Newsletter Jan 2013
November team by the city gate
Quarterly Newsletter
January 2013
Partnership Leaders: Happy Leman and YuYu Lee Contact information: [email protected]
MISSION
VISION
Facilitate the development of church planting movement in China/Taiwan through Kingdom-focused resources and relationships.
Plant one church in every city in China/Taiwan that has more than one million people.
[1]
NEWS & EVENTS
Post-trip Sunday at Hyde Park Vineyard.
Meeting up with old friends.
New Year Greetings from Beijing! We are very excited to face the new year with lots of new things happening in missions to China and Taiwan. “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ…” (Phillippians 1:6b).
November China Trip for Hyde Park Vineyard Our latest trip included a group of six people, two from The Vineyard Church (TVC) in Urbana and four from Hyde Park Vineyard in Chicago. We went to three cities for missions. In the first city, we met up with someone who formerly attended Hyde Park as a student from 2002-2004. We also visited a Vineyard longterm cross-cultural worker (LTCCW) doing street kids ministry faithfully for more than a decade. It was very inspiring to hear their stories and it was great to reconnect with old friends and hear about the God stories in their lives. In the second city, we delivered a special workshop on time and money management to help our new group reach out to their friends and neighbors. We visited a LTCCW family and ministered to the family and their small group. God also opened a door for us to be a blessing to a restaurant manager with a heart to start a small group for her waitresses. We were showered with lots of friendship, fellowship, and food. We were also blessed by a professor who was a visiting scholar to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) a few years ago and we were invited back to visit a college student group. In the last city, we visited a former Ph.D. student from UIUC and her
family, we went to a small group full of young professionals and learned from them about commitment and passion, and we attended a weekly prayer meeting at the largest Christian church in China. God gave us chances to watch, learn and find out where we fit and how we are needed to advance the Kingdom of God. On December 16, Hyde Park Vineyard dedicated the entire Sunday service to a post China trip report. Teammates led communion, sang bilingual songs in worship, ran a slide show of pictures, and gave a teaching on being world changers from here to there. The whole church sampled some Chinese snacks at the end. It was not just a beautiful wrap-up for the trip, but an invitation for people to enter missions overseas. In summary, missions overseas starts here – where we are now. Had it not been for the outreach to the Chinese community right here in Champaign-Urbana nearly 10 years ago, we would have not been able to connect easily to the Chinese people over in China. Hyde Park Vineyard had the same experience and stories of connection. It’s very exciting that we get to do international ministry here in the US, then we see missions flowing out naturally overseas. Making disciples to all nations is Jesus’ Great Commission to us all, but it should not be “work” – it should be a life-style.
[2]
The Church in Southern China: The church has moved to a nearby hotel conference room for meetings, a temporary meeting place until a more permanent one is found. Please pray for a good place that is affordable. The whole church experienced God’s love and faithfulness when a compensation check of 1.1 million RMB (Chinese Yuan) was given to the church by the development company for previously breaking the lease. The amount far exceeds what was appealed for. The leader of the church is planning on extending her business trip to US to visit the Urbana Campus of the Vineyard Church in February, but she was denied at the visa interview. More supplemental documents were submitted for reconsideration. Please pray for favor of men for her visa approval.
New Groups in an Inland City The Chinese local group started in August with only 2 people and grew to 5-6 people. Slowly but surely, God is adding people and influence to the group. The LTCCW family group and the Chinese local leaders are having a closer relationship in terms of possible cooperation in Kingdom business.
New Group in the North Above from top: Street kids group Ministry time to bless
College students that we met in March 2012 invited us back to share.
This new group of young adults started meeting just a couple months ago. The Chinese leader was serving with a LTCCW in southwest China for 4 years and had just returned to the north to restart her life. Before she went to the southwest of China, she had helped with the street kids’ ministry for 5 years living together with these young boys and girls. Now the kids have moved forward to working as young adults and being independent. Most of them have learned the English language, can brew coffee, and make American cakes and desserts, skills taught by the LTCCW who ran the street kids’ ministry. Thanks to the love and care and the education provided by that LTCCW, those young adults
[3]
were able to find jobs where they can use their gifts and talents without formal education. However, for some of them, they have found it difficult to find a spiritual home. Yu-Yu was given the opportunity to speak in their meeting. Twenty-four people showed up to this long gathering from 2pm to 7:30pm. From the meeting, Yu-Yu was connected indirectly to people at a Christian publisher and a house training network. Both are interested in further possible partnership. Yu-Yu was also invited to visit two Chinese home groups that she did not know about!
