Gold Avenue Church At Home Worship Liturgy 12.6.2020

A Note before you begin:

 

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 the songs and scripture for 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 challenged, and encouraged to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ.

 

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.

 

Reading scripture out loud over yourself, your home, and your loved ones can be a beautiful and powerful experience. Please read the following out loud as you fix your eyes on Jesus:

 

 

From Psalm 148:
Praise the Lord.

 

Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights above.
Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his heavenly hosts.
Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, you highest heavens
and you waters above the skies.

 

Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for at his command they were created,
and he established them for ever and ever—
he issued a decree that will never pass away.

 

 

Praise the Lord from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,
 lightning and hail, snow and clouds,
stormy winds that do his bidding,
you mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,
wild animals and all cattle,
small creatures and flying birds,
kings of the earth and all nations,
you princes and all rulers on earth,
young men and women,
old men and children.

 

Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.
And he has raised up for his people a horn,
the praise of all his faithful servants,
of Israel, the people close to his heart.

 

 

Praise the Lord!

 

 

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.

 

 

If you’re worshiping with your family or with friends, consider taking turns praying and giving thanks to the Lord. 

 

 

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. 

 

O Come All Ye Faithful

 

 

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 Ephesians 6:23-24
Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying 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!”

 

 

 

My Hope is Built on Nothing Less

 

 

Lion and the Lamb

 

 

As we consider our God: our firm foundation, the lion and the lamb who died for the sins of the world, the one who breaks chains, rules with power, and sits enthroned above, we turn our hearts to long for our King.

 

As the Deer

 

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? 

 

How has the Lord been faithful to you in this past week?

 

If you’re worshiping alone, consider journaling about his faithfulness; if you’re worshiping with others, share about his faithfulness to you.

 

Take a few minutes to praise the Lord for his goodness and his faithfulness. 

 

Are there areas in your life or in the lives of those around you in which you long to see the Lord’s goodness and faithfulness? Our loving father invites us to share our needs and concerns with him as his beloved children and also invites us to share his heart for those around us. Take some time to raise your requests and pray as His Holy Spirit leads you. 

 

 

 

Regular offering:

Support ministry at Gold Avenue Church by giving to the general fund (Click the picture for more giving options):

  1. Text:  send amount (number only, no extra symbols) to (616) 319-2259 and follow prompts to give securely
  2. Give online at https://goldavenuechurch.breezechms.com/give/online or give through PayPal here.
  3. 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 this is a newer song, be blessed to listen and reflect on the words and join as you feel led. 

 

Turn Your Eyes

 

The Preaching of the Word:

 

Access the audio of the sermon here: Sermon Audio Recording

Communion

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 Lord’s Supper that we just received. If you need to and are able, take a few minutes to process what you’ve just heard and how the Lord may be inviting you to respond. Sing in response as you feel led.

 

Living Hope

 

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 Number 6:24-26
The Lord bless you
    and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
    and be gracious to you;
 the Lord turn his face toward you
    and give you peace.

 

 

Closing Song: 

 

O Come Let Us Adore Him

 

/by

Children’s Worship 12.06.20

Dear Parents,

Thanks for joining us again as we do Children’s Worship from home!  

Included in today’s Children’s Worship Lesson are some links to an advent devotional/activity to do with children. One uses the Jesus Storybook Bible and has an updated free advent download this year with printable ornaments and coloring pages to go with each story.

https://www.faithgateway.com/jesus-storybook-bible-advent-calendar-printable/

The other is from Dwell, the CRC’s children’s ministry curriculum. They have a Jesse tree advent devotional and ornaments to print and/or color with many ideas to go along with it.

https://network.crcna.org/faith-nurture/might-be-best-jesse-tree-set-ever

Taking the above Jesse tree ideas a little further:

https://network.crcna.org/faith-nurture/super-ideas-making-and-using-jesse-tree-god%E2%80%99s-big-advent-story

May your Advent season be full of peace and hope for the coming of our Savior

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 Is Love

Based on: 1 Samuel 19—20; 31:1–2; 2 Samuel 9:1–7

 

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.) 

