Father, forgive them…
First Christian Reformed Church
Sunday March 22, 2015
Pastor Gary Bomhof
WE GATHER IN HIS NAME
FIRST CHURCH NEWS
Prelude: The Lord is My Shepherd
Whoever Solely Lets our Dear God Reign by Feike Asma
Natalie Thompson came home this week. It will take
some time for her to be totally mobile and without pain.
Pray for her strength and comfort.
Gathering to Worship
Welcome and Announcements
Call to Worship
Song: Whom Shall I Fear
Across The Lands
God’s Greeting
Time of Friendship
Our sister, Alice Hielema, was hospitalized this past
Sunday and is now home, but signs point to a mild stroke
as being the difficulty. Pastor Jack encourages us to
continue to pray, but that they are prayers of praise as it
seems like modern medicine will be helpful in Alice's
recovery.
Service of Reconciliation
Confession
Song: Come As You Are
Assurance
Service of Illumination
Song: Open The Eyes of My Heart
Prayer for Illumination
Message
Scripture: Luke 23: 33-35
Message: “Father, forgive them…”
Pastor Josh Friend
We continue to pray for Pastor Gary and JoAnn
Bomhof as they remain in Edmonton in recovery. Our
prayers are for her heart to become strong and for her
kidneys to return to full function as JoAnn is on dialysis.
JoAnn's lungs are healing, but we also pray that they
become stronger and renew JoAnn's strength.
We will have a 'Get Well' card for JoAnn at the welcome
desk in the foyer that we hope everyone will have a
chance to stop and sign. The card will go back with
Pastor Gary on March 29th and will be available for
signing the next two weeks.
Thanks to the youth and young adults who have helped
with our service this week, whether in planning and
sharing ideas or leading worship this morning. Hebrews
3:13 "Build one another up every day. Do it as long as
there is still time..." (NIRV)
We Respond in Giving, Prayer and Praise
Song: Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)
Pastoral Prayer
Easter Breakfast - please join us for breakfast before the
Easter Sunday worship service to start off our Easter
celebration and for some family fellowship. Breakfast
starts at 8:30am. We look forward to seeing you there!
Our Tithes and Offerings:
First Church Budget Ministry
Cardus – Work Research Foundation
Flowers: In the past we have decorated the sanctuary
with pot mums for Easter Sunday. The Worship and Arts
team have ordered the plants and you may purchase
them if you want in memory of a loved one and you may
take it home after the service. The plants are white or
yellow daisy pot mums. A Worship Team member will be
at the kiosk today to take your order. The cost is $10.00
each.
We Leave to Serve
Blessing
Doxology: Days of Elijah
Postlude: A Toccata Finale about Psalm 42
by John Propitius.
FIRST CHURCH EVENTS AND NEWS
Remember the many people who are unable to worship with us regularly due to illness or age including Hermina de
Gruyter, Alice de Wit, Lies Harkema, Marge Groeneveld, Henny Oosterhoff, Dicky Mulder, Winnie Tensen, Idonna
Christensen, Helen Spanninga, Janet vanderMeulen, Peter Humting, Jannie deBoon, Cor Bruin,
Cor and Pearl Nienhuis, Lois Braaksma and Henk Werkema.
Guests: We extend a special welcome to guests who are joining us this morning. JaMtime is for the children age 3 to
those going into Grade 5. There is a supervised nursery care for infants to age 3. Everybody is cordially invited to a
time of fellowship and friendship in the Social Hall following the worship service
Nominations are now being accepted for persons willing to serve the Lord as part of this church council. This is an
exciting time to become part of the visioning of, and building relationships leading to a vibrant and healthy church. We
are in need of 4 elders and 2 deacons, please submit names to Wilf Opden Dries or Jim Bakker.
The Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast: Dick vandenBrink has 3 tickets left for Tuesday March 24th for the table for the
breakfast at the westerner. If you want a ticket see Elsie at the church office.
MUSIC NOTES
Across the Lands is a "new hymn by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend. Stuart Townend contends that current worship
practices have tended to focus so heavily on subjective experience and personal feelings that the proclamation of
objective, life-changing truths about God and our position in Christ is often ignored. The hymns Getty/Townend write
have been crafted in such a way as to redress that imbalance and provide corporate worship music that faithfully
proclaims the great truths about God, the stories of the Bible, the seriousness of sin and the beauty of the gospel of
grace. Across the Lands is a God-centered hymn that focuses on the global mission of the Gospel.
