Welcome to SLPC English Ministry
Join Us for Worship: Sundays at 11 a.m.

Next Worship Service

Sunday, October 4, 2026
7F Chapel, 11AM
19th Sunday after Pentecost

Scriptures: Matthew 5:1-12
Message: The Blessing
Preacher: Pastor Michael Lu

Recent Sermons & Services

Announcements

*** Announcements for the Week of October 4th ***

  • DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READING (DBR)
    Join us tonight at 8pm for our weekly Sunday Devotional Bible Reading.
  • HOLY COMMUNION
    There will be Holy Communion next Sunday (10/11). Let us prepare our hearts.
  • BAPTISM
    Next baptism will be on Sunday, December 27. Participants will need to complete 6 baptism courses, which the first one starts on October 18, before the ceremony. If you are interested, please then see Pastor Lu for details.
  • OFFERTORY RECORDS VERIFICATION
    SLPC encourages its congregation to verify his/her offertory records through SLPC’s Line OA member service. Contact James for help on access.
  • OFFERING ENVELOPES
    Please use the dedicated envelopes for different kinds of offerings: tithe, building fund, thanksgiving, seasonal, special occasions, and etc.
  • THE ELECTRONIC CONNECT CARD
    The electronic version of the Connect Card can now be accessed by scanning the new QR Code below.
    eConnectCard
    Or by clicking this link: https://forms.gle/AJqmNU2HkizjJXNH6
  • SCAN OR CLICK TO SIGN-IN EVERY SERVICE
    Please scan the service QR Code around the Chapel entrance or on the bulletin, or click the Sign-In link that will be posted in the EM Family Line group chat each Sunday morning for attendance.

***Special Notice***

Hello brothers and sisters in Christ! May the peace of Christ be with you!

The Taiwan CDC has loosened its policies on the COVID-19 restrictions. However, it’s an enclosed space inside the church. As a result, please observe the following guidelines when inside the church premises:

1. Please make sure you have your masks properly worn when entering and inside the church. Disinfect your hands with alcohol if necessary. Maintain social distancing whenever possible.

2. If you don’t feel well, exhibit symptoms of cold, or have been in close contact with people who are contracting COVID-19, please consider to stay at home and participate the online service instead.

3. Food and drinks are conditionally allowed inside the church compound.

Thank you and let’s worship God together on Sundays!

Electronic Sunday Bulletin
EM encourages its congregation to use the electronic version of the Sunday bulletin to save paper.  Please click the following link to access the eBulletin:

https://shorturl.at/R1UBt

Or scan the following QR code.

If you have any suggestion regarding the eBulletin, please let us know.  Thank you!

SERVE IN EM

Come and serve in EM!  You can join the Liturgy, the Audio/Video team, the Praise team, the EM Choir, the Homeless Ministry team, or the Kids Club.  Email: emcaresforyou@gmail.com for more info.

Bible Verse of the Week


Matthew 5:12
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.


WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL

RETURN TO ME
(REFLECTIONS ON ZECHARIAH 1:1-21)

Pastor Michael Lu

Some quick background. Zechariah was a prophet proclaiming the word of the Lord regarding the southern kingdom of Judah. Zechariah is speaking to the Jews that had returned to Jerusalem from exile in today’s Scripture.

Although the people of Judah were exiled to Babylon, at this point in time, Babylon had already been conquered by the Persian Empire. Under the Persian Empire, the first set of Jews were allowed to return to Judah by Cyrus the Great.

The Lord’s command for them was to return to Him and rebuild the temple of the Lord. However, now under Darius I of Persia, the Jews although physically returning to Jerusalem, and starting to rebuild, had not completely returned to God.

That is why through Zechariah, the word of the Lord to the Jews was,

3 “Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Return to Me,” declares the Lord of hosts, “that I may return to you,” says the Lord of hosts.

Interestingly, the Jews were told to “Return to Me,” so that the Lord would return to them. Meaning that if the Jews closed their hearts off to God, then they perhaps would not experience the fullness of His presence.

This is a reminder that we do have a role in our relationship with God. We can’t be physically present, but spiritually somewhere else and then complain that we aren’t experiencing the fullness of fellowship with God.

We need to be present, not merely physically present, but present in our hearts, connected to Him through Christ by the Holy Spirit. God has already taken the initiative toward us in grace, but we are still called to respond to His invitation.

Are we an open receiver for all that the Lord desires for us to receive?

In today’s Scripture, Zechariah also sees a vision of a group of riders and horses that are sent from the Lord to patrol the earth. And this is their report, “We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth is peaceful and quiet.”

Isn’t peace and quiet good? Yes, but peace and quiet do not necessarily mean that everything is right. The nations were at rest while God’s people were still suffering, and God had not forgotten Jerusalem. God also has not forgotten His Church.

In the end there was another vision of four horns representing the nations that had scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem. Four craftsmen then appear to cast down the powers that scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem so that God could once again gather His people, have compassion on them, and bring them back to Him.

Return to Me reminds us that just because we may be surrounded by peace and quiet doesn’t mean that we have truly returned our hearts to the Lord. The evidence may be found in the inner struggles that remain within us, even when everything around us appears peaceful.

Let us then receive the Holy Spirit’s power to overcome and to receive true Shalom, peace, wholeness in God through Christ by the Spirit.