World Of Witness - Macau

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Macau Ministry

Mennonite Church Canada Witness is working in partnership with several other Mennonite bodies to establish an Anabaptist peace church in Macau. A small congregation of believers has already emerged and there is a vision to nurture other fellowship groups throughout the city. Witness workers who have provided leadership to the church are now encouraging local Christians to give pastoral leadership to the church. Through cell groups, English classes, children’s classes, and friendship evangelism, the Macau team invites working class people to join the community of people who follow Jesus. Most of the programs and worship activities are done at the rented church facilities.

Located on the south coast of China about 40 miles from Hong Kong, Macau has become the centre of Asia’s gambling industry. Recently Macau surpassed Las Vegas in gambling revenue. While Macau’s casinos took in around 10 billion dollars from gamblers in Macau in 2007, the booming economy has not improved the quality of life for most of Macau’s working class. Because many are working in the casinos where wages are better, there is a general shortage of bus drivers, nurses, and staff in small businesses. Many small businesses have to close because they cannot find staff to hire. Real estate prices have skyrocketed, making it much more difficult to purchase an apartment. In this setting, members of the Macau Mennonite Church struggle with what it means to live faithfully as a Christian in a city where so much is dependent on the gaming industry.

Witness workers from Macau also relate to and encourage this ministry. Mennonite Church Canada Witness relates to the Conference of Mennonite Churches (CMCHK) in Hong Kong as a fraternal church partner. Pray for the three Mennonite churches in Hong Kong as they give witness to Jesus Christ in the heart of metropolitan Hong Kong.

Celebrations

• The Macau Mennonite Church has celebrated the baptism of new believers every year.
• We celebrate that local leaders, Treasure and Bailey Chow, are taking on more pastoral leadership roles in the church.
• Pastor Treasure Chow participated in the IMPaCT, a pastor exchange program, in British Colombia in the fall of 2010.
• The church is moving into a cell-group structure.
• Celebrate every time a disciple of Jesus makes a courageous choice to follow Jesus in every-day life.

Challenges

• Making disciples in a city where the total Christian population is less than 1% of the total population.
• Encouraging church members to attend regularly, despite pressures of shift work, long working hours (often Sundays), and other activities in society that compete for the church’s time.
• Equipping leaders for small groups and ministry in the church.
• Pray for children of mission workers to be salt and light for God’s kingdom in a fun and clear way in their international school where there are few Christians.

Partners

• Mennonite Mission Network (MMN)
• Eastern Mennonite Missions (EMM)
• Conference of Mennonite Churches in Hong Kong (CMCHK)

Workers

• Veith, George & Tobia

Celebration Moment

I have never preached in a church that had a waterfall!

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