English Center in Beijing Yu-Yu and Fon had a vision a couple of years ago to start a real business in China to be the future missions sending agency that can issue working visas and provide basic health insurance for LTCCWs or even short-term workers. It is not easy to start out something new yet nothing will happen if no actions are taken. Last summer’s English Camp experience was so successful and valuable. With a master’s degree in education, a major in TESOL and an ESL certificate, Yu-Yu feels very confident that the English Center will continue and will have a market in China. Yu-Yu’s friend in Beijing who is the owner of an Art Studio is very excited to have the English Center run in her newly added rented space. Details need to be worked out, but everything looks very promising so far.
Missions Support Team from The Vineyard Church at Urbana Campus We started a monthly missions support team meeting in November, 2012. We pray that this small gathering will form a community specifically to support missions overseas. Thanks to Dorothy Carlson who took the first step to start this. If you would like to be a part of this missions group, please join us on the second Sunday of the month at TVC, between
services in the north end of the Café.
Updates from Missionaries David and Amy Bielby to Taiwan. David and his family are now working sideby-side with Daniel Chen who first experienced Holy Spirit through the Alpha Holy Spirit day, then became a pastoral intern graduate from TVC. They just started a small group in Taipei, Taiwan in December 2012. DANIEL’S STORY – a simple yet powerful demonstration of “Everybody Gets to Play.” I came to the US in 1996 when I was fourteen. After finishing high school in Iowa, I came to Illinois and stayed for the next eleven years, from college to grad school, and worked for three years at the University of Illinois as a programmer. Since I lived in the US for so many years, I never thought I would be moving back to Taiwan. In 2010, through some life events, I became desperate for God. I wanted to experience Him more than just at a Sunday event. In the next few months, through the Encounter God Retreat, small group, and conferences, I began to have encounters with Him through the Holy Spirit. I began to really believe that God sees me as a SON. He is not a rule keeper, checking if I prayed daily, went to church this week, read my Bible in the morning. Instead, he is my daddy and he wants me to know, experience, and be transformed by his love. It became real to me that God imputed righteousness to me when I believed in Jesus. My debt has been paid in full, and I have access to him anytime. It was such a freedom. During this journey, God gave me a vision several times during worship. I saw people raising their hands singing and worshiping God. Then God showed me the motivation behind their worship. They worshipped not out of fear, not out of obligation, nor because it’s a Christian thing to do. They worshipped out of natural expression knowing they are sons and daughters, knowing their created value, that they are royalties, and God is their daddy. This vision then became a motivation for me to come back to Taiwan. I felt in my heart that this was such good news, an awesome revelation. I wanted my family to know, I wanted the people in my home country to know. Slowly God put the desire of coming back to Taiwan in my heart. Two years later, I decided to move back. God is amazing; when I came back, he had already sent the former Bloomington Vineyard pastor and Bielby family (David, Amy, and their son David), as missionaries to Taiwan for a year, so we connected in Taipei. We met several times and prayed about starting something in Taiwan. I didn’t have a concrete vision at the time but I knew I wanted to do something so people here can experience God. Pastor Dave has a vision to see every major city in Taiwan having a Vineyard Church. So we decided to start a small group
Daniel Chen, a computer programmer and a Vineyard pastoral intern graduate, returns Taiwan to work and to join ministry with the Bielbys. and see what happens. I contacted some of my UIUC friends in Taiwan and invited them and their friends and started our first meeting. We had three meetings so far and it has been a big blessing. We usually start with dinner and fellowship, then have a short worship and sharing from Pastor Dave, then finish with ministry time. Even though we have only had three meetings so far, I already see Holy Spirit touching people’s lives. People are hungry and open to prayer and ministry. This past week, Johanna and Evangelina Bielby also came to minister prophetically in the small group, giving words and encouragement to people. One of the words given to a small group member, Jason, was about seeing him cleaning and organizing his room but it seemed no matter how hard he tried, it was still not clean or organized. God wanted to tell him that He will clean his room if he let Him do it. Later, another small group member told me that if you have been to Jason’s home, you will know how much he likes to clean and organize his room. The word shared was a perfect illustration that Jason could relate to. When I heard this I was just in awe that God really knows each person and He desires to speak to our hearts. I’m really happy that after many years I have this chance to come back to my home country and share this incredible gift I received when I was abroad. I still don’t have a concrete vision as to what God wants me to do here in Taiwan but I know my desire is see people here experience God himself and be transformed by His presence.
