Dear First Presbyterian Church Family,

Grace and peace to you in our Lord Jesus Christ! I am so pleased to share with you that, Lord willing, Sunday, November 1, will be our first Sunday to worship back in our Sanctuary.

When we communicated to you in August, we anticipated a November return but were not yet ready to announce a specific Sunday. We are grateful to the Lord that the work has progressed to the point that we can now make plans to worship together in the Sanctuary on November 1.

We want this to be a joyful occasion of thanksgiving and worship. Each of our morning services that Sunday will be a Service of Consecration, as we give thanks for the Lord’s provision and dedicate the renovated Sanctuary to His glory and the worship of His people.

To help everyone worship in the Sanctuary and to welcome the many people who have worked on this project that we are inviting to join us, we will have three services on November 1 at 8:00 a.m., 9:40 a.m., and 11:15 a.m., and no Sunday School. Please note these special service times as you make your plans for that Sunday.

We are deeply thankful for everyone whose work has brought us to this point. We are grateful as well for your patience, support, generosity, and prayers throughout the project. It will be a joy to gather again in our beloved Sanctuary as a church family.

Please continue to pray for the safety of those completing the remaining work, for wisdom as we prepare for our return, and above all, that God and God alone would receive the glory.

We look forward to worshiping with you in the Sanctuary on November 1!

Dear First Presbyterian Church Family,

Few places on earth are as sacred to us as our sanctuary. Week after week, generation after generation, it has been the place where God’s people have gathered to hear His Word, to lift their voices in song, and to meet Almighty God in worship.

As we look ahead to the coming year, we are preparing for an important—and, I trust, joyful—undertaking: the renewal of our sanctuary. This project, which will unfold through most of 2026, is designed to replace our aging organ, improve the acoustics, and restore the beauty and integrity of the space to the genius of our founding fathers’ original design—an auditorium crafted for the spoken and sung Word of God to resonate with faith, hope, and love down through the ages.

This is not simply a renovation; it is an act of stewardship. We are caring for a place that has proclaimed the gospel for more than two centuries. We are investing in our children’s children, passing on the gift that has been so richly given to us.

We are saved for the purpose of worship. That is why we exist as a church—and that is why this sacred space matters. The sanctuary itself is an edifice of theological architecture. It has no voice, yet it preaches a sermon every time its doors open. It points us heavenward—the spire, the light, the sound—all designed to whisper, “Lift up your eyes; God is here, and He is worthy of the fealty of your soul and of all the deepest, warmest affections and energies you have to pour out in His presence.” It is a haven for weary saints and wounded sinners—a place where grace is heard, faith is strengthened, and hope is renewed.

Our ultimate commitment is not to bricks and beams, but to the glory of God and the gospel of His Son. The building is not our message—but it must serve the message. This renewal is for the sake of future generations—our children’s children’s children—so that long after we are gone, this place will still resound with the praises of those who love the Lord Jesus Christ.

A video about this vision and the work ahead can be viewed above. I hope you will take a few moments to watch it prayerfully and to join us in gratitude for what God has done, and in faith for what He will yet do among us.