2022.11.26/27
From the Pastor’s Desk: Rev. Mark Liu

Hello brothers and sisters of RCAC. It is by God’s Grace that I can share with you some of my recent thoughts.

Mark 16:15 (ESV)
15And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.

Here, Mark, the author of this Gospel, clearly captured the command of Jesus Christ, which is to share the gospel. We need to pay particular attention to the verb used because the verb shows to us that it is Jesus’ command, not a suggestion. To be able to command is because one has authority. Lately we’ve been thinking about Jesus Christ as our return King, and this provides the reason for Jesus Christ’s authority.

Jesus commanded us to evangelize. The name “Christian & Missionary Alliance” of our denomination clearly indicated this command. In a nutshell, we take mission as our primary job. Every time we tell the world the name of our denomination, we are telling the world and reminding ourselves that missions (evangelism) is in our core DNA.

Many of the ministries of RCAC are carried out because of this direction. We have praise dance, Chinese and Western food classes, for example. These activities are set up to respond to Jesus’ command. Besides inviting people to come to join these activities, which is about inviting people to come to RCAC, we also need to go out. This is the reason we have started a ministry in Tsawwassen.

We started a Bible study class in Tsawwassen in mid-July this year. Every Saturday afternoon, my wife Fiona, my daughter Myra and I serve there. We are like missionaries, except that instead of going to another country, we go to a place where is 20 minutes away from us. The purpose is to bring the Gospel to the local Chinese. Thank God, at the beginning, we had five brothers and sisters participating, all living in the Tsawwassen area. Thanks to God’s provision, we have new friends joining us almost every week, usually one or two, not too many. My wife said it well, God is very kind to us because if He brings in many new friends at one time, we may find a hard time to cope with.

In September, we started a Chinese Bible class for kids. The program is set up so that the parents can leave the kids to learn Chinese while they stay for the Bible Study. These Chinese Bible Class helps kids to learn the Bible and Chinese at the same time. Thank God for giving us Jaco and Yvonne Cheung, who have been serving there every week since mid-September. We even participated in a leaflet distribution activity, around the community of Tsawwassen, with the brothers and sisters of Tsawwassen Alliance Church. I think this is what the universal church should look like – working together to advance the gospel.

In the past weekend, as the Bible Study class turns to its 4-month anniversary, we have 26 brothers, sisters and friends participating, in which 22 of them live in Tsawwassen area. The number of children joining the Chinese class has reached around 10. On the one hand, we are grateful, on the other hand, we need to explore what God’s will is. This is the reason, under the leadership of our District, we formed a small discerning community including the two elders of RCAC (Gary Wong and Eddie Yu). We look forward to discerning God’s Will together for this ministry. However, one thing is for sure, that RCAC is responding to the command of Jesus Christ.

May God bless you all.

His servant,
Rev. Mark Liu

2022.11.26/27

弟兄姊妹大家好。很高興在這裡透過文字和你分享一些想法。

馬可福音 16:15 “他又對他們說：“你們到全世界去，向所有的人傳福音。”

在這裏，馬可很清楚轉述耶穌基督的吩咐，就是要門徒傳福音。請大家留意，馬可告訴我們這個是耶穌基督的吩咐，不是耶穌基督的建議。能夠吩咐，是因為握有權柄。最近我們一直在思考耶穌基督是我們再來之王，而這個就提供了耶穌基督握有權柄的原因。

耶穌吩咐我們要傳福音。宣道會的名稱就已經把這一個命令變成了我們的宗派的名稱。概括來講，就是我們是以傳福音為我們的首要工作，也把這個首要的工作用名稱來表達。每一次我們告訴世界我們的宗派名稱的時候，就是在告訴世界，也提醒我們，宣教（傳福音）是我們的DNA。

列宣家有很多事工都是因著這個方向而開展的。我們有讚美操，有中西美食班和拉筋伸展運動班,正正就是要用實際的行動來回應耶穌的吩咐。除了透過這些活動邀請人來到列宣家之外，我們也要走出去。這個就是為什麼我們要開始在Tsawwassen的事工。

我們在今年七月中旬開始在Tsawwassen開始了一個查經班。每週六的下午，太太，女兒和我都會在那裡服事。我們就像是宣教士，只是我們去的地方不是其他國家，而是一個和我們距離20分鐘車程的地方。目的就是希望能夠把福音帶給住在當地的華人。感謝神，一開始的時候，我們有五位弟兄姊妹參與，都是住在Tsawwassen地區的。感謝神豐富的供應，我們差不多每一週都有新朋友來到當中，通常都是一兩個，不會太多。太太說得好，神體貼我們，不會一下子給予我們很多新朋友，因為我們會應付不來。

在九月份，我們開始了一個學中文的聖經班，提供給參與查經的朋友的孩子，一方面學聖經，一方面學中文。感謝神給予我們張宏中和張盧泳安夫婦，從九月中旬就開始每一週來到這裡服事。我們更參與了派發單張的活動，和Tsawwassen Alliance Church的弟兄姊妹一起到附近社區發單張。我想這個就是普世教會該有的樣式。一起同工，興旺福音。

