Secret to Lasting Longer in English Ministry
During my recent visit to Austin, I had met Ken Liu at Chesterbrook Taiwanese Presbyterian Church in VA. Here’s an impromptu interview of him sharing the trade secret for lasting longer in English Ministry. [Thanks @DJChuang]
He’s made it past 5 years!
Unheard of?ConferenceSpotting
I’ll be headed out to Austin, Texas tomorrow to join 2000+ church leaders at Verge 2010. Should be interesting since it’s the first “missional” church conference of this kind. I’ll be hanging out with the good folks at Vox Veniae as well as DJChuang and David Park (NextGenerAsianChurch.com).
You can follow the live stream through DJChuang.com as well as through his tweets on @djchuang247. He and David Park are part of the official Verge Social Media Team.
But you can also follow @laurencetom @abcpastor for my live tweets
as well as Live twitter tweets on twubs + use official hashtag #verge10 There’s other significant conferences that I still need to follow up on like NA-CCCOWE. Co-wha? Way back at the beginning of December back in 09, a little event took place that gathered many Chinese churches together in North America. The conference also had a separate English speaking track that focused on “The Challenges and Future of English Speaking Ministries in Chinese Churches.” It was a momentous gathering of leaders. While abcpastor.com goes through a facelift I’ll provide a separate page to include some of the dialogue, documents, and future plans from the NACCOWE event. I know many of you have been asking for it. I’ll make good on it soon.
My 2010 conference itinerary so far includes:
EPIC, Jan 15-18
Verge, Feb 4-6
Ecclesia National Gathering, Feb 16
The Ideation Conference, Apr 5-6
The 99% Conference, Apr 15Any other suggestions?
Chinese Immigrants = Big Money
Arizona looks like the new port for Chinese immigrants to the US. Illegal immigrants are being smuggled between Chinese organized crime groups and Mexican smuggling organizations. This is a very lucrative business especially in light of the increasing interception of drugs.
Chinese immigrants commonly pay smugglers upward of $40,000 each to lead them from their homeland to the United States, Mr. Jimarez said. In comparison, he said, illegal immigrants from Mexico commonly pay $1,500 to $3,000.
Read The New York Times Coverage: In Arizona, a Stream of Illegal Immigrants From China
Who’s Dream Are You Living?
Here’s the full version of Dr Martin Luther King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech given on August 28, 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial in DC.
I need to watch this at least once a year.We all have dreams. We’re all living or chasing some dream or someone else’s dream. However, I think most of us are living the wrong dreams for our lives.
I’ve come across so many Asian Americans driven by the dreams of their parents and never live out their own dream or more importantly the one that God has given us.Who’s dream are you living today?
…I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; “and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.”2
This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.
With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
Real Relief for Haiti
My heart breaks for Haiti. Sadly, many do not know about the ongoing problems of Haiti.
It is one of the poorest countries in the Western hemisphere, with around 80 percent of the population living under the poverty line and 54 percent living in abject poverty, according to the CIA World Factbook. More than two-thirds of the labor force are believed to not have formal jobs, and just 62.1 percent of adults over age 15 are literate, according to the United Nations Human Development Report.
Haiti also has among the world’s lowest levels of gross domestic product per capita. [via New York Times]Historically, Haiti has been taken advantaged of for years and forced to pay for their freedom with high interest loans from a host of countries that include the United States. It’s time to bring real relief to Haiti.
Does it have to take destruction and loss of countless lives for us to be aware of injustice? We may not have control over natural disasters but we can certainly do something about poverty and injustice. We can right some of the wrongs. We can bring real relief to Haiti.
Congress is still considering The Jubilee Act for Responsible Lending and Expanded Debt Cancellation. This bill would help countries like Haiti get their debt canceled, without making that cancellation conditional on things like closing down free schools or raising the cost of fresh water. This may be a good time to contact your representatives about about this bi-partisan measure.
If you’re praying, great. Then put your money where your prayers are too. Let me also add that it’s easy to throw money at causes. It’s distant love. We are called to do much more. This is a time for the church to shine and respond with the love of Christ.If you’re praying, great. Then put your money where your prayers are too. Let me also add that it’s easy to throw money at causes. It’s distant love. We are called to do much more and we actually can if we open our eyes and hearts.
