Pastor Ben has been preaching on the Gospel of Luke since last year. Before his departure, the church had a farewell celebration with him in July. After that, Brother Kit Lam, Pastor Frank, Pastor Moses, along with other guest speakers picked up the duty to provide the spiritual nutrition for the English congregants through Sunday messages.
In September, our district helped QHC to have a PEAK Profile Survey, which included 9 essential elements, to help us to discern the strength & weakness of this church. The district will provide more training for the new governing board members in the beginning of next year. Then, our pastors will have forum discussion with us & help us to understand the needs of the church.
As we move into the new season, we have started recruiting for a full-time English pastor. We have received resumes and will start meeting with the potential candidates. Please keep this searching journey in your prayer for the appointed pastor to join us.
Our pastoral staff are visiting each small group in order to strengthen the leaders & group members. Besides pastoral caring, leadership training will also take place in 2022.
The church certainly faced many difficulties and challenges in 2021. It can be said we were confronted with both internal and external issues in various situations! Besides the hindrance caused by the pandemic to church growth and ministry development, the departure of fellow coworkers had also impacted the morale of the church. Yet, by God’s grace, we found that whenever the church faced a crisis, opportunities also emerged.
It is true that the pandemic forced the church to close down at the beginning of the year, but it was not able to dampen our desire to bring people closer to Jesus and to follow the Lord. For many years, we thought that in-person gatherings were the only orthodox way. Who knew that an epidemic would lead us to the internet, a “mission field” that had been ignored by us but turned out to be more expansive than we ever imagined? This experience truly opened up our minds.
What we did not envision was that our sermons and evangelistic messages can be brought to our circle of friends in different parts of the world through the internet. Some brothers and sisters told us that their relatives and friends in Central U.S., Taiwan, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, and even Australia watch our worship regularly, and some people were led to Christ across half of the globe because of the online ministry of QHC. Although it was not a large number of people, it was unforeseen! Earlier Pastor Moses shared with his coworkers that we must not only make our in-person worship enjoyable, but also make the online worship enjoyable as well, so that people can experience God even if they worship online!
Since our reopening in April, new visitors have attended our in-person worships almost every Sunday, coming in even greater number than before the pandemic. Sometimes we cannot help but ask, “Where do so many new friends come from? Aren’t people afraid to go to crowded places nowadays? Is the quality of worship in QHC really that good in a way that people aren’t going to other places but are attracted to QHC’s worship?” We do not have the answers to these questions. But God spoke to Pastor Moses through John 3:14 and 12:32: “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,” “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself.” It turns out that people come here to worship not because of how good the “performance” of QHC’s service is, but because when Jesus is exalted, they are naturally drawn to Him! May our Lord Jesus continue to be exalted in QHC!
The church’s theme for 2021 is “Standing firm in Christ.” The Sunday sermons revolve around the message of “reconstruction” from the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, which included the reconstructions of: 1) the individual life, 2) the family relations, 3) revival of the church, 4) hope of the society, and 5) future of the country.
In addition, we also enjoyed our celebrations this year. Although being in an extremely inconvenient environment during the pandemic, several brothers and sisters were willing to be baptized and to join the church this year. We give thanks for this.
What we must mention is that our church has a group of great coworkers! During the most severe period of pandemic, we saw them doing their utmost, exhausting themselves, and applying various methods every week with reverence and awe, in order to create a safe and comfortable worship environment for brothers and sisters! QHC is able to continue to march forth slowly during the pandemic, aside from the grace of God, their contributions cannot be understated. We salute them!
Finally, brothers and sisters, no matter which worship service you attend and which language you speak, please pray daily for the hiring of coworkers for the church, especially for the English ministry pastor(s). If God does not act on our behalf, the things we can do ourselves are actually very limited! Let us pray for the Lord to send His workers!
2021 is a very special year for the brothers and sisters in the church. We have wanted to connect more with each other, but because of the pandemic, we cannot meet in person in church as often as we did in the past. Therefore, we have strengthened the work of our small groups through the internet, and entrusted faithful and mature brothers and sisters to help in caring, shepherding, and leading the groups so we can grow together. Now that the small groups are familiar with the operation of the internet platform, gatherings have become more flexible. We sometimes meet in the homes of brothers and sisters and sometimes on the internet, and continue to build up each other through these meetings.
