May 3 - First Congregational Church of Ann Arbor

Confirmation Sunday
May 3, 2015
THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF ANN ARBOR
Robert K. Livingston, Senior Minister
Darcy A. Crain-Polly, Associate Minister
Douglas Memorial Chapel Communion: 9:30 a.m.
Traditional Worship Service: 10:00 a.m.
We Gather to Worship God
Silent Meditation
“You can beat the world, You can beat the war, You can talk to God, go
banging on his door; You can be a master, Don't wait for luck, Dedicate
yourself and you will find yourself.”
-Script
Prelude
Glenn Tucker, organist
Words of Welcome
and Celebration of
Community
Darcy A. Crain-Polly
Please sign the friendship pad and pass it down the row and back,
giving us the opportunity to greet each other by name.
Introit
* Processional Hymn
"Now in the Days of Youth"
* Call to Worship
One:
All:
One:
All:
Hymnal, # 350
Barbara Weaver
The journey of faith is a journey through life.
We are pilgrims, travelers, making our way.
We sojourn on the pathway of the saints.
We walk the same highway and follow the same
landmarks which led them.
One:
But for each generation, in each place and time, and for
each seeker who travels this way, the road seems
different. Today, we celebrate tomorrow’s leaders, the
pilgrims of a history yet to be made.
All:
We hold out our hands to them and beckon them to
join us on the journey.
One:
All:
One:
As they walk beside us, we may tell them our stories, but
we may not tell them the way.
It is a quest they must follow by themselves.
We can tell them of our questions, but the answers must
come from within their own hearts.
All:
One:
We celebrate a new generation of faith, a new branch,
with its leaves about to blossom.
Let us all make a place for them and let them know that
the family of Christ is their family, too. Let us pray:
* Prayer of Invocation
You claim us as your people, bathe us in forgiveness
through baptism, and draw us together into your
church. You call us to be your royal priesthood, a
holy people, and you give us this holy meal as food
for our journey. Today these confirmands profess
their faith and your presence in their journey.
Today they claim your gracious love for themselves
and seek to live in a deep and mature faith. Give
them your grace and peace, we pray in Jesus’
name, saying together:
* Lord’s Prayer
* Gloria Patri
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.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall
be, world without end. Amen. Amen.
Service of Confirmation
Student
Mentor
Claire Bott
Patrick Dempsey
Joe Foster
Spencer Morgan
Colin Pufahl
Henry Schirmer
Ellen Rambo
Tom Keen
Mark Schirmer
Chris Vermuelen
Ryan Munson
Mark Foster
Invitation
Lou Candiotti, Board of Deacons
Scriptural Sentences
Holly Porter, Director of Christian Education
1 Corinthians 12:12-13a
Galatians 3:28
Questioning of
The Confirmands
Darcy A. Crain-Polly and Robert K. Livingston
Covenant of Faith
Confirmands
I seek to be a follower of Jesus Christ. I promise that, with God’s
help, I will earnestly strive to live as Christ would have me live. I
accept my responsibilities as a covenant member of this church
and promise to support it in its mission and vision, to the best of my
ability. I promise to journey in Christian love, to give generously
and willingly of myself, and to try to bring my Christian faith to
reality in my personal life.
Congregational
Welcome
One:
All:
Act of Confirmation
and Laying on of Hands
Peg Jacobs, Church Council
Please join me in welcoming our Confirmands:
We, the members of The First Congregational Church
of Ann Arbor, welcome you with joy into our church
community. We pledge to you our support and our
prayers, that loving and being loved, blessing and
being blessed, serving and being served, we may
work and journey together; a people committed to
loving each other, our neighbor, and God with all our
heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Darcy A. Crain-Polly and Robert K. Livingston
Prayer and Greeting
(Children are invited to the chapel following the service of confirmation.)
Give, Share, Rejoice
Offertory Sentences
and Offertory
Robert K. Livingston
Anthem
* Doxology
* Prayer of Dedication
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. Amen.
Robert K. Livingston
We Grow in Our Faith
Epistle Reading
Sermon
Romans 12:1-21
Pew Bible, Page 1033-1034
“Transformers”
Solo
“Deep River”
Darcy A. Crain-Polly
Christabel Nunoo, soprano
By Moses Hogan
Deep river, my home is over Jordan,
Deep river, Lord, I want to cross over into campground.
