Videos for 1-27-13

Chinese Choir

Chinese Sermon

English Sermon - "Many Parts, One Body", I Corinthians 12: 12-31a, Becky Wong & Steve Chan, EM Co-Lay Leaders

Nominations Insert

We give great thanks to all who served in the past year and all those who are serving in the coming year! 

Your commitment and participation support the church’s vibrancy and effectiveness.  We encourage each member as part of the body to serve.  It makes a difference!

Board of Administration & Trustees* [BOAT]  行政與信託部

President* -  Richard Fong

Lay Leader & EMC Chairperson* - Becky Wong & Steve Chan

Lay Leader & CMC Chairperson* - Yvonne Chu

Secretary of BOAT* - Veronica Cheung

Coordinator of Building & Facilities* - Alfred Wong

Coordinator of Finance*- Adrienne Fong

Church Treasurer* - Arlene Lang               

Asst Church Treasurer - Walter Chew

Financial Secretary  - ______________________

SPRB Chair - Jane Yin

Foundation Chair - Ben Wong

Lay Member to Annual Conference, 2012 – 2015 – Becky Wong

Alternate to Annual Conference, 2012 – 2015 – Richard Fong                                                                                              

Finance Counters – Helena Lin & Elsie Wan, Theresa Siu & Derek Lang, Ben Lang & Ed Lang, Steve Chan & Vince Wong

Committee on Nominations & Leadership Dev. (CNLD) 提名小組

New and incoming class [2013-2015] – Ed Lang, Leo Lin

Outgoing class [2010 – 2012] – Ed Lang, Peggy Woon

Retaining class [2011 – 2013] – Lucy Zhou, _____________________

Retaining class [2012 – 2014] – Frances Fong, Leela Ma

Lay Leaders:  Becky Wong, Steve Chan, Yvonne Chu

Staff-Parish Relations Board [SPRB] / 牧關部

New and incoming class [2013-2015] – Vince Wong, Peggy Woon, Ulander Pang* (for 1 year term only)

Outgoing class [2010 – 2012] – Irene Cheung, Richard Fong, Yvonne Chu

Retaining class [2011 – 2013] – Becky Wong, Jane Yin, Charlie Ho

Chair-                      Jane Yin                 Vice Chair - ______________________

Secretary -               Charlie Ho              Lay Leaders - Becky Wong, Steve Chan

Membership & Membership Care Team / 會友關懷組

Ulander Pang, Jane Yin, Mabel Lee, Donna Chan Chu, Brenda Wong

Chinese (Language) Ministry Council [CMC] / 中文事工部

Lay Leader & Chair - Yvonne Chu

Vice Chair - ______________________

Secretary - Theresa Leung

Chair of Worship Comm. - Ying Zhou

Coor. Of Visitation & Caring Min.-Ulander Pang, Mabel Lee

Choir Director - Yvonne Chu                          

Chair of Choir - Helena Lin

Mandarin Fellowship - Lucy Zhou, Veronica Cheung, Roy Cheung

Members at-Large - Leo Lin        

*Members of CM Worship Comm. - Yvonne Chu, Theresa Leung, Lucy Zhou, Ying Zhou

English Ministry Council [EMC] 英文事工部

Lay Leader & Chair - Becky Wong & Steve Chan

Worship - Aeri Lee

Congregational Nurture & Development - Charlie Ho

Witness & Invitation - Ben Wong

*Missions Ministries Team - Burt Yin, Jane Yin, Donna Chan Chu, Ben Wong, Aeri Lee, Becky Wong, Steve Chan

*Christian Education Team – Charlie Ho, Ed Lang, Steve Chan, Jonathan Snoek

*Children & Youth Sunday School Ministry Team - Laura Chan, Leily Chew, Richard Fong, Gloria Gee, Richard Hall, Charlie Ho, Derek Lang

Foundation Committee / 基金會組員 [5 people]

Ben Wong, Vince Wong, Pauline Ho, Stephen Chew, Leo Lin

English Ministry News and Notes 1-27-13

*Church Appreciation Luncheon – We are SO thankful for the presence of each person at CCUMC. We will gather and celebrate together by having a special luncheon at Peony Restaurant.

