1. Art and Diseño

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY
FEBRUARY 1, 2015
*HYMN
GATHERING MUSIC
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Rev. Judith Arnold
PRELUDE
THE CALL TO WORSHIP (from “Touch Holiness”)
Ben Pulaski
We come seeking the holy love of God, that we may become whole and loving.
As Jesus Christ has shared the life of earth,
through Christ we may share the life of God,
in growing holiness, justice, and love.
In awe, faith, and thanksgiving,
let us rejoice in God’s presence and share God’s life!
Let us worship God.
Sweet, Sweet Spirit
NCH 293
PRAYER OF CONFESSION AND LORD’S PRAYER
Kathleen Zagata
(Adapted from “Touch Holiness”)
We have come before you, O God, like those who gathered around Jesus,
long ago, to find new meaning for our lives.
We want our lives to sound in harmony with your song of love.
We want to live with integrity and wisdom, with a spirit of truth.
But, we do not always live the way we want to live; we do not always
listen to your voice or follow in your way.
Forgive us, O God, and allow us to know your presence and hear your
voice. Come among us, holy God, for we pray in the name of Jesus,
who taught us to pray…
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 sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen
Assurance of Pardon (spoken by the Worship Leader)
Kathleen Zagata
This is the good news in Jesus Christ: God loves us more than we love ourselves.
God forgives us, encourages us, and frees us to love others. Thanks be to God.
*Act of Praise
Kathleen Zagata
TIME FOR THE YOUNG
Worship at 10 o'clock
*PROCESSIONAL HYMN
*OFFER ONE ANOTHER A SIGN OF THE PEACE OF CHRIST
The Gloria Patri
PH 513
(Please use words that are most meaningful to you)
Glory be to the Creator and to the Christ and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be;
World without end, amen, amen.
Ben Pulaski
Like the Murmur of the Dove’s Song
TESTIMONY
NCH 270
Nancy Kneiss
THE GIVING OF OUR OFFERINGS
Rev. Judith
Offertory
All the Beauty of the Lord [2007]
Gwyneth Walker (b. 1947)
Lyrics adapted from the hymn “There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy”
Words by Frederick W. Faber (1814-63)/adapted by the composer
There’s a wideness in God’s mercy, like the wideness in the sea.
There’s a kindness and a justice, which is more than liberty.
There is no place where our sorrows are more felt than up in heav’n.
There is no place where our failings have such kindly judgment giv’n.
There’s a wideness in God’s mercy. There’s a kindness in God’s love.
For the love of God is broader than the vision of our mind.
And the heart of the Eternal is most wonderfully kind.
If we could but love more simply, ever living by the Word,
Then our lives would be enlightened with the beauty of the Lord.
If we could but love more simply, ever living by the Word,
Then our lives would be enlightened with the mercy and the kindness,
With the healing and forgiveness, with the sweetness and compassion –
All the beauty of the Lord.
Doxology
(Please use words that are most meaningful to you)
Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Praise God all creatures here below,
Praise God above you heavenly host,
Creator, Christ and Holy Ghost. Amen.
NCH 780
*Prayer of Dedication
SERVICE OF PRAYER
Morning Prayers, silent and spoken
Rev. Judith
SCRIPTURE
Acts 1:8
Christine Atkins
[Jesus said,] 8”But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come
upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and
Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
SERMON
“Called to Be Witnesses”
CELEBRATION OF THE LORD'S SUPPER
Invitation and Prayer of Consecration
Words of Institution
Sharing of the Bread and Cup
Rev. Dr. Marlayna Schmidt
Prayer of Thanksgiving (from Touch Holiness)
Dear God, in this place, at this table, we have touched, we have
tasted, and we have heard the signs of your love for us. Grant that
we may go away from this house filled with our love for you and
overflowing with your love for those who are around us and who
share our lives. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Savior.
Amen.
*CLOSING HYMN
God Our Author and Creator
First Congregational Church
“A Christ-centered, nurturing community:
Growing in faith, serving in love, welcoming all with joy.”
