I really like a photograph of NPAC taken at night after the rain. In the brightest part of the picture, some people see the cross on the outer wall of the Main Church while others the signboards of McDonald’s and Wellcome. The cross and the signboards really go together, as if saying that the NPAC family lives and breathes with this community. People have daily food for their body. They also receive the spiritual food for the whole person.

        The street outside the MTR station and the bus stop is bright because of the floodlights on the walls of the church. Even when the night feels heavy, the small, tender glow from the NPAC family imparts a sense of peace and calm to people stepping out of the Fortress Hill MTR station without their knowing it. This is our NPAC family.

Reflections

        My desk calendar shows the month of November. This took my thoughts back to the same month five years ago. At that time, I stood in the Main Church as a new Senior Pastor, nervously sharing the first five-year plan (2021–2025) of “A Decade of NPAC Worshippers.”

        I remember how the environment of Hong Kong was rapidly changing: Culture and trends shook family values; worldviews were turned upside down; daily life was increasingly digitized; and the social unrest and quarantine due to the pandemic heightened the tension among people. It was the same Hong Kong, the same church, yet there was somehow a feeling of unfamiliarity.

       Just as the world felt like shadows in the night, God’s word shone like a lamp on our path: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)

        As I look back now, I know that without God’s bountiful grace, without His leading and His care, we could not have come this far.

Mission Unchanged

         Five years ago, we reminded ourselves that the starting point of the Christian and Missionary Alliance was a mission movement. The church is a missional community. It is a sailing ship. The huge waves of the times are no reason to stop. Even in difficulties, we must depend on the Lord and move forward. We adjusted our mindset with the theme “Steadfast Mission in New Horizons” and walked through these five years.

         To enter new horizons, we need a renewed vision. Thanks be to God that although our leaders and senior members value the continuation of our spiritual legacies, they are willing to be intentionally open. They allow the church to renew our ministries and ways of shepherding. They have specifically nurtured believers who came to Christ and who have grown in faith in the past ten years in order to prepare a church environment ten years later that is conducive to bearing good fruit continually in the NPAC family.

         These five years have seen strong winds and high waves. Yet God still sits on the throne. As society changes, the NPAC family strives to plan ahead and renew our structure. When the tides rise and fall, we feed the flock with steady care. For overseas missions, we allocate as much resource as we can. We firmly believe that “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” We also share resources with many brothers and sisters in Christ locally to spread the gospel right where we are.

         These five years are coming to an end and yet the LORD still has the NPAC family sailing towards the goal of the Great Commission. May the true light of Christ shine on our city and our nation. May it show all people in the world the path of life they should walk in.