KEEP IT REAL! BRING IT HOME!

ST. PAUL’S EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN

CHURCH OF STEINBACH INC. MEMBER OF THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN CANADA

Welcome to OurWelcome to OurWelcome to OurWelcome to Our

Reformation & Church Dedication Worship ServiceReformation & Church Dedication Worship ServiceReformation & Church Dedication Worship ServiceReformation & Church Dedication Worship Service Sunday, October 29, 2017Sunday, October 29, 2017Sunday, October 29, 2017Sunday, October 29, 2017

465 Henry Street, Steinbach MB R5G 0H1 204-326-3758 Fax 204-326-2548

email: office@stpaulsteinbach.org www.stpaulsteinbach.org

OUR MISSION God’s purpose for

St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church is: Accepting all people through God’s grace,

sharing our faith in Christ, and making disciples.

Lead Pastor: Rev. Terry Gudmundson 204-380-3293

Associate Pastor: Rev. Melissa Frankland 204-293-7930

THIS WEEK’S CALENDAR

Tuesday 10:00 Moms & Tots 1:30 Lutheran Church Women Group 1 7:00 All Committees night Wednesday 6:30 am Men’s Fellowship 7:00 Scouts, Pioneer Girls Thursday 1:30 Lutheran Church Women Group 2 7:00 Jr. Youth Topic Night & Floor Hockey 7:30 Bible study 9:00 Sr. Youth Coffee & Conversation Night @ Coffee Culture Sunday 10:00 All Saints Sunday candle-lighting & Worship Service with Communion 10:30 Confirmation (NO Sunday School) LOOKING AHEAD:

• Sunday, Nov. 12, Guest Pastor Walter Fast • Sunday, Nov. 12, Community Performance to commemorate 500th Anniversary of the Reformation, Mennonite Heritage Village, 7:00 pm, presented by St. Paul’s

DID YOU KNOW? Did you know that Martin

Luther struggled heavily

with fear and doubt?

Even during Luther’s time

in the monastery and

during his time as a priest he still struggled with

his fear of a judgemental God. When Luther

became a professor at the University of Witten-

berg he had to study a lot of scripture to

prepare for his sermons and his lectures.

A turning point came in 1515, when he was

lecturing on Romans, in particular the passage

on the "righteousness of God" (1:17). “For in it

the righteousness of God is revealed through

faith for faith; as it is written, ‘the one who is

righteous will live by faith’.” Luther previously

thought of God’s righteousness as an impossible

standard by which human beings were pun-

ished. Now, based on his immersion in the

Bible, he came to see that the righteousness of

God was a gift to be received. Luther said, "I felt

myself to be reborn and to have gone through

open doors into paradise." It is this freedom

that we focus on as Christians and it is this gift

from God that should always make our hearts

thankful.

HOLY COMMUNION

G od feeds and renews us with the presence of Jesus Christ. In Christ’s body and blood given to us, God

forgives us and nourishes us for mission. In response to the Lord’s invitation I come - confessing my sin, trusting that the Lord is truly present, believing that to receive Him is to receive forgiveness - to partake of the Lord’s Supper. People of all ages and faith communities are welcome.

Holy Communion is served in a continuous format unless announced otherwise. Participants are asked to fill out a registration card, available in the pews or at both entrances, and place them in the baskets at the entrances, or in the offering plates.

Ushers will direct you toward the aisle to come forward to the serving stations. If you desire to commune, extend your hand to the server who will place a wafer in your hand. If you prefer a gluten-free wafer, simply say “gluten-free” to the server. Wine is served from the chalice or individual cups; white grape juice is served from individual cups.

Come and hold in your hand and taste on your lips the love we cannot comprehend.

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD

SHOEBOX DRIVE

by St. Paul’s Youth

PLEASE HELP US FILL 25 BOXES

STARTING NOW TO NOVEMBER 16 Donations of dolls, soccer balls (with pump), stuffed animals,

hygiene items, school supplies, other fun toys, or monetary gifts

accepted. Items should be suitable for ages 2-4, 5-9, 10-14.

Make cheques payable to Samaritan’s Purse

DONATIONS MAY BE BROUGHT TO THE CHURCH OFFICE

OR LEFT WITH REV. MELISSA

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

Hymns (sung during the distribution):

“Bread of Life, Our Host and Meal” - # 464 “Just As I Am, without One Plea” - # 592 “Faith of Our Fathers” - # 812 “Lord, Speak to Us, That We May Speak” - # 676 “The Church’s One Foundation” - # 654 ↑ Prayer after Communion Hymn:

“A Mighty Fortress is Our God” - # 504 Church Dedication / Laying of Cornerstone Sending Song:

“How Great Thou Art” - # 856 Table Grace The Benediction - Blessing

HOLY COMMUNION

Holy Communion is offered in the CONTINUOUS FORMAT today. Registration cards are available in the pews and at both entrances. Participants are

asked to fill out a card and place it in the basket provided or in the offering plate. All are welcome at God’s table.

PRAYER REMINDERS

In your prayers this week, please remember Marcia Henzel, Mary Ann Harder, Bob Angell, Jac Doerksen, Katarina Grienke, Kathy Doerksen,

Chris Funk, Laura Heckert, Tina Heckert, Wanda Hoehn, Marlene Klassen, Evelyn (Art) Krentz, Emma Kuehn, Henrietta Reimer, Helmuth Renz, Henry Schalla, Joan Schultz and Elsie Schilke.

