Offering Offertory Allegretto (Boyce) Presentation of Gifts with Doxology Hymnal #94 Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise God, all creatures here below: Alleluia! Alleluia! Praise God, the source of all our gifts: Praise Jesus Christ, whose power uplifts; Praise the Spirit, Holy Spirit. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Williston Federated Church United Methodist Church and United Church of Christ Federated 1899 An Open and Affirming, Reconciling Congregation Mission Statement Our church is a community which seeks, welcomes and gathers people to share the Gospel of God s love, enables people to find fullness of life through Jesus Christ, goes into the world to live lovingly and justly as servants of Christ, and responds actively to human need. *Prayer of Dedication (unison) All good gifts around us come from you, O God. You have given us life, and new life in Christ. As you have given us gifts, so we offer our gifts that we may be gifts to one another, even as Jesus so taught and lived. Amen Life and Mission of the Church *Hymn In the Midst of New Dimensions (Songbook #150) Going Out to Do God s Word Benediction Postlude A Mighty Fortress is Our God (Arranged by Wilbur Held) *Please Stand if you are able Should you need a ride to church or events for any reason, contact donnafellingervt@gmail.com (802-355-1700) Greeter: Rick and Barb Bristol Coffee Hour: Search Committee and Pastor/Staff Ushers: Larry Pillsbury, Ken Stone and Jane Stickney Scripture Reader: Jennifer Rousseau Pastor ~ Reverend Paul Eyer 878-5792, pastoreyer@gmail.com Emeritus Pastor ~ Rev. Charlie Magill Lay Leader ~ Ashley Dubois, Ministers ~ The People of the Church Church Office Administrator ~ Sally Nowotarski Music Director ~ Martin Hain, Organist ~ Carolyn Pillsbury Choir Accompanist ~ Cindy Thurston, Nursery Caregiver ~ Michelle Davis 44 North Williston Road, Williston, VT 05495 Church Office: (802) 878-5792, e-mail address: office@steeple.org, Website: www.steeple.org
Welcome To All Who Worship Here! October 29, 2017 ~ 9:30 A.M. New Theses for a New Day Childcare is available downstairs in the nursery for young children. Hearing assistance devices are available please ask an usher for assistance. Anthem A Mighty Fortress arr by Larry Shackley Centering Words Behold, I am about to do a new thing Isaiah 43:19 Listening for God s Word Prelude Introit Prelude (J.S. Bach) O Master Let Me Walk With Thee Time with Children of All Ages Scriptures: O.T. Page 191 Deuteronomy 34:1-12 Greeting and Announcements Sharing the Peace of Christ (a brief time of greeting other worshipers nearby) Sermon Glimpses of the Promised Land Pastor Paul Eyer *Hymn God of Grace and God of Glory (Hymnal #577) *Hymn A Mighty Fortress is Our God (Hymnal #110) Lighting the Peace Candle *Call to Worship (based on Psalms 118 and 95) One: This is the day that God has made; Many: Let us rejoice and be glad in it. One: O come, let us worship and bow down; Many: let us kneel before God, our Maker. Opening Prayer (unison) O God, on this day of new beginnings, we come before you in celebration and thanksgiving. We rejoice in new possibilities and pray for your guidance as we embark on a new journey together. Fill us with your wisdom, inspire us with your vision, strengthen us with your courage, and lead us forward in hope. Amen. Celebrations and Concerns Responding to God s Word Prayers of the People. Response: Lord in Your mercy, hear our prayer. Pastoral Prayer Silent Meditation The Lord s Prayer 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 trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine in the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever. Amen.
