A 156-Year Congregation on Chicago Avenue
First Presbyterian Church of Evanston has stood on the same block of Chicago Avenue since the late 1850s, when early Evanston residents first gathered as a union church on the high ground that the congregation still occupies today. The Presbyterians built a two-spired timber building and held their first service as First Presbyterian in July 1868 under the leadership of their first pastor, Dr. George Noyes. That wooden building burned in 1875, a replacement dedicated in 1876, and a second fire in February 1894 destroyed the structure again. Within a year, the congregation had raised enough money, much of it through the efforts of the church's women, to open a third building, designed by famed architect Daniel Burnham in 1895 and built of fireproof Lemont limestone. That 1895 structure is the building in which the church still worships, with later additions, a grand organ, and stained-glass windows installed in the 1940s.
More than a century and a half later, First Pres Evanston, as members call it, is a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA) with a mission statement that reads, "First Presbyterian Church of Evanston exists to know Christ and to grow in him as we serve and make disciples in Evanston, the Chicago area, and the world." The church has grown into a 50,000-square-foot campus on the corner of Chicago Avenue in central Evanston, hosting a 485-seat Sanctuary, a 120-seat Walker Chapel named for longtime pastor Dr. Harold Blake Walker, a second-floor gymnasium, a parlor, and a dining room. A small parking lot fits about 50 vehicles, with additional street parking in the surrounding neighborhood. The church is two blocks from the CTA Purple Line's Dempster stop, and several area buses stop within a block of the front door.
Worship in the Burnham Sanctuary
Sunday morning worship takes place at 10:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary, and the building itself is part of what makes a visit memorable. Huge stained-glass windows tell Old and New Testament stories; a finely crafted organ and the voices of the choir and praise band fill the room; and the limestone walls, wooden pews, and chancel steps create a setting that feels at once historic and alive. Services typically end by 11:30 a.m. and almost never run past 11:35 a.m.
The worship is best described as blended. Traditional liturgy and choral hymns share the hour with contemporary praise songs, and every Sunday's musical mix is a little different, chosen to support the sermon and the scripture readings. The music team includes the Director of Worship and Music/Choir Hannah Dixon McConnell, Organist and Pianist Dr. Rebecca Chu, Praise Band Director Crofton Coleman, and volunteer singers and instrumentalists. Each service is built around biblically-based preaching that the congregation has come to expect; the church's own history describes First Pres as having become "known over many years for articulate, biblically-based preaching that brings messages of Christian faith to bear on problems of personal life."
Every worship service is livestreamed, so members who are traveling, ill, or otherwise unable to attend can watch live or catch up afterward. Past sermon series and full worship services are kept on YouTube and Vimeo, and printed sermon notes for the most recent messages are available each week to help the congregation continue reflecting on the Scripture through the week.
Sunday Mornings for Children and Youth
First Pres Evanston works hard to make room for families in worship. Children are warmly welcomed in the Sanctuary, where rocking chairs in the back are available for parents with little ones, a Kids' Corner in the rear offers books, quiet activities, sensory toys, and clipboards with coloring pages, and a Family Lounge provides a quiet space for nursing, diaper changes, and a moment away when needed. On Communion Sundays, children are brought back into the Sanctuary after their own lesson so they can take communion with their families or observe alongside them.
Before the service, from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. during the school year, the church runs Sunday School for everyone from nursery age through high school, along with adult education classes. Children in kindergarten through fourth grade gather in the Library on the first floor, fifth through eighth graders meet in the third-floor East Room, and high school students meet in Room 206. At 9:30 a.m., the Nursery opens for infants and toddlers ages 0-2 and remains staffed through 11:45 a.m.
Inside the 10:30 service, a Children's Message invites kids in kindergarten through fourth grade to the steps of the Chancel for a brief, interactive Bible story, complete with their own special song and chances to help pass the peace. After the Children's Message, the children head to the Blue Room for Children's Worship, where they hear a lesson from the story Bible, share prayer requests, do a craft or game that ties back to the lesson, and enjoy an allergen-friendly snack. The Blue Room is led by Children's Director Abigail Cunningham, supported by trained volunteers, and parents pick children up there after the service.
