Kinderhook Reformed Church Celebration of Worship, August 27, 2017

“To Know Christ and to Make Him Known”

Rev. Rudy Visser, Pastor

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.

Thanks to today’s ushers, Greg Clause Jr, Jim Dunham, Gary Leggett.

Thanks to today’s greeters, Jeanie and Stacey Hurst.

 Nursery facility available downstairs.

  Prelude

  Welcome, Announcements

  God's Greeting

Drawing Near to God

  Call to Worship  (Responsive)

PASTOR:  Welcome, friends and strangers - welcome, honored guests.
PEOPLE:  We gather as a community to worship God;

                        to be reminded of God’s goodness;

PASTOR:  to hear again God’s call to be in a personal relationship with him;

PEOPLE:  to accept God’s gifts of a pure heart, wisdom, courage, power,

                       and hope.
ALL:  Let us praise him together in song, word, and prayer.

*Opening Song  (Screen)                                                                 Here I Am to Worship

  Prayer of Confession and Assurance of Pardon  (Unison)

Lord of life, your word calls us to confess our sins to you. Forgive us when we follow self-centered paths that do not lead to life, but lead instead to pride, suspicion, anger, hate, or fear - paths that end in conflict and destruction. Forgive us when we fail to accept your offering of life that is eternal and abundant with your peace and goodness. From sunrise to sunset, remind us daily of your holy presence hovering near us and in us. Help us to see you in the moment-by-moment opportunities that come our way to live courageously, compassionately, honestly, and to act on the wisdom of your word and Spirit.  Through your Son, Jesus, we claim forgiveness for our failures, and receive your gifts of love and grace flowing in and through us to the world around us.  Amen.  

Coming before God’s Open Word

  Prayer for Illumination

  Scripture Reading                                                                                      Psalm 36:8 - 14

  Message                                                       “Do Good!  Seek Peace, and Go After It!”

  Prayer of Blessing

Silent Prayer for Those Seeking to Accept Christ as Their Savior:

"Dear Jesus, I confess that I'm a sinner, and not right with you. I repent and ask forgiveness.  I believe that you died on the cross to take my punishment and to pay the price for my sins.  I believe that you rose from death to give me new life. Wash me clean from all sin, shame, and guilt, and come into my heart as my Lord and Savior.  In your name I pray.  Amen." 

Celebrating God, His Abundance, and His Care

  Offering/Offertory Song – VBS                                                                          Leap of Faith

*Offering Prayer Song (Screen)                                                                   A Gift to You

  Prayer Requests and Pastoral Prayer

  VBS Song  (Please remain seated.)                                                  Hear Us as We Pray

*The Lord’s Prayer

*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

~PRAISE GOD FOR KRC’S 2017 “HERO CENTRAL” VBS OUTREACH!~

82 registered youth and teenage helpers participated and were spiritually blessed at KRC's Vacation Bible School which was so beautifully and successfully presented this past week! Praise to God also for Patti Varga and the 26 adults who assisted so faithfully in planning and implementing this exceptional outreach program.

~KINDERHOOK CEMETERY COLUMBARIUM DEDICATION SEPTEMBER 9~

The Columbarium, a section of Kinderhook Cemetery expressly desiganted for cremains burials only, will be dedicated in honor of Beverly Van Alstyne at 10 a.m.  Saturday, September 9.  Rain date for the dedication is Septembepr 16.  All are invited to attend.  

