MORNING WORSHIP
Scripture: Genesis 24-50
Scripture Reading: Genesis 25:19-28, 45:4-7, 50:15-21
(Scripture Reader: Roxie Marcus)
Message: OTC#4 “Unexpected Favor”(Pastor Steve)
Lead Worshipers: Bryan & Praise Team
Offering: Unity Church Ministries
EVENING WORSHIP
What’s Up With That #4: “Finding God’s Favor in all the Right Places”
Offering: CRWRC
Welcome to Unity Church!
We celebrate today the favor of the Lord and His presence with us!
We close out the book of Genesis this morning with some amazing stories of God’s truly unexpected favor. It is one thing to be called the people of God and quite another to find and receive His favor in ways totally catching us by surprise. Be challenged this morning to see your called status as a child of God and your favored status as a true follower of Jesus Christ!
Tonight we will explore the tension between what we sense is deserved favor of God versus unexpected favor from God. Sometimes our sense of justice and what is right gets confused because God shows up with favor in all the “wrong” places. Come explore the Word of God tonight to discover how it is that God shows up in all the “right” places with His favor and His grace.
This morning, we welcome Montana and Sarah Chamberlain to share about the work God is calling them to do.
THE WEEKLY CALENDAR
Today:
9:00am - Adult Education
9:00am - Sunday School Grades 7-12
9:00am - Children’s Choir Grades 3-6
9:15am - Sunday School Grades 3-6
9:45am - Children’s Choir Grades K-2
10:00am - Morning Worship
Children’s Church for ages 3-preK and Grades K-2 will be dismissed by announcement during worship
5:00pm - Evening Worship
Tuesday:
4:00pm - Worship Planning Meeting
7:00pm - Ladies’ Jail Ministry
Wednesday:
6:30pm - GEMS
7:00pm - Dave Ramsey Class
7:00pm - Youth Group at the Rock
7:00pm - Men’s Jail Ministry
9:00pm - Praise Team Practice
Saturday:
6:00pm - Prayer and Fasting
6:00pm - Bonfire for Troyers
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Seniors Coffee Fellowship
October 21 at 9:00am at LuLu Beans
Congregational Meeting:
Sunday, October 23 at 5pm
Youth Group Italian Night Fundraiser
Wednesday, October 26th
Old Testament Challenge
Fast-Track Readings for this week (Week 5): Exodus 1-3, 4-7:13, 8:1-15, 12-14, Psalms 90, 37, 136. For more information long on to our website at www.unitycrc.org/otc.
UNITY FAMILY CARES AND CONCERNS
Baby Congratulations - Congratulations to Dan & Sarah Brouwer on the birth of a beautiful and healthy baby boy, Timothy Joost. He was born Wednesday evening, weighing 9 lbs, and is 22 inches long.
Sympathy - We extend our Christian sympathy, love, and prayers to the Ruplinger, Rime, and Elliot families after the death of Richard Ruplinger this week.
Farewell Bonfire for the Troyers - Gene and Louise Troyer have moved, but plan to visit Prinsburg the weekend of Oct. 15 &16. All are invited to the home of Willy and Linda Brouwer for food, fellowship, and visiting with the Troyers on Saturday (the 15th) at 6:00pm. Please bring lawn chairs and hot dog sticks. An RSVP to the Brouwers is helpful, but not required.
Pastor Steve Out of Office - all this week for study, writing and prayer. Please contact any member of the pastoral staff or elders if you have a need that arises this week.
Open House Baby Shower for Lauren Taatjes, infant daughter of Ben & Megan Taatjes. Saturday, October 22 from 9:30am–11:30am.
Library Team Meeting - First Tuesday of every month
Prayer and Fasting - “Pray in the Spirit on all occasions.” We will be coming together with intercessors from Harvest Community of Willmar this Saturday evening (Oct. 15) at 6:00pm at Unity Church to worship, pray, and fast for revival for the Church in this region. For more info, contact Pastor Steve.
Congregational Meeting - Members of Unity Church are all encouraged to attend our “town hall” congregational meeting on Sunday, October 23 at 5:00pm at the church. The council is calling this meeting to invite feedback and dialogue on the direction of Unity Church, particularly focusing on vision and staffing, with an open segment of time for your comments about the general ministry of Unity. Please make plans to attend this important meeting!
Support our missionaries--no money necessary!
The missions team is looking for families or individuals who will "adopt" one or more of our mission families. We ask that the adopting family will occasionally write to and regularly pray for their missionary family. If the opportunity arises, we ask that you will host this mission family for a meal or overnight, as needed. We are looking for people to adopt the Brohaughs, Peterson Sozi, or John Van Drongelen. Contact Sarah Brouwer through her church mailbox email if you are willing.
COMMUNITY AND AREA ANNOUNCEMENTS
Fourth Annual Caregiving Mini-Retreat - October 17
Join us from 1:30 to 4:00pm at the Willmar Area Senior Citizens Center for this free event. The mini-retreat features music by Terry Shaw and “Butterscotch Caregiving,” a presentation by Virginia McCone, author of Butterscotch Sundaes: My Mom’s Story of Alzheimer’s. We will serve ice cream sundaes after the presentation. Call Taryn for more information.
All-You-Can-Eat Dad’s Belgian Waffles
First CRC Tuesday, October 18 from 5pm-7pm. Help support SERVE kids and other youth group activities. Free-will donation. Carry-outs are available!
Care Packages for Service Men/Women - Want to support this project?
The First CRC Youth Group will be selling Butter Braids from September 26 through October 18 to help fund this project. Talk with a youth group member or call Mitch and Missy Swart to place your order. Or simply make a donation and specify that it’s for the Service Men/Women Project. Thank you.
GEMS
Due to the inclement weather last Wednesday the GEMS were not able to collect items for the food shelf. We will be collecting the items this week starting at 6:30. Thank you to all those who came out and supported the GEMS at our BBQ supper. You support and encouragement mean a lot to us.
FRIENDSHIP BIBLE MINISTRY NEWS
We hope all those who attended the combined service on Sept. 25 were both blessed and challenged by Rev. Bill VanDykens' message. We want to thank all who participated in the service and our host church, First Prinsburg CRC. The offering collected for Friendship Ministries totaled $944.62. Thank you for all of your support.
Friendship Classes started again with 53 students and 29 mentors on Monday nights and 85 students and 29 mentors on Tuesday nights. As you can see we urgently need more mentors for Tuesday nights. Please call Sandy Moorlag at 235-6799 or Clara DeRonde at 234-0455 if interested.
We are planning our 6th Annual Retreat for Saturday, Oct. 29. Our theme this year is GROWING STRONG WITH JESUS. Our offering for the day will be helping a similar retreat in Guatemala. Items we will be collecting are small tool kits and assorted tools, allen wrenches, and 7/16" wrenches (which are valuable for wheelchair repairs), flip-flop sandals in all sizes, many hygiene items, coloring books, crayons, balloons, and small toys. Items can be given to any board member. We will also need table helpers, kitchen servers and donations of bars. If you are able to help, Call Helene Dykstra or Clara DeRonde.
In His Service,
Friendship Board Members:
Clara DeRonde, Sandy Moorlag, Sally Green, Gretjen Wubben, Helene Dykstra, Norma Groen, Bonnie Hoogeveen, and Marion Bohlsen.