During this year, the church has also strengthened the support for small group leaders. In addition to regular meetings with the leaders, trainings needed for leading small groups have been provided. Currently, a training session titled, “Peace Maker – How to deal with conflicts in the daily life of Christians” is tentatively scheduled for early 2022 in order to equip group leaders to lead and care more effectively.
The church has also prepared a daily video clip sharing with the brothers and sisters who are participating in the Abba’s Heart bible reading plan. It provides interpretations and applications for each day’s scriptures, and brothers and sisters have responded well in their participation.
In addition, as we see more Mandarin speaking visitors coming to church at the end of the year, we have tried to proactively engage these new church friends through the internet, and also started an online welcoming ministry.
The pandemic has temporarily suspended many of our usual activities in the past, but through the internet, we have seen more possibilities for evangelism, caring, and shepherding. May God continue to lead us in the new year, and with more innovation and creativity so we can touch brothers and sisters in the church and reach our friends with the gospel.
Even in the midst of the pandemic, the enthusiasm and desire of brothers and sisters for worship have not been diminished. The leaders in the worship team have been actively participating and faithfully serving. During this year, we have gradually become accustomed to and familiarized with how to lead worship on the internet and in person, and we also collaborated with the audio video team, in serving brothers and sisters both in person and on the internet.
As for equipping the worship team, we participated in the Stream of Praise Music Ministry’s online training through the internet. We learned about singing skills, music arrangement, and song leading. At the end of the year, we also participated in the Worship Conference hosted by our district. We were reminded of the concept of leading worship, and was once again inspired to commit ourselves to serving in the worship ministry.
In the new year, we look forward to having the opportunity to know and care for brothers and sisters in the worship team in a much deeper way. Thus, in addition to serving together, they can also grow together. The pastors will continue to assist. We look forward to seeing the worship team, with a healthy body, mind, and spirit, continues to lead every QHC worship into the joy of God’s presence.
The year of 2021 is different from the previous years. We are grateful that, with the grace of God, QHC is able to have in-person worship every Sunday in the second half of the year. Leaders in Chinese Welcome Team served faithfully every Sunday. During the past few Sundays, many new friends attended the in-person worships. They learned about QHC from our church website or referred by their friends. We will always welcome them with our open arm & warm hospitality. We would like to encourage more brothers and sisters to join our team and share our joy while welcoming our church visitors together!
Our Church has reopened for Sunday Worship earlier this year, but the Chinese adult Sunday school still remains online.
We offer two Cantonese classes on Saturday mornings. The first class, starts at 9:30am, is an overview of the New Testament. We introduce the background and the main themes of each New Testament book, helping brothers and sisters better understand and apply the Word of God in their lives. The second class, starts at 11:00am, mainly to study some Old Testament books in a deeper sense. The purpose is to inspire brothers and sisters to see how God’s Word can bring spiritual growth and changes so that we can serve Him effectively. This year we have finished studying Joshua, Exodus, Ezra, Nehemiah, Isaiah (Chapter 1-2), Proverbs, Elijah and Elisha. The average attendance of both classes is about 20. We will start a new series on “the Beatitudes” in November.
For the Mandarin Sunday school, there are also two classes meeting on Sunday afternoons. “The New Life” class, starts at 3:00pm, is mainly for new believers. The aim is to build up their faith by knowing more about Jesus. There are about 10 students. The other class, starts at 3:30pm, studies selected books in the bible. They have finished Philippians, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Thessalonians this year. The average attendance is about 15-20.
There are altogether 15 gifted teachers who are willing to serve faithfully. We give thanks for their hard work and pray that God will bless them abundantly. We also pray that more brothers and sisters desire to learn God’s Word and experience spiritual growth.
