Renewal through Trust
2023 FELLOWSHIP DAY
Growing in God's Ways
Prepared by the National Executive of ACW Inc.
[Click on image arrow to play video.
WELCOME
THIS ORDER OF SERVICE was prepared by the National Executive of Australian Church Women Inc, with the theme for the present term being 'Renewal through Trust'.
This service has the subtitle 'Growing in God's Ways'.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF TRADITIONAL CUSTODIANS OF THE LAND
We acknowledge the First Nations peoples of Australia as the traditional custodians of this land.
We respect past and present Elders and are thankful for their wisdom which has sustained their people since the beginning of time.
We will support emerging and future First Nations leaders and their people.
CALL TO WORSHIP
Psalm 119:33–35, 40
Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees,
that I may follow it to the end.
Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law
and obey it with all my heart.
Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight.
How I long for your precepts!
In your righteousness preserve my life.
PRAYERS
Leader: Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees;
Then I will keep them to the end.
ALL: Give me understanding, and I will keep your law
and obey it with all my heart.
Leader: Direct me in the path of your commands,
For there I find delight.
ALL: How I long for your precepts.
Renew my life in your righteousness.
HYMN
Now thank we all our God (Together In Song 106a)
[Click on image to sing along with the video.
BIBLE READINGS: (NIV)
Psalm 25:4–5, 8–10
Show me your ways, Lord,
teach me your paths.
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Saviour,
and my hope is in you all day long.
Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
He guides the humble in what is right
and teaches them his way.
All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful
toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.
John 14:5–6,15–21
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
2 Thessalonians 2:13–17
But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.
May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.
Leader: This is the Word of the Lord.
ALL: Thanks be to God.
Image by David Wagner, CC0 Public Domain
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
Leader:
Unchanging God, we thank you for sending Jesus to our world, to show us Your ways of love, peace, justice and understanding.
Help us to follow in your ways.
God of grace, we live in a world where so many people are suffering: victims of natural disasters, of poverty and disease, of greed and love of power, of war and persecution. May these people receive the help they need.
Give wisdom and compassion to those enabling and assisting recovery efforts.
Help us to play our part in love, through your power.
God of love, hear our prayer.
AMEN
ALL:
HYMN
May the mind of Christ my Saviour (Together In Song 609)
[Click on image to sing along with the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLjJJBFlXR0]
WINIFRED KIEK SCHOLAR for 2023
Rev. Priti Priyadarshan Sandhagalla of India
D.Min. candidate
HYMN Thou art the Way (Together in Song 226)
During the singing of this hymn, your offering will be received for the work of the Winfred Kiek Memorial Scholarship Trust Fund.
If you are unable to forward your offering to your local ACW Unit, please email the ACW National Secretary Margaret Ker margaretker48@gmail.com
This hymn was part of the Fellowship Day Service in 1965. The first recipient of the Winifred Kiek Scholarship, Connie Tan Kwia Hwa of Indonesia, was in Australia for part of her scholarship studies. Her presence in Australia influenced the theme of the 1965 Fellowship Day Service: ‘Bridges to Asia’. With South East Asia in mind, it was prepared by Mrs Mabel Wylie, then President of ACW.
[Click on image arrow to sing along with the video.
DEDICATION AND PRAYER FOR THE SCHOLARS AND TRUST
Leader:
God our Father, we thank you for these gifts for the Winifred Kiek Memorial Scholarship Trust. We ask that you bless the members of the Trust with wisdom as they consider applications that come from women wishing to further their Biblical studies and training for ministry.
We thank you for all scholars, from Connie Tan Kiwia Hwa to Rev. Priti Priyadarshan Sandhagalla. Thank you for all they have contributed in ministry in their areas of influence.
We pray especially at this time for our 2023 scholar, Priti. Encourage and use her in her faith and ministry. We ask this in the name of Jesus.
Amen
Let us join together in the Lord’s Prayer.
THE LORD'S PRAYER
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and forever.
AMEN
FOR REFLECTION:
A meditation from the 1962 Fellowship Day Service was prepared by the Women’s Inter-Church Council of Victoria.
A Meditation:
“Where there is no vision, the people break loose.”
Proverbs 29:18
There is a hidden, divine spirit which, when the time is ripe, makes the truth manifest.
The man or woman who leaves out of life all expectation of moments of insight is not only foolish but ill equipped for life’s emergencies.
Let us so live that when God has something to say to us, He can say it suddenly. We shall not only hear, but understand what truth He seeks to make clear.
BENEDICTION
Leader: Now may the hope of a better world, a worthier life, a holier morrow and a sweeter thanksgiving, inspire us all with patient continuance in well doing; and may grace, mercy and peace from Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, remain with us now and always.
All: AMEN
This benediction was prayed by the Reverend Winifred Kiek at her ordination service on 13 June 1927 and used at her last act of public ministry on 9 March 1975. It is the benediction that she loved most.
HYMN
You Servants of God (Together in Song 215)
[Click on image arrow to sing along with the video.
Winifred Kiek Memorial Scholarship
The offerings presented at Fellowship Day Services throughout Australia go towards the Winifred Kiek Memorial Scholarship to honour Winifred Kiek, the first woman to be ordained in Australia.
This scholarship is offered to Christian women of member countries of the Asian Church Women’s Conference, multicultural Australia, and Pacific Island Nations. The scholarship is used for supplementary training or further studies in theology and related fields.
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Copyright
This Order of Service is copyright ©2023 Australian Church Women Inc. The liturgy is specially prepared and may be freely reproduced as a whole for the purposes of Worship.