State of the Church 2014
February 2, 2014, 1:00 PM
Thanks and Gratefulness
When I was away in Myanmar attending the 200th anniversary of the Judsons work in December, you responded decisively to help your church staff with a more adequate medical plan in 2014. As one who had to deal with a health situation last year and discovering that the liabilities were overwhelming with the risk of catastrophic consequences, you revealed compassion and love that on behalf of the church staff, we express our thanks and gratefulness.
FCBC Strong
Being pastor of FCBC makes giving the State of the Church report easy. Unlike some churches, a pastor may be apologizing for the shortfall received in the offering or the decline in membership on the church rolls or perhaps even trying to explain away internal conflicts or squabbling in the congregation. Not so at FCBC. We are strong and healthy because of your faithfulness and dedication in your response to God’s grace and blessings.
When terrorists set off bombs at the Boston Marathon in April 2013, a slogan surfaced that has found itself not just at sporting events but also in the life of the entire city. People shouted, “Boston Strong!” I can say that we are “FCBC Strong!” Since our founding 134 years ago, FCBC is stronger and more active then at any other time before.
You have already heard that our financial picture is better than good. You have been generous with your resources year in and year out. Our ministries and missions continue to have adequate funding. And the amazing truth is that many of you sacrifice countless hours in service and donate materials without thinking about being reimbursed because you see that this is one way you can support the church.
Our Canvass Chairs Milton Dong and John Tom share with you that your pledges for 2014 are ahead of where we were last year. In light of living in a highly mobile society, our membership and worship attendance continue to have steady growth. When I travel to other churches and people ask me about what is FCBC like, they are often a little envious that we are FCBC strong! Thanks be to God that you have become a leading model of what a vibrant, humble and dedicated community of Christ disciples should be.
Church Unity
In our growth and diversity of worship services, ministries and fellowship groups, we need to become more intentional to enrich our fellowship, become better acquainted, and to celebrate the oneness we have in Christ Jesus. Adding to our plethora of activities every Sunday, we now have both the venues of the church building and the YMCA to meet. We may have been to church on a given Sunday and never have the opportunity in seeing each other.
For the purpose of strengthening our fellowship, there will be an All-Church Event on Saturday, March 22 on the campus of the San Francisco Theological Seminary located in San Anselmo in Marin County. This is only about 15 miles from our church. Investing one Saturday with one another is not too much to ask when God has called us into community. We plan on sharing in worship, hearing about where God may be calling us to in the future, play games and break bread together. We are asking all fellowship groups that their March event is March 22 at the All-Church Event.
Furthermore, at this August’s All-Church Picnic, we’ll bring back organized games and Christ-like competition! We’ll have our dessert contest again. If you are interested in this and would like to provide some leadership, I’d like to talk with you! We hope to make the picnic a fun-filled event that the whole church looks forward to coming.
Baptist Life
One of the strengths of a Baptist church is the fundamental belief in what we call “soul freedom” or “soul liberty.” This conviction is based on the truth that God’s revelation is available to all people, both lay and clergy. And when we are an informed congregation, we would have the freedom and the ability to interpret Scriptures with the guidance and accountability of the community. The outcome is often that members of the same church can have different interpretations and opinions on the same verse as long as we absolutely with no exceptions; believe in the Lordship of Jesus Christ as Savior. This means that we can differ and still be one church. This is the reason why we have no creeds to recite except saying the Lord’s Prayer together. The strength and unity of FCBC has always been based on this central Baptist belief. We have been able to do common mission together both at home as well as in other countries. While we are both Cantonese-speaking and English-speaking, residents of Chinatown and residents from as far away as in San Jose, younger and older, born in the US or born in another country, we continue being the church of Christ because we believe and are unified in him. And as long as we maintain our Baptist convictions, we will continue to be FCBC Strong.