Beyond Sunday morning, the children's ministry hosts a monthly Young Family Small Group with Bible study, a family meal, and on-site childcare; Lenten and Advent family devotionals; a Vacation Bible School each summer; the all-church end-of-summer picnic; the annual Nativity Christmas Pageant during worship; the Christmas Eve family service; children's book celebrations; and a gingerbread house decorating party. The children's music ministry even maintains a Spotify playlist of the songs kids learn during the year, and the children's wing has hosted creative projects such as bee drinking fountains inspired by the story of Rebekah and Isaac, a Kindness Rock Garden placed near the church entrance, and a special World Communion coloring craft.
Middle and high school students have their own rhythm. Sunday School for grades 5-8 and 9-12 runs from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. each Sunday, with rotating topics such as Christian apologetics and Old Testament books like 1 Kings, 2 Samuel, and Proverbs. Youth Group meets from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on the third Sunday of the month, with separate middle school and high school gatherings that include lunch, games, and fellowship. Monthly youth outings on the first Saturday have included laser tag, mini golf, concerts, and movies. On the fourth Sunday of the month, the youth ministry runs a mentorship hour where high schoolers are paired with an adult from the congregation, and middle schoolers interview church members about their faith. Each summer the high school group goes on a mission trip (recently partnering with First Methodist on a service week in Kentucky), and each winter the youth retreat to Covenant Point or Camp Timberlee for a weekend of worship, devotionals, and fellowship. Every other year, a confirmation class walks students through church history, Scripture, and their own faith before they profess their faith before the congregation. Youth Ministry Director Yoshua Harahap oversees the program.
Small Groups and Adult Discipleship
First Pres Evanston is built around a rich small-group culture. The vision statement is direct: "Our vision is for all small groups to be microcosms of the church, where all members are growing into mature disciples of Jesus Christ." More than a dozen small groups are active, meeting at the church, in homes, and on Zoom throughout the week.
Among the open groups: a Sermon Scripture Group that uses lectio divina and visio divina to pray through the previous week's text (1st and 3rd Mondays); an intergenerational young-adult group that meets over lunch on the 1st and 3rd Sundays; a long-running intergenerational group for older adults on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays; a Young Families small group on the 2nd Sunday with Bible study, a family meal, and on-site childcare; a Knitting Ministry that makes prayer shawls, scarves, and hats for the bereaved, the homebound, and a local warming center (1st and 3rd Saturdays); a Pilgrimage Renewal group for those coming out of the Pilgrimage retreat (1st Tuesday); Nourish, a women's Bible study and fellowship with childcare (Thursdays, 9:30-11 a.m.); a second women's group meeting Thursdays evenings both in person and on Zoom; a third women's group on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday evenings; a Men's Breakfast that meets in person and online Saturdays at 8 a.m. with coffee, donuts, and prayer; a Growing in Grace Bible study hosted in members' homes on Tuesday evenings; a Serious Bible Study group that reads Scripture alongside a purchased commentary on alternate Monday afternoons; and a Caring Friends support group for those facing or recovering from a cancer diagnosis, meeting the 4th Sunday.
Adult education also gathers in larger settings. On Sunday mornings from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m., the adult education hour has covered topics from the life of Joshua to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The church has partnered with Bethlehem Bible College for a six-week Zoom class called "Following in the Footsteps of Jesus," held Saturday afternoons and open to participants around the world. Sermon notes are published weekly so the Sunday message can be revisited through the week at home or in a small group.
Missions: Evanston, Chicago, and the World
Outreach has been part of First Pres's identity since long before the current building went up. The church's history notes that "more than 125 years ago, First Pres began a mission of community service outside its walls," and today the missions ministry organizes dozens of partners under three overlapping umbrellas: Compassion and Justice, Developing National Christian Leaders in the Majority World, and Following Jesus and Sharing God's Love.
Locally, the church runs three well-established ministries of its own. Souper Saturday, founded in 1983, serves lunch each Saturday at 11:30 a.m. to homeless and underprivileged neighbors, with outdoor distribution continuing since the COVID pandemic. The Overnight Shelter, hosted in partnership with Interfaith Action of Evanston and Connections for the Homeless, opens the church's doors for three weeks each winter to provide a warm, safe place to sleep; the 2025 rotation hosted 30 guests. First Friends, started to welcome and befriend refugee families, hosts a monthly Women's Breakfast Gathering on the first Saturday of each month where women learn, laugh, and build community. Other locally-rooted work includes quilting and sewing for mission partners and the church, support for Good News Partners' New Life Shelter, the Tumekutana ("We have come together") ministry, the Build Congo Schools focus team, and Rebuilding Together North Suburban Chicago, which repairs homes for low-income neighbors.
