February 19, 2006             CHAPEL    COMMUNION                        8:00AM

Christians are placed daily before the greatest choices: to be conformed to the luminous image of Jesus through the gracious assistance of God the Holy Spirit or to be conformed to the ravaged image of the world through the deceitful encouragement of the “cosmic powers of this present darkness”

                                                                                        --Romans 12:2; Ephesians 6:10-13 (Spiritual Formation Bible) --

PREPARING   TO   WORSHIP   GOD

Gathering Music

The Welcome/Welcoming One Another

Church Family Announcements

PRAISING   GOD

The Call to Worship

            PASTOR:  There were plenty of good reasons to stay home this morning: the old easy chair is

      more comfortable than a pew.  The plump Sunday paper, with news, sports and

      funnies, seems more readable than scripture.

PEOPLE: The TV preacher can be turned on (and off) at the flick of a switch.  The coffee

      at home is as we like it.  And the music on the stereo is by our own selection. 

PASTOR:  The company or solitude there is just fine, thank you.  The only request for an

      offering at home comes in the voice of a child... “play with me”… or the dog’s bark

                              or a cat’s meow for food.

PEOPLE: Yet we have the very best reasons for being here this morning: to praise and

      honor God, to discover our neighbors, to offer service and to grow in faith.

PASTOR:  The choice has been well made.  Welcome to worship!

*Hymn of Praise: #454                         Lord, I Want to Be a Christian

*Prayer of General Confession (unison)

            Merciful God, You made us in Your image, with a mind to know You, a heart to love You, and a

will to serve You.  But our knowledge is imperfect, our love inconsistent, and our serving

incomplete.  We want to be Your faithful people, but confess that we often don’t know what that

means.  We have failed to continue to grow in our faith.  Instead we fill our lives with busyness

and our minds with clutter.  Day by day we fail to grow in Your likeness.  In Your tender love,

forgive us, O God. Amen

*Prayer of Personal Confession (in silence)

*Assurance of Forgiveness

HEARING   GOD'S   WORD                          

A Brief Interview With Bob Beaudoin

Scripture Lesson                                                    MARK  2: 1-12, PHILIPPIANS  2: 1-5 , 1 TIMOTHY 4:8

Sermon                                                        SPIRITUALLY   FIT                        Rev. Linda Fernandes-Bailey

RESPONDING   TO   GOD'S   WORD

Prayers of the Church & Lord’s Prayer (using sins)

THE   SACRAMENT   OF   THE   LORD’S   SUPPER

The Invitation

The Sharing of the Bread and Cup

            (Please come forward, pew by pew, starting with the entire left side, front pew first.  The right

                side can then follow, beginning in the rear.  Break off a piece of bread & dip it into the cup.)

Prayer of Thanksgiving  (join hands)

Benediction

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Flowers: In loving memory of our daughter, Alice Elisabeth Maddy from Ben & Jacqui Maddy.

To provide flowers in memory/honor of a loved one/event, please sign-up on Memorial Hall FLOWER  CHART.

Joys & Concerns for Prayer: We pray for our Youth Mission Trip participants & advisors in Washington, D.C.  We celebrate the births of Emily Hayes Taylor (2/8), daughter of Doug & Julie Taylor, & Daniel Joseph Falco (2/15), son of Tony Falco & Michelle Nucifora.  Matthew Plourde had surgery this week.  Hospitalized: Joy Nell, Fran Child & Jeannette Faitella.  Upcoming surgeries: Pat Livingstone (2/27); Clive Greenough (3/2).  We continue to pray for Diane Lamb; Matthew Plourde; Andrea Sinclair; Judy Costa; Maureen Curtis; Pat Diego; Janis Leger; Dorothy Greenough; Mary Lou Thompson; Donna Morin; John O’Connor; Matt Currao; our Stephen Ministers & care-receivers.

            *              *              *              *              *              *              *              *              *              *              *              *

WE  WELCOME  JOHN  ARENS as worship leader at 9:30am.  John coordinates Men’s Breakfast Club & chairs our Every Dollar Feeds Kids Board of Directors.  He served our church as a Minister-in-Training several years ago.  A Search Committee from an area church is here to listen to John today.

