KINDERHOOK REFORMED CHURCH WORSHIP SERVICE, JANUARY 3, 2016

Second Sunday of Christmas

 “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.

Welcome to Rev. John L. Bowen, Guest Minister.

  10 A.M. CELEBRATION OF WORSHIP  

    All are invited to enjoy fellowship and refreshments

downstairs in the Fellowship Room today following worship.

Thanks to today’s ushers, Dave Ennis, Will Ferguson, Jonathan Pratt, Chuck Rothermel.

Thanks to today’s greeters, Greg and Paul Clause.

Preschool Nursery facilities available downstairs.

Guest organist, David Smith

  Prelude                     Passacaglia from Suite in g minor, HWV 432                  G. F. Handel

  Welcome and Announcements

Drawing Near To God

  Votum and Salutation  (Responsive)

Rejoice in your God; rejoice in his love.

Be joyful that God is so wonderful in his holy counsels.

Be joyful that he has chosen you so wonderfully for salvation.

Rejoice in the great work of grace of the new Covenant.

Rejoice that Jesus, naked and nailed to the cross,

has won for you such high knighthood of blessedness.

Therefore always be joyful.

*Hymn #121                                                                          Jesus, Thou Joy of Loving Hearts

Allowing God to Shape Us

  Call to Confession

  Prayer of Confession  (Unison)

Pride, dishonesty, selfishness, worry, unkindness -- this only begins to name the sin we struggle with day after day. We confess our sin to you, O God. For we know that your forgiveness and grace are unending. We are so thankful. Remove these things and replace them with humility, honesty, selflessness, trust and kindness. Continue to change us and make us more like your son. Amen.                           

  [Moment of Silent Confession]

  Assurance of Pardon  (Responsive)

The Bride is the beloved of the Bridegroom.

In love and forgiveness, Christ welcomes us to the banquet feast that has been prepared since the foundation of the world for us and for all God's saints.

Friends, hear and believe the Good News: We are reconciled to Christ!

Thanks be to God.

Coming before God’s Open Word

  Children’s Message and Prayer of Blessing  (Unison)

Father God, assure our children that heaven, earth, and all the powers of nature and humankind are controlled by your command. Bless them with restful, confident hope as they learn to trust and praise you for their spiritual and physical well-being, self-worth, relationships, educational progress, and life’s work.   Amen. 

*Hymn #161                                                                                      Once in Royal David’s City

  Prayer for Illumination  (Responsive)

Eternal God, in the reading of the Scripture, may your Word be heard; in the meditations of our hearts, may your Word be known; and in the faithfulness of our lives, may your Word be shown.

Amen.

  Scripture Reading                                                      John 1:10-18 (p. 750); 17:1-7 (p. 765)

The gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

  Message                                                                                                                      “The Gift”

Celebrating God

  Offertory                   “The old year has now passed away, BWV 614                  J. S. Bach

*Doxology and Prayer of Dedication

  The Sacrament of The Lord’s Supper

THE MEANING OF THE SACRAMENT  (Responsive)

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we come to the table of our Lord in Remembrance, Communion, and Hope. 

We come to Remember that our Lord Jesus Christ was sent into the world so we might be saved through him.

We come to be in Communion with this same Christ who has promised to be with us always, even to the end of the world.

We come in Hope, believing that this bread and cup are a pledge and foretaste of the feast of love in the kingdom to come.

Since by his death, resurrection, and ascension Christ has obtained for us the life-giving Spirit who unites us all in one body,

so we receive this Supper in true love, mindful of the communion of saints.

THE INVITATION

This is the feast of the Lord’s Table, in which all who profess the Lordship of Christ in their lives are invited to share.  Come, for all things are now ready.

COMMUNION HYMN #768 (Verses 1, 2, & 3)   I Come with Joy

COMMUNION PRAYER (Responsive)

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 our thanks and praise.

Holy and right it is, . . . we worship and adore your glorious name and sing:

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!

All thy works shall praise thy name in earth, and sky, and sea.

Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty! God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

Most righteous God, . . . We praise you, O God, for the gift of Jesus, your Son:

Dying he destroyed our death,

Rising he restored our life. 

We await his coming in glory.

PRAYER OF INTERCESSION and THE LORD’S PRAYER  (Unison)

Loving God, gathered at your table… We ask this in the name of our Lord Jesus, who taught us to pray:

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.

THE WORDS OF INSTITUTION AND COMMUNION

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION  (Unison)

Most gracious God, we praise you for what you have given and for what you have promised us here. You have made us one with all your people in heaven and on earth. You have fed us with the bread of life, and renewed us for your service. Now we give ourselves to you; and we ask that our daily living may be part of your kingdom, and that our love may be your love, reaching out into the life of the world; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

*Hymn #185                                                                               We Three Kings of Orient Are

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

  Postlude                                 Fugue in F major, HWV 611                                 G. F. Handel               

THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS HAVE BEEN ELECTED TO POSITIONS ON THE 2016 CONSISTORY:  As Deacons: Tana Thompson and Chip Wood.  As Elders: Patti Varga and Barbara Vosburgh.  Please keep these individuals in your prayers as they anticipate serving the Lord in their respective ministries.   New Consistory members will be installed and ordained at the January 10 worship service.

