Chairperson: Vincent Chan
Speaker: Herman Yeung
Singspiration: Edmund Wong
Committee on Duty: Nixon Fong
Proclamation
Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.
Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.
Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
Look to the LORD and his strength;
seek his face always.
(Psalm 105:1-4)
Opening Prayer
Singspiration
Ten Commandments
Scripture Reading
Luke 15:1-2 ; 11-32
Sermon
The Lost Sons
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. 58th Baptism will be held on 05/10 as a combined service for all three congregations. For those who want to be baptised, please contact any Pastors, Deacons or your Small Group Leaders. The deadline is 24/08. All baptism applicants are required to have their nurturing course completed. Once an application is received, baptism class will be arranged and the deacons will meet with you to confirm your faith. Please also contact us if you would like to have your church membership transferred to HWC or would like to have child dedication.
3. Church Annual General Meeting: The AGM will be held on Saturday, 27 July 2025 at 1:30 PM. The official notice was distributed last week via email, post, and hand delivery. From today onward, members may enquire with the church administrator to check their eligibility to vote, which requires that they are over 18 years of age and have attended at least 50% of worship services in the past 52 weeks. If any member has questions regarding the documents, please submit a signed letter via email to the Deacons Board at hwc@holywordchurch.org.nz by 19 July 2025.
If you are unable to attend the AGM on the day due to other commitments, you may authorise another member—who has met the required 50% or above attendance rate—to attend on your behalf, express opinions, and vote on the agenda items during the meeting. Please fill in the proxy form previously provided and submit it in person, by post, or by email (PDF format) to hwc@holywordchurch.org.nz by 1:30 PM on Friday, 25 July. Proxy forms submitted after this deadline will be considered invalid.
If you are unable to attend the AGM to vote in the deacon election, you may contact the church office in person to request a ballot. Once completed and signed, the ballot must be returned to the church by 1:30 PM on Friday, 25 July. Ballots submitted after this deadline will be considered invalid.
If any member has questions regarding the documents, please send a signed letter by email to the Deacons Board at hwc@holywordchurch.org.nz by today, 20 July.
We sincerely invite all members to reserve the time and attend the meeting, so that together we may faithfully care for our church and its ministries. Please pray for the smooth running of the AGM.
4. 2026 Equip conference is now open for registration. is a 5-day non-residential conference designed to help you understand and teach the Bible better. You’ll get practical tools for reading the Bible, as well as support and feedback from experienced pastors and Bible teachers from around the country.
There are 4 strands
- Strand 1: Studying a New Testament passage
- Strand 2: Studying an Old Testament passage
- Strand 3: Studying a particular subject concerning God based on the bible
- Strand 4: Exploring how the Bible speaks to ethical issues i.e. how to live out God's word in God’s world.
For the first-time participant, you will need to first go on strand 1, then in your second year, you will go on strand 2 so on and so forth. For students in Years 9–13, there's also a Youth Strand, which covers the basics of Bible study. Whether you’re a small group leader, a TNT teacher, or someone who wants to dig deeper into God’s Word, this conference is for you.
Here are the details:
Dates: 5–9 January 2026
Time: 10am–3pm each day
Evening Sessions: 7pm, free and open to everyone
Location: One Tree Hill College, Penrose (421–451 Great South Road, Auckland)
Cost: $259 for any strand | $155 for the Youth Strand
(Includes morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, and conference materials)
If you’re under 18 and cost is a concern, please speak to your small group leader or one of our pastors — we’d love to chat and see how we can support you.
5. Open Forum: We are now in the final week of our Open Forums in preparation for the upcoming AGM. Over the past two weeks, we have covered topics such as the church budget and our Constitution. Today, we will conclude with a session focused on the Deacon Election. All are welcome to stay behind after service for this important time of sharing and discussion. Let’s continue to seek God’s wisdom together as we build up His church.
6. Notice of Administrator’s Leave: Our church administrator, Stanley Yu, will be undergoing knee surgery tomorrow and will need four weeks of rest for recovery. Please remember him in your prayers—asking the Lord to guide the surgery and grant a smooth, full recovery.
During Stanley’s leave, Elain Law from the Cantonese congregation will be temporarily taking over his responsibilities. Her working hours will be:
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 9:15 AM – 1:45 PM
Thursday: 9:15 AM – 5:15 PM
Saturday: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Thank you for your understanding and continued support.
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
Pray that as we reflect on today’s message, we would each recognise our deep need for God’s grace—whether we’ve strayed far like the younger son, or struggled with self-righteousness like the older brother. Ask God to help us come humbly to Him, resting not in our efforts but in His boundless love and mercy.
Pray for God’s wisdom and unity as our church prepares for the upcoming AGM. May the meeting be marked by clear communication, shared vision, and a spirit of love as we make decisions that shape the future of our ministry together.
Pray that the Lord would raise up faithful and servant-hearted leaders through the deacon election. Ask God to guide the voting process and to appoint those who will serve with humility, discernment, and a heart for His people.
Last Week's Sunday Service Attendance (13 July 2025)
| English | Cantonese (East) | Cantonese (North Shore) | Mandarin | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday Service | 46 | 176 | 25 | 47 |
| Prayer Meeting | 24 | 7/102 | 5 | 15 |
| Children Sunday School | 28 | - | 3 | 18 |
Next Week's Roster (27 July 2025)
Chairperson: Amy Tong
Speaker: Derek Lee
Singspiration: Shirley Ho
Committee on Duty: Sunny Ha
