Worship
Worship is central to our life together at First Church. The format of our 8:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Sunday worship is a familiar and traditional one consisting of: hymns and anthems; liturgy, prayers, and offering; scripture and sermon. Through worship we offer our praise before God and seek to discover meaningful ways to live out our faith, applying its life giving power to contemporary needs, problems, and opportunities, both in our lives and in the world around us.
A Service of Word and Sacrament is celebrated on Wednesday mornings at 7:00 a.m. in the Shaw Chapel. This is a quiet time of scripture, prayer, and communion.
Other special times of worship occur on Christmas Eve, Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday
The two sacraments of our tradition are baptism and communion.
The Sacrament of Baptism is celebrated on the last Sunday of every month. The water, words, and actions of the sacrament are the outward and visible signs of the grace of God. The sacrament marks the reception of the baptized into the redeeming and renewing love of Jesus Christ and the family that is the church universal. In the United Church of Christ both children and adults are baptized.
The Sacrament of Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of the month during morning worship. The bread and the cup speak of the extra-ordinary in the ordinary; the sacrifice made on our behalf; the newness and community available to us through faith in Jesus Christ; reconciliation and forgiveness; God’s love; God’s call to lives of love and compassion; shalom.
Other rites that involve the worshipping community are Confirmation, Reception of New Members, Weddings, and Funerals.
Worship. It is the communal and personal celebration in the church universal of God’s love for creation and for every human being. As followers of Christ, all that we are and do, corporately and individually, is our worship, our liturgy, our work of praise and thanksgiving. The words and acts commonly called worship cannot rightly be separated from our faithful response to the call of God in Jesus Christ through words and acts of love and justice for all people.
Sunday mornings -- 8:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., Sanctuary (One service at 9:00 a.m., June 15 – August 31, 2008)
Inter-Faith Thanksgiving Service -- November 20, 2007 7:30 p.m.
Church of the Good Shepherd, 132 Main St., Nashua
Christmas Sunday -- December 23, 2007, 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., Sanctuary
Christmas Eve -- December 24, 2007, 5:00 p.m. (Family Service)
7:30 p.m. (Lessons and Carols - Candlelight)
11:00 p.m. (Lessons and Carols -Candlelight)
Ash Wednesday – February 6, 2008, 7:30 p.m., Sanctuary
Palm Sunday – March 16, 2008 8:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.
Maundy Thursday – March 20, 2008, 7:30 p.m., Sanctuary
Good Friday – March 21, 2008, Ecumenical services
12:00 p.m. -- Church of the Good Shepherd
7:30 p.m. -- Pilgrim Church
Easter Sunday – March 23, 2008
9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., Sanctuary
Jazz of Worship – April 6, 2008, 8:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.
Baptism - Any adult desiring to be baptized or to a have their child baptized is asked to call the church office to schedule an appointment with one of the pastors. Because baptism involves the whole church community, baptisms at First Church are celebrated during Sunday morning worship. Baptisms are held the last Sunday of each month at the 10:00am worship service.
New Member Classes - Those desiring to “own the covenant” and become members of First Church are required to attend a luncheon and orientation class. Childcare is provided.
Sunday, 11:30 a.m., November 11, 2007
Reception of members Sunday, November 18, 10:00 a.m.
Sunday, 11:30 a.m., February 17, 2008
Reception of members Sunday, March 2, 10:00 a.m.
Sunday, 11:30 a.m., May 18, 2008
Reception of members Sunday, June 1, 10:00 a.m.