在剛過去的週末，是我們成立裡這個查經小組的第四個月，感謝神，我們有26弟兄姊妹和朋友參與，其中22位是住在Tsawwassen的，小朋友的人數也已經到達了10位。一方面我們感恩，另外一方面，我們需要探索到底神的心意是什麼。這個就是為什麼在區會的帶領之下，我們成立了一個小組，包括了列宣家的兩位長老（黃世祺和俞鐵華）。我們期盼在未來的日子裡，神把心意清楚告訴我們。但是，有一點是肯定的，列宣家正在回應耶穌基督的吩咐。

願神祝福列宣家。

主僕，
劉展權牧師

Nov. 19/20, 2022

From the Pastor’s Desk:Pastor Karen Quan

Dear brothers and sisters of RCAC,

Returning to Montreal to be with my family is always a special time. Being here reminds me of the focus of “Christ, our Coming King”. Montreal is a city founded upon the strong influence of the Catholic Church.

During the short 10 min bus ride along “De L’Eglise = Church Street” from my family’s home to our neighborhood hospital, we passed at least 3 catholic churches. Of the 3 churches, 2 were smaller and the exteriors were overgrown with weeds & bare bushes. They looked rather sad, lonely and empty. I was reminded of how before the 1960’s each “Parish or Church” was responsible to look after & care for all the citizens of that designated area. Whether it was related to physical needs (Eg. bring food to the poor), emotional (Eg. visiting the sick & housebound) & spiritual (Eg. praying for those in need), the ministry of the clergy/parishioners were to be salt & light in the community. But after the 1960’s and the silent exodus of quebecers from the institution of the church, we now have an entire generation & beyond who have been completely cut off from the life of the church. As quoted in the Gospel Coalition, Quebec & it’s people are now identified as the Least Reached People Group in all of North America. Less than 1% of the population are identified as evangelical christians.

But the influence and legacy of the church lives on. Even as we walked through the main doors of the Verdun Hospital (founded & led by the Catholic Church from the 1930’s-1950’s) it’s inscription reads “Hopital General de Verdun, Dedie au Christ Roi = Verdun General Hospital, Dedicated to Christ the King”. Makes me wonder, how many people walking through these doors actually know who Christ is personally? With such a strong heritage & rich history, one might assume that it would be so easy to make Christ known! But the opposite seems to be true, as I walk along “De L’Eglise = Church Street” and pass by the “Church St. Pub” (a new bar with the Devil holding a pitchfork as it’s logo”).

No matter what our environment looks like, may we not forget that Christ has died for our sins and Christ will come again. May we not grow immune to this truth just as the etchings on a building can become somewhat of a decoration and easily overlooked. It encourages me to look up to Mont Royal and fix my eyes on the cross. It reminds me that everything that happens in the city happens in the shadow in the Cross.

Romans 5: 8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Karen Quan

2022.11.19/20

親愛的列宣家弟兄姊妹：

回到蒙特利爾與家人團聚總是一段特別的時光，在這裡讓我重新再聚焦“基督是我們再來之君”。蒙特利爾是一個披戴著濃厚天主教會背景的城市。

從我家到我們附近的醫院，沿著De L’Eglise 譯作「教會街」短短的10 分鐘的車程，我們經過了至少 3 座天主教堂。在 3 座教堂中，有 2 座較小，外面雜草叢生和光禿禿的灌木叢。從外貌看起來相當悲涼、孤獨和空虛。回想 1960 年代之前，每個“教區或教堂”他們負責照顧和關懷附近的社區及當地的居民。無論是身體的需要（例如：派送食物賙濟窮人）、情緒的需要（例如：探訪病人和獨居者）和屬靈的需要（例如：為有需要的人祈禱）。這些神職人員的事工就是在社區作鹽作光。但是在 1960 年代之後，魁北克人悄悄離開教會機構之後，我們現在有整整一代人甚至更遠的人已經完全脫離了教會的生活。正如福音聯盟 (The Gospel Coalition)所引用說，魁北克及其人民現在被認定為整個北美地區接觸福音最少的人群。不到 1% 的人口被確定為福音派基督徒。

但教會的影響力和遺產依然存在。即使我們走過凡爾登醫院(Verdun Hospital)（1930 年代至 1950 年代由天主教會創立和領導）的大門，它的銘文也寫著“Hopital General de Verdun, Dedie au Christ Roi ”譯作「凡爾登醫院－ 獻給君王基督」 。我真想知道，有多少人走進這個門實際上知道基督是誰？擁有如此濃厚的傳統和豐富的歷史，人們或許認為這讓基督為人所知會很容易吧！但事實上似乎剛剛相反，當我沿著「教會街」行走，我經過一家新酒吧“Church St. Pub”，它的標誌是拿著乾草叉的魔鬼。

無論我們的四周環境如何，願我們都不要忘記基督已經為我們的罪而犧牲了自己的生命，祂還會再來。願我們不會對這個事實淡忘，就好像建築物上的雕刻版畫，只會成為一種裝飾並且被忽視。讓我仰望「皇家山」(Mont Royal) 並注目於十字架，城市裡所發生的一切事都離不開十字架的影子。

羅馬書 5:8 “唯有基督在我們還作罪人的時候為我們死，神對我們的愛就在此顯明了。”

主僕
關潔玲傳道

2022.11.12/13

From the Pastor’s Desk: Rev. Mark Liu
Dear brothers and sisters of RCAC,

Hello brothers and sisters. Thank God for letting me share with you what I encounter these days.

