建立學生宣教的心志

弟兄姊妹主內平安：

今年美國各地校園同工所關心的問題是：「海歸基督徒的流失」。 今年九月底有二十多位從事校園事工的傳道人，齊聚賓州的基督使者協會(AFC)，一方面分享事奉心得，一方面從海歸的流失率，來一同反思目前的校園事工。結束的那一天，大家回憶起在2010年，當中國年青留學生湧進美國校園時，校園傳道人也曾齊集使者協會，一同研討如何把握這「天機」推動校園事工。當蘇文峰牧師為聚會作總結時指出: 要把握這「天機」作校園事工，必須以下列幾點為校園事工的目標：1. 引領新一代的學生歸主，2. 裝備新一代學生作主門徒，3. 呼召華人學生投身普世宣教。

但回顧過去七年來北美的校園事工，普遍來說只作到了第一點，就是只要學生、學者信主得救就心滿意足，可以安心的送他們歸國。誰知歸國的弟兄姊妹，差不多回去一個，就流失一個，這是多麼可惜的光景！這是因為那次「天機」會議結論時所提出的校園事工的三個方針，過去各地大部分校園事工，只看重第一方針：引領學生歸主，卻沒有去完成第二、第三方針，建立學生、學者為門徒、並建立他們成為有宣教負擔的同工。在今年這次會議結束前，校園同工們都立志要建立學生成為門徒、為宣教士! 也有同工建議推動學生宣教大會，好使學生能帶出宣教的影響力。

宣教大會的最主要的功能是：帶出宣教的異象、與呼召宣教士。但可能為期幾天的學生宣教大會，並不能建立學生成為宣教士! 要建立學生成為宣教士，必須先從教會與校園事工開始： 要建立弟兄姊妹與神的關係、門徒的品格、聖經的知識、事奉的技巧、傳福音的心志、分享的內容、牧養的能力等。這些都需要在平常的教會與校園團契中，就要在這幾方面建立學生，假期要鼓勵學生出去參加門徒訓練營，好快快的建立學生有宣教的心志，讓他們在作學生時，就是一個帶著學業的宣教士、畢業後就能成為帶著職業的宣教士。

一般人以為： 宣教士首要的條件就是：願意被差派去遠方傳福音，其實宣教士首要的條件是：他有沒有宣教士的心志? 有宣教心志的弟兄姊妹：「他是一個靈命成熟的人，在靈裡可以自給自足，可以長時間單獨住在不信主的人群中，成為影響別人歸主的人。」但在過去多年，又有多少學生帶著宣教士的心志回國呢？若學生在求學階段沒有被建立成為主的門徒，又豈能盼望他們有宣教士的心志呢？我們建立的學生若永遠只是「 領受的人」、卻不能成為「供應別人的人」，只知享受、卻不能付代價，他們只不過是隨風擺動的小草，卻不是在狂風中堅立的大樹，若是他們沒有宣教的心志與能力，難怪回國後，大部份的基督徒學生都流失了，因為他們只是基督徒、卻不是門徒、更不是宣教士。

我認為：建立學生宣教士的心志要從下列幾方面著手：

1. 建立獨立性：能自我站立、不需要屬靈長者的提醒，自己能忠心的在屬靈的道路上，能忠心的讀經、禱告、親近神、聚會、這些都成為自己的生活習慣，在屬靈的供應上，他是一個自給自足的人，他愛讀神的話，願意帶一個謙卑的心跟別人學習，當沒有別人供應他時，他自己也能從神的話語、與親近神中得到供應。
2. 建立主動的心：宣教士不是等著別人告訴他要作什麼，他有明亮的眼睛，能看到需要作的事情；他有敏銳的靈，聖靈有一點的感動，他就馬上跟上去作。在學生期間就積極的事奉，交代給他的工作，他總是能帶著走第二哩路的心志去完成。
3. 建立關懷與牧養的能力：宣教士不能等待別人來關懷，他是一個關懷別人的人，他不看自己的需要，卻常查看別人的需要，並盡全力去滿足人，並能用神的話語去餵養別人的需要，遇到不信主的同學或朋友時，他是一個勇於傳福音的人。特別是建立九零年後學生的宣教心志，這點是極需注意的。
4. 建立對別人的影響力：宣教士要走到不信主的人群中見證主，改變社會去歸主，宣教士是一個能帶領別人的人，我們要建立學生帶領的能力，不是倚靠勢力或才能，乃是用自己的生命與每天的生活，去影響人、帶領人。我們要提醒學生：要建立自己有美好的靈性與品性，在校園中藉著美好的成績、與生活的榜樣去帶領別人到主的面前。
5. 建立建造的能力：宣教士被差出去，就是為了建立教會與神的國度，使宣教的工場成為見證神的教會。要幫助學生在校園中，就有建立校園事工的心志，讓學生在校園裡推動校園事工，建立自己的學生團契，日後他們才能成為建立教會的人。也要鼓勵學生自己帶領兩三位初信、或福音同學在家中一同經常讀經禱告，一個人帶領一個小小的讀經小組，就是宣教事工的起步。今天在美國讀書時能帶領讀經小組，以後畢業回國後，還可以在家中帶領小組查經，慢慢成為小團契，日後成為家庭教會。

