Announcements 9-3-23

Announcements:

RESTOCK THE CLOSET: The food pantry has been used quite a bit this summer. We are running low on small toiletries, diapers both adult and child sizes and Shelf stable food items. We would love some help restocking or $25 gas and walmart gift cards. See Louise if you have questions.

Books On Spiritual Practices: As the summer draws to a close the weather cools, but our lives seem to only heat up. There is more to do with the start of the school year, sports activities, and even fellowship opportunities. While these can all be wonderful experiences and opportunities, the busyness of life can make it hard to make time to focus on our spiritual life. This month’s CE reading recommendations all center around engaging in spiritual practices to strengthen ourselves, our families and the community we have chosen to be with. Most books are made for families but that doesn’t have to be just you and your kids or even immediate family, it can also be friends or small groups. So grab a partner, your family or group and dive deeper into your faith and time with God. Faithful Families: Creating Sacred Moments at Home Paperback by Traci Smith.  Add family faith moments to your daily routine with little or no prep, and share meaningful spiritual experiences with your children! Traci Smith, a pastor and mother of three, offers ways to discover and develop new spiritual practices as a family, whether you’re a new seeker or a lifelong follower. Faithful Families is brimming with easy, do-it-yourself ideas for transforming your family’s everyday moments into sacred moments.

SCHOLARSHIP SINGERS: The Session has approved the funds to hire three university music students as Scholarship Singers. These students will augment the choir and bring new ideas to our music program while receiving training, mentorship, and experience in music ministry. We are exploring grants to help offset the costs, but we also welcome donations from anyone who wishes to support the development of new church professionals. If you’d like to assist financially with this program beyond your existing pledge, please give via your usual method and specify that it is for the Scholarship Singers.

MUSEUM TOUR: On Sept. 13th. Join us for lunch followed by an afternoon of Art at NOMA. We will meet at the church at 10:30 AM then head to the museum. The Museum is free to Louisiana residents. You can use the insert in the bulletin to sign up or speak with Beverly Kennedy.

ALL CHURCH AND COMMUNITY PICNIC: Please plan to join us on September 10th for our all Church and Community Picnic. We have lots of volunteer opportunities, however even if you can’t volunteer we hope you will join us for this great fellowship opportunity. Sign up to volunteer or let us know you are coming using the inset in the Bulletin. Please plan to bring a Picnic side or dessert to share. Oh and Saints fans don’t worry we plan to have the game projected so you won’t miss a moment of the game and we will outdoor water activities for the kids.  

GET INVOLVED IN CHRISTIAN EDUCATION: We have a great year planned and would love for you to get involved. Here is what we are looking for: 

  1. Sunday School teachers for our middle and high School youth which will meet twice a month at 9:30 AM. They will be using the Spice Rack Curriculum: Habits. 
  2. Nursery volunteers. 
  3. Teachers for our age PK- 2nd grade Children’s Church. They will be using a narrative lectionary Curriculum. While we don’t have younger children in the church yet we still want to be prepared to provide a children’s church and nursery option if we do have families worship with us. Louise will work with those who are interested to 

STARTING THIS FALL: We have so many wonderful programs starting up on September 17th for all ages. At 9:30 am adults can join us in the library for a new Adult Sunday School series called Off the Deep End

taught by Briana Mayfield, where you will dive deeper in the scripture each week. Youth of all ages are welcomed to join us upstairs in the youth area for a time of Fellowship and snacks also starting at 9:30, the kids will also have access to the switch and Elementary classroom. On the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month the middle and High School youth will have Sunday School where we will discuss Spiritual Habits we can form to have a deeper and stronger relationship with God. Children’s church will offer lessons for PK – 2nd grade and 3rd – 5th grade Students to study  the Narrative Lectionary. Each group will be studying the same scripture that Pastor Aaron is preaching on, engaging with it in an age appropriate manner. My hope is that Children’s church teaches our kids that Church is for everyone, not just the grown ups. By offering them a lesson during church that is meant for them they learn that Church is for them



order of Worship 8-27-23

SERVICE FOR THE LORD’S DAY

Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost

August 27th, 2023 Ten Thirty in the morning

Minister: Rev. Aaron Ochart         

Lay Leader: Sheryl Wise

Please silence all cell phones. 

Bold face indicates congregational participation.

