CCCGW Missions Month / Annual Missions Conference

"...The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." — John 4:35-36

In the golden month of October, when the harvest season is in full swing, Chinese Christian Church of Greater Washington DC celebrates Missions Month. From October 11-13, 2024 the church held its annual Missions Conference, featuring a series of lectures focused on practical ways to fulfill God’s Great Commission. For this year’s conference, CCCGW invited several leaders from China Outreach Ministries, an organization dedicated primarily to campus ministry. These leaders shared their ministry experiences, inspiring the congregation to join in God’s work by spreading the Gospel, living out their faith, and reexamining the church’s role within the community. The ultimate hope is for each believer to serve as a living testimony to Christ’s love.

Reverend Daniel Su, president of China Outreach Ministries, served as the keynote speaker, offering profound and valuable insights. In his lectures, Rev. Su emphasized that mission work is a vital calling entrusted to the church by God. Every Christian is called to engage in missions, bearing the responsibility to share the Gospel. Evangelism, he noted, is not solely about words but is powerfully conveyed through the actions and testimonies of believers, allowing others to experience the love of Christ in their daily lives.

In one of his sessions, Rev. Su explored the theme, "Understanding God’s Heart through the Great Commission and the Great Commandment," highlighting the close relationship between the two. He encouraged the audience not to feel overwhelmed by the phrase “Great Commission,” reminding them that every significant endeavor begins with small steps. We can start by helping and influencing others through small acts within our reach. Expanding on this, he explained that Jesus instructs us to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘ Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” (Luke 10:27). Rev. Su emphasized that this is not only the Great Commandment but also the heart of the Great Commission. He reminded the congregation that the greatest challenge is fully dedicating ourselves to love God with all that we are. Only when we place God at the center of our lives can we genuinely love others with His boundless love and carry out the Great Commission.

To further inspire the congregation, Rev. Su shared examples from the lives of Hudson Taylor and Mother Teresa. He explained that Hudson Taylor’s greatness as a missionary lay not in his strategies but in his profound love for God and his dedication to making Jesus the center of his life. It was God’s love that compelled him to share the Gospel and obey God’s commands. Similarly, Mother Teresa’s service was driven by her conviction that she saw Jesus in every person she helped. “I see Jesus in everyone,” she would say. “This is the hungry Jesus—I must feed him; this is the sick Jesus—I must care for him; this is the leprous Jesus—I must clean him…” Loving God, Rev. Su explained, means viewing others through God’s eyes and transforming that love into concrete acts of compassion. When we love God deeply, our natural response is to share the Gospel, which aligns perfectly with God’s heart.

Additionally, the conference invited Pastor Tian Yongming and missionary Chen Meiyun, who have long been engaged in campus ministry, to share how they reach out to the younger generation in local universities. Their experience deeply inspired many in the congregation. Below are some reflections from attendees of the workshops:

Sister Yin Yin:

In the session on October 12, Pastor Tian Yongming shared how he responded to God’s calling in faith. In 2013, he felt God’s leading to leave New Mexico and step into full-time ministry. It was only last year that he and his family finally moved to Virginia to serve full-time, focusing on youth evangelism. During those ten years of waiting, he experienced God’s promises and unfailing faithfulness.

When we are uncertain about God’s calling, Brother Tian encouraged us to follow the "Mary Principle": like Mary, who “treasured these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19), we should hold onto God’s words with faith, trusting that in time, His purpose will become clear. He also shared that when he decided to leave his job to pursue ministry, his family’s income immediately dropped by 60%. Yet, he reminded us that when we are confident in God’s call, we must take that "Leap of Faith",  boldly answering His invitation.

Brother Chen Xingfu and Sister Zhao Yang:
With over 20 years of ministry experience, Missionary Chen Meiyun provided a deep analysis of the opportunities and challenges in evangelizing to Gen Z students. She encouraged believers to reach the hearts of this younger generation through genuine love and action. Her sharing offered many valuable insights:

1. Integrating the Great Commission into daily life: Christians are familiar with the "Great Commission", but evangelism and spreading the Gospel should be reflected in our daily lives. This fresh perspective deeply encouraged us!
2. Anyone can be a missionary: You don't need a special background, training, skills, or talents—if you respond to God's call and are willing to serve, any believer can be a missionary.
3. Unwavering faith: Campus ministry requires long-term commitment and enduring faith in the Lord. We often expect immediate results from evangelistic events, and when the outcome doesn’t meet our expectations, we may feel discouraged and question whether our efforts are worth it. However, missionaries face daily opposition, resistance, and challenges, and it is their steadfast faith in the Gospel that sustains them.
4. Taking action: Let us cast aside our worries, step forward boldly, and no longer hesitate. We must co-labor with the Lord, trusting that He will provide all we need.
5. Learning from challenges: Sister Chen shared the difficulties she and her co-workers face on the mission front. Her testimony not only didn’t discourage us but instead encouraged us to recognize the abundant work to be done in the mission field, motivating us to serve the Lord more willingly. Challenges are opportunities for God’s blessings, allowing us to learn humility and recognize our limitations, relying on God’s wisdom and power to overcome them.

