Christians and churches lauded for community service ministries

["Taiwan Church News" <enews@pctpress.org>]

      Taiwan Church News

      3053 Edition

      August 30~September 5, 2010

       

       

      Christians and churches lauded for community service ministries

       

      Reported by staff

      Written by Lydia Ma

       

       



      Hsinchu Presbyterian Church has received various awards and 
recognitions from the Ministry 

      of Interior in the past 3 years for its efforts in community 
service. The church has long been 

      committed to ministries such as Pine Life University for 
seniors, children’s Saturday day 

      camp, life education classes and more. 

       



      To Hsinchu Presbytery’s delight, another church in Hsinchu area 
was also awarded for 

      outstanding service this year. Rev. Chen Po-chih from Canaan 
Presbyterian Church and 

      another member of that church were both awarded for their 
commitment in helping local 

      schools.

       



      According to Rev. Cheng Wen-ren from Hsinchu Presbyterian 
Church, the difference between 

      churches and other religious organizations when it comes to 
community service is that the 

      latter usually purchase and donate material resources, whereas 
churches devote time 

      understanding the needs of people they are helping and tailor 
their ministries accordingly. He 

      believes this may explain the success of church outreach 
ministries and the reason churches 

      have won praise from government agencies for their work.

       



      Through offering various classes for seniors and children, 
Hsinchu Church has also 

      succeeded in sharing the gospel with them, said Cheng Wen-ren. 
He reported that many 

      students from Pine Life University are now regular churchgoers 
and some have even been 

      baptized.

       



      In the past, accolades from government agencies usually went to 
Buddhist organizations. 

      From his experience over the years, Cheng is confident that 
Christian churches can do better 

      in reaching out to their communities and maintaining good 
relationships with their neighbors 

      and thus become a beacon of light in their communities as well.

       



      As for Chen Po-chih, his vision of preaching the gospel in 
campuses has been the fuel driving 

      his ministry. Guided by God’s wisdom, Chen decided not to use 
his church’s name to do 

      ministry among students. Instead, he opted for a more effective 
strategy - registering his 

      volunteer work under the banner “Holistic Life Education 
Association”. 

       



      As result, this association has managed to run life education 
classes in high schools and 

      elementary schools across Taoyuan since 2005. Having access to 
so many schools, many 

      volunteers exclaimed that schools and playgrounds were like 
fields ripe for a harvest of souls.

       



      Chen shared during an interview that many children attending 
life education or character-

      building classes actually came from troubled families. They 
were referred by school officials 

      because guidance counselors were unable to help them. As 
volunteers got to know these 

      children, they would often refer them to church fellowships 
that fit them best. 

       



      Months after these children began attending some of the 
church’s small group meetings, 

      God’s work in these children became evident, said Chen. Not 
only were they no longer singled 

      out as troubled kids at school, their families also accepted 
Christ and were baptized.

       



      ********************

      Taiwan Church News is published weekly in Taiwan's local 
languages. 

      You may translate and re-use our articles online only if you 
acknowledge the source as 

      "Taiwan Church News" and list the names of the reporter and 
writer. 

      Contact us before reprinting any of our articles for print 
publications. 

      Direct comments and questions about this article to: 
enews@pctpress.org

      Visit our website for more news at: http://enews.pctpress.org/ 
(English) 

      http://www.pctpress.org (Chinese) 

      ********************