U Matters
Last weekend our Trustees, Deacons, Staff and the Committee of Management met for a half day leaders retreat at Sunlight Tower. It was a wonderful time together. I was encouraged by the worship, the sharing, the envisioning, the connecting, the laughter, the fellowship and the engagement. I am grateful for each of our leaders and their desire to use their gifts to glorify God and build up His church. There is much to celebrate and look forward to, as we envision mission and ministry for 2020 and beyond.
This Sunday, we will conclude our four-week sermon series on Biblical Peacemaking. The four G’s is a helpful framework to think through conflict resolution and it provides an opportunity to self-examine, to take a step back to ask ourselves, does this conflict Glorify God and what part of the conflict comes from me (Get the log out of your own eye)? The four G’s also remind us to take the first step to Gently Restore and encourages us to Go and be Reconciled. These are helpful tools to consider. Small groups and Recharge are wonderful opportunities to study this further.
As we prepare for the new year, may we remember that we are made new because of Christ –“if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Cor. 5:17
On behalf of the staff and leaders, we wish you all a very happy Chinese New Year,
Blessings,
Pastor Michele
Opportunities
Midweek Bible Study, Looking to study the Bible with others during your lunch break? Yan Yu leads a Bible study group on Tuesdays, from 12:30-2:00. They are starting Galatians on Feb 11, so it's a great time to join! Bring your own lunch, Union youth room.
Evangelism Workshop, February 16, Scripture says, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." (1 Peter 3:15).
Whether you joined us the first time around or not, please come for another opportunity to practise sharing our faith in everyday conversations, and discuss as a group any difficulties we have come across. Our prayer is that our Union Church congregation will indeed be prepared to witness our faith to others and will do so "with gentleness and respect". 12:30PM - 2:00PM. Light lunch provided.
Are you Parents with a new baby? Looking for fellowship with other parents also juggling the demands of work, marriage and parenthood? Let's gather on Sunday, February 16 after the 11:15 service for lunch, playtime, and mutual support. Contact Monte Peterson if interested in joining.
Lunchtime Alpha will return in February - Wednesday, February 19, from 1PM-2:15PM. Please pray about who you could invite, or better yet, bring along to this opportunity to learn about Christianity in a relaxed, non-threatening atmosphere. Pray that God works through this opportunity to bring Christ's light into Wan Chai!
Seniors Fellowship Group. We would like to start a fellowship group for the older members of our congregation for a time of caring and sharing. We will have a kick off morning on Thursday, 20 February. 10:30AM till noon. If you would like more information contact Isabel Morrison at thank you.
Hospitality volunteers needed! We are looking for volunteers to befriend our LTS students during their time in Hong Kong. If you are willing to host a student for lunch after church, or invite a student for a hike, sightseeing, etc., please contact Yan Yu ( ) or speak to someone at the Welcome Table.
If you are in need of some Pastoral Care Support, we encourage you to contact our administration team and they will be more than happy to help you get the support that you need.
Join the Union Team:
We are looking for an Assistant Youth Director, and a Crèche Coordinator. Please contact
stating which role you are interested in. We will contact you with more information about the role.
Small Groups
A new year is a great time to make a new commitment to fellowship and growth with other Christians! If you aren't currently in a group, we encourage you to try it out. There are groups for women, men, couples, day-time, night-time, etc. Interested? Contact Monte Peterson to start the new year off right!
Upcoming Events
The 5th Annual Ladies Retreat will be held in Penang on Friday February 28th to Monday March 2nd. There are early and late flights available to accommodate individual preferences. Hope you can join us. Please sign up at the welcome table and complete your formal registration by completing your details online using the QR code or the link - https://forms.gle/5Z9vdgVmDsMQUTiX9. Deadline for sign up and payment is 31 January 2020.
ReCharge is our chance to eat, worship and study together on Wednesday nights. Come get "recharged" for the rest of the week. We will break for Chinese New Year Jan 29, but start again Feb 5.
7:00PM dinner, 7:45PM classes begin.
Discipleship Explored: This journey through Paul’s letter to the Philippians is ideal for new believers, those recommitting to their relationship with God, or anyone who seeks to deepen their discipleship.
Peacemaking: Resolving Everyday Conflicts - we all encounter conflict - whether it be with a coworker, family member, friend, or stranger. Resolving Everyday Conflict is a practical, biblical, and concise guide to peacemaking in everyday life. Separate groups for adults and youth.
Young Adults are continuing their study of Jonah, The Prodigal Prophet.
Prayer at Union
All are welcome to join us for weekly prayer.
Tuesday Morning Prayer - 7:30 AM
Wednesday Prayer and Discernment for Union Church - 6:15 PM to 7:00 PM
Discernment & Prayer Group:
Thank you for joining us in prayer and discernment for Union Church, both individually and corporately. Now that several weeks have passed and as previously mentioned, we would welcome the opportunity to hear what the Union Church community is discerning. In the coming weeks there will be opportunities to share as we would like to hear from you. If you would like to send any comments, please look for a box at the Welcome Table. Additionally, the Deacons will continue to meet with small groups and other pockets of the congregation. If you are not in a small group and would like to meet up with any of our Deacons, please look for opportunities to do so next week and in the meantime please do not hesitate to contact us.
Youth
Friday Scripture and Prayer Night – Friday January 24
This Friday we will be taking time to delve into the Bible and look forward to the new year through scripture and prayer. The Prayer and Discernment Group at Union will be working with our Youth to help determine what God has in store for our Church and City.
What: Scripture and Prayer Night
Where: Union Church @ Sunlight
When: Friday, January 24. Meet at Union Church @ 6PM. Dinner at 7:30PM. Dismiss Juniors at 8PM.
