LEFC Guide to Worship

Sunday, February 14, 2021
Lanse Evangelical Free Church

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

From the Pastor

Dear Church Family,

February is a great month to focus on love. Obviously, Valentine’s Day is upon us, and so marital and romantic love is in the air. I love Heather Joy and am blessed to know she loves me.

As wonderful as it can be, however, marital love is merely a foreshadowing illustration of the love of God for His people (see Ephesians 5:25-27). This month, let’s pray with the Apostle Paul that our congregation “being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge–that [we] may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:17b-19).

Another great love to focus upon is sibling-love. I love that, as of this weekend, our church is officially 129 years old! I’m sure that our founders on February 13, 1892 could never have imagined the twists and turns that our congregation would experience for the next 13 decades. But I’m also certain that they would be pleased to know that we are still here loving each other and brothers and sisters in Christ and proclaiming in the deep, deep love of Jesus!

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

In His Grip,

– Pastor Matt

P.S. We don’t have a cake with 129 candles blazing on it this Sunday, but the Hospitality Team has arranged for a sweet treat for those worshiping on campus from Quick and Simple Cookies to celebrate our anniversary. Let’s all sing, “Happy Birthday, Dear Lanse Free Church!”

Home Worship Guide

1. Welcome to Worship

Read Psalm 45 with joy, praise, and anticipation as your family gathers to worship.

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

**Option. Compare and contrast. Psalm 45 is significantly different than many of the other psalms. Families could discuss what they notice as the same as previous psalms and what they notice as unique and hypothesize what Pastor Matt will say about Psalm 45.

2. Worship in Singing

As a household sing “O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus” by Samuel Trevor Francis (1890).

YouTube Video

**Option. Our church family is learning the new song, “Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me” by Jonny Robinson, Rich Thompson, and Michael Farren (2018). Your family want to sing it every Sunday for the next several weeks.

**Option. Families with small children might want to sing “Behold What Manner of Love” by Patricia Van Tine. This song can be sung “in the round.” Families might want to plan to sing it several weeks in a row.

3. Worship in Unity

Recite together the Apostle’s Creed:

“We believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.”

**Option. Your family may want to sing “We Believe (The Apostles’ Creed)” by Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty and Stuart Townend to complement this creedal recitation.

4. Worship in Thanksgiving and Lament

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

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

5. Worship in Bible Memory

Recite our church’s current set of “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.”

**Option: The list of “whatevers” seems to be the hardest thing to remember in our memory verse. Your family might want to come up with synonyms for each one: veracity, honorable, just,” etc, to try to cement the ideas in your minds.

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, “A Wedding Song.”

Facebook Video

YouTube Video

Read Message Manuscript

[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 “Fairest Lord Jesus” an anonymous German hymn translated to English by Joseph Seiss.

YouTube Video

**Option. Those worshiping on campus are going to transition right from “Fairest Lord Jesus” into singing “Crown Him with Many Crowns” by Matthew Bridges and Godfrey Thring.

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.

Church Family News

Additional Outdoor Seating Options

We are now broadcasting audio of all 3 worship times into the church parking lot on 89.5 FM. We also have a tent seating section available with a sound system transmitting the words and music outside when weather allows. Please contact the church office if you want to know for certain if the tent will be open on any particular Sunday. While outdoors, protective face coverings are optional. Outdoor worship resources are available on tables near the entrances.

Baby Bottle Blessings

Reminder: Baby bottles are due back next week. Thank you to all who helped with The Pregnancy Resource Clinic’s Baby Bottle Blessing campaign.

God’s Promises Bulletin Board

There are thousands of God’s promises to discover in the Bible. Help us “Hang On God’s Promises This Year.” Write down a scripture reference for a promise God has made to you on a cutout from the table in the foyer. Cut outs can be taken home to fill out and returned later or emailed to the church office.

Ladies’ Restroom Project

Please excuse our dust as the work in the ladies’ restroom continues. Much of the labor for this project is being donated. A huge thank you to Mike Owens and his crew for the tile work completed the past two weeks. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we update this room. Ladies: the family restroom is open for you to use throughout this project.

Sunday School at Home

The Spring Sunday School books have now arrived and are available for pick up in the foyer.  Once again, we have several copies available in large print.  Pick up your copy of Luke 10-24 so you are ready to continue following along at home next month. Explore the Bible Winter Sunday School at home continues this week with our current series: Luke 1-9. Call the church if you would like these resources mailed to you.

 Christian Servant Academy Interest Survey

Christian Servant Academy is a school scheduled to open to kindergarten and first grade students in August 2021. The mission of the Christian Servant Academy is to develop humble disciples and God-fearing citizens by providing rigorous instruction, rooted in the Word of God, along with high standards of discipline for moral character. Samuel Smeal is looking for feedback from prospective parents and community members. Your answers to this survey will help them gauge interest in the school and open lines of communication for parents of prospective students and others who are interested in supporting CSA.

On-Campus Prayer Meeting

Join us Wednesdays at 7:00pm in the Fellowship Hall as Joel Michaels leads us in a brief Bible study, praising God through song, and praying with other believers. Reminder: Because we are inside, masks are 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.

 Sunday Morning Greeter Sign-Up

Do you like to say hi to people? Can you smile behind your mask? Be sure to stop on your way out today and sign up to greet for a few services in January and February.

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.

Pavilion Fund

A designated giving fund for a picnic pavilion here at church remains open. You can donate to this by marking your gift “pavilion” and placing it in the offering.

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 in the offering plate right inside the  office door.
• E-banking – Check with your financial institution about using their bill pay programs to have the bank send us a check directly at no cost.
• Online Payments – PayPal and Venmo are our current e-giving options. Our account address is our email: churchoffice@lansefree.org.

Prayer Items

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