SESSION

Class of 2020 Class of 2021 Class of 2022 Steve Hohneker Rick Jacker Nancy Pienta Sarah Sayers Chuck Shattenkirk

Moderator: Rev. Kathi L. Jones Clerk of Session: Sarah Sayers

DEACONS

Class of 2020 Class of 2021 Class of 2022 Laurae Hoffmann Melissa Barton Alicia Albertson Hertha Matuszek Judy Bury Rosalie Hemingway

Moderator: Judy Bury

Church Treasurer: Sandra Hohneker Assistant Treasurer: Vieve Gay Financial Secretary: Bill Ring

First Presbyterian Church 3212 Church Street P.O. Box 267, Valatie, NY 12184

Church Phone – 518-758-9658 Pastor’s Phone – 518-755-2557

Church’s Email – ifirstpresbyter1@nycap.rr.com Pastor – Rev. Kathi L. Jones

Pastor’s Email – revkathiljones@yahoo.com

Organist – Ardelle Stewart Secretary – Naomi Handley

Sexton – Nick Becker

First Presbyterian Church

Valatie, NY

Where friends are made, faith is nurtured, service begins

and All Are Welcome!

November 17, 2019 11:00am.

SERVICE FOR THE LORD’S DAY

* * * * *

Gathering in the Name of the Lord (In silence and meditation prepare yourself for worship)

LIFE OF THE CONGREGATION

MISSION STATEMENT (Unison)

We are a small congregation, part of God’s larger family,

teaching and living God’s Word, and sharing God’s love

throughout the community.

PRELUDE

CALL TO WORSHIP (Responsively)

For your gracious and mighty deeds of the past, O Lord,

We give you thanks.

For your presence with us in the present, O Lord,

We give you thanks.

For the certainty that no matter what the future holds, you will be

holding us and all your creation, O Lord,

We give you thanks.

*HYMN 412 God, Reveal Your Presence

CALL TO CONFESSION

PRAYER OF CONFESSION (Unison)

Forgive us, Lord, for often we are so easily frightened, led

astray by those who claim to know far more than they can, even

more than you! We let them distract us from being your people

in the here and now.

THIS WEEK’S CALENDAR

TODAY 9:30am. Sunday School Adult Education

11:00am. Worship 12:15pm. Coffee and Fellowship

MONDAY 12:00pm. Food Pantry Open 6:30pm. Girl Scouts 7:00pm. Food Pantry Committee TUESDAY 9:30am. Presbytery at Schoharie

7:00pm. Finance and Stewardship Scouts BSA

WEDNESDAY 6:00pm. Food Pantry 7:00pm. Session SATURDAY 9:00am. Food Pantry 1:00pm. Set-up for Alternative Christmas

Looking Ahead – NEXT SUNDAY –November 24, 2019

9:30am. Sunday School . Adult Education 11:00am. Worship 12:15pm. Congregational Meeting 12:30pm. Alternative Christmas Fair

