Sunday School Children s Christmas Program

Transcription

1 Sunday School Children s Christmas Program It s somewhere in the 2 nd Article. December 18, 2016, 10:45 AM Peace Lutheran Church 2090 Commerce Drive North Mankato, MN 56003

2 Peace Lutheran Church Evangelical Lutheran Synod Proclaim the wonders God has done! Pastor Timothy Hartwig Church Office: Cell Phone: Website: peacemankato.com Jesus Lambs at Peace Preschool Teacher/Director: Joslyn Moldstad Phone: Sunday School Children s Christmas Program Sunday 10:45 AM December 18, 2016 Fourth Sunday in Advent Welcome to Peace! The purpose of our congregation is to worship God, who gives life through Word and Sacrament; to serve one another in love and fellowship; and to proclaim forgiveness and salvation to all through Jesus Christ alone. Before Worship As you prepare to worship your Lord today, spend a few quiet minutes in prayer before the service. Review the lessons, the service notes, and pray this prayer: Prayer of the Day Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come. Take away the burden of our sins and make us ready for the celebration of Your birth, that we may receive You in joy and serve You always; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. For the Children A Cry-Room is available if your little ones need a moment. It is the first room on the left as you walk into the church building. Sound and video are piped into the room to enable you to hear and see the service. Facilities Restrooms are located down the hall and on the right side. 2

3 It s somewhere in the 2 nd Article Processional Hymn: #133, O Come, All Ye Faithful 3

4 Opening Prayer P: O Lord, our Maker, Redeemer, and Comforter, we are assembled in Your presence to hear Your holy Word. We pray You to open our hearts by Your Holy Spirit, that through the preaching of Your Word we may be taught to repent of our sins, to believe on Jesus in life and death, and to grow day by day in grace and holiness. Hear us for Christ s sake. Amen. The Confession of Sin P: Let us confess our sins to God and pray: We poor sinners confess to You, O God, not only that we have been conceived and born in sin, but also that throughout life we have often and in many ways offended You, our Lord and Maker, in thought, word and deed, so that You could with perfect justice reject and condemn us for all eternity. Therefore we come before You with sorrow of heart, in dread and terror of Your holy justice and of everlasting death. Our sins are a grievous foe, which we should hate in every way as long as we live. O merciful God, You still grant us in this hour to be reminded of Your fatherly goodness. According to the promise of Your Word we flee for refuge to Your infinite mercy and implore You, dearest Father, for the sake of Jesus Christ, Your only- 4

5 begotten Son, our Brother, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised again for our justification: Forgive us all our sins through faith, which the Holy Spirit increases in our hearts to full assurance. C: We therefore pray You, O Lord, through Your servant to declare to us the forgiveness of all our sins. We poor sinners are willing to forgive all who have offended against us. We earnestly desire to grow in true godliness. Help us, O God, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen. The Absolution P: Hear the holy and comforting Word of our Lord: Come unto me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Lift up your hearts! By the authority of God and of my holy office I forgive you all your sins, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Narrator In 1993 a play entitled It s Somewhere in the Third Article was written and produced to commemorate the 75 th Anniversary of the founding of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod (E.L.S present). That play received its title because a dear, faithful member of the E.L.S. from northern Minnesota had a brief conversation with one of her neighbors. The conversation went something like this: (Neighbor) Miss Moen, I have often wondered why you travel so far to attend church when there is a church right across the street from your home. Miss Moen had been one of those Old Norwegian Synod members who could not join in the Lutheran church merger of In reply to her neighbor she said, I can t really explain all the doctrinal and theological reasons why I attend the church I do, but I do know that it s somewhere in the Third Article. Miss Moen was referring to these words: I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him The E.L.S. was formed to uphold that Scriptural truth. In our children s Christmas program this morning we will focus on the Second Article of the Creed. The Second Article deals with the person and work of God s Son and our Savior, Jesus the Christ. You may not know all the doctrines and theological terms which make up the Second Article Biblical knowledge is not to be equated with saving faith. However, a basic understanding of the doctrine of Christ is essential in proclaiming the wonders of God s love for sinners by sending Jesus into the world. Listen to our children young and old as they proclaim to you the birth of our Savior. It s somewhere in the 2 nd Article. 5

6 Pre-school recitation: We all believe in Jesus Christ, Son of God and Mary s Son. Who descended from His throne and for us salvation won. Song, Pre-K-3 rd grade: Away in a Manger Sing We All Noel, p, 17 K-1 st grade recitation: Come, thou long expected Jesus, born to set Thy people free; from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in Thee. 6

