A church held a meeting dinner for single believers in the Spring Festival who wouldn't come back home as they were encouraged by the government to live for the Lunar New Year under the resurgence of coronavirus cases.
Two weeks ago, church group leaders started gathering and arranging the list of individual members who did not return to their hometown.
There are many individual believers for over ten years and hundreds of church members, so the leaders decided to celebrate a banquet.
When the lunar New Year arrived, many of our faithful felt distressed. Some might not want to take up spiritual warfare alone in the Spring Festival. For the Chinese New Year, people want to recruit a boyfriend or a girlfriend to marry. Some people desire to stop being alone but still face the annual holiday each year alone.
On the festival night, the pastor and his family waited early for the believers in a large private dining area.
The roof was decorated with balloons and other festive decorations, while the center of the table was a holy and beautiful lotus. With single believers' arrival, dishes were served one by one, including Sichuan cuisine, seafood, soup, desserts, dim sum, and red wine from Israel.
After praying with thanksgiving while eating, the pastor directed them to share their plans for 2021 openly. A male believer shared his experiences with COVID-19 in 2020 to do safety work during unemployment. Another one said that his ex-girlfriend, who had not yet trusted in the Lord, was facing reconciliation. Some women shared their victories at work and some spoke of their witnesses. In the Bible study group, others spoke about inspiring one another to learn. Some male faithful addressed their concerns about Christ's truth about marriage. Some talked about their desire to get out of singleness in the New Year.
When responding to their words, the pastor first empathized with the single members in the face of difficulties and struggles in their lives, then using Genesis 2:18 and Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 to inspire them.
He shared his true testimony of entering into love and marriage after his single life, encouraging them to enjoy the single time and devote themselves to serving the Lord. He also invited them to learn to set the boundaries of marriage and love.
(The original article is published by Gospel Times.)
- Translated by Abigail Wu
2021年的春节，由于今年全国疫情反弹的原因，政府鼓励大家就地过年。而很多单身弟兄姊妹，一遇见过年就比较忐忑，也许因为内心孤独，不想一个人过春节，有属灵争战；也许面临催婚的压力，甚至想租个男朋友或者女朋友回家过年；也许想快速脱单，却还是年年单身面对新春佳节，一个人独处的这份孤单寂寞……
我们教会规模比较大，好几百人，有十几年的建堂历史，其中不乏单身肢体。因为疫情的缘故，好多单身弟兄姊妹决定留在本地过春节，不能回到老家与父母亲人相聚。
面对这种情况，教会第一次举办单身团年爱宴。
提前两周，小组长开始搜集单身不能回到老家过年的名单，组织大家报名。
爱宴当晚，临近六点半，我步入事先通知的餐厅。牧师、师母、儿子一家人很早就到了，他们在一个容纳二十几人的大包间，等候我们。
房顶布置了气球等喜庆的装饰，桌子中央是圣洁美丽的荷花。随着单身信徒陆续到场，菜品一一上桌子，其中有川菜、海鲜、煲汤，甜品、点心等等，更有来自以色列的红酒……
如此，我们就开心的、充满感恩的谢餐祷告，开启了我们教会首次单身团年爱宴。
我们一边吃，牧师就引导大家一边分享，大家畅所欲言回顾2020年有哪些感恩的事情，2021年有什么计划。就像一家人促膝谈心：有的弟兄分享2020年面临疫情失业重新找工作的争战，连保安工作都尝试去做了；有的弟兄面临和前女友和好，但是对方还没信主的问题；有些姊妹谈到职场得胜的见证；有些姊妹说到小组服侍查经中彼此鼓励和监督打卡；有些弟兄聊到自己对于基督里婚恋真理的疑问；有些姊妹谈到新年脱单的愿望……
牧师总结性回应大家的分享，他先是体恤单身肢体在生活里独自面对困难诸多不容易，许多生命争战。接着用圣经经文创世记 2:18和传道书 4:9-12等鼓舞大家。
牧师用自己当年处于单身，进入婚恋的真实见证，鼓励我们享受单身时专心服侍主，预备自己的生命，进入婚恋的界限管理等等。
正当大家依依不舍，每人还领到一份惊喜礼物——一盒名字为“棋乐无穷”的糖果。于是，我们手捧糖果，喜笑颜开地合影。
http://www.gospeltimes.cn/portal/article/index/id/55349
春节教会首次举办单身团契爱宴
A church held a meeting dinner for single believers in the Spring Festival who wouldn't come back home as they were encouraged by the government to live for the Lunar New Year under the resurgence of coronavirus cases.
Two weeks ago, church group leaders started gathering and arranging the list of individual members who did not return to their hometown.
There are many individual believers for over ten years and hundreds of church members, so the leaders decided to celebrate a banquet.
When the lunar New Year arrived, many of our faithful felt distressed. Some might not want to take up spiritual warfare alone in the Spring Festival. For the Chinese New Year, people want to recruit a boyfriend or a girlfriend to marry. Some people desire to stop being alone but still face the annual holiday each year alone.
On the festival night, the pastor and his family waited early for the believers in a large private dining area.
The roof was decorated with balloons and other festive decorations, while the center of the table was a holy and beautiful lotus. With single believers' arrival, dishes were served one by one, including Sichuan cuisine, seafood, soup, desserts, dim sum, and red wine from Israel.
After praying with thanksgiving while eating, the pastor directed them to share their plans for 2021 openly. A male believer shared his experiences with COVID-19 in 2020 to do safety work during unemployment. Another one said that his ex-girlfriend, who had not yet trusted in the Lord, was facing reconciliation. Some women shared their victories at work and some spoke of their witnesses. In the Bible study group, others spoke about inspiring one another to learn. Some male faithful addressed their concerns about Christ's truth about marriage. Some talked about their desire to get out of singleness in the New Year.
When responding to their words, the pastor first empathized with the single members in the face of difficulties and struggles in their lives, then using Genesis 2:18 and Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 to inspire them.
He shared his true testimony of entering into love and marriage after his single life, encouraging them to enjoy the single time and devote themselves to serving the Lord. He also invited them to learn to set the boundaries of marriage and love.
(The original article is published by Gospel Times.)
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Church Holds First Singles' Fellowship Feast
