張子翊

問新郎：
人都等客人喝足了
你倒讓這酒香醺遍迦拿
（傻傻新郎傻傻笑）

問管宴席的：
誰翻轉擺酒的經驗法則？
誰讓神蹟得以品嚐？
（酒是晨風酒是暮雨）

問馬利亞：
有酒沒酒，與你何干？
求助耶穌，與你何干？
（就得有你來吩咐）

問舀水用人：
水化成酒當下，“只有”你們知道？
送給管宴席的，途中酒香四溢眾客醺倒
（一定你們先嚐了）

問耶穌：
五糧液茅台1842法蘭西葡萄酒有價，你的呢？
你將自己擺上祭壇，又拿迦拿的酒澆奠

凡喝過的都說：最最香醇是你

註：經文取自約翰福音2:1-11
（2023年8月25日於Boston）

Five Inquiries at Cana

By Ziyi Zhang

To the groom I grill:
Choice wine is not for guests who had their fill,
Why then is Cana intoxicated in the night chill?
(No answer comes but a silly giggle)

To the banquet master I wonder:
Who changed the serving etiquette here?
A miracle in the cup for all to cheer?
(Morning breeze or evening rain, this stuff is without a peer)

To Mary I draw near:
With or without wine, why’d you care?
Asking for his help, a whisper is your silent prayer
(In answering it, His Grace is abundantly clear)

To the servants I incline:
Water to wine, “only you” witnessed the sign so divine?
Rushed to the master, intoxicating guests with an aroma so fine?
(Surely, you tasted it ahead of the line)

To Jesus my voice quivering and low:
Wuliangye, Moutai and 1842 Château de Bordeaux,
Who can name a drink as precious as the one we know?
On the altar you lay yourself, and pour out an offering with Cana’s flow

All who drink of your cup agree,
The most aromatic and priceless gift is free

• Based on John 2:1-11
  August 25, 2023, Boston

Translation by Lance Pan

張建

洞爺湖
多彩的畫卷
湖中的島
像嬉水的河馬
山上的林
根汲生命之泉
那明亮如鏡的湖水
映照着天國的藍

洞爺湖
安靜的港灣
水面波瀾不驚
像一片光滑的綢緞
小鳥飛過
能帶起水中一絲漪漣
那拂面而來的輕風
彷彿含有主的低語細言

洞爺湖
沉眠的火山
睡時處子安卧
不聞漁舟唱晚
醒時巨人起身
噴出西奈山的烈焰
那火浪凝成的山巒波濤
像創世時的神工經典

洞爺湖
見證歷史的眼
動靜交替
火水黏連
大地之力
深藏無言
等那千年一聲的霹靂
如神的啟示，來到人間。

【註】洞爺湖（Tōya Lake）位於日本北海道的湖泊，屬於支笏洞爺國立公園，是由火山活動形成的火山口湖，大約在11萬年前火山噴發后形成，以後火山多次噴發，形成一系列湖中島和湖旁火山丘。

黏

夜晚黏著白天
孩子黏著母親
今生黏著未世
信徒黏著主神

黏是無縫相連
黏是身心依存
黏是擁抱天意
黏是無悔委身

作者原屬青橄欖團契，CBCGB長老。現移居佛羅里達州。
責任編輯：陳東博

⸺退修會與神學講座感想

 Sandra

2024年“靈命進深營”的講員呂紹昌牧師在講道中提到：有研究說，現在全世界糧食的產量足夠讓世界上每一個人飽腹；但實際上，世界上很多地區、許多人正在遭受飢餓的威脅或折磨。到底為什麼會出現這樣的現象？因為，有些人不止要飽腹，還要有存留，利用糧食來達到換取其它超過生存需要的資源，以達到讓自己的生活更加超前的目的。可見，現今存在的飢餓現象並非是因爲上帝不公平，而是人與生俱來的貪心所致。自從我們人類的始祖，亞當夏娃，因為貪圖要像神一樣，吃了“分別善惡樹”的果子後，罪也就由此產生了，從而“貪”在人類的心思意念中再也沒根除過。“私慾既懷了胎，就生出罪來；罪既長成，就生出死來。”（雅1:15）。

