Home / About / Our People / Staff STAFF Home / About / Our People / Staff / Brandon Smith 1105 Worship Leader ​ brandons@firstpres.com (806) 373-4242

Stay Connected with First Pres LIVE Home / Ministries / First Pres Live Sunday Morning Worship Services Each Sunday, worship services will be posted here by 6 p.m. April 21, 2024 8:30 a.m. Gospel MINISTRIES Adults Care College Age First Pres Kids Library/Resources Missions Music Studies and Groups Youth Columbarium OTHER INTERESTS Studies and Groups Worship Grow Connect Serve Maundy Thursday 2024 Good Friday 2024 ALL Church Retreat 2021 Video Talk. Pray. Know. VBS 2023 Murray's House Stewardship 2021

US & WORLD MISSIONARIES Home / Ministries / Missions First Pres believes strongly in the call of the church to reach out into the world by spreading the gospel and showing the love of Jesus Christ. We also support a variety of missionaries around the world with our prayers and financial resources. Meet some of the U.S. & WORLD missionaries we support: Randy Davis – La Paz, Bolivia serving with SIM in Bolivia with “Shoe Shiners" Photo Coming Soon Greg and Faith Hurst La Paz, Bolivia Ellen Schulz – Northern Iraq Former Russia Republic works as a mission mobilizer Javier & Roxana Zubieta – La Paz Bolivia Serving with SIM to develop a retreat center. He uses his teaching gifts in many places. Garrick & Dziu Roegner – Spain Working for Cru Ministries Jo Cole – Amarillo/Belize Works with “The Word at Work” Gary & Merri Lee Hipp – Kenya/Southeast Asia International mentors for Digo people through Mission Moving Mountains, a ministry of the Navigators. George & Ann Harper – Philippines Professors in an Evangelical Seminary in the Philippines Alan Meenan – World-Wide Ministry of equipping others to accurately teach the Word of Truth Marta Bennett Kenya Craig Brown - Nashville, Tennessee Amanda and Michael Torres – Fayetteville Arkansas Navigator Staff at University of Arkansas Photo Coming Soon Dug and Cherie McAlpine Lubbock, Texas Photo Coming Soon .... MISSIONS We Support Get Involved OTHER INTERESTS Studies and Groups Worship Grow Connect Serve Photo Coming Soon Tharwat Wahba Cairo, Egypt Eddie and Barbie Broussard Worldwide Photo Coming Soon Photo Coming Soon Sasan TavassoliIran Iran Photo Coming Soon Richard and Wendy Yancey Germany Photo Coming Soon Eddie and Barbie Broussard Worldwide Photo Coming Soon Photo Coming Soon ​ Todd and Christa Blackhurst Taiwan Persecuted Church Afghanistan Photo Coming Soon Billy Swann Dublin Republic of Ireland Photo Coming Soon Photo Coming Soon Todd and Christa Blackhurst Taiwan Brad and Danielle Snowden Mozambique Photo Coming Soon Amen Magdy and Tharwat Samir Cairo, Egypt Photo Coming Soon Photo Coming Soon Mehrdad and Marzieh Sajjadi Munich, Germany Osnir Pires Menezes Jr. (Ozzie) Austin, Texas Photo Coming Soon Robin Price England Photo Coming Soon Photo Coming Soon Andy Smith Phillippians Chris and Greg Callison Northern Iraq Javier and Roxana Zubieta La Paz Bolivia Photo Coming Soon Photo Coming Soon Mehrdad and Marzieh Sajjadi Munich, Germany Photo Coming Soon Photo Coming Soon New Missionaries Coming Soon New Missionaries Coming Soon

Intercessory Prayer Ministry Home / Ministries / Care / Intercessory Prayer Ministry Prayer Request We're happy to pray for you. Please fill out this form and we'll be praying for you. I would like to be contacted: By a Pastor By another Staff Member Submit Thanks for submitting! OTHER INTERESTS Studies and Groups Worship Grow Connect Serve

