March 27, 2011
10:30 AM
Third Sunday in Lent

WE ENTER INTO GOD’S PRESENCE
Preparation for Worship
Welcome
Call to Worship – Psalm 34:1-3, 8
*Song of Praise – 465:1,4 “Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above”
*Invocation
*We Greet Others
*Continuing Praise
“Great Is Thy Faithfulness”
“Lord Most High”
“I Could Sing of Your Love Forever”
Call to Confession
Hear this grace-filled word from God.
“The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit;
A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”  (Psalm 51:17)
Broken and humbled, we turn to you, O God.
Prayer of Confession
God of compassion, in Jesus Christ you did not disdain the company of sinners but welcomed them with love.  Look upon us in mercy, we pray.  Our sins are more than we can bear; our pasts enslave us; our misdeeds are beyond correcting.  Forgive the wrongs we cannot undo; free us from a past we cannot change; heal what we can no longer fix.  Grace our lives with your love and turn the tears of our past into the joys of new life with you.  Amen.
Assurance of Pardon
If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation:  everything has passed away; see, everything has become new!  All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.  (II Corinthians 5:17-18).
Receive the good news of the Gospel:  In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.
HEAR GOD’S WORD
Children’s Time
*Song of Preparation – 363 “Your Hands, O Lord, in Days of Old”
Prayer of Preparation
Scripture Reading – John 2:1-11
Message – “Look at Jesus:  The Miracle Worker”
Prayer
WE RESPOND WITH THANKSGIVING
*Song of Thanksgiving – 473:1-3, then refrain “To God Be the Glory”
The Offerings – First:  General Fund
  Second:  CRWRC Foods Resource Bank
Offertory Prayer
Sharing Joys and Concerns
Intercessory Prayer
WE ARE SENT TO LOVE AND SERVE
Opportunities for Ministry and Fellowship
*Closing Prayer
God of mercy, you are full of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in mercy, and always ready to forgive.
Grant us grace to renounce all evil and to cling to Christ, that in every way we may prove to be your loving children.
We pray this through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
Amen.
*Blessed to Serve – Numbers 6:24-26
*Parting Song – 632 “To God Be the Glory”
Postlude

ANNOUNCEMENTS

This morning elder Harry Myers will lead the opening of the worship services as a reminder of the continuity of the church during our time of pastoral transition. 

The second offering today is for Christian Reformed World Relief Committee’s Foods Resource Bank program.  This program uses the resources and wisdom of farmers and agriculture leaders in the US to help improve crop production and increase nutrition in third world countries.

Wednesday, 6:00 AM Men’s breakfast at the Spot
                   9:30 AM Women’s Bible study at Ruth Giese’s home
                   7:00 PM Deacons meet
Friday, 6:00 PM Youth ½ Overnighter
Saturday, 5:30 PM Parents’ Night Out
We can all help out our youth group by providing supplies for the Easter baskets they will be making for distribution to kids and families in our area.  Hopefully many already saw the e-mail with the list of items to donate for the baskets and have brought them today.  If not, there are extra copies of the “wish list” that you can take today.  Please make sure the items you are going to donate are at the church no later than Friday evening.  Also, parents of youth who will be attending the Half Overnighter are reminded that you will need to pick up your children at 1:00AM Saturday morning!!  You can do it.
This Saturday evening is the final Parents’ Night Out for this season.  Once again, thank you to all who have helped with this ministry, especially Janet Crawford for planning and organizing it.  We will need your help this Saturday from 5:30 – 8:30 PM to staff the various stations and activities.  Talk with Janet if you can help once more.  Also, if your child is going to attend, or if you know of neighbor children or friends who are coming, please sign them up on the sheet that is posted on the entry door today.  You can also leave a message on the church answering machine no later than Friday morning if you need to.
It is time to prayerfully consider who might serve Valley Church as elders and deacons in the coming years.  Please use the insert you received last Sunday to suggest names of persons you feel are qualified for these positions.   There are some extra forms on the table in the entry if you need one.  Note that we expect to replace three of our elders and two of our deacons this year.  As you consider who to suggest, do not include any of the people serving on the Pastor Search Committee, as this is already a major commitment of time and energy.  Completed forms must be placed in Beth Cunningham’s mail slot no later than Sunday, April 17.
Cindy Krempel had arthroscopic knee surgery on Wednesday.  Pray for a good recovery and for patience during the recovery process.
NEXT SUNDAY, April 3, 2011
SUNDAY SCHOOL:  9:15 AM  Classes for all ages meet.  The adult class will be starting a new series of the “That the World May Know” video series with Ray Vander Laan.  This series is titled “Fire on the Mountain” and deals with the wilderness stories of Israel after they crossed the Red Sea and before entering Canaan.  All are welcome.
MORNING WORSHIP:  10:30 AM  Pastor Gelder will bring us God’s Word.  He will continue the series of Lenten messages “Look at Jesus”, focusing on “The Shepherd”, based on John 10:11-18.