Herald V2 Issue 2 by UECP Herald先鋒

APR IL - JULY 2014

V OLU ME 2 I SSUE 2

EDITORIAL STAFF

CONTENTS

編輯人員 Advisers:

DAYS OF OUR LIFE UECP ONWARD!!!

1 1

F EATURES

Rev. Leo Jaime Son 顧問: 孫培雄牧師 Elder Edward Ong 王國揚長老 Editor-in-Chief: Marlene Go

The United Evangelical Church of the Philippines: A Brief History. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 I Love UECP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Joy in Suffering. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 From Hoping to Overflowing (Part 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Equipped for Service: My Ministries @ UECP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 The Youth Evangelists. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Singing for God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Voices of the Youth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Did You Know...?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 仰望耶穌感恩無限(下). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 From the Shepherd’s heart. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 困境中的喜樂 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 青年宣道隊 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 UECP是我歌頌主恩的殿宇 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 宣揚主道八十五展翅上騰向高峰. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 六十年教會生涯 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

N EWS Rev. Stephen Kwan’s Visit • Volleyball Tournament Prayer Retreat • Step Up, Serve App • A.D. 2014 Matthew Kok on “Business as Mission” • College Fellowship Retreat . . . Children’s Day 2014 • Mission Month • Youth Mission Night . . . . . . . . . Studio GO! • One Verse Evangelism 兄弟/婦女團契聯合慶祝「母親節 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 第51屆兄弟婦女春令會. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

19 20 21 22

G ALLERY 11 UECP 85th Anniversary Theme Song (Lyrics: Danny Balete Music: Peggy S. Uy)

We sing to You a new song To worship You, O Lord Our hearts rejoin, rejoicing We celebrate Your love Lord, keep our hearts a-praising And wing us up to You For though our spirits falter Our joy shall be renewed

We gather here before You To raise our voices high We thank You for Your mercies And works in years gone by Lord, keep us ever-faithful To journey by Your side Though wearied, we may stumble You’ll strengthen and provide.

Chorus: Hope on, hold on, walking with Him still Push hard, forward, marching in His will Bolstered, bolder, rallied by His might Soar high, come fly, on to greater heights

總編輯:

林靜薇

Associate Editors:

副總編輯: (English) (英)

Christine Sim

陳堤熒

(Chinese) (中) Features:

Mary Karen Monzon

Benson C. Go

蔡嘉玲

Cristina Dy

特寫: 李雅姝 Wyndale Wong 黄天保 News: Patrick Tan 新聞: 陳百德 Merivale Chang 黃穗燕 Chinese: Rosita Te 中文: 許麗玲 Hannah L. Go 張心怡 Wang Min 王闽 Layout/Graphics: Jonathan Lim 平面設計: 林禮良

吳明純

Ernie Joventino Monzon 林東陽 Lunedi Lim 林熙倫 Logistics: Paul Relucio

總務:

楊榮燦

Front Cover by Benson C. Go

封面 - 吳明純

Back Cover by Richmond Lee

封底 - 蔡子全

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uecpherald@gmail.com http://issuu.com/uecpherald follow us on twitter @uecpherald

EDITORIAL

DAYS OF OUR LIFE Marlene Go

our scores and 5 years ago, UECP was born. 85 years of existence! For many people, that is already considered a ripe old age. We, Chinese, value longevity. This can be seen in the traditions of birthday celebrations especially that of our elderly parents and grandparents. The ideal of longevity is a pursuit of man toward his control or ownership of time. I have a 90-year old mother-inlaw. My 93-year old father-in-law just passed away 2 hours ago as I write this editorial. My dad is 89 years old while my mom at 76, is celebrating 11 years of renewed health since her kidney transplant. I miscarried my first child during the fifth month of my pregnancy.. I was diagnosed with cancer at 47. Life on earth is measured in days, months, and years. Beyond these numbers, what makes life significant? What gives meaning to each day? Moses wrote Psalm 90 near the end of his life and asked the Lord to “teach us to number our days that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.” What does it mean to number our days? Numbering is more than just counting. To put a number to each day of our lives is to put importance and significance to it. The traditional Chinese calendar is special and meaningful in the way it presents each day of the year. There is an individual page to each number of each day of the year. More than just the day of the week, it informs us of moon phase, high tide or low tide. It draws our attention to all there is to that particular day without all the other days cluttering around it. And we need God to teach us – to know that more than life being finite – having an end, each day is ‘allotted time’ – a precious gift from God, full of opportunities and probabilities as we read in Ecclesiastes. There is a time to everything under the sun. “God set eternity in the heart of man. He has made everything appropriate in its time.” (Eccl. 3:11) Do we need wisdom to know how to number our days? Or do we gain wisdom from numbering our days? Psalm 90:12 reminds us that we need the God of eternity, unbounded by time, Creator of time to ‘Teach’ us to value each day – make it

UECP ONWARD!!! Leo Jaime Son

he annual theme is critical in the life of UECP. It helps our leadership work towards the same goals, and rallies the church towards the same ideals and aspirations as one body. The annual theme also becomes the basis of our pulpit messages, bible studies, trainings and projects for the entire year as we equip members and move the church forward to honor God. In the years 2011 & 2012, the pastoral team chose to adapt our vision statement ‘Transforming Lives’ into our church theme. This is to emphasize spiritual renewal in disciple-making and transforming lives. For 2013-2015, it was decided that the church should focus on expounding the key areas in our Mission Statement, namely, the Word, Prayer, Evangelism, Discipleship and Missions.

worthwhile so that we may gain a heart of wisdom. When we know how to number each day, then we gain a heart of wisdom. ‘That’ we may gain (NIV), get (ESV, NKJ) a heart of wisdom – that is the goal of this prayer – to live wisely. That is the essence of this verse – the heart of wisdom thru the passage of life. In the finite numbering of our days, we treasure transcendental eternity. Aside from the length of time, we are also aware of the speed of time: how fast time passes us by. Seconds, minutes and hours pass so quickly. There is so much to do, we need to manage our time wisely. What is more important and what is more urgent? Sometimes, the urgent makes us forget the important. Psalm 90:3-6 compare transient men against the infinite God: You turn man back into dust  And say, “Return, O children of men.” For a thousand years in Your sight Are like yesterday when it passes by,  Or as a watch in the night. You have swept them away like a flood, they fall asleep;  In the morning they are like grass which sprouts anew. In the morning it flourishes and sprouts anew; Toward evening it fades and withers away. (NASB) As God’s people, let us ponder: What does God want us to do quickly? What do we ask God to do quickly for us? Are we patient when God wants us to wait? Do we tarry when He calls us to act? Let us count the life in our years and not the years in our life! As we celebrate our 85th birthday as a church, let this be our prayer: So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom. Do return, O Lord; how long will it be? And be sorry for Your servants. O satisfy us in the morning with Your loving kindness, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Make us glad according to the days You have afflicted us, And the years we have seen evil. Let Your work appear to Your servants  And Your majesty to their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; And confirm for us the work of our hands;  Yes, confirm the work of our hands. (Psalm 90:12-17 NASB)

2013 was coined the Year of Intimacy. The theme chosen was GROWING DEEPER IN GOD, to highlight the importance of the Word and Prayer. Church members were rallied to read through the bible and to join prayer retreats to strengthen their personal spiritual journey in preparation for 2014. This year, 2014, is the Year of Equipping, with the theme Level Up to give attention to Evangelism and Discipleship. For the first half of the year, we focused on evangelism. Aside from studying the Gospel of Luke, we also included evangelism workshops and evangelistic events. For the rest of the year, we will go through the book of Daniel as well as learn the discipleship material, Operation Multiplication, which will equip members to follow up new believers. This aptly complements our 85th anniversary theme SOAR HIGH @ 85, challenging church members to be involved in sharing Christ and making disciples. 2015 is the Year of Harvesting, with the theme MISSION: IT’S POSSIBLE! Mission work will be emphasized to encourage members to be mission-minded. It is our hope that UECP produce Christ-like disciples and multiply disciples. This will only happen when each member commits as one body of Christ to embody the ideals of the Word, Prayer, Evangelism, Discipleship and Missions for the glory of God.

F E AT U R E S

THE UNITED EVANGELICAL CHURCH OF THE PHILIPPINES: A BRIEF HISTORY Rev. Dr. Joseph Shao

he United Evangelical Church of the Philippines (UECP) had its humble beginning through a prayer meeting attended by 14 people on July 7, 1929. A week later, on July 14, 1929, it held its first inaugural service. UECP, called Chinese United Evangelical Church then, is the third oldest Chinese church in the Philippines. It came after the Cebu Gospel Church was founded in 1916, and the St. Stephen’s Parish which held its first Amoy language worship service on November 8, 1903. These churches were part of the Protestant Missionary movement in the Philippines which started after the Battle of Manila Bay on May 1, 1898. As the influx of Chinese immigrants who came to do business in the country increased, the Protestant Missionary movement strategized to reach out to the Chinese residents. Since then, UECP has become the largest Chinese church in the Philippines, continually reaching out to the overseas and Mainland Chinese, the Chinese‑Filipinos, and their descendants in the Philippines.

WHAT’S IN A NAME? The Reformed theology and the Presbyterian form of government of UECP can be traced back to the impact of the Reformed Church of America and other western Presbyterian denominations that set their foot on Xiamen, China. As more immigrant believers from Xiamen settled in the Philippines, the Reformed theology of acknowledging God as sovereign and man as depraved rooted itself into the thinking of many Filipino-Chinese Christian believers. Thus they founded the Lu Fei Zhong Hua Christian Church (旅菲中華基督教會), known in English as the Chinese United Evangelical Church. In 1931, the church was located in the second floor room of 602 Reina Regente Street. The first Chinese name of the church Lu Fei Zhong Hua Christian Church (旅菲中華基督教會) reflected the primary belief of the Chinese at that time. The phrase Lu Fei (旅菲) meant that they came to the Philippines as sojourners and would eventually return to their hometown in China. The phrase Zhong Hua (中華) identified the Chinese race of its members. Furthermore, the whole name of Lu Fei Zhong Hua Christian Church (旅菲中華基督教會) historically linked the newly founded church with the churches in Xiamen, for most of the churches in Xiamen and in the Fujian province named their churches with a certain format “-----Zhong Hua Christian Church.” ( 中華基督教會) The name of the location is placed before the generic designation. At its founding stage, UECP would like to have a formal relationship with the Amoy Zhong Hua Christian Church Synod (閩南中華基督大會), but the church in Xiamen could not send its pastor to the Philippines to be its first pastor. No formal relationship had ever been established. Hence, the church was an indigenous church founded on Philippine soil. On the other hand, the English name Chinese United Evangelical Church narrowed down the main target group as Chinese who migrated from China and their descendants. The phrase “United Evangelical” linked its faith with the evangelical faith in which many mission groups and denominations in the Philippines had agreed with at the turn of the 20th century. The church was later renamed United Evangelical Church of Manila to reflect its locality in Metro Manila when it attempted to write its by-laws in the early 60’s. Then it received its present name, United Evangelical Church of the Philippines, an apt description of its role as the mother church of many daughter churches. The church

owned and built its first wooden sanctuary at 1242 Benavidez Street in 1941. The UECP is known in the Chinese Christian community as Zhong Hua (中華), and the non-Chinese refer to it as the Benavidez Church. Both names are significant because the church has become an instrument of God’s grace for the Chinese, as well as the Philippine society. When Chia-Nan (嘉南: Hope Christian High School) was founded in 1947, the church began its wholistic ministry of reaching out to immigrant Chinese through the school. In 1963, a stone foundation stone was laid on our beautiful church sanctuary built in between the two‑storey buildings of Hope Christian High School. It has become a famous landmark, symbolizing the unity and the relationship between the church and the school. God later provided a lot near the old church building, thereby allowing the modern elegant building to be built at 1170 Benavidez Street in 1986. Dedicated to God during the celebration of the 60th Founding Anniversary in 1989, this was the third sanctuary of UECP.

THE WORD OF GOD, EVANGELISM, AND PRAYER The word of God, evangelism and prayer were keys to the growth of UECP at its founding stage. The revival meetings of John Sung brought about a surge in church membership. Moreover, the Bethel Evangelistic Band through the two evangelists who came to Manila also sparked growth for the church. UECP employed three main strategies for church planting and church growth. The first strategy was careful planning of the evangelization work. The pulpit ministry at UECP through the preaching of Rev. Silas Wong also built up the Christians in their faith through the Word of God. In its early years, the church employed many evangelistic teams following in the footsteps of John Sung and the Bethel Evangelistic Band. These teams visited southern and northern Luzon with the aim of planting churches. In 1936, the church formed its own fellowship for outreach ministry and named it the Evangelistic Band. This became the church’s planting arm. The outreach of the Evangelistic Band resulted in the founding of seven churches in Luzon and one church in Visayas: UEC Naga (1939), UEC Daet (1939), UEC Sta. Cruz, Laguna (1940), Bacolod Trinity Christian Church (1950), UEC Lucena (1953), UEC Vigan (1953), UEC Legaspi (1955), UEC Angeles (1960). Aside from their weekly fellowship and worship gathering, members of UECP’s Evangelistic Band were divided into twelve prayer groups which met weekly for prayer and for the study of God’s Word. With solid biblical teaching and prayers for the church, God’s church grew in leaps and bounds. Among the twelve prayer groups, three groups grew and eventually established a church in their vicinity. Hence, UEC Pasay (1957) was formed from the Pasay Prayer Group, the Jubilee Evangelical church (1963) was conceived from the Quiapo Prayer Group, and UEC Malabon (1973) resulted from the Malabon Prayer Group. This innovative church planting effort in the 50s and 60s, supported by weekly prayer groups, accounted for the planting of all these Metro Manila churches in a span of two decades.

