April 6, 2008, 11:00 AM

WE ENTER INTO GOD’S PRESENCE
Preparation for Worship
*Call to Worship – Hebrews 1:1-4
*Opening Praise – “Above All”
                              “His Name Is Wonderful”
                              “O Magnify the Lord”
*God Greets Us
*We Greet Each Other
Call to Confession – 238:1-3 “We Come, O Christ, to You”
Prayer of Confession –
Lord Jesus, we come to you as seekers looking for rest in a troubled and tiring world.  Our souls cannot find true rest until we find our rest in you.  Yet we admit that we have run frantically after our own schemes, thinking we could somehow satisfy our heart longings by our own activities and by buying into the world’s poor substitutes.  Nothing works.  So we come now, some reluctantly, some eagerly, to you who are the only sure answer to our every quest.  Receive us in mercy and grant us your pardon.
*Song of Assurance – 238:4-5 “You Only Are True Life”
WE HEAR GOD’S WORD
Children’s Time
Prayer of Preparation
Scripture Reading – Luke 24:13-31
Message – “Blind Eyes See”
Prayer
*Song – “Open Our Eyes, Lord”
WE RESPOND WITH THANKSGIVING
The Offering – General Fund
Sharing Joys and Concerns
Intercessory Prayer
WE ARE SENT TO LOVE AND SERVE
Opportunities for Ministry and Fellowship
God’s Will for Our Life – Exodus 20
*God Blesses Us
*Closing Praise – 413:1,5 “Christ Is Alive!  Let Christians Sing”
Postlude

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Monday, 7:00 PM Council meets
Wednesday, 11:30 AM Women’s Luncheon at
  Retreat preparation worktime

There will be a concert this Friday evening at 7:00 PM of the Eastern Nazarene University choirs at the Church of the Nazarene on Chenango St. in Hillcrest.  Paige Vermaat is a member of one of the choirs that will be performing both sacred and classical music.  They will also be singing Saturday evening at the Nazarene Church in Owego.  You are invited to enjoy this special evening of God-honoring music.

Today is your last opportunity to suggest to Council names of church members you would like them to consider for nomination as elder or deacon.  There are some forms for this on the table in the entry.  Please fill them in TODAY and place them in the box marked “Council Nominations”.  Thank you for your participation in this process.
 
We thank God that Jan Patak returned home from the hospital already on Monday and that the cardiac tests did not show any problems.  Join her and Joe in praying that she will have no recurrence of the pain and weakness she had experienced.

Erin Peterson and Amy Cook will be attending the youth ministry conference at Willow Creek this week.  Pray for safe travel to and from Chicago and for both new ideas and renewed enthusiasm for youth ministry at Valley and in our community.

Retreat announcement  (encourage registrations)

Youth Announcements 
Middle School group meets this afternoon, 3:00 PM

Advance notice of the Saturday Niter spaghetti dinner on Saturday, April 19.  The youth team and youth groups are putting this on for all the adults of the church as a thank you (and fund raiser).  They need our support as they plan for the summer camping and rafting “vision trip”.  (Jerry, please use whatever Erin sent to you in place of this.)

NEXT SUNDAY, April 13, 2008

SUNDAY SCHOOL:  9:45 AM  Classes for all ages.  The adult class will continue a four-week session using the booklet “Christian:  What It Means, Why It Matters.”  All are welcome to participate.

MORNING WORSHIP:     11:00 AM   Pastor Gelder will be with us to bring a message “Facing Doubt Head-on” based on John 20:24-31.  We will also be celebrating the Lord’s Supper at this service.  Take time this week to review your faith and life, making sure you are in a living relationship with the living Jesus so your meeting with him at the table will be a rich blessing and not an uncomfortable confrontation.

The second offering next Sunday will be for the Indonesian Christian Reformed Church in Dover, New Hampshire.  Let’s remember that we have a special relationship with this ministry, since we extended the official letter of call to Pastor Lapian to head this ministry.  Let us also give thanks that there are now six Indonesian ministries in the CRC in North America.  Pastor Lapian has been instrumental in working with many of them on their way to affiliation with the CRC.