Pray for Judy's book readers and our summer outreach planning

Saorsa posing next to Judy's child training book
at a bookstore in Taipei 101,
formerly the tallest building in the world.

Dear prayer partners,

Below is a note one young Taiwanese mom posted on Judy's baby book blog:  http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/judyreaders/ 

Please pray for us as we plan further ways to outreach to Judy's baby book and child training book readers.  Next week we will be planning outreaches for the summer.

In Christ,

The Lintons

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Dear Judy

謝謝妳將丹瑪醫師介紹給我們.

因妳和丹瑪醫師我今年受洗了.

也在上個月生了老三.我相信孩子是耶和華給的產業.

如同您書中所說的孩子愈多愈好.

謝謝妳.及丹瑪醫生.

佳齡

Dear Judy

Thank you for introducing Dr. Denmark to us.

Because of you and Dr. Denmark, I became a Christian and was baptized.

And last month I gave birth to my third child. I believe my child is a a gift from God.

As you said in your book, the more children the better.

Thanks to you and to Dr. Denmark.

Discussion groups after the New Hope Church worship service on Sunday

How to make baby food demonstration at our home

More 2012 Pictures

New Hope Church group shot after the Christmas worship service

Please click on the picture to enlarge.

Baptism of my daughter Seren:

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Following are the questions used for baptism of children with Mandarin translations:

Covenant Promises:（約的應許）

For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all that are far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call unto Him. And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your seed after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto you and to your seed after you. Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household. (Acts 2:39; Genesis 17:7; Acts 16:31)

因為這應許是給你們和你們的兒女，並一切在遠方的人，就是主─我們神所召來的。我要與你並你世世代代的後裔堅立我的約，作永遠的約，是要作你和你後裔的神。當信主耶穌，你和你一家都必得救。（使徒行傳2:39；創世記17:7；使徒行傳16:31）

Questions for the believing parents:（信主的父母請回答下列問題）

Do you acknowledge your child's need of the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ, and the renewing grace of the Holy Spirit?

你是否承認你的孩子需要耶穌基督潔淨的寶血，也需要聖靈更新的恩典？

Do you claim God's covenant promises in your child's behalf, and do you look in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ for your child's salvation, as you do for your own?

你是否願意為你的孩子領受神「約的應許」？你已經憑著信心，仰望主耶穌基督來拯救你，你今天是否也願意同樣仰望祂來拯救你的孩子？

Do you now unreservedly dedicate your child to God, and promise, in humble reliance upon divine grace, that you will endeavor to set before your child a godly example, that you will pray with and for your child, that you will teach your child the doctrines of our holy religion, and that you will strive, by all means of God's appointment, to bring your child up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord?

你現在是否願意毫無保留的，把你的孩子獻給神？你是否願意承諾，要謙卑倚靠神的恩典，做孩子敬虔的榜樣，為孩子禱告，和孩子一起禱告，教導孩子認識這聖潔的信仰，並且竭力按照神的旨意，在主裡教養和勸誡孩子？

Question to the congregation:（請會眾回答下面這個問題）

Do you as a congregation undertake the responsibility of assisting the parents in the Christian nurture of this child?

各位主內的弟兄姐妹，你們是否願意擔起責任，協助這對父母在主裡教養這個孩子？

Sin-nî Chhut-thâu-tiⁿ

新年出頭天
Happy New Year!

We are having a series of joyous celebrations at New Hope Church in Taipei, starting with our Christmas service. Next week we will have another big celebration. It so happens that New Hope Church was started almost 10 years ago to the day of next week's worship service.

In the summer of 2002, Judy recorded a gospel outreach music album in Nashville. In September 2002 we arrived on the mission field for the first time to begin church planting in Taipei. For three months, I took full-time language study. We also began investigating record companies to release Judy's album and to help host Gospel outreach concerts. (In 2003, while I helped start New Hope, Judy released her Gospel outreach album. Judy and I probably did about 50 concerts partnering with local churches all around Taiwan where she performed, I shared a Gospel message, and the local church members tried to outreach to their neighbors and friends.

Meanwhile, three families met to plant a church. Judy and I met with the Conklings (Tim and Evie) and the Changs (Harry and Grace) to choose a location and plan a church plant in Taipei. We did not have any extra funds raised as is common in American church planting works. We only had our own mission support. But that was enough to get things going. God was gracious to provide.

On January 5, 2003, New Hope Church held its first worship service, renting the gymnasium and classroom from an Bethany Christian School, near two of the largest universities in Taiwan: National Taiwan University and National Taiwan Normal University. We have since moved facilities twice in the same area and now worship on one of N.T.U.'s campuses, with good parking facilities.

In 2007, New Hope officially instituted formal membership. In 2008, New Hope elected its first three elders, Aaron Heidel, Larry Dilley and Ben Kask who were ordained in December of that year, making New Hope a particularized church and full member church of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in Taiwan

Our founding character traits:

At first holding two separate English and Mandarin language worship services, New Hope eventually combined them to hold a joint bi-lingual worship service aided by very gifted translators. From the start New Hope was characterized by being very Bible-centered and therefore Gospel-centered and Christ-centered.

Further we tried to foster an atmosphere of every attender actively participating rather than passively sitting as if listening to a lecture or watching a performance. As a result, one distinct characteristic of our assemblies was a time of question and answer where the members could ask anything, and the pastor would answer from Scripture alone.

Third, New Hope's leaders tried to embody 2 Timothy 2:2, where men were always being sought out, mentored and trained for ministry. The membership of New Hope graciously encouraged these interns -- both Taiwanese pastoral interns and foreign missionary interns -- over the years as they were given many opportunities to preach, lead Bible studies, and worship to explore and hone their gifts.

