Seventeenth Sunday

after Pentecost

September 11, 2016

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First Congregational Church

United Church of Christ

Wilmette, Illinois

Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost

Sunday, September 11, 2016 10:00 A.M. PRELUDE “Variations” Wagner “The goodness of the Lord endures continually” – Psalm 52:1

CALL TO WORSHIP Dr. VanSlyke

Leader: Loving God, we come to worship you today.

All: We come to sing, pray, and listen. Leader: We trust that you always hear us.

All: Help us to hear you in this hour. Amen.

---From The Worship Sourcebook

INTROIT “I Was Glad” Lovelace

+HYMN “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore You” NCH 4

PRAYER OF INVOCATION Dr. Okrzynski

O God,

Rich in mercy, you look with compassion on this troubled world. Feed us with your grace, and grant us the treasure that comes only from you,

through Jesus Christ we pray.

Amen.

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CALL TO PRAISE Dr. Okrzynski

Leader: O Lord, open thou our lips.

People: And our mouths shall show forth thy praise. Leader: Praise be to God!

People: God’s name be praised!

+GLORIA

Glory to the Creator and to the Christ and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Amen.

ANTHEM “To Be Your Bread” Haas

Lyrics: Page 4

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

Eternal God, In the reading of the scripture, may your word be heard;

In the meditations of our hearts, may your word be known; In the faithfulness of our lives, may your word be shown.

Amen.

SCRIPTURE READINGS Dr. Okrzynski

† Exodus 32:7-14 – Moses Requests Mercy OT pp. 97-98

† Psalm 51:1-10 (Chanted by the Chancel Choir) NCH p. 657

† Luke 15:1-10 – Two Parables of Mercy NT p. 95

You are invited to read along in the Pew Bible.

GOSPEL RESPONSE “Celtic Alleluia” Page 5

SERMON “Coming Home” Dr. VanSlyke

HYMN “All Who Hunger” Page 6

MORNING PRAYERS Dr. VanSlyke

Call to Prayer

Leader: God be with you.

People: And with your spirit.

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The Pastoral Prayer

The Lord’s Prayer (debts/debtors)

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will

be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us

our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

Prayer Response “Lord, Let My Heart Be Good Soil” Page 7

OFFERING OUR TITHES, GIFTS, AND SELVES Dr. Okrzynski

Offertory “Bourrée” Telemann/arr. Wolff

+The Doxology Old Hundredth

Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise Christ all creatures here below,

Praise God above ye heavenly host, Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION Insert

+HYMN “Praise to the Living God” NCH 8

+BENEDICTION

May God bless you and keep you;

May God’s face shine upon you and be gracious unto you;

May God look upon you with kindness and bring you peace; This day and forevermore,

Amen.

---Numbers 6:24-26

POSTLUDE “Trumpet Processional for Organ” Frey

+ indicates those who are able may stand. NCH indicates The New Century Hymnal.

OT indicates Old Testament.

NT indicates New Testament.

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Lyrics to the Anthem

“To Be Your Bread” by David Haas

To be Your bread now, be Your wine now,

Lord, come and change us to be a sign of Your love.

Blest and broken, poured and flowing, gift that You gave us,

To be Your body once again.

1. We come to Your table with our lives as they are.

Heal us Lord, for we are broken, make us one again.

2. Lord, we stumble through the darkness of night, Lead us now, O Lord we follow, bring us home to You.

3. Give us the bread and wine that bring us to life.

Feed us, and we’ll never hunger, never thirst again.

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Gospel Response

Printed under LicenSing – License #607161

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Printed under OneLicense.net – License #A-708459

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Prayer Response

Printed under OneLicense.net – License #A-708459

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Sunday, September 11, 2016

Welcome to the First Congregational Church of Wilmette! We are part of the United Church of

Christ, www.ucc.org, and we come with our faith and our doubts to worship, learn, and serve

together. If you would like to learn more about the church, please check out the visitor information card in your pew, and provide us with your name, address, and/or email so that

we can be in contact with you.

There is a gender-neutral, accessible restroom and a baby changing station near the

Sanctuary. Please ask an usher for directions.

Sunday Servers Sunday, September 11 Sunday, September 18

Ushers Janet & Bruce Seitzer (HUs); Peg Kocian, Joe Higgins

Maggie & Gary Benz (HUs); Tom Fredricksen, Melissa

Riemer

Greeter(s) Keith Ross Gretchen Alexander

Coffee Hour Servers

Merry Juell & Jim Ardito;

Melanie Mallin & Bill Loumpouridis

Mary Smoley;

Suzanne & Keith Ross

Counter Bill Ieuter Gary Benz

Communion Table Amy Tyson FCCW Staff

Communion Bread Carla Lindsay N/A

Worship Leadership:

Preacher: Dr. Stephanie VanSlyke

Presider: Dr. Jason Okrzynski

Musician: Mr. Kurt Mockenhaupt

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Weekly Calendar

Sunday, September 11

9:15 a.m. – Chancel Choir Rehearsal (Sanctuary)

