－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

Lilian Wang 

“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not turn from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

The sound of laughter and voices float up as you walk down the stairs to the basement. When you turn the corner, you see a group of teens rambunctiously playing four square and small groups of kids standing off to the sides, chatting or playing on their phones. The worship team is finishing up their practice and sound check. Counselors are milling around, catching up with students about how their week has been. While most students are of Chinese heritage, you can see there is a diversity of age, style, and personality. There is a table of snacks on the side, with opened bags of chips spilling onto the table and a fruit platter barely touched. The atmosphere is warm, welcoming, and vibrant.

This is the CBCGB ALIVE Youth Ministry. This year, we will meet from 7:00-9:00 pm in the basement of the church. We offer programming that includes games, worship, and small group Bible study for grades 6th-12th. We average about 80-100 students every Friday night, 15-20 students in middle school Sunday School, and 15-20 students in high school Sunday School. Our Sunday School teachers work hard to teach biblical curriculum in a way that is fun and engaging. Our dedicated counselors sacrifice every Friday evening to mentor and disciple our youth as their older brothers and sisters in Christ. Many of these relationships go far beyond Friday nights, since the youth will often text and call their counselors throughout the week and stay in touch even after graduating high school. Youth Ministry has been a core ministry of our church, providing a space for the younger generation to learn about God, study Scripture, and build lasting genuine relationships with one another.

I myself grew up in CBCGB’s youth program. It was there that I heard the gospel, saw it lived out through the lives of others, and eventually accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior. I then stayed in the Boston area for college and attended CBCGB’s then-thriving Intercollegiate Fellowship (ICF), which now no longer exists. After I graduated, I got a job nearby and decided to stay at CBCGB because I felt called to return and serve as a youth counselor. It was a full circle, coming back to serve alongside the same men and women who had been so instrumental in my own faith journey. I now attend Cross Bridge service and serve as a Friday night counselor, while also advocating for the Youth Ministry as the Youth Deacon on the Church Council. As you can see, I have been at CBCGB for many years and have seen firsthand how our Youth Ministry is a powerful and essential part of the growth of our church.

Yet I have also seen firsthand how the Youth Ministry is not prioritized and our youth staff’s concerns are often not taken seriously, all the while as they quietly burn out. We are relegated to the basement and have met in leftover spaces scattered across the campus, such as the coat room and the stairwell. We struggle to recruit new coworkers who can connect relationally with the youth because the pool of college/young adults from which we draw volunteers from has dwindled significantly. There have been several leadership transitions over the last few years and we currently do not have a youth pastor. There are a variety of reasons for this turnover, such as lack of competitive pay for a Boston cost of living and a culture where our younger staff’s opinions and voices are not as valued. Despite these challenges, Youth Ministry coworkers continue to show up for our students. We continue to advocate for their needs, whether that is providing mental health support, seeking education on cross-cultural parenting, or tackling the unhealthy culture of prioritizing academic excellence above all else. These coworkers are the backbone of our Youth Ministry and as such, pillars of our church community.

Our youth are the future. We must invest our time, energy, and resources into this next generation if we desire a strong future for our church. Young people are leaving the church at an alarming rate. This trend is true nationwide, as well as within the Chinese heritage church. While there are a variety of reasons why, the biggest one in my opinion is that young people feel that the church is not responding to changing needs or listening to younger voices. This has led to a lack of trust in leadership and a sense that the church is “out of touch”. The youth want to see the church living out the gospel in justice work. They want to see their parents’ lives transformed by the gospel not just on Sunday mornings, but in the home as well. They want to discuss controversial topics and ask hard questions instead of avoiding the discomfort. They seek vulnerability and authenticity, and are turned off by the facade of righteousness. The work being done in the Youth Ministry each week is to create a safe space for the difficult yet necessary exploration of faith. We hope to walk with our youth in the messy but beautiful process of recognizing their need for Jesus. We desire for them to have a faith that develops in high school, flourishes through college, and sustains them far beyond.

I urge our church leaders, our congregation members, and our families to recognize the need to prioritize our Youth Ministry. If we do not take action to respond to their needs, then one day there will be no more next generation. I believe our church loves and cares for our young people. I believe we want to see a revival in this new generation. We want their voices to be heard. We want to empower them. So let us come together to lift up this next generation by prioritizing the very space where this important work happens – our Youth Ministry.

LilianWang has been at CBCGB for nearly 20 years, growing up in AWANA and the ALIVE youth group. She is now a member of Cross Bridge and serves as a Friday night counselor and the current Youth Deacon.

