January/February 2015 Newsletter
Making All Things New
If we start counting 2014 years ago when we began to use the Gregorian calendar of 365 days in the year divided up into 12 months, January 1, 2015 would be the 735,111st day! It’s much easier to count our days with a month, a day, and a new year. I think in God’s timing, God is able to count up to 735,111 and beyond to infinity but for us human beings, counting to 365 days is big enough.
Over many years, we have become accustomed to counting another 365 days by singing the old Scottish tune Auld Lang Syne, for the sake of old times and ringing in the new in our New Year’s celebrations. We get this feeling that all that has been can be forgotten and we get a new lease on life. Instead of continuing the days of 735,111 and still counting, we begin anew. It’s January 1st of the New Year of 2015 with 364 more days to go! We are hopeful, optimistic, and excited about what the New Year would bring. We make new resolutions to be better in so many ways in life and pray that we would be faithful to our new commitments for the rest of the 364 days. But we know quite quickly that we’ll fail in our promises but in God’s grace, God has blessed us with the start of a new beginning year after year.
The writer of Revelations saw a New Heaven and a New Earth when the first earth had passed away and a new Earth is coming. God who created the heavens and the earth is “making all things new” again (Rev. 21:5). God told us that what is being said can be trusted because it is true. We have been given another new year by the grace of God. 2015 at FCBC is a new beginning in many ways and in our faith in God, God is “making all things new” again.
Since 1880, we have been in ministry for 135 years. Always located in Chinatown, we have always seen our Chinatown neighborhood as our mission field. But as our members and friends are now coming into San Francisco from the greater Bay Area, we realize that we can become more familiar and connected with our neighbors than we are now. We plan to renew our “Mission in Chinatown” as our annual theme for 2015 when we would be more acquainted and knowledgeable of the life in Chinatown and how we as a church can partner and share Christ with them. By renewing our commitment to serve Christ in Chinatown, God is “making all things new” again for FCBC!
For us to publicly make our commitment to be in ministry in Chinatown and to all the world, FCBC will be celebrating our 135th Church Anniversary this October. There will be an anniversary homecoming luncheon, preaching series by former pastors, an anniversary Sunday of worship and celebrations. Every time we mark our days such as a church anniversary, we are able to thank God for his mighty work with us and through us. We hope that by remembering the past, celebrating the present and inviting new disciples to participate in the life-changing ministries of FCBC in the future, that God is “making all things new” again in us. We pray that there will be more people in the days to come who will be able to welcome every new year as yet another 365 days to serve the Lord. When you woke up this morning, it is another new day in the 365 days that make up 2015 and we pray that in God’s timing, by the end of 2015, we would have been in the Lord for 735,475 days! Pastor Don
New Leaders Launch
To begin the New Year, all church officers, board and committee members are to attend the launch event on Saturday, Jan. 10, beginning at 8:30 with coffee and snacks and ending before lunch. Boards and committees will select their new chairs, organized their work and schedule meeting dates. We’ll begin with an introduction to the 2015 Annual Theme—Mission in Chinatown and a review of the church calendar. Please register with Wendi Lin at the church office. Your presence is expected!
Church Annual Meeting
On Sunday, Feb. 1st, 1:00 in the sanctuary, our Church Moderator will call our 2015 Annual Meeting to order. In the life of a Baptist church, the annual meeting is an important part of practicing our congregational polity and to celebrate God’s ongoing work through FCBC. You will receive the annual reports from all boards, committees, and fellowship groups, 2014 financial reports, state of the church report, new pictorial church directory, dedication of church leaders, and a time to remember loved ones who have returned to the Lord. Come and see how God is transforming our lives in Christ!
New Church Website!
Our old website that has served us very well over the past 15 years has now been replaced with a brand new one! Designed with a clean, modern look, the website is currently for persons who are looking for a church to attend and possibly to join. It contains basic information to know who we are, how to reach us and what times are the worship services. Work is underway to expand the site for passcode accessibility so that members would be able to retrieve reports, meeting minutes, church directory, and archival materials. The new website is the result of the dedicated and creative work of many including: Josh Chou, Adam Kung, Keegan Doung, Don Fong, Shannon Kong, Alexa Heung, and Pastor Visal Sok. You can still reach the website by: fcbc-sf.org.
