2011
ISSUE
5
《未得之地》
From the General Director It is a common perception that the road to mission is a long and lonely journey. Stories of courageous people sent to mission frontiers to do pioneer work often leave a deep impression on us. But when we read the biblical account of the Apostle Paul's missionary journeys, we find that there were also footprints of fellow workers along the paths he travelled to spread the gospel. The heart of God is for us to partner in global mission while we take on different roles and responsibilities, so together we may participate in the Great Commission and share its blessings. In the history of the mission of COCM, we have been blessed with many fellow workers and supporters from around the world. Since the beginning, we have been planting and setting up Chinese churches and fellowship groups throughout Europe. When the churches are more mature we encourage them to become our mission partners by supporting us through their prayers, provision, and participation. Meanwhile, we continue to help the established churches by supporting their needs in evangelism and equipping believers. This has been our model of partnership to encourage Chinese churches in the mission field to take part in the Great Commission. As the mission field in Europe faces changes and new challenges, we are keenly aware of the need to explore new and different models of mission partnership. Last year, the launch of the COCM Gospel Team led to the beginning of a new partnership between COCM and local British churches in Sunderland, North East England. Because of a shared vision to bring the gospel to the large number of mainland Chinese students on campus, we worked together to utilise the strengths of people speaking different languages and having different cultural backgrounds. Such teamwork proves to be more effective for the ministry of the gospel. God continues to open doors for us to build new partnership with church denominations from other parts of the world. Last year, Gordon Lam and Maggie Siu were sent from Australia to join COCM. Rev. Sui-Foo Liaw and his wife Joy were originally sent from the USA by the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) to minister to students in London. Because C&MA and COCM share a similar vision and mission strategy regarding the student ministry in the UK, the two mission organisations worked together to arrange for Sui-Foo and Joy to join COCM as seconded missionaries. Early this year, Tzyy-Terng Su and Yu-Mei Wu joined COCM as the first lay missionaries sent overseas by the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT). This is also the first time for PCT and COCM to become mission partners in Europe. The first Presbyterian missionary to Taiwan, Dr. James L. Maxwell, was from Scotland. Today, a new generation of missionaries from Taiwan are bringing the blessing of the good news of Christ back to Europe. Over the years, churches in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, and North America have been faithfully sending missionaries to join COCM as well as providing for the diverse needs of the mission field in Europe. We are truly thankful for the numerous fellow workers and supporters God has given us along our missionary journey. We continue to pray that God will raise up more brothers and sisters to join COCM as longterm missionaries through various partnership models. May God help us to labour in the mission field as partners in the gospel and to "stand firm in one spirit, striving together as one man for the faith of the gospel." (Philippians 1:27b)
INSIDE Encouraging Partnership in Mission ~Rev. Esther Ho Pioneering in London ~Rev. Sui-Foo Liaw Response to His Grace and Call ~Tzyy-Terng Su The World Is Coming to Us ~Dr. Ashley Liston
Rev. Henry Lu
神恩澤僑胞 福音遍全歐
Reaching the Chinese to Reach Europe
1