WELCOME TO WORSHIP
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
WE HEAR THE WORD PROCLAIMED SCRIPTURE — Isaiah 9:2-7 This is the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God.
CLOSING PRAYER Eternal God, we give you thanks for this holy mystery in which you have given yourself to us. Grant that we may go into the world in the strength of your Spirit, to give ourselves for others, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
WE GO AS GOD’S PEOPLE INTO THE WORLD
SERMON — “Deck the Halls with Hope”
WE RENEW OUR COMMITMENT OFFERTORY Advent Tidings — arr. Matthew Compton DOXOLOGY #221 In the Bleak Midwinter — CRANHAM What can I give him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb; if I were a Wise Man, I would do my part, yet what I can I give him: give my heart.
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FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT • DECEMBER 3, 2023 • 11:00AM
THE COMMUNITY GATHERS The prelude signifies the beginning of worship. You are invited to be in a spirit of prayer and meditation. Please silence all mobile communication devices. †
Please stand as you are able
PRELUDE
Noël — arr. Fred Gramann
GREETING INTROIT
Prepare the Way — BEREDEN VÄG FÖR HERRAN Prepare the Way, O Zion, your Christ is drawing near! Let every hill and valley a level way appear. Greet One who comes in glory, foretold in sacred story. O blest is Christ who came in God’s most holy name.
OPENING PRAYER Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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HYMN OF PROCESSION #211 O Come, O Come Emmanuel — VENI EMMANUEL (Stanzas 1,4,6,7)
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AFFIRMATION OF FAITH We are not alone, we live in God’s world. We believe in God: who has created and is creating, who has come in Jesus, the Word made flesh, to reconcile and make new, who works in us and others by the Spirit. We trust in God. We are called to be the church: to celebrate God’s presence, to love and serve others, to seek justice and resist evil, to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen, our judge and our hope. In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us. We are not alone. Thanks be to God. Amen.
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AFFIRMATION RESPONSE Come, Renew Your Love for Him — GLORIA Come, renew your love for Him: Jesus Christ, who sets us free! Cast off fear and doubt and shame; live in grace eternally! Gloria in excelsis Deo! Gloria in excelsis Deo!
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LIGHTING OF ADVENT WREATH
PRAYER OF DEDICATION Almighty and forgiving God, we your unworthy servants give you most humble thanks for all your goodness and loving kindness, to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ, for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. Give us such an awareness of your mercies, that our hearts may be thankful, and that we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to your service and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be all honor and glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
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HYMN
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#196 Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus — HYFRYDOL
RECEPTION OF NEW MEMBERS We give thanks for all that God has already given you and we welcome you in Christian love. As members together with you in the body of Christ and in this congregation of the United Methodist Church, we renew our covenant faithfully to participate in the ministries of the church by our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service, and our witness, that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. BENEDICTION
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BENEDICTION RESPONSE People Look East — BESANÇON People, look east. The time is near of the crowning of the year. Make your house fair as you are able, trim the hearth and set the table. People, look east and sing today: Love, the Guest, is on the way.
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POSTLUDE
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WE CELEBRATE HOLY COMMUNION
Thank you for joining us in worship today.
INVITATION TO COMMUNION Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him, who earnestly repent of their sin and seek to live in peace with one another. Therefore, let us confess before God and one another. CONFESSION AND PARDON The congregation is invited to follow the communion liturgy beginning on page 12 of the hymnal. THE GREAT THANKSGIVING 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, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. RECEIVING OF ELEMENTS MUSIC AT COMMUNION Climb to the Top of the Highest Mountain — Carolyn Jennings Climb to the top of the highest mountain, joyous tidings proclaim to the world, lift up your voice, shout the good news: behold, your Lord comes to you. He will feed his flock like a shepherd, He will carry the lambs in his arms, He will ever keep them safe from harm. Behold, your Lord comes to you. He who made the stars in the heaven, He who fashioned the earth and the sea, from time eternal He was God, the Alpha and Omega, He. Behold, your Lord! He will come in power and glory, He will rule with mercy and truth, Hope of the nations, Light of the world, Light of all. He will love the little children, He will hold them in his arms. Love Him and trust Him as a child, behold, your Lord comes to you.
