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Hamilton UBF, Canada

A Community of Love, Faith, Hope, and Mission

I. 2013 Annual Review

Based on Ephesians 3:16-19, we wanted to grow in a deeper personal relationship with God through deep Bible study and come to experience how wise and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to build up a beautiful and influential Christian community which reflects Christ and his love so that we may be a blessing to young Canadian students.
We also prayed to restore our faith and spirit and serve student ministry. In his grace, God used us to help a few students with His word and prayer and struggle to build up a community of love, faith, hope, and mission in and among us. Most of all, God showed us a sign of student ministry in 2013.

A. Bible study: At the beginning of the year we studied the whole book of Ephesians to learn the unity of believers under Christ and maturity in the love of God. At our Easter celebration we studied Matthew 26-28 and this year focused on resurrection by sharing resurrection testimonies. At our spring retreat at “Jericho House,” 2nd gens (Rebekah Kim and Pauline Chang) delivered debut messages (Mk 10:46-52; Hebrews 11:1-7) and several people shared reflections in a “Prayer Symposium.” Everybody prayed together with a loud voice for oneself and each other several times. In the summer we studied the whole book of Galatians to learn what it means to live by faith, overcoming our legalism. Throughout the year we studied Luke 17-21 and John 1-4. On thanksgiving we studied Psalm 107 and then Isaiah 7-9 and John 3:16 for Christmas. Thank God for sustaining our souls with his word throughout 2013.

B. One-to-one Bible study with students: Sky studied the Bible every week; Kristopher finished John’s gospel in a year and began Genesis study; Kathleen studied Exodus every other week and wrote a long and deep testimony without fail. As the fall semester began, God began to send many students. Deborah (2nd gen) was sent to Toronto UBF; then God sent two 2nd gens (Caleb and Daniel) to Hamilton. M. James Seo was determined to challenge inviting students and went out to campus every day during his lunch time or after work. As a result, God sent him many Bible students who have a spiritual desire such as Thomas, Jason, Patrick, Landon, Michael and Mateo. M. Rebekah Kim also found a good sheep, Keniesha, who comes to worship service from Mississauga. Through them we could see the sign of student ministry among us. By God’s grace in our Sunday worship service young people began to outnumber missionaries.

C. ISBC and Labor Day conference: We prayed persistently for ISBC from January and we had a two-week prayer dedication before the conference. Even high school students participated in prayer meeting and shared their testimonies from John 13-19. After coming back we had a symposium based on what we learned from the conference. We saw that God blessed each person to accept the love of God newly and make a new decision to respond to His love in his or her life. ISBC was a spiritual shower for all of us. Through “Labor Day Conference,” we were all inspired and challenged by M. John Baik’s faith and the work of God among the Bible students in El Camino UBF and could serve fall semester invitation ministry with zeal and faith in the living God.

D. International mission work and regional networking: In February S. Stephen visited us and gave us a lecture on the introduction to Revelation as well as message writing. In April, Shepherd Joshua Lee from DaeJeon UBF visited Hamilton and served us with the study of 2 Corinthians 4 and Ezekiel 2. Shepherd James and Priscila Kim from Juljeon visited M. James and Jane Seo with M. Moses Kim from Trenton, New Jersey and shared fellowship with us. Dr. Joseph and Esther Chung from Uganda shared their mission report in Toronto. We also invited them to Hamilton and had prayer fellowship. We received much grace through their love for Jesus and sacrificial shepherd life even in their old age. Right after ISBC, seven students from Juljeon UBF and M. Hannah and David Shin from Czech UBF visited Hamilton and had fellowship with us. M. Daniel Rhee from Pretoria UBF in South Africa served us with the study of Numbers; Dr. Mark Yang from Chicago served us with an intensive study of Philippians.

E. Co-working, raising children: In their busy schedule, all of our co-workers worked together to build up a community of love, faith, hope, and mission. Men co-workers served group Bible study by turn. M. Caleb and Hannah served sing-along and special song for worship service along with 2nd gens. M. Abraham and Rebekah Kim kept early morning prayer faithfully. M. Isaac installed a new kitchen sink and did Bible center maintenance as a steward. M. James and Jane served CBF. Women co-workers served lunch after worship service. Men co-workers struggled to serve Sunday message from John’s gospel (chapter 1-4). Whether they did well and or poorly, everyone struggled hard. Second gens also worked together with us by serving orchestra, Christmas drama and sing-along. HBF members (Noah, Stephen, Anne) participated in monthly HBF worship service and had a weekly group Bible study every Wednesday. They finished John’s gospel study and began Genesis study and were then encouraged to invite their friends. Rebekah Kim, Jr. needs strong health to work and study and Christy Kwon is praying for a new direction for her future career. Pauline Chang is preparing for medical school. It was also good to see some of the children coming to pray at the church in the morning with their parents.

F. Thanksgiving topics: It was only by God’s grace that we could maintain our life of faith as well as serve students on campus. We are full of sins and problems, but God is gracious and is working in and among us to build up a community of love, faith, hope, and mission so that we may serve God’s world mission purpose in our time as Bible teachers and prayer servants. Most of all, we thank and praise God for showing us a sign of student ministry this year.

II. 2014 Vision and Strategy

A. Our key verse for 2014 is from 2 Timothy 4:2: “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” We want to have deep Bible study and write sincere Bible testimonies until we may experience the power of God’s word in us to boldly share the gospel of Jesus with students on campus. May God raise each of us as diligent and effective Bible teachers for postmodern young people!

B. Plan: We will study John’s gospel continuously until April. Then we hope to study one book of the Old Testament and one NT epistle in the summer. After that we will begin our study of Mark’s gospel. We plan to have SBC with other chapters in Ontario on July 5-7. We also plan to have a spring retreat in May and want to find better ways to serve student ministry. We pray for our junior leaders to become excellent messengers of God’s word through message training.

C. Ministry Strategy: We want to devote ourselves to the ministry of the Word and prayer and to form a strong vessel of love and prayer for a spiritual revival in and among us. We want to offer our “five loaves and two fish” to serve fruitful one-to-one ministry and disciple-making ministry.

D. Prayer topics:

1. Every one may become well prepared Bible teachers to preach the word in season and out of season
2. To raise dedicated disciples of Jesus among missionaries, 2nd gens and Bible students
3. To build up a community of love, faith, hope, and mission and serve world mission through prayer and practical support

Paul Chang