Online Bulletin

SANCTUARY  |  Church Online

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First Sunday in Advent

November 30, 2025
8:30am 

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Prelude “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming” arr. K. Raebel
Karissa Raebel, organ

 

Weekly Church News

 

Welcome Pastor Paul Elliott

 

Ringing of the Bell

 

Invocation
Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19b)
People: Amen.

 

Advent Candle Lighting
Pastor: We light this candle as a sign of the coming light of Christ and the hope we have in Him.
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
People: Let all creation sing for joy at the coming of the Lord. (Psalm 96)
Pastor: The Lord of hosts is coming to restore us;
People: God’s face will shine, and we will be saved. (Psalm 80)
Pastor: Light dawns for the righteous, No one who hopes in you
will ever be put to shame.
People: Rejoice in the Lord! Give thanks to God’s holy name. (Psalm 25; Psalm 97)

 

Opening Hymn “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming”
If you wish to follow the music, refer to hymnal 359.

Lo, how a rose e’er blooming
From tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse’s lineage coming
As prophets long have sung,
It came, a flow’ret bright,
Amid the cold of winter,
When half-spent was the night.

Isaiah ’twas foretold it,
The rose I have in mind;
With Mary we behold it,
The virgin mother kind.
To show God’s love aright,
She bore to us a Savior,
When half-spent was the night.

This flow’r, whose fragrance tender
With sweetness fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor
The darkness ev’rywhere.
True man, yet very God,
From sin and death He saves us
And lightens ev’ry load.

O Savior, child of Mary,
Who felt our human woe;
O Savior, King of glory,
Who dost our weakness know:
Bring us at length we pray
To the bright courts of heaven,
And to the endless day.

 

Confession and Absolution
Pastor: Restore us, God Almighty,
People: that we may be saved. (Psalm 80:7)
Pastor: The hope that we have in Christ is the strongest hope of all. It brings us together in a shared confession of sins, with the firm knowledge that we will be forgiven of those sins. We confess together:
People: We have sinned and fallen short of Your glory. We have been unworthy of Your grace. Savior of the nations, come. Make our hearts your home. Abide with us, our Lord Immanuel.
silence for reflection
Pastor: Christ came to earth to save you. He died for your sins. “For in this hope we are saved.” (Romans 8:24a) As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.

 

Hymn of Praise  “Comfort, Comfort Ye My People”
If you wish to follow the music, refer to hymnal 347.

Choir:

“Comfort, comfort ye My people,
Speak ye peace,” thus saith our God;
“Comfort those who sit in darkness,
Mourning ’neath their sorrows’ load.
Speak ye to Jerusalem
Of the peace that waits for them;
Tell her that her sins I cover
And her warfare now is over.”

All sing:

Yea, her sins our God will pardon,
Blotting out each dark misdeed;
All that well deserved His anger
He no more will see or heed.
She hath suffered many a day,
Now her griefs have passed away;
God will change her pining sadness
Into ever-springing gladness.

Hark, the herald’s voice is crying
In the desert far and near,
Calling sinners to repentance,
Since the Kingdom now is here.
O that warning cry obey!
Now prepare for God a way;
Let the valleys rise to meet Him
And the hills bow down to greet Him.

Make ye straight what long was crooked;
Make the rougher places plain.
Let your hearts be true and humble,
As befits His holy reign.
For the glory of the Lord
Now o’er earth is shed abroad,
And all flesh shall see the token
That His Word is never broken.

  

Sacrament of Baptism

 

Old Testament Reading  Malachi 3:1-4 NIV

3 “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.

² But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. ³ He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, ⁴ and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.

Lector: This is the Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.

 

Hymn of the Day “Savior of the Nations, Come”
verses 1-6
If you wish to follow the music, refer to hymnal 332.

Savior of the nations, come,
Virgin’s Son, make here Your home!
Marvel now, O heav’n and earth,
That the Lord chose such a birth.