Edited by Hongxing Zhang

王麗蓮

“教養孩童，使他走當行的道，就是到老他也不偏離。”（箴言22:6）

當你順著樓梯走向教會地下室，就會聽到空氣中飄來的歡聲笑語。當你轉過牆角，就會看到一大群青少年正在玩Four Square游戲，而另外一小群孩子站在旁邊或者聊天或者在玩手機。敬拜團隊也許剛剛結束他們的排練和音響檢查，青少年輔導們四處走動著和孩子們聊天，並不時與他們笑成一團。雖然大多數學生是華裔，你也可以看到他們的年齡、風格和個性各不相同。旁邊有張桌子上擺著零食，打開的袋子里的土豆片散落在桌子上，水果拼盤幾乎沒有碰過。空氣中彌漫著一股溫暖、熱情和富有青春活力的氣息。

這就是我們教會CBCGB ALIVE Youth Ministry（青少年事工）。從今年秋天開始，我們將於每週五晚上7:00-9:00在教會地下室聚會，為6到12年級的學生提供游戲、敬拜和小組查經等活動。平均80-100名學生參加每週五晚上的聚會，中學生主日學有15-20名學生，高中生主日學有15-20名學生。主日學老師們盡量以有趣且引人入勝的方式教授聖經課程，忠心敬業的輔導員犧牲自己每週五晚上的時間，以基督裡的大哥哥和大姐姐的身份來指導和訓練我們的青少年。學生和輔導之間的交流不單單侷限於每周五的晚上，因為不少青少年有時也會在週間給他們的輔導發信息或打電話，甚至在高中畢業後也保持著聯系。青少年事工一直是我們教會的核心事工之一，為年輕一代提供使他們能夠認識上帝、學習聖經，並建立彼此持久的真誠關係的安全空間和機會。

我本人就是在 CBCGB青少年活動中成長起來的，正是在這裡，我聽到了福音，看到福音如何在別人的生活中活出來，並最終接受基督作為我的救主和生命的主。後來在波士頓地區上大學期間，我參加了CBCGB當時蓬勃發展的Intercollegiate Fellowship (ICF)（大學生團契），但該團契現在已不復存在了。大學畢業後，我在附近找到了一份工作，並決定留在CBCGB，因為我感覺到神呼召我回來擔任青少年輔導。這是一個完整的循環，我有機會與那些在我自己的信仰之旅中發揮巨大作用的弟兄姊妹們一起服事。我現在參加英文堂Cross Bridge的聚會並擔任週五晚上的青少年輔導，同時還作為教會理事會的青少年執事為青少年事工發聲。正如大家所看到的，我在CBCGB很多年，親眼見證了青少年事工在我們教會扮演著很重要的角色。

然而，作為第一線目擊者，我也看到青少年事工似乎沒有得到應有的優先考慮，青少年牧師和同工們的擔憂往往沒有得到認真對待，慢慢地他們也就精疲力盡了。我們被安置在地下室和教會各處剩餘的狹小空間里聚會，比如衣帽間和樓梯間。我們很難招募到能夠與青少年建立信任關係的新同工，因為能做志願者的大學生/年輕人的數量越來越少。過去幾年發生過幾次青少年教牧同工的更替，目前我們沒有青少年牧師。造成這種變化的原因有很多，例如薪酬不足以負擔波士頓的高成本生活，以及年輕同工的意見和聲音不被足夠重視等。儘管面臨這些挑戰，青少年事工的同工們仍然繼續衷心地為我們的學生服務，繼續為他們的需求發聲，比如提供心理健康支持，幫助父母們學習如何教養跨文化子女，挑戰學習成績高於一切的觀念等等。這些同工是青少年事工的骨幹，也是我們教會的支柱。

青少年就是未來。如果希望我們的教會有一個美好的未來，我們就必須將時間、精力和資源優先投入到下一代身上。現在的年輕人正以驚人的速度離開教會，這種趨勢在全美國範圍內都是如此，在華人教會中也不例外。雖然原因有很多，但我認為最大的問題是年輕人覺得教會對於他們不斷變化的需求沒有回應，或者沒有傾聽年輕人的聲音，這導致他們對教會領導層缺乏足夠的信任，並感覺和教會是脫節的。同時，年輕人希望看到教會通過社會公義等活動活出福音，希望看到父母們不只是星期天基督徒，希望在家裡也能看到被耶穌所改變的生命。他們希望討論有爭議的話題，而不是迴避不談；他們希望有一個能直面自身軟弱的真誠的環境來幫助他們成長……同工或輔導們每週所做的工作就是給他們的信仰探索創造一個安全的場所，與青少年一起走過這段充滿迷茫、掙扎卻依舊是最美麗的時期，使他們認識到他們需要耶穌，更希望他們的信仰能夠在高中逐漸形成，在大學愈發堅定，並在以後的日子裡支撐他們。

我切望我們教會的領袖、會眾和家庭都能夠認識到優先考慮青少年事工的必要性。如果現在我們不採取行動，那麼也許有一天將不會再有下一代。我知道我們的教會熱愛並關心著青少年，並期待看到年輕一代的復興。讓我們齊心協力，優先考慮青少年事工CBCGB ALIVE Youth Ministry，傾聽他們的聲音，鼓勵並陪伴他們一起成長，使他們的基督信仰到老也不偏離。

