Herald V3 Issue1

UNITED EVANGELICAL CHURCH OF THE PHILIPPINES PUBLICATION

Discipleship and Missions,

According to Luke 9:57-58

What No One Tells You (But Should) about Short-Term Mission Trips

Hope Christian High School:

Our Mission Field Next Door

Our War Story: Mission Possible

UECP Missionaries JANUARY - M ARCH 2 0 1 5

V OLU ME 3 I SSUE 1

Contents

EDITORIAL STAFF

編輯人員

ED I TO RIAL

Mission: Compassion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 宣教:你我心中最重要的使命. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

F EAT URES

Hope Christian High School: Our Mission Field Next Door. . . . . . . . 4 Preacher of the Gospel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Take a Leap of Faith and Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Our War Story: Mission Possible . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 What No One Tells You (But Should) about Short-Term Mission Trips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 The Saturday Servants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Personal Encounters: The Resurrection as Impetus for Missions . 9 UECP Missionaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Discipleship and Missions, According to Luke 9:57-58 . . . . . . . . 12 Q&A for Church Leaders & Youth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 My Missions Journey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 我的宣教旅程. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 從路加9:57-58看“門徒與宣教” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 福音的傳人. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

N EWS

Annual Consistory Retreat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Menukha 1st year anniversary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Christian Education Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Children Ministry 25th Anniversary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Movement Building Seminar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

OUR CORE VALUES 我們的核心價值 [English is the primary.]

D iscipleship 塑造門徒 I ntegrity 正直生活 S cripture-based 遵守聖經 C hrist-centered 尊主為大 I nvolvement 參與事奉 P rayerful life 殷勤禱告 L ove for God & Man 愛神愛人 E vangelism & Missions 領人歸主

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Advisers:

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

總編輯:

林靜薇

Associate Editors:

副總編輯: (English)

(英)

(Chinese)

(中) Features:

Christine Sim

陳堤熒

Mary Karen Monzon

蔡嘉玲

Cristina Dy

特寫:

李雅姝 Wyndale Wong 黄天保 News: Patrick Tan 新聞: 陳百德 Chinese: Hannah L. Go 中文: 張心怡 Wang Min 王闽 Layout/Graphics: Benson C. Go 平面設計: 吳明純

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

總務:

楊榮燦

Dear reader, if you have any comment or suggestion, please email us at:

親愛的讀者: 若對本刊物有任何指 教與建議, 請發電郵至 :

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

EDITORIAL

MISSION: COMPASSION

Tell them what good news? There is freedom for the prisoners, sight for the blind, and release from bondage for the oppressed.

Marlene Go

What kind of a God do we have? How do we know His favor?

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vangelism… missions… discipleship… The Great Commission…

What do these words bring to mind?

Evangelism: When I was young, I was taught the duty of every Christian is to tell people about the gospel. What is the gospel?

Jesus died for our sins. We need to confess our sins and accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord. Then we get to go to heaven someday. There are abundant resources and methods on “telling the gospel” – The Four Spiritual Laws, Evangelism Explosion, the Wordless Book, etc.

Mission: It originally refers to the act of sending. Webster defines it as a “ministry commissioned by a religious organization to propagate its faith or carry on humanitarian work.” In our church, we send out missionaries to distant places – foreign or domestic, to live among a people in a local community, share the gospel with the folks, convert them to our faith, perhaps, eventually, start a church.

During off-school months, we organize medical mission trips to the provinces; today, even overseas, to hold evangelistic meetings, administer medical services, teach Sunday schools, etc.

Discipleship: It embodies the Master’s Great Commission, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you.” (Matt 28:19-20) Likewise, a gamut of resources and methods are available, emphasizing discipleship – making disciplers who will make disciples.

Bottom line: To be a disciple of Jesus is to follow Jesus – perceive the way He sees, act the way He does, moved by His motivation.

What did Jesus do? How did He “do” evangelism and mission?

Luke 4:18-19 recounts that after His temptation, Jesus first preached the passage from Isaiah 61:1-2, “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

In a nutshell, this section of Scripture declares God’s mission for His Only Begotten Son: to tell the good news (gospel).

To whom? The poor.

Who are the poor? The prisoners, the blind and the oppressed.

The gospel, after all, is God’s favor.

The Lord passed by in front of (Moses) and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in loving kindness and truth; who keeps loving kindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin…” (Exo 34:6-7) This was what God revealed to Moses about Himself – His compassion and grace, His patience, His loving kindness, His truth.

God’s favor was the motivation of Jesus.

Jesus’ mission was motivated by the Father’s compassion.

When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

(Matt 9:36, Mark 6:34) When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. (Matt 14:14) Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.” (Matt 15:32, Mark 8:2) Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him. (Matt 20:34) What then is compassion? It is sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others. It includes care, concern, warmth, love, tenderness, mercy, kindness and charity, to name a few. God, in His compassion, sent His Son Jesus on a mission to extend to us His grace and mercy – grace unto eternal life and mercy from eternal death.

Are we not to pay it forward?

As we follow Jesus, let us reach out to the poor, the needy, by extending to them the compassion of Jesus. People under the bondage of sin and darkness will see God’s light when they receive God’s compassion through us. We proclaim Christ’s good news of freedom from sin and oppression from the evil one when we feed the hungry and give sight to the blind.

Our Lord Jesus Christ has risen! Celebrate His resurrection by obeying His commission: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mark 16:15)

OUR MISSION 我們的使命

OUR VISION 我們的異象

To raise up CHRIST-like disciples committed to make CHRIST-like disciples. 興起效法基督的門徒 立志於塑造效法基督的門徒。

Transforming generations for GOD’s glory! 世世代代，更新生命，榮耀上帝！

F E AT U R E S

HOPE CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL: OUR MISSION FIELD NEXT DOOR Rev. David Cheung

H

chapel hour – was a unique occasion, in that the performers actually introduced themselves as a new society with a distinctive vision.

Hope has always been zealously dedicated to the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus: “…go and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28.19). Over the years, Gospel proclamation comes regularly in the form of evangelistic preaching during the chapel hour. This is aside from the regular preaching of the Word by guest pastors to students and faculty throughout the school year. Since her foundation, Hope has been doing her fair share of the Gospel commission.

Another student initiative was the Brethren in Christ which started spontaneously among high schoolers in 1977. On our own, we began assembling in the under-utilized ground-floor Prayer Room during recess time for conversation and prayer. Soon people were overflowing into the corridor while many could not even get into the room. Interestingly we were all of us the average and the marginal students – who were not the expected teacher’s picks for intramural competitions or leadership and representational roles (except for Bernie Gumarang). The group persisted for many weeks until the Christmas holidays disrupted it permanently.

HOPE AND UECP TOGETHER

OUR MAIN POINT

But aside from doing it on her own, Hope has also allied with UECP in doing the Sunday School ministry among students of all ages. It was in this context of school-church cooperation that I had my first experience of receiving personal counseling on the Hope campus.

This happened in 1973 when my Sunday School teacher asked to speak to me after class. I still remember the classroom where Miss Helen Co (許玉英) – now married to Rev. Vicente Sia (謝國智牧師) – had a private conversation with me about spiritual matters and gently prayed for me.

So much for history and her many details. Here is the main point: For us UECPers, Hope is our mission field next door. The historical accounts above reveal that others before us have seen this and have made good use of the opportunities presented to them. Like them in yester-years, we today have opportunities before us.

ope Christian High School was founded out of a two-fold vision.

First, to educate the children of Christian households. Second, to reach out to unbelieving families in the community. Yes, the evangelistic impulse was already there since day one. And it has been sustained to this present day.

The Hope-UECP alliance has resulted in countless youngsters coming to the Lord, receiving Holy Baptism and becoming registered members of UECP. Also, at the present time, about 100 Hope graduates have completed theological training and are serving the Lord locally and overseas.

BEYOND THE HOPE CAMPUS A less-known episode of missionary work was the Angeles Mission in 1979. Principal Gregoria Beltran assembled a team to do summer evangelistic work in Angeles City where Pastor Henry Ang (洪康日) was then stationed. In preparation, we gathered after school hours at the Rondalla Room where Stanley Sy used the old piano to teach us our parts in I Need Thee Every Hour and a few other traditional hymns. Aside from Stanley, our team included Bernie Gumarang, Noel Laohoo, Joselyn Ang, another girl and two or three other boys.

At the evening session, we were surprised that the attendees were mostly Filipinos who, of course, did not understand Chinese. So at the last minute, I was appointed as Pastor Ang’s Tagalog interpreter.

This was my first take at pulpit interpretation. The greatest disaster was when I repeatedly translated God will forgive you as pagpapasensyahan instead of papatawarin. Despite this, many responded positively to the altar call at the end of the evening. Indeed the power of the Gospel overcomes all human blunders.

INSPIRED BY HOPE Hope’s evangelistic temper was also picked up by many students who initiated missionary ventures on their own. One example is the Singing Evangelists whose very name indicates the intertwining of music and evangelism. The members were Joselyn Ang, Jade Chua, Chilo Lim, Marlene Lim, Shirley Lim, Angelie Ong, Pearl Shangkuan, Lie Pin Tan and pianist Francis Nubla. Unlike the Solid Rock Congregation and the Celestials, the group was not UECP‑based but ‘Hope-based’. The Singing Evangelists’ presentation – at a

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Well, actually we have more opportunities today than before. During my Hope years, UECP presence at Hope was mainly in afterschool contexts. Our Student Fellowship met in the late afternoon on Fridays – that is, after class hours. Our sports activities, skills classes and teaching sessions happened in the summer months when regular school was out. Today we still have these. But in addition, we have classroom presence. That is, our pastors are teaching Hope students in the classroom during school hours. This means our pastors get to connect with more individual students – which accounted in part for the growth of the Student Fellowship from the mid-2000s.

Contemporary missiologists highlight urban missions. That is, we have to fish more where the fish are more. (Yes, fish is both singular and plural when we talk about many fish of the same kind – like, say, fifty tilapia fish. Then we use the plural when referring to different kinds, like: The palengke was selling fishes like tilapia, galunggong and lapu-lapu yesterday).

In other words, we have to fish more vigorously where the fish are more numerically. Or, where populational concentrations exist, we have to increase evangelistic efforts. This is common sense. If a city has more people than others, then the Makati head office will open more bank branches in that city.

Hope is a populational concentration. Every week day, more than a thousand people assemble there – schoolers, teachers, admin workers, parents, yayas, family drivers, pedicab drivers, security personnel, etc. They are there, whether happy or sad, rain or shine, whether we are there to share the Gospel or not.

