St. Peter’s Union Church of MantzvilleSt. Peter’s Union Church of MantzvilleSt. Peter’s Union Church of MantzvilleSt. Peter’s Union Church of Mantzville “. . . where worship and service don’t stop with the final hymn.”“. . . where worship and service don’t stop with the final hymn.”“. . . where worship and service don’t stop with the final hymn.”“. . . where worship and service don’t stop with the final hymn.”

The Reverend Kenneth L. Buckwalter, Interim PastorThe Reverend Kenneth L. Buckwalter, Interim PastorThe Reverend Kenneth L. Buckwalter, Interim PastorThe Reverend Kenneth L. Buckwalter, Interim Pastor Kristine K, Betz, Director of MusicKristine K, Betz, Director of MusicKristine K, Betz, Director of MusicKristine K, Betz, Director of Music

August 27, 2017August 27, 2017August 27, 2017August 27, 2017

Twelfth Sunday after PentecostTwelfth Sunday after PentecostTwelfth Sunday after PentecostTwelfth Sunday after Pentecost Blessing of the BackpacksBlessing of the BackpacksBlessing of the BackpacksBlessing of the Backpacks 9:00am9:00am9:00am9:00am

Welcome to Worship!

In Isaiah the people are bid to look to their spiritual ancestors as the rock from which they

were hewn. Jesus declares that the church will be built on the rock of Peter’s bold

confession of faith. God’s word of reconciliation and mercy are keys to the church’s

mission. Paul urges us to not be conformed to this world, but to offer our bodies as a living

sacrifice, using our individual gifts to build up the body of Christ. From the Table of the

Lord we go forth to offer our spiritual worship through word and deed.

Some things to know as we begin . . .Some things to know as we begin . . .

We begin with words of welcome because you are welcome here!We begin with words of welcome because you are welcome here!

Who is saying what and when? You are the congregation Who is saying what and when? You are the congregation ((C).

C Congregation A Assisting Minister P Presiding Minister

L Lector M Minister from the Congregation

Please do not use cell phones during this service.Please do not use cell phones during this service.

Please note that Please note that standingstanding is an invitation, not a requirement! is an invitation, not a requirement!

GGGGatheringatheringatheringathering

WORDS of WELCOMEWORDS of WELCOME

PRELUDEPRELUDE SerenadeSerenade ~C. Widor~C. Widor

The assembly stands at the direction of the presiding minister.

CALL to WORSHIPCALL to WORSHIP Be present today, O God, in a special way!Be present today, O God, in a special way!

P We gather to worship our God, C who made the world and declared it “Good!” P We gather to follow Jesus, C who said, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel.” P We gather to be filled with the Spirit, C who anoints us so we can evangelize our world.

ACT of CONFESSION and ASSURANCE of PARDONACT of CONFESSION and ASSURANCE of PARDON We confess trusting that God forgives and renews.We confess trusting that God forgives and renews.

P Blessed be God, the Father of all mercies, whose ever-flowing stream of steadfast love is our hope for life and salvation. C Thanks be to God.

P Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. C Amen.

P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us;

but, if we confess our sins, God – who is faithful and just – will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Silence for reflection and self-examination.

P God of resurrection and redemption, C we have failed to be good stewards of your life-changing word; to confess our faith in Christ as boldly as Peter. Forgive us for hoarding the good news of your love as if it were our own private promise from you. Call us again to be apostles of Jesus Christ. Send us forth in the power of your Spirit to renew the face of the earth. Amen.

P Almighty God, for the sake of Jesus and his Gospel, forgives us all our sins and calls us once again to be messengers of the good news. As a called and ordained minister of the Church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

C Amen.

GATHERING HYMN

We rejoice together in the strength of our faith: God’s declaration.

Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation Celebration Hymnal #403

GREETING and PRAYER of the DAYGREETING and PRAYER of the DAY We seek wisdom for our hearts, a vision for our soul, and faith for our world.We seek wisdom for our hearts, a vision for our soul, and faith for our world.

P The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. C And also with you.

