We have ministered to college students and faculty for more than 140 years.
First Pres has long been blessed with a vibrant community of undergraduates, graduate students, and instructors. The church was created to minister to the growing community at the University of California, but our university population also includes students and faculty from Mills College, Berkeley City College, Diablo Valley College, and more.
Wherever you are from, we welcome you!
Undergraduate Ministries
FoCUS
On Wednesday evenings, the Fellowship of College and University Students (FoCUS) offers intentional community, life-giving worship, and thoughtful conversations on issues that matter for college students in Berkeley. We strongly believe that the love of God through Christ is expressed best through radical inclusion, and are a church that actively seeks to include LGBTQIA+ students and students of color. FoCUS has been approved as an RSO at CalLink.
2:42 House
Attention college students: interested in living in the 2:42 house through the 2023-2024 school year? Make a copy of the application form here and send it to [email protected], or contact her for more details about the living arrangements.
Located on the First Pres campus, the 2:42 House is a place where up to eight undergraduate students live in intentional Christian community. This community is rooted in the words of Acts 2:42: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” Some of the key values of the 242 house are being open and affirming to LGBTQ students, being proactive about racial justice, and learning to serve generously, to all that have need.
Our hope is that students complete their education at UC Berkeley or other local colleges with a redefined and reinvigorated view of Christian vocation and how this view will shape their lives. We want each resident to become better able to discern God’s unique call in their lives, embody God’s inclusive love, and learn how to love concretely, even when it’s risky.
For more information on the 2:42 House, contact [email protected].