 

It was undoubtedly a confusing time for David. He had been anointed the next king of Israel and had just proved victorious in one of the most famous battles of all time—even carrying the head of the giant Goliath back to King Saul (1 Samuel 17:57). The crowd chanted his name in honor—even above the king—for his military exploits. And yet, in the midst of this time of elation for this teenage boy, the unthinkable happened. The king tried to pin David to the wall with his spear. David was also promised the king’s daughter in marriage, only to be betrayed. The king’s servants, messengers, and family were then ordered to kill young David. Yet here, in the most confusing time of his young life, God provided a picture of and reminder of His unfailing love that David would never forget.

 

This picture of love came from the most unlikely of sources. The heir apparent to the throne, Jonathan, had every right to hate and even kill David, but he “had taken a great liking” to David (1 Samuel 19:1). They were “one in spirit” (1 Samuel 18:1). We see here one of the most beautiful pictures of the love of best friends Scripture affords.

 

The festival of the new moon approached, a time when a two-day feast was held every month (1 Samuel 20:5, 27). David was not only invited, but expected to attend, for it’s likely that civil affairs of court were handled at the gathering. David chose this time to make his permanent exit from court, and it’s here that Jonathan’s love was displayed for all to see. Jonathan disobeyed a direct order from King Saul, his father, and protected rather than killed his friend David. David repaid that loyalty and love by caring for Jonathan’s son the rest of his life. God showed His love through these two friends.

 

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: 

 

When David fought the giant Philistine, Goliath, God was with David and helped him defeat Goliath. Soon after that battle, King Saul’s son Jonathan and David became best friends. God can show us that He is Love through our close friends. That’s what God did with Jonathan and David!

 

King Saul gave David a very important job in his army. God was with David, and every battle he fought, he won! The people loved David very much and sang songs to celebrate his victories. King Saul didn’t like that at all. He became jealous of David and how much the people loved him. He wanted to kill David! He even told Jonathan to kill David, his best friend.

 

God was with David.  Jonathan was his best friend and he didn’t want to hurt David. Their friendship grew even stronger. David promised Jonathan that he would always be kind to him and his family. He could only keep that promise with the Lord’s help. God is love, and He can show us how to share that love with others! So David and Jonathan made a plan to keep David safe from the king. What was that plan? 

 

Watch the video:

Activity 2:  DISCUSSION

 

During today’s part of The Big God Story, David and Jonathan became close friends. They made a promise to each other and cared for one another. God used these men to show His love.

 

I wonder … What fun things did David and Jonathan do together as friends?

I wonder … What did Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s handicapped son, think about David’s kindness to him and his family?

I wonder … How can I show God’s love to others?

 

After discussing the Wonder Questions, you’ll have the opportunity to pray with and for each of the children. 

 

God is Love, and He gives us friends to care for and love too. Today, let’s pray and thank God for all the friends we have in our lives.

 

Continue by offering praise to God. Examples of praises: “God, I love You so much. I’m thankful that You have so much love to give.” “God, thank You for friends like ____.”

 

Encourage children to respond with their own words. Then, transition into a time of prayer for personal requests.

 

Worship Songs:  

 

As God loves us He wants us to love others.

 

 

God showed His love at Christmas when He sent down His Son, Jesus, as a baby to be the Savior of the world. 

 

Activity 3: RESPONSE ACTIVITY

#1:   Friend pencil holder

 

Needed: Empty and clean soup or vegetable can

    Printed picture (see below)

    One piece of colored paper cut to fit your can

    Tape or glue

    Markers or crayons

 

Print and cut out the picture below.. Measure your can and cut out the piece of colored paper to fit around it. Tape it in place. Tape or glue the picture to the paper on the can.  Write the names of their friends or family in the blank spaces around the picture. Fill the can with markers and crayons.

#2    Print and Color

Activity 4: CLOSING BLESSING 

 

Read the following verse from Psalm 42:8:

 

“By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me—a prayer to the God of my life.”

 

Invite kids to hold hands in a circle as you speak the final blessing.

 

Children, may you trust and know the love of the LORD. May you know that He is your hope and your strength.