Haiti Earthquake Relief: How You Can Help
The Huffington Post has a growing roundup of ways to help
You can also text “HAITI” to 90999 to donate $10 to Red Cross
One Day’s Wages has set up a relief fund
More Links
For all things Haiti: (haiti.alltop.com)
Haiti’s Economy (NYT)
Haiti Earthquake Relief: 9 Ways to Help Now (Mashable)What’s Next for ABCPastor?
There’s going to be some changes here real soon. I know I’ve been promising that for years but I think the pieces of the puzzle have finally come together to make ABCPastor more than just my personal musings about faith and life in the Chinese church. Over the next few weeks I’ll be working on a redesign of the site and feature new content as well as features.
Some of you have been asking and anticipating stuff from the NA-CCOWE Conference on “The Challenges and Future of English Speaking Ministries in the Chinese Church” and that stuff will come along. It’s all part of the new shift in the direction of this blog.
Additionally, I’ll be joining the good folks over at NextGenerAsianChurch.com which will also undergo a big transformation itself coming this Spring. Especially look out for amazing posts from some amazing Asian American women like Helen Lee and Kathy Khang.
What do you want to see next?
Merry Christmas!
Thanks for being part of our journey. May you experience and know deeply the very thing that you’ve been put on this earth to experience – God with us.
~ Merry ChristmasHow Asian American Culture Affects Faith
DJ Chuang recently posted an interview with Brent Wong, a 5th-generation Asian American of Chinese descent. Brent’s searching and questioning may resonate closely with the experience of many Chinese Americans even several generations down the line. You may not speak Chinese or even eat Chinese food but how do your parents respond to your steps of faith?
What cultural aspects transcend language from generation to generation? There’s the academic expectations, the lack of affection and praise…
Many believe Chinese families are close and tight but very often it’s more about order. Our upbringing affects the way we communicate and gives clues to the pains and longings of our hearts.
What other aspects can you identify?
And how does that affect ministry and shape the way you do ministry?Healing for South Philadelphia High School Asian Students
The moment that Asian students from South Philadelphia High School have been waiting for finally arrived yesterday, 8 days after the violence they experienced. They were able to meet with District Superintendent Arlene Ackerman and other school officials with translators and community leaders on neutral ground at CCCNC. It was a closed door ‘conversation’ between school officials and over 30 students that comprised of Asian students who have not been back at school since the attacks as well as students that belonged to an Ambassador program. In the end the students were strongly urged to return to school today otherwise absences will be counted against them and ultimately hurt their academic careers. What mattered from when this whole ordeal began was whether these students felt heard or not. It was a really powerful moment for me to see and hear the deep appreciation that these students had for the many leaders that rallied around them to get this conversation going and continue to stand by them. This is just a first step in this process of healing for these students, the school community and the surrounding neighborhood. The goal is healing. It’s going to take more conversations and the efforts of both adults and students to bring healing to this school and community. Apologies help. Empathy too. And of course, forgiveness.
I really wonder, throughout this whole process leading up to today, what have they learned?
Students were told that they can make the difference, they have a voice and it’s basically up to them. This is true to a certain extent but we cannot just place the burden for action and change solely upon the shoulders of students. Adults need to come alongside and speak up for them. That goes for teachers, administration, parents and the rest of us as neighbors. Right now it’s a question of whether these students feel safe enough and are able to trust the adults appointed there to protect, teach and care for them. Many of these students did return to school today but the healing will take time.
Links to Recent News
Asian Students Return to South Phila. HS After Talks
Nutter backs Ackerman’s handling of S. Philly High
Asian Students Back to Class at S. Philly High
Opinion:What are we teaching our kids?RadioTimes on Tensions among students at South Philadelphia High School [mp3, 27mb]
The Chinese Worker: TIME Person of the Year 2009?
CHINESE IN THE NEWS: The shortlist for the TIME Person of the Year came out this morning. You’ve got Steve Jobs, Ben Bernake, and “The Chinese Worker”… Blink. Blink. You heard right.
“They are an increasingly influential group in one of the world’s most powerful economies”
The magazine’s selection will be unveiled Wednesday morning on the “Today” show. You can vote on who you think should be Person of the Year. [via Huffington Post]
Events
"HERO" An EPIC MOVEMENT EAST COAST Conference January 15-18, 2010, Philadelphia
Verge Missional Community Conference,
February 4-6, Austin, Texas
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