REACHING OUT THROUGH LEADERS In 1969, as UECP celebrated its 40th founding anniversary through the leadership of Rev. Wesley K. Shao, the church formed its Mission

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F E AT U R E S Board. The Mission Board, aside from sending out missionaries overseas, aimed to reach out to and plant more churches where thriving Chinese communities existed. Concurrent with this second strategy, the church decided to help existing local congregations who were in need of fellowship and guidance. The vision of reaching souls led pastors and leaders to go out to important cities and municipalities. Many elders, deacons and youth leaders have had a share in reaching out during summer and on a variety of occasions. Some churches were formed, while others were “adopted.” The church continued to send out mission teams regularly to help support other congregations, such as UEC Zamboanga (1937), Cotabato Christian Church (1951), UEC Gen. Santos (1965), UEC La Union (1974), UEC Olongapo (1977), UEC San Pablo (1977), UEC Baguio (1987), UEC Cubao (1991).

DISTRICT GROUPS AS INSTRUMENT As the Lord continued to bless UECP, the believers in the congregation grew and were in need of fellowship. The church formed seven District fellowship groups to shepherd its congregation. Meanwhile, the evangelistic fervor of the church kept going and growing. During the 80’s, there was a call for each District Group to plant a church in their area of residence. Hence, a new concept and a third strategy to plant churches was formed. Three of the seven district groups, with members residing outside Manila proper, were instrumental in planting three churches. The First District Fellowship helped established UEC Balintawak (1983). The Second District Fellowship assisted in the founding of UEC Greenhills (1979), while the Third District Fellowship was instrumental in the planting of the Diamond Jubilee Evangelical Church (1989). Two other churches were later formed – UEC Cubao (1992) and UEC Palawan (1997).

ministries, in turn planting their own daughter churches. So Jubilee Evangelical Church planted four daughter churches called Pasig Jubilee Evangelical Church (1988), Marikina Jubilee Evangelical Church (1990), Mandaluyong Jubilee Evangelical Church (1992), and Malabon Jubilee Evangelical Church (1996). Bacolod Trinity Christian Church established Trinity Iloilo Christian Church. UEC Gen. Santos founded UEC Marbel (1990). UEC Pasay started Batangas Evangelical Church (2000). With globalization, the spirit of UECP continues to multiply through her members as they migrate to other big cities. We have members who are instrumental in founding of churches in Los Angeles, Vancouver, Toronto, and Sydney. Today, United Evangelical Church of the Philippines has 25 daughter churches, 7 granddaughter churches, and 6 Christian high schools scattered throughout the Philippines. We have five services on Sunday. By God’s grace and power, our church continues to minister to the multi-cultural needs of the Chinese in the Philippines. We have a focus group to minister to the new immigrants and students from China. As UECP celebrates its 85th founding year, it is truly a testament of God’s mighty work and glory. May the Lord continue to use UECP to win souls and transform lives for the expansion of His Kingdom!

Rev. Dr. Joseph Shao is the Consulting Senior Pastor of

UECP. He is the President of the Biblical Seminary of the Philippines. He is also the General Secretary of the Asia Theological Association. As a third generation pastor of the Shao clan, he is the pastor of pastors.

Meanwhile the daughter churches of UECP have followed in the footsteps of the mother church and began their own outreach

I LOVE

UECP

I praise GOD for UECP for the 3 stages of my life: 1st stage, UECP becomes GOD’s corporation, this is where I literally work for Him; 2nd stage, UECP is GOD’s training ground, this is where I was spiritually fed and molded to become His servant; 3rd stage, UECP becomes GOD’s home, this is where I have a big family to love and take care of. Rev. Tony Cheng I praise God that UECP unites people with God’s love, encouraging us to continue to grow in our spiritual walk with the Lord, considering what’s next for the next generation. UECP is a place for me to unwind amid my challenges. Jean Ting I thank God for UECP as it is where I learned about Jesus and the Bible when I was a child. It is where the Lord challenged me to serve Him in full time ministry when I was a youth. And it is where our family served God together. Pastor Anna Muñoz (Singapore) I praise God for UECP has been a channel for the gospel of Christ for many years to many people including myself. UECP influenced me through my faith in Christ Jesus and has built a very good biblical foundation in me. May God continue to use UECP so that more people may come to know Jesus as their Savior. Nancy Yao (Taiwan) We wish to thank our mother church UECP for supporting us during our seminary days at BSOP way back in 1988 to 1992. We will always be grateful. Let us continue to soar high for the Lord. Rev. Philip Ong and Pacita Ong with daughters, Rachel and Michelle.

Thank God for UECP. She gave me friends who walk with me in this journey of faith. Just like being with Christ, I can let my guard down when I’m with them- without the fear of being judged. Like Christ, they comfort and nudge me whenever I need it. Pastor Irene Tan (Singapore) Praise God for UECP - for Christian Education received since my Sunday school to working years. I thank Him for the gospel of Jesus Christ, the friendship, fellowship and ministry with members and friends. It will always be my home church when I’m back from my full-time ministry overseas. God bless UECP! Pastor Margaret Ong (Singapore) I love UECP because it’s a place where I can freely talk about God.

Augustin Tiu

My 7-year-old daughter asked me: Kim: Is our church old? I was still thinking of an answer....  Kim: If it is old, does it mean we need to change to a new church? I don’t want to change church, I like it here, and I want to stay here. I love this church.  Me: How do you love your church? Kim: By obeying teachers in Sunday school. Me: Why do you ask if the church is old? Kim: Because if our church is old, they might tear it down and we won’t have a church to go to anymore. I will be very sad.... Madeline Co & Daughter, Kimberly

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F E AT U R E S

JOY IN SUFFERING Rev. Stephen Kwan Translation: Marlene Go Philippians 4:1-13 New American Standard Bible (NASB) 1 Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved. 2 I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord. 3 Indeed, true companion, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. 9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. 10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. 12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. 13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

B rothers and sisters, do you know which country has the happiest people on earth?

Asiaweek made a survey and found that it is the Philippines. Children of the poor run around in the streets. They live a simple life. When the sun sets, they take out their guitar to sing and dance happily. This proves that happiness does not depend on abundance of material resources. It is easy for a person to be happy in prosperous circumstances, but to be joyful in dire situations is extraordinary. The Bible tells us that the Apostle Paul is one such special person. In my study of 1 and 2 Corinthians, I learned that Paul suffered a lot in his life. When I read Philippians, I discovered how Paul lived a happy life like an extra-terrestrial being. The book of Philippians mentioned “joy” and “happiness” 16 times. That Paul could be happy and grateful in adversity made him truly stand out. I believe that Paul is really special. I also learned that we have something in common with Paul. We share a similar status – we are the body of Christ, children of God, having the same faith. Like Paul, our spirit is also weak. I then discovered five uncommon aspects in Paul’s life:

1) PAUL’S DIFFERENT SET OF VALUES Philippians 4:1 Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved. The church in Philippi provided for Paul’s daily livelihood. For this reason, they had a special relationship. Even so, Paul valued the

church not for provisions, but for the brothers and sisters (believers) of the Philippian church. He valued the “people,” not money. Paul treasured people above other matters, because the Bible reminds us: You are my joy, my crown. What is a crown? A crown symbolizes glory. Paul considered these brothers and sisters his joy, his glory. Thus, the Philippian church can be a source of pride of pastors. After all, the conduct of a Christian can become the honor of pastors, the source of their joy. I believe the Christians in the Philippian church loved the Lord and loved each other. Surely, they obeyed God’s Word to live a holy life. Preachers and believers can enjoy their ministry as they serve God, thank God, and honor God together with joy. Today, we have joy. Someday, in God’s presence, we will receive our crown and our honor. This is Paul’s treasure – a different value system. Why did Paul value people more than money? Because the people he served are registered in God’s book of life. What does the book of life represent? The book of life records the names of people who are assured of their salvation. They are not ordinary believers. Their names are remembered in heaven. This is incomparable joy! The Bible tells us Jesus sent out his disciples to evangelize. The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” Jesus replied, “Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.” (Luke 10:17) Bible

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records the demons were subject to the Lord’s disciples. This is a great miracle! But Jesus told them not to celebrate because of this. The work accomplished was temporary and unreliable. Serving God does not guarantee fruitfulness and happy outcomes all the time. Not all our works for the Lord have good results. True joy does not result from whether our efforts are successful or not. Rather, our joy must come from service that gives God glory and is remembered by God. This is the different value system Paul shows us.

2) PAUL’S DIFFERENT KIND OF MENTALITY Philippians 4:5, Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Paul emphasized “gentleness of heart.” Today, the world goes without humility; instead, greedy and unyielding hearts proliferate. The U.S. economy is so bad, people want to change this and that, without ever changing anything in the end. In reality, politicians are just putting up a show. Which politician really cares for the interest of the state or the people? They are all for their own partisan advantage. I am not discussing politics with you today. I do not know politics. I just hope that people of high standing do not take advantage of their power to rally for the minority or for their self-interests. Paul understood the truth of Christianity. He knew the heart of God. He exhorted the believers not to grab but to yield. This principle of gentle submission is a heavenly calling. Philippians 4:3, Indeed, true companion, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. Paul said to help these two ladies to be of one heart in the Lord. To be united is not easy. The key is humility – not to steal, not to argue or struggle, but to give way. Only humble people can unite. And why must we yield to one another? An event is specially mentioned here: The Lord is near. That is, the day the Lord Jesus returns is nigh. This saying is rich in significance. Since the day of the Lord’s return is near, our days on earth are nearing the end. One day this world will pass away. What else is there to fight for when a man is near his end? I once presided over the memorial service for a young man who died from mountain climbing. I realized that death remains nearby. One day, when you are about to leave this world, you will

F E AT U R E S

Paul was not born with the ability to be happy. He said, “I have learned.” He not only had to learn, but must learn it fully. realize that the struggles and animosity of this world are so petty and trivial. We should spend the few years of our short life on things of most lasting value.

He carried all the troubles and heavy burdens in our lives. Jesus assures us His yoke is easy and His burden is light. The Lord grants us rest.

Paul had a different mindset because he knew the Lord is near. We have no power to control this world and are unable to control our own lives. When our lives come to an end, what else is there to last for eternity? No one in competition feels happy. When others compete, you can yield only if your heart is humble and magnanimous. That, then, is real joy. This is Paul’s uncommon perspective.

Paul had a different kind of faith – the faith that commits to the Lord. He said, “Be anxious for nothing.” Do Christians worry? Our worries are often baffling, without cause, because we worry about everything. For example, a lady recently grew more grey hair. Someone asked her, “Why do you have more grey hair?” “Because I worry!” She replied. “Why do you worry?” “Because I got more grey hair!” Someone said, “Worrying is like sitting on a rocking chair. There is a lot of movement, but no progress.” There is no objective in worrying. From the Old Testament to the New, the Bible teaches us not to worry. David, Peter, and Paul taught us by their experiences and advice. Anxiety has never left mankind through thousands of years. So Jesus Christ told us more clearly not to worry (Matthew 6:24-34). The Lord wants us to look at the birds of the air and the flowers of the field. God cares for and feeds them. How much more does He care for us – His children!

3) PAUL’S DIFFERENT KIND OF FAITH Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. [Faith] is what we need moment by moment. In fact, faith is inseparable from your life whether you believe in Jesus or not – including eating, working, and traveling. This is your faith in living; your belief in life experiences. Paul had a different kind of faith. Not only did the experiences in life build his faith, more importantly, he lived his life with full trust in the Lord. Praise God, we Christians have a precious blessing – that of entrusting our lives to our Lord. People in this world do not know how to trust. When they encounter challenges, they bear the burden themselves. One day, when they cannot take it any longer, they break down and even take their own lives. Dear brothers and sisters, in reality, our difficulties and troubles are no different from others in the world. People get sick, so do we; people lose their jobs, we can too. What differentiates us from them? What makes us different is our faith. We have a spiritual faith different from that of worldly people. We have an object of trust, our Lord to lean on. When I feel heavily burdened, it is such a blessing to be able to pray. The Lord tells us, “Those who are weary and burdened can come to me, I will give you rest.” Our Lord Jesus assures us that in everything, by prayer, with supplications and thanksgiving, we can call on God. Praying with supplications is trusting – the privilege of Christians only. Praise God, He bore our sorrows, He took on our iniquities.

4) PAUL’S DIFFERENT KIND OF LEARNING Philippians 4:10-12 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. 12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. Paul experienced poverty and prosperity, being filled and hungry, having an abundance and being in need. In each of these 3 contrasting situations, he had learned the secret. Being prosperous, filled, and in abundance is not difficult. But to be in poverty, hunger, and want, being joyful is challenging. Paul was not born with the ability to be happy. He said, “I have learned.” He not only had to learn, but must learn it fully. After all, life is a learning experience. God put us in different circumstances to give us opportunities to learn. He wants us to learn how to live in humble means as well as how to enjoy honor. God allowed His children to learn the valuable lesson of contentment. In Psalm 16:6, David wrote that God has given

to each person his boundary. God knows what befits you best. Do not compare with others. Do not often complain in discontent. People who compare with others often lose their joy. We need to learn from Paul to be content in whatever God gives. Someone said, “Life is a classroom, experience is the teacher. The tuition fee may sometimes be slightly more expensive. You must pay the price.” This is Paul’s different kind of learning – allowing him to learn life’s most valuable lesson.