 

PS:  As I made this lesson about friends I couldn’t find a suitable craft online that was easy to do and easy on supplies. So I thought of the pencil holder and made one up to use for a picture. I randomly pulled a piece of purple paper out of the stack and started to cut it to fit around the can. When I turned the paper over this is what I read:

 

Apparently, this was something our daughter wrote a long time ago on that sheet of purple paper and it got scooped up and put back in the pile. It was so appropriate for the lesson I knew it wasn’t really a random choice of paper but one directed by God! 

 

(Also, I keep paper for a long time!)     

 

Sharon

 

/by

Gold Avenue Church At Home Worship Liturgy 11.29.20

A Note before you begin:

 

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 challenged, and encouraged to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ.

 

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 100

 

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

 

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. 

 

Praise to the Lord the Almighty

 

 

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 Ephesians 6:23-24
Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying 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 Lord

 

 

Crown Him (Majesty)

 

 

 

O Come Let Us Adore Him

 

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):

  1. Text:  send amount (number only, no extra symbols) to (616) 319-2259 and follow prompts to give securely
  2. Give online at https://goldavenuechurch.breezechms.com/give/online or give through PayPal here.
  3. 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 this is a newer song, be blessed to listen and reflect on the words and join as you feel led. 

 

Speak O Lord

 

The Preaching of the Word:

 

Access the audio of the sermon here: Sermon Audio Recording

Song of Response:

The song of response helps us to receive and apply the words that we’ve just heard through the Word. If you need to and are able, take a few minutes to process what you’ve just heard and how the Lord may be inviting you to respond. Sing in response as you feel led.

 

Joy to the World Unspeakable Joy

 

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 2 Thessalonians 3:16
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you!

 

 

Closing Song: 

 

He Shall Reign Forevermore

/by

Children’s Worship 11.29.20

Dear Parents,

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 Is Strong

Based on: 1 Samuel 16—17

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.) 

 

So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David

(1 Samuel 16:13)

 

David’s anointing wasn’t an empty ceremony. Though King David wouldn’t sit on the throne until many years after his anointing, the Holy Spirit came upon him in power from that day on. He became so advanced in courage and wisdom by the Spirit of God that even the king’s servants knew of him.

 

In 1 Samuel 16—17, the Philistines paralyzed the Israelites with the fear of being conquered and destroyed. As the Philistines sent out their mightiest warrior, Goliath, the Israelites questioned how they would overtake the Philistines. But who was Goliath compared to God’s strength, power, and authority? What was the Philistine army, but merely human? Tools of child’s play were weapons of victory in the hands of the almighty and sovereign God. His plans will not be thwarted.

 

Among the many attributes of God is His omnipotence, meaning He has very great, almighty, unlimited, and infinite power. “Omnipotent” stems from the Greek words omni (all) and potens (powerful), meaning “all-powerful.” God’s strength can conquer any foe, no matter how powerful.

 

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: 

 

King Saul was the first king of Israel. Was Saul a good king?  At first Saul was a good king because he obeyed God and remembered that God was really the One in charge. After a while, though, Saul decided not to follow God.

 

So God sent the prophet Samuel to find a man named Jesse. God was going to choose one of Jesse’s sons to replace Saul and be the next king of Israel. Jesse introduced Samuel to seven of his sons, but none of them was the one God had chosen to be king. Finally, Jesse introduced Samuel to his youngest son, David. Let’s watch the video and find out some more about David.

 

Watch the video:

 

Activity 2:  DISCUSSION

 

In this part of The Big God Story, God chose David to be the next king of Israel. God’s Spirit was with him. God’s people were battling the Philistines and were afraid of a large man named Goliath. With God’s strength, David dared to fight Goliath and won the battle.

 

I wonder … How did David feel when he found out he was going to be king?

I wonder … What did Goliath think when he saw David coming to fight him?

I wonder … How can God show His strength in my life?

 

After discussing the Wonder Questions, you’ll have the opportunity to pray with and for each of the children. 

 

Through David, God showed His strength for all the Israelite and Philistine people to see. Let’s praise God and let Him know what we’re thankful for about who He is. 

 

Continue by offering praise to God. Examples of praises: “God, thank You for being stronger than anything or anyone else” or “God, You are strong in my life.” Encourage children to respond with their own words. Then, transition into a time of prayer for personal requests.

