Growing in Discipleship Transformed for Ministry March 15, 2015 Sunday Worship 10:00 AM & 5:00 PM Sunday Church School Classes 11:30 AM-12:15 PM In Worship: Our worship proceeds unannounced and follows the printed liturgy. The black dominating our Lenten banner symbolizes the death of our Lord. The red expresses Christ s suffering; the branch is a symbol of His crown of thorns. These symbols are not meant to be concerned only with death and suffering; the thorny branch is white and flowering to indicate that from suffering triumph will come, and the red orb symbolizes Christ s victory. Just as the sun illumines, quickens and comforts, so Christ as the Son of Righteousness gives new life to His own. Large print resources are available at the information desk. Our facility is equipped with the Loop hearing system. For Children: Ages 0-2: Infant and toddler nurseries are available. Preschool: The Little Children (TLC) gathers downstairs prior to the morning worship. K-2 nd : After the Children s Message the Children s Worship ministry meets downstairs until the conclusion of worship. Parents meet their children there following the service. Children s Bulletins are in the holder in the narthex. Fellowship and Information: Everyone is invited to the Fellowship Hall for refreshments following the morning service. An introductory church DVD is available at the Information Desk. All of our ministries are described in the colorful folders at the Information Desk near the nurseries. Church office hours: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM, Monday Thursday Bulletin deadline: Wednesday Noon 616-451-8467 Office@CalvinCRC.org www.calvincrc.org
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! Psalm 139:17 NIV Fourth Sunday of Lent Ten o clock March 15, 2015 Prelude: Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven [#571] Raymond Haan; Gerhard Krapf; Timothy Flynn Welcome and Announcements Call to Worship: Jesus, Lover of My Soul Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to thy bosom fly, While the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high; Hide me, O my Savior hide, till the storm of life is past; Safe into the haven guide, O receive my soul at last. Joseph Parry * Opening Hymn: Praise My Soul the King of Heaven #571:1-3,5 * God s Greeting CONFESSION AND ASSURANCE Call to Confession Search us, O God, and know our hearts. Test us and know our anxious thoughts. Point out anything in us that offends you, and guide us on the road to life. (Psalm 139:23-24) Prayer of Confession O Lord, you have examined our hearts and know everything about us. You know when we sit down or stand up. You know our thoughts from afar. You see when we walk or lie down, You know every detail of our conduct. You even know what we are going to say before we say it. Such knowledge is too wonderful for us, too great for us to understand. (Psalm 139:1-3, 6) Cleanse us from hidden faults. Keep us from deliberate sins. Don t let them control us. Then we will be free of guilt, and innocent of serious wrong-doing. (Psalm 19:12-14) We pray in Jesus name. Amen.
Hymn of Confession: Lord You Have Searched Me #337:1-5 Assurance of Pardon Listen to the promise of God: Those who love me, I will deliver. I will protect those who know my name. When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue them and honor them, and show them my saving power. (Psalm 91:14-15) Lord, we trust in your unfailing love! We rejoice, because you have rescued us! PRAISE AND PRAYER * Song of Response: How Great is the Love of the Father #683:1-2 (Kindergarten 4 th grade children may come forward during the singing of this song.) Message for Children Anthem: Hearken! Stay Close to Jesus Christ David Moritz Michael Hearken! Stay close to Jesus Christ; let his spirit lead you; Know that he is ever with you, that his loving care never faileth. For this he came from heaven and took upon him our flesh and blood, For our salvation became man and suffered death. His saving power blesses all the world; no one is outside his mercy; He redeems us from all our sins, he makes us one with God, To share with him eternal life. Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession PREPARATION AND PROCLAMATION * Hymn of Preparation: Beneath the Cross of Jesus #825:1-3 Presentation of Offerings and Passing of Friendship Pads Offertory Prayer: Kathy Van Oss Offering for Ministry Fund Offertory: I Will Be Your God [#40] Rick Deasley Prayer for Illumination Scripture Reading: Psalm 139 page 503 Reader: This is the Word of the Lord. People: Thanks be to God!
Sermon: God Knows Me Prayer of Application * Hymn of Response: Father, Long Before Creation #687:1,3,4 * Affirmation of Faith: The Apostles Creed front cover of Hymnal * Benediction * Doxology: Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow #964 Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise him, all creatures here below; Praise him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen, amen. * Postlude: Canzona in F Domenico Zipoli Liturgist: Rev. Rebecca Jordan Heys Preaching Pastor: Rev. Howard Vanderwell Organist and Choir Director: Kenneth Bos Ministry of Music: Sanctuary Choir Scripture Reader: Dan Baker Calvin CRC Announcements for March 15, 2015 WORSHIP Today, 10 AM and 5 PM Morning Worship: Our Sanctuary Choir leads us in ministry of music, and we welcome Rev. Howard Vanderwell to our pulpit. He continues a series on the Psalms with a sermon from Psalm 139, "God Knows Me." Our offering is for the Ministry Fund. Evening Worship: We worship in the sanctuary as we welcome The King's Choraliers to lead us in ministry of music. Rev. Rebecca Jordan Heys preaches from Ephesians 2:1-10, "Not Your Own Doing." Our offering is for Guiding Light Mission. WORSHIP Next Sunday, March 22 Morning Worship: The Allegro Ringers will lead us in ministry of music, and we will welcome back Rev. Vanderwell to our pulpit. He continues a series on the Psalms with a sermon from Psalms 13 and 22, "Honest with God." Our offering will be for Criminal Justice Chaplaincy. Evening Worship: Our CYG high school youth group hosts us as we enjoy a pasta dinner followed by a time of worship. Rev. Paul Kortenhoven will bring a message from God's Word, and the high school youth will also lead in worship. Our offering will be for Volunteers in Service.
