SOUTH AIKEN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Our Purpose…”Opening Doors to Serve Christ”

1711 Whiskey Road

Aiken, SC 29803

HOPE

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Welcome to South Aiken Presbyterian Church! We are glad that you are

here this morning to join in offering a service of worship to the Lord. We

believe all people are children of God. We believe that the redeeming

grace of God can bring each of us into a new day. We believe all people

are loved with a love that has no end in Jesus Christ. Today, may our

eyes be opened again to these truths. May the blessings of joy and hope

that can only come from the nearer presence of God fill each of our

hearts. Let us worship God!

NURSERY AND CHILDREN

Today, children will remain in both services in order to more fully experience and participate in worship with

their families. Worship activity bags for children are provided and may be picked up near the doors as you

enter the sanctuary. Bags are available for both older children (ages 7-12 - blue handle) and younger children

(ages 3-6 - purple handle). Although we encourage children to remain in the services, we realize that at times

a nursery and childcare is needed. If you need either of these services, please take your child to the nursery/

toddler room. The nursery/toddler room is located on the north side of the SAPC building complex. To find

it, please exit the front (main) entrance to the sanctuary and turn left. You will see a sign for the nursery

entrance at the door on the side of the next building.

If you need assistance of any kind, please see an usher.

PLEASE NOTE: Please silence your phone dur ing the service. If needed, large print hymnals and sound

amplification devices are available in the Narthex. Please see an usher for assistance in obtaining these items.

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First Sunday of Advent

December 2, 2018 8:45 and 11:00 a.m. (Please stand, if able, when indicated by an *)

GATHERING

Prelude

Chiming of the Hour (11:00)

Welcome & Signing of the Friendship Register Steve Kuhl

*Introit Come Emmanuel Twila Paris

Come and speak to us, Come and renew us,

Come and live through us, Emmanuel.

Grace to implore us, Ever before us,

Come and restore us, Emmanuel. Come Emmanuel!

PREPARATION FOR THE WORD

*Call to Worship (Responsive)

One: We are ready, O Lord, to behold the presence of your spirit among us.

All: Bless our spirits with openness and joy!

One: We have come on this journey seeking hope and peace.

All: You, O Lord, have poured your spirit on us! Let us worship God.

*Lighting of the Advent Candle 8:45: Ken & Jenny Chase

11:00: Leo & Myra Toomajian

We light this candle as a sign of the coming light of Christ.

Advent means coming.

We are preparing ourselves for the days

when the nations shall beat their swords into plowshares,

and their spears into pruning hooks;

nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

neither shall they learn war any more.

*Prayer of the Day (Unison)

God of hope, who brought love into this world, be the love that dwells between us. God of hope, who

brought peace into this world, be the peace that dwells between us. God of hope, who brought joy

into this world, be the joy that dwells between us. God of hope, the rock we stand upon, be the center,

the focus of our lives always, and particularly this Advent time. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

*Hymn #82 Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus

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*Prayer of Confession (Unison)

We need you to speak to us, O God, because we have, each in our own way, forgotten your Law,

forgotten your love for us. We are in need of your deliverance, because we have, too often, given

ourselves to powers and practices that would destroy us. We are lost, in need of rescue.

(Time for Silent Confession)

One: Trusting in God’s forgiveness, the people said,

All: Amen.

*Assurance of Pardon

*The Gloria Patri Hymnal Page 581

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end. Amen, amen.

*Passing of the Peace (11:00) (Responsive)

One: Since Christ has extended to us the peace of God, let us, as his disciples, spread his peace to others.

The peace of Christ be with you.

All: And also with you.

One: Let us exchange signs of Christ’s peace with one another.

Children’s Moment (11:00)

THE WORD OF GOD

Prayer for Illumination

Old Testament Reading Jeremiah 33:14-16 Pew Bible Page 738

One: The Word of the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.

New Testament Reading Luke 21:25-36 Pew Bible Page 85

One: The Word of the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.

Anthem Angels Are Making Their Rounds Pepper Choplin

Message Anticipation Rev. John A. Muse

Ordination & Installation of New Officers (11:00)

*Hymn #459 O Word of God Incarnate

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THE EUCHARIST

Words of Invitation

The Great Thanksgiving (Responsive) Hymnal Page 9

One: The Lord be with you.

