KINDERHOOK REFORMED CHURCH WORSHIP SERVICE, APRIL 2, 2017

 “To Know Christ and to Make Him Known”

Rev. Rudy Visser, Pastor

Rev. Tom McCrossan, Guest Preacher

Director of the Men's Shelter & Guest Services and Assistant Chaplain,

City Mission of Schenectady

A warm welcome to visitors.  We invite you to sign our Guest Book

 in the entranceway and fill out a pew card and place it in the offering plate.

8:30 A.M.  CELEBRATION OF WORSHIP

  Announcements, The Lord’s Greeting, and Morning Prayer

*Morning Praise

  Scripture Reading                                                                                   Luke 10:1-24 (p. 734)

  Message                                                                                                             "Reaching Out"      

  Prayer of Thanks

  Offering and Prayer of Blessing

  Intercessory Prayer

*Closing Hymn and Benediction

10:00 A.M.  CELEBRATION OF WORSHIP

Thanks to today’s ushers, Derick LaTorre, Chris Laurie, Steve Shpur.

Thanks to today’s greeters, Jerry and Donna Flansburg.      

 Nursery facility available downstairs.

Following worship, all are invited downstairs for fellowship and refreshments.

  Prelude           Récits de Cromorne et de Cornet séparé         Louis-Nicolas Clerambault      

  Welcome, Announcements and God's Greeting

Drawing Near to God 

  Call to Worship (Responsive)

Holy is your name, Heavenly Father!
       We enter your house today longing for your kingdom come.
In this hour of worship, enlighten and inspire us with your Word.
       Enfold us and embrace us with a mighty vision
       that will launch us from this place with your Good News for all people:

eager to share the light of Christ to those in darkness and despair;
       empowered to bring the healing of Christ to the hurting and the sick;

ready to bring the peace of Christ to those in conflict and unrest;

       prepared to bring the wisdom of Christ to those seeking truth.

In this time of singing, praying, and listening together,

       tune our ears and hearts to your will for our lives, for our world.

*Hymn of Praise and Prayer to Christ #130                  0 for a Thousand Tongues to Sing

Allowing God to Shape Us

  Call to Confession  Mark 1:15 

“. . . Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.  ‘The time has come,’ he said. ‘The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!’ ”

  Prayer of Confession  (Unison)  

Christ our Lord, we pray for confidence to share your Word with others and for the opportunity to proclaim it. Forgive our reluctance, our timidity, to reach out. We pray for wisdom to know what should be said and the moment in which to say it. We pray for knowledge of the fullness of your grace and for strength to live it out visibly in our actions and in our witness to you.  Forgive our willful and blissful ignorance of the roles you have assigned to us in furthering your kingdom.  Become for us the center of all we are, the light by which we walk, the divine blessing you have called us to bring to others. In your name alone we ask. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon  (Responsive)  Based on Isaiah 44:21-23

“Remember these things,” says the Lord.  “You are my servants; I have made you, and I will not forget you.  I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist.  Return to me; sing for joy and shout aloud, for I have redeemed you.”         Hallelujah! Thanks be to God!

Coming before God’s Open Word

 Children’s Message and Prayer of Blessing  (Unison)

Lord Jesus, may the hearts of our children be filled with your eternal presence.  May they be your light in this world, testifying without shame to your truth, and attracting many to the good news of your gifts of salvation and eternal life through your sacrifice on the cross.  Amen.

  Prayer for Illumination

  Scripture Reading                                                                                   Luke 10:1-24 (p. 734)

  Message                                                                                                             "Reaching Out"      

  Prayer of Blessing

Celebrating God, His Abundance, and His Care

  The Sacrament of Holy Communion

The Lord be with you.

       And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

       We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

       It is right to give him thanks and praise.

God of all power, Ruler of the Universe, you are worthy of glory and praise.  Glory to you for ever and ever.  At your command all things came to be: the vast expanse of interstellar space, galaxies, suns, the planets in their courses, and this fragile earth, our island home.  By your will they were created and have their being.  From the primal elements you brought forth the human race, and blessed us with memory, reason, and skill. You made us the rulers of creation. But we turned against you, and betrayed your trust; and we turned against one another.  Have mercy, Lord, for we are sinners in your sight.

Again and again, you called us to return. Through prophets and sages you revealed your righteous Law. And in the fullness of time you sent your only Son, born of a woman, to fulfill your Law, to open for us the way of freedom and peace. By his blood, he reconciled us.  By his wounds, we are healed. With your whole Church on earth and with all the company of heaven we worship and adore your glorious name.

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,

heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest!

