(Image: “The Insistent Friend” JESUS MAFA, 1973, Cameroon)
©Order of Worship for Sunday September 06, 2026
Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
For the Avent Ferry UMC Worship Video Click Here Link (Link opens in a new window)
Gathering Music:………………………………………..Greg R.
Greetings:…………………………………….…Elizabeth B.
Announcements:………………………………….Elizabeth B.
Prelude:………………………………………………………Greg R.
Coming of the Light:………………………………………….
Call to Worship:………………………………………Congregation
Holy spirit, You are welcome here
come flood this place and fill the atmosphere
your glory, God, is what our hearts long for
to be overcome by Your presence, Lord
Opening Prayer: …………………………….…Elizabeth B.
Everlasting God:
You have revealed yourself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
and ever live and reign in the perfect unity of love.
Grant that we may always hold firmly and joyfully to this faith,
and, living in praise of your divine majesty,
may finally be one in you;
who are three persons in one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
(Church of South India, 20th Cent.)
Opening Hymns: “I Come with Joy” UMH #617
Words: Brian Wren, 1968 Music: The Southern Harmon, 1835;
Words © 1971 Hope Publishing Co.; harm. © The United
Methodist Publishing House
1. I come with joy to meet my Lord, forgiven, loved
and free, in awe and wonder to recall his life laid down
for me, his life laid down for me.
2. I come with Christians far and near to find, as
all are fed, the new community of love in Christ’s
communion bread, in Christ’s communion bread.
3. As Christ breaks bread and bids us share, each proud
division ends. The love that made us makes us one, and strangers now are friends, and strangers now are friends.
4. And thus with joy we meet our Lord. His presence,
always near, is in such friendship better known; we see and praise him here, we see and praise him here.
5. Together met, together bound, we’ll go our different
ways, and as his people in the world, we’ll live and speak
his praise, we’ll live and speak his praise.
Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee #89 UMH
(Public Domain)
1. Joyful, joyful, we adore thee,
God of glory, Lord of love.
Hearts unfold like flowers before thee,
opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
drive the dark of doubt away.
Giver of immortal gladness,
fill us with the light of day!
2. All thy works with joy surround thee,
earth and heaven reflect thy rays.
Stars and angels sing around thee,
center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
flowery meadow, flashing sea,
chanting bird and flowing fountain,
call us to rejoice in thee.
3. Thou are giving and forgiving,
ever blessing, ever blest,
wellspring of the joy of living,
ocean depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our brother,
all who live in love are thine;
teach us how to love each other,
lift us to the joy divine.
4. Mortals, join the mighty chorus
which the morning stars began;
love divine is reigning o’er us,
binding all within its span.
Ever singing, march we onward,
victors in the midst of strife;
joyful music leads us sunward,
in the triumph song of life.
Passing of the Peace:……………………………Elizabeth B.
Let us offer signs of reconciliation and peace to one another.
Gloria Patri: Glory Be to the Father…………#71 UMH
Glory be to the Father
and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen. Amen.
Offering of our Tithes and Offerings:………Elizabeth B.
Online Giving Link (Link will open in a new window)
Offertory:……………………………………………Greg R.
Offertory Response:
“Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow” #95
The United Methodist Hymnal
Words by Thomas Ken, 1674 Music attributed to Louis Bourgeois, 1551
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise God, all creatures here below;
praise God above, ye heavenly host;
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Prayer After Receiving:………………………….Elizabeth B.
Prayers of the People:…………………………………Diane C.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Gospel Lesson:………..Matthew 18:15-20………Phillip J.
Reconciliation in the community of faith
“If your brother and sister sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If you are listened to, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If that person refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church, and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a gentile and a tax collector. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”
Hymn of Preparation: “The Gift of Love” #408 UMH
Words: Hal Hopson, 1972, Music: Trad. English melody.
© 1972 Hope Publishing Co.
1. Though I may speak with bravest fire,
and have the gift to all inspire,
and have not love, my words are vain,
as sounding brass, and hopeless gain.
2. Though I may give all I possess,
and striving so my love profess,
but not be given by love within,
the profit soon turns strangely thin.
3. Come, Spirit, come, our hearts control,
our spirits long to be made whole.
Let inward love guide every deed;
by this we worship, and are freed.
Sermon notes: Phillip and congregation
Response to the Word:
Closing Hymn: “Lord, I Want to Be a Christian” #402 UMH
Words and Music: Afro-American spiritual adapt. and arr.
By William Farley Smith, 1986 © 1989 The United
Methodist Publishing House
1. Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart,
in my heart; Lord, I want to be a Christian
in my heart. In my heart, in my heart, Lord,
I want to be a Christian in my heart.
2. Lord, I want to be more loving in my heart,
in my heart; Lord, I want to be more loving
in my heart. In my heart, in my heart, Lord,
I want to be more loving in my heart.
3. Lord, I want to be more holy in my heart,
in my heart; Lord, I want to be more holy
in my heart. in my heart, in my heart, Lord,
I want to be more holy in my heart.
4. Lord, I want to be like Jesus in my heart,
in my heart; Lord, I want to be like Jesus
in my heart. In my heart, in my heart, Lord,
I want to be like Jesus in my heart.
Dismissal with Blessing:……………………………..Phillip J.
Postlude:………………………………………………………Greg R.
For Online Giving, follow this link Avent Ferry Give . You can also mail checks to Avent Ferry UMC, 2700 Avent Ferry Road, Raleigh, NC 27606.
For additional AFUMC Announcements: See your AFUMC Announcements E-mail or Click Announcements Here
Follow us on Instagram @aventferryumc and Twitter #aventferryumc
Sunday September 6th Worship Service