Congregational Church Of Boca Raton SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICE 10:00 A.M. JANUARY 18, 2015 Welcome to Worship!  No matter who you are or where you are on Life’s journey, you are welcome at Congregational Church of Boca Raton, UCC. Our doors are wide open to all who desire a closer relationship with God. We welcome believers, seekers, and doubters; ANYONE, JUST AS YOU ARE.   Large-print bulletin and hearing devices are available from the ushers. Please keep this a time of quiet reflection in preparation of worship.  God is calling you today, but not on your cell phone! Please remember to turn it off, or you may leave it with our head usher if you are expecting an emergency call.  Nursery and pre-school care is available during worship, if you wish. All children are encouraged to come to the altar during Children's Time. Following Children’s Time, the children will go as a group to their Sunday School classes.  Please fill out the Friendship Pad at the end of each pew, then pass it along to your neighbor to sign. If you are a visitor or guest, please include your mailing and/or email addresses so we may keep in touch.  Adult Fellowship invites you to join us before worship for coffee in the foyer area. After worship, please join us for conversation, coffee, punch, and cookies in the fellowship hall. Pastor Tom Lacey tomlacey@churchofboca.org 251 SW Fourth Avenue, Boca Raton, FL 33432 Quiet Time Prelude “Be still, and know that I am God.” Trust and Obey Psalm 46:10 D. B. Towner Welcome Tom Lacey Today is a new day, rising fresh from the Creator’s hand. Today we begin again, with praise and thanks to God who made us, Christ who redeemed us and the Spirit who guides us. Here we participate in the fellowship of the forgiven, the church. It is good to be together today. Prayer Requests Call to Worship Trustworthy God, in the calmness of your constant presence, we offer our prayers and our thanks to you. In humility and sincerity, we gather to worship our God. You are our still center when all around us is noisy conflict. Our hope is in you because you meet us where we are. We gather to clarify our needs and to purify our purposes. O God, draw near to us, as we draw near to you. * Hymn (PH #77) Be Still, My Soul Call to Confession New every morning is God’s love for us, and so new each day is our opportunity to clean the slate, to make our confession, and to be assured of God’s forgiveness and love. On this new day, let us come to God in prayer. Prayer of Confession Let us pray Holy God, we know that you are as close as breath, and at the same time there is a great distance between You and us. That distance is sometimes tragedy, when we feel abandoned. That distance is sometimes a force of evil, when something conspires against us. That distance is sometimes our foolish choices, or our selfish acts, or the hurt we cause another. We seek your forgiveness and we seek reconciliation with you and each other. So assure us of your closeness, and your power, and your mercy, and your ability to change our lives for the good. Amen. Assurance of Forgiveness Sisters and brothers in Christ, let us proclaim the Good News: In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven, reconciled, loved, and changed. Amen. Children’s Time Announcements Gospel (NT p. 6) Matthew 6:25-33 Solo You’re Not Alone Linnea Lacey Message M. Andrews God’s Math Pastoral Prayer God be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord. Let us give thanks to God Most High. It is right to give God thanks and praise. Lord’s Prayer (Debts/Debtors) Sharing the Peace The peace of the Lord be with you. And also with you. Reception of New Members Sentences Question and Promise * Affirmation of Faith Let us unite with the church in all times and places in confessing our faith in the triune God. Do you believe in God? I believe in God. Do you believe in Jesus Christ? I believe in Jesus Christ. Do you believe in the Holy Spirit? I believe in the Holy Spirit. Prayer Welcome Let us, members of Congregational Church of Boca Raton, express our welcome and affirm our mutual ministry in Christ. We welcome you with joy in the common life of this church. We promise you our friendship and prayers as we share the hopes and labors of the church of Jesus Christ. By the power of the Holy Spirit may we continue to grow together in God’s knowledge and love and be witnesses of our risen Savior. Meet New People Offering of Tithes and Gifts Gracious and loving God, giver of all that is good and true, may our offerings represent our work, our blessings, and our faith. May they be good and true offerings as they witness to our gratitude and love for you, in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. Choral Anthem How Great Is the Miracle S. deFord * Doxology Praise God from whom all blessings flow Praise God, all creatures here below Praise God above, ye heavenly host Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost. * Hymn (on screens) Lord, I Need You * Benediction * Spirit Song O let the Son of God enfold you with his Spirit and his love. Let him fill your heart and satisfy your soul. O let him have the things that hold you, and his Spirit like a dove will descend upon your life and make you whole. Jesus, O Jesus, come and fill your lambs. Jesus, O Jesus, come and fill your lambs. Postlude Praise the Lord! Ye Heavens Adore Him R. H. Prichard * Those who are able may stand New Members Join Today! Noreen Buss 561-372-9419 820 SW 21st Street Boca Raton, FL 33486 NLBuss1@aol.com Originally from Illinois, Noreen and her husband moved to south Florida two years ago because they “were tired of shoveling snow.” Nancy Clarke 954-261-4816 302 Lakeside Ct. Sunrise, FL 33326 nelsunrise@yahoo.com Nancy claims Connecticut as her home state, although after living here for 39 years she could be considered a native Floridian. Nancy works for a local Christian Ministry, Food for the Poor. Wendy and Jeremy Hinshaw 561-961-0400 291 SW 12th Street Boca Raton, FL 33432 jhinshaw919@gmail.com Wendy and Jeremy moved here from Ohio four years ago for Wendy’s job at FAU. They have three beautiful children: Hannah, Amelia, and Jack. Sue and James Sullivan 954-800-7915 12346 NW 54th Ct. Coral Springs, FL 33076 jdsull7448@aol.com Sue and James moved to Florida after retiring from teaching in Maine in order to be closer to their daughter and granddaughter. Prayer Requests January 18, 2015 Heavenly Father, thank you for blessing our Fifty Good Deeds anniversary program. Thank you for the work of all those who participated. Lord Jesus, help us to accept who you created us to be, who we really are. Use us as we are, to be good for something that You need. We pray for a solution to the crisis in Crimea and the Ukraine, Iraq, Syria, Israel and Palestine. We pray for all those displaced and terrorized by war and violence, and we pray for victims and families of all those affected by natural disasters around our world. We continue to pray for all those facing tough economic situations, for those who still can’t find work. We pray for our leaders to have continuing compassion and care for those who are struggling. We pray for members, friends, and our neighbors: Family and friends of: Susan Whidden; Eric Zachrisson; Louise Seeds; Ruth Hawkins; Ed Hindle; Margaret Sorenson; Rhoda Alter; Leo Hermann; Willy Willard; and all those who are grieving loved ones. Jim Parkin; Merwin Andrews; Dot Bell; Barry Donovan; Lucille Bruno; Rholda Francis; Diana Willard; Selwyn Sherman; Marie Williams; Noelle and Daniel; Arleen Esposito, Bonnie and Bob Tust; Tamara Pope; Kim Smith; Lynn Baker Diers; Beth Soufleris; Seth Peterson and family; Rose Breakell; Donna O’Connor; Randall Garland; Arnold Sams; Bill and Maria Collins; Florence Gomes and her daughter, Mala; Audrey Eisnor; Annika Ljungberg. We pray for our service men and women. ANNOUNCEMENTS & EVENTS Blessing and Dedication of Building Renovations Sunday, January 25th After worship next Sunday there will be a service of blessing and dedication to recognize and give thanks to Mary and Lee Rivollier for their generous gift to the church. Their special financial contributions enabled us to renovate our building to meet code for a preschool. This involved both the downstairs portion where the school is housed Monday through Friday and the upstairs, especially the kitchen. Because of their vision and generosity, Sea Star school has continued its schooling and our church has continued to receive their contributions. Thank you, Mary and Lee Rivollier! Bowling Sunday, January 25th Calling all bowlers for bowling after church at Strikes Boca Raton, 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm. A lot of fun for serious bowlers, but mostly for bowlers of all ages who are serious about having fun with Church friends! $10 per person includes bowling, shoes, pizza and drink. Sign up on the sign-up sheet so we know how many lanes to book. Tuesday Adult Study Group Tuesday, January 120th You are invited to join our Tuesday afternoon Adult Study Group as we read “Learning to Walk in the Dark.” The Adult Study Group meets on Tuesday afternoons, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. For more information or information on purchasing the book by Barbara Brown Taylor, please call Pastor Tom at 561-395-9255. Wednesday Adult Study Group Wednesday, January 21st You are invited to join the Adult Study Group as we explore the Bible from the beginning. The Adult Study Group meets on Wednesday evenings, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Our study is based on the Kerygma program: Discovering the Bible. For more information, please call Pastor Tom at 561-395-9255. Lunch Bunch Wednesday, January 21st A time for Food, Fellowship and Fun. Come to church at noon on Wednesdays with a sandwich. We