Worship, Music & The Arts

Worship at Our Church

At the heart of the First Presbyterian Church is our worshiping congregation affirming the inclusive love of God, which is made known through Jesus Christ. That love makes a difference in our lives and challenges us to make a difference in the world. We lift our voices in prayer and praise, and music moves and inspires us at a level deeper than mere words alone. Please click the button below to read the PCUSA Book Order introduction to Worship.

Sunday Worship

We welcome one and all to come join us for corporate worship each Sunday in our sanctuary at 10:00 a.m.  You will experience a traditional Reformed liturgy of worship with contemporary relevance. Each Sunday’s service is ordered around the lessons chosen from the Revised Common Lectionary. The order of service and liturgy and music helps to focus us on the Good News of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and offers spiritual refreshment and social reorientation for the week ahead.  All are welcome, saints and sinners, believers and doubters alike!

SPECIAL SERVICES

Using the Revised Common Lectionary, we move through the liturgical calendar and celebrate the various seasons and holidays with the larger church. The church year begins with the season of Advent, and moves through the holiday seasons of Christmas, Epiphany, Lent (beginning with Ash Wednesday), Holy Week (with Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services), Easter, Pentecost, Trinity and Ascension Day, then moves into “Ordinary Time,” a long period that moves through the summer until the end of the liturgical calendar with Christ the King Sunday. The cycle begins again with Advent. The FPCNC normally joins with the larger Church to observe these seasons and holidays, and also acknowledges throughout the year other special days like communion on the first Sunday of the month, World Communion Sunday in October, Stewardship Dedication (Walk Forward Sunday), and Sundays when we celebrate the sacrament of Baptism for both infants/children and/or adults who have come
to faith, and Confirmation Sunday. 

We also offer the ministry of celebrating wedding services as well as memorial services for our loved ones.

CHRISTIAN WORSHIP: AN INTRODUCTION

Glory To God

Christian worship gives all glory and honor, praise and thanksgiving to the holy, tri- une God. We are gathered in worship to glorify the God who is present and active among us—particularly through the gifts of Word and Sacrament. We are sent out in service to glorify the same God who is present and active in the world. 

Grace and Gratitude

God acts with grace; we respond with gratitude. God claims us as beloved children; we proclaim God’s saving love. God redeems us from sin and death; we rejoice in the gift of new life. This rhythm of divine action and human response—found throughout Scripture, human history, and everyday events—shapes all of Christian faith, life, and worship. 

God’s Covenant

The Old Testament tells the story of God’s steadfast love from generation to genera- tion. To Adam and Eve, to Noah and his family, to Abraham and Sarah, to Moses and Aaron, and to the house of David, God made everlasting promises of faithfulness, calling the people to respond in faith. In the fullness of time, God made a new and everlasting covenant with us through Jesus Christ. 

Jesus Christ

“Fully human, fully God”, Jesus Christ came into the world to show God’s love, to save us from sin, and to offer eternal, abundant life to all. Jesus is God’s Word: spoken at creation, promised and revealed in Scripture, made flesh to dwell among us, crucified and raised in power, interceding for the redemption of the world, returning in glory to judge and reign forever. Scripture is God’s Word: the Old and New Testaments together testify to Jesus Christ. Proclamation is God’s Word: we bear witness in word and deed to the good news of Christ our Savior. 

Jesus Christ is the embodiment of God’s gracious action in history and the model for our grateful response to God. In Jesus we find the full and clear revelation of who God is; in him we also discover who God is calling us to be. Therefore we worship Jesus Christ as Lord, even as he leads us in the worship and service God desires. 
The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is “the giver and renewer of life”, who instills our faith and enables us to follow Jesus Christ. The Scriptures describe how the Spirit moved at the dawn of creation, anointed Christ in baptism, raised Jesus from the dead, and was poured out on the Church at Pentecost. The same Spirit is still at work in the life of the Church and the life of the world. 

The Holy Spirit manifests God’s gracious action and empowers our grateful re- sponse. The Spirit gathers us for worship, enlightens and equips us through the Word, claims and nourishes us through the Sacraments, and sends us out for service. To each member of Christ’s body, the Spirit gives gifts for ministry in the Church and mission in the world. 
Word and Sacrament

In Christian worship Jesus Christ is truly present and active among us, by the power of the Holy Spirit, through the gifts of Word and Sacrament. Wherever the Scriptures are read and proclaimed and the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are celebrat- ed, the Church bears witness to Jesus Christ, the living Word, and proclaims the mystery of faith. Through these means of grace, God imparts and sustains our faith, orders our common life, and transforms the world. Through these same acts of worship, we share in the life of the Spirit, are united to Jesus Christ, and give glory to God. 