Holy and gracious Father: In your infinite love you made us for yourself; and, when we had fallen into sin and become subject to evil and death, you, in your mercy, sent Jesus Christ, your only and eternal Son, to share our human nature, to live and die as one of us, to reconcile us to you, the God and Father of all.  He stretched out his arms upon the cross, and offered himself in obedience to your will, a perfect sacrifice for the whole world.

In the joy of his resurrection and in expectation of his coming again, we offer ourselves to you as holy and living sacrifices. Together we proclaim the mystery of the faith:

Christ has died!  Christ is risen!  Christ will come again!

Sanctify us by your Holy Spirit that we may faithfully receive this holy Sacrament, and serve you in unity, constancy, and peace; and at the last day bring us with all your saints into the joy of your eternal kingdom.

And as this grain has been gathered from many fields into one loaf, and these grapes from many hills into one cup, grant, O Lord, that your whole Church may soon be gathered from the ends of the earth into your kingdom.  Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

COMMUNION

The Lord Jesus, the same night he was betrayed, took bread; and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you:  Do this in remembrance of me.”

After the same manner also, he took the cup when they had supped, saying, “This cup is the new testament in my blood: This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

The bread which we break is the communion of the body of Christ.

The cup of blessing which we bless is the communion of the blood of Christ.

  Offering/Offertory                                    Trio                             Louis-Nicolas Clerambault

“When we walk with the Lord in the light of his Word, what a glory he sheds on our way.”

*Doxology #809                                                   Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise him all creatures here below.

Praise him above ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

  Offertory Prayer  (Unison)

Holy God, we offer these gifts to be used to preach the truth of salvation and righteousness through Christ Jesus your Son; to proclaim his promise of renewal of mind, body, and spirit; and to make known the blessings that await those who believe in his message of love and life eternal.  Amen.   

  Prayer Requests, Pastoral Prayer, and The Lord’s Prayer

*Hymn of Affirmation #733 (Verses 1, 2, and 4)      We’ve a Story to Tell to the Nations                                                              

*Benediction, Blessing, and Response Hymn           My Friends May You Grow in Grace

  My friends, may you grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior.

My friends, may you grow in grace, and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

 To God be the glory, now and forever, now and forever, amen. (2x)

  Postlude                        Grand plein jeu and Fugue                   Louis-Nicolas Clerambault

Donations for Easter lilies to decorate our pulpit area are now being  accepted, and are greatly appreciated. Contributions may be placed directly in the offering plate clearly marked for this purpose.

At 3:00 p.m. today Concerts in the Village offers its 21^st performance at KRC and concludes its 7^th season of music-making. And a grand event it will be, with over 65 singers and instrumentalists performing works of Haydn and Cherubini. We open with Haydn’s spirited Sinfonia Concertante for four solo instruments and orchestra. Our brilliant soloists are all principals of the Broad Street Orchestra. Then follows a remarkable, but rarely offered work of the extraordinary Luigi Cherubini, his Cantata on the Death of Joseph Haydn for orchestra and three singers: Soprano Caroline Dunigan, returning from her well-received CITV debut this past February; tenor Jon Morrell, a consistent favorite of our audiences, and, recently appearing with the Albany Symphony, tenor Olivier Gagnon, now making his CITV debut. Following intermission the Broad Street Chorale offers Cherubini’s moving Requiem in c minor, a glorious work favored by Arturo Toscanini and Ricardo Muti, but long overdue for performance in our region.

We hope you will be with us!

Deborah Spaulding (1^st), Annake Visser (6^th), Beth Anne Rippel (11^th),

Anne-Marie Zietsman (11^th), Angela Rivera (12^th), Bill Nieman (16^th),

Arnie March (17^th), Leo Dolan (18^th), Cydney Rippel (22^nd), Paul Zietsman (29^th)

~OUTREACH MINISTRY THANK-YOU TO ST. LUKE’S FREE DINNER VOLUNTEERS~

KRC and the Girl Scouts served a delicious ham dinner to 129 people at St. Luke's Church on March 28th. A special thank-you goes to our chef, sus-chefs, servers, dishwasher and dryer, and helpers!  The KRC Youth Group did a great job as well, helping to clear away the furniture during the clean-up procedure!  We all shared wonderful fellowship while serving our Lord!

~LENTEN WEDNESDAY WORSHIP SERIES CONCLUDES THIS COMING WEEK~

The Wednesday Lenten worship series led by Pastor Paige Convis will conclude with the April 5 service to be held at Stuyvesant Reformed Church.  A simple soup supper will be served at 6 p.m. followed by Worship from 6:45 – 7:15. In addition to this service, a Communion Worship will be held on Maundy Thursday at 7 p.m. at Muitzeskill, and a Good Friday Worship will be held at 3 p.m. at KRC.

