First Presbyterian Church of Winter Haven has stood at 637 6th Street NW in the heart of Polk County, Florida, since 1886, when a small band of charter members organized a Presbyterian presence in what was then a young town along the Chain of Lakes. Nearly 1,000 disciples of Jesus Christ now call this congregation their spiritual home. Each week, the voices of children fill the buildings during the daytime, middle and high schoolers bring their energy to the Golden Youth Center in the evenings, and adults of every age and interest gather for worship, study, fellowship, and outreach. A congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA), First Pres lives by a simple purpose: "We exist to show God's Kingdom to the world and connect people to purpose through discipleship."
A Congregation Since 1886
First Presbyterian Church of Winter Haven was established in 1886 by a small band of charter members who dreamed of a Presbyterian Church in Winter Haven, and it has since been joined by many other disciples of Jesus Christ. Elders, deacons, pastoral, program and support members, and a wide circle of volunteers look forward to welcoming newcomers. The mission statement is concrete and faith-shaped: share the good news of what God has done in Jesus Christ; develop and nurture God's children into disciples; provide a place and a program for praising God; live our lives according to the Word, guided by the Spirit; and commit to justice for all God's people.
Two Sunday Services: 8 AM Chapel and 10 AM Sanctuary
Worship at First Pres comes in two Sunday-morning shapes. At 8 AM, an intimate traditional worship service is held in the first-floor Chapel. The service features traditional hymns, a sermon, and prayers of the people, typically runs under an hour, includes a message for Younger Disciples, and welcomes all ages. Streaming and childcare are not available at the early service.
At 10 AM, the larger Sanctuary service offers a blended style that mixes traditional hymns with praise music. The Chancel Choir, handbells, organ and piano instrumentals, soloists and special musicians, and a Praise Band rotate in supporting worship from week to week. Children are invited to attend Sunday School at 10:15 after the Time for Younger Disciples. Childcare is available during the service, and the 10 AM service is livestreamed on Facebook and archived on the church's YouTube channel for those who wish to worship from home. Through the summer, the two services collapse into a single Summer Sundays service in the Sanctuary - one combined hour with Rev. Callie Weber and Dr. Steve Negley preaching, the Praise Band, a pick-up choir, soloists and ensembles, and Jeremy Rath at the organ and piano.
Music from Chapel Bells to Praise Band
Music is woven into nearly every corner of congregational life. Jeremy T. Rath, Director of Music Ministries, leads a program anchored by the Chancel Choir, the Chapel Bells handbell choir (with Thursday-afternoon rehearsals in the Bell Room at 1:15 PM), and a rotation of organ, piano, handbells, soloists, and ensembles. The Praise Band brings a more contemporary texture to the Sanctuary service. A Musicians' Social brings instrumentalists and singers together over dessert in McLeod Hall, and outside musical guests appear throughout the program year.
Morning Out Mom: A Weekday Hug for the Youngest Children
One of the most distinctive ministries at First Presbyterian Winter Haven is Morning Out Mom, a weekday program for children walking through age three. Morning Out Mom meets Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8:45 AM to 1 PM in the Christian Education Building, August through June. Parents who need a few hours to run errands, work part-time, or simply catch their breath drop off their little ones in what the program describes as "a loving, caring, and Christian environment." It is the church's longest-running weekday outreach to young families.
Christ Kids and Sunday School for Elementary Ages
Children in kindergarten through fifth grade have two weekly touchpoints. Children's Sunday School meets during the 10 AM Sanctuary service, with biblical lessons for ages 4 through sixth grade from 10:15 to 11 AM, giving children a chance to engage with Scripture while their parents worship. On Wednesday afternoons, Christ Kids gathers children ages 4 through fifth grade from 3:30 to 5:30 PM for playground time, snacks, music, and a program designed just for them.
Middle School and High School Youth
Students in grades 6 through 8 meet for the Middle School Youth Group on Wednesday evenings at 5:30 PM in the Golden Youth Center. The formula is simple: food, fellowship, and fun. The High School Youth Group, for grades 9 through 12, gathers on Sunday evenings from 5:30 to 7:30 PM in the same space. The two groups are led by Emily G. Snyder, the Director of Student Ministries and Digital Media. A Middle/High School Cookout gives the combined groups a casual kick-off to the school year, and Rally Day on the Sunday after Labor Day marks the launch of the fall Sunday School year with a breakfast in McLeod Hall and an overview of upcoming Christian Education opportunities for every age.