 

Worship Songs:  

https://youtu.be/QpAx0s7raeY

 

Activity 3: RESPONSE ACTIVITY #1:    Make a David sling

You can prepare in advance by pre-cutting felt into rectangle pieces for each child. Each piece should measure approximately 2” tall and 6” long. Lay the piece lengthwise and cut a small slit on each end (about an inch from the end).

Also, cut into each rubber band to make a long straight piece elastic. You will need two bands per child.

 

How to Make the David’s Sling Craft

To create David’s Sling with preschoolers the following items are needed:

  • 1 Y-shaped stick
  • 1 Rectangle piece of brown or black felt (approximately 6” long and 2” tall)
  • 2 Large rubber bands
  • Electrical tape
  • Scrap pieces of newspaper
  1. Take the kids on a short excursion to collect the sticks for the base of the sling. Help them each find a small Y-shaped branch. Break down the stick to a manageable size for the child and remove any small twigs, leaving only the Y-shape portion. If a time constraint or the location of the lesson does not permit taking the kids to search for their own sticks, you may elect to prepare this step ahead of time.
  2. Help the children thread an elastic band through each slit in the felt piece. Tie the ends of the bands off in a double knot, leaving a long piece of elastic on the other end.
  3. Wind the other end of the rubber band around one of the prongs on the end of the Y-shaped branch. Tie it off and secure it by wrapping the area with electrical tape. Repeat the same procedure for the other side. About 1” of the elastic should show on either side of the completed sling.

 

Slay the Giant with David’s Sling

Sketch a drawing of a giant on a large sheet of paper ahead of time, and hang it on the wall. Provide plenty of space in front of the giant.

Give the children old piles of newspaper. Have them tear off small sections and crumple them into small balls. These pieces will be used as safe ‘paper rocks’ for the sling.

Demonstrate to the children how to shoot and aim with the sling. To shoot, simply place the ‘paper rock’ in the felt portion of the sling, pull back while holding the object, and then release.

Line up the children single file and have them take turns slaying the giant by shooting their ‘paper rocks’ at Goliath.

 

Response Activity #2: Coloring page to print and color

Activity 4: CLOSING BLESSING 

 

David trusted in God’s strength, and all it took was one small rock to bring down the giant Goliath. Did you know that one of the ways the Bible describes God is as a rock? In Isaiah 26:4 the Bible says, “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.” We can put our trust in God because He will never change. He is our strong rock.

 

Invite children to bow their heads and hold out their rocks as you offer a final blessing over them.

 

May you know that God is always strong, always good, and always loving. His strength will never end, and nothing will ever change that.

 

 

/by

Gold Avenue Church At Home Worship Liturgy 11.22.20

A Note before you begin:

 

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 Derek 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 challenged, and encouraged to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ.

 

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 Isaiah 43:1-3a

 

But now, this is what the Lord says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;

 

 

Let us worship the Lord our God and Savior!

 

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. 

 

Behold Our God

 

 

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 Ephesians 6:23-24
Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying 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!”

 

 

 

O Praise the Name

 

 

Worthy is the Lamb

 

 

 

What a Beautiful 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):

  1. Text:  send amount (number only, no extra symbols) to (616) 319-2259 and follow prompts to give securely
  2. Give online at https://goldavenuechurch.breezechms.com/give/online or give through PayPal here.
  3. 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 this is a newer song, be blessed to listen and reflect on the words and join as you feel led. 

 

Show Us Christ

 

The Preaching of the Word:

 

Access the audio of the sermon here: Sermon Audio Recording

Song of Response:

The song of response helps us to receive and apply the words that we’ve just heard through the Word. If you need to and are able, take a few minutes to process what you’ve just heard and how the Lord may be inviting you to respond. Sing in response as you feel led.

 

Another in the Fire

 

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 2 Thessalonians 3:16
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you!

 

 

Closing Song: 

 

He Shall Reign Forevermore

 

 

 

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Children’s Worship 11.22.20

Dear Parents,

Thanks for joining us again as we do Children’s Worship from home!  This week we have a special lesson – with worship songs and crafts for each day leading up to Thanksgiving! Make sure to check them all out, and we hope that your family has a blessed Thanksgiving!!!

