Summary

The membership of First Presbyterian Church, Altadena (FPCA) includes 261 active members, with approximately 100 attending Sunday worship.  Many of these active members are Nisei, or second generation citizens, over age 70.  There is a Sunday morning adult education class with over 20 persons involved in the Sunday morning studies.

Small Groups

Numerous groups carry out regular ministries of the church (committees, choir, and a monthly hot meal ministry).  The Presbyterian Women (PW) gathers in various configurations for Bible study, for crafts, and in circles.  About 130+ active adults at FPCA are involved in weekly or biweekly Bible studies or "support" groups.  Some of these groups have historic and ongoing ties with some of the mission activities.

Events

Our corporate history, the significant of our relationships, the importance of gathering around meals, and our outreach into the community are all embedded in the events of our annual calendar.  The monthly potlucks, holiday meals, and the Spring chicken dinner allow us to be hospitable to ever broadening circles of family and friends.  Worship near Memorial Day gives time for names to be read and candles lit in memory of those who have been part of our extended family.  The children of the church and neighborhood enjoy the Easter egg hunt, on one summer Sunday we worship and picnic in a nearby park, and our summer beach picnic is enjoyed for intergenerational fun.  We appreciate conversations during our spring church hike and the shared breakfast, and the fall CROP walk provides money for hunger alleviation.  The annual rummage sale brings inexpensive items to family and neighbors.  Our largest event is the Fall Festival, which celebrates the 1968 move into our present facilities and welcomes the broader Japanese American community and our local neighbors to a day of games, food, fund-raising, and memories.

Denominational Relations

The First Presbyterian Church, Altadena, decided to become Presbyterian in the mid 1940s.  For over 50 years, our laity and clergy have taken a vital interest in the business and concerns of denominational bodies.  In recent years, elders have faithfully attended Presbytery meetings, and some pastors and delegates have served presbytery committees.  An FPCA elder was elected as a commissioner to General Assembly, and some of our leadership serve as Trustees of Monte Vista Grove Homes, a Presbyterian retirement home for pastors, missionaries, and spouses.  We continue to participate generously in regular and special, denominationally sponsored missions and projects, and about 7% of our annual budget goes to General Mission.  PCUSA students at Fuller Theological Seminary are often welcomed as interns.  Our Presbyterian Women contribute to the San Gabriel Presbytery and have sent representatives to PW's national gatherings.   

Mission Activities

In additional to financial involvement, FPCA has an ongoing relationship with several missionaries as noted below:

Our Missionaries 

Tim & Juji Boyle, Japan

Michael & Chris Mason, Japan

John & Anne Wheeler-Waddell, Ethiopia 

First Presbyterian Church of Altadena has sent over 20 men and women into ministry and mission.  These include positions as pastors, counselors, chaplains, and ministers in Christian agencies, denominational executives, and missionaries.

Locally and ecumenically, we are significantly involved in the annual Church World Service/CROP walk, we give financially and participate in service with Union Station (a multi-service rehabilitation center), we give financially to the Ecumenical Council of Pasadena Areas Churches (ECPAC) to support their work with needy families, and we contribute financially to the local cold weather shelter and to Five Acres (a home for youth).  The PW supports Project Angel (the county hospital’s fund for needy families) and Friends Outside (a prison project), and several other mission projects.