Order of Worship\ Anniversary Sunday celebration September 18, 2022
Diamond/Golden Jubilee Anniversary Celebration
50/30 Anniversary Sunday
LIVESTREAM – www.gfccnet.org/live
September 18, 2022...Worship Service...10:00 A.M.
Prelude...Worship Team
Processional...We’ve Come This Far By Faith...Ministers, Deacons, Pastor’s Aide Ministry
We Worship Through Praise...Worship Team & Felix Mwangi
Praise Choruses...Worship Team
Every Praise is to our God
Total Praise
Lord I Worship You
We Worship Through the Word
Statement of Purpose/Occasion...Renee Harper
Scripture...1 Kings 8:20-30...William & Bernice Tita
We Worship Through the Preached Word
Introduction of Preacher...Minister Beverly Thompson
Praise Chorus...If It Had Not Been For The Lord On My Side
Sermon...Elder Nicole Mason
We Worship Through Prayer
Invitation to Christian Discipleship...Come By Here My Lord...Worship Team
Alter Prayer...Ann & Stephen Karanja
Musical Blessing...In Your Presence...Praise Team
Litany and Prayer of Dedication
Musical Blessing...I Can’t Give Up Now...Worship Team
We Worship In Response to Hearing the Word
Welcome...Deacon Gerald Hill
Tithes & Offerings
Announcements & Thank You
Musical Blessing...I’m Looking for a Miracle...Worship Team
Benediction...Rev. Dr. J. Anthony Lloyd
Reception & Historical Photo Gallery following the service
Fellowship Hall (lower level)
PRAISE CHORUSES
WE’VE COME THIS FAR BY FAITH
We’ve come this far by faith, leaning on the Lord,
Trusting in His holy Word, He's never failed me yet.
Oh, oh, oh, can't turn a-round,
We've come this far by faith.
Just the other day, I heard a man say
He didn't believe in God's -Word,
But I can truly say that I have found the way,
And He's never failed me yet.
Don't be discouraged
When troubles come your way.
He'll bear all your burdens,
And turn all your night into day.
EVERY PRAISE
Every praise is to our God
Every word of worship on one accord
Every praise, every praise is to our God
Sing Hallelujah to our God
Glory Hallelujah is due our God
Every praise, every praise is to our God
God my savior
God my healer
God my deliverer
Yes He is! Yes He is!
TOTAL PRAISE
Lord, I will lift my eyes to the hills
Knowing my help is coming from You
Your peace You give me in time of the storm
You are the source of my strength
You are the strength of my life
I lift my hands in total praise to You
You are the source of my strength
You are the strength of my life
I lift my hands in total praise to You
Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen
Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen
LORD I WORSHIP YOU, BECAUSE OF WHO YOU ARE
Because of who you are, I give you glory
Because of who you are, I give you praise
Because of who you are, I will lift my voice and say
Lord, I worship you because of who you are
Lord, I worship you because of who you are
Jehovah Jireh, my provider
Jehovah Nissi, Lord, you reign in victory
Jehovah Shalom, my Prince of Peace
And I worship you, because of who you are
IF IT HAD NOT BEEN FOR THE LORD ON MY SIDE
If it had not been for the Lord on my side
Where would I be? Where would I be?
If it had not been for the Lord on my side
Where would I be? Where would I be?
He kept my enemies away
He let the sun shine through a cloudy day
Oh, he wrapped me in the cradle of his arms
When he knew I'd been battered and torn
So...
