Installation of Pastor Ben
Sunday, April 12, 2026 at 3:00PM
Come Celebrate
Come celebrate the Service of Installation of the Rev. Dr. Benjamin Motz (Pastor Ben) as the settled Pastor & Teacher of First Reformed United Church of Christ on Sunday, April 12, 2026 at 3:00pm.
RSVP by Monday, April 6.
A free fellowship meal will immediately follow the worship service. To help ensure that we have enough food for all, please RSVP by phone at 610-562-2593 or email at Office@HamburgFirstUCC.org by Monday, April 6.
Come Casual - Continuation of Our Beach Theme
For our 10:15am worship service we will be celebrating Holy Humor Sunday, for which this year’s theme is “Jesus by the Beach,” as we hear about Jesus appearing to the disciples by the seashore after his resurrection on Easter morning.
For both the Holy Humor Sunday worship service and the Installation Service we are inviting everyone to come dressed casually and/or in modest beachwear that you might wear along the boardwalk when vacationing at the beach [such as Hawaiian shirts or dresses; beach themed t-shirts or sweatshirts; shorts or jeans; sandals, flip-flops, sneakers, or dock shoes; or whatever casual clothing you might wear to the lake or seashore (please no swimwear)].
Click on this Holy Humor Sunday link to learn more about the annual celebration of Holy Humor and the 10:15am morning worship service.
Attending Clergy
Attending clergy are invited to wear a favorite stole of any color or a red stole. Clergy may wear their stole over their beachwear or casual wear (clergy may also wear a robe if they choose, and/or may wear whatever religious apparel they feel is appropriate attire for this service, from their own faith perspective and/or of the faith perspective of their particular religion or denomination). Attending clergy are welcome to process, sit, and recess as a group with fellow clergy; attending clergy may also chose to sit with other worshipers among the rest of the congregation —- whatever seating would be most helpful for your worship experience.
Special Guests
Offering the Sermon - the Rev. Joseph Motz of Bausman Memorial UCC in Wyomissing
Offering the Children’s Sermon - the Rev. Jennifer Dee of Trinity Lutheran Church in Robesonia
Officiating the Installation - the Rev. Steven Simpson of St. Paul’s UCC in Sellersville, and Co-Chair of the Committee On Ministry of the Covenant Association of the UCC
Representing the Conference - the Rev. Dr. Nora Foust, Regional Conference Minister in the Keystone Conference of the UCC
Offering the Invocation and Call to Worship - the Rev. Mark Jensen of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Hamburg
Representing the Northern Berks Ministerium - the Rev. Paul Buzzard of St. Michael’s Lutheran Church in Hamburg and President of the NB Ministerium
Leading in worship - the Rev. Patrick Morris of Zion Blue Mountain UCC in Bernville
Leading in worship - the Rev. Nicholas Pence of Palm Schwenkfelder Church in Palm
Leading in worship - the Rev. Raymond Jachowski of Zion UCC in Pottstown
Leading the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony - George Holmes, Mayor of Hamburg
In-Person & Virtual
We hope that you will be able to join us in-person. We are also offering the option to worship with us viritually, which you can do so by clicking on this YouTube Live Stream link.
Offering
Half of today’s offering will go to our UCC Lancaster Theological Seminary, where laity and clergy alike are able to develop their gifts in service to God.
The other half will go to the Northern Berks Ministerium’s Emergency Fund to provide practical aid through our shared witness as God’s united church to those in need within our local community.
You may also use a pew envelope to designate a certain amount to each of these ministries, and you can contribute securely online to each of these ministries by clicking on this Secure Online Giving link.
