Everyone is welcome to bring their pets to First Presbyterian Church’s Blessing of the Animals, scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 14 from 3-5 PM. All animals need to be leashed or caged; rain date is Sunday, Oct. 21. Each participating pet will be individually blessed and receive a certificate to take...

The first Sunday in October is celebrated by many different Christian denominations as World Communion Sunday. We observe it as a way of lifting up Christian unity and the commonality of our faith in Christ that transcends the differences of nation, culture, and language without erasing them, so we experience...

On the Road! This past week I was on the road, teaching in two locations in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Last Sunday, I flew to St. Louis after worship to teach a workshop at the annual Stewardship Kaleidoscope conference. I have taught at it every year since it began a...

Last Sunday, we announced some very exciting news for First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem! We have been selected as one of only 12 churches nationwide to be part of the Community of Practice of the Log College Project, an initiative of Princeton Seminary’s Institute for Youth Ministry. As you may...

Churches use different names for the first Sunday of their program year, usually around the first of September. Some call it “Homecoming Sunday,” for example, drawing on the practice of schools to have a big celebration that brings back people who have left. But that makes it sound like people...

HEARTS AND MINDS will start this year in room 400 with an examination of Quaker author Philip Gulley’s provocative and engaging classic, “If the Church were Christian: Rediscovering the Values of Jesus.”  As Gulley notes, “It is apparent, after several millennia of experimentation, that the Ten Commandments we Christians all know and...

On WEDNESDAY EVENINGS through October 24 from 7 – 8:30 PM in Room 178, the Rev. Dr. Steve Simmons will lead us through a study of Mark: The First Gospel. Although the gospel of Matthew appears first in the New Testament, scholars are in agreement that Mark, which dates from around 70...

By Leslie Pohl FPCB Elder Imagine for a moment that you have to walk two hours just to get to a doctor’s appointment.  Imagine for a moment that your children can’t go to school because you can’t afford their uniforms, books, or lunch.  Imagine for a moment that your cataracts are so...

“Hey, I’ve got an idea….” “You know, what we need is….” “Why aren’t we doing…?” Have you started a sentence like that recently? If so, then you might be ready to help run a ministry experiment here at FPCB! One of the themes I’ve been stressing since last January is...

This past Monday and Tuesday, I was with an ecumenical group of pastors who serve as Mentors for Macedonian Ministry clergy groups. As some of you know, Macedonian Ministry was founded by The Rev. Dr. Tom Tewell, one-time associate pastor here at FPCB, who played a pivotal role in connecting...

To kick off our 2018/2019 season of music, First Presbyterian Bethlehem is delighted to host the SATORI Chamber Ensemble on September 9.   Several members of the ensemble will join us for the 10:30 a.m. service, to be followed that afternoon with a concert in the sanctuary at 4 p.m. For the concert,...