MARRIED 62 YEARS! As an offering of praise and thanksgiving, Seaton and Norma Coleman have sponsored the bulletin in celebra-tion of their 62nd wedding anniversary today! Congratula-tions! “Many, O Lord, are the wonders you have done; the things you have planned for us no one can recount to you.” Psalm 40:5

GIFTS OF REMEMBRANCE In a tribute of love and remembrance, Memorial Gifts have been received in memory of: * Adele Fender, who passed away October 3, 2017, from Dennis and Phyllis Mehling, Brenda Mehling, Phyllis Wyryha and Wilbert and Marilyn Schalla. * Fred Mehling, who passed away November 12, 1985, and Mathilda Mehling, who passed away June 18, 2011, from Brenda Mehling. “Wonderful memories, woven in gold, these are the memories we tenderly hold.”

REFORMATION PERFORMANCE To commemorate the 500th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, you are invited to attend a Community Performance that will recreate many of the steps taken in the Reformation. The performance will be narrated by Daryl Braun, music provided by the Eastman Male Choir and vignettes directed by David Klassen. The event, presented by St. Paul’s, starts at 7:00 pm on Sunday, November 12, 2017 at the Mennonite Heritage Village Museum. A freewill offering will be taken with proceeds going to Steinbach Community Christmas.

SERVICE OF REMEMBRANCE Next Sunday, November 5, All Saints Day, we will be celebrating the lives of saints who have gone before us. In the first stage of the cele-bration we will light candles for all those who

have been buried through the ministry of St. Paul’s in the past year. In the second stage of the liturgy, we may light a candle to commemorate the life of anyone who has left a hole in our lives by their death. There will be one ser-vice only, at 10:00 am. If you would like to participate in this special service by lighting a candle, please fill out the form included in this bulletin. Drop it in the collection plate or submit it to the church office by Sunday, October 29.

MITTEN TREE REMINDER

The mitten tree is already overflowing with your generous gifts, but there is always room for more. Your kind donations of warm winter items such as toques, scarves, mitts, sweaters, socks and so on,

as well as monetary gifts, are greatly appreciated. The tree will be up until mid-November at which time the items will be distributed to those in need.

VESPERS SERVICE The local Vespers choir will present another service Sunday, Nov. 5, 7:00 pm at Mennonite Heritage Village Museum. It’s an evening of choral music, prayer, scripture and other applicable readings. Admission is free and all are welcome.

THE NUMBERS ATTENDANCE: October 22: 9:25 - 201; 11:05 - 48; Woodridge - 12 Christian Education - 53; Teachers/Helpers - 17 OFFERING: October 22 - $16,332.15 ALL YOUTH TAKE NOTE: November activity calendars are in your mailbox. Check them out!

THANK YOU DEPARTMENT * To all who assisted with the service today. * To the choir for sharing their gift of music with the con-gregation today and over the past few weeks, with special mention to director Crystal Lawrance and accompanist Eleanor Falk. * To the Reformation Committee for their tireless efforts in planning many activities to celebrate this historic time. Through your energy, insight and wisdom you have drawn us together as a congregation and community. * To those involved in decorating the church for this special day, and to all who helped with the Thanksgiving feast which follows the service.

Please Note: Small numbers (eg. p. 211) refer to liturgical settings at the beginning of the Lutheran Book of Worship.

Larger bold numbers (eg. # 239) refer to hymn numbers. The up arrow means the congregation is asked to stand, the down arrow, to be seated.

Song: ”Call It Grace” - Standing Stone

Welcome & Announcements

↑ Confession & Forgiveness - p. 94-96

Gathering Song: “Down to the River to Pray”

GREETING: 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.

The Kyrie - p. 203

PRAYER OF THE DAY: L. Let us pray together: All. Holy God, we thank you that your Holy Spirit renews the church in every age. Pour out your Holy Spirit on your faithful people. Keep them steadfast in your word, protect and comfort them in times of trial, defend them against all enemies of the gospel, and bestow on the church your saving peace, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

↓ Reformation Choir: “Grace Greater Than Our Sin”

GOD’S WORD: Reader Cliff Falk

FIRST READING: Jeremiah 31:31-34

31 The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 32It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt - a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the LORD. 33But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the LORD’, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.

L. The Word of the Lord. C. Thanks be to God. SECOND READING: Romans 3:19-28

19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be

silenced, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20For ‘no human being will be justified in his sight’ by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin. 21 But now, irrespective of law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, 22the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinc-tion, 23since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; 24they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteous-ness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; 26it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus. 27 Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. By what law? By that of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law.

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

↑ Gospel Acclamation: “Alleluia” (sung) - p. 205 Alleluia! Lord and Savior, open now your saving word. Let it burn like fire within us; speak until our hearts are stirred. Alleluia! Lord, we sing, for the good news that you bring.

HOLY GOSPEL: John 8:31-36

Congregational response after the announcement: Glory to you, O Lord.

31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disci-ples; 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’ 33They answered him, ‘We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, “You will be made free”?’ 34 Jesus answered them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. 35The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. 36So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.’

L. The Gospel of the Lord. C. Praise to you, O Christ.

↓ Message Hymn of the Day:

“Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound” - # 779 ↑ Apostles’ Creed - p. 105 Prayers of the People Sharing of the Peace ↓ Offering Reformation Choir: “We Are Your Church, O Christ” ↑ Offertory - Doxology - # 884 The Great Thanksgiving - p. 206-207 The Lord’s Prayer - p. 208 ↓ Communion

REFORMATION SUNDAY

OCTOBER 29, 2017

Martin’s Musings

“I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against

conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand; I can

do no other. God help me. Amen”