ORDER OF WORSHIP First Sunday of Advent

Hope of God’s Promised One

“Nativity” Scripture Luke 2:1-6 Story

December 3, 2017

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Hanging of the Greens Service

Hymn

“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

“O Little Town of Bethlehem”

Hope of God’s Promised Guidance

“Star” Scripture Matthew 2:9-10 Story

Words of Greeting

In Prayer and Meditation Let Us Prepare our Hearts for Worship through God’s gift of Music Prelude

“Noel Nouvelet”

Hymn

Handbell Choir

In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, darkness covered the face of the deep. A wind from God, which was the spirit of God, swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light;” and there was light; and God saw that the light was good. The light of God shines in the dark, and the darkness did not overcome it. *Hymn

“Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus ”

135

*Prayer of Invocation (Unison) Loving God, who has brought us again from darkness into your blessed light, be present with us during this time and place of worship. Your light is come; open our eyes to see your glory, open our lips to speak your praise, open our hearts to prepare room for the coming of your Promised One. In the spirit of the Light of the World, we pray. Amen. *Gloria Patri

“Angels We Have Heard on High”

Anthem Hope of God’s Promised Life

Hymn

“As with Gladness Men of Old”

Hope of God’s Promised Blessing

“The Coming of the Lord”

(refrain) 152 Chancel Choir

“Evergreen Garlands and Wreaths” Scripture John 3:16 Story

Our hope and expectation, O Jesus, now appear! Arise, thou Sun so longed for, O'er this benighted sphere! With hearts and hands uplifted, We plead, O Lord, to see The day of earth's redemption that brings us unto thee.

“Rejoice, Rejoice, Believers”

(vs 1&2) 181 “Gifts” Scripture Matthew 2:11 Story

(Pastor and People)

*Call to Worship

(vs 1&2) 155

Offertory Choral Congregational Response

“Doxology”

Hope of God’s Promised Presence Hymn

“Love Divine, All Loves Excelling”

809 Advent Candle of Hope The Bullard Family 558

*Benediction *Postlude

* All Able Please Stand

Welcome on this first Sunday of advent may we all prepare spiritually for Christ’s birth. If you believe that God is calling you to be a member of this congregation, please let us know with a call to our church office, or filling out one of our Welcome Response cards found in your bulletin. (Please recycle unused Worship Response Cards in baskets provided at entrances.) We can help you join by baptism or profession of faith, as a transfer, or by reinstatement. It would be wonderful to have you in our Church Family! Please lift our sick and shut-ins in prayer, and show your concern through visits, cards, calls and prayers. Convalescing at Home: Becky Drye, Rachel Linker, Thelma Corriher, Pauline Glover, Edgar Fulcher, Pat Archie, Heather Burns, Lois, Troy & George Elliott. Betty Middleton and Ellen Corriher are at Morningside of Concord. Brenda Lucas and Margaret Winecoff are at Liberty Commons. Gordon Drye (Rm C15), Dot Bradshaw, Annie Shuping, Sarah Eagle and Alta Roseman are at Trinity Oaks. Members and Friends of the congregation are reminded to help the pastor and secretary by informing them of any persons who are sick or in the hospital. Thank you!

THIS WEEK AT MT. ZION: Sun 3 Mon 4 Tue 5 Wed 6 Thur 7 Fri 8 Sat 9

12:00 Bring Your Own Soup Meal in New Building after worship 11:00 AM - Dorcas Circle meets in Parlor 6:00-9:00 PM - Bibles and Basketball in New Building 6:30 PM - Boy Scouts meet 9:00 AM - Decorate church for Christmas Season 6:30 PM - Zumba in New Building 6:15 PM - Handbell Choir Rehearsal 7:15 PM - Chancel Choir Rehearsal 10:00 AM - Preschool Christmas Party in New Building 10:00 AM - Preschool Christmas Party in New Building 9:00-10:00 AM - Breakfast with Santa in New Building 4:00-8:00 PM - Corriher Family in New Building 4:00-5:30 PM - Eagle Scout Presentation in Fellowship Hall

MOUNT ZION UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST December 3, 2017

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Next Sunday - December 10, 2017

8:30 AM - Consistory meets Children’s Choir Rehearsal after worship

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NURSERY HELPERS TODAY:

Sandee Carrigan & Betty Corriher

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NURSERY HELPERS (12/10/17):

Sandy Corriher & Tilda Corriher

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1415 South Main Street | P.O. Box 1298 China Grove, North Carolina 28023-1298 704.857.1169 mtzionchinagrove.com | [email protected]

