Our Story
Beginnings
Incorporated on February 21, 1896, the Presbyterian Church of Novato began as the only protestant church in the area. Seating only 96 people, the original sanctuary, at the corner of De Long and Sherman was dedicated later that year. The iconic bell was hung in the steeple in 1906. The manse, next door to the church, was built in 1918. This property, church and manse, was sold to the city of Novato when the current church moved to Wilson Avenue. The original church is now Novato’s City Hall.
Moving to the New Campus
Trevitt Hall, the current educational building, was the first to be constructed at the new site and housed the Sunday worship services from 1963 until the current sanctuary was completed in 1978. On that Sunday, worship services began in Trevitt Hall and then moved to the new sanctuary as the bell, brought over from the original site, tolled. As Novato grew and other protestant denominations moved into Novato, parishioners from other denominations began their own churches, providing current citizens with many choices for worship.
Connecting and Growing with our Community
Continuing our tradition for connecting and growing in Christian faith and serving those in need, PCN provides many social and educational opportunities for our members and our community. We support a Seekers Program (for elementary school age), middle and high school groups, several Bible study groups on Sunday as well as during the week, interesting classes taught by professors from the San Francisco Theological Seminary, and other intergenerational activities that provide experiences to gather as the entire family of the church. We also support many small PCN Connect groups to bring community together. In the past we have enjoyed Family Camp at Westminster Woods, talent auctions, flea markets, and other church fundraiser special events. For the last 66 years, PCN has run the Fourth of July Buckaroo Breakfast in downtown Novato with all proceeds going to charitable organizations in the community.
With a focus on Christian growth, mission and service, our members contribute over 25% of our church budget to mission donations and work locally, domestically and around the world. We annually have teams of youth and intergenerational groups taking mission trips to help those in need (building houses with Mission Ministries in Mexico for 20+ years; rebuilding houses for fire victims in Northern California; and youth trips to other international churches in need).