 ~STOP HUNGER NOW FOOD-PACKAGING EVENT SCHEDULED SEPTEMBER 9~

Stop Hunger Now, which has recently rebranded itself “Rise Against Hunger,” packages and ships 
food and life-saving aid to the world’s most vulnerable people and works to end global hunger in 
our lifetime.  This year, nearly 60 million meals will be packaged and distributed to needy 
locations around the world.  A RISE AGAINST HUNGER FOOD-PACKAGING EVENT IS AN IMMENSELY-REWARDING
 EXPERIENCE OF EASY, HANDS-ON WORK, FUN, AND FELLOWSHIP THAT YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS!  A group 
of 40 to 50 volunteers (any age) can package over 10,000 meals in just two hours.  Our local 
packaging event will take place Saturday, September 9, at the Kinderhook Town Hall (formerly 
Martin H. Glynn school) on Church Street in Valatie, during which we hope to pack 20 – 30 
thousand meals.  Set up is at noon, and packing is from 1 – 3 pm followed by clean-up. Plan to 
save this date on your calendar and to lend a helping hand to this extraordinary ministry. 
Donation baggies and canisters are now available on the back table of the sanctuary to take home 
for saving up your contributions, and you are encouraged to take canisters to work or to 
businesses willing to display them. A donation of 29¢ buys one meal, $29 one hundred meals, $290 
one thousand meals.

~ BROOKS BBQ CEMETERY BENEFIT SEPTEMBER 27~

The Annual Brooks BBQ will be held on Wednesday, September 27th.  There will be chicken, 
potatoes, coleslaw and rolls, with homemade desserts.  All proceeds will benefit our cemetery 
maintenance.

~“NEW DIRECTION” WELLNESS CLASS~    

KRC is offering a FREE 8-week class to improve wellness.  Class will be led by Amy Deweerd, licensed health coach.  A variety of topics will be covered from nutrition to sleep hygiene to stress reduction.  Classes have started, and will continue to meet from 6:30 pm - 7:15 pm on Wednesday nights through September 20.  Register by calling Amy, (518) 522-4264.

REFORMED CHURCH IN AMERICA ON CHARLOTTESVILLE

       A house divided cannot stand. These words have been on my mind since the breaking news from Charlottesville, Virginia. These are the same words quoted just a few months ago by our former general secretary Tom DeVries during General Synod. You might think of them as Abraham Lincoln’s words, but first they were words of Jesus in Matthew 12:25: “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. . . .”     

       In America today, and all over the world, we witness the unfolding of division and hate. We witness the painful reality of racism. In the Reformed Church in America, we profess through the words of the Belhar Confession that “unity must become visible so that the world may believe that separation, enmity and hatred between people and groups is sin which Christ has already conquered, and accordingly that anything which threatens this unity may have no place in the church and must be resisted (John 17:20-23).”

       Racism is a sin. It has no power and no place in Christ’s church. And the current acts of white supremacists, working to perpetuate fear and hate and division, must be resisted. The Reformed Church in America is striving to be a thriving multicultural, multiethnic, and multiracial church. Back when apartheid ruled South Africa, we saw and condemned that division. We divested from organizations in South Africa that participated in apartheid. We took steps, made our voices heard and prayed for the situation there, without ceasing. We adopted the Belhar Confession, which arose out of apartheid, as one of our standards of unity and yet with regards to racism and prejudice and injustice, our own house and country is not in order. In all these things, we had distance. It is easier to see evil in other communities than in our own. It is easier to see evil in others than in ourselves.

       In 2009, General Synod declared that racism is sin because it is an offense to God. What is offensive to God should be offensive to his followers. The Reformed Church in America is striving to be a thriving multicultural, multiethnic, and multiracial church. Yet, I’ll admit and mourn that we are not there yet.

       In these short few months that I have served as interim general secretary, I have become more aware of our legacy. With the passing of Tony Campbell several weeks ago, I mourn the loss of such a great leader because with his heart and his passion we have been making strides toward a more vibrant future. This weekend, his loss is particularly painful.

       Yet, I have hope. I have hope that Jesus Christ has died and risen and promises to come again. I have hope that Christ has conquered death and therefore conquered sin. I have hope that this sin no longer enslaves us but that we are set free. And I have hope that we can set aside our fear and our racism and pursue reconciliation. As we move into this coming week, let us do the hard work of examining our own hearts and minds.

       Where there is division, may we seek reconciliation. Where there is fear, may we seek to understand. Where there is hopelessness, may we claim hope in Jesus Christ. Where we have committed injustice, may we begin to make things right. Where there is hatred, may we ask the Holy Spirit to change our hearts.

