I have been inspired by missionaries since childhood. During the Second World War, when I was a baby, our family had to escape from Hong Kong, the city of my birth, into China. The Imperial Japanese had invaded the then British colony, so dad took us back to our ancestral Hakka village, in the mountainous areas of Guangdong province. His father, my grandfather, had earlier been the Gospel Mission Hospital Director in that village, and my dad then assumed that position during the War.

我从小就深受传教士启发。在二次大战时，家人带着襁褓中的我从我的出生地香港逃到了中国。日本帝国占领了英属香港。父亲带我们逃到广东山区，我们祖籍地的客家村。我祖父曾是那村里福音事工医院的 院长。我父亲在二次大战时接下了那份职位。

Because of that, our family lived on the mission compound, and missionary doctors and nurses became our family friends and neighbors. Later on, growing up in Hong Kong, our family also had many missionary friends who would come by to visit. So, there is little surprise I guess, that from early childhood, I grew to know and appreciate the key roles of missions in the church and world.

因此，我们全家住在事工宿舍里，和传教士医生护士们比邻而居并和他们成为朋友。后来，我们在战后回到香港后也时常有许多传教士朋友们来家中探访。如此，我从小在耳濡目染中自然而然的认识了宣教在教会里及世界上的角色。

In my mind, there is no question that missions is a vital key component of church health, as emphasized by Christ’s Great Commission. With the perspective of nearly 5 decades of church ministry, and observing growing churches, I like even to say “no mission, no church.” Or, “if we don’t have missions, the church dies.” It is that important. But, sometimes we think missions simply means sending financial support overseas. That is actually the simplest step. It is the mission involvement that is so vital to our own spiritual growth. When we become involved in the lives of missionaries, we begin to truly feel real joy, especially as we see the wonderful blessings that come with missions, but, there is also the possibility of real pain. We may not like it when the lesson of “love is painful” happens, but it could be only then that we truly learn the lesson of love, God’s love for the nations.

我从未怀疑宣教就如同基督的大使命，是健全教会不可缺少的重要基石。以我五十多年来在教会里服事的经验以及对教会成长过程的观察，我会说“没有宣教就没有教会。”换句话说，“我们若不宣教，教会就会死去。”宣教就是如此重要。不过，我们有时候会认为宣教仅仅在财务上支持海外事工。事实上，这只是最容易的第一步。我们若要灵命成长，必要亲历亲行。只有直接参与宣教生活，我们才能够亲身感受那亲眼见到宣教所带来奇妙祝福时真真实实的喜乐。然而，宣教生活有时候可能是痛苦的。我们不希望在痛苦的经历里学习爱，但是我们有时候必须经历过才能学到爱的真谛和神对万国万民的爱。

The minute we begin church missions, we are instantly reminded of a competing tug at our heart for many other church needs, near at hand, and possibly staring us in the face. Something like never-ending possibilities of church maintenance, renovations, and building expansion. And if we are a very responsible church, local ministries also cost a lot. Often, the faraway missionary stands little real chance of financial and spiritual support, compared with local needs. Missions truly needs out-of-the-box thinking, and requires full support of ministers, elders and deacons, otherwise it won’t work. Especially from the most senior leadership.

当我们开始教会宣教事工时，我们马上察觉到教会里还有很多别的事需要我们的劳心出力。这些事可能是教会的例行维护，翻修，又或者是扩建。再者，一个有负担的教会很可能已经在在地事工上投入了许多金钱以及精力。那些身在远处的传教士们能得到财务或精神支持的机会是很少的。因此，宣教事工需要跳出常理的思维以及教会牧者，长老，和执事们的全力支持，缺一不可。

But, missions can be great fun, so let us start with that. My decades working in church missions included 3 decades specifically in China and Thailand, and close involvement with new and established mission agencies. It has been a great experience, full of joys and pain. Right off, the biggest problem is its complexity, needing several articles to cover adequately.

宣教事工可以是很有趣的。我们先从这里说起。我在数十年间所做的教会宣教事工里有三十年是专注于中国和泰国事工。我与许多新的和既有的宣教机构密切合作。那些美好的经历里充满着喜乐以及艰辛。事工的复杂性是一个大问题。这得要分成许多独立文章才讲得清。

From our church’s very beginning, we began efforts in missions. We found it practical to focus on certain geographic areas, to not get too diffusely distracted, since mission needs are always very large in scope (like the whole world!). Asia was a natural focus for an Asian church, given our closer understanding of the cultures, and natural connections. Another key area soon appeared to us, in the Middle East and related areas, which was extremely challenging, but therefore likely in greatest need, from which we would learn many new lessons.

