WELCOME TO HWC ENGLISH SERVICE (13 April 2025)

Chairperson: Nixon Fong

Speaker: Pastor Reverend Albert Tang

Singspiration: Timothy Yeung

Committee on Duty: Vincent Chan

Proclamation
I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever.

Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.

One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts.

(Psalm 145:1, 3-4)

Opening Prayer

Singspiration

Apostles Creed

Scripture Reading
Hebrew 13:1-6

Sermon
Acceptable Service to God

Response Hymn

Closing Prayer

Doxology

Benediction

Threefold Amen

Announcements

  1. A warm welcome to everyone who joined us this morning. We are delighted to see you all.

  2. Good Friday Service: Join us for a special Good Friday Service on 18 April 2025 at 4:00 PM in the Church Extension. It will be a time of worship, reflection, and Holy Communion as we remember the sacrifice of Christ. There will also be children’s activities to help them engage with the Good Friday message. Please set aside this time and bring your family along as we come together in worship. We look forward to seeing you there!

  3. The 57th Baptism Sunday Combined Service will be held on 20/04/2025 at 10:00 AM.

    a) There are three individuals being baptised this year: HUANG Yue Qing and Wai Ching CHANG (who were baptised in elderly home on 12/4) from the Cantonese congregation; and Charis WONG from the English congregation.

    b) Six individuals are being welcomed into church membership: Chi Ho Perhan LAU, Sin Yu Karis HO, Sai Woh WONG, Suet Yi WONG, and Connie Pik Yi IP from the Cantonese congregation, and Wesley Lin from the Mandarin congregation.

    c) Two children are being dedicated: Pat Lam LAU and Pok Lai LAU, children of Perhan LAU and Karis HO from the Cantonese Service.

  4. For the combined service next week, we will be using Telegram Messenger to do the English translation.

    If you are unfamiliar with Telegram, please follow the instructions from the link below to download the App on your phone.

    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1V6J-hq_kVwmihKW2D94unQqmemYuUjryPxN5WPqY4OI/edit?usp=sharing

    After installing the app, please join the HWC translation channel using the following link:

    https://t.me/joinchat/RIXRrc8uO0swMTYx

    If you require Wi-Fi access, please feel free to scan the QR code located at the entrance to connect to the church guest Wi-Fi network. And don't forget to bring your earphones.

  5. Our next Men Support Group (MSG) session is 4th May 2pm (Dallen's house). More details to come.

  6. 3 Strands: Today we will share how to balance family life and work life. On top of that, we will also have tea making. Egg tart will be provided.

    Time: 1:30pm-3:30pm

  7. Camp 2025 Feedback: We have received 10 responses so far regarding the camp from last week's Open Forum. To help with planning, we encourage everyone to submit their feedback. The QR code and link to the response form are available in the upper hall. You can also access the current responses at the following link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdn1-dmpgwZ7KXdOBrdlfFVpr2KsxU7S72bm7Gdmv4tjXSbPQ/viewform

    Thank you for your input! 

  8. Pastor ET is away preaching at Chinese Alliance Christian Church (CACC) this morning. 

  9. Overseas Mission and Hardship Fund Financial Report for March 2025

Overseas Mission Hardship
Balance 4,175.01 1,921.19
Donation Received 590.00 100.00
Interest Received 4.29 1.86
Balance on 31 March 2025 4,769.30 2,023.05

Mission News

  1. Mission Month Planning – Our pastors are currently preparing for this year’s Mission Month. Please pray for wisdom in their planning and for success in inviting the right guest speakers.

  2. S & C – They are shepherding a team of 14 full-time and part-time co-workers, and ministering in a field with over 200 students and parents. Pray for God to grant them strength and energy. Give thanks that several seekers have recently decided to follow Christ, showing great enthusiasm in their faith and evangelism. They are also working on creating more culturally appropriate teaching materials. Due to certain reasons, S needs to travel to another region several days a week for ministry—please pray for wisdom in managing time.

  3. H & P – They have recently rented a space near a university with several co-workers, planning to establish an activity centre to reach out to students. They are also discussing with missionaries from creative access areas about how to promote mission mobilisation. Pray for strength and wisdom. Also remember their firstfruits in the field—may God establish and strengthen their faith!