NCH 530
*COMMISSION AND BENEDICTION (remain standing please)
POSTLUDE
PH indicates Pilgrim Hymnal (red) NCH indicates New Century Hymnal (black)
*Those who are able please stand
Head-sets for the hearing impaired & Large print bulletins
are available from the deacons.
SANCTUARY FLOWERS: Today’s Chancel flowers are given to the glory of God and
in honor of our families by Rick Forzese and Julianne Zimmerman.
P&D FUND – On Communion Sundays you will find envelopes for the Pastors’ and
Deacons’ Fund. This fund offers monetary aid to congregation members who are
experiencing an urgent need for financial crisis assistance. Please consider a
donation as part of your worship today.
THE J2A SUPER BOWL CHILI/CORNBREAD SALE WILL BE TODAY. Impress
your friends and family! Serve some homemade chili (with or without meat) at your
Super Bowl Party! Help support the Youth Pilgrimage to Ghost Ranch, the J2A youth
will be taking next year. Same great chili – new larger portions.
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH IN WINCHESTER, UCC
21 Church Street
Winchester, MA 01890
781-729-9180
An Open and Affirming Congregation
The Congregation, Ministers To The World
Rev. Dr. Marlayna Schmidt, Interim Pastor
Rev. Ms. Judith B. Arnold, Associate Pastor
Ms. Kathleen Zagata, RN, MS, CS, Minister of Cong’l Health & Wellness
Ms. Jane Ring Frank, Minister of Music
Mr. Ben Pulaski, Church School Program Director
Mr. Jeffrey Mead, Organist
Mr. Bradley Ross, Sexton
Ms. Sarah Marino, Office Manager
The Rev. Dr. Kenneth Orth, Pastoral Counselor (Affiliate)
Websites: FCCW www.fcc-winchester.org;
MA Conference www.macucc.org; Nat’l UCC www.ucc.org
We Welcome You to Worship
February 1, 2015
Testimony (aka Sharing During Worship!)
A new chapter in the life of our congregation.
Last Sunday the Congregational Meeting approved the recommendations of the
Transition Team. Among those recommendations is the institution of a Leadership
Team, to guide the church strategically in line with the Purpose Statement. To get
this up and running we need the following:
1. An ‘at large’ volunteer to be a part of the nominating committee that
will carefully and prayerfully discern a list of candidates to serve on the
Leadership Team. This slate will then be offered to the congregation for
approval. If you have ideas or would like to volunteer for this task, please
contact the Moderator, Penny Sparrow (email [email protected]) by
next Wednesday, February 4th. Please be aware that not all volunteers or
suggestions will be taken up – we only need one at large member of the
committee. For your information, the other members of the nominating
committee will be the Pastor, Associate Pastor, Moderator, Clerk and a
Deacon. Also useful information for you may be that this committee’s work
will likely be done in the next 8 weeks.
We think you will agree that hearing Testimony in recent months from Mike Bailey,
Paul Rahmeier, Jena Roy, Lucy Willoughby, Sarah Gallop, Julianne Zimmerman,
Karen Lauterwasser, Jess Haggett, Lisa Loughlin, and Fred Greene has been uplifting
and empowering for all of us. Their faith-related stories about family, community,
and life events — including struggles and joys —draw us together as humans and
help us to grow individually and communally. We will hear from Nancy Kneiss on
2/1/15.
Testimony can be a poem, song, reading, or reflection of any kind about our
individual experiences as spiritual beings. French philosopher Pierre Teilhard de
Chardin once observed: "We are not human beings having a spiritual experience.
We are spiritual beings having a human experience." We believe that sharing our
human experiences through Testimony promotes deeper connections among
ourselves and with God.
Would you be willing to share during worship? The sign up sheet for Testimony is
located on the desk in the main lobby. All are welcome and encouraged to
participate. We just ask that your Testimony be limited to three minutes and that
you take a moment to check in with Marlayna or Judy before your planned
reflection.
As we continue to experiment with this practice, please feel free to talk with any of
us if you have questions/comments/ideas!
