129 years ago, our wonderful God placed us in the centre of Sydney. Not only that, it is also close to three major universities in Australia, University of Sydney, University of New South Wales and University of Technology Sydney.
There are tens of thousands of Chinese and Hong Kong students studying in these universities every year. In addition to the recent wave of overseas students and immigrants from Hong Kong, the ministry of foreign students is really a big field.
Our church, for many years, has been working hard in serving overseas students, and we have really seen the results of God’s leading. Now in the church, many brothers and sisters, and church leaders are the fruits resulted from the student ministry years ago.
God not only led CPC in the ministry of overseas students in the past, but recently God has gone a step further and guided us to develop it. In the past two to three years, our church has six campus workers serving in the university, including a couple and a sister in the English congregation, a sister in the Cantonese congregation, and two sisters in the Mandarin congregation. They are either full-time or part-time missionary workers on campus, serving overseas students in three universities.
Thank God for His leadership. In these few years, God has arranged so many campus co-workers among us. God must have His wonderful plan. Campus co-workers are actually serving as missionaries. They are on the front line, contacting unreached people in a non-Christian environment, building relationships with them, and leading them to know and believe in our Lord Jesus.
It is not easy for missionaries to serve on the front line, and they need a lot of behind-the-scenes support, such as prayers, care, or support in their work.
Since God has placed several missionaries in our church, we must think about how to further support and care for them.
I am grateful that Rev Chan held the first "Campus Staff Coming Together" a few weeks ago. During the meeting, everyone got to know each other better and to deepen their mutual understanding.
The church hopes to be the support of their efforts on the front line, so that they can bear more fruits for the Lord. If God allows, I hope that international students also come to our church and make it their spiritual home.
No matter how much fruits we bear, we are grateful that God has put us and our students in His redemption plan. May the Lord help us to see God’s miraculous works, and we are more willing to follow Him and spread the gospel for Him, to nurture more disciples of God, so that international students can continue to shine and testify for the Lord, whether they stay in Australia or return to their place of origin. I believe that this is one of the important missions that God continues to give to our church. May the Lord help us to accomplish His will.
奇妙的神, 在一百二十九年前, 已經把我們放在 悉尼的市中心, 不但如此, 更是 鄰近三間澳洲的主要大學: 悉尼大學 USDY, 新南威爾斯大學 UNSW 及 悉尼科技大學 UTS。
每年有數以萬計的中國及香港留學生, 在這幾所大學就讀, 加上最近的香港留學及移民潮, 留學生事工, 實在是一個很大的禾場。
我們的教會, 多年來, 一直在留學生事工上努力的服侍, 實在見到神帶領的果效, 現在在教會中, 很多弟兄姊妹, 或是教會領袖們, 都是多年來, 學生事工結下來的果子。
神不但在過去帶領雪梨華人長老會在留學生事工, 近來, 相信神是更進一步的, 引導我們發展。這兩三年來, 我們教會更是多了六位在大學服侍的校園傳道,其中有英文堂的一對夫婦 及一位姊妹,粵語堂的一位姊妹, 國語堂的兩位姊妹。他們都是校園全職或兼職傳道同工, 分別在三間大學中服侍留學生。
感謝神的帶領, 在這幾年中, 神安排了那麼多的校園同工在我們中間, 神一定有衪的奇妙計劃。校園同工, 其實是宣教服侍的崗位, 他們是在前線, 在非基督徒環境中接觸未得之民, 與他們建立關係, 引領他們認識並信主耶穌。
宣教士在前線服侍, 實在不容易, 需要很多背後的支持, 如禱告, 關懷, 或在事工上的支援。
神既然已經把好幾位宣教士放在我們教會裡, 我們必需要思想一下, 如何更進一步的支持及關心他們。
感恩的是陳牧師在前數星期, 召開了第一次的 "校園同工會", 在會中大家彼此更認識, 也加深了彼此的了解。
教會希望成為他們在前線努力的支持, 可以為主結出更多果子。如果神允許, 希望留學生也喜歡來到我們教會, 成為他們屬靈的家。
無論結出多少果子, 感恩的是, 神已經把我們及學生放在衪的救贖計劃中, 求主幫助我們, 可以看到神奇妙的作為, 而我們更願意快跑跟隨衪, 為衪傳福音, 建立更多屬神的門徒, 讓留學生將來, 無論是留在澳洲, 或是回去他們的原居地, 都能繼續的為主發光及為主作見證。相信, 這是神繼續賜與我們教會, 其中一個重要的使命, 求主幫助我們, 為主成就衪的心意。
