Sunday, September 21, 2025
Sunday, September 21st
Sunday, September 21, 2025
Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Worship live on Sundays in person at 11:00 am
or online via YouTube at noon.
JESUS IN THE BEGINNING
“The Ladder of God”
John 1:51
And He said to him, “Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
Leader: light print / People: bold print / * Please stand as you are able.
GATHERING MUSIC
“Holy Ground”
Beatty & Davis
led by Leslie and Cynthia
GOD WELCOMES US
We share Community Life & greet each other.
Kids worship bags are available in the back.
WE DIRECT OUR MINDS TO GOD
DECLARING OUR UNITY IN WORSHIP
Psalm 97:9-12
For You, Lord, are the Most High over all the earth;
You are exalted far above all gods.
Let those who love the Lord hate evil,
for He guards the lives of His faithful ones
and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
Light shines on the righteous
and joy on the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous,
and praise His holy name.
PRAYER SEEKING GOD’S PRESENCE
Holy God, open our ears to Your Word today.
Lord Jesus, open our minds to Your truth today.
Holy Spirit, open our hearts to Your love today.
Father, Son, and Spirit, lead us up Jacob’s ladder to salvation today. Amen.
GOD, WE LOVE YOU
* The Presence of the Lord medley
GOD, WE’RE LISTENING
Genesis 28:10-17
read by Rod Kutz
Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a stairway set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the Lord stood beside him and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring, and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!” And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”
SINGING OUR DESIRE TO HEAR FROM GOD
* “Better Is One Day”
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
Children are invited to the front. Following the message, children are invited to children’s church in the back room. A parent from the church will supervise.
MESSAGE
John 1:43-51
The Thin Place
Pastor Ryan
SINGING OUR COMMITMENT TO GOD
* “Be Thou My Vision”
hymnal #412
GOD HELP US
Prayer
WE CONCLUDE WITH THE LORD’S PRAYER:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
THANKING GOD FOR HIS GOODNESS
We offer God a portion of our money as a way to say we love God, and desire to encourage the ministry & mission of the church.
giving opportunities: ravenscov.org/giving/
Zelle® to: giving@ravenscov.org
MUSIC FOR REFLECTION
“There Is a Redeemer”
Melody Green
led by Leslie and Cynthia
SINGING OUR THANKSGIVING & ADORATION
* Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below;
Praise Him above ye heav’nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
hymnal #48
SINGING OUR DESIRE FOR GOD’S REIGN
* “There Is a Redeemer”
hymnal #75
THE LAST GOOD WORD
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
MUSIC ENDS OUR COMMUNAL CONVERSATION WITH GOD
Chaconne in D minor
Johann Pachelbel
led by Cynthia
GOD INVITES US TO GATHER AGAIN
We’ll be back here next Sunday. We hope you can join us.
Information on ravenscov.org.
Sunday School
Sunday School at Ravenswood Covenant has begun! It meets every Sunday, starting at 10:00 am. We encourage everyone to bring their children to Sunday School to learn about the Bible so that they can grow in faith and knowledge of God. “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)
Faith Forum
Faith Forum, the adult Christian education class that meets during the Sunday School hour (starting at 10:00 am) during the school year, is now in session. This month’s topic is “Listen to the Prophets Today”. Plan to join us each Sunday as we learn and grow in our faith as a community of believers.
Confirmation
Confirmation is a two-year course of study for students around 7th-9th grade. We studied the Old Testament last year. This year we will study the New Testament. Confirmation classes will take place at 7:30 pm on Thursday evenings, starting on September 18. Students, please pick up a copy of the New Testament workbooks from the church office.
Scripture for next Sunday
Exodus 3:11-15
John 8:48-59
If you enjoy reading scripture out loud, please sign up to read scripture in worship. The sign-up sheet is on the table in the back of the sanctuary, or you can talk with Pastor Ryan or Gregory Sager.
Coffee hour serving committees
With the start of a new school year we are seeking volunteers to serve during coffee hour. Volunteers are divided into committees that rotate coffee-hour responsibilities between the committees on a monthly basis, with members of each committee taking charge of one Sunday coffee hour during each month that her or his committee serves.
