The Journey of a Servant

Tombed

2007-04-08T22:27:00.000-04:00

dear friends,

this blog will be closed down and moved to my wordpress blog...I thank you for your support...thank you.

Remaining In Him

Peter O

New York City Asian American Ministry Speaker Series Launches in January!

2007-01-08T10:52:00.001-05:00

New York City Asian American Ministry Speaker Series Laucnes in January!

Pastoral and Laity Ministries and Chinese Christian Herald Crusades Herald Youth Center are proud to present a Speakers Series called ENGAGE ((English-speaking Asian American Group Exchange): The Asian American Ministry Speaker Series will launch it first season in Spring 2007. This monthly series hopes to build, equip, assist and rebuild lay leaders who serve Asian American churches. The first series will focus on Asian American Youth Ministry and the implications for leadership and developing discipleship. We hope that you join us as we fellowship and hear from some of ministry practitioners.

The first Speaker Series will be held at 7 p.m. at the Chinese Christian Herald Crusades (CCHC) Flushing Herald Center, 39-07 Prince St., Unit 4J, Flushing, NY 11354.

Date: Wednesday, January 17, 2007 at 7 p.m.

Where: Chinese Christian Herald Crusades (CCHC) Flushing Herald Center, 39-07 Prince St., Unit 4J, Flushing, NY 11354.

There are municipal parking lots available and street parking. It is easily accessible by the 7 train to Main Street and car.

Municipal Parking:
Closest: Prince St/Main St and 39^th Ave/38^th Ave

(quarter for each 10 mins till 10 pm)
Farther: Between 39^th / 37^th Aves and 138^th St/Union St.
Parking Lot on: 39^th ave between Prince St and Main St. (Sheraton Parking)

For driving directions click here

It is easily accessible by the 7 train to Main Street and car. If there are any questions please feel free to call Peter Ong at 917-359-2021 or Ellen Hwang at 212-334-2033 x1603. All participants will receive a free copy of L2 Foundation’s Asian American Youth Ministry, edited by DJ Chuang. For each Speaking Series, dinner will be provided.

Please email peter@palmny.org to confirm your attendance and participation.

January 17^th, 2007:

Incarnational Ministry for Asian Youth

Presented by Brian Hall, Area Director of Asian Younglife

Brian is the founder and area director of Asian Young Life in northern New Jersey, a Christian organization committed to making a difference in the lives of Asian American teenagers, especially the unchurched (see http://asian.younglife.org). He is also a high school social studies teacher at the Academies @ Englewood in Englewood, NJ, where he teaches World Studies, Sociology, and Chinese and advises the school's Ultimate Frisbee Club and the East Asian Club/LiNK. Brian holds a Ph.D. degree in sociology from Rutgers University, where for his dissertation he studied the growth of Christianity among Chinese American college students. During the 2002-03 school year he was a Fulbright Junior Scholar in Taiwan, where he studied Chinese language at National Taiwan University in Taipei. He has written several published articles, including a chapter in the book Asian American Youth Ministry, published by the L2 Foundation. In his spare time, Brian enjoys mountain biking and watching the TV show 24.

Grasping Hunger

2006-11-07T20:58:00.000-05:00

"If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, and if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom with become like midday and the Lord will continually guide you and satisfy your desire in scorched places…. It’s not a coincidence that in the scriptures, poverty is mentioned more than 2,100 times. It’s not an accident. That’s a lot of air time, 2,100 mentions. (You know, the only time Christ is judgmental is on the subject of the poor.) ‘As you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me’ (Matthew 25:40). As I say, good news to the poor…. "-Bono

There is a whisper that haunts me. Those are the fading pulses of lives who are fading into mortality as I write this (Every 3.6 seconds another person dies of starvation and the large majority are children under the age of 5. Source UN Millennium Project ). I am haunted by these faces and these bodies which are rendered to another mass grave. But what haunts me is how the Lord will respond to our denial of these who hunger. What will we present to Him? Our pews, our buildings, our full parking lots, our large fellowship halls, or our multiple services? But what will He say when He asks if we have lightened the yoke of the poor? In James 1:27 it is said, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” Have we really turned our hearts toward what God says about poverty and our role to welcome the stranger...I am asking this because it is a question I pose to myself...what am I doing and praying all that I can to deal with this monumental issue? Yet, I say to God, to prepare my heart to do what You want for this life of ours to move in a direction of discipleship...one that is filled with compassion and depth...not religious speak that is abusive of its bullied power or flaunts its righteousness that borders on exhibitionism. But what if we were a nation that were more like Jesus...welcoming the outcasts, healing the broken, and reflecting the love that defines our identity in Him. Not out of pride but of humility that in the midst of all our filth, he wraps us in a gown of praise...that radiates such majestic mercy and grace. But for now, I am faced with the person in the mirror and I am going to have to spend some sincere time in looking in my own spiritual distress...and come before God to ask for forgiveness and for unveiling my eyes to the hope that lies before this tattered road of faith...like the road to Emmaus...my heart burns...

ASIAN AMERICAN LAITY PROJECT
I was able to meet with some pastors to discuss the project and we are moving ahead with the hope that the project can raise the necessary funds. I am having conversations with several leading and emerging Asian American leaders in New York City for this project. There is a workable plan for a teaching series and a fellowship group meeting for leadership. I am still working on a plan to work merging some ministries to unified towards impacting New York City Asian American communities. Please pray for provision and praise God for the support that is coming in.

ONEHOUSE
It was a success in many ways and posed some tangled moments of admonishment but overall we raised $4,000 for World Vision and Bread and Water. You can read a more in-depth update at my xanga entry here. Please pray for the future of this movement and for the committee members to be given courage and vision for the next steps of this ministry.

SPEAKING ENGAGMENTS
Once again the season has begun and I am getting invitations to speak at churches, outreach events, college fellowships and retreats. Here are the venues as of now...

New York University
I will be speaking there on "Truth or Fiction: Is This it?" I will speaking on the contrasts of cheap discipleship versus sacrificial discipleship, communities of faith and the purpose of our faith...I hope to engage the students to take a closer look at their faith journey and to give permission for mutual oversight.

Bergen Church of New Jersey
I was invited to speak to their youth for their winter conference. They are getting me the theme and the issues that they would like to address in my talks. I am excited because I will have some quality time with my mentor John Ng who is the speaker for the adult track of the conference.

Reformed Church of Newtown
I am speaking at a youth outreach/bubble tea event. I will be speaking from John 4 and speaking on the theme of "Thirsty?" This event is picking up momentum among the youth in New York City.

Binghamton Intervarsity
I have been invited to speak for the Spring 2007 kickoff evangelistic meeting. I am excited that I have an opportunity to speak to a group of students who are working out some of the most important questions about faith and love.

Penn State (Asian American Christian Fellowship)
I am speaking here for a fellowship meeting and an outreach for the Asian American Christian Fellowship.

Long Island Abundant Life Church
I will speak at their Spring conference for youth track. I will be speaking on the theme of Lordship and Sacrifice.

Cornell Navigators
There is something in the works to do a joint fellowship meeting where I will speak as an outreach or a unity event.

I have been working with some possibilities of going on a national ministry to develop a vision for Asian American youth. I am looking for partnership with some musicians and artists to pray and to seek God's guidance in this movement.

Cornell Grace Christian Fellowship
I had a meeting this past week with the President and with potential part-time staff to discuss the direction of the fellowship. It was a good time of reflecting and looking ahead. Pray for provision for funding for the part-time staff so that she can serve with freedom.

Chinese Christian Herald Crusades
I have been assisting one week out of the month to serve at the Herald Youth Center. It has been a fruitful time as I have been able to assist in training for their Bridge in the Gap mentorship outreach program. I was so blessed by the partnership of brothers and sisters who are willing to serve together to reach Chinese youth in the community. Pray for a staff person to replace the two that have resigned. CCHC just purchased a significant property in Queens that cost $3 million. I am asked to help in developing a fundraising plan. Pray for provision and for guidance to move forward with what God wants to do with the new project.

MISC
Thank you for your prayers regarding my teeth, I had some scaling and deep cleaning and the hygienist commented that I am on the road to recovery from periodontal disease. I will have some tooth extraction in the upcoming months but it looks like the worst is behind us.

Jamie and I are on the home stretch as she will graduate in May 2007 and have an internship possibilities in D.C. or Geneva. Pray for direction on what are the next steps for us. We are planning on going back to New York City. It is an exciting time for our marriage as we are seeking to see what the next season, it has been a great first year and now with our second year, we are being challenged about our love for each other and for God...Pray that we grow in matters that are true to God and to ourselves.

Thanks for reading and I appreciate your support and encouragement.

To Financially Support the ministry please send checks (make payable to PaLM) to:PaLM48-19 196th StreetFresh Meadows, New York11365-1316please mark memo: Asian American Laity Ministries. All donations are tax-deductible.

Parallel Parking

2006-10-11T18:30:00.000-04:00

Hey family, I have been on a hiatus lately due to my trip to New York City and when I returned home, I got sick...thank you for your e-mails and words of encouragement. I didn't realize that these updates mean so much to you guys and thank you for your patience and your time! Get ready for an update...

Coming Home: Parallelling between destinations
I was in New York City for a week to start my monthly ministry with the Herald Youth Center and with the Chinese Christian Herald Crusades. It was the longest time that I have been apart from Jamie and in some ways it was very difficult but also finding that in the absence there is intimacy. Each night when we prayed or spoke about our days, there was a deeper affection and support for one another. We have a chance to share and enter into the promise that God has a plan and purpose for us during this new season of our lives. It reminds me of the words of Oswald Chambers, "When you cannot hear God, you will find that He has trusted you in the most intimate way possible— with absolute silence, not a silence of despair, but one of pleasure, because He saw that you could withstand an even bigger revelation. " The pauses of these days of our marriage has brought me to understand the cost of pursuing this calling...to serve...to account my days to Him.

A special thanks to Pastor Joseph Tsang of Vision Church who housed me one night and had a great time with some old friends like Norman, Steph and Carrie...the highlight was getting late night Kennedy Fried Chicken and watching U2 Concert videos.

Asian American Laity Ministry
I had the chance to preach at Mid-Hudson Chinese Christian Church and enter into a discussion with them to develop their English ministry. I am approaching them to establish some training and also support for them on a monthly basis starting in January. I am developing a plan with them to build this new direction in their church and recruiting some pastors and advisors to build this ministry. It was such a blessing to be with the leadership who have such a passion and commitment to see this Chinese church develop a legacy with its second and third generation congregation.

A small and growing group of Laity Project partners are building in New York City with several church leaders and also pastors. I am excited to see how God will use this project to empower the lay leaders of the Asian American church. I am still awaiting to work with several parachurches and with seminaries once the funding comes through.

I am also in the midst of doing the transcription for the Asian American Leadership Roundtable but my camcorder broke. I had it sent in for repairs and hope to get it transribed and posted.

Please pray for the vision of this campaign. Pray for wisdom as I am working with the Mid-Hudson Chinese Christian Church to establish and build on the ministry of the English congregation.

Chinese Christian Herald Crusades
I was able serve with the Herald Youth Center for a week and focus on developing a ministry plan with the team. In January, there will be a launch for the Center. The Chinese Christian Herald Crusades is in the midst of closing of a property in Queens that will make a multi-functional community center in the heart of the Chinese ethnic community. I am working with the organization to develop a plan to pursue partnerships with English speaking congregations for this project.

Pray for my role there and also the work that God is doing through CCHC. Pray for focus and to follow after God in the midst of this new venture and that we don't get seduced by the magnitude of the new center but rather pursue the preaching and the living out of the gospel.

OneHouse
OneHouse event is a little over a week away and there is such a momentum of the churches to come to this event for unity and social justice. I am preparing a talk for the evening called, "Paradise Lost: God's Testament of Justice in a Broken World." I will be speaking on Jesus's first sermon in Luke 4:17-19...In this very important message (one of the most important ones I have ever prepared), I am living through an unrealized yearning for myself. I have read and poured over scriptures that speak for our response to the poor, the widows, the orphans, and the oppressed...never had it spoken so deeply into my heart as it has this past week. I watched Hotel Rwanda for the first time last night and saw the profound loss in the world's unspeakable silence in the midst of so much tragedy...and I have this opportunity to join brothers and sisters in uncovering God's plan to uncover this journey to bring hope to the world...

Pray for this event but more importantly for a movement of the Holy Spirit to stir the hearts of our brothers to identify with the poor and to move towards a reality of God's deliverence in the lives of those hurting...

Center for New Americans
I have been volunteering at the Center for New Americans, which is a Syracuse organization that helps to resettle refugees from around the world...It has been so eye-opening as these refugees share their lives with me...I met a woman from Somalia who tells me of her experiences in surviving in the midst of moving from conflict, a young Congolese man who has scars that has not diminished his tender demeanor and polite disposition, and a Liberian woman who has overcome political upheaval to only have to fight and overcome her personal bout with cancer. These lives, these stories have nourished my soul...and have brought me to tears...these men and women who have shattered lives...they not only survive but have the most beautiful spirit...to smile, to look at me and offer me some of the most geniune laughs as I share jokes with them...Pray for those around the world who are in camps...surviving and wanting to arrive in a destination where there are lives that are released and radiant.

Speaking engagements
Once again the season has begun and I am getting invitations to speak at churches, outreach events, college fellowships and retreats. Here are the venues as of now...
NYU (Intervarsity Christian Fellowship)
Bergen Christian Testimony Church
Reforme Church of Newtown
Penn State (Asian American Christian Fellowship)
Cornell Navigators Fellowship

Praises for Provision
Thank you for your prayers...Jamie and I had our car fixed which cost us $1200 but it was amazing that my speaking engagements and generous friends who have given us love offerings in time of need really helped this month. We have also to find some alternatives towards my dental procedures and found a discounted rate that saved us more than $300. Thank you for your support.

To Financially Support the ministry please send checks (make payable to PaLM) to:
PaLM
48-19 196th Street
Fresh Meadows, New York
11365-1316
please mark memo: Asian American Laity Ministries
All donations are tax-deductible

Transient

2006-09-20T22:49:00.000-04:00

"I go through life as a transient on his way to eternity, made in the image of God but with that image debased, needing to be taught how to meditate, to worship, to think." -Donald Coggan.

I arrive in this week with a great centre of heaviness and levity...thus leading to me a place of contemplation. Faith often arrives to me in moments of surprise. I realize that I am truly a vagrant along this ragged journey of faith. Poor and wretched but with a great sense of God's panaroma of mercy around me. That along this road, I can sense the doting father with His stirring for me to come home. I realize most of the accomplishments, accolades and measures of spiritual success are pale disguise for my heart. The words of Paul Tokunaga remained with me from the Eastern Chinese Bible Conference, "I am not fine." Not fine in my heart. Not fine in my walk. Not fine with the level of love for those who are around. I am just not "fine." And as I finished writing that, I sense this freedom in knowing that I will never be fine but I will always be loved. That is the promise. That is the echo of hope that centuries of pilgrims, saints and martyrs have resonated with. So I arrive this week with that echo that comes from the grind of daily life. Each step comes with it the weight of the day...but also the wonderful horizon of the arms of my savior...bidding me to come home.

Back to the Future...Ministry at Chinese Christian Herald Crusades
After prayer and meditation, I have decided to come back to Chinese Christian Herald Crusades on a part-time basis! I will be serving with Ellen Hwang and her staff at the Herald Youth Center, consulting and training their ministry partners and also develop a ministry strategy for them. I will be at the New York City Chinatown Headquarters for one week out of the month and off-site for a bit. I am excited that I will have an opportunity to serve again at the ministry that started my whole journey of as a servant. I will also work on their team on developing an English website. Please pray that I will have a heart of service to the team and that I will continue my passion for the Chinatown community and that God will be honored in my time there.

