SERVICE FOR THE LORDS DAY December 4, 2011 Second Sunday of Advent ORGAN PRELUDE Communion WORDS OF WELCOME

AND ANNOUNCEMENTS CHORAL INTROIT CALL TO WORSHIP Lighting of the Advent Candle Victoria Neill, Gina Neill, Cole Stout Reader: Last Sunday we lit the first candle the candle of hope Reader: Loving God, in this time of preparation and planning, we thank youprepare our hearts to be transformed by you, that we may walk in the light of Christ. People: We will share in the Spirit; We will find consolation in love. We will practice a ministry of humility and compassion for God is at work in us, empowering us. We will welcome Christ into our hearts and lives. We will worship the Lord in hope and in peace. *HYMN #154G O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (vs. 1 & 3) *PRAYER OF CONFESSION God of fierce compassion, you call us to make our ways straight, yet we get lost down crooked roads of selfish concern. We are to prepare the way for your reign of justice, but we choose easier paths of comfort. Have mercy on us. Forgive us and set us back to work, clearing paths of justice, building highways of peace, and preparing the world for your return. *MOMENTS FOR SILENT, PERSONAL CONFESSION *ASSURANCE OF PARDON *AFFIRMATION OF FAITH Nicene Creed (see insert) Martin

*GLORIA PATRI (back cover of bulletin) CHILDRENS MESSAGE CHORAL ANTHEM The Remembering PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION FIRST LESSON Matthew 7:21-29 (p. 7) SECOND LESSON James 2:1-18 (p. 229-230) SERMON Faith In Action PRESENTATION OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS OFFERTORY Sacrament *DOXOLOGY *PRAYER OF DEDICATION *HYMN #153G Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION SERVICE OF HEALING & PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE *HYMN Congregations Choice Shea

*BENEDICTION *CHORAL RESPONSE MOMENT FOR SILENT MEDITATION ORGAN POSTLUDE The Call to Serve SERVICE NOTES: (*) indicates when to stand (G) refers to our green hymnal Worship & Rejoice Kendall

THE NICENE CREED We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in our Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the virgin, Mary, and was made human. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified. he has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy, catholic and apostolic church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

As a shepherd leads his flock, the Lord has led us here. God has tender words for us. Welcome into his loving presence. The The The The The elder for the month is Ken Stroud. deacon for the month is Tricia Barrett. trustee for the month is Margery Eachus. greeters are John, Melanie, Hanna & Bradley Richman. lay leader is Geneva Hackett.

Mission Statement: In the Name of Christ: Sowing, GROWing, and Serving. Vision Statement: We are GROWing, Growing in Faith, Reaching others for Christ, Offering opportunities for mission, Worshipping the Lord with our whole hearts. If you are visiting with us today we warmly welcome you and hope you have received a welcome packet. Please feel free to contact Pastor Julia with any questions or pastoral needs. Pastor Julia can be reached at 358-1104 or revjuliap@gmail.com. You can contact Jill Stout, our secretary/treasurer at 358-1104 or jstout312@comcast.net. PRAISE BAND PRACTICE Tuesday @ 7:30 pm CHOIR PRACTICE Wednesday @ 7:30 pm Sr. and Jr. high youth groups will meet tonight. If you are able please bring cookie dough. On Sunday, December 11, the youth groups will be Christmas Caroling from 3 4:30 pm. Please see Dana.

Today there will be a healing service during our 10:00 am worship. Anyone who is in need of physical, emotional or spiritual healing is invited to come forward for the laying of hands by the elders and anointing with oil. You may also come forward to intercede on behalf of someone else. The Lord hears our prayers and will bring healing and wholeness to our lives. Today, immediately following worship, CE will host a Bethlehem breakfast in the social hall. We will celebrate the birth of Jesus with breakfast treats, crafts, games and a video. Please join the children for this time of fellowship and celebration! Today from 1-3:00 in the youth lounge there will be a new members class. If you are interested in joining our church or learning more about what it means to be a Presbyterian plan to attend. It is time to order your Christmas Poinsettias. Cost is $8.00. Please see Judy Gardner by December 11 to place your order. Angel Tree: Spread some of Gods love this year by providing a gift to a needy individual. The Deacons will be putting up the Angel Tree in the narthex. Gifts need to be returned by December 18th, wrapped and with their tag on them. Thank you for your willingness to share some of your blessings! Advent calendars and devotionals are now available in the narthex. Please take one to use throughout the season.

Prayer Requests: Mary Radcliffe, Debbie Covey (Oak Gandys daughter), Judi Walker, Jack and Pat Barrett, Billy Cundey Jr. (friend of Chris Baum), Paul Headley, Ron Rudenolff and Joanne Riddell (friends of Dee & George Leptien), Sharon & Michael Hughes (friends of Kitty Lamb), Bruce and Teresa Monell, Brian Denny (friend of Jeanine Tindall), Peggy Kroeplin (Donna Strouds mother), Brad Davis, Bill Williams, Eric Robertson (friend of Andrea Wood), Carol Barnhart (Cora Laytons daughter), John Baitinger (Marion Dwyers brother), Brenda (Hackett) Halls daughter, Jill (friend of Jane String), Dot Floyd, Bill Stratton (friend of Rick & Kitty Lamb), Lestor Sutton (friend of Jennifer Johnson) ), and Robert Brown (Eric Williams father-in-law). Session has set Sunday, December 18 as the date for a special Congregational Meeting. This meeting will take place in the sanctuary following worship and is for the purpose of voting on the dissolution of the pastoral relationship between Pittsgrove Presbyterian Church and the Rev. Dr. Julia Pizzuto-Pomaco. No Sunday school this day but childcare will be provided. This years Christmas Cantata will be held on Sunday, December 18th at 7:30 pm with pre-service music beginning at 7 pm. This years cantata will combine our church choir with the choir from the Friesburg Lutheran Church. Everyone is invited to attend a light reception in the social hall following the cantata. If there are any children who would like to participate in the cantata, please attend practice on Sunday, December 11

