LIFE EVENTS

Baptism is a God’s unearned gift of belonging and belovedness to God’s children. Through baptism, God washes away a person’s guilt and sin, God raises a person up into new life with the Holy Spirit as a guide and companion. Simultaneously, God grafts the person into the church as an essential part of the community. Presbyterians baptize infants because baptism is entirely an act of God’s grace to people who do not deserve it and can not earn it. At baptism, we make vows to help raise the child in the faith, support their parents, and love their family through every age and stage. It’s never too late to get baptized. If you would like to schedule a baptism for your child or yourself, contact our church office.

Communion is the sacred meal through which God offers us the relief of grace in a sometimes harsh world. At Communion, the Holy Spirit draws us into Christ’s presence and mysteriously unites us with Christians all over the world and throughout time. Christ extends the invitation to the Lord’s Supper and is open to all – believers and doubters, young children and adults, members and non-members. Communion is an assurance of God’s love and grace even for those who doubt. Through this meal, we affirm the promises of baptism and recommit ourselves to love and serve God, one another, and the world. We take communion on the first Sunday of the month (mostly) and at additional special services. For communion in your home, please contact our church office.

As young people mature, they have the opportunity to publicly claim their faith as their own and affirm promises made on their behalf in Baptism through a time of study and spiritual growth called Confirmation. Typically around the 8th grade year, students learn basic Christian theology and what it means to belong to a church. They get to ask a lot of questions along the way. Confirmation is a milestone that develops a young person’s sense of meaning, purpose, and belonging that contrasts with the aimlessness that can come from growing up in the digital age. The Confirmation process culminates in a weekend Confirmation retreat, a Confirmation dinner where students put their faith into their own words, and a joyful Confirmation service in Sunday worship. To sign up your student, contact Pastor Josh.

From the beginning, God created us for relationships and committed to grow us in faith, hope, and love. Those who marry are called to a way of life marked by grace, fidelity, and mutual respect, as they bear one another’s burdens and share one another’s joys. Through marriage, families are joined, friendships are strengthened, and a new community of love is formed. All weddings at First Presbyterian Church must be approved by the Session, scheduled with a pastor, and the couple must receive premarital counseling. To inquire about having your wedding at First Pres Salisbury, please downlaod our Wedding Brochure and contact our church office.

Our Columbarium provides a place for interring the cremated remains of church members and their loved ones. It returns us to the age-old custom of interring loved ones in the churchyard, near where they were baptized, married, and nurtured in the Christian faith. Our Columbarium is a permanent wall structure of niches created to hold the ashes of loved ones who have been cremated. It is located in our fountain courtyard directly beside S Fulton St. To learn about purchasing a niche, please download our Columbarium Brochure and contact Christina Lewis, our church business manager.

Estate planning allows you to make choices about your estate after you have entered life eternal. First Presbyterian Church encourages this kind of planning so you can provide for your family’s well-being and be reassured that your wishes will be carried out. Pre-planning offers peace of mind. We invite members to consider including the church in their estate planning to leave a legacy of faith for future generations. To learn more about estate planning and including First Pres Salisbury in your legacy, please download our Legacy 200 Brochure and contact Pastor Josh.