Worship and the Church
God’s gifts of Word and Sacrament establish and equip the Church as the body of Christ in the world. The mission of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church flows from Baptism, is nourished at Lord’s Supper, and serves to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to all. In the same way, the Church’s ministry emerges from the font, arises from the table, and takes its shape from the Word of the Lord. Therefore the worship of the triune God is the center of our common life and our primary way of witness to the faith, hope, and love we have in Jesus Christ. 

To be a Christian is to worship Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. To be a member of Christ’s body, the Church, is to share through Word and Sacrament in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit.
VOLUNTEER!

Upcoming Sunday Worship Schedule

  • October 6 @ 10 AM – Twenty-seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time
  • October 13 @ 10 AM – Twenty-eighth Sunday of Ordinary Time
  • October 20 @ 10 AM – Twenty-ninth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Dr. Christiane Hearlson – Guest Preacher & Lecturer)
  • October 27 @ 10 AM – Thirtieth Sunday of Ordinary Time 
  • November 3 @ 10AM – Thirty-first Sunday of Ordinary Time (All Saints Day)
  • November 10 @ 10AM – Thirty-second Sunday of Ordinary Time
  • November 17 @ 10AM – Thirty-third Sunday of Ordinary Time
  • November 24 @ 10AM – Reign of Christ
  • December 1 @ 10AM – First Sunday of Advent
  • December 8 @ 10AM – Second Sunday of Advent
  • December 15 @ 10AM – Third Sunday of Advent
  • December 22 @ 10AM – Fourth Sunday of Advent
  • December 24 @ 5PM – Family Service & Pageant
  • December 24 @ 10PM – Lessons and Carols 

Sunday Morning Childcare

We have dedicated child care for any child during our Sunday morning worship service. This service is available from 8:45-11:30am – parents please drop off your children at the main level Nursery School entrance inside and pick them up after service.

Wee Care Nanny Agency provides nannies and services.  Wee Care is located at 21 Fifth Street, 1st Floor, Stamford, CT 06905 at 203-359-8410.  Click their website for more information.  If you want to hire babysitters for your personal needs, please contact them directly and do not go through our hired nannies.

Special Church

Thursdays from 3:30 – 5:00 pm
Bliss House Common Room

Special Church is a program for adults and teenagers with Special Needs.  The group gathers for fellowship and spirituality every Thursday during the academic year.  We begin with fellowship time as we all gather and share news of our week’s activities.  We then work on a craft project which is often linked to the church calendar, and of course, music is a very important part of the Special Church.

For more information on Special Church, contact Wendy in the Church Office at 203-966-0002 (ext. 1).

Life Events

“Let the little children come to me… for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.”
 — Matthew 19:14

Baptism is the sign and seal of God’s grace and covenant in Christ. As The Book of Order of the Presbyterian Church (USA) explains, baptism signifies the faithfulness of God, the washing away of sin, rebirth, putting on the fresh garment of Christ, and adoption into the covenant family of the church.

The baptism of children witnesses to the truth that God’s love claims people before they are able to respond in faith. The congregation, on behalf of the whole church, assumes responsibility for nurturing the baptized children in the Christian life, and it is for this reason that the congregation makes such a promise during the service.

The baptism of adults upon profession of faith – for those who were not baptized as a child – witnesses to the truth that God’s gift of grace calls for fulfillment in a response of faithfulness.

In the unison prayer we also remember that we too were baptized and as children of God are part of the worldwide family of faith.

To schedule a baptism please contact Wendy Starr in the church office at 203-966-0002 (ext. 1) or via email at wendy@fpcnc.org.
The PCUSA Book of Order reminds us that as Christians, a memorial or funeral service is an opportunity to stand with those in grief and mourning and give witness to the Resurrection hope we have in Christ:

Witness to the Resurrection
In Baptism each Christian shares in Christ’s dying and rising, and receives the promise of eternal and abundant life in him. We understand the Christian funeral to be the completion of Baptism. In the face of death, we affirm with tears and joy the good news of the gospel and the hope of the resurrection. We do not grieve in isolation, but are sustained by the power of the Holy Spirit and the community of faith. 

The Session of the FPCNC welcomes the opportunity to offer pastoral care and support for members and friends of our congregation. We welcome the opportunity to surround those in grief with the love and compassion of Jesus Christ, and will work with families of those who have died to provide a funeral or memorial services that are simple, dignified, expressive of good stewardship, bear witness to resurrection hope, and convey the centrality of Christian community. 