COME BY HERE MY LORD
Come by here my Lord, come by here
Come by here my Lord, come by here
Come by here my Lord, come by here
O Lord, come by here
Someone's crying, Lord, come by here
Someone's crying, Lord, come by here
Someone's crying, Lord, come by here
O Lord, come by here
Someone's praying, Lord, come by here
Someone's praying, Lord, come by here
Someone's praying, Lord, come by here
O Lord, come by here
Someone's singing, Lord, come by here
Someone's singing, Lord, come by here
Someone's singing, Lord, come by here
O Lord, come by here
IN YOUR PRESENCE
V1
In the presence of Your glory
Lord I worship You yeah
You’re my one desire
The only one I'll choose
And when the cares of the day
Try to steal me away
Lord help me stay on my knees
Cause all I need
Is in Your presence
CHORUS
I wanna be in Your presence
I wanna live in Your presence
Cause in Your presence
There is fullness
Of love, joy and peace
Strength for everything I need
I find victory
In Your presence (REPEAT CHORUS)
BRIDGE
Ooh, broken pieces mended
All my sins forgiven
Every yoke destroyed
In Your presence
In Your presence
And those who pursue me
Cannot overtake me
Covered by You Lord
In Your presence
In Your presence
Glory hallelujah
Glory hallelujah
I will praise You Lord!
In Your presence
In Your presence
Glory hallelujah
Hallelujah
I will praise You Lord!
CHORUS #2
I wanna be in Your presence
I wanna live in Your presence
Cause in Your presence
There is fullness Yeah yeah yeah
Presence, oh presence
That's where I wanna be
There is fullness
Of Love joy and peace
Everything that I need
There's power in Your presence
Provision in Your presence
Peace in Your presence
I'm in love with Your presence
Mmmm in Your presence
CAN’T GIVE UP NOW
There will be mountains
That I will have to climb
And there will be battles
That I will have to fight
But victory or defeat
It's up to me to decide
But how can I expect to win
If I never try
… I just can't give up now
I've come too far from where
I started from
Nobody told me
The road would be easy
And I don't believe He's brought me this far
To leave me
… Never said there wouldn't be trials
Never said I wouldn't fall
Never said that everything would go
The way I want it to go
But when my back is against the wall
And I feel all hope is gone
I'll just lift my head up to the sky
And say help me to be strong, oh
… Oh, I know You didn't bring me
Out here to leave me lonely, oh no
Even when I can't see clearly
I know that You are with me so I can't
I’M LOOKING FOR A MIRACLE
I'm Looking for a miracle
I expect the impossible
I feel the intangible &
I see the invisible [2x]
[Bridge:]
The Sky is the limit
To what I can have
[Repeat x3]
Just believe and receive it
God will perform it today
Hey, Hey, ay
Just believe and receive it
God will perform it today
I expect a miracle every day,
God will make a way out of no way [x6]
Prayer and Dedication
Pastor: We rejoice together, members and friends of this congregation, and reconsecrate ourselves as a church to the glory of God our Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier.
People: Glory be to God the Almighty, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Pastor: For the worship of God in prayer and praise, for the ministry of the spoken word, and for the celebration of the sacraments.
People: We rededicate the human building blocks of the church, its people.
Pastor: For the remembrance of the seasons of the church and of human life, for times of preparation and birth, for times of penitence and renewal, for times of growth and life, for times of sorrow and death, for the time of life reborn, renewed, resurrected,
People: We rededicate ourselves where the rituals of life are celebrated and hallowed.
Pastor: For the recognition of our unity in love, faith, and hope, in those richer moments of life when we reach out beyond our own,
People: We rededicate ourselves in this place, that it may remind us ever that we shall worship God in spirit and truth.
Elder Nicole Mason
Born with a spirit of advocacy, Nicole knew at the age of 9 that she wanted to be a lawyer. Having what she felt was the “gift of gab,” Nicole would speak up for those that either wouldn’t or couldn’t speak up for themselves. She has carried this same energy into her adult life. In addition to her advocacy, Nicole is a bold, courageous and confident woman on a mission to help other women to live life and achieve success on their own terms.
Growing up as an only child and working in her grandmother’s dry cleaners, Nicole is an astute businesswoman. Her grandmother pushed her to go after her dream of becoming a lawyer, but when it came time for her to apply to law school, she applied nine times and was rejected nine times. Yes, you read that correctly. She was rejected nine times. She would not take no for an answer.
Nicole is the owner of a boutique law firm, Mason Legal Group, LLC, where she specializes in Estate Planning. She also operates a coaching and speaking business, Strategies For Success, LLC. She is intentional about using her skills, talents, and gifts on the earth and being a blessing to others.
