CHURCH CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION AND COMMITTEE - “Celebrating Our Past, Believing In Our Future” - In early summer 2007 Session called on Diane Easter and Robb Frank to co-chair the planning committee for the church’s Centennial Celebration.  First Presbyterian Church of Wheaton was accepted as the 100th congregation of the Chicago Presbytery on April 20, 1909.

The theme chosen for the Centennial celebration is “Celebrating Our Past, Believing In Our Future.”  Our official Centennial Logo on the left was designed by church member Tad Mallery.

The church has been celebrating its centennial with monthly events lasting throughout the 2008-2009 program year (September 2008 - April 2009) beginning with the all-church picnic in September of 2008 and culminating in a community-wide Service of Thanksgiving on Centennial Sunday, April 19, 2009.

HELP CELEBRATE THE CENTENNIAL BY SHARING YOUR “FIRST PRES STORY.”  We want to hear about your family's fond “moments in history” at 1st Pres.  As part of our Centennial Celebration we’re inviting you to share some brief nuggets of your family’s favorite moments in your history with the church.   Our goal is to publish these stories on the 1st Pres website for others in the church family to enjoy.  The guidelines and process are pretty simple:

1. Submit a brief write-up (please limit it to 1 page) highlighting your family's history with the church.  It can be a specific event or two, or more general comments that span a period of time.  Given that the Centennial is date-oriented, include dates where appropriate.
2. Include a picture if you’d like (with caption).  Please keep it to one picture.
3. Email your submittal to Jeff Alvis – jeffalvis1@gmail.com.  Attach any pictures in PDF or JPEG formats.
4. If you cannot access email, leave your write-up (watch your handwriting) in the Centennial Committee mailbox in the church office (attention: Jeff Alvis).  You may also include a picture, and we will scan it along with your write-up.
5. A few notes:
1. The Committee reserves the right to make minor edits, check spelling, etc.
2. Since it will be on the website, write accordingly and be careful with the use of family member names and ages.
3. If you would like to include contact information on your write-up, feel free to do so - that's up to you.

We look forward to hearing more about your 1st Pres history.  If you have questions, email Jeff Alvis at jeffalvis1@gmail.com or contact him at 630-665-2325.

CENTENNIAL EVENTS have included the September 7, 2008, Connections Expo held in the Ministry Center during the Education Hour and our annual picnic with games for all ages and a terrific dinner.  On September 11 the Barbary Coast Dixieland Show Band held a concert.  Our Centennial Tree was dedicated on October 5, 2008.  On Saturday, November 15, Daniel's Window, a Christian Rock Band, performed.  Our Centennial Christmas Concert, Let There Be Light, was held on Saturday, December 20, 2008. 

About $3200 was raised to fund expenses of our Centennial Celebration at our Centennial Grande Salon Art Exhibition on January 10, 2009.  A good time was had by everyone attending our Presbyterian Women's Vintage Memories Luncheon on February 8, 2009.  Our Centennial Concert was held on March 22, 2009.

At the Centennial Reception held Saturday, April 18, 2009, at the Carol Stream Holiday Inn, attendees enjoyed sharing memories with pastors, staff and interim pastors from our past.  It was so good to catch up on the lives of these active people!

Centennial Sunday, April 19, 2009, was the big set of events (click for photos): simultaneous worship in both the Sanctuary and the Ministry Center on a beautiful spring day; with visiting pastors and seminarians; a post service reception in the living room, dining room, and Stewart Hall; noon time bell ringing outside the Sanctuary (and by other Wheaton and Presbytery of Chicago churches); a pre-service meeting to coordinate the extraordinary number of service elements; our Celebration Food Drive and parking trolley; and a Special Thank You to the many who helped plan and realize these many events.

CENTENNIAL DID YOU KNOW…

• Over 100 community members attended the Barbary Coast Dixieland Show Band concert this fall.
• Over 100 pints of blood were donated at our annual blood drive on Sunday,
  October 26.
• Well over 100 people attended the Daniel’s Window concert this fall.
• LOGOS children prepared over 100 toiletries’ bags to distribute to the needy.
• Over 100 mittens, gloves, and hats were collected by our children for the Peoples’ Resource Center.
• Well over 100 families participated in Christmas Sharing in December 2008.
• Over 100 boxes of food went out for Christmas Sharing.
• 100 people received new coats at Christmas Sharing.
• Over 100 children’s books (actually, 418) were collected for our friends at the Roseland Good News Day Care Center in Chicago.

In all ages and many talents the “Body of Christ” is alive and well at First Pres. Stay tuned for more Centennial milestones as they unfold.  The Centennial Committee thanks all people and groups who have come up with creative ways to celebrate 100 years of faith at First Pres.

Our Centennial Committee is also working on updating, archiving, and digitizing church history.   Much of our early church history (until about 1954) and recent history (about 1999 to present) is already available on this website, but this leaves a gap of about 45 years.  Many pieces of our church history are scattered around Wheaton or have gone amiss.  We feel that this single project (though it may stretch beyond the celebration) is our utmost legacy to the Centennial celebration.  We appreciate all the items already provided by many of our church members for this project.  We are also contacting long-time members for additional assistance in researching details of our church’s history.  If you have any questions, feel free to talk to any committee member.

The members of our Centennial Committee are Diane Easter and Robb Frank, Co-Chairs; Andie Alvis, Jeff Alvis, Kathy Paradise, Debbie Queen, Kathy Suhr, Knox Williams, and Rick Tampier.

HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR CHURCH HISTORY