FCC’s pastor at the time, E.A. Skogsbergh, helped design the church to appear welcoming to all immigrants regardless of church affiliation. The church maintained the largest auditorium in the city when the Minneapolis Symphony was founded in 1903 and served as an early venue for the orchestra. A freestanding education building was erected in 1937 and connected to the historic church building in 1967 via a linking building.

Today, FCC identifies its campus as “The Healing Block,” where art, social services, and social justice initiatives converge “for the common good.” The church hosts performing arts groups, an early childhood education center, and an addiction recovery program. FCC’s most significant community program is a nightly year-round 50-bed shelter for adults facing housing insecurity. The congregation frequently collaborates with neighborhood and interfaith groups to address the most pressing needs facing residents of Minneapolis.

A National Fund grant of $250,000, combined with $600,000 in matching funds raised by the congregation, allowed FCC to increase accessibility to its building by installing a new elevator. The previous elevator broke down frequently with congregants and visitors trapped inside. According to the congregation, the new elevator “was like a heart or a lung transplant” for the entire building, facilitating full access and circulation to all floors for the first time in the church’s history. As a result of an increase in accessible space, FCC is creating new space-sharing opportunities with community partners in the building.

First Covenant Church by Dan Collison