Birthdays and Anniversaries This Week 22 - Rachel Handley

22 - Carol and John Matthews 23 - Sandy and Steve Hohneker

Minute for Mission: Hunger and Homelessness Sunday

Presbyterian congregations are responding to homelessness around the country. They are preparing meals and sharing produce from community gardens, offering shelter on cold nights, assisting with job skills training and participating in Congregation-Based Community Organizing (CBCO). CBCO is a local coalition of congregations from many faiths working together to root out injustice and build equitable solutions in their neighbor-hoods and cities. While advocating with people whose voices are too often ignored, congregations find that the vibrancy of their own faith communities increases. When Deborah Agbor-Tabi joined St. James Presbyterian Church in Charleston, South Carolina, she found the congregation very involved with the community in areas such as recreation, social events, working with local politi-cal leaders, and ministries with youth, seniors, students and those in need of food stamps. Deborah knew that in addition to mercy and faithfulness, God calls the Church to do the work of justice (Micah 6:8, Matthew 23:23–24). Members of St. James have been active for several years in community or-ganizing with their local CBCO, the Charleston Area Justice Ministry. “Each year we focus on one challenge and we research it along with possible solutions. We present these to our public officials in public gather-ings. Using the example of Nehemiah, we have an annual gathering … to ask our officials to adopt and implement the solutions we have identi-fied. Sometimes this can take two to three years, but we are successful. Then we follow up together to be sure it is implemented. Those folks who felt that nothing ever works have heard about our successes and have started to par-ticipate,” Deborah said. “Together we make a difference for each other, our membership and our community, while also energizing the congregation.” The Presbyterian Hunger Program financially supports about two doz-en CBCOs around the United States each year thanks to Presbyterians’ dona-tions to the One Great Hour of Sharing offering. Andrew Kang Bartlett; Associate for National Hunger Concerns; Compassion Peace & Justice; Presbyterian Mission Agency

Forgive us when we so easily tremble at the wars and rumors of war. We forget that this is your world and that you are always with us. Forgive us when we let other visions of the future control our work and perspective, rather than your vision of peace and harmony. Forgive us for the times we have in words and deeds created more harm than help, more discord than peace. Show us the paths that lead to your peace, and let your peace begin right now in each of us. Forgive us our trust in things other than you...in money, in military might, in economic power, even in our own righteousness. Help us to remember that our only peace and security comes in placing our trust in you above all else.

SILENT PRAYER FOR PERSONAL CONFESSION ASSURANCE OF PARDON RESPONSE 417 (v. 1) Lord Jesus, Think on Me

Proclaiming the Word PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION (Unison)

Most loving God, your mercy is from everlasting to everlasting. Please enable us to so trust you, that grounded in you we may live with serene trust. May we look at change and chance without dismay, seeing in every moment the opportunity for the exercise of resilient faith and tenacious love. Through Jesus Christ, the bringer of the new heaven and new earth. Amen!

OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Isaiah 65:17-25

(O.T. pg. 682)

GOSPEL LESSON Luke 21:5-19 (N.T. pg. 83)

NOT FOR CHILDREN ONLY

HYMN 722 (v. 1,3,4,5) Lord, Speak to Me That I May Speak

SERMON If There Is Something New, What Happens to the Old?

Responding to the Word

MINUTE FOR MISSION

SHARING OF JOYS AND CONCERNS

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

THE LORD’S PRAYER (sins, sin)

OFFERING OF TITHES AND GIFTS

*RESPONSE 643 (v. 3) Now Thank We All Our God

*PRAYER OF DEDICATION (Unison)

Remind us, Holy God, that people draw hope, healing, feeding,

reconciliation from the wells of our generosity. So, encourage

us to draw from the abundance which is ours to bless those

around us, even if we do not know them. In Jesus' name we

pray. Amen.

*HYMN 840 When Peace Like a River

*CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

Thanksgiving Eve Service

will be held at the Kinderhook Reformed Church,

November 27.

The service will begin at 7:00 p.m.

Rev. Samantha White, pastor of Tri-County Lutheran Parish (which

includes St. Luke’s and Emmanuel) is bringing the message of the

evening.

Offering will be received for the Catholic Charities Ecumenical

Emergency Fund (CEEF)

and non perishable items for the Ichabod Crane Ecumenical Food

Pantry will also be collected.

Join your neighbors in praising and thanking God

for all of life.

Join us for the Alternative Christmas Fair!

Too many things to buy for Christmas? Everyone already has too much?

Try a new way of celebrating Christmas this year!

Through the Alternative Christmas Fair you can honor someone with

a gift that keeps on giving and is in the spirit of what Christmas means.

Make donations to help purchase items for families around the world in a loved one’s name

and present to them a full color card to explain to them what has been done in their honor.

We are working with:

Join us on Sunday November 24 (though orders may be submitted any time until then)

Church World Service

*PASSING THE PEACE (Responsively) The peace of Christ be with you. And also with you. Go in peace. Amen.