感謝上帝用祂獨生兒子的生命給了我們人類得救的機會，讓一切信祂的人不致滅亡，反得永生（參約3:16）。也就是說，我們這些亞當後代得救的唯一方法就是相信⸺因信稱義；只要信耶穌基督，靈魂就可以得救⸺得到免費的救恩，和阿爸父恢復父子關係。因而就擁有今日在地罪得赦免的平安，和來日在天堂永恆生命的盼望。

因信稱義說明，救恩的獲得除了“信”，無需任何其它附加條件。我們無需也不能掩蓋罪，或將功補過，抑或“達標”等等，通過自己的努力去獲得救贖。上帝是按照我們的本相接受我們。祂只要我們的心⸺只要信就行。我們只要信耶穌是基督、是上帝的兒子、是我們的造物主和生命的主，就可以得到這救恩了。事實確是如此。可是上帝是不是希望我們以怎樣的本相來，就以怎樣的本相去呢？肯定不是。因此祂賜下了祂的話語⸺聖經，希望我們在得到了救恩、獲得了得救的地位後，按照聖經去做，生命得到改變，結出聖靈的果實，並且活出祂的見證。這樣我們不僅擁有了心裡的平安喜樂，而且還能用我們的生命去感染周圍人的生命，減少他們對上帝的誤解，從而更願意接近祂、仰望祂、倚賴祂，在聖靈的感動下敞開心扉接受祂的揀選。我們的行為若不是因著信而出來的，這樣的行為是不可能被上帝悅納的。

我們如何活出信呢？比如在即將到來的大選中，我們相信祂的主權和能力⸺無論誰當政，都是祂的旨意。聖經中的歷史已經告訴我們了，掃羅不合神的心意，祂便預備大衛。我們還擔心什麼呢？信徒有自己的政治理念是好的，因為我們畢竟還要在世上各個領域做鹽、做光，影響世界去追從祂的腳蹤行。但是我們如果以信徒的身份和大家對主的信任，而為自己所堅持的政治理念進行宣傳影響，則要小心。主交給我們的大使命是去尋找、拯救失喪的靈魂，而不是為了實現某些政治理念。當我們在政治上選邊站時，就有可能讓持不同立場的人對上帝或者基督教產生誤解。更不要為了達到自己的目的而挑燃人們以自我為中心的慾望，出於維護自己的利益而做出選擇。世俗的人尚且懂得，為了自己的利益跟隨別人一定會成為別人利益的犧牲品，何況我們信徒們的生活首先應該以神為中心。如果以己為中心，如何成為上帝所喜悅的人？聖經中耶洗別就是挑動亞哈王以己為中心的念頭而導致拿伯被殺害的；耶洗別自己至終也沒有好的下場。（見王上21:5-14）。

要活出對祂的信，我們還要防止屬靈的驕傲⸺認為自己是有信仰的就比別人更高尚。這種用信仰來體現自己價值的行為千萬要不得。半伯拉糾主義（Semipelagianism）會認為自己比別人好，因此為了挽救別人就可以不擇手段。所以提醒弟兄姐妹們，我們要自省，不要為了急於“救人”而忘記了主告訴我們的：“我耶和華所講的是公義，所說的是正直。（賽45：19）”；“你們若愛我，就必遵守我的命令。（約14:15）”。謹慎我們不要成為“馬基雅維利主義者”，因爲這絕對不是我們的主所喜歡的。我們要克服急躁和驕傲，將主權還給上帝，且老老實實地學會順服。因為就連主耶穌都是歷經苦難、學會順服，直到完全（參來5:8-9），何況我們呢？讓我們靠著主來面對每天生活中的“分別善惡樹”。信我們所信的，而不是信我們的信。

