Welcome
Whether you're on vacation or not, God is always working!
Join us for a summer full of opportunities to connect, serve, worship, and grow as healthy followers of Jesus! Please continue to check back as our Summer @ FIRST FREE page will continue to update!
Summer for Children
Summer Blast and Summer Pop
Summer Blast is a FREE high-energy, week-long event filled with theater, music, teaching, and games all intended to point children to Jesus! Each child will receive a t-shirt, prizes, and lasting friendships! Date: July 24-28, 2023
Sunday School and Junior Church
Every Sunday, at 9:30 am, we provide age-appropriate levels of Sunday School learning for children, Toddler – Grade 5 using Gospel Project for Kids and emphasizing what it means to follow Jesus.
And then, at 10:45 am, we provide a junior church experience for children, Toddler – Grade 5 that includes songs, Bible lessons, activities, and crafts using Gospel Project for Kids with an emphasis on being a worshipper. We also offer a safe, fun nursery for babies.
Summer for Students
Summer Events and Missions
Our students (middle and high school) enjoy many special events and missions trips during the summer months. This summer, we've scheduled pool parties, game nights, slip-n-slides, slushie runs, and more. We also have two mission trips planned - one to Ocean City, MD and another right here in McKeesport! For questions or scheduling information, contact Pastor Alex Ielase.
Breakfast Bible Bunch
Every Sunday, at 9:30 am, students can join Pastor Alex and members of our student ministry team in the Upper Room for a light breakfast and time together in prayer and God's Word. All are welcome. Join any time. Need directions? Ask a greeter!
Summer for Adults
Adult Bible Fellowships (All)
During the summer months, we divide into two larger classes - one for women and one for men - during our Adult Bible Fellowship Hour (every Sunday at 9:30 am). This summer both men and women will be studying the book of James and considering what it looks like to have genuine faith in Jesus.
The Women's Bible Fellowship Class will meet in the Game Room. The Men's Bible Fellowship Class will meet in the Fireplace Room. A friendly face from our Welcome Team will greet you in the Main Lobby and help direct you to the right room! We hope that you will join us for this wonderful time of fellowship and study in God's Word!
Alive (Young Adults)
Our weekly young adult fellowship for those beyond high school through age 30 continues through the summer. New faces are always welcome!
We understand that this age bracket represents a time of tremendous transition for people; leaving high school, going to college, entering the work force and becoming an adult can be challenging! We recognize that and want to help people with this part of the journey. Questions? Need directions? Contact Pastor Alex Ielase.
Time: 6:30 - 8 p.m.
Location: Adult Learning Center
Senior Achievers (Senior Adults)
Being a senior is an opportunity for fun, fellowship, support, spiritual growth, and finishing well! We encourage multi-generational fellowship and ministry. Seniors possess a lifetime of experience and knowledge and we believe God wants to bless and challenge our younger generations through our Seniors.
Our seniors meet monthly for a meal, fellowship, a devotional time, and a program. Trips happen several times each year, some for a day, and some overnight. These are great opportunities to get out and enjoy being together for lots of fun!
Senior Achievers Bus Trip (Senior Adults)
Join us for "Moses" at the Sight and Sound Theater in Lancaster, PA on Friday, August 18, 2023. Here are the details:
7:00 am
Depart: First Evangelical Free Church 4001 University Drive, McKeesport by Penn State Greater Allegheny. Please arrive by 6:45. We will taking a comfort stop at Sidling Hill on Pennsylvania Turnpike.
11:45 pm
Smorgasboard lunch at Shady Maple Board
1:15 pm
Board bus at lower level Gift Shop
2:15 pm
Arrive at Sight and Sound Theater
3:00 pm
Showtime! From the depths of the Nile River to the depths of the Red Sea, Moses is a spectacular entertainment experience for all. Set adrift as a baby – until God calls him to lead his people out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. Journey with Moses as he ventures through the wilderness, encounters God at the burning bush, and ascends to the top of Mount Sinai.
5:30 pm
Approximate departure time for home. We will make a comfort stop at Sidling Hill. We will make an additional stop for the relief driver (TBD).
10:00 pm
Approximate arrival time at church
The cost is $225.00 which includes deluxe motor coach, lunch at Shady Maple, Moses ticket at Sight and Sound Theater, gratuity for drivers. Money is due on or before Sunday, June 25, 2023. Contact Cheryl Reeger in the church office for more information.
Support
Spiritual Recovery Workshop
Have you ever asked yourself if you are in control of your life or is something else in control of how you live? Addiction is at epidemic proportions in our culture. Whether it is alcohol, narcotics, overeating, or a variety of life-controlling issues, ignoring or denying their existence is destructive to individuals and families living with those under its control.
There is hope in overcoming a lifestyle of addiction with the help of fellow believers who have found healing themselves. We can provide the ongoing support needed to bring about meaningful change through a biblical approach to recovery.
Spiritual Recovery Workshop offers such hope with a weekly gathering of those who have overcome their life-controlling issues, are on the road to doing so, or those living with addiction. Also, if you are living with a loved one in the crisis of addiction, we can provide hope and the support needed to navigate those turbulent waters. Please consider joining us for a confidential place where you can find the support you need.
Tuesday's from 7:00 - 8:30 pm
First Free Church
4001 University Drive
McKeesport, PA 15132
Questions? Contact Dan Ruccio by email or phone (412-901-3587).
GriefShare
Losing a loved one, a child, or a spouse can prove devastating. The period of grief can radically alter who we are, and often the sense of loss seems overwhelming. Many can sink into a period of despair and feel hopeless.
In GriefShare, you will find a supportive, caring community of others who share your pain and are seeking to experience God’s healing, no matter where in your journey of grief you may be.
We offer GriefShare as a church in two sessions each year, once in the fall, and once in the spring. Each session lasts for 13 weeks. Meetings take place on Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. & 6:30 pm in the Adult Learning Center. Content is through DVD’s and following a workbook.
While we do not hold regular meetings during the summer, our GriefShare ministry has some special events. You can learn more about GriefShare as a ministry and details about our next session on the GriefShare website. We also encourage you to contact the ministry coordinator, George Buck, at 412-271-1896 for information about summer events.