First Presbyterian Church

Who We Are

​

Presbyterians trace their history to the 16th century and the Protestant Reformation. Our heritage, and much of what we believe, began with John Calvin (1509-1564), whose writings crystallized much of the Reformed thinking that came before him.

​

PC(USA) is a connectional church with a structure that ties each church and each region to a large national body. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), with denominational offices in Louisville, Kentucky, has approximately 2.1 million members, more that 10,000 congregations and 14,000 ordained and active ministers.

​

First Presbyterian Church, Lawrence, is a member of the Synod of Mid-America. The Synod is the PC(USA) governing body for Missouri and Kansas and is comprised of 6 presbyteries.

​

First Presbyterian Church is also the third largest church in the Presbytery of Northern Kansas, which covers 45 counties and serves rural, urban and suburban areas of Northern Kansas.

​

FPC History

​

First Presbyterian Church was chartered on April 5, 1858. 

 

For more than 150 years people have come, bringing with them moments of joyful celebration and heartfelt concern, to this community of Presbyterians.  Generations have gathered to be comforted, to learn ways of faithful living, to be generous with their time, talents and treasures, and to be part of the ministry and mission of the First Presbyterian Church of Lawrence.  In this time, our congregation has been a witness to life:  Hundreds of couples have been married, thousands of children baptized, prayers beyond number have been answered, and the lives of saints too numerous to count have been remembered in the celebration of the resurrection. 

​

​

FPC Mission Statement

​

We at First Presbyterian Church
are a community of disciples
who celebrate God’s inclusive love
by ministering to one another
and to the world.

 

This statement is developed further with our vision for how we carry out our mission:

Our mission is who we are – a group of individuals who are committed to learning and growing in the spirit of Jesus Christ.

Our mission is what we do – we teach, learn, grow and serve one another and the world.

Our mission is also what we want to do – to increase the breadth and depth of our ministries and become more engaged in carrying out God’s will, personally and as a body of believers.

Our mission is revealed:

 

• in our list of partnerships and groups we support with our time, treasures, and talent

• in the warm way we greet friends and newcomers to worship

• in our Christian Education focus for everyone

• in the hallways when we listen to each other’s stories
   

​

FPC Statement of Inclusivity

 

We, the Session of First Presbyterian Church, believe ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit, challenged by Jesus Christ, and guided by the historic principles of our Church to become a more inclusive and supportive community in which the rights of membership are affirmed, including the opportunity to be ordained by the congregation regardless of race, age, gender, disabilities, sexual orientation or situation in life.
 

​

​