Welcome In 2003, we were a small group of passionate worshippers meeting in a hotel ballroom, but sensing that we were being called to so much more. In 2010, the call remains as strong as it did then, maybe even stronger. When asked the question "Why do you do it, what is the reward?" we would answer very simply - Changed Lives. The joy of seeing a life, a family, a generation, a nation impacted by God's transforming power is a reward, more than enough for us. This little booklet is just that - a celebration of changed lives. God has used this church in various ways to impact hundreds, maybe thousands of lives. As you read these stories, we pray that you would sense that same cry for God to use this church to change even more lives, as we respond to the needs of those both inside, and outside, of the church.
Our Vision Our vision is to dynamically and successfully build the family of God. Our name comes from the words of Jesus in John 15: 5: "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." In this signature verse, Christ describes Himself as the Vine and us as branches in Him. Out of the call to deepen fruitful relationships with God and with others, comes our mandate to build His family.
Our Future From small beginnings we have continued to grow in numbers, influence and impact. Our reach is attracting more lives and we want to continue to help as many as we can. Therefore we are renovating the old Imperial cinema located in the Wan Chai district of Hong Kong. Our plan is to become a community church and centre (VC2), to strive towards fulfilling the vision and mission that God has set before us, and ultimately see more “Changed Lives�.
Children Equipping children to live wholesome and spirit-filled lives, empowering them to reach others through acts of love. Teaching children to embrace the value of life, our children’s programs aim to equip children and release their gifts and talents. We offer a children’s ministry that prepares our local and international leaders of the future.
Changed Lives - Gerry & Susan Our son Jeremy had difficulty fitting in with kids groups that wanted him to simply sit still and listen. As parents this troubled us. We wanted him to fit in, but not by trading his joyful, outgoing nature for that of quiet compliance. Then our situation changed and we found ourselves looking for a new church home. Having heard good things about The Vine we decided to check it out. Our son was looking forward to meeting new friends and hoping for a good Sunday school experience. We prayed that things would be different for him this time. Returning home that day, he joyfully shared his experience! The teachers were fun, the lesson was good and the kids… they were from all over the world and lots of them had parents from two different countries just like him! We hadn’t seen him that happy in a long time! In the months that followed we saw that the K4C teachers had a genuine love for the kids. They accepted our son and all of his exuberance with open arms and helped teach him how to channel that love and energy in positive ways. They continue to teach him how to express himself in ways that honor God and bless others. Now, we all look forward to Sundays with our new church family and thank God for a kids program that truly has a heart to help our son develop God’s gifts in his life!
Refugees & Asylum Seekers Working to transform lives by meeting the spiritual, physical, judicial, psychological, and social needs of asylum seekers and refugees. We assist asylum seekers and refugees in the following ways: • • • • •
midweek bible studies in their own language (French, Tamil, Sinhalese, Nepali, Urdu, etc) providing meals and financial assistance (rental assistance, utility costs, transportation costs to come to church) advocacy & social work hospital, detention and prison visits counseling and prayer
Our dream is to restore hope to asylum seekers and refugees and to see them being equipped and treated in a just and fair way while in Hong Kong so that this time is not wasted, but used to build toward a positive future, whatever and wherever that may be.
A Changed Life - Benjamin* Benjamin grew up in Burundi, East Africa with two siblings. His father was a coffee farmer and his mother a housewife looking after the home and educating the children. During the civil war, Benjamin’s family was murdered. He was placed into a refugee camp with thousands of other people, all living in the same space with no toilets and very little food or water. He saw many people die in front of him. The unhygienic conditions caused Benjamin to become ill, but someone in the camp did their best to take care of him. One night this person smuggled Benjamin and others out of the country. Benjamin arrived in Hong Kong delirious, confused and without a passport, identification or the ability to communicate. During this time his sickness worsened, but he was not offered any medical attention. A passerby noticed Benjamin, and called the UN on his behalf. Within half an hour, the immigration officials picked Benjamin up to take him to the immigration building in Wan Chai, where he was placed in a holding room for three days before then being moved to a local prison.
