RCMI Newsletter January 2021
A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Prov 17:22
Dear Friends of RCMI, Pastors,
Peace be to all of you!
2020 -- Peril or Opportunity?
God said, "Let there be light," and there was light (Genesis 1:3). Light and darkness, grace and law, the heavenly and the earthly -- all these are obvious, strong contrasts. 2020 was historic! We can choose to live in discouragement, or we can choose to light a lamp in the darkest place. We can choose to do Heaven's work, to bring Heaven's blessing down to earth!
From Hong Kong and China to the Middle East
We would like to say, "Thank you!" to everybody for your close cooperation in 2020 with RCMI and the whole RCC family including our mission workers overseas. We have just completed an historic year. This year let us continue forward in one heart together; let us provide disaster relief, help for the poor, all kinds of supplies needed to fight the pandemic, and finances to supply all the needs in the mission fields!
Revival Christian Church, Paris, France
Revival Christian Church in Paris, France is buying real estate for their church: the Chinese Church is lighting a beacon for Europe!
Working Together With One Heart
Lebanese Refugee Camp
RCMI joined with Nexus Mission, Shiloh Church (Pastor Balcombe's sending church in California, U.S.A.), Revival Christian Church in Hong Kong and all RCC branch churches in Europe to minister to those who serve refugees and disaster victims in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Lebanon, Syria, and elsewhere. We are continuing to encourage and train the church of China and to work with them to fulfill the vision of "Mission for China, China for Mission"! Even though the Church of China has all kinds of problems and difficulties, still, "To give is more blessed than to receive"; and therefore, Chinese brothers and sisters willingly donate their "two small coins" for the sake of God's Kingdom.
Our Coworker in Syria says, "We care for families sleeping out in the open, educate children and illiterate adults, and serve families separated or broken by the war. 2020 was the most difficult year we've ever had, as we dealt with COVID-19, currency devaluation, financial crisis, and finally a lockdown that shut us off from the rest of the world. But this time of crisis was also our greatest opportunity to demonstrate the great love of Christ! When we thought there was no hope, at a seemingly impossible time, we received financial help and supplies to fight the pandemic because of you. We thank God for your support and companionship!"
2020 Christmas party -- We Shared the Good News with Homeless Families, Children, and Broken Families
Young Syrian Couple
Antioch Church in the Middle East
The head pastor of Shiloh Church Pastor Javier, Pastor Dennis Balcombe's mother church in the U.S.A., and the pastors of Revival Christian Church in Hong Kong came together in the Middle East to conduct a retreat for the coworkers of Antioch Church. Antioch Church consists of Muslim-background disciples -- believers in Jesus for anywhere from a few months to a few years. It was their first time to receive communion and their first time to receive God's truth about tithing. Most of the believers, from refugee families, were willing to receive the Word of God, and during the few days of the retreat they offered themselves to the Lord and sincerely received communion -- the body and blood of our Lord Jesus.
Pastor Javier and Antioch Church minster
This very simple ceremony is practiced all over the world in all Christendom; yet when we partook of it there in the Middle East, we all were very deeply moved. We realized we were experiencing the sequel to "Mission for China" -- we had entered the "China for Mission" phase!
In the past we've been blessed with your partnership taking the gospel into China; now we still need it to help take the gospel "out" of China -- "from China to the World"! Together, let us work to complete the Great Commission given to us by the Lord!
RCMI International Director Daniel Wu
Pastors Samuel & Sharon Visiting Refugee Camp
Teaching Children to Know God's Truth
Revival Christian Church, Hong Kong Neighborhood Center -- Food Bank,
A Food & Loving Care Assistance Project
A Food & Loving Care Assistance Project
In 2020 the environment of Hong Kong society changed drastically: many people suddenly faced unemployment, and their living situations continued to get more difficult. In August 2020, the Neighborhood Center of RCC started operating a food bank. Right away, quite a few families applied for our help. The husbands in many of these families had lost their job or didn't have enough work, income was too low ... problems like these have made their lives difficult. At this time, a food bank is the very thing that can meet their needs.
The Food Bank supports people who have lost jobs or whose income is low. We do this in cooperation with social organizations, by receiving donations of food and other items from church members and other local residents. One side of the work is for volunteer workers to contact and care for those receiving assistance, and another is to encourage recipients who are able to come to Neighborhood Center to get what they need. During their contact with aid recipients, volunteers can give positive encouragement, cheer people up, and provide companionship that delivers holistic help for both body and soul.
The Neighborhood Center cares for the surrounding district by providing free tutoring for children, haircuts, and meals through "Love Canteen"; by organizing activities for the elderly, giving talks, doing home visitation, and so on.
We welcome donated items, funds, or people who want to participate and volunteer! Those of us who can give, let's join hearts and hands to give assistance to our fellow citizens who are living in difficulty!
Sincerely,
Felix Tam
Pastor Kathy prayed for the recipients on the street
2021 Carpenter's House Benefit Marathon -- Blessing Run - March 21, 2021
Blessing Run
The Carpenter's House is full of people with all different kinds of handicaps, such as women or children victims of domestic violence, the terminally ill, the mentally ill, the physically handicapped, etc. Each of them has daily to deal with all kinds of difficulties; and although the road of life each one has walked hasn't been smooth, yet they haven't given up on it. Every day, this family of eighty-plus members sing together, support one another, and work together. Every day you'll see a 70-year-old lady who's lived through two strokes, diligently splitting wood to heat water for everybody. You'll see a student who is now studying diligently, one who gave up on his studies twice before, but now gets top marks every year... Everyone at The Carpenter's House works with their own two hands!
Taking care of the demented elderly
This year the winter is especially cold...and every part of the economy is experiencing depression. The Carpenter's House is no exception, and donations have fallen dramatically to where we have almost no income, but the New Year will soon be here...
# Building Lives - Carpenter's House
# Send New Year's Dinner Joy
Pastor Scott Hung
The Carpenter's House
The Changing China, Shanghai
Our Mission
In keeping with the huge changes in China in recent years and with the current needs of the Church of China, our ministry is becoming more focused on international ministry. In order to do this, we also need everyone's stronger support! Let's come together and stick closely with God's purposes: "The Gospel Into China", "The Gospel Out of China", "From China to the World!" Let's work hard together and fulfill the Great Commission given us by the Lord!
Pastor Daniel Wu
Revival Chinese Ministries International