“When you heard about Christ and were taught in Him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:21-24)
Though the church has gradually reopened for Sunday worship, most small groups are still meeting online. This year we are thankful that our small groups are growing despite the pandemic. The Mandarin fellowship has multiplied into 7 different small groups and new Cantonese groups are formed as well. These multiplications reflected that God is raising new leaders who are willing to take up responsibilities and challenges for Christ. In March, we invited all small group leaders and core group members to a gathering where we encouraged them to promote discipleship in their small groups. The purpose is to help brothers and sisters follow Jesus, live a missional life, care for and show love to each other, so that the church not only becomes the light of the world, but also a family sharing the love of our Father.
We truly hope that we can resume in-person meeting soon because we really miss the face-to-face bible study and fellowship. On the other hand, God opens an opportunity for us to conduct on-line bible study by which we can serve those who cannot come to church due to work or distance. Now through the internet, we are not hindered by time and place. We have more ways to edify believers and evangelize to non-believers! How amazing is our God! Our prayer is that brothers and sisters are willing to pursue spiritual growth and use their spiritual gifts for building up the church.
“He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.” (Colossians 1:28-29)
QHC Youth Fellowship : Junior High and High School student fellowship 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Tuesday Prayer Meeting 7:45 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. on Zoom
Sunday Service 9:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Vision Statement: Our vision is to embrace our identity in Jesus by experiencing His grace and love and to extend the kingdom of God by speaking His truth in love to those in the church and outside the church.
Mission Statement: To be doers (and lovers) of God’s word through accountability, love, and serving those in and outside of our community to build the kingdom of God.
Theme verses: Ephesians 5:1-2 & Matthew 28:19-20
Recap of 2021: In February 2021, we hosted a virtual winter retreat. Our theme was “Invest in Rest”. The retreat was one week long filled with various daily activities to engage in rest. We met new faces, reconnected with old faces, and sought true sabbath that God invites us to practice daily.
In May 2021, we began a youth’s parents prayer time that meets weekly on Mondays at 8:30pm. God has used this time to create a community of parents to support one another. It has been a space to not only share concerns with each other and on the altar, but also to speak and share stories of encouragement of God’s movement in the fellowship. God has been softening all parents and youth leaders’ hearts as we have been seeking God’s heart and face for the next generation.
We began to meet in-person in the beginning of July. We will never take meeting in person for granted again as we have recognized that God has created us to be interpersonal beings. During our weekly fellowship time, we have been studying through the book of Romans and the Fruit of the Spirit.
We hosted various youth summer clubs such as video editing, baking, music club, and communications club. They were great opportunities to meet new students and for new friendships to birth.
Our youth leadership team has been growing in unity as we continue to build relationships with students. Our student leadership team has been nurtured through intentional trainings and discipleship.
As we entered into the year 2021, we have seen many challenges and many victories that we can give to the Lord. During the year of 2021, we’ve continued our 5 mins devotional to encourage our children to be engaged in the word of God. Every Tuesday night we continue our Zoom Children Prayer Club as we pray together for the heart of our Father. We also ran online Zoom Sunday School classes every Sunday. As we transitioned back to in person worship we are currently going to running three different classes for our Sunday school Pre-K to K, 1st to 2nd grade, and 3rd grade to 5th grade and simultaneously running online class as well. Our hope in the upcoming year is to see more parents and children come back to in-person service. Looking forward to seeing everyone soon!!!
Our 2021 focus is “Rebuild”. We have invited the QHC family to become a part of this spiritual “rebuilding team” to lay brick by brick in prayers. We have designated eight areas for targeted prayers including: (1) Non-believers and neighbors, (2) Worship team and servants, (3) Church visitors and new believers, (4) Spiritual growth, (5) Sunday school and discipleship, (6) Missions, (7) Next generations, (8) Church leadership. Each group held prayer meetings with targeted focus and plead the Lord to intervene and do with His work to help QHC move forward.
As QHC is learning to listen to the Holy Spirit and how to live out the Lord’s guidance, in 2021, we continued to use the virtual platform to offer seven monthly Deeper Life Evening to the Chinese congregation. We had Rev. David Yip and Rev. Mike Plunkett speaking on topics including “How to Listen to the Holy Spirit?”, “How to be transformed by the Holy Spirit?”, and “How to pray for others through the Holy Spirit?” In May, we invited Dr. Amy Davis to speak at our annual Deeper Life Conference. In August, we also held our first hybrid Summer Conference with Rev. Yiu Tim Sau speaking on Rebuilding – personally, church-wide, family-wide, and for our society.
