INDEPENDENCE DAY Weekend July 2, 2017 First CRC Real people. Real life. Together. With God.

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1 INDEPENDENCE DAY Weekend July 2, 2017 First CRC Real people. Real life. Together. With God. Welcome! We celebrate each year at this time the freedom and the privileges we have in this great land. Today we also celebrate the freedom God has granted to us and the great privilege of serving our living Lord. WE GATHER FOR WORSHIP Gathering Songs: Bruce Bielema Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory Praise 74:1 My Country, Tis of Thee Praise 486:1,4 America the Beautiful Praise 485:1,4 Call to worship: Psalm 33 *God s greeting * We welcome each other * Opening worship in song God of All Ages SS 599:1,2,3 God is Our Refuge and Our Strength SS 46:1,2,3,5 I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day Praise 196:1,3,4 FAMILY TIME Sharing, Thrive Time & Congregational Prayer We WORSHIP GOD with our TITHES & OFFERINGS We give our gifts for Christ and His Kingdom: General Fund, Building Fund (Please fill in the fellowship pads and pass to the center during the offering). God SPEAKS to Us Children s message: Lauren Medenblik Scripture: Psalm 46, Lamentations 1:1,2, I Timothy 2:1-8 Text: Psalm 46 Message: Our God Reigns! We Respond to God s Word Responsive Reading of Psalm 46 Prayer concluded with Lord s Prayer in Unison Be Still and Know That I Am God A Mighty Fortress is Our God SS 469:1,2,3,4

2 * Beatitudes (Responsive Reading) Matthew 5:3-9 * Our Confession of Faith Our World Belongs to God Our Contemporary Testimony WE DEPART with GOD s BLESSING *Blessing: Numbers 6:24-26 * Song of Parting: Praise to the Lord, the Almighty SS 253:1,4 *Postlude *Please stand if able OUR CHURCH FAMILY Let us approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16 Congratulations to Bob & Arlene Stuart who will celebrate their 64 th wedding anniversary on July 9 th. Elmer Oostenryk passed away peacefully Monday noon, with some of his family gathered at his side. A memorial service was held Friday morning. Correction: Leanna Schipper s daughter-in-law, Kathleen s ovary was not cancerous. It was removed because it produces a hormone that feeds her cancer. It s amazing all the things we have learned, and all the people who have contributed and sacrificed so that others down the line could benefit. Leanna Schipper was given another medicine to try for her acid reflux. It seems to be working better. She is scheduled for an Upper GI test on July 10. Rev. Gregg Schuringa, pastor of the Elmhurst (Chicago) CRC continues to battle his second onslaught of brain cancer. The prognosis is encouraging but the treatment side effects are challenging. He is married to Sarah and they have three young daughters. In your prayers, cards, visits and other expressions of love and support as the family of God, remember others in our circles who are dealing with major health issues, including Ken Balk and Leanna Schipper s daughter-in-law, Kathleen who continues to battle cancer, along with others in our circles of loved ones, as well as those in our congregation who are unable to worship and fellowship with us because of issues connected with aging. Pray for Jessica Sohre who is

3 presently working on her thesis as she continues to educate herself for serving the deaf community, presently through Wycliffe. Harbor Crest: Irma Balk, Howard Wiersema, Clara Klavenga, Arlene Stuart, Alva Jean Meurs, Bill Schaver Pleasant View: Henrietta Fiet Prairie Hills (Clinton): Gladys Venema Crestridge Care Center, Maquoketa, IA: Bob Stuart Hammet House (Home (Sterling): Jane Sikkema Home: Bob Sikkema, Albert Wiebenga, Ken Bielema, Thelma Van Vuren, Carroll Eizenga, John & Dorothy Salverda, Bernie & Marge Vogel DEACONS NEWS Offering received: 6/25/17 Amount budgeted per week $1, Amount received: $2, Amount over: $ Faith Promise $ Offerings today: General Fund; Building Fund Offering next Sunday: General Fund; Unity Booster Fund SOME NOTES FROM PASTOR PHIL I receive regular s from pro-life groups like Students for Life, and Live Action. I would encourage you to sign up too. Many s provide links to add your voice to (hundreds of) thousands of others working to save lives from being legally murdered in our nation by their own parents! Many pregnant women do not know what they are doing. Some four minute videos that have been produced by these organizations have already changed the minds of countless pregnant girls and women. OMG! That s a live baby inside me! I never knew that. That s not what they told me. Read this. Twitter s action to block pro-life communications and promote abortions/planned Parenthood. By Lauren Merz, June 27, 2017 I wanted to be sure to tell you about what has happened over the past few days and even just last night. As you may know, Live Action has the largest social media presence in the pro-life movement. We have a Facebook following of almost 2 million people and over 165,000 combined followers on Twitter. We use social media as our primary

