First Covenant welcomes you!
Sunday worship services at 11:00 a.m. (Facebook LIVE @ 11:00 AM)
Faith Formation for all ages begins at 9:30 a.m.
Worship Information
Updated September 6, 2023
Thank you for joining us for worship! Please see the information below to learn more about our policies, and other activities that happen on Sunday mornings. If you have any questions, please contact the church office at office@firstcovenanterie.org or 814.456.4243. Our policies are subject to change.
In-Person Worship
- Worship Time: Worship will take place at 11:00 AM in the Sanctuary and on Facebook LIVE.
- Entrance: The 7th Street office entrance will open at 9:00 AM for those joining us for 9:30 AM Faith Formation. At 10:30 AM, the Sanctuary entrance and Zahniser coat room will open. To ensure the safety of our building and those gathering for worship, the office entrance will be locked at 11:00 AM.
- Welcome Table: As you enter the building, there will be a welcome table where you can pick up a copy of the bulletin and complete an In-Person Worship Attendance Form. These forms will be used to track attendance and request additional information about our ministries.
- Seating: You are welcome to sit anywhere in the Sanctuary during worship. As we approach the colder months and the illnesses that come along with it, we encourage you to socially distance from other worshipers. If you need help finding a seat, please ask an usher for assistance.
- Accessibility: Page magnifiers and hearing assistance devices are available upon request. To borrow one of these items, please see a staff member.
- Worship Service: Your bulletin will contain the responses, readings, and hymn numbers that will be shared during the service. Hymnals can be found in the pews.
- Children’s Moment: Children ages 4 through 5th grade will be invited to the front of the Sanctuary for a Children’s Moment, where our pastors share the day’s message with stories and props.
- Kids Church: After the Children’s Moment, children ages 4 through 5th grade are welcome to gather in the nursery for music and crafts. On non-Communion Sundays, students can be picked up from nursery after the service. On Communion Sundays, children will return to the Sanctuary after the sermon to witness Communion and partake if desired.
- Communion Sundays: The first Sunday of every month is Communion Sunday. You are invited to come to the front of the chancel to partake in the bread and the cup. Please take the bread and cup as you receive them and dispose of the cups in the baskets by the chancel. To receive communion from your seat, please raise your hand and an Elder will serve you. Gluten-free bread is available upon request to Pastor or Elder.
- Offerings: Tithes and offerings will be collected from the pews during the service. Offerings may also be made through Realm, or by mail to our office.
- Fellowship: After worship, all are welcome to gather in the Parlor for Fellowship. Light refreshments will be provided.
- COVID-19 Safety: Worshipers are welcome to choose if they would like to wear masks during worship. If you have tested positive for COVID-19, please adhere to the five-day quarantine and worship from home via Facebook LIVE for five days from your last positive test to keep our congregation and community safe.
Worshiping From Home
- Bulletin: Our bulletin will be sent out at 4:00 PM on the Friday prior to the worship service. This bulletin will also include copies of the hymns that will be sung during worship.
- Attendance Forms: Worshipers joining via Facebook LIVE are encouraged to scan the QR code in the at-home bulletin (link in the weekly email) and fill out the brief Google form. This allows us to count you as present for worship.
- Facebook Livestream: Our 11:00 AM worship service is livestreamed via Facebook LIVE. You can find this service at com/firstcovenanterie.
Other Information:
Discounted parking for students: Know a Gannon or Prep or other student attending classes downtown? The church offers deeply discounted semester rate parking for students. Contact joann.peters@firstcovenanterie.org to inquire.
Flowers or “In lieu of flowers:” With the resumption of in-person worship, fresh flowers can again be a part of our worship services. Or you can make a monetary gift “in lieu of flowers.” If you would like to provide flowers, or make a gift toward a ministry of the church in memory of, or in honor of, someone or something, contact Mary Concoby at 814.440.4327. Ministries to support: Vicary Organ, Youth, Sunday Supper, and Our Neighbors’ Place.
Connecting with Pastor Chris: When you wish to contact our First Covenant Pastor, Rev. Chris Weichman, he can be reached in the church office on Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 814-456-4243 ex.103 or anytime at chris.weichman@firstcovenanterie.org
Prayer Chain: The prayer chain is now accessible on a google drive. If you previously received the prayer chain, or would like to, or if
you are having issues accessing the chain please contact office@firstcovenanterie.org
First Covenant Live Church Calendar: The church calendar is LIVE and updated constantly. If you have a smartphone or a computer, you can check it out here: https://tiny.cc/uhf7nz or you can follow the link at the bottom of the home page.
Update the church office with your new contact information: If you have moved, changed your phone number or email address please update your contact information and let the church office know by contacting JoAnn Peters at 456-4243 Ext 110 or at joann.peters@firstcovenanterie.org. If you have a question, send your email to office@firstcovenanterie.org