Welcome to Worship at First Presbyterian Church Neenah, Wisconsin We re delighted that you re here! With the open arms of Christ, we welcome persons of every age, ability, race, or ethnicity fully into the life of the church, recognizing and respecting all sexual orientations and gender identities. Large print bulletins (with hymns included) are available. Please ask an usher. Hearing Assistance: First Presbyterian has a hearing loop for hearing aid users equipped with T-coils. Brochures explaining this feature are available in the pews. There are also head phones available in the narthex, (aka the entryway) if you don t have hearing aides. Childcare (infants and toddlers through 2 years old) is available in the nursery located next to the Fellowship Hall. We welcome infants and small children in worship, but if your child needs care or becomes uncomfortable during the service, feel free to leave and return as you wish. The audio portion of the second service can be heard in the Chapel, where you and your child are also welcome. Worship Bags with activities, and Bibles for Children are available near the entrances of the Chapel and the Sanctuary. Wee Worship: At the option of their parents, children ages three years through first grade are invited to gather in the Wee Worship room next to the library immediately following the Time for Children at the second service (a teacher will lead them there). Wee Worship provides an environment for young children to learn, experience, and participate in worship in a developmentally appropriate way. When we celebrate a Baptism or Communion, children will be brought back to the Sanctuary right after the sermon so that they can participate. If their parents prefer, children may be taken to the nursery instead of returning to worship. Online Connections: Please learn more about us at our website, www.firstpresneenah.org, and Like us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/firstpresneenah, for updates on church activities. Receiving the Sacrament of Baptism today is Hazel Reese Derencius, daughter of Lindsay and Phillip Derencius. Today s Ministers of Welcome: Greeters: Deacon Doug Freiermuth and Elder Steve Bork. Ushers: Faye and Dan Wells at 8:00 a.m. and Amy Foster, Heather Miller, and Aiden and Lorenzo Pisan at 10:15 a.m. Coffee Hostess: Ginny Gillman. 2
September 24, 2017 Service for the Lord s Day Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost 8:00 a.m. & 10:15 a.m. As the prelude begins, please prepare quietly for worship and be sure all cell phones are turned off. Prelude Chorale Prelude on Beach Spring Aaron David Miller * Introit 399 God Welcomes All (sing two times) THEMBA AMEN * Call to Worship Danny Westphal (8:00), Alana Richey (10:15) (From Psalm 19:7&10) The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter are they than honey, and the drippings of the honeycomb. Let us worship God. * Hymn 460 Break Thou the Bread of Life BREAD OF LIFE * Prayer of Confession (From The Book of Common Worship 1993 Westminster/John Knox Press God of mercy, we confess that we have sinned against you. You provide our daily bread, but we crave other things. You give your word to guide us, but we follow after other voices. Forgive us, God of grace. Fill us with hunger for your gifts that truly feed us, so that we may seek them and be filled; through Jesus Christ our Savior. (Moment for silent prayers of confession) 3
* Response - Hymn 423 (Stanza 1) Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God SARADAY * Assurance of Pardon * Response Hymn 447 We Are Forgiven WE ARE FORGIVEN 4
* The Peace The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. And also with you. (You are invited to share the Peace with your neighbor saying: The peace of Christ be with you, and the neighbor responding, And also with you. ) Welcome and Invitation to Our Church Life (Please sign and pass the Fellowship Pads, noting other names as they are returned, and greet one another after the service.) A Time for Children (10:15) (Following A Time for Children those who are 3 yrs 1 st grade are welcome to follow a teacher to the Wee Worship room.) Prayer for Illumination Scripture Readings Deuteronomy 11:18-21 Pew Bible (OT) p. 168 2 Timothy 3:14-17 Pew Bible (NT) p. 213 Psalm 19, Hymn 61 Your Law, O Lord, Is Perfect CHRISTUS, DER IST MEIN LEBEN Matthew 4:1-11 Pew Bible (NT) p. 3 Response: For the word of God in Scripture, for the word of God among us, for the word of God within us, Thanks be to God! Sermon Soul Feast: Chewing the Bread of the Word Terry Hamilton-Poore * Hymn 453 Open Your Ears, O Faithful People YISRAEL V'ORAITA Sacrament of Baptism for Hazel Reese Derencius p. 14, Glory to God Hymnal * Hymn 486 Child of Blessing, Child of Promise KINGDOM Prayers of the People and the Lord s Prayer (Following the words, God, in your mercy, the response is Hear our prayers. ) 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. Sharing of Our Gifts and Offerings 5
