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Welcome
We are glad you have joined us today. Whether you are a Christian seeking to grow in your
relationship with Jesus Christ, or a skeptic looking for answers, or someone who is struggling to
make sense of life and are looking for a caring community, you are warmly welcome here.
We’re glad you came.
“Christians sometimes try to assess how they or others are doing on the basis of such things as
how successfully they conquer a particular sin, how much prayer and Bible study they do, how
regularly they attend and give to church, and so forth. But rarely do we honestly ask the
question that Scripture places at the center of everything: Are we growing in our capacity to love
all people? Do we have an increasing love for our sisters and brothers in Christ as well as for
those for whom Christ died who are yet outside the church? Are we increasing in our capacity to
ascribe unsurpassable worth to people whom society judges to have no worth?”
~ Gregory Boyd
“When you become a Christian, Jesus will invade your life and make you into somebody he can
use to change the world. Through you, he will challenge racism. Through you, Jesus will attack
sexism, poverty, and militarism. That was never taught to me when I was growing up. I never
heard that I could be an instrument that God could use to change the world. All I was told was
that being a Christian meant I would go to heaven when I died. I was never told that the primary
reason Jesus saved me was to make me into somebody whom he could use to change the
world into the kind of world he willed for it to be when he created it.”
--Tony Campolo
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you
also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have
love for one another.”
~ Jesus, in the Gospel of John 13:34-35
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God Calls Us To Worship
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. ~ Psalm 150:6
“Forever”
chorus
Forever God is faithful
Forever God is strong
Forever God is with us
Forever and ever, forever (2X)
(repeat chorus)
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“Thank You for the Blood”
Prayer of Confession
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3. I am evil, born in sin 5. Gracious God, my heart renew,
Thou desirest truth within Make my spirit right and true
Thou alone my Saviour art Cast me not away from Thee
Teach Thy wisdom to my heart Let Thy Spirit dwell in me
Make me pure, Thy grace bestow Thy salvation’s joy impart
Wash me whiter than the snow Steadfast make my willing heart.
Hearing these comforting words, if you sincerely turn from your sins
by turning in trust to the Lord Jesus Christ who came to save sinners,
I declare to you in the name of Jesus Christ that you are indeed forgiven!
Song of Response
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God Gives Us His Words of Eternal Life
Lord Jesus, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life! Let your word dwell in
us richly, that whatever we do, in word or deed, we may do everything in Your name, giving
thanks to the Father through You. ~ based on John 6:68, Colossians 3:16-17
1 John 4:7-21
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of
God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In
this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so
that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved
us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also
ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in
us and his love is perfected in us.
13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we
have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides
in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we
may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment,
and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If
anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother
whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have
from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
(notes)
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God Feeds Us His Covenant Meal
From the east and the west, from the north and the south, people will come
and take their places at the banquet in the Kingdom of God. ~ based on Luke 13:29
The Lord’s Supper is a special family meal that Christ gave to His Bride, the Church. For
Christians, this meal is a time to receive these signs and seals of the New Covenant which
Christ has established with them. Believers come to this Table to meet with their Lord and
Saviour by faith, to be renewed by Him and strengthened in their callings and mission as
they eat the bread and drink the wine.
Therefore, all baptized Christians who trust in Christ alone as their Lord and Saviour, who
are connected to a church that proclaims His Gospel are invited to come to the Table.
If you are not yet a Christian, or if for whatever reason you are not prepared to share in
this meal, we would encourage you to spend this time in prayer (perhaps using one of the
prayers listed below). Consider the invitation of Jesus, “I am the bread of life; whoever
comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst…for my
Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal
life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:35, 40).
We would ask that children who have not yet professed belief in the Lord Jesus also
refrain from partaking until doing so. The pastor would be delighted to speak to families
about what it means to participate in the Lord’s Supper.
“The Lord Jesus, on the night we was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks,
he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In
the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my
blood, do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this
bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
~ 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Please come forward by rows to the center isle and form a semi-circle in front of the Table
to receive the bread and the wine. When finished, place your cup at the side tables and
proceed to your seat via the outer isles. If you are unable to come forward we would be
delighted to serve you at your seat.
New City Church uses wine in serving the Lord’s Supper. We would encourage you to
take of the wine since it is a symbol of joy and celebration in Scripture. However, juice is
also provided if you cannot drink wine due to health reasons or issues of conscience.
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Prayers for Those Not Communing
A Prayer Searching for the Truth: Jesus, You claim to be the way, the truth, and the life,
and that no one comes to the Father except by You. If what You claim is true, please guide
me and teach me. Open to me the reality of who You are. Grant that I might be undaunted
in following You as I consider the reasons for doing so. Give me an understanding of You
that is coherent, convincing, and leads to the eternal life that You promise. Amen.
A Prayer of Trust in the Lord Jesus: Jesus, I confess that I am more broken, flawed, and
sinful than I had ever before dared to admit. Yet you tell me that I am more loved than I
ever dared to hope, and that You accept all who turn to You in simple faith. I am doing that
right now. I thank You for taking the justice that my sins deserved when You died on the
Cross. I eagerly trust You for the forgiveness for my sins, and I receive from You now the
eternal life that You promise to all who come to You. Amen.
