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Worship

Worship is central to our Christian life and faith. In it, we declare and acknowledge God's worth through prayer and by both
the spoken and sung word. Worship is not static, it is active; worship is not just a mood; it is a response;
worship is not just a feeling, it is a declaration. The essence of worship is celebration. As we celebrate God and his goodness,
and as we say and sing his praises, we honor, extol and worship him.

Traditional Service

At First Presbyterian Church we believe that worship is the single most important activity in which a Christian can be engaged. It is the center from which the rest of the Christian life flows. In corporate worship we enter into God's presence in a special way with other believers
in order to give our lives to our Lord so that we can be changed according to his purposes. It is in worship that we see God most clearly, and therefore see ourselves as we truly are. True worship can therefore cause great joy as well as deep sorrow as it both comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable. When we have truly worshiped our Lord we are no longer satisfied with an easy "me and Jesus" attitude. Rather we are energized by His Spirit to re-enter the world of everyday life in order to genuinely love the people around us (even the difficult ones) and to work for God's glory rather than our own.

If this is what worship is all about, then the form of worship is less important than its content. For this reason we have two distinct styles of worship within our one community of faith. Our Traditional Worship Service is most uniquely identified by its style of music and lively structure. Led by the pastor, an assisting elder, and our Director of Music, the worship service flows between music, prayer, scripture and proclamation, as we enter together into God's presence. The music is led by the organ and choir, and includes both lively congregational singing as well as special music designed to touch our hearts in the way only music can. We sing the great hymns of the church. Although there is a common structure to each service of worship, there is no sense of going through the motions, since each service is planned individually, with every element designed to enhance and communicate the central theme and message of the service. As in any true worship service, the celebration of Christ's Resurrection is central, and the anchor of the service is the reading and proclamation of God's Word.

Although the traditional service is more formal in style, it still has the warmth of a community celebration. Feel free to come as you are, for God accepts each of us however we come to Him, with our doubts and faith, our hopes and fears, our successes and failures.

If you would like to worship alongside others who are daily seeking to follow Jesus Christ, or if you just want to explore what Jesus might mean to you, please join us.

Contemporary Service

At First Presbyterian Church we believe that worship is the single most important activity in which a Christian can be engaged. It is the center from which the rest of the Christian life flows. In corporate worship we enter into God's presence in a special way with other believers in order to give our lives to our Lord so that we can be changed according to his purposes. It is in worship that we see God most clearly, and therefore see ourselves as we truly are. True worship can therefore cause great joy as well as deep sorrow as it both comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable. When we have truly worshiped our Lord we are no longer satisfied with an easy "me and Jesus" attitude. Rather we are energized by His Spirit to re-enter the world of everyday life in order to genuinely love the people around us (even the difficult ones) and to work for God's glory rather than our own.

If this is what worship is all about, then the form of worship is less important than its content. For this reason we offer two distinct styles of worship services within our one community of faith. The Contemporary Worship Service is most uniquely identified by its style of music and informal atmosphere. There is an extended period of worship with songs, scripture, prayer and confession during the first half of the
service, followed by the pastor's message. The music of the Contemporary Worship Service comes from a diversity of sources, but mostly from contemporary Christian composers. The music is led by a worship team that uses piano, keyboards, guitars, drums, and other instruments to provide an accompaniment for our voices raised in worship. Except for the preaching of the pastors, the service is led by lay leaders of the congregation. In a practical, down-to-earth manner these leaders help the worshipers to enter God's presence in fresh ways.

Feel free to come as you are. As far as dress, worshipers wear anything from shorts and t-shirts to suits and ties. As far as state of mind and heart, God takes us as we are, with our doubts and faith, our hopes and fears, our successes and failures. If you would like to worship alongside others who are daily seeking to follow Jesus Christ, or if you just want to explore what Jesus might mean to you, please join us.

Thanks to the Central Presbyterian Church for saying it so well....

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