Lead Me, Lord, in Thy Righteousness

Transcription

1 First United Methodist Church 516 Kellogg Ave. Ames, Iowa :30 September 3, 2017 THE GATHERING: During this month of September 2017 we are going to be celebrating the gift of God s creation in worship and remembering how God asks us to be good stewards of all creation: Forest Sunday, Land Sunday, Wilderness/Outback Sunday, and River Sunday. We will be praying for ways to heal rather than exploit our planet. OPENING VOLUNTARIES How Deep the Father's Love for Us The King of Love My Shepherd Is Lead Me, Lord, in Thy Righteousness arr: Lyndell Leatherman arr: Charles Callahan Samuel S. Wesley As this music is offered as prayer, let us be sensitive to the Holy Spirit who prepares and opens us to connect with God in Christ today. GREETING, SHARING NEWS OF THE CHURCH ALIVE Welcome, members, friends & visitors - please fill in the ritual of friendship pad, pass it to your neighbor, and then return it to its starting place. If you are new and would like more information, please indicate on the friendship pad and also stop at the Welcome Center in the narthex to pick up a Welcome packet. PASSING OF THE PEACE OF CHRIST CALL TO WORSHIP Like mighty cedar trees, We open our arms to you, O God. Like swaying palm trees, We feel your Spirit moving among us. Like apple trees heavy with fruit, We offer our gifts to you and to the world. May they nourish and sustain. HYMN No. 144 This Is My Father s World

2 OPENING PRAYER May we be deep-rooted in the soil of your word, Creator God. Nourish us with scripture and Spirit that we may grow stronger and taller. May our outstretched arms provide shelter and bear fruit for all your creatures, and your spirit blow through our branches. Amen. A TIME WITH OUR CHILDREN ANTHEM Everything That Has Voice Nicole Smith OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Exodus 3:1-15 HYMN No Holy Ground NEW TESTAMENT LESSON Romans 12:9-21 HYMN No Bind Us Together THE GOSPEL Matthew 16:21-28 WITNESS TO THE WORD Collision with Christ Rev. Fred Lewis THE INVITATION CONFESSION, ASSURANCE AND PARDON Gracious God, you set a boundary for the first humans, and still today we defy you, consuming beyond what you have provided to sustain ourselves and those who will come after us. We know that as we attend to our own needs, we jeopardize the needs of your people to come. deepen our sense of commitment to your grand trajectory, caring for all your creation. Amen. ---A time of silence for prayer--- As dry leaves fall from trees and decay, nurturing the soil and promoting new life, God transforms our suffering and brokenness into new life. We open ourselves to God s grace and transformation, as we seek God s love and justice for all. Glory be to God!

3 OFFERING OUR TITHES AND GIFTS Today we invite you to give an extra offering for hurricane Harvey relief. The monies collected will go to the UMCOR efforts in the regions that have been badly damaged. You can use the offering envelopes in the pews but clearly designate on your check that the money is for UMCOR. OFFERTORY The Cross of Christ arr: Joyce Jones PRAYER OF GREAT THANKSGIVING The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise. The pastor gives thanks, remembering God s acts of salvation, and concludes: And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven, We praise your name and join their unending hymn: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might. Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. The pastor continues and the institution of the Lord s Supper is recalled. The pastor concludes: And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, We offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ s offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith. Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. The pastor invokes the present work of the Holy Spirit and concludes: All honor and glory is yours, Almighty God, now and forever. Amen! THE LORD S PRAYER (singing No. 3068) BREAKING THE BREAD GIVING THE BREAD AND CUP PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION DISMISSAL WITH BLESSING

