U MATTERS
Last week, our community was shocked when we heard the news that Charles Lee Schmitt went to his eternal home -Thursday March 4th. Charles was a faithful and active member of Union Church. He was a friend to many and served in many ministries including Family in Need, Refugees, Prison, Men’s and Walk to Emmaus. Charles and Bronwyn raised their children Nick, Drew and Mariel at Union Church and have been a part of the community for decades -30 years. Last week, many lost a friend.
In the suddenness of this news, we are reminded of the brevity of life. We are reminded of the eternal home that God has prepared for us. We are reminded of the importance of ‘keeping our eyes on the prize.’
In the words of the Apostle Paul,
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:7-9
I am grateful for eternal hope and am praying for peace and comfort for the family and our community -
Pastor Michele
Note: please check our website for the Memorial Service details - tbc.
FAMILY NEWS
We are worshipping online this week, Sunday at 9:45am (Traditional service) and 11:15am (Contemporary service). Find us on our website, Facebook page, Union Church app or YouTube.
Union ReUnion! In light of the sudden passing of one of our congregation, Charles Schmitt, the Grace of Giving Committee have decided to postpone Union ReUnion from this coming Saturday (13th of March) until Saturday the 17th of April. We hope that you understand this decision and that you will be able to join us in April. We have a very exciting evening planned. If you would like more information, or to host a group of friends, please contact David.ashtonhoworth@
Giving by Hong Kong taxpayers: If you wish to make a tax-deductible donation to Union Church that is recognised in the 2020/2021 Hong Kong tax year, kindly date and send your cheque made payable to “Union Church” to our Accounts department no later than 31 March 2021. Please see the website for details on giving. Thank you!
Sunlight Tower’s name has changed: With effect from Monday, 8 March, our building name changed to Dah Sing Financial Centre. Please update your records.
Annual General Meeting (AGM): As soon as we can start meeting in person, we will announce a date for our AGM. Thank you for your patience!
LENT
During Lent we're reading the Gospel of Mark, along with other churches in Hong Kong and throughout the world as part of the ONE campaign. Following on from our Ash Wednesday service, we're introducing a church-wide study of Mark throughout March.
Study Mark with Monte: Wednesdays 17 and 24 March at 8:00pm. Register to receive the Zoom link.
Young Adults Study of Mark: Wednesdays through March at 8:00pm. Contact Dan Tupps for more details or register here.
The Passion in Mark, 31 March, 8:00pm presented by Professor Matthew Skinner, New Testament Professor at Luther Seminary. All are welcome to join this talk.
Register for any or all of the Mark events here to receive the Zoom link.
Another option is Wisdom on Wednesdays, 8:00pm on 17 March and 25 March (a Thursday), via Zoom. We are excited to bring timely topics and superb speakers to Hong Kong - invite your friends to view these programmes with you. Register for any or all of these events via the QR code above (or here).
- 17 March - Helping your Marriage Thrive During COVID with Gary Thomas, best-selling author of Sacred Marriage and Cherish, and renowned public speaker whose ministry brings people closer to Christ and closer to others. Cherish is a great resource for helping your marriage move from “surviving” to “thriving.” Available for purchase at Union Church for $100. Please email monte.peterson@
- 25 March (Thursday) - heARTwork: A drawing experience with Crystal Lo. Please register early to receive the zoom link, as well as a .pdf file with drawing references and a list of the materials needed.
ONE2021 Hearing the Word campaign: Our Lenten season embraces the ONE campaign that runs from 17 February to 4 April. Unite with believers daily to read and enjoy ONE scripture, devotions, prayer and the Gospel Film. Learn more at http://www.onehtw.com.
24-7 Prayer Hong Kong - virtual prayer room: Prayer has changed Union Church and it continues to change us. The 24-7 virtual prayer room is a great way to commit to your prayer time on a daily or weekly basis. Join us as we pray for our city, leaders, churches and more. It’s easy to sign up, and you will get a reminder for your approaching prayer time: https://www.24-7prayer.com/
SAVE THE DATE
Parenting Through the COVID-19 Pandemic: Supporting our Children and Teens: On 14 April, we will welcome Anisha Abraham, MD, MPH who is a board certified paediatrician and adolescent health specialist with 25 years of global experience. Anisha is currently on faculty at Children's National Hospital in Washington DC. Previously, she lived in Hong Kong and worked at Chinese University of Hong Kong. Details of this talk to follow. Registration is open.
