First Presbyterian Church
410 Second Ave.
Sterling, IL 61081
815.625.0452
firstpresbyteriansterling@live.com
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First Presbyterian Church
410 Second Ave.
Sterling, IL 61081
815.625.0452
firstpresbyteriansterling@live.com
May 1, 2021
At last!
Spring is here, and it feels as if the new life and warmth we are experiencing is even more welcome as we see the Pandemic begin to lift. It has been a very long year since we last gathered in person. I’m excited to announce that we are going to gather again in our beloved building on Sunday, May 23, at 9:30 AM. If you want to worship online, there will still be a service for you.
Welcome Back!
We are a congregation of about 150 people, saints and sinners (all of us are both!) of all ages. We welcome old and young, every race and culture, every stage and place in life, every orientation, LGBTQ+, new believers, searchers, and lifelong Christians. If you identify as “human” we welcome you! Our leadership is representative of lots of “categories” but they all share a commitment to being the body of Christ, loving God and loving neighbor, and seeking justice for all people.
We invite you to join us for worship on Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM. We are not formal; we use new songs and old hymns; we share and laugh, but we take our faith seriously. In a given service you may hear guitar and drums, violin, pipe organ, flute, handbells, keyboard and piano, and a choir — our music is inspiring, beautiful, and energizing! Communion is on the first Sunday of each month and on Christmas Eve and Easter. Everyone who wants to partake is welcome. Everything that is happening is on screens on both sides at the front of the church, so you will know what is going on even if this is your first time to worship with us. We stand up and sit down pretty often, but the leader will usually tell you when to sit or stand. (Or you can just watch everybody else and do what they do.)
We love children! There is a special time in worship just for kids, and we provide activity bags to use during worship. We like to say that the sounds your children make are not noise – they are a blessing! If you do need to step out, at the back of the worship space there is a comfy room with a rocker, changing table, and books and toys. You can still be a part of worship from there. After worship we have Sunday School for children.
The songs, sermon and scripture are posted every Saturday by about 5:00 and are available as a playlist for you to view in its entirety, or as individual videos. You are always welcome to join in communion from home with whatever you have for bread and juice. Right now, Bible Study and most church meetings are entirely online, and will be so for the foreseeable future. You can get Zoom links to Bible Study by emailing us at the church, and you can find our worship service right here every week. Our Youtube channel is updated after worship with videos of live music and special events.