††††††††††††††††††††††††††† Rev. Mark L. Burns, Pastor

ANNOUNCEMENTS “Hanging of the Greens” Soup Meal Following worship all are invited to a BYOS (Bring your own Soup) meal in the New Building. Bring your favorite soup to share with your church family. Share the LOVE of Christmas The Season of Advent is with us. Our time to prepare room in our hearts for the coming of the Christ child. As we all sing, “Let every heart prepare him room and heaven and nature sing!” We have two opportunities as a church family to let our voice be heard over the weeks of Advent. First, is our LOVE Offering on behalf of our wonderful church staff. Our way to say “Thank You” for all that they do during the year. We will share our LOVE Offering with our staff on December 24 during our 10:30 service. Second, is the opportunity for a year end gift towards our Operating Budget to help meet our 2017 operating expenses. Please use one of our pew envelopes and write on the outside where your gift will be going. Together we will keep the Mt. Zion UCC light shining bold and bright. Thank you for your support! Advent Readers A Sign-up board for Advent Readers is located at Handbell Choir tables. If you or your family can participate, please indicate which Sunday you can help. Thank You!! Christmas Card Delivery Our Mt. Zion Youth continues the Christmas Card Delivery. All Christmas cards you wish to share with your church family should be placed at the mailbox table, and for the price of your generosity our youth will deliver. Please do not bring cards for shut ins, those convalescing at home or those that do not attend regularly. All monies raised will go towards our 2018 Mission Trip to Charleston, SC. Thank you for your continued support of our Youth programs here at Mt. Zion UCC. Decorate Church for Christmas Season | Tuesday | December 5, 2017 Anyone wishing to help make Mt. Zion shine with more beauty, can join in on Tuesday, December 5 beginning at 9:00am. All are welcome to help decorate for the Christmas Season! Breakfast with Santa | December 9 | 9:00-10:00 AM Mt. Zion UCC presents Breakfast with Santa. Meet and greet Santa while enjoying a delicious breakfast in Mt. Zion’s new building. Bring your camera so you can take your child's picture with Santa! Create your own Christmas Ornament. Each child will receive a special treat bag. Basket of Sunshine for Logan Cheeseman Mt. Zion would like to send a Basket of Sunshine to Logan Cheeseman, Candice Safrit’s 14 year old nephew, who is currently undergoing chemotherapy. We are accepting dona-

tions through December 10 and would like to deliver on December 17, if possible. Please bring your donations (monetary, gift cards, things a 14 yr old boy would enjoy) to the church office, or place in offering plate, noting Logan Cheeseman, by December 10. Thank you for your support of Mt. Zion’s extended family. Classic Christmas Shoppe | Dec. 7, 8 and 9 Offering Christmas to those struggling financially helps to alleviate stress on families and allows parents to make better use of their means to provide necessities, while not missing out on the joy of Christmas giving. Yet, how we do this is very important. While offering gifts that we choose, purchase and deliver may feel really good for the giver, it may come at a great cost for the recipient. Having the opportunity to make an exchange, to do their part and to choose their own gifts for their children preserves dignity for families in need. The gift of dignity is truly the best gift we could ever give someone. Our Shoppe is a little different this year. Instead of a one day event our store will be open at the South Rowan YMCA for 3 days: Dec. 7, 8 and 9 this year (with set up days on Dec. 5 and 6). We hope to make it even more like a real store experience. Items: Balls—football, soccer, basketballs | Outside Toys—bikes, skateboards, wagons Tents & Sleeping bags | Craft Jewelry Sets | Headphones | Basketball & Soccer Goals Dolls | Nerf Yoys | Lego Sets | Tonka Trucks | Kitchen Sets | Board games Teen Items: Perfume & shampoo sets, | Curling Items, | Hair Dryers | Sports Duffel Bags See hallway bulletin board for more information. Golden Agers Christmas at the Library | December 14 The next Golden Agers trip will be Thursday, December 14, 2017. We will travel to the Billy Graham Library for the Christmas at the Library. Christmas is a special time at the Billy Graham Library with plenty of family-friendly attractions to celebrate the birth of Christ. If you would like to attend please sign up on the hallway bulletin board. You do not have to be “Golden” to attend the trips. Departure from church is 10:30am. If you are in charge of any special or upcoming event/activity within the church family PLEASE be sure to let ALL appropriate church staff aware of the details of the event. This will help in double booking or overlooking any minor details that need to be scheduled. Thank You! Office Schedule Over the Christmas Holiday The church office will be closed December 22, December 25 and December 26. The office will have limited hours December 27-29 and closed January 1. In case of an emergency please call Rev. Burns at home, or leave a message on the Church voice mail. Merry Christmas! Both will return your call as soon as able. ALL Treasurers of Organizations within the Church are reminded to have their year-end financial reports turned into the Church Office by Sunday, January 7.