First Lutheran Church Of The Reformation

Lending a Blessed Hand

WORSHIP

MUSIC

"Next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world. " 
- Martin Luther

Our choir is open to singers’ age 13+ who want to praise God and make worship more meaningful for their fellow Christians. We sing music from all times and places. As the rehearsed voice of the congregation, we lead the hymns, Psalm, and liturgy. We also delight to prepare and present anthems at worship. The band often plays with us.

We sing at the 9:00 AM service every Sunday of the year taking a week off after Christmas and Easter. We also sing at the 11:00 PM Christmas Eve service, and throughout Holy Week. We rehearse every Wednesday in the choir room off Fellowship Hall. We warm up Sunday half an hour before worship.

We take seriously our role in worship and support one another in our Christian vocation with love and good humor. We pray for one another and the congregation.
We sing at funerals whenever appropriate and possible, in support of the families of our parish.

WEDDINGS

As most major passages in life, it is good to consider and plan for the celebration of a marriage in a deliberate way, with ample time. FLCR’s pastor prefers to work with couples desiring to be married at First Lutheran at least four months in advance of the wedding. Sessions include pre-marital counseling as well as planning the practical details of the wedding ceremony. A rehearsal is normally held the evening before the wedding.

There are fees for the use of the facilities and various honorariums, depending on the staff involved. You may check with the church office for a current schedule of fees. In all cases, the church’s music director acts as the couple’s primary resource for appropriate music and for contracting with any associated musicians (e.g., vocalists, trumpet, violin) for the service in consultation with the couple. In the event the family desires that someone besides the music director play the wedding, the director’s honorarium is still the family’s responsibility, both for the required consultation and for the amount the director normally receives for playing a wedding.

This congregation may be a venue, as well, for the blessing of same-sex couples. Such a ceremony must be planned well in advance in order to meet consultation guidelines and to create an original service.

HOLY BAPTISM

Baptism is the "welcome rite" to the Christian faith. It is confirmation that God’s call is extended to a person to enter into a relationship with the triune God and to find one’s identity as a beloved child of God.  At FLCR, baptism is arranged through the pastor. It usually involves two individual sessions. Baptism normally occurs within public services of worship and is available throughout the year except during Lent. When baptism involves small children, parents are instructed in their responsibilities of raising the child in the faith and are expected, with the help of baptismal sponsors, to faithfully bring children to services of worship, among other responsibilities. We take joy in the task of welcoming all of the baptized into the community of believers, becoming the hands that extend Christ’s call.  Adults are also welcomed to baptism, and the church takes special joy in the education and preparation for adult baptisms.