a diverse, inclusive church experiencing and reflecting the love, hope and joy of Jesus Christ

to each other and our community.

WELCOME TO WORSHIP | NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY
friday | october 11, 2024

MUSIC MINISTRY
I Am His Child | Moses Hogan
Richard Cristobal Harris, tenor 

Moses Hogan | © 1995, JEHMS, Inc., a division of Alliance Music Publications | all rights reserved | used with permission under One License #A-726973

WELCOME | Pastor Pastor Peytyn 

WAYS TO CONNECT | christchurchfl.org/ways2connect

* CALL TO WORSHIP | Paige Darnell
leader God is calling us out.
Out of the places we hide
Out of insecurity
Out of shame
Out from under that which silences love and justice.
all  Come out, people of God!
leader  Though we may be afraid
Though we will be at risk
all God calls us to courage!
leader Our God is a god of resurrection. 
Of new life after devastation. 
Of hope in the grip of evil. 
And so we dare to proclaim, with pride and faith, our truths:
all We believe in the power of love.
We believe in solidarity with the suffering.
We believe we are each valuable.
We believe that our togetherness is transformative.
leader The world is longing for Holy truths that reveal, voices that speak real words of hope.
all Come out, people of God!

From the United Church of Christ Worship Resources for Open and Affirming Sunday | https://openandaffirming.org/worship/

* OPENING HYMN

God of Many Names | HYMN TO JOY
God of rainbow, love unending, all your children you embrace.   

Every heart, your light transcending, shines with beauty, truth, and grace.   

In your church, all voices singing, offer love with every breath.   

Queer or straight, each gift we’re bringing, joined as one in life and death. 

Jesus, friend of all rejected, welcomes those the world denies. 
In your love, all are protected, every soul you lift and prize. 

In your arms, we find belonging, in your care, we’re held as whole. 
In your grace, we stand united, love that heals and makes us bold. 

Spirit, blow through all divisions, break the chains that bind and fear.   

In our midst, bring new revisions, where all love can now appear.   

We, with joy, will grow and cherish, love that never fades away.   

In your hope, our hearts you nourish, every dawn a brighter day. 

God of many names and faces, all are welcome at your side.   

Here, within your warm embraces, we are cherished, sanctified.   

Sing the song of love’s inclusion, celebrate with joyful pride.   

We, your church, in sweet communion, walk together, unified. 

text: © 2024 Allen Day | used by permission | all rights reserved | music: public domain

* OPENING PRAYER | Ken South
Divine Creator, we celebrate the diversity of your kin-dom today! On this our National Coming Out Day, we ask you to soften our hearts and open our minds, so that we may see your beloved LGBTQIA+ community more fully. On a day where some are able to celebrate in plain view, and others long for a day when they can live fully into their authentic selves, be with each of our queer siblings wherever they are in their journeys. Teach us to move with all people as their stories of self unfold each and every new day, welcoming them no matter how they arrived in this present moment.

Holy One, we lift up all who are part of the community, those who are open and those who are not yet ready to share their truth. We pray for their safety, their well-being, and their joy. We lift up our affirming community and all who have committed to walking alongside their queer siblings with love and support. Grant us the courage to speak out against injustice, to stand with those who are marginalized, and to be your hands and feet in the world. Help us to build bridges of understanding and to tear down walls of division. Amen.

MUSIC MINISTRY         
Many Gifts, One Spirit | Allen Pote
Reverend Cathy Johns, alto

Allen Pote | © 1986 by Coronet Press | all rights reserved | used with permission under One License #A-726973

PRAYER | Armando Gutierrez
God of infinite love and boundless grace, we come before you as one community, diverse and inclusive, your creation. We thank you for the gift of diversity that reflects your image in the world. We celebrate the courage of those who have come out and the strength of those who stand in support and affirmation. We ask for your guidance and presence as we continue to build a world where every person is loved, valued, and accepted. Remind us that we are all born holy and deserve love and tenderness. In the name of the one who taught us to love unconditionally, we pray. Amen.

from the United Church of Christ Worship Resources for Open and Affirming Sunday | Mak Kneebone 2020 | https://openandaffirming.org/worship/

CONGREGATIONAL SONG           
We Are a Rainbow
We’re the light of all the world, we are a city on a hill,

We’re a candle on a stand proclaiming light,

We will not hide our lamp beneath a bushel any more,

We will shine a ray of hope that’s burning bright.

refrain We are a rainbow, sign of covenant and peace. 

For the flood of tears will finally cease to be. 

Come shine your rainbow, splash your hues across the sky, 

Paint the world in colors proud and bold and free. 

