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U MattersThe Psalmist writes, “I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.” Psalm 17:6
God answers prayer. This week I heard a story of a student who lost a hoodie (a Christmas gift) the first two days back at school. In speaking with the youth, “I just put it down on the pitch because I was hot, I left it there and when I returned it was gone. I have gone back every day and even checked the lost and found.” So, the family prayed that the hoodie would be returned. It would be a stretch they thought, but anything is possible with God. Just this week, the student announced with amazement, “the hoodie was on the pitch, the hoodie was in the very same place I left it.” Amazing. God hears our prayer and responds, even if it’s a hoodie. Prayer is one of the marks of a healthy church. Jesus said, "My house shall be called a house of prayer." Matthew 21:1 3 It is vital that we pray as individuals and as a community of faith. Union church has some tremendous opportunities to gather in prayer, this Saturday 26 Jan at 4:30PM-5:30PM and every Tuesday morning at 7:30AM, at Sunlight Tower. There are prayer groups you can join which are online, as well as, a prayer class that will continue this Wednesday night at Recharge. Prayer changes things. The Apostle Paul reminds us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Philippines 4:6 Blessings,
Pastor Michele This WeekChurch Family Meeting
There will be a church family Special General Meeting this Sunday 27 Jan from 1:00PM-2:15PM in the sanctuary. Purpose: To discuss the reasons for the departure of senior pastor Rev. Dr. Greg Anderson, and to discuss the future of Union Church Hong Kong. Formal details of the meeting, including the agenda of that meeting are available around the Church. Child care is provided. In order to help members prepare for the Special General Meeting, and to help answer any questions that might arise during the meeting, Union Church is making available to members the relevant Joint Leaders and COM meeting minutes from June through December 2018, as well as copies of the Union Church Ordinance, Church manuals and rules, and invoices for relevant outside consulting work done during this time. These documents are generally confidential, but are being made available to members to help understand the process under taken over the past several months with regard to Pastor Greg's departure. Certain leadership matters unrelated to Pastor Greg's performance or departure have been redacted; these include confidential human resource matters for other staff members (including performance reviews, compensation, etc.) and certain information of a personal nature to the Andersons. This limited material has been blacked out, but the information relating to Pastor Greg has been left available for viewing. To ensure the continued confidentiality of these materials, they will be provided in hard-copy format in the Church office. We ask that members register prior to viewing and, while taking notes is permitted, we ask that photos/photocopies not be made of the materials, and that they remain in the Church offices. Due to the security issues associated with placing such confidential materials on-line, we feel this is the safest way to make sure that members can view the information but that it not i nadvertent ly be circulated outside of the Church family. Two sets of the documents have been prepared, and these will be available for viewing during ordinary office hours, Friday 25 January 9:00AM-6:00PM; Saturday 26 January 9:00AM-5:00PM; Sunday 27 January 9:00AM-12:00PM and Monday-Friday starting 28 January to 1 February, and the documents will be available upon request thereafter. February Service Schedule Update27 January (Sunday) - "The Father's Heart, Our First Love: God is Generous" by Hunter Purvis
- Special General Meeting 3 February (Sunday) - "The Father's Heart, Our First Love: God is Love" by Pastor Michele
10 February (Sunday) - "The Father's Heart, Our First Love: God is Holy" by Antonin Ficatier
17 February (Sunday) - "The Father's Heart, Our First Love: God is Self-Sacrificing" by Revd Canon Dr G. Howard Mellor
24 February (Sunday) - "The Father's Heart, Our First Love: God Transforms" by Monte Peterson
*No ReCharge on 6 February as the Church Office will be closed on 5, 6 and 7 February for statutory holiday of Chinese New Year.
ReChargeReCharge is a weekly night at Union Church where we fellowship, worship, and study.
