New Worship Experience

Mario Bolivar
Oct 9
3 min read

Begins November 9th - 10:30 AM (Sanctuary)

“We have been feeling the movement of God in our midst. Over the past few years, we’ve sensed the Lord calling us closer together — to live, worship, and practice our faith as one church, one body, with one voice.

Through prayer, reflection, and countless conversations with our congregation, Session, staff, and church leaders, God’s calling for us has become unmistakable. God is doing something new among us, and we are about to enter a fresh season of worship.

For 140 years, this church has been a place where generations have met God, found belonging, and served the world. Now, as we look to the next chapter, we believe God is inviting us to grow even deeper in unity and purpose. For such a time as this, we are declaring first united, under the name and purpose of Christ.

So, beginning Sunday, November 9, we are joyfully stepping forward in faith — combining our three worship services into one weekly service where our whole church family will gather together.

This new service will look and feel different and yet familiar — a beautiful blend of our traditions, our contemporary expressions, and our shared passion for Christ. You’ll experience heartfelt worship through music, scripture, prayer, the proclamation of God’s Word, and the celebration of the Sacraments.

It will be both new and familiar — honoring where we’ve been, and joyfully anticipating where God is leading us next. We can’t wait to see what God will do when we come together as one family, one body, one church, united in worship.”

How did we arrive to this wonderful decision.

In our Congregational Meeting of February 2025, the Spirit stirred among us. Through comments, written feedback, and heartfelt conversations, it became clear that there is a time and a season for everything under heaven—and we are entering a season of new beginnings and transformation.

Over the months, Pastor Mario and the Session met multiple times to discern God’s leading. It wasn’t until August 9th, in a special vision meeting with over 30 leaders and coordinators of teams and committees, that the call became unmistakable:

Doing nothing was not an option, and
Simply repeating the past would yield the same results.
Together, we embraced a bold vision—a united worship experience

A experience where our church would exemplify what our nation most needs: a declaration that united we stand. United we move forward #FirstUnited

Following this, on August 27th, the Session officially created the First United Task Force: 11 members of our church and 5 staff, including representatives from each worship experience, chairs of finance, property, generosity, and the leadership of worship and music. This dedicated team began meeting on September 14th, exploring every aspect of our worship experience—the why, what, when, who, where, and how.

Initially approaching the work analytically, the Task Force quickly realized that the best path forward was empirical: to begin worshiping together immediately and learn directly from the congregation’s response. With trust in the responsibility entrusted to them, the Task Force moved from a resolution to a concrete decision: we will begin worship as one united church on November 9th at 10:30 AM. This decision was unanimously ratified by the Session on September 29th, and today, we share it with you officially.

The Task Force continues to diligently plan and coordinate this new experience. Worship will begin at 10:30 AM, with opportunities for fellowship and discipleship formation before and after. You will experience a rich blend of both contemporary and traditional elements, all designed with one central goal: to worship together as one body in Christ.

While some details are still being finalized—including exciting ideas, elements, and technology upgrades—we are filled with gratitude for God’s goodness and faithfulness. God continues to guide us, provide for us, and journey with us as we seek to reflect and reveal Jesus’ unselfish love to the world. We are confident that this process, though ongoing, will yield abundant fruit: purpose, edification, and discipleship.

So, with hearts full of excitement and hope, we move forward, knowing that where two or three gather in His name, God is present with us. Let us embrace this new season together. First United—together in Christ, we remain.

Count it all joy,

Members of the First United Task Force (Member of the Church)

Members of the First United Task Force (Paid Staff of the Church)

Barton Hill | Cindy Curtis | Joy Holifield | Melissa Bolivar

Pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Eustis

Rev. Mario Bolivar, Moderator of Task Force (Voice No Vote)