Greenwood Forest Baptist Church Christ the King Hanging of the Green The Hanging of the Green In Isaiah 60:13 we find these words: "The Glory of Lebanon shall come unto you, the fir tree, the pine tree and the box together, to beautify the place of your sanctuary." For many generations, Christians all over the world have participated in a special worship service called the Hanging of the Green where they decorate the sanctuary as a way to prepare the church and their own hearts for the seasons of Advent and Christmas. The most striking and universal feature of this service has been the use of evergreens as decorations. Among ancient Romans, evergreens were an emblem of peace, joy, and victory. However, the early Christians placed them in their windows to indicate that Christ had entered the home. Holly and ivy, along with pine and fir, are called evergreens because they never change color. They are ever-green, everalive, even in the midst of winter. They symbolize the unchanging nature of our God, and they remind us of the everlasting life that is ours through Christ even in the midst of the death and darkness of winter. It is our hope that every time you enter the sanctuary during the next few weeks that the visible presence of the light, the Chrismons and the greenery will remind you of the glory and the grace of the one on whom we patiently wait to come during this holy and sacred season. Sunday, November 20, 2016 11:00 am
Chiming of the Hour Processional Hymn 340 Welcome to Worship Leader: The Lord be with you People: And also with you. Passing of the Peace Preparation for Worship GREENWOOD FOREST BAPTIST CHURCH The Worship of God Christ the King Sunday Hanging of the Green The Holly and the Ivy All Hail the Power of Jesus Name Rev. Lauren Efird Rev. Efird Offertory Fantasy on Kingsfold H. Dean Wagner Adults Handbells Presentation of the Offering Transcendent God OLD 100TH Transcendent God, we bless your name, Incarnate Christ, the risen one, The Spirit with us, Immanent, The Source, the Word, the Breath of life! Amen. Scripture Reading Colossians 1:11-20 Marie Collins Meditation on the Candles Hymn 86 Marie Collins Now the Heavens Start to Whisper (During this hymn, we will light the church.) A Liturgy for the Greening of the Church Maryanne Henderson Prayers of the People and Lord s Prayer Rev. Stacks Leader: How shall we prepare this house for the coming of the King? People: With branches of cedar, the tree of royalty. Leader: How shall we prepare this house for the coming of the King? People: With garlands of pine and fir, whose leaves are ever living, evergreen. Leader: How shall we prepare this house for the coming of the King? People: With wreaths of holly and ivy, telling of his passion, death and resurrection. Leader: How shall we prepare our hearts for the coming of the Son of God? People: By hearing again the words of the prophets, who foretold the saving work of God. Leader: For God did not send the Son into the world to condemn it, People: But that through him the world might be saved. Leader: Lord, in your mercy... People: Hear our prayer. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by 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. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. Invocation Maryanne Henderson Scripture Reading Jeremiah 23:1-6 Maryanne Henderson Meditation on the Evergreens Hymn 98 Rev. Stephen Stacks Hail to the Lord s Anointed (During this hymn, the youth will hang the greenery.) Children s Parable (Meditation on the Chrismon Tree) Maryanne Henderson All children are invited to come to the front. Afterwards, children (third grade and younger) are invited to attend Children s Worship. Parents may pick up their children in the Children s Wing after worship. Offertory Prayer Leta Huntsinger Hymn 88 Blest Be the God of Israel
(During this hymn, the children will hang the Chrismons.) Scripture Reading Luke 1:68-79 Rev. Efird Anthem Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation Dale Wood Christ is made the sure foundation, Christ, our head and cornerstone, Chosen of the Lord and precious, binding all the Church in one; Holy Zion s help forever, and our confidence alone. To this temple, where we call you, come, O Lord, of hosts, and stay; Come, with all your loving-kindness; hear your people as they pray, And your fullest benediction shed within these walls today. Meditation on the Advent Wreath Hymn 90 Benediction Praise and honor to the Father, praise and honor to the Son, Praise and honor to the Spirit, ever three and every one; One in might and one in glory while unending ages run! Rev. Efird People, Look East (During this hymn, we will place the Advent wreath.) Rev. Efird Postlude The King Shall Come arr. David N. Johnson Please stand as you are able. The pianist this morning is Teri Edwards. The deacon of the day is Leta Huntsinger, Chair of the Discipleship Ministry. Today s acolyte is Catherine Glasgow. Hearing assistance devices are available at the back of the