Annual Report Call to community: Mobilising Across Ministries
Opening Address
stronger together By A n d r ew Ga r d en er senior pastor
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hat an unexpected year 2019 has been. We have seen some of our greatest breakthroughs and growth alongside some of our greatest changes and challenges. Amid Hong Kong’s uncertain future, I have been encouraged by countless examples of grace, love, and hope that have emerged from within our community. We are stronger together and in unity, and as a community, we have drawn together in Christ during this difficult time.
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Key to this year was the release of our ‘River Model’ future for The Vine. It marks a significant shift in how we see ourselves as a church community—from a ‘building in one location’ to a network of people spread out over our city; tributaries and rivers reaching each corner of Hong Kong. It’s an exciting new work Christ has called us to, and already work has begun in pursuit of His plans for us. It is not lost on us that in such changing times in our society, God would call us to shift and adapt as a community, and I’m excited to see where He leads us. My family and I are so grateful for your love and support in the season following my father’s passing, and in my time of sabbatical from July to October. This was a special gift of refreshment and healing. Thank you for showing me what a loving and healing Christian community looks like. I also want to thank our Eldership and Executive Leadership Team for their hard work and leadership during my time away. I’m so grateful for the team God has assembled here. As I contemplate the year ahead, faith and hope rise in me. We have been formed and shaped for a time such as this. May we continue to join together in unity and grace, and may we be the church God has called us to be—a community of hope that wraps its arms around a community in pain.
Opening address s t r o n g e r t o g e t h e r by A n d r e w G a r d e n e r
20 Arise A r i s e by S t e p h e n N e g u s
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Elders’ address n e w h o r i z o n s by N i g e l R ay m o n T
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pa s t o r a l a d d r e s s c h a n g e a n d c h a l l e n g e by K a r l a R o s c o e
2 2 P r ay e r P r ay e r i n t i m e s o f U n r e s t by C l a r e f o k
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s u n d ay s e r v i c e s
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the river model & Call to community by J i m M c I n n e s
24 Oasis p r o c e s s t o g e t h e r by K a r e n T o n g
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community groups A s t e p o f fa i t h by T i n a H o
26 missions A P r i o r i t y t o s e r v e by J a c k y C h e u n g
Be in a community by A n t h o n y T o l u l o p e A d e k o l a
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courses & discipleship D e e p e n i n g o u r C o n n e c t i o n by O l i v e r I p
Closer to the Heart of God by T e r r y T s a n g
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mobilising members New Expressions of Community By T i m B u e c h s e l
3 2 G e n e r at i o n s a r e a l fa m i ly by O n e i g h t y
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cantonese community by E l s i e c h u n g, S o b e e wa n , J o h n n y C h u , F r a n k C h u , a n d T i f fa n y T s u i
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Mandarin Community B u i l d A u t h e n t i c R e l at i o n s h i p s by v i v i e n Y i p
W o r l d R e f u g e e D ay by R oy N j u a b e
ta b l e o f c o n t e n t s
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G o d’ s V o i c e by E l l e n C h u
Community Life O u r H o n g K o n g Fa m i ly by C h r i s t i n e A q u i l o r , E lv s T e o d o r o, G e by D. J u r i m o c h a , R a q u e l Ta n d o c , R o w e n a A m b ata n , a n d V i r g i e G u i l l e r m o
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C r e at i v e A r t s t h e C r e at i v e C o m m u n i t y by I v y M a k
A s p i r i t u a l N u r t u r i n g by g e n e r at i o n s
36 Worship A Worship Community By E m m a n u e l l a B o n g a 38
Financial Report
M a k e a n E f f o r t by 肖 倩 X i a o Q i a n
2019 annual report
Elders’ Address
new horizons B y N i g e l R ay m o n T chairman of elders
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would like to open this year’s annual report by thanking you—our members—for your faithful service, trust, contributions, and the ways you represent who we are: a leading international church in Hong Kong.