[4]
A STORY FROM THEIR SMALL GROUP told by David: A few summers ago I met a young believer named Cliff while in Urbana. Later that year I had a chance to worship with him in Tainan several times. I always felt a God-connection with Cliff. When it was time to launch here in Taipei, Daniel invited Cliff to come (he was in town that week-end). When it came to ministry time, I shared some healing stories to build their faith. Then we asked for people who needed prayer. Cliff asked for prayer first. His back was in pain. After a simple prayer of faith in Jesus' name, Cliff smiled as he told us his pain was gone! Isn't it wonderful when the gospel message is confirmed with the power of the Holy Spirit?
To receive regular updates from the Beilbys, you can email David at [email protected] and sign up for his newsletter.
UPCOMING MISSION TRIPS
Have you thought about encouraging others in faith, teaching, or serving in Asia? Join us for one of our mission trips!
March 13-25, 2013 Trip for Paxton Campus of TVC Location: China Registration: (closed)
July 13-August 2, 2013 3 One-week Sessions of English Corners Location: China Registration: Application deadline is 3/3/2013
Mid-November, 2013 Vineyard Asians’ Leaders Meetings in Bangalore, India Information: Due to the high cost of airfare from China/Taiwan to India, Nov. missions trip will not go to China, but go directly from US to India to be with a few Chinese leaders there
Our team from Hyde Park Vineyard *Kim Heidkamp, who designed our newsletter, will be having a baby soon. Our partnership is grateful for her faithful service and awesome creativity the past year. We wish her the best with extended maternity leave. Happy parenting, dear Kim.
Registration Information If you need more information or would like to register for an upcoming mission trip to Asia, please contact
CHINA & TAIWAN PARTNERSHIP
Yu-Yu Lee International Pastor East China/Taiwan Partnership Leader [email protected]
[5]
Quarterly Newsletter
January 2013
Partnership Leaders: Happy Leman and YuYu Lee Contact information: [email protected]
MISSION
VISION
Facilitate the development of church planting movement in China/Taiwan through Kingdom-focused resources and relationships.
Plant one church in every city in China/Taiwan that has more than one million people.
[1]
NEWS & EVENTS
Post-trip Sunday at Hyde Park Vineyard.
Meeting up with old friends.
New Year Greetings from Beijing! We are very excited to face the new year with lots of new things happening in missions to China and Taiwan. “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ…” (Phillippians 1:6b).
November China Trip for Hyde Park Vineyard Our latest trip included a group of six people, two from The Vineyard Church (TVC) in Urbana and four from Hyde Park Vineyard in Chicago. We went to three cities for missions. In the first city, we met up with someone who formerly attended Hyde Park as a student from 2002-2004. We also visited a Vineyard longterm cross-cultural worker (LTCCW) doing street kids ministry faithfully for more than a decade. It was very inspiring to hear their stories and it was great to reconnect with old friends and hear about the God stories in their lives. In the second city, we delivered a special workshop on time and money management to help our new group reach out to their friends and neighbors. We visited a LTCCW family and ministered to the family and their small group. God also opened a door for us to be a blessing to a restaurant manager with a heart to start a small group for her waitresses. We were showered with lots of friendship, fellowship, and food. We were also blessed by a professor who was a visiting scholar to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) a few years ago and we were invited back to visit a college student group. In the last city, we visited a former Ph.D. student from UIUC and her
family, we went to a small group full of young professionals and learned from them about commitment and passion, and we attended a weekly prayer meeting at the largest Christian church in China. God gave us chances to watch, learn and find out where we fit and how we are needed to advance the Kingdom of God. On December 16, Hyde Park Vineyard dedicated the entire Sunday service to a post China trip report. Teammates led communion, sang bilingual songs in worship, ran a slide show of pictures, and gave a teaching on being world changers from here to there. The whole church sampled some Chinese snacks at the end. It was not just a beautiful wrap-up for the trip, but an invitation for people to enter missions overseas. In summary, missions overseas starts here – where we are now. Had it not been for the outreach to the Chinese community right here in Champaign-Urbana nearly 10 years ago, we would have not been able to connect easily to the Chinese people over in China. Hyde Park Vineyard had the same experience and stories of connection. It’s very exciting that we get to do international ministry here in the US, then we see missions flowing out naturally overseas. Making disciples to all nations is Jesus’ Great Commission to us all, but it should not be “work” – it should be a life-style.