那麼聖經中的公平是什麼？今年華神的“教會歷史”課程講員周學信教授說，我們從耶利米書22:13-17學習到，到底什麼是“認識神”？認識神不只是我們個人的靈修、查經、參加教會的各種活動，或在大自然中感受到神創造的偉大而讚美神等靈命化的理解，或者是宗教屬靈活動。認識神如同先知所說的，就是行公義、關心貧窮的人、為他們伸冤。讓我們用來自上帝的愛和祂賜給我們的能力、恩賜在生活、職場中成為“光”和“鹽”，將祂的憐憫通過我們傳遞給身邊不幸的人們，讓他們感受到生活的希望。

註：馬基雅維利（Machiavelli，1469-1527）意大利政治學家、哲學家。他主張君主應該要像“獅子般凶猛”與“狐狸般狡猾”。君主如果希望鞏固自己的實力，就不要受任何道德準則的束縛；政治無道德，應不擇手段去實現自己的目的。⸺選自《維基百科》

作者熱愛CBCGB廚房事工、心版同工

責任編輯：邵健

高安靜

2024年四月底至五月初，我們和八位同學、好友相約坐遊輪暢遊愛琴海，五月六日遊輪之行在雅典圓滿劃上句號。這天一大早，建中和我下了遊輪就迫不及待地驅車前往哥林多，期待尋訪使徒保羅宣教的蹤跡。艷陽高照、萬里無雲，雖然是五月初，溫度也不算很高，只有華氏70度，但是烈日炎炎令人感覺是盛夏；古老的哥林多城的沙石地在強烈的陽光照射下散發出陣陣熱浪，和我們火熱的心情內外互應。雖然這座老城在規模上和雅典衛城相差懸殊，但我們心裡卻充滿了更大的期盼⸺因為使徒保羅在公元一世紀中葉來到哥林多，並成功地向外邦人宣講福音。每每讀到使徒行傳和哥林多前後書總是希望能夠有機會尋訪保羅的腳蹤，這一天終於實現了，心情自然是非常激動。

一進門跳入眼簾的是阿波羅神廟的遺址，七根嵩立的石柱是哥林多古城的地標（圖一）。這座神廟建於公元前六世紀中葉，幾經歷代王朝的損害、修復、及改建，如今只剩下這七根石柱。神殿後面是一條大理石鋪成的主要街道，寬40英尺，街道兩邊有人行道和下水管道。這條大街向北延伸一直通到Lechaion港口，這也是這條大道名字的來源（圖二）。當年的哥林多是個繁華的港口城市，是亞該亞省的首府。哥林多的地理位置非常重要，它處於亞得里亞海和愛琴海最狹窄處，許多商人在哥林多中轉貨物，進行貿易，來自羅馬的商人將載滿貨物的船隻停泊在Lechaion港口，通過陸地馬車將貨物運輸到愛琴海那邊，再將貨物裝載到船隻上，運輸到愛琴海週邊的城邦，這也是哥林多為什麼成為當年的運輸、貿易中心的一個主要原因。

阿波羅神廟的南邊是一排排當年的商業市場、店舖的遺址（圖三）。使徒保羅在哥林多認識了來自羅馬的亞居拉、百基拉夫婦，他們很可能在這些商業市場裡有自己的帳棚生意。我們走在沙地上不由自主地遙想當年使徒保羅在這裡對著客戶、商人傳揚基督復活的福音。使徒行傳18章1-4節記載了這段歷史，講到保羅每個安息日都會對當地猶太人、希臘人傳講福音。

緊鄰商業市場的是羅馬論壇廣場，中間有一個高出地面大約一英尺的台子（Bema，圖四)。當年羅馬官員在這裡對廣大民眾頒佈公共宣文，也有學者在此發表演講。使徒保羅第一次去哥林多，在那裡住了十八個月，曾站在這個台子上向眾人傳揚基督復活的福音，帶領許多哥林多人受洗。但猶太眾人對保羅的見證講道反感，認為保羅的教導不符合舊約律法，以至於把保羅拉到這個公堂讓亞該亞省方伯迦流審判，而迦流不願意審問，猶太眾人無法定保羅的罪。使徒行傳18章8-15節詳細記載了這段歷史。