With increased evangelistic opportunities, the Hope mission field requires more Gospel ministry participants.

The Bible reports: When [Jesus] He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.” (Matthew 9.36-38)

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F E AT U R E S Will you prayerfully consider serving at Hope our mission field next door? Your service can be done within the Hope campus or outside of it, during school hours or outside of them. Yes, there are multiple ways of doing it. One of these ways may well fit you.

this for the next seven days. Then if you feel the Lord leading you to serve, please tell one of our pastors.

Rev. David Cheung 陳貽強牧師 (Ph.D., University of London, UK) is a pastor, author, scholar, theological educator, speaker and songwriter. A UECP member since 1977, he is formerly pastor and then missionary of UECP. Presently he is President Emeritus of Asian Theological Seminary and serves at Immanuel Christian Reformed Church 同在堂(Vancouver, Canada). When not engaged in pastoral or academic pursuits, David loves to watch movies, make guitar music and do close-up magic tricks.

As we often hear: Only one life t’will soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.

My suggestion is you pray about serving in the Hope mission field for the next seven days. Pray about it every morning before you start the day. And pray about it every evening before you end the day. Do

PREACHER OF THE GOSPEL Rev. Stephen Kwan Translation: Marlene Go Matthew 9:36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Luke 7:31-35 31 Jesus went on to say, “To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other: “‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance;we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.’

33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ 35 But wisdom is proved right by all her children.”

T he founder of Taiwan’s 黑心油 (Black heart oil) is a man of devout faith. He believes in the three major religions: Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. His ancestral teaching was based on the ideals of Confucius and Mencius. Yet, he created this product ‘Black Heart Oil’ which earns a lot of money but is a health hazard. Internet news concludes: “Faith is validated by action. Otherwise, it’s just a cover for goodness.”

How are we as Christians? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (James 2:17) We have faith of course in the gospel of Christ. Only the gospel can change lives because the gospel is the power of God (Romans 1:16-17). Therefore, when Christians do not live out their faith, they are but a cloak of goodness. If the church does not preach the gospel, it falls short of the purpose of its existence.

THE PREACHER OF THE GOSPEL SHOULD BE AN ‘MVP’ PERSON: HE IS A MAN OF MISSION. 1. Our commission comes from Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:1820). He said “Go and make disciples of all nations.” The church exists to obey the great commission of our Lord, to bring people to Jesus Christ by all means.

2. The world does not have the gospel we preach because only the gospel can renew people’s lives – the experience of being born again.

HE IS A MAN OF VISION. A life without vision is a lost cause. Vision needs to be aligned with God’s kingdom. It directs our ministry. (Luke 7:31-35) Jesus used parables to tell us the reality of the world today: 1. Like children playing in the street: [Fake and Not Real.] The world today gives false values, morality, marriage norms and life philosophy.

2. Flute music without dance; dirge without tears: [Apathy and No True Sentiment] No laughter in joy; no tear in sadness = numbness; no reaction. The more sin multiplies, the less the love of man exists.

3. John’s fasting; Son of Man’s feasting: [Chaos - No Truth] The world’s motto: Self-centeredness, there is no rule. If I like it, it is the truth. There is no difference in the true and the false, the right and the wrong, men or women.

HE IS A MAN OF PASSION. Where does this compassionate love come from?

Paul – from experience, it is external motivation. (1 Tim 1:15-16) A person granted mercy, who experienced salvation, forgiveness and change, and treasures the value of the gospel, will be motivated to preach the gospel. This is why God commissions man, not angels to preach the gospel.

Jesus – from witness, it is Christ-motivated. (Matt 9:36) Similarly, when you see people around you, more than the external, you see the need of their precious inner souls.

Conclusion: Effective evangelism is not about brilliant preaching. It is more about excellent living. True faith is not an escape from suffering but courageous victory over suffering. True faith brings about changed lives. God values man because man is more important than money. Man is more precious than materials.

Rev. Stephen Kwan is currently the Senior Pastor of The Home of Christ Church in Cupertino, California. He was Senior Pastor of UECP from 1987 to 1992 and is now our Advisory Pastor since 2005.

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F E AT U R E S

TAKE A LEAP OF FAITH AND GO An Interview with Albert Hendrick Tan Wyndale Wong

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lbert was one of youth representatives of YWC (Youth Work Committee) in missions last year. As Albert shared his views on missions giving us a glimpse of his own personal experiences in doing mission work, we hope that it will challenge our readers to start getting involved in missions.

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN MISSIONS? It all started in Caticlan. I was a fresh graduate from college. I was supposed to attend

a batch outing in Boracay with my friend.

Because he backed out at the last minute, I decided not to go anymore even though my plane ticket was already purchased. Then a pastor at UECP invited me to join a medical mission trip to Caticlan. Surprisingly, I learned that that the mission trip was scheduled within the same week as my flight booking. As I just graduated and was available, I decided to join the mission trip. The rest is history.

mas realistic in a sense na compared sa papa-kinggan mo lang sa church.” (The perspective is better in the front lines; it’s more realistic in a sense compared to just hearing about it in church.) I reflect on

HOW HAS YOUR INVOLVEMENT IN MISSIONS INFLUENCED YOUR THINKING AND WAY OF LIFE? After being involved in missions, I learned that we all have to do something. We have a part that we have to fulfill. “Mas maganda yung perspective kung nasa front lines;

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We need to be constantly exposed in missions to prevent our senses from getting numbed. Here in the comfort of our own church, we become complacent. It is hard to encourage others to go to missions if you are here. Just take a leap of faith and go!

WHAT ARE SOME OTHER THINGS YOU WANT TO SHARE WITH OUR READERS?

WHAT WERE YOUR DISCOVERIES ON YOUR FIRST MISSION TRIP? On my first mission trip, I discovered that traveling to reach the target community was hard. I also realized that here at UECP, we feel that this is the world, and somehow, other churches would be just like ours.

However, churches in the mission field are way more informal. The people are more tightly knitted together. The church is seamlessly integrated with the community around it. It is quite unlike the churches we know here in the city.

WHY DO YOU PERSIST IN BEING INVOLVED IN MISSIONS?

my life, and see how these people in the mission field are different. I asked “Bakit ganito yung buhay ko?” (Why is my life is like this?) “What is my purpose?” I was reminded that to those whom much is given, much is required.

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT GOD AS A RESULT OF BEING INVOLVED IN MISSIONS? I learned that God is sovereign. He is constantly shaping you into what He wants you to become. He keeps on leading you in one direction. You just have to seek and follow Him.

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I also realized that we need to have a high view of Scriptures. We are too dependent on spiritual supplement materials instead of the Bible. We need to understand the rule of God’s Word in our life. We should make it a goal to master the Scriptures. It is useful for teaching and rebuking. It is the authority. We should take part in missions as commanded in God’s word.

Albert Tan graduated from Hope Christian High School in 2007. He obtained a degree in Business Management in 2011. Since then, he has been involved in missions. After his first mission trip, he started to grow in faith and began his involvement in other ministries, as a coordinator and projectionist at worship service. He is also currently serving in Student Fellowship as a group leader.

F E AT U R E S

OUR WAR STORY: MISSION POSSIBLE Pastor Benson Tolentino

W hat is the enemy of a great marriage?

A good marriage! So I say, “Why settle for

good when your marriage can be great?”

“Why settle for less when your marriage can be the best!”

“Mr. E and Mrs. J” is a typical Chinese couple. They have a “good” marriage. By that I mean the husband is able to provide for the family while the wife helps him and runs her own business as well. Nice cars, beautiful home and lovely children, indeed a picturesque marriage.

WHAT NO ONE TELLS YOU (BUT SHOULD) ABOUT SHORTTERM MISSION TRIPS Sandra Glahn

R esearchers estimate that more than a million people per year take short-term mission trips (STMs). Some say that in the 13to 17-year-old bracket, that number is closer to two million.

When I took my first STM, a seasoned missionary told my friend cynically, “She will probably get a lot more out of the trip than any of the nationals she’s going to help.” I like to think the people I met on that trip—some of whom I still have regular contact with— would say he was wrong. Still, it would have helped to have some guidance for avoiding pitfalls.

However, when Ching and I came to know them better, they began sharing their frustrations. God placed a burden in our hearts to want to minister to them. An opportune time came when we joined Homebuilders: FamilyLife. We texted them if they wanted to join and they agreed. Though the outcome was not what we hoped for – things kept getting worse instead of getting better, it came to a point when “Mrs. J” lamented, “After this study, it’s over between us!”

Today—many STMs later— my husband is a missionary, and we have seen first-hand what does and doesn’t help. Additionally, I took a poll of some ministry workers. So here are some suggestions for your group’s next trip.

We prayed for them knowing that only God can intervene and restore their marriage.

Later as they started to apply principles in Homebuilders: FamilyLife, we began to notice a remarkable difference in their relationship. They became more open to share their struggles and listen to advice. “Mr. E” even promised not to go to casinos. “Mrs. J’s” text reads, “Thank you Lord! If Christ didn’t come into our lives and we didn’t join the group, we might have separated!”

Truly serve. One person told of teens and single men sitting through a marriage conference their team was helping to provide while the local pastor had to hire someone to care for his kids because such work was “beneath” them.

As a couple, we envision building and growing God-centered marriages and influencing couples to Christ. “E and J’s” journey has caused us to want to reach out to other couples and so we have decided to move out of our comfort zone and begin a new mission, that is, “to equip Christ-like couples committed to make Christ-like couples” because “unless the Lord builds the house, we would labor in vain!”

Benson, an alumnus of Hope Christian High School, batch Builders ’79, a businessman and a volunteer pastor, just graduated from International Graduate School of Leadership with a degree in Master of Divinity in Transformational Leadership. He and his wife, Ching are involved in couples cell groups. They have four children. He and his family worship at the English service of UECP regularly.

Prepare well. Before going, read a history of the country where you’re going, catch up on current events there, and read books such as When Helping Hurts.

Invest in the long term. Consider partnering with one church in one place over a long term. Rather than using mission trips to see different parts of the world, really develop one relationship.

Let the locals call the shots. Ask the nationals to tell you the best week or month to visit.

Make sure the time you have chosen is actually best for them. Student teams going over spring break often arrive at the host country when kids there are in school, and the church has no extra hands to spare for translators or hosting. Going at Christmas may be less convenient for the STM team, but much more convenient for those who “can easily add more beans to the pot.”

If your group goes to build something, make sure they aren’t taking work from nationals who could benefit from the income.

