Colfax Center Church Presbyterian Church in America 3 miles west of Hwy 14 on D K Ave Holland, IA 50642

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1 Welcome visitors! We re glad you could worship with us today. Our Nursery is open. Please have your child (3 years and younger) in the nursery by 9:25 am for worship. If you would be interested in coordinating our Meal Ministry for those in need (after surgeries, new babies, etc.), or provide meals at times, please let Pastor Robby or Becky Randall know. Thank you. Thank you to everyone who helped with our Youth Bake Sale at the Mill yesterday. Special thanks to Jill Borchardt and Kathy Pruisner for leading this effort. Colfax Center Church Presbyterian Church in America 3 miles west of Hwy 14 on D K Ave Holland, IA Pastor Robby Grames (319) Church Phone (319) This morning is the last opportunity to place the little brown envelopes for donating to Christmas Sacks and Pastor Robby & his family s Christmas Gift in the offering plate. We hope to see you all tonight at 6:30 pm to support our Colfax Children s Christmas program as they present Angels on Assignment. The Grundy Center American Lutheran Church is hosting a Christmas Meal, 12:30-2:30 pm on December 25. Please call by December 15. This is an opportunity for persons to not be alone that day. It is not intended to be a big meal like is sponsored at Thanksgiving for the community. We just don t want those in the area to be alone. We will enjoy Coffee Fellowship on December 24 th and 31 st ; however, there will be no Sunday School on those two mornings. Our Christmas Eve Service will be held at 5:00 pm. Please bring your families and help us celebrate the birth of our Savior. Thank you to everyone who reached out to Scott during his accident and now during recovery. Thank you so much for your cards, letters and continued prayers. The power of prayer is truly amazing. Scott & Jill Borchardt A bruised reed He will not break, And a faintly burning wick, He will not quench. Isaiah 42:3

2 The Lord's Day The Third Sunday of Advent Fifty-first Sunday of the Year December 17, 2017 Preparation for Worship, Jonathan Edwards The creation of the world was a very great thing, but not so great a thing as the incarnation of Christ. It was a great thing for God to make the creature, but not so great as for the Creator himself to become a creature. We have spoken of many great things that were accomplished, but God's becoming man was a greater thing than they all. When Christ was born, the greatest person was born that ever was or ever will be born. The Lighting of the Advent Candle Call to Worship in Song, GHF #94 What Child Is This? (Verse 3 a cappella) Call to Worship in Word, Psalm 73:25-26, 28 Pastor: Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. People: My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Scripture Reading, 1 John 3:11-24 Call to Confession of Sin, Hebrews 4:14-16 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Please take a moment to silently confess your sins. Assurance of Pardon, Psalm 103:10-12 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. Prayers of Thanksgiving and Praise Our Tithes & Offerings Doxology Congregational Prayer All: But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works. Scripture Reading and Sermon, 2 Corinthians 8:9 Robby Grames Song of Praise, GHF #93 Invocation and Greeting Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (Verse 4 a cappella) Hymn of Response, GHF #96 *Benediction and Postlude As With Gladness Men of Old * Please stand as you are able

3 This Week at Colfax Sunday, December 17 9:30 am Morning Worship 10:30 am Coffee Fellowship followed by Christmas Program Practice 6:30 pm Angels on Assignment - Colfax Children s Christmas Program Monday, December 18 January/February Newsletter Articles Due Sunday, December 24 9:30 am Morning Worship 10:30 am Coffee Fellowship but No Sunday School 5:00 pm Christmas Eve Service ************************************************* Serving Sunday, December 24 Sanctuary Flowers: Poinsettias Coffee Fellowship: Fran Harms/Carol Krull Greeters: Fran Harms; Maxine Hayungs Elevator Attendant: Chad Pruisner Nursery Attendant: Doug & Sandy Wiers SS Nursery Attendant: n/a Camera: Elaine Sents PowerPoint: Donny Pruisner COLFAX CENTER PRAISES & PRAYER CONCERNS As you go to the Lord in prayer, please read the following scripture: Colossians 4:2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. Our nation and its leaders. The ministries of our church: Pastor Robby, Susie & their family Elders & Deacons as they lead the church Our Children s ministries The hearts of our congregation All of Our Missionaries, especially our December Missionaries of the month: Glen & Gayle Beckwith and Mike & Judy Christian Those battling cancer: Bill Aswegan; Glenn Beckwith; Jim Getting; Eli Harberts; Gary Paszkiewicz; Hillary Reents Medical prayer requests: Bill Aswegan, Merlyn Mennen & Rod Schwab for encouragement, wisdom and direction. Eli Harberts who is undergoing chemotherapy. Larry Stahl who is recovering from heart bypass surgery. Scott Borchardt who is at home recovering with multiple fractures after a fall off the roof of their house. Pray also for those with ongoing health concerns; on active duty in our armed forces; anxious, or discouraged; facing difficult situations in their families; struggling with sin in their lives or do not know Christ. Those who are shut-in or in nursing homes: Anona Arends; Pauline Arends; Deloris Bakker; Mary Bakker; Phyllis DeNeui; Grace Ennenga; Virgil Getting; Carolyn Harberts; Verlyn Henze; Doris Kuhlman; Velma Meints; Leona Rhoads; Darris Smit; Dixie Spain