P Let us pray. O God, your Son came among us to serve and not to be served, and to

give his life for the life of the world. Renew our faith in you that we might confess with our lives the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Through us give hope to the hopeless, love to the unloved, peace to the troubled, good news to those who have not heard the Gospel, and rest to the weary, through the same Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

C Amen The assembly may be seated.

WWWWordordordord

FIRST READING: Isaiah 51:1-6

Just as God had called Abraham and Sarah and given them many descendants, so now

God offers comfort to Zion. God’s deliverance will come soon and will never end.

L A reading from the Prophet Isaiah.

After the reading, the following response is made.

L The word of the Lord. C Thanks be to God.

THE PSALM: Psalm 138

O Lord, your steadfast love endures forever. (Ps. 138:8)

SECOND READING: Romans 12:1-8

In response to God’s merciful activity, we are wo worship by living holistic, God-pleasing lives.

Our values and viewpoints are not molded by this age, but are transformed by the Spirit’s re-

newing work. God’s grace empowers different forms of service among Christians but all forms

of ministry function to build up the body of Christ.

L A reading from Paul’s Letter to the Romans.

After the reading, the following response is made.

L The word of the Lord. C Thanks be to God.

WELCOMING the GOSPEL

We marvel together at the One who is merciful and mighty at the same time.

The Church’s One Foundation (sts. 1 & 3)

Celebration Hymnal #401

GOSPEL READING: Matthew 16:13-20

At a climactic point in Jesus’ ministry, God reveals to Peter that Jesus is “the Messiah,

the Son of the living God,” and Jesus responds with the promise of a church that will

overcome the very gates of hell.

P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the sixteenth chapter. C Glory to you, O Lord.

After the reading, the following response is made.

P The Gospel of our Lord C Praise to you, O Christ.

GOOD NEWS! We welcome good news of God at work in our world.

Gospel Response – Special Music by . . . Ali Miller and Megan Schoener Children’s Time – Blessing of the Backpacks

Sermon – Off to School We Go!

After the sermon please stand at the direction of the presiding minister.

HYMN of the DAY

We rejoice together in the heart of our faith: Jesus’ blood and righteousness.

My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less Celebration Hymnal #526

CONFESSION of FAITH

P We are God’s people through our baptism into Christ. Living together in trust and hope, let us confess our faith. C I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ his only begotten Son, our Lord; who was

conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; He descended into hell;

on the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven,

and is seated on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from

thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the commun-

ion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

SIGNS OF PEACE The peace that Christ gives to us we share with others.

P The peace of the Lord be with you always. C And also with you.

OFFERING We offer our time, talents and treasures to God.

INSTRUMENTAL OFFERTORY Here in Thy Presence ~F. Abt

Please stand for the congregational offertory.

CONGREGATIONAL OFFERTORY

We offer our lives in service to God – our WHOLE life.

Take My Life and Let It Be (sts. 1, 5, 6)

Celebration Hymnal #597

OFFERTORY PRAYER

P Let us pray. O Guardian of our souls, we give thanks for your watchful care. We are grateful for the many ways you offer healing and renewal. We are delighted with the opportunity to return, with glad and generous hearts, the love you have given us. C We praise you with our offerings and by rededicating our time, talents and treasures to the ministry of shepherding the lost of your world. Amen.

PRAYERS of INTERCESSION We pray for God’s world and God’s people.

P Made alive to God in Christ Jesus, let us pray for the church, those in need, and all of God's creation. A brief silence.

Each petition ends: Hear us, O God. The assembly responds: Your mercy is great.

P Into your hands, O God, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Risen Savior. C Amen.

LORD’S PRAYERLORD’S PRAYER We pray as Christ taught us.

P Gathered by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us: C Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy king-

dom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who

sin against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from

evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

SSSSendingendingendingending COMMISSIONING and BLESSING We hear the call to serve and are blessed with power to do so.

P We will go into the world as God's people, C telling of God's steadfast love for all. P We will go to serve the world as followers of Jesus, C showing with our lives that all are part of the kingdom. P We will go to share the Spirit, C to bring peace where there is war, to share love where there is hate.

We are honored to be able to share in worship with visitors. Cards to note your presence with us are found in the communion cup/card rack holders, along with

prayer request cards, blank offering envelopes, and communion cards. Members who are not certain of their number, just put your name on the envelope. Please HAND your prayer request cards to an usher when the offering is being received. Visitor

cards, envelopes, and communion cards may be placed in the offering plate.