Not by human flesh and blood,
By the Spirit of our God,
Was the Word of God made flesh—
Woman’s offspring, pure and fresh.

Here a maid was found with child,
Yet remained a virgin mild.
In her womb this truth was shown:
God was there upon His throne.

Then stepped forth the Lord of all
From His pure and kingly hall;
God of God, yet fully man,
His heroic course began.

God the Father was His source,
Back to God He ran His course.
Into hell His road went down,
Back then to His throne and crown.

For You are the Father’s Son
Who in flesh the vict’ry won.
By Your mighty pow’r make whole
All our ills of flesh and soul.

 

Holy Gospel Luke 1:26-38 NIV

²⁶ In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, ²⁷ to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

²⁹ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. ³⁰ But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. ³¹ You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, ³³ and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

³⁴ “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

³⁵ The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. ³⁶ Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. ³⁷ For no word from God will ever fail.”

³⁸ “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Lector: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.

 

Anthem “The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came” arr. John Leavitt
Biang Family Singers

The angel Gabriel from heaven came,
His wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame;
"All hail," said he “thou lowly maiden Mary,
Most highly favored lady." Gloria!

"For known a blessed mother thou shalt be:
All generations laud and honor thee.
Thy Son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold,
Most highly favored lady." Gloria!

Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head;
"To me be as it pleases God," she said.
"My soul shall laud and magnify His holy name."
Most highly favored lady, Gloria!

Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ, was born
In Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn,
And Christian folk throughout the world will ever say,
"Most highly favored lady." Gloria!

 

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Message Pastor Paul Elliott

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Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

 
Prayers of the Church 

Pastor: Lord, in your mercy,
People: Hear our prayer.

 

Gathering of Our Tithes and Offerings 


Music at the Offering “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” arr. Sally DeFord
Biang Family Singers

 

The Lord's Prayer 
Pastor: Lord, remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
People: 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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.

 
Benediction
Pastor: Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!
People: Hosanna in the highest!
Pastor: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace. (Numbers 6:24–26)
People: Amen.

 

Closing Hymn “Savior of the Nations, Come”
verses 7 and 8
If you wish to follow the music, refer to hymnal 332.

From the manger newborn light
Shines in glory through the night.
Darkness there no more resides;
In this light faith now abides.

▲Glory to the Father sing,
Glory to the Son, our king,
Glory to the Spirit be
Now and through eternity.

 

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Worship Service Participants*

Preacher: Rev. Dr. Paul Elliott
Organ: Karissa Raebel
Percussion: Alex Guebert
Vocals: Marcia Biang, Heidi Elliott, Lily Elliott
Audio/Visual: Blaine Currier, Hector Cerda, David Kruse

Thanks for joining us today!

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  ONLINE GIVING

PRAYER REQUEST

CONNECTION CARD

 

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November 30, 2025

November 30, 2025
Prayers of the Church

O God of promises, You sent Your messenger, John the Baptist,
to be a prophet of the Son of the Most High,
and to prepare the way for Your Son, the Messenger of the covenant.

Refine, retune, and renew our hearts toward joyful repentance.
May we bring offerings to You in humble righteousness and thankfulness
for the perfect sacrificial offering You gave us in the sending of Your Son, Jesus Christ.
Lord, in Your mercy,

Holy and blessed God, heavenly Father, we are thankful to be Your children,
adopted into Your family through faith in Christ, Your Son.

We give You thanks for the child You welcome into Your family through Baptism:
Penelope Rose Papadopoulos, daughter of Panos and Taylor.
By Your Spirit, may she grow in Your grace and the knowledge of Your Word.

Strengthen her with all power, according to Your might,
that she may have endurance and patience through life’s troubles,
and give joyful thanks to You for Your continued blessings.
Lord, in Your mercy,

O Lord of love, visit our homes,
and defend us from the temptation to walk in the works of darkness.

