Lisa Wang shares how she and her daughter, Amy, found their spiritual home

July 2024
Loran Tang, recruiter and training coordinator of Children’s Ministry

This month, I have invited Lisa Wang, a sister from Mandarin
congregation, to share about how she and Amy, her daughter,
found their spiritual home to worship God.

我是 Amy 的妈妈，我们是2022 年秋从蒙特利尔搬到温哥华居住。记得刚到温哥华的 一个主日，我和Amy 按着 GOOLE 地图搜索了一个离家近一点的有国语敬拜的教会。可 惜不巧，我们按照网上的时间到达，却发现国语敬拜的时间不对。我遗憾地说，我们再找 找其他教会，先回家吧。可是Amy 却说：”妈妈，我们现在就找，一定会找到一个教会，上午可以参加主日敬拜。”她的话让我很感动，她虽然是个孩子，却有着比我还要坚定的信心，得着神所恩赐的更大祝福。这让我想到了耶稣正是这么为小孩祝福。马太福音19章14 节：「耶稣说：『让小孩子到我这裡来，不要禁止他们；因为在天国的，正是这样的人。』」25 章40 节：「这些事你们既做在我这弟兄中一个最小的身上，就是做在我身上了。」就这样我们在车上继续搜索，感谢神的带领我们很快就找到了一个教会，正是 Burnaby Alliance Church，我们准时参加了主日崇拜活动。从那儿之后，我每次参加国语 崇拜的时候，就开始给 Amy 送到 BAC Children Ministry Junior Worship。

女儿刚开始时并不很情愿，面对一个陌生的环境，她很害羞。前几次她参加 Junior Worship 都需要我陪着, 但是很快她就适应了新的环境，喜欢上了这里。 感谢 BAC 儿童事 工的同工们的辛苦付出，给孩子们营造了一个很好的被接纳的环境，被肯定的环境，被鼓 励的环境，让孩子们很兴奋，很期待和快乐的样子，让孩子们感受在地如在天。现在 Amy 很自主喜爱的来到教会，可以很安心开心地参加 Junior worship, 她也慢慢地跟教会 服事的老师同工越来越熟悉，她越来越喜欢在这边唱赞美诗，听圣经故事，分享心得，收 获启发，对神有更多的认识，建立了她自己与神的关系。她也开始知道敬拜不仅仅是唱 歌，乃是我们对救赎我们的神的所有回应，包括赞美、臣服、尊崇、听从、感谢、侍奉等 等。她在每次结束敬拜，也会给我讲一些学到的圣经故事和她自己的感受和体会。

回想这1 年多的变化，她知道谦卑，上进心更强了。「上帝阻挡骄傲的人，赐恩给 谦卑的人。」（雅各书四6）她现在学体操，钢琴，画画，不用我说就自己知道努力，更加主动了。让我很感恩。领孩子一同来到主耶稣面前，把孩子交给主，真的是明智的选择。如圣经所言：「敬畏耶和华是知识的开端。」(箴言一7）「因为耶和华赐人智慧；知识和聪明，都由他口而出。」（箴言二6）

Translation:

I am Lisa Wang, Amy’s mom. Our family moved to Vancouver from Montreal since Fall 2022.

I still remember that on a Sunday, Amy and I tried to find a church nearby from Google map so that we can join Mandarin worship. We located a church but unfortunately, we missed their Mandarin worship time. In disappointment, I suggested to go home and try next time. However, Amy insisted the efforts and said: “mom, let’s find one NOW. I’m sure we can find a church that allows us to worship God this morning.” I was very touched by her words. She is a young kid but have a greater faith than me to claim God’s greater blessing. It also echoes Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 19:14: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” and in Matthew 25: 40: ”Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

We continued the drive and search. Thanks be to our God. We finally found one – Burnaby Alliance Church. We just made it to the Mandarin worship that morning. After that, I have been attending the Mandarin worship of BAC regularly and started to send Amy to Junior Worship.

In the beginning, Amy was very reluctant to go to Junior Worship. Getting familiar with a new environment for a shy girl like Amy is never easy. For the first few times, I accompanied her to attend JW. However, Amy quickly adapted the new church and started enjoying going to worship.

I am very thankful for the workers and helpers in BAC Children’s Ministry. They made so many efforts to create an environment that accepts, embraces and encourages children, to make church an exciting place that the kids can see God and that they look forward to.

Amy now is very motivated to come to church. She also gets familiar with the teachers and the song leaders and really enjoys singing hymns, learning the bible stories and even shares what she learned with me. She also understands that worshiping God doesn’t limit to singing hymns but also to respond to our redeeming God such as praising Him, obeying Him and giving thanks to Him. Every time after Junior Worship, she will tell me the bible stories she learned and how she thinks and understands about the stories.

When I reflect how she was transformed in the past year, I can see that she is now more humbled and more motivated in many different areas such as gymnastics, piano and drawing.

I am very grateful that I can come close to Jesus with my kid together. In Proverb 1: 7: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge…..” and in Proverb 2: 6: “For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” . Leading our children to God is the wisest decision.

Original Chinese version: Lisa Wang
Translated by: Loran Tang

Connect with Cheryl (Director of Children’s Ministry): Cheryl.li@bacfamily.org
Connect with Loran (Recruiter and Training Coordinator) : loran.tang@bacfamily.org