Sixteenth
Partnership Newsletter- June 2014
Dear Our Partners,
Thanksgivings: Praise the Lord, ten years
ago, on June 13th of 2004, I heard God’s calling me to fulltime
ministry. I was in Campus Crusade personal evangelism training in Hong Kong
during my first year summer break in college. Now I am in theological training
for pastoral and educational ministry in Massachusetts during my second
intensive summer studies in seminary. This is grace upon grace and strength
upon strength that the Lord has brought me through a decade. It is truly, “Great
is Thy faithfulness. Lord, unto me.”
News: Finally, I preached my first
sermon from Isaiah 53:1-12 last Sunday in Cantonese service. The Homiletical
Idea was Christ bore our sins through suffering, and thus subverted the world.
Not only must we believe, we must continually grow, so that we can preach. 基督透過受苦擔當了世人的罪，顛覆了世界, 我們不單止要信，我們要學，然後去傳。I was
thankful to hear some feedback and compliment. I should improve on the
connection to the congregational context, having shorter exposition, and narrowing
to relevant applications along with the challenge and encouragement from the
text. Please pray that I can devote myself to preach God’s word for his glory
and the edification of the church.
Prayers Request:
1. Please
pray for comfort to Eva’s paternal family members for Grandpa a passed away
this month.
2. I
have been following updates and praying for GCAC, especially for the pastoral
team, governing board, pastoral search committee, and different fellowships. I
will discern with Timothy Fellowship in August.
3. Eva’s
internship & Tun’s studies- 25pgs exegesis paper and final of OT: Conquest
Narrative
Words
from Philippians as To My Partners: “To live is Christ, and to die is gain”
“…Alive, I’m
Christ’s messenger; dead, I’m his bounty. Life versus even more life! I can’t
lose. As long as I’m alive in this body, there is good work for me to do. If I
had to choose right now, I hardly know which I’d choose.” (Phil. 1:21-22 The
Message)
This
verse has always inspired me. Paul’s living and preaching is fueled with
emotions. We can even feel that his knowledge of God’s word is burning in his
bones. That sets the tone for me in training to be a preacher. This is what the
disciples who walked with Jesus asked, "Were not our hearts burning within
us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"
(Luke 24:32)
As
always I am thankful for your partnership with me, and with Gordon-Conwell
Theological Seminary to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to a great multitude
of needy people throughout the earth.
With Gratitude in Christ,
Tom Chow
p.s. Please
kindly reply, I hope to hear any news and prayer request from you!