*Monthly Adventures in Faith Chapel—Wednesday, Jan.30th @ 2:15 p.m. Your prayers and participation are welcomed and appreciated.

*We Welcome Rev. Martin Odi, ambassador for Youth & Child Visionary Ministry to CCUMC Jan. 30th - Feb. 4th. Please mark your calendars now:
-Saturday, Feb. 2nd, Dinner & Presentation @ 5:00 p.m.
-Sunday, Feb. 3rd, Preaching in 11:00 a.m. worship followed by congregational meeting and luncheon.
Please make every effort to be a part of these gatherings to learn, to ask questions, to grow together!

*LMUMC Food Pantry Work Day: Saturday, Feb. 9th, from 9:45 a.m.—1:00 p.m. Please connect with Jane to participate!

*Lunar New Year Parallel Worship & Fellowship Potluck, Feb. 10th

*The Lenten Season Begins Feb. 13th - a wonderful new church season begins soon. We will gather to begin the season together at the Ash Wednesday service, Wednesday, Feb. 13th at 7:00 p.m. Worship will be followed by Sundays of Uniting Prayer (SOUP). Please consider becoming one of many soup-makers for the season. Thank you!

*Congregational Vitality Workshop for YOU - We all love the church and want it to grow...but how? What questions do we need to ask? How might we need to transform in order for growth to happen? Please mark your calendars now to par- ticipate in a special workshop lead by our Conference Superintendent of Congregational Vitality, Rev. Bener Agtarap, Saturday, Mar. 2nd. right here in our neighbor- hood! More info will be coming soon.

*Prayer Invitation: How important is it to you that we grow as a church - both spiritually and numerically? Can we "stay the same" and yet fulfill our mission "to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world"? We have a vital opportunity before us to fulfill our mission and to grow. That opportunity lies in our children and youth Sunday School program. The problem is, we are missing key leadership to coordinate and support this vital ministry. Would you pray about this - for the church and for leadership? 

One Body - Rev. Steven Garness Holmes

You are the body of Christ and individually members of it. —1 Corinthians 12.27

When you despair
that your life is small or insignificant,

when you grieve
that your life is troubled or a mess,
when you doubt

your life's benefit to the universe,
remember that no matter your faults,
regardless of your disappointments,

you are more than this one individual flesh:
you are a part of this vast, wondrous humanity,
this glorious Creation,

that you are part of God's healing of the world,
and know that your life, your whole life,
is wonderful, beautiful, and worthy,
holy, and belonging to God...

and give thanks. 

Celebrating Laity Sunday!

The ministry of the laity is the work of mission or ministry to which each believer is called. I Peter 2:9 says “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, In order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” As Christians we are all called to this ministry or priesthood – not just clergy. Each of us has a responsibility to proclaim the Good News and reach out to others in love.

Through our baptism we are given gifts of the Holy Spirit which empower us for our tasks. Each of us has a particular interest or passion for aspects of this call to mission and ministry. Remember that no one spiritual gift is greater than another and that all of the parts of the Body of Christ are needed to ensure the proper function of the Church. (See I Corinthians 12 and Romans 12). Plan to discover or affirm your spiritu- al gifts and think about your areas of passion. This is the first step into the ministry of the laity.

The second step is to maintain a relationship with God through the practice of spiritual disciplines or the means of grace which are; worship, searching the scriptures, prayer, Holy Communion, fasting or abstinence and holy conferencing or group fellowship.

The third step is to prepare or train for an area of ministry or leadership by taking courses and reading books about your area of giftedness or passion. Jesus said that we are to love the Lord our God with all our minds, hearts and strength and our neighbors as ourselves – follow this rule.