A Prayer for Those Struggling with Sin: Lord Jesus, You know the battle that rages
within my heart. Grant that in my battles with sin, I may see in You the fulfillment of all my
needs. Give me strength to turn from every false satisfaction to find my ultimate joy in You.
Enable me to lay aside the sin that clings so closely to me, and fill me with your Spirit to run
with perseverance the race You have set before me, looking to You, the pioneer and
champion of my faith. Amen.
A Prayer for Children (who have yet to profess faith): Jesus, the Bible tells me that you
blessed kids like me. Help me to know who You are and to understand what You have done
for me. Amen.
Communion Hymns
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Behold Him there! The risen Lamb
My perfect, spotless Righteousness
The great unchangeable I Am
The King of glory and of grace!
One with Himself I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ, my Saviour and my God
With Christ my Saviour and my God
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The Prayers of the People
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
Now and forever. Amen.”
This collection of our tithes and offerings is for those who consider New City Church their
church family and regularly benefit from her ministry and want to invest in her mission. If
you are visiting with us, please feel no obligation to give.
Unison: We believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
Leader: “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and
gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and
establish them in every good work and word” (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
People: Amen!
Community Life
Special thanks to Pastor Frank Lanting for teaching from the Scriptures today. Rev. Lanting is
pastor of Woodgreen Presbyterian Church (PCA), our sister church in south Calgary.
The Easter Experience: Christians around the world and throughout history have often used
the 40 days leading up to Easter as an opportunity for deeper reflection (1) on the meaning of
the death of Jesus Christ (2) our own need for spiritual growth. Some traditions call this period
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The Apostle’s Creed is an ancient creed (that is, statement of faith) of the Church and historically has been widely used and
cherished by believers. Although it was not written by the Apostles, we believe it to be a concise summary of their teachings. It
may have originated as a baptismal formula around the 2nd century, and developed into its present form by the 6th or 7th century.
2
Jesus’ descent into hell consisted in His priestly act of offering Himself up as a sacrifice for sins, undergoing the judicial wrath
of God on the Cross, and remaining under the power of death for three days before being vindicated in His resurrection.
3
The term “catholic” means “universal” and hence does not refer to any one particular church, but to Christ’s universal
Church, wherever she may be found gathering in Christ’s name.
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of time, “Lent” (from the middle-English word for Spring). At New City Church, we want to mark
this season with a 6 week study called, “The Easter Experience.” This study is based on a
DVD series. So make plans now to carve out the evenings on the 6 Sundays before Easter to
come together as a community of faith to reflect more deeply upon the necessity of the death of
the Saviour and to explore more deeply its meaning for our own spiritual lives. (Dates: March
13, 20, 27; April 3, 10, & 17. Easter is one Sunday, April 24th.
Downtown Bible Study forming: If you work in the downtown core, or have access to it during
the week, and would be interested in becoming a part of a small group Bible study, let Asst.
Pastor Mike Ivancic know (mike@newcitychurch.ca / 403.282.3454).
Women’s Bible Study: We are continuing our study learning how our individual stories fit
within God’s larger story using Living Story: Learning God’s Story of Grace. Tuesdays 9:30-
11:30 at Henrietta Vanhuigenbos (led by Heather Ferguson: hferguson10@gmail.com/
403.208.6644). Check out the calendar at www.NewCityChurch.ca for more details.
Thursday Community Group: We’re continuing our DVD series, “H2O: A Journey of Faith”
examining the claims of Jesus. Meets at the Van Hills every Thurs from 7-9pm. Led by Pastor
John (john@newcitychurch.ca). Call the Van Hill’s for directions: 403-685-5853
Women’s Bible Study forming: Would you like to learn what God has to say about your
particular situation? Do you desire to please God and know Him better or do you just have a lot
of questions? You are warmly invited to come out and study the book of Ephesians with us.
Time commitment consists of a weekly Tuesday morning meeting and approximately 10
minutes guided homework per day. Come prepared to learn about God’s love, freedom and
power towards us at a deeper level. Start date: Tuesday, March 22. Contact: Joan Schmitt
(gardeningjoan@yahoo.com / 403-935-4188).
“The Excellent Wife” Book Study: We are getting together to read and study The Excellent
Wife by Martha Peace. This is a book directed to women who want information about God’s
plan, pattern and purpose for marriage. Specific issues women face is also dealt with. This
study is relevant to all interested women and you are invited to join us and learn how by God’s
grace we can be changed. We will be meeting every second Saturday afternoon to discuss the
chapters of the previous weeks reading. Contact: Joan Schmitt (403-935-4188/
gardeningjoan@yahoo.com). This study will begin mid-March; exact date TBA.
Coffee with a Pastor? If you have any questions about Christianity, or would simply like to get
together and talk about the issues of life, pastors John and Mike are available to you. Coffee is
on them! You can contact him at john@newcitychurch.ca or call 403.991.5555. If you work in
the downtown area, touch base with asst. pastor Mike Ivancic who also works in downtown.
You can contact him at mike@newcitychurch.ca or call 403.828.2241.
All songs used by permission. CCLI license # 273300. Parts of the worship service are
adapted from or reprinted by permission from The Worship Sourcebook, c. 2004, CRC
Publications.
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