作者王麗蓮參加CBCGB聚會將近20年，在AWANA和ALIVE青少年團契中長大。她現在是Cross Bridge的成員、週五晚上的青少年輔導和教會青少年執事。

翻譯編輯：張紅星

⸺ History, Present, and Future

Juta Pan, Victor Lo, Ling Xie

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.” (1 Corinthians 12:4-6)

Our History (Victor Lo)

The Spiritual Gift Ministry (SGM) was founded by Rev. Kenneth C. Haugk in about 2002 as a sub-ministry of Stephen Ministries St. Louis which was also founded by Rev. Haugk. With his combined expertise as a pastor and a clinical psychologist, Rev. Haugk designed the course materials for SGM which are now used in many churches.

At CBCGB, our own SGM was launched in 2004 by our former pastor King-Fai Choi. The ministry began with the Spiritual Gift Sunday School course led by Pastor Choi in our Chinese Ministry, utilizing the English course materials he brought back from a Stephen Ministries Conference including textbooks and survey questionnaires for helping Christians to discover, develop, and deploy spiritual gifts as outlined in Chapter 12 of 1 Corinthians.

“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.” (1 Corinthians 12:7-11)

The Spiritual Gift course at CBCGB then became mandatory for baptized Christians and a continuous class in the Chinese Sunday School. It was quickly known that such course series would generate ongoing valuable data to help our sisters and brothers locate an appropriate service opportunity and for various ministry leaders to recruit spiritually gifted co-workers. Subsequently during the summer of 2004, Pastor Choi started assembling a small task force including Sister Joyce Chen and Brother Victor Lo on making use of survey data gathered from the class to match different ministry needs. Soon, the course materials were translated to Chinese by Sisters Chung-Pei Chang and Weihsin Chau under the supervision of Pastor Choi. The course was later taught by Elder Hung along with Sisters Chung-Pei Chang and Weihsin Chau at the time. In late 2008, the SGM data-driven effort was re-launched by Elder Hung, with Sister Ling Xie, Brothers Victor Lo and Bing Xia joining the SGM. The recent course instructor team includes: Sisters Chung-Pei Chang and Ella Lin, Elder Ming Tsai, and Pastor Juta Pan.

What we are doing (Ling Xie)

In the fall of 2022, under the encouragement and leadership of Pastor Juta Pan, Brother Harry Han joined SGM. Together with Victor Lo and Ling Xie, they began to build the church’s “Serving Opportunities” web page, which allows every ministry to post service opportunities for brothers and sisters to apply online. This platform serves as a bridge connecting those who are willing to participate in church services and ministries that need co-workers. The webpage was launched on August 13, 2023 and has been playing its role since then. The hope is that everyone can find a dream serving opportunity and every ministry can recruit needed co-workers. On the same day that the website was launched, SGM organized a ministry fair with the theme of “Everyone participates in service and builds the church together.” Eight ministries participated and most of them found new workers at the fair. Encouraged by the result, SGM team members decided to turn the fair into an annual church event. This year, it will be held on May 5th.

Another task of the SGM is to strengthen the operation and management of church ministries. Its scope mainly includes:
1. Write a job description for every service position so that participants know the purpose, goals, responsibilities, and how to develop and deploy their God-given gifts through services.
2. Outline Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for large, regular church events, which can be used as guidelines for future ministry leaders.
3. Develop training materials for ministries that require many co-workers to ensure that all participants know and understand the purpose, responsibilities, codes of conduct, and standard operating procedures of the ministry.
Archive the above documents with the goal of being easily reviewed and referenced.

This task requires a collaboration between the SGM team and individual ministry leaders: SGM provides examples and formats, ministry leaders draft documents, and SGM edits and archives. This ministry is in its early stage, and Sister Haixia Wang will work on it, she joined our team recently.

Our Future (Juta Pan)

The goal of this ministry is to fulfill the commission of Jesus Christ to us, realizing the participation of everyone in the service of the church, enabling God’s church to become a light for generations, spreading the gospel, expanding God’s kingdom, and allowing people to receive Jesus’ salvation and God’s blessings. After His resurrection, Jesus Christ’s commission to His disciples was: “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” (John 20:21) Jesus’ commission becomes the mission of God’s church and every Christian who has received God’s salvation through faith. Therefore, witnessing God’s glory through service is the mission received from God by every Christian. Hebrews 9:14 also reminds every child of God that serving God is the purpose of Jesus Christ’s salvation for us; without service, we fail to fulfill the purpose for which God saved us. Being satisfied with merely being saved also loses the opportunity to share and manifest God’s glory through service.