John Wesley insisted that early Methodists follow the “General Rules” which can be summarized as:
1. Do no harm.          2. Do good.          3. Stay in love with God (practice the means of grace)

Thank you for taking your call to the ministry and mission of the laity seriously. This ministry is not just for the church but is for all that you do, every day, at work, school or at home. May God bless you as you serve your church and the world and help to make disciples for Jesus Christ. (From www.gbod.org) 

Videos for 1-20-12

Chinese Choir

Chinese Sermon

English Sermon - Matthew 5: 1-14 & Luke 4: 18-19, Rev. Ann Jefferson

English Ministry News and Notes 1-20-13

*We welcome the Rev. Ann Jefferson to CCUMC on Human Relations Day! Rev. Ann, a 32-year resident of the Bay Area, currently works in Community & Con-tinuing Ed as Program Coordinator of the Theological Education for Leadership (TEL) Program and co-director of Worship at Pacific School of Religion. Beyond PSR, Ann serves as Assc. Pastor of Worship & Liturgy at City of Refuge UCC in San Fran-cisco and has been a musician and music director of several congregations throughout the Bay area. It is a gift to have Rev. Ann with us today!

*Human Relations Day is one of six special Sundays in the United Methodist Church. We set this day aside, the closest Sunday to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's birthday, as a call to the Church "to recognize the right of all God's children in realizing their potential as human beings in relationship with each other." (Book of Discipline) Your giving benefits a commitment to heal social ills and work towards justice on a national level through the Community Developers Program, UM Voluntary Service, and the Youth Offender Rehabilitation Program. Thank you for your generosity!

*Prayer Invitation: How important is it to you that we grow as a church - both spiritually and numerically? Can we "stay the same" and yet fulfill our mission "to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world"? We have a vital opportunity before us to fulfill our mission and to grow. That opportunity lies in our children and youth Sunday School program. The problem is, we are missing key leadership to coordinate and support this vital ministry. Would you pray about this - for the church and for leadership? A special training for any and all wanting to support this ministry will be held next Saturday, Jan. 26th, from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Please RSVP today.

*Church Appreciation Luncheon – We are SO thankful for the presence of each person at CCUMC. We’d like to gather and celebrate together on Sunday, Jan. 27th. We will be having a special luncheon at Peony Restaurant nearby. RSVP with Becky TODAY for the special rate of $10 (adults and youth), $8 (for children 6-12).

*We Welcome Rev. Martin Odi, ambassador for Youth & Child Visionary Ministry to CCUMC Jan. 30th - Feb. 4th. Please mark your calendars now:
-Saturday, Feb. 2nd, Dinner & Presentation @ 5:00 p.m.
-Sunday, Feb. 3rd, Preaching in 11:00 a.m. worship followed by congregational meeting and luncheon.
Please make every effort to be a part of these gatherings to learn, to ask questions, to grow together!

*Altar Flowers & Hospitality Sign Ups - Your participation does make a difference! Please consider signing up to bring beauty and warmth to worship and fellowship

Prayer for Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration

God of our forebears and our God, who has summoned women and men throughout the ages to be thy witnesses and sometimes martyrs for thee, we bow before thee this day in remembrance and thanksgiving for the life and legacy of thy servant, witness and martyr, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We thank thee for his time among us, for his words and for his deeds, and for the quality of his living witness which eases the pain of recalling the brevity of his years. We rejoice in his example of obedient faith and the scenes and stations of his life which inform and en-rich our own faith journeys. And we beseech thee this day for the strength, steadfastness and courage not only to remember but also to obey.

We remember the footsteps of Dr. King: walking everywhere in Montgomery, Alabama, during the bus boycott; sidestepping snarling dogs, swinging billy clubs, and torrential fire hoses in Birmingham; charting a King's highway in the desert wastelands of bigotry and hatred from Selma to Montgomery, from Memphis to Jackson, from Chicago to Cicero; walking ever and always where Jesus walked among the lonely and the lost; the downtrodden and the outcast; those denied their dignity and robbed of their rights. Lord, guide and enable us to follow his footsteps that we too may be found in those places of danger, division, discord and sorrow where love is so desperately need-ed but so painfully absent. Let us hear and feel anew the words of the old freedom song beckoning us to faith commitment in community with our fellow disciples of Jesus Christ, saying, "Walk together children, and don't get weary."