每次我在東、西兩岸講道時，常有人對我說：美國中西部的校園事工比較容易作，因為東、西兩岸有太多的吸引力、學生太會玩樂，對屬靈的事不太感興趣、中西部學生比較單純，願意在屬靈上追求等等。若美中的學生事工比較容易作，不是因為美中的學生不會玩樂，或沒有玩樂的地方，乃是因為基督工人中心過去數十年來，一直將校園事工作為門徒訓練的中心、建立宣教士的基地，不斷影響學生存著單純的心志去跟從主、事奉主，並影響別人跟從主。求主在各地的校園團契與教會，都一同以建立學生為門徒、為宣教士，作為校園事工的目標。

感恩節東岸門徒與同工訓練營：

感謝神感動北卡州的基督僕人更新中心主動提供場地，讓我們中心舉辦門徒訓練營，這場地可容納50-70人，今年感恩假期，我們將有東岸第一期的門徒與同工訓練營，講員有羅天樂牧師與高牧師，請為此營會禱告（聯絡與資料: 請洽abesarah.wang@gmail.com)。從1977年于力工牧師在加州為學生開始門徒訓練營，後來遷移至美中，四十年後能在東岸開設訓練營，這是神奇妙的作為，因為祂盼望有更多門徒與有宣教心志的同工湧進主的國度!

寒假營會：

1. 冬令會：大家期待的聚會即將到來，中心同工們也正積極地籌備這次的聚會。求主幫助我們相聚在一起，就是為了一同追求主，承受主給我們的使命，在各地校園帶領更多福音朋友歸主，使人作主的門徒，帶領更多人成為福音宣教的勇士。 冬令會將於十二月廿一晚至廿五日中午，在密蘇里州堪薩斯城的Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center舉行。網上報名將於十一月十五日開始，至十二月十七日下午四時正嚴格截止。載有講員及聚會內容等資訊的報名表也將放在中心網站上，請盡早下載，並趕緊作邀請工作，好讓更多人早日預備心參加，生命能被主改變、福音朋友能得生命、弟兄姊妹能得到更豐盛的生命、大家能帶著新的異象與使命，為神的國與神的家一同打美好的勝仗。感謝神,今年冬令會為我們預備許多位神所使用的僕人，計有:許道良牧師、陳世欽牧師、關國瑞牧師、張路加牧師、華欣牧師、徐春華師母、黃天賜牧師等。 他們的信息內容都非常切合時代的需要，請去中心網站瀏覽，也 請多為聚會禱告，求主復興弟兄姊妹的靈，賜下祂的復興與使命給每一位。青少年與英文部的講員為：Edwin Lin、Dr. James Clark、Pastor Steve Tan 等。也為 Dan Davis夫婦與其他美國同工帶領兒童的聚會禱告，讓英文部，青少年事工、兒童事工等都能帶出神的作為。
2. 十二月門徒與同工訓練營 目的是為建立弟兄姊妹成為主的門徒，建立宣教的心志、在校園求學期間成為學生宣教士、帶領學生歸主、在團契作同工、建立校園事工、畢業後在教會與社會中作全職或帶職的宣教士。門徒訓練營將於十二月廿五晚至三十日中午在基督工人中心的營地(Warsaw, MO)舉行，嚴格截止報名日期為十二月十七日前。請儘早報名參加，也請為講員陳世欽牧師與黃天賜牧師禱告。
3. 一月讀經營 是要提升弟兄姊妹日常研讀聖經的興趣和習慣，不但懂得仔細研讀聖經，更能建立自已成為一個小牧人，能成為帶查經或講道的人，將神的話分享給別人。也有一些弟兄姊選修學分，要用平日在大學讀書的知識訓練，來忠心與仔細的研讀神的話。這次讀經營會研讀有關被擄、歸回、等主耶穌來的經書（以斯拉記、尼希米記、以斯帖記、哈該書、撒迦利亞書、瑪拉基書等） 參加者都必須在十一月十五日前報名，好將中心指定的功課按計劃完成。感謝主! 至十月底已有一百多位弟兄姊妹報名參加，並在各校園有讀經營預查小組，一同預備。讀經營將於2017年十二月三十一至2018年一月六日中午在基督工人中心的營地(Warsaw, MO)舉行。嚴格報名截止日期為2017年11月15日。請儘早報名，儘早準備。 請為講員諶志豪牧師、高昭鑾姊妹等講員及聚會代禱。