  4. Rev. Janet Tam – Pray for her new visa application, hoping she receives it before her planned leave on May 1. She is also preparing for the Good Friday service and following up with new visitors. On top of this, she drives over 100km to serve in Smile Lanka. Pray for strength, health, and God’s protection over her body and soul.

  5. H & Y – Give thanks that their one-year visa was approved, and during a recent home visit, they led some relatives and friends to Christ. Pray for God to protect these young believers and help them grow in faith. Their team is planning to establish a local church this year and promote discipleship and devotional habits. They also hope to learn an instrument to use in worship—pray that the Lord will grant these desires.

  6. James Che – While taking time to rest and regain strength in New Zealand, James is also assisting his wife in expanding God’s Kingdom. Pray for God’s guidance and protection over their ministry, for the work of their hands to bear fruit, and for continued good health.

  7. Nicholas Yao – Nicholas continues his outreach ministry on a university campus in Wellington, connecting with students open to hearing the gospel. Please pray that more unreached people will encounter the good news and turn to Christ. May the Lord bless his ministry and draw many to Himself.

Giving

Let us remember the joy of giving and the blessings it brings to both the giver and the receiver. Tithe offering is a duty of all Christians. By giving, we honour God and fulfill His work through our church. May God bless the offering we willingly give. For more details on how you can give, please visit our church website: https://holywordchurch.org.nz/en/giving.

Prayer Items

  1. Refer to the Mission Prayer News above.

Last Week's Sunday Service Attendance (06 April 2025)

English Cantonese (East) Cantonese (North Shore) Mandarin
Sunday Service 67 166 29 53
Prayer Meeting 43 9 2 20
Children Sunday School 30 - 2 21

Next Week's Roster (20 April 2025)

Chairperson: Daisy Poon

Speaker: Pastor Ernest Kwok

Singspiration: Mandarin Service

Committee on Duty: Jenny Ip

WELCOME TO HWC ENGLISH SERVICE (6 April 2025)

Chairperson: Amy Tong

Speaker: Pastor Herman Yeung

Singspiration: Rebecca Ho

Committee on Duty: Emily Tsang

Proclamation
Sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
The LORD has made his salvation known
and revealed his righteousness to the nations.
(Psalm 98:1-2)

Opening Prayer

Singspiration

Apostles Creed

Bible Moments

Scripture Reading
Luke 18:1-8

Sermon
Perseverance

Response Hymn

Holy Communion

Doxology

Benediction

Threefold Amen

Announcements

  1. A warm welcome to everyone who joined us this morning. We are delighted to see you all.

  2. Senior Pastor Appointment Announcement: We thank God for His grace and guidance! After prayerful consideration, Reverend E Ting Wong has accepted the church’s invitation and will officially assume the role of Senior Pastor on 19 May. We firmly believe that under God's leadership, Reverend ET will walk together with our pastors, deacons, congregation leaders, and brothers and sisters to shepherd the church, build one another up, and grow together in the Lord.

    Please pray for wisdom and strength for Reverend ET and his family. We also invite everyone to commit in prayer and dedication to the mission entrusted to us, so that our church may continue to grow in love and truth, bearing witness to Christ.

  3. Good Friday Service: Join us for a special Good Friday Service on 18 April 2025 at 4:00 PM in the Church Extension. It will be a time of worship, reflection, and Holy Communion as we remember the sacrifice of Christ. There will also be children’s activities to help them engage with the Good Friday message. Please set aside this time and bring your family along as we come together in worship. We look forward to seeing you there!

  4. The 57th Baptism Sunday Combined Service will be held on 20/04/2025 at 10:00 AM. Brothers and sisters, please mark the date and attend on time.

  5. The Finance Department:

    • The 2024-2025 donation receipts will be issued in early May. To ensure the accuracy of your name and email address on the receipt, we kindly ask those who are giving for the first time this year, have changed their email address, or have never received a donation receipt via email to send their IRD-registered name and email address to accounts@holywordchurch.org.nz. For any inquiries, please contact Tony Yeung. All information provided will be used solely for issuing church donation receipts.

    • A reminder for all ministry teams that due to the auditing process for the 2024-2025 church accounts, all expense reimbursement requests must be submitted by 6 April 2025. Any requests submitted after this date will be allocated to the next financial year. Thank you for your cooperation.