Asian American Laity Project (Kleros)
I am planning on following with several individuals who are interested in serving with me on a forming committee and also another group of individuals who are interested in possibly working together to assist in fund devlelopment. I am excited as the momentum for the project is building from the PaLM and IVCF luncheon with Paul Tokunaga. I will be also sending Summer Updates this week! I has been a fruitful summer and I want to proclaim God's goodness in His direction for the project. Pray for provision and for a strong team to come alongside me. I am not good at asking for help and to have people come forward and say "hey, I wanna be part of this Peter Ong..." are like music to my ear.

3rd Asian American Emergent Skypecast
The 3rd Asian American Emergents skypecast will be online Sunday, September 24th, and you’re invited to skype in! The conversation begins at 9:00pm Eastern / 8:00pm Central / 6:00pm Pacific. (Skype DJ Chuang if you run into tech issues.)

This 1-hour monthly skypecast is a safe place to dialogue about topics related to Asian Americans and the emerging/emergent church. The consensus I’m hearing is to focus on one question rather than on three, during the skypecast. So, we’ll aim for that. Right now the only topic at play was suggested by Ben: “Social Justice and the Asian Church — why are Asians so adverse to reaching out to the poor and marginalized?”

I am looking forward to being part of this great conversation again!

Exit Wounds Article
I just finished a story for an online Asian American website and it was a lot harder for me to write since it was for a mainstream secular audience...It is about the flight of the second and third generation Asian Americans from the Asian ethnic church and their entrance into mainstream or multi-ethnic churches. I was having such a difficulty with re-entering that writing world and stumbled through it. I pray that the editors will extend grace to me and that when it is posted that God will use it to bring insight for people. Special thanks to those who contributed...Karen, Kara and John Kim, Ben Kong, Vicky and my idol, Joseph Tsang for their contributions.

Speaking Engagements
Now the summer is officially over, I am on the road again preaching! I am preparing my talk for my monthly preaching at the Mid-Hudson Chinese Christian Church. I will be preaching on my favorite parable...yes...the proverbial Prodigal Son...it is titled..."Mercy's Call on Distorted Love."I recently received "Communicating for a Change" by Andy Stanley and enjoying his insight on preaching narratives...I am going to use some of the principles for my speaking engagement and see how it goes.

OneHouse
OCTOBER 21, 2006... Unity finds its purpose...I have this unguarded anticipation that God will do a mighty work in the hearts of those who come...my talk will be an exhortation towards mercy and practical grace...as well as debunking of the most absurd assumptions about poverty. Check out the OneHouse website for more details. Pray for me and the team as we are preparing. Funding is coming along! HALLELUJAHOOO! Also, I will get to work with Neah Lee who I admire and adore.

Misc.
Being apart...Pray for my time in the city for one week will not hinder our marriage...in the midst of all of this, pray that we mutually support each other in where God has called us in this season.

Harvey's wedding
Pray for my brother in Christ, Harvey's wedding. I am excited to be in the wedding party and hoping to connect with him as I am in the city for some time of prayer and preparation for the big day.

Car (putt putt putting along). Repairs cost more than $1,200 for the car...but it is working well and pray that this little expenditure is not a commonplace or we gonna have to be creative in my transportation...

Me and my big mouth...I am going to the dentist for the next several months because of my diagnosis of periodontal disease...they will have to do some deep cleaning, scaling and pull out stuff....arrrgh...pray for my fear and costs!!! Insurance doesn't really cover this! Yikes...but my wifey has been so supportive!

Love you guys! thanks for reading...talk to you soon.

To Financially Support the ministry please send checks (make payable to PaLM) to:
PaLM
48-19 196th Street
Fresh Meadows, New York
11365-1316
please mark memo: Asian American Laity Ministries or Peter Ong
All donations are tax-deductible

Somewhere in Between

2006-09-14T19:17:00.000-04:00

Dear friends and family,

This week of the 5th anniversary of 9/11 caught me off guard...as the nation returned to this tragic event I found that the memories of this day haunted me with a renewed verve. On the days following the anniversary have been particularly somber as I remember the details of each of the moments that marked my heart since....

At the very worst I remember the relentless fear and paranoia that pandered to the most unreasonable and general violence. Some regarded their pain by spilling out their hearts in senseless hedonism, grabs for numbing pleasures. illicit sexuality. At the best, I saw a city surging with compassion and love. The moment that defines so much was when I arrived in Chinatown on September 13th...to prepared to counsel the teens at the youth center, but I discovered that there were hitting the streets bringing donated items to the rescue workers. One of the youth told me, "Peter, there is time to be sad and there is time for hope...remember that the people need us and they need to hear about God..." I sat in silence and prayer for this moment to see how the words of this young teen stirred this vision of holy hope. Beauty for Ashes.

There was a song that stayed with me during this time by Lifehouse called "Somewhere in Between" that verbalized my heart as I wrestled through this collision of grief with doubt, insomnia, escapism, and the worse distraction...the busyness of ministry.

Asian American Laity Project:
I had several meetings with local pastors and it was very encouraging to share our hearts and their insights about the Laity Project. One of the ideas that came from the meetings was the development of a lecture series featuring local and national Asian American leaders for the laity to gain some insight and counsel.

As part of my fund development, I am following up with the attendees of the Paul Tokunaga special luncheon and some people who attended the Asian American Leadership Roundtable at ECBC. I am also working with some local church leaders to discuss forming a committee that will help fundraise and coordinate with me for the project. Please pray for provision according to His timing for this important project. Pray for God to raise up a discerning group of leaders to help serve on this committee.

MISC.
I went to Dentist office for the first time in ___ years and it turns out that I have periodontal disease and have to have some extensive work done on my teeth. The cost is close to $2,500 and we are trusting that th is my first step towards having healthy teeth.

Last week in our trip back to NYC, Jamie and I had a pretty bad flat but we were blessed to be near a mechanic and we had to get our tires changed. This week I am going to get our car fixed and we are hoping to take care of an existing problem. Pray that it will not cost too much and these unexpected costs are taking its toll.

Please pray for Jamie as she is starting her first semester at Maxwell School where she will get a dual degree with her College of Environmental Science and Forestry studies. She is working hard to finish the degree so we can get our lives started on our next stage. Pray for her as she seeks counsel and that I would be a good support to her efforts.

thank you for reading and praying.

To Financially Support the ministry please send checks (make payable to PaLM) to:
PaLM
48-19 196th Street
Fresh Meadows, New York
11365-1316
please mark memo: Asian American Laity Ministries or Peter Ong
All donations are tax-deductible

Cloudy Witnesses

2006-09-06T14:35:00.000-04:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Welcome to another edition and prayer update. This has been a vibrant week of incredible moments of clarity and affirmation the work that God is doing in the Asian American church. I was especially encouraged for the direction of the ministry and nourishment for myself personally this past week.

As I was driving to NYC on Thursday night from Grace Christian Fellowship (see below for more on that) at Cornell, I was praying for the upcoming days for Labor Day weekend at Eastern Chinese Bible Conference (ECBC). I knew that there was a decisive moment to see a hint of what I wanted to do with the Asian American Laity Project. I had planned these programs with the expectation of raising the support for the project.

I the agenda was the Friday joint Intervarsity and Pastoral and Laity Ministries luncheon with Paul Tokunaga with pastors and laity. Then there was Asian American Laity Roundtable on the first day at ECBC. And as I drove, I was stirred by a holy imagination for an Asian American church marching towards victory...and this week...was just that...there was light in the darkness; hidden wounds were pierced by authenticity, tears, brokenness, honesty, and visions of hope. These cloudy witnesses were beginning to speak and create vocabulary for the state of the Asian American church and there was healing.

Fund Development
This week was a promising sign as support came in steadily. I was really encouraged by the support cards and the notes that people have written to me. I am so thankful for the prayer of these supporters and I am pressing forth. Someone approached me and asked me how is my funding coming along and I had a very poor and unthankful response...Jamie reminded me that my heart was not in the right place. God is providing. He is working and most importantly, His timing is perfect. I trust in Him and I trust His people. I am learning to love this process because in it, I am forced to wait and I am being still...so that His name will be proclaimed in all the nations. I will be meeting with some pastors this coming weekend to discuss the project and to get their feedback and their response for an invitation for partnership.

One of the best aspect of this waiting has been a time for me to cultivate the vision of this Pastoral and Laity Ministries Asian American Laity Project. Through this time, I have had the opportunity to listen to the hearts of other leaders and servants who are serving with such devotion. I am growing in affection for the church and yearning for the fullness of the impact of what God wants to do through this.

Eastern Chinese Bible Conference (ECBC)
In 1998, I attended ECBC and it changed my life with messages by Bruce Fong that called us to a commitment to Christ. At that ECBC I met a sister Alice who brought me to a Redeemer Church smallgroup, where I was challenged in fellowship and supported me as I took the first tentative steps as called me into full-time professional ministry at Chinese Christian Herald Crusades. It was an instrumental conference and after two years of not attending, it was great to be back and to see how the conference had grown. To my joy, the youth I worked with years ago at Teen Eastern Chinese Bible Conference are now adults! I was challenged by Paul Tokunaga's messages and was nurtured by the community of others who have suffered and love the Asian American church. Here was some highlights:

* Asian American Leadership Roundtable
I facilitated a roundtable with DJ Chuang (L2 Foundation), Greg Jao (IVCF), Anna Lee (IVCF), Glennis Lo (EPIC), David Park (Asian American Blogger extraordinaire), Paul Tokunaga, and Lisa Yu (IVCF). About 35 people took time out of their freetime to "eavesdrop" on our conversation dealing with the Asian American church and the challenges of first and second generations ministries. I was amazed by the scope of the discussion and some of the hopes for the future and some exciting things that a new generation of believers are undertaking. I really enjoyed meeting David Park and DJ Chuang for the first time and we had an impromptu podcast/roundtable with Jamie, Anna Lee and Intervarsity volunteer Ho-Tay Ma, but unfortunately, our beloved Dave Park accidentally erased it...and lost all the glorious moments of our conversation (especially part when "someone" flushed the toilet in the middle of our convo).

* Workshop
I did a workshop entitled "Because the Bible Says So" and other ways of alienating seekers. It was a great time of serving and teaching some ways of ministry that challenges the status quo of evangelism and debunking some of the tools we use. Great responses from the participants and I learned and was blessed by their sharing.

There were many moments I was able to counsel and hear the broken hearts of God's people. There was weeping...there was curiosity of how to live out this ragged faith...and I had improvised workshops on dating, marriage and of course ministry and the state of the Asian American church. Overall, it was an amazing time of serving this conference that has poured so much into my life. Pray for the future of the conference and that God will raise up need leaders for it to thrive and flourish for His name.

Pastoral and Laity Ministries/Intervarsity Christian Fellowship luncheon with Paul Tokunaga
Over 60 Pastors and leaders of the Tri-state area came together to hear Paul Tokunaga share about Level 5 Leadership for the church. It was a great partnered event and as a continuation, it was a talk that served the lay leaders a great deal and it gave me a picture of what the network/fellowship for Asian American Laity Project can look like. There were ministry representatives from IVCF, Camp us Crusades, and Chinese Christian Herald Crusades. Jane Hyun, the author of "Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling" made an appearance. Overall it was a great opportunity to meet over food and exchange our hearts for the Asian American church.

Partnership with ISAAC
As part of the Laity Project, I am exploring some possibilities of partnership with the Institute of Asian American Christianity. They are developing a similar vision for the Laity and ministry that is committed to a "...Christ-centered faith and calling must be integrated with Asian American cultures and identities. This is a crucial element in the life-long journey of following Jesus towards Christian maturity and wholeness. It is an important way to embody God’s fullness in the world." Pray for wisdom and guidance as we seek a partnership together.

Grace Christian Fellowship (Asian American Intervarsity Christian Fellowship at Cornell)
Jamie and I had our first meeting at the Grace Christian Fellowship at Cornell. I will be serving as a volunteer staff with Intervarsity focusing on the Executive Team (see pictured). Please pray for unity and vision for the team and my role to serve them. They are a great group of young people and infused with holy passion.

Mid-Hudson Chinese Christian Church
I will be preaching at MHCCC at the end of the month and also having a meeting with their leadership to discuss ways they are forming their English ministries. I am excited to be part of this and wanting to serve them on this very wonderful journey of a growing generation of a church.

OneHouse 2006
I am being challenged as I prepare my talk on October 21 Asian American unity worship night of One House. As I prepare and develop a vision for our call for social justice. I am excited to work with musician Neah Lee and also with sponsors Bread and Water and World Vision. My talk will focus on the book of Isaiah and Jesus's ministry on earth. The talk will be focus on the inclusiveness of the gospel to reach the outsiders so that it points to an exclusive God. Please pray for the team as we are under a great spiritual weight and doubt for finances for this event. But we ploughing forth to honor God's vision for unity and justice. I am really excited for what God will do through the worship, through Neah and talk.

Article for Asian Avenue website
I am writing a feature article for Asian Avenue website called Exit Wounds: The Disconnected Asian American Faith" about the malaise of young professional Asian American who have left church and discovering a new pursuit of meaning in a post-college era. I wanted to write about conversations regarding faith and why this group of Asian American young men and women don't find church a place of community and discovery towards a discourse on broader issues of life. Interviews with church leaders, congregations, post-moderns, college campus ministries and clergy will offer some insight on the spiritual landscapes of this population. I will also like to profile some churches on both coasts to discuss what are some churches doing to effectively reverse this trend of flight from the Asian American ethnic church. I will profile New York City churches and West Coast churches as well. This will offer a compelling and intimate look at the state of this generation's pilgrimage towards faith. Keep an eye out for it.

Misc.
Jamie and I just completed Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University at Syracuse Alliance Church that helped us to think through our financial planning. We are so blessed by this course and would recommend that anyone who is still struggling with finances, debt and anxiousness regarding finances this is a great course for you to take. We feel that it was God's grace that directed us to learn this very early in our marriage. Pray for us in this period of time to focus our role as stewards of what God has given us.

Pray for our church community as we are seeking a home for us to serve and to find authentic community where we are challenged and lifted.

Thanks for reading...I know it was long but I hope it was worth it.

Blended

2006-08-30T11:40:00.000-04:00

"Whoever wants to become great among you mustbe your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all." Mark 10:43-44

"Because we children of Adam want to become great, He became small. Because we will not stoop, He humbled Himself. Because we want to rule, He came to serve." -Moravian Prayer

Dear friends and family, I hope you are well and I can't believe that as I write this the approach of the Fall season is upon us. Another horizon for new aspects of growing and learning together. I am looking forward to it as it poses a new set of experiences and discoveries. Thank you for joining me in this exchange through words and I pray that it will spur you towards faith. I want to thank you in advance as I invite you to pray with me.

This past week has been a time of reflecting on leadership since PaLM and Intervarsity will be hosting a special lunch on Friday at the Chinese Evangel Mission Church in Queens with Paul Tokunaga. I took some time to examine the notions of leadership that provoked me in my years in ministry. I find that Jesus was gave such us such a profound paradox of sorts...to be great you must be the least...and yet, it is simply beautiful. This idea of surrender in order to lead. I am not impressed with myself when people follow me...but I am moved when they follow Christ. I think my most joyful experiences of being a leader are when I simply place a band-aid on a kid with a scraped knee, to listen as a camp counselor weeps for her parents, praying with brother who is struggling with his marriage, listening to worship songs with a baby. But in leadership, I find the necessity of meetings and planning are just an undergirding for these intimate moments of ministry to each other. They are a means to an end...Our communities are screaming for salvation...for an understanding from another that they are loved by God and by another person.