9:45-11:20 a.m. – Nursery Care (Nursery)

9:45-11:15 a.m. – Godly Play I Class (Good Shepherd Room)

9:45-11:15 a.m. – Godly Play II Class (Creation Room)

9:45 a.m. – Kairos Class (Upper Room)

10:00 a.m. – Worship Service with Holy Communion (Sanctuary)

11:15 a.m. – Coffee Hour (Pilgrim Hall)

Tuesday, September 13

6:30 p.m. – Mary Supper (Home of Susan Hodges & Kirsten Haake)

Wednesday, September 14

4:45 p.m. – Kids Club (Creation Room)

6:00 p.m. – Confirmation (Upper Room)

6:45 p.m. – Dinner for All Youth (Dining Room)

7:15 p.m. – Senior High Youth (Upper Room)

7:30 p.m. – Chancel Choir Rehearsal (Music Room)

Thursday, September 15

10:00 a.m. – Pastors’ Bible Study (Pilgrim Hall)

7:15 p.m. – Finance Subcommittee Meeting (Church Office)

7:30 p.m. – Handbell Choir Rehearsal (Music Room)

Sunday, September 18 – Rally Day & Stephanie’s 20th Celebration Worship

9:15 a.m. – Chancel Choir Rehearsal (Sanctuary)

9:45-11:20 a.m. – Nursery Care (Nursery)

9:45-11:15 a.m. – Godly Play I Class (Good Shepherd Room)

9:45-11:15 a.m. – Godly Play II Class (Creation Room)

9:45 a.m. – Kairos Class (Upper Room)

10:00 a.m. – Worship Service (Sanctuary)

11:15 a.m. – Coffee Hour (Pilgrim Hall)

11:30 a.m. – Luncheon (FCCW)

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Children’s & Youth Formation

Meet Andrew Miller This year, Andrew Miller will join our Church School staff. He will be

teaching the Godly Play II class for children in kindergarten through second

grade. Andrew would like to share the following about himself, “I went

through Sunday School and was confirmed at FCCW. I am a 7-time veteran

of the Mission Trip. I graduated from New Trier High School and Amherst

College, and am currently living with my parents in Wilmette, wondering

what to do next.” Please join us in welcoming Andrew!

Church School to Resume Church school will resumes today. There are programs for children from

infant to sixth grade. Nursery care will continue in the Nursery with

Lauren Kelleher and Meriel Mischler this year. The Godly Play I class,

taught by Joy Oh, will be for children from 2 ½ years to PreK and will

meet in the Good Shepherd Room. The Godly Play II class, taught by

Andrew Miller, will be for children in kindergarten through second grades and will meet in

the Creation Room. Finally, the Kairos class, taught by Maren Okrzynski, will be for

children in third to sixth grades and will meet in the Upper Room. Please let Jason know if

you have any questions. We look forward to working with your children again this year!

Godly Play for Kindergarten-2nd graders The learning environment of our Godly Play Classrooms familiarizes

children with basic Biblical stories and elements of Christian worship, such

as the calendar of the liturgical year, baptism, and Holy Communion. The

routine of the class imitates after the sequence of Christian worship: opening

prayer, scripture, response, prayers and feast, benediction. These classes use

the Montessori-inspired Godly Play Curriculum, in which stories and lessons are taught with

engaging manipulative materials.

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Kairos Class for 3rd-6th Grades In Christian tradition, the Greek word Kairos means “sacred time.”

The Kairos 3rd-6th grade students participate in this class constructed

for their developmental and faith formation needs, a sacred time of

faith exploration, prayer, and meditation. Their class often attends worship as a group,

bringing reflective questions or observation assignments to the worship service.

Wednesday Night Programs Kids Club for K-6th graders, Confirmation, Dinner, and Senior High Youth group will begin again this Wednesday, September 14. Kids Club,

led by Jason and Nina Isaacs, will meet in the Creation Room from 4:45-

5:45 p.m. Confirmation (7th-8th grade) will begin at 6:00 p.m.; Dinner (7th-12th grade) will begin at 6:45 p.m.; and, Senior High Youth (9th-12th grade)

will begin at 7:15 p.m. Contact Jason if you have any questions. It is going to be another great year!

Adult Spiritual Formation

Mary Supper, Second Tuesday of the Month, 6:30 p.m. We learn of the sisters, Martha and Mary of Bethany (the namesake of our

group), in Luke 10:38-42 and in John 11-12. Both gospels tell stories of Mary

and Martha hosting Jesus in their home for a meal and conversation. At

FCCW’s Mary Supper, women of the church gather for a light meal and

spiritual conversation led by Pastor Stephanie VanSlyke. Held in member’s homes, all

women are welcome and encouraged to come as often as they can. First-timers and friends

always welcome!

The first meeting will take place on September 13 at the home of Susan Hodges and Kirsten Haake (118 Lockerbie Lane in Wilmette). RSVP to hodgeswrites@gmail.com or (312) 351-

2373.