We’re a coat of many colors, sewn from many different threads,

Covering all in warmth, in welcome and in grace,

God said “Let there be light”, created every varied shade,

In the rainbow each of us can find a place. refrain

We are hope to still believe in tomorrow’s better day,

We are peace in a world that’s torn apart,

We are joy that will last in all the struggles that we face,

We are love that blooms and grows in every heart. refrain 

When we face the storms of life, we will never be alone,

For our God will be with us on the way,

Hand in hand, side by side, we won’t be frightened any more,

As the mourning night of tears breaks into day. refrain

David Kai | © 2017 by David Kai | all rights reserved | used with permission under One License #A-726973

SCRIPTURE
Ephesians 4:1-8, 11-16 | Common English Bible  
Therefore, as a prisoner for the Lord, I encourage you to live as people worthy of the call you received from God. ² Conduct yourselves with all humility, gentleness, and patience. Accept each other with love, ³ and make an effort to preserve the unity of the Spirit with the peace that ties you together. ⁴ You are one body and one spirit, just as God also called you in one hope. ⁵ There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ and one God and Father of all, who is over all, through all, and in all.

⁷ God has given his grace to each one of us measured out by the gift that is given by Christ. ⁸ That’s why scripture says, When he climbed up to the heights, he captured prisoners, and he gave gifts to people.

… ¹¹ He gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers. ¹² His purpose was to equip God’s people for the work of serving and building up the body of Christ ¹³ until we all reach the unity of faith and knowledge of God’s Son. God’s goal is for us to become mature adults—to be fully grown, measured by the standard of the fullness of Christ. ¹⁴ As a result, we aren’t supposed to be infants any longer who can be tossed and blown around by every wind that comes from teaching with deceitful scheming and the tricks people play to deliberately mislead others. ¹⁵ Instead, by speaking the truth with love, let’s grow in every way into Christ, ¹⁶ who is the head. The whole body grows from him, as it is joined and held together by all the supporting ligaments. The body makes itself grow in that it builds itself up with love as each one does its part.

These are the words of God for us, the people of God. Thanks be to God. 

MESSAGE | Holy & Free | Rev. Kipp Nelson, pastor of St. John’s on the Lake, Miami Beach

OFFERING | Pastor Peytyn Tobin
worshiping through the offering of our lives and gifts.

• Collection plate 

• Drop tithes and offerings in the wooden boxes as you leave worship
• Go to christchurchfl.org/give
• Text GIVE to 954.880.3885
• Click the GIVE button below the video at christchurchfl.org/live
• Mail a check to Christ Church, 4845 NE 25th Ave., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308

Tonight’s offering will go to SunServe, a nonprofit devoted to helping LGBTQIA+ people, or to hurricane relief through Christ Church ministries. To designate your gift, write “SunServe” or “Hurricane” on the comment line in online giving, on the memo line of your check, or on a giving envelope.

MUSIC MINISTRY

Lift Your Light | Mary McDonald
Chancel Choir
Lift your light, let it shine high in the darkness; let it shine all over the world, Jesus loves you! Lift your light, lift it high, high in the darkness; Jesus is the light of the world. Lift it higher. Lift your light! Jesus is the light, light of the world; lift the light within you, shine it all around the world. Let the glory rise; raise it to the sky; let your light for Jesus shine! This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine! Lift your light higher and higher! Jesus is the light of the world.

Mary McDonald | ©2005 The Lorenz Publishing Company, a division of The Lorenz Corporation | all rights reserved | used with permission under One License #A-726973

RESPONSIVE READING | Litany of Solidarity, Worth, and Affirmation | Pastor Doug Johns

leader  Each of us is created with worth, imbued with dignity. 

all  We are the representation of God’s love in the world. 

leader  We are diverse in our experiences, vast in our manifestation of how love looks. 

all  Our families are all different, but each represents and honors the many ways that your people live and love. 

leader  Our lives are enriched when LGBTQIA+ people are welcomed and affirmed in our churches and communities. 

all  Our lives are enriched when our Black, Latinx, and Indigenous neighbors are affirmed. 

leader  Your words, shared in scripture, call us to be a people of justice. 

all  We all suffer when any LGBTQIA+ person is oppressed, excluded, or shamed. 

leader  When justice is denied to any of us, justice is denied to all of us. 

all  Until we are all free, none of us are free. 

leader  May we work to build a world where all people are affirmed with love. 

all  Our sexual and gender diversity enriches us, creates joy in our lives. Joy is given by and through you. 

leader  We stand together, embracing each other in love and support. 

all  God, make us instruments of your peace. 

leader  For those who have been hurt, misunderstood, or rejected, 

all  May they find healing, affirmation, and love in you and in us. 

leader  For those who are celebrating their true selves, 

all  We rejoice with them in their journey of authenticity. 

leader  For those who are allies and advocates, 

all  May they continue to be voices of support and compassion. 

leader  For all who are gathered here, 

all  May we be a community of love, hope, and inclusion, reflecting Christ’s love to all. 

leader  In your name, we pledge to go out to share these blessings with the world. 

all  Amen. 