5) PAUL’S DIFFERENT KIND OF MOTIVATION Paul’s uncommon drive is found ‘in the Lord’. Three important points describe his power. 1) Stand firm in the Lord, 2) Rejoice in the Lord, 3) Do all things in the Lord. Paul was an ordinary man, like us. Why did he have a special power, unlike us? It is not because he was different from us, but that the Lord Jesus wanted him to be different. In the Lord, Paul was changed. Dear brothers and sisters, we are all ordinary people. How do we live an extraordinary life? When you commit your life to the Lord, your life will be different. When you depart from the Lord, you will be burdened with the greed, sorrows, and worries of this world. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. (John 15:5) In the Lord, you can stand firm, have joy and do all things. “In the Lord” – this is a simple, yet important truth. If we stray from God, we will stumble and fail. Like worldly people, we will struggle tediously. In discontentment and greed, we will fall into sin – living a life of suffering in our transient existence. What a pity! How terrible! In the Lord, we can stand firm in this difficult world. In the Lord, we can rejoice in this life of suffering. Rejoice greatly! In the Lord, we can overcome all sufferings and temptations – victoriously, without falling. This is Paul’s extraordinary motivation, also, his secret. He had five distinctives: 1) a different set of values 2) a different mindset 3) a different faith 4) a different kind of learning 5) a different power. This power is from above, “in the Lord” – standing firm in the Lord, always rejoicing in the Lord, and doing all things in the Lord victoriously. Amen.

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F E AT U R E S

FROM HOPING TO OVERFLOWING (PART 2) …Putting Our Hope on Jesus, We Overflowed With Thanksgiving Ptr. Benjamin Wang Translation : Christie Sio

A Recollection of China Ministry’s “Youth Center” Outreach Program

2 012 was the year China Ministry’s Youth Center faced its greatest test. By God’s grace, not only did CMYC survive the crisis, it began to grow and flourished with a new life. A miracle of miracles indeed!

CLARITY OF VISION, COURAGE TO BREAKTHROUGH Just when the Saturday Night Fellowship was getting on track and things were starting to look up at CMYC, tension between China and the Philippines over the disputed Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Island) began to escalate between April and May of 2012. The naval standoff that ensued and the hardline diplomacy adopted by both China and the Philippines—with the media adding fuel to the flames on each side—left people of both countries feeling apprehensive and on edge. By June, when enrollment time came and Sino-Philippine relations showed no sign of improving, many of our members wrote to say that they will not be coming back to the Philippines anytime soon. A large majority of Chinese parents thought it better for their children to give up overseas education entirely or to pursue their degrees in another country; or at the very least, to obtain a temporary leave of absence from their Philippine universities. Even those taking summer classes were summoned home by anxious parents. Thus, the future of CMYC became unclear. And on top of the political crisis, two other Mandarin fellowship groups based in the Greater Manila Area have intensified their efforts and investments to reach foreign students. Will CMYC have to do the same and stretch its finances to attract the handful of students left? Or should the Youth Center be left to its fateful course? While none of these options seemed acceptable, the realities of the macro-environment is something ordinary citizens like us are powerless to change. May and June were months when my wife and I find ourselves at a loss as to what to do about the “Youth Center Ministry.” We talked about it and stayed up many nights praying over it. Through it all, we had but one thought in our hearts: “God has been with us on this journey for almost three years. This cannot be the end of CMYC!” In the past, volunteer teachers arrive from China around the end of May thru the early part of June. However, the tenuous state of affairs had led these Mandarin language instructors to postpone their trip to the Philippines again and again. Finally, they started coming in towards the last two weeks of June. My wife and I both felt the moving of God’s Spirit—whatever the case may be, teachers from the Mainland are here. There is hope for CMYC! In light of this “hope,” we decided to do a re-innovation of CMYC: from ministering to a membership of 80% students and 20% volunteer teachers to caring for a congregation of 10% students and 90% volunteer instructors. In the course of ‘re-innovation’, we shelved the plans we had been preparing for months and made a complete change of CMYC’s format, activities, care and visitation ministry, schedule for special events, and strategy for evangelism. Under God’s leading, everything turned out amazingly as we had hoped! Instead of a decline in membership, attendance in CMYC’s Saturday Night Fellowship increased significantly. People who were being saved and baptized were added to our number day after day! Adapting to the changes in the Youth Center’s direction, China Ministry came to a bold decision in June 2013. Leaving the comfort

and familiarity of the University Belt address it called home for more than three years, CMYC moved to a new venue within the campus of Hope Christian High School. As the ministry entered into a new phase, we witnessed God’s victory yet again! The move made CMYC more accessible to schools located in the Chinatown area, making it easier for the teaching volunteers working in these schools to attend activities. In addition, the excellent amenities and security offered by the new facilities, the size of the campus, and the good reputation of Hope Christian High School did much to inspire trust and confidence in the Youth Center among the volunteer teachers. Complementing these advantages, we did our best to provide transportation to and from the venue to ensure the safety of those who come. All these ushered in another phenomenal season of growth for the Youth Center!

YIELDING TO THE POTTER, SERVING WITH LOVE As CMYC grew each step of the way, so did I in my spiritual journey. There was a time when I used to think we could advance the gospel using all kinds of activities, strategies, and techniques. But over the years, having experienced the painful and never-ending process of being molded by the Potter, I finally understood the truth He wanted me to learn: only love can win the hearts of men for God. All the rest are just bells and whistles. Today, I always hear Christ’s greatest commandment ringing in my ears: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27). These young sojourners from China are my neighbors. Can I honestly say I love them with all my heart, my mind and my strength? Throughout our ministry, we have been “on call” 24 by 7 to help seekers who come our way at CMYC. We helped them find jobs, look for apartments and move houses. We took them to the doctor when they were sick, drove them to the airport when they travelled, and settled their conflicts when misunderstandings occurred—all at a moment’s notice. And even while my wife was pregnant, she went down to the market early in the morning to shop for the freshest ingredients to make soup for our seeker-friends in the hospital. When four of them were confined at one time, we had to borrow cooking pots to make sure we had soup enough for each patient. Sadly, while grateful to us at the time, more than a few forgot about us completely soon after they left the hospital and even refused to take our calls. It was in moments like these that Satan’s taunts and attacks sneak up on us, “This is what you get for all you have done for them. Give it up! It’s not worth it.” But God’s grace was always enough to get us through these discouraging times. We continued to surround each seeker we meet with love. We constantly ask ourselves what more we could do to help them. The month of March is always a time of mixed emotions for us. Because as the school year ends, the overseas students and volunteer teachers who have come to be our friends will soon be on their way home to China, never to be back again. Nevertheless, we take comfort in our bond in the gospel. Though these young seekers have yet to be baptized, we are confident that the seed of the gospel has been planted firmly in their hearts. As John 4:36 says, “Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.” And while we continue to pray for the ones who left, we also begin to pray for the ones to come. I am sure many of them do not know

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F E AT U R E S they would be coming to Manila and would never have imagined that there are people praying for them long before they ever thought of making the trip. Each year is a fresh new start for us at CMYC with new challenges to face and new opportunities to conquer. We do not know who the new members of our Youth Center will be and we never know what the future holds for our ministry. But as we put our hope on Jesus, we believe that with every step we take, He leads us with His grace as His love and His hand guide us through the path of grace. We look forward to your continued partnership—in supporting, giving, and praying for China Ministry’s Youth Center Outreach Project.

the years. They were always ready to act whenever we needed their help. I especially like to thank The Biblical Seminary of the Philippines (BSOP) for sending their students—a group of talented and much needed workers—to CMYC. Thank you for your passion for the Lord’s work. And to the brothers and sisters who prayed earnestly and gave silently to our ministry, please accept our heartfelt thanks and appreciation. The willing sacrifices you have made over the years paved the road for the growth of China Ministry’s Youth Center Outreach Project. You are the real heroes of CMYC!

Finally, I want to thank the leaders of UECP and Hope Christian High School for their full support for the Youth Center. I would also like to thank our elders, deacons, pastors, officers and fellow workers in China Ministry for their faithful and unwavering service throughout

Pastor Benjamin Wang has been a member of the UECP Pastoral Team since his graduation from BSOP in 2009. He is currently the head of China Ministry’s Missions Group, and oversees the planning and development of CMYC, as well as the growth and expansion of its outreach ministry in recent years.

EQUIPPED FOR SERVICE: MY MINISTRIES @ UECP Daniel Shangkuan

n the year I was born, my late father became an elder of the Chinese United Evangelical Church (now United Evangelical Church of the Philippines). My mother eventually became a church elder, too. I was raised in a Christian home, a Christian school, and a Christian environment. At age 13, I became a born-again Christian in one of the church-sponsored junior camps. Despite previous failed attempts, I started reading the Bible daily – it became my habit to this day. At Hope Christian High School, I attended Sunday School and the Youth Bible Study Class. I was a member of the Junior Fellowship and the Youth Fellowship, though not consistently. I also attended Youth Camps regularly. After graduation from high school, I became a member of the church Junior Choir and two years later, the Senior Choir. I also joined a singing group called the “Youth Evangelists” where I started doing pulpit translation work during our evangelistic musical tours. From there, the Lord led me to serve Him in various capacities as officer and staff member to camp director of the Junior Camp and Youth Summer Camp, to being camp director, from member to being president of the choir. As a deacon, I was given the opportunities to chair the Sacred Music & Youth Work Committees and as an elder, I served as chairman of the Church Mission Board and vice-chairman of the Consistory. My ministries at UECP were in 4 major areas: sacred music, youth work, couples’ ministry and missions. In music, I was involved in organizing the pool of songleaders that became the precursor of the modern-day worship teams. We organized musical outreaches to the community by presenting Christmas concerts in outside

venues featuring the various singing groups of the church. Locally, the Youth Evangelists spread the gospel through music to places as far north as Laoag and Aparri, and as far south as Bacolod and Iloilo cities. During weekends, we organized neighborhood Sunday schools in downtown Manila. At one time, we had classes in three residential buildings running simultaneously. We also went on a concert tour of Thailand, Hong King and Taiwan. In youth work, we drafted the camp manual that became a reference material for other churches. Twice, we formulated 5-year development plans for the youth ministry. We initiated and operated the youth center. Through the encouragement of Mrs. Too Siu Pao Shao and the Women’s Fellowship, the Christian Couples’ Fellowship was organized in 1985 to cater to the spiritual and relational needs of young couples. The Christian Couples’ Fellowship later started the Children Worship Service. In missions, we organized annual homecomings for the church-supported missionaries. We increased substantially the roster of local missionaries. As a member of the Consistory, I participated in the revision of the church by-laws four times. I introduced the resolution that gave birth to the Council of United Evangelical Churches (now the Association of Zhonghua Churches of the Philippines). My exposure to the different ministries and the training I had received at UECP provided me with a solid foundation for my present ministries – involvement in school boards, churches, para-church organizations and charitable foundations. As I reminisced about my ministries at UECP, three factors have contributed significantly to my equipping: First is the stringent selection and succession process for officers. Fellowship and

camp officers were exposed to the different tasks before taking on leadership positions. I served as timekeeper and groundskeeper before becoming a member of the administrative staff, and eventually the camp director. Officers did not become a staff member automatically, and not all members of the administrative staff became camp directors. Second is the intensive leadership training program. Training sessions were scheduled regularly and leadership camps were held occasionally. Each department in the camp was headed by a more senior coordinator and backed up by less-experienced members. This also ensured a smooth transition for future camps. Third is the elaborate record-keeping and archiving system. We were taught to formulate formal agendas, keep minutes of meetings, and to draft organizational rules or by-laws. This system provided a consistent basis for implementation and reference for future administration of policies. Also, the church by-laws were revised every 5 years to keep up with the changing situations. On the occasion of UECP’s 85th founding anniversary, may more leaders be equipped for God’s glory and the expansion of His kingdom!

Daniel Shangkuan is a multi-gifted Christian and leader. He served UECP for many years in various ministries and assuming leadership roles, among which were deacon, elder and vice-chairman of the Consistory. He and his wife, Bethel, have 3 married children, (Barnaby, Dawn & Beverly) and 5 grandchildren (with the 6th on its way).

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F E AT U R E S

THE YOUTH EVANGELISTS Leonardo Go Translation: Daniel Shangkuan

T he Youth Evangelists of the 70s brought together young people of the church who utilized contemporary Christian songs and per-

sonal testimonies to spread the good news of salvation. The group was conceptualized during the 1968 Youth Summer Conference with the objective of awakening the youth to the task of sharing in the responsibility of missions. It was hoped that as they offered their pure and sincere hearts on the altar, they would be used by God. On July 2 that year, the first youth evangelistic team among ChineseFilipino churches was formed. On August 2, 1968, the collapse of the Ruby Tower took away the lives of two team members who were brothers. The tragedy made us more determined to accomplish the Lord’s tasks while night had not yet come. Our first mission field was the forsaken nook in one corner of the Chinese cemetery that housed the Home for the Aged. These were lonely and helpless people who were far from their relatives. Not only did they need people’s true sympathy, they also needed the good news of salvation.

The more we got involved in ministries, the heavier our burden for lost souls became. Starting with annual neighborhood vacation Bible schools, these evolved into weekly Sunday schools in three residential buildings. Later on, we organized vacation Bible schools in UECP‑affiliated churches like UEC Sta. Cruz, UEC Daet and UEC Vigan. Starting with activities in Filipino‑Chinese churches, eventually organized visits to the city jails, Veterans Memorial Hospital, and the armed forces in Camp Aguinaldo, Grace Bible Church, Sapang Palay Resettlement Area and St. Luke’s Hospital. We were able to spread the gospel through music. Our best memories of 1968 to 1970 were the annual visits to the shut‑ins (people who couldn’t come to church because of their infirmed state) during the Christmas holidays. Some had developed cataracts; others groped in the dark; still others were paralyzed and

living alone. To whom could they confide their sadness and suffering? Our songs brought comfort to their hearts and tears to their eyes. In 1970, we held Christmas evangethree Southern Luzon churches – San Pablo and UEC Sta. Cruz. happened during the trip – train But in every meeting, we saw eviSpirit at work, which greatly atmosphere. The setbacks sufstrengthened our faith. As a souls further increased.

listic meetings in UEC Lucena, UEC M a ny a c c i d e n ts delays, flat tires & etc. dences of the Lord’s enhanced the spiritual fered during the trip result, our burden for lost

The scenarios of 40 years ago still remain vivid. We truly appreciate the care and love of the older generation, and the wholehearted support of the young people then. I also would like to thank the team members for their spirit of unity. May all praise and glory be to the highest true God – our Lord Jesus Christ!

