Short-Term Mission Trip
In the summer of 1994, I completed my final semester at Hong Kong Polytechnic. While most of my classmates went on graduation trips, I chose to work in a full-time ministry experience thinking it might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I joined Campus Crusade for Christ Hong Kong as a summer staff member for two months, helping to host a short-term mission team of several hundred people from Korea.
To be honest, my memory of that short-term mission is quite vague now. Only a few fragmented impressions remain, e.g. seeing a big box of dozens of packets of Korean Shin Ramyun for the first time, singing Korean worship songs for the first time, staying overnight with the Korean team at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, doing door-to-door evangelism in public housing estates, using taekwondo performances to attract people to church, and receiving a taekwondo board signed by the whole team as a souvenir...
Since that local short-term mission, I haven’t participated in any other mission trips. Even during my internship two years ago at Evangelical Free Church of Australia, when they had monthly weekend mission trips to rural areas like Orange or Bathurst, I didn’t join due to homework assignments or Sunday ministry commitments.
After becoming a pastor at CPC, I’ve often heard mission trip sharing from brothers and sisters in the church. I sometimes wonder, “Do I feel called to missions?” Although I don’t feel a strong calling now, I’ve kept my accounting qualifications, just in case they come in handy if God calls me into missions one day.
But thanks be to God, I finally have the chance to join a local short-term mission in Sydney! The Hong Kong Association of Christian Music Ministry (HKACM) will be conducting a music mission trip in Sydney from the 8 to 24 September! One Heart Worship & Music Ministries is the local co-organiser for the entire mission journey. Our church, together with Chinese Christian Church Milsons Point (CCC Milsons Point) and Northern District Chinese Christian Church (NDCCC), will be co-hosting the Saturday revival and evangelistic meetings during this trip. These three churches and two organisations are now jointly preparing for the gatherings, which will be held on Saturday evenings, 13 and 20 September, from 7:00 to 9:00pm at St. Anne’s Anglican Ryde. In addition, HKACM will lead our Cantonese Gospel Sunday Service on 21 September at 10:30 am. Prior to the evangelistic meetings and Gospel Sunday, we will hold a Cantonese evangelism and follow-up training session at noon on Sunday, 31 August, to equip our brothers and sisters to share the gospel. We hope that brothers and sisters will actively participate in the evangelism and follow-up training, Gospel Sunday, and the evangelistic meetings—working together in unity and serving in their respective roles to spread the gospel across Sydney. Let us also continue to pray for God’s will to be done in this city.
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” — 2 Peter 3:9
短期宣教之旅
1994年夏季，我在香港理工學院完成了最後一個學期的學業。當大多數同學選擇參加畢業旅行之際，我則決定投身工作，參與一次全職服事的體驗——心想這或許是人生中唯一一次的機會。我加入了香港學園傳道會，擔任為期兩個月的暑期同工，負責接待來自韓國的數百人短期宣教隊伍。
坦白而言，我對那次短宣的具體印象已經相當模糊，只剩下一些零散的片段：人生中第一次見到一大箱裝有數十包韓國辛辣泡麵、第一次唱韓文詩歌、與短宣隊一同在香港科技大學住宿、在公共屋邨進行「洗樓」式的拍門佈道、透過跆拳道表演吸引居民前往教會，以及收到短宣隊成員簽滿名字的跆拳道木板作為紀念品⋯⋯
自那次本地短宣之後，我便未曾再參與任何形式的短宣旅程。即使在兩年前於播道會靈福堂實習期間，教會每月都會安排一個週末前往新南威爾士州郊區的Orange或Bathurst進行短宣，我也因課業繁重或主日需承擔事奉責任而每次未能參與。
在我成為雪梨華人長老會的牧者之後，時常聽到教會弟兄姊妹分享他們參與短宣的經歷。有時我也會默想：我對宣教有感動嗎？儘管此刻內心的感動尚不強烈，但我一直保留着會計師的專業資格，心想若有一天上帝呼召我踏上宣教之路，這或許能成為有用的工具。
感謝神，我現在終於有機會在雪梨參與本地短宣！因為香港基督徒音樂事工協會（HKACM）將於9月8日至24日展開他們的澳洲音樂宣教之旅！一心敬拜音樂事工（One Heart Worship & Music Ministries）是這次短宣旅程在本地的合辦機構，而我們教會、和雪梨華人基督教會（CCC Milsons Point）以及北區雪梨華人基督教會（NDCCC）則是此行中週六培靈會及佈道會的協辦教會。兩個事工機構與三間教會正積極籌備這兩個星期六（9月13日及9月20日）晚上七時至九時，於St. Anne’s Anglican Church Ryde舉行的聚會。
除此之外，香港基督徒音樂事工協會（HKACM）亦將於9月21日（主日）上午10時30分，為我們教會主領粵語福音主日崇拜。在佈道會及福音主日之前，教會亦將於8月31日（主日）中午舉辦一場粵語的傳福音及陪談訓練，幫助弟兄姊妹預備心志與裝備技巧，好能更有信心地與人分享福音。盼望弟兄姊妹都能踴躍參與傳福音及陪談訓練、福音主日和佈道會，同心合意，各盡其職，一同在雪梨廣傳福音。我們也要不住禱告，求主的心意在雪梨得以成就。
「主所應許的尚未成就，有人以為他是耽延，其實不是耽延，乃是寬容你們，不願有一人沉淪，乃願人人都悔改。」（彼得後書 3:9）
願我們抓緊這恩典的時機，回應主的心意，一同參與祂的宣教大工。