Sometimes churches in the developing world will invite teams to do such projects because the Americans often leave lump

sums at the end that the nationals grow to depend on.

Look at the economics. If your group plans to spend $10,000 in travel, lodging, and food to build a $7,000 school foundation, you might want to reconsider.

Do for the nationals only what they cannot do for themselves. Creating dependency on STM teams is unhealthy for the receiving organization.

Assume that the people you are going to help will also teach and minister to you. See the relationship as give-and-take. Never view the nationals as the primary recipients.

See yourselves as the nationals’ students.

And notice in what ways you are impoverished that they are rich.

Take cues from the ministry workers on the ground. One husband, ignoring the advice of the local missionary, built orphanages in his wife’s name as a gift to her—in a place where the church was moving to a model that was emptying orphanages in favor of supporting kids in extended family members’ homes.

Today those buildings sit empty.

Think twice about going simply to play with/ do VBS for kids in orphanages. The process of bonding and separating can complicate existing attachment issues. The money may be better spent supporting a relative of the orphan, such as an aunt, who cannot afford to raise the child but could do so if the funds were available.

Replace references to “third world” countries with references to the “developing world.” The former ranks the receiving country below the sending country, suggesting superiority on the part of those lending aid.

Let them reciprocate. A Texas congregation with a sister church on the US/Mexico border took a seminary student with them who was from Mexico and assigned him the task of talking with the local pastor privately to find out if there was anything they could do to better serve. That conversation yielded a number of suggestions: Stay on the Mexico side of the border every night instead of seeming to “flee to safety” on the US side; and invite the receiving church up to help with VBS—creating a true partnership. Notice they didn’t say, “Don’t come.”

But rather, do it better.

Source: http://blogs.bible.org/engage/sandra_glahn/what_no_one_tells_you_but_should_about_short-term_mission_trips

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F E AT U R E S

THE SATURDAY SERVANTS Christine Sim

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id you know that Hope Christian High School is invaded by unrecognized and untiring “servants” every Saturday? That’s right!

Every Saturday of the school calendar, an assigned class and its adviser, plus the volunteer coordinators (currently headed by Pastor Lily Go) come up with a morning program that caters to children from the neighboring areas. The students, assisted by the adults for that Saturday, aim to make the children’s lives a little brighter as they lead the children in singing songs to God and playing games; telling them of the love of Jesus Christ by word and deed.

The Saturday Community Outreach Program is a multi-faceted extension program of the school that aims to develop values and the physical well-being of the less privileged neighborhood children.

This program is a voluntary collaboration of the students, faculty, staff, and administrators who are aiming to make a difference in the lives of the less privileged. (Description from Hope Christian High School archives) Three narratives and reflections on this outreach program:

FROM MRS. IMELDA JOVELYN C. BALLESTEROS High School Faculty for 27 years, currently teaching Filipino, graduated from Philippine Normal University with a degree of Bachelor in Secondary Education major in Filipino On December 6, 2014, the Hope Saturday Outreach Program, headed by our coordinator, Pastor Lily Go, conducted the Children’s Christmas Party at the high school cafeteria from 8:00 to 11:30 in the morning. The said program was sponsored by the school’s Moms in Touch group (which always conducts Bible study and prayer meetings every Monday morning in school). The moms provided loot bags as gifts to the children. It was also sponsored by entire school staff headed by Mrs. Cristina Tseng who took charge of the food and drinks.

There were about 106 children who joined the party with ages ranging from 6 to 13 years old. My advisory section (Grade 10 Loyalty) was the class assigned to lead the party. It was full of fun and surprises. Some selected students from my class prepared songs, games, messages and activities to make the event more enjoyable and meaningful. Most of the children participated and showed their talents in singing and dancing for the glory of God. The children were deeply touched with the way our school expressed love and concern to them. Through this program, I believe that many young lives are given opportunities not only to hear the word of God but also to become a blessing and a leader in their community someday.

FROM NICOLE TANG Grade 10 Obedience student, incoming SCO Project Committee Chairwoman, consistent honor student, enjoys volleyball and badminton Today was a success. The host section of the outreach program did a good job. You can see in the face of each child that they were enjoying the moments. I noticed that some of the kids couldn’t read the lyrics but I was impressed that they were all trying their best to sing for God. They were all energetic when it came to games. They were focused on winning each and every game they joined. They were all fun to be with. During the opening and closing prayers, I noticed that all of their heads were bowed down and you can see that they were trying to stay quiet, but they were just kids, so for me, it was normal for them to be so energetic.

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Nevertheless, the program was successful and I hope that the school will continue this project to make the less fortunate kids happy even for just a short period of time.

May we all be encouraged to look around us and see the person needing the love of God, that He may inspire us to think of creative ways to bring every soul to the saving knowledge of Christ.

FROM KATHRYN (KATIE) NICOLE VER Grade 10 Obedience student, outgoing SCO Mayor, incoming SCO student adviser, consistent honor student, enjoys reading, ballet and playing the piano

Every year, Hope Christian High School conducts an outreach program for the children living near Benavidez. Some of these children do not have proper homes and some children even live on the streets. The outreach program is conducted to help the kids, to reach out to them, and to give them an enjoyable time.

July 26, 2014 was the date of the first outreach program for the school year 2014-2015. The School City Organization (SCO) officers were paired with Grade 9 Compassion to handle this outreach. The SCO officers were in charge of checking the names of the attendees and giving them their respective IDs. I could say that it is a lot harder than it seems. Checking names and looking for IDs seem easy but in reality, it is hard because some of these children still do not know how to write or spell their names properly. There were about 50-70 kids that day and some were returnees while there were also newcomers.

The Grade 9 Compassion students were in charge of the program. It started off with an opening prayer by Kathleen Nubla.

The Praise and Worship was led by KC Niebres, Katherine Sy, Jazzmine Ilagan, Steward Cinco and Sam Bangayan. They sang This is the Day, Prince of Peace, and One Way. The children were very enthusiastic and were clapping their hands. Then, half of the children did coloring activities while the other half played a game called Calamansi Relay. They also played The Boat is Sinking, and judging by their expressions, they really enjoyed the event.

Lastly, we distributed some goodies for them to take home like chips and Jellyace. We also gave them some books to read and activity books to do.

Overall, the children had fun, the Grade 9 students had fun, and the SCOs had fun. The outreach program for this school year had a great start and I look forward to upcoming outreach programs.

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PERSONAL ENCOUNTERS: THE RESURRECTION AS IMPETUS FOR MISSIONS Rev. Stewart Young

F or many theologians, the resurrection of Christ Jesus may be the most profound and significant theological truth, which renders all other theological realities operative. However, for the three of the earliest disciples who had their own personal encounters with the risen Lord, it was nothing short of amazing. The post-resurrection appearances of Jesus to Mary Magdalene, Thomas and Peter were life-transforming moments that eventually redefined their lives, their missions as well as their destinies.

MARY MAGDALENE (JOHN 20: 10 - 18) Apart from the sensational and fanciful apocryphal accounts, not much is known about the past of Mary Magdalene. What was revealed in the Bible about Mary was that she was from the small southern Galilean town of Magdala, hence, “Magdalene” and that she was once possessed by 7 demons (Mark 16: 9; Luke 8: 2).

We also know that Mary was among the group of women who accompanied and supported Christ and the twelve in their evangelistic ministry (Luke 8: 1 – 3). Her love and devotion for the Lord was demonstrated by her presence at the crucifixion, (Mark 15: 40); and even afterwards, she was among the few who witnessed the burial of Jesus (Mark 15: 47). Early on the resurrection morning, she was among the first who visited the tomb (Matt. 27: 28: 1: Mark 16: 1) where she and the others realized that the tomb was empty, without knowing why. When the others left, Mary stayed behind and became the first human being to have a private encounter with the Risen Lord. Initially believing that all hope was gone, she began to inquire from the Lord whom she had mistaken for a gardener concerning Jesus’ whereabouts. But she eventually realized that it was her teacher and Lord whom she loved and missed as he called her by name (John 20: 16). Seeking to hold on tightly to the one she missed, but Jesus told her “noli me tangere” or “touch me not,” and commanded her instead to go tell the others that he would be returning to his Father’s presence. She in turn responded gladly with joyous proclamations to the others and to the world what she had witnessed in this encounter.

THOMAS (JOHN 20: 24 - 29) All we know about Thomas’ past was that he was likely a twin hinted by his name Didymus which means “twin” in the Greek and that he was listed among the twelve who followed Christ (Matthew. 6: 15; Mark. 3: 18; Acts 1: 13). In terms of character, Thomas was a realist and at times cynical. This is evident in his sarcastic remark, “Let us also go, that we may also die with him.”

(John 11: 16) after Jesus intentionally delayed his trip to Bethany two days after the death of Lazarus. In spite of all the years spent with Jesus and after witnessing countless amazing miracles performed by Christ, he still needed more when the other disciples saw the resurrected Lord while he did not. He sought empirical evidence for he was a skeptic at heart. But eventually his private encounter came when the resurrected Christ appeared to him a week later. There, the Lord’s special appearance to him was such an organic and interactive experience that an absolutely

convinced Thomas uttered a concise yet profound confession, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20: 28). But what became of Doubting Thomas after this? According to early church traditions, Thomas was certainly convinced of the veracity of the Gospel when he heeded the Great Commission of his Lord and God to go and to make disciples of all nations. He became a missionary and preached throughout many parts of the east including Persia, and eventually into the subcontinent of India in 52 AD. There he established several churches and eventually met his martyrdom twenty years later.

PETER (JOHN 21: 14 - 25) The third post-resurrection appearance of Christ to Simon Peter was perhaps the most defining and significant. After a simple meal on the shore of where it all began, Jesus confronted the impulsive character of this promising and passionate disciple with a simple and direct question, “Do you love me more than these?” Immediately Peter responded, “Yes Lord, --- you know I love you.” Jesus then told him “to feed his lambs” (John 21: 14 - 15). Knowing the hearts of men (John 2: 24; Acts 1: 24), Jesus continued to challenge Peter’s impetuousness by posing to him the same question two more times. By the third time, Peter was deeply hurt and had come to his senses. The soul-rendering persistence of Christ’s inquiry had challenged Peter’s erratic past as typified by a complex pattern of rash confidence of self (Luke 22: 33 - 34) and self-preservation (Luke 22: 54 - 57). The time of reckoning with the memories of shameful shortcomings had come. But immediately, the graceful Lord extended the spirit of forgiveness as he reinstated Peter with his new call to “follow me” (John 21: 19). This deeply personal yet difficult encounter with Christ was the turning point of Peter’s ministry. In the book of Acts, Peter is no longer erratic and impulsive. He became mature and spirit-led who boldly preached the first gospel message to a cosmopolitan crowd after Pentecost that resulted in the conversion and baptism of three thousand souls (Acts 2: 14 - 41).

