Joint Oromocto and Pine Grove service and Baptism, held in Oromocto.

1. MINUTE FOR MISSON
Getting to Know Justice Seekers
News Clipping: International Community Urges Democracy
Since the December 2006 coup in Fiji, the international community has been urging
the return of democracy and free speech. Order of Worship for
OROMOCTO & PINE GROVE
Didn’t Make the Papers: A young family in one of Fiji’s squatter settlements lives in UNITED CHURCH
a 10-by-14-foot home. It cost them $200 and is located on unserviced government
land in a poorly drained low area, surrounded by polluted and marshy water. The
family’s health will suffer in this location and because they are squatters they can
be forced off the land at any time. We welcome everyone to this time together in worship. We gather in this church in the
belief that we are all equally God’s guests whether we’ve been here all our lives or this
Father Barr is a coordinator at ECREA (say eck cree ah), which stands for the Ecu-
is our first time. We welcome everyone in this spirit of Christ as it is our belief that this
menical Centre for Research, Education & Advocacy. “Democracy and free speech
is how we are to live. Everyone, without exception, belongs equally at God’s table.
make the headlines,” he says. “But what about the other human rights? What
about the right to clean water? The right to a decent education and freedom from
exploitation?” If you are visiting with us please sign our guest book opposite the usher’s table. If you
are new with us and wish a follow up contact please fill out a ‘Guest/New Member
The United Church’s Mission and Service Fund supports the work of Father Barr Card which can be found with the guest book. As well you may pick up an orientation
and others in ECREA to address the roots of the problem. His Economic Justice Pro- package on the table in the entrance. We invite visitors from other churches to pick up
gram is trying to get the government and international funding bodies to give one of our Peace Candles to take home with you. An explanation of this symbol
squatter communities a say in the decisions that affect them. ECREA strives for the accompanies each candle and these can be found on the usher’s table.
kind of democracy in which the voices of the poor and the marginalized are heard.
Our gifts to M&S help maintain ECREA’s ongoing effort for Should you require a rest room it is at the end of the hall and it is equipped with a baby
human rights. change station. If you have young children who become restless there is a nursery
behind the back pew where they can play while you hear the service over the speakers.
You are welcome to bring a coffee into worship with you. The coffee pot is in the
Together, we carry out the work of our United Church. Make a
entrance.
difference! Join the partnership! Support the work of the Mission
and Service Fund today. *While we stand for most hymns and at others times in our worship, please feel free
not to if for any reasons you can not or would rather not. VU stands for Voices United
and MV for More Voices. You are also invited to pick up a Bible version of your choice
Minister Rev Robert McDowell at usher’s desk. Should you have any concerns please speak to an usher.
Accompanist/ Choir Director Joyce Andrews VU: Voices United – our hard cover red hymn book
Office Administration Jennifer Chiasson MV: More Voices – our soft covered hymn book
Rev Bob McDowell
Oromocto United Church Office 357-3423; Cell 470-1155; Home 488-2154
144 Winnebago
Email: mcdowell@nb.sympatico.ca
Oromocto
oromoctopinegroveunitedchurch.ca
February 5, 2012
10:30 am

2. SERVICE Announcements
Announcements:
Welcome and About Today: Reverse Offering papers are in the offering plates. These are items the
food bank especially needs. If you wish you can select one and bring that
*Introit: VU 87, verse 1 item next week.
Lighting Our Resurrection Candle, Katherine Tesselaar Please sign up to help lead in worship by lighting the candle, reading scrip-
ture or some of the other roles. Signup sheets are in the Narthex
Leader: Let us give thanks to God for all the freedoms we enjoy, for ballot boxes, [entrance].
newspaper editorials, and open borders.
Snow Day Cancellation Plan. From time to time it is predictable the
All: Let us give thanks to God for all the freedoms we enjoy, for diplomats, trea-
weather will dictate there is wisdom in cancelling our church services ma-
ties, and compromise and our Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
chine. If Oromocto is cancelled we will decide by 8 a.m. We will also try to
Leader: Let us give thanks to God for all the freedoms we enjoy, for police officers, put it on the website, send out an email and ask the radio stations to
streetlights, concerned neighbors and for safety from fear and harm. broadcast our cancellation. You can also check the office number 357-3423
All: Let us give thanks to God for people who make a difference, for St. Francis, and a message should be there if service is cancelled. Should the power be
Martin Luther, Martin Luther King, Mother Theresa and those around us who try off due to a winter storm you can safely assume cancellation.
to make our community a better home for all.
Leader: Let us give thanks to God for a good creation, for voices of faith; for Moses
and Jesus and Mohammad.
All: Let us give thanks to God for all the wonders of the creative mind, for Mo-
zart, Michelangelo, and Milton, for pianos, paint brushes, and pencils.
Leader: Let us give thanks to God for men and women with dark skin and light skin,
people with other cultures and ways of seeing, for the wondrous variety we, as a
humanity, have become.
All: For all the beautiful of your diversity God, all over the world, who make up
the one family of God, bound together in Jesus our Christ, we give you Thanks.
Leader: and we dedicate our candle to these themes this day.
*Our Hymn to Begin: VU 624, Give to Us Laughter
and the food offering collected and presented by the children
Our Prayer for This Time Together
Our Children’s Hymn: VU 585, Jesus Bids Us Shine
Baptism: Our Sacrament of Belonging