Therefore, an ideal church should be a mobilized community where everyone participates in service, just as Ephesians 4:12 states: “to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” Thus, God has given gifts to all His children, and we are to recognize, explore, and use our gifts in church services. However, the reality often involves a few dedicated workers shouldering the church’s ministry, and some may even experience burnout. Many brothers and sisters either observe from a distance or are eager to serve but find no opportunity to contribute effectively. The challenge is to enable every member of the church to participate in services like a family member, facilitating the effective and powerful communication of God’s gospel. This is a goal every church, including CBCGB, should strive for, and it is what the Spiritual Gift Ministry should continue to pursue.

I have previously mentioned from the pulpit that Pastor Philip Teng, a servant of God greatly used in the past, emphasized in his “Life of Service” that services should encompass:
1. Life: Our relationship with God and surrender to Him;
2. Lifestyle: Living a life that glorifies God;
3. Labor: Involvement in the church’s ministry. Therefore, the scope of services is broader than just participating in the church’s activities.
Our focus of this article is on involvement in church ministries.

Therefore, the hope is that the Spiritual Gift Ministry can collaborate with various congregations and ministries, pursuing the goal of involving everyone in services. To effectively establish this goal, I believe we can collectively strive in the following directions:
1. Church pastors and elders should constantly seek the vision and ministry focus that align with the enduring mission entrusted by the Lord Jesus to the church at each stage. Share these visions with the entire congregation regularly, enabling the entire church to understand, synchronize with fellow workers, and find their own positions of service.
2. Services should not solely rely on gifts; mature spirituality forms the foundation of services. Pastors and spiritual growth ministries should collaborate to nurture and equip the congregation spiritually, making us vessels fit for use. This collaboration should be a joint effort of the Spiritual Gifts Ministry, pastors, and the Spiritual Formation Ministry.
3. Encourage more brothers and sisters to participate in the Spiritual Gifts Adult Sunday School. While spiritual gifts are not the sole criterion for determining the direction of our services, this course helps us understand ourselves better, recognize our gifts, and understand the attitude required for services. It provides significant assistance in our choices and involvement in services.
4. At the current stage, the Spiritual Gift Ministry is cooperating with other ministries to establish a platform for the entire congregation to seek and participate in services. Hopefully, this platform can be established fully in the near future and play a role as a bridge between the congregation and ministries.
5. Furthermore, I hope the Spiritual Gift Ministry can assist various ministries in creating comprehensive records for each ministry. This includes different ministry responsibilities, operation manuals, etc., ensuring that all ministries are sustainable, not dependent on specific individuals, and can continue to thrive. This will contribute to the overall health of our church in its ministries.

Finally, not only is it the goal of the Spiritual Gift Ministry, but it also is a collective effort for all ministries within the entire church. May God lead the church so that we can “In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.” (Ephesians 2:21) How can our church become unified, with each congregation and ministry having distinct characteristics and focuses, yet in the midst of diversity, complement each other, allowing us to truly live out a unified testimony? Under this overarching goal, the first step is to establish a spirit of teamwork. Regardless of the size of each ministry, it is crucial to build teams and move away from individualistic tendencies, fostering a culture where teams support each other. Continuously discovering and nurturing new talents not only ensures a succession plan but also lightens the load for fellow workers. It promotes a sense of teamwork, focusing not only on the needs and interests of one’s own team but also demonstrating a willingness to care about the needs of other teams and finding harmonious collaboration (Philippians 2:3-4). As we emulate Christ’s humility and work together for the sake of the gospel, not only do we please our Lord but we also become a beautiful testimony before others through unity. This is not just the goal of the Spiritual Gift Ministry but a shared effort for all ministries within the entire church.

Juta Pan is the Senior Pastor of our church. Victor Lo is a member of the Fruit of the Spirit Fellowship. Ling Xie is a member of the Grace Fellowship and a Sunday School Teacher.
Edited by Florence Yong

⸺歷史、現況、展望

潘儒達，老瑞欣，謝玲

“恩賜原有分別，聖靈卻是一位。職事也有分別，主卻是一位。功用也有分別，神卻是一位，在眾人裡裏面運行一切的事。”（哥林多前書12:4-6）

我們的歷史（老瑞欣）

屬靈恩賜事工（SGM）約於2002年由Kenneth C. Haugk牧師作為聖路易斯司提反事工的一個子部門創作。司提反事工也是由Haugk牧師創作的。Haugk牧師結合了他作牧師和臨床心理學家的專長，設計了現在許多教會使用的SGM課程材料。

在CBCGB，我們教會的SGM於2004年由前牧師蔡景輝啟動。事工開始於由蔡牧師在我們的中文事工中領導的屬靈恩賜主日學課程，使用他從司提反事工會議帶回的英文課程材料，包括教科書和調查問卷，以幫助基督徒發現、發展並發揮哥林多前書第12章所概述的屬靈恩賜。

“聖靈顯在各人身上，是叫人得益處。這人蒙聖靈賜他智慧的言語，那人也蒙這位聖靈賜他知識的言語，又有一人蒙這位聖靈賜他信心，還有一人蒙這位聖靈賜他醫病的恩賜，又叫一人能行異能，又叫一人能作先知，又叫一人能辨別諸靈，又叫一人能說方言，又叫一人能翻方言。這一切都是這位聖靈所運行，隨己意分給各人的。”（哥林多前書12:7-11）

