Let’s get acquainted!
Filled with God’s grace and overflowing with His spirit, we embrace those around us— in our church family, the community and beyond. You can see it in the hugs exchanged before worship, in the children’s happy faces as they race up the aisle for the children’s sermon and in the eyes of the congregation, eagerly engaged with the pastor during the sermon. As each of us strives to discern God’s will and purpose in our own lives, we come together as a congregation to move toward God’s purpose for our church.
As a landmark church in Tequesta and Jupiter, we have the opportunity to serve others and be “living examples” of God’s grace in our community and world.
As a church family, we strive to share without judgment and welcome all into the fellowship of Jesus Christ. From the neighborhood kids who play basketball on our grounds to the members of the community who attend our seasonal events, we reach out to those around us, bringing Christ to all. Our preschool serves 80 children in our community and our numerous mission projects extend from locally helping fight hunger and homelessness to aiding foster children nearby in Okeechobee, Florida, and orphaned children across the globe in Johannesburg, South Africa.
In our vision, there’s the conviction that however imperfect we are, by God’s grace we are blessed to be here, gathered in His place carrying out His work with joy, laughter, humility and love.
Our Philosophy at First Presbyterian Preschool is multi-faceted.
First and foremost it is to provide each and every child with loving Christian care and guidance. 
We are also striving to give each child the tools to develop strong fundamentals in letter recognition, pre-writing and writing skills, sight word recognition and basic math skills.
Our hope is to encourage a love for Godly values and a love for learning that will open the door for their future education experience.
We require our teachers to be college educated with Associates, Bachelors or Masters Degrees in the area of Early Education. They are all CPR and First Aid certified, and are expected to continue their growth through continuing education and workshops.
We are all like-minded in the fact that our profession is of utmost importance to us and is taken very seriously. We consider it a privilege to teach your child.
SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP AND SUNDAY SCHOOL
You are invited to join us every Sunday for worship. Our service begins at 10am in-person and via livestream.
Enjoy a time of fellowship before and after worship in our courtyard.
Click here to view this week’s service
Our Church News is emailed every Thursday. If you would like to be added to the list to receive our emails, please send an email to office@tequestapres.org or click on the Get Connected link in the sidebar.
Children’s Sunday School
Children’s Sunday School takes place during the worship hour. We meet year-round. To learn more please contact Crystal Botha at crystal@tequestapres.org.
Adult Small Groups
Adult small groups meet Sundays after worship. We have two options. Please email Ken Sloan at rkensloan@live.com or Crystal Botha at crystal@tequestapres.org if you would like to join us. We break for the summer months.
Where We Are Located
First Presbyterian Church of Tequesta
482 Tequesta Drive
Tequesta, FL 33469
Directions
From U.S. 1 in Tequesta, drive west on Tequesta Drive for about 1 and 1/2 miles. You will pass Riverside Drive and go over a bridge and we are on the left.
STAFF
Pastoral Care
Our congregation is currently in transition while we are seeking a new permanent pastor. Over the next few months we will be welcoming several guest pastors to the pulpit here at FPCT. All are welcome to join us for worship Sunday mornings at 10am. During this time the church office remains open and we are happy to answer any questions you might have about our church and how to get involved in the good work God has set before us. If you are seeking Pastoral care, please contact the church office and we will connect you with the appropriate person.
Crystal Botha
Director of Family Ministries
Crystal has been serving at First Presbyterian since 2010. Working in ministry has been a lifelong journey for her. Growing up in the Alabama, she has served in music and children’s ministry since the age of 13. Crystal has an extensive background in music performance as well as education. She has a passion for teaching children and loves to serve the Lord. FPCT has made an impact on her life, revealed by the loving grace of Jesus Christ. She feels privileged to be an instrument to now share that Good News with others who are seeking God’s presence and considers it a blessing to be able to come to work while living out her faith at the same time. When Crystal’s not at work you can find her out on the water, enjoying Jupiter’s beautiful beaches, playing the piano, kickboxing and spending time with her family. She and her husband together have 4 children, ranging in age from 15 to 28, a dog, and 2 cats. Together they actively serve in mission work here in the community and in South Africa. Email her at crystal@tequestapres.org.
