Presence Ministry How Should Parents Respond to the Issue of Homosexuality? Agnes Ip, President and Founder of Presence Ministry, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California
“Condemnation Only” will not stop the pain
Parents cringe at the word “homosexuality”. It represents much more than just a controversial, ultra-sensitive topic because we are actually dealing with human beings, of real flesh and blood. The traditional response of direct condemnation towards homosexuality does not resolve the confusion or recognize and release the inner pain experienced by homosexuals. On the other hand, if we “agree” with the homosexual life-style, does it mean that everything will be okay and all problems will naturally be solved?
Is Homosexuality Innate at Birth?
Many parents want to know if a person is born with homosexuality. Is homosexuality by choice? With findings from identical twins research studies, we now realize that there is no such thing as a homosexual gene. When a person is struggling with same-sex attraction, many factors may influence the sexual orientation decision-making process towards homosexuality. Factors include temperament or innate tendencies, childhood traumatic experiences (including rejection by peers and sexual molestation), family relationships, moral training, and cultural influences.
活 現事工 - 活出基督 價 值
Newsletter June, 2008
家長應如何看待同性戀問題？ 葉顏瑋茵 活現事工創辦人兼總幹事， 美國加州執業婚姻家庭治療師
單是定罪，無法解決痛苦 談 到「同性戀」三個字就令人緊張起來，這不單只是爭議性和 敏感度極高的問題，也是因為我們所面對的是有血有肉的人， 並不是一個議題而已。傳統對同性戀單刀直入的定罪，已經無 法解決現實中同性戀者的迷感和內心的痛苦。但相對來說，是 不是只要我們都說「贊成」那就等同沒事了，一切問題就能自 然解決呢？
同性戀是否是天生？ 不少的家長想知道同性戀是否是天生的，到底同性戀者可不 可能選擇自已的行為？ 透過對單卵雙胞胎的研究，我們明白 根本沒有所謂同性戀基因的存在。 可是性情或遺傳傾向、童 年深刻的負面經歷 (包括被同齡人所排斥或性侵犯)、家庭關 係、道德訓練、文化中對性別認知的清晰度和個人對同性吸引 力所作出的選擇，都互相影響了同性戀者的決定。
同性戀者掙扎的階段 根據一些過往自稱是同性戀人士的經驗，有不少人很年輕就開 始具有「與眾不同的感覺」。 雖然知道自己必須選擇自己的 行為，但卻時常感到無力控制對同性的吸引，與其他罪中掙扎 的人一樣，一直活在破碎和痛苦中。他們從幻想或嘗試行為階 段，發展到身分認同， 最後變成生活模式，並 且融入同性戀社交圈裹 尋找到歸屬感。可惜這 一切都無法真正填補他 們心中的空虛，醫治心 靈的痛苦。
現化生命 動力
The Struggles of the Homosexuals
Many former homosexuals tell of feeling “different” from others, even as young men and women. Although they were aware that they have a choice in their actions, they often feel helpless about the same-sex attraction. As with any person struggling with sin, they live in brokenness and pain. They move from the stage of fantasizing and testing their behaviors, to coming out and defining their identity, to developing a homosexual lifestyle, and finally to merging into the social circle of homosexuals and finding a sense of belonging. Yet homosexuality does not fill up the emptiness in their hearts, nor does it heal the pain they experience inside them.
How does God view homosexuality?
How does God see homosexuality? Please refer to Leviticus 18:22, 20:13, Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, and 1 Timothy 1:911. The Bible clearly teaches that sexual acts with a person of the same sex is a sin. Yet, at the same time, God does not see homosexuality as the biggest sin. God views the sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, and slanderers to be just as sinful as the homosexuals (1 Corinthians 6:9-11); none of them will not inherit the kingdom of God. Nonetheless, because they were washed, justified, and sanctified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of God, they too, are now a part of God’s Church.
Two Extreme Responses
Because the root of homosexuality is complex and because it has been treated as a taboo for so many years, people are largely uncomfortable with and confused about homosexuality. Reactions in our society range from resistance, to pity, to full acceptance. Most parents do not have much knowledge and do not have a firm stance on this issue; they feel helpless to educate their children about it. As a result, most choose to avoid the topic, while others try moralizing and criticizing homosexuality. Since they have not been told the truth, children also respond in two extreme ways. They either fear homosexuals and reject homosexuality, or they pity and protect the homosexuals. It is not uncommon to see families being split on this issue, just as with other political issues. It creates division and destruction in familial relationships.
