Three Sunday Services, One Congregation
First Presbyterian Church runs three Sunday morning services out of its 3940 27 1/2 Road campus on the Western Slope of Colorado. Traditional worship happens at 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary, with hymns accompanied by organ or piano, occasional bells and orchestra on special occasions, and anthems from the Worship Choir during the school year, along with offertory solos. A more informal contemporary service meets at 9:30 a.m. in the Multi-Purpose Room, led by the Praise Band with guitars, vocals, keyboards, and drums. The contemporary service still keeps the time for confession, scripture readings, and the sermon, and most weeks it includes a children's sermon and a brief children's message up front.
On months with five Sundays, the congregation gathers for only two services at 9:00 and 11:00 a.m., alternating between the Sanctuary and the Multi-Purpose Room each time. The idea is to bring the whole church together so that those who attend traditional and those who attend contemporary get to experience the other.
Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of every month, with the bread and grape juice passed down the rows. Gluten-free options are available, and everyone is welcome to take part. For those who cannot attend in person, an online service featuring the scripture readings, sermon, and communion for that first Sunday goes live the Thursday after each Sunday.
The Kingdom Assignment: $4,200 into $80,000
In May 2024, Pastor Tom asked people at every service to step forward without knowing why. Forty-two people - including some teenagers who came up with their parents - volunteered, put out their hands, and were each given $100 from the "Branching Out to Serve Others" fund along with a copy of The Kingdom Assignment. The book, written by former FPC pastor Denny Bellesi, lays out three conditions for the money: understand that the money belongs to God, invest it into God's work, and report the results in ninety days.
By September 2024 the original $4,200 had multiplied into more than $80,000 supporting ministries and organizations throughout Mesa County. The participants gave and volunteered alongside partners across the Grand Valley and beyond, and FPC has documented the journey in a four-part video series that continues to grow.
Rooted, Growing, Branching Out: What FPC Believes
First Presbyterian is part of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and actively participates in the mission of the Presbytery of Western Colorado. In 2012 the congregation also joined The Fellowship of Presbyterians, and in 2015 the elders, deacons, and pastors adopted a clear statement on marriage. Members hold to the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed as confessions of faith.
FPC summarizes its shared beliefs in three concentric circles. With all Christians, FPC confesses the Trinity - God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - the full divinity and full humanity of Christ in the Incarnation, and the historic creeds. With other Protestants, FPC holds that salvation is by grace alone and that scripture is the sole guide for faith and practice. With the Reformed tradition, FPC affirms the sovereignty of God, the election of God's people, the covenant God initiates, the stewardship of all creation, and the reality of sin in all people.
Around those beliefs, FPC has built seven core values since 2007: Christ as the firm foundation, God's call to action, love that mirrors God's unconditional love, scripture as the inspired Word that transforms lives, covenant community, innovation and energy in mission, and the equipping of men and women as servant leaders. Every believer, the pastors teach, has gifts given by the Holy Spirit for God's service.
From the Nursery to GRACE Place and FIREPROOF
The Children's Ministry serves children from infancy through sixth grade and runs on a deep belief that children need spiritual nurture both at home and within a loving church family. On Sundays, infants through age five are welcome in the nursery in Room E8 during the 9:30 and 11:00 services, where paid nursery assistants and volunteers care for them; pagers are available so parents can be reached at any moment. Children age five and up are encouraged to worship with their families, and children's worship bulletins are available in the back of each worship space.
For graded formation, three programs anchor the year from September through May. Preschool for children ages three and a half to five meets at 11:00 a.m. on Sundays in N-4. GRACE Place - which stands for "God Receives All Children Who Enter" - is the Sunday morning discipleship hour for first through fourth graders at 11:00 a.m. in the Gathering Place. FIREPROOF gathers all fifth and sixth graders on Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., starting with a shared dinner.
