October 25, 2015

   West Tokyo Union Church   Weekly Sunday, October 25, 2015    

Pastor:  Rev. Teresa Thompson Sherrill     wtucrev@gmail.com

9:30 AM – ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL, facilitated by the Sacks in their home

9:30 AM – MULTIGENERATIONAL SUNDAY in the cafeteria with Pastor Teresa

11:00 AM – WORSHIP

FELLOWSHIP TIME: after the service

Sunday, October 25th – After Sunday School at 9:30 AM, during the 11 AM worship service Jon Winter, will bring the sermon “Abraham and Isaac” from Genesis 22.  Kazuko Sacon will provide the will provide the worship music. Following our worship will be a Fellowship time.

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about the preacher – Jon and Elaine Winter began following God’s call into missions in 1997 after Jon made a month long trip to Tokyo to work with NTT Data. Moving from engineering and nursing, they arrived in Japan thirteen years ago with three boys 11, 9 and 3 to work with SEND International. After language school they started an alternative church plant that met on Saturday nights.  In order to connect with the community, Jon works once day a week at a local coffee shop.They have also served in various leadership positions within SEND. Their oldest son Aaron is now married and working in Chicago as a children’s pastor. Their middle son Jacob is completing studies in International Development in Malawi. Benjamin is a sophomore at Christian Academy in Japan. 

Anthony_van_Dyck_-_Abraham_and_Isaac_-_WGA07427

Little Kidz: All are welcome to go with Mrs. Montgomery and have fun learning about “Joseph.”

ES/MS Youth: Harvest party Friday October 30th, 6:00-8:00pm at Peter and Ann`s home, organized by the Zebleys – bobbing for apples, games, songs and a short message.  Kids can wear their favorite costumes – prizes for top 3 costumes! Questions: wtucrev@gmail.com

Confirmation Class: Monday October 26th, 6:30-8:00pm at the Bennett`s home, Pastor Teresa is teaching. If your family is interested in joining in, please talk with Pastor Teresa.

HS: Gathering cloth to continue with quilting projects – please give all your material to one of the Youth.  Next HS bible study will be on Sunday, October 25th at the Rogers house 5 pm.

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We are looking for someone desiring to serve WTUC next year (2015-6) posting to the website and sending out the emailing – if you are interested, please talk with    Pastor Teresa, or wtucrev@gmail.com

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Upcoming Preaching Ministry and Community Events

November 1st  Annual Joint Bilingual Service with Mitaka Lutheran Church, Pastor Teresa presiding, Rev. Akio Lee preaching 10:30am, Organ: Kazuko Sacon, Harp: Carol Sack and Oishi san, Ruth Ingulsrud and Rev. Lee: children`s puppet message – invite your friends

November 8th  Adult & Multigenerational Sunday School, Rev, Christian Zebley preaching, Worship music: Youth and friends with Tang/Lee family organizing

November 15th  Pastor Teresa preaching. Communion will be served. Organ: Kazuko Sacon, Thanksgiving Feast – friends are welcome!

November 22nd  Adult and Multigenerational Sunday School, Rev. Claudia Genung-Yamamoto preaching, organ: Kazuko, Sacon, afternoon event for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association at the Budokan from 3pm

November 29th  Advent I – Rev. Dr. Jim Sack preaching, Organ: Kazuko Sacon, Senzoku Music Conservatory will offer pieces in the worship and will have an Advent Concert from 1pm

December 6th  Christmas Pageant Practice from 9:30am, Rev. Christian Zebley preaching, Communion will be served, organ: Kazuko Sacon

December 13th Christmas Pageant Practice and then Pageant during the Worship Service, Youth and Friends Praise worship

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MULTIGENERATIONAL SUNDAY SCHOOL!! ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL!! 

We have Multigenerational Sunday School from 9:30 in the cafeteria the second and fourth Sundays of the month. Who is welcome? All ages. We will  be creating, discussing, playing games, acting out bible stories and more. At the same time, the Sacks host the Adult Sunday School, also at 9:30 am in their living room. The method used is the, “Swedish Bible study method,” interacting with the texts for the service through our own life experiences. Their home is right across the Lutheran Campus from our sanctuary.  Best coffee in town = ) Come and enjoy! (At times Adult Sunday School is held in the Upper Room, on the 2nd floor above the Sanctuary.) All are welcome. Need more information, contact wtucrev@gmail.com any time = ) 2015 Sunday School schedule:  10/25, 11/8, 11/22, 12/13

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WTUC  Announcements:

  *Questions or concerns?  Feel free to email wtucrev@gmail.com anytime.

  *Please enjoy and refer our website https://wtuc.net/ and FB page (West Tokyo Union Church) to others.  Please make any suggestions for additions to the Pastor Teresa and/or Steering Committee. If you’d like to be added to the WTUC church email list, please contact Pastor Teresa.

  *If interested in joining the WTUC Prayer Chain, let Pastor Teresa or Prayer Chain Coordinator, Kayo Ozawa, know of your interest. Please submit prayers to wtucrev@gmail.com or Kayo Ozawa.

  *Sign up for snacks for fellowship time with Ann or Jill. We appreciate your contributions to our community life!

*Interested in baptism, membership or confirmation classes, please contact Pastor Teresa.

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Sermon text – Genesis 22

After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. 7 Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.”

So the two of them walked on together.

9 When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill[a] his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13 And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place “The Lord will provide”;[b] as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”[c]

15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, 16 and said, “By myself I have sworn, says the Lord: Because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will indeed bless you, and I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of their enemies, 18 and by your offspring shall all the nations of the earth gain blessing for themselves, because you have obeyed my voice.” 19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beer-sheba; and Abraham lived at Beer-sheba.