[2]
The Church in Southern China: The church has moved to a nearby hotel conference room for meetings, a temporary meeting place until a more permanent one is found. Please pray for a good place that is affordable. The whole church experienced God’s love and faithfulness when a compensation check of 1.1 million RMB (Chinese Yuan) was given to the church by the development company for previously breaking the lease. The amount far exceeds what was appealed for. The leader of the church is planning on extending her business trip to US to visit the Urbana Campus of the Vineyard Church in February, but she was denied at the visa interview. More supplemental documents were submitted for reconsideration. Please pray for favor of men for her visa approval.
New Groups in an Inland City The Chinese local group started in August with only 2 people and grew to 5-6 people. Slowly but surely, God is adding people and influence to the group. The LTCCW family group and the Chinese local leaders are having a closer relationship in terms of possible cooperation in Kingdom business.
New Group in the North Above from top: Street kids group Ministry time to bless
College students that we met in March 2012 invited us back to share.
This new group of young adults started meeting just a couple months ago. The Chinese leader was serving with a LTCCW in southwest China for 4 years and had just returned to the north to restart her life. Before she went to the southwest of China, she had helped with the street kids’ ministry for 5 years living together with these young boys and girls. Now the kids have moved forward to working as young adults and being independent. Most of them have learned the English language, can brew coffee, and make American cakes and desserts, skills taught by the LTCCW who ran the street kids’ ministry. Thanks to the love and care and the education provided by that LTCCW, those young adults
[3]
were able to find jobs where they can use their gifts and talents without formal education. However, for some of them, they have found it difficult to find a spiritual home. Yu-Yu was given the opportunity to speak in their meeting. Twenty-four people showed up to this long gathering from 2pm to 7:30pm. From the meeting, Yu-Yu was connected indirectly to people at a Christian publisher and a house training network. Both are interested in further possible partnership. Yu-Yu was also invited to visit two Chinese home groups that she did not know about!
English Center in Beijing Yu-Yu and Fon had a vision a couple of years ago to start a real business in China to be the future missions sending agency that can issue working visas and provide basic health insurance for LTCCWs or even short-term workers. It is not easy to start out something new yet nothing will happen if no actions are taken. Last summer’s English Camp experience was so successful and valuable. With a master’s degree in education, a major in TESOL and an ESL certificate, Yu-Yu feels very confident that the English Center will continue and will have a market in China. Yu-Yu’s friend in Beijing who is the owner of an Art Studio is very excited to have the English Center run in her newly added rented space. Details need to be worked out, but everything looks very promising so far.
Missions Support Team from The Vineyard Church at Urbana Campus We started a monthly missions support team meeting in November, 2012. We pray that this small gathering will form a community specifically to support missions overseas. Thanks to Dorothy Carlson who took the first step to start this. If you would like to be a part of this missions group, please join us on the second Sunday of the month at TVC, between
services in the north end of the Café.
