At various times of the year there are worship services outside of the usual time and format. They reflect a special season or holy time.
LENTEN SEASON Lent begins with Ash Wednesday The season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, and it is our FCC tradition to mark this beginning with the mark of ash and prayers. We gather as an intergenerational community on Wednesday evening, February 22 at 6 p.m. for a brief service, which includes the imposition of ashes and oil as a sign of human frailty and God’s unfailing love and mercy. The service will also include chants of the Taizé community, candlelight, and story. All ages are warmly invited for this interactive and engaging service. Begin the Lenten season with your church family. If you would like childcare for very young children, please contact the church office (541-345-8741). |
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Palm Sunday
April 1, 2012
10 am Worship Service
Traditional Children’s Parade of Palms
Joyful Noise Choir participates in worship
One Great Hour of Sharing—Special Offering
Walk the Labyrinth during Holy Week
The labyrinth is an ancient spiritual tool, used by humanity for thousands of years and found on every inhabited continent. The labyrinth knows no geographical or ideological boundaries. Pilgrims and seekers of all kinds use the labyrinth for prayer and meditation, for healing, centering and calming.
A labyrinth is different from a maze in that it has a single path. Since there is only one path, there are no choices to be made, only the decision to enter the labyrinth. This gently meandering path leads the walker to the center and back out again.
Our labyrinth will be in the Chapel during Holy Week. There will be music to play on CD if you choose. Please remember to remove shoes before using and no food or drink in the Chapel.
Maundy Thursday
April 5, 2012
In the Sanctuary at 7 p.m.
Service with Holy Communion
Join your church family for the Maundy Thursday service. Through music, words, prayer, and silence we journey with Jesus through the events of Holy Week. This powerful, reflective service is an important part of our spiritual preparation for Easter. Childcare is available.
Good Friday
April 6, 2012
Prayer Vigils
On Friday, we will have a constant vigil of prayer in the Sanctuary from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. You may participate by signing up in the lobby for a 30-minute time period. Devotional materials will be available.
Easter Sunday
April 8, 2012
Worship Services at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.
Easter Morning Activities and Fellowship Hour—10 a.m.
- PreK-K (age 5 and younger): meet in Chapel (upstairs)
- 1st-3rd graders: meet in the 1st-3rd grade classroom (upstairs)
- 4th-6th graders: meet in the 4th-6th grade classroom (upstairs)
- 7th graders-High school: meet in the Sojourners classroom (upstairs)
- Adults: gather for coffee hour in Fellowship Hall (downstairs)
The morning's events unfold a bit differently on Easter Sunday, with 2 worship services, special children's activities and fellowship opportunities. There will be no education classes. The worship services are similar with just the variance of liturgists and candle lighters. Childcare is provided for infants through age five (kindergarten) during both services.
Memorial Sunday Service
It is our tradition to light a candle and toll the bell for each person within this church family who has died within the past year. Please call the church office (541-345-8741) if you would like to light a candle for a loved one who has recently passed away. The commemoration will be held during worship.
Vicki Brabham will be leading Taizé worship in the chapel on the second Sunday of each month. Mark your calendars so you won’t miss this opportunity for prayerful meditation and singing every second Sunday.
What is Taizé?
Taizé is a small village in eastern France. For 50 years it has been the home of a Christian monastic community made up of brothers from many different countries, speaking many different languages, and uniquely belonging to several different Christian denominations. Catholics, Anglicans, Protestants, Orthodox and others live and pray together, share a simple life, and welcome the tens of thousands of visitors (mostly young adults), who come to spend time with them every year from all over the world. The community has developed a unique style of meditative singing which focuses on the repetitive chanting of short phrases from the Bible and other Christian texts in a range of languages.
Advent is a time of preparation—a time to watch, wait, and hope. Our church provides opportunities for people to pause, take a breath, and reflect together on the coming of Jesus into the world. An important part of the preparation is the re-telling of the story. We do this as a part of worship each Sunday in Advent and on Christmas Eve. The children are welcomed to the chancel, and the story is read as costumed actors bring the story alive. Children participate by bringing the ornaments they made in Sunday School that pertain to the story. We call it the Advent Children’s Pageant, but it is really for all of us. We need the re-telling and remembering.
Advent Taize Service - Wed. December 21, 6pm in the Chapel
So often the world around us is impatient to experience the shiny brightness of Christmas and overlook the deep shadows and healing of Advent: the Waiting Time—a time of reflection when we are so hungry for meaning. At FCUCC, we hope to gather in this season—honoring the depth of darkness and the gift of simplicity, practicing prayer and generosity, and experiencing the glowing light of Christ's hope for our world. We invite you into the honoring of this Waiting Time on Wednesday evening, December 21 at 6 p.m., when we will gather in the Chapel for a powerful, contemplative service of Taize chants and Advent readings, for candle lighting and anointing with oil.
The Advent and Christmas seasons can feel so loud and overwhelming, while our souls hunger for reflection and healing in this dark time of the year. All ages are welcome to be present for a beautiful evening of song, prayer, and silence. Childcare can be provided for children if requested by Dec. 19. For more information, contact Pastor Melanie.
On Christmas Eve, there are two worship services. The 5:00 pm service is especially geared for families and includes a dramatization of the Story of Jesus' birth. The 10:00 pm service is quieter and includes communion. Carols are sung at both services and many people attend both. Childcare is provided only at the 5:00 pm service.
5 p.m. Family Service
Carols—Children’s Pageant—Christmas Eve Message
"Mary had a Baby" - Ensemble, Joyful Noise Choir
"A Wondrous Birth" - Ensemble, Joyful Noise Choir, Youth Bell Choir
Nursery care available
10 p.m. Candlelight Service
Carols—Christmas Eve Sermon
"Scarborough Carol" and "The Sleep of the Infant Jesus" - Chancel Choir
"Oh Holy Night/Silent Night" - Bell Choir