Saturday, October 8, 2005
Banquet Program
Welcome
On this happy and momentous evening, I welcome you on behalf of the Congregation of the First Chinese Baptist Church! For over 125 years, the people whose lives have been touched by the love of Jesus Christ through the faithful ministries of this church have praise God for his mighty hand upon their lives. Tonight we too have gathered to bear this truth in God and to become today’s witnesses of God’s love, peace, and joy.
In Psalm 122:1, it says, “I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of God!” We invited you to “come home.” You are home with old friends and you are home in the making of new ones. Many of you came to the church this afternoon to see what our church home looks like today—quite different from what you remembered. And in the name of our Lord, we also welcome you home to be with the Lord. We hope and pray that this evening will be a testimony of our faithfulness in the Lord that during good times as well as during the difficult ones, that God has never been apart from us.
May this evening be a joyous time to remember, to feel God’s love tonight, to break bread or more accurately share rice together, to wish ourselves “Happy Anniversary” to praise God, to remember the importance of remembering, and finally to abound in thanksgiving for surely we are blessed when we come home to God.
Let us pray.
Almighty God, on this great occasion of celebrating 125 year of continuing mission and ministry in the heart of Chinatown, we pray that you would continue to bless and sustain your vibrant work though us in your church. Grant us your presence as we gather around these tables to fellowship and to renew friendships. Renew our hearts and open our minds to the many new and challenging opportunities to be in ministry in the world. And in your grace and mercy, strengthen us to do your will with deep humility to make Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior known to everyone. We thank you, Lord for all the saints in the past, for the saints around these tables and for the saints in the years to come to continue to build this church as a place for us to come home to you. To you, O God, be praise and glory throughout all the ages, in the name Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.