We remember the gentle, patient courage of Dr. King, as he made the teachings of Jesus the literal rule for loving: refusing the temptation to render an eye for an eye or a tooth for a tooth but rendering instead good for evil; nonviolently offering the other cheek to those who, blinded by hate, taunted and loving those who chose to be his enemies and persecutors; following his Lord in showing the greatest love of all by laying down his life for others. Lord, give us the courage to live by what we say we believe and to accept the teachings of Christ as codes of conduct rather than mere words of inspiration.

We remember the restless and unrelenting commitment of Dr. King, as he refused to barter justice or compromise thy Word; insisting that the demand for justice, freedom and human dignity applies to all thy children in Southeast Asia as well as the South Bronx, and throughout the two-thirds of thy creation where injustice and oppression preserve the privilege of the other third. Lord, save us from the temptation to be satisfied with partial fulfillment and limited expression of thy truth. Help us both to love our neighbors and also to see the whole world as our neighborhood.

O God, fashion and mold our memories into a guiding vision for active discipleship, so that we may not only long and yearn for thy coming kingdom but may also recognize its arrival and presence in the risen Christ Jesus, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, in whose blessed name we pray. Amen.
Rev. Dr. Randolph Nugent / General Secretary 1982—2002, Gen. Board of Global Min.

Appreciation Luncheon Invitation / 感恩餐會邀請函

You are warmly invited to...

CCUMC’s  Appreciation Luncheon

Sunday, Jan. 27^th, 2013

11:15 a.m. (Following 9:30 a.m. parallel Laity Sunday worship)

Restaurant Peony - 388 9th St # 288

Enjoy delicious dim sum, other tasty treats, and wonderful fellowship.

Please RSVP no later than this Sunday, Jan. 20^th

(English Ministry: Becky Wong)

$10 (youth and adults), $8 (children 6-12 years old), free (children 5 and under).  

If you would like to come but do not have the funds, please let us know!

We give great thanks and deep appreciation for each person’s presence, participation, and service with and through CCUMC.  We want to acknowledge and celebrate YOU!  

Please come...it wouldn't be the same without you.

誠摯地邀請您參加

屋崙華人衛理教會的感恩餐會

時間：2013年1月27日 星期日中午 11:15

(當天中文崇拜與英文崇拜同時9：30進行)

餐廳：牡丹閣 - 388  9^th St. # 288

一同享用點心佳餚美食、團契親睦

因為需要預定座位，敬請儘量在這星期日（1月20日）回覆

(中文堂向Helena/林黃晚霞報名)。

青少年 (12歲以上) 及大人每人10元，兒童 (6-12歲) 每人8元，孩童 (5歲以下) 免費。

如果您想參加但預算不足或困難，我們還是很歡迎您參加。

藉著這次的感恩餐會，我們要向所有在本教會出席崇拜與團契聚會、參與各種服事、教會社區服務活動的兄弟姐妹，表達深深的謝意與感激。在這個信仰的大家庭裡，我們不把任何人、任何事看做理所當然；因此，我們要特別地記念每一位兄弟姐妹，並且歡欣慶賀我們彼此擁有彼此 。衷心祈盼您來參加！

Videos for 1-13-13

Chinese Choir

Chinese Sermon

English Sermon - "The Most Loving Place in Town" 1 John 3:11-18, Pastor Emily

English Ministry News and Notes 1-13-13

*Church Appreciation Luncheon – We are SO thankful for the presence of each person at CCUMC.  We’d like to gather and celebrate together on Sunday, Jan. 27th. We will be having a special luncheon at Peony Restaurant nearby.  RSVP with Becky TODAY for the special rate of $10 (adults and youth), $8 (for children 6-12).

*Human Relations Sunday & Special Offering – Next Sunday, Jan. 20th, we celebration one of 6 Special Sundays in the UMC. We set aside this day as a call to "the Church to recognize the right of all God's children in realizing their potential as human beings in relationship with each other” (Book of Discipline.) This day of social action and raising awareness aims to heal social ills at the national level.  It supports Community Developers, UM Voluntary Service, and the Youth Offender Rehabilitation Program.  If you’d like to learn more about any of these programs, please visit www.gbgmumc.org.  Our special preacher will be Rev. Ann Jefferson.