Join us on Wednesdays: 7:00PM - dinner (suggested donation towards the cost of food: $100) 7:30PM - worship 7:45PM-9:00PM - classes Prayer: Connecting to the Father’s Heart Sometimes we all get into a rut and need encouragement in recovering "the love you had at first" (Revelation 2:4). Join us as we start off the new year with a series on prayer. 30 Jan: Juliana Rotmeyer, Union Church member: Let gO + Let GOd through prayer colouring. Coming in February: The Father's Heart for Justice 13 Feb: Environmental Justice: It's Just Creation with our own Matt Peterson, Head of Secondary English at Chinese International School and advisor to DITO, CIS's student environmental group 20 F eb: Justic e for Women with Brittney Tsang from Sons and Daughters 27 Feb: Justice for Refugees with Dr. Isabella Ng, co-founder of Hong Kong Society for Asylum-Seekers and Refugees The Good and Beautiful God In this study we will put our ideas about God to the test and see if they match up with what Jesus himself reveals about God, and engage in spiritual practices that can help us grow. Books available at the Welcome Table. Weekly reading is encouraged to get the most out of this study, and it's not too late to join! OpportunitiesThe Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, 18-25 January
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is an international Christian ecumenical observance kept annually between 18 January and 25 January. Christians around the world are invited to pray for the unity of all Christians, to reflect on scripture together, to participate in jointly-organized ecumenical services, and to share fellowship. The following services are organized for this event: - Ecumenical Prayer Evening, Saturday 19 January, starting at 8:00pm, in St. Teresa's Church, with Rev. Dr. Lam Sung Che as the speaker. - English Service for Unity, Tuesday 22 January, starting at 7:30pm, in Rosary Church, with Pastor Tony Read as the speaker. - The Joint Ecumenical Communion Service, Thursday 24 January, starting at 9:30am, in St. John's Cathedral, with Rev. Dr. Chu Wing Sang Calvin as the speaker. For more information please refer to the pos ter on the Church notice board or visit this. The Marriage Course is being offered again on Tuesdays, from 19 February to 2 April 2019 (7 weeks)!! Whether you are newly married or have been married for years, this course offers a lifetime of practical ideas and tools to help keep your relationship strong. The course is designed for couples who want to invest in their relationship and to continue to strengthen their marriage or who are looking to address specific challenges. The course is based on Christian principles but is designed for ALL couples with or without a church background. There is NO group sharing with other couples in the course; each couple is seated in their own table of 2 so they can go through the materials, chat and enjoy a meal together between themselves privately. Time: 7:00PM – 9:30PM. Cost $1,800/couple including course materials, meals and drinks during each session.
For registration and more information, please visit the Union Church website (http://www.unionchurchhk.org/ Lecture at St John's Cathedral
Dr Denis Alexander, Emeritus Director of the Faraday Institute, Cambridge, UK will be giving a lecture entitled “Genetics, God and the Future of Humanity” in the Li Hall, St John’s Cathedral at 1:00PM on Tuesday, 19 February. All welcome. Dr Alexander preached at Union on 5 December 2017 on “Science and Faith – Friends or Foes” and was struck by the high level of interest in this kind of topic from Union members. All welcome. "One" Hong Kong 2019 Hearing the Word Campaign
We are excited that churches in Hong Kong will be acting in unity to run a Bible listening campaign from 6 March to 21 April, 2019. During this time, anyone can download a phone app called “One Hearing the Word” and listen to or read one scripture, one testimony, one devotion and one prayer in English, Cantonese or Mandarin. We invite you to participate in the Campaign. For details and registration with the Campaign, please visit: http://go.onehongkong2019.asia/ 2019 Family Retreat:
Save the Date: 29th - 30th March 2019. Union Church is inviting everyone to join us at the Methodist Retreat Centre on Lantau for a Family Retreat. There will be lots of fun, worship and connecting activities. More details will follow, but if you are interested please contact or complete the form at the Welcome table. Please note that places are limited, so they will be allocated on a "first come, first served" basis. Adult EducationLunchtime Alpha
It's not too late to join the lunchtime Alpha course, geared towards workers in Sunlight Tower and Wan Chai. There will be discussion groups in both Cantonese and English. Interested in attending, bringing a friend, or helping out? Get in touch with Anto or Monte. Pray that God works through this opportunity to bring Christ's light into Sunlight! Tuesdays at 12:30PM-1:30PM. Sunday Lunch Study returns! It's not too late to join the Sunday lunch study of The Good and Beautiful God together (our church wide study). Pick up your book on Sunday ($70) and join us! 12:30-2:00PM. Young Adults“Word Made Flesh”: The Gospel of John as a one-man show!