If you would like to sign up for a coffee hour serving committee, or if you just want more information before you decide whether or not to sign up, please email Kari Johnson at karinelson88@gmail.com or contact her at 847-772-5016.
Farmers market
Just four more weeks to go in the farmers market season! As we approach our last few weeks, and especially our Harvest Fest season finale on October 15 that winds up the 2025 farmers market season, there are a few new supplies that are needed:
– Dawn dish soap
– Corn starch
– lots of Halloween candy to be used as prizes at Harvest Fest
– non-candy prizes for Harvest Fest, such as fall- or Halloween-themed stickers, temporary tattoos, erasures, pencils, light-up rings/necklaces/bracelets, etc.)
We also need lots of extra volunteers on October 15 to run Harvest Fest. If you can volunteer anywhere from two to four hours to run a game, help with the pumpkin-painting tables, or help with the s’mores station, please reach out to Bekah Carlson or the church office. We are going to need at least six extra volunteers to make Harvest Fest a success. Thank you for your continuous prayers and support.
2025 Advent/Christmas choir season
The annual Advent/Christmas choir season at Ravenswood Covenant, which will continue for ten weeks, begins on Sunday, October 19. The choir meets at 9:00 am on Sundays in the sanctuary to rehearse. All are welcome to join, regardless of experience or music-reading ability. For more information, please contact the church office or speak to our church’s organist, Cynthia Arden, who also serves as our choir director.
Biking for Congo Challenge
Help support the Paul Carlson Partnership’s medical and developmental work in the Congo by joining the Biking for Congo Challenge. The Biking for Congo Challenge is Paul Carlson Partnership’s annual peer-to-peer fundraising event to support healthcare in DR Congo. The goal is to ride your bike 31 miles (50 km) during the month of October. Get friends to sponsor your ride to raise money to support the Paul Carlson Partnership.
Glenn Kaiser concert at Ravenswood Covenant
Glenn Kaiser will play a Gospel and Blues concert after church on Sunday, October 26. Please invite your friends! If the weather is warm and dry, we would love to have the concert in the parking lot. If the weather is cold and wet, we will move the concert to the sanctuary.
Offerfest 2025
This year’s Offerfest will take place on Sunday, November 16. More details to come. Offerfest is a generations-old tradition at Ravenswood Covenant in which one Sunday each fall is set aside to celebrate and give thanks for God’s providence in our lives, and on that Sunday all giving is devoted to specific projects chosen by the church’s Leadership Team. This year there are two projects, an external one and an internal one. Our external project will be to support the new Covenant Harbor Dining Commons and Welcome Center. Our internal project is to raise money for a new bounce house for the farmers market.
Covenant Home Altar
Free copies of the fall quarter issue of the Covenant Home Altar, the denominational daily-devotional magazine of the Evangelical Covenant Church, are available in the narthex. Please help yourself to this resource for your prayer life.
Thursday evening Bible study
The weekly Bible study meets Thursdays at 7:00 pm. We are currently studying the Gospel of Luke, to be followed by its sequel, the Acts of the Apostles. The Bible study meets in the upstairs lounge. For more information, please contact Gregory Sager in the church office at (773) 784-7091 or office@ravenscov.org.
We have Zoom available for those who would like to take part in the Bible study but cannot be physically present. The Zoom link is https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83923376849?pwd=YUlYVXBmOVdwV0d5L20ySng3aHU3Zz09 .
Meeting ID: 839 2337 6849
Passcode: 318853
* Cynthia Arden
* Nikolas Arden
* the Binag family
* Messian Burgos
* Shirley Deliberto
* Veronica Clarke
* Frank Coszach
* Vira Coszach
* Art Hamilton
* Trevor Hanks
* the Olsen family
* Maria Paulette
* Brianna Randall
* Mary Smith
* Dorinne Tamras
* Lauren Vilardo
* Eric Warren
* Lydia Warrens
Our church exists to love and worship God, and love and care for others. By God’s grace, we commit to help people find and follow Jesus Christ through the guidance of His Spirit and His word.