First Parish Church, Congregational On the Village Green

Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts

Rev. Dr. Marlayna Schmidt, Interim Pastor

Donald R. Dunn, Director of Music-Organist

Jessica Skidmore, Christian Ministry Coordinator

Tori Potter, Sexton

Nancy Klebart, Office Manager

978-526-7661 ext. 1

office.fpchurch@gmail.com

www.firstparishchurch.org

Insert picture of Church

MORNING WORSHIP SERVICE

Communion Sunday, June 3, 2018, 10:00 a.m.

Confirmation Sunday

ORGAN PRELUDE: “Oh, the Beautiful Treasures” Shaker Tune

Arranged by Wilbur Held (b. 1914-2015)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

CALL TO WORSHIP (written by Rev. M. Enid Watson)

Pastor: Jesus said, “Follow me.”

Parish: We don’t always know what that means.

Pastor: We are on a journey of discovery.

Parish: We are here because we want to be God’s people;

Pastor: We are here because we are broken and want to be whole

again;

Parish: We are here to celebrate our lives, and God’s presence in

this life.

All: Let us worship God with great thanksgiving.

*HYMN: “Morning Has Broken” PH #38 blue

PRAYER OF APPROACH AND CONFESSION

(Adapted from Touch Holiness)

As we end another busy week in our lives, we come before you, O God,

knowing that you are always ready to receive us, shortcomings and all.

We take time out to consider how our lives might better reflect your

broad view of life, your forgiving spirit, your wisdom, your creativity,

your patience. You call us to the inspiring, and sometimes difficult,

work of living the way that Jesus taught us-- loving our neighbors as

ourselves. You challenge us to have courage in the face of possible

ridicule and failure. We seek to be like Jesus in refusing to be dead in

the midst of life, and in refusing to ignore glaring needs and insistent

cries for help. May the transforming power of your love shine through

each of us. We pray in Jesus name…

*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 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, the power and the glory forever. Amen.

*GLORIA PATRI: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is

now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen

SCRIPTURE READINGS:

Jeremiah 29:11 Jen Powers, Reader

“For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for

your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.”

Hebrews 12:1-3 Jessica Skidmore, Reader

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let

us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let

us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2looking to Jesus

the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that

was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has

taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

3 Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners,

so that you may not grow weary or lose heart.”

ANTHEM: “My Faith, My Hope”

Text: George Herbert (1593-1633) and written in 1633

Music: Gwyneth Walker (b. 1947)

My Faith. My Hope, my Strength, my Light…

Come, my Way, my truth, my Life:

Such a Way, as gives us breath:

Such a Truth, as ends all strife:

Such a Life outliveth death.

Come, my Light, my Feast, my Strength:

Such a Light, as shows a feast;

Such a Feast, as mends in length;

Such a Strength, as makes his guest.

Come, my Joy, my Love, my Heart:

Such a Joy, as none can move:

Such a Love, as none can part:

Such a Heart, as joys in love.

WORDS OF INTRODUCTION

Jen Powers & Jessica Skidmore, Confirmation Instructors

TESTIMONY: Ian, Jake, & Tyler

*HYMN: “In the Bulb There Is a Flower” NCH #433 black

TESTIMONY: Alden, Sam, Charlotte, & Max

OFFERTORY SENTENCE

OFFERTORY ANTHEM: “Come, Christians, Join to Sing “

Words: Christian Henry Bateman (1813-1889)

Music based on a Cuban folk song

Arranged by Hal H. Hopson (b. 1934)

Come, Christians, join to sing Come, lift your hearts on high;

Loud praise to Christ our King; Let praises fill the sky;

Let all, with heart and voice, He is our guide and friend;

Before his throne rejoice His love shall never end.

Rejoice and sing. Rejoice and sing.

Be joyful in the Lord, Be joyful in the Lord,

Lift up your voice of praise; Lift up your voice of praise;

Your alleluias raise. Your alleluias raise.

Praise Christ with heart and soul;

His endless love extol.

On heaven’s blissful shore

Sing songs forever more.

Rejoice and sing.

Be joyful in the Lord,

Lift up your voice of praise;

Your alleluias raise.

*DOXOLOGY: Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise God all creatures here below, Praise God

above ye heavenly host, Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

THE RITE OF CONFIRMATION

INTRODUCTION

QUESTIONS TO THE CONFIRMANDS - CONFIRMING

BAPTISMAL PROMISES

PRAYER OF THE CONFIRMANDS

Pastor and Confirmands: O God, my God, known to me in Jesus Christ,

I give myself to you as your own, to love and serve you faithfully all the

days of my life. Amen.

PRAYER OF THE CONGREGATION

Almighty God, who in baptism received these your servants into the

church, for-gave their sins, and promised them eternal life, increase in

them the gifts of your Holy Spirit. Grant love for others, joy in serving

you, peace in disagreement, pa-tience in suffering, kindness toward all

people, goodness in evil times, faithfulness in temptation, gentleness in

the face of opposition, self-control in all things. There-by strengthen

them for their ministry in the world; through Jesus Christ our Savior.