~VALATIE ECUMENICAL FOOD PANTRY EASTER BASKETS~

       Easter Food Baskets will be given to families who use the Valatie Ecumenical Food Pantry and request one. In November, 135 families received Thanksgiving baskets, and we anticipate about the same number of families for Easter. The baskets include food for Easter dinner: ham, potatoes, yams, corn, green beans, pineapple, and brownies. The Pantry buys all food items for the baskets in bulk, and if you would like to help financially with these purchases, checks may be made payable to Kinderhook Reformed Church, with Easter Baskets on the memo line, and dropped in the offering plate.  If you prefer, you may make checks out directly to Valatie Ecumenical Food Pantry, Inc., with Easter Baskets on the memo line, and mail them to:  Jean Norton, 35 Harris Drive, Valatie, NY 12184. The Pantry thanks you in advance for any help you are able to give. All monies or food items left over after the Easter baskets are distributed will be put into the Pantry account or onto the Pantry shelves

REMEMBER TO PRAY FOR

• those who do not know Christ or who are struggling in their faith journey. Pray also that God will provide opportunities for us to witness for Jesus, and give us the courage and winsome words needed to make the most of these opportunities.
• Rev. Paige Convis, KRC’s associate pastor, as she fulfills her ministerial duties as full-time pastor to the Muitzeskill and Stuyvesant Reformed Churches.
• KRC ministries, programs & projects and those planning & administering them: KRC’s Consistory; KRC’s administrative ministries; Adult and Children’s Sunday School; KRC’s Youth Group; KRC’s small group ministries and Bible studies; Community Prayer Group; 1st Friday, and other outreach programs.
• our state, national, and world leaders, especially President Donald Trump and all of the new government officials now in office, that God will grant them the leadership skills, wisdom, and the personal protection needed to govern effectively and safely.
• our military men & women, their families, and friends, that they may know God’s presence, protection, and peace, especially Jason Lansing serving in South Korea.
• victims world-wide suffering natural and other hardships and tragedies: famine, earthquakes, and other climate-related disasters; economic instability; poverty, hunger, and poor health; political oppression, unrest, terrorism, war, displacement.
• those grieving the death of loved ones, especially Noreen Dick, family, and friends grieving the recent death of Alan Dick. 
• those who, even after many years, still hurt from the void left by loved ones who have passed on from this world.
• reassurance, peace, and dignity for loved ones nearing the close of this life.
• those battling or recovering from cancer or in hospice care: Jeff, friend of the Bakers; J.B; Jen; Bill, Janet Smith's brother; Ronny; Ron Dick; Donna Scalera; Kim Helm; Carol Nel; Paul Osborn; Jeff Peter; Mark; Jay, Ann; Jill; Steve; Dorothy Wheeler.
• those awaiting test results or surgery; recovering from surgery, injury, or illness; or chronically ill: Sara Hartman; Keith Niver; Jim Van Deusen, friend of the Vargas; Betty Osborn; Darla and Jill; Lennox; Lynn; Rob; Virginia Rothermel; Maggie; Art Gross; Angie Rivera; Stacey Baker; Harriet Stockhoff; Ruth Edge; Jean Skipper; Floyd Haber; Paul Varga.
• those who are traveling, especially Pastor Visser and family as they visit with family and friends in South Africa.
• others facing challenges, stressful circumstances, and difficult decisions: Peggy and Fostera, mother and daughter of Keanya Meyer, experiencing special challenges at this time and in need of prayers for God's healing, reassurance, comfort, and peace.  Brianna; Libby Little-Saxton; Cydney Rippel, Carly Rippel, Greg Clause Jr., and others as they face the challenges of a higher level of education or seek a career; Vince Beaudoin; the alarming epidemic of heroin addicts.
• those caring for the elderly, displaced, disabled, or ill: Maureen Mooney; Nancy Stewart; Rick Scalera.
• residence-bound KRC family, George Clowe.

REMEMBER TO THANK & PRAISE GOD FOR

• Pastor Rudy Visser, our Spirit-filled minister and leader of vision, and for the Christ-centered messages God gives to Pastor each and every Sunday for the spiritual nourishment and growth of our church family
• the inspirational ministries of our guest preachers, Perry Jones, Tom McCrossan, John Bowen, and others who lead worship at KRC from time to time.
• those men and women who have served or are now serving our country, and those who have sacrificed their well-being and lives for the peace & liberties we enjoy.
• new KRC members recently received into fellowship. Please lift them up in your prayers as they join with us in ministry and fellowship.
• all those of KRC's family and friends who volunteer their time, talent, and energy so generously and so willingly to the various ministries and programs of our church, and who often do this quietly and selflessly behind-the-scenes with little notice or recognition.
• His provision for all of our basic life needs, and the wonderful ways God shows His love to us, especially during difficult times.