YOUTH
Foundations II meets tonight at 5:30, Session 18.
Young Adults Bible Study meets Thursday at 7:30 in the council room, studying ‘The Unshakable Truth’. Anyone out of
high school and beyond is welcome!
BIRTHDAYS
March
22
23
26
27
28
29
Today
Monday
5:30pm
6:30pm
7:00pm
9:30am
7:30pm
7:30pm
7:30pm
3:30pm
8:00am
9:30am
Deidre Work
Antonia Teuling
John Teuling
Henk Jentink
Hans Tol
Gerdie Teuling
23
24
27
27
29
David Jones
Theresa Harmse
Eliane Barnard
Merle Oosterhoff
Carel Louw
NEXT WEEK
Tuesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Foundations
Cadets & Gems
Friendship
AM Coffee Break
Council
Choir
Young Adults – Council Room
Michener Hymn Sing
Men’s Breakfast
Afrikaans Bible Study
STEWARDSHIP NOTES
Today’s Tithes and Offerings:
First Church Ministry Budget
Cardus-Work Research Foundation
Future Offerings
29
05
March
April
Denominational Ministry Shares
Food Grains Bank
SERVING TODAY
Greeting: Jack vanEs
Helping Hands: Jesse Mlynarski
Nursery: Michelle Sytsma, Pam Dodd, Shari Wood, Morgan Schalk
Coffee Hosts: Peter and Inez Pierek
Serving Elder: Koby Bylsma
SERVING NEXT WEEK
Greeting: Tyler Westera
Helping Hands: Mike Sandstra
Nursery: Sharon Stange, Sharyn Lodewyk, Taryn or Dave Prins, Tori Stryker
Coffee Hosts: Gord and Ger Klootwyk
Serving Elder: Wilf opdenDries
UPCOMING EVENTS
You are invited to attend the upcoming production of That Towering Cross which will premiere on March 26-28th, 2015
at the Memorial Centre in Red Deer. Local playwright Andrew Kooman was asked to write an Easter play to go along
with music arranged by Kimberly Messer. The production is under the direction of Annette Bradley and Laura Geelen.
The Easter production’s choir features 60 members from 20 churches in the Central Alberta region. Andrew was able to
write the choir into the story as in integral part of the show which helps bring the story to life on the stage.
The following is a brief synopsis of the story:
Anna returns to the small town church she grew up attending for its annual Easter production after a ten year absence.
When she meets Joshua after the performance, her view of the cross as a tired, old symbol is challenged not only by his
invitation to imagine it differently, but her need for it to be something more.
We appreciate your help in spreading the word about this exciting event. Tickets are required but are free to the public
thanks to the generosity of our sponsors. You can get tickets for any of the four shows (March 26th at 7pm, March 27th
at 7pm, and March 28th at 2:30pm and 7pm) by calling 403-343-1611. They are also available for pick up at 53rd Street
Music (4902 53 St, Red Deer) or at Scott’s Parable Christian Store on Gasoline Alley.
Donations will be accepted towards the CAPCC’s housing project for single pregnant women.
For more information or to learn about the new housing project please call the Centre at 403-343-1611.
Did You Know that on February 6, the Supreme Court made an irresponsible and dangerous decision by
decriminalizing assisted death? The Supreme Court’s decision also puts people with disabilities ,elderly people who live
with abuse as well as depressed and suicidal people at risk. The majority of the letters published by newspapers have
supported euthanasia. Please write a letter to your MP or sign the online petition (found on the first link listed below)
calling for the Protection of vulnerable Canadians from assisted death. PLEASE help protect the SANCTITY of LIFE!!!
For more information, as well as tips to help you with your letter writing, check:
http://alexschadenberg.blogspot.com/2014/06/euthanasia-in-canada-letter-writing.html
http://arpacanada.ca/issuesresearch/pro-life/2114-new-arpa-resource-on-euthanasia
http://arpacanada.ca/action-items/current-action-requests/725-tips-for-letter-writing
http://easy.arpacanada.ca/
CHURCH CONTACT INFORMATION
First Christian Reformed Church
16 McVicar Street Red Deer, AB T4N 0M1
[email protected]
Phone: 403-346-5659
www.firstcrcreddeer.org