4 HYMN No. 415 Take Up Thy Cross CLOSING VOLUNTARY Glorify Thy Name arr: Carolyn Hamlin Let us be aware this musical offering is a statement of faith to send us from worship into service. Please be respectful of those who choose to remain to listen. LEAVING FOR SERVICE You are invited to remain in the sanctuary to witness the renewal of vows for Dean and Judy Sampson as they observe their 50th wedding anniversary today. Coffee hour today is provided by the Sampsons and will be in the Multi-purpose room. SCOUTING NEWS The Scouts are hosting a back to school night for scouting at the Ames Middle School on Wednesday, September 6th, 2017 form 6:00-8pm. This is for all youth interested in scouting who are ages 6 and older. Rally Sunday, September 10 With our Focus On Old Testament (FOOT), we are going to have a NEW SHOES AND SOCKS DRIVE on Rally Sunday, September 10. These shoes and socks will go to various organizations in Story County. We will also have a Sock Hop (wear your 50s best!) following the 11:00 worship on Rally Sunday. We will grill burgers, have milkshakes, and listen to some fun Rock N Roll from the 50s while we dance and have a great time celebrating being back together for our church school year. GOING LIVE.. Ames First United Methodist Church will now be live streaming services! This exciting new way of ministry was put together by Calvin Evans as his Eagle Scout service project. He purchased equipment including a high definition camera and computer using memorial funds and installed it with the help of the church staff and members of his Boy Scout troop. Beginning September 10, 2017 at 8:30 am, we will stream to our new YouTube channel and our current website, live! Since we are streaming to YouTube, even if you can t watch the services live, you can watch the streams afterwards as normal YouTube videos. Also, for those who would like to learn how to operate the live streaming equipment, Calvin will be offering a training day on September 3, 2017 at 3:00 pm. If you can t attend, you can attend another training day to be offered at a later date.

5 PRAYGROUND Beginning September 10 during the 11:00 service, we will offer a prayground in the sanctuary on the lecturn side. A Prayground is a small area within the sanctuary that is dedicated to some of our youngest children in worship. Melanie Gordon, director of children's ministries with the board of discipleship said "We are all adopted through our baptism into God's family, so we need to worship together. We know children need to move and have some active time, so we need to find creative ways of engaging children in worship." There will be a space that will have some soft toys, a mat to be on, and other items that are good for young children infant through wobbling toddlers. This space will allow the children to remain in worship with their family. The nursery will still be available for those who wish to utilize it. We hope this will help young families feel more welcome at Ames First UMC and for all to know the importance of having children in worship. Jesus said, "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." (Matthew 19:14) If you want to learn more about Praygrounds, go to ( topics/praygrounds-encourage-little-children-to-come) Or ( abcnews.go.com/lifestyle/minnesota-church-incorporates-littlest-visitorspray-ground/story?id= ) Or talk to Nicole or a member of the Christian Education Ministry Team. THIRD GRADERS TO RECEIVE BIBLES, AN EXCITING TIME FOR OUR CHILDREN The third grade Bible presentation is on Sunday, September 17, at our 8:30 a.m. worship service. Following the worship time, in the church s multipurpose room, there will be a special time for our third grade children and their families to discover and learn more about their new Bible. Third grade families will be receiving more information about this by the first week of September. If you have a third grader and don t receive information prior to Sept 10, please contact Nicole. We don t want to miss anyone! Church School Year Registration Please register ALL children, infants through high school senior, even if you have done it before and think we have all of their information. This will help us build the best, most comprehensive list we have of all of our youth to date. If your child has a friend who wishes to attend regular or special events, please have them register as well. We want to make sure we have information to best keep everyone in the loop of events and keep all safe. Go to to register for the church school year. This year is going to rock!