拜占庭時期，基督徒在這個台子的基礎上建造了一座教堂，以紀念使徒保羅。我們從一邊走到台子上面，看到一些石柱，驚喜地發現了一塊石板上刻著哥林多後書4章17節經文：“我們這至暫至輕的苦楚，要為我們成就極重無比永遠的榮耀。”（圖五，圖六）感恩主讓我們的生命在經歷大大小小的磨練、苦楚中漸漸成長、成熟，為我們可以成就無比永遠的榮耀作準備。主啊，感謝祢愛我們，為祢的兒女預備最好的，那永恆的盼望。主啊，求祢來帶領我們脫去世俗的纏繞，追求肉眼所不能見的、天上永恆的至寶！

寫於2024年5月7日，回波士頓飛行途中

作者簡介：高安静姐妹與丈夫杨建中在青橄榄和社青团契聚會。

責任編輯：程嘉

圖一：阿波羅神廟遺址（另兩根柱子在右邊側面，前面柱子擋住了）

圖二：Lechaion大道

圖三：商業市場、店舖的遺址

圖四：Bema，保羅被拉到這個公堂讓亞該亞省方伯迦流審判

圖五：哥林多後書4章17節經文

圖六：我們在哥林多後書4章17節經文石板前

－The Philly Ministry in CBCGB 

By Rudolf & Edith Cheung

But Jesus called the children to Him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” (Luke 18:16) 

  In 2011, CBCGB children minister Pastor King Fai Choi started Philly Ministry to provide Sunday school for children with special needs in our church. These are children with developmental disability mentally and/or physically, with autism living in their own world, having difficulty in communication.  These children need extra help and care.

To accept a child joining the Philly Ministry, the children minister would visit the child’s home and learn from the parents about the child’s needs. Then the pastor would arrange teachers to teach the student. The program is designed in a way that each student would have a teacher to lead him/her on a 1:1 ratio.   In a whole year, we need four teachers for every student.  It is because there should be two sessions for Sunday school: 9:30am-11am and 11am-12:30pm.  Each teacher only serves one session for a rotation of three months.  Two teachers are needed to take turns teaching one student in each session; so, every teacher will serve six months in total per year.  Thus, if the student attends both sessions of Sunday school, in a year, we need four teachers to help that student.

Since many children with special needs are afraid of crowds and loud noises, Philly Ministry was given the old 151 building as classrooms. When 151 was demolished to build the current campus, we moved to carriage house until now.  We have reserved several parking spaces for the parents of these children so that they can come to the classroom directly without going through the crowds.

On Sunday morning, when the Philly students arrive at carriage house, they would have about half an hour one-on-one time with their teacher engaging in activities of their choice: drawing, making crafts, reading stories, playing board games, etc. At 10am we would start the Circle Time – the children worship. Teachers would lead the students sitting in a semi-circle in the living room of the carriage house. We sing hymns, pray and have Bible story time. These seemingly ordinary worship programs are quite challenging for our students because their attention span is very short. Some of them are autistic, living in their own world. However, under the patient guidance of our teachers, over the years, slowly and gradually, they are able to engage in these Sunday school activities.

Thirteen years ago, the Philly Ministry began with just 3 to 4 students. At its peak, we had 8 students. From the spring of 2020 to the fall of 2021, church gatherings were conducted online due to the pandemic, and the in-person Philly Ministry was put on hold. Classes resumed when our church reopened in the fall of 2021. Currently, we have 6 students, ranging in age from 9 to 23. We have 9 regular teachers who take turns, along with two backup teachers who assist when a regular teacher is unavailable.

At present, our Sunday school only has one session from 9:30 am to 11:00 am because we do not have enough teachers. To resume the second session, we need a total of 24 teachers for 6 students across both sessions. Currently, we have only 9 teachers rotating. Therefore, we are having a serious shortage of teachers.