All: And also with you.

One: Lift up your hearts.

All: We lift them to the Lord.

One: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

All: It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Prayers of the People

The Lord’s Prayer Hymnal Page 35

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.

Words of Institution

Communion of the People

Prayer after Communion

OUR RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORD

*Affirmation of Faith: “The Apostles’ Creed” (Traditional) (Unison)

I believe in God, the Father almighty,

Maker of heaven and earth,

and in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand Of God the Father Almighty;

from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

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I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body;

and the life everlasting. Amen.

Offering of Tithes and Gifts

Offertory SAPC Handbell Ensemble

*Doxology Hymnal Page 606

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;

praise him, all creatures here below;

praise him above, ye heavenly host;

praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

*Prayer of Dedication

SENDING

*Hymn #788 To You, O Lord, We Lift Our Eyes

*Charge

*Benediction

*Congregational Response Lord, Make Us More Holy Hymn 313

Lord, make us more holy; Lord, make us more holy;

Lord, make us more holy, until we meet again:

holy, holy, holy, until we meet again.

*Postlude

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Today, SAPC will ordain and install its recently elected church officers at the 11:00 a.m. service. We are

grateful that these individuals have stepped forward to serve our church as it begins both a new year and a

period where SAPC will be actively searching for, selecting, and, hopefully, integrating its next pastor into

church life. Below is a list of the Elders and Deacons who will be joining the Session and Diaconate in

January 2019:

Elders: Greg Peterson, Haley Culp, Kelly Frontroth, Alice Kierspe, Lisa Lader, and Mary Barber

Deacons: Jackie Dulworth, Margie Hamman, Jennifer Huntley, Jim Barber, Sandy Haines, and Rebie Green

2018 PW Thank Offering

Diverse, yet one in Christ

Today, we will take the annual thank offering of Presbyterian Women at both services. The Thank Offering is

used to support new and creative projects that meet needs and address issues in a variety of areas. In our

region, Thank Offering grants were provided this year to the following entities:

Safe Haven at Sea Island, Beaufor t, South Carolina

$22,250

These funds were provided to help mothers and children who are homeless and in need of private, safe shelter

during cold weather and/or hurricanes. For up to five days a week, mothers can rest, take showers, do laundry

and receive encouragement. Children receive tutoring and homework oversight from volunteers.

Feed My People, Decatur , Georgia

$26,840

This grant was provided to create 6-8 garden plots for refugee families on the front lawn of Columbia

Presbyterian Church. This collaborative venture will provide training and educational opportunities related to

food health issues and good gardening practices to nourish God’s people. The grant was also used to establish

a seminary intern position for a MDiv student at the Columbia Theological Seminary.

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Those Serving in the Military

Daniel Bartlett - grandson of Ron & Sandy Bartlett

Robert Kocis - son of Andrew & Jodi Kocis

Tom Kocis - nephew of Andrew & Jodi Kocis

Ben McCullough - son of Lisa McCullough

Louis Wilson - son-in-law of Brenda M. Morgan

Nichole McMillen - Daughter of Dr. James and Gail McMillen

Ian Fields - son-in-law of John & Sue Kelly

Cameron Roy (Phyllis Roy’s son) following a car accident where he sustained injuries

The family of Mark Becker (Jayne Becker’s brother-in-law) as they mourn

Mary Bunch’s niece Kelli as she remains hospitalized and combats pancreatitis

The Family of Jodi Kocis as they mourn

Jim Shaw as he recovers from knee surgery

Anita Page as she rests at home after breaking her kneecap

Bill Ray (Emma Parnell’s nephew) as he heals following bladder surgery

Alvin Rollins (Betty Busch’s brother) whose health is deteriorating

Elton Clark (brother of Tarrel Clark) who had surgery to remove a mass on his pancreas

Chris Parnell (Emma Parnell’s son) who has multiple health issues

The PNC Is Now at Work!