在我们教会刚刚开始的时候我们就也开始了宣教事工。因为事工需要可涵盖的地域十分广大(可以是全世界！！)，我们必须务实的选择专注于特定地域才不会贪多务得把精力分散了。由于对文化的了解以及既有的关联，亚洲是亚裔人教会很自然的选择。我们很快的也想到了中东地区。我们知道在中东宣教是十分艰难的，但是正因如此，中东地区的需要也是最大的，而我们可以从中学到很多经验 。

This latter field we learned early on, especially from a white couple studying at our University of Cincinnati, who came to bible study because of interest in northwest China minorities. They went on to serve in the Middle East, where they remain, after decades of ministry. And, later on, from a new lady youth director who, after leading our youth ministry, went to a similar field. Her courage was shocking to us, since she was diagnosed with diabetes just a few months before she was due to go, and yet she was determined to go, and still serves there today.

我们有机会从借由一对在辛辛那提大学读书的白人夫妇身上接触到有关中东的经验。他们最先因为有心到中国西北部服事而来我们教会的查经会，不过他们后来决定到中东服事，数十年如一日，直到今天。之后，一位在我们教会青年事工服事的女青年也决定投身于相关事工。虽然她在去中东前几个月被诊断出有糖尿病，她仍坚决启程，在那里服事直到今日。我们很敬佩她的勇气。

And, there are other areas, anywhere in the world, of high personal risk, and therefore similarly the most needful. Such as, a couple planning to work in the highly risky border region of Northeast China and North Korea. Unfortunately, we lost contact with them, after many years, likely because of the sensitive nature of their work. This was the only situation where we “lost” a worker. Such as, also, a single brave lady working in the “slums” of Cincinnati, seemingly just as risky a venture, given the drugs, gangs and prostitution problems, a ministry we maintained for decades, to this day.

世界上还有许多非常危险的地方对事工有着迫切的需求。例如另一对夫妇去了极危险的中国东北和北韩边界。因为他们的事工在当地十分敏感，我们不幸的在数年后和他们失去了联系。这是我们唯一一次“失去了”我们的同工。又例如一位单身勇敢的女性到辛辛那提充满着毒品，帮派，和卖淫的问题险恶的贫民区里建立一个至今仍在运作的宣教事工。

We realized early that if we were a solid Bible believing church, practically by definition some young people should soon be eager for missions, and therefore should be given high priority. The first missionaries the church supported were indeed an American raised, Cantonese origin, physician with his Taiwan-born wife, both of whom studied at our University, destined for medical mission in Igbo, Nigeria, soon after graduation.

我们很早就认定我们若真的是一个坚定以圣经为本的教会，则我们教会里的青年人应当对宣教事工有所负担。因此我们很看重培养青年人宣教。我们教会支持的第一对宣教士就是在美国长大粤裔的医生以及他在台湾出生的妻子。他们两人都在我们大学读书，并在毕业后不久即加入到奈及利亚Igbo地区服事的医疗事工。

Many of our young people destined for missions needed quite a bit of hand-holding, counseling and prayer support. Especially since nearly all parents in our first decades, instinctively balked at the prospect of their own children “responding to the call.” Since I was eager for missions, there was even a rumor going around church, warning serious youth, “don’t talk too much with uncle Reggie, he might get you into missions.” It turns out, on the contrary, I have been dead serious that the missionary call should be a “God call,” and definitely not a calling from an elder, no matter who he is.

我们许多最后决定投身宣教事工的年轻人在一开始需要很多帮助，辅导，和代祷。这是因为大多数他们的父母在“本能上拒绝”接受自己的孩子“回应呼召”。因为我热诚于宣教事工，教会里曾有传言警告认真的年轻人“不要常和曽叔叔说话，他会把你带去宣教。”事实上我宣教的看法和传言里是完全不同的。我确信宣教的呼召必定要“从神而来”而不是来自任何一位长老的言语。

Each young person truly had to struggle and wait patiently, till their parents accepted their call, or at least did not directly obstruct them. Thankfully, all who were called were able to proceed, after a few years of struggles. Over the years, the growing numbers were exciting, and provided encouragement for subsequent youth to be even more open to full time service.

