Link-2010-issue4-E

2010

ISSUE

4

《未得之地》

From the General Director This year, COCM is moving from the phase of strategic planning to strategic implementation. Our first step is to engage in a worldwide recruitment of new workers for the mission. We pray long and hard for people who not only possess diverse gifts but also have a strong sense of call to serve in the mission fields of Europe.

INSIDE The Path of Grace ~Leilei Li

He will lead!

At the time when Pastor Stephen Wang founded the ~Gordon Lam Chinese Overseas Christian Mission (COCM) and began to Testimony plant Chinese churches in the UK and continental Europe, of Lawrence and Clara Sin the majority of the Chinese Christians were from Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Cantonese was the dialect used in most Ministry news Chinese churches. Over the years, the passing of time has brought on visible changes in terms of the mission fields we are in and the people we reach out to. During the last decade, Europe has attracted more and more students from mainland China. Among the European countries, the UK remains the first choice for mainland Chinese students due to its widely spoken language of English, its shorter duration of study and other advantages. These Mandarin speaking mainland Chinese students and scholars have been the people group most receptive to the gospel. They are one of the specific target groups we aim to evangelise according to the strategic priorities we have set for our mission at this point in time. Brother Leilei Li, a recent COCM Bible College graduate from mainland China, is representative of these overseas mainland Chinese students. He shares with them the same background, culture, language and life journey. To respond to God’s call, he willingly puts aside his earthly ambitions and commits himself to be the messenger of the Good News among the students.

With the increasing number of returnees over recent years, the seeds of the gospel have also been brought back to China by those who became Christians overseas. If this highly-educated people group can be effectively equipped and built up, they will become instruments useful to the Master wherever they go and produce a crop yielding a hundred times what was sown.

Gordon Lam and Maggie Siu is a couple from Australia. To respond to God’s call, they boldly step out to start their faith journey in the mission fields of Europe. Not only are they going to share the Good News with the students and scholars, they will also help the new believers to be deeply rooted in Jesus Christ.

Meanwhile, we will not forget the Chinese churches that have been fighting the battles with us faithfully over the years. We hope to continue our partnership with these churches in the mission fields, and at the same time, to encourage more churches to get involved in mission by providing them the support they need in various ministries. Lawrence and Clara Sin, a couple from Hong Kong, have three children at different age groups. They have been in full-time ministry with experience in teaching and building up of believers in the faith. To respond to God’s call, their whole family moved to the UK to be long-term missionaries. They will support the ministry in discipleship and leadership training. In addition, they will liaise with various Chinese fellowships and churches, mobilise them to participate in mission, and encourage them to be partners in the gospel with COCM. Apart from the missionaries who have been sent to the mission front line, God also answered our prayers by bringing workers with diverse gifts and professional skills to our team. Just as Paul said, “so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” Facing this vast spiritual desert of Europe, we shall continue to pray earnestly that the Lord Himself will raise up many more brothers and sisters to be trailblazers in the virgin mission fields. I trust that God will fulfill His purpose and plan towards Europe in this generation through our commitment, humility, loyalty and collaboration.

Rev. Henry Lu

神恩澤僑胞 福音遍全歐

Reaching the Chinese to Reach Europe

《未得之地》

New Missionary

�e Path of Grace I prayed to the Lord, “Lord, please send me and use me according to your will. I am willing to follow your steps to the highest mountain and the lowest valley with no reserve, no retreat and no regrets, just like William Borden many decades ago.”

Leilei Li

I grew up in church, which I regarded as a blessing as well as a challenge. As to being a blessing, God had prepared me a good environment to know Him and experience Him. As to being a challenge, I had to face my inner struggles seriously and experience Him personally instead of simply following my parents’ God. There was a time of loss, dilemma and rebellion, but God never left me until I voluntarily turned back to Him. I knew in the bottom of my heart that Jesus Christ became my personal Saviour rather than my parents’ God. Since then, I have constantly experienced the presence of God and walked with Him, knowing that He is faithful and wonderful.

Later, I had a chance to study in Edinburgh and became one of many international students there. I attended a local Chinese church and started to learn how to serve in very small tasks. God granted me His blessings and at the same time shaped my personality, interests, habits, and way of thinking by His mighty hand. My spiritual life thus grew in each and every aspect. Gradually, I came to realise that only through Jesus’ death can the glory of his resurrection be revealed.

