Peace in the Lord, brothers and sisters!
As you receive this prayer letter, we are currently on the road for the September Short-Term Mission (STM) trip (September 11–20), joined by 45 team members from 5 churches across Texas and the West Coast. This trip takes us to areas further from the Center, spanning from Grand Forks, ND, and Duluth, MN, near the Canadian border in the north, down to Midland and Lubbock, TX, in the south; extending west to Hays, KS, near the Colorado border, and east to Montgomery, AL, near the Gulf of Mexico. This journey covers 1,300 miles north-to-south and nearly 1,100 miles west-to-east.
This will be the Center’s final important program to close out our busy 2026 before we head to the Winter meetings. Please continue supporting the feet of the STM team with your prayers. Upon returning on September 20, I will begin preparing for three upcoming winter gatherings. Though we may seem delayed, we are never late; please begin preparing your hearts to participate.
Our theme for this year’s prayer letters is “Rooted and Built Up, Attaining to Maturity.” As the September STM team ministers on various college campuses, Pastor Charles Huang shares in this issue: “ The Importance of Gospel Outreach in the New Academic Year | Seizing the Opportunities for Evangelism and Harvest Fields.” May this serve as a reminder and encouragement for us all.
The Importance of Gospel Outreach in the New Academic Year | Seizing the Opportunities for Evangelism
God created all things with a purpose. The sun can shine and emit heat; water can sustain life, providing moisture for living organisms and regulating the earth’s temperature through the water cycle; trees can provide oxygen, sequester carbon, and offer shade and shelter for ecosystems; bees can pollinate flowering plants, thereby ensuring the continuation of plant species and food production. Every created thing should have the ability to fulfill its created purpose; what about man? We, too, ought to fulfill the purpose for which God created us. Humanity is created in the image and likeness of God, so we are like God; therefore, we should be the most capable of living out God’s glory and beauty. Through our lives being transformed to become more like Jesus, and by proclaiming the gospel of Jesus, we bring glory to Him.
“Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness. Seeing the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore plead with the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.’” — Matthew 9:35–38 (NASB)
God the Son, Jesus, the Word became flesh and came into the world, becoming our most exalted example—an example of glorifying God the Father. He obeyed the Father’s will, proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom, and ultimately died on the cross in the place of sinners to resolve the problem of human sin, and rose again on the third day. Jesus diligently preached, showed compassion to people, and sympathized with the lost. He saw vast multitudes in need of salvation and the gospel of the kingdom, but those capable of preaching the gospel were far too few. Therefore, Jesus taught His disciples to plead with God the Father to send out more workers to preach the Gospel of salvation.
After becoming Christians, we realize that most people around us have never heard the gospel, and their souls are in need of salvation. The Apostle John said: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” — John 3:16 In the end, there are only two paths and two ultimate destinations: either perishing or receiving eternal life. When we see people living without Jesus, how do we react – with compassion, or with indifference? May the Lord help us have the heart of Jesus to show compassion to those who need the gospel.
Living abroad provides a distinct advantage for evangelism. Overseas, we leave behind our hometowns and comfort zones to study, live, and make a living in a foreign land. It is not easy, but in these challenging circumstances, people’s hearts often become softer They feel a deeper need for something secure to rely on and are more open to the gospel. By contrast, if we were in our home country with a comfortable, convenient, and easy life, we would not feel a sense of need, and naturally, gospel ministry would be more difficult. Praise the Lord! We are situated in many American college towns surrounded by newly arrived international students and new immigrants; these are vast harvest fields for us to share the gospel. We don’t need to travel far for short-term mission trips; great opportunities to share the Gospel are integrated into our daily lives.
