As we are in this sermon series on our sure hope, we recall Jesus command to go and make disciples. We have hope to share with the world, and so we are as a church preparing to embark on a year of discipleship. Below you can read about the progress being made on this initiative.
Discipleship Update:
Progress has been made on the curriculum.
Responses from facilitators and hosts were turned in.
A brochure was created and you can read it below.
The purpose, structure, values and goals for groups was clarified.
In the week ahead, we expect:
to hear about facilitator and host availability for meeting.
pair up hosts and facilitators.
prepare a survey to send out next week to you about your availability to meet.
to consider covid principles and guidelines for the groups.
continue to pray as we navigate this new frontier and all the tasks involved.
We appreciate your ongoing prayers for a move of the Holy Spirit to mature and multiply disciples!
Here is a brochure that gives an overview of what the Discipleship Groups will be all about: A Year of Discipleship Brochure
Welcome to Gold Avenue Church’s At home Worship Liturgy; we’re so grateful to join together in Spirit as we worship! We want to give special thanks to our worship leaders: Kayleen Jasperse, Derek Sterenberg, and Marissa Walters who have been prayerfully discerning our Orders of Worship and Marissa in particular who prayerfully discerned this liturgy.
Our prayer is that this liturgy helps us to create cultures of worship in our homes or wherever we utilize them, and that as we enter into his presence and give him praise, that we are each met, blessed, and brought further up and further in to the Kingdom of God.
Call to Worship:
The Call to Worship serves to focus our attention on the living God who is present with us; it calls us to position ourselves as those who are ready to worship and ready to receive from Him.
Read the following out loud as you fix your eyes on Jesus:
From Psalm 99:
The Lord reigns,
let the nations tremble;
he sits enthroned between the cherubim,
let the earth shake.
Great is the Lord in Zion;
he is exalted over all the nations.
Let them praise your great and awesome name—
he is holy.
Let us worship our Holy King who sits enthroned above!
Pray for the Lord to fill you, your household, and your home with his presence and his peace. Invite him to stir up worship and take time to express your gratitude and thankfulness to the Lord as you feel led.
Worshiping in Song:
You can access the video of each song by clicking on the video. We invite you to turn up the volume and to participate freely and fully: sing along, dance, kneel, listen and soak, read the included lyrics–however you feel led. You may find it fruitful to listen to a song more than once, to respond between songs with prayer, thanksgiving, meditation, or even discussion about how the Lord is at work in and through the song.
All Creatures of Our God and King
The Lord’s Greeting:
The Lord’s Greeting serves to remind us that we are in the presence of the living God. It makes space for him to greet us as our loving heavenly father who rules and reigns as the King over all and who is present with us as our loving heavenly father!
Fix your eyes on him as you read the following out loud:
From 2 John 1:3
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love!
Greeting One Another:
It might feel a little odd doing this at home, but take time to say these words to greet each other, as you shake hands, hug or elbow bump:
“The Lord be with you!”
and in response:
“and also with you!”
And if you’re alone:
“The Lord is with me!”
He is Exalted
This I Believe
A Mighty Fortress is Our God
Testimony/Family Prayer Time:
As you transition, take a moment to reflect on how the Lord was ministering to you through song: what lyrics stood out to you? What emotions were you experiencing? What did God reveal to you about who he is? What did God reveal to you about what he says about you? How else were you ministered to?
Share a story with those around you or to the Lord about how he was at work in worship as well as in your week. Give him glory for his goodness. If alone, you could write down your testimony.
Take a few minutes to pray for our church family, neighborhood, and the world as the Lord leads.
Regular offering:
Support ministry at Gold Avenue Church by giving to the general fund (Click the picture for more giving options):
Text: send amount (number only, no extra symbols) to (616) 319-2259 and follow prompts to give securely
Mail a check payable to Gold Avenue Church at 49 Gold Avenue NW Grand Rapids, MI 4950
Song of Preparation
The Song of Preparation serves to prepare our hearts to receive the Word of the Lord. Continue to fix your eyes on Jesus and surrender your attention and heart to him as we transition and prepare to enter into His Word.
The song of response helps us to receive and apply the words that we’ve just heard through the Word. Take a moment to reflect on what you’ve just heard and experienced and ask the Lord how he might be asking you to respond; feel free to sing in response as you feel led.
