West Tokyo Union Church Weekly - Sunday, May 22, 2016 worship

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

9:00 AM – Puppeteers please meet to set up, do a sound check and practice.

9:30 AM – Adult Sunday School in the Sack`s living room and Multigenerational in the Cafeteria – we will meet in a back corner or outside as Mitaka Lutheran Church is preparing for their annual bazaar – enjoy shopping after worship = )

11:00 AM – YOUTH SUNDAY Worship Service – Allie Rogers will bring the Message “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” from John 14. The Puppeteers (Ruth, Emin, Jeremiah, Kai, Oliver, Sara, and Sophia) will delight us with “Grow Where You are Planted.” The young and the young at heart will have a chance to sing “I Just wanna be a Sheep.” Cathy Berghahn will present thank yous to those who have facilitated Christian Formation this year. Youth and friends will lead the worship. There will be a short congregational meeting regarding next year`s budget after the worship. Our delightful robust fellowship time will be after the service. To CELEBRATE our Youth EVERYONE as able please BRING A YUMMY to share = )

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about the preacher – Allie is a junior at the American School in Japan.  She is a 3-sport varsity athlete that is also the vice president of the student body.  She is actively involved on the leadership team for Abot Kamay, a community service group at ASIJ that helps schools and villages in Thailand.  During the summer, Allie lives in Minnesota with her two brothers and her parents. 

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a blessing for us this week –

Gathered in this place, let us now scatter, to go into the world with a rush

to share God’s grace with everyone we meet.

Having heard the prayer uttered for us, let us go to live it out,

believing that Jesus is with us, as we bring the fresh breath of hope to others.

Having been touched with the Spirit’s peace, let us go to bring it into our communities,

to bring calm to every trembling heart, to offer light to those in life’s shadows.

In the precious name of Jesus, Amen.

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Friday the 20th, Amy Harbaugh will be hosting a GAME NIGHT at ASIJ for the ES and MS students (young at heart are welcome too.) Please meet at the ASIJ gate at 6pm. Game night will last till 8pm. Pizza will be served = )

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Mark`s Natsumikan Marmalade – Thank you for purchasing Mark Hisamatsu`s 20 jars of delicious homemade marmalade! 10,500 yen was raised for WTUC`s long term budget.

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a new study opportunity is coming …

BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING ~ How to Have an Intentional Healing Ministry in Your Church 

By James K. Wagner

9:30-10:30, non-Multi-Generational Sunday mornings – upcoming dates – (5/29, 6/5 and 6/19) @ Sack house. This Sunday School will continue on in the fall.

We will start a study about the Sacramental Model of Healing Ministry, using this book by Methodist pastor James Wagner. Dr. Wagner helps us to see healing prayers as a natural outcome of the church, inspired by the compassion of our Lord who wills goodness to each person in both general and specific ways. Any genuine ministry is concerned with encouraging and helping others, not on building up oneself or one’s group. It is centered in the Word of God. 

Let us explore together such questions as: “What is the sacramental healing ministry of the Church?” “What about when healing doesn’t seem to happen?” “What is the significance of forgiveness?” and many other questions. 

We will continue this study over a few months, reading the text out loud together and discussing as we go along. Feel free to join whether or not you have had any prior connections with the healing ministry. 

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Upcoming Preaching Ministry and Community Events

May 20th – 6-8pm Friday night – Game night for ES and MS students – meet at the parking of ASIJ at 6pm. Pizza will be served = )

May 22nd – Multigenerational and Adult Sunday Schools, Allie Rogers preaching, Puppet Show by Ruth and friends, Youth and friends will lead worship, Congregational meeting after the worship.

May 29th – Blessed to be a Blessing Adult Sunday School, Rev. Dr. Jim Sack preaching, Organ: Kazuko Sacon, Steering Committee meeting following the Fellowship Time.

June 5th – Blessed to be a Blessing Adult Sunday School, Carol Sack preaching, Communion will be served, Graduate Sunday, Youth and friends will lead the worship.

June 12th – Multigenerational and Adult Sunday Schools, Pastor Teresa preaching, Organ: Kazuko Sacon.

June 19th – Blessed to be a Blessing Adult Sunday School, Pastor Teresa preaching, Communion will be served, Organ: Kazuko Sacon.

June 26th – Multigenerational and Adult Sunday Schools, Last Sunday worship of the 2015-16 church year. Pastor Teresa preaching, Organ: Kazuko Sacon. Worship at WTUC will start up again on September 4th, 2016.

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Little Kidz: Please stay in worship and enjoy Youth Worship Sunday.

ES/MS: May 20th – 6-8pm Friday night – GAME NIGHT – meet at the parking of ASIJ at 6pm. Pizza will be served = )

HS Youth: Still working on quilting projects. Next Youth & friends worship on June 5th – looking for folks to lend their gifts to the service.

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MULTIGENERATIONAL SUNDAY SCHOOL!! ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL!! 

We have Multigenerational Sunday School from 9:30AM 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 9:30AM 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, hosted by Dr. Toshi Sasao, on the 2nd floor above the Sanctuary.) All are welcome. Need more information, contact wtucrev@gmail.com any time = ) Next Sunday Schools  – May 22nd! June 12 and 26th – All friends invited!

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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, are interested in baptism or membership, 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. *Sign up for snacks for fellowship time with Ann or Jill. We appreciate your contributions to our community life!

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Text for the sermon from John 14:1-14

1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And you know the way to the place where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. 12 Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.