April 15-16, 2023

From the Pastor’s Desk:Pastor Karen Quan

Dear brothers and sisters of RCAC,

We all desire to be led well, but how does that happen? Faithful leaders are raised and need time to grow. To make mistakes, to adjust, to fail and to turn to Jesus again and again. For it is only by His grace that anyone of us can be entrusted to lead others. In the Children’s Ministry, we are thankful to be able to offer the “Servant Leadership Class for Gr. 6’s In Person”. Taking this class doesn’t guarantee that a good leader will be made but rather it’s an opportunity to grow in Christlikeness at this critical time of moving into the teen years.

We believe that it is Christ who grows and shapes each person. No matter how old they are or how much experience they’ve had. Servant leadership focuses on how to BE a servant more than lead others. It is only in engaging in the process of actively following Jesus that we can be transformed and changed into His likeness. We are never too young to begin our discipleship journey.

Servant leadership is built upon Godly character development.  Humility, faithfulness, gentle strength, these are Jesus’ ways of leading. Our modern society often uses the opposite of these characteristics to measure a “successful leader”. But our goal is to grow Gr 6’s who begin by following in Jesus’ ways and not the world’s. Quietly and steadfastly being nurtured in the ways of the Spirit to consider others above themselves. This is a lifelong process of growing in God’s ways and our desire is to help pre-teens start well. We desire to encourage maturity in each person whether being a participant or helping to lead.

For in fact, the best leaders are those who are passionate followers of Jesus. Following his example of loving others in hard situations, noticing & caring for  those who are hurt, and ultimately, pointing to God with their words and their actions.

Phil 2: 3-4 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Karen Quan

2023.04.15/16

親愛的列宣家弟兄姊妹：

 在我們一生中，我們都期盼能夠被循循善導，但那是怎樣成就的呢？其實，我們需要學習領導，願意被栽培的及需要時間去成長。一次又一次的犯錯、調整、失敗，轉向耶穌是成長的必經之路，要成為領導，就必須面對以上的過程，缺一不可。因為只有靠著祂的恩典，認識倚靠祂，才能夠有經驗並能夠被委任去領導其他人。在兒童事工部，我們很高興能夠為六年級的學生提供實體「僕人領袖訓練班」。參加這個訓練班並不能夠保證他/她會成為一名卓越的領袖，但是，我相信這個可以在他們步入青少年期這個關鍵時刻，提供一個基督化成長的機會。

我們相信是耶穌基督在培育和塑造每個人，不分年齡或經驗。僕人領袖著重於如何作僕人而不是領導他人。唯有專心致志跟隨耶穌，我們才能夠被轉化和陶造成祂的樣式。這是沒有年齡界別的，永遠不會太年輕或太年長。

僕人領袖是建立在敬虔品格的發展之上。謙卑、忠信、溫柔都是耶穌的領導方式。可是現代社會常常用這些特徵的反面來衡量一個「成功的領導者」。我們的目標是培育六年級的學生，他們首先要遵循耶穌的道路，而不是世界的道路。安靜並堅定地領受聖靈的教導，看別人比自己強。遵循上帝的方式成為終生學習的目標，我們盼望幫助這一群步入青少年期的孩子有一個良好的開始。無論你是參與者還是幫助帶領，我們都鼓勵每一個人學習成長。

事實上，最好的領導者是那些熱心跟隨耶穌的人。以耶穌基督為榜樣，在別人遇到困難的情況下幫助別人，關注那些受傷害的人，最終，帶領這些人找到上帝。

腓立比書2:3-4「不要自私自利，也不要貪圖虛榮，只要謙卑，看別人比自己強；各人不要單顧自己的事，也要顧別人的事。」

主僕
關潔玲傳道

April 1/2, 2023

From the Pastor’s Desk : Rev. Francis Chan

The Apostle John used 5 chapters to recount Jesus’ parting words to his beloved disciples in the upper room. Jesus said that he would leave them to go to a place where they could not go with him, and that he would be betrayed by a disciple and eventually killed. Although Jesus also said that he would leave to prepare a place for them, and that he would rise from the dead and come back for them, his disciples had failed to listen up and could not understand because their hearts were filled with worries, confusion, sorrow, and fear.