       It starts with me, with you, with us. Let’s seek reconciliation first. Let’s make unity visible so the world will know the hope of Jesus Christ. That is Jesus’ prayer in John 17:23: “that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” Will you join me in praying and living these words today?

Don Poest, Interim General Secretary

HAPPY AUGUST BIRTHDAY!

Sara Schubert (3^rd), Jim Dunham (7^th), Carly Rippel (13^th),

 Dolly Petith (18^th) - Dolly celebrates her 91^st birthday!

Jean Hurst (27^th), Suzy Nieman (27^th,), Melissa Welcome (28^th),

Thomas Carroll (28^th), Erika Johnson (31^st)

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.
• Pastor Rudy and Rev. Paige Convis, KRC’s associate pastor, as they fulfill their ministerial duties.
• KRC ministries, programs & projects and those planning & administering them: KRC’s Consistory; KRC’s administrative ministries; KRC’s Youth Group; VBS; 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 S. 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 Stacy McCardle, close friend of the Clauses, grieving the recent loss of her mother.
• 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.
• Maureen Mooney's mom, hospitalized with symptoms of a stroke and with an unusual EKG.  Pray for an effective treatment and speedy recovery for mom, and also for Maureen as she assists with her mom’s needs.
• Jay Petith, friend of Noreen Dick, recovering from serious surgery recently to restore circulation to one of his legs. While he has to have both legs done, they only do one at a time.  Jay faces a long recovery, and both he and wife, Linda, need lots of prayer and support.
• Suzy and Bill Nieman, moving from our community the end of this month. Pray for God's blessing upon Suzy and Bill as they settle into their new home. 
• our students, from grade school to college, as they prepare to meet challenges of higher levels of education in this new school year, career choices, and job searches. 
• those who are suffering from depression and other mental health issues and problems. Please pray especially for Mell, that God's assuring presence and power to lift spirits and provide strength to move ahead will be made known. 
• others awaiting test results or surgery; recovering from surgery, injury, or illness; or chronically ill: Liezl Visser; Ruth Edge; Jean Wildermuth; Sara Schubert; Merrill Johnson; Rob Aciero; Barbara Vosburgh; Steve Canfield; Jack Lyons; the brother of Coleen, Mark Johnson's partner; Amy Deweerd; Virginia Rothermel; Art Gross; Harriet Stockhoff; Jean Skipper; Floyd Haber; Paul Varga.
• those battling or recovering from cancer or in hospice care: Connie Witkowski; Michael; Don Morse; Jill; J.B; Jen; Bill, Janet Smith's brother; Ronny; Ron Dick; Donna Scalera; Carol Nel; Paul Osborn; Jeff Peter; Mark; Ann; Steve; Dorothy Wheeler. (

• those facing challenges, stressful circumstances, and difficult decisions: Greg Clause Jr.; Stacey Baker; Libby Little-Saxton, working with refugees; the epidemic of addiction to life-threatening drugs.
• residence-bound KRC family, George Clowe, and those caring for the elderly, displaced, disabled, or ill.

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, Derek DeJager 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 wellbeing and lives for the peace & liberty we enjoy.
• Dolly Petith, celebrating her 91st birthday recently!
• the good report that Jim Baker, Sr. is now out of the hospital and recuperating at home.
• all those of KRC's family and friends who volunteer their time, talent, and energy so generously and so selflessly to the various ministries and programs of our church, and who often do this quietly 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.

All of us from time to time, as members and friends of the KRC family, have had concerns and issues about church policies; Consistory decisions; order and times of our worship services; the preaching ministry; and sometimes even issues and concerns related to our interpersonal relationships within the church family.  We would like you to know that the Elders are available to speak with you about any concerns you may have and invite you to contact them at any time.

THE SCHOOL FOR CHRISTIAN LIVING AND SERVING

A Ministry of the Mid-Hudson and Orange Classes

FALL 2017 COURSE OFFERINGS

(Please find information/registration packets on the back table of the sanctuary.)

SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY

(Preaching Elder & Commissioned Pastor candidates, General Interest)

Instructor: The Rev. Dr. Eric Titus                    

Dates: Wednesdays, Sept. 27, Oct. 4, 11, 18, 25, Nov. 1; 7-10 p.m.

Location: The Reformed Church of New Paltz, 92 Huguenot St., New Paltz, Ny 12561

Tuition: $100, plus books and materials

       This course is designed to give students a basic understanding of primary Christian doctrines from a Reformed perspective. In addition, methodologies and resources for constructing theological positions will be covered. The text will be  Faith Seeking Understanding: An Introduction to Christian Theology by Daniel L. Migliore.

THE ART OF CARING VISITS

(Elders & Deacons, General Interest)

Instructor:  The Rev. Dr. Don Heringa

Date: Saturday, October 21, 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Location: The Reformed Church of New Paltz, 92 Huguenot St., New Paltz, NY, 12561

Tuition: $15, plus books and materials

       Have you ever wondered what to say to someone who is sick, struggling with relationship difficulties or in grief? The Art of Caring Visits is an introduction to the pastoral and practical dimensions of visiting hurting people. This class is aimed at helping us respond following the way our God has responded to people throughout the scriptures, by following the principles of IDENTIFICATION, EMPATHY AND LOVING ACCEPTANCE.  This course includes theory and practice of active listening, psychology of illness, and biblical principles to help motivate caring visits. 

Course registration deadlines are one week prior to the course unless otherwise stated. Please register in time to insure the class will run. Scholarships are available from the School. Please contact the Registrar for financial assistance, (518) 537-4221 or albizu@gtel.net. 

COME CELEBRATE THE 500^TH ANNIVESARY OF THE REFORMATION!

After returning from a trip to Wittenberg Church and Eastern Europe,

The Rev. Dr. Eric Titus will speak to us of this momentous anniversary.

When: Monday October 30 at 7 p.m. 

Where: Wallkill Reformed Church, 45 Bridge Street, Wallkill, NY 12589

Cost: FREE! Just let us know how many people will be attending from your church.  Call (518) 537-4221 and leave a message, text (518) 965-7538, or email <albizu@gtel.net>. 

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

Patrice Lyons – ’17  Property. . . . . . . . . . . . . .    758-8400  patricelyons50@gmail.com

Beth Anne Rippel – ’18  Stewardship  . . . . . . 392-5044  barippel@yahoo.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 – 852-7172

                 KRC Interim Sexton           KRC Cemetery Supervisor        

              Elize Visser – 758-9311         Greg Clause – 369-8472 

COMING EVENTS

Today, August 27 

       9:00 am  Combined Worship Celebration

Mon, August 28

       6:30 pm  Outreach Ministry meets

Tues, August 29

      7:00 pm  Youth Group meets @KRC.

Wednesdays, August 30 – September 20

       6:30 -7:15 pm  “New Direction” Wellness Class @KRC

Thur, August 31

       9:00 am  Small Group continuing Bible study @KRC.

              Group continues 1 & 2 Thessalonians

      10:00 am  Community Prayer Group @KRC

       7:00 pm  Bible study, 1 and 2 Peter, KRC main floor Conference Room

Sun,  September 3 

       9:00 am  Combined Worship Celebration

Sat,   September  9 

     10:00 am  KRC Columbarium Dedication @Kinderhook Cemetery 

     Noon – 3 pm  Rise Against Hunger meal-packing event

          @ Kinderhook Town Hall (formerly M H Glenn Elementary School)

Sun,  September 10 

       9:00 am  Combined Communion Worship Celebration

Mon, September 11

      Please Note:  Consistory will not meet in the month of September.

Sun,   September 17  2-Service Schedule and Children’s Sunday School Begin

      8:30 am  Early Worship Service

      9:45 am  Bible study, Book of Genesis, resumes, main floor Conference Room

    10:00 am  Worship Service, first day of Children’s Sunday School

Wed, September 27  Brooks BBQ dinner @KRC

Servers Next Sunday, September 3

Ushers:  Ted Call, Bob Dreier, Jerry Flansburg

Greeter(s): Noreen Dick