Clothe us with the armor of light.
Preserve the single in holiness, strengthen spouses to love one another,
and lead parents to raise their children in the faith.
Lord, in Your mercy,

Merciful Lord, You have given us Your Son,
to bear the burdens of our sin and to grant us healing and hope.

Hear us on behalf of those in great need, those afflicted with physical and mental ills,
those whose hearts are weighed down with grief, and those in their last days on earth.
We pray especially for….

Grant all renewed faith and trust in Your gracious presence, comfort, and strength.
Lord, in Your mercy,

Almighty Father, You are the authority to whom all temporal authorities must bow.

Give wisdom and godly insight to our president; our governor; our mayor;
and all who make, administer, or judge our laws. Grant peace among the nations.
Lord, in Your mercy,

Holy God, we give You thanks that no word from You will ever fail.

May we respond like Mary and ready ourselves for service in Your name,
and in anticipation for the fulfillment of Your Word, when Jesus shall come again,
and every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord.

In the name of Jesus we pray,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.

WALKER HALL  |  Church Online

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First Sunday in Advent

Sunday, November 30, 2025
10:30am

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Weekly Church News

Welcome Pastor Trevor Van Blarcom

Invocation

Lighting of the Hope Candle

Worship Set
“Joyful, Joyful”
“Firm Foundation (He Won’t)”
Confession and Absolution
“Behold”

Children's Message

Scripture Readings

Message Pastor Trevor Van Blarcom

Apostles’ Creed

Prayers of the Church

Gathering of the Offering

The Lord’s Prayer
"Come Jesus Come"

Benediction

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Worship Service Participants

Preacher: Pastor Trevor Van Blarcom
Director of Contemporary Worship: Stephan Nosrat

Thanks for joining us today!

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  ONLINE GIVING

PRAYER REQUEST

CONNECTION CARD

 

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November 30, 2025

November 30, 2025
Prayers of the Church

O God of promises, You sent Your messenger, John the Baptist,
to be a prophet of the Son of the Most High,
and to prepare the way for Your Son, the Messenger of the covenant.

Refine, retune, and renew our hearts toward joyful repentance.
May we bring offerings to You in humble righteousness and thankfulness
for the perfect sacrificial offering You gave us in the sending of Your Son, Jesus Christ.
Lord, in Your mercy,

Holy and blessed God, heavenly Father, we are thankful to be Your children,
adopted into Your family through faith in Christ, Your Son.

We give You thanks for the child You welcome into Your family through Baptism:
Penelope Rose Papadopoulos, daughter of Panos and Taylor.
By Your Spirit, may she grow in Your grace and the knowledge of Your Word.

Strengthen her with all power, according to Your might,
that she may have endurance and patience through life’s troubles,
and give joyful thanks to You for Your continued blessings.
Lord, in Your mercy,

O Lord of love, visit our homes,
and defend us from the temptation to walk in the works of darkness.

Clothe us with the armor of light.
Preserve the single in holiness, strengthen spouses to love one another,
and lead parents to raise their children in the faith.
Lord, in Your mercy,

Merciful Lord, You have given us Your Son,
to bear the burdens of our sin and to grant us healing and hope.

Hear us on behalf of those in great need, those afflicted with physical and mental ills,
those whose hearts are weighed down with grief, and those in their last days on earth.
We pray especially for….

Grant all renewed faith and trust in Your gracious presence, comfort, and strength.
Lord, in Your mercy,

Almighty Father, You are the authority to whom all temporal authorities must bow.

Give wisdom and godly insight to our president; our governor; our mayor;
and all who make, administer, or judge our laws. Grant peace among the nations.
Lord, in Your mercy,

Holy God, we give You thanks that no word from You will ever fail.

May we respond like Mary and ready ourselves for service in Your name,
and in anticipation for the fulfillment of Your Word, when Jesus shall come again,
and every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord.

In the name of Jesus we pray,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.