The Eldership Team
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I’d like to take a moment to name and honour the members of our elder board: Damien Bos, Cliff Ma, Susanna Lynam, Trudy Tam, Hudson Tsui, and Sidney Yip. Each one of us is elected by church members for a 3-year term. Under new board rules, we can renew our roles for a maximum of two terms. With this in mind, we will be actively seeking new elders and directors for the church in 2020. 2019 Highlights
Financials: Our duty as elders is to steward what we have received and set a budget that aligns with our values, and I’m pleased to say we have done this. Aside from tithes and offerings, we have seen God’s faithfulness and your generosity on Vision Sunday, which gives us the funds we need to invest in programmes like Mandarin Ministry, Call to Community, and others.
Lease: Our lease on 29 Burrows Street is set to expire in seven years; given how large of an undertaking our previous move was, we are already proactively discussing plans with our landlords with positive signals that there is openness for us to stay. We are thankful for the rental terms we have enjoyed so far and have faith that God will be faithful as we plan these next steps.
With these new horizons ahead, it is good to be reminded what our elder board does. First, we provide a reference point for pastoral and operational aspects of church life, deliberating on relevant issues and policies. We also set the budget, pray for the sick, and help guide the direction of the church.
Team: Our senior church leadership has seen many changes this year. Pastor Andrew Gardner took a well-deserved 4-month sabbatical, Pastor Karla Roscoe joined the Executive Leadership Team, and Ada Ng joined as Finance Director, replacing Sana Chan. We also brought on two consultants, Pastor Nate Showalter and Dr Lance Lee, to help us navigate upcoming structural transitions and plans for church life. Branches of Hope also welcomed its new Executive Director Aman Yee who brings a wealth of experience to The Vine from his previous work with other NGOs.
2019 Challenges 2019 has not been without its challenges. Many of us on the elder board have faced illness, bereavement, and serious family crises together. Despite extreme adversity, our leadership team has held together and followed Christ without wavering. This year, we have also witnessed Hong Kong suffer greatly. Since the summer, we have witnessed hardship, seen violent images, and been faced with a challenge to determine how we will respond during times of trial in our city. Initially, we reacted slowly, and for this, I would like to apologise. The rising tensions around us have forced us to re-examine our role as a ‘justice church’ and learn further what it means to fulfil our twofold priestly and prophetic calling. In our priestly role, we have found prayer to a central response to these present circumstances. And as we contemplated our prophetic role, we began sharing statements birthed from listening to God’s heart. I recognise that for some, we said too much, and for others, not enough. As it stands, Hong Kong has 27 more years of Basic Law, and we are aware that there will be much more to discern as a church family as we seek to love and care for our amazing city. Despite the challenges we’ve faced this year, I believe hardships are often the soil from which we grow. I believe we’ve grown this year. All of us. I believe we have become more Christlike, welcoming 2020 as stronger, fuller people. Thank you, our members, once again.
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eldership board Nigel Raymont Cliff Ma Susanna Lynam Hudson Tsui
Damien Bos Sidney Yip Trudy Tam
Nigel & Cliff serve as directors for The Vine and Branches of Hope. Damien & Sidney serve as directors for The Vine. Susanna & Trudy serve as directors to Branches of Hope.
2019 annual report
Pastoral address
change and challenge By ka r la ro s c o e executive pastor
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s I reflect on 2019, I am moved to a posture of awe and thankfulness as I witness the move of God’s Spirit across our church and our city. Amid change and challenge, there is also hope and celebration; some of which is captured in the pages that follow. As you read the report, my prayer is that your spirit is stirred and as we look back, we also look forward in anticipation of what God will do with us, The Vine, and our city.
Sunday services
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Sermon
Make Room
Pray
series
6 January
5 May
Fully Alive
Poetic Justice
13 January
7 July
Dream Fighter
manifesto
10 March
1 September
average attendance per week
average number of volunteers per week ( c h a m p i o n s , p r ay e r t e a m , k4c, worship team and production team)
S u n d ay services
2128
108
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Call to community
the river model & call to community By J i m m c I n n es executive pastor
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he ‘church’ is the people, not the building. People live in vastly different communities with different spiritual and social needs. They speak different languages. They worship in different ways. We envision a church that fits the contours of Hong Kong with all its glorious diversity; a church that resembles a river system with interconnected tributaries, streams, and a central channel.