*Mission Exchange with Rev. Martin Odi – CCUMC will welcome Rev. Odi to the Bay Area on Jan. 30th.  During his 5 days here, he will preach, meet with the Missions Ministry Team (MMT), speak at a special Mission Exchange event, and meet with the congregation.  Please make every effort to connect  during this time to learn more about Youth and Child Visionary Ministry.  For questions, please connect with members of the MMT.

*Prayer Need: Our children and youth Sunday School program is very much in need of coordination and leadership.  This important ministry program is a key way we walk with the children and youth of the church.  It can  also be a vital outreach to our Homework Club students.  We need to build it up.  We need to strengthen it.  Please pray for God’s leading and provision. A special training for any and all wanting to support this ministry will be held on Saturday, Jan. 26th  from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.  Please consider being a part of the day.

Is CCUMC the most loving place in town? by Steve Chan

John: 13:35; "By this all men will know that you are my disciples; if you love one another."

To be the most loving place in town; you have to have the most loving people. So do we have the most loving people?  We have been told that we are warm, welcoming and we do good coffee hours. Our potlucks are even better. We have small groups; adult Sunday school; do mission projects and many of our members are involved with community organizations. By all appearances, you would have to say we certainly have the looks of a loving place.

So let's look at what the Bible says about Love.  In 1 Corinthians chapter 13: 4,  it list 6 component of love: 1) Love is patient, 2) Love is Kind, 3) Love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude, 3) Love does not insist on its own way; 4) Love is not irritable or resentful; 5) Love does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth; 6) Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. So are you a loving person and do we have the most loving place in town?

I once thought that if I practiced maybe 3 out of the 6 components of love, I would be doing pretty good. If I practiced patience, kindness and not being boastful, arrogant or rude, I would be on my way to pleasing God.  What if I am sometimes irritable?  And,  I have to admit that it is nice to see people that I don't like doing poorly. I'm not perfect; but I am a nice guy. Is CCUMC just a nice place? We are not perfect,  but we are warm, welcoming, and friendly.  We are certainly busy; we have meetings all the time and the church calendar is full. We say the right things and quote the right verses so we must be a loving place.

In John 13:35; it states that all men will know that you are his disciples if you love one another. It does not say that it is okay to love one another with 3 or 4 of the 6 components. Maybe one week you can love one another with component 1, 4 & 5 and the next week 2,3 & 6.  Maybe during Valentines day; you do 4 of the 6 and Christmas shoot for 5 out of 6.  Did Christ just practice some of the components of love?  I certainly wouldn't blame Him the way some people treated him.  No, Christ loved us completely without reservation. To be the most loving place; we must all practice all 6 components of love.  I did not say it was easy; but I do know that it is necessary in order to become the most loving place in town.  Maybe one
day people will say,  “Come to CCUMC.  They are a very loving community.”


To be the most loving place in town; our first & utmost priority is to love God & one another. Everything else is secondary. We can open schools in Africa, feed the poor; dress the naked; give drink to the thirsty; but if we do not have love; we have nothing.

George Martzen and Chin Cheak Yu, Singapore Missionaries

Revs. George Martzen and Chin Cheak Yu presented their ministry and mission work in Singapore.  They are both affiliated with Trinity Theological College in Singapore.  Incidentally, several alumni of the college have served CCUMC - Rev. Jeffrey Kuan, Rev. Peter Lau, and Rev. Ben Fong, among them.  George and Chin Cheak attended CCUMC regularly for many months while they were visiting scholars at GTU in Berkeley.

English Ministry News and Notes 1-6-13

*Small Group Ministries Starting a New Season - Small Groups will begin next week (Jan. 8th and 9th). If you would like to learn more about Small Groups and their impact on our spiritual lives, please connect with any facilitator: Brenda, Becky, Burt, Charlie, Jane, or Steve. Every member if CCUMC in strongly encouraged to participate in a Small Group!

*LMUMC Food Pantry Work Day - Our monthly work day is on Saturrday, Jan. 12th, from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. If you have never served in this ministry, this is a great way to start off the new year! To learn more, connect with Jane.