ASH  WEDNESDAY  IS  MARCH  1^st: Our holiest season, Lent, begins Wednesday, March 1^st.  We offer 3 Ash Wednesday Services of Penance, when you may receive ashes.  Services are at 7:00AM in Chapel (30 min.), 12:00Noon in Meetinghouse (30 min.) & 7:00PM in Meetinghouse (45 min.).  Plan to attend one.  Gordon’s life-giving sermon: Kill the Cyclops.  A luncheon ($3) follows the 12:00N service.

JIM   COLE   IN   CONCERT: Jim Cole, the James Taylor of Christian music, is known around the world for songs like Humble Yourself as a Child, Master of My Heart, Every Generation, & In Bethlehem Tonight.  Mark your calendar: Jim Cole will be with us all day on Sunday, March 26.  He’ll sing alone & with our choir or band at all 4 services, then offer a wonderful, Spirit-filled concert in our Meetinghouse at 7:30pm!  Tickets: $10 ($5/under 18) from Church Office.  DON’T  MISS  IT !

SPECIAL  OFFERING  NEXT  SUNDAY: Our sister church, Central Congregational in New Orleans, can no longer pay its pastor, Rev. Wilmer Brown, because of Hurricane Katrina.  He has committed to stay anyway.  Our CT Conference, U.C.C. is helping with a special offering, hoping that each church can raise $300.  Our offering is NEXT Sunday at all 4 services!  Would you help?

USHERS  NEEDED: Would you usher 1 Sunday/month at 9:30AM starting in March?  Training provided.  Substitutes available.  Get to know more people!  Sign-up next to Gordon’s office TODAY.

MUSIC  OF  THE  AGES  FOR  ALL  AGES:  A  CONCERT  BY  OUR  MUSIC  MINISTRY: Our church is blessed with a fantastic music ministry!  Join us to hear all of our musical groups: Senior Choir, Mustard Seeds Children’s Choir, The Celebration Ringers (handbell choir) & Branches (our T.G.I. Sunday worship band & singers).  It’s Saturday, March 11, 7:30pm, in our Meetinghouse.  A free-will offering will be received for Southington Social Services.  DON’T  MISS  IT!

SUMMER  CAMP  FOR  KIDS: Our United Church of Christ runs a wonderful summer camp for children & teens at Silver Lake Conference Center in Sharon, CT.  Brochure & registration are available on-line at http://silverlake.ctucc.org.  A limited number of brochures are available in our C. E. Office (see Karlene Archambeault or Carole Lantz).  Some scholarship $ available (see Gordon Ellis).

MOVIES  THAT   MATTER happens again Friday, 3/10, 7:00pm, with Academy Award-winning movie: Life is Beautiful with a discussion on 3/12, 7:30, led by Sharon Vocke & Clare Lindsey.  Join us for discussion whether you watch movie at church or home.  FUTURE Movies:  ; April 21 (7pm) The Scarlet & the Black with discussion: 4/23, 7:30pm, led by Gabe Selmi & Alice Niemczyski & May 12 (7pm) 12 Angry Men with discussion: 5/14, 7:30pm, led by Gordon Ellis & Sue Meissner.  JOIN US for these Movies That Matter!

MAUNDY  THURSDAY  ACTORS  NEEDED: 12 actors/actresses are required for our drama on Maundy Thursday, 4/13.  Please contact Crystal Sullivan (860-276-8614 or Kencryss@sbcglobal.net).

QUIET  WORSHIP  IN  THE  STYLE  OF  TAIZE is offered EVERY Tuesday, 6:30-7:00pm, in our chapel.  It includes 10 minutes of silence, along with scripture, prayers & simple choruses.  Join us!

CHECK  OUT  OUR  CHURCH’S  WEBSITE, www.firstchurchsouthington.org.  You’ll love it!

VIDEOS  OF  SUNDAY  SERVICES  &  SPECIAL  EVENTS are available in our Church Library.

CHILD  CARE for infants/toddlers is offered at all 4 Sunday services in our Infant/Toddler Nursery.