Many people who consider or complete suicide don’t necessarily want to die. They want to escape. Whether it is a bad situation, abuse, depression, the long, ...

“Are you thinking about killing yourself?” Asking the question can save a life. If you feel that a person may be at risk for suicide it is important that you...

by Pastor Susan Dear Presbyterians and friends, For the sake of everyone’s well-being and good communication, I write this letter regarding the ministry of F...

My cousin Mike has been a pastor in the United Methodist Church for more than 50 years. (In case you are wondering - yes, he is MUCH older than me.) As you c...

The morning at First Presbyterian Church, Springfield, IL, began with staff opening doors for all the day would hold. We have members participating in every ...

Pride month (also known as June) is coming to an end. As I reflect on all the activities we have engaged in starting back in May, I am filled with gratitude ...

I am not - nor will I ever be - a media darling. I’m just not the sound bite kinda guy. It doesn’t seem to matter which medium it is. Last fall, after spendi...

What a great joy it was to be a part of the Pride and Joy service we hosted this past week. Joining with Susan and our colleagues Bobbi Dykema from First Chu...

Would Someone Care…Please??!! Two years ago, on the first anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub shooting that claimed the lives of 49 predominantly LGBTQ and Hi...

by Pastor Susan When the members of First Presbyterian Church decided in the 1960s to reinforce the historic sanctuary and remain a downtown church, we set a...

by Tim Haworth This weekend the city of Springfield will celebrate its annual Pridefest. And, as always, First Presbyterian will be a part of things. Each ye...

by Tim Haworth I can almost here the gasps and the clutching of pearls among my more conservative friends. “Did he just refer to God as Mother? A WOMAN???” ...

by Tim Haworth It is the shoes. 4,000 of them to be exact. They were left behind. No longer needed. And now they are displayed haphazardly in giant piles. Dr...

by Tim Haworth Crammed into a small and courageous space, we stood TOGETHER. We shared together. We ate together. We spoke together. We remembered together. ...

by Tim Haworth I don’t know if it is because I am an avid viewer of HGTV or what. It seems like the new buzzword in the home remodeling world is “space”. Ins...

by Tim Haworth People are leaving the church left, right and sideways. A couple years ago on a Sunday morning I offered up an idea that I thought was a sure w...

by Tim Haworth Note: The following blog deals with sexual abuse within the church. If you or someone you know has been impacted, Pastor Susan and I are avail...

by Tim Haworth Wednesday afternoon I met with a reporter from a local television station who wanted to talk about the issue of panhandling in downtown Spring...