Zion Bishan Bulletin 3 May 2020 Livestream
3 May 2020
3 May 2020
10.30 am Livestream
Call to Worship
Meditative Hymn: How Great Thou Art
Scripture Reading: 2 Thessalonians 3.1-18 ESV
Message: "Warning: Idleness! Stand Firm!”
Response Hymn: O Praise the Name
Lament & Confession
Corporate Life & Prayer
Offering
Benediction
Announcements
We are pleased to welcome you to worship with us! If you are new to Zion Bishan, do drop us a note on our contact form and our hospitality team will get in touch with you in the coming week. Please use the same contact form if you want to find out more about our faith, or about our activities and programmes.
http://www.zionbishan.org.sg/about/contact-us/response-form/
Our Sunday services at a glance
Speaker: Mr Vernon Quek
Worship Leader: Ps Dev Menon
AV: Vernon Quek
Songs for personal worship and reflection:
www.zionbishan.org.sg/songs-for-reflection
Looking Ahead
Friday, 8 May
8 pm Zoom Prayer Meeting (Registration required):
www.zionbishan.org.sg/friday-prayer-meeting
Sunday, 10 May
10.30 am English Livestreaming Service
“Thorn-Crowned King beyond Crown-like Virus”
Speaker: Pastor Alby Yip
Speaker: Mr Vernon Quek
Warning: Idleness! Stand Firm!
2 Thessalonians 3:1-18
The Context: The Thessalonian Believers (v1-5)
The Situation: Some walk in idleness, not doing work (v6-15)
So….Paul’s instructions:
The Negative: Keep away! Don’t let him eat.
(v6, 10, 14 & 15)
The Positive: Imitate us in toil, labour, work: Continue doing ‘good’!
(v7-9, 12, 13)
1 Thess 1:2-8; 2 Thess 1:11-12, 2:14-17
The Big Picture: Jesus is Coming! Stand Firm in Faith, Hope & Love
1 Thess 1:10, 2:19, 3:13, 4:13-18, 5:1-11, 23; 2 Thess 1:7-10, 2:1-8
Conclusion: What about us? Worthy Living
Individually: Work for the Kingdom
Corporately: Radically Love!
Reflection Questions
- In what ways might you be 'walking in idleness’ in light of Jesus’ return?
- Do you have someone who can encourage you and hold you accountable in this area? If not, who can you approach to fill this role?
- Who can you love by being such a person to, especially during this Circuit Breaker?
- What are some things that we can do to both individually and corporately to fix our eyes and hearts on Jesus’ Return?
Our Church
Lament and Confession — “I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.” (Psalm 13)
ZB COVID-19 Ministry Initiatives – The opportunity to reach out to residents under Comcare through food distribution is already bearing fruit as recipients have asked where our volunteers are from. May Christ be seen in the work of our hands.
Safe Sound Sleeping Place (S3P) – A total of 4 rough sleepers have settled in. Continue to pray for opportunities to share the love of God with them.
Our People
Home Missions – Praise God for various ministries restarting in the coming weeks. As social distancing measures may carry on for a long time, even after Circuit Breaker, pray for these following ministries to be a blessing to their participants:
Domestic Helpers Fellowship (DHF) –DHF resumes their weekly Bible study fellowship via Zoom today (3 May). Pray for many helpers to attend and for the sessions to bless them. Thank God several employers have indicated their help by encouraging their helpers to join and assisting with using the app.
English as a Second Language (ESL) – The team of teachers have restarted lessons using Zoom, WhatsApp, calls and mail. Pray that these challenges will not hinder the ministry’s effort to bless many through teaching.
Bishan Home for the Intellectually Disabled (BHID) – Pray for the team developing Sunday school video lessons for the residents.
Our World
West Bengal and Sikkim, India— Thank God for our ministry partner who was able to distribute simple food parcels of rice, dhal, and potatoes to help widows, families, and the poor in their neighbourhood. Pray for God’s blessing on their plans to reach 500 families and individuals with this food distribution.
Lebanon — Pray for adequate resources and supplies for this ministry partner as they serve refugees and needy church families with meals from their centre. The poor economic situation has been made worse by COVID-19 and has made it extremely difficult for vulnerable families. For some, the risk of starvation is a reality. Zion Bishan’s CV19 MRF will be used to help support this effort, called the ‘Hot Meals’ programme, for the next 2 months. Pray for our Lord’s mercy and relief to come to those in need.