4 channel to inform and educate Americans on the rights of the preborn and to expose the horrific human rights abuse of abortion. These channels are an integral part in changing hearts and minds on abortion and changing the culture for life. However, we recently learned that Twitter is completely preventing Live Action from advertising our content on their platform. That s right, Live Action is being suppressed from communicating the facts that the abortion industry continues to tell. Just last night, Lila Rose, our president, was invited on Fox News to discuss this: I think it s clear that Twitter is discriminating against the pro-life voice. Planned Parenthood is allowed to promote their pro-abortion and misleading messages, while Live Action is barred from promoting any content exposing abortion and Planned Parenthood. This was a timely move by Twitter, which has chosen to side with abortion giant Planned Parenthood in the midst of the defund battle. This happened right before the Senate is expected to vote on a bill that could strip Planned Parenthood of hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars a fight that Live Action has played a critical role in. Because we communicate a message that doesn t align with Planned Parenthood s media allies, they have flagged our content as offensive and inflammatory. Philip, you know just as well as I do, that could not be further from the truth. If Live Action the leading voice in the pro-life movement isn t allowed to educate the public on the truth about abortion, then who will? support@liveaction.org THRIVE MINISTRIES- Red, White & Blue Jean Sunday We celebrate our Nation s freedom and honor those that gave their life to make it free; just as Christ made the ultimate sacrifice for our eternal freedom. Fulton Summer Nights On Thursday July 13th, Thrive Ministries will be participating in Fulton Summer Nights. Each campus will host a game with prizes. The time is 6-8 at Den Besten Park by the Windmill. Circle Jam Calling all musicians, whether you are just starting or have been playing an instrument for a while, join Brian Kretschman at Bethel with your instrument on Sunday, July 9, at 4:30 p.m.

5 Thrive T-shirts Extra t-shirts were ordered and if you would like to purchase a shirt, please make checks payable to Thrive Ministries for $10.00 and put in her mailbox. Contact Kay if any questions. Robot Contest If you have made a robot for VBS you may bring it to Bethel or leave in Kay s office at First. Volunteers Needed. We are in need of more school age crew leaders. Please contact Mindy K. Holesinger or Renae Medenblik if you can serve in one of these areas. I promise the experience is well worth your time! VBS will be held July from 9-11:45. You can register your children at thriveforchrist.com website under Coming up and click on VBS. YOUTH NEWS Youth Group will have hopefully arrived home safely yesterday from Holland, MI. Youth Group will meet again on Sunday at 5:30 pm at First CRC. Youth will be having a service in August to share their SERVE experience. Thank you again for your support in prayers and finances. CHURCH NEWS Farewell Potluck for Pastor Phil and Shirley is being planned for July 23rd at the Thomson Causeway stone shelter starting at 12:30 p.m. The meat and table service will be provided, please bring your own drinks and a dish to pass. Hope to see you there! Finance Committee Meeting will be held on Thursday, July 6 at 6:00 p.m. COMMUNITY NEWS Trinity Quartet will be singing at Spring Valley Reformed Church on Sunday, July 2nd at 6pm. We welcome you to stay after and enjoy some Root beer Floats! Concert will be moved indoors in case of inclement weather. A love offering will be taken.

6 WEEKLY CALENDAR Sunday, July 2 9:00 am Worship Service Thursday, July 6 6:00 pm 6:00 pm Elders Meeting Finance Committee Mtg. MINISTRIES OF HOSPITALITY Today Next Sunday Ushers Rollie & Joe Vander Jon & Lynell Breidenbach Eide Greeters Jon & Lynell Jim & Trish & Jeanette Brondyke Breidenbach Nursery Care Kelly Dykstra, Jean Stacy Stephenson Medenblik Coffee Roland & Celia Behrens Roger & Eileen Frazier Servers Provide Celia Behrens, Leanna Eileen Frazier, Geneva DeWitt Cookies Schipper Song Leader Bruce Bielema Beth Caven Children s Lauren Medenblik Beth Caven Message Writing to Gayle Dykstra Gayle Dykstra Shut Ins Recorder & Sound Paul Thompson Joe Vander Eide Pastor Philip Stel cell: Parsonage Pastor s pastorphilstel@frontier.com Facebook: Fulton 1 st Christian Reformed Church Office: Church -Kay:firstcrcfulton@live.com Website: Secretary: Kay Bielema Bulletin announcement deadline: Thursday 5 p.m.