Each Sunday leading up to Consecration Sunday, we invite community members to share why they give to Old First. Karen Bulthuis shared her reflections this past Sunday. When Christine Scheibl asked me to speak as part of the preparation for Consecration Sunday, I immediately said yes. Because I feel so privileged to be part of this church community, and I have a lot to say […]
Old First is thrilled to be entering its eighth annual Summer Respite Shelter! For the past seven summers, for five nights a week, we’ve provided twelve men with a hot meal and a comfortable bed, partnering with other congregations and local service agency CAMBA. Each year, hundreds of volunteers, friends, and neighbors from Old First, Park Slope, and local partner congregations come together to host them. This […]
The aftereffects of a hurricane can linger for months or even years. After a pair of Category 5 hurricanes attacked the U.S. Virgin Islands six months ago, our sister congregations on the islands of St. Thomas and St. Croix began a long and difficult journey to recovery and normalization. The journey is still in progress. Even after all this time has passed, much work still […]
The Seed is the Word: Old First Arts and Yoga Week for Kids The Old First Summer Arts Week was founded in 2004 with generous grants from the Reformed Church Regional Synod and Brooklyn Classis by dancer Jenny Burrill and artist Cecilia Whittaker-Doe. Continuing support has enabled this uniquely inspired arts week to be offered (mostly) free of charge to the community at large. More recently, a […]
The week leading to Easter is full of richly meaningful events at Old First. RSVP to help the organizers get a sense of attendance, or use the link to share with friends. All events take place at Old First. Thursday, March 29, 7:00 PM Maundy Thursday: Dzieci Theatre’s “A Passion” Theatre Group Dzieci presents a unique and immersive passion play, incorporating Hebraic song and chant and […]
Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent, and comes out of the ancient Jewish tradition of penance and fasting. The imposition of ashes is a strangely joyful receiving of the somber admonition to “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Old First will be offering ashes to the public outside on our 7th Avenue steps from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. […]
One of the unsung heroes of Old First: our kitchen stove. We use it on the second Saturday of each month to cook our meals for Christian Help in Park Slope (CHiPS), the Fourth Avenue soup kitchen and social service provider. CHiPS partners with local churches, synagogues, civic groups and volunteers to cook and deliver food to the hungry and homeless. It serves as many […]
Please join us Monday, January 15 at 1pm for our Annual MLK Interfaith Prayer Service, to honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and pray for justice and peace in our world, nation, and borough of Brooklyn. All are welcome. RSVP on Facebook. For more information or to volunteer, please contact info@oldfirstbrooklyn.org.
We’ve heard of Brokelyn and Crooklyn, but this is the first we’re hearing of Baroquelyn. And it’s truly something to hear. The baroque-themed concert — complete with violins as well as an oboe, trumpet, cello, bassoon, recorder, and even a countertenor — is the brainchild of our music director, Aleeza Meir; the project’s first concert, on Sunday, November 12, was performed in the Upper Hall […]
From Pastor Meeter, regarding an amazing historical Old First document which was signed on June 8, 1917 — 100 years ago this month: Count the names! It was a huge and defining moment in American history, our first big overseas war. We now call it World War I (because of World War II!) but back then it was simply The Great War: the war to […]