代禱事項：

餐廳擴建 － 盼望入冬（十一月中）之前可以完成外牆的建造，之後繼續內部的裝修，盼望十二月門徒訓練營前可以使用，明年三月福音營前餐廳能全部完工，在五月訓練營前，附帶的洗手間、儲物室、走道等也能完成。請為工程能順利完成禱告，目前大約還需要五萬元，請為此禱告，也求主加添美國同工Pastor Shull與他孫子的建造工作與平安禱告。

謝謝您在禱告及財務上對基督工人中心的支持。請在禱告、奉獻與邀請人參加聚會的事上，繼續與我們一同擺上，叫神的國得更大的興旺，美中各地得興旺。

在主裡與您一同服事的,

高榮德牧師

 

Training Student Missionaries

Dear Brothers and sisters, peace in the Lord!

Local campus ministry coworkers across the States are concerned about the problem of “the loss of Christians returned to China”. At the end of September more than twenty campus ministers gathered together in Pennsylvania for a meeting hosted by Ambassadors for Christ (AFC). We shared positive results from our ministries, and also we reflected on the rate of the loss of Christians returned to China and what it meant to current campus ministry. At the end of the meeting, we recalled that in 2010 a major influx of young Chinese scholars and students to the States brought campus ministers together at AFC. With much enthusiasm we discussed how to seize this God-given opportunity to advance the campus ministry. At the close of the 2010 meeting, Pastor Edwin Su gave a concluding remark, pointing out that in order to grasp this golden opportunity for campus ministry, the following goals must be achieved: 1) lead the new generation of students to Christ; 2) equip the new generation of students to be disciples; 3) call Chinese students to commit to global missions.

As now we look back seven years, campus ministries in North America achieved only the first goal. We seemed to be satisfied with just salvation of scholars and students and feel at peace at sending them off to China. What a pity it was to find out we lost those brothers and sisters spiritually one by one after they returned! This is attributed to local campus ministries emphasizing the first goal and neglecting the second and third goals. They only focused on leading students to Christ but failed to equip them to become disciples and coworkers who are devoted to missions. At the conclusion of this year’s AFC meeting, campus ministry coworkers determined to build up students as disciples and missionaries! Some coworkers even suggested that we hold student mission conferences and give students an opportunity to flex their influence and muscle in missions.

The main function of a mission conference is to promote the vision of missions as well as call for missionaries. But a student mission conference lasts only for a few days and cannot in that time sufficiently build up students as missionaries! To build up students as missionaries, we need the churches and campus ministries relentlessly pursuing these goals: build up brothers and sisters’ relationship with God; develop disciple character; know the Bible; increase ability to serve; enlarge zeal in evangelism; extend capacity to share and pastoral skills. All these qualifications ought to be cultivated daily by churches and campus fellowships. Students should be encouraged to attend disciple training camps during holiday or semester breaks. Such camps hasten the process of developing a passion and burden for missions, allowing them to be a lay missionary while they are at school. They can lay minister upon graduation if not before.

