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This document provides information about members of the Church of All Nations (CAN) community who are leaving or have left Hong Kong for the summer, thanks them for their contributions, and asks for prayers. It also announces staffing changes at CAN including a new church secretary and Megan Birney transitioning from missionary to CAN employee. The pastoral letter discusses the changes and transitions over the summer and encourages the community to find comfort and connection in Christ despite the changes.
This document provides information about members of the Church of All Nations (CAN) community who are leaving or have left Hong Kong for the summer, thanks them for their contributions, and asks for prayers. It also announces staffing changes at CAN including a new church secretary and Megan Birney transitioning from missionary to CAN employee. The pastoral letter discusses the changes and transitions over the summer and encourages the community to find comfort and connection in Christ despite the changes.
This document provides information about members of the Church of All Nations (CAN) community who are leaving or have left Hong Kong for the summer, thanks them for their contributions, and asks for prayers. It also announces staffing changes at CAN including a new church secretary and Megan Birney transitioning from missionary to CAN employee. The pastoral letter discusses the changes and transitions over the summer and encourages the community to find comfort and connection in Christ despite the changes.
AND OFF THEY GO... Those leaving Hong Kong (or who have already left) are: ! Bair Family ! Michelle & Sandro Cagnin ! Ben Gavlik (graduate) ! William Johnson ! Bruce & Wendy Kelsh ! Pat Klekamp ! Hannah Kroonblawd ! Tami & Anna Sanders ! Christa Schmidt ! Debbie Schwartz ! Mary Charles Stowe (graduate) ! Steve, Chanin, Ian, Mackenzie Sucher We give thanks to the Lord for the precious time we spent together at CAN, and for the gifts you have shared with us. We pray that you will continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and carry on the work of God wherever you go. We will still remember your value to the parish as we think of you as Members Abroad. We also plan to keep you informed about whats happening in Hong Kong particularly in the way of mission and ministry. We hope at the very least that you will keep us regularly in your thoughts and prayers, as we will you. Snapshots from Sending Sunday Pastoral Letter Dear Christian Friends: On this Sending Sunday, I am reflecting on the many changes that will take place this summer. God is sending many in our community to new lives and adventures around the world. God will bring new people to Hong Kong, and also introduce us to others already here. Young children will prepare to enter school for the first time, and all of us experience changes of getting a little older. There will be changes in the Church Staff this summer. We give thanks to Karen Ng for her incredible service this past year as Church secretary even as she continues to serve CAN in many other ways. In the fall, we will welcome a new Church Secretary. We will celebrate as our Director of Family Ministry, Megan Birney transition from being a missionary sent to us into being a servant sent alongside our community by CAN ourselves. Finally, I will also transition from the LCMS mission to serving as your pastor. There are several bittersweet environment changes that will take place. We have said goodbye to the HKIS Lower Primary building which will come down over the next few months to make way for a the next building dedicated to Gods work of training children and proclaiming Christ. Also, my family and I will be moving out of Kowloon to the South Side! In the middle of all this change, there stands the cross- the biggest change of all. On the cross, the God of the Universe who had become a human being allowed himself to die in our place. By the cross, he changed our lonely, broken, and hopeless future into a forgiven, holy, and blessed present. By the proclamation of the cross, he changes our lives, gives us a relationship with himself and with others. Look to the cross. Pick up a few name cards from Church of All Nations and carry the CAN cross in your pocket through this summer: to share a cross with others or just to remember the cross in the middle of all the changes. The cross is a constant reminder of Christs love for and relationship with you. The cross is also a constant reminder of a changed life you can give to others. Grace and Peace to you through all the changes, Offering Figures GENERAL OFFERING DESIGNATED OFFERING May 11 $36,146 - May 18 $33,746 - May 25 $79,914 $3,900 Jun 1 $82,318 $8,600 Jun 8 $54,580 $7,300 Worship Attendance Figures 9 AM 11 AM TOTAL May 11 41 107 148 May 18 40 104 144 May 25 46 103 149 Jun 1 37 115 152 Jun 8 9:30 AM - 129 9:30 AM - 129 9:30 AM - 129 June 8 - August 10 9:30am Summer Bus Schedule 8:15 AM Tai Wai MTR station 8:20 AM Festival Walk (Taxi Stand), Kowloon Tong 8:25 AM 12 Wiltshire Rd, Kowloon Tong (LCMS Building) 8:40 AM Happy Valley 8:55 AM Arrive at CAN Now there were in Jerusalem, devout people from every nation under heaven. (Acts 2:5) On the day of Pentecost, people gathered from all around the world to worship God at the temple. In his wisdom, God had gathered them just at the moment of sending the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Jesus. By the words of the disciples, God also poured out the Holy Spirit upon the people from every nation. The Gospel of Christ was then carried around the world to gather people into his church. Church of All Nations in Repulse Bay is here because Christ has sent us his Spirit in this place. We gather from many nations to hear his word, receive his body and blood, and to live out our baptismal callings in service to others. What a blessing it is to worship in the knowledge that the message of Jesus Christ has gone out around the world and has gathered us into a community! As we say goodbye to a number of people from our community here, it is with great joy that we know we remain connected in the Gospel. Just as the Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost on people of every nation who carried it home with them, we are aware that the Holy Spirit is carried out by those who we send to new homes and adventures this summer. That early church grew in many and various ways around the world. The message of Christ is unique in that it is spoken fully in any language. The Church of Christ is unique in that it remains one in him even as it is uniquely local wherever it is found. For those who are traveling away from Hong Kong, the coming months are lled with expectations and adjustments. For those of us who remain in Hong Kong at Church of All Nations, the coming months are lled with expectation as we gain a new pastor, a new church secretary, and reach into the lives of new people. All of us are held within the same Gospel of Jesus Christ and lled with the same Holy Spirit to speak his word of blessing to each other. Peter said to the whole assembly gathered from every nation: Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself. (Acts 2:38-39) Joined Together in Christ Credit: photobucket by CAN Stewardship Board
As Summer approaches and our congregation fans out around the globe, we remember: ! God's far-reaching love for us shown through His son Jesus; ! wherever we are, we are sent in that love; ! we are sent with blessings and gifts from God, by which others can encounter God's love. We are joined together as a church to nurture each other in God's love and share it with others. What can you do to show Christ to others? How are you joined together in God's love?