Jesus was not only their teacher, but also their family who had lived with them for three years. Jesus’ way of loving them meticulously, teaching them patiently, saving them mightily, and leading them authoritatively had become the most unforgettable and irreplaceable experience in their lives. Thanks to Jesus, they had received a renewed insight into their faith and the meaning and purposes of their lives. Jesus had become an integral part of their lives and the foundation of all their hopes for the future. When Jesus was about to depart, their reluctance, their trepidation, and their difficulty in accepting it were only natural.

In our lives, there are people who are very dear to us. They are an integral part of our lives. For example, our families, our relatives, our best friends, as well as our pastors who have enlightened us and brothers and sisters in the Lord who have walked with us in our journey of faith. When these people leave us for different reasons, it is as if a part of our life is leaving us. Our hearts have sunken into an abyss.

Jesus’ temporary departure was God’s will. In God’s time, Jesus will come again to welcome us into the new heavens and new earth to enjoy the presence of God and all the goodness and happiness that God has prepared for us. If the disciples could see Jesus’ departure from a heavenly perspective, they would understand that everything Jesus experienced on earth, from his birth to his death, was in God’s plan. Jesus’ life was to fulfill the mission God had given him.

The same goes for our lives. From the moment God called us to be his children, God’s wonderful plan for us had begun. Maybe we will stop here for a while and go there. Maybe sickness, death will temporarily separate us from our loved ones. If we can just see things from a heavenly perspective, willing to believe that God’s plan is good for us and his kingdom, we can accept such separation with peace amid our sorrow. As long as those who leave and those who stay are willing to follow God’s will and fulfill God’s mission faithfully, all temporary separations and departures in this life would be bearable in God’s love and mercy.

Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Francis Chan

2023.04.01/02

親愛的列宣家弟兄姊妹：

使徒約翰用了很長的篇幅去記述耶穌在樓房上對他所深愛的門徒作出的臨別贈言。耶穌說他要離開他們去一個他們現在不能同去的地方，又說他要被自己的門徒出賣，最終被人殺害。雖然耶穌也說自己離開是去為他們預備地方，也說自己會從死裏復活。但是，當門徒的心被徬徨、困惑、哀傷和恐懼所充滿，他們就聽不明白，也聽不進去。

耶穌不但是他們的老師，更是和他們一起生活了三年的親人。耶穌對他們無微不至的愛，循循善誘的教導，在危難中大能的拯救，在所有事上堅定的領導，都成為他們人生中最刻骨銘心，無可替代的經歷；也改變了他們對信仰，對生命，對人生意義的看法。耶穌就是他們生命中不可分割的部份，也是他們對將來一切期盼的基石。當耶穌要離開的時候，他們的依依不捨，他們的惶恐不安，他們的難以接受，都是很自然的。

在我們的生命中，也有一些對我們非常重要的人。他們是我們生命中不可分割的部份。例如我們最深愛的家人，最掛念的親人，最珍惜的朋友，還有在信仰路上啟迪我們，與我們同行的牧者和主內弟兄姊妹。當這些人因為不同原因要離開我們的時候，就好像我們生命的一部份要離開我們一樣。我們的心情就好像跌進了一個深淵。

耶穌的暫時離開是上帝的旨意。在上帝預定的時間，耶穌會再次降臨，迎接我們與他一同享受羔羊的婚宴，一同進入新天新地去享受上帝的同在和上帝為我們預備的一切美善和福樂。如果門徒可以從一個天國視野去看耶穌的離開，他們就會明白：耶穌在世上所經歷的一切，他的降生以至他的死亡，都是在上帝的計劃裏面。耶穌的一生，就是要完成上帝給他的使命。

我們的一生也是如此。從上帝呼召我們成為他的兒女那一刻開始，上帝在我們身上那美妙絕倫的計劃就要展開。也許我們會在這裏停留片刻，再往那裏去。也許疾病、死亡要將我們和我們的至愛暫時分開。如果我們都可以從一個天國視野去看事情，願意相信上帝的計劃是美善的，是為着我們和天國的好處而設立的，我們就可以在憂傷之餘，仍然帶着平安去接受。只要離開和留下的人都願意用心去領受上帝的旨意，忠心去完成上帝的使命，人世間的一切生離死別，在上帝的慈愛和憐憫裏面，都可以成為我們的祝福和安慰。

主僕,
陳榮基牧師

March 25/26, 2023

From the Pastor’s Desk – Rev. Mark Liu

Hello, brothers and sisters, thank God for giving me the opportunity to share with you some of my thoughts through this channel.