In the church, I have seen so many expressions of authority which ruthless power are exercised under the false pretense of ministry. It saddens me...because a measure of dignity in an undignified world is the "one-eyed man in a kingdom of the blind." Christ gave dignity to those outsiders. Unrepaired people. He esteemed us even in moments of our languishing filth.

He became a paradox. A servant leader.

But the reality is we find leaders who isolate. who exclude. who gossip. who are distant. who are absent in times of need and available in times of "leading." Where they find remedy to their lack of relationships through activities. Insincere friendships where building a church is more important than building up people. Through programs where there is high attendance but very little depth. Through the public eye of an audience of many...I am speaking to myself when I write this...because I have been seduced by this in my years of serving...but God didn't allow me to stay that way...he gave me a garment of praise for this heaviness. I am being redeemed of this...and I am so thankful for that.

So my hope is we foster a new generation of servants. A community that is riddled with authentic integrity, humility of heart, a passion for growth, an intimacy with God and people. A joyous and frustrated group of ragamuffins who have not yet arrived but neither has stopped their journey towards discovery. Of that elusive but gloriously available experience of amazing grace.

selah

Here are my prayer updates:

Asian American Laity Project
The funding is coming in slowly and I am developing a church campaign this Fall as I speak at several churches. I received a surprise check from a sister and it was a huge source of encouragement at a critical and trying time. I am doing follow-up with my time with people last week and hopefully will result in some partnerships.

I had a great phone conversation with an IV staff about developing a transition ministry for Asian American campus students who will be graduating and entering into the professional world and new church culture. We shared our mutual passions for the Asian American ethnic church and we are beginning conversations about how to come along the Asian American church to reach these post-college students.

I had a great chat with Dr. Timothy Tseng who is pioneering Institute for the Study of Asian American Christianity (ISAAC) and we explored some strategies and possible partnerships for the Asian American community.

I participated in an Asian American Emergent Skypecast. Thanks to DJ Chuang for hosting the Second Asian American Emergent Skypecast and we had some thoughtful discussions on how the emergent church movement can be thought of towards an Asian American church. We had the following participants who ventured onto skype to meet over the internet… We had including Emergent Asia’s Sivin Kit, as well as Ben Pun, David Park, Tim Liu, and my buddy Theo Wong. You can listen in to part 1 and part 2 online.

I am planning to connect with Asian Young Life to seek a conversation with them to see how their commitment and vision for youth in a culturally specific manner could be transferred to the local churches who are serving Asian American youth.

Pray for progression of the ministry and that there is support for this. I feel that there is a certain lag of funding and I am still in the midst of communicating and partnering with the local Asian American church.

Semester Begins (A blending of my past)
ESF/Syracuse University Fall semester began and Jamie is under way for another semester as she pursues her academic aspirations. I am taking Chinese class and it was great to see old students. A former youth Stacy has arrived and again I feel that ministry from NYC is coming here to remind me of the collision of worlds. Jamie and I took her, her brother, her Boston Red Sox friend (booo!!!) and my fellow Chinese language student Stanley (his first time at church! congrats Stanley) to Eastern Hills Bible Church in their new building. It was breathtaking and refreshing to meet so many new people and families who are so passionate about the mission of engaging seekers, here is there statement: "Our mission is guiding seekers to discover and fully enjoy Christ’s love... by engaging in evangelism, fellowship, discipleship, ministry and worship. We believe that we’re all seekers... whether we’ve followed Christ for years or are just beginning to learn about Him."Jamie is ministering to Stacy and exploring possiblities for mentoring (as her time is pretty busy). Pray for these students and our interaction with them. Pray for this new semester be one filled with encounters with students and friends whom we can build community around.

Serving the Servants

Jamie organized a special ministry opportunity with a participants of Grace in Motion at the Rescue Mission. She organized a group of 10 volunteers to serve meals to the people of the community. It was amazing to see her lead and to just come along for the ride. The people who volunteered had a short bible reflection from Luke and a debriefing meeting afterwards. It was great to see people serve on a Saturday and to see how it was a blessing to those who receive as well as those who gave. Pray that there will be more opportunities for people to serve this community of Syracuse and for a commitment to engage and love this city with a sense of hope and diligence. I was amazed by the staff there who are so patient and serve the community with such dignity and respect. Everytime there was a special need or request for something the staff made sure everyone was accomadated. Pray for the staff at the Rescue Mission as they are spending their lives committed to restoring the lives of these people. Pray for the winter months where many of them will be on the streets to find warmth and a home for a meal there.

Eastern Chinese Bible Conference
I am heading to the Eastern Chinese Bible Conference this weekend to facilitate an Asian American Leadership Roundtable with some established and emerging ministry leaders. Participants include DJ Chuang: Christian Asian American blogger extraordinaire, editor of Asian American Youth Ministry and Executive Director of L2 Foundation. Greg Jao: IVCF NY/NJ Regional Director and contributor to " Following Jesus Without Dishonoring your Parents" Anna Lee: IVCF Staff worker at NYU serving Graduate Students. Paul Tokunaga: Main speaker, Author of "Leading to Serve" and IVCF Director of Asian American Ministries. Lisa Yu: IVCF Staff worker at Adelphi University.Glennis Lo: EPIC, Campus Crusades Asian American Ministry staff worker. David Park: Blogger and Youth Pastor in a Korean American church in Georgia.

It will be an informal and "unplugged" discussion at the conference where others can eavesdrop on our discussion. I pray that it will be a good opportunity for people to network and share their hearts and minds. This is a special conference to me because in 1998, I attended this conference and made a commitment to Christ...and a year later I went into full time ministry.

I will also be conducting a workshop on evangelism with a focus on postmodern seekers. Pray for the roundtable and the workshop to inspire more dialogue among those who are serving the Asian American church.

OneHouse
I am prepping my talk on October 21 One House focusing on our call for social justice. I am excited to work with musician Neah Lee and also with sponsors Bread and Water and World Vision. My talk will focus on the book of Isaiah and Jesus's ministry on earth. The talk will be focus on the inclusiveness of the gospel to reach the outsiders so that it points to an exclusive God. Prayer for my talk and my discussion.

Misc.
There may be an opportunity for me to serve with a ministry in NYC part-time and from home in Syracuse. I am hoping to meet with them to discuss the details and I am praying for this great chance to serve again. So pray that God will bring this about according to His will.

I also have an opportunity to write for an online magazine so it is nice to get back to one of my first loves. I will be writing about post-college Asian American students and their views on church and faith.

Pray for planning for our return to NYC and for what that will look like. Jamie has been so good in working hard so we can return to the big apple sooner but I am trying to not pressure her to finish early but rather allow her to really enjoy this time she has at school as a season to learn and to engage on campus. So, however long God wants us here...may we be willing to stay and be still.

Love you guys and thanks for reading this long prayer update.

Visitations (the circle of returns)

2006-08-23T15:56:00.000-04:00

"It is not won by promotion, but by many prayers and tears. It is attained by confession of sin, and much heart searching and humbling before God; by self-surrender, a courageous sacrifice of every idol, a bold uncomplaining embrace of the cross, and by an eternal, unfaltering looking unto Jesus crucified. It is not gained to us as loss for Christ. This is a great price, but it must be paid by the leader who would not be merely a nominal but a real spiritual leader whose power is recognized and felt in heaven, on earth and in hell. " -a quote about the road to spiritual authority and leadership by Samuel Brengle, Salvation Army.

Dear Friends and Family,

I can't believe that the summer is almost over! Jamie and I are back in Syracuse prepared for a new season of our marriage this fall. It is good to be back on the blog world and I hope to capture what has happened in the past 10 days. I had the opportunity to go to a special wedding in Massachusetts on the eve of our first year wedding anniversary. Then headed to Rhode Island where we met with my parents for some time of leisure and good food. Then we headed to the city for several meetings with friends, ministry partners and potential funders for the Asian American Laity Project. Then we had a special gathering of friends for my birthday and then sharing at Chinese Conservative Baptist Church.

It was my first extended trip in New York City for a time and it was a time of a re-emergence of my heart towards ministry. I met with the President of Grace Christian Fellowship at Cornell (where I will serve as volunteer staff this year!) and we talked about our common vision for the campus. I was able to conduct a special training for the Herald Gospel Camp counselors on how to minister to campers. I met up with immigrant youth whom I served and now are halfway through graduating college and making decisions for their futures. It amazes me to know that 7 years ago when I met them, they were barely speaking English and knew little about Christ and now they are preparing to engineers, math teachers, and now serving the church as bible study leaders...Praise God.

As I wrapped up my time there, I felt a deep love and heaviness for the city and an eagerness to return to serving this place, this distant home of mine. But thanks to words from friends (special thanks to Jenny and Caroline) for your encouragement in this time of waiting. In some ways, it has been a time of sabbatical for me and it has deepened my faith and my passions. I am yearning for a sense of something familiar here in Syracuse...

Jamie and are looking for a new church and had a great time visiting Eastern Hills Bible Church and we are looking to visit International Assembly and the Korean Church of Syracuse. Our ideal match would be a place for us to learn and to serve together, especially in areas of community and international students. We had a wonderful dinner with a family serving through Young Life in Syracuse and it was a great exchange of vision and common leaders whom we admire. Please pray for Jamie and I during this important time for us to worship and build community. We are thankful for our time at Syracuse Alliance Church for the past year and continue with the relationships that God has begun.

Funding for Asian American Laity Project
The Asian American Laity Project needs an additional $11,000 to raise for the project. I had some productive meetings with some supporters and potential partners for this ministry. Pray that God's provision would be given to this special project that I have a passion to serve those who faithfully serve in the Asian American churches. I am developing a stronger peace about this and I know that God will provide in his timing.

Special Lunch with Paul Tokunaga and Leadership Roundtable
PaLM and Intervarsity is hosting a special lunch with Paul Tokunaga at the Chinese Evangel Missions Church in Queens. I am looking forward to attending this and to hear the engagement with Mr. Tokunaga and the respective pastors of the Asian American church. I will facilitate a special Leadership Roundtable at Eastern Chinese Bible Conference with Paul Tokunaga and several leaders from Intervarsity, Campus Crusades for Christ, and Chinese Christian Herald Crusades during the labor day weekend and I will also presenting a special workshop on evangelizing to young adults and postmoderns.

Volunteer staff for Intervarsity Grace Christian Fellowship at Cornell
I have offered to serve with Intervarsity this year with Grace Christian Fellowship at Cornell. I am excited to serve the college students at Cornell and to connect with what God is doing there. Pray for my involvement to equip the leadership there and to serve the fellowship in a way that will bring the campus to a deeper knowledge of Christ.

Serving with Chinese Christian Herald Crusades
During my time in New York, I was blessed by spending some time with current staff at CCHC and learning about the new and exciting things that God is doing there. I spoke to the Director and we are arranging for me to somehow be involved with supporting their new direction and vision for preaching the gospel to Chinese community. I am not sure if this will be suitable but want to be open...Pray for wisdom and for a balance of ministries that I am involved in.

Mid-Hudson Chinese Christian Church
I am tentatively working with the leadership at the Mid-Hudson Chinese Christian Church to develop their youth and young adult ministries. I will be preaching there once a month for their special concurrent services there. I really love the ministry of this church as they are striving to serve the second generation Chinese church. Many of the youth who go there are from Hofstra New York Summer Conference where I spoke this summer. I will be speaking at the end of September and spending time with leadership and develop a strategy for growth. Pray for the my time there and for mutual sharing and blessing as we seek to serve the church together.

OneHouse NYC
I had a chance to meet up with the organizers of the One House event. We had a Thursday prayer meeting and there were poignant moments of discovery for us regarding where we stood on these issues and also for each other. There were tears and many earnest pleas for God's provision in this matter. The event will be in NYC on October 21st, it is a unity concert focusing on social justice. I am excited to announce that Neah Lee will be performing and sharing that night. I am preparing my talk and excited to delving into the writings of Cornel West, Ron Sider and Martin Luther King. Pray for my talk to be filled with an overarching theme of God's mercy and his desire for Justice....

MISC
Please pray for a youth pastor how has been diagnosed with Lymphoma and that it seems treatable but continue to lift him and his family up as they go through this difficult time.

Special praise to God for Kara, Esther for lunch (sushi!!), Jinny and Koo (rain down on them in Washington!), EUG-ene for catching up and learning about fatherhood, John for meeting with me and sharing some thoughts on the Asian American church, thanks for all the youth who came out to hang out and have some herb-orade, for all the people who came out to my birthday party, for the OneHouse folks for a meaningful time of fellowship and prayer, Simeon for sharing your vision for campus, and a special thanks to all of you who sent me words of encouragement and whose support means so much to me...God sees and will provide.

Deferring Trust

2006-08-07T13:45:00.000-04:00

"Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. " Psalm 37:5-6

This week has been a tough one, I still have not found a part-time position in Syracuse and I just found out that my start up time for the Asian American Laity Project is now almost one year later than what I had hoped to start. The initiation of the project is being pushed back for another season. This could be the beginning of a temporary pause of my involvement in ministry. I am filled with a mosaic of emotions because on one hand, my prevalent passion and desire is to serve and be used by God for kingdom work but on the hand I have peace because I know this is a time of pause until provision arrives. I am also put into a different gear of pursuing and sharing this vision of my minstry more diligently . Part of me wants to challenge, part of me wants to wait, part of me wants to go out to share this burden and in the darkest reality, part of me wants to quit.

Quit and surrender to God.

As Jamie and I went to Eastern Hills Bible Church this Sunday, the sermon series is on Summer Psalms and it was a time of remembering that a year ago, Jamie and I were ready to get married. I had friends to say good-bye to, boxes to pack, a U-Haul to rent and so many major changes in my life. I had just finished up my role as director of the Herald Youth Center.

As Pastor Doug preached on Psalm 37 about worrying and trusting (you can download the sermon here) and Jamie and prayed with our hands cupped and trusting in Him despite what seems to be difficult time. We are making time for us to regard it with a sense of purpose in the midst of this apparent absence. It reminded me of the paradox of absence, I once preached that the greatest moment of history was the act of absence. That the moment when Mary came to the tomb and found that it was empty...it was moment of continued brokenness for Mary as she didn't realize the blessing of this moment...it was an act of freedom. That in what seems like a moment of nuanced beauty that we find ourselves and it is in this moment that I will continue to lean on Him during this period.

A year ago I was developing and pioneering a part-time project called the Asian American Laity project as an Associate Director at Pastoral and Laity Ministries to start a ministry to build, equip, advance and renew the lay leaders of the Asian American Church. I believe that this is an important ministry in developing content and nourishment to the those who serve in the Asian American church. This came from years of serving at the Herald Youth Center and was heard countless stories of lay leaders who are serving faithfully but are so famished for a sense of community, vision, and direction. I was hoping to network and develop a partnership with seminaries and prominent leaders and pastors to provide valuable content to the lay leadership.
But now I stand and look over this past year and having so many opportunities to speak at churches, conferences, rallies and coffeehouses. It was a good year to focus on developing my ministry of teaching and evangelism and yet, found that it has also been a time of deep pause for me to challenge myself to trust. To believe that this vision for the ministry is to developing in His time.

So I am going to be in a new push for funding in this month and I have this gospel confidence that God's timing is perfect. I have enjoyed a sense of a sabbatical from NYC ministry and focusing on my own identity. Jamie and I are moving ahead in our next season in Syracuse to serve at a church where we can develop our common vision for evangelism, missions work and building authentic communities.