Sensing the call on her life to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Nicole quit her job and immersed herself in her studies at Howard University School of Divinity. During her tenure, she was selected to serve as the Faculty Research Scholar for the esteemed Old Testament Professor, Dr. Gene Rice. Nicole was also the recipient of more than $20,000 in scholarships while matriculating at the Divinity School. Nicole is a licensed and ordained Minister in the Mount Calvary Holy Church of America Organization, under the leadership of Bishop Herbert C. Crump and Lady Dawn Crump. She serves at her local church assembly, Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church, under the pastoral leadership of Archbishop Alfred A. Owens Jr., and Dr. Susie C. Owens.
Nicole has always spoken her truth and has been a trailblazer in her career. She has served as the first and only African American to serve in her position of an Equal Employment Opportunity/Diversity and Inclusion professional for her organization.
Nicole started her ministry, SISTERGRAM Ministries, in 1998 with a newsletter and a circulation of approximately 125 women in her then local church. In less than 2 years, the newsletter circulation had grown to more than 2,000 women across the country and in various prisons. Nicole has used her gift of writing to encourage women over the past 20 years. She was honored and recognized in October 2018 by the Governor of Maryland with the prestigious Governor’s Citation for her work with women and the impact she has made over the years.
In addition to her writing gift, Nicole held a monthly fellowship for women for 12 years, ministering to more than 1,000 over that time period. She has also hosted a weekly prayer call for the past 15 years and continues to do so today.
Nicole has hosted her own international online show reaching viewers around the world. She also hosted her own radio show on Urban One formerly Radio One. She is an international best-selling author who has written 4 books of her own and serving as a contributing writer in more than 25 book projects.
Nicole is a mentor and a leader’s leader serving as coach and confidante to many high-achieving women in ministry and the marketplace. Women look to her for spiritual guidance and Godly wisdom for everyday living. She is an Executive Leadership Coach serving women leaders in the marketplace. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Howard University, a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law, a Master of Law Degree in Litigation and Dispute Resolution from the George Washington University School of Law, and a Master of Divinity from Howard University School of Divinity. She also has a Certificate in Leadership Coaching from Georgetown University, and she is a Certified Speaker, Trainer, and Coach with the John Maxwell Team. Nicole is an Ambassador for the American Heart Association, turning her pain into purpose. Having lost her Mom to heart disease and being diagnosed shortly after her mother passed away, Nicole has been very intentional about spreading the message to other African American women about heart health awareness.
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Rev. Dr. J. Anthony Lloyd, Pastor
Ministerial Staff
Rev. Dr. Richard Keyes
Rev. Dr. Courtney Lackard
Minister Belinda D. Mpagazehe
Minister Quincy Mosby
Minister Beverly Thompson
Deacon Board
Deacon Ruby Bishop Deacon Amanda Hyman
Deacon Karen Blake Deacon Marguerite Lackard
Deacon Addie Burgan Deacon Gloria Lee
Deacon Almarie Dawkins Deacon Althea Mondley
Deacon Lula Evelyn Deacon Lynn Moore
Deacon Robert Evelyn Deacon Tracey Bryant
Deacon Merrily Herring Deacon Patricia Phillips
Deacon Gerald Hill Deacon Ev Reynolds
Deacon Vernon Hines Deacon Annette Woodson
Deacon Jean Hoskins
Pastor’s Aide Ministry
Charleen Heard, Chairperson Sheron Daley
Anthony Lee, Vice Chair Donald Heard
Audrey Anderson Caroline Lewis
Lanita Butler Willie Mae Martin
Gladys Calder Virginia Nicholson
Harriet Coombs Miriam Sithole
Mavis Chung Minister Beverly Thompson
Beverly Daley Brendaline Willis
OUR PASTOR
J. Anthony Lloyd graduated from Houghton College, Houghton, New York, in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in ministry. In 1982, he received Master of Divinity degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Hamilton, Massachusetts. At Gordon-Conwell, he
was a recipient of the Benjamin E. Mays Fellowship for ministry, and Dr. Martin Luther King Award for outstanding leadership. And in 1996 he received his Doctor of Ministry Degree in this area of: Preaching for social change from United Theological Seminary, Dayton, Ohio.