Over the course of these thirteen years, Philly Ministry has had 18 students in total. There is one student who joined us since the beginning and is still coming today.  All teachers are volunteers who demonstrate lots of love and patience for the children.  

Philly Ministry is not merely a Sunday school, we are also a big family. Teachers and parents work closely together to help our students learn about God’s love and salvation. We empower our students to grow up at their own pace. For instance, a girl who couldn’t speak when she first arrived can tell you her name now and express herself with hand gestures, facial expression and single words. There’s a girl who loves to draw and she can illustrate the Bible stories she learned the same day at Sunday school. Once, her teacher taught her to write “God is love” next to her drawing. She thought for a moment, then wrote “Jesus is love” on the paper. 

There was a boy who was very shy when he first arrived. However, with the teachers’ encouragement, he began participating by taking on small tasks such as distributing song sheets and instruments or collecting the offering. Now he has become the “big brother” to the other kids in the class. Not only does he take his role seriously by helping the teachers set up the room for Circle Time, but he also looks out for others, takes care of newcomers and volunteers to lead prayers during Circle Time. His faith and confidence have clearly grown significantly. We give him the title “teacher’s assistant” and “class prefect”. 😊 

With the permission of the pastoral board, Philly Ministry had baptism twice: in June 2022 and 2023. We used The Gospel Story as the textbook. Through the stories from both the Old and New Testaments, we helped students preparing for baptism learn about Christ’s love and salvation. Pastor Steven Bowman would make home visits and interview the students to make sure that they understand and accept Jesus as their Savior.  Last two years, we baptized three students. The baptism ceremonies were conducted at the carriage house, officiated by Pastor Bowman and witnessed by the Philly Ministry family. Surely, these were our times for celebration! To encourage students to read the Bible, I gave each student a copy of 365 Bedtime Bible Stories and suggested that they read one page or one story a day. To help the students accomplish the reading assignment, I also enlisted the support from the kids’ parents. For the  three students who were baptized, not only had they completed the assignment, but they also came up to us and said proudly, “I finished the book!” We did not hesitate to reward them for their efforts.

Most of the parents of our students are Christian.  However, sometimes we also have parents or grandparents who are not Christian but are willing to participate. Gradually, they would be invited to join our family fellowship activities. Then they became seeker of the gospel truth and finally accepted Christ as their Savior. Therefore, Philly Ministry is not only teaching students about Christ’s love, but we are also a ministering channel to their family members.

These are the teachings from the Gospel:

But Jesus called the children to Him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” (Luke 18:16) 

“I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen.  I must bring them also.  They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” (John 10:16)

And we are all familiar with a children’s hymn that says: “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world……”

The children of God include those with special needs. The mission of Philly children Ministry is to use all kinds of wisdom to bring these children to Christ, helping them understand His love for them and accept His salvation. It has been truly amazing to witness the budding and growth of simple faith in these children over the past decades. We are both touched and thankful. We truly believe that this is the work of the Holy Spirit. May our Lord be praised!

Rudolf is the coordinator of North Andover Cantonese Fellowship and co-worker at Table Tennis Outreach Fellowship. He started serving in the Philly Ministry in 2011. His wife Edith joined the Philly Ministry in 2012. She also serves in the N. Andover Cantonese Fellowship, the Wednesday Sisters Fellowship, choir and church organist.