Responding from the Heart
In Acts 20:20 and 27, Paul said, “You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house… for I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.” Should Christians keep silent about homosexuality out of pity, for fear of hurting homo-
神如何看待同性戀？ 神如何看待同性戀？請看利末記 18:22, 20:13, 羅馬書 1:26-27, 哥林多前書 6:9-11, 提摩太 前書 1:9-11，很清楚的教導與相同性別的人有 性行為是犯罪。但同時並不以同性戀為最大的罪 行。 神看淫亂、拜偶像、姦淫、偷竊、貪心、醉酒、 辱罵、勒索、孌童和同性戀行為一樣 (林前 6:911)，都不能承受神的國。然而，這些人卻都被 耶穌基督的名和神的靈洗淨、成聖、稱義，加入 了神的教會。
一般兩極性的反應 由於成因複雜，加上多年來的禁忌，使大部份人 對同性戀行為感到困惑不安。社會人士的反應不 一，有抗拒的、有同情的、也有完全支持的。多 數家長們在這方面的認識不多，立場又不 清晰，在教育孩子時常感乏力。所以大多 數選擇迴避不談，也有部份全力作道德批 判。孩子們在不了解真相之下，也有兩極 反應-----不是駭怕加上抗拒，就是完全 同情和保護。常見一家人在這事上有分 歧，就跟政治議題一樣，對家庭關係具有 分化和破壞力。
用良心來回應 罹在使徒行傳20:20說﹕「你們也知 保 道，凡與你們有益的，我沒有一樣避諱不 說的；或在眾人面前，或在各人家裡，我 都教導你們。」這是「因為神的旨意， 我並沒有一樣避諱不傳給你們的。」(徙 20:27)。究竟基督徒因著對同性戀者的同 情而不說一些傷害他們的話是對不對呢？ 基督耶穌也曾親自示範了如何對待在情慾上犯罪 的人，衪給予了憐憫與寬恕，並不是審判與拒絕 (約 4:1-25; 8:1-11)。同時衪也指出當事人的 罪行，吩付他們離開罪的生活。今天不論你我是 用直接或間接的方法，目的都是要帶著基督的愛 和憐憫，幫助同性戀者明白神的心意-----從情 慾的枷鎖中釋放出來，獲得新生和自由。 改變真理或避諱不說，兩者都不能真正地使人得 到幫助。面對日益嚴重的同性戀問題，家長需要 付出時間了解學習，以基督徒的忍耐和溫柔的態 度，來面對支持同性戀者發出反對的聲音﹔更要 正視個人內心中，那種覺得與我何干的態度，為 自己的孩子和下一代肩負起社會良心的責任。
sexuals? Jesus Christ himself demonstrated how to be compassionate and forgiving towards those who struggle with the sin of lust (John 4:1-25; 8:1-11). At the same time, He also pointed out their sin and urged them to leave their sinful lifestyle. Today, whether using a direct or indirect approach, we can help homosexuals understand the will of God when we aim to do so through the love and compassion of Christ. Only then will they be released from the bondage of lust and receive new life and freedom. Altering the truth or avoiding the topic does not provide the guidance necessary for our children. In order to confront the serious issue of homosexuality, parents must invest their time in understanding and to learning, and react to negativity from homosexuals with a Christian attitude of patience and gentleness. Parents should also face their internal struggles, being aware of their own apathy or fears, so that they can lead their children and the next generation towards social concern and responsibility.