A new 6-weeks Bible study for Young Adults. Actor Joe Boyd explores the mysteries of the Gospel of John in a one-man show that utilizes his unique balance of comedy, sincere drama, and historical insights crafted over decades of studying the text and performing on stages across the US. Join Anto for this new study that will take place every Wednesday, starting in January, for 6 weeks. Every screening will be followed by a group discussion. Wednesday Night (as part of ReCharge), from Jan.9 to Feb.20, 2019 (with break on Feb.6 for CNY) 7:00PM dinner, 7:45-9PM study Email Anto Ficatier for more information! New to Union? Are you a Young Adult new to Union Church? Make sure you meet our Young Adults Director, Anto Ficatier, at the Welcome Table every Sunday. You can also email Anto for more information about Young Adults at Union! MembershipMembership - if you are not a member and would like to be, please download application forms here or collect a peach coloured application form at the Welcome Table and/or see Pastor Michele.
ServeUnion Church is always looking for people to serve. If you would like to be an usher, greeter or bible reader, please see Pastor Michele.
Small GroupsNew to Union? Been here awhile but haven't connected yet? Small groups are where we dig into the nitty-gritty of following Jesus, and connect with each other. Studying the Bible, reading topical books, praying, laughing and eating together - it's good! We know there are a lot of you wanting to connect or looking for the right group, and we will be laun ching new groups in 2019! What a great way to start off the new year! If you are looking to join a group, or have felt God nudging you into leadership, please contact Monte Peterson.
YouthFriday Youth Group Worship Night - 25 January
Juniors (11-13) are asked to arrive from 6:00PM - 8:00PM
Seniors (14-18) are to arrive from 6:30PM - 9:00PM with ‘hangout’ in the Youth Room from 9:00PM -10:00PM. Friday will be a Worship night! We invite Youth to come and worship together. No Sunday Youth Group - Sunday, 27 January
This Sunday youth are invited to the Sanctuary, where the Youth Band will be leading worship during the 11:15AM service. There will be no Youth meeting in Indigo Hotel. ICC Hengyang Mission Trip – 14-21 April
In partnership with ICC, Union Youth will be traveling to Hengyang in Hunan province, where we will be helping provide holistic care and nurture to abandoned and disabled children and young adults. Sign ups are now open and we need to put our team together as soon as possible! Please sign up here. Kingdom KidsSenior Sunday School Students Outing, Sunday 27 January, 12:30PM to 4:30PM
Children aged 10 to 11 years old are invited to join us for our monthly outing starting at the end of this month. For our first outing, the children will be going to SCAA for some fun bowling sessions. Contact us at CHILDREN if your child would like to join us. Fees of up to $250 per child are required for lunch and bowling sessions. Sunday School Teachers
Kingdom Kids is seeking additional lead teachers for our 3-5 year olds and 10 year olds group at the 11:15AM service. It is a wonderful opportunity to be able to share the gospel with young ones and it will bring so much joy to your life and the lives of the children and their families. If you are interested in joining our amazing team of Sunday School teacher volunteers, please reach out to us at . Training is provided. Sunday School 2018/2019 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 or 2101 0414. Thank you. Filipino Ministry12:00 – 1:00PM Intercessory Prayer
1:00 – 1:50PM Corporate Prayer
2:15 - 3:15PM Group Bible Study
3:30 – 4:30PM Worship
Coming Event:
Chinese New Year Filipino Conference 5 - 6 February, 2019 College of Prayer Seminar. This is for everyone who has desire for greater intimacy with God. Venue: Fairview Park Alliance Church, Fairview Park, Yuen Long Pray for: the healing of Ailyn Gico who had a stroke and is half paralyzed. Family in Need (FIN)We have been praying for Gavin Shui as he battles cancer. Please check out this link on how you can register as a donor for Gavin and others who need a bone marrow transplant.
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