1. Basic Conviction and Principle

We regard disciple-making as a lifelong process to lead believers to continuously follow Jesus and to submit to God. We emphasize the theology of “covenant” as the guiding principle for Christian living in which personal integrity and accountability to God and willingness to care and be cared for by fellow brothers and sisters are crucial for building a strong and healthy household of God.

We encourage lay ministry and adopt the model of apprenticeship,namely, “monkey see, monkey do,” in making disciples instead of using classroom teaching as most of the Hong Kong evangelical churches do. Pastors first lay the examples for members to follow and model, and then more mature members are challenged to take up the ministry of leading and mentoring their junior counterparts. This corresponds to what Paul says in Philippians 3:17, “Brethren, join in imitating me, and mark those who so live as you have an example in us.”

We teach members to cherish the opportunity to serve and to contribute to the expansion of the Kingdom of God. Unlike other churches, we do not persuade or impose members to serve, to offer tithes, or to receive baptism. Instead they have to apply for each of these and prove their determination through a series of interviews.

2. Disciple-Making In Practice

• Newcomers age 18 and under are welcomed to join the fellowship of junior youths which is divided into five families. (The name and concept of “families” has been adopted instead of using the term “fellowship” so members may regard the church as their spiritual home and nurture a sense of belonging towards her.) Each family is led by mentors and assistant mentors who come from the fellowship of senior youths and are committed to youth evangelism. Mentors, as spiritual leaders and models, are held responsible for overall development of the families while their assistants live together with the youngsters and assist the mentors in taking care of them. Youngsters come to know Jesus through communal lives, and they are allowed to plan and organize activities for fellowship meetings on their own. They also learn to fulfill the basic duties as Christians and to live by disciplines. The families grow as they convey the gospel to friends and classmates.
• After secondary schooling, youngsters enter another stage of life as they are “promoted” to the fellowship of senior youths. Worldly attractions are great, and they easily get lost in this period of transition. To help them cope with this critical period, they are required to spend one year in the Nurturing Team so they will have solid mutual support and receive more systematic teachings. A course focused on the basic doctrines of Christian belief, as well as practical guidance on Christian living, is designed particularly for them. We expect that members are able to acquire an all-round Christian view of life, which can help them develop the rational side of Christian faith, and, more importantly, put their faith into practice in more challenging and complicated life situations as they grow up.
  
• After one year in the Nurturing Team, members are encouraged to join different mission teams or functional groups according to their gifts and visions. There are evangelistic teams for children, the grassroots, university students, couples, and the elderly, etc. These teams launch various functions that suit the life situations of their target groups, and through these, they convey the gospel. For example, an outreach team called SPORTS has been formed, and team members get involved in outreach ministry through various ball games and outdoor activities. In recent years, the Team for the Aged has witnessed a significant growth in conveying the gospel to the aging parents of our senior members. Functional groups within the church include the worship and praise team, the choir, the drama group, bands for worship and prayer, etc. With clear mission, members of these functional groups strive to please the Lord and to serve the congregation by sharpening their skills. For example, the choir has weekly practices, and they serve regularly on the first week of every month and particularly on important events, such as worships on Christmas Eve and Good Friday.
• There are four families and hundreds of cell groups within the fellowship of senior youths. Most of the members have served in the frontline ministry for some years. They join cell groups as they enter into other stages of life, such as getting married or starting a family. Cell leaders are equipped by a series of training courses so they can facilitate cell members to have Bible studies, true and deep sharing, prayer, and confession of sins to one another. Cell groups serve mainly to establish supportive relationships between members against challenges of the world and for preparation of future commitments to serve in mission teams or functional groups.

The fellowship of senior youths is taken care of mainly by pastors and presbyters. The latter are senior and mature members nominated and elected solemnly through an election process. They are confirmed by the church in front of the whole congregation and given authorities to admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, and to help the weak (1 Thessalonians 5:14). Recently, there is an increasing number of presbyters who are actively participating in pastoral work such as interviewing applicants for giving tithes or baptism.

By the grace of our precious Lord Jesus Christ and thanks to the active participation of our members, Wing Kwong Church has been growing continuously in the past decades. It is worth mentioning that many of the mission teams and functional groups are initiated by enthusiastic members. We also believe that our Lord will pour out His grace abundantly to all of us on different sides of the earth. May glory and honor be to Him, for ever and ever. Amen.

Last update on 10/15/08
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