Senior Pastor 2011 Annual Report
Do This, and You Will Live!
Lifting up the emphasis of social concern in 2011, our church theme was “Who Is My Neighbor?” When the lawyer in Luke 10 asked Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answered, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” The lawyer answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” When Jesus heard this, he told the lawyer, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.” But the lawyer probably was thinking that he already loved God with all his heart, soul, strength and mind but he wasn’t sure whether he loved his neighbor as he already loved himself. So he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” From here, we have the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Throughout the year, our fellowship groups and annual ministries such as Youth Camp used this emphasis of social justice to help us grow in understanding our responsibility of caring for our neighbors.
Significant Developments
Building on this commitment to love God with all whom we are and to love our neighbors by providing faithful ministries, there were two significant developments that happened in 2011. After many years of having a church staff position designated for Christian Education, we decided to bring to conclusion this position in our church. The different CE tasks and ministries are now assigned to all pastoral staff members that more strategically fit their portfolios. We believe that this decision would strengthen the overall Christian education programs of our church by having more pastors connected and involved.
Witnessing the growth and development of the 9:00 English Worship congregation, we decided to call a pastor who would serve this emerging part of our church. At the end of March, we celebrated Rev. Christine Otani’s over 10 years of faithful and effective ministry with us as the Minister of Christian Education. The church approved a new pastoral position, Associate Pastor of English-speaking Ministries, appointed a search committee and was hoping to recommend a candidate before the end of the year. When the committee was unable to complete its task, the church decided to reopen the pastoral search for new candidates to submit applications by February 12, 2012.
The second significant development in 2011 is the recognition on the importance of having enhanced and inspiring worship by providing more time for the worship services on Sunday morning. With the availability of the YMCA gym that was renovated for us to have Sunday worship, the 9:00 English Worship relocated to the gym on Nov. 6th. The 9:00 worshipers and worship leaders have affirmed this move that has allowed for a one hour and fifteen minute service. Currently, discussions are underway to adjust worship times and Sunday school class times to provide longer times for the two services that meet in the church sanctuary.
Seasons of Church Life
Inasmuch as there were significant changes that occurred last year as evident above, the health and vitality of our church can be seen in the rhythm of what happens on a seasonal basis. The strong and reliable infrastructure that our church embodies enables us to sustain life-changing ministries from year to year. Our Church Membership Meetings moderated by Anna Quan Wong are times when we come together to express our ideas and thoughts as well as to celebrate God’s plans for our church. And when there were times when special meetings were necessary, we were able to do this because we affirm our common mission in Christ.
The Finance Committee chaired by Jackie Chou met to review our finances and to keep everyone informed about our financial health. The Canvass Committee led by Wes Chan and Wallace Chu invited us to believe that all our resources belong to God. The Nominating Committee chaired by Steven Ng worked diligently to identify gifts and skills that people didn’t think they had. The Search Committee chaired by Anna Ng served and is still serving with the faith that God is preparing a servant in Christ to labor with us because the harvest is plentiful. The Music Committee chaired by Wendy Quan reminded us that if we can make a noise, it’s a praise to God that makes his heart sing. The Social Committee chaired by Sharon Fong always kept us satisfied with goodies and hot tea to experience God’s abundance.
Christian Education
Our church has always been known as a “teaching church.” We have strengths and gifts in this area that are just amazing! Unlike many churches that take a summer off, our Sunday school meets year-round. Teachers and aides offer classes from the preschool Toddlers Time all the way up to Bible studies for seniors. Our children classes meet in the church home while all of our youth and adult classes are at the YMCA. While one worshiping congregation is in worship, the other congregations are in class. We thank God for equipping and calling many dedicated and skilled teachers to nurture and develop disciples.
On an annual basis, our church continues to sponsor significant ministries that reach out to our neighbors, deepen biblical literacy and discipleship, and provide ways for persons to sharpen leadership skills. While 6 weeks of summer Day Camp directed by Donald Ma and assisted by Tim Lee attracted over 100 children to our church, over 40 youth and young adults also had the sustained opportunity to teach curriculum, lead games and activities, and to share their faith with others. Youth Camp co-directed by Kenneth Tom and Jonathan Wong on the social justice theme of “Do the Right Thing!” challenged junior and senior highs that what they do can make a difference in the world.
