March has arrived, and I hope you’re enjoying the longer days. It’s always more refreshing to be able to wake up to daylight and come home in daylight. At the BCEC we’ve been making our way through the gospels and seeing how Jesus lived his life. Hopefully it’s been encouraging you to walk on as well.
I thought as we enter into the 3rd month of 2012, now would be a good time to pause and see what’s been happening and where we’re going next.
i9:2 Love
We held a seminar for young adults around the UK focused on love. It was a fantastic day that had around 55 people joining us to listen to Wai Lan, a professional counsellor, challenge us about trust and commitment. It was a fun, challenging and though-provoking day for most people.
If you’re a young adult looking to engage with God, you should definitely come to the i9:2 Conference from May 4-6 this year at Whitemoor Lakes.
Encounter Weekend
We also had our Encounter Weekend this year from the 24-26 of February. 55 people joined us for a weekend up at Whitemoor Lakes where we had a great time to teaching, worship & reflection. What did people gain from the Encounter weekend?
“Restoration of strength from the Everlasting :)”
“Having the joy of salvation restored in my heart.”
“Having the chance to stope and refocus on God without distractions.”
“An insight into the lies that have held me back and limited me.”
“I have finally come to understand the meaning of forgiveness and to actually forgive someone.”
“En Garde!”
It’s always a blessing to be part of God’s work. This year’s Encounter Weekend was supported by Cher Hui, James & Christina, Ming, Vivien & Chrissy.
Coming Up
Church 20th Anniversary
This week our church is celebrating our 20th Anniversary. We’ll be having a lunch at China Court at 1.30. Our morning service will be at the same time (9.45am) and they’ll be having a combined Mandarin & Cantonese service at 11.30.
It also means our English service will be a bit shorter, and will end around 11am. So make sure you’re on time otherwise you may miss the service!
Baptism Service!
We’ll be having our Easter Baptism service on the 15th of April. If you’re not baptised yet, what’s stopping you! Get in touch with me (bert) and we’ll get some baptism classes started by mid-march!
Church Retreat
Jean-Christophe, Simon & Larry are heading up this year’s annual retreat. We’ll be headed to the Pioneer Centre again and i’m sure it’s going to be an awesome and powerful time. SAVE THE DATE! 24-27 August!
Finally
Bible Studies
If you’ve been using our in-house Bible studies, I’d love to get some of your feedback. Fill in this short evaluation form so we can get a picture of whether the studies are at the right level.
Rev Chan Ka Fai
It’s with a sad heart that we say goodbye to our Cantonese Pastoral Worker Rev Chan Ka Fai. His last Sunday will be the 15th of April. He’s decided to return to Hong Kong so that he will be able to be closer to his family and serve the people there. We warmly thank him for his service and care during his time here.
One more thing…
The BCEC is really just a group of people who love God and meet together to worship and praise Him. We’re committed to each other’s lives and desire to be part of each other’s lives – helping one another develop into excellence. And at the heart of it, we all realise that all of us are works in progress that are here by the grace of Jesus.
I’ve been so blessed to be able to serve alongside some fantastic brothers and sisters. It’s a privilege to be part of your lives.
Thanks,
your servant,
Bert
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Photos courtesy of Mandy Wong. Encounter photograph taken by Samantha Lau.