Sunday Worship
this weekend worship at 10:00am
Welcome
Welcome to our weekly gathering! Whether you are here for the first time, or you have been with us many times before, we are honored to have you part of our community. Please join us for a future Sunday service this weekend at 10:00am.
Vision: To see the people and places of West Richmond and beyond transformed by the love of God through Christ Jesus.
Mission: Making Disciples Sent in Love
Call to Worship and Opening Prayer
Today, we light the third candle of Advent, the rose candle of Joy. The third Sunday in Advent is known as Gaudete Sunday, the Latin word for "rejoice," marking a joyful pause in the otherwise penitential season of Advent characterized by the deep blue in the drape on the cross.
Leader: Come, all who long for hope and joy.
People: We come, waiting for the promise of God’s salvation.
Leader: In Creation the life-giving Spirit hovered over the dark, formless void.
People: In the new Creation, the Spirit hovered over Mary's womb!
Candle Lighting
Leader: Today we light the pink candle of joy, celebrating the joy of God’s promised Son.
All: Come, Lord Jesus! Fill our hearts with your Spirit and your joy.
Message
Reading and examining the Bible under the guidance of the preacher.
"The Spirit as the Life GiveR"
Christmas is all about improbable developments, like a virgin conceiving a baby and God himself coming from heaven to earth. Possible things are easy to believe, but it is the glorious impossibles that create the wonder of Christmas and bring hope to our hearts!
BIBLE READING: Genesis 1:1-2 (NIV)
Luke 1:26-38
Feature Verse
Luke 1:34-35
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
Genesis 1:1-2
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
Luke 1:26-38
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
Responding with our Gifts and Tithes
An opportunity to respond to the gift of God's grace with our offerings and our lives.
Give online at https://communitywestchurch.churchcenter.com/giving or drop a check in the mail to our office:
Community West Church
2340 Pump Road
Henrico, VA 23233
Responding to God with
our Hearts in Song
Praising God for who he is and what He is doing in the body of Christ
Benediction
A personal and communal blessing from the Bible to strengthen us as we go back out into the world.
Welcome to Community West Church!
Dear Friends,
We believe the church is a special community of people joined by their hope in Jesus Christ. We know this hope has not always been apparent to those who have been hurt by church, or for whom church seems unnecessary or irrelevant. However, we believe everybody needs a community to which to belong, and we hope you will find our community a trusted context to continue your spiritual journey.
Protecting Our Children and Youth:
To ensure a safe and secure environment for our children and youth, Community West Church requires adult volunteers who wish to serve these populations must participate in the church for a minimum of six months, pass a “Proud to Protect” online course in recognizing and reporting child abuse, and pass a background check. Youth volunteers who serve our children are required to take a certification training facilitated by the Director of Family Ministries. A complete copy of our Child Protection Plan is available upon request.
CELEBRATE - Commit to our weekly Sunday Gathering.
Our Sunday service is a time for us to be reminded of God’s love and forgiveness, and to respond with our worship, obedience, and trust. we intend our service to be uplifting, hones, participatory, multi-sensory, biblically-based, and gospel-centered.
CONNECT - Commit to a Home Group.
Smaller groups are where the best of life happens at Community West. All small groups are built on three pillars: growing in God’s word, developing authentic friendships, and serving and getting involved in outreach.
CONTRIBUTE - Join a Sunday team and give financially.
None of us begins to belong to a community until we have a chance to share what we have to give. We invite you to share your time, by serving on a Sunday team, and your gifts by giving financially to the mission of the church.