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There may always be a Vine Centre in Wan Chai (a central channel) where many of us gather for corporate worship, but we imagine people also gathering in other places and in other ways to worship and serve together within their local communities (streams and tributaries). This year, a lot of good thought and prayerful planning has gone into our first steps toward the fulfilment of this vision. Above all, we have continued to pour time and energy into strengthening the community at The Vine in 2019 because deep, authentic, and vibrant Christian community is a requirement for the kind of church God has shown us in His vision of a life-giving river system.
2019 annual report
community groups
a step of faith By t i n a h o
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t all started with an inspiring sermon by Pastor Andrew in 2018. That day, I felt a call to open myself to what God was doing in the church and lead a Community Group.
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I had been comfortable with my close circle of friends for many years, but this sense of calling challenged me to take a step of faith, because God wanted me and others to grow more. Our Community Group started in April this year, and though it took me a while to overcome my fear, I am thankful to have taken this step. The group has provided me with an opportunity to continue to walk with Christ and grow with my group members as pilgrims. We have also grown in our knowledge of God; I’m able to see myself more clearly and ways I can be further equipped. Our Community Group’s purpose is this: we are followers of Christ seeking His kingdom and righteousness together. I may not always be the leader of this group, but my identity as a disciple of Jesus is a lifelong response to God. May He continue to lead us into maturity in Christ, faithfully following His lead until the end.
Be in a community By A n t h o n y Tolulope Adekola
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n September of 2018, I arrived in Hong Kong from Nigeria to pursue my PhD. Being a stranger in this new place, I longed to be in a community of believers. I heard about The Vine in October 2018 and decided to attend. On my first Sunday at The Vine, I met Andy as I was heading to find a seat at the 11 am service. After a brief chat, we exchanged contacts. The meeting was short but warm. Little did I know that meeting him was part of God’s plan for me in Hong Kong.
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We met for lunch after the service, and he invited me to be a part of the Community Group he leads. I joined the group and met other believers, just as I had longed for when I first moved here. I was able to grow in faith, and my loneliness waned. A few months after, I became sick, which was particularly difficult due to my wife and daughter being so far from me in Nigeria. However, by God’s grace, my Community Group stood by me and walked with me through that season and others. I truly believe what healed me was not the medications and the medical care I received but the love, affection, and prayers from my Community Group members. My greatest joy is the fact that my family finally joined me in Hong Kong in April of 2019, after eight months of being separated from them. I thank God for leading me to my Community Group. 2019 annual report
courses & discipleship
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Deepening our connection By O li v er i p discipleship coordinator
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hen it comes to our courses and We also saw significant growth in those who programmes, what matters most to us attended Manna courses. Some learned to is not how many people attend, but how the apply biblical wisdom from Ecclesiastes. courses deepen our connection with God and Others learned to care for those in their lives others. It was a joy to see this happen in the in the ‘Helping a Hurting Friend’ course. And Prayer Course in March. We saw individuals some learned to live their lives through the meet with God in new ways for the first time, lens of restoration and reconciliation through strangers connecting in prayer and forming a the summer Missions course. Finally, we can’t Community Group, and friends deepen their forget the hard work of the guest couples connections as they sought God together. who lead this year’s Marriage Preparation Course, helping other couples prepare for their lives together.
closer
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to the heart of god By T er ry Tsa n g
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hat kept me joining one course after another? For me, it was a cultural thing. After attending a Chinese church for over ten years, I was accustomed to the ways that church had interpreted the scriptures, and at the same time, I had sensed there were some parts of the Bible that my church had never touched on. In the Manna courses, I learned things I never had before on topics that
are relevant to my everyday Christian life. I discovered new teachings that have become essential to me that had been completely ignored in previous teachings—and that made me thirst for more. The feeling of taking a Manna course is like the feeling of finding a spring in the desert. Each course refreshes me and draws me closer to the heart of God.
