1. Welcome to New Hope United Methodist Church
December 24, 2017

2. New Small Group Bible Studies Starting Week of January 14th:
Announcements
Sun., Dec. 31st, Carols and Seeing God at Work 10am
Young Adults, 11:15am
Tues., Jan. 2nd, Bible Study, Acts 3, 11am, RM2
Wed., Jan. 3rd, Chime Choir, 6pm, Choir, 7pm
Sun., Jan. 7th, 8am worship/11:15am Cherub Choir
Mon., Jan. 8th, Trustees, 7pm, RM2
Tues., Jan. 9th, Finance, 6pm/Ad Council 7pm
New Small Group Bible Studies Starting Week of January 14th:
-Experiencing God, 9 Weeks
-Small Group Study Monday Nights 6pm or Wednesday Mornings, 10am

3. Meditation Let heaven celebrate! Let the earth rejoice!
Psalm 96:11-13
Let heaven celebrate!
Let the earth rejoice!
Let the sea and everything in it roar!
Let the countryside and everything in it celebrate!
Then all the trees of the forest too
will shout out joyfully before the Lord, because he is coming!

4. Bringing in the Light of Christ
Musical Prelude
Mary, Did you Know
Jessica Schuster
Bringing in the Light of Christ

5. Introit
Wait for the Lord
(Jacques Berthier)
Choir

6. *Call to Worship
One: For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders…
Many: He is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7. Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates (Verse 1)
213
WORDS: Georg Weissel, 17th cent.; trans. by Catherine Winkworth, 1855 (Ps. 24)
1. Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates; behold, the King of glory waits;

8. the King of kings is drawing near; the Savior of the world is here!

9. Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates (Verse 2)
2. Fling wide the portals of your heart; make it a temple, set apart

10. from earthly use for heaven’s employ, adorned with prayer and love and joy.

11. Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates (Verse 3)
3. Redeemer, come, with us abide; our hearts to thee we open wide;

12. let us thy inner presence feel; thy grace and love in us reveal.

13. Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates (Verse 4)
4. Thy Holy Spirit lead us on until our glorious goal is won;

14. eternal praise, eternal fame be offered, Savior, to thy name!

15. *Opening Prayer
Andy Little

16. Children’s Time
Powell Smith

17. Lighting of the Fourth
Advent Candle

18. Light the Advent candle, four Think of joy forevermore
*Advent Song
Vs. 4
TFWS
2090
Light the Advent candle, four
Think of joy forevermore
Christ-child in a stable born
Gift of love that Christmas morn

19. Candle, candle, burning bright, shining in the cold winter night;
fill our hearts with Christmas light.

20. Pastoral Prayer
Silent Confession

21. Hymnal #895
Used By Permission. CCLI License #

22. 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 trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass
against us.

23. but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom,
And lead us not
into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever.
Amen.

24. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost;
Glory Be to the Father WORDS: Lesser Doxology, 3rd-4th cent. 70
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost;

25. as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Amen.

26. Offering Our Gifts to God

27. In the Bleak Midwinter (Verse 1)
*Offertory Response:
In the Bleak Midwinter
221
WORDS: Christina G. Rossetti, 1872 (Lk. 2:8-14)
1. In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan, earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;

28. snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow, in the bleak midwinter long ago.

29. In the Bleak Midwinter (Verse 2)
2. Our God, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain; heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign.

30. In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed the Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

31. In the Bleak Midwinter (Verse 3)
3. Angels and archangels may have gathered there, cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;

32. but his mother only, in her maiden bliss, worshiped the beloved with a kiss.

33. In the Bleak Midwinter (Verse 4)
4. What can I give him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;

34. if I were a Wise Man, I would do my part; yet what I can I give him: give my heart.

35. Christmas Cantata
The Christ of Christmas

36. O Little Town of Bethlehem (Verse 1)
230
WORDS: Phillips Brooks, ca. 1868
1. O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie; above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.

37. Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light; the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

38. O Little Town of Bethlehem (Verse 2)
2. For Christ is born of Mary, and gathered all above, while mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wondering love.

39. O morning stars together, proclaim the holy birth, and praises sing to God the King, and peace to all on earth!

40. O Little Town of Bethlehem (Verse 3)
3. How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given; so God imparts to human hearts the blessings of his heaven.

41. No ear may hear his coming, but in this world of sin, where meek souls will receive him, still the dear Christ enters in.

42. O Little Town of Bethlehem (Verse 4)
4. O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray; cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today.

43. We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell; O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!

44. *Benediction
Please join us for food and fellowship in the Hospitality Room following the service.