Dr. Lloyd served for twenty years as the Associate Dean of Students and ten years as adjunct faculty member at Gordon College, Wenham, Massachusetts.
Dr. Lloyd has served for over 35 years as adjunct faculty member of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary’s Center for Urban Ministerial Education teaching in the area of Leadership, Ministry, Education.
Rev. Dr. J. Anthony has traveled, led pilgrimages and ministered in the Virgin Island, Mexico, England, Israel, East, West and South Africa, the Middle East, Europe and the Caribbean Islands.
For seven years he served with distinction on the ministerial staff of Twelfth Baptist Church of Boston, MA. He coordinated the Counseling Team, Chancel Choir, and missions and served in the preaching and teaching ministries.
On Palm Sunday, April 12, 1992, Rev. Dr. J. Anthony Lloyd commenced a new Kingdom assignment as pastor of the Greater Framingham Community Church, Framingham, Massachusetts.
Today he is serving in his thirtieth year as the pastor of the Greater Framingham Community
Church, ministering to a congregation that believes in the Word of God, the Power of prayer, and the Work of the Holy Spirit.
The church has grown under Rev Lloyd’s ministry to over 450 households in membership and over thirty ministries. Greater Framingham Community Church has an extended Christian ministry that draws individuals and families from through out the Metro West area (from Boston/Cambridge-Worcester).
In addition to his Faithful service as Pastor of the Greater Framingham Community Church Dr. Lloyd has served and continues to serve on numerous local, state and national boards, commissions and committees involving but not limited to Houghton College Board of Trustees, Chair of Academic affairs Committee, United Way of Tri-County Board of Directors, Boys and Girls
Club of Metro West Board of Directors, Interfaith Clergy Association of Framingham, United Baptist Commission on the Ministry, The United Baptist Convention of Mass, RI, and NH, The Salvation Army Academic Oversight Advisory Council, Gordon-Conwell Theological Center for
Urban Ministerial Education Advisory Board, in which he serves as chair, Wayside Youth and Family Services Board of Directors as chair, Convener of The Framingham Stakeholders,
Masshire, Board of directors, The Black Ministerial Alliance, Violence Round Table, and The Shanon Grant Steering Committee for Framingham, -Metro West community Prayer
Breakfast Committee, Department of Transition Assistance Framingham Advisory Board,
Rev. Dr. J. Anthony has ministered around the globe leading pilgrimages and ministering in the Virgin Islands, Mexico, Israel, East, West and South Africa, the Middle East, Europe and the Caribbean Islands.
He is the recipient of many awards, citations, and recognitions both on the local, state and national level for community service. The ministry under his leadership has seen the creation of the New
Vision Foundation as well as the church moving into its new edifice in
April of 2000. To God be the Glory!
OUR HISTORY
Greater Framingham Community Church is an interdenominational Christian Church that was founded in 1972. It was organized, from the impetus of three, area Black families, to meet the needs of suburbanites who desired a Black religious experience. Considering itself an Extended Christian Family, the church functions in many ways as a surrogate extended family for its largely transplanted membership. Following an evening of the South Middlesex NAACP in January, 1972 several couples agreed that a Black church was needed in the Framingham area and the Greater Framingham Community Church was formed. The group was enlarged to include a minister/theologian and a divinity student that became the initial organizing ministry. Those who gathered over the months were committed to addressing their concerns around being Black in suburbia and the challenges of raising children in a suburban environment.
By February of 1972 the committee was enlarged to bring other Blacks in Metrowest into the process of developing a church. In March of 1972 the committee evolved into a planning committee and began identifying Blacks in the Metrowest communities who would be invited to worship with this new church. On the first Sunday in July, 1972 the first service was held at 1:00pm at the First Baptist Church of Natick. It was attended by a large crowd [150] of the curious as well as the committed. From that service a group of dedicated workers became the Development and Building Committee. The following Sunday, the group began meeting at the First Parish Church of Framingham. They adjourned for the month of August and by September were ready to hold regular meetings in the small facility at Edgell and Water Streets in Framingham, the Church’s first permanent residence. In September, 1972, the first regular church service of the Greater Framingham Community Church was held. It was on Sunday, September 10, 1972 that a church meeting was held, and it was decided that the name of the church would be “The Greater Framingham Community Church.”