 

One Thankful Man – a Thanksgiving Lesson

Based on: Luke 17:11-19

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 

 

Today we will leave our Old Testament stories to look at a New Testament story of One Thankful Man. Since this is Thanksgiving week it’s appropriate to look at how Jesus feels about thankfulness and to teach it to our children.

 

Today’s lesson also includes a song and an activity regarding thankfulness for each of the 5 days leading up to and including Thanksgiving. If you consider doing any of the activities you may want to read through them ahead of time to pick up the ingredients. (Especially Activity 4 on Wednesday).  Also, at the end of the lesson are a few other ideas and websites that have fun and meaningful Thanksgiving activities. 

 

In today’s story, of the 10 men cleansed by Jesus from leprosy, the man least likely to be thankful, the Samaritan, was the ONLY one who showed gratitude to Jesus and Jesus noticed! Jesus cleanses us as well from something worse than leprosy. He died and rose again to cleanse us from the sin that separates us from God! We have the best reason in the world to show our gratitude to Jesus, today and every day.

 

Activity 1:  STORY

 

Introduction: A game to play:

 

Ahead of time, on one side of a paper plate print, “When has someone thanked you?” On the other side print, “When have you thanked someone?”

 

The person holding the plate tosses it in the air and lets it fall to the ground. 

 

He or she answers the question that shows when the plate lands. Play several rounds, answering questions as time permits.

 

Intro to read to the children: Today’s story is about 10 men who were healed by Jesus. Can you guess how many said thank you? 

 

Watch the video:

 

 

Activity 2:  DISCUSSION

  • How would you describe the 10 men at the start of the story? At the end?


  • How did the men respond when they were healed? What did Jesus say about the other 9 men? Why do you think only one man remembered to thank Jesus? What do you think he did next?


  • Jesus made 10 men well, but ONLY one man thanked Jesus. We all need help with something much worse than leprosy. We have all done wrong things, and those things get in the way of our relationship with God. Jesus died and rose again to forgive our sin! We have the best reason in the world to show thanks to Jesus, today, this Thanksgiving week and every day. What are some ways we can do this?

Worship Songs:  one for each day leading up to Thanksgiving

Sunday:

Monday:

 

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

 

Activity 3: RESPONSE ACTIVITY:   

one for each day leading up to Thanksgiving

  • Sunday:  Coloring Page  

  1. Monday  Thanksgiving Tree Centerpiece

 

Find a suitable branch. Cut out colorful leaves. Write “I’m thankful for. . .” on each one. Use ribbon to attach to the tree. 

 

Ideas for use:

 

If you are doing the project as a family, have each family member complete their leaf as you create the tree.

 

OR…

 

Leave the tree as is until Thanksgiving day. While your guests are milling around while you frantically try to baste the turkey, give them each a leaf to complete and hang on the tree.

 

OR…

 

Put a leaf and a pen on each plate when setting your Thanksgiving table. The leaves can serve as place cards or simply add color to your table. Guests can complete their leaf as they sit down for dinner, and then hang it on the centerpiece tree.

 

  1.   Tuesday: Gratitude Game

Make a master something like this. Use colored objects such as pick up sticks, crayons, or game pieces. Have a child pick a color and answer the question that corresponds to that color.

 

  1. Wednesday:  Fun with Food

Here are some fun food things to make and share with others or eat yourselves! For the Blessing Mix, you could print off the tag and attach to a baggie to give away.  Use raisins or craisins or even candied orange slices for the fruit and peanuts or sesame seeds for the nuts. Add some M and M’s for a sweeter version.

 

  1. Thursday:  Happy Thanksgiving!

If the children can, have them write or draw something they are thankful for on each of the turkey’s feathers. Color.

Activity 4: CLOSING BLESSING 

 

There are many reasons to give thanks to God. His kindness and enduring love are two of them. We show our thanks to God when we follow Jesus and show His love to others.

The Bible tells us to give thanks to the Lord in Psalm 107:1 . It says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

May you always remember to give thanks to God for everything He has given you. 