Even So Come
The Lord’s Blessing:
The Lord’s Blessing serves to make space for us to receive the Lord’s blessing to equip and empower us to receive his word, to be obedient to it, and to walk it out in his grace and favor.
Fix your eyes on him as you read the following out loud:
From Philippians 1:9-11
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
00Gold Avenue Churchhttp://goldavenuechurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/GAC-Logo-V5-nbmod-300x300-1.pngGold Avenue Church2020-10-10 16:50:322020-10-10 16:50:32Gold Avenue Church At Home Worship Liturgy 10.11.20
Thanks for joining us again as we do Children’s Worship from home!
Note: Please let us know about how your family is enjoying Children’s Worship! Take some pictures of your family participating in Children’s Worship or share a story. You can post to the Gold Avenue Church Facebook page or send by email at goldavechurch@gmail.com
God’s Care is Wonderful
Based on Exodus 16
OVERVIEW:
Activity One: Read the intro. Watch the video.
Activity Two: Discuss the story using provided questions as prompts.
Worship: Singing
Activity Three: Respond to the story by doing the activity.
Activity Four: Bless your children
EQUIP:
(It’s not an activity, but just a little background on the story for you, the parent, to read.)
Early into their journey out of Egypt, the Israelites were learning just how wonderful God’s care can be. But after only a month or so, they became disgruntled and began murmuring again against Moses and Aaron. Seemingly the people forgot the bondage, beatings, and misery of their forced labor as slaves. But God heard the complaints of His people. In His grace and mercy, each day the Lord sent nutritional provision. Psalm 78 tells us God opened the doors of the heavens and rained down grain—men ate the bread of angels (verses 23–25)! The word manna comes from the question the people asked that first morning, “What is it?” (in Hebrew, man-hu ). The manna came with the dew each morning and resembled a hearty seed.
The way in which the Lord provided the manna was a wonder-filled miracle. It was especially nutritious and was able to sustain an adult for an entire day’s journey. Manna, along with quail, was to be their food for the next 40 years, until the new generation entered the Promised Land. God gave clear instructions that the Israelites were to gather manna daily, but only as much as each person in the family could eat; no more, no less. His people were to wake up early, before the desert sun would melt the manna, and only gather enough for the day. On the sixth day, the people were instructed to gather twice as much in order to prepare for the Sabbath. Additionally, God instructed His people to place a jar of manna in the ark of the covenant to serve as a reminder of His wonderful provision.
God cares for me. He is my provider. He is my healer.
Take a moment to read through each of the above statements once more. Pause at the end of each sentence. How have you experienced God working in your life in relation to these statements? Do you need to be reminded of His provision and care for you? Is there an area of your life that needs His healing? Ask God to reveal more of Himself to you. Allow yourself to respond freely to Him in whatever posture of worship His Spirit directs.
Activity 1: STORY
Lead children in a Prayer of Release to pause, be still, and ask the Holy Spirit to quiet their hearts and minds.
Introduction to read to the children:
This part of The Big God Story begins right after the Israelites left slavery in Egypt. God parted the Red Sea (bring palms together and then spread them apart), and they walked right across and started their journey to the new land God promised would be their home. (Place left palm out flat, and with right hand, use two fingers to make walking motion across left palm.) Give children a minute to follow movements. God’s care for His people is wonderful!
Let’s learn about another way God showed His care for His people in today’s story.
Watch the video:
Activity 2: DISCUSSION
Today in The Big God Story you heard about the wonderful way God provided food for His people. He took care of them by sending manna from heaven. God’s care for His people is always wonderful!
I wonder … What would I think if food fell from the sky?
I wonder … What did the manna look and smell like each morning?
I wonder … When was a time God cared for me?
After discussing the Wonder Questions, you’ll have the opportunity to pray with and for each of the children in your group.
God is with us every day, and He never gets tired of caring for us in wonderful ways. Even when we complain or make the wrong choice, God is there, loving us and caring for us. I’m so thankful that God cares for me in wonderful ways. I’ll start our time of praise by telling God thank You for all the ways He cares for me. “Dear God, You’re wonderful! Thank You for caring for me in wonderful ways!” What would you like to praise God for right now? Encourage children to respond with their own words. Then, transition into a time of prayer for personal requests.
