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U Matters"For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1
To those of you who missed church last Sunday, this is the announcement I made:"Today, I sadly announce that my season as Senior Pastor of Union Church is coming to an end. In consultation with the Joint Leaders, it has been decided that I will finish my time at Union on 31 December 2018. I am entering into a new season of life with some major family health challenges that make it difficult to give the sort of guidance and energy that Union needs. Thank you, the congregation, for the honour and privilege of allowing Holly and me to serve Christ in the capacity for which we have found ourselves these last 11 plus years." I cannot tell you how touched I was by your words to me following the announcement. Particularly poignant were the comments from the ten or twelve couples who mentioned I married them and reminded me that I baptised their children. The fact that several of you mentioned you came to faith during one of my sermons made me rejoice in the “foolishness of preaching.” We have a new location and soon you will have a new pastor, but we have the same Lord who will lead as faithfully into the future as he has in the past. Gratefully, Pastor Greg With the announcement that Pastor Greg will be leaving at the end of this year, the Joint Leaders want to share our acknowledgement and appreciation of Greg’s service as Senior Pastor during the past 11 years of tremendous growth at Union Church. During the last 11 years with Pastor Greg, attendance at Union has sustainably increased year-on-year. Even the move from 22A to Sunlight Tower, which is one of the most ambitious endeavors in the church’s history, has been a great success. During this time, attendance, giving, mid-week activities, and small group participation all remained strong. So strong that we’re now bursting at the seams! We’ve also been able to grow our staff, including both ministry and support staff, allowing us to increase the church’s ministry reach and quality over the past 11 years.
As Pastor Greg brings to a close his 11 years as Senior Pastor, we also recognize the work that is still ahead for his replacement and the church staff and congregation. Over the coming few years, Union will be working through the complex and ambitious redevelopment of our Kennedy Road home and the move back to Kennedy Road from our temporary home in Sunlight Tower. We must also deal with ways to enable growth in Sunlight Tower even as we’re already pushing the limits of our sanctuary and classroom space. To do all this and more, we need to be investing this time into our search for the best possible replacement for Pastor Greg and into continuing to build up our staff and leaders to be the best possible people to help Union navigate these and other challenges. The search for a new Senior Pastor will be kicking off shortly and we’ll keep all of you informed about the progress. As Pastor Greg’s time at Union comes to a close, we thank him and wish him the best of God’s spiritual gifts. Please join us over the next two months in times to celebrate Pastor Greg’s contribution to Union and his personal relationships. Please join us in praying for Greg and his family as they finish their time serving Union Church. from The Union Church Joint Leaders This WeekHallelujah Party, Saturday 27 October, 2:30PM to 5:30PM
We look forward to seeing you and your family this Saturday for the "David & Goliath Adventure” Hallelujah Party. There will be a live performance by Dove Tales Theatre Co entitled "David & Goliath” at 3:00pm sharp, lots of fun games and prizes, face painting, crafts, cotton candy and snacks. Please sign up at CHILDREN MINISTRY with the number of people coming we would appreciate it if you could bring baked goods and/or savouries to share (NUT Free). Bring your friends along too!
Parents in Prayer, Sunday 28 October, 12:30PM to 1:00PM, at the Sanctuary
We would like to invite all Union Church parents to join us for an opportunity to pray for our children immediately after the 11:15AM service. Please join us on Sunday as we lift up our children and families in prayers. All are welcome for this time of prayer.
Children’s Christmas Musical Rehearsals Kick-Off, Sunday 28 October, 9:45AM & 11:15AM
We are excited to inform you that starting from this Sunday, 28 October, we will be kicking off our Sunday Rehearsals for this year's Children’s Christmas Musical entitled “BETHLEHEM NEWSFLASH”. Children aged 3 to 11 years old are invited to join us at the Fellowship Hall at the start of the church service for the rehearsal. For the fourth consecutive year, we will be working with Dove Tales Theatre Co for our Christmas Musical and the Song Books and CDs are made available at the Fellowship Hall and on our church website. After church service ends, children aged 3-5 years old are to be picked up from Rooms 2 & 3 and children aged 6 years old and above from the Fellowship Hall.
