Bulletin

First Sunday of Advent

November 27, 2011

Focus: "Keep awake!" Jesus says.  In Him, aimless wanderers become purposeful pilgrims but the journey is long and it is easy to become distracted, to lose attention, to fall asleep... 

Gathering

Prelude

Call to Worship

Leader

Our hearts long for God.

People

O that you would tear open the heavens and come down.

Leader

Our spirits need the Lord.

People

Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine that we may be saved.

Hymns

WB # 175

O Savior, rend the heavens

WB # 188

Sleepers, wake

Welcome and Announcements

Tithes and Offerings

Sharing and Prayer

Hearing the Word

Children's Story

Jeanette Harder

(younger children are dismissed to the nursery)

Scripture

Mark 13:24-37

Sermon

Awake for Christ

Responding to the Word

Hymn

WB # 609

Awake, my soul

Prayer of Confession

(Isaiah 64:1-9 Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19)

Leader

By our actions we have separated ourselves from you, Lord.

People

O that you would tear open the heavens and come down.

Leader

We have turned away from doing right.

People

Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine that we may be saved.

Leader

We have wandered from you and fallen in sin.

People

Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine that we may be saved.

Leader

We have neglected to keep watch. We have fallen asleep.

People

Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine that we may be saved.

Candle Lighting

Leader

God forgives us when we ask.

People

God abides with us as we wait.

Leader

God keeps us strong and blameless to the end.

People

We wait for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Hymn

WB # 178

Come, thou long-expected Jesus

Benediction

Assisted listening devices and large print hymnals are available at the audiovisual desk.

Worship Leader:  David Wiebe

Music Leader:  Jeanette Harder

Children's Story Next Sunday:  Doug Fast

Nursery Today:  Sheri & Dave Nitzsche

Nursery Next Sunday:  Angela & Steve Nitzsche

December Greeters:  Sharon Orr

December Drivers:  Arla & Marty Roth

Snacks Next Sunday:  Becky & Jay Waegli

Calendar

Tues. Nov. 29, 9:00 pm

Third Way Fellowship - UNL Union

Wed. Nov. 30, 6:30 pm

pie - Wiebe's

Thurs. Dec. 1, 6:00 pm

Flash Mob "Leads" practice

Thurs. Dec. 1, 6:30 pm

Flash Mob practice

Fri. Dec. 2, 6:35 pm

Flash Mob - 8th and P Streets

Sun. Dec. 4

Last day to bring unwrapped gifts

Thurs. Dec. 8, 6-9:00 pm

Junior Youth at Gifts of Love Store

Sun. Dec. 11, 6:30 pm

FMC Christmas Program

Tues. Dec. 13, 5:30-8 pm

Senior High at Gifts of Love Store

Birthdays & Anniversaries

Tuesday, November 29 - Wanda Stauffer

Saturday, December 3 - Kathy Haake

Record for November 20 

Attendance  110

Offering  $1,668

November Budget  $8,812

November Offerings  $7,084

YTD Budget  $103,541

YTD Offerings  $102,905

Announcements 

UNWRAPPED GIFTS BY NEXT SUNDAY! - There is one more week to shop for the Gifts of Love Store.  Hundreds of eligible families shop for gifts at greatly reduced prices.  Gifts for parents and teenagers are also needed.  Please bring unwrapped gifts, with prices attached (so they know how much to discount) to church by next Sunday, December 4.

MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE! - Help in being prepared to sing the Halleluiah Chorus from Handel's Messiah during the Christmas program on December 11.  Singers interested in practicing this work in advance should plan to meet for a rehearsal at 9:00 a.m. on the next two Sundays (Dec. 4 and Dec. 11).

CHRISTMAS PROGRAM ON DECEMBER 11 - The First Mennonite Christmas Program will be on Sunday, December 11 at 6:30 p.m. with snacks following.  Hope you can join in this celebration.

FLASH MOB - This year's Christmas flash mob will be held on Friday, December 2 at 6:35 p.m. in front of Ten Thousand Villages (8th and P)!  A rehearsal will be held at the church on Thursday, December 1.  We will be singing "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing." Please join us (and invite your friends and family) and lift your voices to celebrate what the Christmas season is truly about!  More information at:  http://lincolnflashmobsing.yolasite.com/.

HELPING HANDS UPDATES - Please bring a plate of cookies to share after the Christmas program on December 11. There will be no potluck meal in December.

JUNIOR YOUTH AT GIFTS OF LOVE - The Junior Youth Group will be volunteering at City Impact's Gifts of Love store on Thursday, December 8 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.  More details to come but mark your calendars now.

SENIOR HIGH YOUTH TO GIFTS OF LOVE STORE - The High School Youth group will help at the Gifts of Love Store on Tuesday, December 13 from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m.   Save the date.

MISSION OFFERING - Our final quarterly mission offering of 2011 will be received next Sunday.  It will be used to support our partnership with Iglesia Mennonita Centro Cristiano in Washington, Iowa.  Our goal is a gift of $3,000.  Any excess amount will be given to our Central Plains Mennonite Conference. 

BRAZIL REPORT - Next Sunday Jim Janzen, Carol Knieriem, and Anita Breckbill will report on their recent Habitat for Humanity trip to Brazil. 

MEMBERSHIP - Interested in becoming a member of First Mennonite Church?  Members are received by baptism, letter of transfer, or confession of faith.  Check with David Orr for more information.

BIG THANK YOU - We met our goal for donated yams and stuffing.  Thanks to all of you for helping others to have a brighter Thanksgiving!

CHRISTMAS GIVING - Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) invites you to share the joy of Christmas with others around the world.  Begin a new tradition by selecting a gift from MCC.  Simple gifts make a big difference.  The gift of water helps to bring a valuable, life-giving resource closer to the people who need it most.  The gift of livestock does more than provide an animal.  It gives families and communities the power to improve their own lives.  Explore all the MCC gift options and discover more ways to share the joy at mcc.org/christmas or make checks payable to MCC and send them to MCC Central States, PO Box 235, North Newton, KS 67117.