05-17-21 Pastor’s Newsletter 牧師家書
Dear Friends at 5C:
As each week goes by, we are one step closer to the church reopening on June 13. According to SLONaz church, the remodeling of the Student Union is projected to finish on time for us to hold Sunday service. Hopefully everything goes well as they planned. Please continue to pray for this remodeling project. Church leaders are working diligently to prepare for this reopening, both technically and spiritually. We ask you to be a part of this preparation as well. The church as a whole needs to move forward with one accord to assure the success of the church reopening, it is far more important to have our heart ready to worship in person and meet each other face to face.
Praise the Lord that our members have been faithfully attending Sunday service since the beginning of the pandemic. For this reason, the church will continue to provide this avenue for those who are unable to attend in-person service. However, when the church moves into in-person service, the online group may look very different since people on the campus cannot login to the Zoom. For this reason, we would like to encourage our members to consider coming to in-person service if this is a viable option to you.
In the month of May, Pastor Chen and Fengling Li (fellowship deacon) take turns to meet with all small group leaders to follow up with the progress of small group ministry. We thank God for all our small group leaders, who are so devoted to serving brothers and sisters in the church. Many churches have suffered the loss during the pandemic, it is God’s grace demonstrated through these servant leaders so that our church is able to move forward with small group ministry.
We are delighted to see how much our members enjoy the group Bible study and fellowship, and the dynamic among group members is surely impressive. For the months ahead, each group may decide whether to continue holding their meetings virtually or in person. Gladly, small Group ”Goodness” will become the first group to hold an in-person gathering on June 11.
Ministry Update:
- Anderson will lead church prayer meeting (in Chinese) at 7:30pm this Thursday 5/20
- Pastor Chen’s virtual office hours is scheduled from 10:00am-12:00pm Friday 5/21
- Small group “Peace” will meet at 7:30pm Friday 5/21 through Zoom
- Small group “Grace Garden” will meet at 7:30pm Sunday 5/23 through Zoom
- Chinese Sunday school (Raymond) and English Sunday school (Pastor Ray)
- We will continue the sermon series on the Book of Galatians this Sunday 5/23
- Our church decides to reopen in-person service on Sunday June 13
- Our church prepares to launch a disciple-training program in the summer
Prayer Requests:
- Pray for the Coronavirus outbreak in India and around the world
- Pray for physical and spiritual well-being of our church members
- Pray for the church reopening on Sunday, June 13
- Pray for small group ministry in our church
- Pray for the launch of disciple training program in the summer
- Pray for Lydia Anderson’s resurgent brain tumor
- Pray for Annie’s sister and Anderson’s brother for Parkinson’s disease
親愛的中岸教會朋友們:
隨著時間的推移,距 6 月 13 日教堂的重新開放僅一步之遙。據拿撒勒人教會介紹,學生中心的裝修將會按時完成,以便我們可以舉行主日崇拜。希望一切都能夠按計劃順利進行。請繼續為該裝修工程祈禱。教會領袖們也正在努力地在技術和屬靈的雙層面上,為重新開放做準備。我們也請您一同做好準備。教會成功的重新開放,需要整個教會全力以赴。更重要的是,讓我們準備好自己的心親自來敬拜。
感謝主,自疫情開始以來,大家一直以誠心地固定參加主日敬拜。因此,教會將繼續為那些無法前來的成員提供線上崇拜的機會。但是,當教會回歸教堂敬拜時,線上聚會可能會看起來與以往有所不同,因為在教堂敬拜的成員無法登錄 Zoom。因此如果可行的話,我們鼓勵大家考慮儘量參加到教會的敬拜。
自 5 月份開始,陳牧師和團契執事李鳳玲姐妹輪流與所有小組領袖會面,以此跟進小組事工的進展。為我們所有的小組長們而感謝主。他們全心全意地為教會的弟兄姐妹服務。在疫情期間,許多教會遭受了或多或少的損失,但我們的教會能夠通過小組事工繼續前行,這是上帝通過這些僕人式領袖所展現給我們的恩典。
自 5 月份開始,陳牧師和團契執事李鳳玲姐妹輪流與所有小組領袖會面,以此跟進小組事工的進展。為我們所有的小組長們而感謝主。他們全心全意地為教會的弟兄姐妹服務。在疫情期間,許多教會遭受了或多或少的損失,但我們的教會能夠通過小組事工繼續前行,這是上帝通過這些僕人式領袖所展現給我們的恩典。
事工更新:
1. 林恩深弟兄將帶領本週四 5 月 20 日晚間 7 點半的中文禱告會
2. 陳牧師本週辦公時間為週五 5 月 21 日上午 10 點至 12 點
3. 『和平』小組將於 5 月 21 日週五晚間 7 點半聚會
4. 『恩典花園』小組將於 5 月 23 日週日晚間 7 點半聚會
5. 本週中文主日學將由胡其健弟兄帶領,英文主日學由裴牧師帶領
6. 本主日 5 月 23 日將繼續《加拉太書》講道系列
7. 教會計畫於 6 月 13 日重返教堂
8. 教會計劃於夏天開展門徒訓練計劃,歡迎所有教會成員參加
禱告事項
1. 為印度及世界各地的新冠肺炎的爆發
2. 為我們教會所有成員的身體及屬靈健康
3. 為 6 月 13 日的重返教堂
4. 為教會各個小組事工
5. 為教會開展的門徒訓練計劃禱告
6. 為馮慶芳姐妹復發性腦瘤及後續的治療祈禱
7. 為裴師母姐姐和林恩深弟兄的哥哥祈禱,他們正在遭受帕金森氏綜合症的困擾
期待週日線上見
主僕 陳金昌