Elizabeth Lowe
Preschool Director
Elizabeth comes to us most recently from Good Shepherd Church School, Tequesta, Florida. As an educator with 14 years of experience ranging from Kindergarten to Third Grade, her Educational Certification includes two Masters Degrees-one in Reading and another in Educational Leadership which followed her initial Bachelor of Science Degree in Early Childhood Education. During her years of teaching she excelled in curriculum writing, meeting the diverse needs of the children while nurturing a positive classroom community for the children to work, play and grow together. As a mother of three active children ages 4, 7 and 10, Elizabeth knows how to balance a busy life while being dedicated to her joy of working with children and their parents. Email Elizabeth at elizabeth@tequestapres.org.
Anne Hlasnicek
Music Director
Anne comes to Tequesta Presbyterian after serving as minister of music, not only in the Presbyterian Church, but for Lutheran, Episcopal, Catholic, Christian Science, and Reform Jewish congregations. She graduated with a Bachelor of Music from Muskingum University in Ohio and pursued her graduate studies at the Eastman School of Music. She has enjoyed teaching choral music, drama, and ESE classes in both public and parochial schools from kindergarten thru university level. She introduced the first drama curriculum in Martin County middle schools and has often traveled with her high school choral groups for special performances, including Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Mrs. “Nick” is, and has been, mom to 2 children and 15 foster children, and with her husband, Steve, has been the creative designer of their party services business. She is also a Master Gardener. Anne and Steve are world travelers and recently visited Israel and Turkey. They have a long list of places yet to see. Anne’s email address is anne@tequestapres.org.
Rebecca Szymczak
Office Manager
Rebecca is originally from Columbus, Ohio but spent the last eleven years in Norfolk, Virginia with her husband John. Their walk with Christ brought them to Jensen Beach, Florida. Rebecca loves the ocean. She also enjoys knitting and sewing. Contact Rebecca at office@tequestapres.org.
MUSIC
“Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee,
God of glory, Lord of love…”
–Hymn Ode to Joy
Music is a cherished part of worship in our church. From the organ prelude, anthems, hymns, and choral responses to the postlude after the benediction, our services are filled with music, both traditional and contemporary.
Members of our congregation devote their time and considerable talents to our Chancel Choir and Bell Choir. Many Sundays, musicians from the congregation and community add instruments, such as flutes, saxophones, trumpets, trombones, percussion, and even a jazz ensemble, to the joyful sounds.
We conclude our service with the choir and congregation singing the spiritual “Let There Be Peace On Earth.”
At Christmas and Easter, the entire Music Department performs concerts in our sanctuary, something the congregation and our community very much look forward to as we celebrate these sacred holidays.
Our Music Director is Ann Hlasnicek and our Organist is Bob Jones. Please see our Staff page under the About tab for more information on both of our wonderful music directors.
Chancel Choir
The Adult Choir is a lively and active part of the church. Members lead in worship services as they sing together, as Men’s or Women’s choirs, and in ensembles, solos and duets. Several of our choir members and talented young people are also very actively involved in providing inspiring instrumental music.
The Chancel Choir rehearses on Tuesdays at 1:00pm. From June through August, we switch to the summer schedule: instead of a rehearsal Tuesdays, we rehearse at 9 a.m. on Sunday mornings.
Choir members also know how to have fun! There are frequent get-togethers for fellowship: in members’ homes, at lunch-bunch following worship, and for late spring and Christmas parties — all opportunities to enjoy each other’s company.
Handbell Choir
This group is an exciting part of our music program. People of all ages and abilities are welcome to become involved in an other-than-vocal way of praising the Lord. The group performs for Sunday Services every other month on average. Handbell choir rehearses for an hour on Sundays following the worship service.
For our most recent music concerts visit our you tube channel.