✝ Please stand, in body or spirit

THE PEOPLE ARE GATHERED IN

PRELUDE           Improvisation on You Are Mine

✝PROCESSIONAL HYMN [BLUE#442] [GTG#321]

“The Church’s One Foundation”

1 The church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord.

She is his new creation by water and the word.

From heaven he came and sought her to be his holy bride.

With his own blood he bought her, and for her life he died.

2 Elect from every nation, yet one o’er all the earth,

her charter of salvation: one Lord, one faith, one birth.

One holy name she blesses, partakes one holy food,

and to one hope she presses, with every grace endued.

WORDS OF WELCOME         

ADORATION 

CALL TO WORSHIP     2 Corinthians 3:16-18 MESSAGE

ONE: And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We’re free of it! All of us!

MANY: And so we are transfigured much like Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him. 

PRAYER OF THE DAY 

Living God, you call us as your church, as the body of Christ. Help us do better today than we did yesterday, and tomorrow do better still at reflecting your glory! Amen. 

✝HYMN [BLUE #333] [GTG #175] 

“Seek Ye First”

Seek ye first the Kingdom of God

And His righteousness

And all these things shall be added unto you

Allelu Alleluia

Ask and it shall be given unto you

Seek and ye shall find

Knock and it shall be opened unto you

Allelu Alleluia.

3 You shall not live by bread alone,

 but by every word

that proceeds from the mouth of God.

Allelu, alleluia!

MESSAGE FOR THE CHILDREN             

RESPONSE HYMN [GTG#177] “I Will Come To You”

“I will come to you in the silence; I will lift you from all your fear. 

You will hear my voice; I claim you as my choice. 

Be still and know I am here.

Do not be afraid I am with you. I have called you each by name. 

Come and follow me, I will bring you home;

I love you and you are mine.”

REPENTANCE

CALL TO CONFESSION                                                                  

SILENT CONFESSION

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

God of grace, love, and communion, we confess that we have failed to love you with all our heart, soul, and mind; and to love our neighbor as ourselves. We ignore your commandments, stray from your way, and follow other gods. Have mercy on us. Forgive our sin and raise us to new life that we may serve you faithfully and give honor to your holy name. Amen

ASSURANCE OF PARDON                     

✝GLORIA PATRI [BLUE#579] [GTG#581] 

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, 

world without end, Amen, Amen.

THE WORD READ AND PROCLAIMED

SCRIPTURE  [Pew Bible OT 535 or 566]           Psalm 119:9-16

How can young people keep their way pure?

   By guarding it according to your word.

With my whole heart I seek you;

   do not let me stray from your commandments.

I treasure your word in my heart,

   so that I may not sin against you.

Blessed are you, O LORD;

   teach me your statutes.

With my lips I declare

   all the ordinances of your mouth.

I delight in the way of your decrees

   as much as in all riches.

I will meditate on your precepts,

   and fix my eyes on your ways.

I will delight in your statutes;

   I will not forget your word.

SCRIPTURE  [Pew Bible NT 146 or 156]           Romans 6:1-14

What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever has died is freed from sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Therefore, do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. No longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present your members to God as instruments of righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

ONE: The Word of the Lord

MANY: Thanks be to God

SERMON: “Be the Church 12: reviewing and evaluating regularly the integrity of one’s membership, and considering ways in which one’s participation in the worship and service of the church may be increased and made more meaningful.” Reverend Ochart 

 RESPONSE     

✝AFFIRMATION OF FAITH             “A Brief Statement of Faith” – Jesus

In life and in death we belong to God. Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, we trust in the one triune God, the Holy One of Israel, whom alone we worship and serve. 

We trust in Jesus Christ, fully human, fully God. Jesus proclaimed the reign of God: preaching good news to the poor and release to the captives, teaching by word and deed and blessing the children, healing the sick and binding up the brokenhearted, eating with outcasts, forgiving sinners, and calling all to repent and believe the gospel. Unjustly condemned for blasphemy and sedition, Jesus was crucified, suffering the depths of human pain and giving his life for the sins of the world. God raised this Jesus from the dead, vindicating his sinless life, breaking the power of sin and evil, delivering us from death to life eternal.

With believers in every time and place, we rejoice that nothing in life or in death can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen

ANNOUNCEMENTS

RECEIVING OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS

OFFERTORY        

✝DOXOLOGY [*BLUE#592] [GTG#606]

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;

Praise God, all creatures here below;

Praise God above, ye heavenly hosts;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen. 