The Christian Education ministries at our church is the best example of how we on a regular basis, year after year provide a way for people to know Christ as their Lord and Savior and to use their gifts and talents for ministry in the world. There were Bible studies, summer series, overview courses taught by Dr. James Chuck, and Advent/Lenten Bible studies available throughout the year.
Beyond FCBC
For some time now, our church has sensed the call to go beyond the immediate surroundings of our church home in order to bear witness and to do mission. In March, we sent another team of 7 people to visit Thailand with the specific objective to expand the Lanna Coffee Ministry. We visited coffee plantations, help load picked beans onto pickup trucks, saw how coffee is sorted, washed, shelled, dried, roasted, and packaged for sale. While we were exploring how we can become a better advocate and partner for Lanna Coffee, we returned with an even greater passion of wanting to get involved some more. We wanted to help change systems that continue to hurt people. The Missions Committee have decided to officially partner with the Integrated Tribal Development Project, directed by ABC Missionary Mike Mann to help develop a healthy and life-sustaining economy of a hill tribe village. In 2013, we are planning to send a work team to this village to begin this partnership. This deeper and more active involvement will go beyond the typical mission tour to becoming ongoing partners and friends in helping others in need. We’ll be answering the question, “Who is My Neighbor?” The plan is to send future mission teams back to the same village until we have completed God’s work.
After Jesus’ ascension, the disciples were commissioned to preach the Good News that they have witnessed to the world. The Apostle Paul after his dramatic encounter with the Lord on the Damascus Road began to expand beyond Jerusalem and into Macedonia and Greece. In May, we sponsored a group to follow the Steps of Paul and visited Turkey and Greece. We visited the seven churches in Revelation, the island of Patmos, Athens, Philippi, Thessalonica, Corinth and many other places that enabled us to see with our own eyes the spread of Christianity into the known ancient world at that time. We know that eventually Christianity spread to Rome, then to Western Europe across the Atlantic and to the New World. The Bible comes alive when we are able to have these wonderful opportunities to experience and explore our faith.
In June at the ABC Biennial in San Juan, Puerto Rico, I was elected to serve as the Vice-President of ABC, USA for 2012-2013. This voluntary office is a culmination of a lifetime of being an American Baptist. I felt and heard the call to share my life with the ABC family as well as to share the faithful ministry of FCBC in this role as I travel around the denomination and work with ABC leaders and churches. While I will be doing a fair amount of traveling, I remain committed to the ministry of our church and seek your prayers and support to accomplish all that God has asked of me and you.
In Appreciation
The successful, faithful and far-reaching ministries of our church are the result of many dedicated and gifted people. All of you have made and are still making a difference in the world because of the way you trust your lives in being with Christ. Christ has made us whole out of God’s grace and mercy so that we may continue to be good neighbors with others and in the end we do live. I want to take a moment to thank some people who are usually behind the scenes but are the real actors, movers and shakers in our church: Joe Chan and the Sunday kitchen crew who make us breakfast and a cup of Lanna Coffee; Lea Wong who washes the baby toys in the dish washer every Sunday before our little ones put them in their mouths; Bill Leong who crawls into tight places to replace our furnace filters; Wendy Chu and Norman Chin who wash clean our solar panels twice a year; Santos, our janitor who works at night to clean our floors and restrooms; Wendi Lin who goes beyond her office duties to sort out our trash for composting and recycling; Nelson Wong and Bill Chin who monitor our disaster preparedness; Gil Qoung who takes our church newsletters to the bulk mail center; Adam Kung, Joshua Chou, and Don Fong who are developing a new church website; Ian Heung and others who go to the Y at 8:00 to begin setting up for 9:00 Worship. And I deeply appreciate our church staff who faithfully perform their ministerial and administrative duties in the name of Christ. There are just many people who have stepped up and if God willing, will continue stepping up to support the ongoing ministries and infrastructure of FCBC!
As we remain faithful to the historic ministry and mission of this church and ever so focused on answering the question, “Who Is My Neighbor?” Christ told us, “Do this, and you will live.” Thank God for 2011 that we are living in Christ!