Worship

Our Worship Style & Schedule

About Our Worship

We welcome you to join us for worship on Sunday mornings! Our traditional worship service is centered around the reading and proclaiming of the sacred Scriptures of the Bible. Each worship service is enhanced by our music program which includes our pipe organ, piano and harpsichord as well as our talented choirs including our adult Kirk Choir, our children’s choirs and our Handbell Choir. Please arrive a few minutes early to enjoy our musical prelude and listen to important announcements about the life and ministry at First (Scots).

We offer many opportunities to become involved more deeply in worship. If you are interested in taking a role in our worship service, please click the button below.

Join One of Our Many Worship Services

Summer Schedule

From Memorial Day to Labor Day we worship together at one summer service at 10:00 a.m. Adult Sunday School is at 9:00 a.m. during the summer.

September-May Schedule

8:45 a.m. Worship, Sanctuary
10:00 a.m. Sunday School, Massie Building
11:15 a.m. Worship, Sanctuary

Mid-Week Worship

Wednesdays 5:00 p.m. Communion Service at Lilly Chapel

Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. Dinner at Molly Wier Fellowship Hall

Everyone needs to be fed! Come meet us at the Lord’s Table during our mid-week worship, half-hour service of communion on Wednesday nights at 5:30 p.m. (from mid-September to mid-May) for spiritual nourishment, and then join us for table fellowship at Wednesday night supper. On the first Wednesday of the month, we often worship in the reflective Taizé style which emphasizes simple, meditative music, scripture readings, prayer and silence. On the remaining Wednesday evenings, we follow a service of evening prayer. This is your invitation to “Come to the Table!” We’d love to host you for dinner!

Special Services

Scottish Heritage Sunday and the Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan
The ceremony of Kirkin’ O’ the Tartan is of American origin, though based on Scottish history and legend. After Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Scottish forces were defeated by the English at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, Scotland once again came under British rule. To control the Scots, an act was passed that forbade the carrying of arms and the wearing of kilts or tartan which represented Scottish heritage. Orders were given for British troops to kill any person dressed in or displaying the tartan. This act prompted the stubborn Scots to secretly carry with them a piece of their tartan as they went to the Kirk. The minister then slipped a blessing (a Kirkin’) into the service for the tartans. The prohibition against tartan lasted for nearly 50 years. When at last repealed, the Church of Scotland celebrated with a Service of Family Covenant, at which time the tartan of each family was offered as a covenant expression for the Lord’s blessing.

Our first Kirkin’ O’ the Tartan took place on September 23, 1973, along with the second annual Charleston Games held the day before at Middleton Gardens. This first special Sunday was named as “Scottish Emphasis Sunday”, changing to “Scottish Heritage Sunday” two years later.

Parramore Sunday
The Parramore Preaching Series was established in 1997 in memory of the late Dr. Redden L. Parramore Jr., a deacon and elder of First (Scots), by his family. The stated goal of the series is to bring annually an outstanding guest preacher to First (Scots) “to glorify God, and to be beneficial to members of First (Scots) Church and the Charleston Community”.

Children in Worship

Children are always welcome in worship. Nursery is provided for infants-2 year olds during both worship services and Sunday School. During both services there is a special Time for Children after which children through kindergarten may go to nursery as well.