Each member’s share of this year’s classis assessment has been set at $88.50 (down 43¢ from last year). 
All who are able to do so are encouraged to offer, over and above regular giving, their share of this support. 
The full share does not have to be given at one time, but may be given in as many increments as are convenient.
If offered weekly, that’s just $2.33 per week for the remaining weeks (38) in this year. Please clearly
designate all contributions, “Classis Assessment.” 

                                        ~2017 CLASSIS ASSESSMENT DISTRIBUTION ~

General Synod:     $52.23   (Down $1.48 from 2016)

Albany Synod:       $30.00   (Up $1 from 2016)

C.  G.   Classis:        $  6.27   (Up $0.05  from 2016

                                    2017 TOTAL:            $88.50   (Down $0.43 from 2016)

~PROPERTY MINISTRY WINDOW PROJECT COMPLETED~

The Property Ministry reports that the windows and screens to enclose the porch at the parsonage have now been installed and have made a really noticeable difference in the temperature and comfort level not only in the kitchen but also in the additional room at the back of the house that abuts the porch. The cost came in at just under $3000.00.  Donations toward this project will be most gratefully accepted as we give thanks for another needed improvement that has been completed.. 

KRC 2017 CONSISTORY

Pastor Rev. Rudy Visser, President of Consistory

Deacons

Jane Deane – ’17  Outreach, Cemetery. . . . . .  758-7051  jdeane1943@gmail.com

Noreen Dick – ’18  Church Family . . . . . . . . . . 758-6640  noreend122@twc.com

Beth Anne Rippel – ’18  Stewardship  . . . . . . . 392-5044  barippel@yahoo.com

Tana Thompson – ’17  Property  . . . . . . . . . . . 392-3312  tanastrome@gmail.com

Elders

Merrill Johnson – ’18  Worship      . . . . . . . . . . . 828-6726  docjohnson36@gmail.com

Dawn Van Buren – ’18  Pastoral Relations . . 758-7564  dawnandleo@fairpoint.net

Patti Varga – ’17  Christian Education, Outreach,

                                Consistory Vice President . .755-3054  patvarga66@gmail.com

Barbara Vosburgh – ’17 Personnel, Clerk. . . . 758-6512  vosburgh1@nycap.rr.com

KRC TREASURER

Derick LaTorre – 376-1882  derick.latorre@gmail.com

                                             KRC STAFF

                KRC Office Manager              KRC Office Assistant          

            Paul Clause – 859-4158      Courtney Wood – 784-2134

                   KRC Sexton                 KRC Cemetery Supervisor        

           Greg Clause Jr – 653-2786       Greg Clause – 369-8472 

COMING EVENTS

Today,   April 2 - Rev. Tom McCrossan, Guest Preacher

      8:30 am  Early Communion Worship Service

      9:45 am  Bible study, Book of Genesis, continues.

    10:00 am  Communion Worship Service and Children’s Sunday School

Tues,  April 4

       7:00 pm  KRC Youth Group meets

Wed,  April 5  Lenten Fellowship & Worship with Pastor Paige @Stuyvesant

      6:00 pm  Soup supper; 6:45 – 7:15 pm  Worship

Thur, April 6

      9:00 am  Small Group continuing Bible-based study @KRC:

              Group continues a new Bible study, 1 & 2 Thessalonians

     10:00 am  Community Prayer Group @KRC

      7:00 pm  Bible study group meets, KRC main floor Conference Room

Fri,   April  7

      6:00 pm   First Friday free community dinner and fellowship. 

                                 Doors open at 5:30 pm.

Palm Sunday, April 9  Rev. Tom McCrossan, Guest Preacher

      8:30 am  Early Worship Service

      9:45 am  Bible study, Book of Genesis, continues.

    10:00 am  Worship Service and Children’s Sunday School

Tues,  April 11

       7:00 pm  KRC Youth Group meets

Thur, April 13

       9:00 am  Small Group continuing Bible-based study @KRC:

              Group continues a new Bible study, 1 & 2 Thessalonians

     10:00 am  Community Prayer Group @KRC

      7:00 pm  Bible study group meets, KRC main floor Conference Room

                     Maundy Thursday Communion with Pastor Paige @Muitzeskill

Good Friday, April  14

      3:00 pm  Good Friday Worship with Pastor Paige @Kinderhook

Easter Sunday, April 16   Rev. Rudy Preaching

    10:00 am  Combined Easter Worship Service

        Please Note:  Children’s Sunday School is in recess until April 23.

Sat,  April  22

    KRC volunteers will again be serving at Capital City Rescue Mission, Albany

Servers Next Sunday, April 9

Ushers:  Derick LaTorre, Chris Laurie, Steve Shpur

Greeter(s):  Dawn Van Buren