The verse “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” reminds me daily to follow Him and look upon Him. I know I cannot do anything without Him and we are merely vessels into which the treasure has been put. As long as we are willing to surrender ourselves before the Potter, He will form and trim us.

After finishing my study at Edinburgh, I pursued another degree at the COCM Bible College in hope of preparing myself to better serve God in the future. I thank God for providing me with opportunities to get to know many different missionaries so that I could have a better understanding about their lives and service.

Meanwhile, I was able to work with some of them and knew more about the ministries at COCM. During the time when I helped to organise a gospel camp at the end of 2008, my eyes were widely opened to see that the seekers, who mainly came from university fellowships, were earnestly seeking and desiring God. Their hearts were so open to the gospel in a way I could hardly imagine before. What was even more inspiring was that some of the short-term mission team members from the USA were willing to sacrifice their holidays to come to the UK and fight the battle with us shoulder by shoulder. I was

2

rgh

ngelical Church in Edinbu

Preaching at Chinese Eva

deeply touched by their passion for God. I realised that I wanted to pursue the same goal as they did.

Being a mainland Chinese student abroad, I personally experienced all the difficulties and hardships of this particular group.

We are miles away from our homes, adjusting our lives to such a different culture. We are challenged not only by a heavy load of study, but also by the foreign language.

We are lonely and often alone, trying to figure out the meaning of life by ourselves. Countless nights we are wandering on the streets feeling homesick. Countless moments, we are looking up at the numerous stars in the sky, and though we are surrounded by many friends, yet we still long for true friendship. Countless times, we are busy searching for the truth between library and dormitory and yet we are finding nothing. Thank God that He has prepared my heart and changed my life. Even in this foreign land, God’s guidance was never absent. But I wonder what the future would be for the Chinese students who have never heard of the gospel. Each year, there are about 100,000 students coming to the UK from mainland China, carrying their dreams to study. They are scattered over different cities and towns. Even if one could contact 5,000 of them per year, it would be only 5 percent of the total student population. Each year, many thirsty souls come to seek for truth, and yet they leave with disappointment. Who will bring them the true

living water? Who will tell them about the eternal hope? Look upon the field, it is time for harvest. Who will be willing to work with God? When Isaiah heard the voice of the Lord: “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” he answered, “Here I am! Send me.” Today, God raises the same question. Who wants to work with the Lord? Who will come to God’s merciful throne with no reserves, no retreats and no regrets? Who will respond to God’s calling? I prayed to the Lord, “Lord, please send me and use me according to your will. I am willing to follow your steps to the highest mountain and the lowest valley with no reserve, no retreat and no regrets, just like William Borden many decades ago.”

The Lord is faithful. He is ‘Jehovah Jireh’, the Lord who provides, and He is Ebenezer, With teachers and classmates at the COCM Bible College our stone of help. God has been leading me, helping me, and guiding me all these years, and he will continue to do the same. So I decided to join COCM in the autumn of this year. This will be a new page in my life. Although I do not know my future, I know who holds tomorrow. As long as I am holding onto God’s promise and calling, serving him alone, looking to him, and trusting in him, He will surely make my paths straight.

After joining COCM, my main ministry focus will be on the group of people who have the same background as me. They are Mandarin-speaking students coming from mainland China. I will help to care for them and help to offer opportunities for them to go to the gospel camps, discipleship training camps and various fellowship activities. Through these activities and training I hope that not only these Chinese students will be cared for but they will also come to know Jesus Christ.

Serving in a gospel camp at the end of

2008

3

《未得之地》

New Missionary

He will lead!

I was born in mainland China, and immigrated to Hong Kong when I was 7. A school friend of mine brought me to a church when I was 16. I was deeply touched by God’s love, and the sincerity of the brothers and sisters. I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour in a winter camp. However, my faith was severely challenged afterwards because my mother suddenly passed away in an accident at work. Suffering from extreme depression, I could not go to church for six months. Touched by the care and comfort of the brothers and sisters once again, I was able to see how much God loves me and, even more, His love towards my mother!

I returned to the church later and became a stronger Christian from that time on. After graduation, I worked as a telecom engineer. Though I had many trials, and along with them some brokenness, I knew I was in the hands of God. By God’s grace, my family members came to Christ one after another over those years. God also led me to serve with a Mandarin-speaking group, where I met my wife Maggie. We shared the same vision of

Gordon Lam offering ourselves to God as a living sacrifice for the rest of our days. Wherever God leads us, we are willing to go.

