Influential Pastor Liu Tong urged churches present to carry out the Lord’s Great Commission of spreading the gospel to all nations.
At the opening ceremony of the Chinese Mission Convention held virtually on December 28, Liu Tong, the senior pastor of the River of Life Christian Church in Silicon Valley, gave a four-part lecture on how to be a missionary church.
He stressed the need for a commitment to mission. No matter what kind of church we attended, we should commit ourselves to passing on the Great Commission.
Regarding how to be committed to this mission, Pastor Liu shared two points — receiving the mission and praying for all nations and peoples.
The church in Jerusalem initially neglected the mission of spreading the Gospel around the world, but when persecution broke out against the church, the disciples were scattered, enabling them to share the Gospel.
“Peter and Paul were also led by God to go to the Gentiles to preach.” Liu said, "The Great Commission is for all people."
"Mission always begins with prayer. Jesus said: 'My house is the house of prayer for all peoples.' " The pastor said. "During prayer, the zeal for evangelizing is aroused and the burden of missions taken on. "
His second point stressed that churches needed to formulate a clear mission strategy that churches should cooperate with organizations, be committed to church planting, and make a long-term investment.
The first method was in cooperation with a mission organization. No matter how big the church was, it needed to cooperate with a local mission organization, especially for cross-cultural missions, he added. Different cultures required different ways of evangelizing, therefore, we should cooperate with local organizations and learn how to evangelize, as the local culture was very different from our culture.
"Resources are very limited, so we should concentrate our forces." He suggested determining how much to contribute and which country to explore.
The second strategy was church planting. Pastor Liu said that as the early church preached as they went, many people desired to establish a large church with a thousand people, but it was better to plant small churches all over the world.
"To become good friends and support and help each other, we should cooperate with mission organizations for a long time," Pastor Liu said. "Investing in missions is like buying stocks, we shouldn’t invest just for the short-term but make long-term investments. "
The third point was that churches need to create a good environment for missions. "Mission is not just a pastor’s job or a missionary’s job. We should invite the congregation to participate in a mission." He shared how his church created a positive environment for its believers. They adopted two methods for mission — offering pledges and having group tasks.
“Every year at the annual missions conference, the church encourages its members to pray and determine how much money to give to missions in the coming year.” In this process, the faith of the entire congregation grew, not only for the believers who participated. The amount of the contribution was determined in the Spirit and made by faith.
An example of a group task was that each group might choose a missionary or a branch church to pray for every week. To know and pray for them better, the group members were able to contact a pastor or missionary directly.
The fourth way was a call to participate in the missionary action. Pastor Liu shared his church’s experience in three points.
A prayer walk encouraged the congregation to pray hard on the mission field. After the believers returned from a prayer walk, the whole church was full of passion for mission. "Only when we arrived in Mongolia could we see local men without jobs drinking and abusing their wives and children wandering on the streets without hope. Only when we entered the land could we understand their needs. Without seeing with our own eyes, how are we able to understand the needs of the Mongolians? When mentioning Mongolia, maybe we can only talk about yurts and barbecues in the grasslands. "
The second way was professional in short-term mission. Many churchgoers often claimed that they could not participate in missions, as they were not good at sharing, praying and singing. However, the pastor said believers could use their expertise to participate in missions, like carrying out short-term scientific and medical missions.
"Believers are encouraged to dedicate themselves to be missionaries or do pastoral and missionary work. We need a lot of mission co-workers."
Finally, the senior pastor shared: "In the last days, when we work with God, it is like a child playing ball with his father. No matter how the child kicks the ball, the purpose is for the ball to go into the goal. God has prepared everything, allowing us to have the last kick. Though we don't know much like the child, when we obey the direction to kick, the goal is scored. Let our church grow up to be a missionary church."
