First Church Doors are Open!

Greetings!

Due to the Pandemic, we’ve had to make many changes in how we do ministry at First Church. For the last several years, the church has had to keep the outside doors locked during office hours for the safety of staff who were working on-site during the pandemic, as well as help keep our facilities secure.

Even as we opened, with less activity in the church, it was difficult to maintain the safety and security of our facilities with open doors, so we continued to keep the building locked for the time being. For those who frequent the church during office hours, I’m sure you’ve noticed it’s not easy to try to get inside, so we thank you for your patience and diligence.

We are developing better systems so that the church can continue being an open and welcoming place for all while maintaining the safety of our staff, church community, and guests.

Now that we have our Reception Team oriented and they have had their first week in the office, we are officially back to keeping our doors open during office hours, which are now 10 am – 4 pm (closed 12 pm – 1 pm). The primary entrance will again be the chapel glass doors and chapel side door for ADA accessibility. This will begin effective Monday, January 23. Please feel free to stop by and say hello!

Meet our Receptionist Team

Pictured Top Left to Right: Charlie Gerhardt, Denise Goss. Bottom left to right, Judy Clayton, Cacky Cromer, Kay Ward, and Martha Powell.

We had an excellent orientation on Tuesday, January 9, with 11 volunteers! In addition to to those pictured above, our team also includes Janice and Scott Gratton, Rev. Joanne Rannells, Linda Anderson and Sharon Graver. Thanks to everyone who has joined this fun new team. We still have a few regular spots to fill and can always use folks interested in being a sub or backup.

The Schedules are filled a month in advance, so if you’re interested in volunteering for a 2-hour shift, please contact Matt at medey@fumcpdx.org.