Baptism Preparation Course/Baptised 78 people Marriage Preparation Course 1 4 couples M a n n a C o u r s e s / s e m i n a r s a n d t h e p r a y e r c o u r s e 24 4 p e o p l e 2019 annual report
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mobilising members
New Expressions of Community By T i m B u ec h s el Community Groups Pastor
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here are no one-size-fits-all approaches to living your faith. Believers have different passions, vocations, and gifts, and are called in different ways to glorify God.
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This year The Vine has experimented with various support groups and interest-based cohorts that gather to spur each other on in the application of faith to life. One group, in response to the ‘Help a Hurting Friend’ course gathers those with a shared passion for pastoral care. Another brings together those with a heart for protecting God’s creation to apply a biblical lens to environmental issues. We hope to mobilise all Vine members by helping them connect their faith to life through thinking biblically and prayerfully about their passions, vocations, cultures, and other dimensions of their lives.
Believers have different passions, vocations, and gifts, and are called in different ways to glorify God.
2019 annual report
Cantonese Community
Equipped & Strengthened By Els i e C h u n g
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moved to The Vine from a traditional Chinese church in February. When I joined the Cantonese Community, the teaching that struck me was on ‘Gifts of the Holy Spirit’. As I continued to dig deeper into the community there, I was blessed with opportunities to serve alongside others and continue strengthening our God-given gifts.
The Cantonese Community is a place where I enjoy well-prepared teachings and engaging group discussions. Through my experiences here, I have learned to be true to myself and share my weaknesses with my brothers and sisters. I’ve also learned to hold discussions with people who hold different views from me, stepping out of the Chinese culture of obedience I was brought up in.
Prayer & Intercession By Fr a n k c h u 16
It has been a tremendous blessing to serve in the Prayer and Intercession Team. Being part of the team draws me closer to God regularly, enabling me to know what is on His heart: what to pray for as well as His concerns for our brothers and sisters. I’ve realised that true prayers originate from Him. God is not after our ideas of success and task-oriented results. Instead, He is concerned with whether we have come to know His grace better while serving Him. He welcomes us to bring our weaknesses to Him so that He may pour out His comfort that truly strengthens us. We serve a good God, and I am overjoyed that I have been part of the Intercession Team with my brothers and sisters.
Teaching & Discipleship By s o b e e Wa n I was invited to the Teaching and Discipleship team this year. One night, the topic was ‘Unshakable Joy’, and I felt that if I used personal examples, the community would find it more relatable. However, as I shared, each example felt like a conviction. I had to humbly and honestly look into my heart before sharing my experiences. This process of restoration and healing via teaching brought me to a new level of self-acceptance and adoration for my God.
Kids Support B y T i f fa n y T s u i Kids are a precious gift from God. It has been my greatest pleasure to serve in the new kids’ ministry this year. Even with limited resources, the kids enjoy the toys and they’ve used their imaginations to create different games. While playing with them, they often remind me of the pure heart we should have for God as His kids. I hope our kids will not only enjoy their time during this ministry but also learn more about God.
Evangelistic expression By j o h n n y c h u I saw God’s work in the Evangelistic Expression (EE) Ministry as soon as I started it. The timing of creating EE was perfect, as I was able to share my passion for evangelism that I carried from my time with Logos Hope Mission. Our God has provided every step of the way, from the challenges of starting a ministry to finding people for the core team. Not only did God give us what we needed to organise events, but He also worked in the hearts of both our attendees and organisers. In recent months, many people’s passion for evangelism has grown as they have become more involved in church life. The Holy Spirit has been at work as well, with many pre-believers asking to know more about the gospel. 2019 annual report
mandarin community
build authentic relationships By V i v i en Y i p Chinese Community Pastor
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he Mandarin Community launched in June 2019 after a series of prayer meetings revealing God’s heart for this community. Comprised of Mainland Chinese, Taiwanese, and Hong Kong locals, this group is a diverse and beautiful gathering through which we are seeing God at work. Our hope for this community is to create a family-like environment where members gather in the name of Jesus. We are called to provide a safe place for people where they can grow to know God personally and to build authentic and loving relationships with one another. A place where members are prepared to be a witness for Christ in their neighbourhoods and workplaces, especially with other Mandarin-speaking pre-believers in the city of Hong Kong. Looking to the future, we are excited to continue growing our outreach efforts; we hope to help many people meet The Lord through this community.
