Weekly Bulletin 12/17/2017
Sunday, December 17, 2017
As Mary did on learning she would bear God’s Son, may we magnify the Lord and rejoice in God our Savior
(Luke 1:46-47). Welcome!
9:30 am ~ Morning Worship Service
Worship Leader: Rev. Jacob Porter
Welcome & Call to Worship
Praise Songs ~ Lord Most High
Come Thou Fount, Come Thou King
Joy To the World
God’s Greeting and Our Shared Greetings
Children’s Special Music ~ Away In a Manger
Go Tell It On the Mountain
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
Noisy Offering ~ Love INC Sponsor-a-Family
Morning Prayer
Offering Prayer ~ Dennis Burke
Tithes & Offerings ~ HCRC Ministries & Building Fund
Offertory ~ O Holy Night
God’s Word ~ Isaiah 52:13-53:12 (pg. 1145)
Message ~ Longing For… Healing
Song of Response ~ Breath Of Heaven
God’s Blessing
Sending Song ~ Go Tell It On the Mountain
Sending Praise
Prayer Ministry ~ Dennis Burke, Esther Vander Laan
6 pm ~ Evening Service
at Hamilton Christian Reformed Church
DVD ~ The True Meaning Of Christmas
December 24 and 31 – no evening service
OUR CHURCH FAMILY
Pray for those who are struggling with joy at this time of the year. Those who struggle with health issues, relationships, family issues, loss of a loved one and many other life struggles.
Pray for David Suh, son of our missionary Gil & Joyce Suh, as he travels home for the Christmas season from Calvin College to Cambodia. Pray for others too who will be traveling during the Christmas season.
OUR CHURCH ANNOUNCEMENTS
Morning Service ~ This morning we continue our Advent Journey to Bethlehem, Longing For.. from the book of Isaiah.
Evening Worship Service will be held at our church tonight at 6 pm. We will be seeing the DVD – The True Meaning of Christmas. We will also be singing songs of the Christmas season. There will be no evening services on December 24 and 31. Our January evening services will be held at Hamilton Reformed Church.
Next Sunday morning we will have the celebration of Holy Communion. As we prepare for the birth of Jesus, let us also prepare our hearts for this celebration. The baby who was born who would change the world and us. The thank offering will be for Faith Promise Mission Support
Christmas Day Service will be held on December 25 at 9:30 am. As we have been longing for the birth of Jesus, come and celebrate this birth. The Christmas offering will be for World Renew.
Congregational Meeting was held this past Wednesday evening to vote on the General Fund budget for 2018 and was passed.
Offerings for December 10:
General Fund ~ $1,7,66.00
Building Fund ~ $190.00
Down Home Ministry – $340.70
Noisy Offering – $64.50
OUR CHURCH CALENDAR
Today: December 10 ~ Third Sunday of Advent
9:30 am ~ Morning Worship Service – Rev. Jacob Porter
Offerings ~ HCRC Ministries & Building Fund
Noisy Offering – Love INC Sponsor-a-Family
Fellowship Time follows worship service
6 pm ~ Evening Service – Hamilton CRC
DVD – The True Meaning of Christmas
Monday, December 18
6:30 pm ~ Council meeting
Wednesday, December 20
7 am ~ Prayer Time in the sanctuary
6:30 pm ~ Youth Group – Christmas Party
Sunday, December 24 ~ Fourth Sunday of Advent
Celebration of Holy Communion
9:10 am ~ Pre-Service Prayer Time – Pastor’s office
9:30 am ~ Morning Worship Service ~ Rev. Jacob Porter
Offerings ~ HCRC Ministries & Building Fund
Faith Promise Mission Support
Noisy Offering – Love INC Sponsor-a-Family
Requested & Expanded Announcements
December 17, 2017
Noisy Offering ~ The Sunday School children will be collecting your “pocket change” for their Love INC Sponsor-a-Family through December 31. So far they have collected $485.00 to purchase gifts and food for two families. These families have already received their gifts and food at a Love INC Christmas Party on December 9. For the months of January and February the noisy offering will be given to Love INC.
Love INC Newsletter is available on the Welcome Table. Take time to read and be updated on this ministry that is located in our community.
Ladies Guild Bible Study will meet not meet on Tuesday, December 19 due to a conflict in the schedule. We are hoping to meet in January to finish our study books on Philippians and have our luncheon.
