The COVID guidelines First Presbyterian Church follows are determined by the CDC Community color-coded levels. Currently Albany County is green, so FPC is following the guidelines in the green column of our policy.
No, you will not. Ushers will give you a Sunday worship program that will lead you through the service. Sometimes we stand. Sometimes we sit. On and off we sing as a group. You can take your cue from others. On Sundays when communion is served, all are invited to partake but participation is your choice—it is never obligatory.
First Presbyterian Church is located at the corner of State and Willett on the northeast corner of Washington Park in downtown Albany, one block above Lark Street. Our parking lot (off State St.) is dedicated to visitors and to serving those with physical needs during services. A CDTA Star bus also stops in front of a ramp accessible from the sidewalk on Willett Street.
Parking can also be found in the park close to the church or on several streets near-by: State Street, Willett, Northern Boulevard, Lark, Washington Avenue.
Free parking is also available on Sundays at a nearby commercial parking lot, entrance on Washington Avenue next to Mamoun’s restaurant.
Of course!
Still welcome!
Still welcome! First Pres has a long history of advocating support of Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, Transgender and Queer issues and encouraging full participation in the church.
Still welcome!
First Presbyterian Church is handicap accessible. Pews in our sanctuary were reconfigured some years ago to more easily integrate wheelchairs alongside the pews. Large-print Sunday programs are available and also audio amplification.
Our latest building improvement is an elevator that permits access to all floors of our education building. The elevator is accessible from the parking lot on State Street. This parking lot is reserved for those with physical needs and any visitors. There is also a ramp accessible from the sidewalk on Willett Street where the CDTA STAR bus stops.
Children of all ages are welcome at both worship services, and participation in worship of children 5-6 years and older is strongly encouraged. You don’t have to worry if your kids make noise during church. We’re used to it. A staffed Nursery is usually available between 8:45am-12:15pm for families who desire childcare for infants through 5 years old.
9:15 – 10:15 Preschool Education
9:15 – 10:15 Kindergarten through Grade 5 Education
9:15 – 10:15 Adult Education
The adult class is also available via zoom, and those zoom links are available in the Thursday eblast(email). Contact info@firstpresalbany.
The Youth Group (grades 6-12) meets 12:00 – 2:00pm on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month.
During the school year (September – June) from 9:15 to 10:15 am First Pres offers age-appropriate “hands-on” participatory programs for both children and teenagers: music, theater, crafts, worship, community service, field trips and much more! Because we believe strongly in the value of education for all, an hour-long adult education program is also made available for parents to attend if they like while their children attend their classes. Topics led by the pastors, members of the congregation, or outside guest experts vary greatly, but an over-arching goal is always to stimulate and expand our cultural, historical and biblical understanding of the issues presented.
Absolutely. Here are three simple ways to get to know us better, and to see different ways you can start to become more involved:
First: fill out the Yellow Welcome Card located in the vestibule and in the pew racks so that we can add you to our e-mailing list. A weekly e-mail blast provides lots of information regarding future events and will give you a chance to see the many ways that first Pres connects both with its congregation as well as with the community at large. You do not have to be a member to receive the e-blast. If you prefer to receive communications from us via surface mail, we will need your mailing address.
Then: take a good look at the various headings in this website. Under “Worship,” “Education for All,” “Serving others” and “Events” you’ll find the fullest run-down of the many opportunities available for personal growth and development, plus social gatherings that serve to bind us together as a unique, diverse, and very engaged “extended” family. If you’d like to talk to the person who has oversight over a special program, contact FPC member Carol Bullard (518-463-8256 or cbullard@nycap.rr.com), and she will see that you are connected with the right person.
And finally, when you feel ready, start wearing a name tag! You can request one at the sign-up table located in the area outside the inner church doors. We’ll make it for you and put it on the nametag board in Assembly Hall. We try to wear name tags at Sunday services to help all of us reach out to newer folks and make everyone feel welcome. In the end, of course, the extent to which you wish to become involved is totally up to you!
Twice a year, once in the fall, and again in the spring, Co-pastor Miriam Lawrence Leupold holds two consecutive sessions from 9:15 to 10:15 on Sundays for individuals wishing to explore membership at First Pres Church. What responsibilities are members asked to undertake? What benefits and opportunities come with membership? And just what does it mean to be a “Presbyterian” in the first place? Questions are encouraged and openly discussed in the spirit of helping all interested persons discern if becoming a member is right for them.
In the end there is no absolutely straight road that leads to becoming fully engaged as a member, but there are many wonderful ways by which people “find” their way to us. View What Members Are Saying and you will see!
Definitely. They are a phone call away: 518-449-7332.