Experience God

No matter where you are in your faith journey, we want to help you grow, to experience God’s grace and to join us as we worship together.

Worship

We know we can worship God anytime, anywhere, but Sunday mornings are when we regularly worship, praise and pray together. On Sundays, we give ourselves time – time to connect with God and one another, and time to open ourselves to the transforming love of Christ, our Lord. Then, we are sent out to live what we have seen and heard—to be God’s people in this broken yet beautiful world that Jesus loves.

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 11:00 a.m. Traditional service 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 nursery care is also available.

The people of God sing. Music and song play a vital role in the life of God’s people. At First Pres, we strive to bring glory to God through a variety of music styles. If you enjoy fellowship, praising God through music, and have a music interest, you are more than welcome to join us.

Praise Band

Our upbeat, intergenerational Praise Band helps lead us in worship during our 8:30 AM Contemporary Service. Please contact our Praise Band Director for more information.

Chancel Choir

Our Chancel Choir helps lead us in worship during our 11 a.m. Traditional Service, Sept-May. We rehearse every Wednesday from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Please contact our Chancel Choir Director for more information

Agape Ringers

Handbells bring the magical tone of bells to worship with remarkable energy, timing and unity. Our Agape Ringers Handbell Choir rings once a month approximately ten times a year. Practice is Tuesday from 6:30 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Contact our Bell Choir Director for more information.

To view past sermons visit our YouTube Channel.

All our members who wish to receive communion should be able to do so. That’s why we have a team of Deacons and Elders who have been trained to serve Extended Communion to our homebound members. If you are currently homebound and would like to receive communion, please contact the office to let us know!  

Prayer

We all need prayer. Prayer is a primary way we connect with God and grow deeper in our relationship with Jesus. In prayer, we talk to God and listen for God’s still, small voice in return. If you would like someone to pray with or for you, we invite you to reach out to one of our pastors or prayer ministers or submit a prayer request to our prayer chain.

If you would like to receive prayer for any need, or you would like to pray with someone in person, we are here for you. During the week please stop by or call the office at 582-9537. On Sunday mornings just let an usher, a pastor, or an Information Island volunteer know that you would like to receive prayer or pray with someone. We have a prayer room off the foyer, right beside the main doors, and we consider it a privilege to pray with/for you.

A group of folks at First Pres regularly pray for those who have submitted prayer requests to our Prayer Chain. Prayer requests are kept confidential if requested. Requests for prayer can be sent to Prayer@kfpc.org. If you would like to subscribe to the prayer chain so that you can join with others in praying over these requests, please send a message to the same email above.

  • A New Command to Love
    by Amy Boucher Pye on March 28, 2024 at 12:00 am

    In a tradition starting as early as the thirteenth century, members of the royal family in the United Kingdom give gifts to people in need on Maundy Thursday, the day before Good Friday. The practice is rooted in the meaning of the word maundy, which comes from the Latin mandatum, “command.” The command being commemorated is the new one that Jesus gave to His friends on the night before He died: “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34). Jesus was a leader who took on the role of a servant as He washed His friends’ feet (v. 5). He then called them to do the same: “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” (v. 15). And in an even greater act of sacrifice, He lay down His life, dying on the cross (19:30). Out of mercy and love He gave Himself that we might enjoy the fullness of life. The tradition of the British royal family serving people in need continues as a symbol of following Jesus’ great example. We may not have been born into a place of privilege, but when we place our faith in Jesus, we become members of His family. And we too can show our love by living out His new command. As we depend on God’s Spirit to change us from within, we can reach out to others with care, affirmation, and grace.

Find Community

The Christian faith is not intended to be lived in isolation; we were made for relationship with God and for relationship with each other.

Children

Your child’s relationship with God matters. That’s why we offer Children’s Worship and Kids Sunday Morning Small Groups, and a Vacation Bible School (VBS) that kids look forward to all year. Our programs work together to help kids know God’s love for them and live it out. Your child will love the fun, meaningful Children’s Ministry here at First Pres – and so will you!

Be sure to register for VBS!

Our trained nursery staff care for God’s littlest ones, sharing God’s love with children ages 3 months – 3 years. Nursery care is provided on Sunday mornings and for many special events. Of course, you are always welcome to keep your little one(s) with you – we welcome the “joyful noises” of children in worship!

Children, ages 4 years – 2nd grade, are invited to Children’s Worship part way through our 8:30 am service. Children’s Worship includes an engaging, age-appropriate Bible lesson and creative response time.

Throughout the school year, children, ages 4 years – 5th grade, meet during our Sunday School hour in age/grade level groups for a short time of worship followed by an engaging Bible lesson.

