Two Sunday Mornings on West State Street

First Presbyterian Church of Boise sits at 950 West State Street, a few blocks from the Idaho State Capitol and across from the YMCA that shares much of its campus life. It is an inclusive Presbyterian Church (USA) congregation that has gathered in downtown Boise since 1878 and describes itself as "an inclusive community expressing God's love, being disciples, and feeding God's children around the corner and around the world."

Worship is offered in two styles each Sunday morning, both in person and livestreamed. At 9:00 a.m., the contemporary "First Light" service fills the sanctuary with newer music and a more informal tone. From 10:05 to 10:30 a.m., a small group gathers in the church library for prayer for the nation and the world. At 10:45 a.m., the traditional service begins, with liturgy, hymnody, and choir. The lead pastor describes the congregation as "a quirky family who has a lot of fun taking their faith seriously."

The church office is open Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Visitors can contact a pastor, ask for prayer, subscribe to the weekly newsletter, give online, or fill out a "Let us know you are here" attendance card.

A Congregation Shaped by 148 Years in Boise

The first Presbyterian sermon in Boise was preached on July 15, 1877, by pioneer missionary Sheldon Jackson, who was passing through on his way to Alaska. Less than a year later, on February 24, 1878, the Reverend H. W. Stratton organized First Presbyterian Church. The 17 charter members - three men and 14 women, including Elvina Moulton, Boise's only pioneer Black woman, who remained a faithful member until her death - first worshipped in the Baptist church at 9th and Idaho.

Supply ministers J. F. Knowles and A. McFarlane shepherded the young congregation until the first sanctuary was built at 9th and State, on what later became the Idanha Hotel site. The first regular pastor, the Reverend J. H. Barton, arrived with his wife Eva in 1885, when the church had only 10 members. Under their eight-year ministry the graded Sunday School began, the first services at the Territorial Penitentiary were held, the State Christian Endeavor Society was organized in 1889, and a women's reading room for wayfarers and the homeless opened - a forerunner of the Boise Public Library.

Boise grew. By the 1890s the city had 4,000 residents, and a new sanctuary seating 305 with stained glass windows and rich woodwork was dedicated on May 6, 1894, at a cost of $15,000. The first pastor to lead a building boom was Dr. R. A. McKinley (1903 to 1907), a cousin of President McKinley, who oversaw installation of a pipe organ funded in part by Andrew Carnegie and a $26.50 hitching rack for the new automobile age. A 1929 three-story education building was added under Dr. Jesse Baird and Dr. W. C. Ross and is still the oldest original FPC structure on the site. The current 800-seat sanctuary and 90-seat chapel were completed under Pastor Douglas Tiffany and dedicated in 1954, followed in 1958 by Lindsay Hall, a multi-use building with a fully equipped kitchen added during the tenure of Dr. Frank Rearick.

The three buildings were later unified into a single facility under the long pastorate of the Reverend Mark Davis, who served from 1989 to 2010, the longest tenure in FPC history. The current lead pastor, the Reverend Dr. Andrew Kukla, was called in the fall of 2012. He led the "Next Step" campaign focused on "radical hospitality," and the sanctuary was rededicated in October 2019 with new acoustics and more flexible spaces. The congregation will mark its 150th anniversary in February 2028.

The Sanctuary and the 1954 Austin Organ

Music sits at the heart of FPC Boise. The sanctuary's pipe organ was built in 1954 by Austin Organs as Opus 2213 and has anchored worship for seven decades. The Legacy Capital Campaign will fund a complete renovation in partnership with the organ-building firm of R. A. Colby, Inc., and Minister of Music Ryan Dye. The instrument will be removed and shipped to the Colby workshop; the pipe chambers will be rebuilt; new ranks of pipes, new windchests, and new swell enclosures will be added; and a 4-manual movable console and a new independent gallery division framing the rear rose window will complete the rebuild.

The church hosts a year-round Fine Arts Music series that is open to the public, with concerts featuring vocal ensembles, choirs, and organ recitals. The annual Fine Arts Weekend brings two evening concerts and an artist reception to the sanctuary.

Minister of Music Ryan Dye joined FPC Boise in 2018 after serving as Canon for Music at St. Michael's Episcopal Cathedral and as Minister of Music at historic All Pilgrims Christian Church in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. He holds degrees in Religion and Business Administration from Walla Walla University and Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Organ Performance from the University of Washington, and he previously served as Dean of the Seattle Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.

Wednesday Nights and Midweek Life

A full slate of programs fills the midweek schedule. Adult Bible Study meets Wednesday evenings at 5:30 p.m., offered both in person and on Zoom, typically in six-week units. The youth group, for grades 6 through 12, gathers Wednesday nights around a shared meal and travels together on an annual mission trip. The congregational choir rehearses at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, and adults with an interest in singing are invited to join. A multi-generational Handbell Choir rehearses on Sunday afternoons and provides music in worship several times a year.