Outside of the school year, summer brings Vacation Bible School in the form of Sparts Camp, where kids combine Bible stories with learning a sport, acting, or creating artwork, plus Sports Camp and Wednesday activities aimed at specific age groups. Janet Young serves as the Executive Director of Church-wide and Children's Ministries, joined by Tasha Haley, who coordinates and teaches GRACE Place and leads Wednesday Night Live programming and the summer activities.
Middle and High Schoolers at Twin Peaks and Table in the Wilderness
The Student Ministry welcomes seventh through twelfth graders, with Sarah Queen serving as Director of Student Ministries. On Sunday mornings during the 11:00 service, students meet in the Fletcher Room for Bible study that uses the Bible Project to walk through scripture together. Wednesday nights during the school year bring Youth Group from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., starting with dinner from 6:00 to 6:30 and continuing with games, conversation, and faith formation.
Two annual camp trips anchor the year. Each winter the students head to Twin Peaks Bible Camp in Collbran, Colorado, a ministry that has been around since 1950, for a weekend of cabin life, snowy fun, and time together; scholarships through the congregation keep the trip accessible. Every summer the group travels to Table in the Wilderness in Wyoming for a week of ropes courses, ziplining, hiking, and cabin life at a camp with a main lodge, gathering space, dining hall, and meeting rooms.
Men's, Women's, and Senior Small Groups
Adult Discipleship at FPC aims to give every adult - whether twenty or eighty - a way to get more connected. The men's ministry hosts several small groups at First Pres throughout the week: 6:00 a.m. on Tuesdays, 3:00 p.m. on Wednesdays, and 9:30 a.m. on Thursdays, plus breakfasts, workshops, and retreats.
The women's ministry runs a similar rhythm of small-group Bible studies and fellowship opportunities. The Exploring Prayer and Scripture Group meets Mondays from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. in the Gathering Place. The Women's Afternoon Book Club gathers at 1:30 p.m. on the second Monday of each month. A Wednesday Morning Bible Study meets from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. in the Youth Room. The Peace Circle gathers at 1:00 p.m. on the third Monday of each month for those who are grieving.
Charity Finnigsmier has directed the Senior Adult Ministry (S.A.M.) since 2017, organizing a calendar that includes a monthly potluck luncheon in the Fellowship Hall on the second Monday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., a Game Day on the second Friday from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m., three or four outings a year (a Christmas Light Tour in December is a tradition), and easy spring hikes for newcomers and old friends alike. A planning team meets once a month to keep the events coming.
Other groups cross generational lines. Wednesday in the Word meets at noon each Wednesday to discuss the upcoming sermon, often led by one of the pastors. The Visitation Team gathers at 10:30 a.m. on the first Wednesday of each month to coordinate visits with homebound members. A Sunday Morning Bible Study is open to men and women at 9:30 a.m. in E11.
Missions Across the Grand Valley and Around the World
First Presbyterian supports a long list of local, national, and international mission partners, both financially and through volunteers who serve alongside them. Locally, the church partners with HOPE of the Grand Valley (a nonprofit that helps hard-working, low-income families toward independence), Camp Hope (free camp experiences for kids), Habitat for Humanity's Mesa County affiliate (with an annual Build Day involving 15 to 20 FPC members), the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Grand Valley Catholic Outreach (including the Empty Bowls fundraiser), and Common Grounds ministries at Colorado Mesa University (with volunteers serving the annual "Meat the Freshman" event each August), among many others - including the Community Food Bank, Meals on Wheels, Mesa County Jail Ministry, Prime Health, the Center for Children, the Pregnancy Center, the Joseph Center, Pathways, Kids Aid, Master Plan, the House, Young Life, Christ Center, and Twin Peaks Bible Camp.
Internationally, FPC supports ministries and missionaries in Uganda (Abide Family Center, Amani Baby Cottage, Ekisa, and HEAL Ministries), South Africa (Christ Center Malaga with Gerda Marais), and a wide circle of other partners including the DeYoungs with African Inland Mission, the Tewksburys with Far Corners Missions, the Lovelaces with Frontiers, International Justice Mission, Mercy Ships, Samaritan's Purse, the Luke Commission, and Wycliffe Bible Translators. CRU is also among the partners.
