(Go to Main Bulletin Archive)

Sunday Morning Worship Service
March 4, 2007

Jump to Announcements
Jump to This Week's Events
Jump to A Week of Grace
(please wait until the page has completed loading)

TO OUR GUESTS, we extend a warm welcome. We invite you to participate in signing our Friendship Folder, adding your address and phone number if you'd like to receive our church newsletter or a pastoral call. When we pray the Lord's Prayer at Bethel, we say "sins...sin against us" rather than "debts..." or "trespasses..."; during "a time for sharing" we welcome prayer requests from the congregation. On first Sundays each month, all who put their trust in Christ and who have received baptism in any Christian church are invited to share his sacred meal. We are glad you are with us. Please come again.

The Service For The Lord’s Day
Bethel Presbyterian Church
Second Sunday in Lent
March 4, 2007
11:00 a.m.

GREETING, WORDS OF WELCOME, RITUAL OF FRIENDSHIP AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

try me and know my thoughts!

See if there is any wicked way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting.

PRELUDE   

CALL TO WORSHIP

The Lord is our light and our salvation;

whom then shall we fear?

The Lord is the strength of our lives;

of whom shall we be afraid?

PRAYER OF THE DAY

*HYMN #507   I Come with Joy   Dove of Peace

*CALL TO CONFESSION

*UNISON CONFESSION OF SIN

Loving God, you have formed a covenant with us, committing yourself to us and inviting us to walk with you. Yet we have resisted, preferring to go in different ways, seeking other companions, thinking we know best. Now we find ourselves far from life, farther still from you. Can you help us find our way back? Have mercy on our waywardness, stir us to accept what you have to offer, gift us with faith so that we can hold the hand you have extended to us in Jesus Christ. Amen.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Christ, have mercy upon us.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

RESPONSE

Thanks be to God,

In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!

*PASSING OF THE PEACE

Since God has forgiven us in Christ, let us forgive one another. The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. And also with you.

FIRST LESSON   Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18

MOMENT WITH THE CHILDREN   Rev. Patricia Harvey

ANTHEM   O Wondrous Cross! O Love Divine!   Chancel Choir

SECOND LESSON   Philippians 3:17-4:1

SERMON   Just Do It   Rev. Bill Shenk

DEDICATION OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS

*DOXOLOGY AND PRAYER OF DEDICATION Hymn #592

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH

Jesus Christ stands at the center of the biblical record. The Bible is the account of God’s word and action in history, together with his people’s response in faith. It tells how the Lord has moved with Israel and the church toward the kingdom of God, his just and loving rule over all. It is the story of the one God, who is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. That story is still unfolding and in faith we make it our own. It forms our memory and our hope. It tells us who we are and what we are to do. To retell it is to declare what we believe. Amen.

*HYMN #513   Let Us Break Bread Together   Let Us Break Bread

INVITATION TO THE LORD’S TABLE

GREAT THANKSGIVING AND THE LORD’S PRAYER

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.a

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Let us pray.

COMMUNION OF THE PEOPLE

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

*HYMN #326   Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart   Morecambe

*CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

*CONGREGATIONAL RESPONSE   Go with Us, Lord   Hymn #535 vs. 1

Go with us, Lord, and guide the way
Through this and every coming day,
That in Your Spirit strong and true
Our lives may be our gift to You.

*POSTLUDE

 *All who are able may stand.

Bethel offers Sunday school for children and four educational opportunities for adults at 9:45 A.M.

Childcare for babies and preschool age children is offered at 11:00 A.M.

Restrooms are located in our Educational Building on the first floor and the lower level.

Ushers can provide activity sheets for children and large print hymnals if needed.

A Special Thank You

The Liturgist today is Rev. Patricia Harvey.

The Ushers today are Mark Banker and Alf Rybka.

The flowers today are given by Jan & Alf Rybka. 

The organ is being played by Marilyn Gaffin today.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Parish Life Thank You

Parish Life would like to thank everyone who contributed to a very special Sunday a week ago to honor our cherished organist of 18 years, Mary Ann Hensley. Thanks for preachers, singers, entertainers, presenters, organizers, poets, songwriters, cooks, bakers, cleaners and last but not least all of you who contributed for a monetary gift for Mary Ann. The total amount of the check presented to her was $911.

Camp John Knox

Even though temperatures are hovering around freezing, the staff of the John Knox Center is busily planning your child’s summer camp experience. Registration is available online NOW! For more information, date, prices, and discounts visit their website at www.johnknoxcenter.org or give them a call at 376-2236. Pamphlets are also available in the narthex.

Help Wanted at John Knox

Work at camp this summer! Camp John Knox is looking for Summer Camp Staff! Positions available are Counselors, Lifeguards, and Arts & Crafts Coordinator. If you know of someone who loves working in ministry with kids, have them apply on the John Knox website at www.johnknoxcenter.org.