The Beatitudes: A Sunday lunch study, 8-week
Please join Monte Peterson on Sunday at 12:35PM in Meeting Rooms 2 & 3 for a small group study on the fall sermon series: the Beatitudes. This week we are talking about purity of heart, which sounds daunting! But hopefully our conversation will open up this idea, and help us to see God, and ourselves, more fully. A light lunch will be provided. Please sign up in the foyer or contact Monte.
OpportunitiesSeason of Thanksgiving
We have much to be thankful for. For the month of November we invite you to give to those in our city who have physical needs. Specifically, we will be collecting food stuffs (rice, pasta, canned goods, etc.) to support the work of Impact HK as they feed the homeless at the Guestroom. Additionally, there are some needs for NEW bath towels and NEW t-shirts for adult men. If you have business class airplane bags those would also be greatly appreciated - incomplete sets also welcomed. Please bring these goodies to Sunlight Tower and drop them off in the Sanctuary throughout the month of November. We are grateful for your support.
Bless the City, Saturday, 10 November Union Church will be blessing the city of Hong Kong in so many ways, including Habitat for Humanity, a Kindness Walk, a visit to Crossroads and more! Sign-ups are now live, so check the website, or see the Welcome Table on Sunday. These are great opportunities to bring along friends, or sign up as a family or small group. One Worship, Sunday 18 November, 10:30AM
On Sunday, 18 November, we will combine the congregation for a joint worship service at SKH Tang Siu Kin Secondary School, 9 Oi Kwan Road, Wan Chai. This will be a wonderful opportunity to gather under one roof to worship and we hope it will allow everyone at Union to meet those who attend a different service. This is also a great opportunity to bring a friend. There will be a Thanksgiving lunch immediately following the service. If you are interested in helping out, cooking a turkey, bringing a dessert, ushering either on the street or in the sanctuary please contact Pastor Michele, David Ashton-Howorth our Operations Director, or see the sign-up sheet on the Welcome Table. Book your cruise!
Union Fellowship Cruise - 2 Nights on "Dream World", 23-25 November 2018 (Fri-Sun) For registration, prices, details and bookings, please click here to visit the web page. For availability and prices please contact admin@unionchurchhk. Spiritual Formation
Looking for a guided opportunity for growing in your walk with God? Contact BASILEIA or see Pastor Michele for registration. Great structured, community building opportunity. ReChargeReCharge is a weekly night at Union Church where we fellowship, worship, and study.
Join us on Wednesdays:
7:00PM – dinner (there is a donation box to cover the cost of the food)
7:30PM – worship
7:45-9:00PM – classes
4 different classes are offered this Fall: - Beatitudes by Monte Peterson - Stephen's Ministry Training by Pastor Michele - Boundaries by Anto Ficatier (please see Young Adults below for more info) - Cost of Discipleship by Pastor Greg NEW class coming in November: Overflow: A Life Refreshed by Generosity, with Monte Peterson Jesus says that he has come to bring us "life abundant," but often it feels more like "life-barely-making-it." Join us as we explore life to the full - receiving the blessings and gifts of God and pouring them into others. Begins 7 November. Young AdultsBoundaries: a new study for Young Adults
Boundaries is an exciting new course for Young Adults. The study is designed to help us develop healthy habits and maintain personal boundaries in all areas of our lives. Join Anto to practice how to say yes and how to say no!
Every Wednesday Night, as part of ReCharge
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! LadiesLadies Dinner - God Put Me in a Time Out Chair
7:00PM – 9:15PM, 29 October, Union Church Join us for a wonderful evening of dinner, worship, and speaker - an evening with friends and an opportunity to meet new friends. Please sign up in the foyer. Ladies Retreat: Chiang Mai, 17 - 20 January, 2019 Join us for the 4th annual ladies retreat. This year we are going to Chiang Mai, Thailand. More details to come in the next few weeks. Approximate costs (incl flights, accommodation & meals) $4900 per pax. A sign up form is available at the Welcome Desk. 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 GroupsSNew 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 launching 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 – October 26
Youth will meet at Union Church this Friday for a night of Worship and Prayer! This is a great time to invite friends to come and experience Christ together. Worship will begin at 6:30 and continue until 8:30 for both Juniors and Seniors, with dinner in between.
