The Word @ First Pres

Our stories of faith shared with one another can help change the lens through which others see and our stories shared through the eyes of faith help keep hope alive.

First Pres Children’s Ministries Presents STORMS, a Musical!

Darkness, death, and failure are necessary to coming back to life because they allow us to experience humanity as Jesus did. Through God’s love, resurrection transforms each death and failure into something holy.

Join us this Sunday as we reflect on the truth that empathy is a choice—a sacred, vulnerable choice that can bring someone back to life.

Jesus offers us a fuller life in reminding us that it is not the external world that determines our understanding and meaning in life, it is not the terrain surrounding us, it is the inward journey of our hearts connected to the living God.

How often do we need to step into God's light to truly see? Join us this Sunday as we seek illumination together.

What does it truly mean to love our enemies? This week, we explore how love and mercy are not about passivity but about courage—the kind of courage that changes the world.

We can be a blessing for others for we are connected to Christ and in this connection God's love pours out into our hearts into limitless blessings that become visible for the world to see.

Are you prepared for the journey ahead? Join us Sunday as we explore how God equips us for life's challenges!  Troop 32 joins our leadership on this Scout Sunday when we also honor God and Service Award recipients.

If joy is prayer, strength, and love, it seems joy must be not just be at the core of weddings and other social events, but joy must be at the core of our whole lives. How are you doing with having joy in your life?

From Cincinnati’s hills to Bethlehem’s star, join us this Sunday as we uncover the meaning of following God’s light.

Christmas did not end on December 25th! Sunday's message invites us to discover how the 12 days can deepen our faith journey into the New Year.

Join us for this beautiful Christmas Eve Worship service of Lessons and Carols led by our exceptional Chancel Choir. It will be a moving service that retells the Christmas story through the familiar biblical story and splendid music. Come early to hear the prelude that begins at 7:30 pm and will conclude with a candlelit singing of Silent Night.

This first Sunday in Advent is when we prepare again for the coming of Christ. It is a time of waiting and wondering just what is means that love enters the world again. I keep thinking about the church in Thessalonica, I keep thinking about how they was able to let their love lead the way in the midst of conflict and struggle. They are a model for us of the power of love to spread joy, build community and strengthened hearts in holiness.

We can and we must let Christ's kingship govern our lives even as we engage in the political world. Because Christ is King of our lives the transforming power of his love will forever change us, now and forever.

What we treasure is revealed in how we give—with hearts full of love, like the widow who gave all she had to God. Join us for Commitment Sunday as we reflect on Mark 12:38-44 and the power of giving from our whole selves.

On All Saints Sunday, we honor those whose lives have shown us glimpses of God's kingdom on earth and hold on to the hope of an eternal home, where love and life continue beyond all bounds. At both services, we will observe the Sacrament of Communion and candle lighting in honor of loved ones who know live in the eternal fullness of Christ.

Join us this Reformation Sunday for two meaningful services.  At 9am experience the reforming power of God's Spirit in music with special offerings by Compass Praise Band.  At 10:30am two powerful sermon reflections explore the historical witness of the Church and our trust and reliance on God’s strength. We invite you to come and be renewed by the rich faith that unites us!

Join us this Reformation Sunday for two meaningful services.  At 9am experience the reforming power of God's Spirit in music with special offerings by Compass Praise Band.  At 10:30am two powerful sermon reflections explore the historical witness of the Church and our trust and reliance on God’s strength. We invite you to come and be renewed by the rich faith that unites us!

Faith isn’t about seeing the future—it’s about trusting the God who holds it. Join us this Sunday as we explore how Jeremiah’s bold hope in the midst of uncertainty can inspire our own faith in the future.

We come together on this World communion Sunday to recognize Jesus' presence in bread and grain, the common nourishment of most cultures on earth and symbol of our unity within the one body of Christ's universal church

We continue to explore the letter of James and what it means to be close to God or, better put, to remember and understand that God is always close to us.

This Sunday, we explore the power of what our words, and the way we use them, teach important truths about God.

How can we see streams of hope when all around us is as desert?

Our hearts grow closer to God when we are our authentic selves, and we learn that the love of Christ is what transforms our lives from the inside out. We are all on the same journey of seeking hearts that are close to God!

On the day when the congregation will vote to elect the Pastor Nominating Committee, the morning's message will remind us that what we need the most, we already have, the hope that comes from believing.

The early church learned from Paul that this unity goal was not easy, but the effort and the angst endured proved to be a beacon of light drawing others to Christ as the church grew. “Seeking to Be Faithful Together” while maintaining unity remains the same goal for us today.

Come to engage with the well-known Twenty Third psalm in a new way with Lectio Divinia.  Hear a message that tells us Because of God, we are drawn into a community where our fundamental needs of body and spirit are cared for.

God's Grace comes through our vulnerability, what the world may call weakness, but through which God's Spirit gives us strength.

The Mission Study Team invites all members and friends of First Pres to join us for a presentation on the Mission Study findings about who we are, the pillars of our congregational life and what they mean for our future as we prepare to search for the next pastoral leadership.

But this I believe about our life of faith,  we are called to plant many seeds, in a multiplicity of ways. All seeds are valuable, all seeds are needed, and there is no limit to the number of seeds we are to plant for there is much work to do in the building up the kingdom of God.

We never have to fear being seen by the God who created us and who loves us always and forever.

This Sunday's message will come in 3 parts – each by one of our 3 pastors to explore the questions: Why do we believe in One God who is also in 3 persons of Creator, Christ, and Holy Spirit?  How can we make sense of this mystery of faith for our lives today?

First Pres Children’s Ministries brings us FOR GOODNESS’ SAKE, by Cynthia Wright. This fun children's musical retells the familiar lessons of the Ten Commandments through music and drama. The show is set on a typical Sunday morning with a family rushing to get to church. During their car trip to church, they listen to a radio program interpreting each commandment as a song performed by the choir.