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Phones: 253-7698 • Phone/Fax: 253-8668 Email: chccucc@myfairpoint.net • Website: www.chccucc.org | ||||
Pastor..................................................... Reverend Carol Asher Home Phone: 744-7864 E-mail: clsasher2@aol.com Ministers.............................................................. All Members Director of Music............................................ Secretary............................................................. Diane Lamper Ukama/Partner........ |
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This Week in Our Church Family
Boldface = Church-sponsored events
Sunday (1/10) 10:00 am Worship and
11:00 am Fellowship and Refreshments in Gilpatric Hall
5:30 pm Beach Party
Monday (1/11) 9:00 am T’ai Chi
Tuesday (1/12) 7:30 am Spirituality
5:30-6:30pm
7:30 pm Trustees
Wed. (1/13)
Thursday (1/14) 6:30 pm T’ai Chi
Friday (1/15)
Saturday (1/16)
Sunday (1/17) 10:00 am Worship and
11:00 am Fellowship and Refreshments in Gilpatric Hall
Thank You to Today’s Volunteers
Ushers: | Nursery Care: | Gabby Smith | |
Liturgist: | Greeters: | ||
Acolytes: | Madison Smith and Emma O’Hearn | Fellowship Hosts: | Palmer and Dorrie Smith |
January 10, 2010 10:00 a.m.
Morning Worship
Large print bulletins available—please ask an usher.
An asterisk (*) indicates “Please stand if you are able.”
Gathering for Worship
PRELUDE “O Mensch Bewein Dein Sunde Gross” Bach
IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH (announcements)
PREPARING THE WAY “Favorable Year of the Lord” (Isaiah 61:1-2)
Entering into Worship
CHORAL INTROIT
RESPONSIVE CALL TO WORSHIP
L: Listen to the good news. Emmanuel is here! God is with us, this day and every day.
P: Because God is with us, we can face each day with courage. We can find some good in everything, for we are never completely alone.
L: God’s goodness sometimes seems like a trickle, sometimes pulsing spurts, and sometimes a mighty flood. But always God is with us.
All: We worship you, O God, for your goodness. We praise you with our songs. We seek you in our prayers. We offer ourselves to you because you are our God.
*OPENING HYMN “God of Grace and God of Glory” (v. 1, 4, 5) Hymn #464
*GATHERING PRAYER (in unison)
Bounteous and Generous God, you have offered us the fullness of life in this world and in Jesus Christ. You have created us and invited us to take responsibility for this creation. We thank you that you seek us out on the roadways of life, even before we ask for guidance. Clothe us in righteousness so that we may be worthy stewards of your creation and grace. We pray in the name of the Savior who was born to us and now leads us in your righteous realm, yes Jesus Christ, who taught us to say: “Our Father…”
*LORD’S PRAYER (using “debts”)
CHILDREN’S STORY “The Work of Christmas”
*PASSING OF THE PEACE
(Children will leave to go to their classes at the beginning of this greeting time.)
*HYMN “Pass It On!” Hymn #477
A Time of Sharing
PRAYER JOYS AND CONCERNS
Darkness is everywhere, but God doesn’t give in to the darkness, not even when we do. God comes to us in the midst of darkness and offers us light and hope.
ANTHEM “Prayer Of Saint Francis”
CALL TO PRAYER
“Lord, listen to your children praying; Lord, send your Spirit in this place.
Lord, listen to your children praying. Send us love, send us power, send us grace.”
PASTORAL PRAYER
CHORAL RESPONSE
MOMENT FOR
OFFERING
Organ Offertory “Holy Wisdom” Michaels
*Doxology (sung by the people) #379
Accept, O God, the gifts we bring of spirit and of clay,
Transform them into blessings on those we serve today.
Rekindle deep within us all a passion to fulfill
The ministry disciples have, empower’d to do your will.
*Prayer of Dedication
Reflecting on God’s Word
SCRIPTURE Genesis 28: 10-22 p. 25 OT
SERMON “Jacob’s Vow”
Sending
*CLOSING HYMN “God, Whose Giving Knows No Ending” Hymn #606
*BENEDICTION
ORGAN POSTLUDE “Postlude in D Minor” Bach
(Take these few moments during the postlude to prepare yourself to leave this safe place and go out into the world to carry Jesus’ love and do the work of Christmas.)
The Work of Christmas
When the star in the sky is gone; when the kings and princes are home; when the shepherds are back to their flocks; then the work of Christmas begins--to find the lost, to heal the broken, to feed the hungry, to release the prisoners, to rebuild the nations, and to bring peace to all peoples.
Such a debt! (Earl Johnston)
We are all born into this world owing so much. Our debts throughout a lifetime pile up faster than we can pay them off. The dream of being debt free and wealthy is a false dream. Until you die you will owe more than you can pay.