Make an effort By 肖倩 X i ao Q i a n
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have never been so close to a group of people until the Mandarin Community. People like Katie make an effort to reach out to people and build a community. Personally, the start of the Mandarin Community got me back to deeper involvement with church and these amazing people.
In Alpha, I realised the most important thing is to develop a closer relationship with God, and that this was my chance to become a Christian. Later, I became a group helper in Alpha for the Mandarin Community— serving in this way helps me have a closer relationship with God and with friends at church.
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arise
Arise By St ep h en n eg u s Refugee and Asylum Seekers Ministry Pastor
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his year marked the 15th anniversary of The Vine’s work with refugees and asylum seekers in Hong Kong. This spring, while hearing a message about our identity as children of God, one of our members raised his hand and asked, ‘Pastor, we hear you telling us this all the time. If this is true, why does the church keep calling us refugees and asylum seekers?’
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This question inspired us, and since then we have embraced a new name: ARISE. As Isaiah 60:1 reads, ‘Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of The Lord rises upon you.’
God gave us this new name just as hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong people began to rise up, taking to the streets to protest the extradition law. It has been a tumultuous several months. Our lives as Hong Kong people have been rocked, and our foundations have been shaken. But this is not new for ARISE members. They have faced immense challenges by simply coming to Hong Kong and living here; but nonetheless, they have risen to the challenge, standing on the rock of God’s calling as His children. We invite you as members of The Vine to call us by our new name, ARISE. We invite you to rise to the challenge of living in hope in the midst of unrest and uncertainty. Arise, shine, for your light has come. Especially in times of darkness, we have faith that God’s glory will shine on us.
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.”
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World refugee day By Roy Nj ua b e Head of road
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here are approximately 70 million displaced Vine Centre was transformed with posters and people worldwide, with 13,000 asylum artistic designs narrating a refugee’s journey. seekers in Hong Kong alone. This past June, Some of the refugees shared their experiences The Vine celebrated World Refugee Day in and how they’ve been contributing to Hong spectacular style at all four of our Sunday Kong society. Two ARISE members, a model services, bringing people together from every and a cricket player, shared their experience corner of the globe. creating a platform for children to showcase their talents in modelling and sports. Older kids Members of the ARISE Community led lively, were also invited to learn about the stories of Spirit-filled worship with people from many asylum seekers, sharing their prayers for the countries and cultures dancing and singing vulnerable on a prayer wall alongside prayer together, celebrating our unity in Christ. cards written by congregation members. The theme of the day was ‘Stranger Lands’, with the purpose of helping us better understand the journeys and struggles of refugees. The 2019 annual report
Prayer
Prayer In Times of Unrest By C la r e Fo k Prayer Coordinator
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rayer is a crucial and powerful response to Hong Kong’s current turmoil. Through different prayer initiatives, we have called The Vine to cry out to God with unified hearts. Corporate, church-wide prayer meetings have seen different communities come together to repent, petition, and prophetically declare hope over our city in different languages. We must continue to pray—our prayer in unity is a precious expression of Christ and His heart for His children and our city. Let us continue to seek God’s peace and keep trusting that God responds when we pray.
God’s Voice By Ellen C h u Service prayer team 23
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was praying one night when my son was young, and I saw a vision of Jesus sitting on my son’s bed in a dark room. His facial expression was very sad. This prompted me to take my son to the doctor, who discovered that he had some developmental problems. Since he couldn’t speak well, no school would accept him.
One day, the government suddenly informed us that he was assigned to a suitable school. This was unexpected and bizarre, but we accepted it as God’s plan. The school had many facilities, including speech and occupational therapy to help him. My son encountered big challenges with social skills while growing up. Sometimes I didn’t know how to comfort him, so we prayed to God for help together every night. In these 16 years, he overcame many challenges and was even offered a place at a university.
