Sunday, June 22, 2025

Sunday, June 22nd

Sunday, June 22, 2025
Second Sunday after Pentecost
Worship live on Sundays in person at 10:00 am
or online via YouTube at noon.

PRELUDE
led by Dana

WELCOME, GREETING, AND COMMUNITY LIFE

CALL TO WORSHIP
Psalm 113:1-3
Leader: Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, you His servants.
People: Praise the name of the Lord.
Leader: Let the name of the Lord be praised,
People: Both now and forevermore.
Leader: From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets.
People: The name of the Lord is to be praised.

UNISON PRAYER
Heavenly Father, we glorify Your name!
Lord Jesus, we glorify Your name!
Holy Spirit, we glorify Your name!
Father, Son, and Spirit, we glorify Your name! Amen.

* JOYFUL, JOYFUL, WE ADORE THEE
hymnal #11

NEW TESTAMENT LESSON: Mark Westlind
Acts 11:1-18

Now the apostles and the brothers and sisters who were in Judea heard that the gentiles had also accepted the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him, saying, “Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?”Then Peter began to explain it to them, step by step, saying, “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. There was something like a large sheet coming down from heaven, being lowered by its four corners, and it came close to me. As I looked at it closely I saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air. I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’ But I replied, ‘By no means, Lord, for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ But a second time the voice answered from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, you must not call profane.’ This happened three times; then everything was pulled up again to heaven. At that very moment three men, sent to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were. The Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter; he will give you a message by which you and your entire household will be saved.’ And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ If then God gave them the same gift that He gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?” When they heard this, they were silenced. And they praised God, saying, “Then God has given even to the gentiles the repentance that leads to life.”

* GRATITUDE
(words on the screen)

CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
Pastor Ryan

Children 6 and under are dismissed to the gym. Parents can pick up their children after the service.

REFLECTING ON THE WORD
Acts 11:19-26
Together in Mission
Pastor Ryan

* WE ARE ALL ONE IN MISSION
hymnal #684

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH & THE LORD’S PRAYER
We continue to pray for: We continue to pray for: the Anderson family; Cynthia Arden; Nikolas Arden; the Binag family; Messian Burgos; Veronica Clarke; Shirley Deliberto; Frank Coszach; Vira Coszach; Art & Rosa Hamilton; Trevor Hanks; Lidija Jagustin; Mary McKirchy; Maria Paulette; Kathleen Sager; Mary Smith; Mary Spriggs; Dorinne Tamras; Lauren Vilardo; and Lydia Warrens

Ministries & Mission
James Tang, serving in South Sudan and Ethiopia;
Covenant Mountain Mission Bible Camp

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.

GIVING OF OUR TITHES & OFFERINGS
giving opportunities: ravenscov.org/giving/
Zelle^® to: giving@ravenscov.org

OFFERTORY
“For the Beauty of the Earth”
Pierpoint / Kocher
led by Leah, Cynthia, and Dana

* DOXOLOGY & PRAYER
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.

* I THANK GOD
(words on the screen)

THE LAST WORD
L: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord
P: Thanks be to God

POSTLUDE
Ash Grove
led by Cynthia

INVITATION
We’ll be back here next Sunday. We hope you can join us. Information on ravenscov.org.

* Please stand as you are able.

Please wear a nametag
We’ve had a number of visitors and new attendees lately, and it’s very important that we not only welcome them warmly to our church but also let them attach a name to a face. Please wear a nametag and let visitors know who you are! Blank nametags and Sharpies are available in the narthex.

Summer worship schedule
We are now in our summer worship schedule, which means a 10:00 am worship hour. Sunday School and Faith Forum are now on summer hiatus. Sunday worship will return to the 11:00 am hour the Sunday after Labor Day.

Cooler Sundays this summer
Today is Cooler Sunday! The fourth Sunday of each month of summer — June 22, July 27, and August 24 — will be a Cooler Sunday, which will again feature grilled hot dogs and hamburgers during the fellowship hour downstairs. Please plan to join us on Cooler Sundays and to bring a side dish or dessert to pass, as we enjoy food and fellowship after the service!

Summer Book Club
You are invited to take part in the Summer Book Club, led by Pastor Ryan, which will meet two Thursday evenings in each of the three summer months, at 7:00 pm in the upstairs lounge. The book is The Great De-churching by Jim Davis and Michael Graham. The remaining sessions of the Summer Book Club are June 26, July 10 and 24, and August 7 and 21. Participants are asked to please read pages 21-64 for this coming Thursday’s session.

Scripture reader sign-up
We’re seeking people to read the scripture passages of the day in the worship service for the coming months. If you are willing to be a scripture reader this summer, please add your name to the sign-up sheet in the church office or in the narthex on Sundays, or contact Gregory Sager or Pastor Ryan. Feel free to sign up for more than one Sunday if you like.

Farmers market
Unfortunately, intermittent thunderstorms that lasted most of Wednesday afternoon and into the evening reduced the weekly edition of the Ravenswood Community Farmers Market to the bare minimum. Oh, well, so it goes!

The market will run every Wednesday from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm in the church parking lot until the middle of October. The church not only hosts the market, it also operates the children’s activities that are a part of the market — and this year we are also going to reinstate our greeting tent, so that our neighbors visiting the market can get to know the church that hosts it a little better. If you would like to help staff our activities — you are free to volunteer for as little or as much of the farmers market calendar as you see fit — please speak to Bekah Carlson or the church staff.

Farmers market supplies
The farmers market is off to a great start! If you are looking for a way to help support the market, we have a need for supplies that we use quite a bit throughout the summer at the science table and at the art table, both of which the church runs for the children visiting the market. Please consider buying any of the following:

Paper Towels – Baby Wipes – Blue Dawn Dish Soap – Corn Starch – Baking Soda –
White Vinegar (1/2 to 1 gallon size)

We will continue to update this list throughout the season as our needs change. Thank you for all your continued support and prayers.

Covenant Harbor Sunday
Ravenswood Covenant has not held a Covenant Harbor Sunday since before COVID, and this is a tradition that we’d like to revive. Next Sunday, June 29, Pastor Ryan will preach at Covenant Harbor Bible Camp’s 10:30 am worship service in Lake Geneva, WI, and the Ravenswood Covenant community is encouraged to attend. Plan to pack lunch, as we’ll eat at the camp’s waterfront picnic tables afterwards, and the waterfront will be open for swimming. Lunch can also be purchased at the camp ($10 for a hamburger, chips, and drink). The camp’s boathouse has been reserved for Ravenswood Covenant as well. Announcements regarding rides to Lake Geneva will be made as Covenant Harbor Sunday approaches. Worship will still be held at Ravenswood Covenant that Sunday for those who aren’t going up to Covenant Harbor.

Anyone interested in being baptized in the lake at Covenant Harbor is invited to speak with Pastor Ryan about this.

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. Here is the Zoom link for the Bible study.

Meeting ID: 839 2337 6849
Passcode: 318853

Pastor Ryan’s office hours
Pastor Ryan is in the office Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. If you would like to meet with Pastor Ryan, please call the church office in advance to schedule an appointment.

Coffee hour changes
There is now a coffee hour bulletin board downstairs in the fellowship hall! (It’s right next to the kids’ serving window.) Please look there for updated serving instructions as well as to find out what team you’re on. We’ve had some turnover, so we encourage you to sign up to join a serving team if you haven’t done so already. A self-sign-up will now be available on the board so that you can pick which Sundays work best for you. As always, thanks for serving!

Scripture for next Sunday
Luke 5:1-11 (Covenant Harbor)
Acts 14:8-18 (Ravenswood Covenant)

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.