Dr. Leonardo Go is an alumnus of Hope Christian High School (Batch 1967), awardee of Fil‑Chi Outstanding Young Men 1967, President of Youth Evangelists (1968‑1969), Christian Soldier (1970), camp officer of church junior and summer camps (1965‑1971), and a member of Gideon International (2010). He graduated from the University of the Philippines (Pre‑Med, 1971) and obtained his degree: Doctor in Medicine from the University of the East (1975). He and his wife, Margaret (also a doctor), are now retired from practice and residing in Chicago, U.S.A. They have 3 daughters. The 2nd daughter is a pediatrician.

SINGING FOR GOD Cecilio K. Pedro

am blessed to be called by God to serve in UECP. I, together with my siblings, was raised in a Christian household. Growing up constantly seeing my grandmother and parents joyfully serve the Lord in the church, I started doing my part when I began singing with the Children’s Choir at the age of eight. I could do no less than sing my heart out for the Lord. From then until now, I have devoted my life to God by actively participating in different church ministries. Among these activities, my time with the Children’s Choir holds my fondest memories. Church music sparked my hunger to know God better even at a very young age. It was also through singing worship and praise

songs that I first learned how to serve our Heavenly Father. Most importantly, because of the songs we sang at choir, I discovered a way to reach out to others and bring them to an understanding of God’s love. Even though I started very young in my Christian journey, I still have a long way to go in knowing God. It took Moses 40 years in the desert to learn that God’s ways are different from our ways. I have been in UECP for more than 50 years now and every day is still filled with new opportunities to know God in a unique way. I am grateful for that because I know that God is changing me moment by moment into the man He wants me to be. I know He is perfecting me like iron through fire. When I look at UECP and the 85 years God has blessed this church with, I can only

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look forward to what is in store in the coming years. Countless lives were changed because of this church. So many sinners were led to the wonderful knowledge of God. I believe that as long as we continue being faithful to His leading, more lives will be saved through our Church. I pray specifically that God will use UECP mightily to reach out to our youth. With so many outside distractions, our children will need this spiritual sanctuary more and more for guidance and refuge. I thank God everyday that He called me early on in my life, allowing me to experience the freedom of living for Him henceforth. I pray that our youth will also seek to embrace the freedom from sin that only God can give them, and live with grace and courage for His name and glory alone.

VOICES OF THE YOUTH

CHALLENGE TO THE YOUTH: What role or development do you want to see happening among the youth in our church?

Ptr. Bryan Kimball Sy: As a pastor, my desire is not

necessarily for them to be more active in church, but to be more active as a Christian. In the Christian life, Being should always precede Doing. This means our priority should be Christ-likeness before involvement, focusing more on our personal holiness and walk with Christ rather than activities. And that can only be done by submerging ourselves in Scriptures and prayer.

Elder Belen Lim: I would like to see our youth grow in their desire for God’s Word. I would also like to see them take part in disciple-making and be part of a cell group where they can experience mutual encouragement and accountability. I would like to see the youth be more active in evangelism, use their connection and make it part of their lifestyle, like being part of campus ministries. Dcn. Mary Grace Co: We want them to develop a

genuine heart of seeking God and His Word. I think for some of the youth, attending church and fellowships becomes more of an entertainment and a social activity. The essence of fellowship is oneness of heart with God and fellow brothers and sisters-in Christ. Having the right heart is more important than lots of involvement in church activities.

How should we interact with those from the LGBT (Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community?

Dcn. Haidee Chu: We should treat them like how we treat everyone else, and do not condemn them. But it doesn't mean that we condone their relationships. We should just build friendships with them, bearing in mind that we are all sinners. When they open up, that's when we plant Biblical seeds. Elder Edward Ong: We should accept them, and the church should not close its doors to these people. But we should be careful not to send the wrong message that we are consenting to wrong values. We should also be extra careful not to be influenced by their perception of sexuality. Dcn. Sharon Monzon: We should treat them the same

way we treat everyone, and show them respect. Jesus came not to condemn but to save the lost, so we, as Christians, should also do the same - obey the Great Commission and pray that the Holy Spirit work in them.

Rev. Wiljo Ong: We should love them and not judge them.

Dcn. Francis Tan: I want to see them involved in small

groups.

VOICES OF THE YOUTH: What improvements do the youth seek in the church fellowships or from our church leaders?

Jeane Nicole Chong: I expect the leaders to be com-

mitted, setting the example for the youth in church activities, in being part of a small group, in leading a discipleship group, and in actively reaching out for the lost.

Kenneth Mendoza: We are looking for examples of

servant leadership from our church leaders. The youth will not stay long in a ministry if there is no leader who also stay in these ministries.

`Ria Jannel Yao: We’d like to see leaders to have the initiative to welcome newcomers. Usually the person who invited the newcomer is the only person who entertains him/her. Newcomers normally stay if they feel welcomed and get to know more people in church.

Mikee de Leon: We want leaders to have the initiative

to reach out to the youth, especially to new Christians. Some of them are just waiting for someone to talk to them. Although some might not open up easily, yet they are in need of guidance and of people who will actively lead them to Christ.

The youth wants to grow spiritually, but what is making it hard for them to commit?

David Francisco: They want to grow? Do they? What makes it hard for them to commit is that they don't know what commitment means. Alexis Tan: The youth have a lot of distractions around

them. Take computer games for example, like HON and LOL, in which the young people are attracted and passionate about. These things take much of their time, which reflects that these things become their priority. This lifestyle hinders the youth from commitment.

Mary Jane Choy: Distractions today makes it hard for

them to commit. Relationship really matters. The youth will not commit if there is no deep relationship, and we will just be absorbed by all the distractions.

Jeffrey Ong: I think it’s more of a lifestyle issue. Our youth today has the tendency of taking upon themselves various commitments and consequently struggle to prioritize. We must learn to simplify our lifestyle and choose to prioritize God over all our other commitments.

F E AT U R E S

DID YOU KNOW...? FIRST INAUGURAL SERVICE

The first worship service was held on the stormy night of July 14, 1929 in the rented mezzanine of No. 602 Reina Regente St. This momentous event was attended by 32 people including adults and children, with Rev. Dr. George William Wright (刘哲牧师) of the American Presbyterian Mission as the guest speaker.

and then Manila. Japanese troops occupied Manila in January 1948 till February 1945. When they retreated in 1945, they massacred people and destroyed properties. Other Chinese church buildings were badly damaged but UECP was spared. Hence, UECP’s facilities served as a shelter for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ for a period of time.

TWENTY-FIVE PESOS IN THE 1930S

FIRST UECP MARTYR

Two years after the inaugural service, the growing number of service attendees called for a bigger worship place. The worship place was moved to No. 616-620 Alvarado Street with a seating capacity of 150 people. The rent was twenty-five pesos a month.

Martyred in the line of missionary duty in an American air-raid during WWII, Ms. Chiu Chi-Hian (周志贤), the earliest worker sent to Baguio City by the church, preached and ministered among the internees at the Japanese concentration camp. She was respected and loved by many. This was evident when the UECP delegation led by Rev. Silas Wong visited Baguio in 1946 and was warmly received by the local Chinese communities. Ms. Chiu’s kind deeds and good relationship with them paved the way for an easier resumption of work in Baguio after the war.

FIRST SENIOR PASTOR On December 4, 1938, Rev. Silas Wong arrived in Manila in response to the church’s need for a senior pastor. He was formerly principal of the Wuzhou Bible school (梧州) in Guangxi province. He was previously in Manila in March 1936 as guest speaker at revival meetings which stirred the hearts of the believers. A few weeks after his arrival in Manila, Rev. Silas Wong suffered a bout of depression which also affected his physical health. In addition, the challenges of gap in dialect (his was Cantonese and UECP’s was Minnnan) and the responsibility of leading a congregation with very little doctrinal knowledge proved to be overwhelming that he seriously considered returning to China at the end of his three-year term. But God worked in amazing ways. His power was revealed in His servant’s weakness. God used Rev. Wong, despite his health problems, to indoctrinate the church and preserved it from false teachings. Rev. Wong retired in late 1962, after dedicating 24 years of service in UECP.

OLDEST FELLOWSHIP GROUP Founded in 1953, the Men’s Fellowship was the first fellowship of the church. This was followed by Youth Fellowship in 1956. (Youth Work Committee was eventually formed to head different youth fellowships), Oasis Fellowship in 1970, Women’s Fellowship in 1980, Couples Fellowship in 1985, Evergreen Fellowship in 1997.

UECP DURING SECOND WORLD WAR On December 7, 1941, the church held its first congregational worship at No. 1242 Benavidez Street, with no idea of the war that will affect them in the following days. Japanese bombed Davao, Baguio, Tarlac,

SCHOOLS BY UECP The first school established by the Consistory is Zhong Hua School (中华学校) with the objective of reaching out to non-believers and instructing children of believers. But the school failed to meet its purpose after it relocated away from the church address and was renamed Su Kuang School. It eventually became a non-sectarian school and ended its connection with the church. In 1946, Chia-Nan School was established as an elementary institution. It later adopted its current name, Hope Christian High School (嘉南中学), when it opened the secondary school in 1951. The school aimed to provide quality education, evangelism, and bible instruction to its students. Later, other Hope Christian Schools were established in Makati, Naga, Legazpi, General Santos, and Palawan. Though not all of these schools were directly founded by UECP, they were historically or originally connected to UECP through the local church. There are about 18 educational institutions nationwide affiliated to UECP.

CHINA MINISTRY As more and more xinqiao from mainland China came into the Philippines for education and business, the church saw the need to reach out to them by establishing the Mandarin Fellowship (國語團契 ) in 1997. In 2003, the name China Ministry was adopted during the term of Hsieh Shiu-Lien. She was sent to Manila in 2002 by the Taipei Linsen

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Nanlu Chapel ( 林森南路禮拜堂 ) as a result of Manila-Taiwan partnership. She faithfully served the ministry till 2006.

BEGINNING OF YOUTH CONFERENCES The first youth winter conference was realized in 1950 by the combined efforts of Cristina Wang, Tena Holkeboer, DutchAmerican missionary Joseph Esther and his wife Marion. It was held at Union Theological Seminary in Manila and attended by eighty young people. These young people were so spiritually inspired that they organized the 1st Junior Camp the following year (1951). The first youth summer conference was held in 1954.

FIRST LAYPERSON-TRAINER S.C. Shangkuan was elected deacon in 1946 and soon after attended evening classes at a bible school. After he completed his three years of theological course, he gave the first formal training to nine students by teaching Homiletics class. In 1955, eleven young people finished the bible study course and became trained Sunday School teachers during the post-war years. Two years after, Sunday School attendance reached 2,600.

GOLDEN JUBILEE BUILDING This building refers to UECP’s current church building at No. 1170 Benavidez Street. When UECP celebrated its 50th year in 1979, a fund-raising began for the construction of the new sanctuary, hence the name Golden Jubilee. The project was completed in 1987 and the congregation transferred to the new site. The old church building was used as the Youth Centre for a period of time. In July 2013, after several months of prayer and careful study, the Board of Elders and Deacons approved to tear down the old church building. Demolition works started last April 2014. Future plans include the development of a mini-complex with multilevel parking structure for the expansion of our church and school ministries.

UECP SENIOR PASTORS Initially, UECP was without a Senior Pastor for several years. In its 85 years of existence, the church only had 5 Senior Pastors: Rev. Silas Wong (1938-1962), Rev. Wesley Shao (1963-1987), Rev. Stephen Kwan (Associate Pastor 1987-89; Senior Pastor 1989-92), Rev. Paul Huang (Associate Pastor 1992-93, Senior Pastor 1993-99), Rev. Tony Cheng (Associate Pastor 2003-11, OIC 2012-13, Senior Pastor 2014-present). Source: Rev. David Cheung’s article, An Octogenarian Tale.

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HERALD * UNITED EVANGELICAL CHURCH OF THE PHILIPPINES PUBLICATION

NEWS

REV. STEPHEN KWAN’S VISIT

UECP’s former senior pastor and now pastoral consultant, Rev. Stephen Kwan, made a twoweek visit to the Philippines last February. He facilitated a half-day retreat for church leaders and conducted a preaching seminar for our pastors during his stay. We praise God for Rev. Kwan’s love for our church because he continues to minister to us even when he is already residing in the US. He returns to UECP in July. He is one of the speakers in the Discipleship Congress and also the guest speaker for our 85th Anniversary Joint Worship Service on July 13, 2014.

COLLEGE FELLOWSHIP RETREAT

The College Fellowship organized a 2-day retreat at Rizal Recreation Center, Laguna on May 16-17, 2014. The retreat was attended by 38 campers from high school and college. Aside from spiritual refreshment, the retreat aimed for the campers to be acquainted with co-workers in their church ministries.

VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT

The Youth Work Committee Sports Ministry organized a Volleyball Tournament last March. As customary in our previous sports activities, the games started with a short bible study, followed by sharing time aimed to disciple the Christians and evangelize the non- Christians.

PRAYER RETREAT

Last March 16, a prayer retreat was held at the Touch of Glory, Prayer Mountain in Antipolo City. It was a serene retreat limited to only 20 participants. Elder Leonida Bendicion led the attendees in a day of worship, prayer and reflection.