 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

 

Other ideas and places to get ideas for a fun, meaningful and thankful Thanksgiving:

 

Place a kernel of dried corn or Indian corn at each plate around the table. Have a small basket handy. Read a Bible verse about giving thanks. Psalm 9:1, Psalm 100, Psalm 118:1, etc. Have each person pick up their corn piece one at a time and say something they are thankful for. Drop the corn into the basket and pass it to the next person until everyone has had a turn.

 

Ideas from Focus on the Family:

https://www.focusonthefamily.ca/content/looking-forward-to-thanksgiving-six-ideas-for-family-fun

 

Ideas from Good Housekeeping:

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/thanksgiving-ideas/g28939265/fun-things-to-do-on-thanksgiving-activities/

 

 

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Discipleship Group Update 11.18.20

Disicpleship Groups started this week!!!

So many wonderful reports have been coming in about how the first meeting time went for those groups that have already met this week! We have great hope for what the Lord will do in each of these groups!

The video below is this week’s update and how you can continue to join us in prayer regarding Discipleship Groups at Gold Avenue Church.

Discipleship Groups are a means of beginning to re-gather, and of each becoming better equipped to obey the Great Commission. We aim to grow as disciples who are being transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ who are cooperating with God in the restoration of the world as we embody, proclaim, and advance the Kingdom of God.

 

 

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Gold Avenue Church At Home Worship Liturgy 11.15.2020

,

A Note before you begin:

 

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 challenged, and encouraged to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ.

 

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 57:7-11

 

 

My heart, O God, is steadfast,
my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and make music.
Awake, my soul!
Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.
 I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

 

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.

 

 

Let us worship our Faithful Lord!

 

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. 

 

Great is Thy Faithfulness

 

 

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 1 Peter 1:2
To those who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood:
Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

 

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!”

 

 

 

Adore

 

 

Your Great Name

 

 

 

Holy and Anointed One

 

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):

  1. Text:  send amount (number only, no extra symbols) to (616) 319-2259 and follow prompts to give securely
  2. Give online at https://goldavenuechurch.breezechms.com/give/online or give through PayPal here.
  3. Mail a check payable to Gold Avenue Church at 49 Gold Avenue NW Grand Rapids, MI 4950

 

Special Offering: PRMI Nicaragua

Once a month we take a special offering to support special causes the Deacons have prayerfully discerned. This month’s special offering is to support the ongoing work of our ministry partner PRMI and their work in Nicaragua.

 

In Nicaragua and other parts of Latin America, PRMI partners with Young Life to equip their leaders through the Dunamis Project training on the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and cooperating with the Holy Spirit for the advancement of the Kingdom of God. They also host equipping seminars for pastors and other Christian leaders using the Dunamis Project materials. These six manuals are currently being translated into Spanish, with two complete and four in process. Your giving goes towards seeing this ministry continue the good work of equipping disciples and advancing the Kingdom of God in Nicaragua.

You can give to the special offering by:

1. Text:  send amount space “special” (ex: 50 special) to (616) 319-2259 and follow prompts to give securely
2. Give online: at https://goldavenuechurch.breezechms.com/give/online select special from dropdown menu or type “special” in memo line

3. Check: write “special” in memo line

 

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. 

 

Ancient Words

 

The Preaching of the Word:

Access the audio of the sermon here: Sermon Audio Recording

Song of Response:

The song of response helps us to receive and apply the words that we’ve just heard through the Word. If you need to and are able, take a few minutes to process what you’ve just heard and how the Lord may be inviting you to respond. Sing in response as you feel led.

 

Be Unto Your Name

 

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 2 Thessalonians 3:16
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you!

 

 

Closing Song: 

 

He is Lord

 

 

 

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Children’s Worship 11.15.20

Dear Parents,

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 Is in Charge

Based on: 1 Samuel 8—10; 15

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.) 

God is in charge—He is sovereign. God is in control and nothing happens outside His influence; He will bring about His desired ends. Our response to God’s sovereignty is to trust Him and obey. There are countless examples in Scripture of God giving people opportunities to serve Him, and they step up to the challenge and are blessed through the experience. David was one of these. When he came to the camp of Israel to face the giant, David proved himself faithful, and God received the glory. God blessed David by giving him the kingdom of Israel to rule.

