SUMMER 1992.....the Hong Kong Peak is issued by missionaries of the ABFMS.

HONG KONG CHURCH 2000

As Hong Kong races towards the year 2000 against a backdrop of rapid and historic changes, the Church is on the move. There is an awakening desire for unity among churches. There is a new awareness of the tremendous task before us. Christians are moving into new areas of mission and church planting. Through united prayer and commitment, Christian leaders have initiated the Hong Kong Church 2000 Movement to help direct strategic planning.

The "Baptist 2000" committee of the Baptist Convention of Hong Kong has set up five task forces to focus on evangelism and church planting, matching resources with needs, discipleship training, research, and promotion. The American Baptist Mission is working with Swatow Baptist church pastors in this strategic planning focusing particularly on "New Church Development." They will target Hong Kong people groups who lack a dynamic Christian witness. We look forward to "PLANTING ... GROWING ... and EXPANDING ... the Church of Jesus Christ in Hong Kong and beyond!

NEW ZEALAND BAPTISTS JOIN AMERICAN BAPTISTS IN HONG KONG
By Wilbur Stone

In November of 1991 at their Annual Assembly, the New Zealand Baptist Union voted to form a partnership with the American Baptist Mission in Hong Kong for ministry in Hong Kong and Macau.

Rev. Murray Beck and his wife Norma were appointed by New Zealand Baptists to be their first missionaries to this area. The Becks should arrive in Hong Kong about mid-1992. They will begin Cantonese language studies shortly thereafter.

Rev. Murray Beck is an ordained pastor who has over twenty years of experience in social service ministry. He was director of the Auckland City Mission for almost ten years. This centre offers a full range of social service programs to people of all ages and different needs. New Zealand Baptists have one of the most successful church related social service programs in the world.

The majority of Baptist churches in New Zealand have some form of social service or community ministry. These churches try to integrate the work of the church and its social centres so as to not only meet human need, but also share the life-changing love of Christ with those to whom they minister.

Rev. Beck will serve as a consultant for the development of social service programs in Baptist churches in Hong Kong and Macau. The focus will be on the integration of these facilities with the work of the church. Social service is a proven and accepted means for new church development in Hong Kong, and Rev. Beck is certain to be a valuable asset. Murray will also be team leader for the selection and oversight of additional missionary personnel by the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society. New Zealand is working toward the development of an urban ministries team composed of persons with special skills needed in urban settings. It is planned that another couple will be appointed during 1993 for work in Macau.

We rejoice over the partnership as this will greatly enhance our ministries in Hong Kong and Macau. Please pray for the Becks as they make the move and necessary adjustments to life in Hong Kong.

THE FUNG TAK CHAPEL AND READING/STUDY ROOM
By Sheila Stone

With the assistance of the Baptist Convention of Hong Kong, the Brotherly Love Swatow Baptist Church recently received a Reading/Study Room in one of the new buildings in the Fung Tak Estate. This housing estate is home to over 30,000 persons. The government allows the churches to use this type of subvented facilities for the development of new chapels and churches. However, the church must provide the monies for the interior decoration of the facility.

Since property is extremely expensive in Hong Kong, this is proving to be one of the quickest and most economical ways for developing new churches. As most people in Hong Kong live in small, noisy, and crowded highrise apartment complexes, these reading/study rooms are in great demand by students who need a quiet place to study and complete their homework. The centre also provides the chapel the means to develop relationships with the students and their families.

Often this leads to opportunities for evangelism. The Brotherly Love church with assistance from the Three-in-One Program of the Mission Outreach Association of Shantou Baptist Churches and the American Baptist Mission, has hired a recent seminary graduate, Mr. Amos Yeung, to be the pastor of the Fung Tak Chapel.

The Brotherly Love church is scheduled to receive another such facility this summer. Please pray that the church can obtain the necessary finances to decorate and equip this facility within which to develop yet another chapel. Pray that other churches will also catch this same vision for new church development.

TSUENG KWAN O CELL GROUP CHURCH
By Becky Trask

The new Cell Group Church at Junk Bay New Town, now called Tseung Kwan O, is growing swiftly as home cell groups reach out with the power of God's love and grace. The vision that God has planted in the hearts of this body of Christians continues to grow as their home cell groups divide and multiply.

At this time, there are 14 cell groups with leaders and interns and an average of eight people in each cell. Forty percent are new Christians, sponsors from their cell groups keep in touch with them. Each cell group has an equipping time before its weekly meeting. Even so, helping so many new Christians to grow in Christ is a challenge!

