Dear Friends of AFC,
Warmest greetings! We want to share with you the exciting news regarding the Chinese Mission Convention West Coast 2014, which was held December 31, 2014 to January 3, 2015 in San Diego. Praise God we had a record-breaking attendance of over 3,550 people this year, coming from 34 states in the US and Western Canada plus 90 internationals from China, Asia and Europe. There were over 60 mission organizations, 240 pastors and 95 speakers (missionaries, lay leaders and pastors) who gave 109 workshops and plenary presentations. We had 248 indicated dedications toward global and local missions (221 from Chinese Program, 27 English Program). AFC’s Next Step team provided counseling, assessments and consultation for them onsite. Further more, a Next Step retreat has been planned in March at San Diego. This year, 150 business leaders joined the inaugural CMC Entrepreneur Summit that was specially designed for Business as Missions (BAM) purposes.
We feel the Lord is strongly mobilizing the West Coast churches for global and local missions through the CMC platform. This could not possibly be done without the diligent work of the local planning team and the sacrificial donations from our supporters!
All praise and glory goes to God for such a transformative experience at CMC that people from all ages and all walks of life went away with a renewed sense of the Great Commission in our time. We were particularly challenged by Pastor David Choi (Inner-city church planter) in the closing ceremony that "the Gospel is not only the message we take to unbelievers, but also the message that renews our own hearts". We give thanks for the dozens of young people who openly confessed and recommitted their faith in Christ in the final night and a new generation willingly answering the call to missions.
Last but not least, we covet your prayers as we prepare for CMC 2015 in Houston, Texas(12/29/2015-1/2/2016); Derbyshire, UK(8/19-22,2015); and Rome, Italy(8/22-29.2015); CMC 2016 in Baltimore Maryland(12/27-31,2016); and finally CMC 2017 in Los Angeles. During the convention, many key church leaders approached me for the possibility of holding CMC in Asia. I sense the Lord is taking us toward seriously praying and discerning that option. Lord willing, we aspire to host the inaugural CMC in Asia to assist the local churches to be unleashed to reach the nations.
So we are ambassadors for Christ with you,
David T. Chow
President,
Ambassadors for Christ
親愛的使者之友,
主內平安!感謝您從去年開始就為美西華人差傳大會(2014 CMC West Coast)所獻上的禱告和支持!
神信實地回應了大會籌備團隊在過去的三年間辛勤的禱告與工作。今年大會參與者的人數破紀錄的超過了了3550人,這些人分別來自美國和加拿大西部的34個州,還有90位來自中國、亞洲和歐洲。有超過60個宣教機構,240位牧者和95位講員(宣教士、平信徒領袖與牧者),109個主題與工作坊分享。248位與會者向我們表明要委身投入本地或全球宣教使命中(其中221位來自中文部,27位來自英文部)。使者協會的“下一步”事工團隊為他們提供了現場的輔導、評估和諮商。今年三月“下一步”輔導團將在聖地亞哥為他們舉辦一場專門的退修會。此外,本屆華人差傳大會首創,“以商業為宣教使命(Business as Missions)”的華人差傳企業家峰會,約有150位商界領袖參與其中。我們感到神正有力地動員西岸的教會,以華人差傳大會作為平台參與在本地與全球宣教之中。這一切若缺少了當地籌備團隊的辛勤工作,以及支持者犧牲的奉獻都是絕不可能成就的!
一切的讚美和榮耀都歸給我們的神,不同年紀、處在不同人生臺階上的人都被大使命的異象所更新,迴歸在古舊福音之中。年輕的植堂者崔大衛(David Choi)牧師在閉幕式信息中挑戰我們:福音不僅是我們要帶給未信之人的救恩信息,也是更新我們自己心靈的生命信息。因此,有十幾位年輕人在最後一晚敞開自己、悔改並重新憑委身於基督的,另有數百位新生代華人回應宣教呼召而獻上自己。作為會後的跟進,使者會陸續地發出9篇自學性文章。這些文章是特別基於華人差傳大會的認信而寫的,這認信的內容可以在華人差傳大會手冊中找到。
最後,請大家繼續迫切為華人差傳事工禱告。目前我們在為
2015年德州休斯頓(12/29/2015-1/2/2016)、英國德比郡(8/19-22,2015)、義大利羅馬(8/26-29,2015)以及2016年在馬里蘭州的巴爾的摩(12/27-31,2016)的華人差傳大會做準備;以及最終2017年在洛杉磯的差傳大會。若主願意,我們希望在不遠的將來能夠在亞洲舉辦華人差傳來推動華人教會為基督得著萬民。若您有奉獻的能力,也請考慮支持這項重要的宣教動員事工。
在線奉獻
周大衛
基督使者協會會長