LEFC Guide to Worship

Sunday, September 20, 2020
Lanse Evangelical Free Church

• From the Pastor
• Home Worship Guide
• Church Family News
• Prayer Items

From the Pastor

Dear Church Family,

Celebration Sunday is, Lord-willing, next weekend! I can’t hardly wait to see everyone gathering for “tailgate” style worship on our campus, to praise the Lord with our whole souls, to thank Him for 128 years of His steadfast love, and to celebrate the Lord’s supper together once again. This has been a very difficult year, and yet we have so many blessings in which to rejoice (Psalm 103).

Thank you for sending me your family’s prayer requests for my retreat this past week. It is such a privilege to rejoice with you in your joys, lament with you in your sorrows, and intercede for your family’s needs. Many of you are going through really hard things right now. I am glad to walk alongside you as a representative of the Great Shepherd (1 Peter 5:2-5).

The Lord as our Shepherd is the theme of our worship this weekend. The mighty, majestic, eternal Great King we have been learning about in Psalm 8, 90, and 93 is also incredibly personal, near, and involved in our daily life, caring for our every need. What fortifying truth!

Whether at home or on campus, let’s make sure that every single one of us in this precious church family worships our Great Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ.

In His Grip,

– Pastor Matt

P.S. What is your favorite song about being one of the Lord’s sheep? Sing it to Him today!

Home Worship Guide

1. Welcome to Worship

Read Psalm 95:1-7 as your family gathers to worship.

**Option. Pastor Matt’s message will be about Psalm 23. Families with children at home may want to read Psalm 23 instead to prepare for the sermon.

**Option. Families with children at home could prepare them by asking, “What is Psalm 23 about?” “What do you think Pastor Matt will say about Psalm 23 today?” “What did Psalm 23 make you think or feel when we read it?” “What does Psalm 23 teach us about God?” “What does Psalm 23 teach us about ourselves?” “What does Psalm 23 teach us about Jesus?”

**Option. Families with older children may want to ask, “Why do you think we chose Psalm 95 to start a worship time that focuses on Psalm 23? What are some of the connections between the two Psalms?”

Have someone pray and ask God to bless your time of worship at home

2. Worship in Singing

As a household sing “Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us” by Dorothy Thrupp.

YouTube Video

**Option. Those worshipping on campus are starting by singing an adaptation of Psalm 95, “Come, Let Us Worship And Bow Down” by Dave Doherty. Your family want to sing that instead or as well.

**Option. Those worshiping on campus are also singing, “Sanctuary,” “Victory in Jesus,” “God Will Take Care of You.” You could add or substitute those songs for your household, too.

3. Worship in Unity

Recite together Psalm 23 in the King James Version:

“The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil:
for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil;
my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”

4. Worship in Lament and Thanksgiving

“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:15).

Share with your family those things you are thankful for and those things you are lamenting this week.

5. Worship in Bible Memory

Recite our current “Hide the Word” memory verses, Philippians 4:4-8.

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”

6. Worship in Prayer

Take prayer requests and pray for each other.

Read the prayer guide together and pray for the rest of the church family and the requests listed.

7. Worship in the Word

Watch or read Pastor Matt’s message: “The LORD Is My Shepherd.”

Facebook Video

YouTube Video

Read on Pastor Matt’s Blog

[The message will be available online by Sunday morning.]

Some families may want to watch/read the message on their own and then have a Bible study and discussion together during this time.

8. Worship in Singing

Sing “The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want” from the Scottish Psalter (1650) put to music by Jesse Irvine in 1872.

**Option: Some families may want to sing verse 1 of “Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us,” again.

9. Worship All Week

Have someone pray a prayer of commissioning for your family as you end this time of gathered worship and face a week of new opportunities and new challenges to serve the Lord, the church, and the world in His Name.

10. Participate in LEFC Family Fellowship Meeting on Zoom – 6:30pm on Sunday September 20.

Many of us are meeting through video-conference online this Sunday at 6:30pm:

• See one another’s faces and hear each other’s voices.
• Listen to announcements of church family news.
• Interact with educators from our church family as we check back in on them after the first month of school. Find out how the Lord is answering our prayers and pray some more for students, aides, administrators, and teachers.
• LEFC Zoom Kids, we want to see your pets this week. Show us your cat, dog, gerbil, hamster, fish, turtle, and tell us a little bit about them. Pastor Matt is going to ask us what things we can learn about how God takes care of us by our taking care of our animals.
• Pray for one another live and online.