2019 annual report
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Oasis Counselling
process together By Ka r en To n g Oasis Counsellor
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his year, our team has expanded with the addition of our master’s level counselling student Calvin Lui and our volunteer counsellor Leona Li.
We are so blessed to be serving an increasing number of clients who have come to Oasis for individual, couples, and group counselling. As professional counsellors, our utmost priority is to provide a safe, confidential, non-judgmental, and supportive space for our clients. We are committed to helping people process their presenting issues, gain greater clarity and insight into their lives, and work towards positive change that is reflected in a healthier sense of self and the restoration of relationships.
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In addition to providing counselling services, our team has facilitated a variety of support group sessions such as Grief Support Groups and a Couple’s Processing Group. More recently, we have provided a space for our church community to come together and process emotions related to the political situation in Hong Kong. Looking ahead, we hope to build out a new office with additional rooms, and we plan to expand our services out into the community. We look forward to impacting more lives in the coming year, promoting mental health not only within our church community but also in the city.
If you are looking for support or professional care, contact counselling@thevine.org.hk 2019 annual report
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Missions
A Priority To Serve By Jac ky C h eu n g
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y name is Jacky, I’m a first-year university student, and I am so thankful to have been part of The Vine’s July Iloilo short-term missions team. I signed up when I felt God calling me to use my free time to serve Him. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Would I be able to live up to the expectations of my team members or even from God? I learned quickly that the trip wasn’t about that. I learned instead that God is willing to use us as long as we make ourselves available for Him.
I saw this truth at work first hand on the trip when I saw how unified we were while serving together during school visits. It was such an eyeopening experience. While there were a lot of unknowns that could affect the programme that was planned, such as the weather, number of children, or the environment, everyone gave their best to serve—conveying God’s love was their first priority!
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As a result, our team was able to work well together, and our time spent with the children on Guimaras Island was so meaningful. Now that I am back in Hong Kong, I hope our missions team will continue to grow together as a community. I’m also excited to share what God has done in and through me on the trip with my Oneighty Community, friends, and family.
Mission Trips 5 • Number of participants 3 8 • International Partners 1 4 Local Partners 11 • Local Missions Participants 44 connected to our local NGO partners through The Vine Missions Ministry Key Volunteers 17 Including Missions Core Team and Key V o l u n t e e r s t o r u n t h e m i s s i o n s b o o t h , r e c r u i t m e n t, t r a i n i n g , e t c . Missions Manna Course participants 34 • Missions advisory Committee 9
2019 annual report
Community Life
our Hong Kong family By T H E FI LI P I N O C O M M U N I TY
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ilipino Community is a training ground where we grow warmer through fellowship, deeper through discipleship, stronger through worship, where we are enlightened by the word of God, and we overcome through prayer.
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What I like most about the Filipino Community is the unity of my sisters and brothers in Christ. We have compassionate hearts, helping hands, and understanding minds. Everyone has the chance to express their opinions, thoughts, and observations in studying the Word of God. This community has been an instrument of God for my growth in Him, allowing me to learn through His Word. —Christine Aquilor
I really enjoy the lessons What I love about the and discussions we have at Filipino Community is the Filipino Community. I that I feel like I’m at have learned to seek God home with my brothers with whatever situations and sisters in Christ, and I face and rest in Jesus. I can find happiness with I know that because of them. I also enjoy our this community, the way time with Pastor Luise; I I face my circumstances can see that she has a big has changed for the better. heart for each one of us. I have become more mature and have been — G e b y D . J u r i m o c h a nurtured. I am calmer now and rely on God for everything instead of facing my battles alone. —Elvs Teodoro
I think something that I learned at Filipino Community is to love more deeply, understand myself more, and love myself more. I have also learned more about the Bible; I study it more, and I feel more committed, confident, and courageous. I thank The Vine for this community. I love it so much. —Raquel Tandoc
My favourite part of the Filipino Community is the members. They are all kind, friendly, and understanding. In this community, I’ve learned not to be afraid and to trust God to help me when I face a difficult challenge. In this group, people are willing to help me carry my burdens. As a result of being in this community, I have learned to pray more boldly; I now lead prayers whenever I am on vacation with my family.
