CCLI Number: 2880734
Confirmation and Pentecost
May 24, 2026
Words of Welcome Rev. John Hill
Centering Music
Call to Worship (Book of Worship #406) Rev. Chelsey Hedglin
And in the last days it shall come to pass, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
And your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old shall dream dreams, and your young shall see visions.
When the Day of Pentecost had come, they were all gathered together in one place.
And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.
Opening Hymn “Come, Christians, Join to Sing” (UMH #158)
Come, Christians, join to sing:
Alleluia! Amen!
loud praise to Christ our King:
Alleluia! Amen!
Let all, with heart and voice,
before his throne rejoice;
praise is his gracious choice.
Alleluia! Amen!
Come, lift your hearts on high:
Alleluia! Amen!
Let praises fill the sky:
Alleluia! Amen!
He is our guide and friend;
to us he’ll condescend;
his love shall never end:
Alleluia! Amen!
Praise yet the Lord again:
Alleluia! Amen!
Life shall not end the strain:
Alleluia! Amen!
On heaven’s blissful shore
his goodness we’ll adore,
singing forevermore:
Alleluia! Amen!
Affirmation of Faith (written by Confirmation Students) Rev. Chelsey Hedglin
We believe that God, the Creator, made each of us special.
God is love.
We believe that God forgives sins.
We should try to forgive others and treat others with kindness and respect.
We believe that Jesus is God’s Son.
We believe that the Holy Spirit is working in our lives.
We believe in resurrection and that God is always with us. Amen.
Children’s Moment Rev. John Hill
Prayer of Confession Rev. Chelsey Hedglin
Merciful God,
we confess that we have not loved you with our whole heart.
We have failed to be an obedient church.
We have not done your will,
we have broken your law,
we have rebelled against your love,
we have not loved our neighbors,
and we have not heard the cry of the needy.
Forgive us, we pray.
Free us for joyful obedience,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Silent Confession
Words of Assurance Rev. Chelsey Hedglin
Hear the Good News: Christ died for us while we were yet sinners. That proves God’s love toward us. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.
In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!
Glory to God. Amen.
Passing the Peace
Hymn “Spirit of the Living God” (UMH #393)
Spirit of the living God,
fall afresh on me.
Spirit of the living God,
fall afresh on me.
Melt me, mold me,
fill me, use me.
Spirit of the living God,
fall afresh on me.
Spirit of the living God,
fall afresh on me.
Spirit of the living God,
fall afresh on me.
Melt me, mold me,
fill me, use me.
Spirit of the living God,
fall afresh on me.
Prayer for Illumination Rev. Chelsey Hedglin
Lord, open our hearts and minds by the power of your Holy Spirit, that, as the Scriptures are read and your Word proclaimed, we may hear with joy what you say to us today. Amen.
Scripture Reading (Acts 1:1-12) Rev. Chelsey Hedglin
In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
So, when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away.
Response to the Scripture Reading Rev. Chelsey Hedglin
For the Word of God we hear in scripture, for the Word of God we encounter among us,
and for the Word of God at work within us,
Thanks be to God.
Sermon “Resurrection Life: Don’t Just Stand There” Rev. John Hill
Musical Reflection
Pastoral Prayer Rev. Chelsey Hedglin
The Lord’s Prayer
Invitation to Offer Tithes and Gifts
https://onrealm.org/CrievewoodUMC/Give
Offertory
Doxology (UMH #95)
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise God, all creatures here below;
praise God, above ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Invitation to Discipleship
Service of Confirmation
INTRODUCTION
Brothers and sisters in Christ: 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.
To the congregation:
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 trust of God, and be found faithful in their service to others. We will pray for them, that they may be true disciples who walk in the way that leads to life.
Let us now rise in body or spirit and join together in professing the Christian faith as contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as we recite the Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried;
the third day he rose from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
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. Amen.
Gloria Patri (UMH #70)
Glory be to the Father
and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen. Amen.
CONFIRMATION
Remember your baptism and be thankful. Amen.
The Holy Spirit work within you, that being born through water and the Spirit you may be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ. Amen.
RECEPTION INTO THE 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?
I will.
As members of this congregation, will you faithfully participate in its ministries by your prayers, your presence, your gifts, your service, and your witness?
I will.
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 that 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.
Closing Hymn “At the Font We Start Our Journey” (TFWS #2114)
At the font we start our journey,
in the Easter faith baptized;
doubts and fears no longer blind us,
by the light of Christ surprised.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Hope held out and realized.
At the pulpit we are fashioned
by the Easter tale retold
into witnesses and prophets,
by the power of Christ made bold.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Faith proclaimed, yet still untold.
At the altar we are nourished
with the Easter gift of bread;
in our breaking it to pieces
see the love of Christ outspread.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Life embraced, yet freely shed.
At the door we are commissioned,
now the Easter victory’s won,
to restore a world divided
to the peace of Christ as one.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Easter’s work must still be done.
Benediction Rev. John Hill
Benediction Song “Christ Is Alive” (UMH #318, v. 5)
Christ is alive, and comes to bring
good news to this and every age,
till earth and all creation ring
with joy, with justice, love, and praise.