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U Matters

Matt Peterson wrote a poem that sums us the season:

Only she who had little of this world
To lose—refugee, unwed mother,
Carried by tradition and a donkey—
Let the presence of God fill her to bursting,
A love the world said there was no room.

By and through tender flesh, a baby
Will be raised. A baby, love made flesh, is born
To save us from ourselves,
From the shame we cling to,
From the doubts we depend on,

For us to serve, for us
To clothe, for us
To shelter, for us
To bury, for us
To mourn, for us
To raise.

Behold, a child is born.
Be held by God with us.

Matt and Monte Peterson, along with their children Finn and Willa have returned to Hong Kong and Union. Monte has led our “just10” initiative and is coordinating small groups and adult education. Matt is the head of English at CIS. And as you just read, he is a poet.
Happy Christmas!

Gratefully
Pastor Greg

This Week

Stewardship

US TAXPAYER
For US Taxpayers wishing to make tax-deductible donations for the 2017 tax year, please ensure that cheques are made payable to “Friends of Hong Kong Charities, Inc.” and are dated before 31 December 2017.

Please send your cheques to our Church Admin Office latest by 31 December 2017, otherwise your donation will not be recognized in the 2017 tax year. Thank you for your continuous support to Union Church.

Online Giving
“Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.”  Malachi 3:10
 
All of your giving, including tithes, offerings and special gifts for Missions, can be paid online via our website or mobile app.  The church has made this possible in order to make giving more convenient for our congregation.

 

If you have any questions about online giving, feel free to write to accounts or call 21010415. Thank you for your continued faithful giving.  

 

December Service Schedule Update

U-Café Services will be held throughout December.
Please Note: There will be no U-Bar Service at Hotel Indigo on 24 & 31 December.

 

24 December	Advent IV & Christmas Eve
8:45AM	Carols & Communion
9:45AM	Carols & their story
11:15AM	Carol Praise
11:15AM	U-Café Christmas Praise
	Please note: There will be no U-Bar today
5:00PM	Jazzy Family Service and Candlelight
7:00PM	Traditional Carols and Candlelight
25 December	Christmas Day
10:00AM	Carols & Choir
31 December	New Year Eve
	Normal Morning Service Schedule
	Please note: There will be no U-Bar and 5:15PM services today

 

   

  

Christmas Special Offering for Missions

For this year's Christmas Special Offering on Christmas Eve, we wish to bless the global church in the Middle East and North Africa from here in Hong Kong. The special offering will support SAT-7, a broadcast ministry that works to see transformed lives and a growing church throughout the Middle East and North Africa. SAT-7 is using cutting-edge technology to produce and share Christian programming to the Arabic, Farsi, and Turkish speaking world. This year's Special Offering will go to building their brand-new SAT-7 Academy Arabic-language educational channel that targets refugee children who have been forced out of school for several years and have been forced into radicalization programs. These refugees families are not allowed to work; they have no jobs, no welfare, and no justice. Please join our Union members in giving this Christmas to God's global church.

Opportunities

Prayer for Union Come lift up the needs of Union Church. Join us every Tuesday morning at 7:30AM for a time of prayer in the sanctuary.

Family in Need

If you have clean and gently worn winter clothing for girls 2.5 and 4, please contact a member of the Families in Need Committee: Charles Schmitt, Isabel Morrison, Brian Woo or Pastor Michele or email .  Thank you.

Serve

If you are looking for a place to serve at Union Church Pastor Michele would love to chat!
With growing services, especially at 11:15AM service, we have 4 locations operational at the same time, we could really use your help in the usher greeter team.
Options:
Main sanctuary (4 people needed each Sunday; welcoming, actively seating; offering);
Door (this is a meet and greet -traffic control -directing people -children, bathrooms, services etc)
Foyer (front line of Union Church -welcoming, directing people to Hotel Indigo when the 18/F is full)
If you can help once a month it would be greatly appreciated. 

Membership

There is no better time than NOW to become a member at Union Church. If interested in membership, please see or contact Pastor Michele or Pastor Greg for details.

 

Small Group

Looking for a small group? There are some great options available. Women, Intergenerational, Men - check out the brochure.

 

Youth

Christmas Break – No Friday or Sunday Youth Group
Please take note that there will be no Friday or Sunday Youth Group over the Christmas break. Youth will resume again on Friday, 5 January.

 

Questions? Email YOUTH

 

Kingdom Kids

Christmas Community Outreach
We would like to thank all the families who have joined us for the HOLF Mini Musical and the St. Barnabas Christmas Outreach. Thank you for making the time to share the love of Christ and the joy of Christ’s birth with the residence of HOLF and St. Barnabas. Your visit was greatly appreciated by both organisation.

NO SUNDAY SCHOOL on Christmas Day & Sunday, 31 DEC 2017
For both Christmas Day service on Monday and on Sunday, 31 December 2017, there will be NO Sunday School and children are welcomed to join their parents at the sanctuary for church service. Thank you for your kind understanding.

Sunday School In Year 2018
We will resume our regular Sunday School on Sunday, 7 January 2018 at both the 9:45AM and 11:15AM service.

 

Sunday School 2017/2018 Registration 
In order to receive updates regarding Children Ministry program and for the safety of all children attending our Sunday School and Creche Program, we asked that parents to please register their children by filling in and signing the Registration Form available on our church website and also at the Welcome Table. Register HERE and for more information, please visit www.unionchurchhk.org or contact us at CHILDREN or 2101 0414. Thank you. 

 

Last Week's Sermons

Please click on the link below to download:

Second Commandment: "What Idols Do You Worship?" by Pastor Greg Anderson

Patterns, Stories and Trajectories by Andrew Chua