Wiwik Chang & Maria Xu

Connections Ministry started as Welcome Ministry. It is the first combined ministry as Chinese Grace transitions to a 3-in-1 church model. In spite of limited resources, our close-knit brothers and sisters continue to serve in this ministry with dedication.
As a co-leader representing the Mandarin group, I feel blessed to be serving with our brothers and sisters from the Cantonese and English congregations. By God’s grace, we take turns every Sunday as greeters – welcoming newcomers and congregants before each church service. Regardless of weather conditions, we serve cheerfully without interruption. In fact, rainy days are our busiest days. With open umbrellas , we welcome people in the parking lot and usher them to the church premise. God’s love is the source of our joyful demeanor. Sharing His love warms our hearts. We hope to bring warmth to the hearts of others, too – even in the chills of winter cold.

Dave Ching, Tom Chew Mrs. Toy and Wiwik Chang

 Sharing from Penny Lee (English Congregation)

The reason I joined the Connections Ministry was to meet people that I casually know or don’t know at all. It is a blessing to be a part of this ministry. I serve with a group of nice people who are committed to serving the Lord. We all offer our very best to make this ministry work. We work in teams and hold each member accountable to the team. We also use phone calls and emails to coordinate with one another, especially when unplanned events require schedule swapping or back-up assistance. If you relate well with people and wish to get over your shyness, come join us and you will be blessed just like me. I have been a church member for over 40 years and I am still meeting new friends on my watch. Serving in this ministry also forces me out of my comfort zones. God has enabled me to share and interact with more people. With God’s grace, I am now acquainted with brothers and sisters who are not in my age group. I am able to form new friendship by simply saying “Good Morning or “Have a blessed day!”.

Sharing from Tom Chew (English Congregation)

Tom Chew and Arthur Fung

I was invited to become a greeter when the Welcome Ministry (now Connections Ministry) started a couple of years ago. This was a big step for me since I had no church involvement besides attending worship service. Back then, I hardly knew anybody in church. My primary duty takes place in the parking lot where I assist people in getting in and out of their cars. I also try to recognize newcomers and usher them to our Connections booth. Through this ministry, I have met many church friends. This gives me a sense of belonging as part of the church body. In the past two years, our team members have come and gone, but our services continue every Sunday. Aside from friendly greetings, our services include setting up the shading tents with chairs and tables, providing umbrellas when it rains, preparing bottled water, hot tea and baked goodies. As I greet our guests, I remember the scriptures in Hebrews 13:2, “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it”. I am also encouraged by Romans 12:5; “..so in Christ we who are many from one body, and each member belongs to all the others”. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to meet new friends and serve the church. Christ’s body in one accord – Cantonese, English, and Mandarin

congregations supporting each other in the true spirit of a 3-in-1 church.

Sharing from Winnie Ng (Cantonese Congregation)

When I go to visit other churches, I always pay special attention to how they welcome the newcomers. Would they come and greet us with a friendly smile? A good greeter needs keen observation and frequent practice. After serving as a greeter for some time, one develops an extra sense. This helps in discerning the presence of a newcomer. And even if they are not newcomers, I have learned to introduce myself and remember their names. I joined this ministry because I feel there is a need to connect newcomers to the regular attendees in our congregation. So I encourage myself to bond closely with old church friends, too. This enables me to have strong connections on both ends. This is what the Connections ministry is all about.

Sharing from Peter Chow (Cantonese Congregation)

Serving in the Connection Ministry enables me to meet new friends. It also brings our brothers and sisters in the fellowship group closer as we serve together.
I enjoy greeting newcomers to our church. It gives me great joy to share with them our worship service and Sunday School class schedules.