One of the hallmarks of the Greater Framingham Community church’s history has been its nurturing of all denominational identities in an effort to accommodate their unique and diverse church body with its full range of religious orientations. This ideal was upheld by the first minister, Rev Cameron Wells Byrd, installed on March 25, 1973. By January 1973 the church had grown to 75 members and was well on its way in developing an organizational structure without outside funding or resources of any kind.
The Rev. Dr. Cameron W. Byrd, a United Church of Christ minister, was called in 1973 to serve as its first pastor. He provided spiritual oversight for the early development of the church until called to serve in Washington, D.C. in 1978. He was succeeded in 1979 by the Rev. Harold G. Ross Jr., a Baptist minister, who served until the spring of 1990. The fifth anniversary year of the church was marked by several indications of spiritual and institutional growth. During that year, some 25 new families joined the fellowship increasing the membership to 264 men, women, and children. While a nationwide search was conducted for a successor, the Rev. Percy Garrett, Jr. provided pastoral services. On April 12, 1992, the Rev. Dr. J. Anthony Lloyd, a Baptist minister and Associate Dean of Students at Gordon College in Massachusetts, was called to serve as the third pastor. His first Sunday saw the church relocate from a leased church building at Edgell Road and Water Street in Framingham, where it had held worship service for twenty years, in a building purchased from the Assembly of God Church, located at Hartford and “C” Streets on the south side of Framingham.
Under Rev. Lloyd’s leadership, the church has experienced phenomenal growth. In addition to a full array of spiritual, worship, fellowship, outreach and Bible study ministries, the church sponsors a youth fellowship for children and youth ages 3-18. Programs for youth are cultural, recreational, educational and spiritual. Community outreach activities include an annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast Celebration and MLK Jr. Youth Conference, outreach to the homeless and needy, prison ministries, tutorial services, community Vacation Bible School, mentoring opportunities, musical choirs, fellowships, dance and mime ministries to name a few.
The years under Dr. Lloyd’s leadership have seen the development of partnerships with such community organizations. To accommodate the growing congregation, the church soon held two worship services on Sunday morning and began a search for a larger facility.
In 1998, the church purchased and completed Phase One renovations of its current building, culminating in a “church Dedication” on April 30, 2000. Our present church home, located at Franklin and Park Streets, is the result of a faith commitment on the part of the congregation “to be a lighthouse for the Gospel of Christ in Metrowest and the world.” Also, in the year 2000, the church saw the creation of its foundation now known as the New Vision Foundation. It was established to partner with community organizations and foundations to provide an array of community resources that enhance the quality of life in MetroWest.
In January 2016, the church completed the Phase Two renovations of the building creating an Academic Learning Resource Center and making the facility fully ADA compliant.
GFCC is one of the most diverse congregations in the Metrowest area. Its diversity spans culture, ethnicity, profession, income and education. GFCC is a Bible believing, Bible teaching, and prayer centered fellowship that welcomes all who confess Jesus Christ as Lord.
Today, the Greater Framingham Community Church provides holistic ministries that seek to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to families and individuals throughout Metrowest. This dynamic ministry that empowers families and individuals to make a positive impact in their communities is under-girded by the belief that individuals can be resurrected through Christ to a newness of life.
GFCC is a church committed to a ministry that frees individuals and families from the entrapment and entanglement of sin, and empowers them to celebrate Christ in their lives.
OUR CHURCH MISSION
Vision Statement
To become true and faithful servants of God; to faithfully spread the Gospel to all humankind throughout the community, nation and the world.
Mission Statement
To build and develop Christian maturity in a spiritually enriching environment. To present mature Christians in Christ in the world worthy of our call as Christians.
