The First Congregational Church of Greenwich Founded in 1665 9 October 2016 10 o clock in the morning
The First Congregational Church of Greenwich declares itself to be open and affirming; open to all for participation, membership, leadership, and employment, and affirming of all who wish to join us as children of God. We continue to give thanks for God s guidance in our journey of faith. Welcome to The First Congregational Church of Greenwich on this beautiful Sunday morning! Please join us after the service for refreshments and conversation during Community Hour in the Auditorium. PREPARING FOR WORSHIP Please silence all cell phones and other electronic devices. *All who are able please stand. PRELUDE Air Craig Scott Symons, organist G. F. Handel CALL TO COMMUNITY Rev. Avery C. Manchester (Please sign and pass the red Fellowship Pad found at the end of your pew.) CALL TO WORSHIP PRAISING GOD Daniel Lepoutre Leader: When joy fills us, Leader: When our hearts are rejoicing, Leader: When we recognize Jesus sits, walks and stands beside us, Leader: When we hear of pain and suffering of others, Leader: When hearts are stricken by grief,
Leader: When the world around us is filled with confusion Leader: When doubt fills our days, Leader: When others are watching, Leader: As we worship God together in community, CHORAL INTROIT * HYMN The God of Abraham Praise New Century (black) Hymnal 24 GATHERING PRAYER (in unison) God of gentle rains and warm sun, God who encourages growth; We are creatures who sometimes grow quickly, and sometimes get stuck. God of freedom, of liberation, of binding ropes being cut; We are bound in ways we don't always understand or recognize. God of exodus and exile and homecoming, Help us to have the courage to make the journey And to trust in the path. God of health and healing, God who wants us to be made whole; We come as people who are wounded in body and in spirit, People who seek healing. God of all nations, We long to hear the stories of the marginalized and oppressed, Help us to seek reconciliation with all of your people. CHILDREN S MESSAGE Rev. Patrick Collins 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. (Following the Lord s Prayer the children and their teachers will go to their respective areas as follows: K and 1st, 2nd Grade, and 4th & 5th grades to the Auditorium; 3rd Grade to the Rainbow Door (104), and 678 will remain in church to hear Patrick preach and worship with their parents and the congregation.) HEARING GOD'S WORD FIRST LESSON Exodus 3: 14-17 Pat Larrabee God said to Moses, I am who I am. He said further, Thus you shall say to the Israelites, I am has sent me to you. God also said to Moses, Thus you shall say to the Israelites, The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you : This is my name forever, and this my title for all generations. Go and assemble the elders of Israel, and say to them, The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying: I have given heed to you and to what has been done to you in Egypt. I declare that I will bring you up out of the misery of Egypt, to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey. --New Revised Standard Version ANTHEM The Chancel Choir O for a Heart to Praise My God Robert Powell (b. 1932) O for a heart to praise my God, a heart from sin set free;
a heart that's sprinkled with the blood so freely shed for me: A heart resigned, submissive, meek, my great Redeemer's throne; where only Christ is heard to speak, where Jesus reigns alone: A humble, lowly, contrite heart, believing, true, and clean, which neither life nor death can part from him that dwells within: Thy nature, gracious Lord, impart, come quickly from above; write thy new name upon my heart, thy new best name of Love. SECOND LESSON Joshua 1: 1-9 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses assistant, saying, My servant Moses is dead. Now proceed to cross the Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the Israelites. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and the Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, to the Great Sea in the west shall be your territory. No one shall be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous; for you shall put this people in possession of the land that I swore to their ancestors to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to act in accordance with all the law that my servant Moses commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may be successful wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in
accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful. I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. --New Revised Standard Version SERMON God of Liberation, God of Conquest Rev. Patrick Collins * HYMN Lead On Eternal Sovereign New Century (black) Hymnal 573 PASTORAL PRAYER Rev. Avery C. Manchester RESPONDING TO GOD CALL TO OFFERING Pam Grunow ORGAN OFFERTORY Recit de cromhorne Francois Couperin (1668-1733) * DOXOLOGY Pilgrim (red) Hymnal 515 Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise him, all creatures here below; Praise Holy Spirit, Comforter, One God, Triune, whom we adore. Amen. * PRAYER OF DEDICATION GOING FORTH TO SERVE GOD * HYMN Holy, Holy, Holy Pilgrim (red) Hymnal 251 * BENEDICTION * CHORAL RESPONSE
POSTLUDE Fugue sur le trompette Francois Couperin * * * Directly following the service, one of our pastors will remain in the Chapel to be available to anyone who has a pastoral care concern. We have child care for babies and toddlers every Sunday in the Preschool classrooms. Your children are always welcome in child care for the entire worship service or for a respite time if needed. We also now have two rows in the back of the chapel reserved for parents with infants or little ones who are not ready for the Nursery where the parents can be comfortable and still be part of worship. Please see an usher if you need help finding either of these locations. The 10:00 am Service is broadcast live each week on WGCH 1490 AM Radio. In addition, the service is available through the church s website: www.fccog.org. A bulletin can be found there as well as a link to the live broadcast. Previous sermons may also be found there. Child care remains available at the 10:00 am service every Sunday for babies through 4 years old. NEWS AND NOTICES Church School Today our Rotation Workshops continue for Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th grades. They all begin in the Auditorium as soon as they leave church for a storytelling introduction. 3rd graders will go directly to the Rainbow Door Room 104 and 678 will remain in worship today. The Rotation lesson for the next few weeks is on the story of Jacob and Esau found in Genesis 25:29-34 and 27:1-46.
