10AM WORSHIP SERVICE APRIL 18, 2021 - "Inspired by God's grace and love, we seek to be a community that follows Jesus."
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
“Inspired by God’s grace and love, we seek to be a community that follows Jesus.”
10AM WORSHIP SERVICE
APRIL 18, 2021CHURCH L i f e
Guest Speaker - Carlton Johnson - “Congregational Vitality”
• Serves as the Coordinator for the Vital Congregations
Initiative for the PC(USA).
• Associate minister at the First Afrikan Presbyterian Church
in Lithonia, GA.
• Board member for the Presbyterian Pastoral Care Network,
the NEXT Church Strategic Planning Team, and the First Afrikan
Presbyterian Church Community Development Corporation.
• Works diligently in areas of outreach, mentorship, prison
ministry, and music ministry.
SIGN UP FOR PASTOR ON THE PATIO
Pastor Matt has received both vaccinations and is looking forward to a time of
fellowship on our patio. Sign up on the website for any of the following times:
Monday afternoons at 1pm or 2pm, Wednesday mornings at 9:30am or 10:30am,
or Thursday evenings at 5:45pm (the playground will be open for kids to play).
SING IN SPRING WITH PHIL ENGE
Join Phil Enge (Director of Music) on the patio, 6-7pm on Wednesday evenings, to
SING. Please RSVP to Phil at penge@firstpresnormal.org if you plan to attend. We’ll
meet in the Great Hall if there is inclement weather.
APRIL CARE & SHARE DONATIONS FOR SHERIDAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
April Care & Share donations will go to Sheridan Elementary School. They are
requesting: paper products (paper towels, toilet paper), household cleaning
supplies (409, wipes, Swiffers, laundry detergent, etc.), and bedding/towels. You
can bring donations on Sunday mornings or M-F, 8:30am-3pm, and leave them in
the grocery carts at either the Hershey or College Avenue entrances.
MAY 2 | LEGACY SUNDAY & WILL PREPARATION CLASS
God has blessed us in many ways, and God wants us to be good stewards of
those blessings. Planning how we leave our legacy is an important part of our
stewardship. On Sunday, May 2, our worship will include brief comments from our
Legacy Committee about the importance of having a will. You will also be able to
take valuable information about wills and estate planning home, or you can choose
to access it on the church website. There will also be an adult class about wills after
worship on Sunday, May 2.CHURCH L i f e
CHURCH MOWING | VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
The Property Committee is looking for volunteers to mow the church lawn again
this year. The property is quite large and generally takes approximately six hours to
mow. It is not necessary to mow the entire lawn at one time. The more volunteers
we have, the fewer times each volunteer will need to mow. In the past we have
assigned each volunteer a two week period in which to mow when necessary. The
church leases a new John Deere mower that is easy to operate. A schedule will be
established once volunteers have been secured. If you are interested in joining
our team, or have any questions, please contact Kurt Swearingen at swearirk57@
gmail.com or (309) 454-3100.
PENTECOST PC(USA) SPECIAL OFFERING
A gift to the Pentecost Offering helps the church encourage, develop, and support
its young people, and also addresses the needs of at-risk children. 40% of the
Pentecost offering can be retained by individual congregations wanting to make
an impact in the lives of young people within their own community. The remaining
60% is used to support children-at-risk, youth, and young adults through ministries
of the Presbyterian Mission Agency. If you would like to donate, please make checks
out to First Presbyterian Church of Normal, with Pentecost on the memo line.
CHILDREN & YOUTH
TODAY | YOUTH GROUP (GRADES 6-12)
Join us for Youth Group tonight, 6-7:30pm.
TODAY |CHURCH DAY CAMP REGISTRATION BEGINS
Day Camp is at East Bay, June 8-11. We will leave the FPC parking lot at 9am and return
by 5pm. Kids will be transported both ways. You can register online now through
May 14. For more details, please go to firstpresnormal.org > Resources>Sign-Ups.