CBCGB的屬靈恩賜課程隨後成為了受洗基督徒的必修課，並成為了中文主日學的常設課程。很快，這一系列課程被認為能夠持續產生寶貴數據，幫助我們的弟兄姊妹找到適合的服事機會，也幫助各事工的領袖招募有屬靈恩賜的同工。隨後在2004年夏天，蔡牧師開始組成一個小型任務小組，包括陳潔鈺姊妹和老瑞欣弟兄，運用課程收集的調查資料來搭配同工。不久，這些課程資料在蔡牧師的監督下，由夏宗蓓和趙維新姊妹翻譯成中文。之後，課程由洪長老連同夏宗蓓和趙維新姊妹一同教授。在2008年末，SGM的數據驅動工作由洪榮宗長老重新啟動，謝玲姊妹、老瑞欣弟兄和夏冰弟兄加入了SGM。近來的課程教學團隊包括：夏宗蓓姊妹、林才琪姊妹、蔡明哲長老和潘儒達牧師。

我們的現況（謝玲）

2022年秋季，在潘儒達牧師的鼓勵和帶動下，韓振江弟兄加入了SGM，他與老瑞欣和謝玲一起開始建立教會的“服事機會”網頁平台，該平台允許教會各事工在網路上發布服事機會，弟兄姊妹根據自己的屬靈恩賜在線申請。平台作為一個橋樑，使那些甘心樂意參與教會服事的弟兄姊妹和那些需要更多同工的事工負責人直接聯繫互動，滿足雙方的需求。網頁在2023年8月13日啟動，正在發揮它的功效，歡迎使用，或許您可以在此找到所夢想的事奉機會，或許您的事工可以在此招募到需要的同工。在網頁開啟的同一天，SGM主辦了以“人人參與事奉，同心建造教會”為主題的事工博覽會，有八個事工參加，大多數在此會上找到了新的同工。SGM同工們為此受到鼓舞，決定將博覽會變成一年一度的教會活動。今年，將在5月5日舉行。

SGM的另一個工作是加強教會事工的運作和管理，其範圍主要包括：
為每一個服事職位寫一份工作說明書，使參與者知道服事的目的、目標和職責，以及如何透過服事來發展和發揮神賦予的恩賜。
為大型定期教會活動規劃標準運作流程（SOP），成為未來事工領袖組織這些活動的指南。
為需要大量同工的事工開發訓練資料，確保所有參與者知道並瞭解事工的目的、責任、行為準則、和標準作業程序等。
以容易被審查和參考為目標，存檔上述文件。

這項任務需要SGM團隊和各事工領袖合作：SGM提供範例和格式，事工負責人起草文件，SGM進行編輯和歸檔。這項事工處於初期階段，王海霞姊妹將參於這項工作，她最近加入了我們的團隊。

展望與勸勉（潘儒達）

這個事工的目標，是要實踐耶穌基督對我們的差派，實現人人參與教會的事奉，使神的教會能夠成為世代的明燈，傳揚福音，拓展神國，使世人領受耶穌的救恩和神的賜福。主耶穌基督在復活後，對門徒的差遣：“父怎樣差遣了我，我也照樣差遣你們。”（約20:21）耶穌的差遣成為神的教會和每一位透過信領受神救恩的基督徒的使命。因此透過服事見證神的榮耀，是每一位基督徒從神領受的使命。希伯來書九章14節，也提醒每一個神的兒女，服事神是耶穌基督拯救我們的目的；沒有服事，我們沒有符合神拯救我們的目的。滿足於僅僅得救，也失去了透過服事分享和彰顯神榮耀的機會。

因此，理想的教會應該是個全民總動員參與服事的教會，正如以弗所書四章12節所說的：“為要成全聖徒，各盡其職，建立基督的身體。”因此神賜下恩賜給祂所有的兒女，我們要來認識、發掘和使用我們的恩賜於服事中。但是實際的狀況，常常是少數的同工盡心盡力操持教會的事工，甚至因此而心力崩潰，大多數弟兄姐妹或者冷眼旁觀，或者滿有熱心服事，卻不得其門而入，使不上力。如何能盡量讓教會每一位弟兄姐妹，像家人一樣的參與家中的服事，使我們能有效和有力的傳達神的福音，是每一個教會更是CBCGB應該努力的，也是屬靈恩賜事工應該繼續努力追求的。

我曾經在講台上提到，神過去所重用的僕人滕近輝牧師在他的“生命的事奉”中提到，事奉應該包含：1.生命：我們與神的關係和對神的降服；2.生活：生活中活出榮耀神的見證；3.工作：參與教會的事工。因此服事的面向比參與教會中的事工更廣泛，本文的焦點先集中在參與教會中的事工。

