Chairperson: Jason Chow
Speaker: Herman Yeung
Singspiration: Timothy Yeung
Committee on Duty: Lisa Fung
Proclamation
How lovely is your dwelling place, LORD Almighty!
My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
(Psalm 84:1-2)
Opening Prayer
Singspiration
The Lord's Prayer
Scripture Reading
1 John 5:13-21
Sermon
Assurance
Response Hymn
Closing Prayer
Doxology
Benediction
Threefold Amen
Announcements
A warm welcome to everyone who joined us this morning. We are delighted to see you all.
Baptism Combined Service next Sunday, starting at 10:00 AM. Prayer meeting will be at 8:30 AM
There will be 6 individuals getting baptized, including: Phoebe Guo and Tiffany Li from the English congregation; Lisa Lai, Sik Hong Ho, Lucia Li and Fong Che Kuk from the Cantonese congregation.
Membership: Ming Tak Ngan, Khao Wai Lan, Wei Ning Ng William and Wai Ling Law from the Cantonese congregation.
Children Dedication: Daisy Chen (Parents: Hao Chen and Leah Li) and Ophelia Lin (Parents: Fan Lin and Shan Shan Chen) from the Mandarin congregation; and Hannah Elaine Ngan (Parents: Ming Take Ngan and Wai Ling Law) from the Cantonese congregation.The Church's 30th Anniversary Magazine, "Love & Legacy," will have its submission deadline on September 30, 2023. We encourage brothers and sisters to continue their efforts and submit their contributions enthusiastically. Please use your words to share the days of gratitude when God has been with us. You can send your submissions to the church email address: hwc@holywordchurch.org.nz.
The second semester of the "Chinese Learning Workshop" is now open for enrollment. Details are as follows:
Workshop Dates: 7/10 - 25/11 (Saturdays, 10:30 am - 11:30 am)
Location: New Extension
Registration Deadline: 24/9
Target Audience: Children of Holy Word Church and Friends, aged five and above, who can write and communicate in Cantonese, as the instruction will be in Cantonese.
Available Slots: 3 slots (first-come, first-served)
Cost: $40For more information, please contact KC Li, Mrs Ha, or Elain Lo. To register, please sign up on the registration form located at the ushers desk.
Smile Lanka: The Mission Department, in response to the recent financial difficulties faced by Smile Lanka and the need for building repairs, will place donation boxes on the church reception desk on the upcoming two Sundays (17/9 and 24/9) for the convenience of our touched brothers and sisters who wish to contribute. All donations will be transferred directly to the school's bank account after 30/9 (This fundraising activity is intended for their emergency needs and is not part of our annual budget). If you have any questions, please contact Deborah Joe or Tony Yeung.
Mission Month Offering Pledge: The budgeted expenditure for M4 of this fiscal year is NZ$31,100.00. Therefore, we are introducing the Mission Offering Pledge Card, allowing brothers and sisters to pledge their contributions based on faith for this fiscal year. This initiative will enable the department to effectively develop ministries for this year and the next. Pledge cards have been placed at the usher’s desk. When making your pledge, please follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, fill out the pledge card, and then place it in the offering box. Alternatively, you can submit your pledge online at www.holywordchurch.org.nz/mission-pledge. The deadline for collecting pledge cards and online pledges is September 30th.We have received a total of $1,500 in online contribution from two members to date.
Mid-Autumn Festival Community Outreach Event: Cantonese Mission Dept. and Community Outreach Team are co-hosting a Mid-Autumn Festival event on Saturday, 30 September. The theme is "Mid-Autumn Hong Kong-style Food FUN FUN Day." The event will take place from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM. There will be a variety of delicious foods and game stalls for children available. Brothers and sisters are encouraged to bring family, relatives, and neighbors, and invite friends who are interested in the Gospel. Entrance fee is $10 per person, and free for children of five and under. For more details, please refer to the poster. For inquiries or ticket purchase please contact Samantha Chan (Cantonese), Amy Tong or Sharon Chan (English), or Sean Wang (Mandarin).
TNT: There will be TNT at 11am today. We will be going through a book written by Mark Dever and Jamie Dunlop about how we can become a compelling community that we all desire. Here is a link to the notes: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_6QEvUK48EUCvl8u4DP4On54GOHnvjai?usp=sharing
Finance Department Update: Income and Expense Financial Report - August 2023
*August 2023 Contribution Income: General Offering $33,034
Building Offering $1,750
Local Mission Offering $1,620
Bank Balance as of August 2023: $649,204
| Aug 2023 Actual | Aug 2023 YTD Actual | Aug 2023 YTD Budget | FY2023 Budget | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Income | $38,193 | $200,398 | $201,090 | $482,939 |
| Total Expenses | $48,016 | $230,733 | $259,260 | $627,781 |
| Profits / (Losses) | ($9,822) | ($30,335) | ($58,170) | ($144,842) |
Mission News
Please pray for S & C as they need to train home church leaders and lead the weekly Bible study and prayer service.
H & P need to participate in the local church's mission month pulpit service. Please pray for the Lord to use them! After attending a book launch event in Australia at the end of the month, they will return to New Zealand in early October. Let's remember their safe travels.
Let's remember Pastor Janet Tam in prayer, asking the Lord to grant her strength and empowerment for her ministry. She is currently preparing for a short-term mission team's arrival in November.
H & Y's language courses started in mid-September. Please pray that they can balance their studies and ministry effectively in the new semester.
Missionary James and Jessica are currently arranging to return to Africa next month for their mission work. Please pray for their health and for everything to go smoothly.
Prayer Items for the Week
Pray that our church would increasingly love one another, encourage one another, guard one another, and so forth.
Pray that as our congregation deepens its commitment to each other, it would see deep friendships flourish.
Pray that we would find real joy from our friendships at church.
Last Week's Sunday Service Attendance (17 September 2023)
| English | Cantonese | Mandarin | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday Service | 60 | 142 | 48 |
| Prayer Meeting | 25 | 9 | 13 |
| Children Sunday School | - | - | 16 |
Next Week's Roster (1 October 2023)
Chairperson: Cassandra Chan
Speaker: Rev. Mureen Wong
Singspiration: Ruth Leung
Committee on Duty: Vincent Chan