祈求和感謝
2005 年 9 月

車厘茄與罐頭三文魚
江錦培牧師  總幹事

今年春天，我在園子裡種了三棵車厘茄。最初幾個月，我的確有點焦急，但那些園藝老手只管勸我修葉子、勤施肥、常澆水。半年之後，那三棵植物竟真的長滿了幾百顆車厘茄。

身傳先於口傳
昨天，每位中信同工都收到一罐三文魚，送禮者是小城服務隊的傳福音對象之一，是他自己親手泡製的。經過四年來的努力，從前撒下的種子，現已漸見果效。不但眼見多人歸信基督，我們與福音對象之間亦建立了深厚的友誼。我們先以「身傳」的生命見證，讓他們體會神的愛，然後才「口傳」神對他們的愛。今天，小城服務隊的事工已跨越加拿大東西兩岸，包括卑詩省、亞省、沙省、緬省、安省和魁省六個省份，儼然成了一個福音網絡。

看見先於聽見
今期有兩個見證分享，講述中信中心如何接觸不同層面的人士。我們定意要接觸的，是一些星期日從不踏足教會的一群。有人說得好：「他們對我們所知的不感興趣，除非他們感受到我們的關心。」他們需要「見」基督徒以身傳道，才會想去「聽」他們的道理。溫哥華、卡加利和滿地可中信中心就是為此，致力達成中信中心的使命：「將教會帶到人群…」。 

中信中心需要很多義工的協助。如你有興趣參與的話，請與我們聯絡。如想參與小城服務隊的事工，亦歡迎參加其中一次旅程，與我們一起探訪加拿大各處的小城。

一罐三文魚所蘊藏的意義非同小可。下次你到我的辦公室來，我可給你看看那罐頭；但車厘茄嘛，恐怕早已報銷了。

Cherry Tomatoes and a Can of Salmon
Rev. Edwin Kong  Executive Director

Earlier this spring, I planted 3 cherry tomatoes in my garden. For the first few months, I have to admit, I got a little impatient. But experienced gardeners kept telling me, clip some of the leaves and continue to fertilize and water them. Finally after 6 months, I have literally hundreds to pick from the vines.

Showing Before Telling
Yesterday, each of our staff members received a can of salmon from someone we have reached through Small Town mission. He canned them personally. After 4 years of tireless efforts, we begin to reap the harvest we have sown. We do not only see many turning to Christ, we have also built deep friendship among them. We "show" them God loves them with our lives before we "tell" them with our lips. Today, small town ministry has stretched literally from shore to shore across Canada. Six Provinces including B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec are slowing weaving a network. 

Seeing Before Hearing
I am sharing with you two testimonies in this issue of how CCM Centre is reaching different walks of life. We are determined to touch lives that otherwise will not set foot inside a church on a regular Sunday. Someone puts it very well this way, "They don't care how much we know until they know how much we care." They need to "see" a sermon before they want to "hear" a sermon. CCM Centres in Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal are striving to fulfil our mission statement, "To bring the Church to the people..."

We are constantly recruiting volunteers for CCM Centres. Please do not hesitate to call us to find out how you can get involved. If you were interested in small town ministry, we would love to take you along in one of our many trips across Canada.

A can of salmon has so much meaning behind it. Next time when you come into my office, I will show you this can of salmon. Sorry, I would have consumed all the tomatoes.