Monthly Prayer Letter (May 2023)
25th May 2023
Dear companions of FES,
As we face transitions in our lives, such as graduating from college and entering the workplace, can our presence bring some more blessings to the world? The prayer that Jesuit missionaries must ask as they join the ministry, “What will I do for Christ”, can help us understand more clearly the identity of who we are in the transition. No matter what the circumstances are, we can always do more for Christ to glorify Him. There are times, even in the increasingly unjust and darkened days of the long path, when the witness of those who serve reveals the light of Christ.
While the turnover of teachers in Hong Kong’s education sector remains a serious problem, I have seen many young graduates joining the teaching profession, dedicating themselves to nurturing young people and contributing to the education sector. In the Gospel of Luke, an argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. Jesus urged, “For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.” (Lk. 9:48) Who is willing to serve the students on campus in an era when the education profession is under increasing pressure? Though they are small and powerless, they are beloved by the Lord (Lk. 9:48a). The Lord is asking “among us” whoever welcomes the young people of Hong Kong for His name, whoever is willing to lay down and dedicate themselves unconditionally, that person is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
As a pioneer and partner in campus evangelism, FES has always been passionate about the growth of young people’s lives. In this summer’s ministry program, we have made two new attempts. First of all, we hope that the college fellowship can better welcome the new students entering the university, and we are now preparing a two-day Youth Bible Conference 2023 for students from Form 5 to college. In addition, we have designed a special pre-summer program for teachers to take a break from the school year and to meet with fellow teachers. Please remember us in prayer and help us recommend it.
Recently a few HKU fellowship committee members and I met with a professor who encouraged students to build a solid foundation for their faith, to continue to unite the university community, to encourage each other, and to actively try to participate in different ways on campus and in society. The professor’s encouragement echoes the vision and mission of the Inter-college Team for the coming year:
In the coming year, we will focus our ministry on spiritual nurture, community building, and Bible study discipline. In an era of lack of enthusiasm and loss of hope, we will strive to recreate the desire of the community of believers for the divine, renew the passion of students to pursue their faith, and build the campus fellowship into a community for the practice of mission.
In addition to our frequent ministries, this summer we have the quadrennial IFES World Assembly 2023, and a group of five of us will be traveling to Indonesia to participate in this unique conference. Please pray especially for the three students who are looking forward to hearing life stories and testimonies from around the world to develop the feasibility of living out their mission on campus. We all need to raise funds for this trip; if you are moved to support our team, please indicate your donation in your response. As we look back on what we have done in our lives and ask ourselves “what have I done for Christ” and whether we long for a more righteous world in Christ, we can also pray for ourselves in the present moment, that we may see and present ourselves as we are today for Christ.
Your brother,
Barry Cheung
General Secretary
Donation Methods (Local)
- Faster Payment System: (FPS ID: 1915727), transfer to “Fellowship of Evangelical Students (Hong Kong) Ltd.”. Please fill in your donation items and donor number (if any) in the remarks or message column.
- Crossed cheque: Please make it payable to “Fellowship of Evangelical Students (H.K.) Ltd.”.
- Direct deposit / E-banking: Hang Seng Bank 286-126024-002 / HSBC 108-074980-001
* Please send us the Donation Envelope, enclosing with cheque, bank-in slip or screenshot of successful FPS payment via mail or email (for bank-in-slip and FPS screenshot only).
* Donations over $100 are tax deductible in Hong Kong with our receipts.
Mailing Address: 11/F, Cheung Lee Commercial Building, No. 137-143 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Donation Methods (Oversea)
Donors desiring tax-deductible receipts for income tax purposes must give through the following organization to receive the necessary receipts.
- Online Donation
USA / UK
https://give.ifesworld.org
Canada
https://ivcf.ca/give/ Please indicate the offering target as “Hong Kong FES”
- Cheque Donation
USA*
Making cheques payable to “IFES/USA” and send to the following address.
IFES/USA
PO Box 46007
Madison, WI 53744
Canada*
Making cheques payable to “InterVarsity Christian Fellowship of Canada”
and send to the following address.
Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship
1 International Boulevard
Toronto, Ontario,
M9W 6H3 Canada
UK*
Making cheques payable to “IFES” and send to the following address.
IFES
5 Blue Boar Street
Oxford OX1 4EE
United Kingdom
* Please mark “H.K.F.E.S.” at the left bottom corner and
“designation # 100088” at the back of the cheque.