New Hope's bilingual nature has meant that we have had worshippers from many nations. On average about half those attending have been Taiwanese and half foreigners. Over the years, New Hope has also been characterized by a high turnover as people come for several years and then move away. We have had many bittersweet goodbye parties. And many of our friends are sorely missed. Recently, New Hope has seen an increase in membership of Taiwanese families who have helped to stabilize the church's membership.

Even as we thank God for our past ten years, please pray for New Hope Church this year as they plan to seek God's will for their future.

Joel & Judy Linton with ...

Mission Sending Service
111 Knights Bridge Road
Florence, AL 35630

http://www.taiwanchurch.org/linton

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Here is part of the email invitation sent out yesterday. If you happen to be in Taiwan, I hope you can make it.

======================
親愛的希望教會的親友們 Dear New Hope church family and friends,

新年快樂 Happy New Year!

誠摯地邀請您來參加希望教會的十週年主日崇拜 You are cordially invited to New Hope Church's 10th Anniversary Worship Service.

這個星期的一月六日，就是我們正式成立的十週年慶了 This week, January 6th, is our official 10th anniversary.

時間: When

一月六日（星期天）早上十點 Sunday, January 6, 10:00 A.M.

地點: Where:

希望教會, 臺北市中正區10087思源街18號1樓B棟 New Hope Church: Building B, 1F, 18 Siyuan Street, Zhongzheng District, Taipei 10087

http://newhopetaipei.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/map-nhc07.png?w=620&h=369

http://newhopetaipei.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/mapen01.jpg

主日崇拜後，請留下與我們一起享用愛宴和十週年的慶生蛋糕 Please join us for lunch and an anniversary cake after the worship service.

2003年的一月五日，是希望教會開始的第一個主日崇拜 On January 5, 2003, New Hope began its first worship service.

我們非常感謝上帝在過去這些年間所賜福於我們的，以及為祂自己的榮耀使用我們來成就祂的工 We are so thankful for all that God has done to bless us and use us for His glory the past years.

我們把我們的教會和未來都交託給上帝 We want to commit our church and our future to God.

期待這個主日能在教會與您相會！ Looking forward to seeing you there.

http://newhopetaipei.org/

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New Hope's Christmas outreach in downtown Taipei

After the worship service on Sunday, about fourteen members of the church including the guitar fellowship practiced playing and singing carols and then they went out into the neighborhood near where our church meets. Wherever they went, they would sing and also hand out chocolate candies and Gospel tracts with our church's contact info on them.

Our three oldest daughters joined the carolers while Judy and I took the younger two children home and hosted Judy's cousins who had visited the church for the first time.

Practicing after the worship service before heading out to the neighborhood to carol.

The group was very bold. You might be surprised at where they went: into a hair salon, into apartment buildings and even into a local precinct police station! The policemen got out their cell phones and recorded the caroling. Most people received it very well.

Please pray that God will bring some from the neighborhood to visit our church.
Please also pray that God will work in the hearts of the church members to continue to be bold in their witness for Christ.

We'll try to post more info and pictures when we get them.

Joyous Christmas

The text is in Taiwanese. It reads in English: "Mulu hugged his dad and said, 'Thank you Lord for hearing my prayer and causing my dad to believe in the Lord and be baptized. I am so moved!' "
In Mandarin it reads: Mulu抱爸爸說：感謝主聽見我的禱告，讓我的爸爸信主受洗，我好感動。

Mulu is 5 or 6 years old (I'll have to check).

This drawing was done by Carol, a member of New Hope Church. Carol grew up in a traditional Hakka family. After several years of prayer, her husband, Acer, professed his faith and was baptized at the Christmas Sunday worship service at New Hope. I baptized his son Mulu and his mom Carol back in 2009 when she professed her faith. Yesterday, I was privileged to baptize Acer and their second child, Jofee, whom they adopted last fall.

When we get the audio uploaded, I'll post Acer's testimony here.

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Our Christmas Sunday worship service was very packed. The Taiwanese language Bible study fellowship sang two verses of O Come All Ye Faithful (the second verse use language about Christ from the Nicene Creed.) The whole congregation joined in singing verses in English and Mandarin. (We'll have to track down a photo for this part.)

Then a little later, the guitar fellowship came up and played guitars to accompany the congregation in singing Joy to the World.

I gave a children's message on Isaiah 53:5-6, using a candy cane as an illustration.

After a young architect, Acer Lee, gave his testimony, we had three baptism including his own.

Finally the sermon was from Luke 1:26-38.

And we sang our closing hymn, Silent Night.

After the worship service, all the guests were given a Christmas gift. The gifts were calendars with photographs of Taiwan's mountains taken by a Christian photographer. On each photo was also printed a Bible verse.

The new visitors stayed to eat lunch with the church members.

Pray for Christmas Sunday worship service and gospel outreach

Please pray for our Christmas worship service tomorrow at New Hope Church in Taipei.

A young architect will be sharing his testimony. Then I will have the privilege of baptizing him. We expect many non-believers to be coming. We will have several special parts of the service and I will be preaching a gospel message from Luke 1:26-38.

Afterwards, we will probably be hosting members of Judy's extended family who will be visiting the worship service, but many of the church members will be heading out with the church guitar fellowship to go caroling and hand out gospel tracts in a nearby neighborhood.

There are some regular attenders who are not believers including a young computer software engineer.

Please also pray as many of the church members are trying to outreach to their non-Christian family members.

Love in Christ, Joel (for the Lintons)

Gospel Outreach in Another Island Nation

Though this video deals with housing projects, rural areas and townships in Taiwan need similar outreach.