We are blessed to have Liu Tak Hon join us. Over the past year he has worked us as a pastor intern preparing himself to be the Zone Pastor. It is a great joy to see him mature in his pastoral skills for the task ahead. Tak Hon will preach at the weeklyWorship Celebration and oversee the growth of the Zone. Working with him are two Zone Supervisors, Elaine Chik and Sammy Cheng. They are responsible for supervising the cell leaders. This helps to assure that everyone is cared for and equipped for ministry.

It is such a joy to see so many people with servant hearts catching hold of God's vision for His Church. "Some plant, some water , but God gives the increase." Praise His Name! Please pray for this young church and its leadership to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to reach Hong Kong for Christ.

HA WAN BAPTIST CHRISTIAN CENTRE IN MACAU
By Wilbur Stone

On Sunday, March 29,1992, a special service was held at the Ha Wan Baptist Church in Macau to mark the joint partnership of the Ha Wan church, the Kwun Tong Swatow Baptist Church from Hong Kong, and the American Baptist Mission for the development of a Christian centre in the Ha Wan church. Rev. Murray Beck was present to represent the New Zealand Baptist Mission who will also be assisting the centre by providing social service expertise. Recently the Ha Wan church under the leadership of Ms. Yeung Siu Yuk, a seminary graduate from the Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary, began offering a tutoring program for local children and young people. Within a very short time, they had over seventy children in the program. Many other families had requested the services of the church, but the church lacked both manpower and resources. The church charges a nominal fee for the program which in turn is given to the older students who act as tutors for the younger students. This arrangement serves to help meet the needs of both groups.

The Ha Wan church is located in a poor area of Macau and is largely inhabited by fishing people. Many of the parents are at sea for several months of the year. Quite often the children of one or more families are left under the care of a grandparent or another older relative. These families often live in very small quarters, and do not have anyone to assist them with their schoolwork.

There is a shortage of schools in Macau, and many of the existing schools are grossly overcrowded. The majority of schools in Macau are either private or private church related - there are 21 government schools and 73 private schools. The government schools are open only to a few students from poor families, and these students are selected by some government process. These students must enter the system before age five - they cannot transfer into the public system at a later age. The government schools have excellent facilities and a teacher/student ratio of 1/20.

The private schools are the next cheapest alternative, but they are grossly overcrowded, the facilities are extremely limited, and the quality of education is very poor. Some classes have only one teacher, often only a high school graduate, for between 60-90 students. Church related schools offer a far better quality education, but the cost is often beyond the means of the poorer families.

The Ha Wan Baptist Christian Centre is one attempt to improve the quality of I;ducation for many of the children and young people in Macau. The partnership between the two churches and the two Missions will enable this church to expand its program to meet the needs of many more young people. The centre will also provide a means to develop relationships Aith the children and their families, and this will open the door for evangelistic work. Several young people have already begun attending the worship services of the church as a result of this program. Please keep this centre in your prayers.

A PASTOR’S LOVE FOR CHILDREN
By Lau Kwok Kuen

When I was only a primary student I believed in Jesus and accepted him as my Savior and Lord. My love for Him called me to always share his love in whatever I was doing. After my studies I began teaching primary children, but later received a call to the pastorate. Even though the Lord was leading me in this way, I have continued to have a heart for reaching children with the love of Jesus.

Two years ago I arrived at Tsuen Wan Swatow Baptist Church, I joined together with the church youth and reached out to the housing estate near our church. In the housing estate we found many young children on the street playing, wandering around with nothing much to do. I returned to the church and began to pray for them. I really hoped they in some way could be reached to hear the good news of Jesus. Afterward, I had a thought to reach them by beginning free tutoring lessons to help them with their homework. I thought this would help them to have a good result in their examinations. Most of these children come from very poor families. The parents work outside the home and have no time to care for them, so their school results are very poor. The parents cannot afford to pay tutoring fees. "There is a church nearby that also provides tutoring, but charges HK$300/month."

When we began the tutoring, there were over 10 children that came to the first session. Every Saturday and Sunday they come to church and study. I help them with their lessons and teach them, especially in Chinese and mathematics. Afterwards they are invited to stay for our children's activities.

The second year, several youth began to help me with the tutoring. These children have continued to come, sometimes, different faces show up and we are able to share God's love. There are several who have consistently returned to the church. They hear the good news and we all praise God together!