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever.  Amen

✝HYMN [BLUE#364] [GTG#730] “I sing a song of the Saints of God”    

1 I sing a song of the saints of God, patient and brave and true,

who toiled and fought and lived and died

for the Lord they loved and knew.

And one was a doctor, and one was a queen,

and one was a shepherdess on the green:

they were all of them saints of God, and I mean,

God helping, to be one too.

2 They loved their Lord so dear, so dear,

and God’s love made them strong;

and they followed the right, for Jesus’ sake,

the whole of their good lives long.

And one was a soldier, and one was a priest,

and one was slain by a fierce wild beast:

and there’s not any reason, no, not the least, why I shouldn’t be one too.

3 They lived not only in ages past;

there are hundreds of thousands still;

the world is bright with the joyous saints who love to do Jesus’ will.

You can meet them in school, or in lanes, or at sea,

in church, or in trains, or in shops, or at tea;

for the saints of God are just folk like me, and I mean to be one too.

✝PARTING PRAYER 

Grant unto us, O God, the fullness of your promises.

where we have been weak, grant us your strength;

where we have been confused, grant us your guidance;

where we have been distraught, grant us your comfort;

where we have been dead, grant us your life.

Apart from you, O Lord, we are nothing,

in and with you we can do all things. Amen.

✝CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

✝RESPONSE [GTG# 747] “The Lord Now Sends Us Forth”

The Lord now sends us forth with hands to serve and give,

to make of all the earth a better place to live. 

The angels are not sent into our world of pain

to do what we were meant to do in Jesus’ name;

that falls to you and me and all who are made free.

Help us, O lord, we pray, to do your will today. 

POSTLUDE Canon in D / Seek Ye First Annika Bergsma

Flowers today were given by Denis McCrea in memory of his parents who passed away. 




ANNOUNCEMENTS


Announcements 8-27-23

Announcements Continued:

Books on being Presbyterian: Would you like to get more familiar with the Presbyterian Churches beliefs? Do you have questions about our reformed tradition? Well you’re in luck because this month the Christian Education recommended reading list is all about what it means to be a Presbyterian. This week’s recommendation is: Presbyterian Questions, Presbyterian Answers and More Presbyterian Questions, More Presbyterian Answers, Revised edition By Donald K. McKim Presbyterians often have questions about Presbyterian theology and beliefs that are basic to Christian faith itself. Featuring a unique question- and-answer format, More Presbyterian Questions, More Presbyterian Answers is an expansion of the best-selling Presbyterian Questions, Presbyterian Answers. It is an accessible and concise treatment that provides a sampling of these questions on important topics and brief but complete answers from a distinguished Presbyterian theologian.

SCHOLARSHIP SINGERS: The Session has approved the funds to hire three university music students as Scholarship Singers. These students will augment the choir and bring new ideas to our music program while receiving training, mentorship, and experience in music ministry. We are exploring grants to help offset the costs, but we also welcome donations from anyone who wishes to support the development of new church professionals. If you’d like to assist financially with this program beyond your existing pledge, please give via your usual method and specify that it is for the Scholarship Singers.

GET INVOLVED IN CHRISTIAN EDUCATION: We have a great year planned and would love for you to get involved. Here is what we are looking for: 

  1. Sunday School teachers for our middle and high School youth which will meet twice a month at 9:30 AM. They will be using the Spice Rack Curriculum: Habits. 
  2. Nursery volunteers. 
  3. Teachers for our age K- 2nd grade Children’s Church. They will be using a narrative lectionary Curriculum.

Louise will continue to teach the 3rd to 6th grade Children’s Church. While we don’t have younger children in the church yet we still want to be prepared to provide a children’s church and nursery option if we do have families worship with us. Louise will work with those who are interested to come up with a schedule for teaching/volunteering. Please see Louise if you have any questions or use the insert in the bulletin to sign up. 

FLOWERS: Flowers today are given by Denis McCrea in memory of his parents, who passed away.  

RESTOCK THE CLOSET: The food pantry has been used quite a bit this summer. We are running low on small toiletries, diapers both adult and child sizes and Shelf stable food items. We would love some help restocking or gas and walmart gift cards. See Louise if you have questions.