Worship Songs:
Activity 3: RESPONSE ACTIVITY
Experience #1
Supplies:
Paper strips for a paper chain, 2-3 per child
Writing or drawing utensils
Tape
God cared for His people in a wonderful way. He caused food to fall from the sky so they’d have enough to eat while they continued their journey to the place God promised would be their new home.
What are wonderful ways God cares for you? When you wake up in the morning, how does God care for you? When you play and eat and learn during the day, how is God caring for you? Who are the people God has placed in your life that care for you? Who did God promise to send to care for us? God knows what you need, and He’s able to take care of your needs in wonderful ways. Use some of their ideas from the prayer time after the Wonder Questions, also.
Explain that children can take strips of paper and draw about a way or ways God cares for them. As they work, share a story about how God has cared for you. Consider sharing an example that helps the kids see that God’s care can come in miraculous and ordinary ways. Both circumstances are wonderful.
When children are finished drawing on the strips, begin to tape them together to form a paper chain. Ask anyone who is willing to share about his link(s) and how God has cared for him. When your chain is complete, hang it for everyone to see.
Experience #2
Supplies:
Enlarge and print the image below
Crayons or markers
Glue stick
Oyster Crackers or Cheerios or another whitish cereal
Directions: Color picture. With a glue stick paste the “manna” on the ground and in the basket.
God was so good to take care of the Israelites as they traveled through the desert. God sent manna for the people to gather and eat each day. God cares for us each day, too.
Activity 4: CLOSING BLESSING
Kids, God is wonderful today and always, and He cares for us in wonderful ways.
Lead children in several rounds of the following call-and-response.
Leader: God is wonderful …
Children: today and always!
Leader: God always cares for us …
Children: in wonderful ways!
End by speaking the following Scripture and prayer over the group. Invite children to cup their hands and hold them out as if they’re receiving something.
The Bible tells us, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).
May you know that God your Father loves you and will care for you in ways that are more wonderful than you can even imagine!
It’s been an exciting week of progress: An initial round of invitations have been sent to potential hosts and facilitators. The structure and goals for discipleship groups have been developed and are being refined by the discipleship team. We are drafting two things to share with you soon. First is a brochure that shares an overview of the vision for A Year of Discipleship, and which answers questions about discipleship groups. We plan to follow that with a poll which will ask, again, about your participation and preferences.
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Also, you may be aware that the Michigan State Supreme Court has recently ruled that our Governor’s extended emergency declarations are unconstitutional, and will expire in several weeks. Therefore, we will be watching the news closely for updates on regulations re: gathering, and also engaging that conversation with our admin elders. Please continue to pray for wisdom and unity through this season.
September 30, 2020
D-groups will not only help us begin to re-gather—they will also propel us into a yearlong journey of growing in discipleship together. This week the staff finalized criteria and responsibilities for D-group facilitators and hosts. We also identified a list of people who may potentially serve in these roles, and will begin inviting them to serve over the coming week.
Two to three weeks from now, we aim to begin contacting each of you to ask, again, about your desire and willingness to join a D-group for the purpose of growing as a disciple and a disciple maker. Thank you for your prayers—the administration load is heavy right now, but we are trusting the Lord to bear great fruit through our willingness to grow.
September 23, 2020
We are excited and eager to launch Discipleship Groups at Gold Avenue Church! D-groups will be both a means of beginning to re-gather, and of each becoming better equipped to obey the Great Commission. Longing for the return of Jesus, we must bring the Gospel of the Kingdom to all people (Matt. 24:14)!
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As the staff is already working diligently on initial planning for D-groups, we aim to use this corner to bring you weekly updates on the status and timeline for beginning them. Right now, as we consider identifying hosts/host criteria, group facilitators/facilitator criteria, facilitator training, communication regarding group formation, and the development of the Gospel Tool Bible studies, our hope is to launch D-groups by mid-November. We are praying for church-wide participation in D-groups.
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The elders have blessed the staff with flexibility to adapt our roles, in this season, so that we can most effectively work together to prepare D-groups. One example of how you’ll experience this is in our preaching rhythm. Pastor Gina will not preach until November so that she can focus on curriculum development while Pastors Dave & Jaleesa preach four sermons in a row, each, on Our Blessed Hope.
