Overview of Sunday Services

Sunday services at First Parish delve into the search for meaning in our daily lives. They may include meditation, music, art, heartfelt sharing, challenging sermons and spontaneous humor. Most are led by our minister, but in our tradition of shared ministry, members and friends often conduct lay services on topics as diverse as art and poetry, Islam and Buddhism, love and war.

We draw our themes for worship from many sources:

We celebrate Christmas and Easter but we also celebrate the Buddha’s and Martin Luther King’s birthdays. We mark the turning of the wheel of the year together and explore the lessons of science. We honor our history and look to the future in light of who we want to be in the world. We share stories, sing, pray, and meditate together. Most of our services are led by our minister, Reverend Carol Strecker

Sharing our joys and concerns

A hallmark of our services is the time we set aside for people to come forward and light a candle of joy or concern for themselves, a loved one, our community or the world.

Music

Our choir is open to anyone who might want to join.  It is composed of many different ages, experience levels, and backgrounds, and we sing everything from 4-part a cappella sacred pieces to Cat Stevens.   We embrace all styles of music, believing that every traditional has something to teach us, and find that such diversity opens us to new depths and heights of worship.  If the music is relevant to our individual and collective spiritual and creative journeys, it will find a place here

Sunday Morning Religious Education Meetings

Whether in our meetingrooms, in our Children’s Chapel, or on field trips, our Director of Religious Education and dedicated volunteers provide children ages 3-18 with a balanced program in which adults, children, and youth learn from each other. This program integrates education, ritual, philosophical discussion, social outreach, community building opportunities, and fun time in a caring and nurturing environment.

Nursery care is available for children under the age of 4 years.

Religious Education meetings and nursery care are held during our services at 10:30 am Sunday. (Summer services are held at 9:30 am. There are no RE meetings during the summer.)