U Matters

The prophet Jeremiah wrote, "Why did I come out of the womb to see only struggle and sorrow, to end my life in shame?" Jeremiah 20:18

Today, Thursday October 10th is World Mental Health Day. This year's theme is suicide prevention. According to the WHO, it is the principal cause of death among people fifteen to twenty-nine years old.

It is hoped that by making suicide prevention the focus, people will start talking about issues related to suicide prevention, that suicide will become less of a taboo topic, that risk factors can be identified and that governments around the world will give the issues surrounding suicide a priority as a public health agenda.

Mental health issues are real and it is so important that we remember and pray for those who struggle and their families. If you struggle or know someone who does, please do not hesitate to reach out and get help.

Self care is critical for well-being. May we all find effective strategies to care for emotional, spiritual and physical health and well-being. Please feel free to collect a green ribbon at the welcome desk in support of mental health.

"For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, "Do not fear, I will help you."" Isaiah 41:13

Peace and courage for a new week,

Pastor Michele

This Sunday

Please note that there will be no activities at Hotel Indigo this Sunday - no U-Cafe or Youth Sunday School. Please join us in Sunlight Tower instead.

ReCharge

Join us for dinner, worship and study together on Wednesday nights, 7:00-9:00 pm.
Study opportunities include:
- The Gospel According to Jonah,  facilitator: Monte Peterson
- The Keys to a Blessed Life (Young Adults), facilitators: Timothy Ng, Joshua Ng, KK Ip and Ken Morrison
- Lord of the Rings and the Gospel (Youth), facilitator: Hunter Purvis
- Alpha, facilitator: Patrick Wilson
- Stephen’s Ministry Supervision, facilitator: Pastor Michele
- Revelation, facilitator: Chris Fung is NOT meeting in October, but will return November 13.
 

Prayer. All are welcome to join us for weekly prayer.
Tuesday Morning Prayer - 7:30am
Wednesday Discernment Prayer - 7:00-8:00pm
Sunday prayer for the city after each of the worship services

175th Anniversary

Worship and Celebration Service: Please join us on Saturday, 19th of October for a special Celebration Service commemorating the 175 years of Union Church. The service, at the Methodist International Church, will feature guest preachers Pastor Bill Teng and Rev. Eden Fletcher and choirs from both Union Church and the Hop Yat Church from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM. The service will be followed by a light reception. Please sign up using the QR code or at the welcome table on Sunday.

 

Opportunities

Jonah: The Prodigal Prophet
Throughout October, Union is running a sermon series about Jonah. Much more than just a children's story, Jonah teaches us about running away from and answering God's call, and about just how big and unexpected God's mission is. Pick up your copy of Tim Keller's book, the Prodigal Prophet: Jonah and the Mystery of God's Mercy, available at the welcome table for $100.

Invitation for Lunch:
Come and learn more about Myanmar and Laos and hear about how you can pray for the future pastors there!
You might have noticed some new faces at Union since the beginning of September. Six students from the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Tao Fung Shan, Shatin have been helping with our Sunday School. Their names are Mung Dang, Ling Naing, Langh Cin Kim, Mung Ngaih Lian, Maninout and Soe Saing. Five of them are from Myanmar and one from Laos. The Missions Committee would love to invite the congregation to join us for lunch on Sunday October 20th at 12:30 PM in the sanctuary and learn more about these students, their faith, their communities, and how we can pray for them. Please sign up in the foyer or email for details. RSVP for lunch.

Evangelism Workshop
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).
Yan Yu is going to lead a group in a relaxed workshop to practice sharing our faith in everyday conversations. We will reflect on why we evangelise, before practicing in pairs. We will then 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".
Sunday, October 27, 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM. Light lunch provided. Sign up at the Welcome Table or online.

Sunday School Teachers Needed
Kingdom Kids needs adults who would love to serve and devote their time and energy for our children. We provide Gospel-centred curriculum, training, supplies and the kids. You get the incredible blessing of investing in kids and growing closer to Jesus with them. We are still in need of 1 lead teacher for the 6-7 years old at the 9:45 AM service, and 1 lead teacher for the 10 years old class at the 11:15 AM service. Contact JACKLIEN ( ).

Marriage Course - Postponed until 2020

Union Book Group
Mark your calendars - Union Book Group will meet again Tuesday October 15 at 7:30 PM. Our first book is The Reason, by William Sirls, a novel where the characters struggle with questions like Where is God when bad things happen? Does God ignore the prayers of the faithful? Books are available at the Welcome Table. Contact Monte Peterson.

Stewardship
Join us as we kick off Union's Stewardship emphasis, with speaker Roger Lam on Sunday, November 3, from 12:30 PM - 2:30 PM (light lunch provided).
After working in the banking and finance industry for almost twenty-five years, Roger Lam discovered in the past few years that Stewardship is his true calling. "Lost and Found: Money vs. Riches" was Roger Lam's first attempt at telling his own story intertwined with money, sharing his counter intuitive, God-orchestrated journey of being set free from the slavery to money by following the counter cultural Biblical teachings on wealth and possessions.  His latest book, "Lose to Find: Change of Control", documents the unexpected continuation of his supernatural journey in spiritual transformation, extending to other aspects of his life beyond the area of money.
He is now a full-time, alternative missionary with a God-given vision to unveil the deceitfulness of wealth to Christ followers globally, in hope to cure the root problem of many social ills.
He lives in Hong Kong with his wife Sylvia and their children Danielle and Enoch.

