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BEREA 50TH ANNIVERSARY SERVICE
June 20, 2010 10:00 a.m.
Opening Sunday School Song: “I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb”
Opening Hymn: “For Many Years, O God Of Grace”
For many years, O God of grace,This church has been Thy dwelling-place,
And we Thy congregation. Upon the precious Cornerstone
Our faith is built, and Christ alone Is still our one Foundation.
Today we pray: “Let us greet Thee,Lord,and meet Thee Here with singing,
All our praises to Thee bringing.
Here children have been born anew As manifold as morning dew,
Their vows to Thee confessing. Here many found a table spread,
Received Christ’s body with the bread And drank the cup of blessing.
Today we pray: “Let none falter at Thine altar. We adore thee,
Gladly worship here before Thee.”
Here as the marriage vows were made,Both bride & groom besought Thine aid,
Thy love their own transcending. Here mourners with their troubled hearts,
Have found the peace Thy Word imparts, The joy that knows no ending.
Today we pray: “May the story of Thy glory here resounding
Be a song of grace abounding!”
The Invocation And Confession Of Sins
All: Almighty and eternal God, we come before You as creatures before
their Creator and as sinners before a holy God. Many are the sins of
thought, word and deed we have committed both personally and congrega-tionally. As our fathers sought mercy and forgiveness at the foot of the
cross, so we in humble repentance come before You. For Jesus’ sake, for-
give us, reassure us and renew us by the power of Your mighty Gospel.
P: As the Lord of the Church in past years has through His called servants assured countless souls of His forgiveness in Christ, so it is my privilege
today to assure you of the forgiveness of your sins in the Name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
A RESPONSIVE ANNIVERSARY PRAYER
P: Heavenly Father,when the time was right You raised up faithful servants
in Your Church to boldly proclaim Your Word and Gospel: Your Old Test-
ament Prophets and New Testament apostles, Your Reformation servants
and faithful believers of all ages.
C: You renewed Your people with the light of Your love, You granted
power and success to the proclamation of the Gospel and Your holy
Church grew and prospered throughout the world.
P: When the time was right, You brought together the founders of our con-
gregation. Guided by Your Spirit, they sought only Your glory through
faithful allegiance to Your Word and joyous proclamation of Your Gospel.
C: Over the years, You have blessed the ministry of this congregation
by raising up sons and daughter and others through whom You have
preserved and proclaimed the saving Gospel in our midst.
P: Let this Anniversary be a time, O Lord, when You renew in us both a
spirit of thanksgiving for all Your blessings & a spirit of joy in our service
to You and fellowship with one another.
C: Grant to us in our day the courage of the apostles, the steadfastness
of the reformers and the dedication of the leaders of the past. May the
Lord our God be with us as He was with our fathers. May He never
leave us nor forsake us.
Sing: Now thank we all our God With heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things hath done, In Whom His world rejoices.
Who from our mother’s arms Hath blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love, And still is ours today.
All praise and thanks to God The Father now be given,
The Son, and Him Who reigns With them in highest heaven.
The one eternal God, Whom earth and heav’n adore!
For thus it was, is now, And shall be evermore. Amen.
The Scripture Reading – John 17: 14 – 26
(Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer To His Father For All Believers: Protect Them
From The Evil One, Sanctify Them By Your Truth, Grant Them True Unity
In Your Son And Word and Bring Them To Be With Me In Glory.)
Vocal Duet: “For Where Love Is, There Is God” (Wagner)
The Apostles Creed
I believe in God the Father almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ, His only 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; The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father almighty; From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; The holy Christian Church, the communion of saints; The forgiveness of sins; The resur-rection of the body; And the life everlasting. Amen.
Hymn: “Oh Lord, Our God” (Words By Pastor L.D. Redlin)
The Sermon ………………………………………………………. Acts 17: 10 – 12
“Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away
by night to Berea, When they arrived, they went into the
synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded
than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the
Word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures
daily to find out whether these things were really so. Therefore many of
them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well
as men.
BEREANS THEN - BEREANS NOW
1. Guided Solely By The Word Of God
2. Grounded Firmly On The Truth Of Christ
Hymn: “Come To The Jubilee” (Words By Pastor L.D. Redlin)
1. Come to the jubilee, God’s people one and all.
Who through the years have been both blest In body and in soul.
Lift up your hearts to sing, And raise your voices strong.
Let all the world behold our God And join to sing our song.
2. Come, let us hear His Word Inspired by our God.
It lights our ev’ry step as we Through this world’s darkness plod.
As we thus walk with God Our hand in His each day,
We’ll find a peace in heart and soul, In Him, the Truth, the Way.
3. Come, let us talk with God; We never are alone.
He hears us each and ev’ry one And all our needs are known.
In sorrow and in pain Our God will comfort us.
And bring us through the trying hours To peace and happiness.
4. Come, let us offer gifts With hearts of thankfulness,
That we may tell the whole wide world What God has done for us.
