Years of Ministry 1760 - 2010

For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 2 Corinthians 4:5

Schedule of Events

31 December 2009

1st Night 250

The year of celebration begins on New Year's Eve with a party in Mekeel Hall, featuring singing, games, and events for the youth and children. Fun for all ages.

31 January 2010

A Celebration of Education

Our first event of the year will feature a special speaker, Dr. James H. Kraft. Dr. Kraft came to GE, Schenectady, in 1959 after graduation from Georgia Tech in mechanical engineering and was president of the Young Adult Fellowship at First Presbyterian Church before being called into the ministry.

9 May 2010

A Celebration of Worship

Our second event will feature another special speaker, the Rev. Stanley Key. Rev. Key is married to Katy who is the daughter of Dr. Dennis Kinlaw, the first minister of Loudonville Community Church, a daughter church of First Presbyterian begun by members in 1952. In addition, the evening service will feature a combined choir of members of our daughter churches from around the area.

10 July 2010

Family Picnic

A fun planned for a Saturday in mid-summer. The day will feature a program filled with many ways to interact with our church's past in a fun, informal way. We will also offer walking tours of the church and the cemetery.

11 July 2010

A Celebration of Evangelism

Our third special speaker will be Dr. Stanley Allaby. Dr. Allaby is married to Marion Johnson who was raised in our church and is the sister of Ellie Petrie and Marjorie Johnson. He has spoken at many services of the church since 1978.

10 September 2010

Grand Gala Anniversary

The capstone event of the year will be a grand gala banquet at the Glen Sanders Mansion in Scotia. Our keynote speaker will be Dr. David McDowell, and the evening will feature music and a chance to meet with old friends.

12 September 2010

Looking to the Future

On the Sunday following our banquest, Dr. David McDowell will speak at all of church services, pointing us toward the future. Dr. McDowell was involved in our church and East Glenville Community Church as a youth and has been a popular speaker at our Lenten Luncheons since 1981.

10-17 October 2010

Missionary Conference

Our keynote speaker for the conference will be Dr. Ted Barnett. Dr. Barnett is the son of William and Laura Barnett, who have been a part of our missionary family since 1950. As the concluding event of the 250th anniversary, the conference will feature various events related to the church's history and especially its focus on missionary outreach for the past 60 years.

Commemorative Items

In order to commemorate our 250th anniversary, we are planning to make the following items available:

Christmas Ornaments

We have created a Christmas ornament that is a convincing replica of the church building. In addition to the congregation's 250th anniversary of the construction of the church building.

Anniversary Book

A history of our church called Anniversary Anecdotes was published 25 years ago. We plan to update that history of the church and expand it with much more new information about our history, and publish a new book this year.

Note Cards

We will be producing packs of note cards with a beautiful new hand-drawn pencil sketch of the church building on the front of the card.

As the year passes, we will most likely be offering other commemorative items. All of them will be available for members, former members, visitors-anyone who wants one - for suggested donations, by contacting the church office.

Displays

Window Display

On the front of Mekeel Hall, facing the public sidewalk on Union Street is a small inset window box which has been used by the church for decades as a display area for items or events. We have created a attractive display about our 250th anniversary in that window box.

Banner

We also plan to hang an attractive banner on Mekeel Hall declaring that 2010 is our 250th anniversary.

Archives Display

Throughout the coming year we also plan to display some memorabilia from the church archives so that some of our heritage can be viewed and appreciated.

Prepared by the Committee 250

First Presbyterian Church

209 Union Street

Schenectady, NY 12305