Church and religions events

College First FINDLAY — Services at College First Church of God will be held at 9, 10 and 11 a.m. Sunday. The sermon for the traditional service is "Will The Real Jesus Please Stand Up," with the reading from Hebrews 2:10-18. "Tuning Into God's Voice" is the sermon for the contemporary service with John 10:22-30 as the reading. Encounter will meet from 6-7:30 p.m. every Wednesday beginning Jan. 8 with the purpose of introducing youth to their best friend, Jesus. The group will begin with enthusiastic worship followed by various games, snacks, scripture memory and lessons in a fun and loving atmosphere. Call the church office at 419-422-7365 for more information. The next senior fun dinner will be held at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 14 in the church fellowship hall. The event includes food, fun and fellowship. Several soups and chili will be prepared. Those attending are asked to bring a salad, side dish or dessert to share. Drinks and table service will be provided. Following the meal, Kaitlyn Kniss from the Women's Resource Center will share information about this community ministry. For a complete list of church updates, visit the website at collegefirst.org or call the office. First Lutheran FINDLAY — All are invited to attend First Lutheran Church on the first Sunday of Christmas. There will be one service at 9:30 a.m. and no Sunday school. The Rev. Tucker O'Leary will share the message from Luke 2:41-52. Access to the weekly bulletin and announcements can be found on the webpage at www.1stlutheranchurch.org . A video of the service will be available on Monday afternoon and can be viewed by going to the webpage and clicking "Online Services." Food pantry requests for the Blessing Basket, the new Lutheran food pantry at St. John's Lutheran Church in Findlay, include peanut butter, shampoo, bar soap, laundry soap and dish detergent for this month. These items and reverse advent calendar items can be placed on the cart by the elevator or dropped off at the the food pantry on Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. O'Leary continues to lead a 15-minute midday prayer service at 11:30 a.m. Monday through Thursday in the chapel for church members and the community to sit and refocus their day with personal prayer. First Presbyterian FINDLAY — First Presbyterian Church, 2330 S. Main St., will meet for worship at 10 a.m. Sunday, the first Sunday of Christmas. Leslee Kirkconnell, director of connectional ministry, will lead the service which will include singing favorite carols and offering reflections on several of them. Coffee hospitality is available beginning at 9:30 a.m. in the parlor and continues after the service. Childcare for infants and toddlers begins at 9:45 a.m. Good Hope Lutheran, Arlington ARLINGTON — Good Hope Lutheran Church welcomes all visitors to any of the three weekend services - at 5 p.m. today and 7:30 and 10 a.m. Sunday. Pam McCloud will serve as organist for today's service, while Madison Thomas will be the organist at 7:30 and 10 a.m. Sunday. Dan Basinger will sing "A Manger Filled With Love" during the later service with violin accompaniment by Thomas. On this first Sunday of Christmas, the Rev. Steve Ramsey's sermon title will be "When You Don't Know Whether to Laugh or Cry." Sunday school and Bible school for all ages will convene at 9 a.m. with refreshments prior to the start of classes. A nursery is available for any young parents wishing to attend one of the adult classes. Howard UM FINDLAY — Howard United Methodist Church, 220 Cherry St., will host the weekly community dinner Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The menu includes barley vegetable and chicken noodle soups, slider sandwiches, pie and cake. The meal is free and open to the public. St. Andrew's UM FINDLAY — The Rev. Amy Miller will lead a service of Lessons and Prayers at 9 a.m. Sunday at St. Andrew's United Methodist Church. The service includes scripture, music, prayer, a children's message and meaningful sermons. Communion is offered on the first Sunday of each month. The service can also be viewed online at saumcfindlay.org or on Facebook, and it is broadcast live on WFIN radio and WFIN.com . The church has many ministries for participants. Check the website for more details or contact the church office at 419-422-4845 or at office@saumcfindlay.org . The Caregivers Support Group will meet from 2-3:30 p.m. Jan. 8 at the church. The group's purpose is to support caregivers caring for anyone who has any impairment or diagnosis. Contact the church office for more information. St. Marks UM FINDLAY — St. Marks United Methodist Church, 800 S. Main St., will have one service Sunday. The 10 a.m. service will feature local musician and piano teacher Alsbrooks Smith, Jr. He will play several arrangements of traditional Methodist hymns with commentary on the deeper meaning behind the pieces. The congregation will then sing the hymns with a deeper appreciation for the composers' words. The service will be livestreamed and can be accessed from Facebook or the website at stmarksfindlay.org Upper Room FINDLAY — A spirit-filled worship service begins at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at the Upper Room Church of God, 520 W. Bigelow Ave. The series, "Make Room," will continue. This week's message is "Will You Make Room for Holy Spirit." West Independence FOSTORIA — The youth of West Independence Church will lead the 9 a.m. worship service Sunday. Jill Frantz, youth and children's director, will serve as worship leader. The children's moments will be presented by Peyton Hutton and Gianna Tardibuono. Special music will be "The Manger," sung by Peyton Hutton. The scripture, read by Ward Bowers, will be taken from Genesis 1:26-28 and will be the basis of the message, "God, The Creator," given by Libby Stauffer. Following worship, attendees are welcome to gather for coffee fellowship in the Family Life Center. Sunday school classes begin at 10:15 a.m. and offer a variety of topics for all ages from nursery through adult. The church will host the mobile food pantry in coordination with Chopin Hall on Jan. 4. A cocoa and PJ's party will be held from 5-7 p.m. Jan 12 for children ages 4 through fifth grade. The event will feature a hot chocolate bar, crafts, games and a movie. Dinner will also be provided. Register at bit.ly/cocoaPJ's . The worship service is livestreamed on YouTube. West Independence is a Global Methodist Church located east of Findlay at 22876 U.S. 224.