家長應如何幫助孩子 面對同性戀問題？ 孩子難分辨真理 公立學校的教導專注在學術，道德品格的培養是父母親的責 任。公立學校在面對不同宗教和政治觀點的影響之下，打造出 十分包容的精神，在沒有是非道德約束的前題下，也漸漸地把 我們的孩子訓諫到一個不能分辨真理的地步。當家長要他們在 錯與對中如何抉擇，部份孩子內心反而會產生莫名的不安和內 疚感，覺得自己好像在侵犯別人的權利一樣。所以家長不能夠 只單方面強調道德，不斷地批判同性戀者的負面行為﹔這很可 能引來孩子對家長的態度產生反感，反而視同性戀者為弱勢群 體，予以支持和保護。
培養孩子屬靈的身份 公立學校無法提供基督徒孩子屬靈身份的認同，基督徒家長要 盡早幫助孩子了解------他們和世人有別。在世界上，我們會 遇到逼迫和誤會，因為神的國度不屬於這個世界。彼前2：9， 11-12告訴我們，「惟有你們是被揀選的族類，是有君尊的祭 司，是聖潔的國度，是屬神的子民。…親愛的弟兄啊！你們是 客旅，是寄居的；我勸你們要禁戒肉體的私慾…你們在外邦人 中，應當品行端正，叫那些毀謗你們是作惡的，因看見你們的 好行為，便在鑒察的日子歸榮耀與神。」
確立孩子的使命感 不同的身份，帶來不同的使命感，也活出不同的生活的態度。 孩子們如果清楚神在他們身上的目的，他們就有了引導，心中 更加踏實，大大減輕怕被同學排斥或嘲笑的壓力。不單只讓他 們知道神是如何看待同性戀罪行，同時也教導他們以憐憫與溫 柔的態度來對待那些「與眾不同」的同學。 家長必須多與孩子溝通，了解他們內心的想法和感受，並且一 同討論處理的細節。啟發性的教導反而會拉近親子間的關係。
建立健康的性別身份
How can parents help their children face the issue of homosexuality? Difficulty for children to learn the truth
Public school education focuses on academics, leaving the responsibility of moral and character development to parents. Under the influence of different religions and political viewpoints, public education developed an emphasis on tolerance. Without
傳統家庭一直忽略了性教育，家長把責任都交給了公立學校性 教育課程。公立學校不單說明男女生理變化與生育過程，更介 紹了不同的性取向，有些甚至談到同性戀的性交方法。孩子們 普遍都在色情網站、朋友或家中的色情書刊中得到大部份歪曲 的性知識。因為家長沒有在電腦上加設色情阻網器，百分之九 十的孩子都曾經在電腦上做功課時，接觸到色情。 家長必須主動教導孩子正確的性知識及性道德觀念。在兩性身 份混亂的時代，盡早幫助孩子建立健康的性別身份尤其重要。 不少家庭缺乏父親的參與，男孩子的成長過程就更需要教會和 社區人士的幫助。對於孩子性別偏差的行為，必須盡早轉介基 督徙專業輔導員。 正計劃對專業輔導員，進行特別培訓，在不久 的將來，對被同性戀困擾的家庭提供更多的援助。
活現事工
any moral constraints or basis for truth, our children are slowly trained to be unable to determine what is true. When compelled by parents to choose the right from wrong, some children will experience a strong sense of fear and guilt, feeling as if they may be invading the rights of others. Therefore, parents cannot focus only on teaching morals while unceasingly criticizing the negative behaviors of homosexuals. This may cause a strong reaction from the children, who feel they must reject the parents’ attitude in order to protect and support homosexuals, who appear to be victimized.
Developing the Children’s Spiritual Identity
Public education provides Christian children with no affirmation of their spiritual identity. Christian parents must help their children to understand that they are different from others in the world. In this world, we will face oppression and misunderstanding because God’s kingdom does not belong to this world. 1 Peter 2:9, 11-12 tells us, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”
Helping our Children to Establish a Sense of Mission
A clearly different identity fosters a sense of mission. From that identity also stems a different approach to life. If children are clear about God’s purpose in their lives, and if they are guided and well-grounded, they are better able to handle the pressure of being rejected or shamed by others. Not only should they know that God looks at homosexuality as a sin, but they also need to be taught to treat these “different” classmates with compassion and gentleness. By communicating with and listening to children more, parents can better comprehend their children’s thoughts and feelings. Furthermore, parents and children collaboratively explore action plans for handling challenging situations. Interactive education draws parents and children closer together.
Establishing a Healthy Sexual Identity
Sex education has often been neglected in traditional families; parents have relinquished that responsibility to public education. Unfortunately, public education teaches not only sexual development and the birthing process, but also introduces various sexual orientations. Some classes may even include a discussion of methods for homosexual intercourse. In addition, children often obtain faulty sexual knowledge from pornographic websites and from pornographic magazines. Because many parents have not established parental control for internet access, 90% of children have encountered pornographic materials while doing their homework. Parents must take an active role in equipping children with sexual knowledge and sexual morals. In the current age when sexual identity is so confusing, it is particularly important to help children establish a healthy sexual identity. Participation from the father is missing from many families. Therefore, churches and the community need to be involved in the bringing up of boys. Confusion about sexual identity observed in children must be addressed early on, and parents should consider seeking treatment from professional Christian therapists.