Setting for the Service
The service of witness to the resurrection is normally held in the sanctuary, demonstrating continuity with the community’s faith, life, and hope. When there are important reasons not to hold the service in the usual place of worship, it may be held in another place, such as a home, funeral home, crematorium, or graveside. It may be observed on any day, and may, with the approval of the session, occur as a part of the Service for the Lord’s Day. The service may take place before or after the committal of the body. The service is under the direction of the pastor, but others may be invited to share in leadership at the discretion of the pastor. 

The Memorial Garden and Columbarium are located on the property of the FPCNC and are available for 

For more information on arranging to meet with the pastor to discuss preparations for a memorial or funeral service, please contact Wendy Starr in the Church office at 203-966-0002 (ext. 1) or via email at wendy@fpcnc.org.

At First Presbyterian Church, weddings are occasions of both joy and reverence—joy because of the gifts of love and happiness that two people have found in each other, and reverence because of the deep commitment they have made to live out their vows under the grace of God. First Presbyterian Church is eager to help make your wedding a lovely and meaningful event and asks your careful attention to the following guidelines:

The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA) includes the following principles regarding marriage and weddings in the church:

Christian Marriage
In Baptism, each Christian is claimed in the covenant of God’s faithful love. Marriage is a gift God has given to all humankind for the well-being of the entire human family. Marriage involves a unique commitment between two people, to love and support each other for the rest of their lives. The sacrificial love that unites the couple sustains them as faithful and responsible members of the church and the wider community. In civil law, marriage is a contract that recognizes the rights and obligations of the married couple in society. In the Reformed tradition, marriage is also a covenant in which God has an active part, and which the community of faith publicly witnesses and acknowledges. 

Preparing for Marriage

If they meet the requirements of the civil jurisdiction in which they intend to marry, a couple may request that a service of Christian marriage be conducted by a minister of the Word and Sacrament† in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), who is authorized, though not required, to act as an agent of the civil jurisdiction in recording the marriage contract. A couple requesting a service of Christian marriage shall receive instruction from the minister of the Word and Sacrament, who may agree to the couple’s request only if, in the judgment of the minister of the Word and Sacrament, the couple demonstrate sufficient understanding of the nature of the marriage covenant and commitment to living their lives together according to its values. In making this decision, the minister of the Word and Sacrament may seek the counsel of the session, which has authority to permit or deny the use of church property for a marriage service. 

The Service

A wedding at First Presbyterian Church is an act of worship. Thus, the wedding service will be conducted according to the liturgy found in the Presbyterian Book of Common Worship. It is appropriate for the service to include special music, hymns, Scripture readings, and a brief homily by the minister. The presiding minister will review the order of service and appropriate options with the couple.

Presiding Minister & Organist

Ordinarily, a minister on the staff of First Presbyterian Church will be the presiding minister at all weddings. The presiding minister from First Presbyterian Church has primary responsibility for the order and conduct of the wedding service. Other clergy may participate at the invitation of the presiding minister. If you wish to include an assisting minister who is not on the staff of First Presbyterian Church, please make your request to the presiding minister.

The presiding minister designated to officiate at the service will contact the couple and set up an appointment to meet with them to counsel and to plan the service. Please know that his or her schedule may limit the minister’s participation to the rehearsal and the service, and therefore he or she may not be able to attend the rehearsal dinner or reception.

Ordinarily, our Director of Music and Fine Arts, Terence J. Flanagan, will be the organist at all weddings.  He will work with you on all musical selections.  If you wish to have an organist other than First Presbyterian’s, please make your request to Terry Flanagan at 203-408-2861 or via email at terry@fpcnc.org.

Readings

There is ordinarily one to two readings from the Bible in each wedding ceremony. A list of suggested appropriate passages will be provided to you by the presiding minister.  Readings from outside of the Bible will need to be approved by the presiding minister from First Presbyterian Church.

Music

Because the wedding service is an act of worship, music should be sacred and appropriate for formal liturgical worship. Our Director of Music and Fine Arts, Terence J. Flanagan, will assist you in choosing appropriate music for your service.  An additional fee will be charged for soloists and/or instrumentalists. Guest instrumentalists and soloists must be approved by our Director of Music and Fine Arts.

Digital Guest Book!

Our digital signature guest book will help us track attendance and provide you with the opportunity to give us any feedback you would like about our services.  Please click the button below and fill out the form. 

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