As an engineer, God granted me many opportunities to meet and chat with some colleagues from Europe. I gradually realised that they had already lost any faith in God. On a business trip to Israel, I had a conversation with a German colleague about God at Joppa. Even though he heard about Jesus and respected Him even more than I did, he had not accepted Jesus as his Lord and Saviour. It was in this very place that God gave the apostle Peter a vision, telling him to share the gospel with the Gentiles (Acts 10). Peter refused to go at the beginning, but soon submitted to God’s will. In a similar scenario, Jonah was at this place rejecting God’s call to

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:19).

4

With the COCM council members

ia

Student ministry in Austral

speak the good news to the people of Nineveh. He made plan to flee to Tarshish to escape from God. Not until he was swollen up by a big fish did Jonah ultimately repent and surrender to God! As I thought about these stories, my heart was greatly disturbed as if there were a voice saying to me, “Son, what are you waiting for?” So I told myself, “Go and share the gospel in spite of the scorn of my European colleagues.” After getting back to the hotel, I knelt down before God and prayed. My personality was similar to Jonah’s and I had refused to respond to God’s calling. At the bottom of my heart I was afraid that if I fully committed to Him, hardships would come along. However, God did not forsake me. He constantly comforts, heals and rebuilds my confidence. As soon as I was willing to return to Him, it was surprising that colleagues from different nationalities showed a humble desire to know God, among them German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, British and even American colleagues!

To follow God’s guidance, my wife and I decided to immigrate to Australia and wait for further instructions from God. When we were about to leave Hong Kong, I saw a vision concerning Europe. I saw that millions of people repented and worshiped God in the dark land of Europe.

My wife and I were among them, working busily to save people out of darkness. After moving to Australia, I decided to quit my job and receive seminary training to enter into full-time ministry. I prayed with my wife and continued to wait upon the Lord. Later, during my 40 days of spiritual devotion, I was convinced that this vision came from God. When I finished seminary training and began my pastoral ministry, I had a dream that I went into a desert in search of the shoes making one ready to preach the gospel (Ephesians 6:15), which seemed to echo the Bible verses that I read the next day: “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ’How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” (Romans 10:14-15).

Three years later, God opened the door for me to join a short term mission team to Europe. It was a journey of searching for those shoes with which to go and preach the

gospel. I gained so much by sharing with many elders and other missionaries at COCM about my vision. I received confirmation that Europe would be the “spiritual desert” in my dream. And God reminded me once again, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:19). After praying with my wife, I made up my mind to follow God’s calling and stepped on to the road prepared by Him. We are deeply convinced that it is a path of blessing.

In recent decades, many Chinese students came to study in Europe. Therefore, student ministry is a big mission field with great needs. The first project that we will take up at COCM is to organise an evangelistic team, which aims to reach the Chinese students. From August onwards this year, we plan to hold many gospel meetings at university fellowships and churches across the UK and Europe. Our team will have core members from COCM, but we will also recruit a group of young and passionate Christians locally to join us. We will help to equip these young Christians through discipleship training so that they will know more about mission and become the driving force for evangelism and mission in the years to come. We hope that by partnership with local churches, our field missionaries and short-term mission teams, we will build up a strong network to be more effective in spreading the gospel.

We will be based in Milton Keynes for the first year, and help to do preaching and training at different churches that have such a need. Later we will move somewhere else on a long-term basis according to God’s guidance and the ministry needs. We are still facing many challenges, but we firmly believe that His grace is sufficient for us. As Paul says, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).

Commissioning prayer

5

《未得之地》

New Missionary p e study grou Leading a Bibl istian Church hr C se ne hi C in Coventry

Testimony of Lawrence and Clara Sin “Entrust [this apostolic teaching] to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.”

Lawrence was converted when he was studying at the University of Lancaster in the UK in 1982. Filled with the love of God after his conversion, he was passionate to preach the gospel to every student. The Chinese Christian Fellowship at the university helped him to grow in the knowledge of God and he committed his life to serve God.