Lastly, I wanted to take this moment to thank many of you who have been so faithful in sacrificially giving of your finances, your time and most of all your friendship to me. It is something that I realized is an act of grace. An act of such resemblance of God's grace in my life. I realize that I don't deserve your friendship yet, I am blessed and I want to thank you for this.

I am going to refrain from my specific ministry updates till Wednesday. Because I want to be more sensitive to your time.

Thank you again.

Remaining in Him,

Peter O

To Financially Support the ministry please send checks (make payable to PaLM) to:
PaLM
48-19 196th Street
Fresh Meadows, New York
11365-1316
please mark memo: Asian American Laity Ministries or Peter Ong
All donations are tax-deductible

Stop Dreaming

2006-07-31T14:03:00.000-04:00

"Innumerable times a whole Christian community has broken down because it had sprung from a wish dream....But God's grace speedily shatters such dreams. Just as surely as God desires to lead us to a knowledge of genuine Christian fellowship, so surely must we be overwhelmed by a great disillusionment with others, with Christians in general, and if we are fortunate, with ourselves....Only that fellowship which faces such disillusionment, with all its unhappy and ugly aspects, begins to be what it should be in God's sight begins to grasp in faith the promise that is given to it....He who loves his dream of a community more than the Christian community itself becomes a destroyer of the latter." Dietrich Bonhoeffer

God the Creator arranged things so that we need each other" Basil of Caesarea

I am happy to be back on this blistering hot Monday afternoon to invite you to another edition of my web prayer update. Community arrives and I am seeking to find that elusive community that I am seeking in the midst of this pilgrimage. There has been its good and the bad and even the bad has moved me to a deeper sense of moving beyond the surface of community...it begins with the simple exchange and similar passion for God and people. In this season of life, I realize more that the grace of community comes in our sharing and in unity.

"one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all."

Acts 4:32-33.

I think I have experienced some good and bad here in Syracuse. The good are the encounters with people who love God in their broken ways...often imperfect...a bit messy but nevertheless with great hope for the continuing work that God is doing...at the worst, I have seen isolation where people are hurting and are seen through the lens of their shortcomings rather than the hope in Christ.

I am learning more that the key cornerstone of the gospel is the way we live out the gospel to each other first and to the outside world. We often don't live up the promise of grace...or even worse the judgement or condemnation from the community of Christ...this hurts our witness and most of all it hurts our vision of what Christ wants to do in our midst. To be healers and pointers to God and also a defiant and prophetic voice to the culture that we are radically different in our measure of mercy and justice. But our appetites are petty...we want our churches to flourish, not the kingdom...and our love is limited, if you are a saint, you belong...our love is quite anemic, to be honest, I found more hope in community people who are secular than those who are faithful... That is why, people don't flock to churches...because it is a place of judgement and it builds up another layer of the career game...climb the ladder and if you do well, you will be allowed in the club...That is why we have so many people who serve in church because they want another credential to be honored in...Yet, Bonhoeffer's words remind me that it is not the ideal we seek but rather the pursuit of Christ through our family...We establish each other as an ambassador...each latent with a purpose...and even and boldy acknowledge our weakness to the weakest, then maybe, perhaps we can truly experience the wonder of the gospel. ..the the first missionary of the gospel in the New Testament was a woman who was married to five men...go figure...I wonder if she would have survived church in the year 2006.

Sabbath!

This past weekend was our first full weekend in Syracuse in over a month and it was nice to slow down and spend some time together. Jamie and I were able to attend Jazz in the Square to see Chuck Mangione with our friends Ming, Amy, Jeff and Pam. It was a beautiful evening as we sat on top of a pillar in the middle of Clinton Square.

It was a nice time of fellowship and music as we shared about our lives and as newly married people, our hopes for the future. Jamie and I spent Saturday at this wonderful bookstore called Books and Memories that had such gems as floors of old board games, magazines dating back to the 30's, and a great basement of LP's (vinyl records for all you "old folk") and a scary section of sheet music. We spent a few hours there and as the thunder hit across the region we browsed. Jamie and I had a chance to visit Eastern Hills Bible Church on Sunday to hear a staff worker from Campus Crusades for Christ share a message on the truth of the gospel. We capped it off with a visit to Syracuse Alliance Church for a barbecue where I helped grill some meat (including my arm) and then some basketball with some young guys that almost broke my ankle (literally). Overall, it was a nice break from a hectic summer and it was nice not to have to drive 4+ hours again...

In the Presence of Courage
In the midst of looking for part-time work in Syracuse, I have been volunteering at the Center for New American s in Syracuse. I am assisting with the vocational placement program that helps new refugees find work in the Syracuse area. I had the chance to meet with a Liberian woman who is recovering from her bout with cancer and looking for work. As she recalled her story she revealed her years of fleeing from the civil war in Liberia. I met two young Sudanese men (one of which is named Peter) who are now rebuilding their lives here. As I sat across the table from them I looked at their smiles as they shared their stories. It brought me back...

I remember when I attended Urbana 2003 and how I made a commitment there to be part of what God is doing in Sudan...and in the midst of being here, I took a pause in the midst of my anxiousness of finding a job, I realize the severity of their struggles in this new place. They each have a story of their escape from conflict, behind each of these lives tell a story of their encounters with some of the worst horros imaginable...and yet, I sat a few feet away from them...and that although they come here for assistance, I am in the presence of heroes. Pray for these neighbors who have arrived to this country. Pray for a unveiling of their story of coming to America as a story of salvation and deliverance into the hands of a merciful God.

Asian American Emergent Skypecast
I participated in the Asian American Emergent Skypecast with David Park (Atlanta), Ben Pun (Houston), DJ Chuang (DC) and myself (Syracuse) chatted for an hour. It was a great time discussin intergenerational immigrant Asian church’s perspective on authenticity, engagement and culture. We will have another one on August 27th, we hope that next time we will talk more about the emergent church and how it impact the issues of the Asian American Church.

OneHouse
The OneHouse event is postponed at the writing of this entry. This was due to the venue space. The organizers are meeting to see if we should postpone till October or push it to 2007. I am open to be the speaker but I want to honor their process and perhaps things will change in a few weeks. Pray for wisdom and seeking after God's heart and will in this important movement towards unity and justice.

Asian American Laity Project
I am in the midst of preparing the calendar for the upcoming Fall 2006 for our meetings with leaders from the New York Asian American church. It will primarily focus on strategy and vision casting. I am sending a preliminary proposal for the pastors to look over and also to organize a special meeting with some national leaders of this development of Asian American ministry.

I am doing some research on denominational approaches to ethnic specific ministries and to see what is out there that deals with Asian Americans. As I am speaking with people more and more, I am realizing the need for this ministry in the East Coast. I am hoping to find some time to speak with the national leaders on this topic.

Pray for wisdom and also diligence in getting some of this groundwork done. I am in the process of learning and also being challenged to gain more knowledge in this arena.

The website is up and in one week, it has received almost 1000 hits already! It was featured in Technorati's top movers on its launch date! Thank you for visiting it and also spread the word around about this site. Thanks for your support.

Things that dropped and now added...
Due to circumstances, I will not be able to assist with New York Chinese Baptist Church's Mentorship program or OCM's Zion's college ministries. These were quite a disappointment with me since I was planning and looking forward to serving with them. I am in the midst of discussion of serving at Intervarsity at Cornell. I am suppose to have a meeting with the area Coordinator and the president of the fellowship sometime in August. I have two requests to speak at a church regularly. I am not sure what is the best way of addressing this since I am in the midst of a financial crunch and balancing fundraising, looking for a part-time job and planning for the ministry. Pray for definitive opportunities for me to best serve.

In the same vein, Jamie and I praying for a new church community to best serve together and also pursue our future in ministry. We are exploring a few options and we are excited for this new season of our lives. Pray for a smooth transition for us and for our friendships that God started continue to build. I am committed to servung the youth ministry leaders at Syracuse Alliance Church and hoping help in supporting a vision and direction of God is doing at the church.

Misc Prayers
Please pray for Jamie and I as we approach our first year anniversary of our marriage (how time flies!!!) We are going to celebrate it by attending a wedding in Boston. But we are hoping to spend some time there visiting Gordon Conwell Seminary where our beloved Kenny and Cindy Chau are there. Jamie and I spent some time this weekend reflecting and praying for our shared future together.

Thank you again for reading an praying for us. We love and miss you much!

To Financially Support the ministry please send checks (make payable to PaLM) to:
PaLM
48-19 196th Street
Fresh Meadows, New York
11365-1316
please mark memo: Asian American Laity Ministries or Peter Ong
All donations are tax-deductible

Arrival through Departure

2006-07-26T12:31:00.000-04:00

""Man may have forgotten how to listen." From the film Lady in the Water

Dear friends and family,

Thank you for visiting and reading this week's edition of my prayer update. As I write this I just enjoyed the merging of community as friends from New York City and Syracuse. As they arrived at Lake Placid, each of their faces stirred in me the joy of community as we hiked in the rain for 6.5 hours. As we concluded the day and sat around a dinner table, I saw their stories and how much they have enriched my life...Pam & Jeff (their similar journey towards with Jamie and I as we shared our first year of marriage together...They also share similar love for nature and ministry-they are former Campus Crusades for Christ staff), Joanna (who is discovering her entrance into community again), Linda (who reminds me of my days of leading a community growth group that centered on discovering Christ through scripture), Harvey (who has been one of the most important brothers through one of the most difficult seasons of my life), Amy (this sister is one of the greatest blessings of my life as I see her grow in her faith and how God is working in her) and of course my beautiful wife who continues to support a simple man who stumbles and have little to offer her except my devotion to her and to this unfolding fulfillment of this ministry. I love that God has given us this and how much He provides through community. I feel so free through this expression of community and friendship and I hope that we will have more moments of gathering together, breaking bread and giving thanks.

We had the chance to see Bev as she participated in the IronMan Triathlon and it was such an amazing time especially at midnight when the finishers gathered for the final runners...and they cheered and gave honor to them. These were the "last" runners and it gave me a picture of how it will be when Christ returns...yet, we strive to be the first and look down on those who are weaker or slower. Yet, I am reminded of Paul's words in Romans 14; in Romans 14 the apostle Paul challenges us to not deny the fact of relationships between the strong and the weak. He accepts Christians where they are in their pilgrimage of faith and challenges us to do the same.

Ray Stedman has been quoted that the favorite indoor sport of Christians is trying to change each other. In Romans 14 Paul says we should not endeavor to change one another to suit our preferences, but instead we should change our conduct so as not to offend the weaker brother. Somewhere I pray that we heed this...to recognize the work in the lives of our family of God.

ONEHOUSE 2006

This Year, Unity Finds its Purpose
I have the privilege of being the speaker for the OneHouse unity worship service in the Fall. As I am preparing for this talk, God is deepening my understanding of how scripture points to the depth of God's mercy in the midst of oppression, and yet as a Christian family we have "forgotten how to listn." The planning team are in the midst of raising support for this event. Here is an excerpt from an email that I sent to the team:

"People are desperate for a faith that reaches beyond orthodoxy but to somehow bring into the world a faith that can move mountains. As I prepare for the talk, I am consumed with such a mixed sense of responsibility and hope with it some sense of ambivalence...or cynicism because this is not "clean" stuff...it requires people to take certain stands on their faith and approaching the gospel in a way that will demand a response. A just response. A reponse of justice. I think that for many of us...it will require a shedding of what Dallas Willard calls "Vampire Christianity" where believers are swarming around only concerned about Christ's blood for survival but for anything more...I am asking that we become different kind of Christianity where we yearn and seek out to address the blood on the streets that cry out for justice."

Pray for my preparation, pray for the planning team to give them wisdom in their service, pray for those who are coming to this event to be moved beyond doing just "church."

Fund Development
My Ministry Blog is up! I am hoping to use it as a resource for Asian American ministry and for dessiminating information about the ministries I am involved in.

As I write this, I received an card from a girl who I used to serve in a teen ministry. As I opened it, I wasn't sure what the occasion was (an early birthday card?) and inside the card was a love offering that was substantial...I know this girl, she is a college student, she is comes from a working family and she works part-time throughout the year to support herself...I was so moved and reminded of God's provision. She offered me this verse as source of encouragement.

I am sending a support letter to Church pastors next week and setting up meetings in New York City in August. Jamie and I are working together for a fundraising/birthday party in August.

Pray for provision and for my continued job search in Syracuse. I am volunteering at the Center for New Americans and there maybe an opportunity for me there. But for the meantime, I am looking at some local administrative positions, I might even look at getting a retail job so I can make ends meet. Pray for my job search and for a sense of peace.

Ministry
As mentioned earlier, I am using the ministry blog as a resource for Asian American ministry and exploring the possibility of having podcasts on the site and also if funding comes through, I would like to have monthly interviews with prominent leaders in Asian American ministry.

I am trying to connect with Asian Young Life to explore a partnership with them for the Laity Project and to also learn more about the work they are doing with Asian American youth. I am planning a meeting August to see how I can possibly help with Grace Christian Fellowship, Cornell's Intervarsity Asian American Christian Fellowship in the Fall.

I am assisting in organizing an Asian American pastor lunch with Paul Tokunaga, the author of Invitation to Lead and InterVarsity's National Asian American Ministry Coordinator and Associate Dean for Leadership Development. We are hoping to have some insight and discussion on some of the issues facing the Asian American church.

I am looking forward to the Asian American Leadership Roundtable during the Eastern Chinese Bible Conference and I am going to videotape and record this as a resource.

I had a prayer walk with the prayer team from the youth group at Syracuse Alliance Church this past Wednesday and it was a blessing to continue this ministry from my old New York days. I am wrapping up my involvement with the youth group as we are preparing for the Field of Miracles a regional transformation youth event in Rhode Island.

I am drafting several topics for the launch of the Laity Project in the Fall and outlining the speakers for the monthly meetings. I am excited to see what God will do in the midst of this and hopefully will bring some momentum as I faithfully move forward in this new ministry.

I will be participating in the Asian American Emergent Skypcast on August 30th. It is coordinated by Bruce Reyes-Chow. This will be a quarterly (every 5th Sunday) discussion on Asian American Christians and the Emergent Church Movement. I look forward to exchanging ideas and thoughts on ministry.

MISC.
Thank you for all your prayers for Jamie and I, we are moving towards an intentional approach towards our prayer and devotion time. We have enjoyed a renewed but tentative steps towards developing a discipline towards our time together.

Jamie and I are planning her academic year and looking at how God wants to plan for our next stage of our lives together. We are exploring several options for the next few months. Please pray for a heart of surrender to how God leads us.

Thank you again for being part of this journey with us. We love you and so appreciative of your friendship and partnership.

To Financially Support the ministry please send checks (make payable to PaLM) to:
PaLM
48-19 196th Street
Fresh Meadows, New York
11365-1316
please mark memo: Asian American Laity Ministries or Peter Ong
All donations are tax-deductible

Finding a Chapel

2006-07-17T14:32:00.001-04:00

"Our Lord was pleased to assume the likeness of every poor man and compared Himself to every poor man in order that no man who believes in him should exalt himself over his brother...For 'I was hungry,' and 'I was thirsty' was said not just of one occassion, not of one day, but of the whole of life. In the same way 'you gave me food,' 'you gave me drink,' 'you clothed me' and so on on does not indicate one incident, but a constant attitude to everyone." ---Simeon The New Theologian (949-1022)

Dear Friends and Family,
Greetings to all of you! I hope that you are well and re-entering this new week filled with hope. I pray that you are prepared for another week of opportunities to express your journey of communion with God and with the people of God. I hope that this weeks Prayer update is a blessing to you.

