Welcome to Kennewick First Presbyterian Church!  It is my joy to serve this congregation as Senior Pastor.  We are a family of faith that has been worshiping in this community for over 100 years.  We live out our mission to daily become the heart and hands of Jesus in our worship, our programs, and our lives.  As you join us in worship you will Experience God in powerful ways through song, prayer, scripture and preaching.  As you join us in small groups you will Find Community to be encouraged and supported in your faith and in your life.  As you join us in fellowship and fun you will experience what Jesus meant in John 10:10 “I have come that they may have life and have it to the full!” As you join us in mission to Serve the World you will experience the joy of using your gifts, talents, and resources to God’s glory in transforming the lives of the sick, the hurting, the hungry and the lost.  Please, join us.  There is room for you at First Pres!   I look forward to meeting with you and sharing this walk of faith, please call (509) 582-9537 or email me at Pastor.Hanna@kfpc.org.

Rev. Hanna Peterson Shearer

Sunday mornings are our time to worship, praise and pray together.  It’s a time to connect and grow through transforming relationships with God and others.  Then we are sent out to live what we have heard—to be God’s people, wherever God sends us.

During the school year (September through the end of May) we hold the following services:

Our 8:30 a.m. Contemporary service tilts toward a more informal style of worship with music, singing, prayer and teaching. It’s an intergenerational community made up of all types of wonderful people.

Our Traditional services at 11 a.m. incorporates the traditional order of worship that God’s people have been using for centuries and features the First Pres Chancel Choir.  It’s a beautiful service of liturgy, traditional hymns and transformative preaching.

Children are always welcome in our services, while child care is also available.

So, whether you are drawn to a more contemporary or a traditional service, we hope that you will soon call First Pres “home.”

During the summer, we hold ONE Sunday worship service at 10 a.m. It is a blended service pulling elements from our contemporary and traditional services. 

Join us LIVE for our Sunday service. Live Stream: http://bit.ly/2Ql5Dtt or visit our YouTube Channel

We are a family. Like all families, we bring diverse gifts and are at all stages of our life journey. We are imperfect, but united by faith in Jesus Christ and our desire to daily serve Him, seek Him and love Him.

We are becoming. Through the Grace of God, we are saved. That work is done. Ours now, is to embrace our becoming and growing, and doing goodness and righteousness out of that place.

We are His heart and hands. We live in a hurting world that needs Jesus, and God is calling us to be out there in it. Whether that is in our neighborhood and beyond, or to the person sitting next to us on Sunday.

We are committed to the rich tradition of our Reformed Heritage. Fundamental to this is our belief in the Sovereignty of God, the Lordship of Christ, the Power of the Holy Spirit, and the Authority of Scripture.

Our Vision: Daily becoming the heart and hands of Jesus Christ.

Our Mission: To advance the Kingdom of God through Worship, Love and Ministry.

Our Focus: As a Spirit-led congregation, our focus is to equip our people to discern and act on God’s call to be caring, intentional neighbors.

We welcome you to come journey with us, as we experience God, serve the world and find community. Come and belong!

Membership is never required to attend Kennewick First Pres, so why become a member?

God designed the Church to be the gathering place for followers of Jesus. The Church is where Christians pray together, worship together, help and care for one another, and most of all, grow in knowledge and faith together. By joining a church, you make a commitment and become a part of a church family that encourages one another, stimulates one another in love and good deeds, spurs one another along and watches out for one another.

We understand that selecting and joining a church is a very important decision and one that is best made from an informed position.  For this reason, we regularly offer Inquirers’ Classes which look at the Presbyterian faith, church history, First Pres specifically including exploring our mission and focus, and how to find out what your spiritual gifts are.

We would be excited to have you join us and become more active in God’s family at First Pres.

For information about upcoming Inquirers’ Classes, contact the church office at 509-582-9537.

THE STORY OF KENNEWICK FIRST PRES…
It all began in 1903. A special committee appointed by Presbytery reported “19 members of as good and loyal people as you will find anywhere, with others interested to come in . . . The congregation has pledged itself to the support of a pastor in the amount of $112 and will make it $150 if possible.” Ten years later, the church united with the Congregational Church of Kennewick.

Unfortunately, the record is unclear during the Depression and War years of the 1930s and 40s, and the church was probably inactive during some of this time. Local Presbyterians met in the Benton County PUD auditorium and in 1956, a letter went out indicating that Rev. Jack Wilson had been called as pastor. The first worship service was held on February 10, 1957, in the I.O.O.F. Hall on North Ione Street. On April 28, 1957, Kennewick First Pres became reorganized officially with 148 members.

On January 1, 1958, the church relocated to the stone church on the corner of Second and Auburn where some of our members had worshipped almost 50 years earlier with the original First Presbyterian Church. The stay was temporary, as ground was broken in 1959 for the building in our present location on Kennewick Avenue.

Over the decades as our congregation grew, our facilities became crowded. After much prayer and study, in 1992 the congregation voted to build a new Christian Education Center. To maximize efforts and provide opportunities for individual service, the much of the construction work was done by our members in coordinating with Craftsmen for Christ, an organization that specializes in helping congregations build their own facilities. “First Presbyterian Center” was dedicated in 1993.

By the time First Pres began its second century, classroom space, meeting space and “meet and mingle” spaces were again becoming crowded. It was decided to expand First Pres Center adding a new sanctuary and narthex/foyer and a two-story Christian education facility. The official groundbreaking was held in June 2007 and the facilities were dedicated in November 2008.

We thank God for what He is doing in this corner of His world. We look forward with eagerness and excitement to the future here at Kennewick First Presbyterian.

We are shepherds and equippers. The people of First Pres are the ministers of this church. Where is God calling you to Serve the World? We can help!

In the Presbyterian tradition, church members elect ruling elders, leaders who are responsible for helping everyone in our church family grow in their faith, and encouraging them in worship, service, mission and care. The elders make up the Session (in some churches this is called a governing board; similar to a board of directors), which consists of the pastors and up to fifteen ruling elders who are elected for a three-year term.

For a list of current Elders, please contact Libby via email –office@kfpc.org

Deacons minister to people who are in need; the sick, the hurting, people in distress both inside and outside the church family. Deacons are elected for a three-year term, and are assigned to a geographical Parish.  They get to know the church families in their Parish, but also care for anyone in need.

For a list of current Deacons, please contact Libby via email – office@kfpc.org