Annual Mother/Daughter Luncheon Survey

The Annual Mother/Daughter Luncheon is scheduled for Saturday, May 12 at noon. This year, we plan to celebrate our mothers and daughters on board Kingston's Watts Bar Belle depending on the cost and availability. Our other choice is Ivan's in Rockwood. Please put your preference in the offering plate or drop it off in the church office. Details will be in our April's Open Door.

My preference for the Mother/Daughter Luncheon is:

_____ a) Watts Bar Belle (Lunch and Cruise) approximately $25 per person.

_____ b) Ivan's in Rockwood (Lunch) approximately $10 per person.

Prayer Concerns

Betty Foy, Wanda Carter, Roberta Cash, Al & Dot Davis, Marnie Shields, Marc Sherrod, Anne Smith, Marci Smith, Justin Trivette, Lil Walton, Christine Woods

2007 Budget

Copies of the 2007 Budget are available in the narthex or the church office.

Daylight Savings Time

Be sure to set your clocks ahead one hour before going to bed this Saturday evening because Daylight Savings Time begins early this year on Sunday, March 11.

THIS WEEK'S EVENTS

CALENDAR

Sunday Mar 4 Christian Education Meeting

Youth Group

Lenten Study & Soup Supper

 12:30 P.M.

2:00 P.M.

6:00 P.M.
Monday Mar 5 Seniorcize

Boy Scouts

 9:00 A.M.

6:00 P.M.
Tuesday Mar 6

Circle II

1:00 P.M.
Wednesday Mar 7

Seniorcize

Prayer Group

Handbell Choir Practice

Choir Practice

9:00 A.M.

9:45 A.M.

6:00 P.M.

7:15 P.M.
Thursday Mar 8 Mission Outreach Meeting

6:00 P.M.
Friday Mar 9 Seniorcize

Youth Group Lock-In @ Lazerquest

 9:00 A.M.

9:30 P.M.
Sunday Mar 11 Confirmation Class

Youth Group

Lenten Study & Soup Supper

 9:45 A.M.

2:00 P.M.

6:00 P.M.
       
Attendance
Attendance Last Week – 138
Average Attendance in 2007 – 120
 
Income From Last Sunday
Undesignated Offering $ 4,832.00
Building Fund $200.00
Grace Schol $190.00
Two Cents a Meal $5.00
TOTAL $5,227.00
 
A Week Of Grace
Below is an excerpt from the journal of Grace School in Kenya, which is on-line at www.graceministries-limuru.org/journal.html. Bethel provides financial and other assistance to the school, and a week’s portion of the journal is usually in our bulletin on the 1st Sunday of the month.

This month's entry mentions Rift Valley Fever, a viral disease transmitted by mosquito that is currently infecting much of the livestock herds around Nairobi and inflating the price of meat fed to the children once a week. The illness also infects people, sometimes causing severe hemorrhaging, eye infections, and/or encephalitis.

Contact Joe Coen or the Mission Outreach Committee for more information about Grace School.

Author: Jane Njenga
Monday, February 26, 2007 at 09:44 A.M. (Limuru time)

WEEK ENDING 24TH FEB:

This was a fine week. The weather was quite hot throughout the week. All school programs went on uninterrupted. The Rift Valley fever disaster continued being worse hence the school budget continued being stressed because we could not give the pupils meat on Thursday.

We had an ugly experience on Tuesday. A pupil in Class three has a record of being a bully. He bullied a child from the neighborhood who is a pupil of Grace School. The child's parents accosted the bully on Tuesday and he got a thorough beating. When he got home he told his grandmother and father who are his guardians that his Teacher Jackline had done the beating. The guardians were very bitter and went to Samuel by night to protest the incident. On Wednesday Samuel reported to the Head Teacher about the incident. The Head teacher did the investigation and it was discovered that the boy had gotten the beating outside the School. This was a very sad experience to Jackline and to the School. We do not punish our children by beating not to mention the cruel way that this boy had been beaten. Corporal punishment is forbidden by the Ministry of Education and can only be administered by the Head Teacher as a last result. An allegation like this has seen teachers being jailed, and we did not take the case lightly. The issue has been settled and the administration apologized to teacher Jackline.

Samuel has stayed busy through the week and the same is to continue for the next two weeks.

The week ended without further incidents and pupils cleaned their classrooms on Friday.

Mrs Jane Njenga
(Head teacher)

 
Home | Minister's Welcome | Beliefs | Mission | Ministries | Parish Nurse | History
Memorabilia | Youth News | Sunday Bulletin | Calendar | Newsletter | Photos
Document Archive | Past Sermons | Staff | Session | Contact Us | Locate Us
Visitor Registry | Site Index