This year this ministry will continue, but as the church ministry grows I am not able to do this by myself. We have sought the assistance of the Mission to help provide financial assistance to help support a teacher to oversee the work. In this was we can continue to reach out to these very poor children with a free service that is greatly needed in Hong Kong. Praise the Lord the Mission has promised to help us in this outreach.

I hope many more children from the highrises around the church can hear the Gospel and believe in Jesus Christ. This is my prayer. Please pray with me.

KOWLOON CITY SWATOW BAPTIST – NEW CHURCH DEDICATION
By Linda Tennis

The new church structure for the worship and program of the Kowloon City Swatow Baptist Church will be completed in the summer of 1992. This congregation of nearly two thousand Christians has made great sacrifices in order to have a new, efficient building which will allow them to contiue their ministry and outreach in the Kowloon City are of Hong Kong for many years to come.

The total cost of the building will come to more than US$3.5 million. Though the raising of the amount of money has been difficult, the church people felt it was essential that they have facilities which can be useful for their future ministry. With the approach of 1997 and the uncertainties which are attendant on that date when the administration of Hong Kong is turned over to the People s Republic of China, the congregation wants to be well-prepared.

The new structure will enable them to greatly expand their Christian education program, giving better instruction about the Faith to their young people. There is a strong desire to give a better grounding in the basic Christian beliefs to the youth, and to to prepare leaders for the work of the church.

The Kowloon City Swatow Baptist Chruch is the mother church of most of the fifteen Swatow Baptist Churches in Hong Kong. Over the years, they have followed the practice of starting chapels in various parts of the city and then nurturing them to the point where they can stand on their own.

Many in the congregation feel that now is the time to reach out in new ways with a dynamic and aggressive program of evangelism as they make plans to begin ministries overseas. With the uncertainties of the future of Hong Kong, many people are emigrating. These should be seen as means by which the Christian message is taken throughout the world. With the support and encouragement of the mother church, Christians can be commissioned to share their faith wherever they go.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
By Becky Trask

As the rapid change and church growth cause a dispersal of Hong Kong church leaders, there is an increasing need for leadership development. Although many pastors are leaving the Territory, many young people continue to pursue seminary studies. They are committing themselves to expanding existing churches and to planting new ones.

In looking at present and future needs, the Mission set three priorities - "Leadership Development," "New Church Development," and "Assisting Chinese Churches in Mission Outreach". Aware of the need to build leadership, we decided to locate good training opportunities and to provide financial assistance so church leaders can attend.

For example, last October we organized a group of pastors and leaders from several churches to attend the 1991 Church Growth International Conference at the Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, Korea. Altogether, nine people including missionaries, Sheila and Wilbur Stone and Becky Trask, attended this inspiring conference. All of us were challenged to envision how God is directing His Church toward the year 2000 and beyond. This conference helped us to see new ways to expand existing church ministries and also helped us to grasp church planting through home cell groups. We received an enlarged vision for ministry. Each of us also grew in our desire for a deeper prayer fife after our visit to the famous Prayer Mountain.

In March, another leadership development opportunity offered training in new church planting. Four church leaders, along with Becky Trask, attended the Faith Community Baptist Church in Singapore.

It was a valuable training experience, showing us more clearly how a cell group church operates, how to start a new church using this model, -how to seek God's vision and set goals to carry out the vision. We also learned how to equip people as cell group leaders. It was extremely helpful for those of us already using this church model and for two pastors who are just beginning in church planting.

It was Wonderful for Swatow Baptist leaders to be able to learn first hand from other Asian church leaders. We look forward to more training opportunities so Christian leaders can learn to equip the church for ministry in Hong Kong, Macau and beyond.

S.T.E.P. AND HONG KONG EDUCATION NEEDS AND PROBLEMS
By Linda Tennis

During this academic year, nineteen students are being given financial assistance by the American Baptist Mission's Student Tuition Expense Program to enable them to continue their education in Hong Kong schools. Of these, four are in primary schools and fifteen are attending secondary schools.

Some of these students are from single parent families where a mother is struggling to earn enough money to hold a family together and provide for their basic needs. Some are children whose parents have accepted the call to church vocations, which are traditionally very low-paying jobs. Some are those whose parents have suffered misfortunes and are unable to be gainfully employed.