ENVELOPE SYSTEM AVAILABLE FOR PRESENTING WEEKLY CONTRIBUTIONS

For those currently participating in the envelope system to present offerings to the church, new envelope sets are now available forpick-up at the back of the sanctuary and ready for use beginning TODAY, January 3. If you are not currently using the weekly 
envelope system to present your contributions to the church, but would like to do so in 2016, please pick up one of the small green request forms in the last window well to your left at the back of the sanctuary.  Completed forms may be dropped into the offering plate.

~WEEKLY STEWARDSHIP UPDATE~

As we come to the end of this year, we find ourselves still operating in a deficit budget. Stewardship Ministry asks each of us to prayerfully consider how we might adjust our giving to avoid shortfalls in the coming year, and reminds us to “double up” on our giving if we miss a Sunday,

In light of the abundance with which the Lord has blessed us,

 let us continue, as his faithful stewards, to be ever mindful of the need

 to maintain a weekly offering sufficient to cover our commitments.

HAPPY JANUARY BIRTHDAY

  Paul Clause (2^nd), Libby Little (2^nd), Kari Anne Powell (2^nd),

 Robert Carroll (12^th), Jennifer Jennings (19^th), Stacey Baker (20^th),

Noreen Dick (22^nd), Sug Hawver (27^th), Jean Skipper (29^th), 

William Carroll (31^st), Ainsley Clinton (31^st)

REMEMBER TO PRAY FOR

KRC programs & projects and those planning & administering them: KRC’s Sunday School and youth group; small group ministries; adult Bible studies; Community Prayer Group; First Friday, and other outreach programs. 

KRC’s Consistory members and administrative ministries. our state, national, and world leaders, 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. 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: David Smith, family, and friends grieving the death of David’s mother, Jane Smith; Nancy Baker and family and friends grieving the recent loss of Nancy's brother, Bill Metzger; Cheryl and family grieving the loss of Cheryl's mom; the Agan children grieving the death of their 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 our loved ones who are nearing the close of this life; those caring for the elderly, displaced, disabled, or ill.

all who have suffered from and struggled with significant loss, of whatever kind, this past year.

April Grimes, whose pregnancy is in difficulty and may not come to full term.

others awaiting test results or surgery; recovering from surgery, injury, or illness; or chronically ill:  Christopher Proper; grandparents of Marissa Brevoort; Bob, friend of Patti Varga and family; Gary Silvano; Angie Rivera; Florence Rivera; Harriet Stockhoff; Rev. Ed Van Kampen; Stacey Baker; Ruth Edge; Merrill Johnson; Jean Skipper; Steve Shpur; John Bowen; Floyd Haber; Art Gross; Alan Dick; Paul Varga; Liz Carroll; Laurie Maul.6-month-old Baby Szafran, battling cancer from birth.Darryl Ferguson, brother of will Ferguson, recently diagnosed with cancer.others in hospice care or battling or recovering from cancer: Donna Scalera; TJ Vooris; Judy Alvarez; Leonard Blish; Carol, Elize Visser’s sister-in-law; Marlene.

Don and Phyllis Tymeson as they work through marriage and family issues involving children of both partners.

others facing challenges, stressful circumstances, and difficult decisions: Harry Sturgill; Tom Eastman; Cliff Laraway; the alarming wave of new, young heroin addicts; those facing the challenges of a higher level of education or seeking a career - pray that God will provide wisdom in making the many choices and decisions before them; Greg L and friend, Joshua; Vince Beaudoin; Libby Little.those who are traveling, especially Stacey Baker and Glenn and Cricket Warren.

residence-bound member, Murray Leonardson. 

PLEASE KEEP IN YOUR PRAYERS OUR MISSIONS AND MISSIONARIES

Dave and Char Alexander, RCA missionaries, Taiwan;

Alight Pregnancy Center, Hudson

Perry Jones and Capital City Rescue Mission, Albany

Compassion International, KRC-Sponsored Children:

Evelin Chuquinia, 15, Bolivia              Giulbert Muguna, 18, Kenya

Alex and Fran Knauss, Trans-World Radio

Maureen Menard, Youth with a Mission

Dick and Carolyn Otterness, RCA missionaries, Hungary

Brian and Bea Post, Wycliffe Bible Translators

Seth and Melissa Rogati, missionaries, Young Life Ministry, St. Thomas

Betty Ann Stedwell, Christar International Mission

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.  

