Reformation Sunday remembers and celebrates our roots in the Protestant Reformation and its emphasis on allowing the word of God found in the scriptures to be front and center in our faith. Bibles were translated into native tongues and for the first time in the history of the church, every day people could read and try to understand the message that Jesus was bringing to the world. We celebrate that tradition by giving bibles out to our 3rd graders during each worship service. If you are older than 3rd grade and have not received your bible, tell Rev. Mark or Rev. Josh or Laurie and we will make sure you get one today.
One of the blessings of being a congregational church is that no one tells us what to do or believe. No bishop passes down orders or demands that we hire a particular minister. We determine what our church, minister and faith will look like. We are in charge of the faith, the building and the finances. We celebrate this self-determination in a financial sense on our Stewardship Celebration Sunday at both services. In the service everyone is asked to come forward and place your pledge or pledge acknowledgement card in the offering plate signifying your full participation at the First Congregational Church of Essex Junction. Additionally, if you’ve already returned your pledge, we have stocked the pews with pledge “tokens” (small papers) acknowledging your donation. Families may list their name(s) on these tokens so they have something tangible to deposit into the offering plate. Some people even dance on their way up since belonging is a joyful experience!
