2021.12.18/19
From the Pastor’s Desk: Pastor Francis Chan
In the past year, many people have relocated from Hong Kong to Vancouver. Of the 3 fellowships I am overseeing, there have been no less than 30 HK people visiting us during this period. Thanks to the Lord, more than half of the newcomers have decided to stay in our fellowships and to call RCAC their new spiritual home.
Yet most of the people relocating from Hong Kong are not yet Christians and will not take the initiative to attend churches. Many of them left Hong Kong because they chose not to accept the ‘new normal’ of Hong Kong on its political, social, and educational fronts. A considerable number of them have participated in the social movements and have experienced psychological distress, which requires healing.
Coming to Canada, they must cope with numerous challenges and adjustments. For those who have come as a matter of emergency, very few of them are psychologically and financially prepared. As these people would put it, their departure from Hong Kong and arrival in Canada are not about immigration but fleeing from disasters. When I thought of their situation, there is a deep yearning to reach out to them, to help them, and to share the gospel with them. I therefore discussed with our senior pastor about holding an evangelistic meeting on Christmas day with the hope of sharing with them the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God! Pastor Simon loved and welcomed this idea. So we decided in early November to hold an evangelistic meeting during AYAYA’s worship time on Christmas day.
Since the beginning of our preparation for this meeting, my heart has been trembling and sometimes, I feel worried about the outcome. What will the weather be like that evening? What will the pandemic be like by then? Will there be guests coming to the meeting? Will brothers and sisters sacrifice their family time on Christmas night to accompany their guests to attend the meeting? Although there are many uncertainties, I am at peace when I pray in my heart. I understand that all that the Lord is asking of me is to respond to the Holy Spirit, to place a gospel seed in the hearts of our not-yet-Christian friends. The rest is up to the Lord.
In our preparation, prayer comes first. We set up a group of 10 people to pray for all guests who have been invited. This same group will attend to our guests should the latter choose to respond positively to the altar call that evening. For marketing and promotion, we have made a poster. It was designed by a brother who had only arrived in Vancouver for less than a month. We mainly use social media to send out e-posters and registration links to invite people to come. In addition, we have also printed 25 copies of our poster, all of which have now been posted up in different places in Richmond. For other supportive ministries (eg praise teams, care teams, etc), many brothers and sisters have come forward to serve. Now, I must focus on seeking the will of the Lord when I am preparing a message for the meeting. I humbly ask every single one of you to pray for our evangelistic meeting, to pray for our brothers and sisters serving in the meeting, and to pray for those whom God has chosen and will bring to the meeting. May we all work together faithfully to advance the kingdom of God and may God’s will be done in the RCAC family.
The trumpet has sounded, the harvest is ripe, the order has been issued, where are you?!