13 th Sunday after Pentecost August 19, 2018 ST. JOHN S UNITED CHURCH WELCOME! A warm welcome is extended to all. Your presence enriches both us and this time of celebration together. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever. John 6: 58 People today are hungry hungry for the bread that truly satisfies, hungry for an authentic encounter with God and for a life shaped by that encounter.... The hunger deep in our souls is fed by the love of the living Christ. Craig Dykstra Growing in the Life of Faith. The bulletin is dedicated in Loving Memory of Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Bryant Sr. by The Bryant Family
NOTICES, UPCOMING MEETINGS & EVENTS Aug. 19 Sun. 10:00 a.m. Worship Aug. 22 Wed. 6:00 p.m. Tidewater Area Council, Girl Guides (Owen Fraser Hall) Aug. 24 Fri. 10:30 a.m. Worship at Royal Court, 6th Floor, Riverview, with the Rev. Aaron Billard Aug. 26 Sun. 10:00 a.m. Worship Sept. 2 Sun. 10:00 a.m. Worship Sept. 3 Mon. Office closed Labour Day Sept. 9 Sun. 11:00 a.m. Worship (note time change) Sept. 15 Sat. UCW Fall Retreat at Camp Ta-Wa-Si Deadline for submissions in the Thanksgiving Sept. 17 Mon. Newsletter. Email your news/updates/reports to the Church Office. OFFERING FROM August 12, 2018 Local $2,248.00 (27) Memorials $80.00 Mission & Service $259.00 (7) Karing Kitchen $5.00 Plate Loose $17.30 Parking $525.00 VBS $50.00 Grocery Cards $550.00 Thank you for your generous and continued support! SOBEYS & SUPERSTORE GIFT CARDS are sold each Sunday at the sales table in the Owen Fraser Hall after Worship during fellowship and coffee time or at the Church Office on weekdays during office hours. We make 4% on every card sold. ~ Your support is needed & appreciated. Year-to-date sales: $13,125.00 Profit: $525.00 M&S UPDATE: Goal: $23,500.00 Givings to date: $13,465.22 (57%) This week, as part of our ecumenical prayers, WE PRAY for the congregation of the Parkside Baptist Church, their pastors, and their ministry. 2
MONCTON PRIDE WEEK CELEBRATIONS (August 18 25, 2018) Moncton s annual Pride Week Celebrations provide us with an opportunity to walk the talk as an Affirming Presbytery and Conference. A full list of activities can be found at https://www.fiertemonctonpride.com/pride-week-2018. Pride Parade: Saturday, August 25 at 1:30 pm The Parade lines up on Foundry Street in downtown Moncton. Participants (preregistered) must arrive no later than 12:30pm. The Parade will proceed onto Main Street; continuing to Downing and concluding at Riverfront Park. The Affirming Committee of Central United Church is once again assembling a float to represent The United Church in the parade. Anyone available to help with decorating is invited to meet in the Robinson Street/Capitol theatre parking lot behind Central United Church/Community Peace Centre Complex at 10:00am on Saturday morning. LGBTQ+ allies and supporters from our Presbytery and Conference are encouraged to join their United Church colleagues in the parade or provide encouragement from locations along the parade route. Let s do our part to continue to walk the talk as an Affirming Presbytery and Conference. NO PARKING ON VICTORIA STREET - Please note the City of Moncton has recently removed the "For Church Purposes Only" parking sign on the south side of Victoria street, due to the no parking restriction by-law being enforced. As a result, we will no longer be able to park or offer Handicap parking on this side of the church on Sunday mornings. Handicap parking will still be available on the Alma street side. DID YOU KNOW? The church offers a hearing loop system for anyone who would like to enhance their listening experience during the Sunday morning service. Please feel free to speak to one of the volunteers on the sound board on Sunday morning AUDIO RECORDING OF SUNDAY WORSHIP - We offer audio recording of our Sunday Church Service on-line. If you find yourself missing our Sunday Worship, just check it out on our Church website - www.stjohnsmoncton.ca. Recordings will be posted each week after the morning service. If those of you without a computer, a CD copy of the service can be obtained from the Church Office. DIME BLITZ - Don't spend a dime this summer - save them for the UCW summer fundraiser. Plastic pill bottles have been placed at the church entrances for your convenience. Deposit in the offering plate in the fall. Thank you for your continued support of UCW projects. 3