Offertory Morning Has Broken (8:00) arr. Lloyd Larson Jesus, Friend of Sinners (10:15) Edvard Grieg Chancel Choir Anthem Notes from Steve Sieck Edvard Grieg was a 19 th century composer from Norway whose symphonic music is so famous and recognizable that you hear it every day in cartoons and commercials. While Grieg considered himself a Unitarian, one of the most famous choral motets he ever wrote was Ave Maris Stella a Latin prayer to Mary. This music was re-texted shortly after Grieg died in one edition as Jesus, Friend of Sinners by C. Dickinson, and I have adapted some of the lyrics in this edition we re singing today. Some music finds its meaning through its perfect setting of one specific text, but Grieg s music is absolutely beautiful with a wide range of texts, including this one. Today s anthem clearly shows the influence of the Russian Orthodox choral tradition doubling the melody between tenors and sopranos, full and rich chords, extreme dynamics, and huge vocal ranges (high soprano parts, low bass parts). While I originally selected this anthem to comment on Jesus parable of the laborers in the vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16), it works very well with our second chapter of Soul Feast: may our blind eyes see you keep our thoughts on you are meditations for the practice of spiritual reading. * Response Hymn 717 For the Life That You Have Given PLEADING SAVIOR 6
* Prayer of Thanksgiving Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise. Abundant God, you plant the seeds of your love in our world and in our lives. May these gifts that we bring grow into a harvest of grace, peace, and hope for all of our neighbors near and far. Amen. * Hymn 748 Go with Us, Lord TALLIS' CANON * Charge and Benediction * Response Hymn 568 Amen AMEN (Haugen) Postlude Toccata in E Minor Johann Pachelbel * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Those who are able are invited to stand. Please join us after worship for coffee and conversation in the Church Parlor. A Persistent Dream of Peace Peace & Global Witness Offering. At the national level, peace means supporting those working to heal the divisions in violent contexts like South Sudan. Peace means bringing leaders together who have made a profound witness for peace around the world and deploying them to congregations like ours. Peace means creating materials that equip congregations to deal with important issues at home and abroad. Twenty-five percent of this offering will stay with our church, enabling us the freedom to provide support where we feel it is needed most. Special offering envelopes are available in each pew, or write Peace and Global Witness Offering in the memo of your check. The offering will be dedicated on World Communion Sunday, October 1 st. 7
Membership Exploration Class is coming up on October 26 th. This class is for those interested in joining or simply finding out more about First Presbyterian Church. The class will meet on Thursday, October 26 th, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the upstairs Heritage Meeting Room. A light supper and childcare will be provided. Please join us! The Caregivers Support Group meets every other Thursday. The next meeting will take place on Sept. 28 th at First Presbyterian Church (200 Church St., Neenah), 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Parlor. For more information, contact the church office (firstpresneenah@firstpresneenah.org or 725-4391) or our Parish Nurse, Susan Jares, (sjares@firstpresneenah.org), or just show up! Wonderful Wednesday S.A.F.E. Training. Our first of five sessions of the SAFE Training (provided by the UW Oshkosh LGBTQ+ Resource Center) for Wonderful Wednesdays was a success! We looked closely at what it means to be an ally for the LGBTQ+ community and even took time to discuss what our personal experiences have been with words used to represent those associated with LGBTQ+. There is so much more to learn and grow from in these next couple of weeks and we would love to have you join us even if you have not registered yet! As a reminder, our next session on Wed. Sept. 27 th, will be a 90 min session, diving into definitions and common language. Dinner will be served 5:30-6:00 p.m., with the SAFE Training group meeting in the Parlor 6:00-7:30 p.m. This is a great opportunity for expanding our love as a visible ally within our own church family and out in the community! See you at Session #2! Save the date for our JOY and SPY Kick-off meetings: Sunday, October 1 st. JOY (Junior Organization for Youth) for grades 6-8 SPY (Senior Presbyterian Youth) for grades 9-12 6:15 to 6:45 p.m. All JOY youth and parents please meet in the Youth Room (Rm 206). 6:45 to 7:00 p.m. Ice Cream Sundaes will be served in the Fellowship Hall for all JOY and SPY youth and their parents! 