4 Poinsettias Given in Memory of Our Loved Ones The Tradition of the Christmas Sack Many traditions celebrating the birth of Christ, our Savior, have been a part of Colfax Center Presbyterian Church since its inception. One of them is the annual Sunday School Christmas program and the gifts of the Christmas sacks. Some of the earliest recollections of members go back to The Great Depression in the 1930s when, on Christmas Eve, an annual program with recitations, music, and pageantry would be presented by the young children and youth. The congregation would start arriving at the church an hour before the program, in order to get a seat because they knew that every pew would be filled, along with chairs that lined the aisles and filled the narthex. Organ and piano music were played for a half hour before the program. In those years, large dishpans filled with apples would be placed at the front of the church and everyone who attended the Christmas Eve program went home with the gift of an apple. Following the program, the Sunday School children returned to their rooms where they were given a small brown bag filled with peanuts in the shell and Christmas candies such as hard ribbon candy, candy canes, and chocolate haystacks. During that hard economy, these often were the only gifts that families would receive that year. As times improved (and oranges became available and affordable), an orange was added to the gift. And eventually - fruit, nuts, and candy - all went into individual brown sacks. Enough were prepared so every member, young and old, was given a sack at the church door as they left for the evening. The giving of the Christmas sacks continues today, as part of the program's tradition an expression of our Christian love for each other and a reminder of God's Greatest Gift to each of us. Bill & Janet Aswegan in memory of Bill & Stena Aswegan and Clarence & Ruth Claassen Norma Hook & family in memory of Dennis Hook Sheryl Johnson & family in memory of Tom Morris Carol, Danielle & Shane Krull in memory of Lewie Krull Shelby & Shirley Luwe (2) in memory of cousin Ryan Buss and Alyce Luwe Curt & Julie Tjepkes (2) in memory of Austin & Whitney Tjepkes

5 JI Packer, The Christmas Spirit We talk glibly of the Christmas spirit, rarely meaning more by this than sentimental jollity on a family basis. But... it ought to mean the reproducing in human lives of the temper of him who for our sakes became poor at the first Christmas. And the Christmas spirit itself ought to be the mark of every Christian all the year round. It is our shame and disgrace today that so many Christians I will be more specific: so many of the soundest and most orthodox Christians go through this world in the spirit of the priest and the Levite in our Lord s parable, seeing human needs all around them, but (after a pious wish, and perhaps a prayer, that God might meet those needs) averting their eyes and passing by on the other side. That is not the Christmas spirit. Nor is it the spirit of those Christians alas, they are many whose ambition in life seems limited to building a nice middle-class Christian home, and making nice middle-class Christian friends, and bringing up their children in nice middle-class Christian ways, and who leave the sub middle-class sections of the community, Christian and non-christian, to get on by themselves. The Christmas spirit does not shine out in the Christian snob. For the Christmas spirit is the spirit of those who, like their Master, live their whole lives on the principle of making themselves poor spending and being spent to enrich their fellow humans, giving time, trouble, care and concern, to do good to others and not just their own friends in whatever way there seems need. There are not as many who show this spirit as there should be. If God in mercy revives us, one of the things he will do will be to work more of this spirit in our hearts and lives. If we desire spiritual quickening for ourselves individually, one step we should take is to seek to cultivate this spirit. You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5). I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart (Psalm 119:32 KJV).