from 9:15 9:30 am and on Wednesday, December 14 at 7:30 pm. You can also pick up a copy of the CD from Nick. December 25th will be a family friendly celebration of the Christ child. Children and adults can wear their Christmas socks (because it will also be Shoeless Sunday-donating shoes to Buckner orphanage). The youth will also be sharing special music with us on that Sunday. Let us know if you or your youth are willing to help us with worship that day! Pastor Julia will be preaching through the book of James in the coming weeks. Why not spend some time this week getting familiar with it? Please dont forget when making your pledges this year that you can pledge to the Captial Improvement Fund. Also the manse will be undergoing much needed improvements in the months ahead so if possible please contribute generously. See a member of Trustees if you have questions about the projects that are planned. You may use a white envelope in the pew to make your donation. Please save the date of Sunday evening, December 11th at 5 pm, for our covered dish dinner and time for celebrating Pastor Julias ministry with us. If you plan to attend it would be helpful to let Ruth or Jill know and please bring a side dish or dessert. Also, if you have any pictures of events from the last 9 years, please give them to Katie Barrett or Ruth. If you would like to share a memory or speak during the program, please see Ruth.

Fit To Serve will meet at 6pm this Tuesday, December 6th. Come out to exercise together! Call Dana with any questions.

Christian Education
We are looking for a volunteer to be the Childrens Church Coordinator. This person would be willing to arrange the weekly volunteers that are needed each week for childrens church. Members of the CE team are available to help with planning lessons. This is an important ministry of our church and we would not want to see it interrupted. Please see a member of CE if you can help or talk to Pastor Julia. You can also sign up on the sheet in the narthex. If you can volunteer one Sunday per month in the nursery please sign up on the sheet outside of the nursery door. We have not had many volunteers and if no one has signed up to cover, nursery will not be provided for that week. In order to make this ministry possible for the many young families and visitors of our church we need your help. Please see Colleen Moore if you have any questions. A Sunday School teacher is needed for the Lions class (3-5th grades). There is already a regular assistant for that class who intends to continue helping after Joe is no longer available to teach. We have great curriculum and you would not need to begin teaching until January 15th! If you are interested please see a member of the CE team. Prior to the Cantata on the 18th, there will be a Live Nativity Scene from 6-7 pm across the street from the church. Come one and all to hear and see the wonderful story of the

Saviors birth! If you or your child would like to be involved please see Dana. Sunday School will not be held on the following dates: December 4, 18 and 25, January 1, and January 8. Come as you are to Shoeless Sunday, Christmas morning December 25th. Please bring in a pair of new shoes, socks, and/or a $3 donation to cover shipping costs. The shoes are for orphan children (sizes small through adult) given through the Buckner Foundation. Also, as we have done in the past we encourage you to remove your shoes in the sanctuary. We take off our shoes in solidarity with people around the world who are too poor to have a pair of their own. Our Per Capita Apportionment for 2012 is due to the Presbytery by February. Our apportionment for next year will be $7,437. This equates to $37 per member (not per family). Any amount not covered by the membership must be paid out of the General Funds, so please help cover the cost. Please mark your check or envelope as Per Capita and place in the offering plate by January 29th. Thank you! On behalf of Compassion Internationals Water for Life program, I would like to thank everyone who contributed to purchase water filters. With your contribution, Compassion will send much needed water filters for safe drinking to areas around the world that have contaminated water. On mission Sunday, members of the congregation contributed enough for 9 filters!!! I will be working with this program until December of 2012. If anyone is interested in

purchasing a filter, please see me. Thanks again and blessings!! Donna Stroud The next Ladies Lunch will be held Monday, December 12th at noon. We will meet at the Bridgeton Family Diner. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Jean Williams at 358-8563. The Mission of the Month for December is Christmas Joy Offering. Please keep this ministry in your prayers. Your gift to the Christmas Joy Offering today will help the church explore its partnership with families and individuals throughout their lives. Half the Offering supports racial ethnic schools and colleges where students can discover their call and develop the skills to respond to it. The other half supports the assistance programs of the Board of Pensions, keeping faith with those who have responded to that call with their lives, confident that the church would help them if they ever needed it. May our gifts to the Christmas Joy Offering today be an overwhelming affirmation of our partnership in that faith. You will find Christmas Joy envelopes in the pews and an insert in your bulletin. Join us for a prayer time every Sunday morning in the youth lounge before church at 9:20am. There are 12 assisted listening devices available for people to better hear the worship service. They are located in a basket in the narthex. CD copies of our worship service are also available every Sunday in the narthex.

Thank you to everyone who volunteered their time to help with the church and manse clean up yesterday! Your help was truly appreciated! A special thanks to all of our Trustees who have gone above and beyond!