We Gather to Worship Welcome & Announcements Opening Prayer Advent Reading *Call to Worship *Gathering Song: PsH 345 "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" *God’s Greeting *We Greet One Another *Praise & Worship: "10,000 Reasons" "This I Believe (the Creed)" Children’s Message *Children’s Song: PsH 348 "Away in a Manger" **Children in JK-gr. 2 leave for Sunday School** We Profess Our Faith *Song of Preparation: PsH 328 "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" Call to Confession Prayer of Confession Words of Assurance *Song of Dedication: PsH 486 "Come Thou Fount of every Blessing" Offering Prayer Offering: Church Ministries / World Renew Gifts Offertory We Hear and Respond to God's Word Prayer for Illumination Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25 Message: Waiting in Uncertainty **Children in grades 3-4 leave for Sunday School** *Song of Response: "Oceans (Where Feet May Fall)" Congregational Prayer We Go Out to Serve God *Closing Song: "Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee" vs. 1-3 *God's Blessing *Doxology: "Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee" vs. 4 *Please stand, in body or in spirit
WELCOME We would like to extend a warm welcome to all our guests who have come to share in our worship service. May we be blessed as we worship our Lord together. Assistive hearing devices are available at the sound booth. Songbooks and large print Bibles are available at the back table (song lyrics are also projected on the screen). Everyone is invited for coffee, tea, and juice in the fellowship hall after the morning service.
OUR CHURCH FAMILY Prayer Requests: - for Teresa, Andrew K and Adrianna. - for Willemien, Brian, Harry, Mary Jane, and Chris R as they serve as our elders. - for Jake, Johan, Robert W, and Andrew S as they serve as our deacons. - for our Youth Group; pray for leaders to have wisdom and boldness as they share their faith; for youth to be open to hearing about Jesus and to grow in their faith. - for our council and congregation as we continue to pursue a partnership with missions in Guatemala through World Renew. - for those who are grieving this Advent season. A Resonate missionary asks you to specifically pray for partner ministries in Sierra Leone. Two staff members recently passed away. Pray for comfort for family, friends, and colleagues. - give thanks that people in Japan are becoming Christians! Ask God to continue using international Christian schools to reach people in Japan with the good news of Jesus. - that Jesus would be truly celebrated this Christmas season. Upcoming Special Collections Dec 15: Church Ministries / World Renew Gifts Dec 22: Church Ministries / World Renew Gifts Dec 29: Church Ministries / Deacons This Week: World Renew Gifts. Throughout advent our second collections will go toward World Renew gifts. As a community we will aim to collect enough donations to fill the "barn" with an assortment of animals and other gifts that can be used worldwide to support those in need. You have received a catalogue in your mailboxes this morning that you can read and learn about the many options of gifts and the many countries that they are used in. Please consider giving generously and cheerfully as we join together this advent season in supporting gifts for others around the world. Cookies for the Community: The cookies we shared last year were so well received that the Outreach committee has decided to again share some Christian love with our community by delivering cookies to the residents of Vanastra. Please have the cookies in by December 18. We will be delivering cookies door to door on Thursday Dec. 19 at 6:30 pm. Please contact Willemien if you would be willing to donate some cookies or help with delivering them to the community. Christmas Treat Potluck: After our Christmas Eve service on December 24, 2019. We will have a time of fellowship where coffee, hot chocolate and tea will be offered. Worship Committee is asking the congregation to bring some Christmas treats to go alongside our hot drinks and time of fellowship. Fifth Sunday Potluck: December 29 will be a fifth Sunday of the month, therefore we will be having a fifth Sunday potluck following the service. Please bring a dish to share. Everyone is welcome! District 1 will clean up. New Opportunity in Our Community: In the New Year we are going to be partnering with members of the Vanastra community to offer a kid's club; a children's drop in program. It is a program that will run one night of the week that seeks bring the young people of Vanastra together, providing an opportunity to build relationships, develop personal and interpersonal skills as well as enhance social and emotional competence. As we prepare to partner in this endeavour, we are being asked to find a few volunteers to represent the church and help lead in this program. If this is of interest to you or if you have any questions, please contact a Council member to let them know. Council Seeking Ambassador: As a congregation, we have recently decided to partner with World Renew in Guatemala to support the missions work that is going on there. As we receive information and to communicate with World Renew and especially with the communities in Guatemala, we have been asked to appoint an ambassador from our congregation. They will be a primary point person in our communication with World Renew in Guatemala. If this is something that interests you, please let a Council member know. Council Clippings: We shared in hearing the life and faith story of Jennifer as she seeks to reaffirm her faith. We heard a proposal from members of our community to start up a "Vanastra Kids Club" and decided to partner with them. We are starting a new practice of district breakouts, where the team of elders & deacons for each district spend time together in prayer and then plan ways to care for and support their district together. HCS update: old GEMS room floor is finished, old Council room floor will be newly carpeted soon (likely this week), we received final payment for our hallway flooring and will be hiring a contractor to install new floor in the new year. We are continuing in a Basic Global Engagement Partnership with World Renew in Guatemala and seeking an "ambassador" from within our congregation. Final Offering of 2019: December 29 will be the last Sunday collection for which charitable receipts will be issued for this year. (E-transfer donations will be receipted until December 31, provided that the donations are received before midnight). Council Seeking Clerk: Council is looking for someone to fill the position of council clerk. This position will be temporary with the potential of becoming permanent. Main duties include managing council correspondence with the possibility of taking minutes during meetings. A full description of the clerk duties is available in the office or by email request sent to vanastraccrc@gmail.com. Please talk to Mary Jane if you are interested. Guelph Campus Ministry: The December newsletter is posted in the hallway and the Bridge App.
OUR CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY Christmas Concert featuring HuronSong Chorus. December 16th at 7:30 p.m. at the Northside United Church in Seaforth. Free will offering toward the Huron Women's Shelter. Dessert Reception to follow. Live Nativity Scene: Come hear the Christmas music and see some nativity animals at Brucefield United Church. Sunday December 22 from 2-4 p.m. Enjoy refreshments, snacks and fellowship. The Dunnemans Concert: Come and hear the Dunnemans sing traditional Southern Gospel music in concert At Heartland Community Church in Clinton Ontario (52 Victoria Street) on Sunday December 29 at 10:30 AM, a freewill offering will be taken up.
SCHOOL NEWS Celebration of Learning & Christmas Concert at London Christian High: We invite the entire community, and your friends and families, to our Celebration of Learning & Christmas concert evening on Tuesday, December 17, 2019 beginning at 7pm. This open house event presents an opportunity to talk with students about their learning experiences this semester, see beautiful projects, hear about how students are developing a sense of God’s purpose in their lives, and celebrate Jesus’ birth together. For more information, please see www.londonchristianhigh.ca or contact the school at 519-455-4360. Food & refreshments will be available.