It took Benjamin almost two months to recover from his illness and once he did, the UNHCR moved him to an old people’s home in Kennedy Town. Even though he was no longer in holding rooms or in prison, this new environment was the hardest of all. Living without any friends, in a new country filled with strangers that he could not communicate with, Benjamin decided to end his life. He travelled to the UNHCR office to inquire about the progress of his case one last time. When the officials informed him that they had no news, he stepped into the bathroom to swallow pills that he had brought with him. A short while later, Benjamin collapsed and was rushed to the hospital where he remained in a coma for seven days.
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Living without any friends, in a new country filled with strangers that he could not communicate with, Benjamin decided to end his life.
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As he regained consciousness he once again found himself disoriented and confused. Benjamin recalls, “The next day, one of the other people in the ward had a visitor, and he also came over to me and started talking to me. His name was Daughin Chan and he was a Christian, visiting his father-inlaw. He asked about why I was in hospital, so I told him everything. He listened, and then told me about how I can have hope in God and Jesus Christ. I had heard about Jesus in Burundi and was against it, to be honest. But now the story seemed different. I had nothing else, so I agreed to pray with him to receive Christ in my heart. As we were praying, it is hard to describe, but all the darkness and heaviness that I had been feeling seemed to lift from me. I began to have a new sense of hope. Not complete optimism, but hope for the future.” Daughin brought Benjamin to The Vine. Through the refugee ministry, members of the church began to help Benjamin with the process of becoming an official refugee; by giving advice about living in Hong Kong, praying with him and supporting him whilst he waited for news. Benjamin tells us that through the power of friendship and community, he found the mental strength to wait and put his time to good use by volunteering at a local orphanage. “As my faith in Jesus grew, my dependence in life shifted from what UNHCR could do for me to, what Jesus could do for me.” Benjamin eventually received the news that he could become a citizen of Tanzania. The opportunity of being able to return to his home continent and have a home country was the answer to his prayers. He was no longer a refugee or asylum seeker. Not long after, he returned to Africa and started working with street children in Tanzania’s cities. *Name has been changed to protect the identity of the individual.
Youth Reach - Impact - Teach - Train - Maintain Flight 852 is a place where youth can go and learn more about life, and also learn how God is relevant to them today. Youth are encouraged to express their individuality and are given a freedom to just be themselves. Music is an integral feature and a youth band plays at our regular meetings every Friday. Drama, games, and teaching are also part of the weekly line-up. We also run a bible study group called Despatch on Sundays and bible study programs on week days.
A Changed Life - Jackson Jackson is 16 years old and grew up in a Buddhist family. One of his teachers asked if he would like to attend the youth ministry at his church and Jackson agreed to go along. When he arrived at Flight 852, he was very surprised; he expected a lot of boring talking from the stage, but it was not like that. There were games and rock music! His teacher accompanied him to Flight a few times, but after awhile he started attending by himself. The leaders seemed to care about him which made him happy. He did not believe in God yet, but kept coming back to Flight 852 because it was fun. His relationship with God started after he attended a youth alpha weekend. Up to that point, he was struggling to believe that God would speak to him directly. After the weekend, God gave him words to share with the Flight youth: "Focus on God, not people. God is God." Fundamental elements have changed in his life since he started to believe in God. He was also not a generous person before, whereas now he finds that he wants to help others. Recently, God led him to give money to a group of young missionaries (YWAM) who were on their way to China and living by His provision. He's now praying more to God and feeling more of His peace, presence and joy.
Counseling Providing pastoral care, prayer ministry and professional counseling. Oasis At The Vine serves individuals, couples and families within the church and in the broader community, guiding their management of life’s challenges. Confidentiality, care and respect for each person’s life journey are assured. We are committed to helping, supporting and encouraging each individual through all stages of life’s journey. Oasis is operated entirely by volunteers, many of whom are professionally-trained practitioners.
A Changed Life - Victoria In recent years I suffered from a complicated relationship which resulted in depression, guilt, hopelessness, and the inability to express myself. I sought help from a professional counselor, but felt constrained by the allotted time and often left those sessions with my internal struggles still haunting me. Life was very painful in those days.
