ORDER OF WORSHIP 5-31-20/Pentecost/Graduation
Welcome & Announcements
Pouring of the Baptismal Water
Responsive Call to Worship
Opening Hymn
Unison Prayer
Scripture: Acts 2:1-21(on screen)/Gloria Patri
The Gospel: John 20:19-23
Sermon Hymn
Sermon: “That Dangerous Dove”
Musical Interlude
Honoring of Graduates
Sharing of Celebrations and Concerns/
“Worry Stones”/Silence/Prayers of the People/
Lord’s Prayer (using “debts”)
Invitation to Give of Ourselves and our Gifts to God/Doxology/Prayer of Dedication
Closing Hymn
Benediction and Blessing
OUR CHURCH CALENDAR THIS WEEK
Monday through Thursday evenings at 6:30 pm join Pastor Jill for “Prayer Connection” (see connection information on back)
Wednesday, June 3
7:15 pm small Zoom group, “We Make the Road by Walking,” meets each Wed evening to discuss Brian McLaren’s book
Next Sunday, June 7/Trinity Sunday/KXRA
10:00 am Worship online with us:
YouTube/First Congregational UCC Alexandria, MN
This is the day of Pentecost—marking the time when God poured the Holy Spirit upon the church, empowering us to be witnesses nearby, in the surrounding areas and to the ends of the earth!
We’re celebrating graduates today! At this time of year we have some very proud parents and grandparents. We have received the following information to share, and Pastor Jill has prepared a slide presentation:
David Fleming has graduated from Alexandria Area High School and plans to attend Concordia College in Moorhead. His proud parents are Cindy Fleming, Brian Fleming, and grandma Nancy Hansen.
Kaden Zook is graduating from Oregon State University. He is continuing in a Master’s program this summer and plans to become a teacher. Proud grandma is Dorothy Shinn.
We are still taking measures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Our worship services can be found on YouTube and also each weekday morning at approximately 10:45 on Charter cable channel #181, where we are 3rd in the lineup after Calvary which begins at 9:00 am, then Zion, and then our Church. The exact time (other than Calvary at 9:00 am) depends on the length of the services, which varies each Sunday for all three churches. We will continue to use the screen in worship, which you can see at home, so you can follow and sing along if you wish. If you have questions, please call the Church office or Barb at home (320-846-7801). We are trying to keep everyone “connected” as a Church family, and we’re meeting those challenges and keeping the faith.
Pastor Jill invites everyone to join her Monday through Thursday evenings at 6:30 pm for “Prayer Connection” using Zoom. As a participant, you can use the following information for your online device; or you can use your phone to join in. These are drop-in sort of sessions and no attendance is taken, so join us whenever you wish. We have been having good groups these past weeks and we are reminded by these gatherings how much we need each other and each other’s prayers! -Pastor Jill
1) TO JOIN VIA YOUR CONNECTED DEVICE:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/9990015170?pwd=MGMwU0lycTNQSFI0cVJVT0xpcC9Udz09
Meeting ID: 999 001 5170
Password: PRAY
2) To dial in by phone:
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
Meeting ID: 999 001 5170
Password: 427210
Our Angel Care visits are temporarily suspended due to the virus outbreak. If you have any concerns during this period, please contact the Church office and we will do our best to assist you.
Office is closed! Until further notice, we are in lock-down mode for as long as advised by the Governor, except for essential business. If you have a concern or need assistance, you may leave a phone message at the Church or contact Barb (Church secretary) at home: 320-846-7801, and we will make whatever arrangements we can to help. You can also email the Church office at our new email address: office@firstcongregationaluccalex.com, which we monitor daily. Please stay safe.
Many thanks to those who have agreed to be “calling buddies” so folks who do not have email can still receive timely and pertinent messages from Church that are generally sent out on the Holy Hot Line as our Church news occurs.
Some ways you can get items to us:
You may use the box in the CE/computer lab room just inside the door on the left side on the computer desk. Or, you may drop items or your offering in the secure Church mailbox slot on the outside brick wall of the West entrance. It is locked and only the Church office has a key. Please be sure not to leave cash in the outside box; checks should be secure. We check those drop spots regularly.
However, we strongly encourage you to abide by the Governor’s request to stay at home as much as possible and use phone and email instead. Keep the faith and we’ll get through this together.
WE NOW HAVE ONLINE GIVING AVAILABLE!
As you know, the Church continues to incur expenses, even though our ministries have had to change for this season while we live with COVID-19.
We have made it easier for you to support the Church finan-cially. You can go to the Church website: www.firstcongregationaluccalex.com and click on the “give” button to give directly. Or you can text the word “Give” to 1-(844) 913-1752. Thank you for your generous and ongoing support!
Until further notice: Our Church has been serving as a drop-off/pick-up spot for the making of face masks for the community. Calvary Church was doing this, but they are in the asbestos-abatement stage of their remodeling, and we are providing a space free of contamination for this project to continue. We are happy to help with this community effort and have provided space in our secure West entryway. Our outside doors at the West entrance are open 24/7 to accom-modate folks who want to drop off supplies, to pick up supplies to make more masks, or to get completed masks.
Therefore, our inner doors at the West entrance are locked (also 24/7) to keep the interior of the building secure. So, whenever you need to enter the Church building, please use the East (alley) entrance only.
The goal is that everyone in our area has at least 1 mask. So, if you need one, pick one up and wash before wearing. Thanks to everyone!
Special thanks to Julie Hjelm for thoughtfully providing special Memorial Day bouquets at the front of the sanctuary last Sunday for our worship viewers. She arranged white apple blossoms, red tulips, and blue iris for the occasion