Our church continues its ministries over the summer to share God's love and care in Hong Kong and abroad. If you will be traveling, please consider how you can support our ministries while you are away. Offering envelopes are available in the church entry, and CAN can receive post-dated cheques. If you are staying in Hong Kong, please extend your hand in fellowship and active ministry. The other side of this sheet outlines just a few ways to get involved. Your participation is especially important as we all pitch in to prepare for our new pastor, build on existing ministries, and explore fresh opportunities. Wherever you are sent, please join with us as God continues to bless CAN with minds to understand needs, hearts to care, and hands to give. In God's love, CAN Stewardship Board Vincent Li, Thom Garetson, Paul Strecker "...you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but...members of His household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit." Ephesians 2:19-22 (New International Version) Can You Share Your Talents and Time? Sharing Your Financial Gifts in Ministry CAN is blessed with extraordinary opportunities for ministry, and needs your continued gifts of time, talent and nancial support to realize them. This year our congregation planned ministries and programs based on nancial gifts of HK$2.752 million (weekly average of HK$52,920). We are taking on as full-time contract staff Megan Birney, our Family Life Director, who continues to grow our ministry to children, youth and families. We support and participate in service ministries in Hong Kong, Macau, China and the Philippines. As of 1 June, general gifts for this scal year totaled about HK$466,000-- or HK$11,000 below our target of HK $477,000. Designated Gifts for special projects totalled about HK$14,500. CAN's ministry is funded solely by current congregational giving. It does not receive funding from HKIS or any external sources. Thanks to all for your gifts from the heart! 32% 25% 15% 28% Education and Fellowship Worship and Music Ministries Social Ministries Operations, Supplies and Staff Here are just a few current opportunities to share in the life of our church. Check the yellow weekly service bulletin for more! CHURCH OFFICE Are you willing to assist with bulletin folding and administration work in the ofce? If interested, please contact the church ofce at VBS 2014 11-15 August. Interested in registering or in volunteering? (Contact Megan Birney 6904-3908). CHILDREN'S/YOUTH MINISTRY: Adult leaders and assistants. (Contact Megan Birney 6904-3908; Robyn Steuernagel 2552-5464) MUSIC MINISTRY Musicians in contemporary or traditional styles. (Contact Dave Werner 2553-0499; Robyn Steuernagel 2552-5464) ALTAR CARE Prepare and care for the altar for specic worship services. (Contact Church Ofce 2812-0375) SOCIAL MINISTRY BOARD Help plan and coordinate CAN social ministry projects. (Contact Megan Kincaid 6304-2296) CAN COMMUNICATIONS Graphic Design help is welcome! (Contact Church Ofce) PRAYER CIRCLE Participate in the informal, heartfelt, and essential petitions and intercessions of our community. (Contact Church Ofce 2812-0375) End of the Year Sunday School Party! We wrapped up the school year with a fun party following early worship service on May 25 at the Blue Room, where kids dug into scrumptious pies, cookies, and all kinds of delicious snacks provided by various families, as they took a break from exciting games including twister, Bible character quizzes and puzzles. The arts and crafts station was populated with kids who were eager to make rubber band crosses and decorate their own crowns. Every kid left the party with a big smile :)
Childrens Ministry / Youth Ministry Have a gift for sharing the Gospel with kids? CAN Childrens Ministry can always use more willing hands and hearts! Contact Megan if you interested in using your gifts to enrich the spiritual nurture of children in our community! canfamily@hkis.edu.hk KIDS PRAISE TEAM Last Kids Praise Team practice for the 2013-2014 school year! Celebrated with songs and popsicles Childrens Ministry / Youth Ministry Congratulations and Gods Blessings to Our Confirmands Meredith Wang Morgan Zee Maddy Zee VBS 2014 Vacation Bible School (VBS) is a fun way to connect with friends new and old, learn new songs, engage in creative experiments and explore Gods love through exciting Bible stories. Children ages 3 years old through the Fifth Grade will gather on the HKIS UP Campus to experience fellowship, crafts, songs, Bible stories and fun games. Weird Animals: Where Jesus' Love is One of a Kind! Dates: August 11-15 Time: 9a-12p Location: HKIS Repulse Bay Campus Registration Cost: $250HKD/child Cash or checks can put dropped at the CAN ofce on the 4/ F of UP or put into the offering plate on Sundays labeled "VBS" along with the child's name.