Who We AreIn gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit,
we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks and to live holy and joyful lives, even as we watch for God’s new heaven and new earth praying, "Surely God is here with us . . . how awesome is this place." Genesis 28:16 |
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Worship ServicesOur Sunday Worship is centered each week around the seasonal lectionary and includes the pastor’s sermon and
a children's sermon with a Contemporary style at 9:00 am and a Traditional liturgy at 11:00 am. Communion is celebrated the first Sunday of each month and on special days. The sacrament of Communion is all-inclusive and includes a gluten-free option. Children are welcome! Activity bags containing fun, faith-related busy items are available in the lobby. Childcare is provided for infants through pre-school age. Our toddler room is staffed with loving and caring adults who have all been background-checked. Available from 8:45 am until noon. |
Christian EducationSunday school is offered for all ages. Classes are resuming September 19th. Ages Pre-K through 12 will be held in person at the church; Adult classes continue meeting on Zoom. Please email ce@fpcwilloughby.com with questions.
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Seal of the Presbyterian ChurchIn 1 Corinthians, Paul described the church as a body with many members, illustrating the pluralism of the church and the many gifts which God gives to its members.
Our seal is made up of individual parts - the cross, the book, the dove, the fish, the pulpit, the chalice and the flames - when taken together, form an encompassing visual and symbolic unity, while not exhausting the richness of possible interpretations. For more information about the PC(USA), please click here. |
Our Vision and Mission
The vision of the First Presbyterian Church is to be an open, loving,
and affirming community of Christ's servants.
The mission of the First Presbyterian Church is to provide all ages meaningful opportunities
for Christian growth through service to others.
Our Staff |
Our History
Our roots go back to 1833 through the Christian vision of nine members and the Reverends Chester Chapin and Truman Coe who organized the Presbyterian Society of Willoughby. The first church building located on Euclid Avenue opposite Sharpe Avenue was built at a cost of $6000 and was dedicated February 19, 1837. It was red brick and had a beautiful golden oak sanctuary with rented pews. The pews had doors to keep children with their parents.
A twelve-room parsonage was built in 1873 on a double lot on Center Street directly behind the church. By this date there had been many pastors each serving short terms. By 1880, there was need for more space, so the original church was demolished causing much sadness. A new building was constructed debt-free, a testament to the financial health of the Church at that time.
The new church building was dedicated in January of 1886. The Women’s Society had raised money for the purchase of a pipe organ. The air to the organ was supplied by bellows manned by young boys hidden from view. It was considered an honor to serve as one of these bellows boys and this practice continued until about 1920.
The 1930s saw much division in the Church due to the Great Depression, controversy and a possibility of selling the church. Yet, by 1944 the Church was again debt-free. In 1950, improvements were made to the building. In 1956, property was purchased on Shankland Road to build a new church since the congregation had grown to over 500 families. Before construction was completed, a major fire started on Easter Sunday, April 2, 1961 causing extensive damage to the old church. The congregation met each Sunday at South High School until the new church building was completed. By Easter of 1993, a beautiful new sanctuary in the Western Reserve architectural style was added to the church and this is the space that we worship in today.
Summarized from writings of Isabel M. Sutch and Jeffrey Oviatt. A complete history may be viewed here.
A twelve-room parsonage was built in 1873 on a double lot on Center Street directly behind the church. By this date there had been many pastors each serving short terms. By 1880, there was need for more space, so the original church was demolished causing much sadness. A new building was constructed debt-free, a testament to the financial health of the Church at that time.
The new church building was dedicated in January of 1886. The Women’s Society had raised money for the purchase of a pipe organ. The air to the organ was supplied by bellows manned by young boys hidden from view. It was considered an honor to serve as one of these bellows boys and this practice continued until about 1920.
The 1930s saw much division in the Church due to the Great Depression, controversy and a possibility of selling the church. Yet, by 1944 the Church was again debt-free. In 1950, improvements were made to the building. In 1956, property was purchased on Shankland Road to build a new church since the congregation had grown to over 500 families. Before construction was completed, a major fire started on Easter Sunday, April 2, 1961 causing extensive damage to the old church. The congregation met each Sunday at South High School until the new church building was completed. By Easter of 1993, a beautiful new sanctuary in the Western Reserve architectural style was added to the church and this is the space that we worship in today.
Summarized from writings of Isabel M. Sutch and Jeffrey Oviatt. A complete history may be viewed here.
We invite you to visit soon!
Address4785 Shankland Road
Willoughby, OH 44094 |
Telephone |
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