A megachurch in China’s southeastern coastal Fujian Province held a birthday party for elderly believers born in the second quarter of the past century.
On Sunday, June 5, a collective birthday celebration was conducted for 200 senior members of Fuhua Church, Fuqing, Fujian, following the previous one held for those born in the first quarter, the senior fellowship (Hu’ai Hui in Chinese) of the church reported.
In his sermon based on Psalm 92, Rev. Chen Xiaoyong said that, although believers were outwardly wasting away, inwardly they were being renewed day by day. He urged the elderly to continue to pursue and serve God to enrich their later lives and to be like palm and cedar trees that have a hardened vitality and flourish in every season.
Having a solid foundation of the faith with many years of pursuing spiritual things, these elderly members were requested to be role models for young people to follow Jesus and to pass on God’s work from generation to generation and not just praise the Lord with their mouths.
Later, Rev. Shi Guiming pointed out that next year will be the 160th anniversary of the establishment of Fuhua Church in Fuqing, which has more than 1,700 members in its seniors' fellowship. That was a result of countless predecessors passing on the faith, he added.
Today, the average life expectancy for a Chinese person is 77 years, and longevity is no longer an extravagant expectation for elderly believers, as many of them in the fellowship have reached that age. Like cedars that stay fresh and green in old age, a senior should not stop pursuing their spiritual maturity, but also teach the younger generation to believe in the Lord, glorifying Jesus’ name, just as Abraham had been an example to his descendants.
Those elderly that were in attendance expressed their gratitude to the church for receiving special pastoral care at each birthday party.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
6月5日下午，福建福清福华堂老人互爱会在教堂二楼大厅为第二季度生日的会员举行了庆生大会，当日到会的会员约200人。据“福华堂老人互爱会”公众号
会上，陈小勇牧师为大家做了证道分享。他引用诗篇92篇的经文。”证道中，陈牧师提出，棕树和香柏树之所以能够四季发旺长青，乃在于他们都有着顽强的生命力。老年信徒就应当学习棕树、香柏树，肢体可以衰老，属灵生命却应当永远年轻，不断追求，殷勤侍奉，让自己的晚年生活仍然充实而有活力。
老年人当是尊贵和稳重的，多年的灵性追求，让我们具有了稳固的信仰根基，但只知道用口来赞美主是不够的，老年信徒尤其重要的是应该以身垂范，谆谆善诱，为年轻人的皈依基督正道做出表率，让属灵的见证一代一代得到传递。
随后，施桂明牧师则在祝福讲话中特别指出：明年就是福华堂在福清设教的第一百六十周年。现在单单老人互爱会的会员就达到了1700余人。这是无数前辈信徒一代一代薪火相传、同心侍奉的结果。
今天，中国人的平均寿命已达到77岁，在座的许多弟兄姐妹也都已经到了这个年龄段，长寿对我们而言已不是奢望。但我们对属灵生命的追求绝不应因年老而停止，我们仍可以像香柏树那样结出汁浆充溢的果子，那就是像亚伯拉罕引领他的后人那样，教育我们的后人，让他们成为教会队伍中的一员，让主耶稣的美名得到更加荣耀的见证。
老人会的弟兄姊妹们也纷纷发出感谢，感恩教会在每次的庆生会都能让大家得到特殊的牧养关怀。
http://www.fuyinshibao.cn/article/index/id/63186
福建福清福华堂老人互爱会组织举行会友生日会
A megachurch in China’s southeastern coastal Fujian Province held a birthday party for elderly believers born in the second quarter of the past century.
On Sunday, June 5, a collective birthday celebration was conducted for 200 senior members of Fuhua Church, Fuqing, Fujian, following the previous one held for those born in the first quarter, the senior fellowship (Hu’ai Hui in Chinese) of the church reported.
In his sermon based on Psalm 92, Rev. Chen Xiaoyong said that, although believers were outwardly wasting away, inwardly they were being renewed day by day. He urged the elderly to continue to pursue and serve God to enrich their later lives and to be like palm and cedar trees that have a hardened vitality and flourish in every season.
Having a solid foundation of the faith with many years of pursuing spiritual things, these elderly members were requested to be role models for young people to follow Jesus and to pass on God’s work from generation to generation and not just praise the Lord with their mouths.
Later, Rev. Shi Guiming pointed out that next year will be the 160th anniversary of the establishment of Fuhua Church in Fuqing, which has more than 1,700 members in its seniors' fellowship. That was a result of countless predecessors passing on the faith, he added.
Today, the average life expectancy for a Chinese person is 77 years, and longevity is no longer an extravagant expectation for elderly believers, as many of them in the fellowship have reached that age. Like cedars that stay fresh and green in old age, a senior should not stop pursuing their spiritual maturity, but also teach the younger generation to believe in the Lord, glorifying Jesus’ name, just as Abraham had been an example to his descendants.
Those elderly that were in attendance expressed their gratitude to the church for receiving special pastoral care at each birthday party.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Collective Birthday Party Hosted for Elderly Members in Fujian Megachurch