MATTHEW KOK ON “BUSINESS AS MISSION” On March 29, 2014, Matthew Kok, the CEO of MK Wealth Management based in Singapore, conducted a seminar entitled “Business as Mission.” Business as Mission is actually one of the mission ministries of Covenant Evangelical Free Church where Mr. Kok belongs. He highlighted their work with the marginalized sector of society, and showed us how their organization reach out to poor families and help them make a living. The talk encouraged Christian businessmen and professionals to make their businesses more socially relevant so as to help alleviate the plight of the poor, and to improve the living standards of their employees and the people in general.

A.D. 2014 STEP UP, SERVE APP

“Step Up, Serve App” was a ministry expo that was held on all Sundays of May this year. The event, with 13 participating ministries, aimed to encourage our members to take a more active role in serving fellow Christians. This activity also gave the ministry officers an opportunity to introduce their ministry to interested church members.

In celebration of the church’s 85th anniversary, UECP held a joint camp from April 16 to 19, 2014 at Club Balai Isabel in Talisay, Batangas. There were 623 attendees whose ages ranged from 4 months to 94 years old. Some of our church members brought their parents and relatives along so they could have the chance to hear the gospel. The camp theme was A.D. 2014, A.D. standing for Authentic Disciples. The camp sessions were divided into sub-groups to cater to the needs of the members based on their age and the language they speak. Dr. Peter Zhao was the speaker for the Mandarin-speaking group. Rev. Johann Lay ministered to the Amoy-speaking group. Rev. Chris Chia was with the English speakers, majority of which come from the Couple’s and Young Pro fellowships. Pastors Bryan Kimball Sy and Jeanette Yu-Chua handled the High School and College groups. Sis. Marlene Go shared with children ages 8–12 while Dr. Rosa Shao handled the youngest group. HERALD * UNITED EVANGELICAL CHURCH OF THE PHILIPPINES PUBLICATION

NEWS

MISSION MONTH

God’s Kingdom as we are called to Christ, to be companions of Christ, to be a community of Jesus, and to be commissioned by Christ. Annual 2013 results and 2014 targets for missions fund were also reported. Testimonies from partner-missionaries highlighted the service as they shared how God has sustained them in their ministry to reach out and nurture people in their midst.

Missions have always been important for UECP. This is why aside from Christmas, Easter and church anniversary celebrations, we have a joint worship service on Missions Sunday on the second Sunday of June, our Mission month. We gather as one family to remind our members the importance of mission work, and to show our appreciation

to our missionaries who are ministering all around the world. “Called to move forward together” was the theme during Mission Month’s joint worship service last June 8. The message emphasized the process of advancing

YOUTH MISSION NIGHT

Youth Work Committee organized a Youth Mission Night on June 7, 2014. The activity aimed to instill consciousness for mission work in our youth. As they become aware of the importance of missions, they would be challenged to become actively involved in missions.

CHILDREN’S DAY 2014

Children Ministry celebrated Children’s Day on April 8. Some members of our church brought their pets for exhibit. The children experienced close encounters with a rabbit, a cat, birds, guinea pigs and an iguana. The event was a delight to both young and adult members who participated in the experience.

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NEWS

STUDIO GO!

UECP’s 25th Daily Vacation Bible School entitled “Studio GO!” was held last March 25-29, 2014. There were 200 children ranging from 4 to 12 years old at DVBS this year. With the tagline “GO WIN with JESUS!”, the children were taught to “GO Lead,” “GO Risk,” “GO Tell,” “GO Obey” and “GO Serve” based on the theme verse from Joshua 1:9.

ONE VERSE EVANGELISM

The One Verse Evangelism Seminar was conducted by Rev. Leo Jaime Son on June 15, 2014. The seminar aimed to encourage and equip our members in sharing the gospel. This is in line with our church’s thrust to promote evangelism among our members.

兄弟/婦女團契聯合慶祝「母親節」

2014年的母親節倏忽又至，兄弟團契與婦女團契於五月十五日再次攜手聯合舉行慶祝。是晚6：30先有聚餐愛筵，7 ：30慶祝會開始，由葉彼德執事擔任主席；後由王顯祖、蔡寶蓉夫婦領唱詩歌，會場內的契友們興緻勃勃的唱出愛的泉源，也頌讚了愛的真諦。接下來節目開始，首先登場的是許書義、邵晨心夫婦之公子許自強吹奏長簫，全場都精神貫注在這個優美動聽的吹奏。再來是張秀治長老之孫女 –七歲及五歲兩姐妹雙人清唱表演，並背誦詩篇23篇，展現了她們的聰穎伶俐。接著博得滿場為之喝采的是吳健美長老之孫兒 –立德與鳳儀用流利的國語朗誦《我的母親》和《遊子吟》，且唱了《深深的愛》和《世上只有媽媽好》兩首詩歌，不僅唱出孩子們的心聲，感人的詞曲也深深觸動了每位母親的心弦，會眾們對他們的表演皆報以熱烈的掌聲。節目完畢，便是崇拜的時間。先由王耀華弟兄讀經，接著由施承祖長老傳講信息。他以路得記為題，以拿俄米為婦女的榜樣，盼望大家向拿俄米和路得學習一心一意投靠耶和華而滿得祂的賞賜，恩上加恩。慶祝晚會的最後一部是致敬表揚，先由李建華弟兄向他媽媽深懷深情地表白，他道出：「媽媽就像外婆一樣，把主的話語常存心裡而從嘴中發出，每當我忘記經節出自何處，向媽媽詢問時她一定知道，感謝神賜給我這麼一位忠心愛主的好媽媽。」接下來是王耀華弟兄背誦獻給媽媽的經文，雖然他年事已高，竟還能背唸這麼多經文，真令人讚嘆。最後由婦女團契主席蔡寶蓉姊妹向洪吳純瑜師母致上敬意，感謝洪師母多年來對婦女團契的關心和指導。慶祝會遂在「祝福母親」歌聲中圓滿結束。願榮燿歸於至高天上的真神上帝。

UECP MEMBERS GRADUATE FROM ATS UECP congratulates and celebrates with its members who graduated from the Asian Theological Seminary. Graduation ceremony was held at Jubilee Evangelical Church last March 27, 2014. The graduates were Daisyminda Chua (Master of Divinity in Counseling), Marlene Lim Go (Graduate Diploma in Theological Studies), Betty N. Sy (Graduate Diploma in Church Leadership) and Elder Judy Tan (Graduate Diploma in Church Leadership). HERALD * UNITED EVANGELICAL CHURCH OF THE PHILIPPINES PUBLICATION

新聞

第51屆兄弟婦女春令會｢第51屆兄弟婦女春令會｣由菲律濱中華基督教會播道團、兄弟團契、婦女團契聯合主辦，在主任委辦蔡寶蓉姊妹、副主任委辦吳健美長老、導師吳純瑜師母暨諸職員同工們的通力合作、精心籌劃下，終於3月5日–7日在本會副堂舉行。我們很榮幸地，再次邀請到菲律濱聖經基督教會主任牧師 – 張國強牧師蒞會擔任講師，本次春令會的主題為：「屬靈的毒素與解毒」。本次參加人數計達175人，參加者最年輕的25歲，最年長的103歲。同時還有來自描仁鬥沃中華基督教會、巴西中華基督教會、嗎哪門中華基督教會、中華基督教會銀禧堂、鑽禧中華基督教會、中華基督教會龜卯佈道所等堂會及支會兄弟姊妹，以及來自州府與國外教會的會友支持與參加。以下是主題講座之簡略內容，盼與主內兄姐分享之。由於經濟的發達，人們的生活水準越來越高，物質享受也越來越豐裕了。因而人們非但講究飲食，亦以健康為原則。殊不知雖然保有健康的外體，而體內卻有著屬靈的毒素。屬靈的毒素有以下幾方面：

一、思想的毒素 Toxic Thought 思想對我們的人生影響蠻大，心理學家 William James 曾說過：「人的思想是萬物之因。播種一種觀念就收穫一種行為；播種一種行為就收穫一種習慣；播種一種習慣就收穫一種性格；播種一種性格就收穫一種人生。」這是除去和代替的原則 – 除去負面的思想而以正面的思想代替。 1.除去害怕的思想，以信靠的思想代替 – 美國第32任總統羅斯福說：「我們唯一必須恐懼的事就是恐懼本身，依靠上帝不懼怕，上帝改變你想不到的事。」

二、有毒的話 Toxic Words 必需好好抑制我們的舌頭，講智慧的話。箴言18:21「生死在舌頭的權下，喜愛它的必吃它所結的果子。」

我們應屏棄有毒的話，而學習多說造就人的好話。哪些算是造就人的好話呢？

一言可以興邦，一言可以喪邦。雅各書3:2 「原來我們在許多事上都有過失，若有人在話語上沒有過失，他就是完全人，也能勒住自己的全身。」

A、感激的話 Words of Appreciation– 知道別人的好，要把它說出來。耶穌稱讚百夫長的話說：「這麼大的信心，就是在以色列中我沒有見過。」

A、謊言箴言6 : 1 6 - 1 9 「耶和華所恨惡的有六樣，連祂心所憎惡的共有七樣：就是高傲的眼、撒謊的舌、流無辜人血的手、圖謀惡計的心，飛跑行惡的腳、吐謊言的假見證，並弟兄心布散分爭的人。」上帝是誠實、真理。

B、接納的話 Words of Acceptance– 讓他人知道你已經接納他們，甚至欽佩他們。耶穌對患血漏的女人說：「女兒，你的信救了你，平平安安的去吧！」

B、是非之言Gossip 此乃指專講那些屬於個人的謠言或事實，不可隨便傳話。箴言20:19「往來傳舌的，洩露密事；大張嘴的，不可與他結交。」 C、讒言Slander 就是宣告某人的言論，卻不知從何而來。詩篇140:11「說惡言的人在地上必堅立不住，禍患必獵取強暴的人，將他打倒。」箴言10:18「隱藏怨恨的，有說謊的嘴；口出讒言的是愚妄的人。」 D、咒詛Cursing 羅馬書3:13-14「他們的喉嚨是敞開的墳墓，他們用舌頭弄詭詐，嘴唇裡有虺蛇的毒氣，滿口是咒罵苦毒。」 E、汙穢的話 Filthy Words 歌羅西3:8「但現在你們要棄絕這一切的事，以及惱恨、忿怒、惡毒、毀謗，並口中汙穢的言語。」

2.除去不滿意的思想，以感恩的思想代替 – 學會數算自己的恩典，不要成天埋怨，或想要去改變別人。

F、愛爭論的話 Quarrelsome Words 1. 箴言17:14「分爭的起頭如水放開，所以在爭鬧之先，必當止息爭競。」 2. 箴言26:21「好爭競的人煸惑爭端，如火加炭、火上加柴一樣。」

3.除去批評性的思想，以感恩的思想代替 – 批評與責備不同之處：批評是消極的，想破壞對方，動機是出於不愛人或懷恨；而責備則是積極的，是要建立對方，動機是出於愛。但責備的前提是1)有否需要責備？2)是否需要由我去責備？

G、不信之言Words of Unbelief 希伯來3:12說：「弟兄們，你們要謹慎，免得你們中間或有人存著不信的惡心，把永生上帝棄絕了。」因此我們要做到三層次的工夫：第一、以上帝的話語為信，第二、以上帝的話建立自己的

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信心，第三、信心建立在神的本身。

C、讚同的話 Words of Approval– 表示認同別人的作法或看法。耶穌開始傳道時很支持施洗約翰，祂曾經這樣說過：「凡婦人所生的，沒有一個興起來大過施洗約翰的。」(太11:11) D、關愛的話 Words of Affection– 將愛表達出去。耶穌對行淫的婦人說：「我不定你的罪，去吧！從此不要再犯罪了，主的愛在你的心裡改變了你。」 E、肯定的話 Words of Affirmation– 學習確認別人的工作或服務。耶穌指著拿但業說：「看哪！這是個真以色列人，他心裡沒有詭詐。」 F、稱讚的話 Words of Admiration – 把別人應得的稱讚歸給他。耶穌為馬利亞所做的事說：「由她吧！為什麼難為她呢？她在我身上做的是一件美事。」

三、有毒的宗教 Toxic Religion 現今所有的宗教皆教人做好事，績功德，才能上天堂。唯獨基督教的聖經指示我們要得救的唯一方法，是要接受耶穌基督為救主。「因為上帝愛世人，甚至將祂的獨生子賜給他們，叫一切信祂的，不至滅亡，反得永生。」（約翰福音3:16）而「我們得救是本乎恩，也因著信。」（以弗所書2:8）我們接受主耶穌的救恩後，更成為基督徒，便要遵守上帝給我們「最大的誡命」。在馬太福音22:37中，耶穌說：「你要盡心，盡性，盡意愛主你的上帝，也要愛人如己。」我們「愛神」必須建立在「神愛我們」的基礎上。要愛人如己，是我們「人性」最難做到的。只有懇求主的聖靈幫助我們完成，遵行神給我們這「最大的誡命」。

