Welcome to First Church of the Brethren April 2, 2017 Fifth Sunday of Lent This is the boy who decides to return home. Who hopes not for his former wealth and riches, but simply the possibility that he might be able to continue his labor as a hired hand on his father s land, where he knows the workers to have been treated better than he is where he s at. - Amy Allen Prelude Gathering and Praising Welcome, *Greetings and Sharing the Ministry of the Church The Light of Christ Enters Far, far away from my loving father 139 (vs. 1, 4, with refrains) Call to Worship One: Lent is a coming home, All: Home from weary years, One: Home to calm our fears, All: Home to dry our tears, One: Home is a coming home, All: Home to remember our name, One: Home to a warm embrace, All: Home to a hopeful place, One: Home to God s own heart, All: Home to a renewal of joy and a song of love. *Singing Our Praise Come, we that love the Lord 14 *Invocation Children s Story Venture Club Sharing Proclaiming Linda Steele Karen Eicher A Time of Prayer Sharing our Community Joys, Concerns and Faith Prayer Anthem In this Hour Sorenson Morning Prayer Chancel Choir New Testament Scripture Luke 15:1-3, 11b-21 Message At Home Pastor Dale Dowdy Responding to the Word RESPONSE Far, far away from my loving father 139 (Verse 5 with refrain) Sharing Our Tithes and Offerings Invitation In gratitude and worship, we offer the first and best of who we are and what we have, to be used for God s mission in the world. (Deuteronomy 26:1-11). Offertory * Doxology *Offertory Prayer *Hymn God, who touches earth 511 *Benediction *Postlude *Those who are able are invited to stand. Bold print indicates congregational response The call to worship is adapted from Sourcebook of Worship Resources, vol. 3, 2001. Please join us on Palm Sunday as we welcome new members into our church family through baptism and letter of transfer. You will have the opportunity to greet them during Fellowship time which follows worship. The Roaring Spring Food Pantry is in need of cereal. The Claysburg-East Freedom Food Bank is in need of cereal, pasta, boxed dinners, jams and jelly, peanut butter, tuna fish, etc. During Children s Church today, children pre-k through 5 th grade are invited to join Julie Witkovsky as she shares the purpose of Love Feast and how and why we have communion, and then they will practice singing for Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday.
Stewardship Report 03/26/2017 Worship Attendance 145 Sunday School 77 Worship Offering $ 5,270.00 Sunday School Offering $ 59.81 Serving Today Serving next week Audio Mike Bianconi Mike Bianconi Acolyte Alexander Eicher Alexander Eicher Organist Barb Wineland Cathy Petre Pianist Cathy Neal Cathy Neal Children s Story Linda Steele Sandy Norris Children s Church Julie Witkovsky Not being held Nursery Pat Dick, Signe Dellinger Welcome Center Jane Brumbaugh Worship Leader Dave Albright Rachel Wagner Brenda Fluke-Garber Parking Lot Greeters Don Bookhammer Chuck Russell Earl Bryson Mark Garach Greeters Rear Door Pat & Karen Long Pat & Karen Long Front Door Ron & Darlene Eicher Ron & Darlene Eicher Deacon Greeters Rear Door Front Door Keith & Kristen Hall Keith & Kristen Hall Betsy & Mark Garach Head Ushers: Pat Frazier, Dave Brumbaugh, Earl Bryson Chancel Choir Accompanist: Cathy Petre Altar Care: Chris Wagner, Valerie Smith Interim Pastor: Dale Dowdy C: 599.2874 H: 644.0379 dalewdowdy@gmail.com Worship Coordinator: Terry Hershberger 329.5575 hershretired@gmail.com Office Administrator: Jan Simington: 224.4113 churchoffice@rsfirstchurch.org Custodian: Jan Claar Leadership Team Chairperson: Paul Witkovsky Directory Pictures will be taken Friday, April 21 from 2-8, Saturday April 22 from 10-5, Monday and Tuesday April 24-25 from 2-8 in the fellowship hall. Sign up on Sunday s in the welcome center or calling or emailing Valerie Smith. Everyone who gets their picture taken will get a free 8X10 and directory. Also, we are receiving 20% off plus an additional $15.00 off any packages ordered. If you bring a donation for our local food bank you will receive $5 off your portrait order. On next Sunday (Palm Sunday), anyone wanting to help sing (including children) The Palms is asked to meet in the Alpha classroom at 9:00 a.m. to practice. We will then process to the front of sanctuary behind the choir at the beginning of the service. Any questions, please contact, Bethann Frederick at 934-5957. The children will be singing on Easter Sunday, we will meet in the Alpha Classroom at 9:00 a.m. The song we are singing is being sung with the adult choir. Any questions, please contact Bethann Frederick at 934-5957. Love Feast and Holy Communion will be held in our Fellowship Hall at 6:30 pm, Thursday, April 13 th. Please talk with any Deacon or Pastor Dowdy if you have any questions. Childcare will be provided. The Passion of the Christ will be shown at 6 pm on Friday, April 14 th in our sanctuary. Since it is an R rated movie, all children 17 and younger will need an adult or parent to accompany them. Please include in your prayers: Mary Yakubu, a young woman abducted in Nigeria, Gladys Dodson, Jan Speck, Tommy Smith, Carl Hoover, Barry Hoffman, Bev Wyland, Mary Ann Meetze, Paul Longenecker, Linda Steele, Anna Shriver, and Doris Albright, the family of Howard Long who died on March 23 rd, including his mother Anna Ferne McConahy and sister Julie Witkovsky. Towels, blankets, bathroom rugs, cat food and dog food donations may be placed in the corner by the table in the Overflow Room during the month of April for the Humane Society. Monetary donations may be given directly to Linda Frederick.
