In-Person, Sunday Morning at 9:30 am

or

Recorded Worship Service



Seventh Sunday of Easter

Ascension of the Lord

Confirmation for Alliana Holman



May 17, 2026

To access, please visit our website at www.umcw.org/sermons


Order of Worship


BOLD indicates congregational SPEAKING participation

GATHERING AS THE BODY OF CHRIST


Prelude

"Easter People, Raise Your Voices"

UMH #304


Welcome


A Time to Make Connections


Meditation Time


Welcome to our confirmation service today. We are pleased that you are here.

Today we welcome our confirmation student, and celebrate her new journey with all their family, friends and godparents and loving and supporting church family who are interconnected with your lives, and those people are here to be with you.  Today is a very special day for a church member who is confirming her faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Today is also a very special day in the life of our church. It is a very special day for her life, her mother and father, her grandmas and grandpas, brothers and sisters, and for us as friends and congregation.  May you have the Holy Spirit and start your new journey as beloved children of God.

Introit

"Welcome"

by Zelman & Miller

Adult Choir with soloists Bill Crow & Scott Hall


Call to Worship


Liturgist:  Come, people of God, and gather in the presence of the risen Christ.

People:  We come with grateful hearts, seeking God's wisdom and grace.

Liturgist: Jesus prays for his disciples and holds them in love.

People:  We are strengthened by Christ's care and guided by his Spirit.

Liturgist: As we journey forward in faith, God remains with us.

People: We do not walk alone, for Christ goes before us.

Liturgist: Come, let us worship the One who calls, protects, and sends us.

People: We come to worship with hope, trust, and open hearts. Amen.



Opening Prayer


Holy and gracious God, You are the source of life, love, and wisdom. On this day, we gather in the presence of the risen Christ, grateful that even as he ascended, he did not leave his disciples alone, but continued to hold them in prayer and love. As we worship you this morning, draw our hearts closer to you and to one another. Strengthen those who are beginning new journeys of faith. Encourage those who feel uncertain or weary. And remind us that wherever life leads us, we are always held within your grace. Today, we especially give thanks for our confirmand. Surround her with your Spirit as she continues growing in faith, wisdom, courage, and compassion. Guide her steps in the journey ahead, and help her always remember that she is deeply loved, fully known, and never alone. May our church community continue to encourage, support, and walk alongside her in faith. Shape us all into a people who reflect your love, walk in your truth, and remain united in Christ. We pray in the name of Jesus, our risen and ascended Lord. Amen.


Opening Hymn

        “Hail the Day That Sees Him Rise”  

UMH #312 (verses 1 & 3)


Confirmation, Reception


PRESENTATION OF CANDIDATE 


Confirmation:

Allaina Holman


Faith Statement by Confirmand


Pastor Jinyong: Brothers and sisters in Christ, through the Sacrament of Baptism, 

we are initiated into Christ’s holy church. We are incorporated into God’s mighty acts of salvation and given new birth through water and the Spirit. All this is God’s gift, offered to us without price. Through confirmation, and through the reaffirmation of our faith, we renew the covenant declared at our baptism, acknowledge what God is doing for us, and affirm our commitment to Christ’s holy Church.


RENUNCIATION OF SIN AND PROFESSION OF FAITH


On behalf of the whole Church, I ask you: Do you renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of this world, and repent of your sin?

I do.


Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves?

I do.


Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior, put your whole trust in his grace, and promise to serve him as your Lord, in union with the Church which Christ has opened to people of all ages, nations and races?

I do.


According to the grace given to you, will you remain faithful members of Christ’s holy church and serve as Christ’s representatives in the world?

I will.


Do you, as Christ’s body, the Church, reaffirm both your rejection of sin and your commitment to Christ?

We do.


Will you nurture one another in the Christian faith and life and include these persons now before you in your care?

With God’s help we will proclaim the Good News and live according to the example of Christ. We will surround these persons with a community of love and forgiveness, that they may grow in their service to others. We will pray for them, that they may be true disciples who walk in the way that leads to eternal life.



Pastor Jinyong: Let us join together in professing the Christian faith as contained in the Scripture of the Old and New Testaments.


Do you believe in God the Father?

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.


Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.


Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.



CONFIRMATION


THANKSGIVING OVER THE WATER


Pastor Jinyong: Let us pray.


