Federated Community Church United Church of Christ

03/08/2024

This live feed is owned and operated by Friends of Big Bear Valley, a 501c3 nonprofit organization. Any public use of the live video, including screen captur...

12/24/2023

Just in case you can't make it to a Christmas Eve Service tomorrow, here's what I plan on...

Surprise Valley Community Church: United Church of Christ
405 Bonner Street/PO Box 187, Cedarville, CA 96104
530.279.6225/[email protected]
Federated Community Church: United Church of Christ
307 E 1st Street/PO Box 1708, Alturas, CA 96101
530.233.2718/[email protected]
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Christmas Eve: December 24, 2023 AD
Cedarville: 9 am & Alturas: 11 am
Organist: Betty Scoggins, Pianist: Sharon Berryessa
Guitars: Bill Price & Dr. Ben Zandstra
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Greeting God’s Family
Silent Preparation/Prelude
Salutation
Lighting the Altar, Advent, Hanukkah, & Christ Candles (Charles Dickens): “For it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child himself.”
Opening Prayer – Unison (Robert Louis Stevenson): LOVING FATHER, HELP US REMEMBER THE BIRTH OF JESUS, THAT WE MAY SHARE IN THE SONG OF THE ANGELS, THE GLADNESS OF THE SHEPHERDS, AND THE WORSHIP OF THE WISE MEN. CLOSE THE DOOR OF HATE AND OPEN THE DOOR OF LOVE ALL OVER THE WORLD. LET KINDNESS COME WITH EVERY GIFT AND GOOD DESIRES WITH EVERY GREETING. DELIVER US FROM EVIL BY THE BLESSING WHICH CHRIST BRINGS AND TEACH US TO BE MERRY WITH CLEAR HEARTS. MAY THE CHRISTMAS MORNING MAKE US HAPPY TO BE THY CHILDREN AND CHRISTMAS EVENING BRING US TO OUR BEDS WITH GRATEFUL THOUGHTS, FORGIVING AND FORGIVEN. FOR JESUS’ SAKE.
The Lord’s Prayer – Unison: Please use the form of this prayer that you prefer.
*Christmas Folder #205 “O Come, All Ye Faithful”
Christmas Poem (Rev. Clarence Wager): “What’s Christmas Worth?”
Surprise Valley Tabernacle Choir (Cedarville): “Beautiful Star of Bethlehem”
*Christmas Folder #191 “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear”
Coloring Page: For children of all ages!
Scripture Lessons (Page 2)
Sermon: “He Has Spoken to Us by a Son”
Gathering of Gifts: “Do You Hear What I Hear?”
Song: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR JESUS, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
Prayer of Dedication (Vanderbilt Divinity Library): WITH THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN, WE PROCLAIM YOUR GLORY, O GOD. AS THE RADIANCE OF YOUR PRESENCE LIGHTS UP THE HEAVENS, WE PRAY FOR ENLIGHTENMENT FOR YOUR CHURCH ON BEHALF OF THE WHOLE WORLD. GRANT THAT, THROUGH OUR PRAYERS, OUR LIVES MAY RADIATE THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST TO ALL WHO DWELL ON EARTH, FOR HE IS OUR LORD FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN.
Sacrament of the Eucharist: All are welcome!
*Christmas Folder #200 “What Child Is This, Who Laid to Rest”
*Benediction
Entering God’s World
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Scripture Lessons
Leader: “For the LORD gives wisdom;
PEOPLE: FROM HIS MOUTH COME WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING.” (Proverbs 2:6-8)
1. Isaiah 52:7-10; Hebrew Scriptures/Old Covenant/Testament, p. 758
2. Psalm 98:1-4; Hebrew Scriptures/Old Covenant/Testament, p. 610
3. Hebrews 1:1-4; New Covenant/Testament, p. 234
4. John 1:1-4; New Covenant/Testament, p. 94
Leader: “He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
PEOPLE: HE IS A SHIELD TO THOSE WHO WALK BLAMELESSLY, GUARDING THE PATHS OF JUSTICE AND PRESERVING THE WAY OF HIS FAITHFUL ONES.”
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12/22/2023

12/04/2023

Merry Christmas

01/25/2023

02/27/2022

Very interesting...I was aware of some of the details of their deaths, but this post was enlightening!