An Easter Egg Hunt will be held on Saturday, April 15 th. Donations of items like stickers, trinkets, wrapped candy, may be placed in the Generation Hope Sunday School Classroom by April 9 th. From the Sunday school superintendent: If you are the parents of a pre-k child, please take your child to the nursery for Sunday school next to the pre-k room. If you are the parents of a kindergartener, take your child to the first and second grade class at the end of the hall. The Snake Spring Valley Church of the Brethren extends an invitation to all churches for an evening with the past Annual Conference Moderator, Andy Murray, on April 21 at 7:00 p.m. Andy will be bringing the evening message and singing some of his favorite songs. The service will conclude with a time for refreshments and fellowship. Tulips Daffodils Lilies Lilies, tulips & daffodils will adorn our sanctuary this Easter season Please return order form to Valerie Smith or the church office with payment NO LATER THAN April 9th. Make checks payable to First Church of the Brethren. total flowers ordered X $10 $ April 2-9, 2017 Today 9:25 am Worship 10:45 am Sunday School 11:45 am Deacon Prayer in Parlor Tuesday 9:30 am Staff Meeting 6 pm Relay for Life Meeting 6:30 pm Leadership Team Wednesday 9 am Ladies Aid Quilting 1 pm Prayer Shawl Ministry 5:15 pm Project Vision meets / Alpha Classroom 6:30 pm Chancel Choir Practice Thursday 9 am Breakfast Fellowship at Spring House 9 am Bulletin submission deadline 6:30 pm Knitting Group Sunday Food Bank Collection 9:25 am Worship 10;30 am Fellowship Time 11 am Sunday School Name SUNDAY SCHOOL SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASSES (IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING WORSHIP 11:30 AM) CLASS RM ADULT CLASSES RM Pre-K & Nursery 202 GENERATION HOPE 405 K, 1 st, 2 ND Grade 201 ALPHA 402 3 rd, 4 TH & 5 TH Grade 205 MR & MRS PARLOR GENESIS 406 Junior Youth (6-8) RM 504 Senior Youth (9-12) RM 502 Living out our Faith Vision Being the hands and feet of Jesus, serving with open minds and hearts. Mission We exist to be a community of welcome and worship where people find peace, purpose, and power through Jesus Christ.
PART 7 BRETHREN BELIEFS Baptism - Baptism is an ordinance performed upon adults, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Brethren see baptism as a commitment to live Jesus' teachings responsibly and joyfully. Bible - The Brethren use the New Testament as their guidebook for living. They believe the Bible is divinely inspired and hold that the Old Testament lays out God's purpose and desires for humanity. Communion - Communion is an expression of love, modeled after Christ's last supper with his disciples. The Brethren partake in bread and wine, celebrating agape, the selfless love Jesus showed to the world. Peace - All war is sin, according to the Church of the Brethren. Brethren are conscientious objectors and seek to promote nonviolent solutions to conflict, ranging from personal disagreements to international threats. Salvation - God's plan of salvation is that people are pardoned from their sins through believing in the atoning death of Jesus Christ. God provided his only Son as the perfect sacrifice in our place. Jesus promises believers in him a place in heaven. Trinity - The Brethren believe in the Trinity as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three distinct persons in one God. God - God the Father is viewed by Brethren as "Creator and loving Sustainer." Healing - The practice of anointing is an ordinance within the Church of the Brethren, and includes the minister laying on hands for physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. The laying on of hands symbolizes the prayers and support of the entire congregation. Holy Spirit - The Brethren hold that the Holy Spirit is an integral part of the believer's life: "We seek to be guided by the Holy Spirit in every aspect of life, thought, and mission." Belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior." Living a life patterned after the life of Christ is of paramount importance to the Brethren as they seek to emulate his humble service and unconditional love.
PART 7 BRETHREN BELIEFS Baptism - Baptism is an ordinance performed upon adults, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Brethren see baptism as a commitment to live Jesus' teachings responsibly and joyfully. Bible - The Brethren use the New Testament as their guidebook for living. They believe the Bible is divinely inspired and hold that the Old Testament lays out God's purpose and desires for humanity. Communion - Communion is an expression of love, modeled after Christ's last supper with his disciples. The Brethren partake in bread and wine, celebrating agape, the selfless love Jesus showed to the world. Peace - All war is sin, according to the Church of the Brethren. Brethren are conscientious objectors and seek to promote nonviolent solutions to conflict, ranging from personal disagreements to international threats. Salvation - God's plan of salvation is that people are pardoned from their sins through believing in the atoning death of Jesus Christ. God provided his only Son as the perfect sacrifice in our place. Jesus promises believers in him a place in heaven. Trinity - The Brethren believe in the Trinity as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three distinct persons in one God. God - God the Father is viewed by Brethren as "Creator and loving Sustainer." Healing - The practice of anointing is an ordinance within the Church of the Brethren, and includes the minister laying on hands for physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. The laying on of hands symbolizes the prayers and support of the entire congregation. Holy Spirit - The Brethren hold that the Holy Spirit is an integral part of the believer's life: "We seek to be guided by the Holy Spirit in every aspect of life, thought, and mission." Belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior." Living a life patterned after the life of Christ is of paramount importance to the Brethren as they seek to emulate his humble service and unconditional love.