HEALTH & SAFETY - We have a wheelchair here at St. John s and it is located on a permanent basis in the unused entrance way at the back of the Sanctuary (corner of Alma and Victoria Streets). We also have an AED - automated external defibrillator. It is wall mounted and located right outside the Church Office NEWS FROM THE PEWS - We invite you to share news of special events, memories, newspaper clippings of our church family for all to enjoy. You may leave your "clippings" in the box on the table below the bulletin board in the Owen Fraser Hall. Your participation is appreciated. Thank you. BULLETINS are available on our website and by email; check the bulletin online at: www.stjohnsmoncton.ca. If you would like to receive a copy of the bulletin by email prior to Sunday Worship (Fridays), please email your request to church office at sjuc@nb.aibn.com. SERMONS - Printed copies of the sermons are available by email and at our main entrances. Please contact the church office if you want to be added to the email list. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ SCENT FREE ENVIRONMENT - We encourage all people to help us maintain a scent-free environment by not wearing perfumes, aftershaves, and other scented products when attending services & meetings at the church. Many people are extra sensitive to these scents and suffer allergic reactions as a result of being near them. Thank you for making this a healthy place for others to meet and worship. ST. JOHN S UNITED CHURCH CARES... To notify the Minister of personal concerns, anxieties, illnesses, hospitalizations or deaths, to pass along a prayer request, or to arrange homebound communion, contact Rev. Aaron Billard at 858-8289 or sjucrev@gmail.com Announcements from other United Churches, Chignecto Presbytery, Maritime Conference and the Community are located on the bulletin boards located at the Alma St. entrance and outside the Church Office. 4
WORSHIP (The congregation is invited to join in responses printed in bold) Children are asked to remain with their parents throughout the service. The Nursery is available for parental use. Sunday School and Nursery Care will resume in late September. PRELUDE WE GATHER IN THE SPIRIT OF COMMUNITY WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS CALL TO WORSHIP Your hand is upon your people, O God, to guide and protect them through the ages. Keep in your service those you have called and anointed, that the powers of this world may not overwhelm us, but that, secure in your love, we may carry out your will in the face of all adversity. PRAYER OF APPROACH AND CONFESSION Divine Parent, God of all Creation, God of Mercy, Benevolent One: Your children are crying out to you. Hear our prayers. We long for peace in the land, yet we are surrounded by violence. Blessed One, fill our hearts and minds with your design for our safety. Let your vision for us become our vision as well. Right now, O God, we call to you for guidance. 5
As you have shown justice, help us require true justice. As you have shown mercy, help us to be merciful. As you have forgiven, help us to forgive each other. As you love us, fill us with love. There is so much pain. Turn our pain into a balm of healing. Come now, Faithful One, and use us as instruments of new life with joy, happiness, and peace. Let us be peace. Let us be love. Remove all obstacles that cause us to stumble. Open our eyes so we can see each other as you see us. Open our ears so we can hear each other as you listen to us. Open our minds so we can know each other as you know us. Open our hearts so we can receive each other as you receive us. We praise you, O God, for you alone are God. We give you thanks for your steadfast love and mercy. Thank you for making all people one family. Thank you for Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen. (Moment of silence and reflection) ASSURANCE OF PARDON We are forgiving people. Thanks be to God. HYMN # 356 SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM (LAFFERTY) WE REFLECT UPON OUR COMMON STORY SCRIPTURE LESSONS Psalm 111 (VU p. 833) The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Ephesians 5:15 20 With thanksgiving, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. John 6:51 58 Whoever eats my bread has eternal life. God's story is for all people. It is ours to receive and share. 6
HYMN # 359 HE CAME SINGING LOVE (SINGING LOVE) SERMON OFFERING WE RESPOND TO GOD S LOVE OFFERTORY # 115 MV BEHOLD, BEHOLD, I MAKE ALL THINGS NEW (BEHOLD) Behold, behold, I make all things new, beginning with you and starting today. Behold, behold, I make all things new, my promise is true, for I am Christ the way. DEDICATION PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE & THE LORD S PRAYER HYMN # 713 I SEE A NEW HEAVEN (I SEE A NEW HEAVEN) BENEDICTION POSTLUDE You are invited to join us in the Owen Fraser Hall after Worship for a time of fellowship and refreshments. MEMORIALS A donation has been made to St. John s United Church in Memory of: Marg Kennedy (Wife of Jerry Kennedy) by Gordon & Phyllis Hicks, Kimberley & Luiz de Jesus, Brenda McFarlane and St. John s UCW Kathleen Allaby (Wife of Cedric Allaby) by Kimberley & Luiz de Jesus 7
Today s Team Greeters & Ushers: South Door Alma St. North Door Victoria St. Greet: Alvin Edgett Greet: Sonja Buck Offering: Alvin Edgett Offering: Sonja Buck Scripture Reader: Tellers: Elevator: Pat Arsenault Sound Board: Bob Hebert Grocery Card Sales: Kimberley Buck de Jesus CHURCH MINISTRY PERSONNEL AND STAFF Rev. Aaron Billard, Minister email: sjucrev@gmail.com Branden Olsen, Music Director Karen Geldart, Office Administrator email: sjuc@nb.aibn.com Pat Arsenault, Custodian Rev. Dr. Douglas MacEachern Minister Emeritus email: dougjune@nb.sympatico.ca 75 Alma Street, Moncton, NB E1C 4Y3 T: 858-8289 E: sjuc@nb.aibn.com W: www.stjohnsmoncton.ca FB: St. John s United Church, United Church of Canada Office Hours: M-F, 9:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. 8