Updates from Missionaries David and Amy Bielby to Taiwan. David and his family are now working sideby-side with Daniel Chen who first experienced Holy Spirit through the Alpha Holy Spirit day, then became a pastoral intern graduate from TVC. They just started a small group in Taipei, Taiwan in December 2012. DANIEL’S STORY – a simple yet powerful demonstration of “Everybody Gets to Play.” I came to the US in 1996 when I was fourteen. After finishing high school in Iowa, I came to Illinois and stayed for the next eleven years, from college to grad school, and worked for three years at the University of Illinois as a programmer. Since I lived in the US for so many years, I never thought I would be moving back to Taiwan. In 2010, through some life events, I became desperate for God. I wanted to experience Him more than just at a Sunday event. In the next few months, through the Encounter God Retreat, small group, and conferences, I began to have encounters with Him through the Holy Spirit. I began to really believe that God sees me as a SON. He is not a rule keeper, checking if I prayed daily, went to church this week, read my Bible in the morning. Instead, he is my daddy and he wants me to know, experience, and be transformed by his love. It became real to me that God imputed righteousness to me when I believed in Jesus. My debt has been paid in full, and I have access to him anytime. It was such a freedom. During this journey, God gave me a vision several times during worship. I saw people raising their hands singing and worshiping God. Then God showed me the motivation behind their worship. They worshipped not out of fear, not out of obligation, nor because it’s a Christian thing to do. They worshipped out of natural expression knowing they are sons and daughters, knowing their created value, that they are royalties, and God is their daddy. This vision then became a motivation for me to come back to Taiwan. I felt in my heart that this was such good news, an awesome revelation. I wanted my family to know, I wanted the people in my home country to know. Slowly God put the desire of coming back to Taiwan in my heart. Two years later, I decided to move back. God is amazing; when I came back, he had already sent the former Bloomington Vineyard pastor and Bielby family (David, Amy, and their son David), as missionaries to Taiwan for a year, so we connected in Taipei. We met several times and prayed about starting something in Taiwan. I didn’t have a concrete vision at the time but I knew I wanted to do something so people here can experience God. Pastor Dave has a vision to see every major city in Taiwan having a Vineyard Church. So we decided to start a small group
Daniel Chen, a computer programmer and a Vineyard pastoral intern graduate, returns Taiwan to work and to join ministry with the Bielbys. and see what happens. I contacted some of my UIUC friends in Taiwan and invited them and their friends and started our first meeting. We had three meetings so far and it has been a big blessing. We usually start with dinner and fellowship, then have a short worship and sharing from Pastor Dave, then finish with ministry time. Even though we have only had three meetings so far, I already see Holy Spirit touching people’s lives. People are hungry and open to prayer and ministry. This past week, Johanna and Evangelina Bielby also came to minister prophetically in the small group, giving words and encouragement to people. One of the words given to a small group member, Jason, was about seeing him cleaning and organizing his room but it seemed no matter how hard he tried, it was still not clean or organized. God wanted to tell him that He will clean his room if he let Him do it. Later, another small group member told me that if you have been to Jason’s home, you will know how much he likes to clean and organize his room. The word shared was a perfect illustration that Jason could relate to. When I heard this I was just in awe that God really knows each person and He desires to speak to our hearts. I’m really happy that after many years I have this chance to come back to my home country and share this incredible gift I received when I was abroad. I still don’t have a concrete vision as to what God wants me to do here in Taiwan but I know my desire is see people here experience God himself and be transformed by His presence.
[4]
A STORY FROM THEIR SMALL GROUP told by David: A few summers ago I met a young believer named Cliff while in Urbana. Later that year I had a chance to worship with him in Tainan several times. I always felt a God-connection with Cliff. When it was time to launch here in Taipei, Daniel invited Cliff to come (he was in town that week-end). When it came to ministry time, I shared some healing stories to build their faith. Then we asked for people who needed prayer. Cliff asked for prayer first. His back was in pain. After a simple prayer of faith in Jesus' name, Cliff smiled as he told us his pain was gone! Isn't it wonderful when the gospel message is confirmed with the power of the Holy Spirit?
To receive regular updates from the Beilbys, you can email David at [email protected] and sign up for his newsletter.
UPCOMING MISSION TRIPS
Have you thought about encouraging others in faith, teaching, or serving in Asia? Join us for one of our mission trips!
March 13-25, 2013 Trip for Paxton Campus of TVC Location: China Registration: (closed)
July 13-August 2, 2013 3 One-week Sessions of English Corners Location: China Registration: Application deadline is 3/3/2013
Mid-November, 2013 Vineyard Asians’ Leaders Meetings in Bangalore, India Information: Due to the high cost of airfare from China/Taiwan to India, Nov. missions trip will not go to China, but go directly from US to India to be with a few Chinese leaders there
Our team from Hyde Park Vineyard *Kim Heidkamp, who designed our newsletter, will be having a baby soon. Our partnership is grateful for her faithful service and awesome creativity the past year. We wish her the best with extended maternity leave. Happy parenting, dear Kim.
Registration Information If you need more information or would like to register for an upcoming mission trip to Asia, please contact
CHINA & TAIWAN PARTNERSHIP
Yu-Yu Lee International Pastor East China/Taiwan Partnership Leader [email protected]
[5]
