First Presbyterian Church is located on the northeast corner of Court and Washington Streets in uptown Athens, Ohio.
The physical address is 2 Court Street, Athens, Ohio. The 100+ year old building is most recognizable by its many red doors and multiple stained glass windows.
The entrance is the middle set of red doors on the Washington St side of the building, with a handicap accessible elevator entrance through the glass doors to the right.
The Offices of First Presbyterian Church are in a separate location just around the corner from the church. They are located at 9 N. College Street in a historic building called “Putnam House”.
Parking is available in the City Parking Garage located on Washington Street. Parking is free in the city garage on Sundays.
We gather on Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary to worship God. The service lasts approximately one hour. Worship at FPC brings its members into the presence of the sacred through prayer, song, the reading of scripture, and its faithful and imaginative interpretation.
Our worship focuses on the challenges of contemporary life as we seek to know and follow God. Shaped by worship, we seek to share God’s grace through education, fellowship, music, and inclusive outreach ministries to those in physical and spiritual need. Beneath our similarities, FPC’s members express and respect a diversity of approaches to belief. Most are seekers, confident in our beliefs but open to new revelations and deeper levels of spirituality.
The sermons honor Biblical scholarship along with the compassion of Jesus, and in prayer and sacrament we find the Risen Christ present.
Music at FPC borrows the best from our traditions while remaining modern and lively. By following along in the worship bulletin, the first-time worshiper can easily navigate the service.
After the service, we invite everyone downstairs to our fellowship hall for refreshments. It’s a great way to meet fellow congregants and catch up with friends old and new.
Are you willing to host Fellowship Time after the church service some Sunday? If so, please add your name to the sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in Fellowship Hall. During the week prior to your Sunday, you will receive a letter with full instructions. No cooking skills are required! Simple snacks will be fine. You may turn in your grocery store receipt to the FPC office to be reimbursed for your expenses.
FPC is a More Light Congregation. We are a welcoming and inclusive congregation that affirms LGBTQIA+ identities. We believe in a God of abundance; Therefore, we are called to be evangelists who build a church that reflects God’s heart.
Children’s church is back! Children of all ages are welcome and encouraged to participate in the worship service. Nursery care is available to infants and toddlers upon request. Families are encouraged to bring their children to the worship service until the Children’s Moment after which infants and toddlers are invited to return to the nursery and ages pre-K through sixth grade are welcome in Children’s Church. Please see our Kids and Families page for more about Sunday morning children’s programs and nursery care.
The invitation to the Lord’s Supper is extended to all who desire to follow Christ, remembering that access to the communion table is not a right conferred upon the worthy, but a privilege given to the undeserving who come in faith, repentance, and love. Even one who has doubts or whose trust is wavering is invited to the table in order to be assured of God’s love and grace in Christ Jesus.
FPC celebrates the Lord’s Supper in the 10:30 a.m. service on the first Sunday of the month. If you do not feel comfortable receiving communion, just remain in your seat (if people are going forward) or pass the tray to the next person (if communion is being served in the pews). Visitors should not feel pressure to participate, but rather an invitation to participate at your own comfort level, no matter your denominational affiliation or where you are in your faith journey.
We celebrate the sacrament of baptism at any stage of life, from infant to adult. Presbyterians believe that God loves us and our children, and that parents and the faith community should educate and support the child in such a way that they will always be aware of God’s love and acceptance. Baptism is a way of saying, “You belong!”
Visitors are sometimes concerned about what to wear. FPC is not a particularly formal church—there is no Sunday dress code! Some men wear jackets and ties, some wear khakis. Some women wear dresses, some wear slacks. Just dress comfortably.
Office phone: (740) 593-3351
Office email: office@athensfpc.org
Office Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
(Fridays in May – August: 8:30 a.m. – noon)
Pastor Rob Martin: rmartin@athensfpc.org
Mailing address: 9 N. College Street, Athens, Ohio 45701
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fpcathensoh
(740) 593 3351
office@athensfpc.org