  6. Deacon Board: According to the Incorporated Societies Act 2022, all non-profit organisations or societies must complete re-registration by April 2026. In addition, before re-registering, they must submit a constitution that complies with the requirements of the new Act.

    In response, the deacon board is actively reviewing the church’s current constitution to ensure that it not only meets legal requirements but is also refined in a clear and concise manner to better suit the church’s present needs. The revised constitution will be reviewed by a lawyer, then made available for members to read, and finally put to a vote at the Annual General Meeting (AGM).

    We earnestly ask for your prayers, that the Lord will guide this entire revision process so that the new constitution may align with the needs of His church and bring glory to His name. 

    For everyone’s convenience, the current church rule book has been uploaded to the church website for reference. Additionally, printed copies are available at the usher’s table for those who wish to take one. 

  7. Open Forum & 18th Anniversary Celebration: Join us for a special morning tea today as we celebrate 18 years of the English Service! It’s a time to give thanks, enjoy fellowship, and reflect on God’s faithfulness. After morning tea, we’ll have an Open Forum—a chance to discuss our church’s upcoming plans, share ideas, and ask questions. This is a great opportunity to be part of the conversation as we look ahead together. Everyone is welcome—come celebrate and join the discussion!

Mission News

  1. Mission Department Leadership – Pray for the development of the Mission Department, as the position of mission department head has been vacant for a long time. May God provide the right leader.

  2. S & C’s Ministry – Pray for S & C as they serve in their local mission field. Their ministry includes shepherding believers and co-workers, preaching, leading Bible study groups, and sharing the gospel with unbelieving parents.

  3. H & P’s Outreach – Praise God! Over 20 people have registered for the newly launched Growing Participator Approach (GPA) language learning method. Pray that God will use this language training to bless many. Also, the Mission Home is now open for registration—pray that God will lead more mission-minded believers to sign up, take on the challenge, and expand His kingdom.

  4. Rev. Janet Tam – Praise God that the mission fund for last year has been fully provided! Please also pray for her father’s knee degeneration, asking for God’s healing.

  5. H & Y’s Visa – Continue to pray for H & Y’s visa application as they serve in their local mission field. May God open doors for them.

  6. James and Jessica Che – Pray for James and Jessica as they serve at Evangelical Formosan Church of North Shore. Jessica will take on a ministry role there—pray for God’s guidance and strength as they labour in the harvest field.

  7. Nicholas Yao’s Campus Ministry in Wellington – Nicholas and his team conducted a large student survey during the semester’s start, reaching 2,242 students, with 646 expressing interest in hearing the gospel. Additionally, 100 Christian students showed interest in learning how to share their faith. This week, they are beginning follow-ups with those interested. Pray for Nicholas as he enters this busy season of ministry—may God strengthen him!

Giving

Let us remember the joy of giving and the blessings it brings to both the giver and the receiver. Tithe offering is a duty of all Christians. By giving, we honour God and fulfill His work through our church. May God bless the offering we willingly give. For more details on how you can give, please visit our church website: https://holywordchurch.org.nz/en/giving.

Prayer Items

  1. Living Out the Message – Pray that we will persevere in faith and prayer, trusting in God's perfect justice and timing. May we be persistent like the widow in Luke 18:1-8, knowing that God is far more just and compassionate than the unjust judge.

  2. Senior Pastor Appointment – Pray for Pastor E Ting Wong as he steps into the role of Senior Pastor. Ask God to grant him wisdom, strength, and discernment as he leads the church. Pray also for unity among pastors, deacons, and congregation members as they serve together.

  3. Thanksgiving for 18 Years of English Service – Give thanks to God for His faithfulness in sustaining the English Service for the past 18 years. Pray that we will continue to grow as a Christ-centred, welcoming, and mission-focused community, glorifying God in all we do.

Last Week's Sunday Service Attendance (30 March 2025)

English Cantonese (East) Cantonese (North Shore) Mandarin
Sunday Service 58 170 24 45
Prayer Meeting 42 10 4 19
Children Sunday School 32 - 3 19

Next Week's Roster (13 April 2025)

Chairperson: Nixon Fong

Speaker: Rev. Albert Tang

Singspiration: Timothy Yeung

Committee on Duty: Vincent Chan