FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
WELCOME TO OLDTOWN
North Attleborough, MA—January 8, 2023
Ministers: ALL of our Members and Friends
Pastor & Teacher: The Rev. Kelly Thibeault
Welcome to the Oldtown Church!
We are so glad that you have chosen to worship with us today. We invite you to join in on the bold print in the bulletin and to stand as you are able any time you see a ⇑. The restrooms are out the back door of the sanctuary to the right, as is the nursery, in case your little one needs a walkabout. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, and please join us for fellowship after worship!
Please remember to mute your devices during worship.
BREATHE
PRELUDE
GATHERING SONG
WELCOME
TODAY’S WORSHIP WAYS
CENTERING TIME
Gathered here in the mystery of the hour
Gathered here in one strong body
Gathered here in the struggle and the power
Spirit draw near.
CALL TO WORSHIP
Arise! Shine!
God’s light has come to show us the way!
Arise! Shine!
God’s light penetrates the darkness that covers the world.
Arise! Shine!
Nations shall come to God’s light and kings to the brightness of God’s dawn.
Arise! Shine!
For the Glory of the Lord has risen upon us.
OPENING PRAYER
SHARE
⇑ HYMN C#173—”As With Gladness”
⇑ TIME OF SHARING
Open our eyes, Lord. We want to see Jesus,
To reach out and touch Him, and tell Him we love Him.
Open our ears, Lord, and help us to listen.
Open our eyes, Lord. We want to see Jesus.
SCRIPTURE READING: Matthew 2:1-12 (Oldtown Bible: NT 2)
REFLECT
SERMON – “Sharing the Light of Christ”
PREPARING OURSELVES FOR PRAYER
O Little Town of Bethlehem, descend on us, we pray;
Cast out our sin and enter in; be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels, the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE and THE LORD’S PRAYER
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 debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
CHORAL RESPONSE
THANK
OFFERING OF OUR GIFTS
GIFT OF MUSIC
⇑ DOXOLOGY
Then entered in those wise men three,
Full reverently upon their knee,
And offered there, in his presence,
Their gold and myrrh and frankincense.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel. Born is the King of Israel.
⇑ PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
FOR THE LOVE OF THE CHURCH
⇑ SENDING HYMN—C#172 “We Three Kings of Orient Are”
⇑ BENEDICTION
⇑ BENEDICTION RESPONSE
I believe there are angels among us,
Sent down to us from somewhere up above.
They come to you and me in our darkest hours
To show us how to live, to teach us how to give,
To guide us with a light of love.
POSTLUDE
*** Our worship has ended; let our service begin! ***
The Oldtown Message
January 8, 2023
OLDTOWN CALENDAR
Sun Jan 8: Household Huddle 9am
~ Worship 10am, Epiphany Sunday
~ Deacons meeting after worship
Wed Jan 11: Coffee Connection 10am-noon
Sun Jan 15: Household Huddle 9am
~ Worship 10am
~ Annual reports are due!
Wed Jan 18: Coffee Connection 10am-noon
~ Church Committee Meeting 7pm
Sun Jan 22: Household Huddle 9am
~ Worship 10am, New Members Sunday
~ OLDTOWN ANNUAL MEETING after worship
Check our Online Calendar for even more Oldtown, denominational, and local events, free webinars, and other resources!! Have something you’d like added to the calendar? Email calendar@oldtownucc.org with all the information, and we’ll get it posted.
OLDTOWN PRAYER LIST
Take some time this week to listen for God’s voice. Thank God for the good things in your life, and ask God to help you hold the things that worry you. As always, please pray for those on our prayer list:
Alice, Carolyn, Janice, Jeanne, Franke, Geddy, Wayne, June, Lynne, Celine, Perilene, Stacey, Alex, Al, Bob R.
We have started a new prayer list for the new year. Prayer requests can be placed in the offering plate, entered through our church website using our online prayer request form, or emailed Pastor Kelly at PastorKelly@oldtownucc.org.
NEW MEMBERS SUNDAY
Would you like to become a member of the Oldtown Church? We will be having a New Members Sunday on January 22nd. For more information, please see Pastor Kelly or one of our Deacons.
STEWARDSHIP CORNER
Weekly Giving
- Last week, our total offering to the church was $3,108.82, which is $1,854.10 more than expected for the week, a GREAT “first-week-of-the-year!!”
- Our total congregational giving for last year was $2,700 less than we expected it to be.
In this season of Epiphany, we talk a lot in the church about gifts, like the gifts the wise men brought to the Christ child and the gift of Christ revealed to us all at His baptism at the River Jordan. We’ve also just celebrated giving and receiving gifts with friends and family at Christmas. Take some time in these winter weeks and months to ponder and pray about the gifts YOU have that God has given YOU. Remember how “fearfully and wonderfully made” you are, and treasure the gifts that your friends and family are in your life. Then, think about how your gifts can be shared to benefit others, and get out and make it happen!
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.’”
~ Matthew 25:37-40 (NRSVUE)
First Congregational Church, UCC of North Attleborough
(Oldtown Church)
675 Old Post Road, North Attleborough, MA 02760
508-695-1713
Pastor Kelly’s email: PastorKelly@oldtownucc.org
Church Email: church@oldtownucc.org
Website: www.oldtownucc.org
YouTube: www.youtube.com/oldtownucc
Facebook: www.facebook.com/oldtownucc
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Learn more about our denomination: www.ucc.org