PARTICIPANTS IN WORSHIP PREACHING The Reverend Dr. P. Glenn Kinken III Senior Minister LITURGIST The Reverend Meg Peters, Assoc. Minister CRUCIFER Nell Chandler TORCHBEARERS Meg Gilliam Matthew Lycan
ADVENT WREATH Robin and Rebecca Miller MUSIC Jonathan Emmons, Director of Music Ministries Joshua Sobel, Organ Scholar The Chancel Choir Carillonneurs, Camille Jones, Director Sara Lynch, Oboe Anne Morgan, Percussion
The anthem texts are printed with permission. One License A-707342 By entering the Sanctuary, you grant to Centenary United Methodist Church unrestricted right to use and publish, transmit or telecast photographs or likenesses that might be taken of you this day for use in communications related to the church.
ANNOUNCEMENTS • DECEMBER 3, 2023
WELCOME!
Learn more and register for events at www.centenary-ws.org/church-events
The congregation and staff of Centenary welcome you to today’s worship. It is our honor to have you with us! Our ministers, staff, welcome team and ushers are happy to assist you with any questions you may have. We hope our worship will inspire, comfort and challenge you as we hear God’s message proclaimed through preaching, music, prayer and liturgy.
CELEBRATIONS & CONCERNS
IN MEMORIAM
WORSHIP AT CENTENARY
Elizabeth Miller Strickland November 14, 2023
SUNDAYS
9:00 am • Memorial Auditorium 11:00 am • Sanctuary
MEMBERSHIP
We are eager to share Centenary’s story with you. If you are interested in learning about church membership, please contact Rev. Meg Peters (336-724-6311 ext. 1361)/mpeters@ centenary-ws.org to schedule a time to meet.
WATCH
Each Sunday morning, our 11:00 am worship service is broadcast on the Internet through our Live Stream. Visit www.centenary-ws.org. Once there, scroll to the bottom of the home page and click on either Live Stream or the Live Stream arrow.
HEARING LOOP
The ministers and members of Centenary Church extend their deepest sympathy to the bereaved family and pray they may know the comfort and peace of our Heavenly Father.
SAVE THE DATE “NOURISH” Our all-new Wednesday evening dinner and programming night is here! Learn more about programming and sign up by scanning the QR code.
Our Sanctuary is fitted with a Hearing Loop system. Please switch your hearing device to T-coil. If you need a listening device, please contact one of our ushers. Be sure to sit in the pews located on the floor of the Nave.
To learn more about “Nourish” programming and register for dinner, please scan our QR code or visit www.centenaryws.org/nourish.
LEARN MORE ABOUT CENTENARY
ANGEL TREE WRAPPING PARTY Thank you so much for making Angel Tree wonderful this year! Join us today between 3-5 pm for a Wrapping Party! We will be on the second floor of the East Building wrapping all of the gifts to give to the angels. We’d love to see you there! Please contact Anna Thomas (athomas@centenary-ws. org/ext. 1332) with any questions.
There is always something happening at Centenary and we invite you to join us. To learn more about Centenary ministries and events, visit our website at www.centenary-ws.org. You may also contact our receptionist who will guide you to the appropriate ministry area.
STAY CONNECTED
Reception Desk • 336-724-6311
ADULT FAITH FORMATION
CENTENARY LEADERSHIP CONNECTIONS 336.724.6311 + Extension (for the Minister on Call • Option 2) Reverend Dr. P. Glenn Kinken III Senior Minister
ext. 1362
Tammy Pollock Director of Youth Ministries
ext. 1337
Mary Ann Wexler Executive Director
ext. 1346
Rick Gibbons Congregational Care Assistant
ext. 1342
Jonathan Emmons Director of Music Ministries
ext. 1339
Stacy Holley Exec. Assistant to Senior Minister
ext. 1359
Reverend R. Craig Ford Associate Minister
ext. 1353
John Markle Director of Operations
ext. 1347
Reverend Kate May Associate Minister with Children
ext. 1331
Doug Peninger Director of Communications
ext. 1368
John Rogers Director of Information Technology
ext. 1356
Reverend Meg Peters ext. 1361 Assoc. Minister of Evangelism, Engagement & Missions
CENTENARY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 646 W. FIFTH STREET • WINSTON-SALEM, NC 27101 WWW.CENTENARY-WS.ORG • 336-724-6311
COME AS YOU ARE CLASS ROOM 112 CENTRAL BUILDING • 10:00 AM SUNDAY MORNINGS Life is busy. Parenting tweens and teens raises its own set of challenges, none of which are easy to navigate on our own. We face questions like: how do we instill faith and confidence in God in our young people in this challenging world? How do we guide our children through the gauntlet of middle and high school while keeping our focus on God and at the center of our families? How do we continue to nurture and grow our own faith while balancing so many responsibilities? If this is your stage of life, the Come As You Are or CAYR (pronounced “care”) class is for you. This is a community of parents, step-parents, and other adults invested in the lives of tweens and teens. Class is led by facilitators but focused on open, non-judgmental conversation among class members. No need to prepare or read in advance of class. We want you to come as you are! If you have questions or want to know more, please contact Erin Bonsall, Amy Lawson, or Meg Coppley. Class begins today with Max Lucado’s Advent study, “Because of Bethlehem.” CHILDREN’S MINISTRY SAVE THE DATE FOR KIDS DAY IN SATURDAY • DECEMBER 9 • 9:30-11:30 AM Infants through 2nd graders are invited to join us for a morning full of holidaythemed fun including crafts, games and more. The cost is $5 per kid. Register now through the Realm app, on the church website or by scanning the QR code. Contact Anna Thomas (athomas@centenary-ws.org) with any questions!