Afterward, he became a well-respected leader and one of the pillars of the early church (Galatians 2: 9). According to church traditions, Peter continued to go and proclaim Christ as far as Rome where he was imprisoned and eventually was condemned to die by crucifixion. But according to the early church fathers, Tertullian and Origen, Peter purportedly requested that his executioner crucify him upside down since he was not worthy to die in the way of his Lord.

Rev. Stewart A. Young, Ph.D. is the Director of the Research Office at the Biblical Seminary of the Philippines and an Assistant Professor at the Departments of History and Chinese Studies at the Ateneo de Manila University. He is also an itinerant preacher and has enjoyed the privilege of ministering regularly in various Philippine Chinese churches and fellowships since 1995. He holds four academic degrees – in Biblical Studies, Intercultural Studies, Christian Counseling and Philippine Studies.

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F E AT U R E S PASTOR AIMEE PAREDES

JA To date, we sponsor 50 students yearly. Over the years, we saw some of them graduate from universities, but most significantly, we also saw some of them come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Missionary, Care Channels Mindanao.

I am the leader of Care Channels Mindanao work.

Working together with me are six full-time staff. Since Care Channels Mindanao started in 2007, we have set our hearts to help the poor in a holistic manner, caring for the whole person by seeking ways to restore dignity to people who feel that society has rejected and abandoned them. As we work with them and touch their lives, they in turn touch our lives and give us a sense of purposefulness.

We began with the Education Sponsorship program. This enables poor students to attend school. Providing education to the needy is a long-term solution to eradicate poverty.

“Teaching people how to fish”, rather than merely giving them fish, has been the guiding principle in our livelihood, micro-enterprise and agriculture programs. We seek to impart skills and create enterprises that allow the poor to work productively and improve their livelihood.

The challenges ahead are enormous. Ultimately, we hope to see lives transformed and that they, in turn, become agents of change in their own communities. Through the programs, we seek to minister to the people’s holistic needs –intellectually, emotionally, socially and spiritually.

ANTHONY P. KUA

NIELS RICONALLA

Urban Neighborhood Ministry

Fellowship of Christians in Government, Inc. (FOCIG)

I am a graduate of Alliance Graduate School, Master in Pastoral Studies. My personal mission statement is to engage, exhort, enable and empower believers to be effective disciples who make disciples. My personal vision is to build up a body of disciples engaging, enabling, and empowering others in disciple making. I am married to Jewel Lois I. Kua, and have two children, Chloe Belle I Kua and Timothy Sean I Kua.

Fellowship of Christians in Government, Inc. is a faithbased marketplace non-governmental organization (NGO) committed to reach, help, build and expand the kingdom of God in government, with a network of over 60+ agency fellowships in the National Capital Region. Its vision is to be a movement of Christian public servants united in transforming their workplaces. Its mission is to go and build committed Christian public servants. To do this, FOCIG conducts leadership and values formation seminars to key government agencies primarily the AFP, PNP and DepEd in partnership with like-minded organizations and churches like Government Movers Enlightening the Nation (GMEN) of CCF, The Master’s Lighthouse Foundation of Anthony Pangilinan, International Graduate School of Leadership (IGSL). I also mentor influential government officials to become committed followers of Jesus.

I am involved in Urban Neighborhood Ministry, an outreach program of the United Evangelical Church of the Philippines (UECP) to the urban poor community within the neighboring areas of UECP. It started as a bible study group. After ten years, it now has two adult worship services, one children worship, various Adult Bible Studies, youth discipleship groups, and five children classes. We currently have two church-planting projects

I am a UECP-supported missionary of Companion with the Poor, formerly Mission Ministries Philippines. CWP’s vision is to plant churches in the slums in partnership with a local church.

Our mission group sends out a team of three missionaries, a team leader, a veteran missionary, and a new missionary undergoing on-the-job training to become a fulltime missionary.

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The local church partner sends one fulltime worker who will do the work of the ministry three to four times a week for a period of two years in a slum community pre-selected by the team. Site selection is based on the following criteria: it should have a minimum population of 500 families; and there should be no local church yet in the community.

The team conducts a demographic survey to assess the needs of the community. The survey results will be the basis of the team's strategy to implement a holistic approach to church planting. Tasks are then assigned according to each team member's gifts and talents to develop a more effective ministry. Evangelism, Bible study, water baptism, discipleship and training are done within a two-year time frame; after this period, the completed work is turned over to the partner church and their worker who will shepherd the fledgling church. Currently, our team is finishing the demographic survey in a new community at Taniman, SitioTalanay, barangay Batasan.

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F E AT U R E S

AMES BRYNER CHU ilgrim Community Church

n 2011, the UECP Mission Board partnered with me to start an utreach ministry based in Katipunan, Quezon City. The ministry ad a twofold mission: first, o follow-up Chinese Filipino tudents from our affiliate hurches who are studying n the nearby universities e.g. ADMU and UP-D) and hrough them to reach out o their classmates and iends; secondly, to establish n outreach ministry with he goal of starting a new nglish-speaking church in the ommunity.

By God’s grace and with the support of the Mission Board, the Pilgrim Community Project, which started out with home Bible studies and

prayer meetings, was publicly launched on June 2, 2012 as Pilgrim Community Church. At present, Pilgrim Community holds weekly morning Sunday worship, and Adult and Children’s Sunday School at a rented room inside Ateneo de Manila University. Each Friday evening, I hold a regular Bible Reading and Q&A meetings at Craft Coffee Katipunan, a mainstay neighborhood cafe.

Future plans for the coming months include ongoing outreach to students through a ministry partnership with the Philippine chapter of international campus apologetics organization Ratio Christi. In order to help train members for the work of ministry, Theological Education by Extension classes will also be offered in collaboration with the Biblical Seminary of the Philippines. To learn more about the ministry of Pilgrim Community Church, please visit http://pilgrimcommunity.ph

PTR. ROGER AND PTRA. AILEEN QUILOJANO Church planters in Koronadal, South Cotabato The church planting ministry we have here in the City of Koronadal, South Cotabato is a joint partnership of UEC Philippines and UEC Marbel, whose primary focus is to meet the needs of the employees of the various companies owned by our Chinese brethren.

Our ministry started as a fellowship. In 2008, members of bible study groups from various companies attended the fellowship. After a few months, these fellowship members requested for a regular worship service. Hence, the

ARJUN LAMAN

church was born. In 2013, the ministry was given intentional focus through the partnership of UECP and UECM. By the gracious leading of our Lord, the church is growing in quality and quantity. Eight core leaders are now partnering with us to expand into various ministries. These leaders are currently undergoing discipleship training. The goal of this training is for them to disciple all members of the church so that each member can disciple other believers.

The Lord is good! We praise Him that He graciously enables us to continue obeying His call. Glory to His Name!

UDY I. FIANZA

PLAN Missionary in Bauang, La Union

m a missionary of ACPLAN (ABCCOP Church Planting Network). ABCCOP stands for ance Bible Community Churches of the Philippines. Based from Atok, Benguet, I finished chelor of Science in Agriculture at Benguet State University, La Trinidad Benguet. Then, I ok my Master in Ministry and Master in Divinity at Philippine Baptist Theological Seminary, guio City. My wife, Jonalie Gomez-Fianza, is also an ACPLAN Missionary on Christian ucation. I have 3 boys, Jerahmel Nehemiah (7 years old), Reuel Jedidiah (5 years old), nel Jeremiah (4 years old).

r 7 years as an ACPLAN Missionary, I thank God for the entire ministry He has entrusted me and my wife. We are now in our second church planting assignment as ACPLAN ssionary assigned to the Ilocanos of Bauang, La Union which started last April 7, 2014. We so grateful working with the Ilocanos because they are very nice and industrious people. aise God there are now 25 members and 6 candidates for baptism who are involved in aise and worship, evangelism, children and feeding ministries.

e Feeding Ministry is something new to us. The SONF Foundation and the Convoy of Hope are e of our ministry partners. We have a new outreach program in Barangay Pudoc where the dren are given physical and spiritual nourishment in our feeding ministry. To God be all the glory!

Ormoc Church Planter After the devastation wrought by Typhoon Yolanda in November 2013, UECP decided to not just plant a church but also adopt a barangay in Ormoc City. As a UECPsupported missionary, I am currently assigned as a church planter in San Juan, Ormoc City, Leyte. I graduated from Mount Apo Alliance Bible College in 2014 and Ormoc is my first ministry assignment.

I firmly believe that my earthly life is not a short journey but a lifetime journey for God’s glory.

UECP MISSIONARIES

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F E AT U R E S

DISCIPLESHIP AND MISSIONS, ACCORDING TO LUKE 9:57-58 Rev. Eduardo Lo Translation: Hannah Go

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e said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Luke 5:57-62 records Jesus’ short dialogues with three individuals He met while traveling with His disciples. From the conversations, we know this transpired during the period when Jesus publicly “invited” or “called” people to follow Him. Of these three passersby, two actively volunteered to follow Jesus. Only the second person was passively “asked” to do so – Jesus called the man to follow Him. Whether it was of their own initiative or mere response to the call, all three expressed willingness to follow.

We realize Jesus was already renowned, with significant “appeal” at that time.

Otherwise, how would strangers be willing go with Him? The question now is, what was Jesus “calling” them to do?

WHY DID JESUS CALL THE DISCIPLES? When Jesus called these characters to “follow me,” He was undeniably calling them to be His disciples. According to their tradition, it was equivalent to accepting Him as “master” or “mentor,” learning from and

Q& A

following His thoughts, perspectives, ideals, values, opinions, and other expressions of His ideology, as well as His actions. Jesus’ principles and personal engagements are inseparable from the gospel, which is the work of missions. In other words, to follow the Lord is to become His disciple; to become His disciple is to follow Christ’s example of sharing the gospel.

Based on Jesus’ call for the second person to “follow me” and “you go and proclaim the kingdom of God,” we affirm that His purpose for calling people to follow Him and become His disciples is to go and proclaim God’s Kingdom – again, the work of missions. From this, we understand that being disciples and doing missions work are not just “related;” they are, in fact, two sides of the same coin. In simpler terms, we cannot merely choose to be disciples and not get involved in missions. Neither can we opt to do missions without being disciples.

Discipleship is nitpicking one over the other.