Juniors will meet from 6:00PM - 8:30PM
Seniors will meet from 6:30PM - 8:30PM
Dinner will be served at 7:15PM
Sunday Youth Group – Sunday October 28 Youth can attend at either 9:45AM or 11:15AM.
Juniors (11-13) and Seniors (14-18) will meet in Indigo Hotel 29/F, and seniors will head out after prayer to have a biblical discussion.
Christmas Banquet – Friday November 30 Our Annual Christmas Banquet is coming up fast, and we are so excited to have this opportunity for the Congregation to meet our Youth and have a chance to support their missions here in HK and around the world! Tickets will be available starting November 4, and can be purchased on Sunday in the Fellowship Hall as well as from Hunter during the week. Please email if you have any questions. Kingdom KidsChildren's Sunday School Classes On Break
Children’s Sunday School classes is on a break and will resume again on the first Sunday in January. For the month of November and December, children aged 3-11 years old are encouraged to participate in our Children’s Christmas Program with musical rehearsals taking place every Sunday starting from this Sunday, 28 October to Sunday, 9 December for the Final Performance. Through this Children’s Christmas Program, our children and their families will be able to share the birth of Jesus Christ not only with our church community but also with others as we bring our Christmas Musical to the residence of Home Of Loving Faithfulness (HOLF) on Saturday, 15 December and also for the St.Barnabas Society & Home for the poor and homeless elderly on Saturday, 22 December. We look forward to having your family join us for Children’s Ministry Christmas Program this year. Children’s Christmas Musical, SAVE THE DATE: Sunday, 9 December, 9:45AM and 11:15AM services
We are excited to inform you that this year Children’s Christmas Musical will take place on Sunday, 9 December 2018 at both the 9:45AM service and the 11:15AM service. Important dates for this year's Christmas Musical Rehearsals: Sunday Rehearsals - 28 Oct, 4 Nov, 11 Nov, 18 Nov, 25 Nov, 2 Dec First Dress Rehearsal - Sunday, 2 Dec, 12:30PM to 2:30PM Second Dress Rehearsal - Saturday, 8 Dec, 8:30AM to 11:30AM More detailed info on our Children’s Christmas Musical will be emailed to all the parents with registered kids in our Sunday School. Sunday School 2018/2019 Registration Sunday School Registration for academic year 2018/2019 is now open. In order to help us plan our program well and serve your family better, we would appreciate it if you could kindly register your children HERE. All children enrolling in our Sunday School and Creche Center MUST BE REGISTERED by filling in and signing the Registration Form. For more information, please visit Union Church's website or contact us at or 21010414. Thank you for your kind attention and cooperation. MissionLocal Missions
ICC Walk the Wall Help raise funds and bring awareness to abandoned and disabled children in China. They are holding their annual Walk the Wall fundraiser on 3 November 2018. Registration is from 8:30AM-9:30AM, opening ceremony is at 9:30AM, and the walk begins at 10:00AM. The meeting point is Quarry Bay Market & Cooked Food Centre. The route is the Mount Parker Road Green Trail to Tai Tam Country Park. Please consider joining this event or sponsoring a Union team or walker. The UC Filipino Fellowship is forming a team. To register for the walk, please visit www.walkthewall.org/hongkong. For more information, please e-mail Marga. Local mission in Tung Chung
We are partnering with a local church in Tung Chung to run a weekly English program on Saturday mornings in Nov & Dec. The students will be Primary 2-3 children from Ying Tung Estate - a new public estate in Tung Chung. We will be teaching the children English through songs, Bible stories and fun activities. Please contact Crystal Lo. 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.
Last Week's Sermon"Happy are the Humane" by Pastor Greg Anderson |