The Ward Hill Church Bell Ringer

January 9, 2022

Baptism of Christ Sunday

Happy New Year to You All! May God bless and keep you in 2022.

Annual Congregational Meeting – Sunday, January 30, after the morning service

Midweek Schedule

Wednesdays at 7 pm – in-person and on Zoom

Jan 12   no meeting                               Jan 26   Prayer for Annual Meeting

Jan 19   no meeting                               Feb 2    Book Study and Prayer

Midweek Meeting for Study and Prayer – Resumes Feb. 2

We will resume studying David Teague’s Godly Servants: Discipleship and Spiritual Formation for Missionaries on Wednesday, February 2.

Lord’s Day Schedule–Next Sunday, January 16

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

Jan 16   2 Epiphany* (MLKing Jr)          Jan 30   4 Epiphany (Church Covenant)

Jan 23   3 Epiphany (Sanctity of Life)     Feb 6    5 Epiphany

Church Calendar & Lectionary

Season:           Ordinary Time after the Epiphany (Jan 7-Mar 1, 2022)

Color:              Green – for growth in Christ

This Sunday:   Baptism of Christ Sunday – 1^st Sunday after Epiphany

Color:              White – for glory and holiness of Christ

Next Sunday:  2^nd Sunday after the Epiphany (MLKing Jr weekend)

Lectionary:     Isaiah 62:1-5; Ps 36:5-10; 1 Cor. 12:1-11; John 2:1-11

Hymns:           183 – Awake, My Soul, in Joyful Lays; 659 – Let Us Praise God Together;

Red Hymnal 249 – Precious Lord, Take My Hand

Monthly Prayer Focus for January

Local Church Focus:  First Church of Christ, Bradford – Danny Ovalle, pastor

Missions Focus: Pregnancy Care Center of Merrimack Valley and Southern NH

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 January

Romans 3:21-24 (ESV) – 21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Catechism: An Outline of the Faith

Q.  What is our duty to our neighbors?

A.  Our duty to our neighbors is to love them as ourselves, and to do to other people as we wish them to do to us;

V – To love, honor, and help our parents and family; to honor those in authority, and to meet their just demands;

VI – To show respect for the life God has given us; to work and pray for peace; to bear no malice, prejudice, or hatred in our hearts; and to be kind to all the creatures of God;

VII – To use our bodily desires as God intended;

VIII – To be honest and fair in our dealings; to seek justice, freedom, and the necessities of life for all people; and to use our talents and possessions as ones who must answer for them to God;

IX – To speak the truth, and not to mislead others by our silence;

X – To resist temptations to envy, greed, and jealousy; to rejoice in other people’s gifts and graces; and to do our duty for the love of God, who has called us into fellowship with him.

Q.  What is the purpose of the Ten Commandments?

A.  The Ten Commandments were given to define our relationship with God and our neighbors.

Q.  Since we do not fully obey them, are they useful at all?

A.  Since we do not fully obey them, we see more clearly our sin and our need for redemption.