WHAT DID JESUS ASK OF HIS DISCIPLES? Clearly, this particular person responded positively to Jesus’ call. He said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” We see he was very willing to follow Christ, only that he

had something to attend to first. He asked Jesus for permission to complete his task at hand, after which he would immediately follow Jesus as His disciple.

Surprisingly, Jesus rejected his request right away, with words difficult to understand, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” From His statement, the Lord seemed a bit unreasonable. However, when we understand Jesus’ expectation, we would know why He uttered those words. Jesus had strict requirements for His disciples.

1. Jesus required His disciples to immediately learn and follow His teachings.

Based on common sense, we expect Jesus to address the person, “Go and bury your father. Then come and follow me.” Jesus didn’t say that because He wanted His followers to clearly understand that“becoming a disciple is not a matter of convenience” (not something one does when one has time to spare). Becoming a disciple obliges one to follow Christ’s commands at every moment, just as Paul reminded Timothy,“Preach the word. Be prepared in season and out of season.”

(2 Timothy 4:2)

FOR CHURCH LEADERS & YOUTH Wyndale Wong

HOW CAN WE REACH OUT TO THOSE WHO HAVE LEFT WORSHIP, FELLOWSHIP AND MINISTRY? Elder Irene Pedro: It’s good to first identify their circle of friends. Pray for the power of the Holy Spirit to bring them back and for wisdom to ask, before you pursue. Get in touch with them, ask how they are and how you can pray for them.

Deacon Carl Yu: Make the most to have social interaction by initiating to eat out. If they invite you, take the opportunity to be available for their invitation.

WHAT CHURCH TRADITIONS SHOULD WE LET GO IN LIGHT OF THE NEW MISSION AND VISION? Deacon Andrew Dy: Stop creating programs that do not directly relate to disciple-making. Focus on building relationships than on one-shot activities.

Elder Jeoffrey Uy: Many activities in church are redundant. Meeting together is not bad, but it consumes time. If we are too busy with other things, it will be more difficult to share Gods word.

Elder Karen Choa: First you have to find their “barkada” (close buddies), batchmates, groupmates, then get reconnected with them again.

Elder Cindy Hao: We have to keep in touch with them. Be concerned about their spiritual development and if they have fellowship or small group, know what hinders them from coming. We also need to talk to them, and help resolve their problems, as a group or as an individual.

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Elder Esther Dy: Cultural hindrances are obvious because we prioritize heritage and language over the great commission.

We allow tradition to hinder our form of worship.

Deaconess Jackie Lorraine Ty: Our vision says “transforming generations”. For me, this means life transformation, and not just activities and programs. Given this, I think after camps and mission trips, people should not just report facts and figures (like how many accepted Christ for the first time, how many were assured of their salvation, etc) but allow the participants to share their life testimonies and their experiences of God’s saving grace. More people can relate to stories than numbers.

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F E AT U R E S If the person wanted to become Jesus’ disciple, he must immediately make this decision; it will not affect the burial of his father in any way. He could have begun witnessing for Christ while arranging for his father’s entombment. The person can live out Christ’s character by “proclaiming the kingdom of God” to friends and relatives at the funeral.

2. Jesus required His disciples to pay the steep cost of being His disciple.

To persist as a beacon of light in darkened environs is even harder. Doing missions is not just telling of the gospel. It is living out Christ’s glory in all facets of life. This is the most effective mode of missions.

To become Jesus’ disciple is to be set apart, holy, in daily living, whether in school, at home or work, especially, in doing business in the Philippines. Reflecting Christ’s example under such circumstances is no mean feat. This demands a high price.

Clearly, this “potential” disciple misconstrued the dynamics of “becoming a disciple.” He assumed that meant getting uninvolved in secular matters and retreating from the world, such as monasticism entails. So he asked Jesus to let him complete the “worldly matter” (burying his father) first. Then, he would leave home to become a hermit.

3. Jesus required His disciples to prioritize missions in their everyday life.

Jesus never obliged His followers to do so. Instead, His requirements were higher, more difficult, more exacting. Jesus’ disciples must learn His way of “entering the secular world” – going to great extent to win the prize, which was no easy task. You see, Jesus was rather prominent at that time, known to associate with sinners and tax collectors, even initiating taboo conversation with the likes of the promiscuous Samaritan woman. One can only imagine the severity of temptations and trials Jesus must have faced daily.

As it is, the Jews usually have two burials.

The first occurs right after death, when the body is covered with balm and myrrh for preservation, then placed in a tomb. The second burial happens some years later, when the corpse has completely decomposed. The relatives collect and re-inter the bones in a special case called ossuary.

Then, they conduct the second burial. This person was very likely planning to hold the second burial for his father because, otherwise, a Jew with a corpse at home would be considered unclean and not be found conversing with people on the streets.

In other words, that disciples can choose to dissociate and retreat from worldly matters is easier; but to remain steadfast in the midst of evil and not be tainted is certainly difficult.

Jesus said, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” The statement feels very cold, but knowing the tradition and customs of the Jewish people makes it easy to understand what Christ meant.

There are no clear time restrictions for the second burial, and any family member can manage this. Jesus mentioned, in

WHAT IS YOUR VIEW OF THE CHURCH AND WHY? Shawn Panugayan: For me the church is where people who believe in God gather. It can be anywhere as long as God is the center of that gathering.

Vicky Uy: Our church is conservative, in a sense that we have a lot of traditions that we keep, including Chinese Immigrant traditions and cultures.

Michelle Yian: For me, church is a family and a safe haven.

You feel safe in this community, probably because you share the same belief. It is also like a lighthouse, so that if you lose your way you’ll have a guide and a community to go to.

Ralph Lao: The church is a community participation with God, where as one body, we interact with God and serve Him together.

particular, to “let the dead bury their own dead.” This meant that anything which have no life-giving purpose may be left to those who are spiritually dead, but the spiritually alive (the disciples) must act on that which is life-giving (proclaim the Kingdom of God), and save lost souls.

We often hear Christians say, “I’m too busy right now. When my kids are grown, then I will serve God.” Some hope to activate themselves for God after they retire. Jesus declares to those who remain undecided to become His disciples, “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”

(Mt 10:37-38) He also said in Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.” Jesus wants His followers to prioritize matters pertaining to God’s kingdom. God blesses the disciples who put Him first in their lives.

Rev. Eduardo Lo was a member of UECP and actively involved as officer of Oasis Fellowship till he migrated to the US in 1985. He graduated from Talbot School of Theology, Biola University with the degrees in Master of Divinity and Master of Theology. He was the executive director of FEBC-Chinese Ministries from 2004 to 2014 and is presently serving as special assistant of the president of FEBC USA. He and his wife, Carol have 4 children (Ryan, Dexter, Stanley and Elsbeth) and 2 grandchildren. They live in Pasadena, California.

WHAT VALUES/PRACTICES OF THE OLD GENERATION THAT THE YOUTH WOULD LIKE TO KEEP? Ralphie Ng: I always love to see youth helping in medical missions like the old generation, where they willingly expose themselves to those who are in need, not just physically, but also spiritually.

Karen Li: The values from the old generation that I would like to keep are to be respectful and hospitable. By respecting and being hospitable, I can show and make others feel the love of Christ.

Wilfred Magbuhos: I think one of the values/practices of the old generation that the youth should keep is being faithful.

Being faithful means putting your faith in what you believe in, so when someone declares that he is a Christian, then having faith in our God is a must.

Nicolai Arquiza: One thing that our generation could learn from them is to be unconditionally faithful, not just in serving our Father, but also to be faithful to His great commission, that in any circumstances we are able to make disciples who make disciples of Christ.

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F E AT U R E S

MY MISSIONS JOURNEY Gideon G. Bendicion

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eople join mission trips for different reasons. For me, joining short-term missions is my way of serving God. I used to think that I was the one who decided to serve, not realizing that it was God who led me and taught me many valuable things about missions.

After a few short-term mission experiences, I finally understood that the most important part of these experiences is the lesson God wants me to learn. This is not about what we do for others or what we share to others. On the contrary, it is about listening wholeheartedly and submitting completely to God’s will.

After I returned from Canada in 1995, I joined a short-term mission to the south of Philippines, “M” – (to the Muslims) – that was organized by UECP. That time, the idea of ‘connecting’ with Muslims was unheard of in my circle. Some of my siblings were worried and concerned. They and some members of the church wanted to dissuade me from going. Many were fearful when Muslims were mentioned. That time, my excitement turned to doubt, but God’s word reminded me, that there is “no fear in love” (1 Jn 4:18). I trusted God, and knew that He would surely take care of us.

During the visit, we saw for ourselves how the Muslims worshipped their god Allah. This was the first time I experienced the importance of contextualization: how people’s culture and background are crucial factors to consider when sharing the gospel. I realized that worship does not just follow the method I know of. Worship allows people to experience God differently in such a way that they become willing to obey and surrender their lives completely to the sovereign God. There was an American missionary who went to Mexico, learned their language and dressed like them. He wore the “Mexican” attire and hat, and one day, while walking on the street, a young Mexican laughed at him. The mother asked the boy why he laughed, and he said: “He’s wearing our clothes, but he still walks like an American.” Doing missions is not easy, because we need to change our habits and traditions and adapt to the culture of the people we wish to reach. This marks a turning point in my understanding of and involvement in missions.

That experience eventually led me to enter Asian Theological Seminary, and made me realize that missions without discipleship is pointless. I used to think that discipleship is about helping believers to know God deeply so that they can serve Him. I think this is the duty and responsibility of a Christian. As my professor Dr. Mingho Song says, the goal of discipleship is to help newly baptized believers become a mature follower in Christ,

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and to know Christ better and follow Him closely and eventually attain Christ-likeness.

The ultimate goal of missions is to become a follower of Christ and become like Him. I also began to understand how important it was that disciples lead people to worship God and that disciples who make disciples emerge in the process of missions. But before discipling others, we must first share the gospel and the blessing of being forgiven. How can we then prepare ourselves to achieve this mission? Someone once said: “To reach a certain group, you must become like them.” We need to follow Christ’s example of denying ourselves and meeting others’ needs.

Many Christians willingly remain in the ministry amidst persecution and difficult circumstances. This is what it means to be a follower of Christ. As Rev. Anthony Hao narrated, there was a Pakistani Christian who said: “In my country, the Pakistani Christians who have experienced persecution remain firm in their faith. We only ask that other Christians pray for us, that we may have courage in the midst of sufferings.” What beautiful testimony this is!

