First Evangelical Lutheran Church
21 South Bedford Street, Carlisle, PA 17013 (for GPS purposes, use 100 East High Street)
Sunday morning adult faith formation has resumed! We gather from 9:15 – 10:00 a.m. in room 22 (upper level of the Christian Education wing).
Myths about Religion and Politics in America – September 10, 17 & 24 – Dr. Sarah Niebler
Slavery, Religion and the Civil War – October 8, 15, & 22 – Richard Wood
Coffee and tea is available in the Atrium following faith formation, from 10-10:15 a.m.
Join us!
Chancel Choir rehearsals resumed on Thursday, August 31, at 7:00 p.m. in the choir room (lower level). The choir, lead by David Erickson, will rehearse most Thursdays this fall and sing during the 10:30 a.m. worship service 1-2 times a month. The choir will also begin preparing music for the December 17th service of Lessons and Carols.
Please consider joining the Chancel Choir to “Make a Joyful Noise unto the Lord”. It’s not too late! Contact David with any questions, dve@pa.net or (717) 602-7736 (cell).
Our next Fine Arts at First concert will be a bit jazzy. The Creswell Club Dixieland Quintet, who specializes in traditional Jazz music, will be performing at First Lutheran Church on Sunday, March 26, 2023 at 4 p.m.
The Creswell Club is led by bassist Dan Martin and features Betina Hershey (vocals/guitar), Nick Russo (guitar/banjo), Danny Tobias (trumpet) and Dan Monaghan (drums). They’ve played with Cécile McLorin, Bruce Barth, Jon Batiste, Vince Giordano, the Nighthawks, and so many others.
Come on out for a musical treat. Concert admission is free, and open to the Public. A freewill offering will gladly be accepted.
On Wednesday evenings during Lent, we will gather for study and discussion about being mortal, the promises made to us in baptism, historic and new funeral practices, the emergence of “green” burials, and funeral/memorial worship planning. Pastor Leber will share some of her 2022 sabbatical experiences and learnings along the way. Study/discussion begins at 6:30 in the Martin Luther Room and is followed by a brief worship service, concluding by 7:30 p.m.
Through Easter Sunday, the Social Ministry and World Outreach Committee will be collecting items for Lutheran World Relief personal care kits, with a stretch goal of assembling 258 kits in celebration of First Lutheran’s 258th birthday this year!
Items may be dropped off on Sunday mornings or in the church office during regular office hours. Each kit consists of:
First Lutheran Church will be offering quarterly blood pressure screenings on the LAST SUNDAY of each of the following months: January, April, July and October.
Blood Pressure Screening will take place in the Martin Luther Room following each service, beginning January 29, 2023. Subsequent dates will be April 30, July 30 and October 29.
Please plan to participate in our annual “Souper Bowl of Caring” food drive, sponsored by the Faith Formation Committee, to benefit Project SHARE on Super Bowl Sunday. We will have a collection table in both the narthex and atrium before and after both worship services to collect non-perishable food items and monetary donations to benefit Project SHARE. Last year we raised over $650, which helped to fund SHARE’s summer feeding program, helping 430 children have healthy meals over their summer break. Let’s tackle hunger together and continue to generously support Project SHARE’s valuable work in our community!
CONGRATULATIONS DAN WONDER … this year’s 2nd Annual Chili Cook-off winner – 2022.
First Lutheran Church hosted its 2nd annual Chili Cook-off on Saturday, October 8th, from 4-6 p.m. in Festal Hall (lower level). The event benefited Project SHARE and provided an opportunity for some friendly competition!
An exciting program of music by Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frederick Handel, Antonio Vivaldi and Jean Phillipe Rameau. The orchestra of fine musicians from the Central PA area will play a varied program of music from some of our favorite composers from throughout Europe of the early 18th century. Bach flourished in Germany, Handel in London, Vivaldi in Italy and Rameau in France. Join us for a delightful and uplifting program of great music.
Free and open to the public . A Free-Will Offering will be accepted.
For additional information on this and upcoming Fine Arts at First Concerts, feel free to view this Fine Arts at First 2022-2023 brochure.
Pastor Leber will be hosting a book discussion on Sunday evening, July 10th, starting at 7:00 p.m., at her home. We will discuss The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom. Our tradition has been to have some refreshments, converse a bit about the selected book, take a break for fellowship (and more refreshments!), and regroup to wrap up.