Thank
you for stopping by and checking us out. We
have put this page together with you in the mind........the
Visitor, to give you a thumbnail sketch of what our
church, our worship and our ministries are all about.
Located
in Strongsville, Ohio, we hope that you will like what
you see and come in for worship on a Saturday or a Sunday
in the very near future.
Are you interested in joining
First Church or learning more about the
Lutheran faith and our congregation? Questions? Call me,
Pastor Chuck at 330.273.2620 or email me at pastorchuck1@gmail.com
First
Evangelical Lutheran Church
19419 Royalton Road
Strongsville OH 44149-4995
Mission
Statement: To live in the powerful example of Jesus,
and to discover new pathways for spiritual growth.
Types
of Worship Services
The
traditional
service uses a liturgy that consists of historical worship
components. It often includes a choir (instrumental
and/or vocal), sermon, and Communion.
The
music at the traditional
services comes from our hymnal and is usually accompanied
by organ, piano, and brass. You will also hear God's
word in the Scripture, congregation singing together,
a baptism on occasion, Communion and prayers for the
needs of the world.
The
contemporary
service is less formal. There is a worship order but
no formal liturgy. A band leads in the singing of contemporary
Christian songs. Video and drama are commonly used.
A sermon and Communion are included.
The
music at the contemporary
services is led by a band and consists of modern praise
music and contemporary Christian music you might hear
on the radio.
All of our services are family friendly and we welcome
children of all ages.
For
the Children.....
The
traditional
services include a Children's Sharing
Time. Children are invited to come forward
for a special teaching time with the pastors.
Sunday
School is offered for all ages at 10:00
a.m. A nursery for young children
is available during the 9:00 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.
services.
Youth
programs - we have three distinct youth
programs with the individual grades as follows.
Please ask Pastor Kathy for more details and click
on any one to see what current activity is happening
within that group.
(K-5
grade)
(6-8
grade)
(9-12
grade)
Church
Denomination .....
The
Evangelical
Lutheran Church in Americawas
formed over 20 years ago. This new church was
formed from three separate and well-established
North American church bodies:
The American Lutheran Church
The Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches,
and
The Lutheran Church in America.
Beginning January 1, 1988, these churches, with
shared beliefs and missions, officially formed
the ELCA. Two decades later,
this energized church is composed of 4.8 million
members and nearly 10,500 congregations across
the U.S. and Caribbean.
Today, the ELCA reflects the rich and diverse
heritage of the people it serves.
But
to understand our heritage fully, one must trace
our roots back through the mid-17th century, when
early Lutherans came to America from Europe, settling
in the Virgin Islands and the area that is now
known as New York. Even before that, Martin
Luther sought reform for the
church in the 16th century, laying the framework
for our beliefs.
Revelations.....
A complete listing of all of the Church Events
can be downloaded by clicking on the "Weekly
Revelations" or "Monthly Revelations".
The
passing of the peace is a way to greet each other
in the name of Jesus. It's done with a hand shake
or a hug with the exchange of the words, "The
peace of the Lord be with you" or
"God's peace be with you."
It's a reminder that we are members of the body
of Christ.
Communion.....
We
believe that Christ is truly present in the sharing
of the bread and wine. All baptized persons are
welcome at the table of the Lord. All are invited
to partake of both the bread and the wine. We believe
this meal is a means of grace, that is we receive
forgiveness and reconciliation, and are nourished
for active discipleship in the world.
While
they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks
and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying,
"Take and eat; this is my body." Then
he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them,
saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is
my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for
many for the forgiveness of sins."Matthew
26:26-28
Handicap
Access .....
We
have special parking for handicap and van accessibility
in addition to ground floor access to the church
located on the entrance to the right as you look
at the church from the parking lot.
Pastors
open office hours.....
Both
pastors offer open office hours for anyone who wants
to stop by to shareconcerns. It is helpful to call
in advance at
(440) 238-7890 for an appointment.
Drop-in visitors are received on a first come, first
served basis.
Pastor Chuck’s hours are 10 -
noon on Tuesday.
Pastor Kathy’s hours are 10 – noon on
Wednesday
Personal
directions to our church.....
Click
HERE
so we can provide you with "personalized"
directions to our church provided by Yahoo Maps.
The
many ministries at our church.....
We
believe that the Holy Spirit has given spiritual
gifts to each person. Scripture tells us that each
of us has received a gift from the Holy Spirit and
that we are each called to use our gift. It also
states that we are all one body in Christ and that
each member, whether they have a real high profile
gift or one used more quietly, is essential to that
body. Our church community needs you, because without
you, we are incomplete!
First
Church records each week's lesson readings, Gospel
reading and sermon on CD's. If you would like to
hear a sample of one of the many sermons given by
our Pastors each week, please go to our Prior
Sermons page to see all the current and
past sermons from our Pastors.
New
Visitors to our site and Church.....
Thank
you for taking the time to visit our church Web
site and we hope that you can come in and visit
us in person. Perhaps this weekend? :-)
You are the
visitor to our Visitors Page!!
Thank you very much.
Thank
you for stopping by and checking us out. We
have put this page together with you in the mind........the
Visitor, to give you a thumbnail sketch of what our
church, our worship and our ministries are all about.
But
to understand our heritage fully, one must trace
our roots back through the mid-17th century, when
early Lutherans came to America from Europe, settling
in the Virgin Islands and the area that is now
known as New York. Even before that, 
DESIRE!
The
passing of the peace is a way to greet each other
in the name of Jesus. It's done with a hand shake
or a hug with the exchange of the words, "The
peace of the Lord be with you" or
"God's peace be with you."
It's a reminder that we are members of the body
of Christ.
We
believe that Christ is truly present in the sharing
of the bread and wine. All baptized persons are
welcome at the table of the Lord. All are invited
to partake of both the bread and the wine. We believe
this meal is a means of grace, that is we receive
forgiveness and reconciliation, and are nourished
for active discipleship in the world.
Click
