8/18 Sunday Announcements

1. *REMINDER: BACK in EZRA CHAPEL & keeping 10:40am START-TIME! – *As we are back in the Chapel, there is no more need to park near the south entrance side or enter through the south entryway or the gymnasium. Feel free to use our northeast lot and entrance directly closer to the Ezra Chapel. We are also keeping our accustomed new start-time of 10:40am so that our revised Sunday worship order can continue. Thank you for all the adjustments and understandings throughout the past two months!
2. *DISMISSAL (children (kinder to 5th grade) to Children’s Chapel with Minister Sunny! – Children from kindergarten to 5th grade, at this time you can head on over to Pastor’s Sunny’s children’s ministry – please proceed to the children’s chapel! *Preschool worship children should already be in the preschool worship room with Director Rachel and assistant Ashley, and will continue to begin simultaneously at 10:40am in the preschool worship room.
3. ***CONTINUING TODAY, AFTER-WORSHIP BREAKOUT DISCUSSION GROUPS! – Thank you for staying for a few minutes after-service and being a blessing to one another through the breakout discussion group ministry. It’s really exciting to see the randomized groupings every week and who God will bring us to talk and pray with after-service, isn’t it? Let’s do it again! After-service, gather with your same number (written on the bottom of the sermon note-page in the bulletin program) and spend 15 to 30 minutes (or more, as able!) discussing the one applicational takeaway question (that will be projected on the screen as well) about the message preached, and close in praying for one another.
4. *TODAY AND CONTINUING THROUGHOUT AUGUST, GYMNASIUM TABLE & CHAIRS SETTING & CLEANUP – It’s that time again for the entire month of August to setup and cleanup the gymnasium chairs and tables for Sunday breaking-bread ministry, seating for around 300 people. Yesterday, thank you to those who faithfully came to setup! Cleanup continues today after-lunch at approximately 1:00pm with wiping down the tables, folding back the chairs and tables. Thank you in advance for all the lifting, stacking, and setting! *We will continue the setup phase this Saturday (8/24) at 9:30am – please join us to serve this spiritual labor of love!
5. *TODAY, STAFF GATHERING, 1:30pm @ Corner Conference Room – The Hosanna staff will gather for their first meeting together. *Please pray for our honored staff servants (Director Rachel, Director Trey, and Pastor Chester) as they seek godly unity, humility, and faithful servanthood to flourish the Lord’s people and His church!
6. *TODAY, MEN’S PING-PONG FELLOWSHIP, time TBA @ Castle Hills Community Center (The Colony) – Let’s play ping-pong, brothers! See our organizer – Elder Joung – for more details.
7. *THIS FRIDAY (8/23) AGAPE life group FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITY NIGHT, 6:30pm @ location TBA – We invite all young adults to this Friday’s fellowship activity night! We’ll put a brief pause on the life studies through the letter to the Philippians and have a relaxed and fun time with an activity TBA. RSVP to interim shepherd Elder Patrick Liu or in the group chat. Please pray for our AGAPE ministry of college, postgraduates, and newlyweds, gathering every Friday evening at 6:30pm at various homes or at church, and our interim shepherd, Elder Patrick Liu, as he guides this precious family.
8. *THIS SATURDAY (8/24) JOSHUA life group (led by Chong Choe), 4:00pm @ Ezra Chapel – We invite all our adults and families part of Chong’s group to this Saturday’s gathering as they begin studies on, “Faith, Doubt, and God’s Mysterious Timing: 30 Biblical Insights about the Way God Works.” Childcare ministry will be provided. Pray our shepherd Chong Choe as he guides this precious family.
9. *NEXT SUNDAY (8/25) ORDAINED OFFICER CANDIDACY INFORMATION – We thank God for the end of our prayerful search for the next 2024-2025 class of Deacons/Elders. Next Sunday, we will present the candidates before you in a handout. We ask the congregation to enter a time of prayer for the candidates and be ready to cast a vote on 9/8.
10. *NEXT SUNDAY (8/25) BETHANY CHILDREN’S MINISTRY PTA (parent-teacher) MEETING, 1:00pm @ Children’s Chapel – Parents, there is an important PTA meeting with Children’s Minister Sunny at 1:00pm in the Children’s Chapel, with discussions for the Christian education plan for the remaining year and future direction of the children’s ministry.
11. *NEXT SUNDAY (8/25) SESSION/ELDER BOARD gathering, 1:30pm @ Corner Room – The elder board will gather for their monthly meeting next week for prayer, discernment, and direction to guide Hosanna into God’s future path and ways. Please pray for our elders!
12. *NEXT SUNDAY (8/25) WOMEN’S PAINTING FELLOWSHIP, 1:30pm @ Maria’s home – Women of Hosanna, come paint and fellowship in Christ together! See organizer Maria for more details.
13. *REMINDER – FREE GIFT for Hosanna! – RIGHTNOW MEDIA BIBLICAL RESOURCES – We are more than glad to gift each one of you an incredible library of biblical resources through the RightNow Media ministry. From Life Group discussions, to small group Bible studies, to personal devotion, to marriage/family life resources, to children’s Bible stories, this gift will surely be a treasure trove of spiritual food and training for us all. *You must have an email to receive this gift – if you have not received the invitation already, please give Pastor Chester your email. You can register and access RightNow Media through the app on your phone, desktop, and multiple devices. Scan the QR code or follow this link to register now and start your journey! Enjoy! https://app.rightnowmedia.org/join/hosannapc. You may also text "HOSANNAPC" to 49775 and RightNow Media will text you back with the link to register.
14. *KINGDOM EXPANSION PRAYER – We are continuing to pray for a wider vision of God’s Kingdom to expand through the global prayer guide for the persecuted church and persecuted Christians worldwide from The Voice of the Martyrs organization. Today, we are praying for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ residing in the country of Chad, central Africa.

 
     Villages in parts of predominantly Christian southern Chad are routinely raided by militant Fulani Muslims, much in the way Christians are attacked in north-central Nigeria. While the goal of these raids is primarily to steal land for cattle grazing, there is definitely an element of persecution against Christians. The radical Islamic group Boko Haram is also responsible for violent extremist activity in the Lake Chad Basin. More than 56% of Chadians are Muslims, while 25% identify as Christians.
 
*The Scripture for today is:
 
Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. (JAMES 5:11)
 
Prayer by Pastor Chester:
 
Our Father in heaven, we bring before You our brothers and sisters in Chad, central Africa. Let us share in their sufferings. In the powerful name of Jesus, we pray for Your peace, for the violence to end, for the militant persecutors to be brought to justice, and for Your gospel to advance with even greater passion in the believers through persecution. Like Job, we pray they remain steadfast to see Your purpose, to see Your glory through sufferings. Meet their pains with Your overwhelming compassion. Meet their persecution with Your overflowing mercy. Continue to make us Your house of prayer for central Africa and for all nations. Thank You for the grace to gather in freedom and to pray for Chad. In the risen Savior of the people of Chad, Jesus Christ we pray, Amen & amen.