6 Technology Ministry - Mike Evans is in the beginning stages of creating a Technology Ministry for Ames First UMC. This ministry will be a group of volunteers who have a variety of advanced abilities in the field of technology. For example, maybe you re an iphone expert or maybe you re a pro with Microsoft Office; whatever your tech savvy abilities are, you are needed! The hope is to form this group to have people in the congregation connecting with others who may need some assistance with various technology needs. Contact Mike Evans at if you are interested in being a volunteer for this ministry. Once this is formed and ready to go, more information will go out about how to get in touch with someone regarding your specific technology need. Up With Puppets group meets from 11:00-12:00 in roomw203. The puppet ministry is one expression of God that truly makes our understanding of scripture fun. Opportunities for youth to speak out through the puppets in worship here and at other churches abound. Practice, practice, practice, and lots of fun help the youth bring God s message of love in a way that everyone can understand. This group is open to youth in grades Those out of high school who are interested in helping can contact the group leaders at upwithpuppets@gmail.com Mid-week Faith Formation Opportunities Wonderful Wednesday Women Wonderful Wednesday Women gather weekly on Wednesday mornings at 10:00 a.m. in the church's conference room beginning September 13. As we gather, we discuss how all are doing and if there are any special prayer requests or concerns. We then look at the worship from the past weekend and discuss a variety of things about it that we connected with. Then we look ahead to the coming weekend and look at the worship service that is planned. We discuss the lectionary for the weekend and reflect on the messages from each. This group is not only a bible study, but a way to look at the meaningful design of the worship service and find varying ways we can each connect to it. We are also a great support system for one another as we go through different times and events in our lives and share from our own life experiences and faith journeys. **Wonderful Wednesday Women will get a jump start by meeting each other at Village Inn for breakfast at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 6. Men s Morning Lectionary A group of men gather at the West Ames Hy Vee for a lectionary discussion on Wednesday mornings. If you are interested in this group, contact Nicole for more details.

7 Yo, UMC! Let s Kick It! We will kick off our Midweek evening ministries on Wednesday, September 13 with a nod to the 90s beginning at 6:00p.m. we will have an I Love the 90s themed fun night. Join us for games, trivia, 90s karaoke, and a 90s nostalgia costume contest winner will get a homemade trophy! All ages are invited! Pizza, Praise & Prayer Join us Wednesday nights between Labor Day and Memorial Day from 6:00-6:30 for Pizza, Praise and Prayer. All ages are welcome to enjoy some pizza (salad, fruit, dessert also provided), participate in some praise songs and prayer before going to our various evening faith formation opportunities. We will meet in the multipurpose room - W201. Suggested donation $1 per slice. Adults W.H.A.M (Wednesday Hip Adult Meeting) If you ever need a mid-week spiritual booster shot, W.H.A.M. is for you! The group uses video based studies covering a variety of topics beginning this year with the Moses study by Adam Hamilton. This group is also a wonderful and safe place for sharing. If you are stressed, joyed, concerned, feeling down, or maybe all is well with your soul, this group is a wonderful place to jump in at any time and become a part of an amazing group of faith and life supporters. They meet in the conference room from 6:30-7:30. Mike Evans leads the group. Other Faith Formation Opportunities LIFE Groups are a wonderful way to get to know others in the congregation. LIFE stands for Living and Learning In Faith Everyday. The groups meet in people s homes at a variety of times and frequency through the week and/or month. Group members meet and discuss the spiritual needs specific to those in their group to determine what course of study they will take. This fall we will have 7-8 LIFE groups with the opportunity for new ones to start at any time. If you are interested in further developing your faith as well as having an opportunity to become better connected with members of the congregation, contact Nicole Smith nicole@fumcames.org, and she will connect you with a LIFE group leader or assist you in starting your own LIFE group.

8 CHURCH COUNCIL WILL CONSIDER APPOINTING A TASK FORCE TO STUDY WORSHIP TIMES/STYLES Pastor Fred, after consulting with the Worship Committee chairpersons and Lay Leader and Church Council chairperson, is going to recommend to the church council at their September 7 meeting that a Task Force be formed to study the issues surrounding our worship times and styles as a congregation. This was listed as the NUMBER ONE concern on the recent Congregational Assessment Tool. As this Task Force does their study and reports their recommendations to the Church Council, they will need to take into consideration all the other activities/ministries that happen here on a Saturday and Sunday and what impact making changes would have. The Task Force may be composed of an appointed chairperson, the worship committee s co-chairs, two representative choir members (one from Chancel and one from Chancel Bells), two members representing our Christian educational ministries, two representatives of our youth/young adults, plus three persons representative of our three current worship times. Serving ex-officio will be our Director of Music Ministries and Director of Christian Education. This is a large group to schedule and convene but hopefully it can work. No doubt, the Task Force will want to read and learn about the history of our worship times/services here, what are emerging worship trends, and certainly do canvassing of the congregation s feelings and thoughts, and so forth. You can visit with Terry Goodman, chairperson of our Church Council, about this matter. WORSHIP NOTES FOR SEPTEMBER 2017 During this month of September 2017, we are going to be celebrating the gift of God s creation in worship and remembering how God asks us to be good stewards of all creation: Forest Sunday, Land Sunday, Wilderness/Outback Sunday, and River Sunday. We will be praying for ways to heal rather than exploit our planet. The idea of a church season of creation first came from our Christian friends in Australia at the same time such an idea was being fostered in Europe. Without knowledge of each other s work, both groups chose September as the appropriate time because historically the Greek Orthodox Church celebrated September 1 as the Day of Creation and the Roman Catholic Church celebrated October 4 as the feast day for Saint Francis of Assisi. As United Methodists, along with many Protestant denominations, there has been an ever-growing concern about the ecological crisis and the way God s earth has been treated. Our aim in our worship will be to give thanks for creation and renew our call to be good stewards of this world. One vision for this simple month-long emphasis is to assist us in celebrating Christ as personal redeemer and also as the cosmic power renewing and healing a suffering creation.

