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Saturday, November 30, 2013

Ninth Partnership Newsletter- November 2013


Dear my Partners,    

Thanksgivings: Thanks be to God! This is the twelfth Thanksgiving Holiday that I’ve celebrated in this country since 2001. On top of every blessings that God has lavishly given me this year, I’m especially thankful for what God has revealed about Himself to me from meditating on Zephaniah 3:17.
1st That the LORD my God is-in-me (leading me in physical and spiritual warfare, battles after battles)
2nd That He is a mighty one who-will-save (from bondage of sins, personal weaknesses and shortcomings)
3rd That He will rejoice-over-me with gladness (shining and smiling to me at all times, good or bad)
4th That He will quiet-me-by-his-love (in reading, spiritual disciplines, direction, and solitude retreat)
5th That He will exult-over-me-with-loud-singing (I can’t thank for anything more than this- God likes me!)
       
News: To me, teaching Sunday school is enjoyable but not easy! Preparing for the class is one thing; teaching the class is one thing; interacting with people is one thing; reflecting on the lesson is one thing; but the one thing I seek is to know God and His Gospel in the whole Bible and let it transform others and me.
Good news, I finished Hebrew 1 and Catechesis final. I enjoy this semester and current ministry!
One thing I don't want you to forget, your prayers and gifts have blessed my ministry and many workers representing Gordon-Conwell, touching many needy people and building God’s kingdom widely. Thank you!
           
Prayers Request: 1) Please pray for Eva and I to have a fruitful trip at the Students Gospel Camp in London on 12/26-1/1 in reaching over a hundred Chinese students.
2) I will share the gospel with my relatives in London and wish to find a local church to follow up with them.
3) Final exams and papers are drawing close. We need strength and protection, and prayers for our parents and sisters that God would protect and bring them near to himself.
       
Timely words from Philippians as To My Partners: “May your love flourish, perfect, and prevail!”
Phil. 1:10 Msg, “…so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover’s life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of.”

As always, thank you for your partnership with me, and with Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to a great multitude of the needy people throughout the whole earth.
May our Lord pours out his grace on you and your family, and reward you on earth as it is in heaven!

With Gratitude in Christ,
Tom Chow               

p.s. Please kindly reply if you wish, I hope to hear any news and prayer request from you too!
2014 is coming, I invite you to pray about continue partnering with me and Gordon-Conwell, “To advance Christ's Kingdom in every sphere of life by equipping Church leaders to think theologically, engage globally and live biblically." Hope to hear from you!

Friday, October 25, 2013

Eighth Partnership Newsletter- October 2013


Eighth Partnership Newsletter- October 2013
Dear my Partners,    

Thanksgivings:  Fall in the New England is really beautiful, as the poem speaks the words in my heart while I was walking in the garden of St. Anne Monastery, “All things bright and beautiful; All creatures great and small; all things wise and wonderful; The Lord God made them all.” Beauty in its truest sense is always, bidden or unbidden, God is presence, and things, good or bad, cannot stop me to see God’s Will in it.    
       
 News: On October 5th, 2013, I reached the 3300fts summit of the world second most climbed mountain, Manadnock in New Hampshire! It was quiet an experience to hiked/climbed with a handful of members from CBCGL fellowship, from the youngest age of 2 to the oldest over 65. We marched over 6 hours and witnessed there is nothing impossible for the people of God. Beside that legacy, joining the retreat for spiritual direction training, meeting with my first formal Spiritual Director, and exercising almost daily the spiritual disciplines were remarkable in this month, on top of the class reading, and soon writing and testing. 
           
Prayers Request: Sometimes I posted prayers on Facebook as way of sharing myself with friends XD, like
“10/18 Please pray for me that I will witness (preach) Jesus boldly in the Gospel camp in London after Christmas and getting ready to peach in church in the spring. Thanks!”
“10/19 seeing friends having kids triggers me to plan more seriously, two pastors talked to me about it this month. pls pray for me... important but not urgent :D”
Now be more sober, I need prayer and wisdom to develop the curriculum for new believers for Sunday school and fellowship starting in November. They are almost 10 of them. Eva and I are easily tired lately. We need strength and protection, and same request for our parents and sisters as well. “How about your prayer need?”
       
Timely words from Philippians as To My Partners: “May your love flourish, perfect, and prevail!”
Phil. 1:9 Msg, “So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings.”

As always, thank you for your partnership with me, and with Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to a great multitude of the needy people throughout the whole earth.
May our Lord pours out his grace on you and your family, and reward you on earth as well as in heaven!