If I tell you that everyone will face suffering, I believe no one will disagree. Maybe you are in suffering right now. There are many kinds of suffering. First, we cannot and should not judge the suffering others are facing. Because at one level, this type of thinking is pride.

Regarding suffering, the Bible stresses more about how to get out of suffering rather than knowing why suffering happens. Job is a good example. It seems to the end, Job was not told about why sufferings happened to him.  He thought he deserved an answer but God did not give Job the answer.  God gives Job more: Himself.  In fact, when we think carefully, we will find that knowing the cause of suffering is not what we most want to know. Although, our instinctive reaction is to ask “why”. But, in all fairness, do we really want to know why? Or do we want to know the way out of suffering?

When Moses told the Israelites to obey God’s commandments, or they would face difficulties, the Israelites thought that they needed to maintain their relationship with God through a set of behaviors. But they did not know that behaviors are just the sign, and what is more important is the relationship with God. The first and second of the Ten Commandments speak of the importance of a relationship with God.

When we care about a relationship, our whole life will be changed because of this relationship. First, the cross of Jesus Christ enables us to restart our relationship with God that was broken by sin. By accepting salvation, we can re-establish our relationship with God. However, this is just the beginning. Many times we only stay at the beginning stage, but we do not cultivate the relationship with God. In the Bible, when it comes to the verb “cultivate”, it is often used in the present continuous tense. This means that we must persevere in building a relationship with God. This relationship is actually not equal, because we are not in the same position as God. God is the Creator and we are created by Him.

In John 17:1-26, Jesus Christ allows His disciples and us to hear His prayer up close and know His close relationship with His Father. This relationship with Heavenly Father helped Jesus faced suffering. If this is the case, we can also learn from this. When we care about our relationship with God, we will look at our lives from a higher perspective with a wider dimension. In Jesus’ prayer, He said all of these are to glorify God. Can suffering glorify God? Yes. The answer lies in our relationship with God. Are we willing to use our lives to glorify this God who loves us? Perhaps this is the crux of facing suffering.

May God bless you all.  May God bless RCAC.

His servant,
Rev. Mark Liu

2023.03.25/26

弟兄姊妹大家好，感謝神的恩典，讓我能夠在這裡透過文字和你們分享一些想法。

如果我告訴你，每一個人都會面對苦難，相信沒有人會有異議。可能你現在就是在苦難中。苦難有很多種。首先，我們沒有辦法，也不應該評斷別人的苦難。因為在某一個層面來說，這種評斷就是驕傲。

對於苦難，聖經用了不少的篇幅來告訴我們如何走出苦難，而不是知道為什麼苦難會發生在我們的身上。約伯就是一個很好的例子。其實，當我們細心思考時，就會發現，知道苦難的來由並不是我們最想知道的。雖然，我們的本能反應就是會問【為什麼】。但是，平心而論，我們真的想要知道為什麼嗎？還是我們想要知道能夠走出苦難的方法呢？

在舊約，當摩西告訴以色列人要遵守神的誡命，要不然就會面對困難的時候，以色列人以為是透過一堆的行為來維持與神的關係。卻不知道，行為其實只是表徵而已，更重要的就是與神的關係。十誡的第一和第二條就是講到與神的關係的重要性。

當我們在意一段關係的時候，整個人的生命都會因為這個關係而改變。首先，耶穌基督的十字架讓我們能夠與神重新開始因著罪而破裂的關係。接受了救恩，我們就可以與神重新建立關係。但是，這個只是開始。我們很多時候只停留在開始這個階段，卻沒有好好建立與神的關係。在聖經裡，當講到“建立”這個動詞的時候，往往都是用上現在進行式的。這個就代表了要持之以恆地與神建立關係。這個關係其實不是對等的，因為我們與神不是處在相同的位置上。神是創造主，我們是被造的。

在約翰福音17:1-26，耶穌基督讓門徒和我們能夠近距離聆聽祂的禱告，從而知道祂與天父的關係是如何密切。與天父的關係幫助耶穌面對苦難。如果是這樣的話，我們也可以開始學習。當我們在意與神的關係的時候，我們會在一個更高的角度，更寬的維度來看自己的生命。在耶穌的禱告中，祂說這一切都是榮耀神。苦難也可以榮耀神的嗎？可以的。答案就在與神的關係上。我們願意用生命來榮耀這一位愛我們的神嗎？可能這個就是面對苦難的癥結所在。

願神祝福你們。願神祝福列宣家。

主僕，
劉展權牧師