* * * * * * - indicates that all who are able, may stand. The lay reader today is Joanna Michalek. Greeting at the front doors this morning is Ruth and Paul Fuhrmann. Hertha Matuszek is tending the Nursery. Wally Brough is head usher for November.

PRAY FOR OUR CHURCH FAMILY

Wayne Austin Jerry Dymond

Mary and Charles Heermance Ricky Jacker

Laura Kinnicutt Marge Laurie

Geraldine and Bruce McCrum Marc Petrie

Marie and Daniel Wloch

PRAY FOR OUR EXTENDED FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND THE WORLD Bill Behrens

Caren Stewart Those who have lost loved ones

Migrants, immigrants and refugees Government leaders

Iraq Santa Clarita school district and shooting victims

Syria The West Bank

ANNOUNCEMENTS

NURSERY CARE DURING WORSHIP is provided for infants and children

through the second grade. Parents are asked to take their child(ren) to the

nursery during the hymn just before the sermon. The nursery is found

through the door to the left of the pulpit, down the hall on the left. Children

who are in the third grade and older should remain with their families during

the worship service.

THE ECUMENICAL FOOD PANTRY continues to meet a growing need in

the Ichabod Crane School district. They are grateful for all donations of non-

perishable foods (that have a future expiration date) and are asking

particularly at this time for rice, tuna, cereals, and soups. If you have any

questions about the Food Pantry or how you might get involved, speak with

Tim Wells, our representative on the Food Pantry Committee.

If you would like to honor someone or make a gift in memory of someone,

consider giving flowers for a Sunday worship service. A sign-up sheet is in

the back of the sanctuary for you to give the information necessary for the

bulletin and a form to fill out and put in the Secretary’s box. You may bring

any flowers you want – from the garden or store arranged. We all appreciate

the beauty of creation!

NEXT SUNDAY NOVEMBER 24, the Congregation and Community

Committee will close the Alternative Christmas Fair. Donations can be made

in someone’s honor, or, just because, and items are given through mission

agencies to help others around the world. This year we will again be

supporting Church World Service, Heifer International, SERRV and

Presbyterian Giving Catalog. Come to Coffee Hour and view the many

worthy projects and programs that you can support.

The Walk to End Hunger (aka the “CROP Walk”) is looking for an organizer in

our area. If you feel God calling you to take on the organization and

promotion of this worthy project, along with an able committee, please

let Nancy Pienta or Pastor Kathi know.

Go Green:

Bring your own container to a restaurant to bring home your left-overs. It

helps decrease waste and may also inspire others to do the same.

If you have not returned your 2020 Pledge Card, please take a moment to fill

one out and put it on the offering plate today. Extras may be found on the

table at the back of the sanctuary. Finance and Stewardship needs income

information in order to determine what programs and personnel we will be

able to fund as well as to what extent we will be able maintain our facilities.

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 30 beginning at 9:30am. we will be decorating

the sanctuary for the Advent and Christmas season. Many hands make light

work and it is fun work anyway. So come on out and join us as we get into

the holiday spirit and deck the halls! We will need some fresh greens to

make swags so if you have any, please speak with Hertha so we can

coordinate what we are getting. Different kinds of evergreens make the

decorations more interesting.

The Thank Offering has been a long tradition of Presbyterian Women and has provided financial assistance to numerous programs throughout the years. Forty percent of each year's offering is used to support hospitals and community health programs and the remaining sixty percent is used for new creative ideas for mission that will support the health, education, and economic development of women and children. A list of the 20 19 recipients is in the folder that was handed out. The offering will be taken today and next Sunday.

A meeting of the Congregation of the First Presbyterian Church of

Valatie, NY, is called for Sunday November 24, 2019 immediately

following worship for the purpose of electing 1 elder to the Class

of 2023 and 2 deacons to the Class of 2023.

By Order of the Session

Sarah Sayers, Clerk