January 19, 2025 – “Building a Living Community” Deuteronomy 1:10-11, 29-31

Posted on 18 Jan 2025, Speaker: Pastor Matthew Todd

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS: Click Here
- - Welcome! If you’re new to our worship service, welcome to our church! You are invited to stay for snacks and refreshment at the Fellowship Hall after today’s service. If you like us to connect with you, please email us at hello@vcefc.org so that someone from the care team can reach out to you.
  - The federal government has announced that it intends to extend the deadline until February 28, 2025, for making donations eligible for tax support in the 2024 tax year. In order to help us understand whether the amounts that you donate in January 2025 and February 2025 would be included for your 2024 donations, please indicate clearly on the offering envelopes “For 2024” or in your e-transfer message “For 2024”, if that is what you desire. If you don’t specify, the offering received will be considered as donations for 2025.
  - If anyone is interested in getting baptized or membership transfer please contact Pastor Joe, Pastor Danny or email at hello@vcefc.org for class registration.
  - For our 3rd Sunday gathering on Jan 19, we encourage everyone to come out for a lantern making and Chinese calligraphy event to celebrate the lunar new year!
    Time: 2-4 pm.
    As always, this is a time to build deeper relationships and grow together as a church family. This is a great way to start 2025 together!
  - Sunday School Classes
    Epistles of John (John I, II, and III) by YC Ip (December 2024)
    The Epistles of John contain several teachings from the Apostle John which are important for strengthening the faith of believers. These are: God is light, love, truth and obedience, warning against false teachers, assurance of salvation, and how to live as children of God.God is light and in Him there is no darkness. Light symbolizes purity and holiness, while darkness represents sin, ignorance and separation from God. Believers are encouraged to walk in the light, which means living according to God’s truth and righteousness (1 John 1:5-7). An example is Gaius (3 John 1:3-4) which John praises for his adherence to the truth and his support for fellow believers, including his practice of hospitality.
    A major theme from John’s Epistles is the importance of love. John teaches that those who love God must also love their brothers and sisters. Love is shown through actions and obedience to God’s commandments (1 John 2:9-11;3:11-18). Believers are warned, however, not to love the world or the things in the world, for if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him (1John 2:15-17). John warns against false prophets and anti Christ who deny Jesus Christ. He encourages believers to test the spirits to see whether they are from God. Every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God (1 John 4:1-3). In 2John 1:7, the Apostle John further warns against deceivers who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, referring to them as antichrist.
    John writes to assure believers of their salvation. Those who believe in the name of the Son of God have eternal life 1( John 5:13).
    Believers are called to live as children of God, which includes practicing righteousness and avoiding sin. John highlights the transformative power of God’s love in making believers His children (1 John 3:1-10).
    The themes of love, truth and obedience are central to all three letters. I pray that this course on the Epistles of John will help us to live a Christian life which will bring glory to God.The Book of Genesis II by Hansel Wang
    The Book of Genesis is the book of the beginnings. It details the fall of humanity and the beginning and purpose of God’s plan of salvation for humankind. One cannot understand the meaning of the Good News of Jesus Christ without the foundations of Genesis. After a brief review of the first 11 chapters of Genesis, this course will study the next 17 chapters, covering the lives of the patriarchs Abraham and Isaac and the early life of Jacob.
  - Panama STM 2025
    Mission trip Dates: June 13-25, 2025
    Information Session: January 26, 2025 @ 2pm in the Chapel
    Application deadline to VCEFC Missions Department: January 31, 2025
    If you are interested in joining the short-term missions team, please contact Pastor Joe, Steven Wei or Carrie Ho @ missions@vcefc.org
  - This year marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of our church. We will publish a yearbook to commemorate this important milestone. The editorial team invites you to submit articles to share your testimonies, experiences of church life, memories of the church’s growth, responses to God’s grace and anything that has touched your heart during these 50 years. Due to limited space, the manuscript should be concise and be shortened to half a page if possible. Please submit it to the editorial team (ssamgolf@hotmail.com) by email before mid-March. Don’t forget to include your name and the fellowship you belong to. The editorial team reserves the right to select manuscripts for publication. For details, please contact Stephen Sam directly (Phone: 778-379-2099).