The new academic year is the time when new students first arrive on campuses. They are interested in the new environment and are more open to making new friends. When they have practical needs in life, this is our golden window of opportunity to build genuine relationships with them. This initial window for connecting is limited—perhaps a year, or even just six months —making it a vital time to share the gospel. Study abroad is a rare opportunity to these new students, and we should have a sense of urgency to quickly contact and reach out to them. Meanwhile, we should prepare ourselves well beforehand so that when the new semester begins, we are ready to engage in outreach ministry for the Lord. Paul says: “Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.” — Colossians 4:5–6 (NASB)
God has placed us on the earth for a purpose; wherever we are, we must acknowledge His good will and guidance (Proverbs 3:5–6). Many are pursuing the “American Dream”, but as disciples of Jesus, we have a higher vision. We recognize that God has placed us here in America so that we may participate His eternal plan of redemption, using us to save the lost souls. Whether utilizing the ideal gospel field God has provided or seizing the golden window for building friendships, we must step forward. While we still have the opportunity, time, and health, we ought to mobilize—diligently preparing ourselves to preach the gospel. Just as God placed Esther in the royal palace of Persia to save His people Israel:
“And who knows whether you have attained royalty for such a time as this?” — Esther 4:14b (NASB)
My family and I reside in the college town of Champaign, Illinois, where one to two thousand new Chinese students come to study at UIUC each year, making it such a vast harvest field. May the Lord use all His Kingdom workers to seize this opportunity for evangelism, engaging effectively in outreach, gospel sharing, and disciple-making. May we all live fully to fulfill the purpose for which God created us, glorifying Him by carrying out the Great Commission of Jesus!
Future Meetings
1. December Winter Conference (Dec 23 evening – Dec 27 noon) This year’s Winter Conference will take place at the Marriott St. Louis Grand Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri. Please plan your schedule early and invite church brothers, sisters, and gospel friends. God has prepared a rich roster of speakers – Pastor Caleb Huang: Theme messages and Bible study/revival meetings; Pastor Luke Zhang: Evangelistic meetings and special gospel topics; Elder Daniel Luan: Special seminar on ministry; Elder Eric Wu: Special seminar on spiritual growth; Pastor David Lu: Special seminar on prophecy; Mrs. Debbie Wu: Special seminar on families. Please do not miss this spiritual feast! Registration details will be posted on our website soon. Online registration opens November 15, with a strict deadline of December 20 at 4:00 PM.
2. December Discipleship Training (Dec 27 evening – Jan 2 noon) Discipleship Training begins immediately the night Winter Conference ends. We are grateful that Pastor Tong Sun and Pastor Guang Chen will be teaching. Pastor Sun (President and Professor of Old Testament at Christian Leadership Institute) is a familiar face to us and frequently conducts church training in Asia. Pastor Guang Chen will be teaching with us for the first time. Originally from Shandong, he grew up in a Christian home, came to the U.S. for studies, and worked as an electrical engineer for 23 years. In January 2011, he answered God’s calling, resigned from engineering, and entered seminary. He earned his M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, followed by a Ph.D. in Old Testament from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He currently pastors at Chinese for Christ Berkeley Church in California. Online registration forms are available on our website. Please reserve your time and invite others to be equipped.
3. January Bible Camp (Jan 3 evening – Jan 9 noon, 2027) We will study Books of Daniel and Revelation, taught by Pastor Samuel Yang. Nearly 40 brothers and sisters have already submitted their registration forms. The registration deadline is November 15. Registration forms and syllabus have been posted on the CWC website click here; please start your preparations early.
Past Ministry Reports
1. August Bible Camp (July 26 evening – Aug 1 noon)Over 70 participants studied the “Books of Poetry” under the teaching of Pastor Daniel Shen. Many submitted their January Bible Camp registrations right after. If you missed this session, please register for both the December Discipleship Training and the January Bible Camp since completing Discipleship Training is a prerequisite for attending Bible Camp.
