WS Online – 28 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!
Whether you are joining us in the morning, afternoon or evening, a big welcome to you to our Strathfield English service. We’ve been doing church online since the 22nd of March. It feels like a life time ago that we all met in person, face to face, within 2m of each other! But I believe that we are still able to worship our God together! This month is our missions month and we will be hearing from one of our missionaries, Kian Holik.
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 91:1-2.
“1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God in whom I trust.”
Opening prayer
Lord, thank you we are still able to meet online. Thank you for the Gift of Jesus and what he achieved on that Cross. Calm our hearts and our minds as we commit this time to you in worship. In Jesus’ name
Amen.
Opening songs
Let’s sing our opening song that reminds us of our faith.
This I Believe (The Creed)
Our second song praises our God for who he is. Praise the Father , Praise the Son
Announcements
Here are some items of news for us as a church family.
Men’s Ministry: Get Smart – Join us next 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. Feel free to invite your mates (male & aged 18+) to this event.
Communion Service – We will be holding a short communion service after our service on Sunday 12 July. Please stay tuned for more details.
Faith Promise Giving – As we conclude Missions Month, we have the opportunity to make a personal commitment to support out missionaries in the coming financial year. We encourage you to prayerfully consider how you might support the work of our local and global missionaries. Details of how you can get involved can be found in our Faith Promise Giving leaflet found in your weekly email.
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 this Sunday, 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).
Congregational Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for sending your Son Jesus to die on the cross so we can now have a relationship with you. Thank you that you have given us the Holy Spirit to continue to grow our relationship and understanding of you.
Thank you for the ability to have church as a family online. Thank you for the technology and the skills of those who make this possible. We continue to commit our church into your hands during this time. We thank you that some of the restrictions are easing and we can now meet in small home churches. We know that the church is not a build but your people.
Lord we pray for the needs of the church. We have heard of the ongoing financial needs of the church. May we pray fully consider how we can continue to support the church during this difficult time in the 3 areas of general day to day, missions and the church development project.
We pray for continued wisdom for our leaders as they make difficult decision moving forward on how church should be structured, the logistics of face to face meetings and the competing spiritual needs in a time where traditional methods need adapting.
We pray for the various ministries that continue run within the church and the ones around the world. Thank you that your message has not been hindered. We pray for an end to this virus which has altered society. We pray for health during this time as we head into winter. May be continue to be mindful of those around us and reach out to those in need. We commit into your hands those who are hurting, sick, having financial difficulties due to job loss or cut backs. We pray we may find comfort in you and you alone. Thank you that we can commit our worries and concerns to you. Thank you for listening to us.
We pray all this in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
Bible reading
The reading for today comes from Deuteronomy 24:17-22(NIV)
17 Do not deprive the foreigner or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge. 18 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there. That is why I command you to do this.19 When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. 20 When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow. 21 When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow. 22 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. That is why I command you to do this.
Sermon
Today we’ll hear from Rev. Kian Holik as he speaks on the topic of “Reaching the World in our Backyard” 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 – O Church Arise
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.
Connect with us! If you’d like to get in touch with us, join a small group online, or find out more about Christianity, fill out a response card here: Response Form.