Update: You can read Bronwyn’s most moving and deeply Christian response to her cancer here.
Please note the special arrangements for church on Sunday 7 April 2013.
- Church at 8am and 10am as normal
- Memorial Service for Bronwyn Chin, 2pm, University Hall, UOW
- Church at 5pm is cancelled (in lieu of the memorial)
- Church at 7pm relocates to Hope Theatre, UOW for a joint G4G gathering
Most of you now know that the Memorial Service giving thanks to God for Bronwyn Chin’s life is on this Sunday 7 April, 2pm at the University Hall, University of Wollongong. All are welcome.
You can obtain directions to the University Hall on this interactive webpage. The UOW car parks closest to the Uni Hall are P1 and P8.St Michael’s is organising the afternoon tea and refreshments. If you would like to help by bringing a plate, please phone the office, from Tuesday, 9am-2pm, on 4228 9132. We simply ask you to use a disposable plate please.
We are also ask St Michael’s members to help with the actual setting up and serving. Again, if you can help, please contact the church office from Tuesday. (At this stage, we are just taking names, until we know more details as to precise help needed.)
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After consulting the 5pm Congregational Ministry Team, the Church Staff and Wardens, I have also decided to cancel the 5 pm Congregation’s service this Sunday.
I am sure you will understand when I explain that Sunday afternoon was the only time that a hall of sufficient size and suitable location for the Chins was available. Bronwyn and her family are known and loved by an extraordinary number of people, and her illness has touched so many that we expect many hundreds in attendance.
We think a strong majority of people normally at 5pm will want to go to the memorial; this includes almost all our youth and children’s ministry leaders, and some of the the older children and youth.
I think many of us may be too “wrung out” to back up for church at 5pm so soon afterwards. Hence our reason to cancel the 5pm service.
However we want to make provisions for those who do not really know Bronwyn or her family. So with the help of office staff, I am ensuring we contact everyone on our 5pm roll, (including those who don’t have email or Facebook). There will also be a notice on our church sign and website.
And we let you know of the following alternatives.
You could come to church here on this Sunday at another time, e.g. 10am, where there are children’s ministries, or early at 8am, or at 7pm, remembering that Night Church is meeting at G4G at the uni in Hope Theatre.
For those who still arrive at 5pm, we will have some volunteers present to greet people and offer an explanation for the extraordinary circumstances, with an apology for the inconvenience. One of our number will lead those who arrive and wish to stay in a short time of Bible reading and prayer, with the possibility of a cuppa afterwards.
Where there are families with younger children, whom you do not want to take to the funeral, I suggest that in the absence of baby-sitting/child-minding options, couples might consider one adult going and the other minding kids. You could even offer also to do that for friends at church too. (Let me know if you want to help that way.)
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I appreciate the wonderful support and love shown to the Chins at this time, including from many of you who do not know them personally so well. It has been a wonderful and practical testimony to many others regarding the love and power of Christ in our lives.
I am sure we will have your support and understanding and prayers this Sunday as well.
Warmly in Christ,
Sandy
Defining Marriage – National Webcast venue
All welcome, free, here at St Michael’s, Wollongong, on a most important topic of public interest… Tuesday 26 June, 2012, 7:30 – 8:45pm
More information from marriagewebcast.acl.org.au.