Sunday Gathering

Digital Connection Card - Tell us about yourself & get connected!

Come thou fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing thy grace
Streams of mercy never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise

Teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming tongues above
Praise His name I'm fixed upon it
Name of God's redeeming love

Here I raise my Ebenezer
Hither by thy help I come
And I hope by thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home

Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wandering from the fold of God
He to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood

Oh to Grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be
Let thy goodness like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee

Prone to wander Lord I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart Lord take and seal it
Seal it for thy courts above

Here's my heart Lord take and seal it
Seal it for thy courts above

Our call to worship this morning comes from Psalm 100.

"Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

Worship the LORD with gladness;

come before him with joyful songs.

Know that the LORD is God.

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations."

Let us continue to worship together.

Have mercy on me
Have mercy on me
O Lord have mercy
O Lord have mercy

Oh help my unbelief
Oh help my unbelief
O Lord have mercy
O Lord have mercy

Hmm
Hmm hmm
Hmm hmm
Have mercy
Have mercy

All of your ways are peace
All of your ways are peace
Though we are pressed on ev'ry side
We trust that you are peace

All of your words are true
All of your words are true
Though we have heard so many lies
We trust your words are true

All of your ways are just
All of your ways are just
Though we may say it through our tears
We trust that you are just

All of your ways are peace
All of your ways are peace
All of your ways are peace
All of your ways are peace

Please join me in reading our Confession:

“Eternal God,

in whom we live and move and have our being, whose face is hidden from us by our sins,

and whose mercy we forget in the blindness of our hearts:

cleanse us from all our offenses,

and deliver us from proud thoughts and vain desires,

that with reverent and humble hearts we may draw near to you,

confessing our faults, confiding in your grace, and finding in you our refuge and strength; through Jesus Christ your Son.”

And now hear this assurance from Ephesians 1:7-8

"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding,"

At this time, we would like to take a few moments to pass the Peace of Christ. Please greet one another.

Elementary and Foundations are dismissed.

CONNECT CARDS

If you're visiting this morning and would like to learn more about Gateway, please fill out the 'Connect' card in the seatback in front of you and drop it in the black box at the back of the room. One of our pastors will follow up with you to answer any questions you have or help you understand the next steps at Gateway.

And we'd love to pray for you as well, so be sure to fill out the prayer request card and drop it in the black box.

GRAND OPENING

Next, we invite you all to join us this Thursday, April 30, from 4-6pm as we celebrate the renovation of this space. There will be a ribbon-cutting at 4:15pm with city officials and Gateway supporters, along with tours and refreshments. It will be a great time to meet our neighbors, so we encourage you to come if you can. All are welcome!

We are going to enter into a time of giving. If you would like to give at this time, there are a couple of ways available to you:

- Visit our website at thegatewaychurch.com to give online.

- Or you can grab an envelope and drop it in the black offering box at the back of the room.

Please join me in reading our generosity liturgy.

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Holy Father, there is nothing I have that You have not given me.

All I have and am belong to You, bought with the blood of Jesus.

To spend everything on myself, and to give without sacrifice,

is the way of the world that You cannot abide.

But generosity is the way of those who call Christ their Lord;

who love Him with free hearts and serve Him with renewed minds.

Who withstand the delusion of riches that chokes the word;

Whose hearts are in your kingdom and not in the systems of the world.

I am determined to increase in generosity until it can be said that there is no needy person among us.

I am determined to be trustworthy with such a little thing as money that You may trust me with true riches.

Above all, I am determined to be generous because You, Father, are generous.

It is the delight of Your daughters and sons to share Your traits, and to show what You are like to all the world.

Please stand with me for the reading of God's Word. Today's reading comes from Romans 12:1-2.

"1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

This is the word of the Lord

(All: Thanks be to God)

You may be seated

Communion is available in the baskets at the end of each row. Contains juice and wafer (gluten-free option available).

Let me be a temple I would keep the door
I would do whatever is asked of me
Just to be near the Lord
I will make an altar I will shout your name
I will give whatever I can to build
The house that holds your praise

I long to be a sanctuary
The one that carries your presence
I long to be a sanctuary
The place where earth meets with heaven

Let me be a temple I would keep the door
I would do whatever is asked of me
Just to be near the Lord
I will make an altar I will shout your name
I would give whatever I can to build
The house that holds your praise

I won't let sleep come to my eyes
Until this becomes your resting place
This becomes your resting place

This becomes your resting place
This becomes your resting
Until this becomes your resting place
This becomes

I won't let sleep come to my eyes
Until this becomes your resting place
This becomes your resting place

Oh that I could see your face
How I’m longing for that day
Brighter sun of holy grace
Make my heart a holy place

Blessed are the poor who have nothing to own
Blessed are the mourners who are crying alone
Blessed are the guilty who have nowhere to go

For their hearts have a road to the kingdom of God
And their souls are the songs of the kingdom of God
And they will find a refuge for theirs is the kingdom of God

Beauty shining from your face
Always longed to see this place
Is there somewhere I can stay?
Even just a couple days?

Blessed are the poor who have nothing to own
Blessed are the mourners who are crying alone
Blessed are the guilty who have nowhere to go

For their hearts have a road to the kingdom of God
And their souls are the songs of the kingdom of God
And they will find a refuge for theirs is the kingdom of God

The Lord is our shepherd, we shall not want
In valley or pasture, we shall not want
Our cup runneth over and over
For now and forever
For now and forever

The Lord is our shepherd, we shall not want
In valley or pasture, we shall not want
Our cup runneth over and over
For now and forever
For now and forever
For now and forever
For now and forever

Blessed are the poor who have nothing to own
Blessed are the mourners who are crying alone
Blessed are the guilty who have nowhere to go

For their hearts have a road to the kingdom of God
And their souls are the songs of the kingdom of God
And they will find a refuge for theirs is the kingdom of God

And now, hear this Benediction:

May the God of Peace

Who raised Christ from the dead

Strengthen your inner being for every good work.

And may the blessing of God Almighty

Father, Son and Holy Spirit

Rest upon you and dwell within you

This day and evermore. Amen

Grace and peace to you.