因此期望屬靈恩賜事工能和各堂會各事工配搭，追求人人服事的目標。為了能有效建立這個目標，我個人以為我們可以在以下的方向共同努力。
1.教會的牧師和長老，要隨時尋求在主耶穌託付給教會歷久恆長的大使命之下，每一個階段我們應該有努力的異象和事工重點，並且常常分享給全教會會眾，使全教會能明白，和教會同工同步，並在其中尋找自己服事的定位。
2.事奉不能只倚靠恩賜，成熟的靈性是事奉的基礎，牧者和靈性成長事工（spiritual formation ministry），如何培育造就會眾靈性，使我們成為合用的器皿，是屬靈恩賜事工和牧者及靈性事工應一起配搭和努力的。
3.鼓勵更多弟兄姐妹參與屬靈恩賜成人主日學。雖然屬靈恩賜不是判斷和決定我們服事的方向的唯一標準，但是這個課程，可以使我們更認識自己，更了解自己的恩賜，並認識服事應有的態度，對我們服事的選擇和參與，會有極大的幫助。
4.屬靈恩賜事工現階段在與其他事工合作，建立一個全教會會眾尋求和參與服事的平台。盼望在不久的將來，這個平台能建立，也能發揮作用，成為會眾與事工的橋樑。
5.下一步，我還希望屬靈恩賜事工能協助各事工建立各承傳的事工資料。包括：不同的事工職責，各事工操作手冊⋯⋯讓我們所有的事工具有可傳遞性，不會“人亡政息”，能“永續經營”，讓我們的教會成為一個在事工上可持續發展的教會。

最後一點，不只是屬靈恩賜事工的目標，而是全教會各事工共同努力的目標。求神帶領教會，讓我們能“各房靠基督聯絡得合式，漸漸成為主的聖殿。”（弗2:21）我們的教會如何能成為同心合一，各堂會各事工有不同的特質和重心，卻又在多元的差異能彼此配搭，使我們能真正活出合一見證。在這個大目標之下，第一步是建立團隊合作（team work）的精神，每個事工不論大小，都要建立團隊，不要習慣於單打獨鬥，而能以團隊彼此扶持。並且不斷的發掘和培養新血，除了使得後繼有人外，也減輕同工的負擔。更能具有團隊意識，不只將眼光關注在個人或自己團隊的需要和利益，願意也能夠關注別的團隊的需要，和別人有美好的配搭（腓2:3-4）。當我們能效法基督的虛己，齊心為福音努力時，不只我們能討我們的主的喜悅，也因著合一，而在眾人前成為美好的見證。這不只是屬靈恩賜事工的目標，而是全教會各事工應共同努力的。

作者簡介：潘儒達是本教會主任牧師；老瑞欣屬靈果團契；謝玲屬恩典團契，為主日學老師。
責任編輯：楊曉玲

鄭霞

我於2022年參加教會的司提反事工。報了名後心裡有點忐忑，不知道司提反是怎樣的服事，會有誰和我一起參加培訓。神就帶給我一座花園：

鈴蘭青翠，迎春俏麗。
東風徐吹，霞光輕抹。牡丹盛開，儀態大方。

司提反的導師們就是這座花園裡辛勤的園丁，他們不僅傳授給我們以基督為中心的關懷技巧，帶領我們在一個個的案例裡學習怎樣同理被關懷者，而我們也在這個課堂裡被接納、同理和關懷。50小時的訓練一晃而過，課堂上的笑聲，同學們彼此的關愛，導師們迥異的風采是2022年美好的回憶。

我陪伴的第一位關懷對像，是一位因感情受傷的姊妹。剛開始陪伴她的時候，她很容易憂傷，不停追悔失去的感情，難以釋懷，工作也受影響。我主要就是陪伴聆聽，安慰和同理她的心情，我們也一起禱告求神的醫治。親密之旅的創始人黃維仁博士也說：“人生最重要的醫治就是被看見、被懂得、被了解、被疼惜，人生最重要的醫治就是傾聽。”神就是那位奇妙的醫治者。一年的時間，我的被關懷對象慢慢地被醫治，她重新對生活充滿信心。雖然她的生活並不是一切順遂，但她學會了在困難的時候怎樣疏導自己，更加信靠神，她也學到去關心身邊有需要的人，成為一個帶傷的醫治者。在我結束和她的最後一次見面後，我的腦海裡就浮現出這樣的畫面：剛開始看到她的時候，她就像一隻翅膀折斷的小鳥，經過療傷醫治，終於又可以振翅飛在天空，自由翱翔。真是由衷地為她高興。雖然我只是付出了一點點的時間去關懷陪伴，但只要我們願意與神同行，我們就可以一起經歷神醫治的大能。

