夢幻組合
-
加國及英國華裔青年攜手STM
CBC* & BBC**- Working Hand in Hand
Short-term mission to England (Summer 2002) by Pastor Edwin Kong
Young people are
the future of the Church. This is why I believe so much in youth work. Each
summer, I often take time to lead a team of young people from Canada to do
short-term mission in England, reaching the British Born Chinese. Here are some
of the benefits I observe:
- Future
Canadian Church leaders are developed
Discipleship is not just by teaching in the classroom. Jesus led his
disciples for more than 3 years to train them daily in real life circumstances.
Young people who have gone out to short-term mission would experience on the job
training. As a result, many of them
are either in the full-time ministry today or are considering such move. The
rest are often found in church leadership positions in their respective
churches. When a local church encourages and supports its young people to get
involved in mission, they will definitely reap the benefits.
- Future
British Church leaders are developed
When we go to a field to start ploughing, we usually spend several years
in the same field. This is what I call “Short-term mission with long-term
discipleship”. The first couple of years, we put a lot of emphasis in outreach
evangelism. We take them out to youth camp and build relationships. Then we lead
them to the saving knowledge of Christ. The following years, we will integrate
leadership training among them. We seek out potential local youth to train them
in leadership roles so that they could lead their own youth group and reach out
to others. Mission team members are often encouraged to return the subsequent
years to further building the relationships. In between trips, emails and long
distance phone calls are very common among them.
I would challenge
church leaders to support your young people to consider spending their summer
time to get involved in short-term mission. I believe many churches can testify
to the above observations.
Sharing from the youth attended the camp:
Camp
was really fun. I'd only wish I could go again soon,
but it seems like I'll have to wait until…
Next Y-E-A-R! Thanks
for organizing it and making it so enjoyable!
---Sheila
I had great fun at camp, and I felt that I learnt a lot from
the 4-hour daily lectures. I was very moved and touched by the stories related
to sex. I hope I will continue to carry those memories with me and to learn from
them, improving my knowledge on both God and myself.
Although I did not tell you to pray for me at the camp, I
would like you to ask God to grant me the wisdom to find the correct path to
walk, and the courage to turn around and change. I hope I can learn to 'flee
from temptations' and to avoid evil.
---Gordon
At camp I was so depressed I really didn't know why, I
couldn't explain it but I was. I tried to hide it as far and as deep down as I
possibly could. But why am I telling you this?
I am asking for something I have never asked for before.... Would you
pray for me? Would you pray for me? I
want to thank you for everything you have taught me in these past couple of
weeks and yet I feel if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have really uumm be on my
way to becoming a Christian. ---Wilson
Sharing from the team members:
It was such a blessing to serve in Reading and God has
taught me a lot through other team members. I will always be amazed at the way
God works. I was struggling a bit in the beginning and towards the end, but God
has been so faithful throughout and looking back, all I see is God. Sometimes I
wish I had done things differently and maybe more but I know that God uses
everything for His purpose and His grace is enough to cover all we do as long as
we are obedient and are surrender to him. I
was really encouraged by one of the youth in Reading who wrote to me. ---Mary
This
mission trip was filled with God's mercy, and it gave me so much more than I had
expected. It served as a great stepping-stone in my spiritual walk, and
through it, I had grown more mature in many ways. It was a life changing
experience, and I cannot wait until I could go again! ---Char
In Reading, I was really touched by God for the British Born Chinese youth.
Having been a BBC youth not long ago, I felt it was such a privilege to
be with them and get to know them. In
a way the BBC youth are a unique people group who very much are in need of
friends, encouragement, and most importantly the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I found Reading a real challenge because it was not what I had expected.
Being part of and living with a team has helped me to understand a bit
more of my own character. The morning devotional times we had together will be
something I always remember. Starting
the day together in the Lord's Word and presence was so precious and it bound us
all together in Christ.
---Mary
It has
been a privilege to work with the 'Canadians'.
I really enjoyed myself. I’ve learned about my own weaknesses and
the strength that God had given me through this trip. I really miss the
'devotion time' as a group in the mornings. God had really spoken to me
through the group and through the book of Proverbs. I'm really blessed by
God through the Youths and especially the Kiddies Club. That week totally
stresses me out, yet I’ve learned about myself much deeper through God.
He is so amazing!!
---Dora
The Youth Camp was cool, with quite a few youths becoming Christians. It was
great to see these people, whom I met three years ago or recently on a
visitation, to now accept Christ. It
was a brilliant feeling to see this. Also
meeting all the youth and kids to either teach or play with them was a joy and
to see them enjoying themselves told me that we had impacted them in some way.
We sowed seeds others watered and nurtured them. ---Ether
* Canada Born Chinese
** British Born Chinese
