The Lord’s Day Worship – November 17, 2024

Prelude

Welcome and Announcements

Apostolic Greeting

*Call to Worship

*Opening Hymn:  “Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah"   #148B

*Prayer of Invocation

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.

Word of God: Ephesians 1:15-23

Pastoral Prayer

The Nicene Creed

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds;
God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God;
begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father,

by whom all things were made.
Who, for us men and for our salvation,
came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary,

and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate;

he suffered and was buried;
and the third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures;

and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father;

and he shall come again, with glory, to judge the living and the dead;
whose kingdom shall have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life;

who proceeds from the Father and the Son;
who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified;

who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.
I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins;
and I look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

*Hymn:    “With All My Heart I Cry”      #119S

Tithes and Offerings

*Doxology:

"Praise God from whom all blessings flow;

praise him, all creatures here below;

praise him above, ye heave'nly host;

praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen." 

Word of God: Isaiah 37:1-20

Preaching of God’s Word: “A Prayer for the Ages”

Hymn of Response:   “Not unto Us, O Lord of Heaven" #115B

*Benediction

*Postlude      

(*Please stand if able)

Sunday School & Worship Hours

•  9:45 a.m. -  Sunday School for all ages  
• 11:00 a.m. - Morning Worship
• 6:00 p.m. -  Evening Worship

Morning and Evening Worship Services are live streamed at:

www.graceopcfairlawn.org

https://youtube.com/@grace-opc

Worship Serving Schedule

This Week:

Ushers: Leo Baratta and Donny Jerie

Nursery: Krystal Jimenez and HaeSung Keegan

Media Broadcast: Georgi Kanev

Coffee Hour Refreshments: Jaclyn Mack

Next Week:

Ushers: John Hemrick and Gerald Wisz

Nursery: Deborah Vasquez and Kerith Teschon

Media Broadcast: Tyler Teschon

Coffee Hour Refreshments: Deborah Vasquez

WELCOME TO GRACE OPC! 

On behalf of the session of Grace OPC, I want to extend our warmest greetings to you.  It is my hope and prayer that as we gather together this Lord’s Day to worship our Triune God and Redeemer, you will be encouraged to cast your cares upon the Lord and to draw near to God by faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. If you are new here in Fair Lawn, please join us for fellowship following the benediction, and be sure to sign our guestbook.  We look forward to personally speaking with you, and if there are any prayer concerns in your heart, don’t hesitate to bring them to our attention.   

                                                             Pastor John Keegan 

This morning in Isaiah 37:1-20, we will learn how at each stage of prayer – prayer that is sought, prayer that is encouraged, and then prayer that is offered – the petitioner is sanctified as he or she contemplates the covenant character of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This evening in Mark 6:45-52, we will learn how sanctification amid the storms of life, is the grace of God moving the disciple from short-term theological memory loss to long-term abiding faith.

SPECIAL CORPORATION MEETING

Notice: Trustees Call for a Special Corporation Meeting

“The Trustees of Grace OPC, with the encouragement of the Session, are calling for a special congregational meeting on December 1, 2024, following the morning benediction and the meeting will take place in the sanctuary.

 The purpose of the meeting is for the Trustees to ask the membership of Grace OPC to approve the allocation of a total of $10800 from the Capital Improvements Reserve ($2000) and from the Reserve Funds ($8800), to cover cost of the Estimate to replace the front porch steps ($7800) and to ensure the work is completed in the event of any unforeseen obstacles ($3000). Lord willing, the final cost will be closer to the Estimate.

 Further, the Trustees ask that the members' vote in the affirmative would grant the Trustees the authorization to secure the services of Cowboy Landscaping to begin the work, ideally on Dec. 2."

 The Trustees first began to be concerned about the need to eventually replace the steps in 2018. Six years later the steps have evidenced a slow (thank God!) but progressive deterioration from within. Both the Trustees and the Session are concerned that immediate action be taken to prevent any future safety issue.

 In the providence of God, Ben Williams, our landscaper, was asked to assess the steps with his mason, and Ben came back with what the Trustees believed to be a reasonable estimate and a providential timeline (begin the work on a Monday; complete the work by Friday). 

 Ben has been a trustworthy and reliable contractor for our church for more than three years now and has a heart for our church, having grown up across the street. It was Ben who referred the Trustees to Steve Struck, a general contractor of Weather-Tite Home Improvements co. to resolve our recurring water issues in the Fellowship Hall following severe rain storms.

Notification of the call for this meeting will also be included in the next bulletin (November 24), in accordance with our Bylaws, Article II, Sections II and III.

The Session, along with the Trustees, would welcome any of our members who are so inclined, to offset the cost of this project with a free-will offering!  *The cost of this project will put us in a precarious financial situation if any other major project arises, and in light of our difficulty to make budget throughout 2024.

Please do not hesitate to discuss this urgent matter with any member of the Trustees, including Pastor John, prior to the December 1 meeting.

And please do continue to pray for the spiritual health and numerical growth of Christ’s church here in Fair Lawn; that we may see soon a great ingathering of God's elect from our families and from the community of Fair Lawn and Saddle Brook, and beyond!

SAVE-THE-DATE:

April 25-26, 2025, Second Annual Family Retreat

Our Second Annual Family Retreat will be held on April 25-26, 2025, at Tuscarora Inn & Conference Center;

https://www.tuscarora.org/

Prelude

Welcome and Announcements

Apostolic Greeting

*Call to Worship

*Opening Hymn: “Sometimes a Light Surprises”    #487

*Prayer of Invocation

Word of God: Isaiah 43:1-7

Pastoral Prayer

*Hymn: “Now Israel May Say"  #124A

Tithes and Offerings

Word of God: Mark 6:45-52

Preaching of God’s Word: “It is I”

*Hymn of Response:  "I Know Whom I Have Believed"   #517

*Benediction

*Postlude    

  (*Please stand if able)

Calendar Events and Notes 

THIS WEEK: November 17th - November 23rd

Trustees Meeting: Monday, November 18th, 2024 @7 p.m. via zoom. The Trustees will meet for their monthly meeting.

Dinaro Home Group: Tuesday, November 19th, 2024, 2024 @7:30 p.m. in Montvale. Prayer & Study in the book of Revelation (Please see Elder Leo).

Keegan Home Group:  Wednesday, November 20th, 2024, 2024 @7:30 p.m. in Fair Lawn. Prayer & Study in the book of Romans (Please see Pastor John).

Friday Night Fellowship & Book Studies:  Friday, November 22nd, 2024 @6:30 p.m. at Church Fellowship Hall & via zoom. Monthly book studies; Men: “Redemption Accomplished & Applied:; Women: “Good & Angry”.

RSVP for 6:30 p.m.  pizza dinner to Pastor John

Outreach to the County Parks: Saturday,  November 23rd, 2024. Join a team at the Saddle River Park & Fair Lawn Memorial Park to witness Christ to the nations. Contact Elder Leo or Pastor John.

 NEXT WEEK:  November 24th - November 30th

Calendar Coordinators Meeting: Monday, November 25th, 2024 @ 6 p.m. at Hemricks. Monthly meeting for crafting the church events calendar.

Dinaro Home Group: Tuesday, November 26th, 2024, 2024 @7:30 p.m. in Montvale. Prayer & Study in the book of Revelation (Please see Elder Leo).

Thanksgiving Eve Service:  Wednesday, November 27th, 2024, 2024 @7 p.m. at the church.

Outreach to the County Parks: Saturday,  November 30th, 2024. Join a team at the Saddle River Park & Fair Lawn Memorial Park to witness Christ to the nations. Contact Elder Leo or Pastor John.