Back in Hong Kong after his study in 1984, he attended a local church (Fu Shan Church) which belongs to the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA). Mission is a central emphasis at Fu Shan Church; After the first pastor-in-charge went to a restricted country for the sake of the gospel, a US missionary couple came to support the church, and subsequently other churches in Hong Kong. Over the years, various mission events help us to know more about missions among Chinese all over the world.

Clara belonged to the C&MA Kwun Tong Church before she was sent with a group to plant Fu Shan church in 1983. She was involved in various ministries in the church, and got to know Lawrence in the youth fellowship and in the committee meetings. We got married in 1992 with a heart to serve the Lord, and prepared ourselves to be missionaries. Meanwhile, Lawrence completed a Master of Christian Studies degree in 1998 and an MA in Interdisciplinary studies – Bible, Theology and Ministry – in 2006.

While serving in his local church, Lawrence also founded several Christian fellowships in different companies where he worked during the 20-year period between 1985 and 2005. The number of people grew in these fellowships, and they became witnesses in the companies.

Although he was zealous in evangelism, the Holy Spirit moved him with the Scripture 2 Timothy 2:2: “Entrust [this apostolic teaching] to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.” So he determined to use all his energy to build up more people to be God’s faithful servants and teachers.

Clara supported Lawrence by taking care of the family of 3 children and serving mainly in worship, a women’s Bible study group and family prayer meetings. We sought the

6

Lord’s guidance, as we felt that the calling to the mission field was getting clearer to us in 2002. UK seemed to be the place we always had in mind, partly because Lawrence wanted to ‘repay the debt of the gospel’ to them and, secondly, because there was a dire need to serve the spiritually bankrupt nation and to reach Chinese students and other ethnic minorities with the gospel.

We joined Operation Mobilisation (OM), an international mission organisation, in May 2005 and were sent to the UK as missionaries in August the same year. During these 4 years, we learnt a lot about prayer and evangelism to different groups of people in the UK and all over the world. Ministry-wise, we served under the Chinese Ministry. There were a few things which touched our hearts during our service in OM, and we sought the Lord as to how we could be better positioned to serve Him in the way He wants.

Firstly, there were Mandarin speaking students serving in the Chinese churches. Lawrence remembered the time in 1983 when China began to send students to the UK. They were conservative and closed to accepting Christ. Now they are open to the gospel, and able to serve in the churches. Many Mandarin speaking students accept Christ during their study in the UK! Secondly, God has brought many Chinese students to the UK to hear the gospel. Sometimes there were students asking us how they could be missionaries or pastors some day. (Praise the Lord that a couple of them are now studying in theological seminaries!). They need people to guide them. If we can grasp the opportunity, they will be equipped to bring the good news back to China and even to the world!

Finally, we found that there are many Chinese churches in Europe lacking a pastor. We felt that God was calling us to take care of the sheep just as He called Peter (John 21:15-17) after his response to the challenge of loving Christ our Lord.

We wanted to seek God’s direction in terms of how to be part of the churches and fellowships in order to help them grow and reach many more students. Supported by our home church in Hong Kong, we left OM and started to serve the Chinese churches and university fellowships directly in September 2009.

The Lord has been gracious to us by opening up more opportunities for us to serve in different universities and Chinese churches, and witnessing a continuous growth.

We now need to seek guidance and leadership from a mission organisation which is experienced in mission among the Chinese in the UK. Needless to say, COCM is the best choice because they have a history of Chinese missions in the UK and Europe. Lawrence also knew the

missionaries of COCM when he was a student back in 1983. He benefited a lot from the speakers, meetings and retreats organised by COCM then.

During the past few years, our family has been serving in the UK and we have been associated with COCM indirectly. We have served some of the churches and fellowships planted by COCM. We have had the privilege of knowing COCM ambassadors, missionaries and pastors throughout our service in the UK. Moreover, the vision of COCM – ‘reaching the Chinese to reach Europe’ – is something in our minds and prayers.

Rev Henry Lu, COCM General Director, shared with us the strategy and plans of COCM and how we would fit in with the mission plan. Our intention to be COCM missionaries were fully supported by our home church in Hong Kong. We joined COCM this June, and our current work is to support the various churches and fellowships in the Midlands area in England. In addition, we will help to liaise with various Chinese fellowships and churches in the UK, and mobilise them in support of COCM’s mission priority. We look forward to this exciting change and would request your prayers, care and financial support for our mission. Your participation will be rewarded by our Lord and Saviour (Rom 10:13-15; Rev 22:12-14).