If you have any questions about how to do this, please don’t hesitate to ask!

Church Family News

Celebration Sunday Teams

Lord willing, we will celebrate 128 years together next Sunday in a combined outdoor service at 9:30am. We are looking for 10 people willing to come at 8:00am to set up our church campus with the tables and chairs necessary to hold our service.  We are also looking for a team of people to help greet/direct everyone as they arrive on our church campus. See Pastor Matt or contact the church office this week if you can meet one (or both!) of these needs. Thanks.

Celebration Sunday Parking

On Celebration Sunday most people should plan to park in the main lot and walk through or around the building to join the worship gathering out in the field.  This will leave plenty of room for those who have difficulty walking or plan to stay in their vehicles for the worship service.

Missionary Christmas in September

Each year we collect a special offering aimed to bless the missionaries we support and give them some extra money to use in whatever way they like. Donations will be accepted for the next 2 weeks. There are envelopes in the foyer on the resources tables or you can place it in the offering plate marked “Christmas.”

Children’s Church

All children ages 3 – 3^rd grade are invited to join us for Children’s Church at our 9:30 worship service. Parents: When indicated in the service, please bring your kids back to the foyer. Drop them off at the end of the hall with a volunteer. We will bring them back out the hallway to the foyer to meet you at the conclusion of our program time. All ministry workers have their clearances.

Red Cross Blood Drive

On Tuesday, September 29^th, we will be hosting a blood drive here at the church for the American Red Cross. Blood supplies remain low due to the increased precautions needed to ensure donor health. If you or someone you know can give blood, please sign up to donate. Volunteers are needed to help with initial temperature screenings, donor check in, and canteen staff to offer snacks. We are also looking for a limited number of baked goods. If you can help work the drive, please contact Marilynn in the office.  Thank you.

Directory Additions – Corrections

We celebrated with Zach & Haylee Simler as they were married last month. Two weeks later, Matt & Amy Modzel were also married. If you need their new addresses please contact the church office.

On-Campus Prayer Meeting

Join us Wednesdays at 7:00pm in the Fellowship Hall for a brief Bible study, praising God through song, and praying with other believers. Reminder: Because we are inside, masks or shields will be required of all who attend. We will continue to send the Prayer Meeting at Home guide to anyone who requests it. Contact the church office to get this weekly email.

Family Fellowship on Zoom

Join us this evening at 6:30pm for our Church Family Fellowship on Zoom. We will visit together, share Church Family News items, and spend some time interacting with educators from our church family as we check back in on them after the first month of school. Find out how the Lord is answering our prayers and pray some more for students, aides, administrators, and teachers. Kids, we want to see your pets this week. Show us your cat, dog, gerbil, hamster, fish, turtle, and tell us a little bit about them. Pastor Matt is going to ask us what things we can learn about how God takes care of us by our taking care of our animals.

Compassion Walk

You are invited to join with other West Branch area churches on Sunday, October 4th, at 1 pm for the second annual West Branch Ministerium Compassion Walk. This ministry helps families in need with utility bills, and provides gas, food, and hotel stays for homeless and victims of domestic violence. Registration is at Palestine UMC and forms are located in the foyer. The walk is also being offered as a virtual event for those who are less comfortable gathering at this time. Can’t walk? Consider a donation for this vital ministry. Mark your gift “Walk” and drop it in the offering plate. See Marilynn Kristofits with questions or to get involved.

Need Prayer?

Our church and our pastor love to pray for you. If you have a need for prayer, you can email us at prayer@lansefree.org. All emails being sent to this address will be seen by Pastor Matt. Please indicate if this is a private request (for Pastor Matt and the Elder Board) or public request for the prayer chain.

Continuing to Give

Thank you for continuing to support our ministries and missionaries. Ways to give:

• Mail your offering check to us at PO BOX 114, Lanse, PA 16849.
• Cash or Check in person. Drop off your offering at the church during office hours (9:30-2:30 Tuesday – Friday) in the offering plate right inside the door.
• Online Payments – P2P (CNB), PayPal, and Venmo are all e-giving options. Our account address is our email: churchoffice@lansefree.org. Contact Marilynn if you need any help navigating this way of giving.

Prayer Items

Contact the church office for this week’s prayer requests from the bulletin.