SUNDAY WORSHIP
Scripture Reading: Psalm 130
Message:
Offering: Love Fund
Lead Worshiper: Jason Ver Steeg
Welcome to Unity Church!
Glory to God in the Highest! We have come to worship Christ the newborn King. He is the promised Messiah. He is God with us, and he is here in this place. We open our eyes to see him and lift our hearts to worship him. We have come to exalt the name of Jesus, our Savior and King, and to bring glory to God the Father.
Baptism
This morning we celebrate the sign and seal of God through baptism on Samuel Adam Zwart, infant son of Pastor Steve & Angela Zwart. We thank God for His continued faithfulness through the generations!
Testimony
We also celebrate the gift of life through the miraculous healing of Jan Donyes, who will be sharing her testimony, along with her husband, Bob, during the message this morning.
Monday:
4:45pm: Worship Planning Team meeting
9:00pm: Lock-in (9th - 12th) at the Rock on 8th
Tuesday: Happy New Years! 2008
OFFICE CLOSED
Wednesday:
7:00pm: Youth Group (9th-12th)
7:00pm: Men’s Jail Ministry
9:00pm: Worship Team Practice
Next Sunday (1st Sunday):
9:00am: Missions Prayer Time
9:00am: Sunday School, grades 2-12
10:00am: Worship
Children ages 3-preK and K-1 will be invited by announcement to go to Children’s Church.
Unity Church Announcements
Graduation Congratulations
This morning cake will be served following the morning service honoring Joe De Groot & Matthew Hoekstra in their graduation from Bethel University on Wednesday, December 19th. Come and celebrate with them.
Missions Prayer Time Next Week
You are invited to join the Missions & Outreach Team for a time of prayer for our missionaries at 9:00am next week (and every first Sunday of the month) in Pastor Jeff's office.
Thank You
We want to thank everyone for all the wonderful meals, visits in the hospital and the wonderful fellowship we have had, welcoming the birth of Jacob Nathaniel. Jason, Melissa, Kayla, Joshua & Jacob Ver Steeg.
Ideas for Worship?
Nearly every Monday afternoon, the Worship Planning Team meets to plan and evaluate our worship services. If you have any suggestions or ideas for how we can promote an authentic encounter with God through our times of corporate worship, we would be glad to hear them. Your ideas, concerns, and suggestions are very helpful for our work. You may contact any of the members of the team: Tom Bruin, Lee Duininck, Lois Cook, Kerry Breems, and our Pastors.
Communication Forums at Unity
Over the next few months we will be holding communication forums for you to receive updates and ask your questions about the building project, the General Fund, and the recent repairs to our existing facility. Our Next forum will be January 6th, January 20th, and February 10th, with future forums also coming in March, April, and May. These forums will start (as close as we can get to) immediately after church on those Sundays. You are strongly encouraged to participate in all of the forums, since there will be new information coming along the way.
Pledge Form Reminder
Please return the pledge forms that you received in the mail to Joe Ulferts’ church box TODAY. Even if you do not plan to pledge anything, we would still like to have all the forms back by the end of the year. If you have questions, please contact Joe or Roger Ulferts at the contact information provided in the letter you received.
Gospel Class Resumes
There is no Gospel Class on Thursdays or Sundays until January 10th and 13th when we will begin a 6-week study of the basics of Reformed Theology.
Seminar on Islam & Christianity
Pastor Mujahid-El-Masih, church planter and international speaker from Pakistan, is coming to Willmar to speak about Islam and Christianity on Saturday and Sunday, January 12 and 13. He will be giving 5 presentations (see poster in Fellowship Hall) over the two days at the Evangelical Free Church of Willmar.
Ushers
We are looking for a few more people to be ushers. If you would like to be an usher please contact Lee Dunininck or the Church office. **Current ushers, please remember to turn in your usher schedule so we can get a master one put together. Thank you so much for your time.
Community Announcements
Wills & Estate Planning
Don Long, an estate planner from Barnabas Foundation, plans to be in the Western MN (Prinsburg, Willmar etc.) area on January 8, 9, 10, 2008 to assist people with their estate planning and stewardship responsibilities. He would be happy to meet with people from your congregation who are interested in establishing or updating their Wills, or other estate planning matters.
Easter Cantata Choir
The First Reformed Church of Willmar would like to invite you to sing with them for an Easter Cantata to be presented on Palm Sunday evening, March 16th at 7:00pm. Practices will begin on Thursday, January 10th at 7:00pm. All practices will be on Thursday evenings. For those of you who go south for the winter, there will be a book and CD you can take with you. If you have any questions, please contact Becky Lippert at 214-8490 or you can email her at rklippert@charter.net.
Helping Hands Mission Trip to Mississippi in January
Duane Bonnema is organizing a group of volunteers from area churches to lend a helping hand at the Cary Christian Center in the Mississippi Delta. On this trip, we might travel to Gulfport, Mississippi for two days to help a widowed lady repair her damaged home. This group will be leaving Saturday, January 19, 2008, at 3:00 am, and returning Saturday, January 26 at 9:00 pm. We are looking for additional volunteers, especially those with skills in carpentry, sheet rocking, shingling, and wiring. If you are unable to join us on this trip, but are willing to help, we are in need of building supplies, food, and funding for purchasing the materials needed to complete the work projects. Most of all, your continued prayers and support are coveted as we prepare to return to Mississippi. If you have any questions or can help in any way, please contact Duane Bonnema or Andy Ypma.
