North Presbyterian Church 1 st Sunday of Advent Dec. 3, :00 a.m.

North Presbyterian Church 1 st Sunday of Advent Dec. 3, 2017 10:00 a.m.

WE GATHER TO WORSHIP GOD Prelude Kurt Ebsary Greeting, Welcome, and Opportunities for Discipleship Welcome visitors! If you feel comfortable, please introduce yourself at this time. We are glad you are here. We hope you will fill out the friendship pad (in the pew holder) to help us get acquainted. Join us for coffee. Everyone please silence your cell phones. Lighting of the Advent Candle Today we light the candle of HOPE. Jesus, you are the hope in our messy world. This Advent, help us to slow down and see what s really important. We put our hope in you as we prepare our hearts for your birth. O come to us in Hope, Emmanuel. Hymn 137 Invocation He Came Down He came down that we may have hope; He came down that we may have hope; He came down that we may have hope; Hallelujah forevermore. *Hymn 82 Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus (Please pass Joys and Concerns to center aisle to be collected during the singing of the hymn.) *Call to Confession *Prayer of Confession God-with-us, even in Advent, we confess that you can seem far away. You are hidden when we need you near. In our hurt, doubt, and fear, we do not try to draw closer to you; instead, we lash out against you, our neighbor, even those we love. Forgive us, we pray, and come to save us! Let your face shine until our tears are dried, our sins are faded, and our hope is restored. After all, we belong to you, and in your hands, we can be made new. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. (Reprinted by permission of Westminster John Knox Press from Feasting on the Word Worship Companion. Copyright 2014.)

*Silent Confession (A time for personal confession of sin) *Assurance of Forgiveness Hear the good news! God loves us. God forgives us. *Response Hymn 110, vs. 3 Love has come and never will leave us! Love is life everlasting and free. Love is Jesus within and among us. Love is the peace our hearts are seeking. Love! Love! Love is the gift of Christmas. Love! Love! Praise to you, God on high! *Passing of the Peace Having received Christ s peace, let us share it by turning to our neighbors and greeting them, saying May the peace of Christ be with you! Anthem O Come to Set Us Free McDonald InerG & Adult Choir Prayer for Illumination WE HEAR THE WORD OF GOD Scripture Readings Isaiah 64:1-9 p.694 Mark 13:24-37 p.52 Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church. Thanks be to God. Sermon Where Do We Find Hope? Pastor William Hennessy WE RESPOND AND GIVE THANKS TO GOD *Hymn 347 Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence Offering Kurt Ebsary

*Doxology (Tune: Truro Hymn 93) Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Christ, all people here below; Praise Holy Spirit evermore; Praise Triune God, whom we adore. Amen. Celebration of the Lord s Supper The Invitation to the Lord s Table Prayers of Thanksgiving, Intercession and the Lord s Prayer The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise. It is truly right forever sing to the glory of your name: Sanctus 1986 by GIA Publications, Inc

So with gratitude and expectation the great mystery of our faith: 1986 by GIA Publications, Inc All glory and honor the prayer Christ teaches us saying: 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. Breaking of the Bread Communion of the People (Our Lord invites all who trust in him, and all who long to trust in him, to share in this meal, which he has prepared. Communion will be received by intinction. Please come up the center aisle and return down side aisles. If your diet requires glutenfree bread, please go to the station at the foot of the steps in the center.) Prayer after Communion Loving God, we thank you that you have fed us in this Sacrament, united us with Christ, and given us a foretaste of the heavenly banquet in your eternal kingdom. Send us out in the power of your Spirit to live and work to your praise and glory. Amen. WE DISPERSE TO SERVE GOD IN THE WORLD *Hymn 100 My Soul Cries Out with a Joyful Shout *Charge *Benediction *Congregational Amen Hymn 568 *Postlude *Those who are able, please stand. Kurt Ebsary

Calendar of Events/300 North Forest Road Sunday, December 3 Communion 8:30am Worship/Chapel 9:15 Bible study/rc 9:30 InerG & Adult Choir rehearsal/sanctuary 10:00 Worship/Sanctuary Sunday school/north basement 11:15 Adult Ed./Lib. 11am-12:45pm 6:30pm Monday, December 4 4:15pm Children s choir rehearsal/south basement Boy Scouts/DR Worship comm./lib. 7:00 Session/WH 7-9 Mindfulness/Chapel Tuesday, December 5 9:30am Staff mtg./ofc. Wednesday, December 6 10:15 Chair yoga/wh 1:00pm Book group/lib. 4-5:30 Eritrea tutoring/wh 7-9 Mindfulness/Chapel Thursday, December 7 6:30pm Handbells/S151 7-8:30 Girl Scouts/south basement 7:30 Adult Choir/Choir Rm. Friday, December 8 5:30-9:00pm Saturday, December 9 12-2pm Mindfulness/Chapel Children s Christmas party/wh 12-4 Recitals/Chapel & DR Sunday, December 10 8:30am Worship/Chapel 9:15 Bible study/rc 10:00 Worship/Sanctuary Sunday school/north basement 11:15 Adult Ed./Lib. 11am-12:45pm Monday, December 11 Children s choir rehearsal/south basement 11:30am-1:30pm Staff Christmas party 7:00pm Property Committee/Lib, 7-9 Mindfulness/Chapel Tuesday, December 12 1:00pm Martha Circle/Lib. 7:00 Deacons/DR Wednesday, December 13 9am-8pm EGA/WH 10:15 NO CHAIR YOGA/WH 10am-2pm 4-5:30pm Musicale/Sanctuary & narthex Eritrea tutoring/lib. 6:30 Sarah Circle/JoAnne Alderfer s 7-9 Mindfulness/Chapel Want to see more calendar events? Go to https://northchurchwilliamsville.org/weekly-bulletinand-north-star/. If you see an error or want to add an event, please e-mail n.church@verizon.net. EGA Embroidery Guild DR Dickinson Room FJC Family Justice Center FONP Friends of Night People Kit Kitchen LE3 Before and After School Program Lib Library Ofc Office RC Resource Center WH Westminster Hall

