Installation Service of Doug Amstutz
Installation Service of Doug Amstutz
Worship Leader: Harry
Speaker: Al Rempel MCEC
Song Leader: Sharon
Special Music: Ken
Sound Technician: Dave
Prelude: Ken
Call to Worship
Leader: Friends, let us worship God today, for God is great –
All: God has blessed us with life, with faith, and with community.
Leader: Let us worship God today, for God is good –
All: God forgives us, and encourages us, and loves us.
Leader: Let us worship God today –
All: Because we are God’s people. Let us worship God
Gathering Prayer
O God, You are our God, the One in whom we trust.
We’ve gathered together today to worship You—
to open our hearts and minds to Your presence.
We long to meet You here, and to hear Your voice.
We come with confidence, because we’ve met You here before;
We’ve been awed and inspired by Your glory and Your power.
We come with gratitude, because we’ve known Your steadfast love—
a love which is better than life itself.
And so we praise You—lifting our voices, lifting our hands in joy and
expectation.
Come among us in Your power.
Pour out Your spirit on our thirsty souls, that we may be filled with Your
goodness and love.
Amen.
Gathering Hymn: I Sing the Mighty Power of God VT # 182
Scripture: Micah 6:8
He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
Story: “The Great Stone Face” (written by Nathaniel Hawthorne)
Hymn of Response: New earth, heavens new VT #377
Litany of Installation and Mutual Commitment
Introductory comments from the MCEC Rep – Al Rempel
MLT Chair: God has called all of us to ministry and service in the world – not as individuals, alone, but as members of a loved and loving community, the church. We believe God has led us in calling you, Doug Amstutz, to pastoral leadership in our congregation. We have asked you to join us in our ministry so that together, as congregation and pastor, we may be a caring and supportive community, committed to serving God in the world. Today we wish to celebrate your commitment to ministry among us.
Congregation: We ask you to join us in our life together: to help us learn and to learn from us, to help us grow together in our understanding of the Christian journey into faith and service.
Pastor: As you have sought and known God’s direction in calling me to serve as your pastor, so I have been aware that God has been preparing me to respond in faith to your call. I pray that I might use the gifts that God has given me to enrich, enable and support the life of this congregation. I commit myself to work, to listen, to celebrate, to struggle, to journey with you as we seek to grow into the fullness of Christ.
Pastoral Team Members: We welcome you, Doug Amstutz, as a brother in Christ, and a colleague in the task of ministry to this congregation. We pledge to do what we can to make our team leadership effective and sensitive to the leading of the Spirit. We pray that you will experience freedom, grace and blessing in your work with us in all the areas of ministry that God will call us to do.
The Charge MCEC Rep: Doug Amstutz you have committed yourself to leadership at Mannheim Mennonite Church. In this leadership role, our charge to you is to endeavour to be faithful to God in Christ as revealed in scripture.
MLT Chair: To remain open to the leading of the Spirit in this community of faith.
MCEC Rep: To be sensitive to the needs of people; and to serve in the spirit of love.
MLT Chair: May God grant you a faithful ministry in this congregation and in this community.
Acceptance of the Charge
Pastor: I accept the charge to pastoral ministry here at Mannheim Mennonite Church and ask for your counsel, your prayers and your loving support.
Congregation’s Response: We are thankful that God has brought us together! We will support you as you lead us and work with us. We will pray for you and offer our gifts of friendship, counsel and encouragement.
The Installation
MCEC Rep: And now Doug Amstutz, on the basis of this mutual agreement Mannheim Mennonite Church and you, by the authority invested in me by MCEC, I install you as the minister of this congregation with all the joy and responsibility of this task. May God bless this new relationship between minister and congregation.
(Signing a covenant regarding ethics in ministry)
Laying on of Hands and Prayer of Blessing – MCEC Rep
(All those who would wish may encircle and lay their hands on Doug as we seek God’s blessing on all in ministry and Doug specifically in this role within the congregation.)
Prayer of Offering & Dedication
Leader:What will you offer the body of Christ Today?
All: Bring All that you have; Bring all that you are.
Left: The gifts of silence and the gifts of words are welcome
Right: The gifts of leading and the gifts of following are welcome.
Left: The gifts of doubt and the gifts of faith are welcome
Right: The gifts of the head and the gifts of the heart are welcome
Left: The gifts of planning and the gifts of spontaneity are welcome.
All: May all that we are as individuals come together to strengthen the living body of the church, Christ Incarnate.
Special Music: Ken
Sending Hymn: Go Now in Peace VT # 835
Benediction:
Leader: God has blessed us with life, with faith, and with community.
All: Let us bless others with compassion, kindness and presence.
Leader: God forgives us, encourages us, and loves us.
All: Let us bless others with forgiveness, encouragement and love.
Leader: Go now to love and serve the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God!