Presence Ministry is in the process of coordinating special training for professional counselors so that more support can be provided in the future to families struggling with homosexuality.
SB777 Update 最新情報 去年州長通過SB777法律，而此 法律容許在公立學校中宣揚同性 戀、雙性戀及變性等性取向。 我 們 需 要 您 的 支 持 去 推 翻 SB777，我們需要在8月29日前 收集到四十三萬五千個合格投票 人的簽名於法律上作出修改。即 使您已於年初的簽名運動中簽 名，您仍可在此次新的簽名行動 上參與。 新的簽名表格可在網上下載。 請到以下網址:
www.saveourkids.net
Last
fall,
Governor
Schwarzenegger
signed Senate Bill 777, a highly controversial bill that will allow the promotion of homosexuality, transexuality, bisexuality and transgenders in public schools. The NEW initiative petition is now available, and we need your help to overturn SB777. We now have until August 29th, 2008 to gather 435,000 signatures for our initiative. Even if you have signed the previous petition, we still need you to sign this new petition! You can download the petition and the instructions at www.saveourkids.net
代禱事項
Prayer Items:
1) 保護婚姻行動順利蒐集到110萬簽名， 審核已通過聯署門檻，入憲公投將於 2008年11月4日舉行。請繼續為公投禱 告，藉此聯結眾教會，喚醒社會對婚姻價 值的確認。 2) 為美國總統大選禱告，也為選民能積極 出來用選票表達聖經的價值觀禱告。 [活現鼓勵您或您認識的美國公民儘快登記 成為選民。] 3) 繼續為青少年禱告，使他們能建造穩固 的聖經基礎，在混亂的社會價值觀中，活 出至高者神兒女的形象。 4) 為四州地震後的重建代禱。求神特別 憐憫流離失所的孤兒，使他們對生命重燃 希望。 5) 為7月至8月袁幼軒生命見証大會祈禱， 求神預備人心，回應神的大愛。
1. Protect Marriage campaign has collected 1.1 million signatures. After the verification process, the new initiative will be placed on the November 4th ballot for voting by the voters. Please continue to pray for the voting day so that churches can be united in our efforts to bring awareness to our community about the value of marriage. 2. Pray for the presidential election. Pray that voters can be actively involved in voting to express biblical values. [Presence Ministry encourages all U.S. citizens who have not already done so to register to vote.] 3. Continue to pray for our next generation so that they can establish a strong biblical foundation. Pray that they will learn to express their Christhood in the midst of the many confusing societal values. 4. Pray for recovery after the Szechuan earthquake. May the Lord especially have mercy on the orphans who now have no home! Pray that their hearts will be healed and renewed so that they may regain their hope in life. 5. Pray for the upcoming Christopher Yuan 2008 Life-Transforming Testimony evangelistic events in July and August. May the Lord soften their hearts to respond to God’s love!
「我兒, 將心歸我!」 青少年事工座談會 及異象分享晚會花絮匯報 雖已時至過月，至今仍暖心頭…… 是晚有二百多位來自不同教會、 機構的牧者、同工、弟兄姊妹出 席。共籌得$13,000元,扣除一切 開支,盈餘$7,200作為「活現」事 工發展之用。當晚與會者透過總幹 事分享其異象孕育與展望,有「活 現」劇場創意的表演,另張氏家庭 的真實見證及來自Calvary Chapel Chino Hills,社區關注的同工Mrs. Gina Gleason為「婚姻保護」簽 名行動作介紹,一一都讓大家對「 活現」的事工加深了認識和關注。 而早前的座談會,更藉嘉賓講員胡 翼權牧師、Andrew Gu傳道、馬李 黛菁姊妹、聶曼麗會計師,分別從 牧者、家長、學區校委等不同的身 份,以不同的角度詮釋,觸動座席者 了解當今青少年事工的迫切性！
Although a couple of months have passed, may the Lord continue to encourage you and to bring warm memories to your heart! On the night of March 2nd, over 200 pastors, coworkers, and believers from different churches and ministerial organizations gathered. A total of $13,000 in offering was collected; after expenses, $7,200 went toward the development of Presence Ministry. Our President shared with our guests the birthing of our vision and our goals. The Presence drama team inspired the audience with the drama “The Child of God.” The Cheng family shared their testimony. Gina Gleason
“My Son, Give Me Your Heart!” –
from Social Concern Team of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills provided us with an update about Protect Marriage. All aspects of the banquet allowed our guests to understand more about the ministry of Presence Ministry. Earlier that afternoon, through the sharing of our panel speakers, including Rev. Michael Wu, Pastor Andrew Gu, Lindy Ma, and Judy Nieh, we discussed the challenges we face in ministering to the next generation. Our speakers approached the topic from various angles as pastors, parents, and school district board member, and the audience was challenged to recognize the crisis our next generation is facing today!
