The Church

Welcome fireBRANDS blog readers. Here's another update of what happened at last week's youth service.

As usual, service starts with prayers.

Led by Sarah Wong

Prayer points:

-Speaker for that night Pastor Cowan

- Those about to take exams (SPM)

- Worship team for that night

Next, it was time to break some ice.

This time by Joyce Lim :)

What was the ice-breaker about??

Get a pair of shoes that aren't yours, and return them to its rightful owner.

Sound simple? Well thats up to you too decide.

After the ice-breaker, it was time for worship.

Speaker of the night:

Pastor Cowan. Woohoo!! :D

His message: The Church

In Greek the word church is ekklesia which means to gather.

It also has four specific characteristics such as:
-call out from among others

-gather together for a specific purpose

-maintained distinct functions

-operate independently

Purposes of the Church

1. The ministry of God is worship

Colossians 3:16 (NIV)

¹⁶ Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

Ephesians 1:12(NIV)

¹² in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 5:15-20 (NIV)

¹⁵ Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. ¹⁸ Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, ²⁰always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2. The Ministry to Believers:NURTURE

Colossians 1:28-29(NIV)

²⁸ He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. ²⁹ To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.

Ephesians 4:11-13(NIV)

¹¹ So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, ¹² to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

3. Ministry to the world: Evangelism and Mercy

Ephesians 1:22-23 (NIV)

²² And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, ²³ which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”