司提反事工是具有心理學博士學位的Kenneth Haugk牧師1975年在Missouri創辦，目前在全球24個國家，13,000家教會共培訓了超過60萬名司提反同工，一共服侍了幾百萬有需要的人。我們教會的司提反事工到今年已是第22年，一共培訓了153位同工，每位同工都完成了50個小時的培訓，並承諾兩年的服事，目前有40位在任事奉的同工。司提反事工有每兩週一次的進深訓練和小組會議，在關懷技巧上不斷學習成長，為關懷對象提供更好的幫助。我們教會的司提反事工是一個有愛有生命的大家庭，既有勤勤懇懇服侍二十多年的同工，也有年輕有為的新鮮血液的加入，從司提反導師們到同工都一起同心的服事，彼此的關懷，不斷的學習。

如果你或你認識的朋友正在經歷人生的痛苦，需要有人陪伴和傾聽，請聯絡司提反同工。我們願意陪伴你走過這段人生的低谷。

羅馬書12:15-18說：“要與喜樂的人同樂，要與哀哭的人同哭。要彼此同心。”

如果你願意陪伴心靈破碎的朋友，歡迎你了解更多事工的內容。司提反的大家庭期待您的加入。

作者屬雅歌團契，司提反事工同工。
責任編輯：潘瀾

⸺讓網站成為聯絡肢體、廣傳福音的重器

教會中文堂網站事工團隊

信息時代的新契機

使徒保羅在不同的時期與處境中，用不同的方式、方法、語言和技巧傳揚不變的福音。在那個年代，保羅主要靠的是口傳佈道和羊皮卷書信。

十五世紀中期，印刷術傳入歐洲後，印刷的第一本書就是聖經。印刷技術為基督教的迅速傳播起了重要作用。聖經成為了世界上印刷數量最多的書之一。

1844年，莫爾斯發明了電報，他所發出的第一封電報內容就是聖經的話“What hath God wrought!”（“上帝創造了何等的奇蹟！”）。

“你們要去，使萬民作我的門徒，奉父、子、聖靈的名給他們施洗。凡我所吩咐你們的，都教訓他們遵守，我就常與你們同在，直到世界的末了。”（馬太福音28:19-20）回望歷史，基督教會總是敏銳地將每一種新興的媒介變成傳揚福音的途徑，讓新技術成果為這個大使命服務。

當前，我們進入了快速變化的信息時代，我們應該如何應對，這是個挑戰，同時也是一個契機。互聯網這個新的平台，讓我們可以在會眾之間建立起新的溝通橋樑，晝夜暢通，可以將福音傳播到世界的每個角落，無遠弗屆。

教會網站的新面貌

CBCGB網站事工始於二十世紀九十年代，一群學電腦的弟兄姐妹創建了最早的教會網站，是北美華人教會中最早的網站之一。2012年蔡明哲長老帶領的團隊對教會網站做了一次整合和充實（www.cbcgb.org）。隨著智能手機的普及，現在有一半的人通過手機上網，為適應這一變化。從2020年開始，在張建長老主持下，我們對教會中文堂的網站進行了改版重建（www.cbcgbweb.org），努力讓網站做到結構明晰、導航輕鬆、圖文並茂，確保在電腦、掌上平板和智能手機等各種設備上都能良好顯示和順暢運行，以達到將教會的福音信息快捷、有效、廣泛地送達受眾的目的。

我們欣慰地看到這一福音渠道正被越來越多的受眾所青睞。當疫情肆虐，教會暫停實體聚會時，會眾通過上網敬拜和參加主日學，網站成為了不可或缺的平台。自2020年8月16日改版後的新網站上線以來，每週訪客數量從最初的200多增長到了900多，最高時超過了2000多。總共有超過185,000次網站瀏覽量，102,000個獨立訪客和435,000個頁面瀏覽量。訪客以居住波士頓地區的會眾為主，也不乏來自美國各州（見圖一）和世界各國（見圖二）的受眾。來自海外的訪客數量，名列前茅的是中國大陸和台灣。

目前，CBCGB的網站分為以下五個大板塊：
我們⸺介紹教會的異象、使命和信仰告白；給新朋友的自我介紹；教會歷史；教會的牧長執事介紹；行事曆
主日⸺發佈主日週報；提供網上敬拜、主日學鏈接；介紹主日交通服務
事工⸺介紹教會的十多項事工
團契⸺介紹教會的三十多個團契小組
資源⸺收藏教會歷年的講道音像、佈道會音像、心版期刊等文獻資料
統計數據顯示：點擊量最高的頁面依序為：
首頁⸺這裡有教會最新的活動信息，也是通向各欄目的樞紐
主日敬拜⸺這裡可以讀到主日週報，參加網上敬拜
主日學⸺通過這裡進入課程豐富的主日學的線上課堂
迎新⸺新朋友可以從這裡了解我們的教會並取得聯繫
資源⸺海量的音頻、視頻、電子書
愛主團契⸺這是個充分利用網絡建造團契園地的範例（詳見後）