sanctuary. The cover illumination is entitled Baptism of Jesus from the Saint John s Bible by artist Donald Jackson. Prayer Concerns Don Beal, Wilma Caldwell, Doug Chappell (Rick Chappell s brother), Lori Cove (Leta Huntsinger s friend), Willa Dodd, Ed Floyd, Mike Heath (Kathy Watkins uncle), Louise McDuffie (Sandy Duncan s aunt and Audrey Baldwin s sister-inlaw), Milton Murray (Sylvia Byrd s father), Harold Ritter, Andrew Shook (Fred and Jean Haynie s grandson), Shirlene Smith, Andrew Stallings (Bryant and Betty Stallings grandson), Patti Webb, and Graham Williams (Joe Hughes brother-inlaw) We extend our sympathy to Beverly Allen at the death of her mother, Audrey Hayes. Our partner church, Ebenezer Baptist, Cuba, and our brothers and sisters of the Oromo Evangelical Lutheran Mission GFBC by the Numbers Focus on Finance 2016/2017 Budget (MDP + MSP) $902,710 Amount of Budget supported through Stewardship Giving $850,900 (excludes cell tower and GFCC receipts) Week 11 of 52 (November 13) Stewardship Giving needed Week 11 YTD to fully subscribe budget $ 15,827 $179,468 Actual Stewardship Giving $ 19,733 $192,756 Over (Under) $ 3,906 $ 13,288 Attendance Last Week Sunday School 150 Worship 197
Announcements and Upcoming Events Souper Love Feast Tonight Join us this evening, Sunday, November 20, at 5:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall as we enjoy a soup supper and enter the season of Advent together with Advent wreathmaking and a brief service. Please bring a pot of soup to share and a small donation for wreath-making materials. Hot cinnamon buns and wreath supplies will be provided. Please RSVP to Maryanne Henderson, our Interim Director of Children and Missions, at maryanne.henderson@gfbccary.org. Christmas Boxes for Backpack Buddies Kids This Advent, we are giving Christmas boxes to children and their siblings in the Backpack Buddy program! Christmas box tags with student information are available today, Sunday, November 20. If you sponsor a child, please limit your gift to one clothing item, one toy, and/or stuffers under $35. Christmas boxes must be wrapped and brought to the church no later than Monday, December 12. Advent Devotional Book One of our cherished Advent traditions at GFBC has been the development of a book of daily devotions and artwork created by church members for the season of Advent. The 2016 GFBC Advent Devotional Book for is now available. Pick up a copy in the narthex or outside the church office. Commitment Cards If you have not already done so, please turn in your commitment card in the offering plate. We will collect the cards through the month of November. Church Office Closed The church office will be closed on Wednesday, November 23, and Thursday, November 24, for the Thanksgiving holiday. As usual, the office is closed on Fridays. Knit and Chat Knit and Chat will not meet in November or December. Meetings will resume in January of 2017. Christmas Breakfast and Service of Lessons and Carols This service on Sunday, December 18, at 11 am will be a very special service with the reading of God s story from Genesis to the birth of Christ. The service will also include the singing of carols with special music by the Sanctuary Choir, Youth Choir, Children s Choirs, and Praise Team. Before the service, we will gather in the Fellowship Hall for a church wide breakfast. More details about the breakfast are available a few pages over. Please invite people to come join us! Service of Lament We hope that everyone will come to share the burdens of those grieving in our community by surrounding them during the Service of Lament on Wednesday, December 21, at 6:00 pm. Lament is a communal act that we should not allow our brothers and sisters to do alone. Therefore, we strongly encourage all to attend, whether or not you personally are dealing with loss. Staff Love Offering At GFBC, we have a tradition during Advent of letting our staff know how much they mean to us by collecting a love offering for their benefit. The offering is distributed to the staff as an expression of our gratitude for all of their hard work in serving our church throughout the year. If you would like to contribute to this offering, please give your contribution to Doug Black, Chair of Deacons, or to any other members of the Deacon Board. Checks can be made out to Doug Black. If you have any questions, please contact Doug. Stock Donations Year-End Tax Reminder If you plan to make a stock donation to the church this year, please do so immediately. It takes several weeks for transfers to be processed. The donation must be in the account by December 31 to receive credit for 2016. Thank You Note We would like to thank the members of the Sanctuary Adornment Committee for their hard work in preparing the sanctuary today for the Hanging of the Green and for decorating the rest of our property as well. Please join us in thanking MaryBeth McDermott (Chair), Sara Beck, Doug Black, Scot Glasgow, Wendell Jones, Sue Perkinson, and Linda Stribling.
