First Presbyterian Church
The First Sunday of
Advent
November 29,
2009 8:30 and 10:00 AM
THE PRELUDE: A time to be silent in preparation for worship
“Adoration Medley” by Leatherman
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
RINGING OUR HISTORIC CHURCH BELLS
THE CALL TO WORSHIP [Leader/CONGREGATION]
We gather in this day for the sake of coming
days.
WE
GATHER TO HEAR OLD PROMISES THAT POINT TO NEW LIFE.
We come in hope of a Righteous One.
WE COME
IN HOPE OF JUSTICE AND PEACE.
We long for the One whose very name speaks
our hope.
WE LONG
FOR THE ONE WHOSE BIRTH WILL BRING OUR LIFE.
[Based on Jeremiah 33: 14-16]
**OPENING HYMNS # 243 & 244
“Emmanuel” & “Come,
Thou Long-Expected Jesus”
LIGHTING OUR ADVENT CANDLE
THE ANTHEM: “Prepare” by Martin
PRAYER OF CONFESSION (Unison)
HOLY GOD, COMING CHRIST,
AND PRESENT SPIRIT: WE CONFESS OUR NEED OF YOUR TRANSFORMATION. TOO OFTEN WE LIVE IN FEAR OF THE FUTURE,
LACKING TRUST IN YOUR PRESENCE WITH US.
WE BEWAIL WHAT IS WRONG, BUT SOMETIMES DO LITTLE ABOUT IT. FORGIVE US, O GOD, FOR OUR LACK OF TRUST IN YOUR
GOOD PURPOSES. RESTORE IN US THE GIFT OF
LOVE AND THE PROMISE OF HOPE. REMIND US THAT YOUR REALM IS AMONG US NOW, NOT
ONLY THEN, SO THAT WE MAY BE ALERT, WATCHFUL, AND FAITHFUL IN THIS DAY. AMEN.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
RESPONSE # 247
“Let’s Worship and Adore
Him”
CHILDREN’S SERMON
OFFERTORY As a tangible
expression of our gratitude to God, we joyfully offer our monetary gifts to
financially support God's Work at First Presbyterian Church
OFFERTORY MUSIC “God is Our Refuge” by Carter
**DOXOLOGY #814
**PRAYER OF DEDICATION
PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION
FIRST READING OF SCRIPTURE Psalm
25: 1-10 [pg. 502 O.T.]
Scripture Readers: 8:30 – LeRue Werner
10:00 – Gary Bekkering
**THE HYMN OF PREPARATION # 689
“Lead Me, Lord”
SECOND READING 1
Thessalonians 3: 9-13 [pg. 204 N.T.]
THE SERMON “Hope”
Rev. Sandra Murray
THE PASTORAL PRAYER and THE LORD’S
PRAYER
**THE CLOSING HYMN #526
“The Solid Rock”
**GREETING ONE ANOTHER IN CHRISTIAN
LOVE
**THE PASTORAL BENEDICTION
THE POSTLUDE: “Grand
Processional” by Wood
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This Week’s Activities |
Next Week’s Activities |
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TODAY, November 29 8:00 am Prayer
Time 8:30 am Worship
Service NO Sunday
School 10:00 am Worship Service 4:00 pm Community Choir
NO MS Youth
NO HS Youth MONDAY, November 30 TUESDAY, December 1 9:30 am Outreach Ministry Team 3:30 pm Staff Meeting WEDNESDAY, December 2 6:30 am Breakfast
Club @LH 2:30 pm Finance Committee 4:30 pm Choir
Rehearsal 7:00 pm Youth Ministry Team THURSDAY, December 3 7:00 am Men’s Bible Study 9:00 am 1st Place 4 Health 9:00 am Bulletin
Items Due 5:00 pm Christmas Tea 7:00 pm Communication MT FRIDAY, December 4 9:00 am Bulletin
Print 12:00 pm Trustee
Packet Print SAT., Dec. 5 10:30 am Grand
Re-opening of the Lighthouse |
SUN., Dec. 6 Communion Sunday 8:00 am Prayer
Time 8:30 am Worship
Service 10:00 am Sunday School 10:00 am Worship Service 4:00 pm Community Choir 5:00 pm Deacon
Potluck Dinner & Christmas Program 7:00 pm HS
Youth @ LH MON., Dec. 7 12:00 pm January
2010 Newsletter Article
Due 5:00 pm Board of Trustees TUE., Dec. 8 8:30 am Building Comm. @LH 10:00 am Garden