MAY 2-30 | VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL (VBS) REGISTRATION
Rocky Railway will be chugging into First Presbyterian Church for VBS the week of
August 1-5, 5:30-8pm! Registration is May 2-30 on our church website. Yes, there
will be a train on our chancel!MARK YOUR CALENDAR
April 18-25, 2021
Sun. 11:30am Sacred Rhythms Book Study Group | Zoom
April 18 5:30pm Youth Hanbells Rehearsal | Music Room
5:30pm Mom’s Group | Confirmation Room
6pm Youth Group | Great Hall & Lower Level
Mon. 8am Men’s Bible Study Fellowship | Zoom
April 19 1pm Pastor on the Patio
2pm Pastor on the Patio
Tue. 6:30pm Young Men’s Bible Study | Senior High Room
April 20
Wed. 9:30am Pastor on the Patio
April 21 10:30am Pastor on the Patio
6pm Sing in Spring | Patio
6:30pm First Steps Meeting | Zoom
Thurs. 5:30pm Property Committee
April 22 5:45pm Pastor on the Patio
Sun.
April 25 9am Sunday School (K-12) | Lower Level
10am Worship Service | Sanctuary
11:30am Sacred Rhythms Book Study | Zoom
5:30pm Youth Handbells Rehearsal | Music Room
5:30pm Mom’s Group | Confirmation Room
6pm Youth Group | Great Hall & Lower Level10AM ORDER OF WORSHIP
S U N D AY, A P R I L 1 8 , 2 0 2 1
The music with a (*) next to the title has sheet music following the second page of this bulletin.
PRELUDE Lyric Processional Raymond Haan
WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS Rev. Matt Wilcox
CALL TO WORSHIP (PSALM 27) Sheila Melzer
Leader: The Lord is our Light and our Salvation.
People: We have no reason to fear.
Leader: There is one thing we ask and seek from the Lord.
People: That we might dwell in the house of God all of our days!
*SONG Who You Say I Am
LITANY OF CONGREGATIONAL VITALITY Sheila Melzer
(Provided by Rev. Carlton Johnson)
We desire the complete joy in which you created us in the beginning. You have chosen
to give our church marks by which to reimagine ourselves in the days ahead. You have
given us a toolkit with which to remember and celebrate, to listen, discover and discern, to
choose paths of revitalization and service.
Leader: God of regeneration and growth, as we look toward bold action, fill us with prayer
and courage.
People: As we work to become leaders that lessen the burdens of our pastors while
simultaneously dissolving leadership monopolies.
Leader: God be with us in lifelong discipleship formation.
People: As we seek to spread hope in places and spaces of hopelessness and despair.
Leader: God grant us intentional authentic evangelism.
People: As we recognize the abundant love and grace we have received and as we seek
to offer the love and grace of God to others.
Leader: God give us an outward incarnational focus.
People: As we work to become leaders that lessen the burdens of our pastors while
simultaneously dissolving leadership monopolies.
Leader: God help us love and serve one another through empowering servant leadership.
People: As we attempt to echo your loving kindness and the compassion of Jesus to all.Leader: God help us to build deep, lasting, caring relationships.
People: As we discern between self-gratifying worship, and stale rituals divorced of
meaning and move toward proclaiming and celebrating the good news of God’s
love.
Leader: God send us a revival complete with spirit-filled worship.
People: Finally, bless us as we take a long hard look at unhealthy realities and toxic
environments within our congregations, and as we work carefully
with others and one another to build up the body of Christ.
God grant us our congregations and our church ecclesial health, caring relationships,
spirit-inspired worship, outward incarnational focus, empowering servant leadership,
lifelong discipleship formation, and intentional authentic evangelism, for these 7 marks of
congregational vitality we give you thanks. And we move forward with excitement to be
the church Jesus intended us to be.
*SONG Christ is Made the Sure Foundation
SCRIPTURE Ephesians 2:19-22 Sheila Melzer
TIME WITH CHILDREN Andrea Doss
SCRIPTURE Esther 8:3-6 Sheila Melzer
MESSAGE Matthew 25 Sermon Series Rev. Carlton Johnson
*SONG Lifesong
COMMUNITY PRAYER & THE LORD’S PRAYER
HANDBELL SOLO Amazing grace Seth Lambert
*SONG Lord, You Give the Great Commission (Stanzas 1,2, 5)
BLESSING
POSTLUDE Menuet Gothique L. Boëllmann
The flowers have been given by:
Andi Nappi and family, in loving memory of Ginny Nappi.You can also read