SAPC’s Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC)

has begun its work to find a new pastor. The

PNC is meeting on a frequent and regular

schedule and will first examine church finances

to determine what type of compensation package

can be offered to the new pastor. They will also

develop a Ministry Information Form (MIF) to

express SAPC’s ministry context, demographics,

history, theology, values, leadership needs, etc.

For this work, they will be using the recently

published SAPC Mission/Vision Task Force

Study. The PNC’s work is confidential and

honors the integrity of the call process but be

assured that it is working in the best interest of

SAPC. Your PNC members are:

Greg Burkes

Shirley Colburn

Robert Glance

Crissy Kuhl

Brooke Sheehan

Haley Culp

Corey Glenn (Youth)

New Member

Barbara Knapp

We welcome new member Barbara Knapp to SAPC!

Barbara grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, and just

moved to Aiken in June. She is retired and has three

grown children. Barbara is an avid reader and also

enjoys gardening, tennis, and snow skiing. And, she

loves Sunday school!

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God’s gift to us was Jesus; our gift to the world is to be a blessing.

The Secret Santa ministry is looking for people who would like to sponsor a child this Christmas. Secret

Santa sponsors are a blessing to Aiken County children who would not otherwise receive that special

Christmas gift, a needs bag filled with personal care items, or a Bible.

We are asking for your support this year. We have over 250 children that need a sponsor. If you would like

to sponsor a child, you can participate by either donating $50 per child and an elf will shop for you or by

requesting the name(s) of a child/children to sponsor and purchasing the gifts yourself. You can contact us

by email (secretsantasapc@gmail.com) or by calling the Secret Santa hotline (803-648-1214) if you want to

be a sponsor. When you email or call, please et us know how many children you would like to sponsor. If

you know of others who would like to participate, please feel free to pass on our email address and

telephone number.

Thank you for your participation and for truly being a blessing to a child this Christmas.

Joint Concert with Friendship Baptist

TODAY!! December 2nd

2:00 p.m.

Friendship Baptist Church 515 Richland Avenue East

The Friendship Baptist and SAPC choirs are joining together for a

concert today at Friendship Baptist. The concert will be held in

their sanctuary. We hope to see all of SAPC turn out for this very

special and festive event!

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TODAY! Dec. 2nd Fundraiser Planning 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. - Youth Room

Dec. 9th Youth Fundraiser Dinner 3:30 - 7:00 p.m. - Gym

Dec. 16th Youth Christmas Party 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. - Youth Room

The Youth Spring Planning meeting will be held on

January 6, 2018 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. in the

Youth Room. This is a very important meeting

because events and activities for 2019 will be

discussed. Please mark your calendars now and

plan to attend. We’d like as much participation as

possible. So, come and bring your ideas for 2019 to

the meeting. We’ll see you there!

December Happenings

December 8th & 9th: Christmas Parade Prep and Christmas Parade

December 21st: Art Nook Class (3:00-5:00 p.m.)

December 23rd: Gingerbread Houses & Hopelands Gardens (5:00 p.m.)

December 30th: Family Game Night & New Year’s Eve Party

Youth Christmas Dinner

Fundraiser

December 9th

6:00 p.m.

FLC Gym

Cost: $10 per adult, $5 per

child, $25 family maximum

(Pay at the Door)

Attendees will enjoy a full meal,

singing carols, and having a little

fun with a raffle. So come on out

for the Youth fundraiser!

Note: The youth are looking for

raffle items. If anyone has a raffle

item to donate, please bring it to

the dinner. They value quantity

over quality (for more winners!);

so please look to see if you have

anything you could contribute.

Merry Christmas and Thanks!

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DECEMBER COLLECTION

Canned Vegetables

You may either drop your ACTS donations in the

basket in the narthex by the church entrance or the

basket across from the church office. Monetary

donations may be made by placing a check made

out to SAPC in the offering plate on Sundays and

noting 'ACTS' on the check’s memo line. Thanks

for sharing with others!