Amen.

ACT OF CONFIRMATION

ADDRESS AND WELCOME

COVENANT OF MEMBERSHIP WITH FIRST PARISH

CHURCH, CONGREGATIONAL, UCC

COVENANT OF THE CONGREGATION

Acknowledging Jesus Christ to be our Savior and Lord, and accepting

the Holy Scripture as our rule of faith and practice, and recognizing the

privilege and duty of uniting ourselves for Christian fellowship, the

enjoyment of Christian ordinances, the public worship of God, and the

advancement of His kingdom in the world, we do now, in the sight of

God and invoking His blessing, solemnly covenant and agree with each

other to associate ourselves to be a church of Jesus Christ, as warranted

by the Word of God.

We agree to maintain the institutions of the gospel, to submit ourselves

to the orderly administration of the affairs of the Church, and to walk

together in neighborly love.

And this we do depending upon our God who so loved the world that

Jesus Christ, the only begotten son, was given for our salvation, and

who redeemed us with His blood, and on the Holy Spirit, our Comforter

and Guide.

Confirmed this morning are:

Ian Alsop Jake Edwards Tyler Erdmann

Alden Irose Sam Peterson Charlotte Pick

Max Warnock

*HYMN: “I Was There to Hear Your Borning Cry” NCH #351 black

SERVICE OF HOLY COMMUNION (The bread in the middle of the plates is gluten free; the cup is non-alcoholic grape juice.)

Call to the Table and Communion Prayer (There will be time, during the prayer, to bring our joys and concerns before God.)

Words of Institution

Sharing of the Bread and Cup

Prayer of Thanksgiving – in unison:

Loving and gracious God, thank you for this holy meal. Thank

you for Jesus and his all-inclusive love for humanity. Thank

you for this day in which we worship and serve you. Amen.

*[The “Removal of the Flame”, which symbolizes the Spirit of God accompanying

us out into the world]

*BENEDICTION

TUNNEL OF BLESSING

As the newly confirmed members of FPCC exit the church, you are

invited to turn toward the central aisle and raise your hands towards

them in a gesture of blessing.

*CHORAL RESPONSE

ORGAN POSTLUDE: “Trumpet Voluntary”

Gordon Young (1919-1998)

After the service all are invited to join us outside for refreshments.

Flowers on the altar are given by the Christian Education Committee in

celebration of our Confirmation Class and their parents.

The Deacons are Sarah Campbell and Barbara Smith.

Readers and greeters are always needed, to volunteer speak to the

Deacons, or you can also sign up online.

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0444aca629a5f94-diaconate

Listening devices are available for those in need; they are at the back of

the Sanctuary. Feel free to address a Deacon should you need help using

them.

Welcome to all who are new to our worship. To join our mailing list fill

out a “Welcome Card” to place in the collection plate or contact

office.fpchurch@gmail.com, 978-526-7661 ext 1.

FPCC CARE TEAM Have you shared the experience?

We support FPC families with meals, rides, & visits through

times of illness and loss. Please contact Sue Pick

(suepick1@me.com or 978-548-0145) if you would like to

share your ideas, time, and talents with the FPC Care Team.

SEASIDE PARISH KNITTERS We would love to have

you join us on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays (June 7 & 21) of

the month in the Conference Room of the Chapel, 3-5 PM.

MY STORY We each have unique journeys of faith. One

way to deepen our understanding of them is to share our

stories with each other.

Once per month, the Vitality Committee welcomes one of

you to share your faith journey during Sunday service in brief 2 to 3

minute remarks. We hope you will consider sharing yours. A simple

way to organize your thoughts is to answer these 3 questions:

1. What is your early faith history? (1 minute)

2. How did you come to First Parish Church? What is meaningful to

you about your participation? (1 minute)

3. Can you share a specific moment of faith, an experience of divine

intervention or God's or Jesus' presence in your life? (1 minute)

We are eager to hear your faith stories! Please talk with Mary Ellen

Cook (978-526-7178) or Allison Moir-Smith (978-526-1904) to learn

more.

Weekly Food Donations When you go to church Sunday

mornings or to a meeting during the week, remember to take

one item that can be donated to Open Door. Food baskets

located in the Chapel and Church. It is easy to forget, but you can think

ahead and bring one food item that will be much appreciated by folks

who really need our help.

Brown Bag Lunch on Friday, June 30 sign-up coming soon or see

Lelly Smith or Muriel Parker.

Serve Dinner at The Open Door

Prep & Servers needed: please contact Jim Brennan after worship or at

978-879-4595 or click a date below to sign up here

Included in the Mission of our congregation is caring for God's creation.

Especially as Spring reveals the wonder of it all, we think

“conservation!” We will be putting forth alerts and reminders to help

us awaken to God's creation and consider our own actions to care for

this amazing town and the wider world we have been given.

What can we do to help with Conservation?

Here are some ideas from your Missions Committee.

Our Green Church on the Green

Transportation Notes

How do we travel these days?

