CHURCH OF THE HOLY CROSS UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST CONGREGATIONAL 440 West Lanikaula Street, Hilo, Hawai`i December 20, 2015 Fourth Sunday of Advent Our Children s Christmas Pageant Sunday WE GATHER TO WORSHIP GOD Pre-Service Music Congregational singing together Words of Greeting Pastoral Welcome Prelude: O Come, Little Children (18 th Century Melody) By: Schulz-Wood Jayson Rekis Rev. Choo Lak Yeow Kayleen Yuda Call to Worship Leader: This is how God showed his love among us: People: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. Leader: This is love: not that we loved God, People: But that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins Leader: And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. ALL: God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God and God in them. Advent Reading and Candle Lighting Ashley Santo Hymn: The Candle of Love - Sung to Infant Holy, Infant Lowly Lord we thank you and we praise you For your gift to us divine. As we celebrate this Advent Fill our hearts with love sublime. Candles glowing, spirits growing, As the Christ child comes to earth. We rejoice his holy birth. We rejoice his holy birth. 1
Lighting Response and Prayer Leader: The candle of love prepares us for Christ s coming People: Our hearts glow with the light of love. Leader: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace and you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. ALL: We wait with love, Come, Lord Jesus. Amen. Prayer of Invocation [Unison] O God, you are with each one of us, especially with our keiki this morning. You are with the young, the elderly, and those who are tired out because of the Christmas rush. No matter who we are, no matter how young or how old we are, we each receive your precious gift. We specially pray for the babies and toddlers in our church, praying particularly for Sadie, Ichiro, and Miracle who will be baptized today. We thank you for our parents and other members of our family. We pray for them at this moment. We pray for guests, visitors, and strangers. We thank you for their visit. With all our heart, we praise God. *Gloria Patri WE SHARE THE WORD OF GOD Time with Children: Miracle Gibe Gelan s Infant Baptism Rev. Choo Lak Yeow *Lord s Prayer [using debts and debtors ] in unison 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 and ever. A-men. After the Lord s Prayer, please pass the peace of Christ to your neighbor on your left and right, after which, please be seated for the Ministry of Music and the children leave for Sunday school. Our Children s 2015 Christmas Pageant See Insert A Scripture: Micah 5: 2 4 2
Scripture: Luke 1: 39 45 Sermon: Jesus Loves The Little Children Jesus Loves Me a singing sermon Rev. Choo Lak Yeow See Insert B WE RESPOND IN WORD AND DEED Pastoral Prayer/Prayers of People Hymn: Chorus: O Come, and see the baby Rev. Choo Lak Yeow See bottom right of Insert B Invitation to the Offering: With all my heart I praise God. I am so happy! For God has blessed me and done great things for me. How good and wonderful is God. What God has done for me will never be forgotten. Holy is God s name. God uses us to feed the hungry and to help the poor. God uses our offering to remember our families, our friends, and the homeless and the hungry in Hilo and beyond. Offertory: Kayleen Yuda *Doxology: #780 or #781 *Prayer of Dedication: [in unison] O Holy God, we are happy we are family, members of a great ohana in our Church of the Holy Cross. We encourage each other because we are ohana. We comfort each other in grief because we are ohana. We cry for each other when we get hurt because we are ohana. We double our joy when we share our happiness with each other because we are ohana. Teach us, then, to encourage each other and to take good care of each other and every member of our ohana. Amene. *Closing Hymn: Jesus Loves Me This I Know First verse in English Second verse in the language of your choice See Insert C *Benediction *Choral Benediction Response: Jesus Loves Me This I Know (in Hawaiian) See Insert C *Extinguishing of the Altar Candles 3
*Postlude: Noel Nouvelet (French carol melody) By: Wood Kayleen Yuda Ushers: Moira Tanaka, Newton Chu, Esther Kodani & Karl Kawahara Flowers: Poinsettias Interim Minister: Rev. Choo Lak Yeow Moderator: Woody Kita Minister Emeritus: Susumu Yamane Sensei Office Manager: Jodi Enriquez Choir Director: Katherine Wilson Choir Accompanist: Kanako Okita Organist: Kayleen Yuda Childcare Coordinator: Evonne Shioshita Childcare: Lei Jack NOTICE Rhythm & Life will resume on January 12 th, 2016 DATES TO REMEMBER Today, December 20 th Children s Christmas Pageant during Worship Today, December 20 th Trustees Meeting After worship Thursday, December 24 th Christmas Eve Program at 7:00 p.m. Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols Friday, December 25 th Merry Christmas CHC Office will be Closed Sunday, December 27th J s Mini Mart Before Worship Sunday, December 27 th Installation of 2016 Office Bearers 4
Sunday, December 27 th Deacons Meeting After worship Beginning on January 03, 2016 Beginners Bible Study for 6 weeks A general Walkabout of the Bible In Pastor s Office 8.30 am to 9.30 am All are very warmly welcome! Sunday, January 03, 2016 Special General Membership Meeting To approve call of The Rev. Eric Anderson This week at the Church of the Holy Cross Bible Study, Monday at 6:30 pm and Wednesday at 9:30 am in Pastor s Study Choir Practice, 8:30 a.m. Sunday in the Sanctuary & 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm on Tuesday in the Lounge IYAA Bible Study Wednesday at 7:30 pm in the Lounge. Mark Ch. 12 Rhythm & Life exercise class, will resume on January 12 th, 2016 Ballroom Dance class meets every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in the BF Ron Fujiyoshi, Ohana Ho opakele meets every Thursday at 9:00 am in the Lounge Qigong meets every Friday at 9:00 am to 10:30 am in the Building of Faith. Bell Choir every Saturday at 1pm in J s Café Muslim Community Group meets every Friday at 1:00 p.m. in the Building of Faith Meeting Room Other Congregations that Worship here Today The Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga meets in the Sanctuary on Sunday from 2 pm to 4 pm and Wednesday from 6 pm to 7 pm Rev. Stiven Pousima; Assistant to Pastor: Tevita Talanoa The United Church of Christ, Pohnpei worships 10am to noon in the Building of Faith. Rev. Ichiro Annes Samoan Church worships at 12pm in Sanctuary. Rev. Take Sunia Chuukese Church worships from 1 pm to 3pm in Building of Faith Meeting Room. Rev. Saburo Robert First Marshallese Assembly of God, worships 4 pm in the Sanctuary. Rev. Brandy Karben 5
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