Dear Brothers and Sisters, Peace to you in the Lord!

The polar vortex attacked the whole US during Mid-February (precisely during Lunar New Year). Even in south Texas, the icy slippery roads caused massive vehicle pileup accidents. Millions of families were out of power and water throughout the state. Warsaw, where CWC is located, at that time even also had single-digit daytime temperatures and temperatures below zero at night. In addition to snows 3-4 inches on and off for a week, it was unusually cold. But thanks to the Lord, the CWC maintenance coworker had prepared in advance. Besides carefully monitoring each building’s temperatures, he used a snow blade to clear snow as soon as the snow stopped. Not only were our center’s roads cleaned, but we also helped our neighbors to clear up the main roads. They are very grateful. So CWC co workers had no problem going in and out. We thank God for this (the pictures were posted on the prayer calendar).

Pandemic Watchman

But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand. (Ezekiel 33:6)

During this past year, when the news media broadcast regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, they usually have reported current infection data and charts of the conditions of hot spots, especially the number of confirmed cases in the US and death numbers. Then they will list the infection and death numbers worldwide. When we see the total daily numbers, it is indeed frightening. Till now there have been over 28 million people infected in the US and a death toll of over half a million. The large numbers sound quite scary. But sometimes we are concerned about not only the current confirmed cases and death tolls, but also comparing this week to last week, this month to last month’s data to see whether it has increased or decreased. Is the pandemic getting worse or has it slowed down some? The news reports on the pandemic daily. Some churches even list pandemic data at each week’s meetings. This certainly causes fear in people, thinking, “So many people have gotten infected. When will it be my turn?” These numbers also cause many people to live in fear, affecting their eating and sleep. I have been thinking, “Why does the media report the accumulated numbers?” There may be a few reasons: 1. To remember each person died from the virus because their lives were precious, we need to list them one by one. 2. If there is an opportunity to find who’s at fault in the future, the accumulated number could be useful. 3. It allows people to realize the seriousness of the pandemic and remind others to be careful to protect themselves.  

Besides looking at the death toll from the pandemic, shall we also look at how many people died in the past year? How many people died every month, every hour, every minute? Based on more precise data from a scientific aspect, worldwide, 1.8 people die every second, 106 people per minute, 6,360 people per hour, 152,640 people per day and 55,713,600 people per year. This is a very large number. When we look at this number, do we have a feeling of urgency in our hearts? How many Christians die per minute? How many will die before they believe in the Lord and go to hell? When we think of this, we will see the importance and urgency of evangelism. When we are concerned about the pandemic, we should be more concerned about the lost souls of the world because each soul is so precious and worthy of memory. If we care about the pandemic’s death toll, then from the viewpoint of a Christian, we should care even more about each lost soul.  We may see those people today but have no idea whether they will be still around next month. Do we still have the opportunity to see them again? We know that one day God will ask us if we have shared the Gospel to others? If we have not, God’s judgment will be upon us. May the Lord help us especially during the pandemic that we not just focus on protecting ourselves or live in fear. But we should become people who love the Lord. Have we fulfilled the Great Commission that God has given us? During the past year of pandemic disturbance some churches’ function of evangelism seems to be weakening, possibly even with no new people to have believed in the Lord—nor baptism. Do not forget. If we are only concerned about protecting ourselves, one day God will find fault in us that we have not done our duty—to share the Gospel with the lost souls surrounding our lives. God has assigned Christians to be watchmen during this pandemic. “But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.” (Ezekiel 33:6) Here we can see that God has assigned a watchman in each city. Including now during the pandemic, God has already assigned us to be the watchmen. He does not ask us to only watch the fluctuation of infection numbers, nor number deaths, but become watchmen to warn others, “All have sinned. God’s judgment is at hand! Man’s life doesn’t last forever but can pass at any time. God’s grace calls us to fully repent, leave sin, and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.” While this is not an easy task, the Bible says that what is most important is neither worrying about if someone listens to the Gospel and repents or not, nor his response to the Gospel. For if they listen, they will be free from God’s judgment. If they do not listen and still live according to their own will and habits, they will perish. Ultimately, God will not count this as the watchman’s fault. God will judge those who heard but refused the warnings. Their sins are on themselves. Most important for the watchman is to have faithfully done his job—doing his best to fulfill the duty of evangelism and help the lost to repent. If we have not shared and souls are lost, God will say, “his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.” May the Lord help us to be a faithful watchman during the COVID-19 pandemic. When we are doing our duty faithfully, we will see God use us to lead more people to the Lord.

