The most recent mission initiative of the First Presbyterian Church is the establishment of a hot-water hospitality ministry. The church at the intersection of Griffin Street and Grant Avenue in downtown Santa Fe is now open from 1 to 4 p.m. every Sunday so that people can come in and use the church's showers. First Presbyterian Church is making this available to the homeless and anyone who is unable to use showers elsewhere, while the Interfaith Community Shelter remains closed.

The church provides towels, soap and toiletries, and has clean clothes available from the Community Closet. First Presbyterian Church has considered ministry to the community's disenfranchised to be a high priority ever since its formation in 1867. The church is the oldest Protestant church in New Mexico, and its history has been closely tied to that of the villages of Northern New Mexico with its clinics and churches organized by early Presbyterian ministers, teachers, doctors and nurses.

The church's mission statement reads: "First Presbyterian Church is an inclusive, reconciling congregation which welcomes into its worship and full membership all persons who profess faith in Jesus Christ regardless of race, age, gender, disability, sexual orientation or economic status."

In order to help live out this statement, the church made the decision some years ago to remain in its present site and to continue to be active in the downtown area. The church underwent an extensive building campaign in 2005, increasing its education wing, thereby creating a larger and more functional area for its Child Development Center. The center provides day care and developmentally appropriate education through 10 teachers for more than 70 children, ages 1 to 4. On Sundays, a full education program is held for children, youth and adults, and nursery care is provided. Youth groups meet during the week for fellowship and discussion.

The church also had a new Fisk pipe organ built and installed, the largest of its kind in the state; this has made possible the well-attended concert programs presented to the community at 5:30 most Friday afternoons, as well as rehearsal space for the Santa Fe Symphony Chorus and the Santa Fe Women's Ensemble. The church's director of music, Linda Raney, also leads the church choirs and holds other musical events and special concerts throughout the year.

In addition to the church's hot-water hospitality ministry, it also supports, and in some cases helped found, such agencies as Food for Santa Fe, the Food Depot, the Interfaith Community Shelter, Somos Un Pueblo Unido and the Amigos del Parque program. It also makes space available for an Alcoholics Anonymous group to meet. It has provided tutors for Carlos Gilbert Elementary down the street from the church. Through a relationship with the Pastoral Counseling Center of Northern New Mexico, the church refers people for needed services, and a licensed pastoral counselor is also available at the church on a part-time basis.

The church is located at 208 Grant Ave., and the ministers are the Rev. J. David Wiseman and the Rev. Brooke Pickrell. All are welcome. Call 505-982-8544 for more information or visit the Web site is www.fpcsantafe.org.

Janet Spring is chairman of the First Presbyterian Church of Santa Fe's Communications Committee.