Rev Dr Richard Chung
November 12, 2019
Minister’s Stewardship Message for 2020
CALLED TO BE THE CHURCH
Loving Our Neighbours
“You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (Matthew 22:39)
At Knox, our mission is to love God and love our neighbours. We are called out by God as a church community to live out this great commandment. Loving God means loving our neighbours. Our love for God is actualized in our love for our neighbours. Knox has been faithful in living out this call to love our neighbours for many years. Our ministry has reached many people in our community and touched many neighbours near and far. And we want to continue this tradition.
At, Knox, since we have adopted our vision to “engage our neighbours with the arts, building a community without loneliness”. In June 2018, we intentionally steered our ministry direction and focused our time, talent, and treasure (and terrain) to faithfully live out our mission to love our neighbours to advance our vision mandate. I believe that our on-going ministries at Knox are having a very positive impact, directly and indirectly, to our neighbours’ wellbeing.
We have refocused our monthly Community Lunch, with a new coordinating team and a renewed volunteer spirit, to better minister to those who have come for food and fellowship over the years. It is a vital ministry that fills the need of many lonely and isolated neighbours in our community.
We have also initiated the Sunday Social Concert Series, in partnership with UBC School of Music and Early Music Vancouver, to bring young local musicians to perform at Knox sanctuary and for the patrons to socialize after the concerts (Social Bar). The Sunday Social Concert Series is an innovative and unique ministry that takes Knox’s vision mandate to “engage our neighbours with the arts” to a wider community audience, reaching many neighbours living beyond the immediate proximity of Knox.
These and other ministries at Knox are vital in bringing our neighbours together to build community spirit and foster community wellbeing – our faithful response to God’s call.
I want to offer my deep gratitude to all of you who have donated your time, talent, and treasure to ministries at Knox. Your generosity has touched and changed many lives and hearts and is continuing to help advance God’s mission at Knox. I thank you! And I ask you to be more generous! If you are not able to volunteer like before, I’d like you to offer more of your treasure to Knox ministries. I ask you to practice the habit of generosity to let God’s treasure flow in and out of you to love our neighbours through Knox ministries.
Yours Sincerely,
Rev. Richard