7 Song, While by the Sheep Let All the People Praise You 4 th -8 th grade sing verses, Pre-school-3 rd grade sing echo 7

8 Text: German carol; tr. Theodore Baker, alt. Tune (JUNGST) and Setting: Hugo Jungst. Text: tr Singspiration Music. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Brentwood- Benson Music Publishing. Reprinted under OneLicense.net A Narrator (Apostles Creed) The Christian Church, therefore the Lutheran Church, is a confessing church. Yes, we regularly confess our sins and hear the blessed words of the absolution Your sins are forgiven! But as a confessing church we also hold to and believe and confess basic truths about the one true God the Triune God revealed to us in the sacred pages of Holy Scripture. The most widely used confession of these truths is the Apostles Creed. The word creed is derived from the Latin credo which means I believe. Though precise authorship of the Apostles Creed is unkown, it is generally accepted that the apostles themselves were not the original writers. The term Apostles Creed is still appropriate because its content is in agreement with apostolic teaching. The Creed is Trinitarian in form but the heart of the creed is its confession concerning Jesus Christ and the events dealing with His miraculous conception and birth, suffering, death, resurrection, ascension and coming judgment. It s somewhere in the 2 nd Article. 8

9 2 nd -3 rd grade recitation (girls): I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. 2 nd -3 rd grade recitation (boys): He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead. Song, 2 nd -8 th grade: The Snow Lay on the Ground Let All the People Praise You 9

10 Text: traditional Christmas carol. Tune: VENITE ADOREMUS. Descant: Leo Sowerby. Setting and Descant: 1952 H.W. Gray Co. (administered by Warner Bros. Communications). Used by permission. Narrator (Nicene Creed) The origin of the Nicene Creed goes back to the Council of Nicea (modern day Turkey) called into session in the year 325 A.D. by the Emperor Constantine. The Nicene Creed was deemed necessary to combat the false teaching of a man named Arius. You may notice that the 2 nd article of the Nicene Creed is longer and more involved than the 2 nd article of the Apostles Creed. The devil likes to stir up controversy, especially from within the Christian Church itself. The Arian 10

11 controversy called into question the eternal nature of Jesus and questioned whether the second person of the Trinity contained the same essence as the other persons of the Trinity. The Nicene Creed affirmed the unity of God, insisted that Christ was begotten from the Father before all time, and declared that Christ is of the same essence as the Father. It s somewhere in the 2 nd Article. Song, 4 th -8 th grade: What Child Is This ELH

12 The Apostles Creed (Sung) Verses 1, 2 Children; verse 3 Congregation I believe in God the Father, Maker of the heav n and earth. And in Jesus Christ, our Savior; God s own Son of human birth. Virgin-born, the Lord incarnate, Whom the Spirit did conceive; Suffered under Pontius Pilate; He s the God whom I believe! Crucified, was dead and buried; Down to hell in victory; From the dead he rose the third day; Up to heav n triumphantly. There at God s right hand he s ruling, By his will the world is led. He will come to judge the nations, Both the living and the dead. I believe in God the Spirit, In his Church, his chosen band. They are joined in sweet communion, Holy in his sight they stand. I believe in sins forgiven I believe I ll rise again; I believe in life eternal. Amen! A-amen! A-a-men! Sermon: Matthew 1:18-25 The Righteous Parents of Jesus the Savior 18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." 12

13 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"- -which means, "God with us." 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. P: The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto everlasting life. Amen. Prayer of the Church P: Eternal Father, throughout the centuries You repeated and affirmed Your promise to send the offspring of the woman to crush the serpent s head. Through Your prophets of old, You continually directed the eyes of Your people to the advent of their Savior. C: We praise You, O Lord, for keeping Your promise and sending Your Son to destroy the works of the devil. P: As we prepare to celebrate the birth of our King, use Your mighty Word to shatter our pride and to rouse us from spiritual slumber and apathy. C: Move us to take to heart the words of John: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near. P: You sent Your Son to redeem us from sin. Let this good news be our joy and strength. Use it to cheer the lonely, encourage the fearful, and give hope to the despairing. In these days before Christmas, spare us from the stress of deadlines and the frenzy of commercialism. C: Fill our lives with the message of Your peace and the music of Your grace. P: Direct our eyes not only to the manger but also to the skies, where we will see Your Son coming again, not as a lowly child but as the Lord of lords. C: Lift up our hearts in joyful anticipation of that day. Special prayers and intercessions may follow. P: Come quickly, Lord Jesus, in Your grace, in Your power, and in Your glory. C: Come, Lord Jesus! Amen. The Apostolic Benediction P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 13

14 The Offering The members of Peace Lutheran Congregation have joined together to do the Lord s work in this community and around the world. Visitors need not feel obligated to participate in this offering which supports our ministry. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. (Malachi 3:10) Please fill out the Friendship Register. The Lord s Prayer 14

