Zion Bishan Bulletin 13 September 2020 English Services

13 September 2020
English Services & 10.30 am Livestream

Call to Worship

Meditative Hymn: Be Thou My Vision

Scripture Reading: Joshua 7:1-21 ESV

Message: Israel in Trouble

Response Hymn: Undivided

Corporate Life & Prayer

Offering

Benediction

Announcements

Note: Holy Communion will be served at all in-person services

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

Speakers: Mr Quek Tze-Ming & Pastor Zheng Haoren
Worship Leader: Elder Jeffrey & Elder Say Chiang
AV: Ravi Shankar, Wee Aik Koon, Jonathan Teo, James Kok
Pianist: Paul Liew

English Services: Faith & Patience Cluster
Pastor: Dev Menon
Elders: Elder Say Chiang & Elder Jeffrey
Deacons: Dn Mervyn, Dns Sherena, Dn Ben, Dn Tim
Staff: Linus & Zhiwen

Songs for personal worship and reflection:
www.zionbishan.org.sg/songs-for-reflection

Speakers: Mr Quek Tze-Ming & Pastor Zheng Haoren

Israel in Trouble
Joshua 7:1-26

Introduction

Israel’s Defeat (vv1-9)

Israel’s Guilt (vv10-15)

Israel’s Transgressor (vv16-26)

Conclusion

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

1. What are Joshua’s concerns after this defeat (7:6-9)? Do God’s concerns differ (7:10-15)?
2. Joshua urged Achan to “give glory to the Lord” by admitting his crime (7:19). How does confession glorify God? Why do you think many of us don’t experience horror over our own sins?
3. Achan brought trouble on the Israelites (7:25). Thirty-six Israelite soldiers had already died because of Achan’s sin. How might our sins affect others?
4. What do we learn when we compare Achan the Israelite, and Rahab the foreigner?

Our Church

Annual Congregational Meeting (26 Sep) – Continue to keep our upcoming ACM in prayer. Pray for the ACM planning team as they continue working out the logistics necessary to ensure the smooth running of proceedings held virtually. Also keep our Pastors and Elders in prayer as they seek God’s wisdom for the future of our church. 

Christianity Explored (9 Sep) – Thank God for the 23 participants, excluding table hosts and those from Zion Bishan, who were present at the last session on Wednesday. Pray for the follow-up and for the Lord to nurture the Gospel seeds planted through this run of CE.

Food Aid meals – Since late April this year, we have been providing meals for 40-50 needy households in the Bishan-Shunfu area. Praise God for the team of Zion Bishan volunteers and coordinators who have been serving faithfully through this period. As we draw this programme to a close at the end of September, pray that we will have God’s wisdom to further the engagement with some of these households, mainly the elderly, so that they may eventually be able to receive the joy of the gospel.

Our People

Faith at Home – Thank God over sixty parents signed up for the two Faith at Home Meet the Parents sessions. Pray for our parents at Zion Bishan to deeply understand their role as primary discplers of their children, and to “teach [God’s command] diligently to their children” (Deut 6:7). Pray that the church, and its members, will make every effort to partner, encourage, resource and equip them in this important God-given role.

Students – Thank God for the past week of school holidays, especially after an extra-long school term. Pray for the students in our midst to continually feed on God’s Word as they work hard on their studies. May they seek God’s glory in all do and grow in their understanding of how much they are loved by Him.

Our World

Malaysia – Praise God for our ministry partner who has been working among the indigenous peoples of Malaysia for many years, serving them in many different ways. Thank God for our brothers and sisters in Christ among these peoples and for their heart to serve their own needy and poor. Pray for these fellow Christians to grow in their faith and for them to continue blessing their own people with the gospel.

South India – Recently, a close contact of a senior leader with our ministry partner tested positive for COVID-19. Currently, the leader and his family are under quarantine and awaiting COVID-19 test results. He and his wife both have pre-existing health conditions, so pray for them to be protected from the virus, and its adverse effects.

For tithes and offering: General & Missions Fund
DBS Current A/C: 070-901056-3
PayNow: T10SS0029GGMF
ZION BISHAN BP CHURCH

To give towards the General Project Fund
DBS Current A/C: 070-901055-5
PayNow: T10SS0029GGPF
ZION BISHAN BP CHURCH – GPF

If giving by cheque, please mail to Zion Bishan B-P Church, 4 Bishan Street 13 Singapore 579792. Please provide your CONTACT NUMBER on each cheque

1. Congratulations to Clarence and Joy Soon on their holy matrimony on 12 September.
2. Mdm Cheong Lai Sim went home to be with the Lord on 10 September 2020. She was a member of our Cantonese Service.

