Monday, July 24, 2017

Sam-gia̍p Church Plant (Grace Hill Church) Community Outreach (Apple-Pie Evangelism)

Fellow missionary, Rev. Eric Pilson, and his family, along with Taiwanese coworker, Michael Liu, are planting a church (http://reformed.tw) in a mountainside community of Sam-gia̍p ("Three Gorges"), a more distant suburb of Taipei City. This town is home to National Taipei University and has been developed with tall apartment buildings and broad avenues, somewhat reminiscent of parts of Manhattan in New York City, but surrounded by mountains.  I had identified this area for church planting several years ago, but did not have anyone to move into the community. Eric and Annie Pilson moved there last year. Michael Liu moved soon after. He had been serving in an evangelistic ministry in Indonesia but had moved to Taiwan to finish his seminary degree at China Reformed Theological Seminary.

The location of the new ministry center of Grace Hill Church

On Saturday, the church plant hosted a community outreach. My daughters, Faith and Ashlyn, volunteered to teach how to make apple pie. While the pies were in the oven and people were eating two pies that Ashlyn had made on Friday, Eric gave the guests a brief introduction to the church and a warm invitation for them to visit the ministry center. They also invited them to a children's summer camp to be held in August. The church core group has been meeting in a weekly Bible study, but are planning to start Lord's Day worship in September, after a lot of outreach events in August.

The community event flier 
Ashlyn giving the introduction. Faith stood on hand to help 

Rolling out the crust

Apples

Teaching how to make the sauce

Adding the sauce

Others tried their hand

Ashlyn made two apple pies the previous day so people could enjoy while the ones they made were in the oven

While people are eating pie and ice cream, Rev. Eric Pilson introduces their church plant

While the pies are baking, Ashlyn shows how to make the crust from scratch



The finished pies

The window-front of the ministry center. They do not yet have a sign installed. It is a little narrow, but in a good location.  
An interior designer from New Hope Taipei volunteered to help the church plant with its interiors.
First floor being readied

Worship space on the second floor. When the church grows, they will need to find a new facility, but this one is what they can afford in their budget

Summer camp to be held at the ministry center

Please click on the following link to find out how to support this church plant. Unlike starting churches in America, there are not many churches to create a support network for church planting. Taiwanese church planters often have little salary while the spaces to rent for worship services are very expensive. http://www.reformed.tw/en/give


Saturday, July 22, 2017

Busy Busy Summer

Summer 2017
"Science and the Bible" lecture at Taiwan National Political University's Campus Christian Fellowship

Ren-Ai Reformed Church Retreat Lecture on Evangelism
Lecture on Taiwan Church History


Ren Ai Reformed Church retreat (Dr. Diane Poythress joined them)


Hosting New Hope Reformed Presbyterian Church retreat

New Hope has evening meal in our unfinished 1F ministry center

New Hope's hiking trip to Taiping Mountain
Seeing the glory of God's creation on Taiping Mountain


Two tour buses to our home in two days


Visiting families in the rural district



Faith and Judy's low-weight baby nutrition project 
Faith and Judy's infant nutrition project

Hosting relatives and friends from the adjacent rural township of Sam-seng (Three Star)