This is where notes live – there are useful tips on several of the slides – please read them This Call to Worship liturgy is written to be compatible with the traditional Advent* wreath+candles. If you are not familiar with this tradition, you can read more at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advent_wreath or other internet sources. Slides 1: Instructions – not for use in worship Slide 2: For use while people are coming in Slides 3-4: Call to worship (with reading in notes) Slide 5: Story Option 1. Placeholder for ‘Story’ Video (delete if not using video) Slide 6: Story Option 2: Story slide (with reading in notes) – delete if using video instead Slide 7: Call to worship completion (candle lighting) You can use this liturgy without the candle if you prefer – just remove the word ‘candle’ from the header of the last slide. Notes in italics are just for your information. Words NOT in italics are for reading out by the worship leader. *The tradition involves pink or purple candle lit every Sunday of advent, with a white Christ candle lit on Christmas day. The candles traditionally have Joy, Hope, Peace and Love as their themes. The candles are commonly arranged within a wreath of green leaves and flowers.

You might want to have this slide up when people are coming into church

Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you. Isaiah 12:6 The Call to Worship - the following words are meant to be read aloud when this slide is on the screen. They can be read by the worship leader, or the lines shared out to be read by several people in turn (they are numbered so you can keep track) TO BE READ Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you. Today is the first week of Advent, the season to prepare for the birth of Jesus. For the next four weeks, our time together is a chance to lift our eyes above the busy blur of this Christmas season and celebrate the surprising ways God is at work in the world. Each week, as we light candles and tell again the story of Christ’s coming, we commit ourselves to live as people of joy, hope, peace and love. Today, we commit to live as people of joy and to celebrate the growth of the global church.

Leader: Our God, we come with expectation, daring to hope that you are at work quietly, boldly, brightly, in our world. Together: In this season of Advent, as we await your coming, open our eyes and hearts to your presence.   Give us the joy of those who look for the first time into your cradle and see not just the wonder of a newborn, but the coming of the Life who transforms lives, overturns kingdoms, changes history. Amen Call to worship 2: Read & response by congregation. If you have chosen NOT to use the ‘Story of Joy’ part of the slides, then you move straight to the last slide ‘A Candle of Joy’ which is to be read while someone lights the first of the Advent Candles.

A Story of Joy - The Church in China Play video here The Story of Joy If you have already downloaded the video, please play the video. To download the video, please go to [link will be available shortly] If you have internet connection at your church to play the video without having to download, please go to http://www.unitingworld.org.au/advent/ If you are using the video, then you can delete the next slide. If you don’t have the ability to play sound, you can delete this slide and use the next slide to share the Story of Joy.

A Story of Joy - The Church in China The Story of Joy Use this slide if you don’t have the ability to play the video of the Story of of Joy. The worship leader can read the words below while this slide is shown. If you are using the video, then you can delete this slide. If you are using this slide, then you can delete the previous slide with the video Leader: God’s church in China is growing at a staggering rate – Every day for the past thirty years, three new churches have been opened or re-opened. 400,000 new Christians are baptised every year. Public evangelism is not possible. But personal stories of faith, and the testimony of lives transformed are enough for the gospel to spread like wildfire. In the tradition of God’s people, the Christian church in China is active in compassion, reaching out to care for the aged, the orphaned and the disabled - people left on the margins in a rapidly industralising country. Although China exports more bibles to the world than anyone else, there is desperate need for trained leaders to keep up with the growth. Right now there is only one ordained minister for every 18,000 believers.

A Prayer of Joy Oh Lord, we give joyful thanks that your Spirit is moving powerfully in the world, bringing the Good News of great joy to people. We celebrate with the church in China as they grow in numbers and in faith. We pray that you will raise up Christian leaders to teach and guide the church, in China and the world-over. We rejoice for the powerful witness and testimony of the Christians in China. Let your Spirit shine through us and all your people, oh Lord. May our lives speak loudly of your grace, and our actions bring joy and justice to those around us, especially the powerless and the vulnerable. Amen The Story of Joy This prayer is a response to the Story of Joy and can be done in 3 ways. The worship leader reads the whole prayer and the congregation says Amen As a call and response between the worship leader and the congregation as per the bold The congregation says the whole prayer together

A candle of JOY We celebrate God’s work in the world. Joy is among us In the birth of a child In the life of our Saviour In the presence of God’s people through the growing church We celebrate and give thanks Amen Call to Worship 3: These words are meant to be read while the Advent candle* is lit. 1. They can be read entirely by the worship leader or the person lighting the candle 2. Or they can be done as a call & response with the congregation as per the bold lines. This liturgy is written to be used with the traditional Advent wreath+candles. If you are not familiar with this tradition, you can read more at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advent_wreath or other internet sources. The tradition involves pink or purple candle is lit every Sunday of advent, with a white Christ candle lit on Christmas . The candles traditionally have Joy, Hope, Peace and Love as their themes. You can use this liturgy without the candle if you prefer – just remove the word ‘candle’ from the header of this slide, and add it to the call to worship liturgy.