Pray for Hong Kong on Sunday, July 10, 2011

Pray for Hong Kong on Sunday, July 10, 2011

Prayers for Hong Kong: Matthew 13:1-9 & 18-23

We give thanks, Lord, for the Parable of the Sower. Its wisdom is as relevant today as the day you shared it. We sadly see too many thorns in Hong Kong today that choke people’s hearts and spirits. Much weeding needs to be done to our individual and collective communal soul for us to find the good soil again in our society. Indeed, our soil is a good place to begin our gardening as our land in Hong Kong is like gold or oil to us. In our small piece of your Creation, most of our seven million people find it increasingly difficult to buy or rent a home with our persistently high housing costs increasing beyond the means of not only the grassroots but also the middle class. While our major property developers are billionaires, 100,000 of our residents are “caged people” who call a bunk bed with a wire mesh screen surrounding it their home, paying more than US$100 per month in rent to do so. Remove our thorn of greed, Lord, so that our people may enjoy, and can afford, one of life’s most basic necessities—a shelter to call home. Amen.

Mission Stewardship Moment from Hong Kong:

Interfaith Cooperation Forum (ICF), a joint program of the Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs (APAY) in Hong Kong and the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) in Chiang Mai, Thailand, was born in 2003 out of the belief that Asia’s major faiths have much in common through the values they share and that this mutual foundation should be used to bring together people of different faiths to work toward resolving the problems facing the region. Since its inception, ICF has focused on nurturing Asia’s youth—people in their 20s—who work in their local communities on concerns primarily related to poverty, human rights, women’s issues and peace rooted in justice. The main vehicle in this nurturing process since 2006 has been ICF’s School of Peace (SOP) held in Bangalore, India, for 14 weeks.

One of the SOP alumni is Saw Mort, a Christian man belonging to the Karen ethnic group of Burma, who lives and works in the refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border. He has a passion for children and for using photography and other forms of communication to work for human rights and for peace with justice for his people and especially a better future for Burma’s children. Recently, he began to collect the stories of migrant and refugee children in Thailand and internally displaced children in Burma for a film through which he wishes to give a voice to those who are voiceless and to learn from the wisdom of children. 

(Prayer and Mission Moment by Bruce Van Voorhis)

Video Resources for Hong Kong:

–          Judy Chan, GM Missionary: http://globalministries.org/resources/multimedia-resources/videos/video-mission-moments/hong-kong-the-church.html

–          Bruce Van Voorhis, GM Missionary: http://globalministries.org/resources/multimedia-resources/videos/video-mission-moments/hong-kong-human-rights.html

Global Ministries International Partners Hong Kong: 

  • Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs: http://www.asiapacificymca.org/ – Federation of YMCA movements in 27 countries in the Asia and Pacific region, with programs for global citizenship and social responsibility, peace with justice and sustainability for life.
  • Asian Human Rights Commission: http://www.ahrchk.net/index.php – An independent, non-governmental body, which seeks to promote greater awareness and realization of human rights in the Asia region, and to mobilize Asian and international public opinion to obtain relief and redress for the victims of human rights violations.
  • Christian Study Centre on Chinese Religion and Culture: http://www.csccrc.org -Ecumenical research institute for study of the religions and culture of China, including Hong Kong.
  • Chung Chi College Divinity School: http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/theology – Ecumenical seminary providing theological education for church leaders and laity. The school is supported by mainline churches and is part of the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
  • Hong Kong Christian Council: http://www.hkcc.org.hk – Ecumenical body of mainline churches and Christian organizations. It works for a united Christian witness and mission in Hong Kong society.
  • Hong Kong Christian Institute: http://www.hkci.org.hk/ – Christian center for education and advocacy on issues of social concern.  The organization promotes human rights, democracy and justice in Hong Kong.
  • Hong Kong Christian Service: http://www.hkcs.org/index_e.htm – One of HK’s largest social service agencies. It was started by mainline churches and provides Christian Service for “The Healing and Growth of People.”
  • Hong Kong Council of the Church of Christ in China: http://www.hkcccc.org/   – Hong Kong church denomination with historic Congregational and Presbyterian roots. The Council has 66 congregations and is the sponsoring body for more than 80 schools for kindergarten, elementary, secondary and evening students.
  • Hong Kong Women Christian Council: http://www.hkwcc.org.hk/en – Organization to fight for social justice and women’s rights, to promote feminist theology and to stand with marginalized communities.

More info on Hong Kong: http://globalministries.org/eap/countries/hong-kong/

Global Ministries Missionaries in Hong Kong:

  • Judy Chan is a Global Ministries missionary serving with the Hong Kong Christian Council in communications.  She is in charge of ecumenical radio broadcasting ministry, English publications and ecumenical partnerships in Hong Kong and overseas.
  • Bruce Van Voorhis serves as missionary with the Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs in Hong Kong. He work as their Coordinator for Interfaith Programs since July 1, 2009. 

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Pray for Partners without Global Ministries Mission Personnel: Thailand

More info on Thailand: http://globalministries.org/sasia/countries/thailand/