15 Hymn: #143:1-2, The Happy Christmas Comes Once More 15

16 4 th -6 th grade recitation (girls): I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made. 4 th -6 th grade recitation (boys): Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead; Whose kingdom shall have no end. Narrator (The Athanasian Creed) The third chief creed of the Christian Church is the Athanasian Creed. It is named after the famous early church father of Alexandria named Athanasius. Athanasius (296 A.D. 373 A.D.) was also known for defending the early Christian Church from the false teaching of Arius. There is little evidence that Athanasius wrote the creed which bears his name, but its contents strongly uphold the true deity of Christ, also firmly upheld by Athanasius. It may have been used as a hymn in its original form and because of its length and repetitive nature the Church makes use of the Athanasian Creed on few occasions during the Liturgical year Trinity Sunday being the best example. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday today and forever. It s somewhere in the 2 nd Article. 16

17 Song, I Am So Glad When Christmas Comes ELH 127 Verse 1 (Norwegian) 2 nd -8 th grade children; verses 1-3 (English) Congregation Jeg er saa glad hver julekveld Ti da blev Jesus fodt Da lyste stjernen som en sol Og engle sang saa sodt 17

18 7 th -8 th grade recitation: The Christmas Gospel, Luke 2: In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to his own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." The Benediction P: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. 18

19 The Closing Hymn #140, Silent Night Verse 1 (German) Sunday School; verses 1-3 (English) Everyone Stille Nacht, heilige nacht! Alles schläft, einsam wacht Nur das traute hochheilige Paar. Holder Knabe im lockigen Haar; Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh! Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh! 19

20 Thank you to those who served in our service today: Pre-service music: Nathaniel & Gracen Lukasek, Rylee, Olivia, Claire & Bridger Woller, Lydia Hartwig, Taylor, Jakob & Cloe Theiste, Leah, Aiden & Holly Klammer; The Sunday School Children; Organist: Amanda Madson; The ushers; Cover artwork: Don Moldstad. To God be the Glory! Announcements This week at Peace: Sunday: 8:30 AM Divine Service with Holy Communion 9:40 AM Sunday School Adult Bible Class 10:45 AM Sunday School Christmas Program Tuesday: 9:00 AM NO Solid Grounds Bible Study Wednesday: 4:00 PM Confirmation Class NO Youth Choir 7:00 PM Adult Choir Saturday 6:30 PM Christmas Eve Divine Service Sunday: 8:30 AM Christmas Day Divine Service 9:40 AM NO Sunday School or Adult Bible Class 10:45 AM Christmas Day Divine Service Important upcoming events: January Group 3 Refreshments, Group 1 Greeters Thank you to the Sunday school children and to the Peace Lutheran Sunday school staff Lynnea Bunkowske, Brooke Hartung, Becky Novak, Alisha Schuch, Missy Vandermause, Denice Woller, Darci Theiste, Jen Wosmek, accompanist Amanda Madson and Superintendent Mike Madson. 20

21 In Financial Peace University (FPU) you ll learn to eliminate debt and start saving, but you ll also start experiencing peace in your home, your relationships and your life when you get your money under control! You ll find how to truly manage all of the resources God has given you His way. Classes meet for 9 weeks on Thursdays at 6:30 at Peace Lutheran. Feb 16 th - April 20 th (off 4/13). This lifetime membership FPU class is $103 (normally $210). The average family through FPU pays off more than $5000 dollars in debt and saves almost $3000 during the 90 day class. And it just gets better from there. Sign up at It s practical, it s easy to understand, and it will be a lot of fun too! Come for our free class preview on Jan. 26 th at Peace Lutheran at 6:30 pm. This class is open to the community, please invite friends and family. Please pick up your 2017 offering envelopes from the table in the entryway. Capital Campaign Reminder - As a follow up to the Capital Campaign Kickoff held on November 20 th, we would like to remind you to fill out a My Piece of Peace Card and turn in this card by Dec 31, 2016 if you intend to contribute to the Building Fund in This will give the construction committee a better idea of how to plan for expenses related to the construction project. Cards are available on the table near the refreshments in the narthex and can be placed in the box on the table, in the offering, or mailed to church. Last week at Peace: Sunday 220 Wednesday 187 To watch our services live, go to: The service will start automatically when it is live (8:30AM). For recorded services, go to and you can choose which service you want to watch. Employment Opportunities at Bethany Lutheran College Two part-time support staff positions available - in the Library and the Education department. These two part-time positions can be combined into a full-time support staff position with a comprehensive benefits package. Full-time professional staff position of Manager of Human Resources. Job descriptions are posted on the bulletin board. 21

22 Christmas Worship Schedule Christmas Eve Worship Service 6:30pm Christmas Day Worship Service 8:30 & 10:45am New Year s Eve Scripture & Song Service with Holy Communion 6:30pm Worship services at 8:30 & 10:45am on December 25 th and January 1 st. No Sunday School or Bible Class on December 25 th and January 1 st. Classes will resume again on January 8 th. No Solid Grounds Bible Study on December 20 th or December 27 th. Class will resume on January 3 rd. No Confirmation Class on December 28 th. Class will resume on January 4 th. 22