Social Concern 2021 Report
World Vision Global 6K for Water
This was the second year we participated in the World Vision Global 6K for Water. The event took place on May 22 at different locations hosted by our member churches. Although we were still in the midst of a pandemic, the number of participants and collected donations significantly increased from last year. There were 457 registered runners/walkers among all FECA teams, and $62,832 was raised. These funds could provide clean water for 1,257 people for an entire year.
Walking Tours
Los Angeles has a very rich history of early immigrant settlement. Life stories from the past provide powerful lessons for social concerns. We are organizing walking tours to enrich this kind of hands-on learning experience. Besides the popular Downtown Los Angeles Power Tour, the one we conducted this year on September 11 was a visit to the Great Wall of Los Angeles mural in the San Fernando Valley. Most of our Social Concern Committee members took part in this activity. It is our hope that they are equipped to organize similar tours for their church groups in the future.
Response to Anti-Asian Hate Incidents
The Chinese community had not been proactive in responding to racism until the surge of anti-Asian hate incidents this year. We drafted a statement expressing our solidarity with victims of racism, while proclaiming, from a biblical perspective, our stance against all forms of racism. This statement has been posted on the FECA website (https://www.feca.org/feca-statement-on-anti-asian-attack). To further our involvement in this cause, we have been connecting with other Christian AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islanders) organizations as part of a collective effort.
Empowering Member Churches
The main goal of our ministry is to cultivate awareness of social concern among our member churches, based on biblical teachings. We aim to empower each member church to initiate their own ministry serving the needs of their local communities. We are glad to see that many member churches have taken active steps in serving their neighborhoods during the pandemic: providing community care, organizing blood drives and vaccination events, ministering to new immigrants, etc.
社會關懷事工報告
世界宣明會「環球六公里，為水齊邁步」活動
今年是我們第二年參加由世界宣明會主辦的「環球六公里，為水齊邁步」籌款活動，各會員教會在5月22日於不同地點舉行。雖然新冠病毒疫情未止，但無論參加人數或收集善款都比去年大幅增加，共有457名跑手籌得$62,832，足以供給貧窮地區1,257人一整年的潔淨用水。
徒步遊訪之旅
洛杉磯地區承載著豐富的初代移民聚居落戶歷史，過去很多血淚故事為社會關懷課題提供鮮活的教材。我們安排各項徒步行程以豐富弟兄姊妹的實境學習體驗。除了廣受歡迎的洛杉磯下城「歷史發展及權能轉移行程」(Power Tour)，今年9月11日我們遊訪了聖費爾南多谷的「洛杉磯長城」壁畫群。大多數「聯會」社關委員會的成員參加了此行程，往後他們將為各自教會提供類似的小組活動。
回應反亞裔仇恨事件
今年發生多宗反亞裔仇恨襲擊事件之前，在美華裔社群鮮少主動回應有關種族歧視的問題。我們為此撰寫了一份聲明，表達與種族歧視受害人團結一致的立場，同時根據聖經觀點，反對任何形式的種族歧視。此聲明上載於「聯會」網站 (https://www.feca.org/copy-of-feca-statement-on-anti-asia)。為加強在此方面的努力，我們並與其他基督徒亞裔和太平洋諸島居民組織交流合作。
鼓勵各會員教會發展社關事工
我們事工的一個主要目標是協助各會員教會按著聖經的教導來培育對社關的認知意識。我們鼓勵各會員教會發揮主導力量，按所在社區的需要提供服事。過去一年在疫情期間，很多會員教會都在各自的社區中關愛居民，包括提供社區關懷、安排捐血及疫苗接種事務，以及服事新移民等等。