Looking forward to 2022, Spiritual Ministry Committee hopes to help brothers and sisters explore and develop their spiritual gifts through providing platforms to participate, sharing and training sessions. We hope that everyone in the QHC family will find the Lord’s calling and use the gifts that He has given to be joyful and strengthened servants.
A few months ago, we felt that the lord asked us to continue blessing our neighbors with groceries and supplies. Then a supply chain shortage hit and shopping for those items in bulk became quite hard for us. However, a short time before the day to give out the supplies, we received unexpected donations that are more than enough for our upcoming events!
These donations came so timely and abundantly that it was beyond what we could plan and expect. In awe and agreement, we say that it has to come from the Lord, thank you Jesus!
His name is Jehovah Jireh, He provides! We trust that our Lord is faithful to guide us to the very end when we yield to His still small voice that’s nudging us to move in everything that we do – not only in ministry, but in every aspect of our daily lives.
“But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.”(Deuteronomy 4:29)
Because of the pandemic, 2021 has been a dormant year for the Community Care Committee (CCC). Based on Matthew 22:39, the committee’s vision is to display the love of Jesus Christ to our neighbors. Our three-fold mission is to: (1) mobilize brothers and sisters of QHC; (2) to provide enrichment programs; and (3) to bring restoration and joy to our community. Since early 2020, though we had a full year of programs and events planned, all had been canceled due to the pandemic. We have not yet restart any of the community programs or events in 2021 mainly from the lingering risk of the virus but also partially from our discouraged spirits. The committee is in need of prayer for God’s strength and wisdom in order to carry out our mission in this upcoming year. We ask that God will reveal how we are to love our neighbors in this post-pandemic environment in a relevant and creative way.
We had one Hesed Fund application and grant in 2021. We are blessed that we can continue to help those who are in financial hardship during this time. We pray that God will give us wisdom to continue to use this fund to help others during this difficult economic environment.
In response to the pandemic, Caring Community has been continuing to meet online each Wednesday morning this year. Praise the Lord! Through the service of love from our volunteers, we can continue to arrange activities that are beneficial to the member’s body, mind and soul, including praise exercises, spiritual chicken soup, caring intercession, testimony sharing, birthday parties, festival celebrations, lectures, etc. Since the church worship service was reopened in June and welcomed church visitors to attend Sunday service, few of them also have been invited to join our Caring Community’s online gatherings. Currently, there are about 50 people attending each week. We also continued to have spiritual chicken soup every Tuesday. Brothers and sisters distributed on different multimedia platforms through recordings and texts. We have contacted more than 100 people each time. With the love and help of volunteers and the community members, the elderly especially became proficient in participating in online gatherings and receiving church information on different platforms!
Although we have experienced different set backs among us, we thank God for His abundant provision and grace! Brothers, sisters, and community members are happy and cherish the opportunity to meet and greet each other every week. We want to thank every volunteers for their love and faithfulness. We encourage more brothers and sisters to participate in the service together!
We look forward to having more physical, mental and spiritual health activities in order to build a community of God. Pray that the Lord will continue to use the Caring Community to care for the elderly, bless the community, and witness the Lord’s grace.
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” (Hebrews 10:24)
Praise the Lord that QHC music program is able to continue to offer classes to students. Since April 2020, due to the epidemic, we have been teaching 12 students online. Until July this year, we began to resume our physical courses gradually. The students were very excited for this transition. While the church has implemented various cleaning measures, we also required all teachers and students to follow procedures such as taking body temperature, cleaning hands with hand sanitizer, and wearing masks, so that everyone feels safe to go to class.
We currently have 19 students taking piano lessons regularly, and several of them are still learning online. We also have 3 students in the guitar class which was started in July, and they all enjoyed the course. It is really a good experience for teachers and students to interact with each other. We pray that God will continue to use us to build relationships with students and parents, and reach out to our neighbors so that they can know Jesus.