Edited by Hongxing Zhang

⸺教會蒙愛兒童事工

張立東、周懿德

“耶穌卻叫他們來，說：‘讓小孩子到我這裡來，不要禁止他們；因為在神國的，正是這樣的人。’”（路加福音18:16）

2011年期間，負責兒童部的蔡景輝牧師在教會成立了蒙愛兒童事工（Philly Ministry），讓需要特殊教育的學生有一個適合他們的環境上主日學，學習認識神和祂的救恩。這些孩子被稱為特殊需要兒童（Special Needs Children），因為他們在心智和體能的成長上比較緩慢，或是有自閉症，活在自己的世界裡，不知道如何與別人溝通，所以都需要更多的幫助和照顧。

每一位要加入蒙愛班的孩子提出申请后，牧師都會先做家訪，從父母那裏暸解孩子的情況和實際的需要，然後安排老師去帶他們。我們的教學方式是一對一陪伴，就是每一個學生都有一位老師帶著。老師與學生的理想人數比例應该是4:1，因為老師不可能整年12個月不停地工作，所以當一個老師任教滿三個月後便會休息，由另外一位老師接任三個月，如此輪流，每一位老師在一年內共事奉6個月。兒童主日學有兩堂：9:30-11:00am，11:00-12:30am，每一位老師只負責教一堂，所以如果有些學生是參加第一和第二堂的，便會需要有4位老師了。

由於這些需要特殊教育的學生很多都會害怕人多的地方和嘈吵的聲音，所以蒙愛班一開始是在151舊樓，後來要拆房子建現時的151新樓時，蒙愛班便遷到馬房（Carriage House）直到現在。我們也會在馬房外的停車場給這些學生的家長们留下車位，這樣孩子們便不需要經過太多的人羣，直接來到教室了。

主日早上九點半，當蒙愛班的學生抵達教室後，老師便會帶動他們做一些活動，比如做手工、繪畫、講故事或玩一些棋盤遊戲（Board Games），这是－對－老師與學生的互動關係建立的時候。十點我們便會開始Circle Time，就是兒童崇拜的時間，老師帶領學生圍坐在馬房的大廳，我們一起唱詩、禱告、講聖經故事，這些平常的崇拜活動，對於很難維持注意力或有自閉症的孩子是非常不容易的，但是在老師們的耐心引導下，孩子們都可以漸漸學習到這些主日學活動環節，並且配合參與了。

13年前蒙愛班開始時有3-4個學生，後來有一段時間學生人數增加到8個，2020年春到2021年秋因為疫情教會聚會轉為網上，實體的蒙愛班主日學暫停，2021年秋季教會重啓時，蒙愛班便復課，目前總共有6個學生，年齡從9歲到23歲，有9位固定的老師，另外還有兩位後備老師，後備老師的作用就是當某一位老師臨時因事未能出席，便請後備老師來幫忙代課。由於老師人數不足，現在我們只能維持第一堂9:30-11am。試想想我們現有6個學生，如果要恢復第二堂，理論上是需要24位老師，但是現時只有9位老師輪值，所以目前是非常缺乏老師的。

13年來，蒙愛主日學先後有18位學生參與，其中有一位孩子從一開始到現在都沒有間斷，老師們都是自願參與這個事奉（Volunteers）並對孩子們很有愛心與耐心的同工，蒙愛班不僅僅是主日學，更是一個大家庭，老師與家長彼此配合，幫助孩子認識神的愛和救恩，陪伴著他們成長。有孩子初來時還不會說話，現在可以說自己的名字和嚐試用手勢、表情或單字來表達自己；也有孩子擅長畫畫，喜歡把剛剛聽到的聖經故事畫出來。有一次，老師教她在畫上寫下“God is Love”（神是愛），她想了一下，寫下“Jesus is Love”（耶穌是愛）；有位男孩起初來到班上時很內向害羞，老師常常鼓勵他參與，起先是做一些小幫手的工作，例如派發詩歌、樂器、收奉獻等等，現在他已經成為班上的大哥哥，不但視幫助老師擺設教材為己任，還常常能觀察到別人的需要，也很照顧新來的同學，並且主動在Circle Time時帶着大家禱告，可見他的信心和自信心都有明顯成長，我們給他“班長”及“老師助理”的稱號呢！😊