Youth Ministry Panel and Vision -Sharing Banquet: A Summary
The Disintegration of Marriage & the Marginalization of Our Children 婚姻墜落、孩子邊緣化
According
to the National Marriage Project, American adults continue to pursue marriage as a source of self-satisfaction, but children can no longer count on the stability of marriage and family. Analyzing the health of marriage and marriage relationships in America, the National Marriage Project reports that while Americans continue to aspire to marriage, the emphasis is on “romantic pursuit and self-indulgent pleasures of matrimony”. The trend is toward marriages satisfying the needs of adults, not marriages satisfying children’s needs. In fact: ◊ about one-third of all children are born out of wedlock ◊ about one million children experience parental divorce each year ◊ since 1960, there has been a 850% increase in cohabiting couples who live with children in the households ◊ since 1960, the percentage of households with children dropped from 1/2 to 1/3 Clearly, marriage is no longer viewed as an institution for the nurturing and raising of children.
Another aspect of this trend is that men are staying away from traditional marriage. Marriage bonds fathers to their children; men who are not married are less likely to be involved in the lives of their children. However, men are increasingly staying single longer, having children out of wedlock, cohabiting instead of marrying, and divorcing. In 2000, 34% of children live apart from their fathers. Demographic trends have contributed to the marginalization of children. ◊ Between 1960 to 1985, the percentage of a person’s life living with spouse and children dropped from 62% to 43%. ◊ By 2010, households with children will account for only 25% of total number of households. As a result of these trends, today’s children are hurting. Increasingly, children struggle with anxiety, depression, eating disorder, and eating disorders. A growing number suffer from the psychosocial symptoms associated with divorce.
The National Marriage Project concludes that the “most effective way to foster children’s emotional wellbeing is to increase their chances of growing up in a household with both married parents who get along with each other”. Our culture needs to reconnect marriage to parenthood and to encourage and support parents in their commitment to marriage and to their children. For the full article, go to
www.crosswalk.com/1214192
根據報告，美國成年人繼續地以婚姻作為 自我滿足的來源﹔但是兒童卻不能再依賴 婚姻與家庭的穩定性。 報 告 中 分 析 美 國 的 健 康 婚 姻 和 婚 姻 關 係 說，美國人過份強調浪漫的追求，以及在 婚姻關係上尋求縱慾的肉體歡樂。這個趨 勢是婚姻只滿足成年人的需要，而不再看 重孩子的需要。事實上﹕ ◊ 約有三分之一的孩子是非婚所生 ◊ 每 年大約有一百萬個孩子經歷父母親離 婚之痛 ◊ 自 1960至今，有子女的同居者一直急速 驟升850% ◊ 自 1960至今，有孩子的家庭從二分之一 下降到僅有三分之一 清楚可見，婚姻不再被視為是養育孩子的 架構。另一個趨勢是愈來愈多的男人從傳 統婚姻裡撤退。婚姻把父親和子女緊緊接 合在一起，但是未婚的男人很少參與在子 女的生活中。而且男人保持單身的時間愈 來愈久，更多未婚有子女，寧可同居也不 願結婚，再就是離婚高漲。孩子與生父分 離的比率從1960年的17％上升到2000年的 34％。 人口結構的改變造成孩子被邊緣化。 ◊ 在1960年至1985之間, 人一生的歲月約 有62％和配偶子女渡過，一直降到43％ ◊ 到 2010年時，所有家庭當中有子女的僅 佔家庭總數的25％。 這 些 傾 向 的 結 果 ， 讓 今 天 的 孩 子 受 到 傷 害。孩子充滿焦慮、沮喪、飲食失序、性 別混亂、以及其它社會心理等問題都在節 節上昇﹔這些與離婚都有關聯。 「全國婚姻研究」報告的結論﹕「最有效 養育孩子心理情緒幸福的方式是，給他們 機會成長在一個父母和睦相處的正常家庭 中。」我們的文化需要讓婚姻和父母的身 份相連接，鼓勵和支持父母看重他們在婚 姻上和對孩子長期地委身。 參閱全文翻譯版請聯絡活現﹕ info@presencefamily.org
同工介紹
Co-workers Intro Jenny Lee
I was born in Hong Kong and immigrated to the USA when I was 9 years old. I grew up in Chicago, the “windy city”. I received my B.A. in Psychology from Northern Illinois University with a minor in Sociology. I later went to Trinity Evangelical Divinity School for a M.A. in Counseling Psychology because I wanted to learn how to integrate psychology and theology. I received God’s calling and moved to L.A. in 1997 for my career and life training. I’m a Marriage and Family Therapist – Intern in CA. I’ve been working in Pacific Clinics as a Mental Health Therapist for Asian families with various mental health issues. I’ve been involved with Presence Ministry for almost three years, from a volunteer to a part-time staff status. My passion is for youth ministry. I’m so excited to be part of the program developments and trainings for the youth through Youth Leadership Training, High School Internship, summer youth camp, and after-school workshops through dramas. I want to instill basic Christian value in our youth and to help them stand firm in their faith to witness God’s glory in this secular world. I thank God for the opportunity to serve Him through Presence.