In the midst of persecution, they do not pray to be exempt from harm, but instead pray for courage to persevere. The people around us are observing whether we are able to live out a life of faith. I often ask myself: “Would I still be able to stand firm in my faith when others are ridiculing me?”

In the Old Testament, Walter C. Kaiser Jr. observed, “Before Christ came to this world, the churches wait for people to come and worship God. And this is called Centripetal.”

It is an inward movement toward the church.

As a result, people of God are passive.

Based on the book of Isaiah, writer Wodecki believed that Israelites were supposed to bring the Law and teaching of Yahweh to the ends of the earth and bring them to the Lord Creator. But Israelites failed to do so.

Instead, they followed what other nations were doing like idols-worship and followed many practices which God abhors. In the new testament, Jesus came and commanded us to follow His example and go into the world. God sent Jesus to the world. In turn, He sent His disciples to go out to other towns. They were to go out from the early church and do missions. This is Centrifugal witnessing. Jesus sent out his disciples to teach, preach, and heal. Thus we can say that in doing missions, we are to be both centripetal and centrifugal.

In one of our cultural study classes, we were sent out in pairs for immersion among the poor and homeless. We imitated the model

HERALD * UNITED EVANGELICAL CHURCH OF THE PHILIPPINES PUBLICATION

of Jesus in living among the poor for a day.

During our immersion, we were only allowed to bring transportation fare, and a little money to buy bread. Our UECP missionary, Lloyd was my partner. Walking along Ongpin, we passed by Chuan Kee Tea House and met a woman who kept watch over cars parked by the road. We opened a conversation with her. Initially, knowing neither our identities nor our intentions, she was reluctant to talk to us. After knowing that she is from Cebu, Lloyd spoke to her in Cebuano. Immediately, the woman started to open up and talked with us as though her friends. She spoke of her family situation and provided our dinner by asking for food from the teahouse.

She even offered to take us to her sleeping quarter across Binondo Church to spend the night. We slept with some street people on the sidewalk. As night wore on, different people and cars passed us by, police patrols, blasts of car horns, drunken men, street people looking for a place to sleep and hourly rooster crows. When a drunken man arrived and found we were newcomers, the ‘car-watch’ woman protected us and drove him away saying we were her friends.

Wow! What an experience to enter the world of Jesus. The poor are easiest to be invited. They are gracious, humble, protective, dependable and kind-hearted. No wonder Jesus started His mission among the poor.

That time, God sent His angel to protect us from harm. To be unprotected on the sidewalk was scary. Looking Chinese, we do not appear as poor people. Besides, there was no police presence. But God turned our fear into a safe and peaceful night. Amazingly, we were able to sleep peacefully. What a rare but blessed experience.

Matthew 28:19-20 clearly states that all believers must follow Jesus’ example to fulfill God’s purpose. The world is full of different worldviews, beliefs, cultures and practices.

What then is the role of the church in this world? The church is to point non-believers to Jesus. This is what Chris Tiegreen said, “From Geneses to Revelation, it is all about God.” It is God’s will that His creation will bow down and acknowledge Him. How do we do it? Dr. Manfred Kohl once said, “Think big for the Lord.” Over the years, these words continue to ring in my ears. Jesus commanded us to go to nearby places, cities and provinces to share God’s grace and blessing. He also wants us to go “to the ends of the earth” Acts 1:8. Let us join mission work this is the way to deliver the gospel. In fact, missions can be creatively done.

We can take advantage of modern technology, radio, television, social media and other tools to reach the unreached. Let us grasp the opportunity now.

NEWS No one is exempted from doing missions, but we must remember that our spiritual life plays a key factor. If we depend on Him, Jesus promised to be with us to the ends of the earth. The devil prowls like a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8), busy hindering the work of missions. He wants us to rely on our own strength to do our best and forget to trust in God’s power. How do we rely on God? Jesus set us an example to follow. Before Jesus set out to do His work, He spent time to communicate with His heavenly Father.

(Mark 1:35, 9:29) Jesus prioritized prayer because mission work is the heart of God. Prayer expresses our weakness and the need to fully depend on our heavenly Father.

The Scriptures remind us that without God we cannot do anything.

Finally, let us be encouraged by the words of OMF International (formerly China Inland Mission) founder Hudson Taylor: God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.

Elder Gideon Bendicion has a graduate diploma in Intercultural Urban Studies from Asian Theological Seminary. He is passionately involved in missions.

CHILDREN MINISTRY 25TH ANNIVERSARY

The Children Ministry celebrated its 25th anniversary with a Joint Worship Service and a Fun Day. The joint service was meant to emphasize the importance of ministering to children. An integral part of the church program was the prayer for the parents, the teachers and the students. Children representatives also helped the serving deacons in receiving the offerings that day for them to experience what it feels like to serve the church.

After the worship service, a Fun Day was held at the gym of Hope Christian High School. A giant slide greeted the children near the entrance. Food kiosks and game booths were set up to entertain our young brethren.

ANNUAL CONSISTORY CHRISTIAN RETREAT EDUCATION CLASSES

TO PRAY FOR: • Daily Vacation Bible School: Knights of the King on April 7 to 11, 8am to 11am. (For children ages 4-12)

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High School Camp: Life inC at Rizal Re-creation Center on April 15 to 18.

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Junior Summer Camp: Agents of Change at Mt. Makiling Re-Creation Center on April 29-May 2, 2015. (For children ages 9 to 12)

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College Camp: Mt. Makiling Re-Creation Center on May 27 to 30.

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The annual retreat of Pastors, Elders and Deacons for 2015 was facilitated by Hon. Wang Chien-shien. He is a staunch crusader against corruption and a governance and management expert, author and radio host. Mr. Wang has a heart for education for the poor. He has set up award-winning foundations, helped build over 400 schools in China, and has a scholarship program called “Putting Back the Pearls” that offered free meals, accommodation and tuition to more than 29,400 poor but deserving students.

Pastors, incumbent, non-incumbent and emeritus elders and deacons attended the retreat. In his message entitled Am I a Good

MOVEMENT BUILDING SEMINAR

More than 30 people gathered to learn more about disciple-making from the life of Christ when United Evangelical Church of the Philippines hosted the Movement Building Seminar facilitated by the Wavemakers ChiFil team. While majority were first-timers, several came for a refresher. Everyone was eager to be involved in the kingdom work by producing disciples who make disciples.

Aside from the great learning and fun activities, the worship, sharing and prayer times with people of different denominations and cultures added to the experience of what the Kingdom of Christ is all about.

UECP Christian Education held 2 classes on the first quarter of the year. For the Grow class, we had Bible Overview facilitated by Pastors Bryan Kimball Sy and Jeanette Yu from January 11 up to February 22. For the Serve class, we had Bible Study Methods and Small Group Dynamics facilitated by Rev Leo Jaime Son and Dr. Amanda Tan.

MENUKHA 1ST YEAR ANNIVERSARY The Menukha Center celebrated its first anniversary on Feb 8, 2015. A simple program was prepared where our elderly performed musical numbers for the enjoyment of the guests. They also showcased their newly discovered skills in craft-making by selling paper roses and printed T-shirts.

Menukha Center is inside Hope Christian High School’s former elementary building and is open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:00am to 4:00pm.

HERALD * UNITED EVANGELICAL CHURCH OF THE PHILIPPINES PUBLICATION

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我的宣教旅程 王守祝 蔡嘉玲譯

宣教對於每個人都有著不同的意義。對我而言，參加短宣就是 我事奉上帝的方法。我曾經認為自己在事奉，卻沒有領悟到祂 正帶領著我，在宣教中教導我許多寶貴的經驗。經過幾次短宣 經歷後，我終於明白這些經歷中最重要的是：上帝要我學到的 一些功課。這並不是我們爲別人做了些什麽，或是和別人分享 了什麽東西。相反地，它是關於全心聆聽上帝旨意，完全降服于 祂。 1995年從加拿大回國後，我參加入了菲律賓中華基督教會在南 方的短宣“M”（回教徒）。當時，接觸回教徒是聞所未聞的。我 的兄弟姐妹因為恐懼和擔憂，他們與教會成員一同勸阻我。一 提到回教徒，大家都驚心膽怯。那時，我的興奮轉向了懷疑，但 上帝的話提醒了我，“愛裏没有懼怕...”（約翰一書4章18節）， 我完全信靠神，祂必定照顧我們。 在造訪期間，我們親眼目睹回教徒敬拜他們的真主阿拉。這是 我第一次體會到什麼是語境，考慮到傳福音對象的文化與背景 又是多麽的重要。後來我瞭解到，崇拜不一定要以我的方式， 而是以他們經歷神的方式，引導他們願意服從上帝，願意將他 們的生命完全交給掌握天地主權的神。 有一位美國傳教士到墨西哥去。他學會他們的語言，甚至模仿 他們的穿著。他穿著墨西哥服和帽子，然後有一天走在街上，被 墨西哥小夥子嘲笑。小夥子的母親問他爲什麽笑了起來，小夥 子說：「他穿著我們的服裝，但走路像美國人。」完成宣教任務 是非常不容易的，因為我們需要改變過去的習慣和傳統，適應 目標人群的文化。這標誌著宣教生涯中的一個轉淚點。 那次經歷最終把我帶到了亞洲神學院，使我瞭解沒有塑造門徒 的宣教是徒勞的。我常想，塑造門徒是一種能夠幫助信徒更深 識上帝然後事奉祂。我認為這是一個基督徒的義務和責任，直 到我的教授宋博士說明了塑造門徒的目的是爲了幫助剛受洗 的信徒成為在基督裏的一個成熟的追隨者，並且更認識耶穌基 督，緊跟隨著祂，以達到符合祂的形象的最終目標。宣教的最終 目標是成為基督的追隨者，並符合祂的形象。之後，我也明白門 徒帶領人們敬拜上帝，並在宣教中塑造可以塑造別人的信徒是 多麼地重要。但教導別人 之前，我們需要走出去 宣教 - 分享福音，讓人 經歷被上帝赦免罪惡 的祝福。我們該如何裝 備自己達成使命呢？ 有人說:「要達到一個部 落，你必須要像他們 一樣。 」犧牲小我、 效法耶 穌、捨自己而滿足別人 的需求。 在一次文化教學中，我們被分 成組體驗生活，並且實際生活 在窮人和無家可歸者之中。 我們效仿耶穌的模式，與窮 人中 生 活了一 天。我 們 只 允許携帶車費，一點麵包 錢。中華基督教會的傳教 士Lloyd是我的同伴。沿著