In the past six months, God has given my family a new test. There was a problem with our visa. I thought it was just because of the pandemic that the issuance of the visa was delayed. When the BC government stopped giving us medical insurance, I suddenly found that my faith was facing a big challenge. I kept thinking about whether I made a mistake in a certain application process, which caused the delay. And the hardest part is that in October, even my daughter’s visa had problems. The government asked her to stop attending classes until a new visa is issued. For me, it was a huge blow, especially to tell my daughter that she could no longer attend classes. My daughter’s teacher told me that when he told the news to my daughter’s classmates, some of them cried. I also cried when I heard this. My faith was put in test again.

In the past two decades, while I was at work, I had always been very sure of this kind of things. Because as long as the application is filled out and the documents are ready, everything will happen at the scheduled time. But what I didn’t expect was that in this application, not only my visa was not issued at the scheduled time, but also my daughter’s visa also had problems. The “high tower” I built for myself was built on a pile of sand, not the rock.

I was shocked by my daughter’s composure after she learned she couldn’t attend classes. My wife told me that her reaction depends on the parents’ reaction. If we don’t react very much, she will think it’s not a big deal. If we react much, her response will be even greater. These are not what parents should give to their children. My daughter sent a simple email to tell the teacher that she could not attend class for the time being, but she would do her schoolwork at home. Between the lines, I saw her calm, but her father was there clinging to worry. Jesus said we should be like children. I’m thinking this is a good learning to me. I have some biblical knowledge in my head but I did not apply when the problem came. This experience told me that I did not turn the past encounter into an experience to help me face the current challenges.

Thank God, after a month of praying from brothers and sisters, all our visa problems were resolved. After a month of waiting, the daughter finally returned to school. When seeing her classmates hugging her, the image still stuck in my mind. May my encounter of the past few months no longer stay in the past, but become an experience that will help me face today and can also be a blessing to others.

May God bless you all.

In Him,
Rev. Mark Liu

2022.11.12/13

弟兄姊妹大家好。感謝神的恩典，讓我在這裡用文字分享我的心聲。

過去半年，神給予我一家新的考驗，那就是我們的簽證出現了問題。原本以為只是因為疫情的緣故而延誤簽發簽證，到BC省政府停止給予我們一家醫療保險，我突然發現自己的信仰面對很大的挑戰。我不斷在思考：到底自己是否在某一個申請過程中出現了錯誤，導致這一段時間，我們不斷在等待簽發簽證。而最難受的是，在十月份的時候，連我女兒的簽證也出現問題。政府甚至要求女兒停止上課，直到新的簽證簽發為止。對我來說，這個打擊是非常大的，尤其是要告訴女兒她不能再上課這個消息。女兒的老師告訴我，當他把這個消息告訴女兒的同學的時候，有一些同學們哭了。當聽到這個訊息的時候，我也哭了。我的信仰再一次被推倒胡同裡。

在過去的二十多年的工作中，我一直對自己在申請的事情上是很有把握的。因為只要填好了，文件預備好了，一切就會在預定的時間發生。卻沒有想到的就是在這一次的申請中，不單我的簽證沒有在預定的時間簽發，連女兒的簽證也因此出現問題。我為自己組建的高台，是建立在一堆沙土上，而不是建立在磐石上。

在女兒知道不能上課之後，我非常震驚她的鎮定。太太告訴我，女兒的反應是取決於父母的反應。若果我們反應不是很大的時候，她就會以為沒有什麼大不了。如果我們反應太大，她的反應就會更大。這些都不是父母應該給予孩子的。我就想起了我們的天父，如果祂看見我們所遇到的事情的態度還是很鎮定的話，我們的憂慮就是自己拿來的。之後，女兒還發了一封簡單的電郵告訴老師，暫時不能上課，但是她會在家裡做學校的功課。字裡行間，我看到她的平靜，反而是她的父親在那裡抓著憂慮不放。耶穌說我們要像小孩一樣。我在想這個就是一個很好的學習。我頭腦上有很多聖經知識，卻沒有在問題來到的時候應用出來。這一次的經歷，告訴我，我沒有把經歷化成為經驗，幫助我面對現在的挑戰。

感謝神，經過一個月後，經過弟兄姊妹的禱告，我們所有簽證的問題解決了。經過一個月後的等待，女兒終於回到學校。看見同學們擁抱她的情境，還停留在我的腦海了。願我過去幾個月的經歷，不再是停留在過去，而是變成為經驗，幫助我面對今天，也可以成為別人的祝福。

願神祝福你們。

主僕，
劉展權牧師