Featuring Rethink the Fullness of Gospel, the Chinese Mission Convention took place from December 28 to 30. Organized by Ambassadors for Christ, an American Chinese Christian Ministry and sponsored by the Chinese Bible Church of San Diego and other Chinese American churches, the event aimed to equip and disciple Chinese believers and build churches
- Translated by Abigail Wu
“2020全球华人差传大会联合闭幕典礼”上，华人教会硅谷生命河灵粮堂主任牧师刘彤以“迈向一个宣教的教会”为题，为大家重点分享了一个教会应该如何去实践主给我们的大使命，把福音传遍万国。
美西时间2020年12月28日，“2020全球华人差传大会联合闭幕典礼”在网络上举行。闭幕礼从12月28日到12月30日，持续3天，以“活出全备大能的福音”为题。大会是由美国华人基督教事工基督使者协会主办，北美多家华人教会赞助。
一、委身宣教的使命
主给每一个教会都有使命。而使命是要传承的。无论什么样的教会，都应该委身 神给我们的大使命。那怎么委身？
刘彤牧师分享了2点：“领受万国万民的心意”和“为万国万民祷告”。
大使命是关乎万国万民的。刘彤牧师分享提到，耶路撒冷教会最开始忽略了福音传遍全世界的使命。但是当逼迫临到，门徒分散各地，福音开始广传。彼得和保罗也是在神的带领下进入外邦传道。刘彤牧师说：“大使命是关乎万民的。”
其次，他分享说：“宣教永远是从祷告开始的。耶稣说：‘我的殿是万民祷告的殿。’”在祷告之中，宣教的热忱和负担就被带起来了。
二、制定清楚的宣教策略
在分享策略的时候，刘彤牧师主要提到了3点——与机构合作、植堂宣教和长期投资。
1.与机构合作。无论教会是多么大，都需要和差传的机构合作，特别是做跨文化的宣教。因为当地的文化和我们的文化有非常大的差距。不同的文化，要有不同的传福音的方式。所以，需要和当地的机构合作并且学习怎么传福音。在这里不得不思考的是，怎么和当地的机构合作呢？刘彤牧师说：“资源很有限，鼓励你集中火力。”刘彤牧师建议要做认领的工作，比如说认领奉献金额、认领国家等等。
2.植堂宣教。刘彤牧师说：“初代教会就是这样的，随走随传。”很多人可能都想着要做千人的大教会，但是不如做很小的教会，但是遍布全地。
3.长期投资。刘彤牧师说：“宣教就好像买股票一样，不能短期投资，一定要长期投资。……宣教必须是长期投资的，和宣教的机构也是长期合作，成为很好的朋友，彼此扶持和帮助。”
三、培养适合宣教的环境
“教会的宣教不只是牧师的工作，或者是宣教委员的工作。我们需要培养适合宣教的环境，让弟兄姐妹参与进来。”刘彤牧师说，他之后分享了自己的教会是如何为弟兄姐妹培养宣教的环境的，主要有2点：信心认献和小组认领。
什么是信心认献？刘彤牧师说：“每一年的宣教年会上，教会一定会鼓励弟兄姐妹祷告在未来一年奉献多少钱给宣教。”每一个人都是祷告寻求圣灵的感动填写，也都是凭着信心做在神的面前的。在这个过程中，不但参与的弟兄姐妹的信心得到提升，整个会众的信心都提升了。
小组认领就是在教会每一个小组都会认领一个宣教士或者一个分堂，每周为他们祷告。教会也会让他们接触他们为之祷告的牧者或宣教士。这样，祷告变得更加的迫切，关心也更加的迫切。
四、提供实际的宣教行动
刘彤牧师分享到自己的教会主要通过以下3点来帮助教会的弟兄姐妹们参与到实际的宣教行动中的。
1.祷告行进。祷告行进就是让弟兄姐妹们到宣教地脚踏实地的祷告。刘彤牧师说：“提到蒙古，你会想到什么呢？”可能我们会想到草原、蒙古包、烤肉，可是有没有想到蒙古的人呢？“当我第一脚踏进蒙古看见当地的男人酗酒、家暴、没有工作，孩子们流浪街头，看见一张张的脸是没有盼望的。……只有当你站在那土地上看见一张张的脸，你才懂得他们的需要。”弟兄姐妹们参与祷告行进回来后，变得不一样了，整个教会充满了宣教的火。
2.专业短宣。很多弟兄姐妹常说，不会分享、祷告、唱诗，无法参与宣教。那么可以按照你的专长去传福音。比如说科技短宣、医疗短宣等等。弟兄姐妹们用自己的专长来参与宣教。
3.鼓励献身。刘彤牧师说：“宣教工厂是需要大量的工人的。”所以，可以鼓励弟兄姐妹们献身进入牧会的工作、宣教的工作、做宣教士等等。
最后，刘彤牧师分享说：“在末后的时代，当我们与 神同工的时候，就好像一个小孩子与父亲玩球一样。当父亲与孩子玩球的时候，就什么都预备好了。把球放在网的旁边，无论孩子怎么踢，求都会进网。……在末后与 神同工也是这样。 神已经预备好了一切， 神把最后一脚给我们。我们和小孩子一样什么都不懂，当我们顺从一踢，球就进了。让我们教会真的走向迈向宣教的教会。”
https://www.christiantimes.cn/news/34025/2020%E5%85%A8%E7%90%83%E5%8D%8E%E4%BA%BA%E5%B7%AE%E4%BC%A0%E5%A4%A7%E4%BC%9A-%E5%88%98%E5%BD%A4%E7%89%A7%E5%B8%88%EF%BC%9A%E5%81%9A%E5%A5%BD%E8%BF%99%E5%9B%9B%E7%82%B9%EF%BC%8C%E8%AE%A9%E6%95%99%E4%BC%9A%E6%88%90%E4%B8%BA%E8%BF%88%E5%90%91%E5%AE%A3%E6%95%99%E7%9A%84%E6%95%99%E4%BC%9A
2020全球华人差传大会 刘彤牧师：做好这四点，让教会成为迈向宣教的教会
Influential Pastor Liu Tong urged churches present to carry out the Lord’s Great Commission of spreading the gospel to all nations.