Seasonal outreach traditions include Angel Tree, the Giving Tree, Operation Christmas Child, ShareFest weekend, and a Meet and Greet with First Responders. Emily Grady serves as the Mission and Outreach Assistant and coordinates the church's involvement with these partners.
Choirs, Bells, and a Once-a-Century Organ
Music at First is a community of musicians dedicated to high-quality music in worship and in concerts that reach beyond the church. The Worship Choir serves as the backbone of the traditional services, leading hymns, presenting anthems, and offering special music at both 8:30 and 11:00 a.m.; no audition is required, and weekly Wednesday evening practices include hymn arrangements, spirituals, and choral classics. The Music as First Ringers are a five-octave handbell choir that rehearses at 6:30 p.m. on Thursdays and performs advanced handbell literature in worship and at special services. The Festival Choir is an extension of the Worship Choir that prepares two to three major concerts each year, often inviting guest soloists, renowned organists, and professional chamber orchestras for larger works like major sacred choral pieces. The Praise Band leads the contemporary service with rotating instrumentalists and singers, by audition.
An ongoing effort called the Once a Century Organ Project is working toward a new pipe organ for the sanctuary. With organist Michael and the Organ Committee leading the way, the project is pursuing grants and laying the groundwork for what is expected to be a five-year process of selecting a builder and completing the build.
Health, Stephen Ministers, and Caring for One Another
The Health Ministry at FPC shares resources that promote whole-person wellness - body, mind, and spirit - including blood pressure checks, flu vaccines, help finding health resources, and the promotion of healthy eating. The ministry's signature project is a Healthy Eating Cookbook built from congregational recipes, with printable PDFs ranging from Vegetarian Green Chili and Sweet Potato Black Bean Quinoa Chili to Egg Roll in a Bowl and Walnut Bran Bread. The team works with guidance from the American Heart Association and links to resources from the Mayo Clinic, Harvard's Nutrition Source, and Mental Health America.
Stephen Ministry has been relaunched at First Presbyterian after years away. Stephen Ministers are laypeople trained for fifty hours in caregiving, working alongside the pastors to provide confidential, one-on-one Christian care for people going through divorce, grief, hospitalization, unemployment, terminal illness, relocation, chronic illness, or loneliness. The current group meets every other Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., with plans for another training class. Stephen Leaders Rhonda Motsko and Ron Makela welcome new volunteers and care receivers.
What to Expect on Your First Sunday
First Pres estimates that about 500 to 600 adults call the church home, with roughly 425 attending on a typical Sunday across the three services, plus around 125 students connected with the church.
Dress runs the full spectrum from casual to more formal, and the pastors encourage visitors to wear whatever feels comfortable. The 9:30 contemporary service tends to be the most casual, but people at 8:30 and 11:00 come as they are. For parking, the south lot and main entrance serve the 8:30 and 11:00 services; the east entrance is closest to the 9:30 contemporary service. Between the 8:30 and 11:00 services there is a fellowship time in the Fellowship Hall with snacks and a chance to meet others. Children's worship bulletins are in the back of each worship space, and the nursery in Room E8 is open during the 9:30 and 11:00 services for newborns through age five.
Membership is not required to participate in events or to try a Bible study - the church encourages drop-in exploration of any ministry. Two three-week Connection Classes in the fall and spring cover the basics of the Christian faith, what it means to be Presbyterian, and how to get more involved at FPC.
The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Staff can be reached by phone at (970) 242-1923 or by email. The senior pastor is the Rev. Tom Hansen, with the Rev. Josh M. serving alongside him. Janet Young, Charity Finnigsmier, Sarah Queen, Tasha Haley, Worship Leader Josh James, organist Michael, Mission and Outreach Assistant Emily Grady, and Stephen Leaders Rhonda Motsko and Ron Makela round out the ministry team.