April 4, 2010
10:30 AM
Easter Sunday
WE ENTER INTO GOD’S PRESENCE
Preparation for Worship
*Call to Worship
This is the good news – the grave is empty; Christ is risen.
Hallelujah!
This is the good news – the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never put it out.
Hallelujah!
This is the good news – once we were no people; now we are God’s people.
Hallelujah!
Christ is our peace, the indestructible peace we now share with each other.
Hallelujah!
The peace of Christ be with you.
And also with you.
*Opening Praise – 388:1-4 “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today”
*God Greets Us
*We Greet Others
*Continuing Praise
Call to Confession
Almighty God, you have raised Jesus from the grave and crowned him Lord of all. Yet we too often live as if Jesus is still dead and we are lord of our own lives. Hear us as we seek your pardon through the finished work of Jesus.
Prayer of Confession
Lord, bring new life where we are worn and tired;new love where we have turned hard-hearted;forgiveness where we feel hurt and where we have hurt others;and the joy and freedom of your Holy Spirit where we are prisoners of ourselves.
(Silent prayer of confession)
Assurance of Pardon
Hear the pardon Jesus pronounces to all whose regret is real“Death has been swallowed up in victory.”“Where, O death, is your victory?Where, O death, is your sting?”The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.(I Corinthians 15:54-57)*Song of Victory – 401 “Oh, How Good Is Christ the Lord”
WE HEAR GOD’S WORD
Children’s Time
Prayer of Preparation
Scripture Reading – Revelation 1:9-18
Message – “Eyewitnesses to Resurrection: Jesus”
Prayer
WE RESPOND WITH THANKSGIVING
*Song of Thanksgiving- 410 “Crown Him with Many Crowns”
The Offering - General Fund
Offertory Prayer
Sharing Joys and Concerns
Intercessory Prayer
WE ARE SENT TO LOVE AND SERVE
Opportunities for Ministry and Fellowship
*Blessed to Serve
Go from here in joy to love and serve God in all that you do.We are sent in the name of the risen Christ.Let us bless our Lord.Thanks be to God. Hallelujah!May the God of peace, who raised to life the great shepherd of the sheep, make us ready to do his will in every good thing, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.
Hallelujah! Amen!
*Parting Song – 405:1-3, then refrain “I Serve a Risen Savior”
Postlude
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Today we join Christians around the world in celebrating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Because his grave is empty, we do not need to fear death – it is no longer the final enemy. Welcome to all who are worshiping the living Jesus with us today.
Pastor Gelder is beginning a series of messages that will take us nearly to Pentecost, looking at the resurrection message from the perspective of some of the eyewitnesses to the Easter story.
Thank you to all who worked this morning to prepare our Easter breakfast here at church. What a great way to fellowship while celebrating our Lord’s resurrection.
Wednesday, 6:00 AM Men’s breakfast and Bible study at the Spot
Wednesday, 9:30 AM Women’s Bible Study meets at Ruth Giese’s home
It’s not too late to become part of a Valley Church co-ed, slo-pitch softball team that hopes to play in a church league this summer. For more information and to express your intention, talk with Adam De Voe today. We need to have a commitment of enough players by April 4 in order to field a team.
Joel, Robin and Jenny Vermaat have set up a memorial website for Peter. They want their Valley Church friends to share their memories. You can access the site at http://memorialwebsites.legacy.com/petervermaatmemorial/homepage.aspx?cid=direct.
Pastor Gelder will be offering two classes for people interested in becoming members of Valley Church, either as adults reaffirming faith and/or being baptized or as youth who wish to affirm their baptism by publicly professing their faith. The class for adults will be held during Sunday School time (9:15 – 10:15 AM) starting April 11. The class for children will be held in May (note switch from last week’s announcement.) If you are interested in being in a class or if you have questions about the classes, talk with the pastor.
Please remember to complete and return your Talents and Abilities Survey. The deacons are using this to develop a data bank of the abilities and interests of Valley members which can be used to help others in times of need. Extra copies of the form are on the table in the narthex.
Are you interested in attending the Leadership Summit next August 5 and 6 in Syracuse? Let Pastor Gelder know if you are so we can see the level of interest and possibly purchase advance registrations.
Keep Dick and Judy Crawford in your prayers. Dick spent most of two weeks in the hospital dealing with digestive problems aggravated by a couple strains of respiratory infection. Hopefully he is home by now but pray for renewed strength after this setback.
Also pray that the comfort of the resurrection will give hope and peace to those who have lost loved ones in the past year or years. Because Jesus lives, we too shall live.
(Jerry, include the announcement from Leslie about Paige’s choir concert at the Nazarene Church in Hillcrest on Friday evening.)
NEXT SUNDAY, April 11, 2010
SUNDAY SCHOOL: 9:15 AM Classes for all ages meet. The adult class will continue its study of the book of Romans.
MORNING WORSHIP: 10:30 AM Pastor Gelder will lead our worship, continuing the series of messages on “Eyewitnesses to Resurrection”. We will consider the response of the soldiers as recorded in Matthew 28:4 and 11-15.
There will be a second offering for Christian Reformed World Relief Committee’s Disaster Response ministry. Some of our members have helped in this, both locally after the 2006 flood and in response to other disasters in our country or around the world. This is a very pointed way of offering the cup of cold water in Jesus’ name mentioned as our duty. Be generous in your response.