A lot of people think that the first and foremost requirement of a missionary is whether he or she is willing to be commissioned to share the gospel in faraway places. In fact, the first and foremost qualification is whether he or she has the desire to serve Jesus. For those who have this desire, “they are spiritually mature, able to sustain themselves spiritually, can live by themselves among unbelievers for a long period of time, and can lead others to God”. How many students who returned to China in recent years had this missionary maturity? If students were not built up to be disciples of Christ when they were in their school years, how shall we expect them to have the missionary desire? If the students whom we trained are forever at the receiving end but never are able to give to others, if they only enjoy others’ services but never paid any price for their faith, they are just grass swayed by the wind but never big trees which can stand the storm. If they never have the desire and ability to be missionaries, the reality that mass majority of them were lost spiritually is not surprising. For they are believers and followers but not disciples, not missionaries.

I believe that the following qualifications should be pursued in order to make student missionaries:

1. Spiritual independence. Missionaries are able to stand on their own and need no reminders from spiritually mature older brothers and sisters. They should be faithful in their daily spiritual walk, being devoted in Bible reading, praying, fellowship with God, and fellowship with others. All the above mentioned traits ought to be their daily reality. Moreover, they must be self-sufficient spiritually. They should love reading God’s Word and be willing to humbly learn from others. If there is no one around to teach them, they must be able to nourish themselves from the Word of God and by drawing close to Him.
2. Proactivity. Missionaries should not wait to be told by others what they need to do. They must have discernment regarding areas of need in ministry. They should be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading and react right away. They ought to actively serve in ministry while in college, always finishing their assigned tasks with excellence and willing to go on an extra mile for perfection.
3. Caring and pastoral skills. Missionaries should not wait for others to care for them but take the initiative to care for others. They pay little attention to their own needs but spare no efforts to meet others’ needs. They are also able to feed others with God’s Word. When coming across with unbelieving students or friends, they are bold in sharing the Gospel. This is especially important for equipping the millennials for mission work.
4. Ability to influence others. Missionaries ought to be leaders in order to witness among nonbelievers and initiate changes for Christ not just individually, but in society. We need to equip students with leadership skills so that they will not depend on might or power but use their lives to influence and lead others. We need to remind students to cultivate godly character and exhibit spiritual maturity, using their good grades and everyday testimonies to lead others to the Lord.
5. Ability to build up the church. The purpose of commissioning a missionary is to build up God’s church and Kingdom, witnessing God through the mission field and the church. We need to help students foster a heart to build campus ministry and establish their own student fellowship so that they will be able to plant churches in the future. We also need to encourage students to lead two to three new believers or unbelievers to often study the Bible and pray together at their homes. Leading a small Bible study group is the basis for future missionary work. Should they be able to lead Bible study groups in the States, they will be able to organize and lead Bible study groups upon return to China. As time goes by, such a study group will grow into a small fellowship and even a home church.

Every time I preached in the coastal US, I was told of this: campus ministry is comparatively easier in the Midwest than in the East and West Coast, where students are lured away by too many worldly attractions, thereby indulging in sensual pleasures and not having much interest in spiritual pursuits. Students in the Midwest are purer in heart and are more willing to pursue the spiritual thing. If we say the campus ministry in the Midwest is comparatively easy, it is not because there is no entertainment in the Midwest nor the students here do not know worldly pleasures. It is because CWC and others have been seeing campus ministry as a training base for disciples and missionaries for the past several decades. Without ceasing we have been encouraging students to follow and serve Christ with a sincere heart and lead others to Christ. May every local campus fellowship and church together set this goal for their ministry: build students up as disciples and missionaries!

Thanksgiving East Coast Disciple and Coworker Training Camp

Thank God that Christian Leadership Renewal Center in North Carolina took the initiative to provide their facility for CWC training camps. Their site can accommodate 50-70 people. We will have our first East Coast Disciple and Coworker Training Camp during this Thanksgiving holiday. Speakers are Pastor Joshua Law and Pastor Billy Ko. Please pray for this camp. (Please email abesarah.wang@gmail.com for details.) After Pastor Moses Yu started Disciple Training Camps for students in California in 1977, the training site later moved to the Midwest. Forty years later we are able to begin our training in the East Coast. This is the marvelous work of God, because He hopes to bring more disciples and coworkers with a missionary heart into His Kingdom!

