Overbrook
Presbyterian
Church

Overbrook Presbyterian Church

The Church at the Crossroads
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Order of Worship: May 22, 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

Confirmation Sunday
Sunday, May 22, 2022
10:30 AM
In Person & Online
Please join the church in celebrating our confirmation class and affirming their decisions.
Congregational Meeting
Sunday, May 22, 2022
After Worship
In Person & Online
The session of OPC has called a Congregational Meeting to be held after the worship service on May 22nd. The sole item of business at this meeting will be to elect the Associate Pastor Nominating Committee to their work. Please aim to be present for this important decision.
RPM Plus: Community Service - Teachers' Teammates
Friday, May 27, 2022
10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
In Person
BYO best packing, labelling, and sorting skills, as we bundle school supplies for classrooms in low-income Delaware County school districts. RSVP to Nancy Gilhool. Those who wish may bring a snack/lunch. Beverages will be available.
RPM Cafe: Wellness Seminar
Friday, June 17, 2022
11:30 AM to 1:00 PM
In Person
Please join us for the educational wellness seminar: Senior Moments or Early Alzheimer's Disease? The Role of Diagnosis and Intervention with special guest presenter, Dr. Cherian Verghese, Principal Researcher, Keystone Clinical Studies. Lunch and fellowship from 11:30-12:15; presentation at 12:15 PM. (Wistar Morris Room)

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.

How to Make a Difference

Vigils for Racial Justice
Thursdays
3:00 to 5:00 PM
These vigils will be held outside each Thursday. For more information, click here.
Antiracism and Social Justice Lending Library
For more information our our Antiracism and Social Justice Lending Library, click here.
Donate to Sustain the Church and its Ministries
Our church relies on donations to continue our ministries, maintain our building, and pay our staff. In these uncertain times, we rely more than ever on those who are able to donate. We offer many online giving options and pick up mail regularly if you'd prefer to mail in a check. Click here for all our giving options.

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.
Adult Choir Rehearsal
Thursdays
7:30 to 9:00 PM
Choir Room
IN PERSON
Masks are be required, but we will have some activities where we are outside or sufficiently spaced apart so that we can take a break from mask-wearing.
Men’s Group
Saturdays at 9:00 AM
ONLINE
Join the OPC Men's Group every Saturday morning on Zoom for conversation and fellowship.
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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