新的消息 Ministry Update

從去年六月份開始，我們就穩定地在水牛城華人基督教會聚會。查牧師有機會在那邊講道和帶領敬拜。 他最近完成了十週的鋼琴課，向教會受過古典訓練的鋼琴家，教導現代敬拜技巧。 他還被邀請到紐約州伊的家的華人基督教會講道。

我們還繼續幫助照顧 查牧師年邁的父母和我們殘疾的孫子，其中兩個來自烏克蘭。 這兩個孩子都坐在輪椅上，無法說話。 一個患有腦癱，另一個患有脊柱裂。 我們很難想如果他們留在烏克蘭，他們的處境怎麽樣。 我們感謝上帝，他們在我們的美國家庭中是安全的。

Since June of last year, we have been regularly attending the Buffalo Chinese Christian Church.  Barth has been preaching and leading worship. He recently completed a ten week piano class, teaching contemporary worship techniques to the church's classically trained pianists.  He also has been invited to preach at the Chinese Christian Church in Ithaca, NY。 

We also continue to help take care of Barth's elderly parents and our disabled grandchildren, two of whom are from the Ukraine.  Both of these children are in wheelchairs and are unable to talk.  One has cerebral palsy and the other spina bifida. We shutter to think of what might have become of them had they remained in the Ukraine.  We thank God they are safe with our American family.

Excerpts from June 13, 2021 Letter to the Leadership Team of First Trinity Church, Tonawanda, New York

    Covid has caused us all to reevaluate our ministries and our direction.  Our outreach to the Buffalo area ethnic Chinese is no exception.  As we last reported to you, we had been meeting regularly on Zoom after the pandemic hit.  The meeting continued until this February when we realized that attrition was taking its toll, people had moved away or started new jobs, making it impossible for them to attend the meeting.  The university was closed so there was no way rebuild our attendance through outreach.  Faced with waning attendance, we decided to discontinue our Zoom meeting, pray, and wait for clear guidance from the Lord.

    About two months ago, out the blue, some people from the Buffalo Chinese Christian Church contacted us.  They asked if they could come to our house and meet with us.  It was a good fellowship opportunity.  Shortly afterwards, Pastor Sonny Lee and his wife Shufen invited us out to eat.  Then Pastor Lee invited Barth to preach at the church.  The following week Shufen asked Janine to help her minister to a family in crisis.  Since then we’ve had several opportunities to attend church activities.  The members are very open to us.  Pastor Lee feels we could benefit the church and has made it clear to us that we are welcome to become part of their church.

    At this time, it seems that joining the Buffalo Chinese Church makes more sense than continuing to establish a separate work on our own.  Interestingly the Chinese Church is in the process of buying the Crossroads Lutheran Church building on Main Street in Snyder.  This location is accessible from both UB campuses and is a better location from which to minister to the local Chinese.

『理解上帝 Understanding God』查牧师讲道 - 李牧师翻英文
Pastor Chapman preaching: "Understanding God" Translated into English by Pastor Sunny Lee

唱一首天上的歌 （迦南诗歌）

 

查牧師唱詩彈琴：『唱一首天上的歌』 （迦南诗歌）

Pastor Chapman sings "Sing a Heavenly Song"