EMPLOYMENT Home / About / Employment First Presbyterian Church is always on the look out for great people to join our team! If you feel that First Pres would be a good fit for you and your giftings, we would love to talk to you. If you are interested in employment at the church, please send a résumé and completed application for employment to lauraa@firstpres.com . (Viewing the job application requires the free Adobe PDF reader.) You can mail or drop off your application to our Business Offices. You may also fax your application to (806) 373-2407. Download Application for Employment Executive Director of Business Administration View the Job Description for the Executive Director of Administration. To apply for this position, download and fill out our Application for Employment and email it and your resume to us . Business Administrator View the Job Description for the Business Administrator. To apply for this position, download and fill out our Application for Employment and email it and your resume to us . Financial Assistant View the Job Description for the Business Administrator. To apply for this position, download and fill out our Application for Employment and email it and your resume to us . Kids Ministry Intern View the Job Description for the Kids Ministry Intern. To apply for this position, download and fill out our Application for Employment and email it and your resume to us . ABOUT Becoming a Member Contact & News ECO FAQs Mission Statement & Beliefs Our History Our People Our Pipe Organ What We're About First Pres Amarillo App WORSHIP | GROW | CONNECT | SERVE

ELEMENTARY Home / Ministries / First Pres Kids / Elementary Sunday School Sunday 9:45am-10:45am Our Elementary Ministry, for children 1st through 5th Grade, meets on the 2nd floor of the Kids Wing. ​ Please come in the main doors to the church building, come to the middle of the Great Hall to find the glass doors into the Children's Wing. These doors remain locked during the Sunday School hour to keep anyone from roaming through these areas where children are learning and playing. We have a check-in desk and volunteers who will help you know what to do and where to take your kids. ​ Our talented Kids Ministry staff and great volunteers lead, teach, encourage and love the children who come through our doors every week. All of our leaders have completed background checks to help ensure that our children can learn about the Love of Jesus in a comfortable and safe environment. ​ Teaching the Word of God to eager, young hearts is our passion. In 2021 the Kids Ministry started teaching from Group, Inc.'s curriculum called DIG IN. We are studying The LORD's Prayer. We hope your Kids will join us! ​ FIRST PRES KIDS Nursery/Early Childhood Elementary Events OTHER INTERESTS Studies and Groups Worship Grow Connect Serve

Home / About / Our People / Staff STAFF Home / About / Our People / Staff / Murray Gossett Associate Pastor Murray Gossett is the Associate Pastor of Outreach and Adults at First Pres. He's been on staff here for over 30 years. Murray is married to the former Jeri Albertson of Amarillo. They have five children. Murray attended Highland Park High School, SMU, and Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. He was a High School pastor at Highland Park Presbyterian Church in Dallas from 1980-1990. Murray loves working at First Pres because of the Christ - centered, grace - focused body of believers. Murray is also a basketball fan and coaches at a local Christian school. His favorite author is John Stott, and he read all of his books during his sabbatical last summer. Murray's favorite passage is Paul’s prayer in Eph 3:14-21 --- it shows us what to pray for! The Gossett's theme when raising triplets was Mother Teresa’s quote “ I know God will not give me more that I am able, but I wish He would not trust me so much." Jeri and Murray will add their 6th grandchild in October 2023! murrayg@firstpres.com (806) 350-5203

Home / About / Our People / Staff STAFF Home / About / Our People / Staff / Debbie Laur Director of Early Childhood Ministry Debbie Laur has been the Director of Early Childhood Ministry since 1997. She and her husband, Noel-Paul, have four grown children and seven grandchildren. Debbie earned a Bachelor of Science in Biblical Studies from Moody Bible Institute and a diploma in Christian Education/Music from Moody Bible Institute. She has been an early childhood educator for 30 years. Debbie loves chocolate, the first layer of the food pyramid!! She loves that the Holy Scriptures are upheld as the inerrant Word of God at First Pres. debbiel@firstpres.com (806) 350-5213