Parish Nurse Sue Asselin, RN will be available for blood pressure screenings and health consultations during Community Hour, following today s worship service. During the week she is available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays by appointment, which can be made by calling extension 21. Caregiver Support Group The Caregiver Support group convenes on the second Sunday of the month. The next group will meet today after worship, from 11:15 am - 12:15 pm in the Binney Conference room. For further information, please contact Dorothy Mueller at 203-940-0441 or email Dorothymueller1@gmail.com. Interested in Learning About Joining First Church? Our next New Member Class will be held on Sunday, October 16th at 11:20 am in the Senior Pastor s office. It will last approximately an hour and a half and will include lunch. During the class, prospective new members will have the opportunity to hear about the history and faith of our denomination, the United Church of Christ, and our church. Attending does not obligate you to join but we hope that this time together will strengthen you on the journey of faith. New members will then be received on Sunday, October 23rd. Child care will be provided at both times. Please feel welcome to join us. If you are planning to attend, or you have questions, please contact Ginny Breismeister at ginnyb@fccog.org or 203 637-1791 x 26 to attend, or you have questions, please contact Ginny Breismeister at ginnyb@fccog.org or 203 637-1791 x 26. News from The Rummage Room 191 Sound Beach Avenue, Old Greenwich Monday, Columbus Day, October 10: The Rummage Room is open today. See Leanne's 50% off sale for the week at www.fccog.org/about-us/the-rummage-room/. The Best Little
Halloween Shop in all of Greenwich has a great assortment of Halloween costumes and decorations.. Shopping hours: 10:00-5:00 pm Monday-Friday and 10:00-1:00 pm on Saturday. Donations: 9:30-4:30 pm Monday-Thursday and 9:30-12:30 pm Friday and Saturday. Manager's Wish List for the Week: Thanksgiving and Christmas donations; jewelry, musical instruments; clock radios. October marks the 52nd year since the The Women's Fellowship opened The Rummage Room in Old Greenwich. The shop is celebrating its continuous success in the same location by providing funds and support for many worthy missions and charities throughout the world. The Rummage Room has raised and distributed well over 4 million dollars to Women and Children's causes during these 52 years. We thank those who have given of their time over the years by volunteering at The Rummage Room, serving on The Rummage Room Committee, serving on the Women's Fellowship Allocations Committee, and being a supportive member of The Women's Fellowship. Thought for a Lifetime: We are called upon to accept both the cost and the joy of volunteering to serve the human family. It is not always easy but then we remember what we have! Family Breakfast: October 16 Sign up for the Family Breakfast.church family that is, next Sunday, October 16 at 9 AM in the Daniels Center. This will be an opportunity for good (actually great) food, fellowship and some fun learning about Jacob and Esau, twins in the Bible with a pretty crazy story. RSVP on the website: www.fccog.org. No charge. Hosted by the Church School Task Force.
Pizza, Pumpkins, & Play If you were here last Halloween you know what a hit the Pizza and Pumpkins event was. From delicious pizza to the exciting carving and decorating of pumpkins, the auditorium was buzzing with drills and cutting utensils and scraper tools. There was entertainment, too! This year we will have a games tent with not-so-spooky but Halloweenthemed games, including the rain gutter pirate ship races! So plan to be here and bring your neighbors and friends on Saturday, October 22 from 5 8 pm. Fun for all ages together. RSVP online at www.fccog.org/halloween. Pay at the event: $20 per adult. $15 children. $80.00 maximum per family. First Church Preschool Open Enrollment Open Enrollment for the Preschool s 2017 2018 school year will be held during the month of October 2016. Active members of FCCOG receive priority placement for their children within the Preschool s programming, and children or grandchildren of FCCOG members receive a 10% discount off tuition fees. To be put on the Preschool s mailing list to receive more information about programming, learn how to apply, and/or schedule a tour of the Preschool, Contact Darla Steiner, Director, at 203-637-5430 or email darlak@fccog.org.
The First Congregational Church of Greenwich 108 Sound Beach Avenue, Old Greenwich, Connecticut, 06870 203-637-1791 www.fccog.org Ministers: The Members of The First Congregational Church of Greenwich Senior Pastor: Rev. Richard S. DenUyl, Jr. Associate Pastor: Rev. Patrick Collins Associate Pastor for Pastoral Care: Rev. Avery C. Manchester Director of Music: Dr. Craig Scott Symons Director of Family Ministries: Rosemary Lamie Director of Church Administration & Finance: Steve Summerton Administrative Assistant - Operations: Donna White Director of Membership: Ginny Breismeister Parish Nurse: Susan Asselin, RN Director of Preschool: Darla Kohler Steiner Front Cover Photo: Phil McKenna of Inside Climate News