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Embraced with sincerity, patience and acceptance, and being spoken to in love and truth by the counselor, my problems gradually began to be resolved.
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An unsatisfactory spiritual life led me to The Vine. One Sunday, the speaker shared that the church had a counseling centre so I got in touch with one of the counselors in Oasis and arranged a meeting. Embraced with sincerity, patience and acceptance, and being spoken to in love and truth by the counselor, my problems gradually began to be resolved. The facilities of Oasis and the care of the counselor created a safe and respectful environment that enabled me to share, to confront, and to deal with my problems by receiving prayer and biblical advice. My new journey had begun. In regular weekly counseling sessions, over the period of almost a year, both the counselor and I witnessed God's continued healing and deliverance in my life. I was also amazed that these sessions were free-of-charge! Now I am pleased to say, I have many good friends in the church, and am even working in a job which requires a high level of interaction with others. It really has been a miraculous journey. One for which I am very grateful.
Young Adults To identify, train and release young adults into their God-Created destiny. One_eighty exists to fulfill the vision of the Vine through identifying, training and releasing young adults into their God-Created destiny. Our objective is to see every member of the fellowship be in community with the Lord and each other, and living radical lives for Christ in whatever context they are in. To help achieve this we support and volunteer with local charities and go on mission trips throughout Asia.
A Changed Life - Anthony The community at The Vine was something that really baffled me when I first visited the church. I was so accustomed to a world where kindness and love were based solely on conditions, and only reciprocated when it resulted in personal benefit, that I initially took the seemingly genuine love and care that I experienced at The Vine with much skepticism. I was at a point in my life where I had absolutely no direction. I felt alone, lost, was engaged in a lot of self-destructive habits and was simply crying out for help to anyone who would hear me. I ended up at what was then, the 6pm service. The sermon really pierced my heart, then after that service a stranger prayed for me and I broke down inside. That was the start of the transformation, but 180 solidified it. The fact that Derek (the 180 pastor) would take time out to talk to me, even though he had a congregation of over 150 young people, really struck me. Not only that, but I was pastored, counseled and loved by so many different people at 180. It was great because I was constantly filled with hope and encouragement; it was just so different from what I was used to. I was just so drawn in by the people that I really felt I was welcomed into God’s house with open arms and I really experienced His love first hand through all the people – his children – at the church. No matter where I am in the world, The Vine is my home and always will be.
Small Groups
plus
A collection of small groups where people do life together as a family, in a relational, accountable community. PLUS is at the heart of the church, and this is where we form meaningful and valuable relationships in community. We offer groups of different shapes and sizes - mixed, females only, males only, young people, old people, workplace-centred, conducted in English or Cantonese but all Godfocused.
A Changed Life - Nelson Before Nelson came to the Vine, he was carrying a lot of baggage from the past, including anger, bitterness and pride. About 2 years ago, his then girlfriend and future wife invited him to join a small group at the church. He resisted strongly at first, thinking there was no reason for him to join a group of ‘holier than thou’ Christians, who would only judge and criticize him for his past. After endless persuasion he agreed to go along to the B2C group. He deliberately prepared many difficult questions to throw off the leader and prove to his girlfriend that the whole thing was pointless. The experience turned out to be nothing like he thought it would be, but exactly what he needed at the time; he was desperate for Godly counsel, and a spiritual support network. Whenever he brought his anger, bitterness and pride to the group, they responded with love, compassion, and patience. The B2C group gave Nelson the generous and unconditional love that he desperately needed. It was like living water to his thirsty soul and healed him of his spiritual handicap. After a year of attending the B2C group, Nelson now leads his own small group every week at B2C. He recognizes that small groups help to build an intimate relationship with God.
Our Ministries Cell Groups plus@thevine.org.hk
A collection of small groups where people do life together as a family, in a relational, accountable community.
B2C
Business Ministry www.whatisb2c.com
Champions
Volunteers champions@thevine.org.hk
Volunteers who, through a gift of time and service, help make church life happen in every way. They are a fundamental part of our service to the community.
