WS Online – 21 June 2020
Interactive service outline for Church at Home
Welcome to WS Online!
Welcome to our English online service at West Sydney Chinese Christian Church!
Good morning and welcome to online church. Today is our youth service so you will be seeing a lot of young people on the screen. At WS, our youth group Glue and Stick have been meeting over Zoom. It has been a different season but we thank God we are still able to gather around the word of God online. This month is also our mission month and we will be hearing from Pastor Dan, “The Unexpected Neighbour.”
Over the next hour, we have the privilege of connecting with God and hearing what He has to say to us. Quite simply, we have the tools to do this through prayer, songs of praise and God’s word to us in the Bible.
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 online Sunday School materials are available here: https://wsccc.org.au/children-strathfield/
Service Video
Interactive Service Outline
Our call to worship
As we begin today’s service please read with us from Psalm 121:1-3.
“1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains –
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip –
he who watches over you will not slumber
Opening prayer
Heavenly Father,
We thank you that you are our Father and we are your children. Thank you for your grace, your love and your comfort especially during this time of isolation. We pray that today as we continue to meet online, we will not lose sight of the Gospel, and that we will take up every opportunity to witness the magnificent work of Jesus in our lives.
In Jesus’ Name.
Amen.
Opening songs
Let’s sing our opening song that celebrates God’s grace for us.
This is Amazing Grace.
Our second song encourages to out to share His grace. Send me out
Announcements
Here are some items of news for us as a church family.
Men’s Ministry: Get Smart – Join us on Saturday July 4 at 2pm on Zoom, as we explore how to ‘get smart’ as men. Being smart is more than ace-ing exams, succeeding at work or competing with others in the game of life. We face many competing expectations and challenges, and different versions of success as a man. Pastor Andrew will share five biblical keys to manhood that challenge our society’s view of what it is to be a man and promote holistic intelligence for all of life. We’ll also run a game of trivia and a Q&A session, and spend time encouraging and praying for one another as brothers in Christ.
Conversation on the Lawn – Stay after our S9 service this Sunday and catch up with others on the virtual lawn! We will be hosting a Zoom session for those who would like to have fellowship with others from 10:00am. Grab a cup of tea or coffee and join us at our Zoom ID found in your weekly emails. Youth who would like to join will need to attain parental consent.
S430 Watch Party – Worship together with others at our S430 service! Join our Zoom meeting at 4:30pm at the Zoom ID found in your weekly emails. Youth who would like to join will need to attain parental consent.
Announcement from the Diaconate – The latest Diaconate Newsletter has been published, with reflections on Covid on church life, the latest news about plans and dates for bringing ministries back to our church buildings, new hygiene requirements, the future of the building project, finance updates and prayer points. Please take the time to read through these important updates.
As Covid restrictions are lifted in NSW, we look forward to a return of various ministries back to our church buildings. Many ministries can return to church during the next 6 weeks, but with new hygiene requirements. These are detailed in the latest Post-Covid Reintegration Plan. Unfortunately the continued requirement for 4sqm between people means that we cannot resume on-site Sunday services yet. However, perhaps you can enjoy fellowship with each other by sharing our online services in worship together in each others’ homes?The Church Development Project will be resuming! There remains $300,000 to reach full budget for the project (see details in the Diaconate Newsletter). If members can make a special effort to give more during the next 2 months, then we will reach the starting point for building to commence at Croydon Park. Our bi-monthly special CDP offering will be collected next Sunday (June 28), but we also ask if members might consider also contributing interest-free loans to the church, which help cashflow (please speak to a deacon about details).
Faith Promise Giving – Next Sunday (28 June), we will have the opportunity to make a personal commitment to support out missionaries in the coming financial year. More details will be available next Sunday.
Congregational Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank for this opportunity to talk to you through prayer. We thank you for the privilege of technology, that we can still meet in a community. We adore you for what you have done for us and how you have kept us safe and healthy. We are sorry that we don’t focus on you as much especially through a time like this.
We thank you for our missionaries, that we as a church have the privilege to send them out to other countries and other parts of Australia. We thank you for Jonty and Beth Perret, that they can minister to students in Griffith University in Queensland. We ask you that we will be inspired by Dan’s talk today and take in many things from it. We pray for the coronavirus restrictions to ease of soon and that our church leaders could make wise choices in reintegration. I pray that through this time, our faith will grow deeper in you.
In Jesus Name.
Amen.
Bible reading
The reading for today comes from Acts 8:26-40 (NIV)
26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”
30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.
31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
32 This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:
“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.”
34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.
Sermon
Today we’ll hear from Pastor Daniel Chieng as he speaks on the topic of “Neighbours in a Global Village” Please listen here to the recording:
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 – Across the streets
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.
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