8/25 Sunday Announcements

1. *WELCOME to HOSANNA! – *Warmest welcome to all of you, especially if you are visiting or re-visiting! Please let our Welcoming Team give you our welcoming gift of a beige multi-purpose bag! Stay with us after-service for our breakout discussion groups and a time to break bread together in the gymnasium as well. Fill-out a yellow newcomer’s contact card so that we can keep in touch! We welcome you into this family of Christ’s loving arms and remain here for you as His body to grow and flourish together!
2. *DISMISSAL (children (kinder to 5th grade) to Children’s Chapel with Minister Sunny! – At this time, children from kindergarten to 5th grade can head over to Pastor Sunny’s children’s ministry – please proceed to the children’s chapel down the hallway to the left! *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-service 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 20 minutes 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. *LAST TIME, TODAY! GYMNASIUM TABLE & CHAIRS CLEANUP – *Wow, it is our last week doing this labor of love! Thank you to all who have picked up a chair, unfolded a table, wiped down and cleaned up our gymnasium seating for Sunday’s breaking of bread ministry throughout the month of August! You have done incredible work for the LORD! Our final cleanup continues today after-lunch at approximately 1:00pm with wiping down the tables, folding back the chairs and tables – for the final time of 2024! Thank you in advance for all the lifting, stacking, and setting!
5. *TODAY, ORDAINED OFFICER CANDIDACY INFORMATION – We thank God for the end of our prayerful search for the next 2024-2025 class of Deacons/Elders. Today in your handouts, we present the candidates to you that the Session has prayerfully supported. We ask the congregation – all the covenant partners – all who call Hosanna their spiritual home – to enter into a time of prayer for the candidates for the next two weeks, and be ready to cast a vote for each of them, as the Lord leads, on 9/8 (Sunday). *Please do not share the handouts or copy them. *If you are not a Covenant Partner, we encourage you to courageously step into full membership to participate in this historic election and vote for the 2024-2025 class of Ordained Officers (see Elder Heather).
6. *TODAY, 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.
7. *TODAY, SESSION/ELDER BOARD gathering, 1:30pm @ Corner Conference Room – The Elder board will gather for their monthly meeting today for prayer, discernment, and direction to guide Hosanna into God’s future path and ways. Please pray for our elders!
8. *THIS FRIDAY (8/30) *BREAK WEEK* for AGAPE Life Group – The young adult AGAPE life group is taking a break this Friday. Pray for our AGAPE ministry of college, postgraduates, and newlyweds, gathering every Friday evening at 6:30pm at various locations, with their shepherd, Elder Patrick Liu, guiding them, as they journey through the letter to the Philippians with leadership coach Jo Saxton.
9. *THIS SATURDAY (8/31) JOHN life group (led by Elder Joung Park), 4:30pm @ Ezra Chapel – We invite all our adults and families part of the JOHN life group (led by Elder Joung) to this Saturday’s gathering. Pray for our shepherd Elder Joung as he guides this precious family.
10. *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 China, east Asia.

 
     Revival and rapid church growth have characterized China’s churches since the 1990s. About 130 million Chinese are Christians, most of whom worship within the house church movement. Millions of others worship with the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM), which, as the only legal church, is controlled by the Communist government. Despite continuous pressure and oppression from the Communist government, house church leaders refuse to compromise the gospel by joining government-controlled churches. Because of decades of government oppression, many Chinese Christians do not have their own Bible or access to discipleship literature. Those living in rural areas have little access to Bibles and usually cannot afford them even when they are available. Bibles can be purchased at some bookstores operated by the TSPM, but rarely in significant numbers.
     Influenced by their atheistic government, many Chinese are nonreligious. About 20 percent are Buddhists and another 20 percent practice Chinese folk religion. 9 percent are Christians. In the early 2000s, many unregistered churches enjoyed some freedom from government intrusion and harassment despite their illegal status. However, in recent years restrictive religious regulations and persecution have increased significantly. Hundreds of churches have been forced to close, pastors and church members have been arrested or detained and the online sale of Bibles has been prohibited. The government has installed hundreds of millions of facial recognition cameras, many in or near churches, to identify those who attend worship services. Church leaders are under intense pressure to join the government-controlled TSPM. It is illegal to disciple anyone younger than 18. Christians are often charged with participating in cults or with other spurious accusations, such as “bad business practices” or “intent to undermine the state.”
 
*The Scripture for today is:
 
And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. (ACTS 2:46-47)
 
Prayer by Pastor Chester:
 
Our Father in heaven, we bring before You our brothers and sisters in China, east Asia. Day by day, as they gather in their homes, worshipping You and sharing their bread together, would You add to their number those who are being saved? No matter how fierce the government tries to bring control, may Your untamable and uncontrollable Spirit go forth to reach the nation of China, to the farthest rural corners to the biggest city centers, with the gospel of Your only eternal Son, our Lord Jesus Christ! In the powerful name of Jesus, we speak against all idolatry, all folk religion, every atheistic spirit in this land.! Open up new churches despite the forceful closure of some. Open up the prison doors to free Your detained servants. Make way for more Bibles to get into the hands of our Chinese brothers and sisters, especially the children. Raise up a new generation of godly Chinese youth who will change the country for Your glory. Continue to make us Your house of prayer for east Asia and for all nations. Thank You for the grace to gather in freedom and to pray for China. In the risen Savior of the people of China, Jesus Christ we pray, Amen & amen.