Senior Center
The 2015 season of FCBC’s Senior Center begins on Jan. 14th with George Lai teaching us about tai chi and on Feb. 11th with Kyle Kurahara on financial planning. The meetings are on the second Wednesday of the month beginning with a hearty, healthy, hot lunch at $4, followed by birthday cake and program. Future programs include: Brain Fitness, Estate Planning, and SF Parking & Traffic. The 4th floor Fellowship Hall is accessible by our elevator. To sign up, contact: Dick & Anna Quan Wong, Jimmy Yee or Alan Fong.
ABC President Update
Beginning in 2015, I would be serving my second year of a 2-year term as President of ABCUSA. Two major areas of responsibilities at the beginning of the year would be final planning for the 2015 Biennial Mission Summit on June 26-28 in Overland Park, Kansas and the Search Committee for the new General Secretary.
On the theme, Share in the Journey, the BMS will feature table conversations on relevant issues facing the church today, mission reports around the world, speakers at worship (Pastor Don will speak on Sunday night closing worship), meal functions, a variety of learning options and convention exhibits. Since FCBC is a “Booster Church,” all delegates attending would have a discounted registration. Registration begins in February. If interested, see Pastor Don to join the delegation attending from our church.
Upon the retirement of Dr. Roy Medley after serving as General Secretary for 14 years by the end of 2015, the denomination is calling a new General Secretary to begin in 2016. Serving as chair to the search committee, we will be interviewing candidates with the hope and prayer that a nominee would be presented in June. Please pray for the work of this committee as we trust in God’s leading us in a new day.
I will also be traveling to Portland, Maine and Raleigh, North Carolina to speak about American Baptist witness and mission. I am thankful for your support for me to serve as ABC President while also serving as your Senior Pastor. Thank you for your prayers, your understanding, your leadership, and particularly for my church colleagues, Pastor Peter and Visal to fill the pulpit when I am away. Know that I am praying for you whenever I am away with the faith that God has blessed us with this ministry that bears Good News in Jesus Christ!
Family News
Praise God for the Believers Baptism of Yuet Fong Lee Hom, Tam Oi Kuen, Craig Lai, Ivan Szeto, Hailey Ung, and Mamie C. Wong on Dec. 14th. Welcome to FCBC and we look forward to seeing your gifts for ministry and service at church!
Congratulations to Jimmy Yung and Erica Chun who were joined in marriage on Dec. 6th in Costa Rica! May God bless their new life together!
Pastor Visal and Lindsay Sok presented their baby daughter, Talitha Mehsah Sok to be dedicated to the Lord on Dec. 14th. May Talitha grow to bring joy in the world!
Congratulations to Chris and Audrey Chan in the birth of their new baby girl, Vivian Louisa Chan on Dec. 7th! Best wishes to Grandparents Wes and Sheryl Chan too!
Thanks for putting together our annual Christmas Shoeboxes that went to bring happiness and joy to children around the world. We donated 111 shoeboxes! Thanks be to God!
January
1New Year’s Day (Office closed)
4 10-V
10-P
11-P
6 Staff, 10:00
10 All-Church Leaders, 8:30
11 10-V
10-P
11-D
14 Senior Center
16-18 Young Adult Retreat
18 10-V
10-D
11-D
21 Staff, 10:00
23 Lanna Coffee, 7:30
24 Sojourners
25 10-V
10-P
11-D
29 Sports Ministry, 6:00
February
- 10-V
10-P
11-D
Church Annual Meeting, 1:00
3-4 Staff Retreat
8 10-V
10-P
11-V
11 Senior Center
13-15 Junior High Retreat
15 10-V
10-P
11-D
19 Chinese New Year
22 10-V
10-P
11-D
28 Sojourners