Deep river, my home is over Jordan
Deep river, Lord, I want to cross over into campground.
Oh, don't you want to go to that gospel feast,
That promised land where all is peace?
Oh deep river, Lord, I want to cross over into campground.
Pastoral Prayer
Robert K. Livingston
We Go Forth to Live and Serve
* Recessional Hymn
Charge and
Benediction
"I Was There to Hear Your Borning Cry"
Hymnal, # 351
Darcy A. Crain-Polly
Choral Benediction
Postlude
Glenn Tucker, Organist
The postlude is the concluding part of worship. As you leave, please be considerate of those who
may wish to remain and listen to the postlude.
* Congregation Standing (Please feel free to remain seated if standing is difficult for you.)
The flowers on the communion table today are given to the glory of God by Zhehui Wang's family,
and in honor of the loving and caring FCC church family.
Please join us in Pilgrim Hall for refreshments and cake in honor of our confirmands following the
worship service. Newer guests who wish to learn more about the church and ask questions about
membership are invited to the Mayflower Room for a time of getting to know the pastors and church.
Scriptural Sentences
I Corinthians 12:12-13a
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body,
though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.13For in the one Spirit we were all baptized
into one body.
Galatians 3:28
There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male
and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.
Epistle Reading
Romans 12:1-21
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your
bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.2Do
not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that
you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.
3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more
highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the
measure of faith that God has assigned.4For as in one body we have many members, and
not all the members have the same function,5so we, who are many, are one body in Christ,
and individually we are members one of another.6We have gifts that differ according to the
grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith 7ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in
teaching;8the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the
compassionate, in cheerfulness.
9 Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good10love one another with
mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour.11Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in
spirit, serve the Lord.12Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in
prayer.13Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.15Rejoice with those who
rejoice, weep with those who weep.16Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty,
but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are.17Do not repay anyone
evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all.18If it is possible, so far as
it depends on you, live peaceably with all.19Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave
room for the wrath of God; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the
Lord.’20No, ‘if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something
to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.’21Do not be overcome
by evil, but overcome evil with good.
The First Congregational Church
Welcome
We are glad you joined us this Sunday and look forward to meeting
you and getting to know you. Please join us for a time of friendship
and refreshments following the 10 a.m. service in Pilgrim Hall. Also,
please visit our website at www.fccannarbor.org to learn more about
our church.
Worship
During the school year, we offer a brief communion service at 9:30
a.m. in the Douglas Chapel, traditional worship in the sanctuary
beginning at 10 a.m., followed by a time of friendship and
refreshment in Pilgrim Hall. The contemporary service is in recess for
the summer months.
Childcare and
Church School
Infants and children four years old and younger are invited
downstairs to the nursery/preschool area to be checked in before the
services. Pagers are available for parents. During the 10 a.m. worship
service, older children and youth are invited to leave the service and
go with their teachers to church school.
A Note on the
Sound System
The current speakers on stands in our sanctuary are a temporary
set-up as we work towards a more permanent solution for getting
quality sound distributed in our sanctuary. Sound engineering and
installation is a lengthy and complicated process, and we thank you
for your grace and understanding as we engage in the process!
Presently, we are now preparing to request bids from a variety of
sound/AV contractors.
“Getting to Know
Us”
Perhaps you are a person or a family who has been visiting The First
Congregational Church and would like a chance to meet some of our
staff and learn a bit more about the programs and ministries we offer.
Great! TODAY at 11 a.m., in the Mayflower Room (located off the
main floor lobby area), our pastors, Bob Livingston and Darcy CrainPolly, and our Christian education director, Holly Porter, will be
greeting you with donuts and coffee or juice following the 10 a.m.
worship service. Please come to the Mayflower Room and meet Bob,
Darcy, and Holly and ask them any questions you may have about
FCC. We look forward to getting to know you better! Likewise, if you
are curious about becoming a new member of FCC, our next new
member orientation class and reception will take place in
October. Thank you for your interest and participation in FCC!
TODAY 4 p.m.
May 3, 2015 will be the celebration of the 30th
anniversary of our Wilhelm Organ in the sanctuary of
FCC. Please join us at 4 p.m. to hear a variety of
organists performing in celebration of our organ
which is truly a unique instrument in the Ann Arbor
area. Find out why and how this organ became part
of our church.
A reception will follow in the
Mayflower Room. All are invited!
