Evangelism:Transforming Congregations – Engaging Communities

Vesper ServiceThursday, November 3 – 5:40 PM

Silent Meditation

Jesus said, Simon son of John, do you love me. Peter answered; yes Lord you know I love you. Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep”.

John 21: 16

Gathering Music • Rev. Yvette Flunder and Gideon Lawson

Call to Worship• Leader: Jesus reaches toward us, calling us to be disciples,

gathering us together as church.• Congregation: We are one people,

all members of God’s family.• Leader: Jesus reaches toward others beyond us, with love and

caring that knows no boundary.• Congregation: We are one people,

all members of God’s family.• Leader: Let us worship God, and be as Christ in welcoming, loving,

and caring for all who come in faith seeking the Savior.• Congregation: We are one people,

all members of God’s family.

Invocation

Through All The World a Hungry Christ

• Through all the world, a hungry Christmust scavenge for his daily bread,must beg the rich for crumb and crust—we are the rich, the daily fed.

• Beyond the Church, a leper Christtakes the untouchable by hand,gives hope to those who have no trust,whose stigma is our social brand.

Through All The World a Hungry Christ

• In torture cell, a prisoner Christfor justice and for truth must cryto free the innocent oppressedwhile we at liberty pass by.

• We do not know you, beggar Christ,we do not recognize your sores,we do not see, for we are blind:forgive us, touch us, make us yours.

MISSION:1Responsive Reading

• One: Hungry God, we ask you to pour your spirit into all of those who are empty today: Fill the hearts of the troubled. Fill the minds of the confused.

• Fill the stomachs of the hungry. Fill the souls of the lost. Fill the lives of all who need you. Fill us with compassion and hope.

MISSION:1Responsive Reading

• One: Forgive us when we fail to see those bearing the yoke of hunger in our world. Forgive us when we refuse to believe that hunger can end in our time. May your spirit fill us to overflowing, Sustaining God.

• Let us write the letters and stock the food pantries shelves of our community, but let us do more! May we dare to act on in your promise that there will be no more empty hearts, minds, stomachs or souls.

• May we dare to break the yoke of hunger in our world.

Gospel Scripture John 14:1-6a ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling-places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.’ Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Gospel Scripture• Matthew 9: 35 – 38• Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages,

teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’

SermonEntrepreneurial Oneness

Rev. J. Bennett GuessExecutive Minister

Local Church MinistriesCollegium

United Church of Christ

MISSION:1 Offering of Letters

Please address and sign the letters in your event bag.Address envelopes and put letters in them.Bring your letters forward and we will mail them.

Won’t You Let Me Be Your Servant Won’t you let me be your servant, let me be as Christ to you?Pray that I might have the grace to let you be my servant, too.

We are pilgrims on a journey, we are travelers on the road. We are here to help each other walk the mile and bear the load.

Won’t You Let Me Be Your Servant I will hold the Christ-light for you in the shadow of your fear.I will hold my hand out to you, speak the peace you long to hear.

I will weep when you are weeping, when you laugh I'll laugh with you. I will share your joy and sorrow till we've seen this journey through.

Won’t You Let Me Be Your Servant When we sing to God in heaven, we shall find such harmony,born of all we've known together of Christ's love and agony.

Won’t you let me be your servant, let me be as Christ to you? Pray that I might have the grace to let you be my servant, too.

Benediction

Friday Morning Schedule• 7:45 AM – 8:15 AM Transportation from the

Hilton to Fellowship Chapel. (You will be responsible for your own transportation if you are not on board the bus before 8:15 AM.)

• 8:30 AM – 8:45 AM Prayer and Praise Sanctuary – Rev. Yvette Flunder and Mr. Gideon Lawson

• 8:45 AM – 9: 15 AM Bible Study Sanctuary – Rev. Alice Hunt