Overbrook
Presbyterian
Church

Overbrook Presbyterian Church

The Church at the Crossroads
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Order of Worship: March 19, 2023

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.
  • Join us for Fellowship Hour following worship.
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

Lenten Studies & Soup Suppers
Wednesdays in March
6:00 PM Supper; 6:30 PM Study
Each Wednesday, between Ash Wednesday and Holy Week, there will be opportunities for a simple shared meal and spirited discussion. Please join us for soup, bread, and food for thought. Weekly lessons and discussions will focus on the Gospel message found in popular culture. Members of the OPC staff will join Pastor Adam as session leaders on the following dates:
  • 3/22: Adam Hearlson: The Gospel and Marvel Heroes
  • 3/29: Chris Gage: The Gospel of Game Shows
RPM Café
Friday, March 24, 2023
11:30 AM to 1:00 PM
All are welcome to join us in the chapel for good-spirited fellowship, a fine soup and dessert buffet, and shared learning. This month's special program is Poetic License: Writing with Spirit. It will be a day to be dazzled by the humor, inspiration, irony, and contemplative joys of the written word. RPM is a Parish Care Ministry; there is no fee to participate. For more information, please contact Sharon Parker.
Civil Rights Trip Interest Meeting
Sunday, March 26, 2023
Join us in the Chapel following worship to find out more about our upcoming Civil Rights Tour of Birmingham, Montgomery and Selma on October 25-29, 2023. This trip will be a rare opportunity to explore our commitment to justice with the faithful people who were faithful in its pursuit. Click here for some details and come to this meeting 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.
Forum
Sundays at 9:15 AM
Williamson Room
In-person & Online
Please join us for conversations on how to grow spiritually and more fully in discernment, focusing on the intersection of life and faith following in the footsteps of Jesus. For more information, contact Trudy Sheau.
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 from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Williamson Room
In-Person & Online

Bell Choir Rehearsal
Thursdays at 6:30 PM
Bell Choir Room
In-Person

Adult Choir Rehearsal
Thursdays at 7:30 PM
Choir Room
In-Person

Children's Activities
For more information on activities for children, 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.

Newsletter

March 2023

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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