2. August Discipleship Training (Aug 2 evening – Aug 8 noon)Over 40 participants attended—our highest August attendance in recent years. We thank God for Brother David Lee and Pastor Tsu-kung Chuang, who taught on topic ranges including “Lord, Teach Me to Pray” and “From Justification to Sanctification.”, “Hermeneutics,” “Leading Bible Studies,” “Homiletics,” “Cultural Apologetics,” “Evangelism Strategies,” and “The Pros and Cons of Short-Term Missions,” “A Retrospective on the Unforgettable Christ,” and “First-Century Discipleship”. We look forward to having more people to come, receive training, and experience spiritual growth.
3. August STM Trip (Aug 21 – 30)Total of 44 participants formed 5 teams from the East and West Coasts ministered in Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi. Praise the Lord that He blessed their efforts with the fruits of salvation.
Sunday Online Bible Study & Prayer Meeting
Every month we post the prayer requests on our website. You can remember us in your personal prayers, or pray for us at your church’s prayer meetings. However, a great opportunity to pray together with the center’s coworkers is during the Bible reading and prayer meeting led by the coworkers every Sunday night at 7 PM. This prayer meeting also has the purpose of helping everyone to start preparing for the Bible Camp in advance, so that when the time comes, you won’t be caught unprepared and think about giving up. Of course, if you are not attending the Bible Camp, you can still systematically study the Bible with us. This semester, we will be studying the ‘Daniel and Revelation’. In the first 30 minutes, the coworkers will lead everyone in studying the Daniel and Revelation chapter by chapter plus guidance on how to study, write outlines, and topical reports. In the second 30 minutes, we will pray in one accord for CWC ministry and coworkers according to the monthly prayer calendar. So if you are willing to pray for us, you can join our Bible reading and prayer meeting. In order not to affect the brothers and sisters’ work and school the next day, we have shortened it to one hour (7:00-8:00 PM Central Time). We will use Zoom, with the ID: 85888709271, and the password: 567482. We invite everyone to come and study the Bible together and pray for the center.
Thanksgiving and Prayer Requests
1. Praise the Lord for guiding the August STM teams. Continue praying for the September STM team to bear fruit and bring blessings wherever they go.
2. Pray for the three meetings (Dec 23 – Jan 9). Pray the Lord to prepare hearts to attend and grant coworkers wisdom for planning.
3. For Coworkers:
· Mrs. Ko: Thankful for God’s grace sustaining my weaknesses during times of need, leading me through mountains and valleys to experience true peace found only in trusting Him. Please pray that I remain faithful and obedient to His will, running the race without growing weary.
· Sister Cindy Chiang: Pray for the September STM team to bear much fruit and bring joy and peace to churches in the Midwest region. Pray for wisdom, physical strength, and spiritual power as I jump into preparing for the three winter events right after the STM trip.
· Pastor Qinglong Liang: Pray for a joyful, thankful heart preparing for the Sept 11–20 Midwest STM; for self-denial and patience while leading family to serve local churches in Columbia, MO, and the Midwest field; for the Oct 16–26 West Coast church visits; and for family members in China to selflessly follow Jesus and serve those around them.
· Pastor Charles Huang: Pray for more quiet time with the Lord; God’s blessing on pastoring Champaign Church, new semester campus outreach, gospel small groups, and the September Alabama STM. Pray for his seminary studies, his newly believing parents to settle into church life, and his son Jeremy’s adjustment as a freshman at Moody Bible Institute.
· Scott Jerome: 1) Prayers for foster boys who are under our care will be transitioning back to their parents; 2) Pray for the health condition of Scott’s parents; 3) Pray for healings on Scott’s arm/shoulder pain.
4. For Finances: Pray for the various monthly financial needs of the center (general expenses, building funds, training expenses, etc.), asking the Lord to demonstrate His abundant provision and to allow more people to experience the blessing of giving.
5. For More Coworkers: Pray that the Lord would touch and guide more new coworkers to join the CWC ministry, so that the gospel work in the Midwest may experience even greater growth and flourishing.
Emmanuel
In the Lord,
Sister Cindy Chiang