Right Now Media
We're excited to give your free access to RightNow Media, a wonderful library of video resources for all ages to help you develop and grow as both a disciple of Jesus and disciple-maker.
Link to join:https://www.rightnowmedia.org/Account/Invite/UnionChurch

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.

SAVE THE DATE:
Halftime Summit: Friday, 25 Oct 1:30 PM - 6:30 PM and Saturday, 26 Oct 9:00 AM - 6:30 PM
What would give my life more meaning? What is God's plan for the second half of my life? The Halftime Summit is designed to help you clarify your core abilities and passions and help you discover creative ways to channel your passions and talents toward Kingdom-significance. Facilitated by Halftime leaders, for more information contact Andrew Lo:  or go to halftime.org

One Worship, 17 November 2019.

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. Details are forming if interested let us know by signing up at the welcome table.

Prayer and Discernment for Union Church - Wednesday, 6:15 PM to 7:00 PM or 7:45 PM to 9:00 PM.

Prayer & Discernment Update. The Prayer & Discernment Group continued to meet throughout the summer and as people return from travel, we encourage the community to join the group on Wednesday evenings at 7PM. Those who attended the 23rd March AGM and/or church meeting on 9th June, learned that the Prayer & Discernment Group was created to support Union Church with entering a time of Healing, Waiting on the Lord, and a Season of Stillness. We have clearly discerned that the first priority is to prayerfully seek greater alignment and healing to deepen our trust and become a more Christ-centred community. As such, we have not discerned that we should be in any hurry to commence a search for a Senior Pastor. We believe that unless we first "put our house in order" and seek deep healing through unified prayers, old strongholds will remain entrenched, and issues that have surfaced at various times in Union Church's past, will recur, in various forms. We can be likened to the Israelites, who waited to move only when the fire by night or the cloud by day led them to go forward. We firmly believe the Lord is telling us to 'wait' before we move forward towards a search. Meanwhile, God is doing great things at Union Church. We are working with Pastor Michele to ensure that the staffing is suitably resourced and that ministries are properly supported. We welcome all to pray as a community while we wait on the Lord to lead us forward. 

Join the Union Team:
We are looking for a Young Adults Director, 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

Small groups are one of the main ways we connect with each other and connect with God, learning what the Kingdom of God is all about. Interested in joining or starting a group? Contact Monte Peterson. 
 

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.  
 

Youth

NO Friday Youth Group - Friday October 11
Juniors (11-13) are asked to arrive from 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Seniors (14-18) are to arrive from 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
This Friday will be a Scripture Night, where Youth are given a passage from scripture as well as discussion questions and have a chance to break off into small groups. The theme we will be discussing this Fall is Expectations.

Sunday Youth Group - Sunday October 13
Youth can attend at either 9:45 AM or 11:15 AM in Sunlight Tower
Juniors (11-13) will be following the Be Bold curriculum, dealing with big questions around their faith.
Seniors (14-18) will be following the Bible Project series on Spiritual Beings.

Wednesday Recharge - October 16
We are excited to announce that we will be going through "The Lord of the Rings and the Gospel". The study will look at the movie, The Fellowship of the Ring, and learn how Tolkien, a committed Christian, wove themes and teachings from the Gospels into his work.
The class will be a part of the regular Wednesday Night Recharge, with dinner at 7:00 PM, followed by Worship and then joining together for the study that ends at 9:00 PM.

Kingdom Kids 

Hallelujah Party, SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, 2 November, 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM
Kingdom Kids invite Union Church families and friends with children aged 1 to 11 years old to join us for our annual family "Hallelujah Party". There will be a live performance by Dove Tales Theatre Co titled Daniel in the Lion's Den and lots of games, prizes, face painting, cotton candy and snacks. Please sign up at CHILDREN MINISTRY or at the Welcome Table - with the number of people coming we would appreciate it if you could bring baked goods and/or savouries to share (NUT Free). DON'T MISS IT and bring your friends along too.

Children's Christmas Musical, SAVE THE DATE: Sunday, 8 December, 9:45 AM and 11:15 AM services
We are excited to inform you that this year Children's Christmas Musical will take place on Sunday, 8 December 2018 at both the 9:45 AM and the 11:15 AM services.
Important dates for this year Christmas Musical Rehearsals:
Audition - Sunday, 13 & 27 Oct
Sunday Rehearsals - Sundays, 27 Oct, 3 Nov, 10 Nov, 17 Nov, 24 Nov, 1 Dec
First Dress Rehearsal - Sunday, 1 Dec, 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM
Second Dress Rehearsal - Saturday, 7 Dec, 8:30 AM to 11:00 AM
More details on our Children's Christmas Musical will be emailed to all the parents with registered kids in our Sunday School. If you have not yet registered your children with us, kindly do so at your earliest convenience.

Sunday School 2019/2020 Registration
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.

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

Are you Going Through a Difficult Time?
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 ( ).

Family in Need (FIN)

Sometimes life throws us challenges and we need to reach out for help. If you need spiritual, emotional, physical, and/or financial help, please contact Pastor Michele and/or members of the FIN Team, Charles Schmitt and Isabel Morrison. To maintain accountability, we ask that requests come through this group. If someone in need approaches you for financial assistance, please refer them to the Pastors or the FIN Team at

If you would like to help support our family in need ministry, which helps people monthly with basic needs, please mark your envelope "FIN".
 

Last Week's Sermons

"Jonah Runs" by Pastor Michele

Protest/Weather Procedures

In the light of the recent 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.