1. Carpool / Use public transportation

2. Walk / Bicycle

3. Pre-plan / Combine errands

SETTLED PASTOR SEARCH PROCESS TO BEGIN BY THE

END OF THE SUMMER Do you feel called to serve? First Parish

will soon begin the process of searching for a new pastor. According to

our church bylaws, the Church Council is responsible for

appointing church members to serve on the search committee – two

from the Diaconate, one each from the Trustees, CE, Stewardship,

Music, Missions and Youth Group, and 5 members-at-large. Council

agreed that ideal criteria for serving on the committee include: regular

church attendance, positive outlook, good listening and synthesizing of

information skills, not being shy about speaking up in meetings, and

looking to God for guidance. Further, the chair of the

committee should have strong organization, motivation, and computer

skills.

Our hope is to create a cohesive committee that is representative of our

faith community with a balanced mix of ages, gender, family contexts,

and theological perspectives, and with a shared commitment to the

future of our church. Once the search starts, it will likely take six to nine

months. The main components of the work include developing

interview questions that help us assess whether a candidate would be a

good match for our values, purpose, and vision; reading through

candidates’ profiles; deciding who to interview; conducting interviews;

and then recommending a candidate to the congregation. The committee

will meet once or twice a month to prayerfully work through their tasks,

and individuals will be expected to read candidates’ profiles in between

meetings. There may also be a few visits to other churches to hear

candidates preach. Our UCC Area Minister, Rev. Wendy Vander Hart,

will help guide the committee through the search process, and Rev.

Marlayna can be a guide as well—but only on the process itself, not in

the choosing of candidates.

If you feel that serving God in this capacity might be a natural fit for

your talents and interests, or if there is someone you would like to

nominate who would also be a good fit, then please feel welcome to

speak with, or to email church moderator, Nancy Peterson

nancypete1@gmail.com. (Note: As a balanced mix of various

components is required, not all people who volunteer for the committee

may be appointed to serve.)

VISION PROCESS

Building on our four congregational meetings in the Vision Process, we

(the Transition Team) have drafted a Vision Statement, which is

available in the narthex and on the church’s website. The congregation

will have the opportunity to discuss the Vision Statement at our church’s

Annual Meeting on June 24th, and, with the congregation’s blessing, the

Vision Statement will then be used to form the basis of a strategic plan,

which the Executive Committee and Council will put together in the fall

of 2018. Once a strategic plan (with goals and objectives) has taken

shape, it will be presented to a “special meeting” of the congregation for

approval.

We (the Transition Team) are also using the information we have

gathered from the Vision Process to help form our “Church Profile,”

which is the document used in the search for a new settled pastor.

We plan to have the Church Profile done by mid June.

Please continue to keep our church’s Vision Process in your prayers!

Your Transition Team (Paul Driscoll, Lauren Gudonis, Mary Lumsden,

Jeff Parker, Jason Smith, Lelly Smith)

Church Council minutes, Congregational Meeting minutes and

documents can be found online.

TUCK’S POINT WORSHIP

Join us Sun. June 10, at the

Tuck’s Point Chowder House for

the 10 AM worship. (Worship

will include a dramatic reading

and lively music.)

BYOB picnic lunch to follow, dessert and beverages will be provided.

BIBLE STUDY will resume on May 31st and continue through June

14th.

First Parish Church Congregational uses candid photos of church

activities on its website and in its publicity from time to time. Any photos

of children used will not contain personally identifiable information.

Members of the community not wanting their photos depicted (or those

of their children) should inform the church office.

Upcoming events can be found on our website

(www.firstparishchurch.org ) under “News” and “Calendar” and on our

Facebook page (First Parish Manchester-by-the-Sea) under “Events”

THIS WEEK:

Tuesday

6:35 PM Transition Team Meeting

Wednesday

10:00 AM COA Yoga

7:30 PM Choir Rehearsal

Thursday

10:00 AM Health Clinic

3:00 PM Seaside Knitters

4:00 PM Bible Study

Friday

8:00 AM Yoga

Sunday

10:00 AM Worship at Tuck’s Point

BYO Picnic to follow

First Parish Church

Vacation Bible School

June 25-29, 1 - 3 PM

Children K-6th

grade are invited to join us for a fun filled week of

stories, games, crafts, and learning about Jesus’ love.

First Parish Chapel

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED This is our biggest outreach to the greater

Manchester community, providing a free fun event to local families, and

we need volunteers to help run the program and donate snacks.

Please sign up to help today! High School students can earn community

service hours. To sign up speak to Jessica 978-526-7661 x 3 or email

cedirector.fpchurch@gmail.com.

You can also look at volunteer slots and sign up online.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0c4caba822a1f49-canyou1

CHILDREN K-6 GRADE WELCOME Sign up your children and invite

friends! Contact Jessica with questions 978-526-7661 x 3 or

cedirector.fpchurch@gmail.com.

You can also register online

https://goo.gl/forms/grlpEsnQRYZGlFKb2