The Ward Hill Church Bell Ringer

November 28, 2021

First Sunday of Advent

Blue Christmas Service – Wednesday, Dec 15 at 7 pm

Midweek Meeting for Study and Prayer – Resumes Jan 12

We will resume studying David Teague’s Godly Servants: Discipleship and Spiritual Formation for Missionaries on Wednesday, January 12.

Lord’s Day Schedule–Next Sunday, December 5

8 am – Online Service (Facebook Live)

10 am – In-Person Service

11 am – Christian Education and Fellowship

Upcoming Lord’s Days   * includes celebration of the Lord’s Supper

Dec 5   Advent II*                    Dec 26  Christmas Sunday

Dec 12  Advent III                     Jan 2    Epiphany Sunday*

Dec 19  Advent IV*                   Jan 9    Baptism of Christ Sunday

Church Calendar & Lectionary

Season:           Advent – from the Sunday nearest Nov 30 until sundown

on Dec 24 (November 28 – December 24, 2021)

Color:              Purple – for repentance in preparation for Christ’s Advent

This Sunday:   First Sunday of Advent – Hope

Sun, Dec 5:     Second Sunday of Advent – Love

Lectionary:     Malachi 3:1-4; Luke 1:68-79; Philippians 1:3-11;

Luke 3:1-6

Hymns:           198 – Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates!; 194 – O Come, O Come Emmanuel (vv 1&3); 197 – Comfort, Comfort Ye My People; 193 – Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence (vv 1&2); 162 – Of the Father’s Love Begotten

Monthly Prayer Focus for November

Local Church Focus:  First Baptist Church, Haverhill – Rick Harrington, pastor

Missions Focus:

Community Resources – Food, Clothing, Shelter, & Other Help

www.communityactioninc.org/phocadownload/resource_guide_english_october_2017.pdf          National Suicide Hotline:  1-800-273-8255

Refugee Ministries: Interserve USA (interserveusa.com); Emmanuel Gospel Center’s Greater Boston Refugee Ministry (http://www.egc.org/refugee)

Global Crisis Help:  World Relief – worldrelief.org

Information on Persecuted Christians: Open Doors USA – opendoorsusa.org

Monthly Scripture Memory for November

Philippians 4:6-8 (ESV) – 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Catechism: An Outline of the Faith

Q.  What are we by nature?

A.  We are part of God’s creation, made in the image of God.

Q.  What does it mean to be created in the image of God?

A.  It means that we are free to make choices: to love, to create, to reason, and to live in harmony with creation and with God.

Q.  Why then do we live apart from God and out of harmony with creation?

A.  From the beginning, human beings have misused their freedom and made wrong choices.