Bulletin Announcements – 22 November 2015
- To introduce our church to our community, we will be distributing Christmas cards and invitations to our church for residents throughout Strathfield, by a letterbox drop. We are looking for volunteers who can help out on Sunday Dec 6, in pairs. If you can help, please see Louis Wong.
- Together with other local churches, our church will be part of the annual Christmas in Burwood Park outreach, to be held on Saturday Dec 12. We are looking for volunteers who can help with evangelistic chats with enquirers, kids’ activities, and setting/packing up. If you can spare an hour between 5-9pm, that would be appreciated. For more information see Louis Wong.
- Baptism Service will be held today 12:30pm at Chapel. Please come along and support those who will be making a public declaration of their faith in Jesus. English: Sarah Chen, Joshua Ho, Kelvin Ho, Samuel Lo, Athene Luo, Edward Tang，Yiting Wang，Calvin Yeung; Cantonese: Ada Law, Barry Mar, Ping Yip; Mandarin: Jing Guo, JianQiang Liu, YuanGuan Liu, HaiXia Qiao, WenYing Xie. Confirmation (English): Josiah Holik, Rebecca Sit.
- On the 29 November, there will be no 8.55 Sunday school classes. All children are invited to join Family Service with our 9am English service.
- 29th of November: A service for the entire family; kids, parents, and grandparents. Full of fun, fantastic music, engaging storytelling, and God’s Word. A great service to invite your friends to, especially if they have kids!
Ariel writes – a weekly Scriptural devotion:
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. (Psalm 51:12 NIV)
David had sinned and it had taken the happiness out of his relationship with God. His soul was cheerless, troubled, and in the dumps. Sin always has this effect. David needed to feel the joy of being in a saving relationship with God once again so he asks God to give him this. He also asks God for a willing spirit to sustain him; that is a desire to not fall again into sin. What he was praying for was the grace and strength to be “kept” in a godly state of mind and being. This was part of his confession prayer. And you too when you sin, doesn’t it make you feel yucky inside? Doesn’t it rob you of joy? Doesn’t it feel endless and overwhelming? Yes, this is the ugly by-product of sin. But remember as joyless and endless and big as sin might feel God’s salvation is bigger and happier. And through Jesus you are in a relationship with God and if you, like David, ask for God to restore the joy of his salvation once again, as your loving Father, how could he refuse?
from Pastor Ariel