NO Sunday Youth Group – Sunday January 26
Sunday Youth will be paused for CNY and resume the following Sunday, February 2.
Mongolia Mission Trip – April 7-12
In partnership with Flourishing Futures, Union Youth will be traveling to Ulaan Bataar in Mongolia, where we will be assisting in their numerous ministries to vulnerable families and children in the city’s Ger district, as well as learning how to be more effective disciples of Jesus Christ. Open to all members of the Union Church Congregation. Unaccompanied Youth must be aged 16+
Sign ups are now open and we need to put our team together as soon as possible! Please sign up HERE
Confirmation 2020
Confirmation is a chance for youth to confirm their faith in Jesus Christ with the support of the Congregation. This year’s course will be over 5 months starting in February.
All youth age 12+ are invited. If interested, please contact
Kingdom Kids
Influenza Season Precautionary Measures
As we are entering the influenza season, we are enforcing strict hygiene procedures such as temperature checks and the application of hand disinfectant spray before entering the classrooms. Our Creche centre and all Sunday School rooms are equipped with disinfectant spray machines which are safe and approved for use for babies and toddlers. If your child is running a temperature above 37.2 or is showing symptoms of cold and flu, we would appreciate it if you could keep your child at home until he or she is well. Thank you very much for your kind understanding and cooperation in keeping all of our children safe and healthy.
In addition, to keep the Crèche Center clean and safe for babies to use, we would appreciate if parents could leave baby strollers at the designated stroller parking area which can be found at the church main entrance door.
Sunday, 26 January 2020, 9:45AM & 11:15AM: Children are invited to join their families for worship in the sanctuary or join us for Veggie Tales movies in Rooms 2 & 3.
Sunday, 2 February 2020, 9:45AM & 11:15AM: Children’s Sunday School Resumes.
Sunday School 2019/2020 Registration
All children enrolling in our Sunday School and Creche Center MUST BE REGISTERED by filling in and signing the Registration Form HERE. For more information, please visit Union Church's website or contact us at CHILDREN or 21010414.
Missions
In keeping with the history of our church and the Great Commission, Mt. 28:18-20, we are excited about missions.
We are excited about the many ministries we support annually, both locally and internationally, and we hope you take advantage of opportunities to get involved. Each week, there will be a missions committee member at the welcome table; please ask them how you can participate or if you have questions. Additionally, please tune in to the video in the foyer to learn more.
We hope you welcome the many Lutheran Theological Students from Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand who are attending Union.
Sons & Daughters
Sons & Daughters share God's love with men and women in the red-light districts of Hong Kong. They have asked for our assistance with providing practical items, such as food, toiletries, and household items, for use in their drop-in centre and family home. If you are willing to donate items, please see the list of items needed at the Welcome Table.
To get involved with these and other ministries, please talk to any member of the missions committee: Nick Appel (Chairman), Kathy Foley (Secretary), Dennis Hopton, John Jamison, Melody Landes, Jeff Cheung, KK Ip, Yan Yu (Deacon), Michael Birley (COM). Additionally, David Ashton-Howorth and Pastor Michele attend meetings.
Filipino Ministry
1:00PM - 1:50PM Congregational Prayer
2:00PM - 2:50PM Bible Study Groups
3:00PM - 4:00PM Worship Service
Every 1st Sunday of the Month from 9:00AM to 12:00PM Outreach & Evangelism.
Stephen's Ministry
A Stephen Minister can help. Stephen Ministers are members of our congregation who listen, care, encourage, and provide emotional and spiritual support to people going through a crisis or a difficult time. Please contact Pastor Michele if we can help ( )
Ladies
Fertility & Pregnancy/Infant Loss Support Group - Struggling and could use some fellowship, friendship and support? Contact Sonia Lee.
Baptism and Membership
If you have been attending Union Church for a while and have never gone through the official process to become a member, now is your chance! Please collect a green form and make it official!
If you have never been baptised and are interested, please see Pastor Michele.
Family in Need (FIN)
If you would like to help support our family in need ministry, which helps people monthly with basic needs, please mark your envelope "FIN".
"The 4G's of Peacemaking: Gently Restore" - Monte Peterson
In the light of the protests and their impact on Hong Kong, we need to ensure the safety of our congregation and staff. We will always try to hold our services as normal, but we will implement the following procedures for our Sunday services when needed:
• All services will proceed as normal as long as there is no protest planned for the area directly around Sunlight Tower.
• In case of spontaneous events that might impact our congregation coming to Church, then our staff will make a decision on whether to suspend services. An email will be sent to all of our members to inform them of which services will be suspended.
We will try wherever possible to give as much notice as possible should we feel the need to suspend any service. Please make sure that you check your email before setting off for Church. You can help us by ensuring that we have your most up to date contact information. If you think your information may be incorrect, please contact
At this time, we would also like to remind you of our Typhoon/Severe Weather policy:
All Church activities remain unchanged when tropical cyclone warning signal number 1 or 3 is hoisted. They will also be unaffected by the amber or red rainstorm warning signals.
When the Hong Kong Observatory issues a ‘Pre No.8 Typhoon Warning Signal’ on a Sunday, we will complete any service taking place and ask people to leave the Church and make their way home. Services planned for after this will be suspended. When the black rainstorm warning signal or tropical cyclone warning signal number 8 or above is hoisted on a Sunday before 07:30AM, all Church activities (Worship services, Classes, Youth and Children’s programs etc.) scheduled at 9:45AM or before will be cancelled. If the signal is subsequently lowered 2 hours before the 11:15AM service, the 11:15AM service will be held as scheduled. If the signal is lowered after 1PM, the Church will remain closed for the rest of the day.