September 2005 is the 15 th anniversary of Markham Chinese Mennonite Church. 15 years old represents young and energetic. With the leading of our retired Rev. Wilfred Soong and the hard work done by our brothers and sisters, gave good witness of God. In the past years, the Church had organized many different events to serve Markham community such as Art classes for children, Maths class, Arts & craft for adults, different kinds of seminar/workshops, evangelical meetings, mandarin group and outreach ministry. Rev. Soong has retired but is still working actively in editing. Rev. Soong has done the final edit for the book “Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective” into Chinese. This is a book written according to the teachings of the Bible and the faith of the Mennonite, which is also the summary of Bible in our belief. The translation will enable more and more Chinese to understand how Mennonites apply teachings of the Bible into practice, to execute Jesus Christ’s commends on loving each other, forgiveness, serving, peace making and non-violence; disciples can thus witness our Lord Jesus, leading people to believe in God and also help to build up churches.

The hard work of Rev. Soong and the brothers and sisters motivated the lazy me to seek seriously the meaning of life. I joined the MCMC in March 1998 and immediately walked in my brothers and sisters’ shoes to be the soldier for the Christ. Jesus’ teachings and Mennonite’s belief become the light and challenges to me every day. Jesus’ Love makes us with no fear to challenges; instead, we contributed more and more. We really experienced what Jesus say: “I come so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of” (John 10:10). Yes, Lord Jesus Christ enables us to understand better the meaning, direction and goal of our life, that is to live for God, to obey whatever HE commanded us, we should also encourage and remind each other in Christ.

In God’s family, we encountered different tests. The inferior me, was called to be God’s servant on April 19 th 2002. God used different means and the clear leading of Holy Spirit; I knew that MCMC is the church that I should serve. God doesn’t want me searching around and getting lost because “the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few” (Matt. 9:37) , God’s servants (the full time and brothers and sisters working in secular job) really don’t have time to waste.

Thanks God, in the past 15 years, God gave us a group of enthusiastic, being called and committed brothers and sisters. They have built up a healthy church to serve our God and the community.

This healthy and solid foundation makes me more nervous to be God’s servant. I don’t have any excuse to stop her from growing or weaken her. God wants us to be sanctified and complete because HE makes everything holy and whole. Our spirit, soul and body will be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God gives us big and difficult challenges, but which must be bearable to us; let us set up higher goal and bigger dream/wishes in the 15 th anniversary; value what had been done and let us keep focus on the goal and wins the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Amen.

God’s Servant

Paul Mo

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