HOW THE APOSTLES DIED.
1. Matthew. Suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia, Killed by a sword wound.
2. Mark. Died in Alexandria, Egypt , after being dragged by Horses through the streets until he was dead.
3. Luke. Was hanged in Greece as a result of his tremendous Preaching to the lost.
4. John. Faced martyrdom when he was boiled in huge Basin of boiling oil during a wave of persecution In Rome. However, he was miraculously delivered From death.
John was then sentenced to the mines on the prison Island of Patmos. He wrote his prophetic Book of Revelation on Patmos . The apostle John was later freed and returned to serve As Bishop of Edessa in modern Turkey . He died as an old man, the only apostle to die peacefully
5. Peter. He was crucified upside down on an x shaped cross. According to church tradition it was because he told his tormentors that he felt unworthy to die In the same way that Jesus Christ had died.
6. James. The leader of the church in Jerusalem , was thrown over a hundred feet down from the southeast pinnacle of the Temple when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered that he survived the fall, his enemies beat James to death with a fuller's club.
This was the same pinnacle where Satan had taken Jesus during the Temptation.
7. James the Son of Zebedee was a fisherman by trade when Jesus Called him to a lifetime of ministry.
As a strong leader of the church, James was beheaded at Jerusalem. The Roman officer who guarded James watched amazed as James defended his faith at his trial.
Later, the officer Walked beside James to the place of ex*****on. Overcome by conviction, he declared his new faith to the judge and Knelt beside James to accept beheading as a Christian.
8. Bartholomew. Also known as Nathaniel. He Was a missionary to Asia. He witnessed for our Lord in present day Turkey. Bartholomew was martyred for his preaching in Armenia where he was flayed to death by a whip.
9. Andrew. He Was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Patras, Greece. After being whipped severely by seven soldiers they tied his body to the cross with cords to prolong his agony.
His followers reported that, when he was led toward the cross, Andrew saluted it in these words, "I have long desired and expected this happy hour. The cross has been consecrated by the body of Christ hanging on it". He continued to preach to his tormentors For two days until he expired.
10. Thomas. He Was stabbed with a spear in India during one of his missionary trips to establish the church in the Subcontinent.
11. Jude. He Was killed with arrows when he refused to deny his faith in Christ.
12. Matthias. The apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot. He was stoned and then beheaded.
13. Paul. He Was tortured and then beheaded by the evil Emperor Nero at Rome in A.D. 67. Paul endured a lengthy imprisonment, which allowed him to write his many epistles to the churches he had formed throughout the Roman Empire. These letters, which taught many of the foundational Doctrines of Christianity, form a large portion of the New Testament.
Perhaps this is a reminder to us that our sufferings here are indeed minor to compare to the intense persecution and cold cruelty faced by the apostles and disciples during their times For the sake of the Faith.
And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: But he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
Pass on to encourage other Christians. Why Do we feel sleepy in Prayer, but stay awake through a 3 hour movie?
Why are we so bored when we look at the HOLY BOOK. But find it easy to read other books?
Why is it so easy to ignore a message about God,
Yet we forward the nasty ones?
Why are Prayers getting smaller, but bars and clubs are expanding.
Why is it so easy to worship a celebrity, but very difficult to engage with God?
Make this message your contribution to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

04/21/2021

Wonderful message...may we all read and follow the advice of a solid senior citizen!

12/08/2020

Breath in Gods beauty and exhale his goodness.

10/20/2020

All things are possible to those that believe!!

A young man in the army was constantly humiliated because he believed in God. One day, the Captain wanted to humiliate him in front of the army.

He called out to the young man and said: Young man come here, grab the key and go and park the Jeep in front. The young man replied:
“i can't drive!” The captain said, "Well, then ask your God for help!" Show us that He exists!

The young man took the key, went to the vehicle and began to pray ....... He parked the jeep in the spot perfectly, just as
the captain wanted.

The young man came out of
jeep and saw them all crying. They all said together: - We want to serve your God! The youngest soldier was amazed and asked - what's going on? Crying the captain opened the lid of the jeep, showing it to the young man: the car had no engine!

Then the boy said, "Look?"
This is the God I serve, the God of
The impossible, the God who gives life to that which does not exist. You may think that there are impossible things, but with God everything is POSSIBLE.

YOU WHO READ THIS, PLEASE LORD WORK FOR SUPER WONDERS IN YOUR LIFE TODAY In the name of Jesus, I pray .. Write "Amen" to confirm this prayer! 👏

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