8/4 Sunday Announcements

1. *WELCOME TO HOSANNA! – *If you are a new or returning visitor, please stay after-service and let our Welcoming Team give our welcoming gift of a beige multi-purpose bag, an informational card, and serve you a meal and cup of water! Our church lunch is always free for all. It is our joy to serve you! Stay with us after-service to break bread. 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. *TODAY, LAST DAY WORSHIPPING IN THE GYMNASIUM! – *Praise be to God! We are ready for the move-back. Today is our last day worshipping in the gymnasium! After-lunch and table/chairs cleanup, WE NEED ALL HANDS ON-DECK to move all the equipment out of the gymnasium, all the chairs (in the hallway) back into Ezra Chapel and the Cry Room, all the storage items back into the Preschool Worship Room and the Office, and all the wiring/media/instrumentals (drums, cables, etc.) re-setup and restored to working order in the Ezra Chapel. Thank you in advance for all the labor of love for God’s answer to move us back into the Chapel! *Air purifiers will be in-place in both the Ezra Chapel and the Cry Room to ensure clean air is circulated throughout. The final waterproof sealant to the outer bricks will be done in the next weeks. Thank you for your patience and endurance throughout this time!
3. *DISMISSAL (children (kinder to 5th grade) to BCM and preschool worship to rear tables)! – Children, at this time, you are dismissed to Pastor’s Sunny’s children’s ministry – please proceed to the children’s chapel. Preschool worship students, follow Director Rachel and Teacher Ashley to the side tables for your worship to the Lord together.
4. ***LAUNCHING TODAY, AFTER-WORSHIP BREAKOUT DISCUSSION GROUPS! – The time has come! Take note of the number written on the front of your bulletin program. Take note of the discussion question at the bottom of the sermon note page. Immediately after-service, we welcome you to gather with your same number 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 as at the bottom of the message note page in the program) about the message preached today, and close in praying for one another. That’s it! We hope the breakout discussion groups will be a breakthrough help to internalize, digest, and live out the seed of God’s Word planted for that Lord’s Day. We pray that all will joyfully participate in this breakout discussion ministry and God will use it powerfully to build us up together in faith!
5. *CONTINUING TODAY, SEARCH for 2024-2025 DEACON/ELDER CANDIDATES – Until 8/18 (Sun), the prayerful search for potential new candidates for Deacon and/or Elder offices will take place. There are two main ways this will happen: (1) The Board of Elders will directly reach out to potential candidates for prayerful consideration; (2) Interested candidates who prayerfully have a calling from the Lord to serve in these offices are encouraged to directly reach out and approach the Elder Board for a time of discussion and prayer. During the search process, let us pray for the Lord to send and appoint His choice servants! Refer to the QR code or handouts at the Welcoming table for information on the ordained offices. *Among many other needs and roles, in particular we are looking to fill the following needs for the Deacon role:
   • Deacon – Lead or Assistant Shepherd to life group ministries
   • Deacon – Coordinator for Men’s Ministry
   • Deacon – Coordinator for Women’s Ministry
   • Deacon – Coordinator for Welcoming/Hospitality Ministry
   • Deacon – Worship Space/Equipment Setup/Cleanup Ministry
   • Deacon – Event Coordinating Ministry
   • Deacon – Coordinator for Global Kingdom Expansion Prayer Guide Ministry
6. *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. We began yesterday with setup, and cleanup continues today after-lunch after 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 (8/10) at 9:30am.
7. *THIS FRIDAY (8/9) AGAPE life group, 6:30pm @ location TBA – We invite all young adults to this Friday’s gathering. RSVP to interim shepherd Elder Patrick Liu or in the group chat. Thank you in advance to all those opening their homes for this ministry. Pray for our AGAPE ministry of college, postgraduates, and newlyweds, gathering every Friday evening at 6:30pm at various homes, and our interim shepherd, Elder Patrick Liu, as he guides this precious family.
8. *THIS SATURDAY (8/10) HOSANNA PRAYER MEETING, 8:30am @ Ezra Chapel – Already a month has passed and it is that time again for our all-congregational prayer meeting! We call upon all the prayer warriors to come and cultivate a culture of corporate prayer together, calling out to the LORD in one mind, spirit, and voice. Parents, bring your children and spend some time intentionally praying for them. Let us foster cross-generational praying for our families, our mission as Hosanna Church family, and the world!
9. *THIS SATURDAY to SUNDAY (8/10-8/11) KITCHEN MINISTRY! – It’s time again to assist the Bethany Korean Kitchen team for the Sunday breaking bread ministry with food preparations on Saturday (*starting 12:00pm at the kitchen) and dishwashing on Sunday (starting 12:40pm after-lunch). Sign-up with Elder Heather.
10. *THIS SATURDAY (8/10), NEW JOSHUA life group (led by Elder Joung), 4:00pm @ location TBA – We invite our adults and families in the NEW JOSHUA group to this Saturday’s gathering. Pray for our shepherd Elder Joung Park as he guides this precious family.
11. *NEXT SUNDAY (8/11), SR. HIGH GRADUATES & COLLEGE STUDENTS DINNER & FELLOWSHIP, 6pm @ Elder Heather’s home – Elder Heather has opened her home again for a time of dinner and fellowship, beginning 6pm, with our newest family – the Sr. High graduates as well as current college students. Graduates and current college students, we welcome you there and please let Elder Heather know if you can make it! *8/11 is also the final Sunday for most of our remote-visiting college students and those matriculating into college outside of Dallas. We will have a prayerful commissioning for them!
12. *KINGDOM EXPANSION PRAYER – We are moving 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 Bruneian brothers and sisters in Christ residing in southeast Asia.
13.  
    **Prayer Topic: Persecuted Christians in Brunei (southeast Asia)
     
