Seeking, Pasturing and Adopting the Sheep
As the first-ever ‘home missionary’ commended by CCMA, we set foot on the missionary field in New Zealand on 4th June 2005. Ever since our family migrated to New Zealand, God gave us the vision that many of our Chinese compatriots were like lost sheep roaming in a maze of mountains and ridges, scattered all over the land with no one to look for them, no one to find where they were…(Ezekiel Chapter 34).
‘Seeking, pasturing and adopting the sheep’ is more than a slogan; it comprises actions backed up by missionary strategies! How has God guided us in our actions over the past three years?
Seeking
Pinning Auckland as the base and from Hamilton and Rotorua to towns farther away, we conducted regular evangelical meetings and nurturing sessions with the goal of setting up fellowships or churches and hope that they could grow and reach out to nearby small towns.
‘Seeking the sheep’ is indeed a very tough spiritual war, We really have to pray that our Heavenly Father would grant us the rain of blessing – the Holy Spirit – to loosen the soil and to work on the souls, so that what has been sown will germinate, grow and bear fruits.
Pasturing
Newborn lamb requires pastoral care or else they will easily end up as targets of devouring heresies. Thanks to God that, despite the hiccups, ‘Hamilton Chinese Evangelical Church’ was finally established. It serves as the very first base for ‘Small Towns Ministry’. The present congregation has about 30+ people.
‘Pasturing’ has been a thorny journey that only started from scratches. But as we look back, God indeed has led us to the battlefields! We then can experience in depth His omnipotence, His love and mercy.
Adopting
The field of harvest is vast, we set up a ‘Mission Fellowship’ while on the other hand we successfully encouraged several churches in Auckland to establish regular short-term mission teams and ‘adopt’ (mother-and-child caring relationship) certain small towns. Thanks to God that these actions have initially seen their effects.
The missionary field is similar to the battle field. Satan never shrinks back his power or withdraws his steps. With God’s promise, encouragement by the Lord’s love, guidance by the Holy Spirit in many ways and prayers from brothers and sisters in many churches, we will never lose heart! May we follow closely the guidance of the Lord, never fall back yet never advance ahead of God’s guiding footsteps and be faithful to what He has commended us.