Saul was not such an obedient man. He too was given the opportunity to lead Israel, as their first king. Although he seemed to have a promising start, he didn’t finish well. He wasn’t patient to wait upon God and usurped the role of priest (1 Samuel 13:9). He neglected God’s command to wipe out the Amalekites, keeping the king and the best of the livestock alive (1 Samuel 15:9). He also refused to acknowledge that God was in control in selecting the next king, repeatedly trying to kill David.

 

Knowing who God is helps us to understand who we are. When we see God for who He is, and understand that He is in charge—completely—we can know our role and our place before Him. We are His servants. When God gives us opportunities to serve Him, we can learn from the responses of both David and Saul, and commit to follow the Lord faithfully. God is in charge.

 

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 loved His people, the Israelites, very much and always took care of them. He was in charge of them. But the Israelites often didn’t think enough about God and wanted to be in charge of themselves.  When the Israelites acted like this, they got into fights with people from other lands. The Israelites lost these fights, and only when things looked really bad for them would the people remember God and call out for His help. One way God helped His people was by giving them a special leader called a judge. A judge was someone who loved God and followed God’s directions for how to lead His people. God is so good! 

 

One day God’s people started to notice that all the other countries around them had kings as their leaders. Even though God is the one true King, the people decided they needed a human king. God knew that having a human king was not the best thing for His people at this time. God reminded His people that He is in charge, and He would take care of them. If they trusted and obeyed God, they didn’t need a human king. But the people wouldn’t listen.  So God gave His people what they wanted, a king named Saul. Let’s see what happened to King Saul. Would he obey and listen to God or would he disobey God and have to let someone else be king?

 

Watch the video:

 

Activity 2:  DISCUSSION

 

Today in The Big God Story, the Israelite people told God they wanted a human to be their king, just like all the other nations. Even though God is the perfect King for us, God did as the people requested and chose Saul to be their first king.

 

I wonder … Why did God not want the people to have a king like the other nations?

I wonder …  Why was God disappointed in King Saul?

I wonder …  What are some things in our world that God is in charge of?

I wonder … How is God in charge of my life?

 

After discussing the Wonder Questions, you’ll have the opportunity to pray with and for each of the children. 

 

God is in charge, and He is the one true King. Let’s praise God and thank Him! If you’d like to kneel with me, that’s one way we can show God that we worship Him as our King. 

Encourage children to respond with their own words if they’d like. Then, transition into a time of prayer for personal requests.

 

Worship Songs:  

 

 

Activity 3: RESPONSE ACTIVITY:    

God is our perfect King, and He is in charge of everything in the whole world. God knows what’s best for you, and you can trust Him with everything, big or small. Think for a moment about what God has shown you today. What are some of the ways you see God is in charge of your life or the world around you? Would you like to say, “God, You are in charge and I need You”?  Here’s a couple of activities we can do to remind us that God is our King.

 

#1 Make a simple crown.

    You will need a paper plate, scissors, markers or crayons and decorative items if desired.  Directions below.

#2 Print and color a crown maze

    

 

Activity 4: CLOSING BLESSING 

 

The Bible tells us that in heaven there are words of praise that are being said to God over and over. The praises sound something like this: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things” (Revelation 4:11a).

 

Invite children to repeat these words with you, one phrase at a time.

 

You are worthy, (kids repeat)

our Lord and God, (repeat)

to receive glory (repeat)

and honor and power, (repeat)

for You created all things. (repeat)

 

Repeat as many times as you feel led, and then offer a final blessing over the group.

 

Children, may you always know that you’re sons and daughters of the most perfect King. May you remember that God is in charge, and He knows what’s best for you.

 

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Discipleship Group Update 11.11.20

Discipleship Groups are starting up next week!!!  The video below is this week’s update and how you can continue to join us in prayer regarding the development of Discipleship Groups at Gold Avenue Church.  If at any time you would like to look back at the updates we’ve shared on this journey, scroll through the posts in the discipleship category!

Discipleship Groups will be both a means of beginning to re-gather, and of each becoming better equipped to obey the Great Commission. We aim to grow as disciples who are being transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ who are cooperating with God in the restoration of the world as we embody, proclaim, and advance the Kingdom of God.

 

/by