The Lugang Presbyterian Church
has a long history of reaching out to their neighbors. They have
a church kindergarten for the children of Lugang and share the
love of Christ with these children and their families. One of
the church elders is very involved in the community. After church
on Sunday we went to the most popular place in Lugang to eat lunch.
I watched this elder move through the packed restaurant speaking
to almost everyone present.
The Lugang church's pastor is a graduate of the seminary where
I teach. He is a creative man who uses music and art in his ministry.
His wife studied choral conducting in Vienna, and I was impressed
by the choir's three anthems in each of the three services. Unlike
many churches in Taiwan, the Lugang church encourages children
and youth to be fully involved in the worship service. There is
a sense of including all folks, young and old, in this church
family.
As I came back to Taipei last night, I was thankful to have spent
time in Taiwan's Ephesus, to see the vital witness of the Christians
in Lugang. I was glad to hear their stories as we drank tea together.
Earlier in the week I was asked to speak to an aboriginal presbytery
pastors retreat on Taiwan's east coast. There I was also struck
by the urgent need of preaching the gospel in these small villages
sprinkled up and down the Pacific coast.
Our seminary has had a rough semester. We need your prayers for
healing and for God to do a new thing in this school. In order
to help churches in places like Lugang and the aboriginal villages,
we need a healthy seminary to train healthy and visionary leaders.
I continue to be thankful for your prayers and support. May God
grant you joy in this Eastertide.
Grace and peace,
John McCall
The 2003 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, page
181
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