Lent Worship
HOLY THURSDAY
April 6, 5:30 PM** | Church Online Platform
Part of our identity here at First Church is being a “gathered and sent” church. This means that we worship in a Sanctuary, and in homes; both forms are legitimate. Just as Jesus and His disciples dined together on Holy Thursday, we too will share in the Lord’s Supper around a table.
This service will be split into two parts: first, an online experience led by Pastor Matt, which will include a time of prayer, Scripture, reflection, and communion during this Online Worship service. Following this, you and your group are invited to eat and discuss together, participating in a dinner church experience. The online worship portion of this service will begin at 5:30 PM on Church Online Platform.
If you are interested in opening your home and registering to be a host to this experience, or looking to join a group, click the button below. As a host, expectations would include opening your home to guests, organizing dinner plans (anything from a formal dinner party to pizza), and picking up a box from the Church Office with supplies you’ll need. By doing this, we hope and pray you can connect with each other and with the Holy Thursday experience in a deep and meaningful way.
**If you and your group are unable to start the service at this time, this video will also available for you to watch on demand.
If you experience any problems with worshipping online or watching the playback, please reach out to our Content Designer, Katie.
Contact: Katie Conrad, Content Designer
GOOD FRIDAY
April 7, 7:00 PM | (FEC) Sanctuary — 604 Market St
We will be reflecting on Jesus’ death during our Good Friday service, which will feature dramatic presentations and mini-messages designed and led by our fuse youth. This is a solemn worship experience where we leave in silence and darkness.
CHILDREN: There will not be sparkzone. The Nursery will be available for children age 0-3.
Going Deeper
Our God is a personal God. One of the best ways we can communicate and connect with Him is through prayer. There’s no one right way to pray: you can easily talk to Him kneeling at your bedside before going to sleep, with your hands folded and eyes closed as you bless your food, in the forest while you have your arms spread wide, or even while driving on your morning commute. We pray to have God’s heart transform our lives and trust in His timing.
During the 40-day Lent period, you are invited to take a spiritual journey to deepen your relationship with God through prayer. There are two opportunities to get involved:
- Daily Prayer Emails: One of our Lead Council members, Ashley, will be sending out daily prayer emails in accordance with our Lenten sermon series. If you wish to join the prayer email list, or help write the prayers, reach out to Ashley at [email protected]
- Sunday Prayer Cards: These prayer cards are designed to connect the mental health topics we’ll be discussing in worship on Sunday mornings to our personal prayer time. You can take these cards after the services on Sunday and meditate on them throughout the week, or give them to a friend who needs it. Cards will also be available on this page, below.
Prayer is one of the best ways to experience God and better love our neighbors. Our spark kids are invited to pray through Lent with a prayer booklet prepared by our staff. To get the booklet, click the button below.
Communion is a meal of remembrance and a holy sacrament represented through bread and drink (which is juice for us, to allow anyone to partake). Jesus invites us to participate in it just as He did all those years ago. When we receive the holy sacrament of communion, we remember our history as Christians, our connection with Christ and His sacrifice, and our calling to community with the Church.
To fully prepare ourselves for this holy act, its helpful to take time to prayerfully consider where our minds and hearts are at, repent where we need to, and make the conscious decision to recommit our days to Him.
You are invited to come into the Sanctuary for silent prayer and communion led by one of our pastors on Wednesday mornings from 6:30 – 7:00 AM. Simply come and be.
Easter Worship
We invite you to join us as we celebrate the good news of the risen Christ! Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is a simple, yet powerful event in Christianity. His death bridged the gap between people and God. Death does not have the final say; we have the gift of eternal life!
SUNRISE SERVICE
April 9, 6:00 AM | Grampian Hill Cross, Reservoir Rd
Rejoice in the good news of the resurrection as the sun rises to greet the day. This service will involve a brief message on the empty tomb, contemplation, prayer, and time for reflection.
Be sure to dress appropriately and bring a chair if you need one for this service.
CHILDREN: There will be no Nursery or sparkzone available for this service.
TRADITIONAL WORSHIP
April 9, 8:00 AM & 9:30 AM | (FEC) Sanctuary — 604 Market St
Rejoice in the good news of the resurrection as the sun illuminates Jesus’ life featured on the stained glass windows in our Sanctuary. The choir will lead celebratory hymns of the season. Both services are identical.
CHILDREN:
- The Nursery Room will be open for the 8 AM service for parents to reside in if if their children get fussy, but there will be no Nursery workers present.
- The Nursery will be available for children 0 – 3 for the 9:30 AM service.
- There will not be sparkzone for either service, but worship bags will be available to pick up for your child(ren) as you enter the service.
ONLINE WORSHIP
April 9 at 9:00 AM | Church Online Platform
If you feel more comfortable worshipping at home, or are out of town, stay connected with us by worshipping online! This form of worship incorporates a live portion facilitated by two hosts you can interact with, followed by pre-recorded elements of a Children’s Moment, reflection, and the same Biblically-based message that is shared in Sanctuary worship. All these elements are simply formatted for the online viewer.
When you log onto the website, there will be a chatbox to the right of the video. We invite you to write in your name in the chatbox so you can interact with others. You’ll see an online host greeting folks and providing helpful links throughout the service for things like the connection card, upcoming events, and giving.
CONTEMPORARY WORSHIP
April 9, 11:00 AM | (CLC) Stryker Hall — 601 Market St
Worship with the energy of a modern expression of Easter. The worship band will lead contemporary songs you may hear on the radio.
CHILDREN: There will not be sparkzone, but worship bags will be available to pick up as you enter the service. The Nursery will be available for children 0 – 3.