2026 SCHOLARSHIPS
The Scholarship Committee of First Presbyterian Church is pleased to announce the availability of a limited number of scholarships for our church community.
To be eligible for consideration to receive a scholarship,
a student must be an active member of First Presbyterian Church of Bismarck
or must have been an active participant in the
life of First Presbyterian Church of Bismarck for at least three years.
The awards are given for students at any level of study beyond high school.
Four years is the maximum for receiving scholarships: these need not be consecutive years. Graduate students may apply for scholarships,
providing they are within the four year maximum.
The deadline to apply is Friday, May 15, 2026
ARE YOU WILLING TO HELP?
We encourage you to continue to love your neighbor well at this time. Hebrews 13:16 challenges us to “dowhat is good and to share, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”Thank you for being the Church.
WAYS TO GIVE:
For those who are unable to worship with us in church, here are a few ways that you can continue to give:
1. Online bill pay with your banking institution.
2. Click on the "Give Now" button above to donate today.
3. Mail checks to First Presbyterian Church, 214 E Thayer Ave, Bismarck, ND 58501.
SECURE METHOD TO DONATE Now Available!!
Click on the button below and donate!
We welcome you all to come worship
You can visit us at 214 E Thayer Ave. or
tune in at 10:00am Sunday to our Live Feed on Facebook
CHECK OUR CALENDAR FOR UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES/SERVICES
First Presbyterian Church
is a Community called to love God through Worship and Prayer, receiving and serving our neighbors with the compassion of Christ, open to new beginnings and the spiritual growth of children, youth and adults.
First Presbyterian Church
214 E. Thayer Ave. Bismarck, ND
Phone: (701) 223-6091
OFFICE HOURS: MONDAY-FRIDAY 8:00AM - 4:30PM
Email: firstpresbyterian@fpcbismarck.com
Parking spots for rent: exclusive parking
Monday - Friday 6am - 6pm
please call 223-6091 for more information!
Here and now
Please Join Us...
First Presbyterian Church of Bismarck
Pastor Leanne’s THROWBACK Message from March 2020:
“Judgement, Cheap Grace and Surprise at the End”
“Cheap grace means grace sold on the market like cheapjack's wares. The sacraments, the forgiveness of sin, and the consolations of religion are thrown away at cut prices. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.” ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Ash Wednesday, the Lenten Season, Holy Week... these are the darkest days of the Christian calendar. I always look forward to the worship events of all-important season, as for me, they function as a bit of a “reset button” a reminder that the stakes of faith are very high, and the outcome of our faith was secured at a horrible price. In the weeks of our journey to the cross with Christ, we are encouraged to renew practices of personal piety, recommit ourselves to acts of mercy and compassion and revitalize our commitment to social justice - all responses dedicated to halt any process that might cheapen the grace we have received.
This is why the season begins with the most austere and slightly morbid practice of imposing ashes and reminding ourselves that our deaths are inevitable. This is why the traditional music of lent was always so dirge-like… it was intentional, to set the serious tone for the darker realities of faith. (I will never forget the first time I imposed ashes on my 2-year old baby daughter and told her she would return to dust… my whole body revolted at the thought!) Ashes are a sign of repentance which makes us ready for Lenten truths, and Lent is a season of making ready… ready for death, and the judgment which follows.
As I get older, the concept of judgment has become more and more important to me. For one thing, I think that the untruthful nature of our world requires an ultimate confrontation with diving holiness, and that is absolutely something I want to be on the right side of! But that isn’t the only reason - when I was a kid in church, I couldn’t think of judgment in any bigger terms than getting sent to my room. At some point, I was made afraid of the idea - convinced that, “The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked.” (That quote is from my ancestor, Jonathan Edwards, the original great awakening hellfire and brimstone preacher, who scared me to death as a teen.) But the whole Lenten season has a surprise at the end… a savior who bore our judgment, and a resurrection that nobody saw coming. A break-out moment that changed everything for those who would have died without hope, faced judgment without a goal, and left us all drifting in meaningless religious words and acts.
Because of the grace, these days, judgment seems like something to aim at, a sure target I would like to hit. The Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:15 speaks of believers being saved, but still standing before God and having their works judged. Paul used to speak quite often about his anticipation of this judgment, hoping that at the end of his journey he would have some churches, strong and true to offer to Christ. That’s the kind of thing I mean when I say that judgment is something to aim at. I just want to have something good to show for all the grace that has been invested in me - not because I must earn salvation, but because I would love to live as if grace was not wasted on me. And that’s why we hit the reset button on Ash Wednesday. To prepare for a judgment in which we actually have something to offer back to God - not out of fear, but out of love and respect for what Christ has done for us.
In the words of Bonhoeffer, “Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble; it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: ‘ye were bought at a price,’ and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.”
Pastor Leanne
Copyright 2013. First Presbyterian Church of Bismarck. All rights reserved.