The First Congregational Church
Mother’s Day
Geraniums
Next Sunday, on Mother’s Day, May 10, we will again decorate our
sanctuary with geraniums. The geranium plants will be planted later
around the church grounds. Please fill out the celebration plant
envelopes found in your pews, or email dedications to Nancy Sauve at
nancy@fccannarbor.org. If you wish to have your dedication printed in
the bulletin, it is due Monday, May 4. Checks may be made out to FCC
with “celebration flowers” written in the memo. Thank you!
FCC Cares for the
People of Nepal.
The Mission & Outreach Committee is asking you to make a donation
for the people in Nepal who have suffered through a terrible
earthquake. The M & O Committee will use some of our funds to
match your donations up to $500.00 and will carefully choose a relief
fund that puts most of the money on “ground level.” If you can,
please write a check to put into the offering basket or mail it to the
church with attention to Nancy Sauve. On the memo line of the check,
please write: Nepal Relief. We know you have Nepal on your minds
and will give any amount that you can. Thank you for being part of
this important outreach. We would like to have your donation no later
than May 10, 2015.
Church Picnic!
This year’s picnic will be on the
church grounds on Sunday, May
17th. The AFC committee will
provide hotdogs and hamburgers,
along with of the fixings, chips,
lemonade, coffee, water and paper
products.
We do ask that
each family bring a dish to pass. If
your last name begins with an A-L,
please bring a salad. If your last
name begins with an M-Z, please bring a dessert. You may bring your
dish to pass to the 10 a.m. service and give it to one of the AFC
members who will be by the elevator in the Mayflower lobby area to
keep until after church. We will have a bounce house, dunk tank,
euchre tournament, face painting, balloon tying and ladder ball
games. Please bring a friend or neighbor to enjoy the great outdoors
as we celebrate our youth on that special day. Anyone who would like
to bring their own lawn chair, please feel free to do so! Come dressed
casually for church....as we will start the picnic right after the 10 a.m.
service!!
Dunk the
Ministers
For every Sunday that your child attends between April 12 and May
17, they will receive a “free ball” ticket to throw at the dunk tank
during the church picnic. Let’s DUNK the ministers at the church
picnic on May 17!
The First Congregational Church
Small Groups
Weber’s Lunch Club
20/40 Group
Mind and Spirit
Book Group
Special Event!
Monthly lunches with FCC friends are informal gatherings with
welcoming and wide-ranging conversations. Please join this group
on the third Monday of the month. The next and last luncheon of
the season will be Monday, May 18 at Weber’s Restaurant, 3050
Jackson Road at 11:30 a.m. with Bob Livingston. All are welcome!
The 20/40 group is in recess until September.
The Mind and Spirit Book Group is a community of women of all
ages. This group meets in the Mayflower Room on the first and
third Wednesdays of each month from 10:15-11:45 a.m.,
September through May. The next regular meeting will be on May 6
as we continue to read The Lemon Tree: An Arab, A Jew and the
Heart of the Middle East by Sandy Tolen. We will view the video, Ice
Bridge at our first meeting in June before our end of season lunch.
All are welcome!
Circle of Friends
Circle of Friends (COF) is a small group ministry that celebrates the
gift of friendship and delights in the numerous joys and blessings
of both having and being a friend as they experience the changes
and transitions that are a natural part of this adventure called life.
COF is expansively inclusive—all are welcome as part of the group.
The cross-cultural common denominator is friendship. They meet
on the second Sunday of the month at 9 a.m. September—May and
have other events throughout the year. The next meeting will be
on May 10 at 9 a.m. in the Mayflower Room.
Wednesday Morning
Text Breakfasts
The Text Breakfast Group with Bob Livingston meets together on
Wednesday mornings at 8:30 a.m. at the Classic Cup Café located
at 4389 Jackson Road. The discussion concludes by 10 a.m. The
group is open and welcoming to all. Next week, we will be reading
and discussing I Corinthians 13:1-13. Our last breakfast before
breaking for the summer will be on May 20.
Tuesday Night
Series (TNS)
The Tuesday Night Series (TNS) meets on Tuesday evenings from
7-8:30 p.m. in the Mayflower Room. We are currently studying
videos on faith. The group is open to everyone. Our last meeting
of the spring series will be on May 19.
SUNDAY, MAY 3
Confirmation Sunday
9:00 a.m.