Funding
I am planning a special fundraising event in New York City in late August for some of the last stretch of funding. I am hopeful and will continue with the planning until the funding comes through. I am going to continue with my networking meetings and with the ministry despite the funding. I just need 40 people who are willing to offer $25 a month for the ministry for me to raise the funds needed to move ahead with the ministry...Pray for distinct provision and for me to ask with diligence and faith.

Sonia's wedding (community, omelettes and chapels)
Jamie and I just returned from a trip to Philadelphia for a dear couple, Sonia and Christopher. It was amazing to see how God has formed their relationship and bringing them to an adoring ceremony. I spent the weekend with my good friend Wendy and had the chance to hang out with Eric and Ray. We spent the days in community and as we broke bread we had omellettes and engaged in conversation about youth, Christ, and church. I realized how much I love and miss them. A lot of it was an opportunity to share openly in an inclusive community where there was no pretenses but a profound identification in our love for God and for each other. I find their longing for God to be so sincere expressed in their embrace of people.

As Jamie and I drove to the wedding, we had difficulty in finding the chapel despite the signs...we drove...we backtracked...we made U-turns....and in the episode, I found that there were an allegory for me at this time in Syracuse....During my time in Syracuse, I find that I have become what Goetz defines as the ethos of suburbia is catering to "the overindulged self" in an "environment of security, efficiency, and opportunities," all of which create a faux spirituality. I have found that my faith and my journey here has been a point of complex wrestling...and I found that there is a yearning for more and settled provisionally what I feel amounts a little more than busy avoidance of a hurting community, this is what Goetz points to a "bloated, tiny soul."

I had a meeting with the pastor and he firmly affirmed my new direction and assessed that I am in an unhealthy season of my pilgrimage and that I need a distinct community and nurturing that is not explicitly available at the church...I felt my position always bound by a deep sense of being an outsider...I expressed to him that this was a very carefully thought out decision. I apologized if I was a distraction from the ministry and he gave me such acceptance and love...I am fulfilling my duties at the church for the summer and we are looking towards a new season in Syracuse. I am so relieved...and in the words of the pastor..."you no longer have to put your hand in the fire anymore unless this your calling." I will fulfill all my responsibilities for the summer for the youth ministry and also continue in my friendship with the youth workers. I have expressed my new direction and thankful for their understanding and support. I offer them my committed friendship and service to them.

Pray for a parting that is appropriate and with understanding and for our new home church to be opportunities of distinct community and particpatory ministry opportunities for Jamie and I to serve and grow.

Failure Moves me To Jesus
So as you know, I was laid off from my part-time work in Syracuse and I did some research and wanted to volunteer my time until I find another part-time job...Thanks to my Syracuse Friend Kati, she recommended that I contact the Interreligious Council's Center for New Americans.

As some of you know, I had a desire to go to Sudan for short-term missions work in 2004 but due to circumstances at my former ministry, I had to stay behind before preparing for my trip there. It has haunted me for sometime and it was not clear how this would intersect at my life again...So I had a meeting with the Executive Director and we found mutual convictions and passions for the oppressed.

This Wednesday Jamie and I may have the opportunity to welcome a Sudanese family to the United States. I may volunteer with their Employment Specialist to develop a vocational program for these communities of refugees (in particular, there was a group of teens that they would like for me to work with). I can't begin to say how much this has brought me to a place of intimacy towards God and reminds me that there is a place for me here...where this an embrace of a common passion. They expressed that there may be some paid positions available to me...Pray for this opportunity as a time for nurturing, learning and preparation...

ONEHOUSE
I am preparing for my talk on Social Justice and Mercy for the unity worship night in the Fall called ONEHOUSE. I am excited to have the privilege of serving this ministry as it moves towards beyond the sake of unity towards a focus on addressing suffering on a global scale. We are partnering with World Vision to use the evening as a launchpad for the body of Christ to engage and lay a claim on our call to address the poor and the hungry.

asian emergent skypecast
I will be participating in the Asian American Emergent Skypcast tomorrow. It is coordinated by Bruce Reyes-Chow. This will be a quarterly (every 5th Sunday) discussion on Asian American Christians and the Emergent Church Movement. I look forward to exchanging ideas and thoughts on ministry.

Speaking at Herald Gospel Camp
I was asked to be the speaker at the Herald Gospel Camp at Camp Herald for their second session at camp. I am praying to see if I could be part of the ministry that was the beginning of my calling in full-time ministry.

Marriage and Moments of Love
Pray for our marriage as we are approaching our first year of marriage, it has been a joyous time but also a time of great adjustment. There is something very beautiful in this journey with one another and when our times of such fraility we find the arms of such acceptance of our wounded self...someone who sees you with a naked trust.

Please join me in praise for my beloved friend Amy who was baptized this past Sunday. She has come home after years of pursuing and I am so moved by her friendship...her authenticity and for allowing me to be part of her story...as she shared her doubts and her wonder of God's grace.

Please pray for my friend Wendy and her new apartment which is a ministry for community and for mutual encouragement in the body of Christ. I am so amazed by her commitment to move into the community she wants to minister to...

Pray for my friend Kim who lost her dad this past week and as she is undergoing thoughts of loss that she may come to a place of peace and healing.

To Financially Support the ministry please send checks (make payable to PaLM) to:
PaLM
48-19 196th Street
Fresh Meadows, New York
11365-1316
please mark memo: Asian American Laity Ministries or Peter Ong
All donations are tax-deductible

Definitions of moments

2006-07-10T18:12:00.000-04:00

"Nothing shall be lost that is done for God or in obedience to Him." -- John Owen

Dear Friends and family,

I am still alive!!! Despite some recent sebacks (I got laid off from my Syracuse part-time position and some recent adjustments in my life in Syracuse) I am pressing forth and enjoying this time as a season of reflection and challenge to trust in His provision. To do things unto the Lord...out of reverence and devotion.

I am back and somewhat recovered from an intense week speaking at the New York Summer Conference at Hofstra. This annual Conference attracts about 1,400 participants each year as people from the east coast gather from different Chinese churches. I had the privilege this year to be the main speaker for the youth track. The theme verse was "Perserving Faith" based on Hebrews 11:39-12:1.

I want to thank you for all your prayers and your heart that reminds me of the "cloud of witnesses" that continue to encourage me. I am so blessed by the community of friends who continue to encourage and challenge with truth and love.

It was my third year attending this conference and in the past I felt a bit ambivalent about the conference because it was mostly for "churched" youth and I felt many of them were apathetic to their faith or to be too "familiar" with the whole conference "thing." But as I prayed and prepared for the talks, I became more and more passionate about giving these youth a challenge to engage with the gospel and to also be authentic with God, with each other and with themselves. As I opened up my talk on Friday night...I felt a stirring and despite all my cynicism, I wanted to be faithful to the preaching on the gospel...as the days went and I spoke, I spoke at the morning and evening sessions (the nights were shorter), I saw the youth being engaged with me...I really felt the presence of the Holy Spirit...and their eyes seem to respond with attentiveness and nodding (some nodding off too...).

Then on Sunday night, there was suppose to be an altar call for the youth...I told the leaders that I am not a big fan of altar calls and in my years at CCHC I didn't do altar calls but rather have the youth respond individually with God...it is confusing and emotional and sometimes the kids respond to the altar calls for different reasons (peer pressure, it is the thing to do...and just the pure emotions of it)...Also, I feel that it gives a false sense of the "defining moment" whereas our journey towards discipleship is a gradual and progressive one...that requires a series of defining moments instead of just one...I wanted the kids to respond to the gospel in their seats and in their own time...and not the altar...so, I expressed to the leadership that I wasn't going to do one...they supported me and we didn't plan on one...and I spoke to the worship team and they agreed with me....as I prepped for the evening talk about the journey of the "prodigal son" and Jesus's own journey toward calvary...and there was this heaviness in my heart...I felt in my heart that God was speaking;

"Peter, these are my followers, don't deny them the opportunity to walk from their seats toward the front...let them walk with me...towards calvary..."

and in that moment I looked up from the pulpit I saw the youth weeping...then I invited the youth to come up and commit their lives to Christ and to symbolically walk with Christ toward the altar. A dozen kids came forward and then another dozen...soon there was about 200 hundred youth who stood before me and some in their seats just weeping. As tears were coming from my eyes, I expressed to the youth that this is a moment of brilliant surrender...and that this is not the "defining moment" and to pursue God with diligence and to "come home."

As the conference closed, I saw these young church kids connect with the gospel and to renew their faith. We laughed we cried and the leadership and I were amazed the way God moved in these few days...and the "witnessing" night was filled with such authenticity as youth shared about issues dealing with drugs, addictions, brokenness, authenticity, and their return home this weekend...

Overall, it was one of those moments that God has given me as a way of reminding me of this simple truth, that He uses even me...to speak...to engage...to offer a simple message that reminds me that we are beautiful and God is beauty...

You can read about their experiences from the New York Summer Conference blogring or you can read comments from my xanga...

Fund Development
I am still in crunch time and the reality is setting in that I might not be able to start the ministry in the Fall but continuing and trusting. There has been some highlights as friends are supporting me and also so moments of faith that is so exciting to see what God will do in this next season of ministry. Pray for clarity as I share my heart for this new ministry that I am finding more and more is needed in the Asian American church.

Tiempo
Jamie and I had some time with friends and family. It was nice to spend time with her family and learning more about the stories that make up her life..I am so thankful for these friends! You guys remind me of the beauty of an Acts 2 church.

Speaking Engagements
I am getting ready for speaking in New York in September for the One House event which will have a focus on unity for the church and also a pursuit for Social Justice. I am also filling out the schedules for speaking at several conferences. I will be speaking at a joint service for OCM High School and College Fellowships.

I am planning out my summer to assist with church ministries in the Fall. OCM will not be needing my assistance with Zion, their college ministry and I am still working with New York Chinese Baptist Church to discuss my involvement with their start of their mentorship program.

Syracuse Alliance Church Youth Ministry
I organized a prayer walk in the community with several of the Youth Leadership Team members and we prayed along the outlining communities and also for an area where a lot of our youth come to our Wednesday night "Breakthrough" fellowship. Many of these kids are urban kids who are unchurched and God has done an amazing job of bringing them. After the prayer walk we had a productive meeting where we were able to strategize over some of the upcoming months and re-focusing our ministries. I am very thankful for a great team of people who are so committed and determined to serve these youth. I am still trying hard to be sensitive to them and not "step on their toes" and allow them to follow what God is directing the youth ministry to be.

Prayer Items
Funding Funding Funding...pray that according to His time, that the funding would come in so I can launch the Asian American Laity project with PaLM.

Jamie and I are in the midst of some transitions in Syracuse and discovering new possibilities for us to serve together. We are both anxious and excited as we want to make sure our direction is filled with Holy Spirit insight and that we make sure we continue to develop the relationships we have already and continue to seek a deeper fellowship with folks here.

Pray for friends who are getting married and our own prayer life to be filled with a sense of yearning and groaning for the glory of God.

Our friend Amy is getting baptized this weekend...we are so excited for her and praying that this public expression will be filled with such a recognition of bringing her home and into a deeper discipleship with Him.

Drive By

2006-06-30T09:35:00.000-04:00

Hey folks....I am in New York City and have enjoyed a blessed time with friends, ministry partners and family. Thank you for your continued support and prayers. I will be speaking at The New York Summer Conference at Hofstra for the youth track and both a bit overwhelmed and excited that I will be given the privilege to engage with these conferees. As I prepared I am learning a great deal about the responsibility of shepherding, the seriousness of the role of sharing God's word and also remembering to pray. One of these days, I just stopped my prep to pray (I thought it would be for a few minutes...and then it went into hours of of personal worship). It has been such a restoring week for me.

Here are the prayers for conference (it is on their website as well)

Pray for our speakers, that God would prepare their hearts, refresh them and continue to bless them in their ministry
Pray for our staff, that they would not be discouraged, that there will be committed servants who step up to take on larger roles at the conference (e.g. registration, youth variety night team)
Variety Night Team: Pray for commitment from team, creativity that is rooted in God's Word; clarity fo God's message in their skits; for God to raise up mature youth that are ready to serve in this area.
Worship Teams: God would lead us to the right people to lead us and teach us how to worship God in a way that pleases Him and glorifies Him
For God to provide the right people to take on the larger roles in this conference to replace those who are moving on.
For each person participating in the conference to take on financial responsibility for this conference; that each would give from the heart what they are able.
For protection from the enemy, especially for the leaders and speakers.
That the conference would run smoothly and we would all be blessed by God.

I will update you on all the wonderful times I had in NYC after the conference but if you can remember Jamie and I in prayer as we are spending time with family.

Here is a brief and ongoing list of prayer:

* Funding: Provision and encouragement as I am still raising support for the Asian American Laity Project, if you would like to learn more you can go to the PaLM website.
* Part-time work: When I get back to Syracuse I will be looking for another part-time position and possibly assisting with Intervarsity at Cornell.
* Home: Jamie and I are enjoying married life but discovering more and more that our devotions and worship are individually healthy but corporately need work...so your prayers and counsel would be greatly appreciated.

That is all for now...

Spectator Faith

2006-06-19T14:40:00.000-04:00

"Those who say that they believe in God and yet neither love nor fear him, do not in fact believe in him but in those who have taught them that God exists. Those who believe that they believe in God, but without passion in their heart, any naquish of mind, without uncertainty, without doubt, without an element of despair even in their consolation, believe only in God-idea, not in God." Miguel De Unamuno

Dear Friends and Family,

Sorry for the one week hiatus from my prayer update, I was in the midst of a busy week back in New York City for several exciting ministry opportunities, fellowship, time with family and most importantly moments reflecting on God. The above quote struck me as a bit of a paradox for me since I have found that I often do wrestle with this in my heart. I often listen to people as they mention their faith...and it seems so "academic" or "clear-cut" without much ambiguity...I feel like a stranger in that narrative. I don't know if it is that kind of faith or a focused religion that seems to rob the wonder and mystery of who God is. Or just the "natural" progression...but my experiences and the scriptures presents a Super-natural God who is more like Aslan who is "not safe" but "good." But I often find our rhetoric describes a God who is a divine accountant who is more interested in our compilation of achievements versus our commitment to love Him and being obedient. My relationship with God has always been ambivalent but filled with a great deal of variety of encounters...many moments of brokenness but also of extraordinary faith. I am learning and celebrating these varieties of encounters that the family of God has...and remembering the portion that God gives to those in the Kingdom is to be celebrated as wonderful mosaic.

I love picture above that I found on Flickr that seem to capture a lot of what I have been dealing with in my heart. I realized that Jamie and I have been living in Syracuse for almost 10 months now and it really made me examine myself in what I considered as my "spectator faith" experience...but as I made steps to connect with people and with community, it has been a mixed bag. There are people who I have met who are on such a wonderful journey of discovering God in all facets of their lives...great older men and women who have journeyed along this path and given me a great deal of insight and support...younger couples who continue to inspire me with their authenticity...yet, I am bound by my torn allegiances to ministry in New York City...and I often find myself realizing more and more that I need God's visiong and urging for this community to overcome some of the obstacles I face in engaging. But in the end, I am learning to move ahead (thank you PJ for reminding me) that this is a time of preparation....a season for Jamie to get the training for us to be instrument of justice and peace...for me, a time to discover beyond what I have been walking...that I need a lapse to move to another direction...Pray for my momentary lapse...and beginning to feel the sense of wanting something new...somewhere, in Syracuse...