7:00 to 7:30 p.m. All SPY youth and parents please meet in the Youth Room (Rm 206). We ask that all youth and parents attend, as we will be providing the year s schedule. Be sure to BRING YOUR CALENDAR AND INSURANCE INFORMATION with you for our meeting together. We are looking forward to a fun and informative evening on Sunday the 1 st! Contact Paul Huxtable (phuxtable@firstpresneenah.org or 725-4391) for more information. JOY and SPY youth will be walking in the annual CROP Hunger Walk on Sunday, Oct. 8 th! In addition to raising funds to diminish local and global hunger, this year s walk will also support the victims of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma by providing blankets and hygiene kits to shelters, providing emergency clean-up buckets and school kits to families in need, and providing technical training in disaster preparedness and long term recovery to state groups. Please support the youth in this event! More details are available on the information desk. 8
Check out the Volunteer from the Heart table. The table is located near the Church Office Sunday mornings, 8:45 to 10:15 a.m. Stop by and sign-up to participate in the mission and ministry of our church. The Parish Nurse Office hours are Monday through Wednesday, 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Please contact Susan directly to set office, home, hospital or care facility visits (church office 725-4391 or sjares@firstpresneenah.org). There is no charge for the Parish Nurse Health Ministry services. 9:00-10:00a.m. FaithTime Adults SUNDAY EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES Soul Feast (SPY room 2 nd floor) Led by: Marilyn Paulson Part 2 of our 5 part series on Soul Feast 9 th to 12 th Grade Faith Connections (Library) 6 th to 8 th Grade New Testament Room #B1 (the JOY room under the FH stage) 9:00 10:00 a.m FaithTime 3 rd to 5 th Grade Cheering on the FPC5 Relay Team (FH) K to 2 nd Grade Cheering on the FPC5 Relay Team (FH) Pre-K Cheering on the FPC5 Relay Team (FH) FaithTime begins with MY (Musical Youth) Worship 3 rd to 5 th Grade Drumming (Fellowship Hall) Pre-K to 2 nd Grade Drumming (Wee Worship) Children and Youth are shepherded to FaithTime following MY Worship. Please stop by the information desk in the lobby if you have any questions about educational opportunities or room locations. 9
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WEEKLY CALENDAR OF EVENTS Sunday, September 24 - Baptism 8:00 a.m. Worship in the Chapel 9:00 a.m. Adult Christian Education FaithTime 9:15 a.m. Chancel Choir 10:15 a.m. Worship in the Sanctuary 11:15 a.m. Sunday Bible Study 11:15 a.m. Wee Worship Teacher/Greeter Training Evening Harvey Response Team Returns to Neenah Tuesday, September 26 4:30 p.m. Parent Connection Nurturing/Parenting Class Wednesday, September 27 9:30 a.m. Book Study 5:30 p.m. Fall Wonderful Wednesday Confirmation Class 6:00 p.m. Praise Ringers 7:15 p.m. Chancel Choir Thursday, September 28 4:30 p.m. Leadership Nominating Committee Mtg 5:00 p.m. Yoga 6:00 p.m. Jubiloso Quartet 7:00 p.m. Caregivers Support Group (Parlor) Sunday, October 1 - World Communion Day - Communion / Noisy Offering - Peace & Global Witness Offering 8:00 a.m. Worship in the Chapel 9:00 a.m. Adult Christian Education FaithTime for Everyone! 9:15 a.m. Chancel Choir 10:15 a.m. Worship in the Sanctuary 11:15 a.m. Sunday Bible Study 6:15 p.m. JOY/SPY Kick off with Parents and You 11
Pastoral Care: Because of HIPAA laws and privacy regulations, the church does not always hear about hospitalizations of our members. If you or family members experience a hospitalization, illness, or other need for pastoral care, please call the church office so that the pastors and parish nurse may be alerted. Would you like to receive our newsletter via email? Contact the church office (725-4391 or firstpresneenah@firstpresneenah.org) to sign-up and receive the latest news on your computer or mobile device. All rights reserved. Reprinted under OneLicense.net, License A-716949 First Presbyterian Church 200 Church Street Neenah, WI 54956 (920) 725-4391 E-mail: firstpresneenah@firstpresneenah.org Interim Pastor: Terry Hamilton-Poore Associate Pastor: Paul Huxtable Director of Christian Education: Gina Struensee Director of Music: Stephen Sieck Organist: Blake Doss Handbell Program & FaithTime Music Coordinator: David Pecsi FaithTime Music Coordinator: Stephanie Sundberg Youth Handbell Choir: Tanya Schroeder Sunday Worship: 8:00 a.m. in the Chapel 10:15 a.m. in the Sanctuary Nursery care is available at both services Visit our website: www.firstpresneenah.org Parish Nurse: Susan Jares Office Administration Coordinator: Cindy Kreis Office Assistant: Michelle Weber Finance and HR Coordinator: Laurie Stafford Facilities Maintenance Coordinator: David Schuhart Housekeeper: Emily Buksyk Sunday Morning Coordinator: Kathy Quale Nursery Care Givers: Lauren Jares, Michelle Lewis and Nikki Van Herwynen 12