The impact of the pandemic seems to be slowly fading away over this past year, and the ministries in the Mandarin Ministry are gradually recovering. Proverbs 10:25 says, “When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.” This year, we have witnessed many church members standing firm on the foundation of the Gospel, moving forward together toward the vision that God has given to our church, ” A family following Jesus.” Our hearts are filled with gratitude.

Here is a brief overview of some aspects for which we are thankful in the Mandarin Ministry this year. First, as the pandemic eased, many church members finally had the opportunity to return to their hometowns to visit family. While the comings and goings of family members did pose some challenges to the ministry, it was heartwarming to hear that many church members seized the chance to share the Gospel with their loved ones thus my heart is filled with joy as their pastors.

Secondly, this year, the Mandarin Ministry continued to implement the strategies of Happiness Group and the Happiness Group Discipleship training. In the first half of the year, the cell groups began using the curriculum of Happiness Group Discipleship University (Part I) to lay the foundation for the Happiness Discipleship training. In September, we started three Happiness Groups, inviting more BEST members than in previous years. This ignited the hearts of our co-workers, filling them with even more enthusiasm, courage, and joy for evangelism.

Thirdly, two special gatherings this year brought great blessings to the Mandarin Ministry. One was the “Southern California Prayer Revival” from May 19th to May 21st, which inspired the Mandarin Ministry to start more Revival Prayer Groups (RPGs). The other was the church-wide retreat, prepared for over six months and held for the first time after the pandemic, from July 21st to July 23rd. Pastor Cathy Chang taught us how to remove the slave’s heart, learn to be true sons and daughters of God, and helped us better understand our honored identity in Christ’s Gospel.

Additionally, this year, six Mandarin Ministry couples participated in the “Journey to Intimacy” led by Minister Peter Kung and his wife. Through video lessons, small group sharing, and practical exercises, they learned how to nurture happy and fulfilling marital relationships. I believe there are many couples in the church and community who need this course and the support of a group where they can open their hearts and discuss marital issues openly. We hope that this year’s participants will become seeds for future Journey to Intimacy groups, helping more couples and leading them to know the source of love – our God.

Lastly, God blessed our young adult groups this year, including the Hope Group, Young Professionals Group, Family Grace Group, and Grace and Faith Group. These groups experienced spiritual growth and welcomed new members. Many young adults also joined the worship team, learning different musical instruments and equipment control. This has made the worship team increasingly youthful, vibrant, and professional. What’s more exciting is that we invited brothers and sisters from the Cantonese Ministry to form a Christmas choir. We plan to perform a Carol of Christmas on Sunday worship on December 24th, hoping to convey the message of Christmas to our dear church members and community friends through choir singing and recitation.

As we face the new year, my expectation for the Mandarin Ministry is to strengthen and renew cell group ministries through Happiness Group and Happiness Discipleship training. I hope that every church member will engage in daily devotions, weekly RPGs, monthly worship service participation, and yearly Happiness Group involvement. In doing so, we will be more empowered to be “rooted in love, growing in love, and acting in love,” presenting a powerful testimony of “A Family Following Jesus.”