2022年和2023年的六月，在教牧同工的批准下，蒙愛班舉辦了兩次洗禮，我們用《The Gospel Story》為課本，以故事方式從舊約到新約教導準備受洗的學生關於基督的救恩，鮑斯文牧師（Pastor Bowman）会做家訪，瞭解到這些學生們確實接受主耶穌為救主，所以在所訂的主日在馬房給他們施洗，這兩年我們共有三位學生接受了洗禮，誠然是蒙愛班大家庭的大喜事！另外為了鼓勵他們讀聖經，我給他們每人一本《365 Bedtime Bible Stories》，建議他們每日讀一篇聖經故事，當然需要家長們的幫忙和支持，這三位已經受洗的學生都先後完成了，還主動告訴老師“我讀完了！”當然要給予他們獎品以示獎勵啦！

我們的學生家長很多都是已經信主的，但是也有些學生的父母起先還不信，不過他們都樂於參與蒙愛班的大家庭的活动，漸漸地他們便受邀參加團契聚会，開始慕道以致接受浸禮成為基督徒，所以蒙愛班不單是教導孩子認識神，也隨時要向未信的家庭傳福音。

聖經裡有這樣的記載：

“耶穌卻叫他們來，說：‘讓小孩子到我這裡來，不要禁止他們；因為在神國的，正是這樣的人。”（路加福音18:16）“我另外有羊，不是這圈裏的；我必須領他們來，他們也要聽我的聲音；並且要合成一羣，歸一個牧人了。”（約翰福音10:16）

一首大家耳熟能詳的兒童詩歌唱到“耶穌喜愛一切小孩，世上所有的小孩⋯⋯”，當然也包括需要特殊教育的孩子們。蒙愛班兒童事工的使命，便是要用各樣的智慧，把這些孩子一個一個地領到主耶穌那裡，幫助他們明白和接受主耶穌的愛和救恩。十多年以來看著他們單純的信心萌芽、成長，實在令人感動不已，也是非常感恩，因為深信這都是聖靈的工作！

作者張立東是North Andover粵語團契聯絡人及乒乓球團契同工，在2011年開始參與蒙愛兒童事工；妻子周懿德在2012年加入蒙愛事工，她也在N. Andover粵語團契、週三姊妹會、詩班及教會司琴參與事奉。

編輯：張紅星

Kristina Wong

“Let us not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25)

Beginning in June 2022, a new initiative named “Sprouts” took root, marking a significant step forward in nurturing faith and community among college students and young post-grads. Spearheaded by several dedicated ALIVE Alumni, this fellowship program sought to bridge a critical gap in support for college students at CBCGB. The vision was clear: to create a continuous stream of fellowship and support that would accompany students through their college years and beyond.

Historically, the ALIVE program offered unwavering support for youths from middle school through high school, providing a solid foundation for their faith journey. Charis provides a strong community for adults settled in the area long-term. However, a notable gap in fellowship emerged for those within the college sphere. As a result, college students and recent graduates are left at home during the summer without a dedicated support network.

Meeting every Wednesday evening from 7:30 to 9:00 pm in Building 151, the “Sprouts” program has been a beacon of hope and connection. This initiative allowed college students to cultivate a robust faith community through regular Bible studies and worship nights. Yet, the program didn’t confine itself to spiritual activities alone; it expanded to include potlucks, board game nights, and shared meals, creating a vibrant social and spiritual environment.

Looking ahead, “Sprouts” aims to build on this momentum, continuing to offer support through care packages and Zoom calls as students return to their campuses. The vision for the program is dynamic and adaptable, reflecting the changing locations and needs of the students each summer. 

The group of students and organizers inevitably evolves each year, because college students often have limited control over where they are located in the summer. This has posed a challenge for maintaining continuous fellowship, because each summer there are changes to “Sprouts” leadership. Available team members must be re-identified, and the previous years’ work building out community has to be remade with a different group of students. For now, the program has been blessed with several members who have graduated from college and in the Greater Boston area long-term, who are able to provide a backbone of support. Another great blessing has been the foundation laid within the ALIVE program – because many students know one another, the fellowship is often filled with familiar faces, even if the overall group may change year to year. 

