Newsletter 2017/1/8

Lord’s Day Message: Looking Back and Forward of Our Church Life

¹ I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, ² with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, ³ eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit–just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call– ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

⁷ But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. ⁸ Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” ⁹ (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? ¹⁰ He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)

¹¹ And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, ¹² to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, ¹³ until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, ¹⁴ so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. ¹⁵ Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, ¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

• The unity of the church

1. The unity is given by the Spirit, however, we need to keep it
2. The unity is not of man, but is given by God through His salvation: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all
3. When the church keeps the unity, then God can give us grace and gifts to build up His church

• Building up the church in love through the gifts given by the Lord

1. The gifts are given by the Lord, and also are perfected through those who have gifts
2. To serve with gifts we need to be joined and function together
3. The church is built up in love

• The practical leading of our church life

1. Our young people meeting, junior and senior high schooler, university students
2. Chinese speaking young people meeting
3. Adults home meeting

Message Next Week:Gal. 6:11-18

Church Meetings/Time/Place

Home Meeting:   8/1 Sun. 7:30pm, Patrick & Lily, cancelled

9/1 Mon., 7:30pm,  Richard & Flora’s, (Dinner @ 7pm)

Chinese speaking YP meeting 10/1 10:00 am., John Ji

Pursuing of Uni Students: 10/1 Tue. 7:30pm, Yulin’s (Dinner @ 7pm)

Sisters Meeting: 11/1 Wed. 10:00am, Anne’s

Prayer Meeting: 11/1 Wed. 7:45pm,

Olsen & Likun (Warrawee)

Lydia Xu (Chatswood)

Pursuing of Words: 13/1  Fri., David Tan’s

Young People Meeting/Home meeting for Adults：14/1 Sat. 7:30pm, Bill & Christine’s

Announcements:

1. We welcome all the new ones who are joining us today. May God bless you and lead you into this family of God.
2. On January 22^nd to 24^th 2017 there will be a young people camp (year 6 and up) at La Vigna (Pokolbin, Hunter Valley) to care for them as we go into a new year.

The camp will be served fully by university students (with some adults supervision). It includes activities, hymns, and message (Acts 9, the conversion of Paul).

The estimated cost is about $150 per person. For details please contact Sister Elsa Young or Hannah Cui. Please also register as soon as possible that the rooms and food can be arranged earlier.

3. The church plans to have another gospel meeting on January 29^th 2017 (Chinese New Year). It will focus mainly on gospel message with hymns and testimonies. Please pray  for the meeting and ask the Lord add more people to His church.

<Reminder>

1. During the meeting, please turn off your mobile phone or put the volume on silence and not to walk around or to wonder/talk too laud in the kitchen.
2. When you prepare the love feast for Lord’s Day lunch, please do not prepare any food containing nuts as someone may have food allergy.

Please refrain from bringing uncooked food for the love feast so we may lighten the work for the serving ones in the kitchen.

Intercession:

1. May the Lord bless the gospel friends among us that they can know how precious the Lord is and are willing to believe in Him.
2. Pray for sisters Angela and Sarah that the Lord blesses their trip in US that they may receive bountiful supply of life in visiting churches and attending the conferences.
3. Pray for the new believers (David Hu, Gerald Huang, Bangde Liu, Peter Zhang Michael Qiu, and Hui Li 6 brothers and Li Li, Mandy Zhou, Leonie, Berry Fei, Jessica Li, Hennah Dong, Grace Li, Tina Xhang and Chrystal Lin 9 sisters) May the Lord establish them in the church life and bless their growth in life.
4. Pray for the brothers and sisters or their relatives  who are weak in body or spirit. May the Lord care for them and give them sufficient grace. Pray especially for the health of Brothers Shanwon Chow and Sister AhSeng Chow.
5. May the Lord bless and lead our young people who are entering into university that they can get into a university fit for them and help them to grow in the Lord.

Serving Next Week: (Jan. 15)

1. Message: Patrick Li & David Tan
2. Breaking the Bread: Richard Chen & Richard Huang
3. Serving Bread and Cup:  Richard Cui, Jason Wang, Sam Li & Chuan Ma
4. Cleaning:  TBA
5. Kitchen: DD & Lydia
6. Children: Supervisor – Lily, Singing – Jono & Christine, Teachers – Betty & Lian