For four days, I went to China with three other people to help teach on the topic of discipleship with our ALIVE Curriculum. It was an incredible trip filled with lots of praises and “God-moments.” I had some time to reflect on the things that God was doing in China and some convictions that God stirred up in my heart. Here are three things that God reminded me of (again):
- Multiply the Influence. As we were teaching the ALIVE Curriculum, I realized that the people were so hungry for biblical materials to help them grow spiritually. The need for materials, which go beyond discipleship was evident. I recognized that if we had materials on missions, evangelism, apologetics, etc, it would have helped tremendously. Therefore, the thought about writing and creating more materials became more of a reality. This is something HMCC of Hong Kong will need to commit to for the future. But realistically, materials and head knowledge of things are insufficient. It can never replace genuine life-on-life interaction and examples. If we want to have greater influence in China, we have to go beyond just the written materials. We have to think about helping with the building of culture (i.e. prayer, a heart for the lost, community, etc). This means we have to pray that we will be able to send our own missionaries to these university campuses and cities to live out the Gospel amongst the people.
- Mirco-churches. With all the changes going on in China, the Chinese Church is rethinking about the structure of the church. Some of the Western influences of the mega-church and big structure might have to slowly fade away, and what brought great growth in the past through house churches (micro-churches), might have to be brought back. We went to several micro-churches on this trip and witnessed first-hand the power of simplicity and strength in small groups of Christ-followers gathering together just like the early church in the Book of Acts. It really did feel like an HMCC LIFE Group. It gave me greater confidence that we will be able to plant many churches throughout China via the micro-church movement. One big issue is the training of leaders. But if we are able to raise up people and continue to find ways to train them, then I can see many micro-churches spreading in different universities and cities all throughout China. This might be one of the most effective ways to reach the 1.4 billion people in China. Big things happen in small ways.
- Make Disciples. I am more convinced than ever that making disciples is one of the greatest callings that a Christ-follower has in their obedience to God’s Word regarding missions. In Matthew 28:19-20, when Jesus told us to “go and make disciples of all nations,” it was not a suggestion, but a command. It was a part of God’s greater purpose of reaching the nations with the Gospel. The calling to make disciples is something that we, at HMCC of Hong Kong has to keep on emphasizing. So often, we want to do big and great things, but we forget that making one disciple in our lives can be one of the most impactful things we will ever do. The one disciple that we invest and pour our lives into just might be the person who will impact thousands, if not millions of lives. This is why I want to continue to disciple the people that God has placed in my life. My prayer is that I will fulfill Paul’s command to Timothy of, “You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others” (2 Timothy 2:2, NLT).
With these realizations and convictions, I want to continue to pour my life into the BOLD Vision that God has placed in our hearts for HMCC of Hong Kong. I know that I will not be able to do this alone, therefore, I want to invite all of you to pray and decide to be a part of something greater than yourself. Let’s believe by faith that God will finish His purposes in our lives and in our church. May we continue to advance God’s Kingdom for God’s glory and fame.