I attended a monthly meeting two weeks ago with the Syracuse Area Youth Workers where several youth pastors and pastors get together to share their hearts and a meal. It was a refreshing time of meeting very dynamic and energetic people who love God and youth. I hope to get to know them better and also to just be reminded of all that God is doing here. I will be presenting a talk about Prayer Walking this Wednesday for the Syracuse Alliance Church youth group and also leading a Prayer Walk on Saturday with several of the youth leaders at the church for the outlining community. The congregation is predominately upper to middle class but is located in a depressed area of Syracuse. I am hoping that this prayer walk will serve as a time of asking God to examine how to minister here... Pray for the youth leaders (I am amazed by the heart of the adults who serve in this ministry) and the team as I am assisting this summer I am hoping that this will continue to build on the work that God has started here.

The Refl3ctions Event at OCM was a huge success with about 400 youth coming out to this event to reflect on the theme of social justice. Jinny Kim and Neah Lee were awesome and one of the highlights of the evening was their rendition of Everything by Lifehouse...Praise God for providing us a speaker, Lawrence Tom gave a challenge for the youth to spend time "reflecting" on their faith and also for them to engage with their communities. Yi Ping ended the evening with a powerful presentation about Social Justice and Mercy...the evening ended with the TECBC Praise Band! As I look back on this event, it combined the principles that I love in ministry...Focus on the lost...the depth of relationships the coordintaors, the artists and the speaker have...a joy filled moment where we express our faith through the love we have for God and each other. As the evening ended and we had dinner, I sat around a table of people (LT, jinny, neah, joo, jo jo, norms, stephs, alex, and sung) whom I love and I know love God and love me...and there is healing in that...and a circle that the enemy cannot penetrate...hallelujah...This event in so many ways healed me from some of the recent discouragement I had with serving.

I have some good news, I was able to raise an additional 10% for the support of the Asian American Laity project which means I am about 40% there. This came at a time when I was laid off from my part-time job in Syracuse. I am currently looking for another position in Syracuse. I am looking to have a part-time position here while I am still fund-raising. Pray for a venue that will be best for opportunities to express my passions and also for me to meet people in this community. My friend Kati recommended that I get involved with several Syracuse non-profits that minister to the immigrant community here, and that sounds like a great opportunity.

I went to the PaLM Monthly Pastoral Fellowship meetings and enjoyed my time with the Asian American pastors in the community. I enjoyed the issues posed by the study regarding sending our congregations to their mission field. A challenging and sobering commission...I was able to meet with some pastors to discuss more about the Asian American Laity Project and it is good to hear of their support.

I am finalizing the Asian American Leadership Roundtable on Labor Day for the College and Career Eastern Chinese Bible Conference. We have some key participants from Intervarsity, Campus Crusades and local and national Asian American leadership. I will be doing a workshop there on evangelism and missional engagement.

I will be speaking at New Joy Fellowship on a sermon titled "Discoveries Along a Path of a Reluctant Faith." Pray for a clear and engaging teaching from God's word that speaks to a young professional Asian American congregations. I am prepping for my sermons for New York Summer Conference and feeling more and more excited about this privilege to speak to the youth. I had a chance to meet with the Variety Night Team while I was in New York and happy to serve with them and break bread.

I have been asked to coordinate a mentorship program for the English speaking Congregation for New York Chinese Baptist Church and also serving with OCM for their Zion (College) fellowship. Pray for the funding for these projects and that there will be adequate budget for these projects to succeed. I will be organize several trips into the city for the Fall and hope to have more opportunities to share at the Mid-Hudson Chinese Christian Church as a regular speaker.

I had a meeting with Upstate New York Area Coordinator for Intervarsity and we are working on the possibility of me serving with them on a campus as volunteer staff. Pray for discernment and also for my passion be sobered with the limits of time and resources...

Misc:
Jamie and I were apart for almost a week and it has been a time for me to reflect on our marriage...and how much I delight in her support for me in this time. I am making no income right now...and she is in school...and yet, she works and continues to offer me such an adoring support...pray for us and for the provision of God to continue to encourage us.

I had some time with my sister as she visited with her kids...despite an ugly divorce she seems to be growing in her homecoming...we had a good heart to heart on the ride to the airport and I know that there is more to this story.

Last week, Jamie and I attended the wedding of Duncan and Jennifer and it was a great time of fellowship with our old friend Renie and her husband Nick...we had a chance to share our stories of marriage and our mutual passions for the poor and the needy. It was great to see Jamie's friends and also to be reminded of the wonder and beauty of marriage.

Pray for Jamie and I as we are still in the midst of some shifting of gears in terms of our ministry and our pursuit of finding opportunities to serve together in a community of people who are close to our hearts. We are also beginning to talk and pray more about our future and the start of a family. So pray that we are humbled and trusting to what God wants in this new chapter in our life.

Jamie's parents are coming into New York from Hong Kong at the end of this month and we are planning to spend some time with them...pray for a time of catching up and re-establishing our relationship with them.

To Financially Support the ministry please send checks to:
PaLM
48-19 196th Street
Fresh Meadows, New York
11365-1316
please mark memo: Asian American Laity Ministries or Peter Ong

Litany for Direction

2006-06-05T19:12:00.000-04:00

"The All-wise, All-knowing God cannot speak without meaning many things at once." Cardinal Newman.

This week has been a centering experience for me. On each side, there has been diverse encounters with God through circumstances and prayer. But I feel spiritually worn, emotionally famished, physically tired, spiritually jostled while amazingly redeemed by the rampant work of God's grace. There is much uncertainty in this work...

Each step on this journey are riddled with so much doubt and I feel once again such a deep yearning and love for intimacy with Him...to trust...yet, I am compelled and love the Asian American church...and to continue to persevere through this pursuit of serving Him. But I am faced with the limits of what is being providing financially...But I will wait...and pray.

Thank you for your words and always the encouragement that comes from your prayers. Everyday, I am stirred in a pause to acknowledge the prayers that are lifted on my behalf. I offer my sincere thanks and appreciation for all that you do for His work through me. I praise God for the realization that I am the handiwork of your petitions and affections towards me. May we continue to spur each other on.

I was recovering from Teen Eastern Chinese Bible Conference where God continued to echo through the hearts of the youth, His desires for this generation of believers. I was amazed by their desire to go beyond the pale of basic faith...they didn't want to hear about "dating" but rather about winning their friends to Christ. Yet, I stand here humbled by their faith and their passion. They are truly walking sermons to me and I am still learning from them through their sincere sharing online: their testimonies

I was blessed by a call from good brother and spiritual journeyman. We shared our hearts for authenticity and faith. I apprecciated his commitment and how God is using him to pursue me...to ensure that I am being real with him and most importantly with HIM. We are seeking to have monthly prayer to develop ourselves in the midst of serving Him.

My week was good and I had some opportunities to do some planning for the New York Summer Conference coming up soon. I am so excited to be able to share the word of God and realizing the wonderful privilege to speak to this generation of youth. Pray that I approach this with a sense of humility and responsibility. Pray that as I share God's word there will be a radiance of His glory through me.

I spoke at Mid-Hudson Chinese Christian Church this past Sunday and was so blessed to discover that it is the home church of a Esther Feng (who is married to the great Michaelf Feng) who goes to Syracuse Alliance Church. Also had the chance to catch up with my old and special friend Dr. Wai Lau and his family who served with me at Camp Herald ministries. I also discovered this was the church that one of my friends, Josh Chen served with. As I arrived and was greeted by Moses Lam, I understood why I love the Chinese church so much. One of our strengths is the deep commitment we have for the ministry and the church by the laity. God has blessed our cultural desire for the unity in our families. Their English ministry is growing and as I preached about the importance of mutuality in the generation of believers, I saw tears from the parents for their children. I know that there is a delicate dance that the church has with its first and second generation...one that many suggest is irreversible trend towards assimilation but I find that there is much for us to appreciate in the culture...much to learn from being missional and engaging. Jesus is the Lord of our culture and it is for us to acknowledge and celebrate this legacy that He is redeeming. At the end of the sermon, I was approached by several of the youth who were able to recite some of the points from my Hofstra workshop last year. I was deeply humbled as we recounted some of my illustrations and stories. I saw Dr. Lau's kids who I didn't even recognize as they have grown. I had a chance to meet with the Senior pastor and the deacons to share about my ministries and they are considering how they can partner with the ministry and support me. They have invited me to speak regularly at their church and I am praying for balance and also submission to God's appointment for me to share the word. But I must share this and confess...I feel that I have fallen in love with this church...it reminds me of serving with the Brooklyn Chinese Alliance Church as a regular speaker and how much they showed me the beauty of the Chinese family church. As Jamie and I drove away, we saw children and parents preparing to put up their VBS signs and planting new flowers together, I rejoiced for their unity...a unity that is based on the first institution that God created; marriage and family. Pray for me as I consider how God wants to use me at this Church...pray for their ministries as they are seeking to reach the communities there for Christ. Also pray for those who are heading off to college in the Fall.

Refl3ctions is a little over a week away. We don't have a speaker and I think that the duty may fall on my shoulders. Pray for provision...pray for the artists Jinny Kim and Neah Lee as they bring their art to the hearts of the youth...pray for those who are inviting their friends to hear a message on faith.

I will be serving with Overseas Chinese Mission Church Zion (College) Fellowship once a month to speak. I went to their joint fellowship with Chinese Alliance Church where I enjoyed a time of worship and overwhelmed by the teens who I served are now in college and leading. I am also facilitating a mentorship ministry with Chinatown church, pray for diligence and vision for this ministry.

I will be speaking for Pastor David Koo at New Joy Fellowship Church at the end of June. I am excited for speaking at this church where I have met Kara Kim and learned about Broken For Good Records.

I am also preparing for the ONEHOUSE event in September where I will be giving a talk about justice and the church's response to this important issue.

MISC
Praise God for Glennis Lo who has raised her support! She is looking for an apartment in NYC so let's continue to pray for her future with EPIC and I look forward to see what God has in store for her.

Jamie and I are still working out our hearts as we serve one another. I am realizing that I am amazed by her support in the midst of the great unknown in my funding. She is so willing to support me and to go through this journey together. I praise God for her every morning. Pray for our marriage as we continue through our seasons.

Jamie and I will be heading out to a wedding this coming weekend for Duncan Hau and Jennifer Chan. Pray for this time of celebration as we gather to celebrate the mystery of marriage.

Pray for my refuge and my trust to be sustained...

To Financially Support the ministry please send checks to:
PaLM
48-19 196th Street
Fresh Meadows, New York
11365-1316
plea

"Beautiful Mess"

2006-06-01T16:43:00.000-04:00

"Better a little faith dearly won, better launched alone on the infinite bewilderment of truth, than perish, on the splendid plenty of richest creeds."-Henry Drummond.

Dear Prayer family,
Thanks for your patience, I am recovering from a Memorial Day Weekend where I served as advisor and workshop leader at Teen Eastern Chinese Bible Conference.

As always, God continued to pour out his mercy on these teens. It was a special year for me because there was a group of teens who were once conferees coming back to serve as workshop leaders. I am amazed to see how much God has enriched these former teens. One is going to Japan to serve in missions this summer, another is going to Kenya with Wycliffe and studying linguistics, another is contemplating full-time ministry and the stories continue. These lives were part of the youth God gave me the privilege of serving at TECBC and now they are sources of such encouragement to me as they serve the Lord.

Beautiful Mess
One night at the conference, there is an all-night prayer meeting...I saw the teens crying out to God...these broken lives weeping, strewn about the sanctuary collapsed and exhausted from all their hurts.. and here it was...this vision...of the "beautiful mess" of God's people. Beautiful broken shards of the mosaic of God's redemptive canvas. I wept with them and prayed with them. As the words came out, I realized God was nourishing my soul...

Praise God. Praise Him, the wonderful counselor. The Redeemer.

One of the things that I learned was that God is showing me that there is much to be done in the work of the Asian American Christian community...in our preaching need to return to the character of Christ...to create an environment where we can engage and challenge each other to see what God is doing in our lives...to learn from one another the love of God. Our worship saturated with reverence, fear and most of all love. A ravished love for God that is overfilling with Joy.When I think of messy, I don't mean ugly...but rather authentic joy....

A leader told me this week, "I don't believe you have to be joyful in serving..." and I was perplex...how does one serve in love without joy? How can we possibly resemble the "joy of our salvation" without joy? I believe that we have forced a Christianity that is focused on what is "right" versus in making it beautiful. As one seeker once reminded me through a probing question..."Do you really love Jesus or are you just trying to make Christianty sound good..." so insightful...I am not saying that we have to yell Hallelujah everytime we serve, but it comes from the hope we have in Christ....and hope is not a duty...it is not joyless...

As I lead a workshop on evangelism, I found that we have a difficult time sharing our relationship with God but rather good at"selling" God because we are famished from our understanding of our intimate relationship with the heart of Christ. The gospel means Good News...what is the good news? Rebuke? Shame? Judgement? Discounting people into labels? We have broken people serving in our churches...thirsty people we have asked to give water to others. Without an encouraging word...

Are we prepared to give an answer....but with...gentleness and respect...(1 Peter 3:15). Do we respect those who we encounter as messy...we don't care about the person...but have bulletted them as problems to be solved...ministry is messy...people are messy...but they are beautiful messes...and every encounter that Christ had with sinners reflect this...I wish it wasn't so, I wish that I could just write people off without giving that person an opportunity to experience God through serving. I wish I could focus on a team of people I WANT...

That is why we can only do ministry with the compulsion of the Holy Spirit. To see the person as God sees them.

Everything....is redeemable...forgive us of our desire to label . forgive us for judging their abilities and not their hearts. Forgive us in how we have reduce them to a caricature instead of the glorious picture of what You wish to do through them. Teach us. Humble us.

Ministry Development:
Praise God that two churches will be partnering with me to consult their churches with a college fellowship and also another church to develop their mentorship program. I had great discussions this past week with some of the leadership and looking forward to serving. I went to a Syracuse Area Youth Workers Meetings and had a great time learning and also sharing about the training of lay leadership.

The Asian American Leadership Roundtable is coming along. I am excited as more ministers and workers are lining up to be part of this at the Eastern Chinese Bible Conference (College and Career). Special thanks to Lisa Yu from Intervarsity as she is partnering with me on this roundtable. She posed some issues to think about and some other possibilities. Pray for the speaker Paul Tokunaga as he prepares to share the word of God.

Refl3ctions hit a little speedbump with our speaker backing out two days ago...we are scrambling to find a speaker. Pray for this event as the youth are inviting their seeker friends. I pray that God will continue to use the wonderful talents of Jinny Kim and Neah Lee to speak into these thirsting young hearts. This event is coming up soon!

Fund Development
This is looking bleak...It might look like that there will be a need for a miracle as I did follow up calls and there seems to be some tentative support out there. I am praying that God will bring about a decisive moment for me...to pursue...to wait...to stop...so I am asking you guys join in me.

Speaking Engagements
I am heading to the city this weekend to speak at the Mid-Hudson Chinese Christian Church please pray for my message as I am speaking on one of my favorite Bible men...Abraham...I am a little unprepared but I am excited since many of the congregation are going to New York Summer Conference where I will be speaking for the youth track. I will be speaking for Pastor David Koo at New Joy Fellowship Church at the end of June.

MISC...
I am planning some activities for the Syracuse Alliance Church, the local church Jamie and I attend. I will be leading several prayer walks and also mentoring a youth leader there. I feel that there is a strain somewhere that I can't put my finger on. A large part has to do with my commitment with New York City but also my part-time job. Pray that God will speak into my heart.

Pray for comfort for those of my friends who are dealing with different degrees of lamenting. Some with parents...some with friends who are ill and others who are trying to start a family.

Pray for Jamie and I as we are working to develop a stronger prayer life regarding our future in partnering together in ministry. We are looking for opportunities to serve together to cultivate and practice of a life of serving God...with all our hearts...with our souls and all our minds....

