Since the campaign ended, the enthusiasm hasn’t let down. It especially remains high amongst the kids.
While my sister was here, she taught a class for the little ones (from ages 10 down to the baby) about why and how we worship. They talked about singing, praying, giving, communion, and listening to the Word of God. On the last week she was here, they had a “pretend worship” in which the young boys were offered the chance to lead. They all did, and took the whole event very seriously. She told them, at the end of class, that if they’d like to lead in the “real worship,” they could speak to the uncles in charge of it and offer their services.
Before their family left, several of the boys did just that. One helped pass the communion trays, and another led a song. One volunteered to lead the prayer over lunch that day, with the whole congregation gathered. A week later, when my sister and her family weren’t there with us anymore, the zeal for service continued. One of the boys, a 4-year-old, wanted to join the men when they prayed before the service began. During the service, he helped pass the communion trays and the collection bags. Another of the older boys helped with passing the communion trays as well, and another helped lead the closing song. It is very exciting to see them working so hard, and showing a real desire to serve.
And not only during the weekly gathering, but the kids are eager to serve at other times too. Some are helping with the clean-up of communion trays on Sundays, and some are helping take care of the transparencies for the songs we sing each week. Best of all, to me, was last week when a group of 4 kids and 4 adults met at the church building on Thursday afternoon to give the place a thorough cleaning. These are the same kids who have been gathering for door-knocking, helping in the services on Sunday, and helping just wherever they find a good thing for their hands to be active about. I can see that the adults are taking note, and are encouraged by the attitude of service that the younger ones are displaying. I hope it will spur all of us on towards a similar joyous service.
We have finally seen some fruit come of the efforts to get a counselling service off the ground. We’ve been trying to get the word out in the community that we have this service, but haven’t been very successful over the past half year or so that we have been about it. During the recent campaign, we handed out announcements to about 20 apartment blocks (over 2000 homes), and have had several calls about the counselling service. Two have already begun counselling, and will be continuing in upcoming weeks and months. I know that the counsellor has invited them to our Christmas celebration that we will have on Sunday afternoon this weekend — a BBQ and small gift exchange. I believe one of them will be there, though the other is more doubtful. Either way, it is good to see that we are now more actively offering a service to the community, and that there are some who are in need of that service who are coming to take part.
I will be heading up to Shanghai again in the early morning hours of the 26th. I will not be able to post to this site while I am there, but will post an update when I am home.
Happy holidays to all, and may God bless you with a happy beginning to 2007!