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. 

the happy news from Arnie and Claudia March that they have a grandson who is due to arrive in May. 

the happy report that 2-year-old Liam, son of friends of Aaron and Susan Clause, has recovered nicely from his digestive problems and is home from the hospital.

the good report that Angel Tree gifts were all delivered successfully.  Please continue to pray for the children who received the gifts, and for their families, that their hearts may be opened to the gospel of Christ.

the reassurance that, in her passing for this world, a friend of Erika Johnson is no longer in pain and her suffering has now ended.

the good report that Holly, daughter of Paul and Joan Clause, has recovered nicely from her recent outpatient surgery. Joan and Paul thank God for this and for all of your prayers for Holly.

all His provisions for our basic life needs, and the wonderful ways God shows His love to us, especially during difficult times.

the many dedicated and hard-working friends and members of the Kinderhook Reformed Church Family who serve on Consistory, ministries, and committees; teach Sunday School; lead Youth Group, Bible studies, and prayer group; organize and special events; prepare food, serve, and clean up for coffee hours, receptions, and dinners; and who always offer whatever support they can to those in need.  

CLASSIS ASSESSMENT 2016

Classis Assessment contributions are divided three ways, with portions going to the General Synod (national), Albany Synod (regional), and Columbia-Greene Classis (local).  The 2016 assessment will be $88.02, and will be distributed as follows: 

 General Synod:  $53.71   (Up $1.98 from 2015)

Albany  Synod:          $29.00   (Unchanged from 2015)

C.  G.   Classis:             $  6.22   (Down $1.07  from 2015)

                                    2016 TOTAL               $88.93   (Up $0.91 from 2014)

Dear Patti, KRC Family, and Contributing Area Churches,

      Blessa Chloe Zamora is a happy, healthy 5-year old who loves food and will eat anything, except maybe vegetables. Abandoned by her birth mother as a baby, Chloe blossomed after receiving nutritious Stop Hunger Now meals at a children's home.  A sweet and loving child who enjoys giving kisses and hugs to the staff, Chloe has grown to a healthy weight of 28 pounds and 39 inches tall.

      Chloe is but one example of the tens of thousands of children around the world who are being helped by Stop Hunger Now. By packaging meals with us, you have helped put them and their families on a path toward a better life. Because you shared your time with us, these children have hope for a wonderful childhood, hope for an education, hope for a better life.

      We are delighted to announce that the meals from your meal packaging event on 9/26/2015 have been shipped in a container totaling 285,120 meals from our New England warehouse. If this is the second email you have received, this simply means that your meals have gone to impact multiple partners.

      The meals will be received by our in-country partner Convoy of Hope in Haiti.
      Convoy of Hope has served more than 55 million people throughout the world through international children feeding initiatives, community outreach, disaster response and partner resourcing. In Haiti, Convoy collaborates with Mission of Hope Haiti to reach children in need. Mission of Hope Haiti (MOH) works to transform the lives of every man, woman, and child in Haiti. Through their many programs, MOH seeks to create holistic transformation through indigenous mobilization, relational proclamation and excellent implementation. Programs include education, medical care, orphan care, disaster relief, earthquake relief, cholera relief, nutrition, home construction and Haiti One, an alliance of non-profit partners working together to bring change to Haiti. Convoy of Hope and Mission of Hope currently serve more than 50,000 meals per day to children in schools and orphanages across Haiti.  

www.convoyofhope.org
      Visit www.stophungernow.org for more information about how you can support Stop Hunger Now and continue your involvement in the fight against hunger. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/stophungernow for updates, videos and photos from the field.

      Thank you for volunteering with Stop Hunger Now. We truly appreciate your dedication and commitment to the vision of a world without hunger.

Gratefully,

Marc Vermouth

Program Manager

Stop Hunger Now New England  newengland@stophungernow.org

                                                          COMING EVENTS

Today, January 3   

     10:00 am  Combined Communion Worship Service with Rev. John Bowen                            

         11:15  am  Adult Sunday School - main floor Conference Room

               The class continues its study of 1 & 2 Peter and Jude.

          Please Note:  Children’s Sunday School will be in recess January 3.

                                     It will resume January 10.

Tues.,  January 5

       6:30 pm  Youth Group meets @KRC

Thur,  January 7

        9:00 am  Small Group Bible Study meets

     10:00 am  Community Prayer Group @ KRC

Sun,   January 10  Installation and Ordination of Consistory Electees   

       8:30 am  Early Worship Service

     10:00 am  Worship Service and Sunday School

          11:15 am  Adult Sunday School - main floor Conference Room

               The class continues its study of 1 & 2 Peter and Jude.

Mon,  January 11

       6:30 pm  Consistory meets 

Sun,   January 17     

       8:30 am  Early Worship Service

     10:00 am  Worship Service and Sunday School

          11:15 am  Adult Sunday School - main floor Conference Room

               The class continues its study of 1 & 2 Peter and Jude.

                             Servers Next Sunday, January 10, 2016

       Ushers:  Jim Dunham, Keith Garwood, Barry Knights, Gary Leggett

       Greeter(s):  Bill and Suzy Nieman