At the opening ceremony of the Chinese Mission Convention held virtually on December 28, Liu Tong, the senior pastor of the River of Life Christian Church in Silicon Valley, gave a four-part lecture on how to be a missionary church.
He stressed the need for a commitment to mission. No matter what kind of church we attended, we should commit ourselves to passing on the Great Commission.
Regarding how to be committed to this mission, Pastor Liu shared two points — receiving the mission and praying for all nations and peoples.
The church in Jerusalem initially neglected the mission of spreading the Gospel around the world, but when persecution broke out against the church, the disciples were scattered, enabling them to share the Gospel.
“Peter and Paul were also led by God to go to the Gentiles to preach.” Liu said, "The Great Commission is for all people."
"Mission always begins with prayer. Jesus said: 'My house is the house of prayer for all peoples.' " The pastor said. "During prayer, the zeal for evangelizing is aroused and the burden of missions taken on. "
His second point stressed that churches needed to formulate a clear mission strategy that churches should cooperate with organizations, be committed to church planting, and make a long-term investment.
The first method was in cooperation with a mission organization. No matter how big the church was, it needed to cooperate with a local mission organization, especially for cross-cultural missions, he added. Different cultures required different ways of evangelizing, therefore, we should cooperate with local organizations and learn how to evangelize, as the local culture was very different from our culture.
"Resources are very limited, so we should concentrate our forces." He suggested determining how much to contribute and which country to explore.
The second strategy was church planting. Pastor Liu said that as the early church preached as they went, many people desired to establish a large church with a thousand people, but it was better to plant small churches all over the world.
"To become good friends and support and help each other, we should cooperate with mission organizations for a long time," Pastor Liu said. "Investing in missions is like buying stocks, we shouldn’t invest just for the short-term but make long-term investments. "
The third point was that churches need to create a good environment for missions. "Mission is not just a pastor’s job or a missionary’s job. We should invite the congregation to participate in a mission." He shared how his church created a positive environment for its believers. They adopted two methods for mission — offering pledges and having group tasks.
“Every year at the annual missions conference, the church encourages its members to pray and determine how much money to give to missions in the coming year.” In this process, the faith of the entire congregation grew, not only for the believers who participated. The amount of the contribution was determined in the Spirit and made by faith.
An example of a group task was that each group might choose a missionary or a branch church to pray for every week. To know and pray for them better, the group members were able to contact a pastor or missionary directly.
The fourth way was a call to participate in the missionary action. Pastor Liu shared his church’s experience in three points.
A prayer walk encouraged the congregation to pray hard on the mission field. After the believers returned from a prayer walk, the whole church was full of passion for mission. "Only when we arrived in Mongolia could we see local men without jobs drinking and abusing their wives and children wandering on the streets without hope. Only when we entered the land could we understand their needs. Without seeing with our own eyes, how are we able to understand the needs of the Mongolians? When mentioning Mongolia, maybe we can only talk about yurts and barbecues in the grasslands. "
The second way was professional in short-term mission. Many churchgoers often claimed that they could not participate in missions, as they were not good at sharing, praying and singing. However, the pastor said believers could use their expertise to participate in missions, like carrying out short-term scientific and medical missions.
"Believers are encouraged to dedicate themselves to be missionaries or do pastoral and missionary work. We need a lot of mission co-workers."
Finally, the senior pastor shared: "In the last days, when we work with God, it is like a child playing ball with his father. No matter how the child kicks the ball, the purpose is for the ball to go into the goal. God has prepared everything, allowing us to have the last kick. Though we don't know much like the child, when we obey the direction to kick, the goal is scored. Let our church grow up to be a missionary church."
Featuring Rethink the Fullness of Gospel, the Chinese Mission Convention took place from December 28 to 30. Organized by Ambassadors for Christ, an American Chinese Christian Ministry and sponsored by the Chinese Bible Church of San Diego and other Chinese American churches, the event aimed to equip and disciple Chinese believers and build churches
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Influential Pastor Liu Tong Shares Methods on How to Build Missionary Church