         Brunei is a Muslim-majority nation under the rule of a dynastic sultan and Islamic law. There are about 20 registered churches in Brunei and few opportunities for Bruneians to hear the gospel. While oil wealth has ensured that few people lack in material needs, spiritual needs are great. Despite the risks, a few bold evangelists and missionaries continue to bring the light of the gospel to this dark land.
         Almost 80 percent of Bruneians are Sunni Muslims, and nearly all of the 9 percent who are Christians are ethnically Chinese. While some historic churches exist in Brunei, no new church buildings are allowed. Churches are often afraid to reach out to Muslims because they are monitored closely by the religious police. Even inviting a Muslim to a Christmas celebration would be problematic. The penalty for evangelizing Muslims is a $15,000 fine, up to five years in prison or both. Nevertheless, several secret believers have been baptized. Bibles in Malay, the country's official language, are illegal and are confiscated if discovered. No bookstores in Brunei sell Bibles.
     
    *The Scripture for today is:
     
    Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (HEBREWS 12:1-2)
     
    Prayer by Pastor Chester:
     
    Our Father, we lift up to You our Bruneian brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ in southeast Asia. In the powerful saving name of Jesus, we ask that You will break the powers of idolatry and false worship. We ask that the Bruneian people will hear the gospel and sense their increasing need of You, especially those who are wealthy and do not lack material needs. Holy Spirit, touch their hearts with the truth of Christ, and raise a new generation of Your followers to bring change to the government and its hostile policies, fines, and imprisonment of Christians and the growth of new churches. Father, we ask for more channels where Bibles in the Brunei language can be accessed, and that secret believers gathering in their homes and other facilities will continue to thrive, with more baptisms and professions of faith. Send more missionaries to this land to equip the Bruneian believers. Make their boldness for Christ increase, even with greater persecution. Protect the vulnerable youth, children, and widows. Continue to make us Your house of prayer for all nations. Thank You for the grace to gather in freedom and to pray for Brunei. In the risen Savior of the Bruneian people, Jesus Christ we pray, Amen & amen.