What do you owe your parents? What do you owe your country? What do you owe your church? Answering just these three questions puts out of sight our ability to be free.
Agreeing that we are helplessly indebted should not paralyze us but should energize us to be responsible and enthusiastic about repaying.
This is why the church can realistically ask its members to support the church with their prayers, time, gifts and money. It is the best way to respond positively to paying God for life and love.
So, acknowledging your debts brings a strange joy because you can begin really accepting the fact that you are loved. As you give of yourself, Christianity is a proclamation of your indebtedness and God’s grace.
The Leftovers!
If God is important in our lives, we cannot give him half-hearted leftovers of our time, talents and money. Suppose you invited a guest for dinner--some prominent person--and then when all were seated at the table you said to him, “You must wait. When we’ve finished, we’ll scrape the plates and you can have what’s left.” Your guest would be indignant and insulted. The proper procedure is to offer the guest the first and best portion.
Some people are very polite at dinner. They even start the meal by inviting God, perhaps with the old prayer: “Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest.” But when it actually comes down to the nitty-gritty, they give God what’s left over--scraps of time, minutes they don’t know what else to do with; scraps of their mind, for they know a mass of secular statistics but little of the Bible; scraps of their money, small change they can easily spare.
Stewardship Creed and Commitment
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator and Owner of all things, who gave them to us for our use, and for us as stewards to have dominion over all things placed in our hands.
I believe that we have willfully rebelled against God and in our disobedience have misused our dominion and heritage for our own selfish purposes.
I believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God who by His life, death, and resurrection has made possible the forgiveness and restoration of repentant people. In this belief I have accepted Christ as Lord, the Lover and Redeemer of all humankind.
I believe in the Holy Spirit who inspires and empowers us to share partnership with God in the fulfillment of His plans for all of His creation and in His purpose to reconcile the world unto Himself.
I believe in the church as God’s instrument for the revelation of and the coming of His Kingdom; and through His church we are to serve our Lord as Christian stewards with our lives and our love.
I believe that a steward is a person on a mission who must give an accounting to God and to humankind for what we do with what we have been given.
I believe that stewardship is a Christian experience which is total commitment of the total person to the total task which Christ has entrusted to us. Tithing and proportionate giving are evidence of our acceptance of that trust.
I believe that in answer to God’s love and call to us, we now must accept our responsibilities as stewards and commit ourselves to administer and increase all the gifts and goods He entrusts to our hands as a Trustee of His Estate.
“Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation. Everything old has passed away. See, all things have been made new! 2 Corinthians 5:17
This verse is for you to think about and learn. Adults, please help your smaller children learn the part that is bolded.
Announcements
Welcome
“How precious is your steadfast love, O God! All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings” (Psalm 36:7). Here it is safe to come as we are into the presence of the Holy One. Here we will find rest for the day with strength for the journey ahead. Take a moment to greet those around you, beginning with someone you don’t know. To those who are visiting with us today, welcome! Your presence is a blessing we hope to enjoy again soon! ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Beach Party
Join us today at 5:30 p.m. for a beach party in Gilpatric Hall. Bring your beach wear (get creative!), sunscreen, lawn chairs and beach blankets, beach games and appropriate beach “munchies”! (Hot dogs will be available.)
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Soup Kitchen
On Tuesday, January 19th, we will take our turn preparing, setting up, serving and cleaning up at the Soup Kitchen. This is a great opportunity to see the wonderful ministry that “happens” in Gilpatric Hall each week.
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The Christmas Fund
THE CHRISTMAS FUND (formerly “Veterans of the Cross”), benefits those who have served the church as professional leaders. This offering provides bonus checks at Christmas-time, emergency grants for crises faced by low-income clergy and widowed spouses, and supplements small pensions and health-plan costs for clergy in need; church leaders with no expectations of growth in earning power are able to cope, with your help. Our January mission is THE CHRISTMAS FUND. Please say “thank you” to those professional leaders who have served us well in the past and share some of your blessings by contributing generously to the CHRISTMAS FUND. God is still speaking (through you!)
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Volunteers Needed
Please, please, PLEASE! Sign up on the list in Gilpatric Hall for the privileged positions of liturgist, ushers, greeters and fellowship hosts during the month of January. Please contact Steve Weeks at 476-8404 if you have any questions.
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Offering Envelopes
There are offering envelopes available in Gilpatric Hall. Please sign your name next to the number of the envelopes that you take. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Hand Sanitizer
Wall-mounted hand sanitizer dispensers have arrived! They are located by the front entrance of the church and by the name tag board in Gilpatric Hall. Use them!
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Board and Committee Members
Please check your mailboxes in the church office regularly for information and correspondence.
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