Club 2:00 pm Nurture Ministry Team 3:00 pm Stephen Ministry 3:30 pm Staff Meeting 6:00 pm Christian Education MT @
the home of Pam Bekkering WED., Dec. 9 6:30 am Breakfast
Club @ LH 3:00 pm Worship
Ministry Team 4:30
pm Choir Rehearsal THU., Dec. 10 9:00 am Bulletin
Items Due 9:00 am 1st Place 4 Health FRI., Dec. 11 9:00 am Bulletin
Print 9:00 am Community 12:00 pm Session
Packet Print SAT., Dec. 12
9:00 am New Member Class |
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GREETERS 8:30 Paul & Vi Patchen
GREETERS 10:00 Les
& Joanne Teague
USHERS 8:30 Bob
& Maxine Cameron
Jack
& Barb White
USHERS 10:00 Dick
& Jean Schurch
Rick
& Debi Weir
_________________________________________________________________
OUR ACOLYTE TODAY is
Jordanna Clarkson
PRAYER
REQUESTS: Bea West, Helen Swoffer,
Eunice Winters
CHILD
CARE facilities are available
in order to keep our services in the spirit of worship. The new Nursery is now located on the lower
level. Children who are infants through three years of age are invited.
Assisting our Childcare Coordinator, Melissa West, today are Jennifer Haskell,
Jim Allen and Carol Sinclair. Scheduled to assist next week are Katie DeRosha
and JoEllen Gilreath.
NO SUNDAY SCHOOL TODAY
ADVENT CALENDARS ARE
AVAILABLE IN THE NARTHEX. Please feel free to take one.
LIGHTING
OF THE ADVENT WREATH CANDLES: The
Advent Season begins on Sunday, November 29.
If your family or group has an interest in lighting the Advent Candle on
one of the Sundays of Advent or at one of the three Christmas Eve services,
please place your family name or group name by the date of your choice on the
Advent Candle Sign-up Sheet which is located on the bulletin board in
Fellowship Hall. You may also call the
church office at 264-8167.
CHRISTMAS AT EAGLE VILLAGE - Our church is invited to attend the Christmas Walk
at Eagle Village on Thursday, December 17.
This is a very moving experience.
If you’ve never been, this is a wonderful occasion to visit The
Village. The chapel service begins at
3:45p.m., followed by a reception and then delivery of Christmas bags to one of
the residential homes. For many of these
children, this is their only Christmas present.
Departure time from Elk Rapids would be 1:30 p.m. with return about 9
p.m. If we have enough attending, we will take the church van. Please RSVP to the church office or to Peggy
Bushnell (322-4926) by Sunday, December 6.
YOUR 2010 GIVING ENVELOPES are ready to be picked up! They are on the table in
the Fellowship Hall, in alphabetical order. PLEASE, help the church save
postage by taking your envelopes home today.
SUNDAY SCHOOL LOCATIONS
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Toddlers (18 – 36 months) |
Nursery Lower Level |
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Pre-K – Grade 5 |
Lower Level |
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Jr. & Sr. High |
LightShack |
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Parenting Class |
Fellowship Hall |
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Adult Education |
Fellowship Hall |
I FOUND OUT VERY QUICKLY how hard a floor is when my face came in contact with
it. Thank you very much for prayers, cards, phone calls and kind thoughts, they
are all appreciated.