serve beverages and dessert. After lunch stay and play Mah Jongg (beginners welcome!) or bring a favorite game of your own to share. Prime Time! Wednesday, January 21st Dinner is served at 6:00 pm. Followed by band practice and Drama Club. Sign up for Spring! The spring session will meet January 21, February 11 and 25, March 11 and 25, April 15 and 29, and May 13. The cost to cover some of the expenses for dinners and materials for the spring session will be $25 for one child and $35 for more than one! Contact Marit Lacey at 561-682-9292 for more information. B.C.E.O. Thursday, January 22nd Boca Christians Eating Out takes place each Thursday at 6:30 p.m. for dinner and conversation. Please join us Thursday at Park Avenue BBQ Grille, 1198 N. Dixie Highway, Boca Raton. So that we can reserve enough room, please sign up in the Rosser room or call the church anytime before that Thursday. 561-395-9255. Prayer Fellowship Friday, January 23rd The Prayer Fellowship and Bible Study meets every Friday at 10:00 a.m. in the Rosser room. Everyone is invited to join us. We use the Upper Room devotional as our study guide. For more information please contact John Bird at 561-400-5604. Morning Communion Service Wednesday, January 28th Start your morning in communion with God as you join us for a midweek worship service. We will be resuming our Wednesday morning communion services at 8:30 am on January 28th. www.churchofboca.org Want to know more? Check out our website at www.churchofboca.org. Annual Meeting Sunday, February 22nd The Annual Meeting of the Congregation will be Sunday, February 22nd at 11:15 a.m. Please mark your calendars and make plans to attend this very important meeting. The agenda includes the announcement of this year’s honoree of the Elizabeth Ehlers Faithful Servant Award, election of Team Leaders and Officers of our church, and voting on the 2015 annual church budget. Cards for St. Jude’s Ranch for Children Help St. Jude’s Ranch for Children by donating your used greeting cards (Christmas, birthday, anniversary, any greeting card!). Simply bring them to the church and place in the box in the Rosser room. We’ll send them to St. Jude’s where the children will recycle them into new greeting cards. The money St. Jude’s raises from the cards is used to support programs for abused, neglected and homeless children, young adults, and families. For more information, or to purchase cards made by the children, go to www.stjudesranch.org/about-us/recycled-card-program/ Saturday, January 31, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Rosser Room and Fellowship Hall Sale hours: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. on Saturday, January 31st! Setup will be Monday-Friday, January 26-30. Look for the signup sheet in the Rosser Room for volunteer hours. Please sign up for hours you can serve; training will be provided. Items for the sale are being accepted. Please call church office to make arrangements. Let's all work together and make this another successful sale! 18 Monday 19 10:00 am Worship Blessing and Dedication 12:00 pm Bowling 25 Walk on Water MS/HS Youth 26 10:00 am Martin Luther King, Worship Jr. Day New Member Reception Office Closed 11:15 am Vision Ministry Sunday 20 27 6:30 pm AA 2:00 pm Adult Study 6:30 pm AA 2:00 pm Adult Study VANTAGE DEADLINE Tuesday 8:00 am Communion 12:00 noon Lunch Bunch 6:00 pm Adult Study 7:00 pm Choir rehearsal 28 12:00 noon Lunch Bunch 6:00 pm Prime Time! 6:00 pm Adult Study 7:00 pm Choir rehearsal 21 Wednesday 22 7:00 pm AA 6:30 pm B.C.E.O 7:00 pm AA 29 6:30 pm B.C.E.O at Park Ave. BBQ Grille in Boca Raton Thursday 23 10:00 am Prayer Fellowship 30 10:00 am Prayer Fellowship Friday Rummage Sale Saturday 31 24 Congregational Church of Boca Raton 251 SW 4th Avenue Boca Raton, Florida 33432 Phone: 561-395-9255 e-mail: office@churchofboca.org Web site: www.churchofboca.org Pastor: Tom Lacey: Home: 561-381-5222 Cell: 561-306-5208 Moderator: John Fenner: 561-750-5044 Staff Administrator Sandi Kilbride Children’s Ministry Director Marit Lacey Sound: Wendell Jackson Sexton: Nicholas R. Wurster Music Ministry Director Juan Mansilla Organist/Pianist: Nicholas R. Wurster Section Leaders Lindsey Novitske, Alto Linda Siers, Soprano Jorge Valls, Tenor This Week’s Volunteers Deacon of the Sunday: Grayce Esposito Office Helpers: Lucille Bruno, Grayce Esposito, Audrey Michele, George Sinclair, Carol Vass, and Diana Willard Hospitality: Frances Bell; Gail and Barry Donovan; Grayce Esposito, Lorraine Folino; Sarah Hugus; Audrey Michele; Judy Vandermark, Larry Williams Children’s Choir: Marit Lacey Youth Choir: Nest Jones-Teixeira Sunday School Volunteers: Preschool/K ............... Ingrid Barrios 1 - 3.............................. Sarah Hugus 4 - 5......................... Debbie Garland Middle/High ......... Jennifer Schmuhl We welcome everyone, no matter who they are, or where they are on life’s journey!