每一位青年人都必须经过挣扎和耐心等待直到他们父母接受他们的决定，或者至少不直接反对或阻止他们。感谢神，虽然有些青年人要经过几年的挣扎，所有被呼召的青年人最终都能如愿以偿。这些年来逐年增加的数目让我们倍感激励。这也对后来的青年人决定全职事奉有着正面的鼓励作用。

Somewhat later, another priority for missions support was early retirees, where financial needs were much lower, or none. My wife and I were privileged to respond to full time mission at age 54, a great age for our “first early retirement.”

再后来，我们对支持宣教有了另一个重点，那就是提前退休的人。他们对于财务支援的需求很低，有时根本没有需要。笔者和内人有福分能在五十四岁第一次“提前退休”时回应全职事奉的呼召。

Overall, the great thrill was that, over the first 46 years of our church history, over 55 church related members went on to full time ministry, with over half being young people. And, each new missionary automatically became a role model and example to others.

总而言之，让我们倍感激励的是在我们教会第一个四十六年里有超过五十五位会众投入全职事奉，其中过半是青年人，而每一个新的事工都自动成为后来人的榜样。

Many young missionaries-to-be had no experience with donors, so they needed coaching on approaching churches, committees, small groups, and individuals for support. “Non-Asians” often preferred more direct approaches (some agencies even teaching new recruits how to “close the deal”), but “Asians” preferred more nuanced approaches, so there were cross-cultural differences straight away.

有志成为宣教士的年轻人多半没有支持者联系的的经验。因此他们需要接受辅导，了解如何能向其他教会，社区，团体，以及个人寻求支助。“非亚裔人”一般喜欢比较直接的方式，有些机构甚至教导新人如何“close the deal（完成交易）”，但是亚裔人比较接受间接的方式。这是文化上面的差异。

I liked to encourage especially lunch or coffee with potential donors, that allowed a thorough one-on-one explanation of missionary calling, and ministry needs. The personalized connection, even with a small group, left more lasting impressions and connections, for a precious and strong bond, sometimes, for life. Many missionaries-to-be of course needed help to overcome their initial embarrassment and hesitation, but they learned, literally on the job.

我鼓励年轻人主动和可能支持者吃午饭或者喝咖啡，在那里亲自向他们解说宣教的呼召以及事工的需要。直接与个人或团体接触更可以留下长远的印象以及一生中珍重的坚固情谊。我们需要帮助年轻人跨过他们最初的不好意思以及踌躇不前。我发现他们边做边学，并且学得很快。

Church leadership and mission committee members definitely helped make the connections for aspiring missionaries, to meet individuals or small groups. The usual 7-minute (or 3 minute) presentation at Sunday service, was helpful but “ceremonial,” usually signifying a blessing by the church, encouraging missionaries to be able to meet freely with church members. The Sunday presentation usually raised little real support, but in the long run, personalized interactions provided greatest support.

教会里的领导团队以及宣教小组可以帮助志成为宣教士的人去接触别人或者是团体。那些在主日崇拜后的七分钟或三分钟简报，通常在实质上帮助不大，只是在“形式上“表示教会的支持并鼓励宣教士和教会里的会众见面。长远看来，宣教士们的主要支持多是来自于与他们有个人连结的支持者。

We learned, from hard reality, that there should be a support team of at least 3 in the church, willing to pray seriously and regularly (even using the internet) for each missionary, to provide spiritual support for the long haul. Otherwise, the missionary could later lose connection with the church, especially if there are mission problems, or changing membership in the mission committee or even the sending church. We considered it so essential, that later in our mission committee, we insisted on a core team as prerequisite for approval of each missionary for support. In times of trials or special needs on the field, this core team becomes an advocacy group for the missionary, like a cheering team, helping to raise awareness, the “la la team,” in Chinese.

我们从教训中学到每一个宣教士在教会里都应该有一个至少三人的小组愿意经常认真地（即使是透过互联网）为宣教士祷告并为他们长远的事工提供精神支持。不然，宣教士们很容易与教会失去联系，特别是在事工遇到问题或者是在事工团队或教会人事变迁的时候。我们很重视这件事，因此我们坚持教会在批准支持后来的宣教士之前，他们必须先在教会里有一个核心团队。当宣教前线遇到考验或者有特别需要时，教会里的核心团队就成为他们的支持团队，做他们的拉拉队，帮他们打气，使教会知道他们的需要。

So, how do we mobilize support for the missionary, for the long haul?… Please read on, in part 2.

如此说来，我们应该如何推动对宣教事工的长远支持呢？请继续阅读第二部。