會眾與朋友們的精神家園

假如您是慕道友，您可以通過《歡迎新朋友》的特別通道，了解我們的教會，與我們取得聯絡。我們也推薦您通過《佈道會》欄目觀看歷年來教會邀請到的許多著名講員的福音傳講，許許多多的慕道友就是通過教會一年兩次的專門為慕道友準備的大型佈道會而決志信主。你還可以通過《團契》欄目從數十個團契小組中選擇參加他們的聚會，認識更多教會裡的朋友。

假如您是剛剛加入教會這個大家庭的新成員，不必有相見恨晚的遺憾，從我們的網站《資源》欄目下的《講道薈萃》頁面你可以聽到歷年來眾多神的忠實僕人藉著聖靈的感動和引導所講的道，也可以通過《心版》欄目閱讀歷年來教會出版物中關於生命見證和靈命造就的文字分享。

假如您是教會的資深會員，您可能已經知道如何通過《主日》欄目閱讀教會週報、參加線上主日敬拜和走進主日學線上課堂，但請別忘了進入《事工》欄目，看看教會的十多項不同的事工。許許多多的弟兄姐妹正通過參與事工，發揮恩賜。他們在事工中享受喜樂，在事工中成長造就。教會的大使命呼召更多同工的加入，如您也有感動，請轉化為加入事工的實際行動！

事工與團契的新園地

假如您是教會事工的負責人或是教會團契的召集人，我們期盼您對教會網站這個平台善加利用。您有需要廣而告之的活動嗎？您有註冊報名的表格或是調查問卷嗎？您有急需徵召的事工或急需代禱的事項嗎？您有突發情況的緊急通知嗎？教會網站將為您提供快捷、高效、低成本的解決方案。

我們的網站首頁是點擊量最高的一個頁面，在這裡發佈的信息往往效果最好。通過首頁上端的《歡迎新朋友》鏈接將我們的新朋友迎進專門為他們準備的一個頁面。根據負責迎新的同工介紹，有相當一部分走進教會的新人，就是通過這個頁面獲得對教會的第一印象。

2023年社會關懷事工舉辦的ESL暑假特別班，第一次通過我們改版後的網站發佈了開班信息和招生報名表，短短兩天時間就不得不因名額已滿而截止報名。這從一個角度證明了網站的快捷高效。

教會的成人主日學的課程豐富多樣、琳瑯滿目。通過網頁的明瞭的課程簡介和簡便的一鍵進課堂的鏈接，方便了會眾。主日學老師通過網頁發佈課程講義和輔助材料、匯總出席人數，也方便了老師。成人主日學頁面得到各方面的歡迎，從而成為了點擊量最高的頁面之一。這是利用網站為事工服務的又一個成功案例。

我們注意到愛主團契頁面的點擊量最近躍居網站的前列，他們是如何做到的呢？在愛主團契召集人的鼓勵下，他們充分利用團契頁面為查經和聚會服務。每週五的團契查經都是由打開團契頁面開始，點擊團契聚會鏈接，查看查經進度，學習查經資料。他們將每年傳統的團契活動，包括春節、感恩節、受洗、畢業聚會等特別聚會的照片和錄影都及時放在團契頁面上。愛主團契網頁成為了聯絡團契肢體的重要途徑。久而久之，上團契頁面查看訊息、照片、錄影就逐漸成了團契裡弟兄姐妹的習慣。以今年1月份為例，愛主頁面共有281次訪問，平均停留時間為4分21秒。愛主團契通過他們的團契頁面開啟了一個讓團契內的弟兄姐妹們所喜聞樂見的內容充實的園地，他們的成功經驗可以為其他團契提供很好的啟發和借鑒。

建議大家也看看週三姐妹會團契的頁面，通過鏈接按鍵打開這個團契自己的一個內容極其豐富的獨立網站。她們的成功經驗值得其他具備條件的團契小組借鑑。

成為神所悅納的器皿

網站的建立只是這項事工的開始。我們希望這個平台成為神所悅納的器皿，祈願器皿中有活水流淌。我們期望教會的每個人都能加以關愛和使用、給予幫助和建議。我們有很長的路要走，有很多事想做。我們希望增加多媒體特別是視頻動畫的內容，讓頁面生動起來。我們希望添加社交媒體的鏈接以吸引更多的關注。所以我們期待更多的有恩賜與裝備有耐心又細心的弟兄姐妹加入我們。歡迎您通過email：cmwebdevteam@cbcgb.org和我們取得聯繫。

*根據會眾聚會信息的不同需要，教會現有以下幾個網站：cbcgbweb.org 服務中文堂會眾；crossbridge.life 服務英文堂（跨越橋）會眾；citylight.life 服務城區會眾； youth.cbcgb.org 服務青少年；sites.google.com/view/cbcgbchmfamilyresources/ 服務兒童。www.cbcgb.org 是CBCGB教會的域名，也是通向以上各個網站的入門網站。

作者為教會中文堂網站事工團隊。
責任編輯：張紅星