Friday, 18 September Praise & Prayer
8 pm: Zoom Prayer Meeting (Registration required):
www.zionbishan.org.sg/friday-prayer-meeting

Saturday, 19 Sep
4pm: Youth Fellowship (Registration required):
www.zionbishan.org.sg/yf

Sunday, 20 September
10.30 Livestream
English Services: Hope & Peace Cluster
Pastor: Zheng Haoren
Elders: Elder David & Elder Sonny
Deacons: Dns Siew Choo, Dn Chew Meng, Dn Joseph
Staff: Sharon, Tze Ming, June

Sermon Series: The Book of Joshua
20 Sep - Joshua 8:1–35
Mr Vernon Quek (10.30am/1.00pm)
Ps Dev Menon (3.00pm/5.00pm)

27 Sep  - Joshua 9:1–27
Mr Vernon Quek (10.30am/1.00pm)
Deacon Danny Chua (3.00pm/5.00pm)

Prone to Wander

Written by Ps Zheng Haoren

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it.  Prone to leave the God I love.

Robert Robinson (1735-1790) penned these words as a young man of 22, a few years after his conversion. This admission is found in his classic hymn, “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing”. He was an undisciplined youth who came to repentance while listening to a George Whitefield sermon. He became a pastor. It is said that later in life he wandered from the Lord and felt he could not return.

Yes, we are prone to wander. But God in His wisdom has provided for us the church community to guard against this tendency. Hebrews 10:25 “not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” This ongoing COVID-19 pandemic however has placed a serious strain on the living out of physical church meetings.

While the months of April to June 2020 saw a very healthy attendance rate over live-streaming services and online small group meetings, this trend is on the decline in the last two months. Besides the wearing off of novelty in virtual meetings, there are other underlying explanations to this decline.

One research and resource company in another country has found that 32% practising Christians have stopped attending Church during this COVID-19 pandemic; 35% are still and only attending their pre-COVID church; 14% have switched churches from their pre-COVID church; and 18% are viewing multiple churches throughout the month.

There is also a strong generational pattern. When asked if they had attended church within the past four weeks, exactly half of practising Christian Millennials (50%) say they have not. The study further noted that though younger generations might be more accustomed to digital routines and innovations, their tenuous relationship with institutions seems to persist during this era of digital Church.

Practising Christians who have stopped attending church in recent weeks are more likely than all other practising Christians to say they feel bored “all of the time” (17% vs 6%) or that they have felt “insecure” for at least some of each day (11% vs 7%). Many practising Christians are seeking prayer and emotional support from their churches.

We need to pay attention to these trends although the source is not local. There are common grounds. The findings highlight for us at Zion Bishan the importance of continuing to reach out to and disciple the next generation as well as to stand with one another in our AGs, especially those who are prone to wander during this pandemic.

Annual Congregational Meeting
26 Sep, Saturday, 4-6pm

ACM will be held using an online/proxy format, due to COVID-19 measures.

Answers to questions submitted are ready and can be viewed at www.zionbishan.org.sg/ACM2020/QnA.  

Please submit your proxy form by 20 Sep via acmzion@zionsbishan.org.sg, WhatsApp, physical drop box or mail as instructed in ACM papers.

Cessation of Oikos Mobile App

With effect from 30 Sep, we will cease the use of the Oikos Mobile App and will no longer update the App platform. All information regarding the church can be obtained through our website at www.zionbishan.org.sg.

Alternatively, you may subscribe to our WhatsApp Bulletin Broadcast by following these instructions:

1. Save 9422 5703 to your contacts
2. Send a WhatsApp message with your full name and contact number (e.g. Freddie Mao 98765432)

PDPA Notice: By providing your name and contact to this number, you agree that Zion Bishan BP Church may collect, use and disclose your personal data for the purpose of disseminating the church bulletin and announcements to you, in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Act 2012 and our data protection policy.

In-Person Sunday Services in September

If you wish to attend a Sunday Service in person, please register by the Friday before that particular Sunday using the following links (choose from the 4 available time slots)

Sun 20 Sep (Hope / Peace Clusters): https://zb-hope-peace-20sep.eventbrite.sg   
Sun 27 Sep (Mercy / Grace Clusters): https://zb-mercy-grace-27sep.eventbrite.sg

Please note that each Service time-slot is subject to a cap of 50 worshippers only.

Communion will be served at all services.

If you are unsure of which Sunday you should register for, or if you are a non-member who worships with us, do contact your AG leader or any of our pastors.

Visit www.zionbishan.org.sg/phase-2 to view our Safety Management Plan and to check which Cluster your AG is in. There will be no ADC, CD, YD or other activities on Sunday.