16 先 鋒 會 刊

王彬街走，我們經過了泉記茶餐廳，遇見了一名看車的女子。我 們走近與她交談。起初，她不知道我們是誰，也不知道我們的 意圖，就不願意跟我們談。Lloyd得知她是從宿務人之後，就以 家鄉話Cebuano跟她攀談。隨即，該女子開始敞開心扉，像朋 友一樣與我們聊天。她告訴我們她的家庭情况，並向泉記為我 們討晚餐。她甚至主動提出要帶我們去岷倫洛教堂附近她住的 地方過夜。我們與一些街上的人睡在人行道上。隨著夜色漸深， 不同的人，汽車不時地從身邊經過。有警察巡視，伴隨著汽車的 喇叭聲，醉酒男子經過，街上的人找地方睡覺，還有每隔一小 時的公雞鳴聲。當一個喝醉酒的人走近我們，發覺我們是新來 的時，那位女子保護我們，趕走他，並且告訴他：我們是她的朋 友。哇！這是何等進入耶穌世界的經驗啊。貧窮人是最容易被 邀請、而又僕實的人。他們都是仁慈的，謙卑的，保護弱者的， 可靠和善良的。難怪耶穌在窮人中開始祂的任務。與此同時，上 帝派天使來保護我們免受傷害。未受保護的在人行道上是非常 可怕的。尤其我們是中國人，又不像窮人，又沒有警察在場。但 上帝將恐懼轉成一個平安寧靜的夜晚。令人驚訝的是，我們能 夠睡得安穩，真是一個難得又蒙福的經歷。 在馬太福音28章19-20中，非常清楚地說，所有信徒必須效 法耶穌的行爲，如此才合乎上帝的心意。這個世界充滿了不同 價值觀、信仰、文化和習俗的人。那麼，教會在這個世界上的 作用是什麼呢？她是要將非信徒帶到耶穌跟前。這正是Chris Tiegreen所說的：「從創世記到啟示錄，都是有關於神的。」這 是上帝的旨意，要祂所創造的萬物敬拜並承認祂。我們該怎麼 做呢？ Manfred Kohl博士曾經說過：「要為主想得更廣。」 這句話多年來不斷在我耳邊響起。耶穌不僅吩咐我們到附近， 附近的城市和鄉村傳播上帝的恩典和祝福，祂也要我們「到地 極」去（使徒行傳1章8節）。讓我們攜手宣教，因為這是傳遞福 音唯一的途徑。事實上，宣教可以非常有創意，我們可以利用現 代科技，廣播，電視，社交媒體和其他工具，以傳達到遠處。讓 我們緊緊抓住機會吧！ 沒有人可以免除宣教的任務，但是我們要切記屬靈生命是一個 關鍵因素。如果我們依靠祂，耶穌承諾，到了地極祂也與我們同 在。魔鬼如同吼叫的獅子（彼得前書5章8節），他正忙於阻礙宣 教的事工。他希望我們靠自己的力量做到最好，並忘記依靠上 帝。我們該怎樣依靠上帝？耶穌為我們樹立了效仿的例子。耶 穌出外前，花時間與天父交通（馬可福音1章35節，9章2）。事 實上，耶穌凡事以禱告為先，因為宣教是上帝的心意。禱告表明 了我們的軟弱，我靠著自己的肉體無法成就任何事。」 最後，讓我們以中國內地會，今海外基督使團創辦人，戴德 生的話共勉：「以神的方式來完成神的工作永遠不會缺少神 的供應。」 王守祝乃菲律賓中華基督教會長老,在亞洲神學院獲宣 教(Intercultural Urban Studies)研究生文凭, 在宣教方 面熱忱事奉。

特 寫

從路加9:57-58看“門徒與宣教” 李子群牧師

又對一個人說：「跟從我來！」那人說：「主，容我先回去埋葬我 的父親。」耶穌說：「任憑死人埋葬他們的死人，你只管去傳揚 神國的道。」 路加福音5:57-62記載主耶穌與門徒們在路上行走的時候，分別 遇見三個與他有簡短對話的路人，從對話中可以體會到這正是主 耶穌公開“邀請”或者“呼召”人們來跟從他的時期。這三個路人 其中兩個乃主動的要跟從耶穌；只有一個（第二個）是被動的， 他是被主耶穌邀請或呼召來跟從他的。不管是主動或是被動，三 位路人都表示願意跟從他。可見當時耶穌在當地已頗負盛名，且 有一定的號召力，不然怎麼有可能讓一些素未謀面的陌生路人 願意跟從他？那麼，到底耶穌是邀請或呼召他們來作什麼呢？

耶穌呼召門徒來作什麼？ 當主耶穌對這些路過的陌生人士提出邀請說：「跟從我來！」的 時候，無可非議的，他的目的是要呼召這些人來做他的門徒。按 照那個時代的傳統，就是要拜他為師傅，學習他的思想、觀念、 理想、價值觀、言論等等意識形態，以及他的所作所為。那麼， 耶穌的意識形態及其所作所為，自始至終絕離不開傳揚天國的 信息，也就是作宣教的工作，換句話說，來跟從主就是要做主的 門徒，而做主的門徒就是要學習耶穌傳福音作宣教的工作。 另一方面，從耶穌對這第二個路人的呼召：「跟從我來！」. . . 「 你只管去傳揚神國的道」，更可確定耶穌要那些來跟從他的人 做他的門徒，目的是要他們去傳揚神國的道，也就是從事宣教。 可見做門徒和從事宣教不但是息息相關的事，甚至可以說是同 一回事的兩面。講更白一點就是說：不可能只選擇做門徒而不 從事宣教，也不可能只選擇作宣教而不作門徒；絕不能兩者取 其一而捨其二。

耶穌對門徒有何要求？ 這位路人對耶穌的呼召，顯然有很正面的回應。他說：「容我先 回去埋葬我的父親」，可見他很願意來跟從主，只是他當時適 有要事在身，故請求耶穌容許他先去辦完事，然後就可馬上來 跟從主、做主的門徒。 可是出人意料地，耶穌豪不客氣地拒絕接受他的請求，並且用 似乎讓人難以理解的話來回應他：「任憑死人埋葬他們的死人， 你只管去傳揚神國的道。」乍看耶穌這句話，好像有點不合情 理，但是如果了解耶穌對他的門徒的期待，就能了解為什麼耶 穌會講那句話。原來耶穌對他的門徒是有所要求的，況且他的 要求還挺嚴苛的。 1. 耶穌要求他的門徒要即刻學習並遵行他的教導。 照常理來看，好像耶穌應該對那位願意跟從他的“準”門徒這 樣說：「好，那你快去辦理埋葬父親的事，隨後再來跟從我吧。 」但耶穌並沒有這樣說，他要跟從者清楚明白一件事，就是“做 門徒不是有空才做，沒空就不做”。做門徒要隨時隨地學習並 遵行耶穌的教導，正如後來保羅給提摩太的提醒：「務要傳道， 無論得時不得時，總要專心」（提後4:2）。也就是說，這位路人 若願意作耶穌的門徒，他應該即刻做這個決定，因為這並不影 響他埋葬父親的事。他甚至可以在埋葬父親這件事上就開始活

出做門徒的見證，在生活上以基督的優越品格向參加喪禮的親 人朋友“傳揚神國的道” 。 2. 耶穌要求他的門徒付出作門徒的昂高代價。 很顯然的，這位“準”門徒對“作門徒”這件事有基本觀念上的 誤解。他以為要作門徒就必須不問世事，閉關修道，所以要求耶 穌讓他先去辦完世事（埋葬父親），然後才出來“做和尚” 。耶穌 對門徒並沒有這樣的要求，而他的要求是比這更高、更難、更嚴 峻的，耶穌要求他的門徒學習他的“入世”理念，就是願意“入虎 穴，得虎子” ，這談何容易？你看，耶穌在當時可以說是頗負盛名 的風雲人物，還經常跟那些罪人、稅吏在一起，甚至他還主動跟 那個没貞操的撒馬利亞婦人聊天，可以想象到耶穌每天所面臨 的引誘試探考驗有多嚴峻。換句話說，門徒要是可“不問世事， 閉關修道”倒還容易，要能在污泥中而不染絕不容易，而且要在 渾濁的大環境裡一枝獨秀、綻放光彩，那就更不容易。宣教絕不 是單純的傳講福音而已，而是在生活上的各種領域裡能見證出 基督的榮美才是最有效的宣教。作耶穌的門徒要在生活上分別 為聖，不管是在學校裡，在工作單位上，尤其是在菲律賓的商場 上，要活出基督的樣式談何容易？這要付出何等昂高的代價！ 3. 耶穌要求他的門徒在生活上以宣教為重 耶穌說：「任憑死人埋葬他們的死人，你只管去傳揚神國的道。 」聽起來好像有點不近人情，但如果了解猶太人的傳統習俗就 不難理解耶穌這句話的意思。原來猶太人一般都有兩次的埋 葬，第一次是在死亡後用香膏沒藥保護屍體，存放在安葬的洞 裡。第二次是過了數年之後，等屍體完全腐化，親人去把骸骨收 放在特別的小盒子（ossuary），再舉行第二次的埋葬。這個路 人很可能是要為父親作第二次的埋葬，否則一個家裡有人死的 猶太人算是不潔淨的人，他不會走在路上與人交談的。 給親人作第二次的埋葬在時間上沒有嚴格的限制，也可以讓其 他家人去作。耶穌特別提到，讓死人埋葬他們的死人，意思是讓 那些心靈沒有生命的人去做那些沒有生命價值的事，而讓心靈 有生命的人（門徒）去做有生命的事（傳揚神國的道），去拯救 失喪的靈魂。 我們經常聽到有些基督徒說：我現在太忙了，等以後孩子長大了 我再來服事主。有的人希望等退休後再來服事主。耶穌對那些 在考慮是否要做門徒的人說：「愛父母過於愛我的，不配作我 的門徒；愛兒女過於愛我的，不配作我的門徒； 不背著他的十 字架跟從我的，也不配作我的門徒。（馬太10:37-38）他也在馬 太6:33提醒我們說：「你們要先求祂的國和祂的義。這些東西 都要加給你們。」把神國的事放在生活上的最優地位的人是耶 穌所要的門徒，神會祝福這種以祂為先的門徒。 李子群牧師乃菲律濱中華基督教會會友，曾在綠洲團契 服事多年，1985年移居美國。李牧師在美國Biola大學 Talbot神學院獲道學碩士及神學碩士學位。2004年至 2014年在美國遠東廣播公司中國福音事工部擔任執行 主任，退休後繼續以總裁特別助理身份在【遠東】服 事。他和師母楊惠蘭育有4個孩子和2個孫女，現定居美 國南加州帕薩迪納市

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特 寫

DAVAO MISSION TRIP REFLECTIONS OF BSOP STUDENTS

During this short-term mission trip to the Muslim community, I discovered God’s great love among the Muslims. I met the missionaries who risked their lives to work with the Muslims. Our God is the God of Mission. He is guiding and protecting our mission work daily. Glory be to our Lord!

