First Presbyterian Church stands at 252 College Avenue in the borough of Beaver, an Evangelical Presbyterian congregation whose tagline, "Head. Heart. Hands.," points to a community that wants its faith to be thought through, felt, and put to work. The church has long been a fixture of Beaver County life, known for two distinct Sunday services under one roof, a thriving Christian preschool, vibrant ministries for children and students, and a deep bench of partnerships with ministries serving neighbors across the region. Visitors are invited to come as they are.
Two Services, Two Styles, One Congregation
On Sunday mornings, First Presbyterian offers two services that share the same theology but speak in different musical and liturgical voices.
A 9:00 AM service meets in the Fellowship Hall and leans contemporary, led by a praise band and modern worship songs. An 11:15 AM service meets in the Sanctuary and follows a more traditional pattern, often featuring sacred choral music, the organ, and classic hymns. Both services are part of the same church family, and members frequently move between the two depending on the season of life.
Communion is celebrated the first Sunday of each month, and anyone with a personal faith in Christ is welcome to partake. On Sundays when weather allows, a Fellowship Hour is held on the front lawn between the two services during the summer, with coffee and refreshments available for anyone who wants to linger and meet a few new faces.
The services are also livestreamed online each week, with the recordings alternating between the 9:00 AM and 11:15 AM services. Past recordings are archived on the church's Vimeo channel and made available for viewing at any time.
What to Expect on Your First Sunday
Parking is easy and flexible. There is a lot behind the church with entrances off College Avenue and Corporation Street, a side lot also off Corporation Street, and on Sundays visitors may park in the nearby bank lots or along 3rd Street without time limits. A coffee spot near the entrance offers a free cup of coffee or tea on the way in.
Dress runs the full range. On any given Sunday, people arrive in everything from jeans to dresses and jackets, and the welcome at the door is meant to match that ease.
Childcare is provided in the nursery for newborns through pre-K during both worship services, and children of any age are always welcome to remain in the service with their families. Families can pre-register children online to make the first check-in go smoothly.
Faith Foundations
First Presbyterian Beaver belongs to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC), a Bible-believing, gospel-preaching denomination that holds to the Apostles' Creed and the Westminster Confession of Faith. The church states its mission as "To be the people of God declaring His glory by living the love of Christ," and its vision as a body learning to love God with its collective heart, soul, mind, and strength, to love one another as Christ has loved, and to love neighbors in Beaver County and beyond.
The core values are Biblical truth, Spirit-inspired grace, and Kingdom mission. The church's statement of faith affirms one God in three Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; the full deity and humanity of Jesus Christ, his virgin birth, atoning death, bodily resurrection, and ascension; the saving grace of God received through faith in Christ alone; the Church as the united body of believers expressed in congregations where Scripture is preached and the sacraments are kept; the personal and visible return of Christ; and the Great Commission as the church's calling. The Westminster Confession of Faith serves as the standard for teaching and ordination, while "Essentials of Our Faith" expresses the broader historic evangelical commitments shared across the EPC.
Children from Crib to Fifth Grade
Children's Ministry at First Presbyterian is led by Marion Butler and supported by a team of vetted, cleared volunteers. The ministry partners with families to nurture children from infancy through elementary years, and it offers a continuous rhythm of programming across the week.
Nursery care is available during both worship services for infants and toddlers up through age four, in a safe and engaging environment on the first floor. The same nursery area cares for newborns through under-two during the Sunday School hour.
Sunday School meets between the services from 10:15 to 11:00 AM during the school year for ages two through adult. Classes include the 2's and 3's class, PreK and Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd and 3rd Grade, and 4th and 5th Grade, all meeting on the lower level in rooms designed for each age.
Two midweek programs extend the ministry into the rest of the week. SPARKS gathers kindergarten through 2nd grade on Mondays from 4:30 to 5:30 PM for a music and play-filled time of learning about God together, with a Summer SPARKS calendar during June through August. QUEST gathers 3rd through 5th graders on Thursdays from 6:30 to 8:00 PM during the school year for games, creative lessons, and small-group time, with Summer Quest offered during the summer months.
Students in Middle School and High School
Student Ministry is led by Cory Longenecker and a large team of adult volunteer leaders, with summer interns joining during the summer months. The ministry aims to walk with students as they grow in faith and prepare to launch into adulthood, partnering closely with parents along the way.
Middle School Youth Group, for 6th through 8th graders, meets on Wednesdays from 6:45 to 8:30 PM during the school year. The group gathers in the Fellowship Hall for an opening time of games before moving up to the third floor for teaching, worship, and small-group discussion.
High School Youth Group, for 9th through 12th graders, meets on Sundays from 6:45 to 8:45 PM during the school year, also opening with games in the Fellowship Hall before heading to the third floor. After the teaching, students break into smaller groups for discussion, with additional girls' and guys' small groups meeting during the week throughout the year. Grace Nights, occasional special events, add variety to the calendar.
Sunday School for students meets between the services from 10:15 to 11:00 AM during the school year, with separate Middle School Guys, Middle School Girls, and High School classes. Each January through May, a Confirmation Class is offered for any 9th through 12th grader who wants to dive deeper into the faith, with the opportunity to join the church at the end of the class.
Preschool @ First
Tucked inside the church's hallways and quiet on Sundays, the Preschool @ First is brimming with energy, laughter, and smiles during the week. It is a Christian, play-based preschool with a mission to love and nurture the hearts and minds of its students, and most of its preschoolers come from families outside the church.