  - Pastor Joseph will be taking his Ministry Enhancement Leave from January 1, 2025 to March 31, 2025 to work on his ordination. Please pray that God will provide Pastor Joseph with his presence and wisdom during this time.
  - 2025 Church Board and Committee Members
    Church BoardChair:
    Chung Yan Ip
    Co-Chair: Joel Yung
    Secretary: Stella Lee
    Treasurer: Selwyn Luk
    Missions: Joel Yung
    CE: Christina Lee
    Personnel: Martin ToCSCC
    Chair: Yeda Fung
    Vice Chair: Kit Pun
    Secretary: Vivian Wong
    Evangelism: Sarah Chan
    Membership – Jessie Ng and Lousila Lee
    Worship & Sacred Music: Vivian Wong and Lily Chan
    Sunday School and Library – Ming Yu and Eliza Chan
    Fellowship – David Chan and Kit Pun
    MSC Ministry Team: Co-Chair – Christy Tao and Patrick ChanESCC
    Chair: Andrew Tung
    Vice Chair: Deborah Lum
    Secretary: Darren Lau
    Treasurer: Daryl Lee
    Care: Frances Marr
    Worship: Darren Lau and Tommy Chan
    Small Groups, Fellowship and Community Events: Deborah Lum
- Please note that the underground parking is reserved for seniors and families with babies/toddlers on Sundays. And to make sure you do not park at the back lane or on our neighbours’ property.
- Open Gym for the church: 3pm-5:00 every 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month at Vancouver Christian School (Entrance through the front garage gate).
- As the church continue to grow, we have noticed that more and more brothers and sisters in church may share the same first and last names. Please make sure to include your phone number (or mailing address) on the Offering Envelop or on the Remarks Section for e-transfer to avoid confusion on your Donation Slip.
- In the event that your contact information has changed (i.e. address, telephone number, or email address), please contact the church office to update the directory.
- Are you looking for ways to exercise your gifts and to serve the Lord in our church community? We invite you to go to our church’s website to take a look at the descriptions of the various service opportunities available and instruction on how to get involve in our ministry teams. The direct link is https://vcefc.org/1033/serve
- You can download our bulletin and reflection questions for today’s service either through the QR code on screen or through the church’s website at VCEFC.org.
- For ministries, fellowships and small groups to have meetings in Church, please inform the office by email at least one week ahead to book rooms. Room availability can be checked in our website. Please click “Room Booking” under “Contact Us” in the main menu.
- In addition to the regular prayer meetings on Wednesday, we invite you in praying for Mission and Evangelism on the first Wednesday of the month at 7:30 to 8:30pm.
- Community prayer time will resume back to meeting every Wednesday night at 7:30. Join us in praying as a community for our church, our city and the world. https://zoom.us/j/446506289
- Small groups and Fellowships are available for all ages and life stages, from teens through college, adults and career, all the way to retired seniors. For more information on our various fellowships and small groups please visit our church website under the “Get Connected” section on the menu tab, or email us at hello@vcefc.org .
- Welcome Team for Hong Kong Newcomers has been established in order to welcome and show hospitality to both fellow Christians and friends who immigrate or return to Canada from Hong Kong. If you have family or friends who have recently moved to or are planning to move to Vancouver, looking for church or some assistance, please feel free to contact Pastor Job Chan (jobchan@vcefc.org) or Yeda Hong (vcefc.welcome@gmail.com). Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/100847038934841/
- ONLINE OFFERING: Now you have the option to give your offering through Interac e-transfer. You can still mail your cheques, or drop off your offering at the church. For further instruction on how to give online, click here.
- CONTACT US: We know that this can be a difficult and distressing time for some. If you have any needs, concerns or prayer requests, we want to hear from you. You can connect with the church through email at admin@vcefc.org or by phone at (604) 254-1242.
- WEEKLY OFFERING UPDATE:

PRAYER ITEMS: Click Here
- Please pray that during the application review process that the PSC continues to be sensitive to the guiding of the Holy Spirit.
- Please also pray for the pastoral candidates themselves as they undergoing the application review process that they continue to receive discernment and encouragement to where God is leading to serve next.
1. Please email your prayer requests to Pastor Joe (josephyu@vcefc.org) indicating if they are private or to be posted.
2. Join us every Wednesday night at 7:30 pm to pray as a community for our church, our city and the world. https://zoom.us/j/446506289

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Sunday Sermon

January 19, 2025 – “Building a Living Community” Deuteronomy 1:10-11, 29-31

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS: Click Here

PRAYER ITEMS: Click Here

Vancouver Chinese Evangelical Free Church