Chairperson: Mr Nixon Fong
Speaker: Pastor ET Wong
Worship: Steve G, Enoch M, Fay O, Kenny P, Kinson L, Calla W, Violet Y, Herman
Proclamation
Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints.
Let Israel rejoice in their Maker: let the people of Zion be glad in their King.
Psalm 149:1–2
Opening Prayer
Singspiration
The Ten Commandments
Scripture Reading
Sermon
Title: Jesus the King
Response Hymn
Closing prayer
Doxology
Benediction
Threefold Amen
Announcements
The English Service is holding a Christmas carnival on Tuesday 25 December from 3 pm to 5 pm. Each ticket costs $10 and will be used for games or purchasing food on the day. All profits will go to Auckland City Mission. Please invite friends to join.
Mandarin Christmas evangelical Sunday service will be held today from 2:30 to 4:30 pm. The program includes music worship, children’s choir performance, drama and evangelical message. Refreshment will be served afterward. Brothers and sisters are encouraged to invite Mandarin speaking friends and family, and pray for this event.
Cantonese Congregation will hold a Christmas worship and lunch gathering on 23 December from 10.45 am to 2.00 pm. Brothers and sisters are welcome to join and please feel free to bring friends along with. Please register at the Usher’s desk by 16 December if you would like to join the lunch gathering where offering is by will.
There is a registration form for floral offering for 2019 on the Usher’s desk. We invite all who want to participate in this ministry to register.
Church expansion update: The Resources Consent document has been submitted to the City Council and received a reply from the City Council on 13th Dec. Therefore, we can proceed with the expansion project and the construction dates will be confirmed soon. An expansion executive team is set up to replace the previous team which manages the progress of the project. Members: Franklin Fung, Royden Tsui. Praise the Lord for his guidance and the earnest prayers of the brothers and sisters, and thank the members of the expansion team for their hard work over the past years.
Congregation news: Our brother Michael Kwok passed away last Monday, and now rest in the arms of the Lord. The funeral was held in the church yesterday. Please keep his family in your prayers and May God comfort his wife, Amy Yeung and his son Alan and daughter Gigi.
The administrator, Stanley Yu will be on leave from 18th Dec to 22nd January next year.
Mission News
Praying for Turkey:
A mix of antiquity and innovation, the nation of Turkey combines modernized industry with traditional agriculture to be the sixteenth largest economy in the world. Simultaneously one of the poorer nations of Europe yet also the most developed of the Turkic countries in Central and Western Asia, Turkey has acted as a bridge between these two worlds while remaining separate from either.
In spite of growth, the economy continues to be hindered by a high deficit and is dependent on unreliable, short-term investments. The Kurdish people, who compose nearly one fifth of the total population within Turkey, are in dispute with the Turks over ethnic recognition. Although the Kurdish language can legally be used in print and spoken in public settings, the government will often prosecute Kurd speakers and confiscate publications under the guise of prohibiting separatist propaganda. In response, the Kurds have sometimes violently demanded cultural rights, resulting in conflicts that have taken the lives of over thirty thousand people since the early 1980's. Security forces are also fighting narcotics trafficking from Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan into Europe.
Turkey is a secular state without an official state religion. The Turkish Constitution provides people with the right to religious freedom. According to 2016 data, Islam is the main religion of Turkey 83% of the total population. Secondly, 13% are non-religious. Christianity is 2%.
Even though it was one of the earliest mission fields and home to many New Testament churches, hostility and persecution of Christians is strong in Turkey. It is culturally accepted that to be a Turk, one must be Muslim, even if nominally so, and over 98 percent claim the faith. Muslim extremists, government intimidation, and family pressure discourage many from coming to Christ and there is a deep national resentment towards Christianity, making evangelism more difficult. Even in the midst of persecution, God still stands, and He is calling out to His people of Turkey to accept the love and peace that only comes from him.
Mission Prayer Items:
• A radical change in deep-seated prejudices and biases against Christianity
• Wise leadership to peacefully navigate the tense rivalry between staunch nationalists and radical Islamists
• The work of evangelism to go forth in power despite increased hostilities and bitter persecution toward believers
For more information on Turkey, go to the website: https://prayercast.com/turkey.html
Prayer Items for the Week
Pray for brothers and sisters’ heart to apply the church motto in their life – Having the same mind as Christ.
Praise the Lord that we have reached an agreement with the Council’s planner this week with regards to our operating hours. Pray that we will be able to start the construction in the near future. Please continue to pray for the church expansion project.
Pray for the recruitment of an English pastor. May God prepare a suitable pastor to minister the English congregation.
Last Week's Service Attendance
Cantonese Service: 120, Pre-Service Prayer Meeting: 9
English Service: 65, Prayer Meeting: 35, Children Sunday School: 15
Mandarin Service: 57, Prayer Meeting: 6, Children Sunday School: 15
Next Week's Roster
Chairperson: Ms Amy Tong
Speaker: Pastor ET Wong
Worship: Sharon C, Daniel H, Justin L, Charlie M, Lilian W, Marco Y, Edward G