9 WAYS TO GIVE TO YOUR CHURCH There are many reasons to update your estate planning documents. One is to include a gift to your church. If the needs of other beneficiaries will be met in other ways, why not make your church the owner and beneficiary of one of your life insurance policies? If you do this, you may receive a significant income tax deduction and future premiums you pay may also qualify for an income tax deduction. What about an endowment established in the name of YOUR family? Your family name will live on in the life of your church. Other family members might also consider contributing. The endowment could support a special ministry of your church that has been especially meaningful to your family or the ongoing operations of the church s yearly budget. Real estate offers excellent opportunities for giving to your church. Consider a gift of land, a condominium, commercial property, home, farm, or other types of real estate. You may be able to avoid capital gains taxes and also be entitled to an income tax deduction for the fair market value of the property at the time the gift is made. Some persons may like to give jewelry, art, coin and stamp collections, antiques, mineral rights and other personal property to their church. These gifts can be made during lifetime or at death. There are certain tax advantages to making these kinds of gifts. When the gifted property is sold by the church, it can support various causes of the church determined by the donor. Visit with Mary Beth Oostenbrug and Jean McBreen, co-chairs of our Foundation, regarding ways you can make charitable contributions to this congregation. From the Foundation Board CONSIDER SHARING YOUR TIME AND TALENTS IN LEADERSHIP If you have been wanting to find a way to serve this congregation by actively serving on one of its committees or boards, then now is the time to speak up and see what might be available for you. Sign-up sheets will be in the atrium area on a table for you to step forward and volunteer your service in September. You are asked to sign up for the one that sounds most interesting to you and the one in which you feel you have some passion about. The Nominations Committee will then be in touch with you. Most of the committees and boards will meet once a month or less frequent; each sign-up sheet will try to have information on it to help you make a good choice. There will also be a list the names of church members who will continue to be serving on that particular board or committee. If you have any questions, please contact Pastor Fred.

10 IOWA STATE IS SPONSORING A REGIONAL FESTIVAL OF DANCE MUSIC FOR CARILLON, HARPSICHORD, ORGAN & PIANO The event will be held on September To register and learn more go to There will be a grand opening concert on September 15 at 7:15 featuring the ISU keyboard faculty and students. Lovers of music will enjoy this event. WANTED: CHOIR MEMBERS Positions Open: Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass. No others need apply Physical Qualifications: Must be able to carry light musical notes. Experience: No application accepted from persons who have not sung, hummed or whistled in the tub or shower. Union Affiliation: Must be "in union with Christ" and committed to serve. Wages: Satisfaction and joy in God's service. Fringe Benefits: Social Security--we promise you the security of social fellowship with other members of the choir. Hours: Sunday mornings with occasional opportunities for overtime. Rehearsal: Wednesday 7:30--8:30 p.m. starting September 6. No practices on ISU basketball nights! DISCOVER HOW TO BECOME A MEMBER HERE AT AMES FUMC We strive to make it fairly simple for folks to become a member here in our congregation. Persons desiring membership need to speak to a pastor about their intentions and/or attend one of our monthly informational get-togethers that we host throughout the year. The September New Member Get-Together will be Sunday, September 17, at 10 a.m. in the church s fireside parlor. Future gatherings this fall will be held on October 15 and November 19. ALTAR FLOWERS and COFFEE HOUR ARE IN HONOR OF DEAN & JUDY SAMPSON S 50TH ANNIVERSARY