I, Rozlyn Kwong, am currently assuming an assistant role at Presence Ministry. I am involved in communicating with supporters, coordinating details for some upcoming events, and writing and translating publications. I am excited that I can be a part of the team that is dedicated to helping others learn to express their Christhood. My passion in life is to empower others to live authentic lives as beloved children of God. I grew up in Hong Kong, and studied abroad in Canada. I obtained my undergraduate degree from Cal State Fullerton in International Business, and received my Masters of Divinity from Talbot School of Theology (Biola University). I am currently enrolled in a graduate program at Mount St. Mary’s College in Counseling Psychology. Besides my involvement at Presence and at church, I am volunteering my time as a Marriage and Family Therapist Trainee at Mariposa Women and Family Center in the City of Orange, leading therapy groups, teaching parenting classes, and providing individual and relationship counseling.
Stephen Wang
I graduated from Pepperdine University in 2006 with my bachelor’s degree in psychol-
ogy. My first experience with Presence Ministry was at a Summer Youth Camp in 2007. I volunteered at that camp as a youth worship leader and a small-group leader. Later the following year, I was taken on staff, and now, I help the ministry with research and community-event planning. I also help organize the youth camp every summer. I am involved in Presence Ministry because I am passionate about serving people and changing lives for the kingdom of God. Not only do I want to share the good news of the gospel to others, but I also want to be a source of emotional support for those individuals suffering from various mental health issues. This ministry dedicates itself to serving both the spiritual and emotional needs of a person, and I enjoy being a part of that mission.
Priscilla Wang
I used to be a fashion designer. Responding to God’s calling, I quit my job and moved from New York to L.A. 6 years ago. I served at Far East Broadcasting Company (Christ to the world by radio) for 5 years. I have been involved in Presence Ministry since this April. My responsiblity here is to design newsletter, booklets, brochures and flyers. I thank God that my skills and gifts could be used to serve others in His ministry.
我是耿羅秀英, Rebecca Kan, 負責聯絡及一般文職雜務。由禱伴、義工到同
Janice Teng
I am from Taiwan. I
help with translation and communication at Presence Ministry. This generation is the key for the victory of the endtime church. Presence Ministry stands right in the middle of the battle to win this generation. And this is also the reason why I joined Presence Ministry. 我是鄧正儀，從台灣來。我 在活現幫忙翻譯和聯絡工作。 這個世代是末世教會得勝的關 鍵，活現正站在這戰場中，搶 救這個世代的年輕人。這也是 我加入活現事工的原因。
Grace Huang
I am a teacher by profession, having taught in public school for six years. I received my MA in Education from Biola University. As a classroom teacher, I daily encountered the joys and smiles of my students as well as their needs and struggles. I came to see that what our children need most is not more academic knowledge, but more relationships with adults who can guide them to know who they are in Christ. I hope to be able to combine my teaching experience with a passion for the spiritual growth of children to serve Presence families.
