EFCSB - 2010 主題：「凡事謝恩 各處傳揚」

Dear coworkers:

I have been thinking for some time about having more joint Friday night meetings. I have discussed this with some (but not all) of you.

What I have in mind is that I organize a joint Friday night meeting once a month. We could have speaker to talk about some topics that we normally won’t have on Sunday sermons. We could also have some small group discussion that we have mixed groups to enhance the interactions among three fellowships. I like to see more mingling together among us. Taiwanese congregation doesn’t have Friday night meeting except choir practice. If some of their members like to join, I would welcome them too. However, at this stage, the planning is mainly considering the needs of our own. Let me share with you why I have been thinking about this.

• Normally, people come to the Sunday service and we tend to feel happy because he/she comes to church. However, the relationship tends to be very loose. It is hard to encourage those people to come to every Friday night meeting. However, it is much easier (still hard for some) to encourage them to come once a month. If one develops the “habit” of coming once a month, it is much easier for him/her to come more regularly to other Fellowship meetings. Then, we have chance to build up close relationship with him/her.
• The second purpose is what I mentioned earlier to enhance the mingling among us.

I am planning to have it on a fixed Friday (say, every first Friday of each month). The other Friday nights, the three fellowships still plan the meetings as we are doing now. I would be the one coordinate the efforts. The anticipated frequent trips of my own is a big concern to me and I desperately need support in this area if you agree this is a direction to go.

I like to know your opinions. Please feel free to express any comments and concerns.

Peter

Dear All:

I just returned from a trip to Seattle. I took the chance to drive to Canada to visit a couple that we haven’t met for 20 years. This is the season that leaves change colors. I missed the peak time. Besides, the rain in the previous week had swept many leaves to the ground. Yet, the scenery was beautiful. I enjoyed the driving except the long delay while crossing the border.

I noticed different trees reacted to the whether very differently. Some of them just quietly dry up, turn into brown and fall. The others use the last sip of energy to illuminate with whole tree of rightfulness and colorfulness before saying freeware to the world. Even the same kind of trees may present a very different face to the passing cars. I told myself. If I were a tree I would be the one that shines.

My scientific head told me that a tree actually doesn’t have much choice. The DNA determines what kind of tree it is. The location and the surrounding climate mandate the leave colors. Nonetheless, we are different. Our genes do have important effects on us. However, we do have some control on our destiny. I am entering the autumn season of my personal life. I do have a desire that God use my life for another season that may brighten people around me and bring the true light to this dark world.

On the trip, I finished reading “Rediscovering Church” (By Lynne and Bill Hybels). It brought lots of deep thinkings to me. On coming Sunday, I’ll preach in Mandarin service. I like to share more with you. Some of you probably notice I am changing. I have decided to play a different role in our congregation. I have decided to take a different approach in many different things. I have a prayer that we are not just keep our congregation going. I expect ( and I believe God wants us) to transform our congregation to a different kind. Quite often I feel the church has “addicted to mediocrity“. (This is the word in the book I read) Let’s refuse to be like that. Please pray for me for my Sunday sermon. I have a burden to share with you for what I think God is leading us to. This weekend I have lots of commitments. Tomorrow I need to go to Bread of Life church to lead a meeting. Tomorrow night, leading another fellowship meeting at Emmanuel Fellowship. Sunday morning, I’ll teach a new series of Sunday school lessons at brother Yunn-Tay’s class. As a result, I decided to skip the church Board member orientation on Saturday. I do have a burden to share with you but feel it is so hard to get the message across. Let’s pray together and ask His Spirit to work among us.

Attached is a PowerPoint file I received this morning from Good News Fellowship of Bread of Life Church. The author is unknown to me but lots of things for us to think about.  noah-ark-ppt.ppt

See you Friday night and Sunday.

Peter