While the path forward is not entirely set in stone, the initial success of “Sprouts” is a promising start for its future. The involvement and investment from CBCGB leadership are essential to sustaining this vital programming throughout the school year and during the summer months. For now, this summers’ launch of “Sprouts” is a promising start, offering continuity of support for students – many of whom grew up in CBCGB. 

Leadership Team: Petek Altug, Evan Fang, Simon Wang, Kristina Wong, Emilie Xi, Matthew Xia.

Kristina Wong is a current senior at Duke University studying Computer Science and Public Policy. Growing up, she spent every Friday going to ALIVE and assisted on worship and servant team. She credits ALIVE for the incredible community of faith she’s been surrounded with, which has remained with her throughout her college years. After graduation, she looks forward to coming back to Boston and hopes to continue fostering the same support network for others.

Edited by Hongxing Zhang

黃子昕

“你們不可停止聚會，好像那些停止慣了的人，倒要彼此勸勉，既然知道那日子臨近，就更當如此。”（希伯來書10:25）

2022年6月，一項名為“Sprouts”的新倡議開始實施，這標志著在培養大學生和年輕研究生的信仰和團契構建方面邁出了重要一步。這項倡議由幾位熱心的前ALIVE成員牽頭，旨在彌補CBCGB對大學生支持的不足。願景很明確：通過持續不斷的溝通交流和相互幫助，陪伴大學生度過大學期間及以後的時光。

從歷史上看，ALIVE為初中到高中的青少年提供了堅強的支持，為他們的信仰之旅奠定了堅實的基礎。而Charis則為長期定居於此工作的成年人提供了一個很好的團契。然而，大學生和應屆畢業生在暑假期間卻因為沒有相應的團契支持而被迫呆在家裡。

“Sprouts”每週三晚上7:30至9:00在151號樓舉行，給大學生一個聚會和聯誼的機會，使他們通過定期的聖經學習和敬拜之夜形成一個牢固的信仰群體。而且，他們並不僅限於舉辦與信仰有關的活動，還包括聚餐、棋盤遊戲之夜等，創造了一個充滿活力的社交和靈命成長環境。

展望未來，“Sprouts”將保持這一態勢，在大學生返校時通過愛心禮物和Zoom通話繼續保持交流。這個活動將是動態靈活的，會根據學生每個夏天不斷變化的需求而調整。

不可避免地，不管是學生群體還是組織者每年都會有各種各樣的變化，因為大學生通常不確定自己將在哪裡度過自己的暑假，這對維持持續不斷的團契活動構成了挑戰。“Sprouts”的領導層每年都會發生一些變化，團隊成員也會相應地改變，而且每年建立團契的工作必須面對不同的學生群體重新進行。幸運的是，現在有幾位大學畢業生和長期在大波士頓地區工作的成員，成為了該項目的中堅力量。此外，雖然團體成員每年都可能發生變化，但是因為許多學生以前參加過ALIVE而彼此認識，所以團契中經常有熟悉的面孔。

雖然未來的發展方向不是很確定，但“Sprouts”已經取得了初步成功，為未來的發展奠定了良好的基礎。CBCGB領導層的參與和資源方面的支持對於在整個學年和暑假期間維持這一重要活動至關重要。目前來看，今年夏天的“Sprouts”是一個良好的開始，為大學生們提供了持續的支持——其中許多人在CBCGB長大。

“Sprouts”領導團隊成員有Petek Altug、Evan Fang、Simon Wang、Kristina Wong、Emilie Xi、Matthew Xia。

作者簡介：黃子昕目前是杜克大學計算機科學和公共政策專業的大四學生。在成長過程中，她每個星期五都會去參加ALIVE聚會並協助敬拜和服務團隊。她認為ALIVE為她提供了一個令人難以置信的信仰環境，這種信仰在她的整個大學生活中一直陪伴著她。她期待畢業後回到波士頓，繼續為其他人提供同樣的支持網路。

翻譯編輯：張紅星