Online Services/Video Sermons

Westminster Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Sydney Congregation

** Lord’s Day Online services Australia, NSW 09:00 A ET **

** Lord’s Day Online services United States 18:00 US EST **

Online video services are provided for WEPC preaching stations/mission congregations, and congregations not having an evening or away on holiday, as well as any visitors who so desire to be in attendance by link up. Our reformed evangelical service is formal in accordance with prescribed worship outline in the Westminster Standards, including the following ordinary elements: prayers, psalm singing, Scripture reading, preaching of the Word, and Benediction. The minister leads the entire worship service with the King James Bible and the 1650 Psalter. (In the event of illness, and no replacement minister, an elder will lead the service with a sermon recording.) No others will speak nor will be addressed before the service, during the service, or immediately after the service, unless desired. Visitors should understand that they will not be addressed in the worship room after the service; and they can, if they choose to, immediately sign off. Personal contact with the pastor can be arranged by email or text.

We believe that regular Bibles and Psalters should be used in public worship. Those who do not have a Psalter can download it, as referenced below. Whilst some may choose to use mobile phones or tablets, subject to electronics, it is recommended to eventually have a printed Bible and a Psalter. We want people to learn and maintain the ability to find books of the Bible. The ministers in online services use a regular Bible and a Psalter. It is our opinion that it is not advisable to overuse electronics, for health reasons; and it is not good to live as if we are dependent upon these devises.

Regarding discussion and biblical fellowship in the Lord, there can be some brief discussion after the service by email or text; but the Lord’s Day is not suitable for regular questions or lengthy discussions about the sermon or other doctrinal questions after the service. Baptised and communicant members would understand that ordinarily people should depart in a reasonable time from the worship service and to prepare their dinner or evening supper. Then they should discuss the sermon within the family. Visitors and especially those that are unused to reformed evangelical preaching may have questions during the week; but it is not suitable to consider pressing debate type questions on the Lord’s Day. Instead they may thoughtfully put forth their questions to the pastor or an elder during the week by email or text.

With reference to appropriate public worship attire, it is to be understood that the minister and other church officers do wear formal public worship attire, such as, a light coloured shirt, tie, sweater or a suit jacket. Those linking up with WEPC preaching station-mission congregations, when come to a local meeting house, should wear suitable attire for the Lord’s Day entering into public worship and the house of God (Psa. 95:1-6; 100:1-4; I Tim. 3:15). WEPC Baptised and Communicant members who must worship from their homes should try to focus on worshiping with the congregation in reasonable attire even at home, prepared to invite others to worship as well.

Baptised and Communicant members of the WEPC, linking up on line as individuals/families or with a preaching station-mission congregation, will want their names recorded being in church attendance. Visitors are not requested to give names nor their attendance numbers in their households or in hotel rooms; the only recording there will be is the registered emails for receiving the link up.

Baptised and Communicant members and/or preaching stations will be added to a permanent list and expected to participate in congregational singing of the Psalms and overall reverential public worship. For necessary private conversations or to attend to children, please remember to step away from computer mic or temporarily mute. If need be, the elder in charge of the link-up will mute as needed. For visitors, there is the option of not participating in congregational singing, by simply having local computer mics muted or off.

With reference to the conference service we use, the ‘Zoom’ link begins with personal cameras off. If after clicking on the sent link, attendees online forget and put on personal cameras by mistake, our radio/sound quality host elder will turn off all other cameras for privacy, to focus on the pastor leading the worship service, and especially the preaching of the Word. We welcome any and all visitors; but any antagonists, who are disruptive, will be blocked.

Emails for ‘Zoom link’ up are sent out in advance of the worship service. Visitors for online services, please send email no later than 20-30 minutes before service time or be added to the permanent list. For international link up, please coordinate time difference.  Those who are added to the permanent list, who cannot link up on a given Lord’s Day, should simply pass; or if ill, please choose appropriately. Certainly, the video sermons will be available as soon as possible after the service.

Visitors desiring link up for any service, please write email to: treasurer@wepresch.org

1650 Psalter for singing: http://www.psalm-singing.org/psalms/scottish-1650_1/

Banking Details for Tithes, Offerings & Donations

Name: Westminster Evangelical Presbyterian Church

Send by direct bank transfer or Western Union to bank details below.

Swift Code/Swift BIC Address: SGBLAU2S

St George’s Bank, Sydney, NSW, Australia

BSB 112-879

Account No. 057 580 368

Paypal: treasurer@wepresch.org

Take note:

Regarding the question of Sabbath day rest and labour, internet usage does not make others labour at internet centres somewhere in the world. Such related labour is not performed manually on the Lord’s Day. The computer programming for automation has long been done on related internet websites and email process sending, long before we link up for services. What very limited crew might be needed or used for emergencies would be there present at the internet processing centres regardless; and if they do not use wise rotation on the Lord’s Day for emergency crew at these internet centers, it has nothing to do with any reformed evangelical church or God-fearing individual sending or receiving emails, and linking up to services on the Lord’s Day; and the limited work involved for church people to provide link up services is no different than driving to and setting up for services at a meeting house or church building, including recording equipment. Regarding visiting church websites, reading and writing emails, mobile phone calls, on the Lord’s Day, we certainly do promote limited labour and certainly specifically church appropriate reforming works on the Lord’s Day, including morning and evening church attendance and even reading of Scripture and reformed evangelical books at home. On the Lord’s Day, however, we do not condone buying and selling, only collection of tithes and offering. Tithes, offerings, or donations can be sent by online bank transfer or paypal during the week.

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