Senior Pastor
Rev. Don Ng
Reflections
Before I could compose my annual report as the Senior Pastor of our church, I took out my recently retired Day-Timer that I shoved into my desk drawer. For me, a spiral paper ‘week at a glance’ planning calendar records all of my goings and comings for everyday of the year. While I reflected over the hundreds of entries both personals as well as church functions, I wonder if 2004 was a good year or a bad one. It seems that there were more funerals than weddings. Some of the completely filled boxes reminded me how busy some days were. But there were also a series of days that I blocked out to visit our granddaughter in Boston. Those were very good days!
While I turned each page revealing in front of me all 52 weeks in 2004, I soon came to the realization that when it comes to days, weeks, and years, they are all in God’s time. Some days we cried; others we burst into joy and laughter. But everyday is an opportunity for us to participate in God’s wonderful world in grace and mercy. As it is written in Ecclesiastes 3:1, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”
In 2004, there was time for every matter under heaven in our church and its ministry in the world. Our year’s theme on the emphases of ‘Prayer and Mission’ took on the slogan, “Pray Boldly2 Go” highlighted Acts 4:31, “When they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness.” Many of the church’s programs and fellowship groups took this theme to heart and organized their activities around learning more about prayer and engaging in missions. The following reports capture in greater detail of the myriad of activities that reflected the faithful ministry of last year. I hope that you would take the time to read them. The purpose of my report is to share examples of how our church having prayed boldly, were blessed by the evidence of new and exciting ministries.
Senior Center
After canvassing ideas from members and friends and visiting other centers in the Bay Area, under the able leadership of Warren Lee, our new Senior Center began on February 11th. On every second and fourth Wednesday afternoons of each month, the center is open for senior adults as a gathering place for fun and fellowship. After a warm and healthy lunch, the group, numbering around 35-40, enjoy a talk on an interesting topic, share in singing, exercise and sometimes participate in line dancing. Many invite friends to come making this regular activity an opportunity to introduce them to our church. The Senior Center has become a huge success providing another way to serve and minister with our senior members! It is great to be able to have a new ministry utilizing the Fellowship Hall during a time that it was empty.
New 9:30 Worship
Contrary to most church growth experts, our attendance is growing while we are serving Christ in the inner-city. Gifted with skills in leading worship by using contemporary praise music and the realization that the capacity at the 10:05 worship was near, a new 9:30 Worship Service was launched on June 20th. After many planning meetings and being in prayer, the Design Team comprised of Kenneth Tom, Chris Chin, Jackie Chou, Daniel Kushner, and Sheryl Chan developed a publicity strategy, purchased equipment, designed the service, and continues to monitor its growth. Today the service meets weekly usually attracting around 35-40 people worshiping at the Recreation Center right next door to our church. Planting a new worship service was entirely a faithful bold step. But as our membership grows with people seeking a variety of worship styles, we are grateful that God has equipped us with the leaders and resources to add this new service. On Sundays, we are now averaging around 350 people worshiping at our four services.
Home Improvements
One of the easiest ways to see the vitality of our church is in the church home improvements made last year. Under the supervision of the Trustees, a number of projects were completed in 2004. On June 13th, under clear blue skies, the church held its morning worship on the sidewalk outside of our building. At this memorable event, we dedicated the new front door awning, the display cases, and exterior signage. With all the choirs singing, our worship made a joyful noise!
Other improvements included the installation of a carpet in the Nursery to reduce noise traveling down to the sanctuary, pigeon-proofing the entire front of the church on Waverly Place and the purchase of two AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators) for our church. We know that behind each of these improvements, there are people of faith who have given generously to support the mission of the church in the world. When people see our church home, they know that here are people who love the Lord!
