First Presbyterian Church of Santa Rosa has gathered at 1550 Pacific Avenue since 1855, making it one of the oldest continuous congregations in Sonoma County. Today the church lives a busy intergenerational life, with two Sunday services, a deep bench of children's, youth, and young adult programs, and a justice and outreach ministry that reaches from the streets of Santa Rosa to Beirut and Mozambique.
Two Sunday Mornings, Two Styles of Worship
The church holds two Sunday services that share the same pulpit and the same congregation but speak in two different musical languages.
The 9:00 AM service is a blended gathering that weaves traditional hymns, organ music, and contemporary songs into a multi-generational worship experience. Childcare is offered for infants through age 5.
The 10:30 AM service is contemporary in feel, led by a live praise band and modern songs. During this hour the church also offers programming for children K through 6 and for youth in grades 7 through 12, with younger children and infants cared for as well.
Each service includes music, scripture, prayer, and a message centered on Jesus, and runs about an hour. On the first Sunday of every month, both services share communion together. Roughly quarterly, the two services combine into a single One Church Sunday at 10:30 AM, often with a meal included.
After each service, the welcome extends past the sanctuary. Coffee, conversation, and a chance to meet the team are built into the rhythm, and newcomers can simply stay put if they want to take a first step into the life of the church.
Rooted in Santa Rosa Since 1855
The congregation traces its roots to 1855, when the Presbyterian witness in Santa Rosa first took shape. Sixteen decades later, the church still describes itself as a community learning to follow Jesus in ways that reshape lives and bear witness to his love in the world. The building on Pacific Avenue is home to classrooms, music rooms, a chapel, and the many spaces where the church's life takes place.
The church is part of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and sees itself within the Reformed tradition. It is led by a called pastor working alongside elected elders, deacons, and a nominating committee that prepares slates of officers each year.
The Reverend Aeryn Seto Johnson
The pastor of First Presbyterian Church is the Reverend Aeryn Seto Johnson, a recipient of the Hooper/Keefe Preaching Award from Fuller Theological Seminary, where she earned her M.Div. Before entering ministry, Aeryn spent 23 years in global corporate finance, including time at J.P. Morgan, and she is a graduate of U.C. Berkeley. She has served in ministry roles at First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, Oakland City Church, and as a chaplain at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Oakland. She is the wife and covenant partner of Shan, and the mother of twins.
Children, Youth, and Young Adults
Children's ministry at First Pres is built around the idea that kids are part of the church right now, not just the church of the future. Infants through age 5 meet in rooms 121 and 123 during both Sunday services for interactive storytelling, music, art, and free play. Children in K through 6 gather in grade-level rooms during the 10:30 AM service, and fourth through sixth graders also meet monthly on the third Friday of the school year for Epic, a youth group built around pizza, games, and growing in a relationship with God.
The youth ministry runs two weekly gatherings alongside Sunday worship. On Sunday mornings at 10:30 AM, seventh through twelfth graders meet for Sunday Rendezvous, a time of prayer, singing, connection, and teaching, with breakfast treats provided. On Sunday evenings from 6:00 to 7:30 PM, high school students gather for Decade in Room 224, working through a message, asking questions, and wrestling with God's truth. On Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 PM, middle schoolers gather for Granite in Room 226, with friends, laughter, video, music, and a teaching from God's word. Service trips, water park days, and other shared experiences round out the year.
A young adults ministry for those in their 20s and 30s is just getting started, gathering people who want to follow Jesus, ask honest questions, and help build community from the ground up.
The Practice of Sabbath
A distinctive thread running through the church's Community Life is a community-wide focus on the practice of Sabbath. The congregation is learning together to stop, rest, delight, and worship, and the invitation is shaped to fit a range of life rhythms. Some gather in Sunday morning drop-ins, others in monthly home groups meeting in living rooms, and others in a monthly potluck with an all-ages meal followed by a study and discussion on Sabbath themes. Children have their own parallel program during the potlucks, so the whole family can share in the practice.
The Community Life ministry also hosts classes and workshops throughout the year, often meeting Sunday mornings at 10:30. Mentoring pairs people who are a step ahead in the faith with those wanting to grow. Prayer is shaped in partnership with 24-7 Prayer International, and the church hosts a prayer room during the Global Week of Prayer, enneagram workshops, and mini spiritual retreats.
