January 2, 2011
10:30 AM

WE ENTER INTO GOD’S PRESENCE
Preparation for Worship
Welcome
*Call to Worship – Hebrews 10:19-22a
*Opening Praise – 501 “O, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing!”
*Opening Prayer
*We Greet Others
*Continuing Praise
“Praise the Name of Jesus”
“The Joy of the Lord”
“My Life Is in You, Lord”:
Call to Confession – John 1:9
Prayer of Confession
Let us humbly confess our sins to God.
Gracious God, you have shown us the way of living for you through your Son, Jesus Christ.  We confess with shame our slowness to learn from him, our failure to follow him and our reluctance to obey.
We confess the poverty of our worship, our neglect of fellowship as a means of grace, our hesitating witness of Christ’s grace, our evasion of service in your name, and our poor stewardship of the gifts you have lavishly given us.
Let us each, silently, make our individual confessions.
Silence
Have mercy on us, O God, according to your steadfast love; in your abundant mercy blot out our transgressions.  Wash us thoroughly from our iniquity and cleanse our hearts from sin.  Create in each of us a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within each heart.
We have confessed and are assured we are forgiven.  Praise God!  Now this is the message we have heard from him and declare to you:  God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.  If we live in the light, just as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from every sin.
Amen!  Thanks be to God.
*Song of Assurance – 490 “Blessed Assurance:  Jesus Is Mine”
WE HEAR GOD’S WORD
Children’s Time
Prayer of Preparation – “Speak, O Lord”
Scripture Reading – Jeremiah 31:7-14; Ephesians 1:3-14
Message – “Hope”
Prayer
WE RESPOND WITH THANKSGIVING
Song of Response – “In Christ Alone”
The Offering – General Fund
Offertory Prayer
We give you but your own in every gift we bring:
All that we have is yours alone, a trust from you our King.
May we your bounties thus as stewards true receive,
And gladly, Lord, as you bless us, to you our first-fruits bring.
And we believe your Word, though dim our faith may be.
What-e’er we do for you, O Lord, we do it gratefully.
Sharing Joys and Concerns
Intercessory Prayer
WE ARE SENT TO LOVE AND SERVE
Opportunities for Ministry and Fellowship
*Called to Serve
As you leave this place of worship today,
may you know the hope to which God has called you,
experience the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
and trust his incomparably great power for us who believe.
*God Blesses Us
*Parting Song – 320 “Lord, Dismiss Us with Your Blessing”
Postlude
ANNOUNCEMENTS

We are pleased to welcome the Rev. Tineke Cornelison as she leads us in worship today.  She is on the pastoral staff at the Rochester Christian Reformed Church.  May God richly bless her as she brings us God’s Word today.

Wednesday, 6:00 AM Men’s breakfast and Bible study at the Spot
       9:30 AM Women’s Bible Study at
Saturday, 5:30 PM Parents’ Night Out

Parents’ Night Out will happen again this Saturday evening from 5:30 – 8:30.  If you want your children to participate, please note that on the sign-up sheet posted on the door before you leave or call the church no later than Friday morning.  Also, we will again need volunteers to help staff the program.  If you are able to work one of the stations or if you can lead one of the groups from place to place, please tell Janet Crawford today.  Your help is greatly appreciated.

Council is pleased to report that the Pastoral Search Team is complete.  Members are:  Pat Aukema, Ron Crawford, Ann de Jager, Adam De Voe, Jeff De Young, Henry Huizinga, Joel Huizinga, Cherly Pierre-Louis and Terry Woodnorth.  Pray for them as they soon begin their work.  We will have a commissioning of this team in the near future.

The Gelders are very thankful for the generous year-end gift you gave them.  Your love and care expressed throughout the year are even more appreciated.

Prayer concerns:  add Jerry either to the list of ongoing concerns or give an update

We are thankful that both Judy Zwierzynski and Doug Aukema are doing well as they recover from surgery. 

NEXT SUNDAY, January 9, 2011
SUNDAY SCHOOL:  9:15 AM  Classes for all ages resume this Sunday.  The adult class will continue a study of the book of Daniel.
MORNING WORSHIP:  10:30 AM  Pastor Gelder will bring us God’s Word.  He will begin a new series of messages that will take us to the beginning of Lent.
We will also celebrate Communion at this service.  Take time this week to examine both your heart and your life so you can be richly blessed as you receive God’s gift.
The second offering will be for Project Concern, our local clothing bank where several of our members volunteer their time and energy.  They always appreciate and need our generous support.