工,這身份上的轉變, 全因其使命帶來深遠的 影嚮--「培育敬虔的後代」！正正回應自己參 予宣教工作時,常力有不逮的慨嘆…願主透過 「活現」植根灌溉,讓這在知識、技能上早有 裝備的新生代,作宣教工場的接棒人！
Katy Lee is a mother of 4 children - ages 20, 18 and 12. Her fourth child is in heaven with Jesus. She has a passion for talking to other parents about raising “good” kids - kids who grow up with compassion, integrity, and character. Katy is a graduate of Talbot School of Theology with a Master of Arts in Christian Education. She serves at Evangelical Free Church of Walnut as a layperson as Children’s Sunday School Director and VBS Director. She is a real estate professional with over 22 years of experience.
「活現」與葉顏瑋茵總幹事 四至十月行事曆 April to October 2008 Calendar for Presence Ministry & Agnes Ip, President Location
Event
4/13
FCBC Walnut
Life-Transforming Testimony: Kick-Off Meeting
April to June
FEC Diamond Bar
Sunday School – Raising Chinese Kids in the American Culture
5/4
Presence New Office
Open House & Prayer Meeting
5/9
CBMC of L.A
High School Fellowship – “Homosexuality” Workshop
5/10
First United Methodist Church of
Adult Fellowship – “Religion Education” Workshop
5/246/28 6/15
Southern California Churches Faith Grace Chinese Evangelical Church
Evangelism & Counselors Training Workshop: Raising Chinese Kids in the American Culture
6/22
CBMC of L.A
Mission Team Workshop: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
6/29
FEC Glendale
Cantonese Sunday Worship: “Leading the Next Generation on the Road of Truth”
7/12
Rowland Hts Hong Kong Plaza
Youth Community Event
7/13
FEC Diamond Bar
Cantonese Sunday Worship: “Leading the Next Generation on the Road of Truth”
7/19
Arcadia President Sq (99 Ranch)
Youth Community Event
7/258/3
Southern & Northern California
Life-Transforming Testimony – Rebel Without a Cause?!
8/158/17
Oak Glen Christian Conference
2nd Annual Youth Summer Camp
8/29
CBMC of L.A.
High School Fellowship – Workshop
9/6
CCHC Challenger Fellowship
Presence Theater: Social Skills Training
10/4
Logos Evangelical Seminary
Seminar – How do churches respond to the homosexuality crisis and changes in the family structure?
10/5
FCBC Walnut
Seminar – How do churches respond to the homosexuality crisis and changes in the family structure?
Supporting Presence 支持活現事工 There are 3 different ways that you can support Presence Ministry. 1. The first way is with a monthly donation of $50 dollars every month. This will help us to cover many of the expenses we have as a ministry. 2. You can support an individual staff member by sending him or her donations every month so that he/she can continue to serve the Lord through Presence Ministry. If you have a personal relationship with a Presence staff member, ask him/her how you can offer your financial support today! 3. Another simple way to support Presence Ministry is by using GoodSearch.com. You can also do your online shopping through GoodSearch.com. Just click on the box on the right that says, “Who do you Goodshop for?” This link will take you to a list of stores that you can shop from. And whatever you buy, a percentage of that money will be donated to Presence Ministry! 以下有３種方法支持活現事工。 1. 每月捐獻50元。您的捐獻可幫助作事工上的開支。 2. 您可每月奉獻支持活現的同工，好讓他／她可繼續在活現事奉 主! 若您認識活現其中一位同工，您可向他／她詢問如何在經 濟上作出支持。 3. 另一方法是使用 Goodsearch.com 搜尋或購物，您就等於直接 支持活現的事工。 Jan. 01 - April 30 2008 財政表 Total Income 收入
$ 19,704
Total Expenses 支出
$ 25,734
Total Deficit 赤字
- $ 6,030
non-profit org us postage
paid
Presence Ministry 20651 Golden Springs Dr., #104, Walnut, CA 91789
walnut,ca permit no.120