September 6, 2026 Order of Worship
Improvisation on today’s hymns – Geoffrey Liu
Welcome – Richard Thomas
Opening Prayer – Reese Stampalia
Leader: God of Love, thank you for seeking us, for chasing us down, for pursuing us in the many places we run and hide.
People: Teach us how to seek you, too!
Leader: Thank you, Lord, for being so curious about us, so interested in us, so invested in our lives.
People: Teach us how to be curious about the people all around us all the time and to invest in their lives, too!
Leader: Slow us down to the speed of Jesus, the speed of Love.
People: Open up room in our day and space in our hearts to love you, our neighbors, and strangers, too!
Leader: We’ve come this morning to give you what you’ve always wanted from us.
People: All of us praising all of you!
Leader: Lord, draw us near to one another and to you!
All: In Jesus name and for his coming Kingdom’s sake, we pray. Amen!
Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness – TFWS #2120
Installation to Christian Ministry
SPRC Chair: Dear friends, today we welcome and celebrate David Ferguson as he joins us in ministry here at Kent United Methodist Church. David has been selected as the next Director of the Sanctuary Choir.
Pastor Jim: David, because all of our ministries are done in the service of Jesus Christ for the purpose of making Christian disciples at Kent United Methodist Church, we want to consecrate you to this holy vocation.
Questions to the Director of the Sanctuary Choir
Pastor: Do you this day name yourself as a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ?
David: I do.
Pastor: Will you devote yourself to the service of God and your neighbor in the world and to the formation of Christian disciples in this church?
David: I will.
Pastor: Will you so live that you enable this church to be a people of love, peace, justice, and Godly purpose?
David: I will.
Pastor: Will you do all in your power to lead with excellence in the ministries for which you have been chosen?
David: I will.
Presentation of the Word
Pastor: David, please accept this Bible as a gift from the congregation. Lead us in such ways that our faith is strengthened, our hope enlarged, our commitment to Christ, his love and justice, is deepened, and the Kingdom of God and its values revealed for all the world to see. In other words, please help us to live out God’s word in our everyday lives!
SPRC Chair: David, we thank you for all that you will do to lead this church, to enliven our ministry, to help us to grow in faith, and to go into the world in risk-taking mission and service! Please know how excited we all are to have you now accept God’s calling to lead us in music ministry. We gratefully and with enthusiasm receive your leadership and commit ourselves to work alongside you in all that is required to grow this church.
Pastor: Church, let’s pray…Creating and Loving God, look with favor upon David as he reaffirms his commitment to follow Christ and to serve in his name. Give David courage, patience, and vision, and strengthen us all in our Christian vocation of witness to the world and generous-loving service to others. God help us to raise up the next generation of faithful followers and to make beautiful music while doing it, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen!
Time with Young Disciples – Dana Bowne
Scripture Readings – Reese Stampalia
Introduction to the Acts of the Apostles
Luke’s Gospel is the story of Jesus. Luke’s second book called the Acts of the Apostles is the story of the early Christian church. It’s a story about the formation of a very close community, a very diverse family, called the church – a community that changed the world. Here’s how it started…
Acts 2:42-47 (The Message)
On the day of Pentecost, after Peter preached about God’s saving love in Jesus, about three thousand people took Peter at his word. They were baptized and signed up. They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, living their lives together, sharing common meals, and the prayers.
Everyone around was in awe—all those wonders and signs done through the apostles! And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person’s need was met.
They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved.
Introduction to the Epistle Reading
Romans is the longest and possibly the most important of all the things written by the Apostle Paul. Paul was a religious leader, a Pharisee, committed to the law of Moses and a persecutor of the Christians until he was visited by the risen Christ on the road to Damascus. Then Paul became a devote follower of Jesus and a great leader in the early church. Today’s reading from Paul’s letter to the Roman Christians reminds us that we have been adopted into God’s great, big, holy human family. Listen to what Paul says…
Romans 8:14-16 and 19
All who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption. When we pray and cry out, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit of God bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God…
We know that we belong to God, the whole world knows it, so all of creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God!
Message – You Need an Intentional Community of Love – Pastor Jim
Offering Our Gifts to God – Larghetto from Sonata no. 2 (Alexandre Guilmant) – Geoffrey Liu
Doxology – Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow, UMH #94
Prayer of Dedication
Leader: All that we have, we have from you, Creator and Preserver of all.
People: Accept these gifts which we now offer. Help us to make the whole of life an offering and every thought a prayer.
Holy Communion
The Great Thanksgiving
Sharing the Bread and the Cup
Music During Communion – Andante from Sonata no. 4, BWV 528 (JS Bach) – Geoffrey Liu
There’s a Spirit in the Air – UMH #192
Blessing
Sent Forth by God's Blessing (setting by Emma Lou Diemer) – Geoffrey Liu
Resources for Worship
Opening Prayer is by Jim Head-Corliss for worship at Kent UMC on September 6, 2026.