Order of Service, 27th December 2020
Sunday 27th December 2020
Morning Worship
led by Andrew Gibb
Sharing the Joy
Andrew is an Assembly Accredited Lay Preacher in the URC and is a serving Elder at this Church, also holding several other positions.
This Service, broadcast live from the Church, can be found via Facebook – www.facebook.com/wokingurc – or the front page of the Church’s website – www.wokingurc.org.uk The Service will be available to see for several weeks as well. If you would like some help to access either of them please email – office@wokingurc.org.uk .
This order of Service has been prepared so that you may fully participate at home and the sound of praise may ring across the town and many other parts of the world!
Although this Service is being live streamed from the Church there will not be a congregation at the moment. The Services will also be recorded and if you would like an mp3 (audio) file sent by a Dropbox link by email every week please send a message to the Church office (as above). CDs (Sermon and Readings only) and DVDs will also be available and can be delivered or posted to you. Please email office@wokingurc.org.uk or if you are unable to email telephone Dave Tuson on 07817 007780.
Welcome and Notices
Call to Worship
Hymn – While shepherds watched their flocks by night (R&S 155)
Hymn – He came down that we may have love
Prayers and the Lord’s Prayer
Family Time
Hymn – Joy to the world, the Lord is come (R&S 135)
Excerpt from Handel’s oratorio ‘The Messiah’
‘There were shepherd abiding in the fields’ Sung by Lynne Dawson in a Stephen Cleobury performance with the choir of Kings College Cambridge
Bible Readings –
Isaiah 7 v10-17
Luke 2 v8-20
Sermon
Hymn – From the squalor of a borrowed stable
Prayers for others and thanksgiving
Hymn – Go tell it on the mountain (R&S 164)
Blessing and The Grace
NEWS AND NOTICES
The after the Service Zoom gatherings will not take place today. The social time will return next Sunday and the prayer time on the 10th January.
If you would like to give to the Church this can be done through two different links on the front page of the Church’s website or Facebook page – Cafonline and Givt (a new method launched last month). Regular giving can also be set up by these methods or by bank standing order.
Christian Aid Christmas Appeal – last week to donate! – Giving is best done through WURC’s Just Giving page “Christian Aid Christmas Appeal” via the link on the Church website. Christian Aid will receive the donation, including any gift aid, directly and no charges are deducted. If you prefer, then you can pay direct to the church bank account (Sort Code: 40-47-08; Account No: 3189024) reference CAid, or by cheque payable to Woking URC with CAid written on the back. Cheques can be sent to the church, marked for the attention of Chris Temple, or direct to his home address.
Prayers are very important, particularly at this time of isolation. If you would like to request a prayer or volunteer to commit to praying regularly at home, and receive a prayer list please email Morwenna at office@wokingurc.org.uk
If you would like to listen to another Service…the URC is sending one out at 10 am each Sunday morning which can be accessed at any time afterwards. Just go to – https://devotions.urc.org.uk – and you can also be signed up for the daily email which gives a Bible reading, a commentary and a prayer.
Are You Lonesome Tonight? The work being undertaken by Redeeming Our Communities, Woking (ROC), which includes local Churches, is to find out just how badly loneliness and social isolation are affecting local people. A short online survey to try to identify their causes is being issued. If you are willing to complete the survey the link is: https://www.facebook.com/WOK.ROC or search @WOK.ROC from within Facebook. Hard copies will be available in January. Monday – The Girls’ Brigade and Boys’ Brigade Zoom meetings will not be held during the school holidays.
Tuesday – 10 am – Prayers for the Church’s work with children and young people. An invitation to pray with Leonie Fisher, Children & Youth Worker for about half an hour. Just follow the link : https://us02web.zoom.us/j/73876320050?pwd=MzNWaS8ySGJMNElNSnVyV2dHZSsvQT09
Meeting ID: 738 7632 0050 Passcode: WURCyouth
Wednesday – 11 am to 12 noon at the Church. Gifts for the York Road Project Regular items welcomed – Bottled water, Jars of sauces for e.g. bolognaise & curries, UHT milk, vegetables & fresh fruit. Supplementary list – deodorants/antiperspirants, shaving foam, razors, PPE/hygiene products (anti-bacterials, gloves, masks & handwash) and the following clothing: men’s underwear (small & medium), men’s and women’s jumpers & jackets, thermals (small / medium), hats, gloves & scarfs (unisex).
Thursday – 10 am – Prayers for help and healing.
A short Service as close as possible to the weekly gathering for prayers which was held at the Church.
10.30 am Social Time Chat Everyone welcome at either or both.
To share in either via Zoom the link is: https://Zoom.us/j/95986431118. Should you need it, the meeting ID is 959-8643-1118.
Leading Worship elsewhere. One of the Church’s Lay Preachers, Sydney Shore, is leading worship at High Cross (URC & Methodist) Church, Camberley this morning.
Staff leave Between now and 3rd January the Minister and the Church’s members of staff will be taking leave at various times. Please contact one of your pastoral Elders or the Church Secretary during this period if necessary.
Next live stream Worship occasions:
Wednesday 30th December- 7 pm Pause for Prayer
Sunday 3rd January at 10.30am – Communion Service led by the minister, Gifts of Joy.
In view of the Covid tier change which places Woking in Tier 3, it has been decided, in the interest of safety, not to hold in-person Services while the Tier 3 restrictions apply. All services will continue to be live streamed.