SEE US IN ACTION What Does it Look Like? Home / Ministries / Missions Murray's House Right on 6th street in the heart of the San Jacinto neighborhood sits First Pres's newest service endeavor. ​ It is a hub of service for individuals, small groups, and the church as a whole. Examples of Service Outside of the Church Our Deacons helped a widow in need by weather-proofing and painting windows, pulling weeds, and tearing down and rebuilding a fence. These First Pres members met in the San Jacinto neighborhood one Saturday morning for a trash clean up day. Several members also walked the neighborhood to pray for the people who live there. This group went on a mission trip to Colorado Springs and served at Marion House. A First Pres team went to Houston to help clean up and rebuild after a hurricane. First Pres volunteers helped remodel the Downtown Women's Center Gratitude Apartments. These sweet ladies are making teacher appreciation gifts for the teachers at San Jacinto elementary school. MISSIONS LOCAL SUPPORT SERVE NOW OTHER INTERESTS Studies and Groups Worship Grow Connect Serve Our Compassionate Chefs group makes and freezes meals that will be given to those in need due to sickness or other difficult situations. This hardworking group traveled to Tulsa to help build a Habitat for Humanity house. Examples of Service Inside of the Church Our volunteers make a huge impact as they help lay a foundation of God's truth in Sunday school, Wednesday Night programming, VBS, and more. There are many ways to serve in Children's Ministry. Our Tech Team is a growing ministry that helps with our live-streaming, projecting lyrics, running cameras, and our social media and Youtube presence. Many of our members use their gifts to support ministry here. Everything from photography, to playing music, to cleaning and organizing, to horticulture and decorating is all used to help our building be operational and to allow ministry to happen here. First Pres' Deacons bagged a little love for the whole church to share with individuals in Amarillo without shelter. 150 baggies filled with socks, chapstick, crackers, masks, and more were distributed. Easy Service Project Ideas

Home / About / Our People / Staff STAFF Home / About / Our People / Staff / Cara Dyas Director of Communications and Production Cara Dyas is the Director of Communications & Production at First Pres. She's been on staff since May of 2012. Cara earned a Bachelors Degree in English and a Master of Arts Degree with an emphasis in English and Communications from WTAMU. She has been in church communications and production for 15 years and enjoys helping ministries effectively communicate their messages in creative and relevant ways. Her favorite author is C.S. Lewis, and her favorite Bible verse is 2 Corinthians 5:17. Cara loves the heart of the people at First Pres, the sound theology, and the rich worship experiences. She is married to Matt, and they have two amazing grown children, Camryn and Bryson, and too many animals to list! carad@firstpres.com (806) 373-4242

GOSPEL Home / Worship Services / Gospel Gospel ​ ​ 8:30 am ​ Sunday Mornings ​ Sanctuary WORSHIP SERVICES Reformed Traditional Contemporary Gospel OTHER INTERESTS Studies and Groups Worship Grow Connect Serve Come join us at 8:30 in our sanctuary as we kick off the morning with some upbeat gospel music. What is gospel music exactly? Gospel music is a genre of music that is upbeat, primarily led by piano, guitar, banjo, and other stringed instruments rather than an organ. In contrast to our Contemporary 1105 service that plays contemporary songs, gospel music includes older songs like “I’ll Fly Away,” “Nothing But The Blood,” “When We All Get To Heaven,” “Soon and Very Soon,” and “I Love To Tell The Story.” These are the types of songs that would have been sung during camp meetings or tent revivals during the first half of the twentieth century in West Texas. Our gospel service begins with our gospel band and ends with our beautiful organ. The order of the service is very similar to our Reformed traditional service at 10:55 a.m., but the music is primarily gospel at the beginning and is led by our wonderful gospel band. If you like to sing gospel music, we would love to have you in our “Y’all Come Sing Choir” that shows up at 8:00 to rehearse and leads worship with the gospel praise band at 8:30. If you like gospel music this is the service for you. Please invite a friend as we worship God singing some old time gospel songs.

Home / About / Our People / Staff STAFF Home / About / Our People / Staff / Kasey Sims Director of Elementary Ministry ​ kaseys@firstpres.com (806) 350-5212