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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.
"At Oxford - to my surprise - I discovered Christianity. It was the intellectually most exhilarating
and spiritually stimulating thing I could ever hope to describe - better than chemistry, a
wonderful subject that I had thought to be the love of my life and my future career. I went on to
gain a doctorate for research in molecular biophysics from Oxford, and found that immensely
exciting and satisfying. But I knew I had found something better - like the pearl of great price
that Jesus talks about in the Gospel, which is so beautiful and precious that it overshadows
everything. It was intellectually satisfying, imaginatively engaging, and aesthetically exciting."
~ Alister McGrath
What are we to make of Christ? There is no question of what we can make of Him; it is entirely
a question of what He intends to make of us.
~ C.S. Lewis
When Christians affirm, as they do, that Jesus is the way, the true and living way by whom we
come to the Father (John 16:4), they are not claiming to know everything. They are claiming to
be on the way, and inviting others to join them as they press forward toward the fullness of truth,
toward the day when we shall know as we have been known.
~ Lesslie Newbigin The Gospel in a Pluralist Society
"The more you know about Christ, the less you will be satisfied with superficial views of Him;
and the more deeply you study His transactions in the eternal covenant, His engagements on
your behalf as the eternal Surety, and the fullness of His grace which shines in all His offices,
the more truly will you see the King in His beauty. Be much in such outlooks. Long more and
more to see Jesus."
~ CH Spurgeon
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God Calls Us To Worship
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. ~ Psalm 150:6
Leader: We have gathered in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit to
offer up a sacrifice of praise.
Unison: May His great Name be praised forever!
Leader: Shout for joy to the LORD all the earth. Psalm 100
People: Worship the LORD with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful songs.
“Sing Alleluia”
Women: Men:
O praise Him when the morning comes
Alleluia for the rising sun
O praise Him when the day is done
Alleluia praise the Lord of love
O praise Him alleluia
Alleluia alleluia
“Children of Light”
chorus
Come, let us worship now;
Let us kneel,
Let us humbly bow down.
He is our God,
We are His people;
We are the flock in His care
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We are the faithful of God.
We will endure ‘til the end;
So let us run the race
That He has set before us,
To win the crown of righteousness.
(repeat chorus)
Call to Confession
Leader: “Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like
scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they
shall be like wool.” ~ Isaiah 1:18
Prayer of Confession
Leader: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus….
Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ.”
Unison: Amen!
Song of Response
chorus
Amazing love, how can it be?
That You, my King, would die for me
Amazing love, I know it's true
Its my joy to honor You
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In all I do I’ll honor you
(repeat chorus)
(repeat chorus)
Matthew 5:1-16
5:1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no
longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp
and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your
light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in
heaven.
(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, and who are at peace with their fellow
believers, 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
When I survey the wondrous cross, On which the Prince of Glory died
My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride
See from his head, his hands, his feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled down
Did ever such love and sorrow meet, Or thorns compose so rich a crown
chorus
O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross
Bids me come and die and find that I may truly live
O the wonderful cross, O the wonderful cross
All who gather here by grace draw near and bless Your name
Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were an offering far too small
Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all
(repeat chorus)
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“Jesus Messiah”
Love so amazing
Love so amazing
Chorus:
Jesus Messiah
Name above all names
Blessed Redeemer, Emmanuel
The rescue for sinners
The ransom from Heaven
Jesus Messiah, Lord of all
Love so amazing
Love so amazing
(repeat chorus)
(repeat chorus)
This collection of our tithes and offerings is for those who consider New City Church their
church family and regularly benefit from her ministry. If you are visiting with us, please feel
no obligation to give.
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Hymn of Praise & Worship
“Immortal, Invisible”
Leader: The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and
be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you
peace” (Numbers 6:24-26).
People: Amen!
Community Life
Today after the service: We will continue our Newcomer’s class where you can learn more
about New City Church. This class will introduce you to the vision and distinctives of New City
Church, our hopes and dreams, and your part to play in it all. There will also be an opportunity
to explore what membership at New City Church means with its privileges and responsibilities.
All are invited to attend this classes that will be held for 45 minutes immediately after the
worship service. Nursery will be provided.
Next Week: Pastor John will be doing a “pulpit swap” with our sister church in south Calgary,
Woodgreen Presbyterian Church. Pastor Frank Lanting will be preaching at New City Church.
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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
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.
Weekly Servants
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Report on Giving
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 John 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 Mike 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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