Infrastructure
As our church grows and our numbers begin to press up against the present systems that we have been operating on, we eventually would need to address the infrastructure of the church. More than 12 years ago, our first church website went live. While this website has served us well, it’s time for a brand new website to communicate and relate with the 21st century. A team has been formed comprised of creative members with Shannon Kong as project manager. Our hope is that you will begin to see the new website roll out this summer. We don’t expect any problems as did the Affordable Health Care website!
Our giving units continue to expand along with managing increasing number of special projects necessitating the church to begin installing into place a new software program. The church has purchased Servant Keeper that will help us to record giving efficiently, generate quarterly reports more timely, and begin to store data and information to be more accessible to you with always identity and personal data security in place. Our Bookkeeper Marian Hom and Church Administrator Wendi Lin are becoming familiar with this new software now.
For some time now the growth of our memorial funds that some have called endowment funds calls us to find a way to employ such resources for current and important ministries. The understanding is that when people give in memory of a loved one, they expect these resources to be used to advance God’s kingdom work through FCBC. A task force has been formed to come up with a policy and clear steps for us as a church to begin applying these generously given resources to use.
Future Looking
While we always say that we live in the present in order to be fully conscious of what’s happening around us, not one of us go through a day without envisioning and anticipating what tomorrow might bring. We look at our calendars to see what would be required of us tomorrow. We set out certain clothes to wear that would be appropriate for our appointments or pack a lunch to eat at our desks—all simple ways that we plan for tomorrow.
The church at its best is always looking forward into the future while also praising God in the present. The Long-range Planning Committee comprising of 13 members under the chairmanship of Nelson Wong has been working on a monthly basis to come up with a plan for our church in 5 years. What do you see FCBC in 2018 or 2019? Will we still be “FCBC Strong?” In partnership with all the gifts and dedication that you have and the grace of God, we prayerfully hope that God will continue to make his face to shine upon us like God has since 1880!
Our future planning continues to become more mission-minded in that we have not been the product of mission work since the 1950s. We have matured in faith and are now called to be mission active in giving, serving, and reaching out. We recently started Reception Ministry led by Pastor Lee to offer more hospitality to our neighbors and all visitors to San Francisco. And if you want to see how effective this ministry is, just stay after today’s meeting.
We have called Zita Cheng as our new Community Outreach Minister to help us mount new programs to reach our neighbors.
We’ll be commissioning another mission work team to northern Thailand this June.
We are now supporting Ivy and Emerson Wu, new ABC missionaries to Macau to reach young people in Christ and offer alternative careers from the casino business.
As a church and by many individuals, we are raising much needed funds to support Redwood Glen as a mission partner in camping and conferencing and our “outdoor campus.”
And speaking about Redwood Glen, we are collaborating with new church partners along with our historic partners to sponsor our annual weeklong Youth Camp. This would make Youth Camp available to more youth in the Bay Area to know Jesus and grow in their discipleship.
Light of Life
Our 2014 church theme is “Light of Life.” What does it mean for us to have known Jesus Christ who is the Light of the world to live in the Light of Life? In response to the darkness that we still see in the world, what are we doing to bring the Light of Christ in our lives as the Light of Life?
Many of us have installed a flashlight on our smart phones. Is your life a light of life like a flashlight when the world appears to be dark?
All of us turn on lights when we enter a dark room. When we enter a room, would our lives being the Light of Life shine in the lives of people in that room?
There are serious problems and social ills that overwhelm our capacity to understand but often are the causes of ongoing injustices, inequality, and unrighteousness. You know what these are. But are you who have met Christ the Light of the world ready to live and work to bring life changing light to cast out these shadows? I hope you are.
As a good Baptist church with our emphases on soul freedom and the priesthood of all believers, we have become strong because of your service and dedication. God calls and you responded. Special thanks to our able church administrator Wendi Lin who prepared our Annual Reports and new church directory so that we may celebrate God’s amazing work through us and that our fellowship would be strengthened.
May we remain and increasingly be “FCBC Strong” in Christ alone in the days to come until that day when God reigns forever in the world again. Amen.