Walk with Jesus on an Easter Journey of Faith
God in our hearts, God in our lives… We are traveling home.
Lent: A Journey into Hope
What is Lent anyway? In the church, Lent is the season of the year that leads up to Easter. Lent is a time to deepen our relationship with God. Lent is often a season in which we focus especially on Jesus’s life and his journey to the cross. As you seek to deepen your relationship with God during Lent, it’s a good time to try something new. Try adding a regular prayer time to the day or try reading one of the gospels in the New Testament, maybe Matthew. The gospel of Matthew is the gospel for 2026. Lent is also a good time to connect with a church, try a Bible Study or to go to special services. We hope some of the events we are offering at First Presbyterian will help you as you Walk the Road with Jesus.
Ashes to Go! Wednesday, Feb 18, Drive in to the Church Tower Portico!
It has long been the custom at the beginning of Lent to be marked in ashes with the sign of the cross. The ashes remind us that we are dust; we are mortal. We need to turn to God and trust God’s creative power to heal the brokenness in our lives and make us new. Our turning to God marks the beginning of our Journey into new life and our journey toward Easter joy.
We’re offering ”Ashes to Go” to the whole community on Ash Wednesday as a “drive through devotional experience” because we want to share the blessing of this day with everyone. We all need God’s healing power all day long, every day!
“The Chosen,” a Lenten Sermon Series, Sundays Feb 1 – Mar 22 April 17 at 6:00 PM.
Pastor Sally is taking a deep dive into season four of the film series “The Chosen,” which can be viewed on Amazon Prime or at https://www.thechosen.tv/en-us. Each week during Lent, in the Sunday morning sermon, we will explore the biblical themes presented in season four of “The Chosen.” Join us each Sunday for this unusual series during one of our morning worship services!
9:00 AM Traditional Worship in the Sanctuary
11:00 AM Journey Café Worship in the lower level Café.
“The Chosen” Bible Studies, Monday at 6:30 PM, Wednesdays at 8:30 AM
Want to dive a little deeper into “The Chosen?” Pastor Sally is offering two Bible studies to supplement the Sunday sermon series. The Monday Night Bible Study (6:30 PM) will actually view the films each week in the Journey Cafe and then discuss the film and related scripture passages in small groups around tables. The Wednesday Morning Bible Study (8:30 AM) will view the films ahead of time at home and discuss the film and related scripture passages together when they gather on Wednesday morning. Bible studies are open to the public.
Annual Ukrainian Easter Egg decorating, Sunday, Mar. 15 (2 – 5 PM)
Once again Pastor Sally will teach us the ancient art of Ukrainian Easter egg decoration called Pysanky! The egg decorating is done on raw eggs with metal tipped styluses warmed by candle flame and dipped in beeswax. The designs are then drawn on the eggs and dipped in successive dyes to create a truly extraordinary egg. The public is welcome to attend. Call the church office to reserve your seat: 574.264.3109 or register on line. An free will offering will be taken to support the continued work of Presbyterian Disaster Assistance in war torn regions of our world.
Palm Sunday, Sunday, March 29.
On Palm Sunday we remember Jesus was welcomed into Jerusalem with great joy and excitement! Join us for worship as we remember the Jesus’ Triumphant Entry. We will decorate with palms at the 9:00 AM Traditional service and at the 11:00 AM Journey Café service, and there will be palms to take home after each service. (Cross folders will be at the door if you would like your palm stem folded into a cross.)
Maundy Thursday Worship, April 2 at 6:30 PM.
The drama, Maundy Thursday at the Jerusalem Café, is at the center of our worship this night. A unique cast of characters who gather at their local café each night hear the news of Jesus’ special meal with his disciples and subsequent arrest. “What does it mean?” they ask one another. Join us for prayer, song and a humorous but compelling message.
Good Friday Worship, April 3 at 6:30 PM
Good Friday is the day of the cross. We remember this day with a second drama from the same series; this one entitled, Good Friday in the Jerusalem Café. The tone is a little more serious tonight but not without hope. Join us again for prayer, song and a compelling message.
Easter Sunday, Apr 5 (9:00 AM and 11:00 AM)
Join us for Easter joy in worship with glorious music, the Easter Story, communion, beautiful flowers and God’s message of Hope! The resurrection of the Jesus brings us hope for our personal lives and hope for our world. God’s love never leaves us alone!
We worship in two services on Easter Sunday:
9:00 AM Traditional worship in the sanctuary
11:00 AM Journey Café Worship in the Café, with children’s Easter celebrations.
Children’s Easter Egg Hunt! (Easter Sunday at 10:15 AM)
We are happy to provide a little extra fun for children on Easter Sunday. Our Easter Egg hunt is open to the public as well as children of the church. Have your children meet Anna on Easter Sunday morning at 10:30 at the back of the Sanctuary for a special Easter Egg Hunt inside the sanctuary of the church!
Check out our Children and Youth happenings!
Our Children’s and Youth programs have lots of special things happening during the Lent and Easter Season. Music and More (our kid’s music club) will be working toward a special Easter performance and enjoying some special Easter crafts as we approach Easter Sunday. Our Youth Group (grades 5 – 12) always has lots of fun activities for young people on Sunday nights. It’s the perfect time for your kids to try out some of the fun offerings at First Presbyterian. You can check out our programs for kids here!