NEW THESES FOR A NEW DAY I would like more opportunities to be in conversation with other church members about being Christian in today s world. Sally Metro The members of this church will, by their faith-filled service, make known God s love and Christ s compassion to be alive and relevant in our community and beyond. Sally Metro One of my wishes/dreams is that the church will support the children that come to Time for Children of All Ages and their families until the kids are young adults. When Williston Federated Church is spoken about in the area, they will know we are Christians by our love, our community service and our mission outreach. Nancy Stone I hope for a return of Christian education for adults, using the Bible and/or books. This brings people together in a special way. Vicki Trueman I would like to have an opportunity to grow my personal spirituality via adult Bible or faith study. Sally Metro The WFC Youth Group will grow in numbers. The children will mature in their faith through fun activities, community service, and knowledge of other faiths. Nancy Stone I'd like to see our church go out from our walls to be present with other people and doing projects with Other churches, around the state, and outside of Vermont. Sally Metro NEW THESES FOR A NEW DAY I'd like us to become a magnet for youth and young people (YP). I think this might be possible if we went where young people are. There have been many attempts to bring YP into churches and most have failed. With the distrust that YP have of churches I'm not surprised that they don't come to us. How this would look is not clear, but I'm thinking we should be volunteering at Turning Point Center, Spectrum, with the Refugee resettlement programs, Dismas(which I haven't attended in a long time), maybe on college campuses, or over beers in a pub. Sally Metro After personal prayer, members of the congregation will enthusiastically offer their gifts and talents by joining the choir, teaching Sunday School, serving on committees and stepping forward when a need is announced. Nancy Stone Wouldn t it be wonderful if this church could grow in spirituality. We often forget that before we act, or interact, we are ourselves and if we grow in spirituality we are less likely to act in ways that are unbecoming or hurtful to others. Manifestations of spirituality may include outreach, mission work, and supportive companionship; all acted upon with good whollops of ethical boundaries, but they do not stand alone as we often do them. Build our Membership Build our Sunday School Be a positive force in the world Grow in our spirituality. Continue to build communication between committees.. Keep our building in good repair.
NEW THESES FOR A NEW DAY Be joyous, welcoming, place of worship.. Continue to be a positive force in community activities.. Hopes and Dreams for Reformation Sunday A wish/dream of mine is that there would be another prayer group in the evening. A wish/dream of mine is that every committee would begin its meeting with prayer or devotion (maybe they already begin meetings in this way) A wish/dream of mine is that the congregation find more ways to support young families. ~~~ My hopes for the Williston Federated Church are a little of making WFC great again if I dare borrow that theme. WFC has been my church and my husbands and family since 1992. Our children grew up in this church and they are grown and moved on. I remember those years when there were so many children. There were many young families and we barely had enough space for the Sunday school, I know things have changed over the last 25 years an less people attend church, but my fear is that the church will not be able to sustain itself and we won t be able to grow with a new generation. I was pleased this morning to see more children than in the past and my hopes are that it is turning around. There is so much good in this church and I hope that we can let people hear the good message that we bring and that it will once again be a place where many will want to attend and be a part of. We have had some difficult times in these past few years with circumstances that were beyond our control. I feel that Barb has really helped us through this and we can begin to get back to business shall we say. Gayle Goodwin NEW THESES FOR A NEW DAY As members of the Williston Federated Church we propose cooperation with other faith communities as to how best we can serve our community; that we enhance communication through our church website that we make effective use of social media to build and maintain a network of cooperation that we continue to share our building and resources with the wider community. We propose that the people of the Williston Federated Church be disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the community, the nation, and the world. That as disciples we: feed the hungry free the oppressed comfort the lonely visit the prisoner help heal the sick shelter the homeless welcome the immigrant strive for peace with justice speak truth to power forgive those who have offended us overcome hatred with love seek help for the lost provide safety for the refugee ask forgiveness for wrongdoing share resources with the needy reflect the love and life of Jesus Christ into our world Ruth and Charlie Magil
