The above photo of the 6:00 a.m. TESS group was taken on January 31, 2003.

TESS is the flagship of the men's ministry of First Presbyterian. Started in 1983, it is a fellowship of men who seek to know each other better and, in the process, accept each other unconditionally. It is a distinctively Christian group looking to God each week through a devotional and prayer. It exhibits care by being available to each other during time of crisis. It plays a very important role in the life of every member.

The name came from a combination of factors: "Too Early" comes from the early meeting hour (some arrive at 5:45 am or so) and "Short Stack" comes from the fact that some members have the short stack of pancakes for breakfast. Al Webster later founded the second group, which meets at 7:15 a.m.

While the earlier group meets every Friday morning for breakfast, they occasionally have a social dinner with spouses and friends at a local restaurant. Although there are no formal programs, there is an abundance of good food, fellowship and camaraderie.

TESS reaches out beyond itself through support of a variety of church-related projects primarily through time, talent and occasional financial contributions. Funds are obtained through a weekly "collection" of one dollar from each member in attendance. Informal guidelines help give direction to the causes to be supported. Al Webster's group purchased a bike rack for the church in late 2001.

TESS is loosely organized and has no formal structure. It is sometimes referred to as a "leader-less group". However, leadership spontaneously arises from within the group depending on a particular initiative, e.g. father-son breakfast, TESS dinners, etc.

Weekly worship leaders are arranged well in advance and a schedule of dates is distributed to all members.