Sunday, November 2, 2025

Sunday, November 2nd

Sunday, November 2, 2025
All Saints Sunday
Worship live on Sundays in person at 11:00 am
or online via YouTube at noon.

CALLED BY GOD

1 Kings 19:11-13

He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind, and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake, and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire, and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”


Leader: light print / People: bold print / * Please stand as you are able.

GATHERING MUSIC
“Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty”
John B. Dykes
led by Leslie and Cynthia

GOD WELCOMES US
We share Community Life & greet each other.
Kids worship bags are available in the back.

ANNOUNCEMENT
Jon Heintzelman from Covenant Harbor shares a word about our conference’s camping ministry.

WE DIRECT OUR MINDS TO GOD
DECLARING OUR UNITY IN WORSHIP
based on Hebrews 11 & 12
Friends in Christ, what are we doing here?
God has called us. Like Moses in the wilderness, the prophets in the hills, and the disciples in the cities. These saints trusted in the goodness and mercy of God.
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely.
Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.

PRAYER SEEKING GOD’S PRESENCE
God of the past, present, and future, we come to be Your people, filled with saintly determination, yet mindful of our human limitations. Empower us with Your Holy Spirit, that our strength may be renewed to sing a new song of Your glory in a world which longs for Your justice and peace. In the name of Jesus, whose love is limitless to all those who call on His name. Amen.

HYMN
* “Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty”
hymnal #113

GOD, WE’RE LISTENING
1 Kings 19:1-9                              
read by the 4th-6th grade Sunday School class

Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” Then he was afraid; he got up and fled for his life and came to Beer-sheba, which belongs to Judah; he left his servant there.

But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, “Get up and eat.” He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. He ate and drank and lay down again. The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.” He got up and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God. At that place he came to a cave and spent the night there.

Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

SINGING OUR DESIRE TO HEAR FROM GOD
* “The Lord, My Shepherd, Rules My Life”

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
1 Kings 19:11-16
Elijah: Called by God to Start Over  
Pastor Ryan

SINGING OUR COMMITMENT TO GOD
* “Fresh Wind”

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
“Behold the Lamb”
Getty / Getty / Townend
led by the choir

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

You do not need to be a member of Ravenswood Covenant Church to participate in Holy Communion.
All that is required is personal faith in Jesus Christ.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Eternal God, in every age You have raised up men and women to live and die in faith. Forgive our indifference to Your will. You have commanded us to speak, but we have been silent. You have called us to do what is just, but we have been fearful. Have mercy on us, your faithless servants. Keep before us faithful people for us to follow so that, by the power of Your Holy Spirit, we may grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to the praise of Your holy name. Amen.

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
The Apostles’ Creed
hymnal #878
I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hades; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy Christian Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

“Behold the Lamb” (Getty / Getty / Townend)

SINGING OUR COMMITMENT TO GOD
* “For All the Saints”
hymnal #767

THE LAST GOOD WORD   
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

MUSIC ENDS OUR COMMUNAL CONVERSATION WITH GOD
Moderato Terth Toni 
F.X. Murschhauser
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.

Benevolence offering
Ravenswood Covenant takes a retiring benevolence offering on the first Sunday of the month to give people a chance to aid those in our congregation and community who are experiencing immediate financial needs (rent, food, transportation, medical issues, etc.). You can add your contribution to the monthly benevolence offering by placing it in the gray wooden box in the narthex as you leave the sanctuary.

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.

Registering for 2026 summer camps
Registration for the 2026 summer camping season of both of the Central Conference’s Bible camps, Covenant Harbor and Covenant Point, will begin on Tuesday, November 11 at 7:00 am. For more information, go to https://covenantharbor.org/ and https://www.cpbc.com/ .

Scripture for next Sunday
Amos 1:1-2, 5:14-15
Amos 5:21-24

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.

RECC weekly newsletter
Ravenswood Covenant has a weekly newsletter that keeps you informed of all of the church’s ongoing and upcoming events and programs, as well as the church’s prayer list, calendar, giving information, and updates about Covenant Harbor and Covenant Point. If you would like to be added to the email list for the newsletter, please speak to Gregory Sager or call the church office.

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.

2025 Fall/Winter choir season
The annual Fall/Winter choir season at Ravenswood Covenant, which will continue for ten weeks, has begun. 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.

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.

Renee Nicholas to speak on Nov. 23
On Sunday, November 23, one of our supported missionaries, Renee Nicholas, will be speaking during the worship service. Renee is the national director for InterVarsity’s Graduate Healthcare Ministries and lives here in Chicago with her family.

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.

* 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
* Tatiana Randall
* Mary Smith
* Tom Spriggs
* Dorinne Tamras
* Lauren Vilardo
* Eric Warren
* Lydia Warrens
* Natalia Westlind

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.