Youth Group we will be meeting on December 20 for our Christmas Party. We will have a potluck, games and fun. Join us at 6:30 pm in the youth room. Our next meeting will be at Wednesday, January 3. We will begin our lesson series on Genesis.
Christmas Services ~ We will celebrate Holy Communion at the morning service on December 24. A love offering will be received for Faith Promise Mission. Our Christmas Day service will be on December 25 at 9:30 am. An offering will be received for World Renew.
Sr. Breakfast will be held on Wednesday, December 27 at 8:30 am at the Hawk’s Nest Restaurant. Anyone is welcome to come to this breakfast time. Many laughs are shared with church friends.
Newsletter ~ Articles for the January newsletter are due next Sunday, December 24 and may be placed in the newsletter box in the narthex.
GEMS Girls Club is a program designed to help bring girls into a living, dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ and to express their love for God and others. Starting in January our church will be starting a GEMS Club for girls (ages 4 – 5th grade). We will be meeting on the second and fourth Wednesday evenings of each month at 6:30 pm. If you know of any girls interested in this program contact Zena Walters for more information.
Post High Bible Study ~ Does something deep inside your heart long to break free from the status quo? Are you hungry for an authentic faith that addresses the problems of our world with tangible, even radical solutions. God is calling you to a passionate love relationship with Him. Beginning Sunday evenings in January all Post High (ages 18-28) are invited to a Bible study where we will explore the book, Crazy Love, by Francis Chan. Let’s fall in love with God – it will change everything. Let Zena Walters know if you are interested in attending this Bible Study group to be included in the book order.
Community Blood Drive will be held on Thursday, December 21 from 12 noon – 5:45 pm at Hamilton Reformed Church. If you would like to schedule an appointment to donate go to redcrossblood.org (sponsored code: hamiltonreformed) or call 1.800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Life’s a gift. Give more of it. Donate blood.
Everlasting Father ~ As Isaiah continues to describe the Messiah, he calls him “Everlasting Father”. Join Groundwork in the study of Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 1:16-18 and John 14:1-11 to find out what this title would have meant to its original Israelite audience and why it really is an appropriate title for Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Listen at GroundworkOnline.com and subscribe to Groundwork’s weekly emails for future episodes.
Kid’s Corner ~ Beyond Belief, Liz and friends find themselves in Bethlehem reliving the Christmas story. Checkout Kid’s Corner new Christmas coupon book for a great gift idea at www.kidscorner.net.
Stand In the Gap with World Renew this Christmas ~ Celebrate God’s power made visible in His son Jesus Christ, who stood in the gap to offer us salvation. Give a powerful gift to someone in need this Christmas – on duckling, a flock, or a whole barnyard filled with animals. Find these and other life-changing items at worldrenewgifts.net or call 800.333.8300 to receive your printed catalog in the mail.
Calvin Symposium on Worship ~ You are invited to register and attend the annual Calvin Symposium on Worship, January 25-27, 2018, at Calvin College and Calvin Theological Seminary. The three-day conference brings together a wide audience of artists, musicians, pastors, scholars, students, worship leaders and planners and other interested worshipers. There are excellent rates for students and groups from churches. For information and to register, go to worship.calvin.edu/symposium.
Community Event For Women:
IF is a non-profit organization that exists to gather, equip and unleash women to live out God’s calling in their lives. This is an organization based in Texas but reaches the world through their IF Gathering. This happens once a year and is a weekend set aside for women to worship together and to rejuvenate and be filled. The way they reach the world is through IF: Local gathering in homes and churches wherever women can meet. This is a local gathering of women who get together to watch the live streaming of the IF: Gathering that takes place in Texas.
Next year a local gathering will be held in Hamilton. It is exciting for the women of Hamilton to come together for a weekend of worship, rest and relaxation. It is a two day event full of amazing speakers, worship music and fellowship.
This gathering will take place on February 9 -10, 2018 at East Saugatuck CRC. This event is open to ALL women and is free. Registration is now open and can be found through facebook by searching IF:Hamilton. Any questions on this event can to directed to Leadership Team – Deanna Schrotenboer – (616.218.9652); Julie Reuschel (616.566.88636); Jamie Tidd (616.218.3154).