Bea West
THE MEN’S FELLOWSHIP BIBLE
STUDY AND BREAKFAST will meet this coming Thursday, December 3. We
meet in the library (on the first Thursday of each month) at 7 a.m. for a brief
Bible Study, after which those who wish to do so will gather at T.J. Charlie’s
for a quick breakfast and time of fellowship. Advance reading materials are
located on the table near the library. Men of all ages, come and join us as we
learn, grow, and fellowship together.
THE OWNERS OF PEARL’S
RESTAURANT have generously established a program called HELP
EVERYONE EAT. The first Thursday of each month, 5% of their total
sales will be donated to the Elk Rapids Community Cupboard. Please take
advantage of this opportunity to support the Community Cupboard and enjoy an
excellent meal. Let all of your friends know of this generous program provided
by
DISCOVERING CHURCH MEMBERSHIP Have
you been attending the church for awhile and wondering about church
membership? For some of us it is the
first thing we do – we join the church.
For others it may take awhile to decide to join the church. Some of us have never been involved in a
church and we don’t know what to do or what to expect.
We
will have a single, three-hour class on Church Membership Exploration on
Saturday, December 12, 9 a.m. to noon to explore the church membership with
Pastor Hal and Pastor Sandy. Then on
Wednesday evening, December 16, those who wish to become members after taking
the class, will meet with Session at 7:30 p.m.
New Members will be presented to the congregation on Sunday, December 20
at either the 8:30 or 10 a.m. service.
Pre-registration
is required since advance reading will need to be completed in preparation for
the class. If you are interested in this
opportunity, please check the membership interest box on the attendance
register during the worship service -OR- contact the church office (264-8167).
THE GIVING TREE-
We are again supporting a special holiday project by providing gift cards to
limited income seniors that volunteer with the Foster Grandparents or Senior
Companion Programs. You can choose an ornament from the tree and return with a
gift card in the amount of $10 to $20 to a gas station (Shell or Speedway) or
grocery store (Tom’s or Meijers). The
gift cards need to be returned to the church by Sunday, December 13. Place the
gift card in an envelope, attach the ornament, and then hang the ornament on
the Christmas tree.
CATERED ADVENT DINNER ON
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17 – BE SURE TO GET YOUR TICKETS EARLY! Christmas is coming! Come celebrate our
joy with friends and neighbors at FPC’s annual catered Advent Dinner on
Thursday, December 17 at 6 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. Hats off to Jon
Heeke, who is preparing his extraordinary, mouth-watering chicken á la king
cuisine! Reservations are required, so please sign up and get your tickets on
November 29, December 6 or December 13 in the Narthex, between services.
$8/person, $16/family includes dessert. (Sorry, no tickets will be available at
the door on December 17.) See you there! Fellowship
Ministry Team
A SUCCESSFUL SCAVENGER
HUNT: A big “Thanks” to the youth for their help in
filling the Thanksgiving baskets. The Community
Cupboard
CALLING ALL COFFEE CENTRAL FRIENDS: Do you enjoy coffee, a donut and warm conversation in
Fellowship Hall between services on Sunday mornings? We’re looking for just a
couple more volunteers who would be willing to host a coffee hour between now
and the end of the year. (And of course, we welcome lots of volunteers for
2010, too.) Just sign up on the signup sheet posted in Fellowship Hall. The
coffee and donuts are provided. Vi Patchen will tell you everything else you
need to know. Thank you for your willingness to serve.
CONTINUOUS, ONGOING, YOUTH FUND RAISER: You can donate your returnable (only) bottles and
cans to help fund scholarships for mission trips and retreats for our Youth.
The Mission Statement of First Presbyterian Church
SHARING, GROWING, AND LIVING OUR FAITH IN CHRIST
This we seek to accomplish by
Introducing Jesus Christ to those who do not know Him;
Deepening the faith and commitment of those who already know
Him;
Demonstrating Christ’s way of love in service to the world