Redwood Glen
I am happy to report that as of January 8, 2005, Redwood Glen Baptist Camp which our church has seen as the continuing legacy of the Chung Mei Home for Chinese Boys was purchased by the Redwood Glen Camp Board from the region. This is good news knowing that the camp will be able to continue in the camping ministry for American Baptists. As you may know, our church has taken a strong public stand on this issue to continue camping ministry. When the decision was finalized and the details made known, our church was credited and greatly appreciated for ensuring the future of Redwood Glen for ministry. As a valuable partner with the camp, we will no doubt envision opportunities for our church to support and advocate for Redwood Glen’s successful future.
Expanding Servants
As our church grows, upon the recommendation of the Deacons, the congregation approved two part-time staff positions to be filled in 2005. In the area of community outreach, the Community Worker position will be responsible for both the Night School classes that meet at our church on weekday evenings as well as supporting our church’s Friday Night school program. This would better ensure a coordinated effort to reach out and minister to our community neighbors.
With greater number of people, the work of pastoral care increases as well. Beginning in the middle of the 2005, a new Assistant Pastor position will be added to staff the new 9:30 Worship service as well as to reduce the administrative tasks currently being handled by the Senior Pastor freeing him to focus more on pastoral care, worship, and leading.
In faith, we are boldly moving to adequately employ the necessary staff persons to serve our church in the years to come. We are once again deeply appreciative of the church members and friends who support this ministry with their pledges and contributions.
Anniversary Year
As we celebrate God’s work through FCBC in 2004, we are already eagerly anticipating what is in store for our 125th Anniversary in 2005. That history will be written after I reflect on my 2005 Day-Timer in 2006! But in the meantime, three developments can be highlighted today.
Prior to the Christmas holiday shopping season, the Women’s Fellowship published their long-awaited cookbook, Sidewalk Tea, 125 Years of Food and Fellowship. This anniversary cookbook includes 308 recipes, historical photos, and stories. The cover picture features a typical Chinese bakery pink box and a tea urn that portrays the many occasions that we have taken our celebrations outside on the sidewalk for the whole world to see and partake. Thanks to Joy Shih Ng, Lea Wong, and Sherry Pang along with the many contributors in making this wonderful resource of our church family life available to many!
For the purpose of helping our church members and friends know one another better, the church office is developing a Photo Directory for our anniversary year. Thanks to Don Fong, Kenneth Kwan, Kwok Hei Chiu, Wallace Choy along with Wendy Lin in making this project a reality.
While we now have permanent bronze signage on Waverly Place, people looking for our church walking down from Stockton Street have difficulties finding us. Plans are underway to install poles on the Sacramento side of the building on which both our church name as well as our anniversary theme will be hanging on banners. We would then be visible from all directions. These are all new and exciting examples that reveal how God continues to calls us boldly into service with Christ in the world.
Thanksgiving
My report this year only highlights a few examples of how our church lives out its faith boldly everyday. Our ongoing ministries offered week after week and year after year reflect the steadfast faithfulness of our church in ministry and mission. There are the Sunday worship services, monthly board meetings, summer camps and retreats, monthly newsletters, bi-annual clean-up days, changing light bulbs, fellowship groups, Bible studies, Sunday school, choir practices, sport teams, cooking meals, counting weekly giving, tech support, paying bills, answering mail, and on and on. The jobs are many but we know that God had blessed us with people who share their gifts and time to build up this ministry which I am tremendously grateful.
In this report, I have the privileged opportunity to thank the entire church family for your love for God displayed in your service to the church. Special thanks to the church staff who coordinates and makes everything work together: Pastor Mak, Pastor Chris O, our Bookkeeper Marian Hom, our Church Administrator Wendy Lin, our Pastor Emeritus James Chuck, our Seminarian Intern Lauren Ng, and our Night School Volunteer Kwok Hei Chiu. Appreciations to Kenneth Tom who completed his Young Adult Ministries Coordinator contract on July 31st and to Jane Lam who completed her contract as the Community Outreach Worker on December 31st.
Surely God has blessed us with the time to serve Christ in his church at First Chinese Baptist. We now look forward with great anticipation what God has in store for us as we celebrate our enduring ministry for the past 125 years abounding in thanksgiving!