- Mr Quek Tze-Ming is preaching for Bible Church this morning.
A Member’s Experience with COVID-19
A testimony from a member who recovered from a COVID-19 infection a few weeks ago:
I was tested positive for Covid-19 after returning from overseas and was hospitalized/isolated for 1 month. God revealed so much to me during this period.
First, I came to see that no one escapes sickness and death. Whilst in hospital/isolation, I shared rooms with 3 separate roommates: a middle-aged professor from China, a Malay-speaking Muslim domestic helper, and a Singaporean professional in her mid-20s. In spite of our differences in age, nationality, socio-economic class, etc., we were all made to confront our own mortality, or that of our loved ones.
Secondly, God reminded me that only He is our eternal hope. I was plucked out of my daily life and ‘imprisoned’ in a sterilized greyish room with a then-stranger. My parents too were tested positive and my father developed more severe symptoms. I was fearful for my family. I felt guilt – What if I’d passed the virus to my parents? I also felt stigmatized within some of my communities. I realized how foolish it was to place my hopes in the security of a healthy family, societal acceptance, or an enviable bank balance. None of these things last forever, and they meant little to me in the context of my hospital bed. Only God was (and is) the sure Rock on which I could place my hope.
As the weeks passed, I also experienced an outpouring of God’s provision and love from my family, friends, AG, pastors, medical workers, fellow roommates, and even strangers. God’s love was abundant and relentless; He pursued me even on days when I didn’t feel like acknowledging Him.
Thirdly, I learnt that God is sovereign, and can use all situations - even sickness and isolation - for His purposes. During my stay, I developed a strong bond with my third roommate. We did everything together, and spent hours talking about all aspects of our lives. He not only blessed me with a beautiful friendship, but also gave me the opportunity to share about Jesus, the Bible and my personal faith. While I was anxious to be ‘released’, these opportunities reminded me that God was in control and had a purpose for my circumstances.
Today, I look back on the past month as testimony of God’s faithfulness and abundant provision, in spite of the circumstances.
(To clarify and assure members: this person adhered to COVID-19 guidelines and did not attend church at any time between returning from overseas and being tested positive for COVID-19. So, there was no risk whatsoever to our other members.)
Children’s Discipleship Break
May School Holidays
To coincide with MOE, Children’s Discipleship weekly digital resources will be paused during the May school holidays.
Attention Parents! If your child is aged 3-12, please join our new Facebook Group to stay updated with activities and resources Children’s Ministry is planning for the month of May!
www.zionbishan.org.sg/cd-fbg
Zion Bishan Family Challenge!
#zbfamilychallenge
Through the month of May, the Family and Children’s Ministries will be sending out fun challenges for EVERYONE to participate in!
Young and old, send us your photos or tag Zion Bishan on Facebook with your challenge attempts!
Stay up-to-date for the upcoming challenges by liking and following our Facebook page today!
Domestic Helpers Fellowship (DHF)
8.45 -10.00am, Sunday Mornings
(via Zoom Meeting)
Weekly meetings re-start today.
We hope that all employers can:
1) Encourage their helpers to attend every Sunday
2) Help them use Zoom
For helpers who are new to our DHF, please do register them for the Zoom meetings at ziondhf@gmail.com.
Non-Christians are welcome! Many of our existing DHF members are non-Christians, so they will not be alone. Join our fellowship for encouragement through sharing and stories of God.
ZB COVID-19 Mission Relief Fund
Donation Information
To donate towards the fund, please use the following banking information:
General & Missions Fund
DBS Current A/C: 070-901056-3
PayNow: T10SS0029GGMF
ZION BISHAN BP CHURCH
IMPORTANT: Indicate “CV19 MRF” in the remarks column.
Application Information
If you wish to apply for relief through this fund for yourself or for your household, please complete the online application form here:
https://www.zionbishan.org.sg/mrf
This is for ZB members or regular attendees only. Applications will be accepted up to 31 Dec 2020.
Contact your Cluster leader or email care@zionbishan.org.sg for inquiries.