Our church has been discussing how to promote and expand campus ministry, and this session helped us reassess the meaning and methods of campus evangelism. We are now even more committed to engaging in the Lord’s mission.

Nick Tam:

Missions Conference was a great experience for me. Rev. Su's experience and perspective were very insightful, and he offered a lot of wisdom about what it looks like to do missions, especially in the context of reaching young people, students in particular. He talked about the importance of building relationships--that it's not just about sharing the Gospel right away, but rather, there is a lot of value to investing in the life of the person and then seeking opportunities to share the Gospel. During this time of investing, we have the opportunity to live out the Gospel in front of the person, and the way that we live can be a powerful testimony.  Rev. Su also mentioned that we are not able to save people on our own, but rather, we are called to be faithful and then to trust that the Lord will change hearts.  For us, faithfulness isn't measured in the results, but in taking advantage of the opportunities that are presented to us.  This perspective has been very helpful in making missions seem more approachable and less of an impossible task.

 Sheila Lee:

At Rev. Daniel Su’s workshop on “Evangelism as a Process,” he asked about our experiences.  He mentioned “Evangelism Explosion,” a systematic program to share the Gospel in which an explicit invitation is made to non-Christians to accept Jesus as their personal Savior.  Our church used that program years ago for follow-up visitation with newcomers to our church.  I recall visiting a church friend’s cousin who had come to our church for the first time.  The cousin later confided to my friend that I had been very pushy!  My friend assured her, “No, Sheila’s not like that!”  I’m glad I got the feedback.  Rev. Su recounted one of his own experiences in evangelism.  Over several years, he had been sharing the Gospel with someone who eventually did not respond to the invitation to accept Jesus.  It was only later, after this person had moved away, that Rev. Su heard that he had become a Christian and joined a church.  Of course, there was joy, but Rev. Su admitted to having mixed feelings at the time.  Today, he sees evangelism more as a process than as a point in time, citing several Bible passages to illustrate his understanding:

1. Recognize that evangelism has stages and takes time. (see Mark 4:26-29) 

2. Accept that we only take a part of someone’s journey; others continue the process. (see 1 Corinthians 3:6-9) 

3. See each person’s work as contributing to evangelism.  Whatever you do for the Lord is never wasted.  Harvest is building on the work of others. (see John 4:35-38) 

4. Share without the expectation of conversion.  It is not results that determine whether or not it is worth doing.  God alone brings people to repentance. (see 2 Peter 3:9) 

5. Learn from the farmers who wait patiently rather than expect an instantaneous harvest. (see Ecclesiastes 11:6) 

6. Engage in evangelism for the Lord and trust that He has a good plan. (see Philippians 1:6) 

7. Know that as we spread God’s word, His desires and purposes will be accomplished. (see Isaiah 55:10-11) 

8. Build relationships first and have integrity in belief and life, which gives a platform for sharing the Gospel. (see 1 Peter 3:15) 

9. Trust in God’s timing and his wisdom in granting people the freedom to make wrong choices. (see 2 Peter 3:9) 

10. Believe that the Holy Spirit works to do God’s will. (see John 16:8-9)

These scriptures remind us that mission work is not accomplished in haste but requires patience and faith, waiting for God’s perfect timing.

On the final Sunday of Missions Month, our church had the privilege of hosting Sister Christine Wong from the Chinese Mission Alliance. She shared her team's two decades of mission experience. Specializing in cross-cultural missions, they have carried the Gospel to over 20 countries, establishing 30 mission sites, and igniting a passion for the Great Commission, even in the most challenging environments.

Sister Wong recounted how their work has reached some of the world’s most challenging regions: from the poverty-stricken and war-torn Middle East, across Africa’s vast savannas, to the impoverished villages of Southeast Asia—including Nepal, Iraq, South Sudan, Uganda, Myanmar, Laos, and East Malaysia. Their mission is to reach the "poorest," the "hardest," and the "least" visited places. In every country and in every task, their singular goal is to spread the Gospel and establish churches.

She also shared their efforts in Iraq and Syria, where they have been providing aid to refugees suffering from the devastation of war and displacement. In northern East Malaysia, they support sea nomads from the Philippines, assist their children, and have established HOST boarding schools. In South Sudan, they have taught local refugees how to plant mulberry trees for silk farming, planting over a million trees. This initiative has equipped refugees with valuable skills and work, enabling them to become self-sufficient while experiencing God’s love in tangible ways.

Their stories are deeply moving and inspiring. This year’s conference reignited the missionary passion in all of our hearts, encouraging us to respond to God’s call and move forward in His mission. Wherever we are, may we continue to carry the spirit of the Great Commission, spreading Christ’s love to the ends of the earth.

Before Jesus ascended, He gave His final command: "Go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19), and "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). This Great Commission continues to guide God's churches today. The fields are ripe for harvest, and God is calling us to be His laborers. Lift your eyes in faith and witness the great harvest that lies ahead!