Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Peace to you in the Lord!
This year is coming to an end in a flash. Thanks be to the Lord, He has abundantly showered down His grace upon us. If He had not sustained us with His mighty hands, we could not have accomplished anything!
The Importance of Campus Ministry
Some churches may not have great burdens in campus ministry because they consider it a “no-gain investment”─a big investment of human and financial resources, yet the fruit goes to others. We instead believe that churches who throw themselves into campus ministry will receive great blessings from God.
A. Leading young people to the Lord is valuable at this critical time in their lives. Campus populations in the Midwest are particularly good soil for receiving the Gospel. They have a relatively open atmosphere of conversation. Students are at a time of life when the heart is receptive and not as constrained by vocation, family, or friends. When students hear the voice of the Lord, their hearts are ready to respond to His calling. Let’s ask the Lord of harvest to send out His workers into his harvest field.
B. Making students into disciples for the Lord is valuable at this critical time in history. In past centuries, God raised young college students in Europe and America who offered themselves for the Great Commission. With hearts willing to die for the mission, they went to the end of the world preaching the Gospel. Today, God is still pleased through devoted young Chinese students who offer their lives to further the Kingdom. Now is the critical age! Do not look down on them because they are young and idealistic. Rather, equip them for the Kingdom of God, that they may not only be disciples but workers, the mission warriors of God. Now is the critical time! Since a great number of students have come to the Midwest for school and the Lord has prepared their hearts for the gospel, we need to seize this great opportunity to obtain them for the Lord!
C. The campus ministry establishes a strong force for the Kingdom of God everywhere. Since the turnover of students is almost total within four years, successful student ministry workers have the serious mentality that they serve not their own group’s survival and growth, but rather prepare coworkers for other communities. Campus ministry must have the larger Kingdom of God in mind; that this ministry is not serving for local gain but to bring distant people to the Kingdom, to disciple, to equip co-workers. The distant recipients of these gifts of co-workers may not know how the co-workers came. But the King of the Heaven sees what is done in secret and will bless those churches through the fruit of the campus ministry.
D. Campus ministry revives people. As the students are built up, they attend different programs, prayer meetings, and Sunday schools regularly. They all thirst for the Word of God, eager to share the Gospel and to invite people to meetings. The students’ fervent spirit encourages those who work full-time and have family. The students’ fast growth in the Word of God draws others to pursue the Word. New Christians’ faithful and zealous service to the Lord brings a change to brothers and sisters with family, to also participate in church prayer meetings, Sunday schools, and Bible study. We have seen over and over, as these families pursue and serve the Lord alongside the students, a lively spirit is kindled in all hearts. As student ministry grows, revival comes to the church.
Churches that do campus ministry will become spiritually active churches. God will give double blessings to those churches who put in effort for others and the Kingdom of God. He will first bless those churches who are willing to do student ministry. He will bless those who they minister. God’s Kingdom is glorified and lifted high. Through what they have put in, God’s victory will also be proclaimed in many cities and mission fields in days to come. Please pray for the Christian Witness Center and student ministry of churches, that the Lord will grow the campus ministry all around.
Dormitory Construction— God has given us great opportunities working among students. The rate of students coming to North America greatly increased in recent years. To satisfy the need in this massive gospel field, the Christian Witness Center is expanding its dormitory to add 20 family rooms which could increase capacity for another 100 people. Approximately $250,000 is needed for this project. $250,000 for a building project for many churches is not a big amount. Since the CWC has a congregation of cash-strapped students, the special offering designated to such a building project is harder to raise. In the past year, we could only afford to hire one to two construction workers to forward the project. Thanks be to the Lord, the basement with ten rooms is in its finishing stage. We hope brothers and sisters will be able to occupy these brand new rooms in December’s meetings. We will continue the work on the other ten rooms on the second floor in 2014. Please continue praying for the $100,000 financial need for completing the project. Besides that we also need to prepare beds and furniture for the rooms. They will cost around $10,000.
Sending A New Co-worker— Praise the Lord! We have sent one more co-worker stationing on a campus for ministry. After one-year ministry with Pastor Ko at Columbia, MO, we have stationed Brother Liyu Tu to minister at Carbondale, IL in August. Brother Tu will also serve at surrounding campuses in Illinois, Kentucky, southeast Missouri and Indiana. May the Lord use him mightily. In the last five years, the population of Chinese students in the United States has grown more than ten times! Tens of thousands of new Chinese students enroll in campuses in Midwest each year! However, only one new full-time co-worker has joined our ministry. That rate is way below the increase rate of new students. May the Lord raise workers to serve Him in college campuses that we may fulfill the Great Commission He has entrusted us.
Winter Conference will be held again at Kansas City, Missouri at Sheraton Hotel at Crown Center from the evening of December 21 to noontime of the 25th. Online registration is now open. Please download the registration forms and start inviting more people to come. Strict due date is December 15, 4:00 pm (central time), no late registration will be accepted. Thank God for many wonderful messages He will bring to us through His servants: Pastor Albert Ting, Pastor Tsu-Kung Chuang, Pastor Brian Lam, Pastor Luke Zhang, Minister Rosie Hao, Elder David Lu, Pastor Eugene Chuand other local speakers. This Conference is for both Christians’ edification and for nonbelievers’ gospel invitation. You can start to prepare your heart and also invite nonbelievers to come. For more information please check our cwcnet.org web site. Please remember our co-workers and volunteers in your prayers, and pray that the Holy Spirit will do mighty work in the meeting that gospel friends will receive new life, and a revival will come upon all children of God and bring a change to their lives.
December Discipleship Training Camp will be held at CWC at Warsaw, MO from December 25th evening to 29th noontime. Pastor Albert Ting and Minister Rosie Hao will be our speakers. Strict deadline is December 16, 11:59pm (central time). This is the most effective training for changing lives and preparing co-workers. May the Lord prepare more hearts to come and receive training. Registration forms and detailed information have been posted on the web site.
January Bible Camp will be held at CWC at Warsaw, MO. from December 29th evening to January 4th noontime. We will study the General Epistles (Hebrews, James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1,2 and 3rd John, Jude). May the Lord use this study to cultivate brothers and sisters with the desire of pursuing His Word and to improve their attitude and ability toward studying the Word, and also to bring about revival on campuses. Registration for this camp is over. If you missed this time, please come to the Discipleship Training. For those who wish to attend the Bible Camp, it is required for them to attend at least once the Discipleship Training or the Lay-minister Training within two years – that way you will not miss the August Bible Camp.
Please pray for us!
- Pray that the Lord will grant each co-worker strength, effectiveness in serving Him, and growth in His Word and Will.
- Pray that the Lord will add a new co-worker to our ministry next year.
- Please pray for the preparation works for the Winter Conference. May the Lord use this meetingto bring about revival on campuses.
- Please pray for December Discipleship and Coworkers Training Camp and the Bible camp that more co-workers will be edified and prepare to serve God on campuses.
- Please pray for the financial needs for the new building project.
- Please pray for the general fund needed each month (we are experiencing general fund shortage in recently months)
Thank you for your faithful prayer. I look forward to seeing you in the various meetings held in the winter. God’s blessings be with you.
In Him
Billy Ko (Pastor and Director)
December 2013