For the past twenty-seven years, Christian friends in the United States have sent money for S.T.E.P. (Student Tuition Expense Program) to be used as scholarships for young people. The aim of S.T.E.P. in Hong Kong has been to give assistance to young, needy students in the Swatow Baptist Churches. Secondary students who need financial strain on their families may make application for this assistance.

Through the generosity of individuals who have expressed their concern through contributions,a total of US$8,300. was awarded to scholarship recipients this academic year. This program is supported solely by the Specific, over-and-above gifts which are donated through the S.T.E.P. program. Each year the grants are awarded, on the faith that the money to underwrite the expenses will be forthcoming.

The applicants are those who have been recommended by the pastors of their churches. The pastor knows the family situation and can therefore advise concerning the amount of assistance which is needed to enable a student to continue getting an education. In many situations, where the financial resources of a family are very limited, the temptation is to have the child quit school and get a job to earn income for the family. This would be a short-sighted solution, as it limits the future poetential and possibilities for the child.

Though it cannot provide the additional income which may be needed by a family in its present circumstances, the S.T.E.P. program can at least assist with the schooling costs so those don't become an additional burden. In many cases, the young people who have been assisted through this program have been able to secure scholarships to enable them to continue heir education beyond high school and thave prepared themselves to enter professions.

More than 1.2 million students (nearly 23% of the total population) are attending Hong Kong schools this year. There is keen competition for the places in the schools this year. This puts a great deal of pressure on the students. In order to relieve some of this pressure by not adding an additional burden of having to earn money to supplement family income, S.T.E.P. grants have been made.

Thank you to each one who has had a part in this worthwhile endeavor.

WU OI DEVELOPS NEW TRAINING CENTRE ON LANTAU ISLAND
By Sheila Stone

The latest addition to Wu Oi's expanding ministry is named Bliss Lodge. It is being developed in an abandoned and vandalized motel complex on Lantau Island. The isolated site is located on a picturesque and tranquil part of this fast developing island, away from the noise and fast-paced life of Hong Kong. At present one unit of the motel has been remodeled to accommodate a ministry to juvenile boys.

The boys come from a variety of backgrounds and have a variety of problems including drug addiction and criminal behavior. The boys often lack the social skills needed to develop and maintain interpersonal relationships, and many come out of troubled families. The Bible based program teaches the boys to be more responsible and helps them to develop a more disciplined lifestyle. The boys spend time working on cleaning the other undeveloped motel units, and also have time for recreation. This ministry is offering these young men an opportunity to experience love and acceptance in a structured atmosphere. It is hoped that many will find new life in Christ while living at Bliss Lodge.

Wu Oi's ever expanding influence now touches nearly every country in Southeast Asia including the People's Republic of China. Wu Oi's long range plans for Bliss Lodge include the development of a training centre for persons working with drug abuse centres.

Recently, Wu Oi held a training conference in Hong Kong for the leaders of drug abuse centres throughout Southeast Asia. Persons from eight different countries attended the conference, and all expressed the need for a regional training centre. Pray that the Lord will provide the resources "to develop and staff this much needed training centre.

THE JESUS FAMILY MOVE INTO NEW QUARTERS
By Wilbur Stone

The Jesus Family is a drug abuse treatment centre located in Macau, a Portuguese colony some forty miles across the mouth of the Pearl River from Hong Kong. The Jesus Family was developed by the Macau Bible Institute with the help of the Wu Oi Christian Centre. The director, Mr. Lam Son Choi, and the original staff members were all trained at Wu Oi's Long Ke facility in Hong Kong. There are now seventeen men in this expanding program.

In late 1991, it was learned that the centre would have to move out of their rented quarters. After much prayer, planning and work, another facility consisting of two apartments was located. The centre's board of directors which includes American Baptist missionary, Rev. Wilbur Stone, approved the purchase of these two flats. A grant from an American Baptist Church in Indiana helped to make this possible. Other monies were borrowed interest free from people in Hong Kong who support this ministry. Since that time a Hong Kong church has given a grant which will enable the centre to pay back these borrowed monies. Praise the Lord!

Due to the large and mobile Chinese immigrant population in Macau, drug abuse is a growing problem. Drugs are less expensive and more easily obtained than in the more developed Hong Kong. Please pray that the Jesus Family will be used of the Lord to rescue the lives of men trapped by drug addiction in this colony so plagued by gambling, prostitution, and drug abuse.

Missionaries....
Rev. Keith and Linda Tennis  
Rev. Becky Trask
Rev. Wilbur and Sheila Stone