We are committed to nurturing the faith lives of children within the context of their families. We partner with parents to provide the tools and resources you need to guide your child’s faith formation at home. We also offer opportunities throughout the year for families to participate in worship, service, and seasonal family-friendly events together.

Kennewick Noah’s Ark Preschool LLC is a privately administered ministry of Kennewick First Presbyterian Church. The staff at Kennewick Noah’s Ark Preschool are passionate about their love for and dedication to children. It is their desire that each child’s positive preschool experience will help create a firm foundation and love of learning that will last a lifetime. For more information see: http://kennewicknoahsarkpreschool.webs.com/.

First Pres is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for all children and youth who participate in programs and events sponsored by our church. Our Child and Youth Protection Policy reflects our commitment to preserving this church as a holy place of safety and protection for all and as a place in which all people can experience the love of God.

Our volunteers and staff interacting with minors:

  • Have cleared a national and state background check
  • Are trained in recognizing child abuse and neglect
  • Must be an outstanding member of the congregation for at least 6 months

Youth

Our youth ministry offers a combination of hang out and fun, worship and Bible study, question-asking and dreaming, and plenty of time to develop positive and meaningful Christian relationships. Through Sunday School and Confirmation, our mid-hi and high school youth groups, retreats, mission projects and trips, we focus on inviting students into a relationship with God and challenging them to follow Jesus in all aspects of their lives.

From September through May, youth meet during our Sunday School hour (9:45 to 10:45 a.m.) for a Christ-centered lesson and focused discipleship. Mid-hi and high school students meet separately to study the Bible and discuss how Scripture relates to their lives.

Young Believers (YBs) meets from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. every Thursday. YB’s is a weekly opportunity for middle school students to experience community in a safe and loving environment, have fun, meet Jesus, and grow and thrive in their relationships with God and each other. We also serve our community by participating in a variety of mission opportunities.  Invite your friends!!!

 

YBs meets in the youth room, enter through the back doors on the south side of the church. Check our calendar for more details.

Living Your Faith Everyday (LYFE) meets from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. every Sunday. LYFE is a weekly opportunity for high school students to experience community in a safe and loving environment, grow in their relationship with Jesus, and gain some of the practical tools they need to thrive as young Christ-followers in today’s world. At LYFE, we have fun, dive deep into how our faith connects to our lives, and serve our community by participating in a variety of mission opportunities. Dinner is provided! Invite your friends!!!

 

LYFE meets in the First Pres Center, enter through the back doors on the south side of the church. Check our youth calendar for more details.

None of our youth ministry programming is possible without parental support! We encourage parents to get involved and volunteer in our youth ministry. Transportation and help preparing meals are always needed.

To stay informed about what is going on, please make an account at www.kidcheck.com and register under Kennewick First Presbyterian Church. We send emails and texts through this service.

To register your student for YB’s, LYFE, or any of our other Youth Ministry programs or activities, please complete the Registration and Release Form and return to our Director of Student Ministries.

 

Both our mid-hi and high school youth groups meet in the First Pres Center, enter through the back doors on the south side of the church.

Adults

Grow in your faith with us!

First Pres has a strong tradition of offering educational opportunities for adults of all ages. We explore a wide range of topics related to faith in our Adult Education classes. We go deep in our engagement with God’s word in our Bible Studies. We develop deep-rooted relationships with God and each other in our various Small Groups. At First Pres, our Adult Education offerings, Bible Studies, and Small Groups are not just about education, but about transformation! Join us as together we grow in faith.

Throughout the year, First Pres offers gatherings and events for adults to have a chance to connect, grow in faith, and have fun. We welcome you to join us!

We offer a variety of adult classes Sept – May, during the Sunday School hour and during the week.

We offer a number of Bible Studies, co-ed, men’s and women’s, throughout the year.

Thursday Morning Bible Study

10 – 11 a.m. in the Library, Sept – May

Each week, this co-ed group studies the upcoming Sunday morning’s sermon text. Come join the conversation! Facilitated by the pastors.

Men’s Bible Studies

  • Wednesday Morning Men’s Breakfast Study – 7 a.m. at The Hill’s Restaurant
  • Friday Morning Men’s Breakfast Study – 7 a.m. at The Hill’s Restaurant

Women’s Bible Studies

  • Monday Ladies’ Night Out – 6:30 p.m. (2nd Monday of the month) in the Fireside Room
  • Presbyterian Women’s Tuesday Morning Circle – 9:30 a.m. (2nd Tuesday of the month) in the South Alcove
  • Wednesday Morning Women’s Bible Study – 9 a.m. in Rm 109
  • Friday Morning Women’s Book Club – 10 a.m. in the Fireside Room

Being in a small group is a great way to experience community and grow spiritually. Here at First Pres we offer a variety of small groups: women’s, men’s, co-ed, and support groups. We’d love to help you find or build a group that is a great fit for you!