Eternal Father, when nothing existed but chaos, you swept across the dark waters and brought forth light. In the days of Noah you saved those on the ark through water. After the flood you set in the clouds a rainbow. When you saw your people as slaves in Egypt, you led them to freedom through the sea. Their children you brought through the Jordan to the land which you promised. Pour out your Holy Spirit, to bless this gift of water and those who receive it, to wash away their sin and clothe them in righteousness throughout their lives, that, dying and being raised with Christ, they may share in his final victory. And the people say:


People: All praise to you, Eternal Father, through your Son Jesus Christ, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns forever. Amen.


CONFIRMATION


(confirmand in May 17, 2026)

Allaina Holman


Remember your baptism and be thankful.

Amen.



Allaina Holman, the Holy Spirit works within you, that having been born through water and the Spirit, you may live as a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ.

Amen.


Remember your baptism and be thankful.

Amen.



RECEPTION INTO THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH


As members of Christ’s universal Church, will you be loyal to The United Methodist Church, and do all in your power to strengthen its ministries?

Confirmands: I will.


RECEPTION INTO THE LOCAL CONGREGATION



As members of this congregation, will you faithfully participate in its ministries by your prayers, your presence, your gifts, your service, and your witness?

Confirmands: I will.


COMMENDATION AND WELCOME


Members of the household of God, I commend these persons to your love and care. Do all in your power to increase their faith, confirm their hope, and perfect them in love.


We give thanks for all God has already given you and we welcome you in Christian love. As members together with you in the body of Christ and in this congregation of the United Methodist Church, we renew our covenant faithfully to participate in the ministries of the Church by our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service, and our witness, that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. 


The God of all grace, who has called us to eternal glory in Christ, establish you and strengthen you by the power of the Holy Spirit, that you may live in grace and peace.


[Projection]

Baptismal Hymn  “God Claims You”              TFWS #2249 vs. 1-3


                  


Young Disciples' Time

Courtney Till


Joys and Concerns


Lord's Prayer


Prayer Response

"Christ Beside Me"

TFWS #2166 (verse 1)

ATTENTION TO THE WORD OF GOD


Scripture Readings: John 17:1-11


15 “If you love me, you will keep[a] my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate,[b] to be with you forever. 17 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[c] in[d] you.


18 “I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. 19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 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.” (NRSV)


Liturgist: The word of God for the people of God.

People: Thanks be to God.  


Message

 “Faith for the Journey Ahead — Held in His Prayer”

  Pastor Jinyong Choi

We Respond

 

Offertory

     “Jesus Loves Me” 

UMH #191 (verses 1 & 3)


Doxology

 UMH #94

 

*Offertory Prayer

Generous and faithful God, all that we have comes from your gracious hand. Receive these gifts we offer today, and use them for the work of your kingdom. May these offerings bring hope where there is discouragement, welcome where there is loneliness, and love where there is need. As Christ has entrusted us with the journey of faith, help us to serve you with joyful and generous hearts. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.


Closing Hymn

     “Where He Leads Me”   

   UMH #338 (verses 1 & 4)


The Blessing and Sending Forth 

Pastor: Go now with faith for the journey ahead, knowing that Christ holds you in prayer.

People: We go with courage, trusting in Christ's abiding love.

Pastor: When you feel overwhelmed by the road ahead, remember that you do not walk alone.

People: God's Spirit guides us and strengthens us each day.

Pastor: Be a people of grace, unity, and compassion in the world.

People: We will share Christ's love through our words and actions.

Pastor: And may the blessing of God—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit — remain with you always.

People: Amen.


Benediction Response

 "As We Go"

     arr. David Shipps

Adult Choir


Postlude

Grand choeur dialogué  

    Eugène Gigout


In-Person Services


Liturgist: Pete Seymour

Usher/Greeter: Nancy Keelan 

Projection : Sharon Lipp

Organist: Matt Cron

Sound: Ron Aldenberg

Video: Mark Beatty


Our Mission Statement

“God calls us to be disciples of Jesus, building community through service and fellowship and sharing the love of Christ with all.”


Our Openness Statement

“The United Methodist Church of Westford is an open and welcoming community of Christian Faith. Without any exceptions, we welcome anyone who seeks to love and to serve God.”

Please click here for “A Statement of Our Openness”.

www.umcw.org

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