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I discovered that the object of the missionary work could be different people groups; hence the ways to do missions are diverse.

Missionaries have to pay the cost, but the reward of missions is reserved in heaven.

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I have many “first-time” experiences during this mission trip. I truly experienced God’s presence and guidance in the trip. I learned from the missionary that to do it for one of the least of the brothers is to do it for the Lord. I realized that patience, humility and love displayed in the missionary’s life are like a sweet aroma of Christ, blessing the people around and setting a good example for us.

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This mission trip has broadened my horizon. I reflected much on the missionary’s sacrifice and the price she paid. She spent almost 14 years to sow the seeds of the gospel in the Muslim community. Through this short term mission trip, I realized that the Way of the Cross is paid at a great price. I learned we need persistence and sacrifice to serve the Lord.

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This is a meaningful journey; it is my first close encounter with the Muslims. I learned that if we are willing to offer ourselves to love others with the love of Christ, the result will be beyond our expectation. May God use me to bless others in my future ministry.

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Sharing the gospel means bringing good news to the whole world, especially to those who are poor and marginalized by the society. As lives are changed by the gospel, God’s name and His mighty power are proclaimed.

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I was deeply touched by the missionary and her missions in Davao. She teaches the Muslim people how to plant, raise sheep, hatch eggs, and do handicarft work. She spent fourteen most important and beautiful years of her life in this place. During this trip, I learned total sacrifice and self-denial. I have a lot of catching up to do.

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This short term mission trip taught me that in mission work I need to rely on God’s power and obey God’s leading. God wants us to practice love and patience in missions.

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Gasping for breath to get on board, missing luggages and flight delays - all these happened in a day. We experienced God’s grace and protection during the week. His faithfulness and mercies are new every morning. He knows our needs and His grace is sufficient for us. I wish to continue serving them each year until my last breath.

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在这次穆斯林短宣过程中，我看到了神对穆斯林群体的爱，也 看到了宣教士们冒着生命危险在穆斯林地区进行宣教, 同时看 到他们流泪撒种后的果效. 我们的神是宣教的神，带领保守着 我们每一天每一刻的事工。荣耀归于主！ **** 我发现宣教的对象是多元的民族，因而也导致宣教的方式多元 化。宣教的代价是大的，但是宣教的果子却是存在天上. **** 因着这次短宣我有了很多的第一次，实实在在看到上帝的同在 与带领！从宣教士的身上让我深深感触到：做在最小的人身上 就是做在主身上。宣教士的耐心、谦卑与爱心让我看到她身上 流露的馨香之气是周围人的榜样与祝福！ **** 这次的短宣，给自己打开了眼界，亲身体验到宣教的牺牲和付 出，使我有很大的震动和反思。她用了十四年的时间，在穆斯林 地区用生命培育来福音的种子。通过短宣使我认识到十字架的 道路需要付上极大的代价，走服侍主的路需要坚持和付出。 **** 当看到两年前曾经见过的人有很多的进步，他们脸上的笑容充 分表明了宣教士流泪撒种的结果。一周里面虽然身体疲惫，但 是看到了上帝的恩典。本次短宣也对我的装备有很多帮助，让 我更加确定服侍的方向。 **** 这是一次极有意义的行程，平生第一次与穆斯林近距离的交 流。通过短宣，让我认识到我们愿意摆上，带着基督的爱，给人 以关怀，会有意想不到的收成，愿神使用我在以后的服侍道路 中给别人带去祝福。 **** 此次短宣中给我最大的触动是看见宣教士在那里服侍14年的 果子. 但短短几天，目睹了穆斯林群体对我们的和善和欢迎，贫 穷社区的人们的生活改善，我知道神愿意使用完全摆上的活祭 来做成他的工。我羡慕宣教士姐妹对神呼召的回应，我期待我 也能成为为神摆上的人，让主的牺牲的爱透过我彰显。 **** 传福音的工作就是把好消息带给世人，尤其是那些贫苦的、被 社会冷落的群体，当看到他们的生命发生改变时，就见证了福 音本是神的大能！愿上帝祝福、眷顾、保守每一位身处宣教第 一线的勇士，愿这样宣教的热情感动更多的基督徒，愿神的国 度扩展，得到至高无上的荣耀！ **** 给我留下最深印象的是宣教士和她的工作。她教人种菜、养羊、 孵小鸡、做手工等。她坚持了十四年！她一生最美丽的日子，就 是这样度过的。宣让我看到了什么是全部献上，什么是全然委 身，和她们比起来，我实在是有差距。 **** 这次短宣让我看到事工需要完全依靠神的能力并顺服上帝的 引导，神愿意我们操练忍耐、等候和爱心。 **** 来到菲圣之后，学习以及各个方面都是很好，但是对宣教、传福 音有些麻木，甚至有时也会茫然。经过这次短宣，我发现语言其 实不是障碍，主要还是在于是否有这个意愿。我希望这样的短 宣可以更多次或更长的时间，一方面明白那些宣教士们的喜怒 哀乐，向他们学习也激发我们心里的热情。

宣教:你我心中最重要的使命

編輯者的話

王闽

耶穌對他們說：……但聖靈降臨在你們身上， 你們就必得著能力。並要在耶路撒冷，猶太 全地，和撒瑪利亞，直到地極，作我的見證。 說了這話，他們正看的時候，他就被取上升，有一朵雲彩把他接 去，便看不見他了。（徒1：8-9） 當衆門徒們與耶穌分別，依依不捨之時，門徒心中有一個最大 的迫切與渴望，並且要當面問問耶穌，就是關于“以色列國降 臨”之事，這是一個關乎天下萬民的大事！然而耶穌却刻意將衆 門徒的焦點從“國度”轉移到“爲主作見證”的事情上，而這句 話也成爲耶穌升天前的最後一句話，也成爲耶穌心中份量最重 的托付！ 作爲屬神的兒女們，我們是否真的聽懂耶穌的話、體會耶穌的 心情、明白耶穌的旨意了嗎？耶穌期待我們每一位跟隨祂的人，

都可以真的從自己的身邊做起，從小事上做起，不放過任何一 個機會，爲了是在外邦人的面前“爲祂作見證”；同時，耶穌所 吩咐的事情並不是難的，也不是我們做不到的，因爲祂吩咐我 們從自己最熟悉的地方開始，從簡單的事情開始，在傳福音方 面再微小的進展，都是做在耶穌的心意之中；傳福音也不需要 多麽高深的大學問，初代教會的門徒不過是口耳相傳，更靠著 聖靈的大能，就可以發出莫大的功效！ 最後，讓我們謹記保羅的勸勉：“然而人未曾信他，怎能求他 呢？未曾聽見他，怎能信他呢？沒有傳道的，怎能聽見呢？若沒 有奉差遣，怎能傳道呢？如經上所記，報福音傳喜信的人，他們 的脚踪何等佳美，”（羅10:14-15），讓我們全世界的基督徒都 行動起來，聽從耶穌的吩咐，一心一意傳福音，這真是耶穌所喜 悅的！

福音的傳人 關國瑞牧師

經文：太9：36路7：31–35 台灣黑心油事件中關鍵人物之一，本是個有虔誠信仰的人， 他自己信奉「儒、道、佛」三大宗教，他家族的袓訓是「孔孟 思想」，卻做出黑心油賺大錢，害人健康。新聞網站有這樣評 論：「信仰需要行動來實踐，否則只是“良善的外衣”而已」! 我們基督徒又如何？「信心沒有行為是死的。」(雅2:17) 當然 我們對基督的福音有信心，只有福音可以改變人的生命，因 為福音本是上帝的大能(羅1:16-17)。故此，基督徒沒有活出 信仰，也只是披著良善的外衣而已，教會若不傳福音，也沒有 存在的價值！ 傳福音的人，也應該是個有「MVP」的人：

一、他是個有「使命」的人 — Mission 1. 我們的使命只有來自耶穌基督(太28:18-20)，衪說，你們 要「去」使萬民作我的門徒。教會存在的目的，就是為遵 行主的大使命，用各樣的方法帶領人歸向耶穌基督。 2. 我們傳講的福音，是世界所沒有的，因為只有福音才能 使人的生命更新，經歷重生。

二、他是個有「異象」的人 — Vision 沒有異象的人生，是個迷失的人生(箴29:18)，「異象」必須 與上帝的國度有關，並且指引我們事奉的方向；(路7：31– 35)主耶穌以比喻告訴我們今日世人的光境：

2. 吹笛不跳舞舉哀不啼哭–「麻木無真情」該歡笑的不笑， 該哀哭的不哭，就是麻木，沒有反應。不法的事增多了， 人的愛心也會漸漸冷淡。 3. 約翰的禁食人子的吃喝–「混亂沒真理」世人眾說紛紜， 莫衷一是；自我中心，沒有標準，只要自己喜歡便是真 理，以致真假不分、對錯不分、男女不分。

三、他是個有「憐愛」的人 — Passion 這憐憫的愛和感動從何而來？ 1. 保羅–從經歷而來，是被動的(提前1:15-16)，自己先蒙憐 憫，經歷救贖、饒恕、改變才會珍惜福音的寶貴，才有感力去 傳福音，故此上帝只有用人不用天使傳福音。 2. 耶穌–從看見而來，是主動的(太9:36)，同樣一群從你身旁 走過的人，你不只看見他們的外表，更看見他們內面寶貴靈 魂得救的需要， 結語：有效的傳福音，不但在乎講的精采，更在乎活的精采。 真正的信仰不是使人逃避困難，乃是可以使人面對和勝過困 難，更可以改變人的生命。上帝看重的是人，因為人比錢重 要，人比物質重要，！ 關國瑞牧師是加州Cupertino灣區基督之家第五家 的主任牧師。他曾於1987年至1992年擔任菲律賓中 華基督教會主任牧師也是本會2005年至今的顧問牧 師。

1. 如孩童在街市上玩遊戲–「虛假不真實」今日世界藉著傳 謀給人的，是虛假的價值觀、道德觀、婚姻觀和人生觀。

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我的宣教旅程

從路加9:57-58看 “門徒與宣教”

福音的傳人