特寫

仰望耶穌感恩無限(下) 王閩傳道

回顧中國團契青年中心外展事工 2012年是青年中心遭遇困境最大之年，然而中國團契青年中心卻再次靠著上帝的恩典，不但突出重圍，更獲得新生，這實在是神跡中的神跡！

明確異象，勇於突破當我們的青年中心做得有聲有色，同時週六聚會漸漸步入正軌之時，同年的四五月間，中國與菲律濱的關係驟然緊張起來；中菲因為“黃岩島”事件，兩個國家都持“極其強硬”的外交政策，雙方政府公務船在海上長達數月之久的對峙，加之雙方媒體的推波助瀾，兩國的人民心中都惴惴不安。六月份正值開學註冊的時間，中菲的關係仍然沒有好轉的跡象，許多我們的會友紛紛寫來郵件，他們將暫時不能前來菲律濱，因為大部分的家長選擇讓孩子放棄菲律濱的留學，或者轉往其他國家，或者辦理休學以觀其變，就連沒有回國“暑修”的留學生也被父母命令回國以求安全！青年中心未來的福音外展工作，因兩國緊張關係而不知去向。而與此同時，在大馬尼拉區另外兩個華語團契更加大了留學生工作的力度以及經濟投入，難道青年中心也要加大經濟投入，在軟硬件方面成為第一，以此來吸引僅剩的為數不多的留學生呢？或者，看著青年中心不斷地蕭條萎縮下去呢？可是面對大環境的困境，又豈是我等平凡人可以逆轉的呢？就在這個五六月間，我與太太為著“青年中心事工”的開展一籌莫展，我們為此商討、為此禱告，甚至好幾個晚上為此徹夜禱告。我們心中只有一個聲音：“上帝已經陪伴我們走過了近三年的歲月，青年中心不可以就此而結束！”本來五月底、六月初“志願者老師”將陸續抵達，也因同樣的原因而一再拖延，直到六月下旬，他們居然也開始陸續來到！我與太太卻心裡同時被上帝感動— —至少他們來了，青年中心還有機會！為著這個“機會” ，我們決定青年中心做最重要的“轉型工作”：由原來80%留學生與20%的志願老師的構成比例，轉變為90%的志願老師與10%的留學生！為了這樣的“轉型工作” ，我們放棄數月之

久的所有計劃與安排，更改所有的聚會形式，活動內容、探訪關懷、節期時間、福音策略！在上帝的引導帶領之下，居然正如我們所願，青年中心的“週六聚會”不但人數上沒有減少，反而成倍的増長，主也將決志信主與受洗的人數，天天加增給我們！ 2013年6月，由於我們的青年中心外展事工整體結構發生了變化，中國事工再次根據需要而靈活應變，並且作出大膽的決定：搬出我們已經熟悉，並且使用三年多的大區的聚會場地，搬進嘉南中學校區內，我們再次看到了上帝的勝利了！我們的聚會因為地點的轉變，離中國城眾多的學校更便利，舉辦各類活動也更加方便，對於所有的老師來說，嘉南學校因其龐大的規模與知名度，也增加了志願者老師的信任感，同時治安、環境與衛生等各方面也是一流的！同時，我們盡所能地接送老師，保證他們的安全，所有這一切，也讓許多來聚會的學校的領導們倍感放心！青年中心再次迎來了一次飛躍性的成長！

願被陶造，用愛服事伴隨著青年中心成長的腳步，我也不斷地成長，曾經一門心思，想借著各樣的活動、策略、方法……去傳福音。經過這許多年，我不斷“被主陶造”的各種痛苦過程，我終於明白了上帝所要教導我的真理：所有這樣外展工作的技巧不過是修飾而已，唯有“愛”可以感動慕道友的“ 心”！耶穌那句最大誡命之回答，如今卻可以常常回蕩在我的耳邊：“你要盡心，盡性，盡力，盡意，愛主你的神。又要愛鄰舍如同自己。”（路10:27）這群年輕的慕道友，就是我的鄰舍，我真的是盡心、盡力、盡意地去愛他們嗎？這些年以來，我們曾經24小時“隨傳隨到”，幫助慕道友搬家、找房子、解決各種衝突、帶去看病、幫忙住院手續、接送飛機、尋找工作……，甚至我太太懷孕了，為了給住院的慕道友煲湯、每天清晨要去菜市場買新鮮的排骨與鴿子；最多的時候，同時有四位住院，我們去借煲湯的鍋，以保證他們每人都可以喝到最好的湯….然而，有一些慕道友只是當時感謝我們，出院走後就完全忘記我們，甚至不接我們的電話，此時，撒但常常攻擊我

們：“你看你用心所做的都沒有用，還不如不做！”然而，再次靠著上帝的激勵，我們完全不以為然，繼續用“愛心”去擁抱每一位慕道友，甚至每一天，我們都常常在問自己：“我們還可以為他們做得更多嗎？” 每當臨近三月，常常是我們心情五味雜陳的時刻，因為我們與這些留學生與志願老師要就此分離，因為他們要離開菲律濱，回到中國，不再回來！不過，我們因為福音的緣故，卻可以藉著網絡常常聯絡，繼續為他們禱告，為他們祝福，因為我們已經確信這些慕道友縱然沒有受洗，但已經有福音的種子在他們的心裡，正如約翰福音4：36節所說的：“收割的人得工價，積蓄五穀到永生。叫撒種的和收割的一同快樂。”而就在此時，我們卻開始為那還沒有來到的志願老師與留學生開始禱告，我確信許多當事人都不知道未來是否會來馬尼拉，但是他們完全不會想到，現在已經有人正在為他們禱告、為他們感恩與祝福！中國團契青年中心每年的外展工作，幾乎都是一個“全新的開始與挑戰” ，我們不確定未來的會友是誰，更不知道未來會發生什麼事情；但是，我們卻在主裡更相信：“這是恩典之路，這是盼望之路！”期待大家為中國團契青年中心的外展事工，更多地支持、禱告與奉獻！最後，我要忠心地感謝菲律濱中華基督教會以及嘉南中學的領導們的大力支持；我也要忠心地感謝中國事工的長執、傳道團隊、同工們如此忠心地服事，每當青年中心有需要都義不容辭；我也要特別感謝菲律濱聖經神學院派來服事的神學生們，謝謝你們如此熱誠專一的服事；也要謝謝那些為了青年中心外展事工殷勤代禱、默默奉獻的弟兄姐妹們！青年中心的成長，留下了你們甘心付出的足跡，你們才是真正“英雄”！【王閩傳道】2009年從菲律濱聖經神學院畢業後，進入菲律濱中華基督教會服事至今。現擔任中國團契宣教組的負責人，同時負責中國團契青年中心的籌辦、策劃、創建及近年來的外展事工的開展。先鋒會刊

FROM THE SHEPHERD'S HEART

F E AT U R E S REV. TONY CHENG

PASTOR BRYAN KIMBALL SY

In 1991, God led me to work in UECP as a business manager. But the thought of becoming a pastor never entered my mind. In 1993, God led me to dedicate myself to fulltime ministry at a Young Pro Retreat and He confirmed my calling through Isaiah 6:8 in January 1995. After my seminary training, I served 5 years in Grace Christian Church before God called me to minister at my home church UECP in 2003.

I received my calling from God to serve in fulltime ministry when I was in 4th year high school. Ever since then I’ve always had a burden to pastor in UECP. After much prayer and reflection in my final year in Bible college, God honored my desire to go back to UECP and serve Him and His people there. I consider it my greatest reward to have the privilege of serving in my home church where I came to know Christ. While serving God in UECP, I learn that God’s faithfulness endures despite our shortcomings and weaknesses. I also experience Him as the great provider for His people and His servants. I pray that there will be a great revival in UECP, a renewed spirit to pursue Christ-likeness and a renewed passion for the lost.

Throughout these years serving in UECP, God has been training my character, molding my personality, disciplining my ego. I learned that, “When men work, men work; but when men pray, God works.” I have seen how God worked when His people humbled themselves in prayer. I have also witnessed how God supplied all my needs, be it physical, financial, or spiritual. My prayer for UECP is to keep her heart always in purity, to keep her knees always bent in humility, to keep her head always up in hope, to keep her hands always together in prayer, and to keep her feet always firm in the truth. I pray UECP will be a church after God’s heart!

REV. WILLIAM JONATHAN ONG The Lord called me to serve in UECP in the same year He called me to go fulltime in 1993. Though I was very young, at the age of 15 years old, the call to serve Him was very clear to me. He opened my eyes and heart to see the great need for pastors who would serve Him wholeheartedly. The greatest lesson I have learned so far is: “If you take care of the depth (your relationship with God) of your ministry, then God will take care of the breadth or width of your ministry.” I experience God in my ministry when I recognize He is the one leading it and I am just an instrument. I also experience God in my family life, where it is truly by the grace of God that we are so blessed with 3 kids and God-willing, we will have another one joining us in January. As I reflect, I realize that being able to serve Him in UECP is already the greatest blessing I can ever have. I pray UECP will remain faithful to God and continue to reach out and help more people.

REV. LEO JAIME SON God has used UECP to save me and mold me as a Christian from childhood to adulthood. After seminary, God touched my heart to return to my home church to serve as a youth pastor in 2004, reminding me of my roots and the importance of building a solid foundation in the lives of young Christians through discipleship. I have always been passionate about discipleship. There is nothing more rewarding than investing my time in young people and seeing them mature and serve God in various capacities. Every time I see the fruit of God’s work in the lives of people, I am encouraged that pastoring is a worthwhile calling. God also reminds me that it is never about what I know and what I can do to succeed in ministry, but it is always about who He is and what He is about to do. When I see how our leaders and many church members resolve to follow the pattern of Christ today, I see the hands of a mighty God who has great plans for our church. May our church fulfill the great commission in our generation: to make disciples who disciple in various contexts; to follow where God leads and reach out to people from different walks of life.

REV. WILSON GONZALES When my wife and I were praying and deciding which church to minister to after coming back from Taiwan in 2011, the Lord gave us His words and the burden to help and minister in UECP through leading, preaching, teaching and praying for the church. I learned to trust and depend on God more for strength, wisdom and encouragement in serving. I am encouraged when I see church members growing spiritually and express their appreciation for what I am doing for the Lord and for them. I also thank God for the blessing of consistently leading and ministering to my cell group for more than 2 years, with one member started to lead his own cell group and two others ready to lead their own. My prayer for UECP is that God will continue to do His work of pruning, molding, refining and chiseling the leadership and members of UECP so that UECP will become a God-glorifying, Christ-centered and Holy Spirit-empowered disciple-making church.

PASTOR CATHERINE TAN When I graduated from BSOP in 1991 and sought the Lord’s will on where to serve, my heart’s desire was to go to the province but I felt the Lord leading me to stay in Manila to reach out to my family and be molded in my mother church. The greatest lesson I learned and am still learning as I serve my Lord and my God in UECP is to never lose FOCUS— to fix my eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my faith, for I know without Him I can do nothing. To do so, I really have to cling to Him, to abide in Him, to know Him and make Him known. Serving in UECP, I witness how my family came to know the Lord, to grow and serve Him. I see people, especially those I have ministered, grow and live for Christ and excel in their service for our God. I experience God through the love of His people especially my co-laborers and partners in the ministry as they sacrificially give of themselves to God and to His people even when they themselves are in need. I see the miracles that He’s doing in our midst, the many impossible things that He made possible in our service for Him in response to prayers. My prayer is that UECP will continue to be a catalyst for God to bring people to His kingdom: to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness as we obey the Great Commandment and fulfill the Great Commission through Christ and with Christ for the glory of God.

HERALD * UNITED EVANGELICAL CHURCH OF THE PHILIPPINES PUBLICATION

F E AT U R E S 牧者的心聲 REV. WILLY CHENG

王閩傳道 (PASTOR BENJAMIN WANG)

In 1996, I came to serve in UECP as a Mission Pastor in line with our Mission Board’s plans to expand its ministries since I have been involved and trained to minister in a Filipino setting. In my years of serving in UECP, I learned that despite our diversities, there can be unity when we serve to honor and glorify God alone. My prayer for UECP leaders and members is that we will continue to watch our life and doctrine closely (1Tim.4:16) and that whatever we do, let’s do it all in the name of our Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Col.3:17).

上帝於2008年，當我正就讀於菲律賓神經神學院，並且三年都在中華基督教會實習，神就特别為我開道路，預備了在UECP服事的機會。

PASTOR JEANETTE YU

我在中華最大的功課就是：無論事奉有多麼的艱難，來自各方的壓力有多大，那都是上帝所許可的，存着向上帝感恩的心，面對挑戰，以便將來可以為主做更大的事。在事奉中，所遇到的事情，無論大或小，都不靠自己的聰明與智慧；謙卑地來到上帝面前，因為世界上只有上帝才有這樣的能力：讓萬事互相效力，讓壞事變成好事！在中華侍奉期間最大的賞賜就是上帝讓我可以與祂更加的親近，不斷地更新我、塑造我，使我不再做屬靈的小孩子，而是更加成熟、老練、忍耐與盼望……在侍奉期間，也多次經歷上帝。每次遇到大的挑戰的时候，在禱告中領受上帝给我的感動，立下目標，靠着不斷迫切的祈求，看到主為我在每一个關鍵時刻，居然可以在沙漠中開江河，並且與神同工。

God called me to serve at UECP as a Care Pastor since July 2006. After 12 years of serving God at a parachurch, I wanted this time to serve Him in a church setting. God gave me the burden to serve at UECP when I had my practicum here for a year while studying at BSOP. Since then, I have been speaking at UECP fellowships and camps. I thank God for continually granting me wisdom and strength as I counsel, conduct visitations, preach, lead Bible Studies, and train Stephen Ministers. God taught me how to use His unconditional love to minister to people of all ages and ethnicities. I am encouraged when the non-Christians (esp. in my BS group) come to know Christ and when I see Christians growing spiritually. I pray God will continue to use UECP as a channel of blessing especially to the people in Binondo.