COUNCIL NEWS Please reserve Sunday, March 29 for a brief Congregational meeting after the morning service. We hope to elect six Elders and five Deacons for the next council year beginning in May. Nominated and willing to serve for Elder: Mark DeKoster, Bob DeVries, Donna Houskamp, Don Trap, and Jan Walhout. Nominated and willing to serve for Deacon: Graham Rayburn, Mark Sytsma, and Steve Triezenberg. Please pray that additional nominees may feel the Holy Spirit s leading so that a full council may be elected. STAFF NOTE: Pastor Bob is scheduled to return Saturday, March 21 from his pilgrimage to the holy land. CHURCH FAMILY Ruth DeKoster (District #9) passed peacefully into the arms of her heavenly Father early Thursday morning, March 12, joining her husband Lester. We pray for God's comfort for Steve, Ellen, Jonathan, Elizabeth, and Emily DeKoster (District #1), Mark and Julie DeKoster (District #9), her other children and grandchildren, and her friends as they mourn Ruth's death. Marianne Bratt (District #1) gratefully reports that the cancer in her bone marrow, though not curable, can be controlled by medication without appreciable side effects. She and Wally are thankful for this very positive diagnosis and thank the Calvin Church community for its prayers, thoughtfulness, and support. CHILDREN AND YOUTH MINISTRIES TLC and CHILDREN S WORSHIP: 2 & 3 year-olds The Child Who Went Away Mary Carol and Annika 4 & 5 year-olds I Am Changing Sarah and Morgan Kindergarten Jesus is King 1 st & 2 nd grade Jesus Trial Worship Center children are encouraged to continue their giving for missions and to bring their offerings for Family Assistance each Sunday. Next Sunday: 2 & 3 year-olds Zacchaeus Kim and Katie 4 & 5 year-olds The Child Who Went Away Claire and Sam Kindergarten Jesus Last Passover 1 st & 2 nd grade Jesus Death and Resurrection CHURCH SCHOOL CLASSES: The 7 th through 12 th grade classes will meet in the Catacomb today. The 3 rd through 6 th grade classes meet as scheduled. SERVE PARTICIPANTS: Please register online at Youth Unlimited for SERVE by tomorrow. Thank you! MEETINGS, ACTIVITIES, AND EVENTS Today PANCAKE BRUNCH: Following the worship service this morning, all are invited to a pancake brunch fundraiser. We will accept donations to support a Vacation Bible School program this summer. Our goal is $1,000, $200 of which has been pledged. Please join us for pancakes and sausage!
Today ADULT EDUCATION: Building on last week s presentation, Prof. Cioffi moves beyond the research to the reality of our life at Calvin Church. How are we doing with retention of young adults as participating members of the church? What might we be able to do to keep our young people in the church? Nursery care is available during the Adult Education time this week. Next Sunday ADULT EDUCATION: Bert and Sally DeVries share their decades-long archaeological research and community outreach at Umm el-jimal, a spectacular Late Antique (Byzantine-Early Islamic) site in the middle of a modern rural village sandwiched between the Syrian border and Zaatari Refugee Camp, home of 100,000 displaced Syrians. On any given Friday noon, Suleyman, the Imam at the nearby Mosque, a gentle man who worked for us as a high school student, may broadcast an Islam-means-peace sermon over the minaret s loudspeakers, his anti-war words booming across the village and the ruins. The recent gruesome murder of the Jordanian pilot captured by ISIS has put this message of peace into sharp focus in a groundswell of anti-isis sentiment among most Jordanians. BUTTER BRAIDS: If you haven t picked up your Butter Braids yet, please see a youth in the Atrium. Thank you for your purchases. LENTEN SCRIPTURE READING THIS WEEK: Monday, March 16: Luke 9-10; Tuesday, March 17: Luke 11-12;Wednesday, March 18: Luke 13-14; Thursday, March 19: Luke 15-16; Friday, March 20: Luke 17-18;Saturday, March 21: Luke 19-20. WOMEN S BIBLE STUDY: Join us on Wednesday, March 18 at 9:30 AM as we study Revelation 18 led by Pastor Rebecca. Study sheets are on the table in the narthex. COURIER ARTICLES: Articles for the April Courier are due to Clare Walhout (clarewalhout@gmail.com) by Friday, March 20. YOUTH-LED SERVICE AND DINNER: Please join us next Sunday evening for a youth-led worship service and pasta dinner. Rev. Paul Kortenhoven will be sharing a meditation. PRAY FOR CALVIN CHURCH: On Tuesday, March 24 at 12:00 noon, the Classis Grand Rapids East prayer team will be coming to the Calvin Church lounge to pray for our congregation and our ministry. All are welcome to join in this special time of intercession and thanksgiving. LENTEN BREAKFAST APRIL 1, 2015 9:30 AM: Come and remember our Lord's suffering, death, and resurrection at the Lenten Breakfast. We'll worship in music, be inspired by Joanne Rozema's meditation, and share stories of blessings with one another. All are welcome and also invite friends and neighbors. The sign-up sheet is on the table in the narthex, or call the church: 451-8467, or Gert Bokhout: 243-8049.
