Due to COVID-19 all in-church events and gatherings, including Worship, have been moved online*. Click here to reach our YouTube page.
First Church is excited to be celebrating the Easter holiday at the beginning of April! Our theme, “A Way Other Than Our Own” is based on the devotional book by Walter Brueggemann. We have been exploring how God calls each of us out of exile to walk a challenging path of love and grace.
First Church offers five Holy Week services
Our first will be celebrating Palm Sunday, 10 a.m. on March 28 via our YouTube page. Palm Sunday, also called Passion Sunday, in the Christian tradition, is the first day of Holy Week and the Sunday before Easter, commemorating Jesus Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. We welcome people from all around to stop by First Church of Christ, Suffield and take some Palms to celebrate Palm Sunday! Record a video or take a picture of you waving your palms and shouting Hosanna! Send it to First Church or tag us on social media. Our palm station will be set up outside of First Church and available to all. Care and safety was used for the preparation for the table and palms, and hand sanitizer will be available.
Our Maundy Thursday service is Thursday, April 1 at 7 p.m. on YouTube. Maundy Thursday is the Thursday of Christ’s final week before being crucified and resurrected. Jesus said this commandment to His disciples after he and his disciples had just shared what was known as the Last Supper. He was washing their feet when he stated:
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” John 13:34
Our Good Friday Service is available on Youtube at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 2. Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. On this day, we remember when Jesus willingly suffered and died by crucifixion as the ultimate sacrifice for us.
Easter Sunday is Sunday, April 4. Hallelujah!
We will be offering two services to celebrate Easter. Our Sunrise Service, recorded at beautiful Sunrise Park in Suffield, will be available virtually on YouTube at 6 a.m. At 10 a.m. we will have our “traditional” Easter celebration service on YouTube. Easter celebrates God raising his son Jesus from the dead as well as the destruction of the power of sin and death forever. It symbolizes the opening of Heaven with the gift of eternal life to everyone. All are welcome and encouraged to join us for Easter Services!
Other Happenings at First Church in April 2021
Our Second Mile Offering will be in support of Revitalize CDC. Founded in 1992, Revitalize CDC performs critical repairs, modifications and rehabilitation on the homes and non-profit facilities of low-income families with children, the elderly, military veterans and people with special needs. To learn more, check out our “Giving” playlist on our YouTube page. Head to our website online giving and consider donating to our 2nd Mile Offering to support this wonderful mission.
The church office is closed on Monday, April 5. Church staff will not be working that day.
Our next session of Wednesday Morning Bible study at 10 a.m. via Zoom will begin on April 6. Our weekly Bible Study led by Rev. Diann H Bailey. For more information on Bible Study, or to join our study group, contact of fice@fcsuffield.org.
Our Blessing Box continues to serve our wider community. Located in front of First Church, it contains resources for immediate support to those in need. Please leave what you can, and take what you need.
*Our Online Worship services include prayers, scripture, sermon and a variety of music through our YouTube page. Anyone who is interested in Worshiping At-Home with us is encouraged to join! Our At-Home Worship services are created in a way that allows you the freedom to worship with us at your own pace and on your schedule. Emails with links and links through our website are available at 10 a.m. each Sunday. You can tune into worship at 10 a.m. on our Youtube Page or you can access our service at any time after the links are sent.
Our newsletter, The Weekly Witness, keeps our friends and congregation informed of our missions, giving, community interaction, online faith gatherings, prayer groups, At-Home Worship, and much more! To sign up for our newsletter emails and our At-Home Worship emails, you can contact the church office at office@fcsuffield.org with a request, or you can go to our Website homepage www.firstchurchsuffield.org, scroll down to “Subscribe” and add your information. Our Worship services are also available under our Announcements section on the top left of our homepage. If you have further questions, please call the church office and leave a message. Our staff and Minister are ready to assist you or provide information as needed.
God bless and stay safe!