Overbrook
Presbyterian
Church

Overbrook Presbyterian Church

The Church at the Crossroads
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Order of Worship: August 7, 2022

Worship Services

Indoor In-Person Worship
Sundays at 10:30 AM
We are open for in-person worship in the sanctuary. Here are the details:
  • Masking is encouraged for all while indoors, regardless of vaccination status.
  • The nursery is open for child care.
Worship will continue to be offered on online for those who cannot or prefer not to attend in person.
Join our Email List
If you'd like to be added to our e-mail list, please email Carol (carol@overbrookpresb.org).
Past Online Worship Services
Watch our past online services here on YouTube.

In-Person & Online Gatherings

Sizzling Summer Prayer Breakfast
Saturday, August 13, 2022
9:30 to 11:00 AM
In-person
All are warmly welcome to come and enjoy a fine meal, fellowship, and shared devotions. Recognizing that August 13, is International Left-hander’s Day, all “lefties” will be in for a special treat!
OPC Prayer Breakfasts are a Parish Care ministry; there is no cost to attend. A free will offering basket will be available for those wishing to make a contribution to our local food pantries. Please bring your family...invite your friends!
If you would like to help with the culinary magic, please contact Sharon Parker...your apron and whisk will be waiting!
RPM Plus
Friday, August 12, 2022
10:00 AM to 12:oo PM
In-person
A Creative Service Morning: Prayer Breakfast prep; floral arranging; and outdoor sprucing.
All RPM activities for August will take place in the Wistar Morris Room...and friends are always welcome. RPM is a Parish Care Ministry; there is no cost to participate. Please contact Sharon Parker for more information.
Summer Pickup Choir
Sunday, August 14, 2022
In-person
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to sing in worship? Do you like to sing with others and have some fun? If so, consider joining our Pickup Choir. We will meet on Sunday morning, rehearse a simple anthem, and then lead worship that day. No experience or RSVP required—just show up!
RPM Plus
Friday, August 19, 2022
10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
In-person
Trivia Challenge and Competitive Team Activities.
All RPM activities for August will take place in the Wistar Morris Room...and friends are always welcome. RPM is a Parish Care Ministry; there is no cost to participate. Please contact Sharon Parker for more information.
RPM Café: Living History--How COVID has Shaped Our Lives and Our Sense of Community
Friday, August 26, 2022
11:30 AM to 1:00 PM
In-person
Come join us for lunch, good-spirited fellowship, and an engaging program. All will have the opportunity to participate in documenting history as it unfolds. Our shared thoughts will become part of the OPC historical archive. Please join us for this special legacy program.
All RPM activities for August will take place in the Wistar Morris Room...and friends are always welcome. RPM is a Parish Care Ministry; there is no cost to participate. Please contact Sharon Parker for more information.

History

The beginnings of Overbrook Presbyterian Church go back to 1888, when a group of twenty-three souls came together in the living room of Wistar Morris, a Quaker gentleman farmer who lived on what is now the campus of Friends’ Central School. Together, they began to dream of establishing a Presbyterian church in the area, so that Scotch-Irish immigrants who worked on his farm would have a place of their own to worship.

The following year, they built a little English Gothic chapel at the intersection of two dirt roads—which would later become City and Lancaster Avenues—for the grand sum of $14,767.

Overbrook was at that time a country church. But it did not stay that way for long. Philadelphia was a growing city. The surrounding neighborhood of Overbrook Farms was developed in the 1890s, as the first planned community on the main line of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Many of the new residents moving into the neighborhood found their way to Overbrook Presbyterian Church.

The church began to grow in numbers, and in 1905 the chapel was expanded to create a larger sanctuary which is still in use today. Other building additions were soon constructed to serve the growing congregation and its many programs.

Overbrook was also growing in mission and outreach. In 1903, the church established a hospital in a remote part of what was then called Siam, a place that few from here had ever visited before, but that they felt connected to out of Christian compassion. That hospital is still there today in Chiang Rai, Thailand, and is called Overbrook Hospital.

The longest-serving pastor in Overbrook’s history was George Emerson Barnes, who served from 1922 to 1948, and helped see the congregation through the Great Depression and World War II. He was very active in the ecumenical movement, and was instrumental in the founding of the World Council of Churches.

During the pastorate of Robert T. Williamson, from 1959 to 1970, the church felt the call to start a weekday preschool. It began with just a handful of students, but today has an enrollment of 150, and enjoys a reputation as one of the finest preschools in the area.

In the 1960s, the Overbrook neighborhood was beginning to become more ethnically diverse. Some churches in the area were resistant to these changes. But Overbrook opened its doors and welcomed everyone who came. In 1968, Betty Clayton became the first African-American member to join what had until then been an all-white church.

Since that time, Overbrook has grown more diverse, and more committed to urban ministry. David McMillan, pastor from 1983 to 2001, played a vital role in Overbrook's transformation.

In recent years, Overbrook has been blessed with renewed growth and vitality, and is discovering a new identity as a multicultural congregation. Over 125 years since its founding, our church is continuing its important ministry “at the crossroads.”

For more information on Overbrook’s history, there are two volumes available in the Church Office: "The Place Where Thy Glory Dwells: The Story of Overbrook Presbyterian Church" (1958), and "Overbrook Presbyterian Church: The Church at the Crossroads" (1989). And you can click here to view a Pictorial Supplement to the History of Overbrook Presbyterian Church dated November 1963.

Click here for more giving options and pledging.

Where to Get Help

Pastoral Care
If you have pastoral care needs, please contact Adam.
If You Need Help
If you are in need of any help or support, please reach out to our Parish Care Associate, Sharon Parker, our Deacons or office.

Weekly Gatherings

Zoom links for all online events will be shared on email, our Realm calendar and our Community Facebook page. If you'd like to be added to our mailing list, please email Carol.
Women’s Prayer & Support Group
Tuesdays at 7:30 AM
Online
The women of Overbrook come together on Zoom for some prayer, connection, and support.
Bible Study
Wednesdays
10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Chapel
In-Person & Online
Bible Study is offered in person along with the opportunity to join online.
NOTE: During Lent, Bible Study is on Wednesday Evenings at 7:00 PM on Zoom.
Men’s Group
Saturdays at 9:00 AM
Online
Join the OPC Men's Group every Saturday morning on Zoom for conversation and fellowship.
Farmer's Market
Saturdays from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM
In-Person
Established in 2008, this market is located in the church parking lot, and has a loyal following of residents in the neighborhood who make this market a regular part of their Saturday mornings.
Children's Activities
For more information on weekly online activities for children and youth, visit this link or contact Anthony.
Connect on Facebook
Keep connected with our community on our private Facebook Community page.
Using Zoom
If you have any questions about how to use Zoom, please read this info page or contact Carol.

Overbrook Presbyterian Church
The Church at the Crossroads

P: 215-877-2744
E: office@overbrookpresb.org

6376 City Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19151

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