IMPROMPTU CHRISTMAS PAGEANT SUNDAY • DECEMBER 17 • 10:00 AM We hope that kids and grown-ups join us in the Sanctuary at 10 am to witness and participate in the miracle of Christmas as we tell the Christmas story. There will be no Sunday school for elementary aged kids on December 17. We will gather in the Sanctuary where everyone will choose a costume and take part in creating a beautiful picture of what the first Christmas might have looked like as the story is told through rhyme and song. Please also bring sweatpants, leggings or joggers (mostly for kids ages 5-6) to help us decorate our Tree of Warmth for the students at Brunson Elementary. SAVE THE DATES FOR 2024 SUMMER EVENTS! • Older Elementary Mission Week: June 25-27 (Rising 4th – 6th graders) • Centenary Week at Camp Tekoa: July 7-13 (Rising 4th – 6th graders) • Children’s Music and Arts Camp: July 15-18 (2 year olds – rising 5th graders) • Vacation Bible School: July 29-August 1 (4 year olds – rising 6th graders) STUDENTS WITH FULL BELLIES ARE MORE SUCCESSFUL Centenary has the privilege of partnering with the Backpack Program organized by Second Harvest Food Bank. We are currently partnered with Brunson Elementary, Wiley Middle School, Reynolds High School and the Winston Salem Street School. This program helps provide food for students who receive free breakfast and lunch at school through the year, but may not have access to food over the weekends. For just $5.25 a week, you can feed a kid for the weekend! If you’re interested in getting involved, please contact Anna Thomas (athomas@centenary-ws.org/ext 1332). CONGREGATIONAL CARE STEPHEN MINISTRY Christmas joy and happy celebrations surround us during Advent and Christmas Day. If you are experiencing the loss of a loved one, the holidays can be very difficult. A Stephen Minister will walk this journey with you, providing a listening heart, care, and hope. If you or someone you know could benefit from Stephen Ministry, please contact Deena Morgan (336-692-2314), Wilba Brady (336-723-6236), Rev. Craig Ford (336-724-6311 ext. 1353).
THURSDAY MORNING FELLOWSHIP DECEMBER 7 • 7:30 AM-8:30 AM COMMUNITY ROOM Join us for coffee, biscuits and fellowship. This month’s speakers, Libit Glenn and Frank Hassell, will share with us the wonderful story of The Betty & Jim Holmes Food Bank Garden. You may enter the East Building from the 4 1⁄2 Street or 5th Street entrances. To learn more about Men’s Ministry at Centenary, contact Chris Munnelly, Tanner Robinson, Michael Rogers or Tom Lawson. MUSIC & ARTS A JOYOUS NOEL! ADVENT MUSIC SERIES Musical glad tidings to one and all as we enter the season of Advent! Join us in the sanctuary throughout the month of December for musical offerings that will instill the joy of this special time of year. • Tuesday, December 5, 7:30 PM: Piedmont Wind Symphony • Sunday, December 10, 5:00 PM (Prelude begins at 4:30): Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols • Sunday, December 17, 4:00 PM: Bel Canto Company UNITED WOMEN IN FAITH COOKBOOKS There are still plenty of UWF Cookbooks for sale if you are looking for Christmas gifts for friends and family. They are $25 each or two for $40. Please email Rev. Meg Peters at mpeters@centenary-ws. org if you would like to purchase one. YOUTH MINISTRY Today 10:00 am: Youth Sunday School (@ Youth Commons) 10:00 am: Parents of Teens Sunday School classes 11:00 am: LTN set up (@Memorial Auditorium) Noon-2:00 pm: Love Thy Neighbor lunch and Medical Clinic 2:15 pm: LTN clean up (@Memorial Auditorium) 3:00 pm-5:00 pm: Angel Tree wrapping party (@ Children’s Ministry)
