About Our Church

Welcome to First URC of Oak Lawn!

You will find authentic fellowship and friendly people at First URC, for "we proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:3).

​

​

Our Name:

​

UNITED reminds us that we are united through faith to Jesus Christ, our only Savior and Lord. As members of His body we are also united one with another in Christian love and service.

​

REFORMED indicates that this church stands in the tradition of the historic Protestant Reformation, and accepts the entire Bible as the authoritative Word of God, our only rule of faith and life.

​

CHURCH tells that we belong to the family of believers, of which Jesus Christ is the Head, and only Ruler and King. We proclaim the entire Bible as the infallibly inspired Word of God and stand committed to the Biblical teachings as expressed in the historic creeds of Christianity.

​

​

Why We Worship the Way We Do:

​

Reformed churches have historically structured their services with an effort to worship God reverently, thoughtfully, in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). This guide may be of help understanding why we worship the way we do:

​

Call to Worship: The Lord summons us to worship Him through the reading of an appropriate passage of Scripture.

​

Silent Prayer: We pray individually for the Lord's blessing on our corporate worship.

​

God's Greeting (Votum and Salutation): In the Votum, we confess our need for help from the Maker of Heaven and Earth, not only in our worship, but in all things. In the Salutation, God welcomes us and assures us of His grace, mercy, and peace.

​

Psalter or Hymn of Praise: We extol the Lord in singing.

​

Reading of God's Law: The Law reveals God's will for our lives and drives us to Christ as we confess our inability to keep the Law and trust in His forgiveness. The Law and the Gospel go hand in hand.

​

Psalter or Hymn of Confession and Assurance: We sing of our sin and of our Redeemer, taking up in song the heart's reliance on God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

​

Congregational Prayer: We bring both praises and petitions to the Lord recognizing our constant dependence on Him.

​

Offerings and Tithes: We express our gratitude through the grace of giving.

​

Psalter or Hymn of Preparation: Singing prepares us to hear the Word of God.

​

Sermon: The Lord speaks to His people through His Word and His servant.

​

Prayer of Application: We ask God to apply His Word to our lives.

​

Benediction: The Lord dismisses us with His blessing.

​

Doxology: We celebrate the glory and supreme majesty of God and our need for His continual presence in our lives.

​

We freely acknowledge that our form of worship, whether in the morning or in the evening, is not the only acceptable form of worship. But we can also be thankful for the structure in worship that helps us worship with reverence and awe, remembering that our God is a God of order who tells us to do everything in a fit and orderly way (1 Corinthians 14:40).