Litany of Thanksgiving, Part II

This is the second portion which was read at the end of the service by our current pastors and our 3 pastors emeritus.  Our pastor, Steve and his wife Kim created this litany for St. Mark Presbyterian's 50th Anniversary.  

           L:    For disciples young and old who have been nurtured here in faith,

            For Vacation Bible Schools from “Created by God” to “Operation Overboard”, for creative and dedicated Directors of Christian Education and Youth,

            For Teen Center Unlimited, Mound Ridge weekends, Confirmation Classes, and our preschool,

            For Kerygma, Stephen Ministry, Circle meetings and Koinonia and other small groups that help us to grow and nurture our souls,

         P:    We give you thanks, O God

L:            For all who have come here asking your blessing in marriage, seeking to love with your love,

            For cantatas and children’s pageants, foot washings and advent wreaths,

            the harmony of choir voices and the resonance of bells,

            For loved ones commended to your eternal care,

P:            We give you thanks, O God. . . 

L:           L:   For the ministries of worship and mission, nurture and fellowship, and for all whose lives have been touched by them,

            For deacons, elders, trustees, and pastors who have led the congregation and loved you by the offering their gifts and equipping us for the work of ministry,

            For those who serve in quiet roles, who support the ministry of others, who care for the day-to-day needs of others,

P:          P:    We give you thanks, O God.

L:            For faithful stewards among us who have lived for others, serving you by loving neighbors,

            For the extension of our caring through Circle of Concern and Isaiah 58, Lafayette Industries, B.R.0. and Children’s Foundation of Mid-America,

            For mission trips as near as Florissant and as distant as the mountains of Peru,

            For Alternative Christmas Markets and Fair Trade Coffee, for our old shoes collected and new wells dug in Africa,

P:            We give you thanks, O God.

All:            Receive our gratitude, Holy God, for the years through which you have led us, and open us to the future you promise. In the years that lie ahead, grant us your encouragement in the work of ministry, your consolation in our defeats, and your challenge to our complacency. Give us such trust in your abiding Holy Spirit that we may find joy and peace in our common life, strength and courage to live in the world for your reign, and hope in the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.