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We thought you’d appreciate hearing of this small change, and ask, would you please continue to pray for Gold Avenue Church, as we make intentional efforts to develop a culture of discipleship, and for the staff, as we prepare to launch D-groups. Interestingly, as the staff met this past week to begin planning in earnest, we noted that there were 52 days until we hoped to launch—the exact same amount of time it took for Nehemiah and co. to re-build the wall of Jerusalem. The Lord has gone ahead of us!
Welcome to Gold Avenue Church’s At home Worship Liturgy; we’re so grateful to join together in Spirit as we worship! We want to give special thanks to our worship leaders: Kayleen Jasperse, Derek Sterenberg, and Marissa Walters who have been prayerfully discerning our Orders of Worship and Kayleen in particular who prayerfully discerned this liturgy.
Our prayer is that this liturgy helps us to create cultures of worship in our homes or wherever we utilize them, and that as we enter into his presence and give him praise, that we are each met, blessed, and brought further up and further in to the Kingdom of God.
We will also be celebrating Communion as part of this Liturgy; please make sure that you’ve got your elements ready following the sermon.
Call to Worship:
The Call to Worship serves to focus our attention on the living God who is present with us; it calls us to position ourselves as those who are ready to worship and ready to receive from Him.
Read the following out loud as you fix your eyes on Jesus:
From Psalm 29:
Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.
The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon leap like a calf, Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightning.
The voice of the Lord shakes the desert; the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord twists the oaks and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord is enthroned as King forever.
The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.
Let us worship our King who sits enthroned above!
Pray for the Lord to fill you, your household, and your home with his presence and his peace. Invite him to stir up worship and take time to express your gratitude and thankfulness to the Lord as you feel led.
Worshiping in Song:
You can access the video of each song by clicking on the video. We invite you to turn up the volume and to participate freely and fully: sing along, dance, kneel, listen and soak, read the included lyrics–however you feel led. You may find it fruitful to listen to a song more than once, to respond between songs with prayer, thanksgiving, meditation, or even discussion about how the Lord is at work in and through the song.
Sing to the King
The Lord’s Greeting:
The Lord’s Greeting serves to remind us that we are in the presence of the living God. It makes space for him to greet us as our loving heavenly father who rules and reigns as the King over all and who is present with us as our loving heavenly father!
Fix your eyes on him as you read the following out loud:
From 2 John 1:3
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love!
Greeting One Another:
It might feel a little odd doing this at home, but take time to say these words to greet each other, as you shake hands, hug or elbow bump:
“The Lord be with you!”
and in response:
“and also with you!”
And if you’re alone:
“The Lord is with me!”
Come Thou Fount Come Thou King
Amazing Love
Your Great Name
Testimony/Family Prayer Time:
As you transition, take a moment to reflect on how the Lord was ministering to you through song: what lyrics stood out to you? What emotions were you experiencing? What did God reveal to you about who he is? What did God reveal to you about what he says about you? How else were you ministered to?
Share a story with those around you or to the Lord about how he was at work in worship as well as in your week. Give him glory for his goodness. If alone, you could write down your testimony.
Take a few minutes to pray for our church family, neighborhood, and the world as the Lord leads.
Regular offering:
Support ministry at Gold Avenue Church by giving to the general fund (Click the picture for more giving options):
Text: send amount (number only, no extra symbols) to (616) 319-2259 and follow prompts to give securely
Mail a check payable to Gold Avenue Church at 49 Gold Avenue NW Grand Rapids, MI 4950
Song of Preparation
The Song of Preparation serves to prepare our hearts to receive the Word of the Lord. Continue to fix your eyes on Jesus and surrender your attention and heart to him as we transition and prepare to enter into His Word.
If you are a baptized member of a church that declares Jesus is Lord, and if you are walking in the light and in pursuit of righteousness, we welcome and encourage you to join with us as we celebrate the Lord’s Supper! If you are not yet baptized or are not yet walking in the light, we encourage you to take some time to pray and reflect with the Lord or to confess and repent of your sins as His Word promises that when we confess, he is faithful to forgive! We welcome baptized children of believers to the table as parents discern they are ready, and also invite you to pray blessing over your children who are not yet ready to partake.