With gratitude, The Worship Committee
Judy Arnold, Jane Ring Frank, Sarah Gallop, Nancy Kneiss, Laurie Roby, Liz Sayre,
Marlayna Schmidt, Taylor Tresselt, Lucy Willoughby, and Julianne Zimmerman.
2. Nominations (including self-nominations) for members of the
Leadership Team, for consideration by the nominating committee. We are
seeking a diverse, committed, thoughtful group to help lead the church – we
have a list of characteristics if you would like to see it. If you have ideas or
would like to volunteer for this task, please contact the Moderator, Penny
Sparrow (email
[email protected]) by Wednesday, February 11th.
Please be aware that not all volunteers or suggestions will be taken up. The
nominating committee will look carefully at creating a well-balanced group in
line with the characteristics. A commitment period ranging from 1 to 3 years
is anticipated.
In addition to the formation of the Leadership Team, the Council on Ministries will be
morphing into the Purpose Forum (COM 2.0). This requires a new group of 1-3
leaders whose initial task will be to help manage the transition from COM to PF. So,
we are also seeking:
3.
Nominations (including self-nominations) for leadership of the
Purpose Forum (COM 2.0) for consideration by the nominating committee.
If you have ideas or would like to volunteer for this task, please contact the
Moderator, Penny Sparrow (email [email protected]) by Wednesday,
February 11th. Please be aware that not all volunteers or suggestions will be
taken up. It is not necessary to be a current member of the Council on
Ministries to take on this task.
For more information about any of this please feel free to speak with Penny
Sparrow, Anne Hoenicke, Taylor Tresselt, Judy Arnold or Marlayna Schmidt.
CHURCH EVENTS THIS WEEK (February 1-8)
Simply Delicious, Always Nutritious- Join us today!
February Coffee Hours will be hosted by Health Ministry.
Weekly samples will include low carb and low sugar recipes,
foods of the Bible and smoothies. We look forward to serving
you!
Curious about Joining FCC?
Have you been part of the worshiping community at First Congregational Church in
Winchester for a few months--or several years-and wondered what taking the step
to officially become a "member" might entail? If so, we invite you to attend an
"Inquirers' Gathering" regarding church membership on Sunday, March 1, 11:30,
upstairs in the Family Room. Rev. Marlayna will lead the gathering, along with a few
other members of the church and the ministry team. We'll meet for about an hour
and delve into what difference church membership can make-in our lives and in the
world. (If you would like to attend the Inquirers' Gathering, please fill out this sheet
and drop it in the offering plate or leave it in the church office. Thanks!)
Name(s)
__________________________________________________________________
Phone number(s)
__________________________________________________________________
Email(s)
__________________________________________________________________
SUNDAY
SOUPer Bowl Sunday
10:00
AM
10:00
AM
10:15
AM
10:15
AM
11:15
AM
11:15
AM
11:30
AM
MONDAY
7:15
PM
TUESDAY
10:00
AM
7:00
PM
7:30
PM
WEDNESDAY 8:30
AM
10:00
AM
10:00
AM
7:30
PM
THURSDAY 7:30
PM
SATURDAY 9:00
AM
SUNDAY
10:00
AM
10:00
AM
10:15
AM
10:15
AM
11:15
AM
11:30
AM
4:00
PM
7:30
PM
7:30
PM
J2A- 8th & 9th graders
Worship Service: Theme-Ministry of Presence
Rite 13 6 & 7 graders
Stepping Stones (Church School)
J2A Super Bowl Chili/Cornbread sale
2015 Budget Q&A Session
Health Ministry Coffee Hour
The Carilloneers
Funeral for Roberta DiRicco
Unleashing Our Weekday Ministries
Boy Scouts
Men's Coffee & Conversation
FAN Toddler Playgroup
Ministry Team Meeting
Deacons
Choir Rehearsal
Transition Team Meeting
J2A- 8th & 9th graders
Worship Service- Theme: Ministry of Work
Rite 13 6 & 7 graders
Stepping Stones (Church School)
Congregational Vote on the 2015 Budget
Health Ministry Coffee Hour
Sounds of Grace
FORUM (High School)
Men's Group