First evangelical church association

 

At the onset of 2021, another year seemed as if it would be unfruitful, especially for those who view productivity as being on the field doing the work – physically traveling to different places to support and encourage missionaries or to network and explore new mission fields. Perhaps anxiousness may cause us to want to do more things, but our Lord has been teaching us to be still and to trust fully in His leading. As we learn to wait, listen, and think through things and circumstances, He is preparing the foundation for the next season. His ways are higher than our ways. Let us then choose faith over fear, choose wisdom over worry and choose prayer over panic.

 

We thank God for our faithful missionaries as they fervently and diligently serve outside of the US in the midst of the pandemic. Just as we have lived through lockdowns due to COVID-19, our missionaries, too, have faced similar limits and restrictions in their travels and gatherings, and yet they have still managed to minister in their communities in new and surprising ways through online meeting platforms that have linked people and groups globally.

 

Zooming with Happiness Group

• Lay leaders and their small group in a city in China have participated in online Bible Study and training meetings coordinated by our FEC-SGV House of Abundance leaders here in the US.

Overseas Church Plants

• Rudy & Diosy faithfully continue to hold in-person Sunday and Wednesday worship services.

• The St. Petersburg & Vasilyevsky Island Churches use the Internet to include student members in China in their worship services and Bible studies.

• Due to security reasons and national events, church plants in China were instructed not to meet in big gatherings, but two to three families could meet in their homes.

Ministry Partners

• Many missionaries have been in the US for furlough and home assignments, and some are waiting for their travel documents to return to the field.

Missions and Social Concerns

• Our member churches donated close to $100,000 to several ministry partners, who provided medical and food relief to people ill with COVID-19 in the India region.

 

Plans for 2022 and Beyond

While we will continue to support overseas missionaries and missions, we cannot ignore that God is bringing unreached and unengaged people groups (UUPGs) to the United States. This latest wave of refugees and new immigrants is settling in our neighborhoods. Their children will be studying with our children in our schools. They will work alongside many of us. Let us look for ways to welcome and engage with our new neighbors and help them to settle into this new land.

 

 

+An unreached or least-reached people is a people group among which there is no indigenous community of believing Christians with adequate numbers and resources to evangelize this people group without outside assistance.   An unengaged unreached people group (UUPG) has no known active church planting underway.   ++There are currently 151 Unengaged, Unreached People Groups, over 500 in population and still dwelling in their ancestral homeland, being prioritized for ministry.

 

Let us heed Jesus’ call to make disciples of all nations.

 

+Definition provided by The Joshua Project www.joshuaproject.net

++Finishing the Task   www.finishingthetask.com

 

 

2021年伊始，尤其對於視在地工作（即必須親往外地支持宣教士或發展新宣教工場）才能產生實效的人來說，看似又是一年無甚果效的日子。焦慮或許會催逼人做更多事情，但我們的主卻教導我們要休息，並全然信靠祂的帶領。當我們正學習等候、聆聽和反覆思量的時候，祂是在為下一階段預備根基。祂的道路高過我們的道路。因此，讓我們選擇信心而非恐懼，選擇智慧而非憂慮，選擇禱告而非慌張。

 

我們為忠心的宣教士感謝神，他們在疫情中仍熱切勤懇地在美國以外地區服事。正如我們經歷防治新冠病毒的緊急封鎖令，宣教士們同樣受到各地出入境和集會的限制，但他們仍努力以各種新方法來服事，並透過網上平台讓世界各地信徒群體聚集起來。

 

「幸福小組」視訊會議

• 在中國的平信徒領袖和小組參加了由聖迦谷羅省基督教會豐盛之家帶領的網上查經和培訓聚會。

         海外植堂事工

• 在墨西哥的 Rudy 和 Diosy 夫婦在主日和週三持續主領實體崇拜。

• 在俄羅斯聖彼得堡和瓦西里島的教會以互聯網提供崇拜和查經聚會，包括在中國的學生信徒都一起參加。

• 由於安全原因和國家活動，在中國的植堂教會須停止大型聚集，只有兩、三個家庭獲准一起在家聚會。

        夥伴同工

• 很多宣教士因述職和休假留在美國，有些須等候辦理入境簽證返回工場。

         宣教與社會關懷

• 「聯會」各會員教會共籌得近十萬美元，支持幾位事工夥伴在印度及其鄰近地區的服事，在新冠病毒疫情嚴峻期間提供醫療及賑濟物資給染病居民。

 

2022 年及往後的計劃

我們一方面支持在海外的宣教士及宣教事工，同時不能忽視神把「鮮聞福音及未聞福音群體」(unreached and unengaged people groups, UUPGs) 帶來了美國。新一波的難民和新移民正在美國境內各社區安家落戶，他們的子女將與我們的子女一起在學校上課學習。他們也會與我們一起工作。讓我們尋找合宜的方法去歡迎他們，幫助他們認識新鄰居和融入這片新土地。

 

 

+「鮮聞福音群體」 (an unreached or least-reached people) 是指該族群中並無本土基督徒信仰群體的人數及資源在不受外來協助之下足以使該族群福音化。「未聞福音及鮮聞福音群體」 (unengaged unreached people group, UUPG) 是該族群尚無已知的活躍植堂事工在進行中。++目前世界各地有 151 個「未聞福音及鮮聞福音群體」是人口超過 500 人而仍居於先祖原居地，被列為事工優先對象。

 

讓我們順從耶穌的呼召，使萬民作門徒。

 

+The Joshua Project www.joshuaproject.net提供的定義。

++Finishing the Task www.finishingthetask.net提供的定義。

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