Song of Response:
The song of response helps us to receive and apply the words that we’ve just heard through the Word and the meal that we’ve just received. Take a moment to reflect on what you’ve just heard and experienced and ask the Lord how he might be asking you to respond; feel free to sing in response as you feel led.
Even So Come
The Lord’s Blessing:
The Lord’s Blessing serves to make space for us to receive the Lord’s blessing to equip and empower us to receive his word, to be obedient to it, and to walk it out in his grace and favor.
Fix your eyes on him as you read the following out loud:
From Philippians 1:9-11
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
00Gold Avenue Churchhttp://goldavenuechurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/GAC-Logo-V5-nbmod-300x300-1.pngGold Avenue Church2020-10-03 16:50:282020-10-03 16:50:28Gold Avenue Church At Home Worship Liturgy 10.04.20
Thanks for joining us again as we do Children’s Worship from home!
Note: Please let us know about how your family is enjoying Children’s Worship! Take some pictures of your family participating in Children’s Worship or share a story. You can post to the Gold Avenue Church Facebook page or send by email at goldavechurch@gmail.com
God Saves: God Is the One True God
OVERVIEW:
Activity One: Read the intro. Watch the video.
Activity Two: Discuss the story using provided questions as prompts.
Worship: Singing
Activity Three: Respond to the story by doing the activity.
Activity Four: Bless your children
EQUIP:
(It’s not an activity, but just a little background on the story for you, the parent, to read.)
Undoubtedly the mighty hand of the one true God was demonstrated in contrast to the powerlessness of the Egyptian false gods. Prior to the Passover, God declared, “I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord” (Exodus 12:12b). Many scholars believe the plagues were directly attacking the ancient Egyptian gods. (We have provided a Plagues and the Egyptian God’s Sheet demonstrating this correlation.)
In the Bible, even the number of plagues was significant. To the Israelites, the number 10 represented wholeness and completion. For instance, the Ten Commandments are the complete, divine perfection of the Law. By sending 10 plagues, God was stating the Egyptians were completely plagued and completely judged. He was demonstrating His total power as the one true God.
After being set free from slavery, the Israelites celebrated and worshipped the power of the one true God. From this point forward in history, Israel set aside time each year to remember the Passover. At every annual celebration, the people retold how God rescued them. They knew that a crucial part of maintaining faith was remembering the ways God had guided them.
Activity 1: STORY
Lead children in a Prayer of Release to pause, be still, and ask the Holy Spirit to quiet their hearts and minds.
Introduction to read to the children:
God knew how sad His people, the Israelites, were back in Egypt. Pharaoh was mean to God’s people. God told Moses He had a plan to free the Israelites from Pharaoh and give them land of their own. God wanted Moses and his brother, Aaron, to go talk to Pharaoh. God promised Moses He would be with them and help them with the right words. God told Moses that He would show Pharaoh and all the people miracles and wonders so everyone would know He is the one true God! God saved them. Everyone started to celebrate by singing and dancing. They worshipped the one true God—the very same God we worship too. He is the one true God!
Watch the video:
Activity 2: DISCUSSION
In this part of The Big God Story, we heard how God showed that He is the one true God through sending the plagues on Egypt and by parting the Red Sea to get His people safely to the other side.
I wonder … What was it like to have to leave Egypt quickly?
I wonder … What would I have said if I had been able to walk through the Red Sea?
I wonder … How do I know God is the one true God?
Worship Songs:
Activity 3: RESPONSE ACTIVITY
When the Isrealites safely made it across the Red Sea they took time to worship God.with musical instruments. Let’s make one and use it to worship God when we sing our worship songs!
Rainstick Craft – click picture for link to instructions
Create music like Miriam and the Israelites did when God led them safely through the Red Sea.
Here is another musical instrument craft you may enjoy:
Guitar Craft – click picture for link to instructions
Activity 4: CLOSING BLESSING
Children, in today’s part of The Big God Story, we saw how our God saved the children of Israel just as He promised. Share the following verse from Psalm 68:20a: “Our God is a God who saves.”
Pray a communal blessing over the children. Encourage children to stand with their hands out, palms up, as a posture of being ready to receive.
May you feel the endless love of the one true God today, tomorrow, and always.