Learn more about our Bible Studies and Small groups!

Congregational Care

Our congregational care ministries are designed to offer the love and care of Christ through support, wisdom, and counsel.

Our Deacons minister to people who are in need; the sick, the hurting, and 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 congregants in their Parish, but also care for anyone in need. Our Deacons administer the Deacon’s Fund. They also offer special care to members of our congregation during times of birth, death, illness or transition. Some of our Deacons are trained to serve communion to our homebound members.

If you would like to be connected with a parish deacon, please contact the front office so we can connect you!

We are a Stephen Ministry congregation. Stephen Ministry is a one-to-one lay caring ministry. Stephen Leaders equip and empower lay caregivers – called Stephen Ministers – to provide high-quality, confidential, Christ-centered care to people who are hurting.

If you are interested in being trained to be a Stephen Minister, or if you are in need of a Stephen Minister, please contact one of our pastors so we can connect you to a Stephen Leader.

For more information about Stephen Ministry, visit https://www.stephenministries.org

Serve The World

We serve because Jesus first served us. Through service we glorify God, care for others and participate in God’s work as we fearlessly venture into this community and beyond.

Mission & Outreach

We are committed to being good neighbors, meeting real needs, and serving our community with intentionality.

We host a yearly Backpack Giveaway and a Trunk or Treat for our neighborhood. We also partner with local organizations who are making a real difference to offer regular opportunities for First Pres members and friends to serve our community together. We invite you to get involved and discover how God can use you to transform the Tri-Cities!

At Westgate, the majority of students are coming from poverty.  Many of them are coming from different cultures, climates, and with very different expectations than those of the Kennewick School District.

Christ has opened the door at our adopted Westgate in 2018 to include distribution of fall jackets for students that are without.  Plans are in place for asking the kind hearts at First Pres to help provide winter jackets and a few items for the Westgate nursing staff.  Many of the staff of Westgate are buying snacks for children that may be missing dinner at night and becoming nutritionally challenged. We will may have the opportunity to show His love by providing healthy snacks to be given on as needed basis.  We are also working on a plan of decreasing absenteeism and tardiness with the purchase of a limited number of alarm clocks.

With Christ leading us we are humbled by the way he is using First Pres to share with his most innocent, the children of Westgate Elementary.

Homework Helpers work with Westgate kids (kindergarten through grade 5) two mornings a week before school.

Our goal is to boost the kids’ academic skills while extending Christ’s heart and hands to them.  We help kids with spelling words, math facts, worksheets, and reading. We frequently give them books they can keep.  And we let them know they matter!

It’s a challenge! Approximately 25 different languages are spoken in Westgate homes – Swahili, Somalian, Kenyan, Burmese, Syrian, Russian, Moldovan, Iraqi,  Spanish, Thailand, Hispanic, English, etc.

Westgate is a World Relief school –refugees are settled nearby

We believe we honor Christ when we work with these precious children—It’s truly Holy Ground.

Trailseekers is an outreach mission supported by First Presbyterian Church. The program provides working solutions to the many problems facing at-risk children in our community.

We stress a one on one approach to intervention solidly grounded in teaching Christian principles. We believe that a relationship with God, through His Son, Jesus Christ, will bring to the lives of these children the love, peace, and security they so desperately need. Trailseekers meets every Monday after school during the school year. In the summer each child in the program has a camping experience.

The Orcas Encampment is the beginning of Trailseekers. Each June, 42 little boys, ages 5 to 8 years are referred to the encampment and spend a week at Camp Moran on Orcas Island.

These children are paired with a mentor who serves as the child’s spiritual guide for that week.

Upon completion of the camp, the boys become Trailseekers and an ongoing relationship with each child and his family begins. In the fall, the campers and their brothers and sisters can participate in the Monday program, and volunteers work with their families to help meet their
needs.

First Presbyterian Church has been deeply committed to this mission for 29 years. Please visit the Trailseeker website for more information. trailseekerswa.org

At First Pres, we want to be strategic about how we use the financial resources God has given us to further God’s mission in the world. Our Mission Partners are local, regional, and global organizations we financially support due to their alignment with our values and the positive impact they are making for the sake of the Gospel in the communities they serve.

View our Annual Mission Activities Report

Contact Us

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