Advent and Christmas
On the four Sundays leading up to Christmas, we prepare for the celebration of Jesus’ birth through scripture, song, prayer, and worship. Each Sunday, church members lead us in the lighting of the Advent wreath. On the first Sunday of Advent, the generations come together to decorate the church for “Hanging of the Greens” ending with the Lighting of the Advent Candle and carol-singing in the sanctuary.
On Christmas Eve, we have two beautiful traditions. At the 5PM Family Candlelight Service, our children lead us in worship as we hear the Christmas story again through story and song. At the 9PM Candlelight Communion Service of Lessons and Carols, the adult choir, soloists, and instrumentalists help us celebrate the mystery, wonder, and joy of this holy night.
Lent and Easter
Lent is a season of penitence, reflection, and preparation and incorporates the six Sundays leading up to Holy Week, including Palm Sunday.
On Maundy Thursday, we worship at 7:30 p.m. in the sanctuary. We remember Jesus’ last night as we celebrate the Lord’s Supper and the Service of Shadows. Following the service, we are invited to take turns in a continuous prayer vigil through the night.
On Good Friday, we join in a Cross Walk at 10:15, sponsored by the Pottstown Ministerium, that begins “on the green” between Zion’s UCC and Emmanuel Lutheran Churches on Hanover Street. We walk with other Christians to remember Jesus’ walk to the cross and to pray for our neighbors and the “welfare of the city.”.
Easter Sunday Services
On Easter morning, we join with all of creation in singing “Alleluia” as we celebrate Christ’s rising from the grave.
6:30 a.m. Sunrise service in the Peace Garden
7:00 a.m. Easter Breakfast in the Fellowship Hall
8:30 a.m. Worship in the Sanctuary with Adult Choir and Brass
10:30 a.m. Worship in the Sanctuary with Adult and Children’s Choirs and Brass
11:45 a.m. Fellowship Time and Easter Egg Hunt on the Lawn (bring your own basket!)
Services for Wholeness
At least two evenings in the year, usually in Advent and Lent, we gather in the sanctuary for a service of worship to pray for healing in our world, our community, our relationships and in our mind, body and spirit.
Blessing of Animals and Caring for Creation
Each August, on a summer evening in our Peace Garden, we hold a Caring for Creation worship service that includes a Blessing of the Animals. You don’t need an animal to come, but all God’s creatures are welcome – as long as they are on a leash or in a carrier. Refreshments for those on two legs or four legs are provided following the 30 minute service.
Weddings
FPC is glad to share with two people in the joy of their covenant with God and one another in marriage. Because we are a community of faith and we want to support couples in their marriage, the pastors ordinarily officiate at weddings for members where there will be an ongoing relationship with the couple.
The first step for any couple is to set up an appointment with a pastor.
Funerals
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 pastors are ready to meet with families to plan services that are not generic but personal, and give simple and dignified witness to our resurrection hope and to our gratitude for the life of the loved one.
The church has a Peace Garden where ashes are buried. The names of those interred appear on a plaque on the wall adjoining the Peace Garden. Church members and their immediate families who are interested in the Peace Garden can pick up an application from the church office.
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