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The Summer passed with the blessing of God! A new school year just began with challenges and blessings. Many Chinese students shared that they were surprised that the United States embassy had opened its doors wide for students to come. Hardly any student visa application was denied. No one can explain the reason. But we know that from God’s eternal purpose, those students not only come to the United States for higher education but to have a chance to hear the Gospel and enter into the Kingdom of God.

 

The August mission teams ended just few days ago. The team members went back home with thanksgiving and excitement! They saw first-hand God’s wonderful works and experienced His abundant grace in their mission trip. This year we scheduled each team to reach out to at least one new campus where the Chinese student population has grown fast in the last two years, but where there are no Chinese Bible study groups. Indeed, we did not know of any local Chinese Christians. We do thank God for the local American churches generously letting us use their facilities to hold the Gospel meetings. The mission teams spent less than two days to reach the Chinese students. We praise God that at the end of the second day, we have reached lots of students and invited them to the Gospel meetings. The mission teams not only provided the necessary transportation to take the students to the meeting place, but provided the meals and also did the cleaning after the meetings. To most of the mission team members, it is a big and new challenge. Although it is not easy, but by the grace of God, each team reports that they all experienced the wonderful works of God much more than they expected.

 

I'll share some stories. My team from the Chinese Church in Christ-San Jose went to Jonesboro, AR, the home Arkansas State University. ASU already had around three hundred Chinese students. I tried to look for a meeting place starting in early July, but could not find any. August 23, one day before we departed from CWC to Arkansas, we still did not have any meeting place. Our team held a planning meeting. Some of the team members suggested we cancel the gospel meeting because we still did not have a meeting place. Some believed no more than ten students would come anyway. I encouraged them to keep trusting the Lord. He would provide a place for us to meet. At dinner time, I got a message from the minister of a Methodist church in Jonesboro who welcomed us to use their facility. All the mission team members were greatly moved by the amazing work of God. When we arrived at that church, the senior pastor was waiting for us at the door and welcomed us. He helped us set up the rooms. The facility was so perfect for our meeting. When we were about to drive our own vehicles to the campus to pick up students, the pastor told me we could use their church bus! After we arrived, thank God some local brothers and sisters were willing to join us and help the ministry. God gave us around 90 people and some people accepted Christ as their personal Savior! This figure is ten times more than we asked for! Our entire team members were amazed how great and how real our God is.

 

Two days after our mission trip, I was thinking and praying about how to follow up all the new believers and all the gospel friends there. Should we have a regular meeting there? But there would be many practical difficulties. Then my cell phone rang. It was from the pastor of that Jonesboro Methodist church. He sincerely invited us to join their church for Chinese Ministry. Their church had already set aside a nice facility for us to have Sunday worship on Sunday morning and will fully support the ministry. I know God is showing His direction. It is a challenge to us. Please keep praying for us that we will have more people to serve on this campus.

 

The other team, Chinese Church in Christ-Cupertino was assigned to reach out to Northwest Missouri State University at Maryville, Missouri. When the mission team arrived there on Aug. 24, they were told the school did not start until Aug. 30. They were told the whole campus only had about 40  Chinese students from last year and perhaps 10 new Chinese students. The new students would not arrive at campus until Aug. 26.  So what happened at our Gospel meeting on August 27?  That night, 29 Chinese students came--more than half the Chinese student population--and 15 were willing to accept Jesus as their Savior. God is so good to us. Praise God! A brother told me that he is committed to go to Maryville every week to lead the Bible study group. He knows the task is difficult, but he is willing to drive 4 hours a week for the meeting and care for those students. He told me: “Even if there is only one student in the Bible Class, we will be glad to go”. Please also remember him and his family in prayers.

 

In late July I overheard that Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas has more than 300 Chinese students. We decided to rearrange the mission plan. We sent a team to Emporia for two days. Thank God for providing us a church to use. This church is just across the street from the University’s Students Union. 42 students came for the gospel meeting and some people accepted Christ. We are planning to set up a Chinese Bible Study group there. We pray that some close-by Chinese churches in Kansas can team up to send people to lead their Bible Study and care for the brothers and sisters.

 

A few months ago, a brother who lives at Wausau, WI, about 30 miles north of Stevens Point, WI, called me. He told me that the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point has around 300 Chinese students, but no Bible study group. He was willing to form a Chinese Bible study group on that campus, but did not know how to do it. I told him that, if he is committed to lead this Bible Study group, we will send a mission team to witness on campus and lead people to Christ. Thank God for providing a meeting place. 14 people came for the gospel meeting. Pleaser remember Brother Hsieh, who will continue leading the Bible Study group at Stevens Point.