YOUTH SUNDAY SCHOOL Join us every Sunday at 10:00 am on the fourth floor (@Youth Commons) for ALL youth Sunday School. As always there are breakfast snacks, coffee & drinks, and friends & fellowship before the lesson every week! Throughout the season of Advent, we will explore how God told his people all about the birth of Jesus long before it happened. We will discover the prophecies of Jesus’ birth, when they were fulfilled, and what this means to us today. So, plan to come explore a different perspective of the Christmas story with us! CONFIRMATION 2024 Confirmation by definition is faith formation and one part of a lifelong journey. Our hope is that through our Confirmation ministry you will be given the opportunity, tools, love, support, and inspiration you will need to build your faith on a firm foundation (Matthew 7:24-25). Starting on January 3, 2024 (through May 19), we invite all 7th graders to join us as we meet each Wednesday night from 6:00pm—7:30pm to learn about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the spiritual life, and how they form us and help us to change the way we live our lives. You will not go through this class alone; you will pick a Shepherd (a faithful adult spiritual companion from our church) who will walk beside you all throughout your Confirmation. There will be several field trips, two retreats, lots of meals, and space to ask all your questions to help us grow. The hope is that through these experiences, you will come to encounter Jesus in a very tangible way. You can register for Confirmation in Realm. With questions, contact Tammy Pollock, Director of Youth Ministries. LOOKING AHEAD December 6: Confirmation Parents Orientation December 24: Christmas Eve worship services January 3, 2024: Confirmation begins! January 4: Confirmation Shepherds Orientation January 5: Sixers! Goes to the movies January 7: Confirmation Bible Sunday January 19 & 20: Confirmation Retreat (Camp Hanes) February 10 & 11: Love her Well event with Kari Kampakis
December 10 10:00 am: Youth Sunday School (@ Youth Commons) 10:00 am: Parents of Teens Sunday School classes 5:00 pm: (Prelude beginning at 4:30pm) A Service of Lessons & Carols
For more information or to sign up to receive Youth Ministry updates by email, contact Tammy Pollock (tpollock@centenary-ws.org). Follow us on Instagram @centenary_youth.
All youth are invited to come and support our new Youth Choir Collective on Fifth at this beautiful worship service.
CHRISTMAS EVE SCHEDULE We invite you to worship with us as we anticipate the birthday of Jesus Christ. We will not have Sunday school. For worship, we offer five opportunities.
WEEKLY PRAYER IN THE CHAPEL TUESDAYS • NOW - DECEMBER 19 NOON- 12:30PM You are invited for a time of prayer each week in our Chapel. Resources will be provided for a time of independent reflection and contemplation.
11:00 AM • Sanctuary 2:00 PM • Candlelight & Communion • Auditorium 4:00 PM• Children’s Christmas Eve • Sanctuary 6:00 PM • Candlelight & Communion • Auditorium 11:00 PM • Candlelight & Communion • Sanctuary
MISSIONS MISSION FAIR WEDNESDAY • JANUARY 10 • 6 PM MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM You are invited to come and meet our mission partners, learn more about volunteer opportunities, and see how your mission dollars are at work! Contact Rev. Meg Peters (mpeters@centenary-ws. org) if you have any questions. MEN’S MINISTRY THEOLOGY ON TAP TUESDAY • DECEMBER 5 • 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM The Men’s Ministry of Centenary invites all men to a gathering for prayer and local ministry focus. December’s meeting is also open to women and our mission focus will be Forsyth Jail and Prison and Potter’s House. Join us at Lesser-Known Brewery at 901 South Broad Street.
MONDAY • DECEMBER 4 1 Kings 4-7 & Psalm 95
THURSDAY • DECEMBER 7 1 Kings 14-16 & Psalm 98
TUESDAY • DECEMBER 5 1 Kings 8-10 & Psalm 96
FRIDAY • DECEMBER 8 1 Kings 17-19 & Psalm 99
WEDNESDAY • DECEMBER 6 1 Kings 11-13 & Psalm 97
SATURDAY • DECEMBER 9 1 Kings 20-22 & Psalm 100
SUNDAY • DECEMBER 10 2 Kings 1-3 & Psalm 101