Everything we give.

We are thankful for the answered prayers for relationships with different people in Syracuse. Special thanks to Brian and Rachel for their courage to eat Chinese food (even with the head and tail!) Thank you Kelly for being such an amazing brother to me, pursuing me towards authenticity and for all of you New Yorkers who have called me, emailed me and remind me that although I am deeply loved and cherished. I give praise to God for that.

Lastly, I want to pray for my faith to be protected during this time. I know that I am going through a crisis of belief regarding my future in ministry. Pray that God continues to build me up in faith...to seek His purpose.

To Financially Support the ministry please send checks to:
PaLM
48-19 196th Street
Fresh Meadows, New York
11365-1316
please mark memo: Asian American Laity Ministries or Peter Ong

Circle of Glory

2006-05-22T22:25:00.000-04:00

"It will be a happy day when we are more eager to see Christ than we are to see any symbol of Him that could be found either in the heavens or on earth. I do not want you as fellow students of the Word, to care about baptism, and the Lord's Supper and the Sabbath day and the church built with hands--except as these may lead you further into the inner sanctuary where is enthroned Christ Himself." Joseph Parker

Upon my trip to New York City, I reflected much on the words of Joseph Parker which reminded me of the hints of glory that are in our time here ...that these journeys are but a faint foretaste of what is to come....Whether it was when I drove south to the city or coming home going north...I arrived in two different places but always heavenward...there will be a day when we come to the full experience of God... when we will worship discarding any distractions.

This week I began to understand this with my mind, heart and soul... to focus beyond Syracuse and New York City...this is just a part of a circle of glory which are hints of the greater glory to come. From glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18) is where I find my hope and that is where I will remain...

I thank God for that reminder and for me to really know that I am a sojourners here...to point and direct our heart and others towards our final destination towards God...that this life is filled with opportunities to take to task the walk that is worthy of our calling (Ephesians 4:1) we each have our response that will impact how we experience the wonders of our faith. I hope that we as pilgrims continue to urge each other towards the mercy and love of Christ, that when we arrive of the threshold of His arrival, we too, will be familiar with this taste upon our hearts...to something so familiar and beautiful...enter into the wondrous place of such abounding grace and power...and the awe of His perfect judgement. And we will know, looking behind what this all meant.

Thank you again for stopping by or reading this. There is much to share and I want to keep it brief (yeah yeah yeah).

NEW YORK, NEW YORK
I had a busy and productive trip to New York City, I had met with John Lin, from Redeemer Presbyterian Church to hear his thoughts about Asian American ministry, Tim Keller and the possibility of having a dialogue with Dr. Keller with several local Asian American pastors to explore the phenomenon of second and third generation Asian Americans at Redeemer. I found his insight to be provoking, candid and challenging as he spoke about the "irrevisible" trend that as children of immigrants we are to be moving towards into a broader context of "American" culture. I am hoping to see where there could be more discussions and engagement with the local Asian American Christian community to dialogue more and to see what are the best practices for our generational churches faces new challenges and opportunities.

I was able to stop by to say hello to Elise Chong from Hope For New York at the Redeemer offices and we talked about working together for the Asian American Roundtable at the College and Career Eastern Chinese Bible Conference. It was good to see her and the staff as I have fond memories of how God used that organization to broaden my vision for mercy and justice ministries in New York City.

I attended the monthly pastoral meeting with PaLM, where I had the chance to meet up with Joseph Tsang from Vision Church (which I went to hang out with him at NBC Studios) and with David Koo from New Joy Fellowship who invited me to speak at his church as he is finishing up his dissertation. We were sharing about worship from the book Shaped By God's Heart. It was a challenging study and really enjoyed the discussion regarding excellence and if we are truly be excellent for God or for man...it was a real treat to wrestle through this and I had the opportunity to drop in some emerging church lingo...haha...

I had meetings with two churches about some upcoming projects. I am helping one church develop a spiritual mentorship program in their church and worked out some of the strategies and logistical aspects of the program. With another church, I will serving with their College group and possibly with their youth group until they appoint a pastor to oversee the ministry. I am excited that there are opportunities for me to serve and that this is one aspect of the Laity Project that I am really excited is moving. Pray that God will guide our partnership and that there will be mutual encouragement. This is also a praise because they will be able to financially support the ministry.

We are making some final preparations for Refl3ctions Event in June 17th at OCM church where we will challenge the youth to engage with their seeker friends, we hope to have Neah Lee and Jinny Kim perform that night...Pray for our speaker and for the financial burdens of the event and for the planning.

I also had a meeting with organizers of OneHouse and excited to see the shape of the evening to pursue an active response to unity and justice...It was great to see old friends (Vicky, Joanna, Jasmine) and new friends (Albert and Glennis) serve in this ministry. This event is heavy in my heart as it is a growing passion of mine to seek global work with Jamie to offer practical grace to those who are suffering greatly around the world. Pray for my words to be anointed with conviction, exhortation and also a clear mandate from the word regarding justice. I am so thankful for this opportunity and for this challenge that is before me.

I had dinner with two dear sisters who are part of my core of new friends who God has placed in the midst of common passions for youth, wilderness experiences and of course, wrestling with what it means to seek Him in all things (including marriage, singleness and just overall day to day life). It was good for me to recount the ways that God has brought me from familiar places of darkness with them and sharing a common vision of hope.

I am heading out to Teen Eastern Chinese Bible Conference this weekend where I will do a workshop and also preparing for my sermon for the Mid-Hudson Chinese Christian Church the following Sunday.

Looking forward to my speaking at Hofstra New York Summer Conference and also hoping to connect this summer with several of the youth.

I will be presenting my website this week!!! It just needs a few more photos.

SYRACUSE
I came back late Friday night (it took me 5.5 hours to get home) but I arrived tired but affectionally welcomed by Jamie. I wanted to attend our local church's Crossroads Ministry annual Summer Kickoff Barbecue and also attend a rally for Joshua Revolution's "Field of Miracles" which a youth outreach in Rochester, New York on August 18-20. I met with Mike Chorey and it turns out that he was involved with the CallNYC in 2002. I was amazed by the worship lead by Jonathan Maracle of the First Nations ministry called Broken Walls. I had a chance to see them lead worship at Urbana 2003 where I heard one of the most life changing messages regarding ministry to the indigenous people of the Americas by Ray Adlred (see his talk here). It was an amazing time for me to see what God is doing here and in this region...Pray for my work with the youth group at Syracuse Alliance Church and that I will be able to serve out of a desire to honor our Lord's bride and for me to truly bring support to the leadership and the pastoral staff here.

I am wrapping up my time co-leading of the Grace in Motion Men's bible study. I am thankful for the men who are part of this and for their pursuit of authenticity. I am amazed by them and how God is working in each of their lives. We are finishing up this rotation and seeking God in what are next steps are.

MISC

Congratulations to Glennis Lo who raised all her support for her start with EPIC ministries. I am looking forward to working with her and seeing God raise up more young people to serve and work in ministry.

Pray for my financial support as well as it is coming down to crunch time for me...it is make or break time for this summer, I am looking forward to seeing what God will do during this time of seeking support. Thank God for a supportive wife and for my part-time job in Syracuse which has been able to cover our expenses.

Pray for our dear sister Elizabeth who is leaving for Peru for missions tomorrow, pray for her time to be filled with opportunities to share and experience the gospel.

Pray for my friend DY who is going back to his home to be with his dad who is diagnosed with liver cancer. Pray for healing and for faith to seek His comfort during this time.

Pray for my friend CS who is going through such a tremendous time of trials right now, with both her parents undergoing cancer treatment and recovering from a broken engagement.

A special prayer for two couples who we found out they are expecting a new addition in their lives. Pray that God will bring them to a ready state of their hearts to be a father and mother. Hallelujah for this new season.

To Financially Support the ministry please send checks to:
PaLM
48-19 196th Street
Fresh Meadows, New York
11365-1316
please mark memo: Asian American Laity Ministries or Peter Ong

beneath my knees

2006-05-15T18:18:00.001-04:00

"I think that it takes great deal more grace to suffer God's will than it does to do God's will. If a person lies in a bed of sicknes and suffers cheerfully and is putting hope to practice, that person is as acceptable to God as if they were out workin in His vineyard. Amen!" Dwight L. Moody.

This quote made me pause a great deal this week. In some ways, I am learning that more and more that I have a opportunity to love and serve the community here. I know that it has been hard for me in so many ways, because of involvement in New York City and also because of my heart for the leadership and the congregation. Yet, I am discovering that there is a vibrant working of God's hand in Syracuse. This past week there was a Syracuse Christian Film Festival where the gospel was preached 80+ times and over 400 people made first time decisions for Christ. A sister at church said something so tender and sweet about her involvement in the film festival "Well, it was just My Jesus and me, working for His glory" and yet, I pause because I have felt that Syracuse has been my wilderness...and I have spent many hours praying on my knees for New York City without much thought about the ground underneath my knees.

Am I Jonah? Am I resisting what is so evident to me...is that God has given me this opportunity to serve and to love those around me. I have met some amazing people here in Syracuse and also had my share of some people who have discouraged me as well. But this week I had dinner with a young couple who touched me with their faith and heart for the youth in the church and it is our hope that we can serve together...

Yet, I am reminded of the the heart of my savior to enter a wilderness to seek my simple and poor soul. I am beginning to love it here and to find the beauty of the people around me...and I can see that in my short time here, I am called to love without fear....to prepare for the wonders of what God has prepared...forgive me for such my blatant disregard. Now I rise and enter this with a new hope...and with a new vision to fast and to pray.

Welcome
Hey friends and family and stumblers onto this little notch in the internet world where I share my prayer updates on meditations, ministry and other random thoughts. Hope you enjoy this weekly prayer udpate. I want to always give thanks to God for those of you who have emailed me and have passed on my information to others. I am very encouraged by your words and of course your simple gestures of recognition.

Well I have enjoyed a pretty interesting discourse on worship (featuring Dave Park, Billy Park and Peter Ong-Two Parks and an Ong). Stop by for a read and enjoy.

There is a new book on Asian American Youth Ministry published by L2 Foundation that is just released. Please check out the book at DJ Chuang's site, who is also the editor. I had a chance to take a cursory look at the book before it published and it is a stunning in the breadth and variety of perspectives that are presented here. I am excited to see the dialogue and insight that this collection will bring issues surrounding Asian American youth ministry. Pray that God will use this book to stir in the hearts of those working with these youth to a newer and more profound understanding of their important cultivation of these lives. For His Glory!

Asian American Laity Project
I am in the midst of funding for my Pastoral and Laity Ministry's Asian American Laity Project and I have made a financial goal of $10,000 in two months. Impossible. Yes for me...Impossible for God...I will let you answer that. Please continue to pray with me as I am pressing forth on this project. I am still working out the details for our Asian American Leadership Roundtable at the Eastern Chinese Bible Conference where Paul Tokunaga will be speaking and I am hoping that leaders from Campus Crusades for Christ, Intervarsity and the local church to gather to speak about some issues surrounding the church. I will be in the city for a bit to meet with some leaders and also friends. Pray for a fruitful time of engagement and sharing this vision for ministry.

My website is slow in coming. I am putting in more hours for my part-time job and I am getting a bit overwhelmed by finances. I need to get some serious time to focus on ministry. Pray that God will provide.

Speaking
I was gearing up for my speaking engagement in NYC for Seekers annual Jesus Day found out that they have cancelled the event and moved it to another date that I can't speak. I was a bit disappointed that I will not go back to Brooklyn Technical High School, my old high school where I got found and lost over the course of my three years there (I came in as an incoming sophomore and skipped a grade...yes, to your disbelief, I was once smart).

But I am preparing for Teen Eastern Chinese Bible Conference where I will serve again as an advisor and presenting a workshop on college transitions. Pray for a keen sense of the spirit leading as I share my insight on pursuing faith in some of the most secular settings these kids will face.

I am finalizing my topic for my workshop at the New York Summer Conference youth track in July. I am doing a workshop called "Losing Your Religion: From Fronting to Authenticity" It will deal with a naked look at our faith, evangelism and the church. I am also finalizing my outlines for the talks I will be giving at the general sessions. Pray for wisdom and guidance for the words I will be sharing from the stage...may it be filled with His glory!

I am so excited to share at OneHouse 2006 event in NYC. I will be sharing a message about unity and justice. I am calling it "In the Likeness of God" and the expression of community that is focused on inclusion to point to the exclusiveness of God. I am being challenged because I am overwhelmed by this passion I have for unity...

I will be giving a sermon at the Midhudson Christian Chinese Church in three weeks. I will be giving a talk on "Discerning Salvation: An outsiders look at faith" I hope to speak to the youth and the families about who to engage in our culture with faith.

MISC
Continue to pray for ministry opportunities in Central New York, I might be serving on a campus ministry, youth ministry at church, or a local Asian American church in Syracuse. I just taking things in and spending most of the summer to discern where God is leading me.

Pray for my friend's dad who is praying each day as he is faced with cancer. Praise God that He became a believer this past year and continues to seek the Lord in the midst of his troubles.

Hey, praises, I found out that I got an "A" in my Chinese class!!! Woo Hoo...that is my first final I have taken in 12 years! Hallelujah!

Jamie and I will have to cover our health insurance this summer since she will be off her assistanceship. Pray for our diligence with our finances during this dry period.

Life After God

2006-05-08T21:56:00.000-04:00

"My secret is that I NEED GOD-that I am sick and can no longer make it alone. I need God because I no longer seem to be capable of giving; to help me be kind as I no longer seem capable of kindness; to help me love, as I seem beyond being able to love." Douglas Coupland, Life After God.

Hello pilgrims and friends. You are my ever present reminders of God in my life. Thank you for your words that reach to me in so many ways.

A highlight this week for me was lunch with Syracuse Professor of Economics Dr. David Richardson. As he shared his encouragement for me to cultivate this new identity away from ministry. I was moved that he would pour into my life without any agenda apart from offering time as we shared a meal and our hearts. He reminded me of the Pauline enfranchisement that encourage and honor a younger Timothy(I Timothy 4:12). I pray we continue to build our relationship together.

I wanted to give a special birthday wish to my beautiful wife Jamie Ong who did wonderfully as she participated as a Hydrology "Expert" in a mock trial. She was wonderfully brilliant as she spoke about well meters and other "hydrology" stuff. Special thanks to Chi, Jenny, Lawrence and Melanie who came from NYC to Syracuse to surprise her for her birthday.

Jamie reminded me this week of the purpose God has for me in Syracuse. This week I was reminded of the position of ministry I had in NYC was orchestrated by Him. It is His. His. His only. Not mine. God did not have to choose me to do the work where I was able to experience so much of His power. It was His invitation. It was His mercy that made a simple ragamuffin of faith into such an instrument.

I am reminded of His Lordship...He gives and takes away...and to this...I am reminded, that He too left home where seraphims and angels adored and worshipped Him to arrive here among us for the greatest pursuit of us....to really suffer the emptying of His glory so He can fulfill the painful and wondrous work of the Father. So, I pray that I am reminded of this...that I am here...and I am called to pursue God and pursue people. Nothing else matters...

Despite the initial resistance and the resistance for me to enter in...I have taken a tentative step to serve this summer with the Syracuse Alliance Church as I have been asked to partner with some of the youth workers and prepare summer activity with the youth. I will be coordinating several prayer walks with the workers, parents and youth. At the end of the summer I hope to coordinate an evangelistic youth outreach. After the summer I am praying to see where I will as I am exploring other possibilities of ministry in Syracuse. Pray for my service to this community. I really see God's commitment and His heart for the church...may I serve this team out of a reverence towards God.