DEDICATION OF STEWARDSHIP PLEDGE CARDS We had planned on receiving and dedicating your stewardship pledge cards today, but instead will plan on dedicating them next week on Sunday, December 10. As you consider your commitment to North Church in the coming year, we hope you will give in gratitude for God s generosity in your life. And beyond a financial gift, we hope you can commit to becoming more involved in our ministry as we seek to serve Christ and the world through acts of generosity, compassion, and justice. ADVENT ADULT ED. OFFERING Sundays at 11:15 a.m. in the library: Nov. 26, Dec. 3, 10, and 17 During this year s Advent season, we are taking a break from DVDs and planning on discussing a study from The Thoughtful Christian. Titled From Longing to Receiving, the study explored Advent texts of the Revised Common Lectionary, Year B. It emphasizes the Old Testament and Gospel lessons, and refers to the Psalter readings as well. We hope that this contemplative program will help you prepare for the Christmas season. (Study materials are available in the south entrance of the church.) BIBLE STUDY IN THE RESOURCE CENTER This study happens weekly at 9:15 a.m. We will study the Sunday lectionary. The study leaders are volunteers. GIVING TREE Today you will find our decorated Giving Tree in the Dickinson Room. This North Church Advent tradition is one of the ways we help bring joy to families in need during the holiday season. This year we have selected two of the recently arrived refugee families that North Church members have been assisting. The family of five from Eritrea had to move apartments after a fire but the girls are adjusting nicely to new schools and are receiving some special educational tutoring from NPC members. The other family arrived from Iraq to join family members in Buffalo. They are learning English and finding jobs. They sometimes attend Sunday services with us.

We will again be supporting the Homespace program, which provides a safe transitional living environment with supportive services for single-parent families in the foster care system. If you would like to take part in this project, please select a tag from the tree and sign it out so we know that all items are accounted for. A member of the Mission Committee will be there to assist you. Gifts should be wrapped with the gift tag attached and returned to the church no later than Sunday, December 17. Enclosing a gift receipt makes it convenient for the recipient. If shopping is not your thing, we can do some of it for you. Some items have already been purchased; you can simply reimburse the Mission Committee to be the donor. If you prefer to give a monetary donation, we will apply it toward purchase of some of the items. Thank you for helping to make the Christmas season special for families in our community. CHRISTMAS OFFERING The Mission Committee is happy to announce our choices for the 2017 Christmas Offering. Once again the offering will be divided between one local and one other organization. Both agencies that we have chosen work on our behalf to care for the many people in our community and world who need humanitarian assistance. The local agency is Gerard Place, a transitional home for homeless, single-parent families. Gerard Place has been working in Buffalo s east side neighborhoods since 2000 providing housing, education, vocational training, counseling, and classes in life skills. More than 90 percent of residents have transitioned to independent housing and have not returned to homelessness. The Gerard Place Community Center will soon add job readiness training and quality childcare to the neighborhood. Our contributions will help empower individuals and families toward self-sufficiency. They have a very ambitious program and you can read more about it at https://gerardplace.org The second organization sharing our Christmas Offering is One America Appeal, the hurricane relief agency set up by the five living past presidents. Our portion of the collection will be designated to assist our fellow citizens in Puerto Rico. One hundred percent of

