Bulletin Announcements – 24 August 2014
Baptism: Those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour and desire to be baptised, please see Rev Noldt about commencement of baptism classes. The WS baptism service will be held on Sunday 23 November 2014.
Salt forums in August: This Wednesday (27 August) at CP10 from 7:30 – 9:30 will be our final Salt forum. Our topic for the evening will be ‘Asylum Seekers’. Feel free to text Chadd with any questions that you might have on this topic (0401447765). The Salt committee has been encouraged by feedback of how Salt could be developed in the future. A Salt evaluation form will be made available for those people unable to attend this week’s forum.
Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes will be available for collection on Sunday 31st August from Elizabeth. Please return the shoeboxes by 21st September.
WSCCC will join the Moon Festival activities on 6th September organised by and for Rhodes community. We will run a Gospel Stall, and participate the community program for the day. This is a part of our Local Mission in the neighbourhood areas. We call for Mandarin, Cantonese and English congregations to join this event. For those who interested, please contact Pastor Andrew Bardsley. Please also remember this Local Mission Act in your prayers.
Announcements from Diaconate:
+ Diaconate Announcement: At the Annual General Meeting of the church on 5 October 2014, election of deacons for the next Diaconate term will take place (5 deacons per language group). Please reflect on 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and prayerfully consider whether you are moved to serve, or nominate someone amongst your congregation to serve in our church as deacon. If you do, please first contact a member of Deacon Nomination Committee (see the names below), and ask for the nomination form & related information. The closing date for nominations is 29August 2014. Please be prayerful and prompt. The English Deacon Nomination Committees are: Lydia Tan, Les Lee, Anthony Choong, Cerise Yeung.
+ AGM Announcement: Notice is given hereby to all members to attend an Annual General Meeting called by the Diaconate, to be held on 5th October 2014 at 12:30pm, at the Chapel of the church.
+ Welcoming lunch and induction service for Rev Andrew Choy: The church is going to hold a welcoming lunch for Rev Andrew Choy and his family on 7th September 2014 Sunday 12:30pm at Strathfield church hall. Brothers and sisters please attend and bring a dish. Following the lunch there will be an induction service for Rev Choy at 2:30pm at the chapel. Let us be united in thanksgiving to God.
+ A Part-time Position of ‘Ministry Assistant’: The diaconate invites application from members for a part-time position of ‘ministry assistant’ of the church. His/her main duties are to assist the ministers/pastors in taking up some of their ‘administrative’ workloads and at the same time, to expose in ministry experience for his/her future ministry opportunities. He/she should be proficient in both English and Chinese (Mandarin or Cantonese). Education background of a degree in university or equivalent is desirable but not essential. Applicants please contact Rev. Frankie Law (9746 6964) or chairman of the diaconate Joseph Chan (9642 2002).
Ariel writes – a weekly Scriptural devotion:
My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. (Eze 37:27)
“I will be their God, and they will be my people.” Theologians call this the ‘Covenant Formula’ first given to Abraham, which also appears more than 30 times in the Old Testament, and then is quoted in the New. It is a beautiful statement. A statement that speaks of a relationship, of grace, of election, of security, of love, and of a home. Imagine God, not only bestowing his perfect unconditional love upon you, not only accepting you in-spite of your sin, not only protecting you with his mighty power, but actually choosing to live with you. To make your home his home too. It is deeper than just friendship; it is family. This is what is at the heart of this covenant. God adopts us as his people. But how is this possible when he is sinless and we are not? How can a perfectionist live with a sinful mess such as yourself. The simple answer is Jesus. God’s Son lives here too and he is constantly cleaning up your sinful mess. In the kitchen, study, lounge room, bathroom, and even bedroom. The perfect sinless Jesus lives in you, through you, even instead of you, so that a sinless God can live with you too.
from Pastor Ariel