 

We know that the Lord already started a good work! We know He will finish His work! Please pray  that His Kingdom come. Also, please continue praying for the September Mission Team which will work from Sept. 10 to 19. We will visit Wichita (Kansas), Fayetteville and Jonesboro (Arkansas), Oxford, Starkville, and Hattiesburg (Mississippi), Tuscaloosa (Alabama), Memphis (Tennessee), Ruston (Louisiana), Iowa City, Davenport, and Cedar Falls (Iowa), and Stevens Point (Wisconsin). Please continue praying for the two mission teams from California.

 

FUTURE MEETINGS

 

A.                       Winter Conference – will be held from Dec. 22 to Dec. 26 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri. God has provided us many speakers. Brother Bellman Lin, Pastor Daniel Rao, Pastor and Mrs. Johann Lai, Dr. In-Sing Leung, Elder Peter Liu and Pastor Steven Chen will be our speakers. Please mark down the dates on your calendar. The application forms will be available in October. Click here for more information.

B.                       Discipleship Training – will be held from Dec. 26, 2010 to Jan. 1, 2011 at the Christian Witness Center.

C.                       Bible Camp – will be held from Jan. 2 to 8, 2011. We will study the History books from Joshua to the United Kingdom. The syllabus and the forms have been posted on our website. Since the participants need several months to prepare the serious homework, the absolute due date for enrollment is Nov. 15. If you plan to attend, please click here and send in your application form.

 

Thanks for your prayers. Please frequently visit our website, download the necessary application forms and also print out the September prayer calendar as your computer’s wallpaper. We appreciate and need your daily prayers.

 

God bless you

In Him

Billy Ko

Pastor

 

親愛的弟兄姐妹,

 

暑假在神的祝福中結束！新學期也在挑戰與祝福中剛剛開始。許多來自中國的學生對於美國大使館大開門戶讓留學生來美國讀書表示驚訝。幾乎沒有任何學生簽證遭到拒絕。沒有人能解釋得出原因，但我們知道在神永遠的旨意裡，這些學生不單是來到美國繼續學業上的深造，並且更要有機會因聽見福音的信息而進入神的國度。

 

八月短宣隊的服事剛在幾天前結束。短宣隊員們都帶著感恩及興奮的心情回到自己的家！他們第一手看見神奇妙的作為，並且經歷到神在他們這次短宣過程中所賜豐富的恩典。今年我們計劃了每一支短宣隊至少都要去到一個在過去兩年裡中國留學生人數快速成長，但卻沒有中文查經班的新校園。而在這些校園中我們也不認識任何中國基督徒。感謝神，藉著一些當地美國教會慷慨地借給我們場地舉行福音聚會。短宣隊在不到兩天的時間裡探訪中國學生。讚美神，到第二天結束前，我們已探訪了許多學生並邀請他們來參加福音聚會。短宣隊不僅提供交通接送學生們來參加聚會，他們也準備餐食，並且在聚會結束後清潔場地。對大部分短宣隊員來說，這是一個又大又新的挑戰。雖然並不容易，但靠著神的恩典，每一支短宣隊都見證說他們所經歷神奇妙的作為是大大超過他們所預期的。

 

我分享幾個故事﹕ 我與從加州聖荷西基督徒會堂來的短宣隊一起同工到阿肯色州立大學所在的Jonesboro, AR服事。在這所大學裡已有三百位左右的中國學生。從七月初我就開始尋找可以舉行聚會的場地，但一直沒有結果。到了八月廿三日，我們將要從中心出發前往阿肯色的前一天，都還沒有聚會的地方。我們這一隊開了一個籌備會議，有些成員建議﹕既然還沒有聚會場地，乾脆將福音聚會取消；也有些人認為反正來參加的學生大概也不會超過十個人。我則鼓勵大家繼續仰望神，祂必然會為我們預備一個地方來聚會。那天晚餐時，我接到一通由Jonesboro一個衛理公會的牧師打來的電話，邀請我們使用他們教會的場地。所有短宣隊的隊員都被神奇妙的作為大大的感動。當我們抵達那裡時，教會的牧師已經等在門口歡迎我們。他並協助我們將場地預備好，這場地的設備完全適合我們聚會的使用。當我們正準備開車出發去接那些來聚會的學生時，牧師又告訴我﹕我們可以使用他們教會的巴士！感謝神，在我們抵達當地時，有一些當地的弟兄姐妹願意參與配搭服事。神也帶領了九十多個人前來參加聚會，當中也有一些接受了基督成為他們個人的救主！這個數字是十倍於我們向神所求的！全體短宣隊的隊員都對神的偉大與真實感到希奇。