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Overall, God has changed me into a better person, a better friend, better daughter to my parents, better sister to all my siblings, a better mother to my children, and a better wife to my husband. Thank you, Lord. —Rowena Ambatan
One thing I have learned at the Filipino Community—which has changed my life—is to forgive people and accept real life. I have learned to interact with the group and love others better. I enjoy praying and learning what God is telling us in His Word. —Virgie Guillermo 2019 annual report
Creative Arts
the creative community by i vy m a k
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joined The Vine’s Creative Arts Community a year ago. At that time, I had just started dabbling in photography and hoped to contribute to The Vine community.
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It has been very inspiring when the Creative Arts group gathers, whether in person or through Facebook, to share what everyone has been doing. I had no idea how many talented artists there were at The Vine! There are painters, storytellers, videographers, photographers, and many more! Through the community, I’ve learned more about creativity and the role it plays in worship. The group has also brought me closer to God. I have learned to see the beauty of our world through His eyes and respond to it through my creativity. Since joining The Vine in 2014, I had not been very active in my church community. While I had always considered The Vine my home church, it had been more of a ‘hotel’ for me. I walked in, and I walked out. But now I thoroughly enjoy being a part of the Creative Arts Community and in turn a part of the wider Vine community. It has been a gift to contribute my gifts and make my creative passion part of my spiritual life.
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2019 annual report
Generations
A real family By t h e m em b ers of oneighty
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neighty is a place where people are willing to accept each other as they are. It’s a place where people can draw closer in spiritual friendships. It’s a place where people are coming to know Jesus for the first time and giving their lives to Him. It’s a community dedicated to loving God and loving others.
‘Building community among us and seeing us grow and bond spiritually together has been one of the greatest things that have happened to me within the past year at Oneighty.’ —Aki Woo ‘I feel that Oneighty is a REAL FAMILY!’ —Alfred Fong ‘Being part of Oneighty, I found my home. I found a place, a community, and a family that welcomes people with open arms whether they are there for a week or a lifetime. For myself, I was privileged enough to get to spend four months with them, and I wish I were there longer. Finding people who make goodbyes hard is a true blessing. Thankfully, with this group, goodbye is more like “see you soon”. I know The Lord brought us into each other’s lives for a reason.’ —Paige Elizabeth
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2019 annual report
Generations
A Spiritual nurturing By t h e g e n e r at i o n s t e a m
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rom the youngest to the oldest among us, God’s promises remain true and He remains faithful. Over the past year, The Lord has certainly been at work in the lives of our children (K4C), youth (Flight), and young adults (Oneighty) communities.
K 4 C ( K i d z4 C h r i s t ) | a g e s 2 – 1 2
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Every Sunday, our amazing team of K4C teachers and volunteers minister to over 250 children in our classrooms. The children grow closer in community with one another preparing them for a life of deep engagement and participation within the church. Ewlee, who has a child attending K4C shared her story with us: ‘As a parent, I want the best for my children, but above all, my priority is to equip them with the tools to make godly and wise choices no matter what life throws at them. At the end of the day, the Word of The Lord lasts forever. ‘To further support our children in their faith journey, I also volunteered for K4C and am so glad I did. I believe the work being done by K4C is so important, as every seed sown into our children’s hearts is a seed that God’s Word says will not return empty (Isaiah 55:11).’ We are so thankful for our volunteers, as none of this wonderful ministry would be possible without their hard work and faithful dedication. More than teachers, they are spiritual role models—older brothers and sisters in Christ for our children to look up to.
FLIGHT | ages 12–18
M a i n ly M u s i c | a g e s 2 a n d u n d e r
Over the past year, God has been speaking deeply into the lives of our students. As a result, the time our youth have spent in Flight has had a profound impact on their lives. One of them shared:
Mainly Music provides a safe, nurturing space of connection for families. The weekly session welcomes parents and children from the community to bond through music, learning, and play. We have loved seeing how this ministry not only honours The Vine’s desire to be a place of spiritual nurturing, but also a place of community and friendship.
