Dear Friends at 5C:
It is great to learn that many seniors among us have already received their vaccines. As more people get vaccinated each day, we are one step closer to resume the normalcy later this year. It is expected that the head immunity may be reached by the end of this summer. For the rest of the world, we may not see any level of pre-pandemic freedom until 2024. However, one thing is for sure, this coronavirus never leaves us, continuing to post a threat until humans develop the lasting immunity one way (contracted) or another (vaccinated). Therefore, please take a serious consideration of receiving vaccines because God mercifully provides quite a few vaccines to fight off this virus. It is blessed to protect yourself as well as our community.
Our church plans to return to the campus in the second quarter of this year. Currently, SLONaz church is remodeling the Student Union. Therefore, we may not be able to return until they finish this project in May. Please pray for their project going smoothly. Thanks to Hong Duong, Tim Wang, Chris Choi, Anderson and Bianca Lin for moving church items out of the Student Union last Tuesday. We look forward to a brand new sanctuary for Sunday worship when we return.
English Sunday school is about to finish the Book of Daniel in two weeks. It is one of fascinating books about biblical prophecy and end times, but nothing is short of its application to Christian livings in modern society. Thanks to Pastor Ray for guiding English Sunday school class through studying Revelation and Daniel! Both books are quite challenging for biblical scholars to tackle these visions, which are well beyond human’s comprehension. Nevertheless, their significance cannot be undermined so that students can apply their understanding to real-life challenges in the 21st century.
Please continue to pray for Beng Lim who remains in the hospital fighting the COVID-19 infection. Please also remember our sister Melissa Chen who lost her father last week. May the Lord comfort her and her family members in China.
Ministry Update:
- Church prayer meeting (in Chinese) is scheduled at 7:30pm every Thursday
- Pastor Chen’s virtual office hours is scheduled at 10:00am-12:00pm every Friday
- Small group “Joy” will meet at 7:30pm Friday 2/26 through Zoom
- Small group “Grace Garden” will meet at 7:30pm Sunday 2/28 through Zoom
- Chinese Sunday school (Allen Bao) and English Sunday school (Anna Ho)
- Pastor Chen will continue the sermon series on Galatians this Sunday 2/21
Prayer Requests:
- Pray for the Coronavirus outbreak in the US and around the world
- Pray for physical and spiritual well-being of our church members
- Pray for small groups formed recently in our church
- Pray for those who contracted COVID-19, Beng Lim
- Pray for Lydia Anderson’s resurgent brain tumor
- Pray for Annie’s sister and Anderson’s brother for Parkinson’s disease, Ed Sherman’s son Lane for brain tumor
Look forward to seeing you virtually on Sunday.
Blessings!
Jinchang
親愛的中岸教會朋友們:
很高興得知,教會中的許多長者已經接種了疫苗。隨著每天都有更多的人接種,我們距離恢復正常狀態又近了一步。預計到今年夏末,美國將達到群體免疫。而至於世界其他地區,則可能要等到 2024 年才能恢復到疫情前的狀態。可以肯定的是,新冠病毒將會一直與人類共存,繼續威脅人們的健康,直到人類獲得廣泛而持久的免疫力,或因為感染,或因為接踵了疫苗。因此,請認真考慮接種疫苗。因為上帝的憐憫,我們才會有多種疫苗來抵抗這種病毒。接踵疫苗是件蒙福的事情,既保護自己,也保護了我們的社區。
我們計劃在今年第二季度返回教會。目前,拿撒勒人教會正在裝修我們做崇拜的學生中心。因此,可能在五月份,他們完成裝修工程之後,我們才能返回。請祈禱,這項裝修工程一切順利。感謝楊鴻弟兄,汪天來弟兄,蔡達文弟兄,林恩深弟兄和張西齡姐妹上週二將教會物品搬離學生中心。我們期待著,回歸教會時,有一個全新的崇拜聖所。
英文主日學將在未來兩週內完成《但以理書》。這是有關聖經預言和末世的奇妙著作之一,同時也不乏适用于现代基督徒的生活應用。感謝裴牧師最近引導大家學習《啟示錄》和《但以理書》!對於任何一位聖經學者來說,如何解釋書中的異象,都是極具挑戰性的,因為這遠非人類所能理解。然而,對於主日學的學生來說,將我們的認知理解應用於現實生活之中,其重要性不容忽視。
請繼續為林明源弟兄祈禱,他仍在醫院,與新冠病毒抗爭。同時也請為陳慧珍姐妹祈禱,她的父親上週剛剛過世。願主親自安慰她及她在中國的家人。
事工更新:
- 中文禱告會將於每週四晚間 7 點半舉行
- 陳牧師辦公時間為每週五上午 10 點至 12 點
- 『喜樂』小組 2 月 26 日週五晚間 7 點半線上聚會
- 『恩典花園』小組 2 月 28 日週日晚間 7 點半線上聚會
- 本週中文主日學將由鮑祖琰弟兄帶領,英文主日學由周敏儀姐妹帶領
- 本主日 2 月 28 日陳牧師將繼續『加拉太書』講道系列
禱告事項
- 為美國及世界各地的新冠肺炎的爆發
- 為我們教會所有成員的身體及屬靈健康
- 為教會新組建的各個小組
- 為感染了新冠肺炎的林明源弟兄祈禱
- 為馮慶芳姐妹復發性腦瘤及後續的治療祈禱
- 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的困擾;為 Ed Sherman 的兒子 Lane 祈禱,他正在接受腦瘤治療
期待週日線上見
主僕 陳金昌