Bulletin Announcements – 22 December 2013
‘GOD WITH US’ is the theme for our Christmas events this year. This is a great time to share the love of Christ with our family, friends and community. May we be prayerfully inviting our friends to the special services. (22nd and 25th Dec.)
Combined Lunch Dec 29th, 12:15pm @ Croydon Park Hall – Farewell to Rev Mark & Susan Boyley, Welcome to Rev Keith & Janette Noldt and Welcome Home to Peter & Kat Lau. It is a time for us to give thanks to God their ministry partnership with our church. Please bring a large plate of food to share.
Growing Together, Serving Together! – Church Retreat on 14-16 March 2014 to be held at Stanwell Tops. Save the Date!
Rainbow Keung, our Short Term Missionary to Thailand has received financial clearance from GO International to leave for the field. She will be commissioned for her missionary service on 12 Jan, 2pm at WSCCC Chapel, Strathfield. We encourage everyone to be there to pray for our missionary partnership and to encourage her.
Children Ministry Announcement: Holiday prorams in on today. We will not have Sunday school classes from 29th December 2013 until 26th January 2014. Parents, please make sure that your children are in your care. Term 1 for 2014 will start on 2 February 2014.
Notice from Diaconate: The weekly Wednesday 8pm combined prayer meeting will not be held on 25th December 2013 and 1st January 2014. It will be resumed on 8th January 2014.
Notice of EGM on 26th January 2014: Notice is given hereby to all members to attend an Extraordinary General Meeting called by the diaconate to be held on 26th January 2014 at 12:30pm at the Chapel of the church.
Motion (1): To call Pastor Chadd Hafer as a full-time pastor of the church to serve CroydonPark@10 English congregation. His term will be 3 years and renewable.
Motion (2): To call Rev. Andrew Choy as a part-time minister of the church to serve the Cantonese congregation. His term will be 3 years and renewable.
Proxy forms will be available from any deacons or ministers and should be returned to deacons or ministers or by fax or email to WSCCC. Deadline of proxy form to be received as valid vote is 24th January 2014 at 12:30pm. Any proxy form received after the deadline becomes invalid and will not be counted.
Ariel writes – a weekly Scriptural devotion:
He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognise him… The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. (John 1:10, 14a NIV)
At Christmas each year we remember the Word who became flesh. We dress it up in language of hope. We sing songs filled with joy. We give gifts of love. It is a festive season for us, and rightly so. However, we must never forget the Christmas narratives in Matthew, Luke, and John, also paint another picture for us. A canvas filled with people not recognising, not receiving, and even rejecting Jesus. King Herod raging at the idea that there might be another king. Simeon prophesying that Jesus would cause the falling of many in Israel. The world’s hatred of Jesus to the point that it rejects Him. At Christmas each year we should also reflect, mourn, and weep that the Word becoming flesh also has a sad side to it. This little baby boy who is God’s reflection, salvation, and Word came into a hostile world that would ultimately crucify Him, and parts of this world are still hostile to Him today.
from pastor Ariel