#Checks can be made payable to "Church of All Nations" with "VBS" along with the child's name in the memo. Register online at:#https://www.groupvbspro.com/vbs/ez/ CAN Crossroads 2014 Thank you to the 16 Church of All Nation's members and to the 6 LTS Seminarians for volunteering for a day of service on May 17th. It was great working together the entire day at Crossroads for the benet of others. We have been on a number of Crossroads service trips in the past and they normally involved a lot of packing, lifting and moving materials around to load a container for shipment to needy people around the world. On Saturday, May 17, our group was split into several teams: ! One team worked on sorting/packing clothing into boxes and then spent the afternoon working in the Crossroads ofce. ! A second group worked on maintenance, with a site that covers 600,000 square feet of area and several buildings theres is a lot of maintenance needed. ! A third group participated in recycling. There were many bins of cans, cardboard, plastic bottles as well as plastic wrap and plastic bags. This group completed the task of compressing all the plastic wrap and plastic bags into bundles to be sold to recycling companies. ! A fourth group worked in the kitchen to feed 120 of the volunteers that day. ! The professionals loaded the container with building materials for the Philippines. A donation from CAN went to pay for part of the shipping. It was a great experience and we learned a lot about the plight of millions of people around the world. Crossroads is looking beyond their ability to provide material assistance to people in need and looking to build on all of our social consciousness and enlist us in the work of bringing justice to people around the world, as well as working on alleviating poverty. We accomplished many tasks together at Crossroads. A formidable team from Church of All Nations and the Lutheran Theological Seminary! With appreciation, Beth Hall Continued on next page... Dear Beth, How thankful we are for Church of All Nations! Not only have you given of your time to help in the warehouse, but you have also donated funds. We are doubly grateful to you, then, and cannot begin to express the impact that donations such as yours can have. Please nd your receipt enclosed. You are already familiar with the work but we though you might be interested in the story of Katya - one who has been touched through the generosity of people like you. The events of her life should probably have been a death sentence. She lost her mother when alcohol led her to abandon her child. She lost her older brother when he was killed in a car crash. She lost all her career, and lived, alone, in a lthy small village house. What she could have lost have been one step further. She could have lost her freedom, had she not been found by people who refused to let that happen. Girls like Katya are easy pickings for human trafckers who do good business in Moldova. Ofcial statistics estimate there are 25,000 Moldovan victims of human trafcking, and 40% of them are children. Girls like Katya simply disappear, without a trace, and no one comes looking for them. They are tragically at risk. A local schoolteacher, Eva, however, made sure Katyas life went in another direction. She found the young girl, infested with lice, living in squalor. Eva and her husband took Katya into their home as a foster daughter. Today, Katya is a bright, well-dressed, articulate teenager, loving life with her foster parents. Her new family, though, struggles to make ends meet in a place that has been classied as Europes poorest nation. In this area, many families battle poverty at a depth which may make them wonder about giving up their children to state-run institutions. Crossroads was delighted to send a shipment to this part of the world to help foster families like Katyas. We shipped household goods, stationery, toys and a large quantity of educational items for use in the families and support centres, partnering with those on the ground who can give them the care, support and respite they need to keep their children within the family home. Our hearts grieve when we hear some of the stories of those we serve. So many in this word face situations that can only be described as desperate. What a joy it is, then, to be able to touch their lives and, in a small way, make this world a better place for them and for their families. With our thanks for your kindness, once again, Crossroads Foundation Malcolm & Sally Begbie A reection on meeting Amal at Crossroads by Shawn Krause
Our team of 5 entered the kitchen to help prepare lunch for 120 Crossroads volunteers. Work was well underway and we pitched in where we saw need and when we were given a task. Unsure what to do at times, I relied on one of the other workers to give me guidance. She was tall, condent and had a beautiful smile. She wore a #purple and leopard print sari, covered her hair in a purple scarf and each time I nished a job or was unsure what the next step was, she appeared and provided it #kindly and in excellent English. Had I guessed her age, I'd have said 28 years old. My greatest privilege that day at Crossroads was to meet her and talk with her when the lunch preparations were nished. She is Amal, an 18 year old refugee from Somalia. She has only been in Hong Kong for 3 months. She arrived alone after her parents and family were killed in Somalia's clan war. Her condence and shine belong to that of a college student embarking on a promising future. Instead, she is supported in Hong Kong by the UNHCR. Though provided for, she is unable to work or attend school. She volunteers at Crossroads 5 days a week. When asked what country she might hope will give her citizenship, she replied "I don't want to go anywhere else, I only want to go back to my country." Amal is Muslim and is grateful to Crossroads for providing her and her friends with a room where they can say their prayers and rest during their volunteer days. Thank you from Crossroads