Sunday Service
Our Worship Services are inclusive of all God’s people and are participatory in nature. Whoever you are and wherever you are on life’s journey, you are welcome at First Church. Visitors are always welcome!
We worship at 8:00 am and 10:00 am on Sundays from September through the beginning of May, at 10:00 am during our Season of Celebration from the second Sunday in May through mid-June, and at 9:00 am from mid-June though the end of the summer. During the program year, childcare and Church School are available during the 10:00 am service. Children up to 3 years old can be dropped off in the Crib and Toddler Rooms before Worship begins. Children from 3 years old through 8th grade begin Worship with their families and proceed to their Church School classrooms following a Children’s Message. In the summer, both childcare and Church School are available during our services.
Would you like to help at one of our Sunday morning worship services? The Board of Deacons invites those interested in being a Head Usher, Usher or Greeter, to contact the church office!
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Communion
At First Church, we believe in an open table where people young and old join together to remember Jesus and to celebrate our blessings.
We welcome all who are seeking the presence of Christ and God in their lives, regardless of their denominational affiliation, church membership, or where they are on their faith journey. Communion is a joyful feast for all people of God, and we invite you to participate on the first Sunday of each month.
At the 8:00 am service, we receive Communion by intinction. You are invited to come forward to the front of the church to take a piece of bread, dip it into the cup, and then eat it.
At the 10:00 am service, our Deacons serve Communion. The bread, which is served first, may be eaten as soon as it is received to symbolize that we appear before God one by one. We ask participants to hold their communion cup until all are served and we drink together as a sign of our oneness in Jesus Christ. There is gluten free bread available.
Baptism
The sacrament of baptism is the rite welcoming people into the community and care of Christ's church.
This sacrament reminds us that God's love is a gift, freely offered to all who will receive it. We understand baptism to be a covenant between God, the Church, and the person being baptized, or for an infant, his or her parents; therefore, baptisms are held during our Worship Services.
Baptisms are scheduled with the worship calendar in mind. If you would like to find out more or schedule a baptism, contact us!
Common Fellowship
First Church gathers each Sunday morning in worship to give thanks and praise to a good and gracious God. The members of our First Church family of faith reinforce our bonds to one another when we gather in fellowship during coffee hour after the 10:00 am service (or lemonade on the lawn after the 9:00 am service during the summer). During coffee hour friendships are made and strengthened, the multitude of our mission activities are in evidence at sign-up tables, and all ages gather to support and love one another as we seek to be God’s faithful people in this time and place.
Holidays at First Church
Our faith journeys are marked by seasons of the church year, and throughout the year, we have special services that highlight important parts of our faith and our community. Join us as we celebrate the joys, sorrows and everyday moments together in both our weekly and special worship services.
We come together to give thanks to God and to celebrate our community during special services throughout the year. We love to worship together, and we come just as we are – young and old, full of faith and with our questions, creative and pragmatic, sad and happy.
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Sunday
A day when we honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as the courageous and faithful man that he was. On this Sunday, we are called to action to make the world a more just, peaceful and compassionate place.
Ash Wednesday
The beginning of the solemn season of Lent, when we offer two services, one at noon and one at 7:00 pm. The imposition of ashes is an ancient ritual of repentance, which symbolizes our dependence on God’s steadfast love and mercy.
Palm and Passion Sunday
Held at 8:00 and 10:00 am on the Sunday before Easter. We celebrate Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem with a processional into the Meetinghouse. We then relive the events of Jesus’ suffering and death as the pastors read the Passion story and lay people form living tableaus. The congregation leaves the service in silence.
Maundy Thursday
Service in the Micah Chapel
A service is held at noon and is a solemn and spiritual observance of the last supper that Jesus shared with his disciples in the Upper Room, on Maundy Thursday, the Thursday before Easter. The service includes Scripture and music, symbolic of the flight of the disciples and the passion of our Lord.
Maundy Thursday
Service of Tenebrae
We offer a solemn evening service of lessons and hymns, which are sung softly by the Chancel Choir. Throughout the service, the candles and lights are gradually extinguished, ending in total darkness, symbolizing the flight of the disciples and the Passion of our Lord.
Season of Celebration
The first Sunday in May and each Sunday we have one service at 10:00 am that honors and celebrates various aspects of our ministry, including children, youth, music and justice.
Children's Sabbath
An ecumenically celebrated Sunday that occurs in October. Each year the Children's Defense Fund selects a theme for the National Observance of Children’s Sabbath that encourages prayer, education and service to help children and families.
All Saints Sunday
The first Sunday in November we remember the saints of First Church Glastonbury who have passed away throughout the year. Their names are read aloud during our services, as a way to honor them.
Quiet Christmas
A service held a couple of weeks before Christmas each year. This service is a quiet and holy oasis in the midst of the Christmas rush. It is designed for those for whom the holiday season has perhaps taken on a more poignant mood, due to a loved one’s death, poor health, job insecurity or any difficult life change. All are welcome no matter where you are on life’s journey.
Easter
First Church celebrates with three services. We begin Easter Sunday with a Sunrise Service at 6:30 am on the Micah Chapel patio. During the 9:00 and 11:00 am services, it is our tradition to welcome the Constitution Brass to celebrate the miracle of the Risen Christ with hymns, and organ and brass selections. These two services include festive anthems by our Jubilate Ringers, Chancel, and Cherub Choirs at the 9am service, and our Chancel, Cantate & Cantabile Choirs, and Mallets at the 11:00 am service.
Homecoming Sunday
Held annually on the Sunday following Labor Day as a kick-off to each new program year. We welcome our entire church family and visitors to enjoy a festive Worship Service featuring the music of Ross Tucker and The Hot Cat Jazz Band, followed by a picnic on the church grounds. This is wonderful opportunity to get friends and families together, welcome visitors and hear about new programs and initiatives.
Christmas Eve
Held in our Meetinghouse, which is adorned for the holiday with candlelight and beautiful red poinsettias. The 4:30 pm service is designed for children and families who participate in the story of Christ’s birth through music and pageantry. Children can wear a headdress and are also invited to bring in baby items of diapers, wipes and formula to honor baby Jesus. The gifts are given to area families that are in need. Beautiful candlelight services take place at both 8:00 and 11:00 pm as we celebrate the joy of the coming of Christ with music, Scripture and stories.
Children and Youth Led Worship Services
Throughout the year, our children and youth lead our worship services. These worship experiences emphasize the role of young people in the church and how they guide us today and not just in the future.