‘This past year I saw growth in Flight caring for each other, and I’ve become more loving as a person through serving Flight.’ The teenage years can be a tough time in one’s life, and our youth need godly role models to help them sustain their faith. This is accomplished through an amazing team of volunteers who love young people and have a deep desire to help them flourish in their relationship with God. Timothy Lai, one of our core team members, shared his experience:
We have seen a large number of meaningful friendships birth from the weekly Friday gathering—especially among the mums. More and more families who have never been to church are beginning to attend our Sunday service and get plugged into a community, and we look forward to seeing these numbers continue to grow in the year to come.
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‘This year I saw Flight Youth connect better with God and one another. It has widened my views of teenagers positively. I saw the youth start to realise what it means to be relational, what it means to forgive those who wrong them, and how to love those who offend them.’ During a time in our city where young people have been greatly affected, they need to have a place of safety where they can be rooted in the truth of God’s Word and the presence of their brothers and sisters. Flight Youth has served our Vine Community courageously, may God continue to transform the lives of our young people. 2019 annual report
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WORSHIP
a worship community by Em m a n u ella B o n ga
O
ne Sunday, after serving in the morning, a number of us set out for Mui Wo, where a couple on our set team had invited us to a meal in their home. We squeezed into a 5-seat cab to the ferry, likely crushing each other’s bones in the process. We rode the ferry over and talked about all kinds of topics. We walked by the beach, helped to set the table, and served dinner. We learned about each other and what had brought us to Hong Kong and how we’d come to know Jesus. We spent the afternoon laughing and eating, listening and speaking.
As the afternoon turned to evening, we ended the night on our knees, grateful for where we’d been called to be at such a time as this, and crying out to God for our city. In that house, on that day, we drew a tiny bit closer in many ways. Worship, one of our pastors often says, is our response to a revelation about who God is. In this house and throughout Scripture, it has been taught and revealed that our God intends for us to live in community. So how do we respond? In its entirety, the Worship Team is composed
of more members than any of us can reasonably or meaningfully connect with weekly. To forge more intentional communities, our wider team is split into four smaller set teams. These set teams maintain the same members, allowing us to get to know each other more deeply.
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Hopefully, these are the people whose names we remember, whose spouses and families we get to know, and whose birthdays, baby dedications, and weddings we celebrate. Prayerfully, these also become the people whose burdens we help to bear. This is a place
Hopefully, these are the people whose names we remember, whose spouses and families we get to know, whose birthdays, baby dedications, and weddings we celebrate. where we share our fears, frustrations, deep sorrows and confusion, and where we point each other back to the cross. And though imperfect, it is my prayer that the Worship Community remains a place where we all become more like Christ. 2019 annual report
Financial report
O p e r at i o n a l Expenses OCT 2018–SEP 2019 4 5 %
Salaries & Benefits
3 0 %
Rent & Utilities
1 3 %
Giving/Tithes
5 %
General Administration Costs
5 %
Event Expense
2 %
Repairs & Maintenance
Total: HK$43.8M
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Income Distribution OCT 2018–SEP 2019 9 2 %
Tithes/Offering
5 %
Income for Services Rendered
1 %
Events
1 %
Vine Centre Rentals
1 %
Pacific Coffee Rental
Total: HK$58.2M
Photography by Aaron Fung, ace baiguen, Airam Dato-on, Carl Catedral, C h a n t e l l e S u e n , c o n n i e y a n g , d a v i d t a m , E d i t h y i p, E l a i n e C h o w , g i g i L i n g , Ivy mak, katie lei, and Vivien yip
The vine 2019 Annual report 29 Burrows Street Wa n C h a i , H o n g Ko n g +852 3527 6000 i n f o @ t h e v i n e .o r g. h k t h e v i n e .o r g. h k Instagram FACEBOOK-SQUARE YOUTUBE @ t h e v i n e h k