And give to people lost, And caught in Satan’s lies,
The gift of God’s redemptive grace to dry repentant eyes.
5. Come, let us dedicate Ourselves to God each day.
May He inspire our heart and mind, And everything we say.
The future of our lives Rests firmly in His Love.
Throughout our life we’ll live for him, On earth and then above.
Anniversary Thankoffering Organ-Piano Duet-“Praise To The Lord”)
(All loose & undesignated offerings will go into our 50th Anniversary Fund)
A Responsive Prayer
P: O Lord, our God, our Help in ages past, our hope for years to come;
C: On this Anniversary day we give all glory to You alone as we
remember the blessings of Your grace in the past and present, trusting
You will continue to bless us into the future.
P: O Lord, our God we thank you for so bountifully blessing for 50 years
and for giving us opportunity to glorify Your Name and proclaim Your
wondrous works from one generation to another.
C: We thank You for upholding our flock through good and difficult
times; And we thank You especially for those now fallen asleep who
served Your Church in the past, who remained faithful to the end, and
now have received the crown of life through Christ Jesus.
P: Holy and mighty God,on this Anniversary we praise You for the wonder-
ful work You give Your Church to do, that Your saving Name may be
known in all the earth.
C: We praise You, O Savior, for the Gospel of salvation You have im-
printed upon our heart and soul. Continue to be with us in the future
as You have in the past and keep us in Your saving grace. By Your
Spirit, may we be kept firm in our faith and steadfast in our calling
so that generations to come may share with us Your gift of eternal life.
Amen.
Sing:
The Church’s one foundation Is Jesus Christ, her Lord;
She is His new creation By water and the Word.
From heav’n He came and sought her To be His holy bride;
With His own blood he bought her, And for her life He died.
The Church shall never perish! Her dear Lord to defend,
To guide, sustain, and cherish, Is with her to the end.
Then with the vision glorious Her longing eyes are blest
And the great Church victorious Shall be the Church at rest.
“Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your Name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
And because of Your Truth.”
- Psalm 115 : 1
An Anniversary Anthem (Congregation And Choir)
“Father, God Of Grace, You Knew Us”
(Text:Paul Eichmann; Musically Arranged By ILC Professor John C.Reim)
Dedicated to the Memory of ILC Professor Michael Sydow And All Those
Faithful Who Have Gone Before Here At Berea And In The CLC)
Organ Introduction
V 1 – Choir
Father, God of grace, You knew us, Chose us, named us as Your own,
Through eternal ages planning To redeem us in Your Son.
Praise the Father, God Who loved us ere creation was begun!
V 2 – Choir
We, Your creatures, sinned against You, And our guilt was crimson red.
Son of God, You came incarnate, Crushed the crafty serpent’s head,
Died our death,now live triumphant:Praise,praise the Firstborn from the dead.
V 3 – Ladies & Girls Of The Congregation And Choir
Counselor, You bring as promised From the Father and the Son
Righteousness fulfilled, accomplished, Free forgiveness, heaven won.
Praise the Spirit! He assures us Our salvation’s work is done!
V 4 – Men & Boys Of The Congregation And Choir
Lord, Your changeless Word has fed us, Spanning time,transcending space.
Water, bread and wine sustained us When the darkness hid Your face.
Keep us with You, faithful Shepherd, By Your saving means of grace!
V 5 – Choir
Forward, lead us; Christ, we follow, Drawn by Word and Promise true:
“To all nations preach the Gospel; I am evermore with you.”
Keep us faithful! Then, Lord Jesus, Lord, quickly come!
Come quickly! Quickly come! Make all things new!
V 6 – Congregation And Choir
Praise the Father, great Creator. Praise the Son, Who took our place.
Praise the Spirit, Sanctifier, God of free and faithful grace!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
The Benediction (Lutkin)….. Sung By The Choir
(CLC Members present who are familiar with this long-time choral
arrangement in our midst are invited to come up and join the church choir)
The Closing Hymn: “Praise To The Lord, The Almighty”
1. Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, The King of creation!
Oh, my soul, praise Him, for He is Thy Health and Salvation!
Join the full throng; Wake, harp and psalter and song;
Sound forth in glad adoration.
2. Praise to the Lord, Who doth prosper thy work and defend thee,
Who from the heavens the streams of His mercy doth send thee.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
Who with His love doth befriend thee.
3. Praise to the Lord! Oh, let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him!
Let the Amen Sound from His people again; Gladly for aye we adore Him.
Organ Postlude
God Of Our Fathers, O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing,
Now Thank We All Our God.
SERVICE PARTICIPANTS
Officiant – Berea Pastor David Schierenbeck
Guest Speaker – Professor Steven Sippert (Son Of The Congregation)
Organists – Judith Snell, Cathy Augustin & Susan Rehm
Children’s Director - Mikki Aymond
Vocalists: Heidi Ludvigson & Audra Wiste
(Accompanist: Heather Schierenbeck)
Ushers: Mark, Nate and David Rehm