LEADERSHIP
First Presbyterian Church of Tequesta is governed by a group of elders who serve on the Session. Each Elder is a spiritual leader of the congregation who is called by God and elected by the congregation to serve for a 1 to 3-year term, ensuring that all have the opportunity to strengthen their relationship with God.
Our 2023 Elders are: Jane Speak, David Sloan, Jocelyn O’Neill, Scott Rippe, Drew Cunningham, Millie Eyeington, Sarah Greer-Martinez, Rosemarie Von Zabern and Martha Parker (Clerk of Session)
Our 2023 Treasurer is: Ken Sloan
Deacons are leaders in the church who are called by God and elected by the congregation to continue Christ’s ministry of compassion and service. You may see our Deacons helping out with the worship service, setting up for a church gathering, visiting the sick, or keeping up with the needs of the congregation. Through their service, Christ’s hope and healing is shared to all who need it.
Our 2023 Deacons are: Cami Cunningham (Moderator), Gwen Eyeington, Chery Hires, Suzanne Mechler, Karen Swanson, Mary Collins, Barbara Glaff, Brenda Hunt-Simanski, Mary Scalf, and Ian Eyeington.
BECOME A MEMBER
Interested in joining our church family?
Membership classes are offered throughout the year for those interested in becoming active members of the congregation.
You may become a member by:
- Profession of Faith
- Reaffirmation of Faith
- Letter of Transfer from another church
Please contact the church office at 561-746-5161 for more information on times and dates. We look forward to including you in our family of faith.
WEDDINGS 
Congratulations on your engagement! We are so pleased that you are interested in holding your ceremony at our church. First Presbyterian offers a beautiful place for you to say your vows and begin your life together.
A few helpful facts:
- Both members and non-members are welcome to marry here.
- Our sanctuary seats 350 people. Our church parlor offers intimacy for smaller weddings.
- Premarital counseling is required. This could be done by our minister or a qualified professional.
FUNERALS 
First, let us express our sincere sympathy for the loss of your loved one if that is the reason you are consulting this page.
We hold Christian funerals and memorials at our church to:
- Express love and compassion to the family in their time of grief and loss
- Profess belief in the resurrection to eternal life, putting emphasis on the soul or spirit that continues to live with God in heaven
- Pay tribute to the person whose life we gather to honor
A few helpful facts:
- Both members and non-members are welcome to hold funerals and memorial services here.
- Our sanctuary seats 350 people. Our parlor offers a more intimate setting for smaller services.
- We ask that you contact the church as soon as possible after the death of your beloved to plan his or her service.
- Our church has a memorial garden on our grounds for deceased members of our congregation and their immediate families.
OUR DENOMINATION
We are members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A).
More than two million people call this denomination their spiritual home. Worshiping in 10,000 congregations throughout the United States, Presbyterians engage the communities in which they live and serve with God’s love.
A little Presbyterian history
Presbyterians trace their history to the 16th century and the Protestant Reformation. Our heritage, and much of what we believe, began with the French lawyer John Calvin (1509-1564), whose writings crystallized much of the Reformed thinking that came before him. Calvin did much of his writing from Geneva, Switzerland. From there, the Reformed movement spread to other parts of Europe and the British Isles. Many of the early Presbyterians in America came from England, Scotland, and Ireland. The first American Presbytery was organized in Philadelphia in 1706. The first General Assembly was held in the same city in 1789. The first Assembly was convened by the Rev. John Witherspoon, the only minister to sign the Declaration of Independence.
Portions of the Presbyterian Church in the United States have separated from the main body, and some parts have reunited, several times. The greatest division occurred in 1861 during the American Civil War. The two branches created by that division were reunited in 1983 to form the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), currently the largest Presbyterian group in this country.
What is distinctive about Presbyterian Church?
Presbyterians are distinctive in two major ways: they adhere to a pattern of religious thought known as Reformed theology and a form of government that stresses the active, representational leadership of both ministers and church members.
(Source: PC(USA) website, www.pcusa.org)