January Collection: Canned tuna, chicken or meat

YOUNG AT HEART SENIORS

A LOOK AT THE WEEK AHEAD Sunday, Dec. 2nd

8:45a - Worship Service (Sanctuary) 9:45a - Sunday School (Campus) 11:00a - Worship Service (Sanctuary) 5:30p - Youth - Fundraiser Planning (Youth Room)

Monday, Dec. 3rd

7:30a - Morning Glory (Gym) 9:00a - SAPK Practice (Gym) 12:15p - Bible Friends (Playground/Gym) 1:00p - SAPK Program Set-Up (FH)

Tuesday, Dec. 4th

7:30a - Morning Glory (Gym) 9:00a - SAPK 2K Christmas Program (FH) 9:00a - SAPK Program Set-Up (Gym) 10:00a - Sonshine Circle 12:15p - Bible Friends (Playground/Gym) 2:00p - Membership Committee Mtg. (PCR) 7:00p - M’Aiken Music Practice (Choir Room) 7:00p - Boy Scouts (Gym)

Wednesday, Dec. 5th

7:30a - Morning Glory (Gym) 9:00a - SAPK Christmas Programs (Morning- Gym) 12:15p - Bible Friends (Playground/Gym) 7:00p - Choir Rehearsal

Thursday, Dec. 6th

7:30a - Morning Glory (Gym) 8:50a - SAPK Chapel (Gym) 9:00a - SAPK Christmas Programs (Morning - Gym) 12:15p - Bible Friends (Playground/Gym) 1:30p - Karate (FH) 6:30p - Scouts (Gym)

Friday, Dec. 7th

7:30a - Morning Glory (Gym) 9:00a - Small Group Women’s Bible Study (TBD) 12:15p - Bible Friends (Playground/Gym)

Saturday, Dec. 8th

Secret Santa (FH) 12:00p - Piano Recital (Sanctuary) 2:00p - Christmas Parade Prep

Dec. 13th: We will leave at 4:00 p.m. for Lexington,

SC for an evening meal at the Flight Deck Restaurant

followed by a drive-through tour of the Christmas

Lights at Saluda Shoals Park Cost to go is: $5.00 per

person for admission to the light show plus $5.00 to

ride the bus. The cost of the meal is not included. The

deadline to sign up Dec. 10th. The sign-up sheet is

posted in the back hallway.

Mark Your Calendars!

2018 Choral Cantata

The Gift of Christmas

December 16th

8:45 a.m. & 11:00 a.m.

Join us for worship & voices raised in celebration of the season

Feel free to bring family, friends, and neighbors!

EVERYONE IS WELCOME!!

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SAPC STAFF

Rev. John A. Muse, Inter im Pastor : Cell (336) 707-1536

Michelle Lorio, Director of Children’s Ministry/ Kindergarten Director: 648-9895 ext. 107

Phillip Hare, Director of Music

Scott Chappell, Pianist/Accompanist

Tracie Toulson, Financial Manager : ext. 103

Denise Underwood, Secretary: ext. 100

Cissy Kelley, Assistant Kindergar ten Director / Childcare Coordinator 648-9895 ext.110, Cell (803) 270-5808

ATTENDANCE

Last Sunday: (8:45) - 65

(11:00) - 102

VOLUNTEERS FOR TODAY

Flowers: Given by Dal & Joyce Stanley

Pulpit Assistant: Steve Kuhl

Sound System: (8:45) Crissy Kuhl (11:00) John Kelly

Ushers & Communion Assistants: (8:45) J im Brownlow (H), Mollie Brownlow (A), Dale Stephens,

Valorie Vance-Kraus, Jim Bunch

(11:00) Joe Anderson (H), Sherri Anderson (A), Steve Hook, Linda Hook

VOLUNTEERS FOR NEXT SUNDAY

Flowers: Nichol Gregory/Phillip Hare

Pulpit Assistant: Paul Ebel

Sound System: (8:45) Steve Kuhl (11:00) Phil Lockard

Ushers: (8:45) Larry Hinson (H), Mary Ann Hinson (A)

(11:00) George Schmidt (H), Vicki Schmidt (A)

(H) Head (A) Assistant

CHURCH CONTACT INFORMATION

Church Office: 803-648-9574

Fax: 803-648-7972

Web Site: www.southaiken.org

Email: 1denisesap@gmail.com

Please silence your phone during the service

Follow SAPC activities on Facebook.