Order of Service

May 25, 2025

Call to Worship Scripture, Prayer Tiffany
Worship in Song Music and Singing Tiffany
Worship in Fellowship Welcome and Announcements Jacky
Worship in Word “Pain vs. Pleasure”(Pearls in the Wilderness) Scott Changchien 
Worship in Giving and Response Tithes and Offering Tiffany

Sermon Notes

Title: “Pain vs. Pleasure”(Pearls in the Wilderness)
Passage: Numbers 24:1

” Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not resort to divination as at other times, but turned his face toward the wilderness.”

Announcements

  • Devotional Material: June 2025’s Living Life is now available for pickup at the church office.
  • EFCLA/HarvestLA Retreat:
    1) The church retreat will take place from June 6 to 8 (Friday to Sunday) at Pepperdine University. The theme is “Returning to the Father’s Heart,” with Pastor Walter Chu as the speaker. Registration are due THIS Sunday and payments can be made by check (payable to EFCLA) or via Zelle at giving-zelle@efcla.org. Please include “2025 Church Retreat + Participant’s Name” in the memo.
    2) Retreat orientation is 1:30PM on 6/1 Sunday at the main sanctuary. Please participate for more details.
  • Children’s Ministry:
    1) The VBS (Session 3) training will be held on Sunday, May 25, from 1:00 to 2:30 PM, it will take place in the CC Worship Room. Childcare, salad, and fruit will be provided.
    2) Vacation Bible School (VBS) will be held from June 16 to 20, from 5:30 to 8:40 PM on the second floor. For registration, please contact Children’s Director Ruth at (626) 450-7676 ext. 16.
  • Father’s Day Outdoor Service postponed (6/15): Due to the fast turnaround from all church retreat, we will now postpone the Father’s Day Outdoor Service. Instead,  Grad Day celebration will occur that Sunday afternoon for all high school and college graduates of 2025!
  • Church announcement:
    1) Recently, many churches in Los Angeles have experienced incidents of stolen mobile phones, valuables, and documents during gatherings. Brothers and sisters are reminded to be vigilant and take precautions.
    2) In response to the church-wide retreat, church campus will be temporarily closed on Friday evening, June 6th.
    3) On Sunday, June 8th, there will be a joint service in Mandarin and Taiwanese at 10:00 AM. Lunch will not be pro-vided on this day.
    4) On Sunday, June 15th, after each service, the church will prepare small gifts to be given to the fathers in each congregation. A light meal will also be provided to all brothers and sisters after the service. Everyone is invited to join in celebrating Father’s Day.
  • Small Chapel Renovation Fund: Upgrades to the chapel include new lighting, circuit switches, AV control stations, and two 98-inch display screens to enhance gatherings. The total cost is approximately $20,000. Donations are welcome—please indicate “Small Chapel” on your contribution.
  • Memorial Day Long Weekend: The church campus will be closed on Friday night, May 23, and the church office will be closed on Tuesday, May 28 as a make-up day for the Memorial Day long weekend.
  • Upcoming Event: Holy Communion (6/1)

Prayer Requests

PRAY FOR OUR CHURCH (EFCLA)

  • Pray for the Restoration of Air Conditioners. Currently, except for the Harvest Chapel, the air conditioning systems in other areas of the church are either partially operational or do not function at all. Pray that the insurance company will pay the claim for the loss of church’s air conditioning systems as soon as possible. Pray that God will protect the safety of the workers while repairing the air conditioning system and that the church’s air conditioning system can be restored totally soon. Pray that God will protect the church buildings from any intrusion by the lawless people.
  • Pray for the Whole Church Retreat. The church-wide retreat will be held from June 6 to 8, and currently 300 people have signed up to attend. Please pray for the co-workers who are preparing for the retreat. Pray that God would give them strength and joy, and they would become closer to God by preparing for the retreat. Pray also for the brothers and sisters who will attend, asking God to enhance the fellowship among the members through this retreat, and to make our church more committed to the mission
    God has given us.
  • Pray for the Sick.  Pray that the Lord would heal those who are sick and restore their health and strength.

PRAY FOR THE WORLD

  • Pray for Revival of Church in the US. Pray that God will revive the American church in a secularized environment, faithfully preaching God’s Word to build up the believers, committing herself to prayer, caring for the needy so that they will experience God’s love, and sharing the gospel far and wide to this generation of American back to God.
  • The Pray for Czech Republic. Having only experienced freedom from communist for a few decades, the Czech Republic is rich with historical sites and industrialized cities. The fall of communism in 1989 brought freedom of religion; however, nearly, half of the population identity as atheist, while many remain undecided about what they believe regarding God’s existence. Pray for the Holy Spirit to strengthen the witness of local be-lievers and soften the hearts of their neighbors toward the gospel. Praise God for freedom of religion, which opens many opportunities for sharing the gospel.

Faithful Servants

This Week’s Service Next Week’s Service
Speaker Scott Changchien Jacky Yang
Presider Jacky Andrew
Worship Tiffany Jeffrey
Ushers Alan Qi Alan Qi
Midweek Prayer Meeting Jacky Yang Jacky Yang

Your Faithful Participation

Your faithful participation May 25, 2025
Mother’s Day Worship Service- Joint 133
Table talk (Sunday School) –