Poinsettias for the Advent Season You are invited to help celebrate Advent by providing poinsettias to adorn the sanctuary during the Advent season. The cost is $9.00 each, and the payment must be turned in with this order form no later than next Sunday, November 27. The dedication of the poinsettias will occur during one of the Advent Sundays. Donors may take the flowers following the service on Christmas Eve. Please place this form in the offering plate or return it to the church office. Please note that your dedication will appear exactly as you indicate, so please plan accordingly. Dedication Notation Name of Donor(s) In honor of In memory of Dedication Notation Name of Donor(s) In honor of In memory of Number of plants you wish to provide (Please attach check or cash payment)
This Week at GFBC Once again, the GFBC family will gather together to celebrate the Christmas season with our annual breakfast. This event has become a wonderful time in the life of our church as we gather together to share a meal on the final Sunday before Christmas. Mark your calendars now for the annual GFBC Christmas Breakfast that will occur on Sunday, December 18, at 9:00 am in the Fellowship Hall. There will be no Sunday School on this day. Please plan to bring your favorite breakfast dishes to share along with the breakfast casseroles that will be provided. Coffee and juices will also be provided. Then join us afterwards for worship at the Service of Lessons and Carols in the sanctuary at 11 am. You are encouraged to invite guests and friends to both the breakfast and the service to follow. Sunday, November 20 Christ the King/Hanging of the Green 9:45 am Faith Formation 11:00 am Worship 3:00 pm Youth Alpha and Omega 4:00 pm Youth Choir 4:45 pm Youth Handbells 5:30 pm Souper Love Feast Wednesday, November 23 Office Closed for Thanksgiving No Sanctuary Choir Rehearsal or Adult Handbells Thursday, November 24 Office Closed for Thanksgiving Sunday, November 27 The First Sunday of Advent 9:45 am Faith Formation 11:00 am Worship No Youth Alpha and Omega, Youth Choir, or Youth Handbells It will be a great time of fellowship and worship for everyone!
THE SEASONS OF ADVENT & CHRISTMAS AT GREENWOOD FOREST BAPTIST CHURCH Special Worship Services & Events Christ the King & Hanging of the Green November 20, 11 am Souper Love Feast November 20, 5:30 pm Church-Wide Christmas Breakfast December 18, 9 am A Service of Lessons & Carols December 18, 11 am A Service of Lament December 21, 6 pm Advent Worship Services The First Sunday of Advent November 27, 11 am Wake Up! Matthew 24:36-44 The Second Sunday of Advent December 4, 11 am Repent! Matthew 3:1-12 The Third Sunday of Advent December 11, 11 am Listen! Matthew 11:2-11 The Fourth Sunday of Advent December 18, 11 am Service of Lessons and Carols Christmas Worship Services Children s Christmas Eve Service December 24, 4 pm Candlelight Christmas Eve Service December 24, 8 pm The First Sunday of Christmas December 25, 11 am an inclusive community of faith 110 SE Maynard Road Cary, NC 27511-4599 Church Office: 919-467-0481 Fax: 919-467-0556 Website: www.gfbccary.org Email: info@gfbccary.org Leadership Rev. Lauren Efird, Senior Pastor Rev. Stephen Stacks, Associate Pastor of Worship and Faith Formation Maryanne Henderson, Interim Director of Children and Missions Marie Collins, Pastoral Intern to Youth Helen Bishop, Organist Dr. Luther Brewer, Pastor Emeritus All Who Serve This Church The Second Sunday of Christmas January 1, 11 am Epiphany Sunday January 8, 11 am