Prelude

Gathering Music: Sunshine Gospel Singers

Climbin’ Up the Mountain Children

Welcome

†Congregational Hymns

Holy Ground

Hymn of Promise

Victory in Jesus

Thanksgiving

†Doxology 95

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; praise Him, all creatures here below;

praise Him above, ye heavenly host; praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Call to Prayer

Down to the River to Pray (Women’s Ensemble)

Prayers of the People

Pastoral Prayer & Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass 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.

Ding-a-Lings

We Are Climbing Jacob’s Ladder

†Prayer of Illumination

Guide us, O God, that in your Word we may see light, in your truth find wisdom, and through your grace discover our peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Scripture

Genesis 28:10-19

Jacob left Beer-Sheba and went toward Haran. He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.

And the Lord stood beside him and said, "I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring.

Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."

Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place--and I did not know it!"

And he was afraid, and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." So, Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He called that place Bethel.

Matthew 13:31-32

He put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches."

This is the Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God!

Sermon

Invitation to Christ and Church Membership

†Hymn of Response

Standing on the Promises

Receiving of New Members

(Congregational Response)

We give thanks for all that God has already given you

and we welcome you in Christian love.

As members together with you at Christ United Methodist Church,

we renew our covenant faithfully to participate

in the ministries of the Church by our prayers, our presence,

our gifts, our service, and our witness, that in everything

God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. Amen.

†Benediction (Light Taken into the World)

†Benediction Response

We Are Climbing Jacob’s Ladder

†Postlude