Thursday mornings belong to the Stitchers and the quilters. Quilting from the Heart meets from 10 a.m. until about 2 p.m. to make quilts for neighbors who need a tangible sign of care; the finished works are dedicated in worship a few times a year and sent into the local community. The Stitchers meet from 10 a.m. to noon for any kind of handwork - knitting, sewing, mending - accompanied by coffee and conversation. Crafting is not required.

Sunday Funday, held after worship on the second and fourth Sundays of the month, brings the whole congregation together around a table for a meal, fellowship, and intergenerational activities. The church teaches that it is healthiest when members build relationships across generational lines, and Sunday Funday is where that happens most naturally.

Children, Youth, and Families

Christine Caven serves as Director of Family Ministries, with a Bachelor of Music in Music Ministry, a Master of Arts in Christian Ministry, and a Master of Divinity from Yale. Sunday School for elementary-age children runs from 9:45 to 10:30 a.m., and a children's chapel time during the sermon keeps younger worshipers engaged during the later service.

The YMCA's Children's Village infant and preschool program, for children from six weeks through pre-kindergarten, is the church's largest partner on site. Open from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, it is reached from the north side of the building just past the fire escape. The YMCA also runs "Ready, Set, Go!" for children with intellectual disabilities and an after-school program called 9th Street Kids for grades 2 through 6, with busing directly to the church.

Scouting has been part of FPC since 1915, when the church first chartered a Boy Scout troop, and remains a long-running partnership.

A Reformed Faith with Room for Questions

First Presbyterian Church of Boise is a member congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA), a mainline Reformed denomination. The church describes itself as "the middle ground church of the PCUSA," intentionally making space for people regardless of labels and welcoming visitors whether or not they find a faith home within its walls.

The five great themes of the Reformed tradition are spelled out plainly on the church's teaching page. God initiates creation ("In the beginning when God created"). God takes the first step in revealing himself through Scripture, written by humans who conveyed his word. In the incarnation, God becomes human in Jesus Christ and initiates salvation by sending the Son to redeem sinners. Salvation is by grace: God "picks us up in our sin and does for us what we cannot do for ourselves," a doctrine the Reformed tradition calls election. The church itself is God's covenant people, drawn into community by the Holy Spirit through the gift of faith in Jesus Christ.

Worship is described in the mission statement as "authentic praise, prayer and with room for doubts and brokenness."

Mission Around the Corner and Around the World

Helping neighbors find stability is central to FPC's life, and several long-running partnerships make that work concrete. The Faces of Hope Foundation provides services to anyone who has experienced domestic abuse, sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse, stalking, or human trafficking, regardless of background. CATCH is a nonprofit that helps families with children get back on their feet by providing housing first, then walking alongside them to address other challenges. Jesse Tree provides support and funding to people facing eviction to keep them in their homes. A mission gift from the Legacy Capital Campaign also supports LEAP Housing, an Idaho nonprofit that develops and preserves affordable housing.

Two weekly direct-service efforts meet needs right on the church's own grounds. The Food Pantry runs Mondays from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Narthex, offering free food assistance. Friendship Dinners are typically held Thursdays at 5 p.m. in Lindsay Hall, feeding anyone who is food-insecure.

How the Church Is Governed

FPC Boise is governed by a Session of elders, a title not tied to age, and supported by a board of deacons who care for the health of the congregation. The deacons prepare communion, organize memorial services, send care packages to college students and service members, coordinate Sunday morning greeters, and visit members who cannot come to worship, including offering the sacraments at home. They also run an annual Christmas Angel drive.

The Session's standing committees include Operations, which oversees finances, facilities, personnel, and the Ed Low sub-committee; Nurture, responsible for education, fellowship, and pastoral care; Worship and Fine Arts, which curates both liturgical life and the public concert series; Mission, which directs the congregation's outreach locally and globally; and Nominating, which discerns new elders and deacons each year. The tradition of democratic governance comes from the Reformation by way of Scotland, and a great deal of FPC's ministry is carried out by volunteer committees.

A Building Shared with the City

Beyond its own programs, FPC opens its downtown building to outside groups. Several 12-step recovery meetings use the church, including the Lunch Bunch, which meets at noon Monday through Saturday on the sixth floor; the easiest entrance is the fire escape on the north side of the building. The sanctuary and Lindsay Hall host weddings, memorial services, fine arts concerts, and community gatherings, and a building use request form is available for outside groups interested in renting space.

Parking and First-Time Visitors

Parking is part of being a good neighbor downtown. On Sundays, the lot on State Street across from the church (excluding the first two rows reserved for the YMCA) is available for church use, along with a small lot off 10th Street behind the building and street parking. On weekdays, the State Street lot is closed to church parking; visitors are asked to use street parking or the 10th Street lot for short church errands. Parking is not available in the YMCA spaces at any time, and the lot is not available on weeknights.

Newcomers are warmly welcomed. The congregation's mission statement includes providing "community where we care for one another, grow in faith, and equip leaders," and its vision for downtown Boise is to be a vital presence of abundant life for its neighbors.