Today is the day to share the Gospel! March Gospel Camp will begin soon. May the Lord help us to do our best to share the Gospel, register early, pray and invite non-believers to attend. God will do a mighty work in their hearts. One thing that has surprised me is that it seems Christians are nervous about the pandemic and too afraid to come to churches for in person meetings. But non-believers are not as afraid as Christians. Our church’s Friday night fellowship groups are mostly in virtual format, but the Gospel group is held in person at church. Coworkers told me, after we resumed the Gospel group meeting in person, there were some non-believers who had come in the past who had called and inquired about the meeting time to attend the meeting. These non-believers took the initiative to contact the coworkers. It seems Christians are more afraid of the pandemic than non-believers. This certainly is a reminder for us.  Many non-believers are waiting for us to share the Gospel with them and invite them to come to church. May the Lord help us to realize that we are the watchmen during the pandemic, that we need to do our duty to share the Gospel with urgency and grasp the chance to invite others to come to the in-person Gospel camp held on March 12-15. Only when non-believers set aside time to pay attention to the Gospel will God work mightily to draw people to Himself. Many think that Gospel camp is for non-believers only and Christians do not need to come. This is not true. If Christians do not come to the Gospel camp, non-believers will not come either. We need to tell our non-believing friends, “I have signed up for Gospel Camp. Will you come with me? I have space in my car, and you are welcome to come with me.” When we pray for them this way and invite them, God will be at work. May the Lord help us to once again be good watchmen and faithfully share the Gospel with others. 

(Below ministry report was written by Sister Cindy Chiang)

March Gospel Camp (The evening of March 12 staying until noon on the 15th)

Spring break is only one week away! Reflecting on the past year, many churches utilized a virtual format due to the pandemic. In addition, with many countries having closed their borders—and changes in American policy on China—non-believers seem to have disappeared. This year we not only hope the pandemic will be over soon but that many churches can resume normal meetings and brothers and sisters can cheerfully return to in person service. We truly hope the church can resume her important function—”fulfill the Great Commission from Jesus and save many people.” CWC camp is located by a lake in the woods, sparsely populated and fresh air. It is far away from the crowd and virus compared to major cities. In addition, we have spacious dorms and a cafeteria that complies with the county’s only requirement of six feet social distancing. As a result, we have resumed in person camps since last August. This year’s Gospel Camp will be held in person as well from the evening of March 12 ‘til noon of the 15th. Our speakers are Rev. Zhijun Wang and Rev. Puong Ong Lau. Brothers and sisters, please grasp this opportunity to share the Gospel with non-believers. Of course, Gospel Camp not only provides evangelistic messages, but also prepares revival, discipleship, and special topics for believers. The theme of the camp is “Life’s predicament and the way out” tailored for the needs of 2021. Please pray earnestly for the Gospel Camp speakers and non-believers! May the Spirit of the Lord do mighty work. The expense for the Gospel Camp is a freewill offering as usual. The application has been posted on the CWC website. Please prepare your heart to join us.

May Disciple and Coworker Training Camp (May 23-28)

Due to the entanglement of the pandemic, we believe each person has had a memorable experience in 2020. We pray that after the difficulties of last year, this year will be a turning year for us personally and for the whole church. After a year of quarantine, we can all come out to equip ourselves at the feet of our Lord to make up the lost time from last year’s “famine year” which was eaten up by the locusts! For example, last May’s camp was held virtually due to the pandemic. After last August and December in person Disciple Training camps, we still plan to hold the camp in person. Please register as soon as you can. Our speakers are Rev. Edwin Su, Rev. David Wu and CWC coworkers. Please pray for the May Training Camp and prepare yourselves and encourage other believers to attend. The registration form has been posted online. Please visit the CWC webpage for details.

Memorial Day Weekend Lay-Minister Disciple Training Camp (May 28-31)

The Midwest is short of full-time ministers and student numbers fluctuate greatly. The ones who reside locally to work or teach become a stable force in Midwest campus fellowships and churches. They are more mature and have certain life experiences. If they can be well-equipped not only on biblical knowledge, but in character, life witness, and walking in the Words of the Lord, they can be good examples for the younger students and scholars. This camp is especially for the believers who are working. It is short, only taking up an extended weekend. Even so, believers are still expected to attend full time diligently. We suggest brothers and sisters consider taking Friday afternoon off so that you can arrive at the camp by 5:30pm for the classes. This camp is only held once a year. Please grasp the opportunity to attend. If you work and want to attend Bible Camp (required attendance of disciple training camp within the past two years), this is a great opportunity for working people. Full Time students (TA, RA or PhD students are not counted as working full time) must first attend May Disciple Training Camp (May 23-28), then stay over to attend this camp. Our speakers are Rev. Edwin Su, Rev. David Wu and CWC coworkers. The registration form has been posted online. Please visit the CWC webpage for more details.

August Bible Camp (August 1-7)

Usually, August Bible camp has more reading due to the longer preparation time (8 months) compared to the January Bible camp (only 4 months). This time we are studying the Major Prophets. These books are challenging to most believers, even ministers. Quoting one Bible Camp speaker’s words, “The prophets scolding about this and that, we have no idea what they are scolding about.” The major prophet books include eras from the divided kingdom, exile and return from exile. As a result, when we read these books, we also need to understand the historical background. It is not easy to read these books. The same speaker continued, “Trying to tackle difficult books, let us hold hands. Speakers, coworkers, and mature believers pulling us upward, let us together climb over this big mountain.” Therefore, we have posted a syllabus, registration form, and study guide on the CWC webpage in January. Many people have started preparing for it after the end of the January Bible Camp. It is still not too late to register. Our speakers are Rev. Samuel Ho and CWC coworkers. Rev. Ho has four doctoral degrees and is an Old Testament scholar. He is the vice dean and chair in SAGOS Institute of Preaching and Bible Exposition at San Jose, CA. The strict deadline for registration is June 15. Please do not miss out. Click here to register and for details.