The church also has long-term relationships with Chicagoland Prison Outreach, Emmaus Ministries (which helps men leave the sex trade), Facing Forward to End Homelessness, and Interfaith Action of Evanston. Internationally, First Pres partners with groups including Presbyterian Ministries in the Democratic Republic of Congo, FEBA in Congo, Bright Stars of Bethlehem and the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in the Holy Land, Bethlehem Bible College, the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo, SAT-7 satellite television, Langham Partnership, Medical Benevolence Foundation, Scholar Leaders, the Tavriski Christian Institute in Ukraine, the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students in the Middle East and North Africa, the Akhtars ministry with refugees on the Thai-Myanmar border, and Community Network for Orphans in Uganda. Individual missionaries supported by the congregation include Dan and Kathy Shiau with InterVarsity, Isaac and Janet Laudarji in Northern Nigeria, Lisa and Larry Roetteger with Wycliffe Bible Translators, and Rev. Dr. Christudas Retnadas. A weekly Mission Prayer calendar helps the congregation pray for these partners by name.
Pastoral Care, Prayer, and Stephen Ministry
Care for one another is woven into the life of the church. After every Sunday service, trained lay Prayer Companions are available in the Sanctuary to pray confidentially with anyone who would like it. Wednesday Prayer Gatherings take place on Zoom at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth weeks of most months, lifting up personal concerns, the congregation, friends, family, and those experiencing grief, illness, or change.
For longer-term care, the church's Stephen Ministry equips laypeople with 50 hours of training to walk alongside members going through a crisis: grief, loneliness, divorce, hospitalization, disability, or job loss. Each Stephen Minister meets privately and confidentially with one person at a time, listening, encouraging, and reflecting Christ's presence. Faith Community Nurse Julie Ruchniewicz, BSN, RN, serves as a key connector between medical, spiritual, and practical resources, supporting members through health decisions, illness, and loss. The Care and Support ministry also points members to Friends in Christ, a lay-led network of ongoing practical and spiritual care, and the Board of Deacons, which organizes special collections and projects such as the annual Deacons' Backpack Project that supplies local students with back-to-school supplies each year.
Beliefs, Membership, and Getting Connected
As a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA), First Pres affirms the central statements of the Reformed tradition. The church teaches that God has called the congregation together as a community of faith in Jesus Christ, who alone is Head of the Church; that Christ has commissioned the church to advance the Kingdom of God through the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit; that the Old and New Testaments are the unique and authoritative witness to Jesus Christ; that God alone is Lord of the conscience; that God calls both men and women to ministry; and that the church is one body in Christ across all human diversity, sent to reach out and nurture all people in faith and to live as a ministry of grace and reconciliation.
For those who want to explore membership, the church holds informal membership classes a few times a year that introduce who the church is, where it has come from, and what deeper engagement might look like. There is no obligation to join. The "Plan Your Visit" page invites newcomers to fill out a pre-visit form so someone can look out for them on Sunday morning, and visitors are also encouraged simply to stop by, say hello to the staff, and pick up a welcome folder. The church office can be reached at (847) 864-1472, Monday through Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Thursday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to noon. Visitors are invited to dress comfortably, to park in the church lot or on the surrounding streets, and to make themselves at home in the Sanctuary, the Kids' Corner, or the Family Lounge.
Giving to First Pres is set up in three ways: one-time or recurring online gifts through the church's Realm giving page, automatic monthly withdrawal arranged through the church office (with no bank transfer fees), and traditional offering envelopes on request. Members and regular givers can review their full giving history at any time through the Realm member portal. The church is also open to its 50,000 square feet of public space for weddings, funerals, and other events, with both the 485-seat Sanctuary and the 120-seat Walker Chapel available for ceremonies.
With its 1895 limestone walls, its stained-glass windows, its pipe organ, its praise band, its children's music and its youth mission trips, its dozen-plus small groups and its global prayer calendar, First Presbyterian Church of Evanston is a community that looks back across more than 150 years on Chicago Avenue and forward, at the same time, to the next family walking in for the first time.