3. SERVICE SERVICE
Dates to Note: Leader: We read in the gospels of Our Lord that Jesus invited everyone to turn to-
Annual Reports are due ASAP. ward, and accept, the God who already accepted them just as they were.
Feb 5, Sunday, Baptism Jacob and Allison Allaby
Feb 8, Wednesday, 6pm, Worship Leadership Team Meeting All: We, the members and friends of Oromocto United Church claim to be a com-
munity of people who try to turn daily towards God. We dare to claim that we
Feb 12, Restorative justice Sunday and Workshop and Pot Luck
stand in the same tradition of love Jesus tried to create. We believe God has
Feb 19, Communion Sunday
claimed us. We believe that God invites us to extend that claim to all who come
Feb 16, Thursday, 7pm, Session to us regardless of age or any other circumstance.
Feb 19, Annual Reports available
Feb 26, Annual Meeting Sunday, finger food pot luck Leader: In baptism we celebrate what already exists, the unconditional love and
Feb 27, 2nd meeting on Statement of faith Remit, 7pm acceptance of God for all. Friends it is my privilege to introduce to you,
Feb 29, Wed, 6pm, Membership and Pastoral Care Team Meeting
Allyson Nicole Allaby and
Jacob Harold Allaby
Daughter and son of Shannon and Curtis Allaby
Website Update: I am still looking for feedback and suggestions about
[pause while the family comes forward]
our website. Please let me know of anything you would like to see
added to the site. An interesting fact to note is that over the past 30 Leader: Friends, Curtis and Shannon have brought their children to us for baptism,
for initiation into the church of Jesus Christ. Together we join all those who came
days we have had 168 visits to the website and 100 of those visitors before us in asking the questions of the church.
have read our service online. If you have not yet had a peek, check it
out: http://oromoctopinegroveunitedchurch.ca All: Shannon and Curtis, as parents you are asking us to baptize Allison and Jacob
into membership within the family of God. Do you accept the responsibility of
leading your children to know God and serve God in this life?
Restorative Justice Sunday, Feb 12. We will be hosting a special Sunday on
this theme that is offering hope for new approaches to restoring people to
Parents: Yes we do.
proper relationships in society when thing go awry. Christina Farnsworth
will be our guest speaker and workshop leader as we engage this topic All: We ask you then, do you believe in God and God’s unconditional love for all
with the intent of creating awareness and appreciation for how the re- people?
storative justice approach can represent a more faithful response to crime
and punishment. The workshop will begin at about 12 noon. Please invite Parents: Yes we do.
neighbours and friends to both or just the workshop. Of course they are
welcome to join us for lunch. All: Do you believe that God has become particularly known in the life and minis-
try of Jesus of Nazareth who lived and died and lives again?
Bible Study this winter will be on Mark’s gospel. We will be meeting Parents: Yes we do.
Thursday afternoon from 1:30-3:00. Please bring a friend!
All: Do you believe that God, through the Spirit, is active in this world to direct
and strengthen you?
Parents: Yes we do.
All: Will you do your best to provide a home based on God’s kind of values for
your children. Will you bring them to church and encourage them to seek confir-
mation?

4. SERVICE SERVICE
Parents: Yes we will.
Our Hymn: MV 37, Each Blade of Grass
Leader: Will you all please stand. [Congregation Stands]
Our Reading from the Christian Scriptures, Mark 1:35-45,
Friends, are we willing to offer Jacob and Allison, and indeed all who attend this A Message for Today
church, the support and example of a community of love and concern. Rev Bob will be joining the children after the message today
All: Yes we are. Anthem:
Pouring the Water and We will Sing: VU 453: Out of Deep Unordered Water Lighting Our Candle of Concern
& Children pour the water baptism
*Our Words of Faith, page 918 VU [standing]
Our Dedication of the Water:
Lighting Our Candle of Concern:
Leader: Water brings us life and health, refreshment and food. Everything that
lives needs water on this, our blue planet. Our Prayer of Concern
All: Our myths tell us God brought order from the primordial waters of chaos.
A Minute for Mission
Our legends speak of God leading the Hebrews through the water and making
them God’s chosen people.
Our Offering Collected
Leader: Our scriptures tell us Jesus received his water baptism from John in an act
of commitment to follow wherever God may lead. After his resurrection his first Our Offering Presented [vs 1 #603 VU]
followers invited all to join Jesus in a life acknowledging resurrection in death and Joyful Joyful Lord we give you
continuing the journey of God’s people in this world. Gifts that You may use this day
Take them, Bless them, may Your Kingdom
All: God bless this water of baptism as a symbol of who we are in Jesus Christ our Spread to all the world we pray.
Lord. Bless this symbol and remind us that we are all called to live strong in trust, Here we are, our time our talents
loyal in vision, compassionate in love and wise stewards of this world. We now dedicate as well.
May we show Christ’s love within us
By our lives of faith to tell.
The Act of Christian Initiation:
The Welcome and Promise: Our Prayers of Thanks and Concern and the Lord’s Prayer
All: Jacob and Allison, we welcome you joyfully and reverently into our Our Hymn to Leave With: VU 353, Lord of the Dance
family, the family of God. We all offer ourselves to be your sisters and brothers,
aunts and uncles, grandmothers and grandfathers in faith. We will do our best to Our Benediction:
surround you with God’s kind of love all the days of your life. As you parents
grow in your responsibilities as family, we pledge ourselves to help you covey Our Choral Blessing
God’s care in real and human terms to John Camden. Go make a difference, We can make a difference
Go make a difference in the World
Allison and Jacob, may the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make Go make a difference, We can make a difference
God’s face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. May the Lord lift up Go make a difference in the World
God’s countenance upon you and grant you peace. Amen