Justice and Outreach: Local and Global
Justice and outreach at First Pres is built on the conviction that faith and action belong together. The church looks for everyday ways to love its neighbors in Santa Rosa through seasonal projects, neighborhood outreach, and spontaneous acts of kindness, and it works through a network of ministry partners both close to home and around the world.
Locally, the church supports the Nomadic Shelter, a winter program from October to April offering shelter, meals, and care for the unsheltered; the Redwood Gospel Mission, including a backpack drive in August and the annual Great Thanksgiving Banquet; Catholic Charities through sponsorship and food distribution; The Living Room, which serves women and children facing homelessness; Kid Street Charter School, providing holiday gifts to students in need; the F.I.S.H. Pantry, where volunteers sort donations and fill food boxes; and Los Guilicos Juvenile Hall, where volunteers serve as spiritual advisors and bring Christmas caroling and a party each year.
Globally, the church walks alongside four long-term mission partners. Donald and Elizabeth Sendek serve as teachers and administrators at the Biblical Seminary in Medellín, Colombia. Dustin and Sherri Ellington teach and edit at the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary in Beirut, though they are currently based in Jordan. Brian and Megan Meyers serve in Kenya, where Brian works at Kijabe Hospital and Megan teaches at Moffat Bible College. Bob Swift leads multiple trips to Ecuador's Santa Elena Peninsula, supporting grassroots projects including clean water system upgrades and community development.
Locally based partners include Laurel DeVera, working with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship across Sacramento-area community colleges; Jeff Johnson, who leads Young Life in Sonoma County, including a Capernaum Club for youth with disabilities; and Kurt and Laura Thiel, who serve with InterVarsity's Link program training staff for international campus ministry.
Music at First Pres
Music is treated as central rather than decorative. The Chancel Choir welcomes singers of all ages with no prior experience required, preparing anthems to lead worship. The Bell Choir meets weekly from fall through spring, and the Praise Band leads contemporary music at the 10:30 AM service and welcomes instrumentalists and singers who want to lead. The Music ministry is a place to serve whether someone reads music or simply loves to sing.
Spiritual Care for Every Season
The church's Spiritual Care ministry is built around the idea of presence. A team of deacons, Stephen Ministers, and trained volunteers offers one-on-one support, group care, and practical assistance. The church also partners with three trusted external ministries: DivorceCare, GriefShare, and a Caregivers Support Group. Anyone who wants prayer, a listening ear, or help finding a next step is invited to reach out.
What First Pres Believes
The congregation describes itself with five anchors. It affirms the triune God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - as revealed in Scripture, and trusts the Bible as the authoritative witness to God's action in the world. It embraces the Reformed tradition's emphasis on continual reformation, open to the Spirit's leading. It affirms God's call to unity in diversity and seeks to participate in God's mission of reconciliation and renewal. Believing every person is made in God's image, it strives to be an inclusive, reconciling, and welcoming church family. It shares responsibility for ministry in partnership, reflecting the conviction that every follower of Jesus is called to active participation. And it affirms that faith and action are inseparable, working for justice, peace, and reconciliation in the community and beyond.
Joining the Community
Anyone curious about life at First Pres can begin with a New Members Class, where newcomers meet the pastor, learn about the church family, and explore ways to connect. Dinners for 7 or 8 are small group meals designed to build friendships. Supper Club gathers families for food and fellowship. Presbyterian Women meets on the first, second, and third Tuesdays of each month at 10:00 AM for Bible study and connection, with a separate sub-group gathering on the fourth Tuesday to craft hats, gloves, and blankets for an annual Holiday Boutique that benefits local ministries serving women and families.
Volunteers are invited to serve in music, youth, children's ministry, welcome and hospitality, media and production, prayer, and spiritual care. The church also offers leadership opportunities through service as an elder or deacon, nominated by members of the congregation each year.
Giving is supported online, by mail, in person, and through stock gifts, and the church welcomes planned gifts through wills, trusts, and estate plans. Services are livestreamed on YouTube each Sunday, and past services remain available to watch at any time.
First Presbyterian Church of Santa Rosa is, at its heart, a long-standing community on Pacific Avenue learning to follow Jesus together, with an open door and a table set for anyone who walks through it.