Meetings in the Winter:

1. Winter Conference: The conference that many are looking for is coming soon. CWC coworkers are actively preparing for this meeting. When we meet together, may the Lord help us seek Him in unity and take up the mission given by Him so that we will lead more nonbelievers to be disciples of Christ on local campuses and bring more people to become the mission warriors. The Winter Conference will take place from December 21st evening to 25th noon at the Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center, Kansas city, Missouri. The online registration will start from November 15th to December 17th, 4:00 pm strict due time. The hard copy application form with the detailed programs and the speakers has been posted on the CWC website. Please download it and invite people to attend as early as possible so that more people can get ready to attend. We pray that many lives will be changed by the Lord, nonbelievers will receive the New Life, and the lives of brothers and sisters will be more abundant. We also pray that after the conference we will be able to fight the good fight for God’s Kingdom and God’s House with a renewed vision and mission! We thank God that this year has prepared for us many of His good servants. They include: Pastor John Hsu, Pastor Joshua Ting, Pastor Stephen Kwan, Pastor Luke Zhang, Pastor Gary Hua, Mrs. Nellie Hsu, Pastor Wilson Wong, and more. Their messages are what we need in this era. Please go to our website to take a look. And also please pray for this conference often. May the Lord rekindle brothers and sisters’ hearts and give each of them His revival and mission. Speakers for youth and English section are Brother Edwin Lin, Dr. James Clark, Pastor Steve Tan, and others. Please also pray for Dan and Kathy Davis and other American coworkers who will be leading the children’s program. May the English section, youth program, and children’s program all witness God’s wonderful works!
2. December Disciple and Coworker Training Camp: The purpose of this camp is to equip brothers and sisters to be disciples of the Lord and respond to the calling for missions. They will be trained to become student missionaries on campuses, lead other students to Christ, serve as coworkers in fellowships, and plant campus ministries. Upon graduation, they can become full-time or part time missionaries in their churches or in society. The Disciple Training Camp will take place from December 25th evening to December 30th noon on CWC (Warsaw, MO). The deadline will be strictly observed as December 17th. Please apply early. Please also pray for the speakers, Pastor Joshua Ting and Pastor Wilson Wong.
3. January Bible Camp: The purpose of the Bible Camp is to enhance brothers’ and sisters’ interests in the Bible and establish habits of daily Bible studies. They will not only know how to carefully study the Bible but also can equip themselves to become little shepherds in order to teach or preach the Bible, sharing God’s Word with others. There are some brothers and sisters who will take the course as seminary credits. We believe that many attendees can utilize their research ability received in college to faithfully study the Word of God in depth. We will be studying the history of the Jewish exile, returning to Juda, and waiting for the Lord’s coming (Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Haggai, Zachariah, and Malachi). Attendees must apply before November 15th in order to complete assignments according to the schedule. Praise the Lord! At the end of October there are more than one hundred brothers and sisters registered for this camp. They are now vigorously preparing on various campuses in respective pre-study groups. The Bible Camp will take place from December 31st evening to January 6th noon at CWC near Warsaw, MO. The deadline will be strictly observed on November 15th, 2017. Please apply and start preparation earlier. Please also pray for Pastor Chihao Shen, Sister Chao-Luan Kao, and other speakers. Please also remember this camp in your prayers.

Prayer Requests:

Dining room expansion －We hope that the outer wall will be completed before the middle of November, and then we can continue the interior construction. We hope that the new dining room can be put to use before the December Disciple Training Camp. We hope that the entire dining room construction will be completed before the Gospel Camp next March and the adjacent restroom, storage room, and hallway will be finished before the May Disciple Training Camp. Please pray for the successful completion of this project. Please also pray for the remaining need of $50,000. May the Lord give our American coworker Pastor Shull and his grandson strength and peace.

Thank you for your prayers and financial support to the CWC! Please continue to join our efforts with prayers and offerings and also by inviting people to attend all of our meetings so that the Kingdom of God will be revived and the Gospel in the Midwest will be spread further.

Together in His services,

Pastor Billy Ko