黃小培傳道 (PASTOR PAUL HUANG) 上帝在2008年1月呼召我在中華事主。在中華侍奉這一段期間，我最大的功課是在事奉中，靠主，使生命得以不斷成長。神的能力也在我這軟弱的人身上顯得更加完全，神的恩典够我用，甚至超過我所想所求的。在事奉中，有時難免會遇到許多的難處，但每一次藉著禱告，上帝都垂聽並應允我的禱告，難處就不再是難處了。在教會慶祝八十五週年之際，我為中華的祈求是教牧團、長執、同工、弟兄姐妹更加同心合意、興旺福音，使得救人數得以加添，滿足主心意。

王以撒傳道 (PASTOR ISAAC WANG) 上帝於2013年呼召我在中華基督教會事主。我在中華侍奉期間最大的功課就是行政事務與生命豐盛追求的平衡。而在一間龐大、成熟、具有生命力、前瞻性的教會背景中成長和事奉則是我在中華侍奉期間最大的賞賜、鼓勵與祝福。在中華侍奉期間長執們的謙卑奉獻，愛心關懷，及牧者們的榜樣薰陶讓我實實在在地經歷了上帝。我為中華的祈禱是祈求上帝讓中華成為一盞燈照亮馬尼拉的華人，成為一艘船為漂泊的浪子提供港灣，並開始新的生命歷程的揚帆起航！

ISAIAH 40:31

Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

我為中華的祈禱是願上帝大大賜福於中華基督教會，讓她成為上帝手中最合用的器皿，不斷地擴張上帝的國度，榮耀上帝的聖名，不單看到上帝將中國城信主的人數，天天加增给中華教會。甚至教會可以差派主忠心僕人往遠方去，不但馬尼拉，外省，直至地極，都可以為主作見證，不斷倍增門徒！

邱澤恆傳道 (PASTOR JOSEPH QIU) 在2006年5月份的時候，我和師母為我們前面服事的方向禱告，求神帶領我們，不要按著我們自己的意思，乃是順服神的引導。兩個月後，2006年7月31日，臺灣林森南路禮拜堂的林震玉長老和鄧昌民傳道(目前是牧師)與我們在北京見面，確定我們家庭是在菲律賓中華教會中國團契服事，感謝主!直至2008年就來到了中華教會事奉主。在中華服事期間最大的功課是語言的問題，身為北方的我不會講閩南話，英語也不懂，更別說是菲律賓話了，剛開始不是很適應，慢慢的就好起來了，感謝主！感謝主！在中華事奉期間最大的賞賜是本地同工們對我們中國傳道人的接納，我們一起配搭事奉上帝，服事弟兄姐妹，也感謝中華教會對新僑事工的投入與支持，讓我在服事的崗位上充滿動力，教會有很好的體制可以讓傳道人進修，這也是我在中華教會最大的祝福。剛來中國團契事奉的時候，週五聚會是按著不同的族群來分小組，而且小組也只是在團契才有，我心裡一直想說我們中國人在菲律賓商場比較集中，可是住的地方比較分散，希望我們可以在大岷區不同的地方開放家庭聚會，一直也為此事禱告。感謝主！祂是聽禱告的上帝，2013年11月我們陸陸續續到現在已經開放了10個家庭小組查經聚會，求神幫助我們中國團契到今年年底的時候可以開放15個家庭小組查經聚會。我為中華的祈禱是求神使用教牧團的每位同工，把神的真理傳講的清楚。我也求神使用教會的領袖成為信徒的榜樣並使用中華教會成為菲華眾教會的祝福。

以賽亞書 40:31

但那等候耶和華的必從新得力。他們必如鷹展翅上騰；他們奔跑卻不困倦，行走卻不疲乏。 Chinese Union Version (Traditional) (CUV)

HERALD * UNITED EVANGELICAL CHURCH OF THE PHILIPPINES PUBLICATION

特寫

困境中的喜樂關國瑞牧師圣经【腓立比书四章：1-13节】：「我所亲爱、所想念的弟兄们，你们就是我的喜乐，我的冠冕。我亲爱的弟兄，你们应当靠主站立得稳。2我劝友阿爹和循都基要在主里同心。3我也求你这真实同负一軛的，帮助这两个女人，因为她们在福音上曾与我一同劳苦；还有革利免，并其余和我一同作工的，他们的名字都在生命册上。4你们要靠主常常喜乐，我再说，你们要喜乐。5当叫众人知道你们谦让的心。主已经近了。6应当一无挂虑，只要凡事藉着祷告、祈求和感谢，将你们所要的告诉神。7神所赐出人意外的平安，必在基督耶稣里保守你们的心怀意念。8弟兄们，我还有未尽的话：凡是真实的、可敬的、公义的、清洁的、可爱的、有美名的，若有什么德行，若有什么称赞，这些事你们都要思念。9你们在我身上所学习的，所领受的，所听见的所看见的，这些事你们都要去行，赐平安的神就必与你们同在。10我靠主大大地喜乐，因为你们思念我的心如今又发生；你们向来就思念我，只是没得机会。11我并不是因缺乏说这话，我无论在什么景况都可以知足，这是我已经学会了。12我知道怎样处卑贱，也知道怎样处丰富，或饱足、或饥饿、或有余、或缺乏、随事随在，我都得了秘诀。13我靠着那加给我力量的，凡事都能作。」弟兄姊妹们，你们知道世界上有哪个国家的人最快乐吗？亞洲週刊做了一个调查，原來是菲律宾這个地方，他们較貧窮的人的孩子满街跑，他们的生活簡單，到了晚上有些人就抱起吉他唱歌跳舞，真得很快乐。由此可见快乐与物质的丰富是不能画等号的。一个人在顺境中，在丰富的环境里能够快乐是很自然的；但如果一个人在逆境中还能快乐，这是超然的。圣经告诉我们，使徒保罗就是一个这样特别的人，当我查哥林多前、后书的时候，发现保罗的确在一生中受了很多的苦。但是当我读腓立比书的时候，却发现保罗快乐的像个外星人。在整卷腓立比书中，論「喜乐、快乐」这些字，出现了十六次之多。他在逆境中能够快乐、能够感谢，他确实不一样。

他看重的不是事，是比一切的事更重要的「人」；因为圣经给了我们重要的提醒：「你们就是我的喜乐，我的冠冕。」什么是冠冕？冠冕就是荣耀。保罗以弟兄姊妹「为乐」，以弟兄姊妹「为荣」，由此可见腓立比教会的基督徒是可以使传道人誇口的。原来基督徒的行为能够成为传道人的荣耀，成为传道人的喜乐。我相信腓立比教会的基督徒一定是爱主的，是彼此相爱的，一定是遵行神的道、过着圣洁的生活。传道人与弟兄姊妹在一起侍奉神、感谢神、赞美神，在服侍神的生活里得喜乐。今天是喜乐，将来在神面前得冠冕，得荣耀，

人都在主的生命册上。生命册代表什么？代表在生命册上有名字的人都清楚自己是得救的人。不是普通的信徒。他们的名字是在天上被纪念的，这是无比的快乐啊！圣经告诉我们主耶稣派门徒去宣教，他们回来告诉主：「我们看见魔鬼从天上坠落下来，我们好喜乐啊。」主耶稣却说：「不要因为魔鬼服了你们而快乐，要为你们的名字记录在天上而快乐。」圣经说魔鬼都服了主的门徒，这是一个很大的神迹啊。但是主耶稣却说不要因为这个而快乐，因为工作有成就的快乐是暂时的，是靠不住的；因为你時常在服侍神，但并不能保证你做的事每次都成就，都有快乐的结果。我们服侍神不是所作的每件是都有果效，所以真正的快乐不是我们所做的事能否成功，乃是我们所做的事使神得荣耀，被神纪念。这就是保罗使我们看见的不一样的价值观。

（二）保罗有不一样的「心态」圣经【腓立比书四章：5节】「当叫众人知道你们谦让的心，主已经近了。」保罗特别强调‘谦让的心’ 。因为今天的世界没有谦让的心，只有抢夺的心，不服输的心。今天美国的经济那么糟，人总是以为要改变这个，改变那个，改来改去什么都没有改变。其实都是政客在作秀。哪

我相信保罗真的是个特别的人。同时我发现保罗和我们也有一样的地方，他和我们有一样的名份，都是主的肢体，都是神的儿女，都有一样的信仰，保罗和我们的心灵都有一样的软弱；我又发现保罗的生命中有着五个不一样的地方：

（一）保罗有不一样的「价值」圣经【腓立比书四章1节】：我所亲爱、所想念的弟兄们，你们就是我的喜乐，我的冠冕。我亲爱的弟兄，你们应当靠主站立得稳。腓立比教会常供应保罗宣教生活的所需，所以保罗和腓立比教会自然有一种不一样的关系，可是，他看重的不是教会对他生活的供应，而是腓立比教会的弟兄姊妹；他看重的是「人」不是钱。

26 先鋒會刊

这是作为传道人的保罗心中得宝贵。这就是保罗不一样的价值观。他为什么看重人而不看重钱，因为他所服侍的这群

一个政客是真的为了国家的利益，为了老百姓的利益；都是为了自己的党派得好处。今天我不是和你谈政治，我不懂得政

特寫治是什么，我只希望站在高位的人不要滥用了这个高位的权力，为少数人、为自己谋利益。保罗明白基督教的真理，他摸着了神的心意，告诉弟兄姊妹的处世为人不是去争而是「谦让」。这个谦让是作事的准则是属天的吩咐。圣经【腓立比书四章三节】：「我也求你真实同负一軛的帮助这两个女人，因为她们在福音上曾和我一同劳苦；还有革利免并其余和我一同作工的，他们的名字都在生命册上。」保罗说要帮助这两个姊妹要在主里面同心。要做到同心是很不容易的，其中的关键是谦让；不要去抢，不要去争，要‘让’，只有谦让人才能同心。为什么要谦让，这里特別提到一項特别的事，就是「主已经近了」。就是主耶稣要来的日子近了，这句话包含了很丰富的内容，既然主再来的日子近了。我们要走的日子也近了；这个世界有一天要结束了，当一个人的生命走到终点的时候，地上还有什么可争的呢。我曾为一个因爬山而罗难的年轻人主持了追思会，我发现原來死亡就在身边，有一天你离开这个世界的时候，你会发现人世间的恩恩怨怨都是微不足道的；我们应该把短暂的生命、短暂的时间放在最宝贵的事情上。保罗有一个不一样的心态，因为他知道主已经近了。我们无法掌控这个世界，无法掌握自己的生命，当我们的生命要结束的时候，还能有什么可以存到永远呢？没有一个人在争抢的时候是感到快乐的。如果你有一颗谦让的心当别人争抢的时候，你谦让了，你的心是坦荡的。那才是真正的快乐。这就是保罗不一样的心态。

（三）保罗有不一样的「信心」圣经【腓立比书四章6-7节】：「应当一无挂虑，要凡事藉着祷告、祈求和感谢，将你们所要的告诉神，神所赐出人意外的平安，必在基督耶稣里保守你们的心怀意念。」「信心」是我们每时每刻都不能缺少的。其实无论你信不信耶稣你的生活都离不开信心，无论是吃饭、做事旅行都离不开信心。这是你对生活的信心，生活经验的信心。保罗的信心是不一样的，他不但对生活有经验的信心，而且更重要的是对生命有向主交托的信心。感谢主，我们基督徒有个很宝贵的恩典，就是向主交托。世人不懂得交托，当他们遇到难处的时候他们就自己担

当，有一天担当不下去的时候，他就崩溃了，甚至自杀了。亲爱的弟兄姊妹，其实我们的难处、困境与世人没有什么不同，世人会生病，我们也生病；世人被裁员，我们也會被裁员；我们和世人的差别在哪里呢？我们的差别是有着不一样的信心。我们有着与世人不一样的属灵的信心。我们有个交托的对象，有个交托的主。我常常感到心里有重担的时候能够祷告实在是个恩典。主告诉我们凡是劳苦担重担的人可以到我这里来，我就给你安息。主耶稣应许我们凡事藉着祷告祈求和感谢告诉神。祷告祈求就是交托，这是基督徒独有的福分。感谢主祂承担我们的困苦，承担我们的罪孽，承担我们生活中所有的难处和所有的重担。主耶稣告诉我们主的軛是容易的，主的担子是轻省的，主賜给我们安息。保罗有不一样的信心，就是向主交托的信心。他说：“我们应当一无挂虑” ，基督徒有没有忧虑？我们有的忧虑是莫名奇妙的是找不出原因的，因为对什么都忧虑。例如有一个姊妹最近的白头发多了，有人问她：“你为什么最近的白头发多了？”她说：“我忧虑了。” “你为什么忧虑？” “因为我的白头发多了。”还有人说忧虑像一个人坐摇椅，动作很多结果没有前进一步。因为忧虑是沒有目标的。圣经从旧约到新约都告诉我们不要忧虑。大卫、彼得、保罗都有这样的经验和话语教导我们，因为几千年来忧虑从来就没有离开人类。所以基督耶稣更清楚地告诉我们不要忧虑（马太福音六章24-34节）主要我们看空中的鸟，看野地里的花。空中的鸟，神都看顾它，养活它。何况是我们这属神的儿女呢。

原来生活就是一种学习。神给我们不同的环境，是给我们学习的机会。使我们学会怎样处卑贱、怎样享荣光。神使祂的儿女在这宝贵的课程里学会知足；大卫在诗篇十六篇六节，告诉我们神量给人各有地界，神知道甚麼是最适合你的，你不要与别人比较，不要常常不满而埋怨。人若生活在与别人比较的境况里，心里必然失去喜乐。我们要像保罗一样学会满足於神给的一切。有人说人生是一个课堂，经验是老师，可能有时候学费會稍为贵一點。你要付出代价的，这就是保罗不一样的学习，使他学到了生命中最宝贵的功課。

（五）保罗有不一样的「动力」保罗的不一样的动力，是从俩个字‘靠主’而得到的。他的不一样的动力有三个重点： (1)靠主站立 (2)靠主喜乐 (3)靠主凡事都能做保罗和我们一样，都是普通的人。为什他有一种特别的动力与我们不一样呢？不是他与我们不一样，而是主耶稣要他和我们不一样，这是他靠主得改变。亲爱的弟兄姊妹，我们都是平凡的人，如何才能活出不一样的人生呢？当你靠着这位主的时候，你的生活就不一样；当你离开主的时候，你就会被这属世的愁苦、忧虑馋累。【约翰福十五章5节】「我是葡萄树，你们是枝子，常在我里面的，我也在他里面这人就多结果子；因为离了我，你们就不能做什么。」