TLC PROGRAM COORDINATOR: We are seeking a volunteer coordinator for TLC, our church school program for children 2 through 4 years old. This class meets during the morning worship service. If you are interested in knowing more about this position, please contact Char Bulthuis, Director of Youth and Education. We are thankful to Mary Carol Brouwer who has coordinated this program for the past four years. REQUESTED ANNOUNCEMENTS The Choral Scholars will be presenting a concert entitled "O Sacred Head" today at 3:00 PM at Trinity Lutheran Church in Grand Rapids. This Lenten reflection will feature Ralph Vaughan Williams' Mass in G Minor, Pablo Casals' O Vos Omnes, along with other favorite hymns and anthems. This concert is free of charge; a free-will offering will be received. Calvin College and the American Guild of Organists will present an organand-orchestra concert based on the church cantatas of J. S. Bach. It features four prominent local organists and members of the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra under the direction of John Varineau. They will perform in the Calvin College Chapel on Monday, March 16, at 8:00 PM, opening the week of Bach's birthday celebrations. This concert is open to the public free of charge. Cottage Needed: From campus minister and former Calvin Church pastor Ed Laarman: I plan to bring five students to West Michigan for a vocational discernment retreat. Does anyone have a cottage within an hour s drive of Holland that we could borrow or rent from the evening of May 19 through the morning of May 23? If so, please contact me at 319-594-2621 or edwardlaarman@uiowa.edu Thank you! Classis Grand Rapids East is hosting a workshop called The Building Blocks of Faith, on March 26 at 6:00-8:30 PM at Seymour Church! This workshop will focus on key building blocks that can help shape our faith formation efforts at every age level. If you lead one of the faith formation ministries in your congregation (youth ministry Sunday school, adult discipleship, small groups, children s ministry, GEMS, Cadets, children and worship, etc.), or are interested discussing how faith is formed within a community, please join us. Presenters Laura Keeley, Derek Atkins, and Rev. Shannon Jammal-Hollemans from the CRCNA's Discipleship and Faith Formation Ministries team will lead the discussion. There is no fee for the workshop and dinner is included. Childcare will be made available if requested. Please RSVP to mary@seymourchurch.org
Today, March 15, Fourth Sunday of Lent 9:40a Atrium Greeters: Elaine Bardolph and Lorraine Warlick East Greeters: Bill & Caren Boer Nursery Supervisors: Kim Wierenga and Yvonne Triezenberg Nursery Helpers: John & Katie Kuiper Kate Poortenga and Carolyn Prince Parking Attendant: Ray Lanning 11:15a Library Volunteer: Lois Huisman Coffee Servers: Schoone-Jongen and Sytsma Pancake Brunch VBS Fundraiser in the fellowship hall 11:20a Church School 11:30a Adult Education: Young Adults and the Future of the Church: Cause for Concern or Reason for Hope? Presenter: Todd V. Cioffi 3:45p Community Care / Social Justice committee meeting in the conference room 4:40p Parking Attendant: Gary Burghgraef Monday, March 16 7:00p Co-ed Volleyball Tuesday, March 17 9:30a Family Assistance 7:30p Council Wednesday, March 18 9:30a Women s Bible Study 12:00p Global Gifts Board meeting in the lounge 5:30p Junior Bells 6:15p Cherub Choir and Covenant Choir (Spoelma) 7:00p Allegro Ringers Thursday, March 19 9:00a Take Charge meeting 9:30a Family Assistance 7:00p Eastown Basketball Sanctuary Choir rehearsal 8:00p Calvin Basketball Next Sunday, March 22, Fifth Sunday of Lent 9:30a Prayer Time (Prayer Room) 9:40a Atrium Greeters: Terry & Brenda Boer East Greeters: Gord & Karen Bordewyk Nursery Supervisors: Melisa Hubka and Lindsay Molenbeek Nursery Helpers: Jeannine Lanning and Merri. Lucas, & Ian Ezinga Parking Attendant: Tom Keegstra 11:15a Library Volunteers: Tammy Baker Coffee Servers: Schoone-Jongen and Sytsma 11:20a Church School 11:30a Adult Education: Patches of Peace in Acres of Conflict by Bert & Sally devries Worship committee meeting 4:40p Parking Attendant: Dan Yff Nursery: Lindsay Molenbeek, Aaron and Abby Gronsman