9:30 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
11:00 a.m.
11:00 a.m.
11:45 a.m.
4:00 p.m.
Choir Rehearsal, Choir Room
Chapel Communion, Chapel
Confirmation Sunday Service
Friendship Time, Pilgrim Hall
“Getting to Know Us” Mayflower Room
Baptism, Chapel
Organ Anniversary Celebration,
Sanctuary with reception in the
Mayflower Room
SUNDAY, MAY 10
Mother’s Day
8:30 a.m. Heritage Society Meeting,
Meeting Room
9:00 a.m. Choir Rehearsal, Choir Room
9:00 a.m. Circle of Friends, Mayflower Room
9:30 a.m. Chapel Communion, Chapel
10:00 a.m. Worship Service, Sanctuary
11:00 a.m. Friendship Time, Pilgrim Hall
THOSE WHO SERVE
May 3:
Deacons: Suzanne and Bob Edick, Jim Miller, Ryan
Verhey-Henke, Dave Haviland and Alice Morgan,
COF Flower Delivery: Diane Coxford
May 10:
Deacons: Lou Saalbach, Sheri Jenkins,
Ernie Poortinga, Beth Cron, Shirley Adams,
COF Flower Delivery: Arnie and Sally Proehl
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS
May 5
May 5
May 6
May 6
May 10
May 10
May 11
May 12
May 12
May 13
May 15
May 17
May 17
May 17
May 18
May 18
May 31
7:00 p.m.
7:15 p.m.
8:30 a.m.
10:15 a.m.
Tuesday Night Series, Mayflower Rm.
AA Meeting, Pilgrim Hall
Text breakfast, Classic Cup Café
Mind and Spirit Book Group,
Mayflower Room
8:30 a.m.
Heritage Society Meeting, Meeting Room
9:00 a.m.
Circle of Friends Meeting,
Mayflower Room
7:00 p.m.
Church Council Meeting,
Mayflower Room
7:00 p.m. Tuesday Night Series, Mayflower Room
7:15 p.m. AA Meeting, Pilgrim Hall
8:30 a.m. Text breakfast, Classic Cup Café
Courier Deadline
9:00 a.m. Deacons Meeting, Mayflower Room
10:00 a.m. Youth Sunday
with Senior Graduate Recognition
11:00 a.m. All-Church Picnic, Church Grounds
11:30 a.m. Weber’s Luncheon, Weber’s Restaurant
7:00 p.m. Trustees Meeting, Meeting Room
8:30 a.m. Heritage Society Breakfast,
Mayflower Room
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH STAFF
Senior Minister
Associate Minister
Minister Emeritus
Minister Emerita
Director of Christian Ed.
Director of Music
Noon Music Worship Leader
Director of Music Emeritus
Organist
Associate Organist
Pianist
Chapel Organist
Bookkeeper, Communications
Church Secretary
Wedding Coordinator
Custodian
Robert K. Livingston (ext. 554)
Darcy A. Crain-Polly (ext. 552)
Terry N. Smith
Dorothy Lenz
Holly Porter (ext. 553)
James C. Nissen (ext. 555)
Terry Farmer (ext. 557)
Willis Patterson
Marilyn Mason
Glenn Tucker
Rebecca Jones
Kathe Johnson
Nancy Sauve (ext. 560)
Betsy Hill (ext. 550)
Betty Jahnke
Steffen Gelletly
TODAY IN THE CITY OF GOD CHURCH SCHOOL
Kindergarten, 1st-3rd
4th, 5th Grade
Meeting Room
Meeting Room
6th, 7th Grade
8th Grade
9th– 12th Grade
Meeting Room
Stay in Church
Stay in Church
THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH of Ann Arbor
608 E. William St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104-2420
Office: (734) 662-1679 Fax: (734) 662-0302
THE CITY OF GOD
9:00 a.m. Choir Rehearsal, Choir Room
9:30 a.m. Chapel Communion, Chapel
10:00 a.m. Confirmation Sunday Service
11:00 a.m. Friendship Time, Pilgrim Hall
11:00 a.m. “Getting to Know Us” Mayflower Room
11:45 a.m. Baptism, Chapel
4:00 p.m. Organ Anniversary Celebration,
Sanctuary with reception in the
Mayflower Room
Confirmation Sunday
SUNDAY MAY 3, 2015