圣经【腓立比书四章10-12节】：「我靠主大大喜乐，因为你思念我的心如今又发生；只是没得机会。我并不是因为缺乏说这个话，我无论在什么境况都可以知足，这是我已经学会了。我知道怎样处卑贱，也知道怎样处丰富，或饱足、或饥饿、或缺乏，随事随在，我都得了秘诀。」

靠主就能站立的稳，就能得喜乐，就凡事都能做。‘靠主’这是多么简单而重要的道理，如果离开主我们就会跌倒失败，就会与世人一样活在拼搏争抢的劳苦当中，不知足的贪心就会使我们陷在罪里，就会使我们在困苦中度过这短暂的人生。这是多么可怜，多么可怕啊！靠主就能够在这个困苦的人生中站得稳，靠主就能够在这个困苦多难的人生中有喜乐，而且是大大的喜乐。靠主就能够走出人生的困苦、诱惑不致跌倒反而得胜。

保罗知道怎样处卑贱与丰富，饱足与饥饿，有余和缺乏。保罗在这三种悬殊的对比之中随时随在，他都得到秘诀。我们若是在丰富、饱足、有余中有喜乐，是不难做到的。可是在卑贱、饥饿、缺乏面前能够喜乐是很难做到的。保罗也没有生来具有的能力，他说：“我是学會了”。他不但要学，而且还要学会。

这就是保罗不一样的动力，也是他得着的秘诀，因为他有五个不一样：（一）他有不一样的价值（二）他有不一样的心态（三）他有不一样的信心（四）他有不一样的学习（五）他有不一样的动力。这动力是来自天上的，就是‘靠主’ ；靠主站立得稳，靠主常常喜乐，靠主凡事都能做(得勝)。阿门。

（四）保罗有不一样的「学习」

先鋒會刊

特寫

青年宣道隊吳道光七十年代的青年宣道隊是集合教會眾多有志青年，藉著新溯聖詩與個人見證將救恩傳開的福音隊。它起源於一九六八年教會所舉辦的青年夏令會;旨在喚醒教會青年對宣道使命應該肩負的一份責任，將廩賦赤心焚燒在祭壇上為主所用。青年宣道隊正式成立於同年七月二日，在全菲律賓華僑教會中可算是首創之舉。同年八月二曰大地震，瑜美大廈倒塌，災難中奪去了宣道隊二位弟兄的生命。兩位弟兄的離去，卻激發了每一位隊員應當趁著黑夜還未來到，竭盡全力多作主工的心志。第一工場是眾人所遺棄，位於華僑義山一隅的華僑養老院; 這些舉目無親，孤苦伶仃的老伯伯們，他們所需要的不僅是世人真摯的同情，他們更需要的是救恩的好消息。我們越作聖工，救人靈魂的負擔越覺迫切。從一年一度巷內鄰童夏令會，拓展為教會附近三間大廈的鄰童主日學;由岷市各大廈的鄰童夏令會，延伸到本教會支

會，如到內湖，廼乙，美岸去舉辦兒童聖經班。起初是在華僑教會衆肢體中活動，逐漸進入菲律賓人的教會。我們也先後在岷尼拉監牢，菲律賓退伍軍人紀念總醫院，計順市三軍阿銀河那洛軍營，菲律賓靈惠聖經教會，沙邦巴萊貧民村，聖路加醫院等處演唱，以歌聲傳揚褔音。從一九六八年至一九七零，這段時期最值得回味的是：每年聖誕節前幾天，我們跟著教會長老傳道們，到處探訪因年高體弱而長久未能到教會來參加崇拜的老前輩。他們有的眼睛已添上了一層白障，獨自在暗中摸索或有傭人隨身；他們有的身體癱瘓了，獨居一室，度其餘年。他們的淒苦，向誰傾訴？哦！我們的歌聲帶給了他們心靈的安慰，眼角的涙水流露出他們的喜樂與息勞前的感激。一九七零年，我們南下三間支會，舉行聖誕佈道會:羅申那市中華基督教會，仙答洛市中華中學，內湖市中華基督教會。在

這期間，不如意的瑣事頻頻發生，如火車延期開車，教會會車車胎洩氣等等;但在每一堂聚會中，我們都親自看到主怎樣動其善工，使會場都充滿著屬靈的氣氛。因那次的經歷，使我們每個人的信心更加堅固了；因那次的勝利，使我們每個人的負擔更加重了。四十年後舊景猶如眼前。我衷心地感謝當時教會長輩們對我們的關心與愛戴，也由衷地感激當時教會青年們對青年宣道隊的全力支持，直到如今，我依然可以感受到，當年隊員們堅強不屈的團結精神，以及對主的赤誠忠心！願一切的榮耀讚美都歸與最高真神，我們的主耶穌基督 ! 吳道光醫生，嘉南中學校友(1967),全菲華僑優秀青年 (1967),青年宣道隊主席 (1968-1969),基督精兵(1970),教會少年夏令會, 青年夏令會委辦(1965‑1971), 國際基甸會(2010),畢業於菲律賓大學預備科 (Pre‑Med,1971), 東方大學醫學院(M.D.,1975),妻子莫家慧醫生, 育有三女, 次女為小兒科醫生, 現在居住在美國芝加哥市, 外科醫生,已退休。

中華(UECP)是我歌頌主恩的殿宇黃美真詩116篇12-13節，＂我拿甚麼報答耶和華向我所賜的一切厚恩，我要舉起救恩的杯，稱揚耶和華的名。＂今年欣逢菲律濱中華基督教會慶祝立會八十五週年，本人再有機會參與本會聖樂的事奉，這也是我第十次參加本教會立會慶典的音樂感恩讚美會。記得第一次參加立會音樂感恩讚美會正好是本會慶祝立會四十週年，也是我參加甲組聖歌團的第二年。這使我深深地體會到上主所賜給我的一切厚恩，特別是歌唱聖樂的恩賜。年幼時，我在閩商小學（即培元中學的舊校）啟蒙，十歲時就開始參加菲律賓郇山堂主曰學的唱詩班，後來繼續在培元中學讀初中高中，求學期間，有機會參加郇聲歌頌團一直到中學畢業，每星期六晚上八點是歌頌團練習的時間。後來因家遷移到郊區，就隨先嚴到菲律賓

28 先鋒會刊

中華基督教會做禮拜。感謝恩主的帶領，使我與家二姊有機會參與聖樂的事奉，開始參加乙組聖歌團，相繼參與播道團電台組錄音的事奉以及甲組聖歌團到現在。每星期六晚上聖歌團練習的時間已經成為我們生活的紀律，好像每星期天早上必定到教會做禮拜一樣。轉眼之間，藉著上帝豐盛的恩典，使本人在教會聖樂事工的參與已有數十載的時光。雖大水汜濫，耶和華仍舊在其中居首位作主作王。是的，UECP是我歌頌主恩的殿宇。感謝主賜給我們一家每個人都擁有音樂的恩賜，這個上主所賜的音樂細胞也從家母的身上不斷傳承下來。記得先慈在世時，他九歲時就參加了本教會第一屆的唱詩班，先慈嘹亮唱聖詩的歌聲永遠牢記在我們的心中。唱聖詩或者是練習歌曲是我們每逢家庭禮拜秩序的一部份，常常唱聖詩，無形中就會把聖詩每一首每一節都背誦下來，有時候出門探訪或者心靈憂傷時，需要詩歌來安慰和鼓勵，所需的聖詩就自然而然地湧流出來。聽聖樂更是與上帝親近，身心靈的

享受。感謝主的應許，＂因為凡事主的，主必給你聰明。（提後 2：7）＂音樂是上帝賜給人類的特別禮物，也是人類歌頌偉大的創造者最好的途徑，藉著音樂來栽培年輕的一代對聖樂的興趣，抓住機會發揮上主所賜的恩典來傳福音，來事奉衪，領人歸主，用詩歌來感化人。上帝的救恩是真實可靠的，永不更改，要救一切相信接受主的人。人生最美好的事就是擁有來自上帝的慈愛與上主的恩典，這是一份永恆的財寶。但願我們每一位珍惜並把這個永恆的財寶存在我們的心中，凡事尊主為大，討主喜悅，盡忠事主，滿主心意。正如詩人大衛王所說：＂我要天天稱頌你，也要永永遠遠讚美你的名。（詩篇145：2）＂最後本人盼望每一位蒙主恩召、得主厚恩，且在聖樂事奉有份的同工，好好利用主賜給你的美妙嗓音，口唱心和讚美主，預備將來參加天國的大合唱團！哈利路啞，阿們！

特寫

宣揚主道八十五展翅上騰向高峰許麗玲我的第一屬靈家是郇山堂，在那兒接觸福音、認識主耶穌基督，受洗歸入主名下。1977年進入嘉南工作，為了減輕路途的跋涉，自1980 年便開始在中華基督教會參加聚會，後來也轉會籍為「中華會友」，屈指算來在中華教會已有三十多年的日子，可說是一段不算短的時間。多年來，這屬靈的家給了我許多學習事奉的機會，亦幫助我在真道上站穩，並學習把生命和時間投資在祂永恆的國度裡，這裡可是我靈命成長的地方。

足跡行遍全菲各地以設立佈道所或植堂，再得諸牧長的承擔與辛勞，因而奠定了今日深厚的基礎。多年來又有長執們無私的委身、會友們的熱心參與事奉，代禱支持，遂使吾教會成為一所有使命感的教會。

五年前亦即吾教會80週年慶典之際，本人有幸參與了吾教會歷史之整理工作，也因此使我對她更加認識和瞭解，更體會一路走來的不容易；當年愛神愛人的屬靈先輩們不畏困難、幾經波折把教會建立起來；又為擴張屬靈的國度，他們殷殷播種，

值此吾教會85週年紀念充滿喜悅感恩的特別日子，身為「中華教會」的一份子，深覺與有榮焉。更祈望弟兄姐妹們在未來的日子中，能夠繼續「察驗何為神的善良、純全、可喜悅的旨意」，而同心攜手飛向屬靈的高峰。

今年慶典以「重新得力、展翅上騰」為主題，更是一幅有清晰主題和美麗意景的圖畫。意味著吾教會願透過上帝的豐盛恩典與祝福，得著飛向高山的充沛精力，然後一直向高峰之處而飛行，直到在聖山上看見上帝的榮耀。

六十年教會生涯蔡嘉玲陳璀玲長老自幼在母親及外祖母帶領下，進入教會並參加主日學以及青年查經班，到如今七十三歲，她在中華基督教會已足足六十年整。璀玲長老不但參加主日學及查經班、主日崇拜、十七歲還開始當老師及主日學老師、在嘉南中學任教、又於 1979年在金禧堂擔任青年查經班老師；四十歲被選為中華基督教會執事、五十歲被選為教會長老、如今雖已退休却仍繼續帶領閩南語查經班、擔任不同聚會的講員、分享上帝的話語。她一生的歲月大部份都在教會奉獻給了主。在事奉的歲月，璀玲長老非常感恩，因為上帝賜給她「教會」這個大家庭。尤其在面對大腸癌的艱難時刻、她深深地感受到主內弟兄姐妹的愛。當時，教會的肢體在每星期二晚上為她迫切祈禱，加上牧師傳道、長執及弟兄姐妹在各方面不斷付出愛心、關心……，使她難以忘懷，而那來自上帝的眷顧與保守更是言語無法述盡的！多年來，隨著時代的改變，教會崇拜的方式也有所改變。然而，最令璀玲長老懷念的仍是那些安慰人心的證道詩歌及閩南聖詩。這些詩歌有著美好詩句，更蘊含著屬靈生命及生活的寫

照，靠著吟唱這些詩歌，就能得到極大的幫助。她非常希望主內肢體能夠多唱聖詩，以幫助靈命增長。璀玲長老回想這中華基督教會的歷史，我們靠著上帝的恩典，在歐美及其他地方無數教會都無法支撐下去的時候，中華基督教會卻仍保持相當的人數。更欣慰的是：我們看見：許多青年人願意奉獻自己做主的工作，全時間事奉，讓教會可以傳承復興。此外，教會更有許多分會、堂會、支會、佈道所等、又有中國事工的華語聚會，讓來菲的新僑有機會接觸認識上帝，這些都足以證明上帝是信實的。這也讓我們見到教會遵行耶穌的大使命，廣傳福音，上帝必定賜福給教會。在慶祝八十五週年之際，教會正開展三福的訓練，使更多人能夠投入到個人佈道的事工裡。同時，教會也不斷推廣小組事工，以增進個人靈命增長，塑造倍增門徒，這些也都是上帝的恩典。最後，璀玲長老的禱告是：期待教會每位會友能夠清楚自己的救恩與大使命，不是只有每星期來聚會，而是靈命有所長進，生活要榮耀主名，更重要的是要注意每日靈修。多年來的靈修讓璀玲長老更懂得愛主，她認為推動靈命增長最重要的因素就是靈修。除了靈修，大家更需要經常參加祈禱會，參與並且帶領更多的人廣傳福音，發掘並善用上帝給的恩賜，推動人人參與事奉，迎接中華基督教會更加輝煌的未來！

菲律濱中華基督教會 85 週年慶典會歌胡能才（詞）施恩（曲）許麗玲（譯）

向主獻首新詩歌，來敬拜祢尊名。同心聚集祢面前，來高唱祢尊名。我們同心齊歡呼，將祢大愛頌揚。我們感謝祢恩惠，和祢奇妙大工。願主賜讚美之心，得以向祢上騰。願主賜忠誠之心，向祢身旁靠攏。縱然心靈會困乏，仍要歡樂不停。縱然疲倦要跌倒，祢賜能力無窮。 (副歌) 持守盼望繼續跟主行。奮力往前遵主旨而行。壯膽前進靠主大權能。展翅上騰向高峰上升。

先鋒會刊