4-D men
Men’s Ministry info@thevine.org.hk
Helping professionals discover their calling in the workplace
Monthly gathering to uplift, encourage and support each other in the responsibilities and challenges that are unique to men.
0-12 Sunday School tamilla.palmer@thevine.org.hk
Prayer & Counseling oasis@thevine.org.hk
Fun programs designed to develop children’s gifts and talents and how to live moral and powerful lives in God. 13-18 Youth Group www,flight852.com
Youth programs incorporating music, drama, games & teaching to encourage teenagers to express their individuality in God-fearing lives. Young Adults Service www.oneighty.hk
Empowering young adults to discover their destiny in Christ.
Soul Sisters
at The Vine
Dedicated to providing pastoral care, prayer ministry and professional counseling within a biblical framework for a healthier lifestyle.
Community
Social Action john.macpherson@thevine.org.hk
Provision of financial & social work assistance; advocacy; hospital, detention & prison visits; prayer and counseling to asylum seekers and refugees.
Worship and creative arts
Passionate about Spirit-filled worship that leads people into God’s presence and committed to identifying and activating the spiritual gifts of creativity and worship in the congregation. The Alpha Course alpha@thevine.org.hk
Women’s Ministry soulsisters@thevine.org.hk
Monthly evening, and weekly daytime gatherings for women to share, worship, pray and support each other.
Alpha is an opportunity for anyone to explore the Christian faith, in a relaxed setting, over several thought-provoking weekly sessions and a day or weekend away. Cleansing Stream csm@thevine.org.hk
Filipino Ministry edward@kingedwardltd.com
Providing a place and time for Filipino people to come together and seek spiritual communion, the Holy Spirit’s restoration and a touch by God.
Manna
Bible School manna@thevine.org.hk
A theological/Bible school ministry that is committed to pursuing the truth of God's Word and firmly planting it in hearts, minds and hands.
Worship Ministry worship@thevine.org.hk
The Cleansing Stream Ministry seminar is a 10-week course where one can experience healing, freedom, discipleship and breakthrough in every area of life.
Sunday Services
Sunday Services
A dynamic time for people from all walks of life to celebrate Jesus. Spirit-filled contemporary worship, relevant biblically-based talks and special programs for children and youth.
How Can I Help? 1
THE
Pray
Commit to regularly pray for the church, the pastors and leaders, the ministries and the VC2 building project. Monthly prayer and worship nights are also held at The Vine and you are encouraged to come and pray for our church, city and nation. Your prayers are valuable.
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Be Informed & Share Good News
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Volunteer
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VINE
Stay informed! Come along to the vision updates, read the information, regularly visit our website (www.thevine.org.hk) and ask questions that will enable you to be an active ambassador of the church. Share the amazing stories of Changed Lives with others.
Families require every member’s participation to get things done. Sign up today and share the load with your church family. You can help out as a greeter; on the coffee bar; assisting the media team; manning the resource stand and info desk; as a counter or as a service manager. The VC2 building project also has opportunities for you to help out with fundraising, photography, general administration, research, events, making corporate connections and marketing. Contact us today to find out how you can volunteer.
Donate
By making a commitment to donate regularly, you will help to fulfill the vision that God has set before us.
More information about our church and the VC2 project can be found on our website, along with blogs, podcasts, videos and more:
www.thevine.org.hk
Giving Details
ATM & INTERNET BANKING: HSBC acc no: 083-198929-001 (current account/cheque account) Account name: “The Vine Church Limited” Please email or fax us the detail to: accounts@thevine.org.hk CHEQUE PAYMENT: Made out to: “The Vine Church Limited” PAYPAL: Visit our website to make your payment online via paypal.
DIRECT DEBIT: You can arrange automatic regular contributions to The Vine by completing the direct debit form available on our website. CREDIT CARD PAY POINT / TERMINAL A credit card terminal is available at the church resource stand on Sundays, and in the office during the week. We accept Visa & MasterCard.
The Vine Church
Tel: (852) 2573 0793 Fax: (852) 2865 5381 Email: info@thevine.org.hk 3/F, Two Chinachem Plaza, 135 Des Voeux Road Central, Hong Kong