With Gratitude in Christ,
Tom Chow               

p.s. Please kindly reply if you wish, I hope hear any news and prayer request from you too!
2014 is coming, I invite you to pray about continue partnering with me and Gordon-Conwell, “To advance Christ's Kingdom in every sphere of life by equipping Church leaders to think theologically, engage globally and live biblically." Hope to hear from you!


Monday, September 23, 2013

Sixth Partnership Newsletter- August 2013


Sixth Partnership Newsletter- August 2013
Dear my Partners,    

Thanksgivings:
             Praise the Lord who is the creator of time, the sustainer of lives, and the provider of all our needs!
Time flies very fast, isn’t it? Summer is almost over, and a new season filled with hope and mission is greeting us to arrive.  “Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them” (Psalm 19:2-3).
       
 News: Many good news flourishing this August!
            I just taught my first Sunday school class in a Chinese Missionary series, and I got to share about Isobel Kuhn whose autobiography I wanted to read since college. Another good news I want to share with you is that I am accepted into a new Spiritual Formation program, with a spiritual direction certificate cohort and mentorship for two years. To this new opportunity and challenge, honestly I feel like “fear and rejoice with trembling” in serving the Lord this way. And amazing my parents gave me a timely check that will cover all the expense of the additional program fees. Not only that, I am marveled when my grandma gave me a hundred dollars “under table gift” when we were drinking tea. It was the exact amount of the cell phone that I replaced on the day before my grandma’s secret gift because she doesn't want my grandpa knows. J
           
Prayers Request:
            Please pray for my father’s salvation, health and financial wellbeing, and my mother’s growth in Christ. My closest cousin is getting married in September, and my aunt who is undergoing cancer treatment in Guangzhou. She heard the gospel but has not accepted Jesus. Pray that full salvation reaches her asap.  
            Please pray for Eva and I to finish the remaining school works of the summer online courses, the Life of Jesus, and Hebrew. We will have the more intense fall semester ahead, Eva will take 3 courses and I will take 4. Please pray that we will be well prepared before the semester and ready to press on toward the goal.
       
Timely words from the Letter to Philippians (My Partners): “Right feeling for the Right People”
 “ It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me.” (Phil. 1:7)


As always, thank you for your partnership with me, and with Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to a great multitude of the needy people throughout the whole earth.
May our Lord pours out his grace on you and your family, and reward you on earth as well as in heaven!
With Gratitude in Christ,
Tom Chow               

p.s. Please kindly reply if you wish, I hope hear any news and prayer request from you too!   

                          

Seventh Partnership Newsletter- September 2013


Seventh Partnership Newsletter- September 2013
Dear my Partners,   

Thanksgivings:    I want to give thanks to Jesus for a profound truth that I learned couple days ago at my first spiritual direction gathering. Before that I did not know where would Jesus be right now (yes His resurrected physical body) and I did not know what would He be doing. I was dawned when I heard the Spiritual Director read from Hebrew 1 and 7, “After he (Jesus) had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven” (v3) and “he always lives to intercede for them (those who come before God)” (v25) that included us! I was so touched and humbled by how real and deep that Jesus loves me, and is praying for me at the Father’s right side always! I am sure that Abba Father listens to every prayer from Jesus, and has increased my gratefulness, compassion, and spiritual understanding in Him.     
       
 News:  The fall semester has started but I sensed the rhythm of spring inside. Many new things are budding around me. As I shared last time, I got into a Spiritual Formation program with spiritual direction training. There is an unspeakable joy and real satisfaction that I found with it. I have also started my first mentor ministry field unit in Chinese Bible Church at Greater Lowell where Jinyi is ministering. I will be mainly serving with the worship team and a new Cantonese young professional group. Please stay tune for two more exciting news I will share with you in the next Partnership Newsletter.  
  
Prayers Request: Please pray for my dad that he can continue to receive unemployment benefits since he has to renew it soon. Please pray for my mom to grow up in Christ, and my sister to come closer to God while they are in Hong Kong.Please pray for Eva and I as we are both taking 3 courses this semester with a few hours part-time job. She is taking: Intro to Counseling, Adv. Developmental Psych., and Church History. I am taking: Hebrew, Catechesis, and Spiritual Dynamic. 
       
Timely words from Philippians, as To My Partners: “Love as Christ loves us: by Intercession”
 He knows how much I love and miss you these days. Sometimes I think I feel as strongly about you as Christ does!” (Phil. 1:8 The Message)

As always, thank you for your partnership with me, and with Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to a great multitude of the needy people throughout the whole earth.
May our Lord pours out his grace on you and your family, and reward you on earth as well as in heaven!

With Gratitude in Christ,
Tom Chow   

p.s. Please kindly reply if you wish, I hope hear any news and prayer request from you too!