Pastor Ko’s update and Online Sunday Bible study and Prayer Meeting

We are grateful for brothers and sisters praying without ceasing for such a long time individually and cooperatively to intercede for Pastor Ko in front of the Mercy Seat. Pastor Ko’s condition has been making stable progress. He has moved back to Columbia to his house and returns to St Louis to see the doctor only when needed. His hair has grown back, and he is in good spirits. But the road to recovery is still very long. Please hold onto the prayer line and no slacking. Please continue to pray for Pastor Ko and remember his family (Mrs. Ko, Pastor Ko’s sister, and daughter Sarah when her company allows her to work from home) taking care of him long-term. We have posted the latest update on Pastor Ko’s condition on CWC’s webpage each weekend. Please continue to pray for him. If you want to see him, you are welcome to join our online prayer meeting and Bible study every Sunday at 6:30pm (Central Time). The Zoom meeting ID is 8110999917. The passcode is 737903. Please join us.

Prayer Requests

1. For camps:
   • March Gospel Camp: Please pray for the believers to attend and invite more non-believers, that non-believers will have new lives through this camp.  May God give speakers the message and words to say. Pray for coworkers’ service. May the Lord be glorified.
   • May Disciple Training Camp: May the Lord prepare more people to be edified to be the Lord’s disciples.
   • May Lay-Minister Disciple Training Camp: May the Lord prepare more working brothers and sisters’ hearts to be equipped and be the Lord’s disciples. 
   • Youth Disciple Training Camp (June 6-12): It was cancelled last year due to the pandemic. May the Lord prepare the youths’ hearts to be equipped in this age, not walking the path of the world, but preparing themselves to follow the Lord all their lives and live for the Lord.
   • August Bible Camp: Pray for those who already registered to study the Bible diligently. Pray for the ones who want to root themselves in the Word of God but haven’t registered yet that they will register quickly and start preparing homework very soon.
2. For CWC Coworkers
   • Pastor Ko and Mrs. Ko: Pastor Ko’s recovery and Mrs. Ko’s hyper-thyroid condition makes her tired very easily. Pray for Sister Mei Fung Ko and their daughter Sarah who are taking care of Pastor Ko long-term. May the Lord give them sufficient strength.
   • Sister Cindy Chiang: Thank God for the completion of year-end accounting and tax works. She has resumed serving in various locations over the weekends. May the Lord not only give her Words from above, but also keep her safe on the road. Also pray for her administrative duties in CWC during the weekdays. May the Lord give her wisdom and use her mightily.
   • Brother Qing-Long Liang: For his ministry in Columbia, MO and Kirksville. May the Lord use him to preach the Truth faithfully and lead others to be the Lord’s disciples. God will use his family to be good witnesses for the Lord.
   • Rev. Charles Huang: Pray for his ministry and collaboration with local Chinese churches around Champaign, IL. His whole family will move to Champaign, IL in March. May the Lord watch over his family as they start a new ministry field, adjust to a new environment and the three children adjust well in new schools.
   • American Coworker Scott Jerome: Pray for the maintenance coworker and his family. May the Lord bless the work of his hands.
3. For Expansion project: Pray for the construction of the children’s activity center. May the Lord watch over Pastor Harold Shull and his grandson’s safety during building and progress of the project. He has heart problems. Pray for the expanse of the building project.
4. For Financial need:  Pray for the monthly need of CWC. May the Lord show his rich provision and allow more people experience the blessing of giving.
5. For CWC: We are thankful for the Lord protecting the camp over the winter. We did not suffer any damage during the polar vortex. May the Lord touch and lead more new coworkers to join CWC ministry so the various Midwest ministries will thrive.
6. For the pandemic: May the Lord let His children not be afraid of the entanglement of the pandemic and faithfully and bravely witness for the Lord and serve the Lord in their churches diligently! May the Lord use the vaccines to control the pandemic. May the Lord heal the believers who are infected, that God will not only heal their bodies, but relieve their depressed hearts. Relying on the name of Jesus, let us brag about victory over Satan.

2020 Offering Receipt:

We have mailed out all your offering receipts. If you have not received it yet, it means the address was incorrect and has returned to CWC. Please contact CWC. Thank you for your financial support. In the new year, please continue to remember our needs. May the Lord continue to magnify the effectiveness of our ministry to lead more to the Lord, make more disciples, and raise more coworkers to serve the Lord.

Immanuel!

 

In the Lord,

Pastor Billy Ko