*Church Appreciation Luncheon - We are SO thankful for the presence of each person at CCUMC. We'd like to gather and celebrate together on Sunday, Jan. 27th. We will be having a special luncheon at Peony Restaurant nearby. RSVP with Becky before Jan. 13th for the special rate of $10 (adults and youth), $8 (for children 6-12).

*Mission Exchange with Rev. Martin Odi - CCUMC will wilcome Rev. Odi to the Bay Area on Jan. 30th. During his 5 days here, he will preach, meet with the Missions Ministry Team (MMT), speak at a special Mission Exchange event, and meet with the congregation. Please make every effort to connect during this time to learn more about Youth and Child Visionary Ministry. For questions, please connect with members of the MMT.

*Please note - Pastor Emily will be out of the office through Jan. 12th. For pastoral care and concerns, please connect with Meina Ko (510.452.1020 or meinako12@gmail.com)

*Prayer Need: Our children and youth Sunday School program is very much in need of coordination and leadership. This important ministry program is a key way we walk with the children and youth of the church. It can also be a vital outreach to our Homework Club students. We need to build it up. We need to strengthen it. Please pray for God's leading and provision. A special training for any and all wanting to support this ministry will be held on Saturday, Jan. 26th from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Please consider being a part of the day.*

*The Most Loving Place in Town - Are we the most loving place in town? Come together to explore, reflect, and practice what loving community can be during the upcoming series of Adult Sunday School. We will be reading "The Most Loving Place in Town" by Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges. It promises to be a fun and insightful read! Sundays @ 9:30 a.m. sharp!

Epiphany Reflection by Becky Wong

The Sunday before Thanksgiving, an unusual request came to our congregation: Clarence, director of Asian Health Services had mentioned to Pastor Emily that one of his staff members needed a car. It was a mother with three children whose car had been totaled in an accident, and she was left without basic transportation and a budget that did not allow for buying a car at the time. Pastor had no idea how our congregation could respond, but she was first to offer some cash, and others followed suit.

I pondered what I could do. My well-used 1995 car had 225,000 miles on it, but it was still running fairly well, and we had recently spent $1,000 to put it in decent condition to pass the bi-annual smog test. My goal had been to run it "into the ground", although I'll admit I would periodically peruse the car ads to see if something would suit my desire to get a "green" model. I refused to buy anything that wouldn't get at least 50mpg because I felt the car industry was on the cusp of coming out with hybrids or electric models that could easily double today's mileage. By passing the smog test, I was granted 2 more years to wait for the car that would probably be my last new car purchase. I reasoned that if my '95 gave out sooner than expected, I could always share Al's van temporarily. And we live so near BART that I can easily get around using public transportation some of the time.

When Pastor Emily made the request to the congregation, I immediately felt called to respond and give up my car earlier than intended. After all, if I was ready in an emergency to share our remaining car anyway, why not now? I thought back to the days when I struggled in the cold mornings to get three children taken care of before heading off to work. Surely this lady needed a car more than I. I told Pastor Emily of my willingness, and arrangements were made to "loan" the car.

I have to admit that right after voicing the offer, I began to have a few misgivings. What have I done? Would I miss my "old clunker", which I had become attached to, but would no longer be available at a moment's notice? We had never been a one-car family before...could we suddenly change? Had I been rash in making this decision so hastily?

A month has gone by, and I'll admit that there were a few times when it was inconvenient not to have my own car. But for the most part, I didn't think about missing it anymore. In fact, my decision was confirmed by my two sons, who both said we shouldn't need two cars now that we are both retired.

During Epiphany, we remember the wise men coming to worship the baby Jesus, and leaving by another route...changed forever by witnessing the miracle of the holy infant. I ask myself, how am I changed by the experience of the overwhelming love of God shed in my life through the gift of Jesus, the Christ? Maybe giving up a car was just a small beginning. Where else might God be calling me to give to others, just as I have been given this most precious gift of God's love? I invite you, my brothers and sisters, to be looking and listening for ways which you might, like the magi, "take another route", do something outside of your normal routine, and make a change in your living that leads you reflect and radiate the light of God's love to others.

Videos for 1-6-13

Chinese Choir

Chinese Sermon

English Sermon - "Epiphany!" Matthew 2: 1-12, Burt Yin, Lay Speaker