Christmas Bazaar November 18 th 9 AM - 2 PM Here is a preview for the Christmas Bazaar November 18 th, sponsored by the Women of the Church. There is a sign up sheet on the bulletin board for workers, soup and baked goods. Contact Carol Bouchard if you have questions. Craft Table - Chairperson, Carol Bouchard - We need hand made items such as mittens, scarves, ornaments, jewelry, wooden items, Christmas or other holiday decorations. Bake Sale Table - Chairperson, Rebecca Dubois - We need all sorts of baked goods including pies, cakes, cookies, candies, breads, jams, pickles, fudge etc. The bake sale table is one of the most popular. Please package cookies, bars, fudge etc. in small packages. Plant Table Chairperson Needed (someone to organize and price donations the day before the event) We are looking for houseplants, dried flowers, wreaths, gourds, gifts for gardeners. Attic Treasures Co-chairs, Ginger Isham & Sylvia Maloney We are looking for small items: collectibles, old linens, jewelry, Christmas decorations, small treasures. Silent Auction - Sponsored by the youth Contact Ashley Dubois - Donations of goods & services are needed. Some ideas are: yard work, computer help, babysitting, pies, art work, tickets to a local sporting event, a weekend at a camp, a dinner in your home. Be creative. Proceeds benefit the youth group. Follow this link for the on line form. Ready to Go Meals Co-chairs Vicki Walker & Polly Malik. A variety of Take home meals will be available. This will be our only sale of Take Home Meals so stock up on your favorites. We also have canned goods - your favorite jams and pickles. Proceeds to benefit the Community Dinner Fund Solmate Socks Brenda Howley is selling these mismatched socks to benefit Dragonheart Vermont, a breast cancer survivor group. Lunch - We will be serving home made soups, pulled pork & pulled chicken sandwiches and chili. Donations of soup are needed. Set Up Thursday, Nov. 16th 1-4 and Friday, Nov. 17th 9-4 - Card Tables and holiday table cloths are needed. Bring your donated items and come help us set up. Silent Auction at the Christmas Bazaar in November to benefit the Youth Group. Donations of goods & services are needed. Some ideas are: yard work, computer help, babysitting, pies, art work, tickets to a local sporting event, a weekend at a camp, a dinner in your home. Be creative. Here is an THE LINK. https://goo.gl/forms/gtrmhlr4w0v3jqzn2 Questions: contact Ashley Dubois or Matt Bliss Williston Federated Church ~ Week of October 29, 2017 Wednesday, Nov 1 ~ 6:30pm Finance Committee Thursday, Nov 2 ~ 8:00am Centering Prayer; 9:00am Caring Circle; 6:00pm Music and Worship; 7:00pm Choir Rehearsals Friday, Nov 3~ 7:00am Men's Bible Study Saturday, Nov 4 ~ 8:00am-4:00pm Alanon District Meeting Sunday, Nov 5 ~ 9:30am Worship with Rev. Paul Eyer Thanksgiving Baskets: It's that time of year again to start collecting food for Thanksgiving baskets. The Williston Central School has asked for the Thanksgiving baskets on November 14th so we need to start earlier this year. Williston Central School is closed Thanksgiving week so they would like to distribute the food prior to their vacation. The Missions Committee will have sign-up sheets for food donations starting October 22 nd in the hallway. As we did last year, we would like to give families whose children are home for the entire Thanksgiving week a little extra help which is why there's a miscellaneous sign-up sheet for food items such as peanut butter, tuna, cereal and granola bars. Please bring your donations to the church by Sunday, November 12 th. Thank you for your generous support of Missions projects. If you have any questions, please contact Ann Wadsworth at 578-8716 or ann.wadsworth1@gmail.com. Cushion Mission Just as aging eyes may need large print bulletins, our bodies may need a little more cushioning, especially on folding chairs. Signs reading "Comfort for Your Back or Bottom" are by the 5 cushions hanging from the chair rack in Fellowship Hall and 4 cushions hanging from coat hooks in the sanctuary hallway. Contact Nancy Stone if you see the need for more or have more. Volunteers needed for WFC fundraiser and community outreach opportunity at the Williston School Craft Show on Saturday, November 4th. WFC will be hosting a crafting table or two for kids to create a holiday gift, ornament or other item for a small fee. Volunteers to coordinate 2-hour shifts and/or help the kids create are needed. Please contact Paula LeBlanc at 802-343-5222, pleblanc802@gmail.com or after church in Fellowship Hall. Thank you!
