Pastor – Teacher – Shepherd
Pastor Harlan Seri has a passion for teaching the word of God. He brings the Bible into today’s world through thoughtful and well-researched lessons and discussions.
Prior to becoming a Pastor, he was a teacher. He has a master’s degree in theological studies from Northwestern College of St. Paul, Minnesota, and has many years of experience leading churches. Always a student, he has also taken classes at the doctorate level at Bethel Seminary as well as the Institute of Lutheran Theology.
When not caring for his flock or working on sermons, you may find him on the pickleball court or riding his bike!
Who are we?
First Congregational Church is a congregational,
interdenominational church family. People come from many
different church traditions and have found a common bond
around the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Our Mission
We hold the firm conviction that the most profound choice an individual can make is to surrender their life to Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Our church's mission is centered on introducing people to Jesus, providing guidance, and support, and equipping one another to serve Him with unwavering devotion. We embrace the Bible as the infallible Word of God, and it serves as the cornerstone guiding our lives and beliefs.
What we Believe
The Bible
We believe the Bible, consisting of the Old and New Testaments, to be the only inspired inerrant, infallible, authoritative Word of God written.
Redemption
We believe that for salvation of lost and sinful man, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.
Spiritual Unity
We believe in the spiritual unity of all believers in Christ.
The Trinity
We believe that there is one God,
eternally existent in three persons:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The Church
We believe that the Church, composed of true believers, is that Body of Christ on earth, and that Jesus Christ is the sole head of the Church.
The Holy Spirit
We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, by Whose indwelling power and fullness the Christian is enabled to live a godly life in this present world.
The Lord Jesus Christ
We believe in the deity of Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and is the means to attaining eternal salvation.
The Two Sacraments
We believe there are two sacraments to
be shared among God’s people on the basis of faith and obedience, these two sacraments being:
Lord’s Supper
Baptism
The Resurrection
We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost – they that are saved unto the resurrection of life, and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.