moneys donated to One America Appeal are passed on to local agencies for distribution. In Puerto Rico the distribution agency is Unidos Por Puerto Rico (United for Puerto Rico), a private non-profit with a mission to aid individual and small businesses devastated by Hurricanes Irma and Maria by assisting with housing, food, and health needs. Their goal is rebuilding lives and communities in Puerto Rico. United for Puerto Rico reviews grant applications from local non-profits and selects recipients. As of Nov. 3, they have distributed a total of $1,598,944 for such projects as home rebuilding, zinc roofs, tarp repair kits, preparation of hot meals, transportation to doctors appointments, and a mobile clinic for medical emergencies. They assist with distribution of nonperishable goods; so far more than 75,000 items (mostly water, clothing, and food) have been delivered to those in need. There is no need to repeat the statistics here; we have all seen them. These hurricanes were exceptionally catastrophic. It will take years and billions of dollars to do what needs to be done. All donations, no matter the size, make a difference. We are all pulled in many directions this time of year and we ask you to carefully consider how you will respond to this request at Christmastime; keeping in mind the true meaning of the season will surely help. We thank you for your past generosity. SAVE THE DATE: CHILDREN S CHRISTMAS PARTY Children in grades kindergarten through six are invited to a Christmas party lunch and a Christmas movie at the church on Saturday, December 9, from 12-2 p.m. If you have questions, contact Kim Will at kwill.npc@verizon.net. SAVE THE DATE: CHRISTMAS PAGEANT 2017! The Inn Crowd: A Christmas Musical by Lee Dengler and Susan Naus Dengler, will be presented on Sunday, December 17, at 10:00 a.m. AND 4:00 p.m. The infamous census of the ages has made Bethlehem a busy and crowded spot, and there are some guests at a local inn who aren't very happy. F.W. Woolworth (a rich wool salesman), and Rock Starling (a hip star singer), among others, have made it clear that they want no part of the "lower class" staying

in the inn. By the end of this musical, we learn who Jesus came to save and who is included in His kingdom. Alanna Carlins became the new Children's & Youth Choir director beginning October 1, 2017. Marty Shafer retired in May 2017 after having served at North for more than 30 years. Upcoming Children s & Youth Choir Rehearsals The choir will rehearse today and next Sunday from 11 a.m.-12:45 p.m. They will also rehearse on Saturday, December 16, beginning at 3:30 p.m. If you have any questions, please contact the director at alannaloren@yahoo.com. BOOK GROUPS Meets third and fourth Wednesday of each month in the church library December 6, at 1:00 p.m. A Long Way Home: A Memoir by Saroo Brierley (this is for November and December meeting) December 20, at 10:00 a.m. Catch 22 by Joseph Heller January 24, 2018, at 1:00 p.m. The Shoemaker s Wife by Adriana Trigiani WEDNESDAY CHAIR YOGA WITH OLIVIA Grab a friend and head (to) North for chair yoga! Our favorite instructor, Olivia Ebsary, will lead us. No experience necessary. We provide the chairs! Classes will be offered from 10:15-11:00 a.m. on Wednesdays (except the second Wednesday of the month) through December. Everyone is welcome! Questions? E-mail oliviaebsary@gmail.com. WORSHIP SERVICES ON CHRISTMAS EVE DAY AND NEW YEAR S EVE DAY Please note that we will have only one worship service at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, December 24, and on Sunday, December 31. There is no Sunday school on those days. On Sunday, December 24, we will also have Christmas Eve services at 4:00 and 10:00 p.m.

Minister: The Rev. William Hennessy Coordinator: Mitch Roemer Pianists Marlene Harrington, Kurt Ebsary Liturgist (10:00): Ann Eisenlord Lock-up: Randy Bigler Greeters: The Hutton Family 8:30 Ushers: Louise Cooper, Irene Harbison Counters: Linda Gowans, Brian Pettit Nursery: Kira Khayat 10:00 Ushers: Mary Beth Karr & Joe Alber; Advent Candlelighters: Henry & Charlie Hutton Amy & Gary Nelson Visitors You are important to us. Please fill out a visitor card and put it in the offering plate if you wish to be contacted. You may also approach an usher likely wearing a yellow ribbon today to find out more about North Church. Mission Statement Brought together by our shared faith in Jesus Christ, Called by God to live as faithful disciples, Blessed by our diverse gifts and experiences, We commit ourselves to: Worship together, Teach and learn from one another, Nurture each other with care and love, and Reach out in ministry and mission to the world. Ministers: The Congregation Pastor/Head of Staff: The Rev. William T. Hennessy Coordinator of Sacred Arts: Olivia Ebsary Administrative Assistant: Cynthia Machamer Bookkeeper: Karen Thomas Facilities Coordinator: Mike Callaghan Childcare Supervisor: Regina Koteras Director of Music, Organist: Marlene Harrington Webmaster: Tara Martin Director of Music, Children & Youth: Alanna Carlins Sunday School Administrator: Kimberly Will Youth Director, Northtowns: Mack Barker Musical Assistant: Kurt Ebsary

Elders (Session) Clerk of Session: Sylvia Bigler Deacons Moderator: Glenn Hopkins Class of 2018 Joe Alber Ralph Doerzbacher Bill Ervin Class of 2019 Bill Clark Sue D Angelo Shevaun Donelli O Connell Scott Marshall Marsha Villano Class of 2018 Glenn Hopkins Shirley Mazourek Garry Ostermeier Pam Ostermeier Class of 2019 Karen Hopkins Connie Littlewood Sheridan Skura Carol Suckow Class of 2020 Anselm George Warren Marcus Rob Powell Class of 2020 Cam Cowan Olivia Ebsary Irene Harbison Heather Randall Sunday School Schedule TODAY: Sunday school Dec. 10 Sunday school Dec. 17, 24, & 31 NO Sunday School Nursery Schedule TODAY: Kira Khayat Dec. 10 Sara Koteras Dec. 17 Christmas pageant