Church and religious events

First Lutheran First Evangelical Lutheran Church will celebrate the 11th Sunday after Pentecost with members of St. John's Lutheran and Trinity Lutheran churches at the Riverside Park band shell at 10:30 a.m. There will be combined choirs, instrumentalists and preaching during worship. Holy Communion will be served. In the event of rain, the service will be moved to First Lutheran Church, 109 E. Lincoln St. First Presbyterian Worship on Sunday begins at 9:30 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 2330 S. Main St. A "Pop-Up Choir" event will be held. Anyone who would like to join the choir for the day is asked to meet in the sanctuary at 9 a.m. to rehearse. No experience is necessary. The service will be available to livestream at findlayfpc on Facebook. Preschool and elementary children are invited to join the summer story time after the Blessing of the Children. Following the service, a report will be given in the fellowship hall on the church's summer mission trip to New Orleans. For more information, visit findlayfpc.org or the Facebook page. St. Andrew's UM The Rev. Amy Miller will continue in the sermon series on the book of Acts during worship Sunday at St. Andrew's United Methodist Church, 120 W. Sandusky St. She will talk about how the early church heard God's voice. A "Blessing of the Backpacks" for students of all ages and praying for blessings of educators and school staff will be held in both worship services. The church will host the community dinner from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a menu of sloppy joe sandwiches, corn on the cob, salad, fruit, cookie and bottled water. A free monthly blood pressure screening is offered as well. Worship services are offered in person and online (saumcfindlay.org or Facebook page) at 9 and 11:15 a.m. The 9 a.m. service is also broadcast live on WFIN radio and WFIN.com St. Marks UM St. Marks United Methodist Church, 800 S. Main St., will offer two worship services Sunday — a traditional service at 9 a.m. and a contemporary service at 11:15 a.m. At both services, the Rev. Dan Metzger will give a sermon titled "The Only Way?" This is the third sermon in a series called "Bring Your Doubts." Worshippers are also able to view this and past sermons at stmarksfindlay.org by clicking on the "Broadcasts" tab. The church will host a Back to School Bash for the community from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, rain or shine. The event will feature five bounce houses, music, cardio drumming, face painting, temporary tattoos, popcorn and more. The church will offer a 13-week Grief Share program beginning Wednesday. The program is open to anyone who is struggling with the grief of losing a loved one. Classes are held at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., with the same content at both. Call the church at 419-422-4236 for more information or to register. St. Peter and Paul School OTTAWA — A backpack blessing will be held during the 10 a.m. Mass Sunday at St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, 320 N. Locust St., Ottawa. All students are invited to bring their backpacks and place them in front of the altar. The Rev. Scott Kramer will call the children up at the end of the service and say a blessing over them and their backpacks. An open house will follow from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sixth grade parents will serve hamburgers and French fries, and the Kona Ice truck will visit as a fundraiser to support sixth grade camp. Students are encouraged to bring their school supplies during the open house. Students will gather in the gymnasium at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday to start the school year. The new Holy Family statue located in front of the school will also be unveiled. Students raised $25,000 during the 2021-22 school year to purchase the life-size, hand-carved marble statue. Students will also gather in the gym at 9 a.m. Wednesday to open a time capsule that was found in the cornerstone of the old school building. A new wing to the school was completed in August 2021, and the 101-year-old school building was torn down in July 2022. The capsule will not be opened until Wednesday. Trinity Lutheran Trinity Lutheran Church will join First Lutheran and St. John's Lutheran churches for a 10:30 a.m. worship service at Riverside Park on Sunday. A joint praise band will lead the service, and a joint brass ensemble will perform. A mass choir comprised of the three congregations will sing "God is My Rock" and "Prayer for Healing." Communion will be served. "The Three Trees" story and artwork will be on display. In case of rain, the service will be moved to First Lutheran Church with a meal to follow. All are welcome. Upper Room Upper Room Church of God, 520 W. Bigelow Ave., will hold its Back-to-School Blessing on Sunday. Life groups for all ages meet at 9:30 a.m., followed by worship at 10:30 a.m., continuing with the series, "Faith and Works — Taming the Tongue." A church picnic will be held. The service is also available online at urcog.com and on Facebook Live.