11 The Week at a Glance September 3 September 9 Sunday, September 3 Labor Day Weekend Monday, September 4 Office Closed Tuesday, September 5 Quilters 2-7 Farm to Folk/FH 5:30 SPRC/CR Wednesday, September 6 7:00 Pies 12:00 Memorial & Gifts Mtg 4:00 Holiday Fair Mtg/CR Thursday, September 7 5:30 Church Council/MPR 7:00 Faith Circle Potluck/Cami s Friday, September 8 Saturday September 9 5:30 SAF Youth Leadership Worship CR-Conference Room FH-Fellowship Hall LIB - Library MPR-Multipurpose Room MSR-Middle School Room HSR-High School Room SCR-Staff Conference Room Par - Parlor ACOLYTES Savanna Smith SOUND Doug Hill Pete Peterson Dean Swyter Fredrick Killian Mike Evans Calvin Evans GREETERS Lori & Duane Vander Werff NURSERY Meredith Kalli VIDEO Marty Sankey Larry Vallery Mike Evans USHERS Foundation Trustees RALLY DAY SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 10 2 SERVICES 8:30 & 11:00 WELCOME VISITORS The Welcoming and Marketing Committee at First United Methodist Church would like to thank you for visiting our church. We take pride in our beautiful church and hope you had a pleasant and welcoming experience. To thank you for visiting our church, we would like to give you a small gift to show our appreciation for attending one of our services. Please stop by the Welcome Center located behind the sanctuary and to the left of the open stairway before or after service on Sunday morning. We hope you will join us again!

12 WE WELCOME YOU! Our Welcome Center is located in the gathering space near the elevator. Please stop by if you have questions or would like to get more information about the church. Be sure to mention if you are a first time visitor. Nursery care is available in Room E203, in the Christian Education Unit, on Saturday nights and Sunday mornings for children under the age of 5. All of our workers are trained and screened. Items for children s worship bags are available in the gathering area. Restrooms are located in the east hallways and by the elevator. Ushers are available at the entrances of the sanctuary to assist you with hearing devices, large print bulletins or any questions you may have. An emergency phone and defibrillator are located on the wall near the west entry. First United Methodist Church Affirmation of Welcome As a community of the people of God, we are called to minister to all people of the world, knowing that the world is often an unloving place of alienation and brokenness. Christ calls us to reconciliation and wholeness, as we are challenged by the Gospel to be agents of healing within our society. We stand in affirmation with the apostle Paul that in Christ "there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female." Christ has made us one. We acknowledge that this reconciliation encompasses all within the community of faith who exhibit any and all differences in the human condition including, but not limited to: race, gender, ethnicity, age, culture, physical and mental ability, educational level, economic status, personality, marital status, sexual orientation and gender identity in response to the often hostile social climate with respect to diversity within our society and the resulting feelings of alienation from the Church, we wish to make known our caring and concern. It is for this purpose that we affirm the following: all persons share the sacred worth that comes from being unique individuals created by God; all persons are welcome within the membership of this congregation upon making affirmation of faith; and that as members of this congregation, all persons are invited and encouraged to share in the sacramental and general life of this congregation. CHURCH STAFF Rev. Fred Lewis, Senior Minister/Lead Pastor Rev. Cephas Davis, Associate Pastor Nicole Smith, Director of Christian Education Brooke Kruger, Youth Director Deb Benefield, Director of Office & Communications Reid Cummer, Business Manager Myrna Cakerice, Organist/Director of Choirs Steve Pelz, Custodian Matt Woodworth, Part-time/Sunday Custodian Go to our website: for the latest church information. Follow us on facebook. Church office hours: Mon-Thurs: 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. Friday 8:30 to 4:30 AS ALWAYS FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF THE CHURCH HAPPENINGS, PLEASE CHECK THE WEBSITE: