First Presbyterian Church of Hightstown

Reverend Liz Alexander is a former associate pastor at the Riverside in NYC and pastored a Presbyterian congregation in New York that focused on men and women who were recently released from prison. The class begins on November 3rd, for 3 weeks only, on Wednesdays at 7pm. Call the Church office for details.

Mary Lou Wallner lost her lesbian Christian daughter to suicide in February of 1997. After the suicide of her daughter, Mary Lou Wallner found herself faced with a spiritual journey to try to comprehend the events of their stormy mother-daughter relationship and the implications of her refusal to accept Anna's homosexuality.

"I used to think that the only way to relate to gays was to confront them. I had no use for them. I didn't understand them, and I was judgmental and arrogant. And then one day our lives were changed forever."

Mary Lou Wallner will speak on "From the Sin of Homophobia to the Grace of Acceptance" on October 10 at 6 pm.  A light meal will be provided.  For more information, contact the church office at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call (609) 448-0055.

For six weeks starting September 22nd, at 7pm Downtown and possibly at Meadow Lakes (check the Sunday Bulletins or Connections) we will explore these questions as we explore our faith stories and the stories of those in our community. Each class will focus on specific topics like: Who is God? Who am I as a child of God? What do I believe? Do I see myself as a faithful person?

You will become partners in this journey exploring what it means to be a person of faith. In working through the class we will reflect weekly on how the discussions of the previous week affect the daily life of the member as well as the change.

In between the classes we will have an online resource page (Facebook, Twitter or a blog) and encourage reflections by the group after the class. And if for some reason you cannot make a class, you can join the discussion online! I hope that you will be able to join us in this quest.

Contact Rev. Franzen at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call the church office for more information.

Children, pre-school through 8th grade, are invited to Galactic Blast: A Cosmic Adventure Praising God! This year’s Vacation Bible School takes kids on an outer space voyage praising God. Our fun-filled activities will include singing songs in Music, playing cosmic games in Recreation, exploring art in Cosmic Crafts, and learning “green” earth tips in Discovery Time. You can register your child by picking up a registration form from the church office or download the registration form here.

Vacation Bible School will meet Monday – Friday, August 2 – 6 from 9 AM – 12 Noon. On Friday evening, August 6 there will be a program for families.

We live in an intensely visual culture, yet how much do we see? During our six evenings together, we will start our time with a wee little drawing exercise to train our eyes to see what is in front of us, then shift our gaze to looking at the art work of Rembrandt, an Gough, Gauguin, Chagall, Ronault among others and talk together about what we see in their paintings. We will attempt to see our Christian faith through the images these artists have created of Old and New Testament stories, and in turn, see these shared ideas in the context of the greater Christian story. No prior experience in art necessary; just a willingness to gaze.

This class will be taught by the Rev. Barbara Heck, a campus minister at Rutgers University. She currently paints in oils under the watchful eye of Gregory Perked at the Arts Council of Princeton. She has taken art classes at Cornell University, Art Center College of Design, and te School of Visual Arts.

The class will meet Wednesday evening at 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm from January 6 to February 10.