[ ‘SHARE’ Sep-Oct 2016 ] TAKING ACTION
Interviewer and editor: Jojo Poon
God’s work is to be seen everywhere if the church would focus on its surroundings and involve in the community. The Mongkok Baptist Church (MBC) started a three-year “Faithful Community Servant” campaign in 2014.
[ ‘SHARE’ Jul-Aug 2016 ] STEP INTO THE WORLD
In 1991, CEDAR was born with a Christ-guided vision to alleviate global poverty, during which the rise of globalization and the internet had made the vision ever approachable.
Jesus said, “The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.” (Matthew 26:11) The outlook of poverty seems positive as the population under poverty has decreased from 1.9 billion to 840 million in the past 25 years. Yet during the same period, our workers at CEDAR were overwhelmed by cases where the environmental conditions and resources were still degrading for the underprivileged, due to over-extraction from other countries, climate changes, and civil wars. For some of the people we came to know, safety and dignity were such a luxury when $1.25 USD was all they have. The poor is still here with us, often as a deflating thought.
CEDAR is involved in equipping the local church leaders, seminary students, and believers of Yunnan China to personally care for the marginalized families. Axing Du (name obscured) is one of such victims not welcomed by the society.
Continue reading Community Services of Yunnan Churches: Walking with the Marginalized
[ePrayer – Pray for the ministry in Gengma, Yunnan]
Deputy Director of Yunnan Provincial Bureau of Health expressed his appreciation to the staff of Gengma County Christian Council (Social Service) after attending the training session, commenting it’s practical and “down-to-earth” HIV/AIDS prevention training.
A grandfather residing in the rural village of Gengma, Yunnan lost his wife last year, leaving him and his little granddaughter alone. All these years his life is troubled by problems causing by his drug-addicted son, and now, he has an additional worry if he can raise his little granddaughter till she is grown-up. ‘I can no longer cut down the sugar cane by myself. I obtain some income from renting out my farm to others and also from being a watchman in an orange grove. I also plant some maze and rear chicken for living.’
Since 2007, CEDAR has organized ‘Integral Mission’ training for the Yunnan churches, encouraging them to walk with the poor and respond to the need of the impoverished people. Many churches then started to set up their “social service team” and regularly paid visits to the poor, orphan and widows, and the elderly in the communities. A lot of these marginalised families suffer from drug addict and HIV/AIDS problem. The grandfather mentioned above is among those that the Gengma church visit regularly. They listen to him, share his burdens and provide emotional and spiritual support. The church even arranges him to join a training on rearing chicken and hope such techniques can help him to earn a better living.
Besides visiting the impoverished households, CEDAR’s partner “Christian Council (Social Service) of Gengma Dai & Va Nationality Autonomous County” also organise HIV/AIDS prevention training at different churches and provide support for the youth migrant workers.
Pray for the ministry in Gengma, Yunnan:
Other Methods of Payment
Download Donation Form
Please send a completed Donation Form, enclosing with cheque or pay-in slip, to CEDAR FUND, G.P.O. BOX 3212, HONG KONG.
[1] CEDAR is an approved charitable institutions and trusts of a public character under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance. Please click Inland Revenue Department website to check for details.
[2] Donations over $100 are tax deductible in Hong Kong with our receipts.
[3] Please DO NOT fax any donation information.
[ePrayer – Pray for Christians and Churches in Nepal]
Give thanks that our two co-workers safely returned from a fruitful trip in Nepal. The Nepali Christians and churches are growing, becoming more organised and visible, and starting to give more attention to the needy in their own community. Collaborating with seminary schools, our partner UMN develops a curriculum of Integral Mission course to train up facilitators sent from local churches. A number of trained facilitators organized sewing classes in their community, which are creative ways of giving care and support to needy people.
Pray for Nepali churches and Christians:
Other Methods of Payment
Download Donation Form
Please send a completed Donation Form, enclosing with cheque or pay-in slip, to CEDAR FUND, G.P.O. BOX 3212, HONG KONG.
[1] CEDAR is an approved charitable institutions and trusts of a public character under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance. Please click Inland Revenue Department website to check for details.
[2] Donations over $100 are tax deductible in Hong Kong with our receipts.
[3] Please DO NOT fax any donation information.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
When we think of ‘poverty alleviation’ we may have the impression that it is the ‘rich’ initiating to help the ‘poor’. When I first left Hong Kong 33 years ago, I met some friends from Africa and India, and learned about their ministries. I realized that they had already developed many mission work and social ministries themselves. They were indeed not just recipients of aid. That started in me a lot of respect and appreciation for our friends in different countries.
