After three long years, we are finally able to have our combined church camp! It is a great blessing for members from different congregations to meet and chat with each other, to learn from and to encourage one another and to worship and pray in one accord. Indeed, we are living out the community life which the book of Acts talked about.
As a faith community, an important area which we focus on is reaching and connecting with students and children. This is reflected in the Session’s decision to create two pastoral positions for shepherding youth, one is for the English youth ministry and another for the Cantonese student ministry.
As a CPC member, we can also make a contribution in the same area in terms of our attention, time or prayer. We can invite young people over for a BBQ, being a caring “uncle” or “auntie” especially for overseas students; we can also pray for them or become a youth leader / mentor or a Sunday school teacher.
It was at a funeral of a sister in Christ early this year when I was reminded of the importance of sowing the seed of the gospel in one’s youth. She went to our Sunday school many years ago. But in her teenage years, she struggled with mental illness and had not attended church for a long time.
When she was very frail, she made contact with us and a few Christian friends whom she grew up with. Her faith was strengthened before she rested in the Lord. The seed which Sunday School teachers and others had sown many years ago was not in vain.
Let’s pray that CPC is following God’s heart, to thrive as a community of believers and to sow seeds of hope and love in young people.
經過三年頗長的歲月，終於能有我們的聯合教會營會了！來自不同會眾的會友見面和聊天、相互學習和鼓勵，同心合意地敬拜和禱告，真是一種莫大的福氣。的確，我們正在過如使徒行傳所說的群體生活。
作為一個屬靈群體，我們關注的一個重要領域是接觸並連接學生們和兒童。這反映在長老議會的決定去設立兩個牧養青少年的牧養職位上。一位是為英語青少年事工，另一位是為粵語的學生事工。
作為一名長老會會友，我們也可在同一範圍做出貢獻，包括在關懷、時間或禱告上。我們可以邀請年輕人過來燒烤，做有愛心的“叔叔”或“阿姨”、尤其對留學生。我們也可以為他們祈禱或成為一名青年的領袖/導師，甚至是一名主日學教師。
今年早些時候，在一位信主姊妹的安息禮拜上，我被提醒播下福音種子給年輕人的重要性。很多年前，姊妹參加我們的主日學。但在她十幾歲的時候，她被情緒病困擾，很長時間沒有參加教會。
當她非常虛弱時，她聯繫我們和一些與她一起長大的基督徒朋友。在她安息主懷之前，她的信心得到了堅固。多年前主日學老師和其他人播下的種子並沒有白費。
讓我們祈禱長老會跟隨神的心意、作為一個信徒的群體蓬勃成長，並播下盼望和愛的種子在年輕人的身上。