Two classes are offered. The 3's class meets Tuesdays and Thursdays in either a morning session from 9:00 to 11:30 AM or an afternoon session from 1:00 to 3:30 PM. The 4's class meets Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, with students bringing a packed lunch. Both classes follow the Beaver Area School District calendar for holidays, days off, and weather closures, and both require children to be toilet trained and to meet the August 31st age cutoff. Tuition is set by class, with a one-time non-refundable registration fee and the first month's tuition due May 1st. Class sizes are intentionally small, with a head teacher and assistant in each.
The learning philosophy is hands-on and exploratory. Through a variety of engaging centers (art, dramatic play, sensory, motor, building, and writing), children grow in independence, motor skills, vocabulary, conflict resolution, and creativity, while also hearing about God's love and world. The preschool is also a separately registered program, with online registration opening in early February.
Adults: Classes, Bible Studies, and Small Groups
Discipleship for adults is led by Jeremiah Stauffer, Associate Pastor for Adult Discipleship. Sunday School for adults runs from 10:15 to 11:00 AM during the school year, with multiple classes offered in rotating seven-week terms so that newcomers can jump in at any point. The week's bulletin lists the Adult Sunday School classes for the term.
Small groups meet in homes and around the county during the week, studying books of the Bible, Christian classics, and topics that connect faith to daily life. The church curates a steady stream of recommended resources for small groups, including studies from the Knowing the Bible series, Gospel-Centered Life, John Piper's Don't Waste Your Life, and LifeGuide Bible Studies on Revelation, with copies kept in the church library for borrowing.
Andrew DiNardo serves as Assistant for Young Adults and Care, walking alongside college-age and young adult participants as they navigate life and faith.
Music and Arts
Music ministry at First Presbyterian is led by Emily Gedman, who plans and leads the corporate worship services along with a team of staff and lay leaders, and directs a range of ensembles across children, youth, and adults. The church's musical identity spans the contemporary praise band that leads the 9:00 AM service and the choral, organ, and traditional hymn heritage of the 11:15 AM Sanctuary service.
Care, Deacons, and the Hard Seasons of Life
The Deacons and Care ministry supports members and friends through seasons of need, including illness, loss, and other life transitions. GriefShare is offered as a resource for those grieving the loss of a loved one. Deacons also coordinate the church's prayer ministry, and prayer requests can be submitted to the office for confidential prayer support.
The Care ministry also extends through a Mental Health Chaplaincy supported by the church, led by Abby Opal, who offers programs through Let's Talk about Mental Health aimed at reducing the stigma of mental health struggles within churches and creating mentoring partnerships for one-on-one discipleship. Workshops such as the recent Mental Health and Legal Help event held at the church reflect that commitment.
Church Planting and Beaver County Outreach
First Presbyterian has a long-standing commitment to planting new Gospel-centered churches in Beaver County and beyond. That commitment shapes a culture in which members are encouraged to be sent out as well as gathered in.
Outreach is expressed through three overlapping circles: serving inside the church, serving across the local community, and serving in the wider world. Direct church-run ministries include Welcome Home, which collects furniture and essential home items for people in transition and delivers them through a network of volunteers and local agency partners; Faith in Action, which provides free rides to medical appointments for seniors over 60 across multiple zones of Beaver County; and the Community Home Rehabilitation Crew (CHRCR), a volunteer team that provides home repairs and minor construction projects for neighbors in need.
Local Ministry Partners
Beyond its own ministries, First Presbyterian walks alongside a long list of partner organizations serving Beaver County and the surrounding region.
Child Evangelism Fellowship of Beaver County offers free Good News 5-Day Club camps and after-school Good News Clubs. Family Guidance provides mentoring and a six-week residential Promise Camp for youth from underserved neighborhoods, including Aliquippa. Aliquippa Impact works with 115 youth in grades 1 through 12 through after-school programming, summer day camp, career readiness support, and social-emotional learning. Tiger Pause in Beaver Falls offers after-school programs, tutoring, summer camps, and the Eye of the Tiger program that pairs them with skilled craftsmen. Hosanna Industries provides critical home repairs and new home construction at no cost to homeowners across Allegheny, Beaver, and Butler counties. The Center in Midland served 235 individual students from K4 through 12th grade in 2025 through youth development programs and mentoring. Cornerstone of Beaver County operates a 24-hour men's shelter in Vanport with meals, bedding, showers, clothing, and supportive services. Pine Valley Camp hosts at-risk children for a week of summer camp with a once-a-month winter program to keep campers connected. Communicycle repaired and distributed 2,400 bicycles in 2025 through its volunteer-run shop in Monaca. Ready Yourselves Youth Ranch pairs rescue horses, children in need, and volunteer mentors for weekly sessions of trust and healing. Choices Pregnancy Services runs five medical clinics and two mobile units offering pregnancy services and options counseling across Allegheny and Beaver counties.
Getting Connected
Visitors who want to make themselves known can fill out a Connect Card online. The Church Center app, available for download, brings events, registrations, giving, and the church calendar to a phone. Giving can be done online through the church's giving page, and the weekly email and weekly announcements keep members in the loop between Sundays. Sunday bulletins are posted online so anyone can follow the order of service at home.
Office hours run Monday through Thursday from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM and Friday from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM, with the office closed on major holidays. Baptisms and weddings are scheduled through the church, and a volunteer clearance process is required for all adults working with children or youth.