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Pastors’ Bible Study – New Day! Join Pastors Stephanie VanSlyke and Jason Okrzynski for a weekly

reflection upon the scripture readings for the week. Come for prayer,

reflection, and conversation. We meet every Thursday at 10:00 a.m.

in Pilgrim Hall; coffee is provided. We will begin September 14.

The Men’s Group, Mondays, Once a Month, 7:00 p.m. The Men’s group is led by Rev. Dr. David Hogue, and meets select

Mondays at Hackney’s Restaurant, 1514 E. Lake Avenue in Glenview, for

dinner and conversation.

The first meeting will be on September 19.

Dates for 2016-2017: September 19, October 17, November 14, January 16, February 20,

March 20, April 17, & May 15

Up And Adam!

Conversations about Current Events and the Gospel Sunday, 9:00 a.m. in the Library

September 25, October 16, November 13, December 11

Each week, our former FCCW youth pastor, Adam Ericksen, writes about the intersection

of the Gospel and current events for the Raven Foundation and Patheos websites. His

articles are also regularly featured on Sojourners.net. In this monthly discussion forum, we

will gather to read and discuss one of Adam’s articles from the previous week. In this

election season, there will be much to talk about! Suzanne Ross will convene and make the

coffee. See you there!

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Music Programs

Adult Choirs Rehearsals for the Chancel Choir and Handbell Choir have already begun.

The Chancel Choir rehearses at the church on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. The

Handbell Choir rehearses at the church on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. If you are

interested in either choir, please contact Kurt Mockenhaupt, Director of

Music.

Children’s Choir The FCCW Children’s Choir will return to our Children’s ministry

programming for the 2016-2017 school year. The Choir is open to K-

6th graders and is directed by Maren Okrzynski. Rehearsals will take

place simultaneous with church school, from 10:45-11:15 a.m. They will

sing periodically in worship throughout the year.

General Announcements

Stephanie Featured in “Shout Out” Recently, Stephanie was featured in “Shout Out” in the Wilmette Life

section of the Chicago Tribune. The article mentions her twenty years

of ministry at FCCW, and she answers a few questions. You can the

article using this link: http://trib.in/2bYNqj9.

Items for San Lucas UCC We are collecting items for San Lucas UCC. A full list of needed items can be

found in the literature rack in Pilgrim Hall or in the weekly newsletter. Please

bring the items to the church, and put them in the boxes in Pilgrim Hall. We

will collect these items until the end of September.

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Rally Day & 20th Anniversary Celebration This year, we will celebrate Rally Day on Sunday, September 18. Please join us as we begin another year at the church with worship and a luncheon. All

children’s and youth programs begin today and during the week that follows. We will also celebrate Stephanie’s 20th anniversary at FCCW with Rabbi

Gordon and others.

Mystery Member Let’s get to know each other better! Each month, we will highlight a member

of FCCW. Your job is to read the description and guess who this person is.

At the end of the month, the identity of the Mystery Member will be revealed!

You can read about September’s Mystery Member in Pilgrim Hall or the weekly newsletter.

Book Discussion Group On Thursday, September 22, at 3 p.m., FCCW’s book group will meet in

Pilgrim Hall. We will be discussing The Buddha in the Attic and When the Emperor was Divine by Julie Otsuka. This is an informal group, and all are

welcome! No RSVP is needed. If you have questions, please contact Jennifer

Kelleher at jen.kelleher2@gmail.com or 847-864-0763.

Wilmette Food Pantry For August, the Food Pantry is requesting these items:

1.) Canned Vegetables (Any Size) 2.) Canned Tuna or Salmon (Any Size)

Throughout the month, you may place your donations in the shopping cart under the stairwell in the Wilmette Avenue atrium entrance, across from the nursery and church

office. Please feel free to contact Peg Kocian at 847-528-0632 for questions and/or concerns, or if you need assistance with your donations.

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Mission Statement

The First Congregational Church of Wilmette

Welcomes everyone to Christ’s table,

Nurtures people’s minds & souls on their spiritual journeys,

Learns across faiths & generations,

Serves God’s vision of peace & well-being for all creation,

Practices compassion & service as a way of life.

Adopted: January 26, 2014

Our Church Staff Stephanie VanSlyke, M.Div., Ph.D., Senior Pastor

svanslyke@fccw.org

Jason Okrzynski, M.Div., Ph.D., Director of Christian Education for Children, Youth, & Families

jokrzynski@fccw.org

David Hogue, M.Div., Ph.D., Men’s Ministry Facilitator

dahogue@gmail.com

Kurt Mockenhaupt, B.M., Director of Music kmockenhaupt@fccw.org

Daniel Smith, M.T.S., M.A., Church Administrator

dsmith@fccw.org

Louis Rice and Fred Henry, Custodians

Office Hours: Monday – Friday / 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Phone: (847) 251-6660 ● Fax: (847) 251-6130 Website: www.fccw.org ● E-mail: 1stchurch@fccw.org