The Saturday Soup Kitchen
For years, First Presbyterian has been preparing and serving a meal to the homeless and hungry of Winter Haven every Saturday afternoon. Volunteers gather in the church Kitchen at 2 PM to prepare the food, and the meal is served from 4 to 5:30 PM out of the 737 Building on the campus. The Soup Kitchen is one of the most visible ways the congregation lives out its call to "commit to justice for all God's people," and it depends on a steady rotation of volunteers from across the church.
The 3 Cents-a-Meal Hunger Offering
Hunger ministry also runs through the pews. The 3 Cents-a-Meal Hunger Offering is collected during worship services on the third Sunday of each month, with donations routed to food-related missions beyond the church's own walls. The first Sunday of October is observed as World Communion Sunday, joining Presbyterian churches around the globe in a shared celebration of the Lord's Table.
Men's Fellowship and Women's Bible Studies
Adult fellowship has a regular weekly rhythm. On Tuesdays at noon, the Men's Fellowship Lunch gathers in the Edinburgh Room. Men share and support one another through Christian fellowship and spiritual growth; participants bring their own lunch. For women, the Thursday evening Women's Bible Study meets at 6 PM in the Golden Center Youth House, currently working through the book of Romans. Two women's circles, the Joy Circle (meeting on the third Tuesday of each month) and the Lydia Circle (meeting on the third Thursday of each month), both study Max Lucado's Life Lessons from Ephesians and welcome women of all ages. FunTimers, the church's senior-adult fellowship, gathers for lunches, day trips, and a popular Fall Classic Car Show on the grounds in October.
Support Groups That Meet on the Grounds
Several community support groups use rooms at the church. A monthly Cancer Support Group meets Monday evenings from 6 to 8 PM. Al-Anon, for friends and family of alcoholics, gathers on Tuesdays from 12:30 to 2:30 PM in the Geneva Room. Overeaters Anonymous meets Thursdays at 7 PM in the Girl Scout House. Each group is run by its own organization but uses First Pres as a long-term meeting home.
Scouting and Other Long-Term Partners
Scouting has been part of the church's ministry to families for many years. Both Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts find a home here, and the Girl Scout House on the property is a familiar landmark to neighbors. Scouts are one of several long-term partnerships that connect First Pres with the broader Winter Haven community outside its own walls. Two outside groups - the monthly Fiber Guild (third Saturday, 9 AM to 3 PM in McLeod Hall) and the monthly Winter Haven Stamp Club (fourth Thursday, 7 PM) - have met at the church for decades. The Winter Haven Stamp Club is affiliated with the American Philatelic Society and has been active since 1987.
Local and Global Mission
Beyond the Saturday Soup Kitchen, the church supports Local Missions and Global Missions as part of its ministry portfolio. A Mission Honduras ministry sends teams to Central America, with an annual "Honduras Storage Room Shove Time" in late summer when returning volunteers sort, clean, and replenish supplies for the next trip. Local and global efforts are introduced through the regular Adult Education programming and through the Discipleship work of the congregation.
Communications for the Week
The Tower Chimes, First Presbyterian's weekly e-mailed newsletter, is sent out each week, and archived copies are available online. A Daily Devotional, written by staff members, is offered by email subscription for those who want to pause and refocus each day. The e-newsletter archives and the subscription sign-up can be reached from the church's Media page.
Christian Education Staff and Pastoral Leadership
Christian Education across all ages is coordinated by Amy McKee, the Director of Christian Education, who previously served in the same role for ten years, took a break to raise her young family, then returned to the church and chaired the Christian Education Committee before stepping back into the staff role. Music is led by Jeremy T. Rath, the Director of Music Ministries. The pastoral team is led by Dr. Steven R. Negley, who was born in the small southern Illinois town of Olney and moved with his family to Tampa, Florida at age thirteen, and by the Rev. Callie C. Weber, Associate Pastor, who was born and raised in Dade City, Florida, was a child member of First Presbyterian Winter Haven, and first sensed her call to ministry as a camp counselor at Cedarkirk. Emily G. Snyder serves as Director of Student Ministries and Digital Media, bringing together youth ministry with the church's print, electronic, and online communications.
Joining, Giving, and Connecting
Membership is open to anyone who would like to join the community; a Join Now link appears on the main menu. Visitors and members can request prayer from the senior pastoral team through the Prayer page. Online giving is set up through SecureGive, and Sunday services can be watched live on Facebook or viewed afterward on the YouTube channel for the congregation.