KINGDOM KIDS
Online Sunday School, Sunday 14 February: Children ages 3 to 10 years old are invited to join us for our online Sunday School.
- 3-7 year old students: God Has a Plan - Jacob and Esau Make Peace (Genesis 32:3-12, 22-32; 33:1-11), via Zoom, from 10:45am - 11:30am
- 8-10 year old students: Be Bold - What Does God Say to Do When I’m Too Busy? (Luke 10:39-42), via Zoom, from 10:45am - 11:45am
- Kingdom Kids Sunday edition is available at the end of the 9:45am and 11:15am worship services on the Union Church website or Facebook page.
The link to the Zoom classes will be emailed to families with children registered in our Sunday School programme for the year 2020-2021.
YOUTH
Friday Youth Group – 12 March: Please join us for Friday Youth - We'll start at 6:00PM with a warm up activity and fellowship followed by a short lesson and see how we can apply it to our every day! Zoom Link Here
Sunday Youth - 14 March - Youth are welcome to join us on Zoom at 11:15am where we'll get to spend time reading and discussing scripture. Seniors will be looking at what the Bible teaches us about Christian leadership, and Juniors are working through a series based around asking hard questions! Zoom Link Here
Wednesday Youth - 17 March - We’re switching things up for this Season of Lent! We’ll be joining with Christians all over Hong Kong and around the world as we study the life and teachings of Jesus through the Gospel of Mark. Join us on Wednesday, 6:30pm - 8:00pm. Zoom Link Here
MISSIONS
Prayers for Myanmar: We continue to pray for Myanmar following the military coup. Pastor Vum of Light of the World Church was thankful they were able to gather for a small worship service last Sunday to encourage members and pray for their country. The news continues to be tragic, as more protesters have been killed, wounded, and captured. Pastor Vum asks us to pray for grieving families, wounded and captured people, and for the safety of all people, including his family and congregation.
ICM would like to invite you to their Easter event: Hope is Alive on the 1st of April. See below for details:
Our Missions partner, 4.2.20 Foundation has the vision see the full Word of God available to everyone in their own language, to fill the Old Testament (OT) gap, where 6500+ languages out of the world’s 7350+ languages still need the translation of the OT. Please pray for wisdom, guidance and provision for a partnership with a local translation agency in Indonesia which intends to send people to Jerusalem and for distance learning programmes which should start in May to July. During COVID-19, distance learning programmes have expanded, and the programme for Indonesia will be extended to India. Please pray for God's wisdom and guidance for the local teaching team (also see details in the 25 February issue of Acts@22A).
SAT-7 delivers Christian satellite television for the Middle East and Africa (MENA). They're doing great things to reach seekers and the unreached in this region. You are invited to join SAT-7's Open Studios online event on 16 March, 6:00pm - 7:00pm to explore the diversity and richness of growing Christian communities across MENA. Learn more and register here.
Small Groups
Meeting as a small group at this time is challenging, but the support from each other is more important than ever. There are online options - please reach out if you need help figuring this out! If you aren't currently in a group, we encourage you to try it out in the new year. There are groups for women, men, couples, day-time, night-time, etc. Interested? Contact Monte Peterson.
Pastoral Care and Prayer
Need prayer? Reach out to us confidentially at .
Stephen Ministry
We provide high-quality, confidential care to people who are hurting through our Stephen Ministry programme. Five of our Stephen Ministers have started online training to become Stephen Leaders. They will be able to train and supervise Stephen Ministers, thereby expanding pastoral care at our church. Contact Pastor Michele if you would like to know more about the programme or meet with a Stephen Minister.
Fertility and Pregnancy loss
Fertility & Pregnancy/Infant Loss Support Group - Struggling and could use some fellowship, friendship and support? Please contact Tess Lyons.
Last week's sermon
“Chosen” Pastor Michele
Social Media
Please follow Union Church Hong Kong on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube and share with your friends and family. We can use social media for positive outreach to the community. Interested in volunteering as part of our social media team? Contact !