Statement of Faith
This Church acknowledges as its head, God, the Creator of all heaven and earth and Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and the Holy Spirit. It acknowledges as brothers and sisters in Christ all who share in this confession. It believes that all of those who are committed to the building of God’s Kingdom and strive to keep His commandments are invited to partake of the Lord’s Supper, and that all such with their family are invited to the Ordinance of Baptism.
Covenant
We covenant with the Lord and with one another and do bind ourselves in the presence of God to walk together in all His ways, as He is pleased to reveal Himself unto us in His blessed Word of Truth.
Membership Development
The Greater Framingham Community Church views membership development as building Christian character by:
·Providing a worship experience that glorifies God.
·Nurturing all in an understanding of who we are in Christ.
·Committing ourselves to the study of the Bible, therefore, equipping us for the work of ministry in our home, church, community and the world.
·Working toward peace in the world, with a common purpose and unity in our church.
·Praying, celebrating the sacraments, stewardship, praising the Lord, confessing our sins, teaching and preaching the Gospel unto salvation for all.
✞ Approved in 1993 ✞
CoVid-19 Vaccination Drive
Saturday, October 22nd 10AM-2PM
REGISTRATION LINK: https://home.color.com/vaccine/register/transformativehealth?calendar=9e91288c-8968-4e63-93ae-828d4b2348fd
Grocery Bag Program:
THANK YOU to all the volunteers that come out and help us to help those in need. The next packing session will be on Friday,
September 23rd at 1:30pm and help to distribute on Saturday, September 24th at 9 am at GFCC. Please reach out to the Central Office, 508-626-2118 or call Linda James 508-788-0611. We will be feeding 75 families every other Friday so we are in need of volunteers for an hour and half on each of these Fridays.
GFCC Day
Celebrating 50 years a Church and 30 years of Pastoral Leadership of Rev. Dr. J. Anthony Lloyd
Sunday, September 18, 2022
Everyone is encouraged to wear something Purple and or Gold
Guest Preacher: Elder Nicole Mason of Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church
Purple and Gold Reception following the service in the Fellowship Hall
To God Be the Glory For What He Has Done!
GFCC Pastor’s Aide 29th Celebration
Sunday, September 25, 2022
Guest Preacher: Rev. Dr. Barbara E. Headley, Pastor of Zion Community Baptist Church
Come and Worship and Celebrate our Pastor’s Aide 29th Anniversary!!!
GFCC Family Retreat
Saturday, October 8, 2022 @ 10:00 AM
Guest Speaker Author and Psychologist; Rev. Dr. Terrlyn Curry Avery
TOPIC: “Black Faith, Culture and Health; the Importance of Faith in Healing and Wellbeing
The Warren Conference Center and Inn
529 Chestnut Street, Ashland, MA 01721
Tickets: $35 for Adults and Children\Youth $15
To purchase tickets: Go to GFCCnet.org/store or for more information call 508-626-2118
GFCC Youth Workshop
GFCC Family Retreat
– Rev. Dr. Maurice Greaves
Saturday, October 8, 2022 @ 11:00 AM
Guest Preacher: Rev. Dr. Maurice Greaves, Pastor of Global Ministries Christian Church
The Warren Conference Center and Inn
529 Chestnut Street, Ashland, MA 01721
Tickets: Children\Youth $15
To purchase tickets: Go to GFCCnet.org/store or for more information call 508-626-2118
GFCC Women’s Day!
Celebration & Worship with the Women of GFCC
Sunday, October 16, 2022 @ 10:00 AM
Join us as the Queens of GFCC lead us in worship with our guest preacher: Alice Brown-Collins, PhD
GFCC Men’s Day
Celebration & Worship with the Men of GFCC
Sunday, November 6, 2022 @ 10:00 AM
Join us in this Anniversary Celebration as the Men lead us in Worship with our guest preacher: Rev. Calvon T. Jones, Assistant Minister of Harvard Memorial Church
Invitation to Accept Christ in your life
We welcome you as a new member of the Greater Framingham Community Church Family. If you wish to unite with GFCC, please go to the following link: an online form for New Member registrations: https://forms.gle/fWm5eNJbQbwxhmSM6
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