Celebration Events

Mark your calendar for these anniversary events and check back as we will add more for 2027. Throughout the fall, winter, and spring, we will also have special archival exhibits and a historic First Church timeline to look back, learn, and move forward.

Ordinary People, Extraordinary Stories Kick-off Workshop

Sunday, October 4, 2026—10:00 a.m. Worship followed by Lunch & Program

Join us for worship followed by a light lunch and a fun workshop to kick off our anniversary storytelling project, Ordinary People, Extraordinary Stories, which will tell the stories of people who have been part of the First Church community throughout our 175 year history.

Learn about the format for these stories and whose stories we might tell (no need to pick someone out in advance). Theater artist and storyteller Brenda Varda will give us tips on how to tell a good story.

Please email the church office to RSVP if you’re planning to attend.

If you can’t make it, we will offer another opportunity in the late fall or early winter; we will also share materials from the workshop for those who wish to start working independently.

All Saints Sunday

Sunday, November 1, 2026—10:00 a.m. Worship

Music, reflections, prayers, scripture, and poetry pay tribute to all the saints at First Church and beyond whose legacies help shape our lives and those who follow us. We will honor those interred in the First Church columbarium as well as First Church community members who have died in the past year.

No RSVP Required

Founding Day Celebration

Sunday, November 15, 2026—10:00 a.m. Worship followed by Lunch & Program

We will mark the anniversary of the founding of First Congregational Church on November 16, 1851, with a worship service followed by an informal lunch, brief remarks, and First Church intergenerational trivia! All are welcome!

RSVP Requested—Register Now

2nd Hour: First Church in Our Neighborhood with John Crippen, Hennepin History Museum

Sunday, November 22, 2026—10:00 a.m. Worship followed by Program

Hennepin History Museum Executive Director John Crippen will share insights about First Church’s history and role in the early days in our neighborhood and Minneapolis.

No RSVP Required

Christmas Eve—Young Adult Photo Exhibit, Cocoa & Cookies, Worship

Thursday, December 24, 2026—4:00 p.m. Cookie & Cocoa Hour, 5:00 p.m. Worship

All are invited to join us for our long-standing tradition of cocoa, cookies, and conversation prior to a special candlelit worship service.

We also extend a special invitation to young adults as part of our anniversary activities to enjoy conversation and a special exhibit of photos from their time as youth at First Church.

No RSVP Required

2nd Hour: 1851 with University of Minnesota Prof. Yuichioro Onishi

Sunday, January 24, 2027—10:00 a.m. Worship followed by Program

University of Minnesota Professor of History Yuichioro Onishi has been studying First Church alongside us related to his interest in the year 1851—the founding year of both First Church and the University of Minnesota. After worship he will present about what he has learned and what that context can teach us going forward.

No RSVP Required

First Church at 175—Anniversary Culmination Celebration

Sunday, May 16, 2027—10:00 a.m. Worship followed by Lunch & Program

You’re invited to join us as we come to the end of the formal First Church anniversary commemorations. We’ll celebrate what we’ve learned, tell more stories, and celebrate moving forward into the future as a faith community together with friends, neighbors, the University campus, community partners, and many others.

RSVP Requested—Link Coming in 2027