P The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord’s face shine on you and be

gracious to you; the Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace. In

the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. C Amen.

SENDING HYMN

Faith points us backwards, forwards and to the present – Rejoice!

Faith of Our Fathers Celebration Hymnal #404

QUIET MEDITATION

CHORAL BENEDICTION

We leave declaring our confidence in God’s blessings.

Seek Ye First TUNE: “Seek Ye First”

Seek ye first the kingdom of God,

And his righteousness;

And all these things shall be added unto you,

Hallelu, Hallelujah!

POSTLUDE Joyful, Joyful We Adore TheeJoyful, Joyful We Adore Thee ~ L. Smith~ L. Smith

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

THE ALTAR FLOWERS are presented in honor of the wedding of

Rachael and Tyler Foster that was yesterday, August 26th.

GREETERS: Terry and Laurie Miller.

LECTORS: Susan Hunsicker and Alyssa Myers. ACOLYTES: Alyssa Myers and Larissa Markey.

BELL RINGER: Mason MacMillan.

SOUND SYSTEM: Mark Eberts.

BIRTHDAY OFFERINGS FOR THIS WEEK: Received from

Richard Haberman, LaVerne Miller, and Chester Snyder. SEPTEMBER SHUTIN BIRTHDAY: Lynn Gerber (September 8th).

(See Jan Altenburg in the parlor to sign a birthday card)

We are very grateful to Ali Miller and Megan Schoener

for sharing the gift of music with us as we gather

together this morning for our worship time .

REFORMATION BANQUET

The Rev. Carl Shankweiler will be the guest speaker at the Reformation Banquet celebrating the 500th Anniversary. The banquet will be held on Saturday, September 23rd at 5:00 p.m. with Hors d’oeuvres served at 4:30 p.m. at Zion’s Stone Church in New Ringgold. Cost is $10.00 per person and you must register beforehand ~ no walk-ins will be admitted. A registration form is on the table in the parlor and is limited to 10 per congregation. Cash or check payable to: St. Peter’s Union Church must accompany your registration. Registration is due TODAY.

An informational meeting regarding the process of becoming a federated church will be held TODAYTODAYTODAYTODAY following worship. Please participate in the meeting as St. Peter's continues to work toward a positive future for our members and the community we serve.

The Kitchen Krew is gearing up for the fall season of those delicious apple dumplings. So..if you’d like to volunteer to help, we would be happy to have you. We always have a good time! The first date for dumplings is Thursday, October, 19th and orders are due Sunday, October 1st. We already have a few new helpers. ..but sadly we have lost some….we will miss all that are leaving us. A few have/or are moving.. John, Josephine & Doris ~ You will be missed! Not just for your hard work, but from your friendship! BUT, WE

CAN USE HELP ~ please contact Karen Diehl at 386-5472.

Hopefully you didn’t forget to put aside your gently used un-wanted clothing, shoes, linens, etc. for our clothing drive. Howev-er, as you’re ‘packaging’ your items, please make sure they are in CLEAR or WHITE plastic garbage or grocery bags which is now

required by the company for sorting purposes. NO large black/green garbage bags please. Collection dates and more information will be available soon.

CONFIRMATION: News for the Class of 2018

Confirmation Ministry for 2017-18 at St. Peter’s will begin in September 2017. Before classes start Pastor Ken would like to meet with all the students and their parents/guardians to review the schedule, topics and requirements, to answer questions, and to set up a class directory. Pastor will offer four opportunities for students and their parents/guardians to meet. All four meetings will cover the same material and you need attend only one: Tuesday, August 29th @ 7:00pm in the adult Sunday School room; Thursday, August 31st @ 6:00pm in the adult Sunday School room; Sunday, September 3rd @ 10:30am in the Confirmation Class room; or Thursday, September 7th @ 6:00pm in the Adult Sunday School room.. PLEASE NOTE: In case you are currently planning your late summer and autumn calendars, it is our hope that we will be able to have the regular weekly confirmation class on Sunday mornings in conjunction with and following Sunday School. Final decision on calendar will not be made until after the August Board meeting and all three meetings with students and parents are done. Finally, if you or a child of yours expects to be part of the Class of 2017 and you have not received a letter inviting you to one of these meetings by this coming Thursday, August 24th, please call Pastor Ken right away: (484) 695-9950. Thank you!

