

Nominating Committee

As we look ahead, we invite you to think about those in our congregation who might be called to serve as ruling elders or deacons. Who comes to mind as someone with a caring heart, a spirit of service, and gifts to share? Please share their names with the Nominating Committee by filling out the nominating cards in the pews or by using the link below. Deadline is October 18. Thank you.

Connection Groups

We're excited to announce that Connection Groups are launching this fall at First Pres! These groups will meet monthly from October through May, with the option to continue on afterward. Finding community is an important part of our faith journey, and these groups are a great way to build genuine relationships within our church family. There's a variety to choose from, so visit the sign-up link on our website or here below to learn more about each one and discover the group that's right for you. If you have questions or you're not sure what would be a good fit, reach out to Elizabeth Hess or Sara Pantazes.

First Pres Travelers - Joshua

Join the Travelers to see Joshua at the Sight & Sound Theater, Nov. 12th at 11am. Show ticket price is $71.70 (fees included). Optional Smorgasbord Lunch at the adjacent Hershey Farm Restaurant.  Cost for the lunch is $30.95 (food, fees, and tip).

For additional information or to register, please contact Thom & Irene at psuthom@verizon.net

Thursday First Pres Prayers

This Month’s Prayer Request:

God of harvest and changing seasons, we give you thanks for the bounty of your blessings. We pray this month for all who hunger for physical or spiritual food. We pray for those who serve at the West Chester Food Cupboard and all who seek sustenance there. We pray for those hungry for your good news, that they might feel the Gospel meet them in places of emptiness. Help us to live as a people fed with your good word, that we may pour out your abundance upon all. We ask this in your Son’s name, Amen.

Each week we pray for our congregation at 12:00pm on Thursdays.

Set an alarm or schedule it in your calendar to join us! You don’t need to only pray for the topic of the week, but you can continue to pray for previous topics as well or anything that God lays on your heart.

For those who would like to set up time to meet one-on-one with someone to navigate a time of transition or difficulty, Stephen Ministers are here to help.

Prayer Requests

If you would like to add a prayer (in joy or in time of need) to our Prayer Band, complete the website form, send an email, or call the church at the number below.

First Presbyterian Church | 130 W. Miner Street | 610-696-0554

GIVE | Visit firstpreswc.com

Thank you for your gifts supporting the mission and ministries of First Pres.