Orientation at Warwick Univers ity Chinese Christian Fellowship

7

Ministry news

HEADQUARTERS General Director: Rev Henry Lu 2 Padstow Avenue Fishermead Milton Keynes MK6 2ES England UK Tel：+44-(0)1908-234-100 Fax：+44-(0)1908-234-200 E-mail：cocm@cocm.org.uk

Staff retreat

The county of Sussex in England is particularly picturesque in June. By the grace of God, COCM’s annual staff retreat took place at Ashburnham Place, a beautiful Christian Conference and Prayer Centre located in East Sussex. The theme for this year’s retreat was “Rekindling Our Passion for Christ”. There were 57 co-workers this year, many of whom were new staff members at COCM. Rev. Keith Ranger from OMF International was our keynote speaker. There were four sessions focusing on Christ, who is our only source of authority, compassion, connection, and courage in ministry. As fellow workers, we temporarily laid down our respective responsibilities and gathered together to receive the Word of God. The three morning devotional sessions were led in turn by Rev. Frank Cheung, brother Lawrence Chan, and Rev. Bob Lo. They directed us in meditating upon ways in which we are to be prayer partners and fellow workers in Christ; to lay down our lives to follow Jesus; as well as our roles as servants, soldiers, and sojourners on this earth. We were inspired by new staff members’ sharing of personal testimonies at the retreat. There was also time for workers from various locations to network, fellowship, and encourage one another. On the last night of the retreat, we received Holy Communion, proclaiming the Lord’s grace together. Once again, we meditated on the greatness of God’s salvation, affirmed His calling upon our lives, and surrendered ourselves in His presence. May Christ – who gives us eternal life, compassion, wisdom, and power – continue to lead the fellow workers of COCM in the coming days, so that we may forget what is behind, strain towards what is ahead, and press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Web Site：www.cocm.org.uk

HONG KONG OFFICE Rev Tang Chi-Ming Rm522, Metro Centre II, 21 Lam Hing Street, Kowloon Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong Tel：+852-2549-5288 Fax：+852-2549-5155 E-mail：cocmhk@cocm.org.hk Web Site：www.cocm.org.hk Chairman: Rev Cham Nai-Bun

MALAYSIA OFFICE Mr David Liew Unit 697-2-2, Desa Kiara, Jalan Damansara, 60000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Tel：+60-(0)3-7954-5884 E-mail：davidckliew@gmail.com cocmmsia@gmail.com Web Site：www.cocmsea.org Chairman：Mr Bryan Lee

SINGAPORE BOARD Chairman：Mr Alan Wong 420 North Bridge Road #05-07 North Bridge Centre Singapore 188727 Tel：+65-6466-7678 E-mail：cocmspore@gmail.com davidckliew@gmail.com Web Site：www.cocmsea.org

USA BOARD Chairman：Rev Daniel Chan c/o Lily Chuang 38 Stonegate Drive Wethersfield CT 06109, USA Tel：+1-860-257-3986 E-mail：info@cocmusa.org Web Site：www.cocmusa.org

CANADA VANCOUVER BOARD Chairman: Mr Lawrence Chen P.O. Box 32528, Richmond, B.C. V6X 3S1 CANADA Tel：+1-778-591-0109 E-mail：lrlchen@telus.net Web Site：www.cocmcanada.org

Evangelistic team

After a long and quiet summer, new university students will pour into the UK and Europe when the new term starts from the end of August. Having seen the opportunity, COCM has set up an evangelistic team in order to reach the Chinese students in different parts of the UK, Finland and France. This team is led by Gordon Lam and Maggie Siu. The preparation has already started, which includes recruiting core team members; networking with the churches, fellowships and short-term mission teams on campuses; pairing with COCM field missionaries and local coworkers; planning gospel events; as well as organising subsequent training and follow-up. Please remember the evangelistic team in your prayers!

Editorial Committee： Rev Henry Lu．Ling Lu．Min Yin． Yu-Mei Wu

Translators： Yun Ku．Joanne Yeo COCM Link is a bi-monthly publication reporting on the work among Chinese in the UK and Europe, free upon request. We welcome you to visit our website at

www.cocm.org.uk

Published by the: Chinese Overseas Christian Mission.

Registered Charity No: 232651