Sunday, November 23, 2025

Sunday, November 23, 2025
Christ the King Sunday
Worship live on Sundays in person at 11:00 am
or online via YouTube at noon.

CALLED BY GOD

Jeremiah 29:11-14

For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.Then when you call upon Me and come and pray to Me, I will hear you. When you search for Me, you will find Me; if you seek Me with all your heart, I will let you find Me, says the Lord.

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

GATHERING MUSIC
led by Dana

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

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Our missionary Renee Nicholas speaks about her ministry with InterVarsity to graduate students.

WE DIRECT OUR MINDS TO GOD
DECLARING OUR UNITY IN WORSHIP
Psalm 100
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth!
Worship the Lord with gladness! Come before Him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His. We are His people, the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name!
For the Lord is good and His love endures forever.
His faithfulness continues through all generations.

PRAYER SEEKING GOD’S PRESENCE
Abba Father, You heard people cry out for leadership and gave them a king. Son of David, You showed us the revolutionary Kingdom of God where enemies are loved and the poor receive blessing. Holy Spirit, You poured out on all flesh so that anyone at any time in any language can declare that Christ is King! Father, Son, and Spirit thy Kingdom Come, Thy will be done. Amen.

SINGING OUR LOVE TO GOD
* “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name!”    
hymnal #265

GOD, WE’RE LISTENING
John 14:15-21                                                               
read by Pete Jackson

 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him because He abides with you, and He will be in you.

“I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. They who have My commandments and keep them are those who love Me, and those who love Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love them and reveal Myself to them.”

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 teach.

SINGING OUR DESIRE TO HEAR FROM GOD
* “Living Hope”
Phil Wickham

MESSAGE
Jeremiah 29:1, 4-14
Jeremiah: Called to Persevere  
Pastor Ryan

SINGING OUR COMMITMENT TO GOD
* “Trust in You”
Laura Daigle

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
“All Praise to Christ”
hymnal #309
led by the choir (congregation joins for verse 5)

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
* “Crown Him With Many Crowns”
hymnal #264

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

MUSIC ENDS OUR COMMUNAL CONVERSATION WITH GOD
Fantasia in G
J.S. Bach
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.

Renee Nicholas
One of our supported missionaries, Renee Nicholas, will be speaking during today’s worship service. Renee is the national director for InterVarsity’s Graduate Healthcare Ministries and lives here in Chicago with her family.

RECC 2025 holiday schedule
The dates and times for Ravenswood Covenant’s 2025 holiday season activities and special services has been announced:

Wed., Nov. 26: Thanksgiving Eve Service: Gratitude and Pie, 6:00 pm

Sun., Nov. 30: Hanging of the Greens, after the service

Sun, Dec. 7: Axiom Brass Quintet concert, TBD

Sun., Dec. 14: Sankta Lucia festival, during the service

Sun. Dec. 21: Christmas Carol Jeopardy! and Cookie Exchange, after the service

Wed., Dec. 24: Christmas Eve Lessons & Carols, 6:00 pm

Thanksgiving Eve Service: Gratitude and Pie
Ravenswood Covenant will hold a special worship event, Thanksgiving Eve Service: Gratitude and Pie, this Wednesday, November 26, at 6:00 pm. Afterwards there will be a pie potluck, so please plan to bring a pie if you’re able. Also, please note the earlier starting time than has been typical in the past for holiday worship services. Come join us as we gather to thank God for the abundance and the blessings in our lives.

Hanging of the Greens
This year Ravenswood Covenant has moved the annual Hanging of the Greens from a weekday night to a Sunday following worship, as we will enact this festive holiday event next Sunday, November 30. This will give more people an opportunity to help decorate the church for the Advent and Christmas seasons, as well as make the work easier. Everyone, including children, can take part in the Hanging of the Greens!

Offerfest 2025 Thank-Yous
We had another wonderful Offerfest this year, with a great turnout and great food for the annual dinner after the Offerfest Sunday service and a solid offering that will help get Covenant Harbor across the finish line for raising funds to build their new Dining Commons, as well as enable us to purchase a new bounce house to be used in the gym during winter months and as part of the farmer’s market during spring, summer, and fall.

Thanks again to Linda Carlson for preparing such a wonderful Mexican dinner for Offerfest, to Sandy Gooden and her team for decorating the sanctuary and fellowship hall in festive fall colors. and to everyone who helped with serving and clean-up.

Sunday School
Sunday School at Ravenswood Covenant 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. 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, began two weeks ago. For more information, go to https://covenantharbor.org/ and https://www.cpbc.com/ .

Scripture for next Sunday
Daniel 3:1, 8-18
Daniel 3:19-30

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.

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
* Andrea Feijoo
* Fran Fostey
* Art Hamilton
* Trevor Hanks
* Esther Laraya
* the Olsen family
* Maria Paulette
* Tatiana Randall
* Mary Smith
* Tom Spriggs
* Phillip Stenberg
* 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.