WS Online – 29 March 2020
Interactive service outline for Church at Home
Welcome
Praise God for the gift of technology, that allows us to do church and life together even amidst difficult times such as these. There have been such amazing stories this week amongst the WSCCC Church family about we have continued to meet up online with one another for small groups, prayer and fellowship.
This service is designed in such a way to accommodate for both families and groups worshipping together but also for those who wish to follow along by themselves. Our Children’s Ministry has sent out a program for Sunday School aged children by email.
We encourage you to set aside 1 hour to worship through this service. We want you to interact with this service as much as possible as we sing, pray, read Scripture, partake in offering and hear God’s Word explained to us. If you are in a group, ways to engage in active worship of our God include taking turns reading His Word together, singing songs out loud and praying the prayer points together.
Our call to worship
During today’s service, Rev. Andrew Bardsley will be encourage us from Psalm 46, on the topic of “Therefore we will not fear.”
As we begin today’s service please read with us from Psalm 84:10, as we delight in knowing our great God intimately even amidst troubling times:
“Better is one day in your courts, than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a door keeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.”
Opening songs
Let’s sing our opening song that reminds us that we can rely on Christ in our time of need. Cornerstone
Our second song encourages us in our difficulties in light of God’s sovereignty. It Is Well
Announcements
While we currently exist in part as an online community, we remain a local community that desires to meet together, serve each other, and carry out Christ’s Great Commission. Here are some items of news for us as a church family.
- Guest Speaker next Sunday – We have the privilege of hearing from SMBC lecturer and renowned conference speaker Dr. Malcolm Gill as he brings us God’s Word next Sunday.
- Small Groups – our small groups have moved to meeting over Zoom. If you aren’t currently part of a small group, this is a great time to get plugged in and find support and fellowship from others in the church community. If you’d like to get connected with a group, please contact Wayne at wayne.wsccc@gmail.com.
- Youth Group – youth group meetings have moved online. The leaders are looking forward to finding new and engaging ways to teach God’s Word to our youth.
- We encourage everyone to continue to take the COVID-19 virus situation seriously and to take necessary precautions to limit the spread of the virus. As a church, we continue to follow the guidelines set by the NSW Department of Health. The latest updates from the Diaconate are available here: https://wsccc.org.au/covid-19-updates
- Pastoral Care and Practical Help – We understand that this can be a difficult time for many in our church family. If you would like to speak to someone or are looking for some practical help, we want to do what we can to support you. Please feel free to contact any of the pastors or deacons.
Congregational Prayer
We are now going to devote some time to speak to God about what is happening in our world. As our Heavenly Father, God cares deeply for our cares and woes, and is powerful to act. Let us pray to Him now:
Dear God,
We praise you as you constantly sustain the global church even as it comes to grips with Covid-19. Through the gift of technology, our brothers and sisters all across the world continue to worship you online through gatherings such as this. Even in the middle of challenging circumstances, may we continue to meet together as Hebrews says, and strive to consistently encourage/edify each other until Jesus returns
God, we pray for your mercy and healing upon our world that is hurting because of Covid-19. We pray for many who are affected by emotional, physical, economic and other challenges during this time. May we also use this opportunity to demonstrate the love of Jesus by reaching out to our neighbours and anyone in need. Guide us to emulate the character of Jesus so we can be Salt and Light to those around us. We pray the light of your gospel hope will shine evermore brightly.
We pray for strong leadership from governments around the world as they further seek to implement measures to protect people from the spread of the virus. May these measures help to contain it and alleviate the pressure from health workers who fight on the frontline. Please impart your wisdom onto our church pastors and leaders, who are tasked to lead us through this unprecedented time. May we work together as a church to support them as they seek to overcome unique challenges by sharing our gifts of administration, creativity and technical capability. We thank you deeply for each of our leaders, and pray that you continue to sustain them.
We pray for our church to be united, gracious, trusting and hopeful as we seek to live out our Church Vision during this difficult and trying time. May we continue to be a people of God, growing in Christ, reaching out with the Gospel until He returns. We pray for our missionaries who are presented with amazing opportunities to connect with people to talk about life and faith during this time. We pray for sustenance and strength for those who despite the change of our service formats, continue to serve in their respective ministries.
God we lift you all these things to you.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Bible reading
The reading for today comes from Psalm 46 (NIV).
Psalm 46:1-10
1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
8 Come and see what the Lord has done,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Sermon
Today we’ll hear from Rev. Andrew Bardsley, as he speaks from Psalm 46 on the topic of “Therefore we will not fear.”
Please listen here to the recording: https://wsccc.org.au/s9/sermons/
Offering Song
We come to a time in the service when we have the opportunity to worship God through offering, in giving back to the Lord a portion of what he has given to us. Even though we cannot all meet together in one building, we have still made our commitment to financially support our pastors, missionaries, and ongoing church expenses.
Because an offering bag cannot be passed around, please make your electronic offerings to church via these accounts.
- General fund: BSB 082 080. Acc 48 243 6244. Name: WSCCC.
- Mission fund: BSB 082 080. Acc 52 856 0495. Name: WSCCC.
- Building fund: BSB 082 451. Acc 73 932 0475. Name: WSCCC.
You can also give online through this link: https://tithe.ly/give?c=1291374
Our offering song is – Praise the King
Offering Prayer
Lord, thank you that you continue to sustain us financially as a church through electronic means. We pray that the money collected will be used wisely by our leaders for the work of the church, for the community around us and for the growth and glory of your kingdom. In Jesus name, Amen.
Closing prayer and benediction
Please continue to contemplate all you have heard from Scripture today, and please take the opportunity this week to share with your family and friends.
As we approach the coming week, let’s finish with Paul’s blessing from 2 Corinthians 13:
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all evermore.