 

短宣結束兩天後，當我正在思考如何對那些剛信主的學生及福音朋友跟進栽培，考慮是否要在那裡開始固定聚會，也想到一些實際上的困難，並為此禱告時，我的手機剛好響了，原來是Jonesboro, AR那位衛理公會的牧師打來的，他誠摯的邀請我們加入他們教會的中國事工。他們教會已經預留了一個很好的聚會場地供我們星期天舉行主日崇拜之用，並且願意全力支持這項事工。我知道這是神在顯明祂的引導。這對我們也是一個挑戰。請為我們在這個校園能有更多服事的同工代禱。

 

另一支從加州Cupertino基督徒會堂來的短宣隊被安排前往位於Maryville的西北密蘇里州立大學。當短宣隊八月廿四日抵達時才知道學校要到八月三十日才開學。同時得知整個校園只有約四十位舊生和約有十個左右的新生，其他新生大概要到八月廿六日才會來到學校。那麼我們計劃在八月廿七日舉行的福音聚會結果如何呢？當晚一共有廿九位同學來參加（超過中國學生總數的一半），而且當中有十五位願意接受耶穌成為他們的救主。神實在是恩待我們。讚美主！有一位弟兄告訴我﹕他有負擔每周前往Maryville帶領查經班。他知道這會是一個困難的服事，但他願意每周開四小時的車前去帶領聚會並關懷那裡的學生。他說﹕「即使查經班只有一個學生，我們也會樂意前往。」也請您在禱告中記念弟兄和他的家庭。

 

七月底，我聽說在堪薩斯州Emporia的Emporia州立大學有超過三百位中國學生。我們因此重新安排短宣計劃。我們派了一支短宣隊去了Emporia兩天。感謝神為我們預備了一個教會舉行聚會，這個教會剛好就在學校的學生活動中心對面。一共有四十二位同學來參加了福音聚會，有許多位接受了基督。我們計劃在那裡建立一個中文查經班，並禱告盼望有附近的中國教會能夠配搭，差派弟兄姐妹去帶領查經並關懷那裡的弟兄姐妹。

幾個月前，有一位住在威斯康辛州Wausau（距離Stevens Point北邊約卅哩）的弟兄打電話給我。他說在威斯康辛大學Stevens Point校區有近三百位的中國學生，但沒有查經班。他有意去那邊校園建立一個中文查經班，但不知從何著手。我告訴他，若是他肯負責帶領查經班，我們會派一隊短宣隊到那裡去傳福音並領人歸主。感謝神為我們預備了聚會的場地，有十四位同學來參加福音聚會。請在禱告裡記念謝弟兄，他將繼續在Stevens Point帶領查經班。

 

神已開始了一個善工！我們知道祂必作成這工！請為神國度的降臨禱告。同時，也請繼續為九月短宣隊從九月十日至十九日的短宣代禱。我們將探訪堪薩斯州的Wichita、阿肯色州的Fayetteville和Jonesboro、密西西比州的Oxford, Starkville和Hattiesburg、阿拉巴馬州的Tuscaloosa、田納西州的Memphis、路易斯安納州的Ruston、愛荷華州的Davenport, and Cedar Falls，以及威斯康辛州的Stevens Point。請繼續為這兩個從加州來的短宣隊代禱。

 

未來聚會

A. 冬令會 – 將於十二月廿二日至廿六在堪薩斯城的Hyatt Regency旅館舉行。神已為我們預備了多位講員: 林三綱弟兄、饒孝楫牧師、賴若瀚牧師與師母、梁燕城博士、劉志雄長老及 Steven Chen 牧師等。請在您的行事曆上記下聚會日期。報名表將於十月份備妥。更多資訊請按此 HERE.

B. 門徒訓練 - 將於十二月廿六日至2011年一月一日在中心舉行。

C. 讀經營 -  將於2011年一月二日至八日舉行。我們將研讀歷史書從約書亞記至合併王國。大綱和報名表將於近期內張貼上網。由於參加者需要幾個月的時間準備功課，報名嚴格截止日期為十一月十五日。若您計劃參加，請按此處HERE

 

謝謝您的代禱。請經常登入中心網站，下載各項聚會報名表，亦可打印九月的禱告日曆, 並用作您電腦的背景。我們感謝您並需要您每日的代禱。

 

願神祝福您

在祂裡面的,

高榮德

牧師

 

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