PRAYERS FOR OUR MISSIONARIES

Michael, Kay, Mikayla, Leilani, & Michael Killar in Thailand Maude, Valera, Zarina, Alexander, & Nicolas Motovilov in South Africa

PRAYERS FOR OUR MILITARY

PRAYERS FOR OUR SHUTINS

The Village at Palmerton: Willie and Edna Mertz-Frey

Gracedale Nursing Home: Lynn Gerber

Seton Manor, Orwigsburg: Phyllis Wehr

At Home:

Buddy Arner Oliver Coombe Kathryn Delano Bobby Fritz Shirley Haberman Berlyn Hoppes Ruth Houser June Williams

Deployed to Afghanistan: Michael Zeigenfuss Deployed to Germany:

Sean Steigerwalt Deployed to Japan:

John McGuire

Active Duty, Not Deployed:

Patrick Donahue Katie Forgey Tyler Forgey James Frederickson Mark Habel Dustin Hoppes LeRoy E. Kromer II Timothy Kromer Sean Kurtz Quynntin Long Dominic Lorenzo

Amanda Miller

Lisa Miller Daryl Neff

Bill Nordai Andy Snyder Emily Snyder Dakota Vadimsky Chad Wehr Mark West

Scott West

THIS WEEK AT ST. PETER’S

Today, Sunday, August 27: 9:00 AM Worship Service Blessing of the Back Packs 10:15 AM Summer Sunday School Tuesday, August 29: 5:00 PM Prayer Group 7:00 PM Confirmation Class Informational Meeting Thursday, August 31: 6:30 PM Confirmation Class Informational Meeting Next Sunday, September 3: 9:00 AM Worship Service ~ Celebration of Holy Communion 10:15 AM Summer Sunday School 10:30 AM Confirmation Class Informational Meeting

*For complete details on these events, please consult your newsletter.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

⇒ Sunday, September 10th ~ Installation of Sunday School Teachers & Officers.

⇒ Sunday, September 17th ~ Outdoor Service: Blessing of the Animals. ⇒ Sunday, September 24th ~ Contemporary Service. Dedication of the

Confirmation Class. ⇒ Sunday, October 1st ~ World-wide Communion Sunday

Congregational meeting following worship for the purpose of voting on the motion of the church board to move forward with becoming a federated congregation.

⇒ Sunday, October 1st ~ All-You-Can-Eat Breakfast following worship; Adults: $6. Children $3

2017 Year-to-Date Total YTD Income: $ 105,335.50 Includes: YTD Fuel Offering: $ 955.00 YTD Elevator Maintenance Offering: $ 885.00 Total YTD Expenses: $ 100,487.05 Net YTD: $ 4,848.45

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Benevolence: ELCA: $ 7,144.50 UCC: $ 5,317.50

2017 benevolence goal is $7,500.00 per denomination

August 20, 2017 Attendance: 101

Offering: $ 2,878.00 Includes Building Fund: $ 248.00

Plate Offering: $ 101.00

St. Peter’s Union Church 184 St. Peter’s Road Tamaqua PA 18252

570-386-4388 The Rev. Kenneth Buckwalter, Interim Pastor

For Pastoral Care: 484-695-9950 or 610-398-4983

Contact our “Called to Care” for Your Special Needs: Jan Altenburg: 570-386-4631

Or TLC: Olga Faust: 570-386-5275

Church Office: Phone: (570) 386-4388 Financial Secretary: Shawn Tonkin Office: Elaine Koons Church Office Hours: Tuesday-10:00 AM~2:00 PM Sexton: Lori Hoppes Director of Music: Kristine K. Betz E-mail addresses Pastor Ken: rabbikenb@aol.com Church Office: spuc@ptd.net

Web Site address: https://www.stpetersunionchurch.com Web Master email: spuc@ptd.net Facebook: St Peter’s Union Church