Christmas Bazaar November 18 th 9 AM - 2 PM Here is a preview for the Christmas Bazaar November 18 th, sponsored by the Women of the Church. There is a sign up sheet on the bulletin board for workers, soup and baked goods. Contact Carol Bouchard if you have questions. Craft Table - Chairperson, Carol Bouchard - We need hand made items such as mittens, scarves, ornaments, jewelry, wooden items, Christmas or other holiday decorations. Bake Sale Table - Chairperson, Rebecca Dubois - We need all sorts of baked goods including pies, cakes, cookies, candies, breads, jams, pickles, fudge etc. The bake sale table is one of the most popular. Please package cookies, bars, fudge etc. in small packages. Plant Table Chairperson Needed (someone to organize and price donations the day before the event) We are looking for houseplants, dried flowers, wreaths, gourds, gifts for gardeners. Attic Treasures Co-chairs, Ginger Isham & Sylvia Maloney We are looking for small items: collectibles, old linens, jewelry, Christmas decorations, small treasures. Silent Auction - Sponsored by the youth Contact Ashley Dubois - Donations of goods & services are needed. Some ideas are: yard work, computer help, babysitting, pies, art work, tickets to a local sporting event, a weekend at a camp, a dinner in your home. Be creative. Proceeds benefit the youth group. Follow this link for the on line form. Ready to Go Meals Co-chairs Vicki Walker & Polly Malik. A variety of Take home meals will be available. This will be our only sale of Take Home Meals so stock up on your favorites. We also have canned goods - your favorite jams and pickles. Proceeds to benefit the Community Dinner Fund Solmate Socks Brenda Howley is selling these mismatched socks to benefit Dragonheart Vermont, a breast cancer survivor group. Lunch - We will be serving home made soups, pulled pork & pulled chicken sandwiches and chili. Donations of soup are needed. Set Up Thursday, Nov. 16th 1-4 and Friday, Nov. 17th 9-4 - Card Tables and holiday table cloths are needed. Bring your donated items and come help us set up. Silent Auction at the Christmas Bazaar in November to benefit the Youth Group. Donations of goods & services are needed. Some ideas are: yard work, computer help, babysitting, pies, art work, tickets to a local sporting event, a weekend at a camp, a dinner in your home. Be creative. Here is an THE LINK. https://goo.gl/forms/gtrmhlr4w0v3jqzn2 Questions: contact Ashley Dubois or Matt Bliss Williston Federated Church ~ Week of October 29, 2017 Wednesday, Nov 1 ~ 6:30pm Finance Committee Thursday, Nov 2 ~ 8:00am Centering Prayer; 9:00am Caring Circle; 6:00pm Music and Worship; 7:00pm Choir Rehearsals Friday, Nov 3~ 7:00am Men's Bible Study Saturday, Nov 4 ~ 8:00am-4:00pm Alanon District Meeting Sunday, Nov 5 ~ 9:30am Worship with Rev. Paul Eyer Thanksgiving Baskets: It's that time of year again to start collecting food for Thanksgiving baskets. The Williston Central School has asked for the Thanksgiving baskets on November 14th so we need to start earlier this year. Williston Central School is closed Thanksgiving week so they would like to distribute the food prior to their vacation. The Missions Committee will have sign-up sheets for food donations starting October 22 nd in the hallway. As we did last year, we would like to give families whose children are home for the entire Thanksgiving week a little extra help which is why there's a miscellaneous sign-up sheet for food items such as peanut butter, tuna, cereal and granola bars. Please bring your donations to the church by Sunday, November 12 th. Thank you for your generous support of Missions projects. If you have any questions, please contact Ann Wadsworth at 578-8716 or ann.wadsworth1@gmail.com. Cushion Mission Just as aging eyes may need large print bulletins, our bodies may need a little more cushioning, especially on folding chairs. Signs reading "Comfort for Your Back or Bottom" are by the 5 cushions hanging from the chair rack in Fellowship Hall and 4 cushions hanging from coat hooks in the sanctuary hallway. Contact Nancy Stone if you see the need for more or have more. Volunteers needed for WFC fundraiser and community outreach opportunity at the Williston School Craft Show on Saturday, November 4th. WFC will be hosting a crafting table or two for kids to create a holiday gift, ornament or other item for a small fee. Volunteers to coordinate 2-hour shifts and/or help the kids create are needed. Please contact Paula LeBlanc at 802-343-5222, pleblanc802@gmail.com or after church in Fellowship Hall. Thank you!