CLOSING PRAYER | Sarah Stauffer 

Loving God, in your wisdom, you created a world rich with diversity. Today, as we acknowledge National Coming Out Day, we give thanks for the gifts of sexual orientation and gender identity. We celebrate with our queer, transgender, bisexual, lesbian, and gay siblings who choose to come out and to honor those who do not. Today, we say “yes” to the diversity among us—within ourselves, our families, our neighbors, and our communities. We claim that diversity as we come before you and as we go out into the world. At times, we turn away from this diversity, fearful of its transformative power. We reject that which is different, force it to be silent, or pretend that it does not exist. We participate in systems that privilege sameness and uproot difference. Give us the courage to live boldly into the mystery of diversity, the strength to persevere in the face of adversity, and the power to love in ways that go beyond understanding. Help us create a world where all queer, transgender, bisexual, lesbian, and gay people can flourish. Amen.

Religious Institute via the United Church of Christ Worship Resources for Open and Affirming Sunday | https://openandaffirming.org/worship/

CLOSING HYMN 
All the Colors of the Rainbow | BEECHER 
All the colors of the rainbow, live unseen in daily light, 
But their splendors find expression when released to human sight; 
So the church reveals most beauty where diversity is real: 
Breadth of race and class and gender, room for doubt and space to heal. 

All the body’s parts are wanted, nor can one despise the rest: 
Head and hand must work together, as must eye and ear and chest; 
So the church needs all its members for a range of ministries: 
Varied gifts with one great mission, “Do this for the least of these.” 

Teach us, God, our need of others; through them help us fully live. 
Wean us from our selfish habits; let us listen, learn, forgive. 
May we see your longed-for image in each human heart and face, 
And behold how those around us can be channels of your grace. 

Carl P. Daw, Jr. | © 2016 Hope Publishing Co. | all rights reserved | used with permission under One License #A-726973

* SENDING FORTH

* please stand in body or spirit

Join us Sunday, when we continue the series The Methodist Way: Ambassadors for Christ, with the message Love God With all your Heart and Mind, based on Mark 12:28-30.

WAYS TO CONNECT | christchurchfl.org/ways2connect

CONNECT CARDS We want to connect with you. Please fill out a Connect Card and tell us how we can pray with you and help you be part of the ministries you’re called to. We’d love to hear your ideas also. You’ll find the Connect Card at christchurchfl.org/connectcard.         

SERVE   

GET READY TO SERVE AT TRUNK OR TREAT saturday | october 19 | 5-7:30pm Trunk or Treat, our annual Halloween party for the community, just weeks away. We’d love to have you be a sponsor, to volunteer or to decorate a trunk and give away candy. Now is the time to think about donating:

• lots and lots of candy
• cans of Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and LaCroix seltzers
• gently loved children’s books
• gently loved stuffed animals

There are lots of ways you can help make this a spook-tacular night for our friends in the community. Check out the ways you can serve at christchurchfl.org/trunkortreat

BUCKETS OF LOVE Thousands of buckets filled with supplies needed after a flood have been given out to those whose homes, businesses and churches were damaged by Hurricane Helene and Milton. We want to assemble buckets that can be handed out to those recovering from the storms. We're calling them "Buckets of Love" because they are a way we can share Christ's love in a time of disaster. You can help in two ways:

DONATE SUPPLIES Please bring supplies for flood buckets to the church by Sunday, October 27. If we combine our shopping efforts, we can do more. Please shop for the items in the sizes and descriptions listed. Recovery teams have built this list based on years of experience. Find the list at christchurchfl.org/buckets

JOIN THE ASSEMBLY We will have a community-wide assembly time on Wednesday, October 30, at 7pm in the Fellowship Halls. Invite your friends and neighbors to make a difference.

CHRIST CHURCH AT TRIVIA NIGHT mondays | 7:30pm | Funky Buddha Brewery Join us as we play trivia on Monday nights at the Funky Buddha. It’s an informal gathering of folks who have fun trying to answer the questions and catching up on one another’s lives. Look for the Christ Church team at the Funky Buddha, 1201 NE 38^th Street, Oakland Park, on Monday nights.