Asian American Laity Project
The Prayer Letter went out to my closest friends and I am hoping that they will account for half of the funding for the launch of the PaLM Asian American Laity Project. I just found out that Asian American Ministry bloggers DJ Chuang and David Park will be coming to Eastern Chinese Bible Conference to participate with us on a Roundtable discussion regarding Asian American leadership and Laity formation. Thank God for this new development and may it be a springboard for the project and also for us to talk about some strategy for this ministry. The reality is that despite all these developments, I need to find the funding and I have to be diligent in the next three months to come up with the funding for this project.

The Journey of a Servant Website is 85% completed and will be up soon. It is one week behind schedule but I pray that it will be an opportunity for me to promote the Asian American Laity Project and a forum for Asian American Christians to discuss some of the important issues surrounding leadership and serving in an emerging and ever-changing culture.

Refl3ctions 3
The planning for the third Refl3ctions Asian American youth outreach event is in the works and we are planning for June 17th as the date for the outreach. Pray for our planning as we are inviting a speaker and have confirmed a special music guest. Pray for finances and for the support of the local churches as the youth come take this event as a way of reaching their friends!

OneHouse
I have been invited to speak for One House, (here is a flyer from last year's OneHouse event) this second annual event in September. The evening is focused on a profound mission of Christian unity and social justice. These are two of my passions on this journey. Pray that I be filled with the indwelling of the Spirit as I speak to my brothers and sisters. I will come up with a theme and talking point this week.

Hofstra New York Summer Conference
I have come up with the overall outlines for my talks at this year's New York Summer Conference Youth Track. I am so excited that I have this opportunity. As I am preparing for this conference. It is the largest Chinese conference in the states! Pray for preparation and for a deep meditation of the words that I will be sharing.

Teen Eastern Chinese Bible Conference
TECBC is less than three weeks away and I am so looking forward to spending Memorial Day weekend with these lovely little ones. I will be doing a workshop on preparing for College. I will be reunited with so many of the teens who I have seen grown. Pray for the speaker, leaders, the coordinators and for the youth who are coming as God prepares another generation of believers to be transformed by the hearing of the word.

Jesus Day
I just received a call from the coordinators for the Jesus Day in Brooklyn Technical High School and they ran into to some scheduling snags, I am not sure if I will be speaking there next week. But I might come to speak for Stuvesant High School if this falls through. Pray for the planning go according with His perfect will.

Misc
Pray for my friends' who have parents who are undergoing chemo therapy...for their families...that in the midst of these tears, there is comfort...and hope.

Pray for Jamie as she wraps up her studies and heads into the summer with an internship at beautiful Skateatenales for water treatment. Pray for our summer in Syracuse filled with nourishment from our marriage and worship of Him.

Pray for all our friends getting hitched! Special love to Duncan and Jennifer, Timothy and Heather, Hungy and Lillian and Harvey and Amy, of course to all the newlyweds! Blessings!

Comfort of Company

2006-05-01T16:27:00.000-04:00

Hi friends and family! It has been a busy week so let's start updating! Thanks again for your words and your heart.

This past week has been great as I had dinner with a young couple who are growing in the Lord. It was nice to find such a sense of authenticity with one another and being able to share our common vision for God in the midst of us relating. Jamie and I were able to go hiking and see some of the beauty of God's creation (click here for more pics) as He granted us a beautiful weekend. We capped off the weekend with a beautiful dinner with two other couples who are all celebrating our first year wedding anniversary this year...it was nice to just share our hearts and food...

Thank you for praying for my community here, I have been missing the companionship of friends and this was a nice way for me to connect again. Special thanks to Pam & Jeff, Mike & Margi, and Brian & Rachel.

A special thanks to Wendy for your words of encouragement and reminding me to see Syracuse with a different perspective and Joanna for always showing my heart is in good hands...and the very special email I received from Mike , my little brother in Christ to remind me that His work through me is still evident...both visible and invisible...God uses people as a source of encouragement and even strangers (thanks DJ and David Park) who have reached across cyberspace to engage.

Fund Development
My first tier of funding letters went out. I am hoping to do some follow-up calls with some of those I sent the letters out. Most of the people mentioned they received it. I am also working on a suitable database for funders for follow-up and to be integrated into a future website.

I will use wordpress as the default site for now and will build on it until I figure out my plans for the offical website. This website will be more focused on the vision for the ministry and function for funding purposes.

If any of you know of servers or if you are willing to offer some space from your server please let me know.

I am sending out the prayer letters out this week to a list of Asian American churches in New York City and also to Jamie's home church members and friends. She is drafting up a letter this week and I am humbled that she is joining me in supporting this ministry. I will also send out a letter to some of the local friends in Syracuse to see if they can come alongside the ministry. Pray for a stirring in the hearts of people to give according to how God speaks to their hearts. I have peace about this. There is a provision, Jehovah Jireh!

Ministry
I had a good talk with a prospective staff from EPIC, the Asian American wing of Campus Crusades for Christ and we are exlporing how they can be part of the planning and the strategizing for the PaLM Laity Project. I really think that they can bring a lot to the table as partners in this ministry.

I had a brief discussion with some people about my home church Redeemer Presbyterian Church and the level of engagement that it has been having with the young Asian American professionals. I wonder if there would be an interest for Asian American churches to engage in a dialogue with Dr. Keller.

Refl3ctions Event
The event is set for June 17th and there will be an Asian American music artist to perform. It will be an outreach event to engage Asian American youth to pose 3 questions towards the youth. Last year was a huge sucess as an convergence event for the Billy Graham Crusades. There is a discussion for a larger group worship and unity rally for multi-ethnic youth. Pray for focus and preparation, we are also praying for local leadership for involvement and support.

One House
Praying for this unity event, I am still waiting for the organizers to contact me to work on this. The theme is unity and I am hoping that we look beyond unity for the sake of unity...but unity for the sake of reflecting the community of God...to proclaim that we are capable of great things to turn the tide of injustice and brokenness through the expression of love we have for each other out of reverance for God.

Speaking Engagements

Teen Eastern Chinese Bible Conference
TEBC is right around the corner, I will working on a college prep workshop. I facilitated one last year that was quite thought provoking and I pray that this year, I will be able to get some resources from some local campus ministries and challenge the statistic that 65 percent of Asian American christians lose their faith in college...pray for the hearts of those who come to prepare for this new season of opportunity for God to grow them.

Hofstra
New York Summer Conference...It is in less than two months away...I am working on my workshop...and on my speaking. The CEMC Q Coffeehouse rekindled in me a passion to share with the youth and I forgot that I had this passion for youth...and it has been awhile since I spoke to youth...thanking God for that.

Jesus Day
There has been some potential changes in dates and I am working with the coordinator on this. I pray that things will be worked out accordingly to what God wants to do on that day. I am excited to go back to my old High School where my story unfolded ...to discover God...and my subsequent fall but His eventual restoration of my life. Pray for words that are filled with truth and love.

Syracuse
Youth Ministry: Breakthrough
I am helping out with my home church's youth ministry and I am filled with both anxiety and hope. I am not sure what to expect as we are embarking on hosting a revival meeting called Joshua Revolution.

Korean Church of Syracuse
The English Minister and I have been playing phone tag, I pray that we connect sometime next week to share our hearts and our ministries.

Syracuse University Office of Multi-cultural Affairs
I have been wanting to bring Jinny and Koo to Syracuse University for a concert and also to bring some good creative discussion about the multicultural arts and faith. I am part of this group that is looking to start and there has been some speedbumps but overall a good experience to seek His will. But overall the friendships that are coming out of it has been fruitful as I am working together with this sister from church.

Personal
Jamie's Birthdays is Friday...tick tock...what am I gonna get her????

Pray for my Chinese Final this week...praise God that I have been doing quite well, despite my old age...hahahaha...but pray that I will be able to use what I learned for the future and for me to keep it up.

Misc.
Shane & Shane is coming to Syracuse Alliance Church this Friday. Pray that God will continue to encourage people to come out and for the leadership who are organizing to have the strength they need.

We just received three wedding invitations this weekend!!! Pray that the most important person will be invited to that wedding...and that their journey towards the altar be filled with mystery and hints of God's affection for his people.

Pray for the families of friends who are going through parents' illness...there is a lot of hurting...and pray for healing and restoration.

Pray for this one sister who approached me at Coffeehouse...how she is yearning to be authentic despite her past and the shadows that seem to haunt her...pray for freedom and for grace to abound. Pray that she reaches out and not turn inward...

Above the Noise

2006-04-24T17:29:00.000-04:00

Just returned from New York City this weekend, I spoke at the Chinese Evangel Mission Church Queen's Coffehouse. The evening was called
Above the Noise: The theme verse was from Isaiah 30:21 "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

This is the second time I have spoken at the church (the first time was for a Teen Eastern Chinese Bible Conference Reunion) and I was amazed by the transformation from a garage to a beautiful space. As I arrived, I encountered the parents helping out with setting up and the youth who gathered in the basement to pray for almost an hour. They were earnestly praying for each other, for me and for the people who were coming. I was blown away.

As I watched the youth leading worship, perform skits and the powerful testimony by a sister, I felt so undeserving of being in the presence of such saints. To be part of something so beautiful and pure...and as I spoke, I felt the prayers of the youth and those of you who have been so gracious in praying for me and I spoke with such a conviction. As I invited the youth the come home...one by one, they stood...and I knew there was God there, responding to our brokenness, our ragged clothes and our bare feet and all of us were clothed in His robe and the sandals...we all were on our way home. I can't express how much I was blessed that evening and thank God for allowing me to partner with these people. I am going to write a letter to express my appreciation and to esteem the church for their commitment to the youth and for the parents' support. Pray for the follow up and that the seeds that were planted would come into fruition.

Please pray for my speaking engagements at:

I am looking forward to speaking at my next outreach as I head back to my High School (Brooklyn Technical High School) on May 18th and speaking for Seekers Jesus Day. Pray for this day as a working of the spirit as the students plan this day!

Teen Eastern Chinese bible Conference is coming around the corner! I am excited that I am serving again this year as a support to the wonderful chair person Fran!

Mid-Hudson Chinese Christian Church on June 4th I am planning on having a meeting with their leadership to see what kind of partnership could exist with PaLM.

New York Summer Conference where I will be the youth speaker for this historic conference, I am also doing a workshop and lifestyle evangelism...one of my passions!

Boon Church of Overseas Chinese Mission Church in Flushing in August. I will be speaking on engagement of evangelism and discipleship.

September I will be launching the Laity Project at the College and Career Eastern Chinese Bible Conference and will be doing a workshop there as well.

Funding
The Prayer Letter is ready, I sent it to a first group of prospective funders! Right now, my budget is about 20% raised and I need a special push in the summer to get the budget ready for the full launch by September, I know things are behind but I trust God's provision through His people. I will contacting some churches to talk about some formal partnerships in the Fall. If you want a copy of the prayer letter it is in the yahoo groups.

Please feel free to forward it to anyone who you think would be interested.Pray for divine provision in the next few months and that I would have faith that God will move in this project. Pray that I will be able to have meaningful times with some prospective funders from missions boards and ministries. Pray that I have faith...a simple and focused faith.

I have been putting in more hours at my part-time job and I am really being challenged by the time I am putting there and the other commitments...but my finances are a concern for me...and for the summer, Jamie and I will have to pay for our own health insurance. Pray for God's guidance and for us to lean on Him...our beautiful savior and deliverer.

Prospective Partnerships

I had a meeting with Glen Ewart who is a New York Regional Director about the possibility of serving with Intervarsity at Cornell. As I reflect on this past winter when I spoke at the Grace Christian Fellowship at Cornell, I realize that I miss the work I did back with Intervarsity at the Asian American Christian Fellowship at NYU. I am praying that God would open my heart to see how I should respond to this opportunity.

I am hoping to meet with the English Pastor at the Korean Church of Syracuse to connect with him and talk about some of his heart for the fellowship and the church. Pray for a time of encouragement and insight for the two of us and how to best serve the Asian American students on campus.

I have been approached by a church in Chinatown to serve once a month to develop their college and/or youth ministries. Pray for discernment on how to proceed and be a good steward of time and heart.

I have started working with my home church in developing their youth ministry, we will be hosting Joshua Revolution. I really love the kids but my greatest challenge is to serve the current leadership and the existing culture but I am really encouraged by the Associate Pastor's vision for engagement and his heart for a transformative discipleship. I am going to serve through the summer for a bit and planning some prayer walks and then take it from there. Pray for opportunities for me to understand and to enter into this new place of serving with patience and also confidence of the gifts that God has given me.

Pray for the CCHC Website, it has hit a slight speed bump and I am hoping that we can complete it so we can move to the next stage of funding exploration.

Transitions
Jamie and I have been more in depth discussions about our future and we are at a standstill regarding what will happen next, my heart and my desire is to come back to the city to continue ministry work, she is thinking of some overseas work but we are truly praying this through and wondering what this will all mean. A lot of factors are at hand...our families, starting a family, but overall, we want it to be focused on prayer and on the leading of God. Pray for our sincere surrender to His loving and perfect will.

MISC Prayers

Special Happy Birthdays to Amy, Glennis and Linda ! I hope that your birthday is filled with such wonder and reminders of God's grace. Jamie's birthday is coming soon!!! I have some ideas...but I will keep them on the down low for now.

Special congratulations to Carlton and Lauren on their new season as husband and wife. Special praises to Kuz and Peggy for their new marriage. These weddings serve as reminders of the beauty of marriage and to appreciate this institution that God has given us.

I am taking my Chinese final exam at Syracuse University next week...pray that I be diligent and pursue excellence for this opportunity to learn this language.

Pray for the Herald Youth Center as I have found out that another staff is leaving after the summer. Pray for this ministry to be supplied to the fullest for the appointed servant.

Pray for PaLM Worship Conference this coming weekend. Pray for those who come will be blessed and engaged as they seek their role as worshippers. I might make a surprise visit there...hmm....

Pray for some of my friends who have parents who are fighting cancer, diagnosed with cancer and/or awaiting results. Please pray for healing and for peace for their times of trouble.

Death Redefined

2006-04-17T17:56:00.000-04:00

"Jesus departed from our sight that he might return to our heart. He departed, and behold, he is here..." Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430)

Greetings everyone! I hope your week leading to Easter proved to be filled with wonder and the awe of reflecting of the meaning of God's death on the cross and the unveiling the transformative power of redefining the absence inside an empty tomb as presence in our lives.

I am so thankful for the profound act of "absence" to conquer our graves...we rise with Him...amen!

Thanks for your prayers everyone! Here was an email that really touched me this week...

"I hope you'll learn to love Syracuse more, as Syracuse loves (or needs) you more. As you mentioned, you believe God called you to Syracuse...., so I'm sure God will put Syracuse in your heart.I remember my heart was in Hong Kong for years after I moved to Long Island. I don't know how many times in my dreams at that time I thought, "Finally I'm back in Hong Kong!" only to wake up and realize that it's yet another dream. Four years ago ...I finally went back to Hong Kong in summer, and I felt like I was a Hong Kong-er again, and the 9 years in Long Island seemed like a dream that summer.

A few years later, last Spring, I remember looking at the map of Syracuse ...like I was looking at the map of Paradise. (you know, I was in the... in the middle of the night, sleepy and probably a little hungry and thirsty and stressed.) My heart was in Syracuse already, even months before I finished ... Transitions can be very traumatic, but the thing that's constant is the presence of God in your life. I'm sure God is at work, in your heart, whether your heart is in NYC or Syracuse. Take care, Peter!"

It has been a busy week since my Syracuse part-time job here is picking up and I am putting in more hours...thanks for all your prayers. Thank you for all your words of encouragement and also sharing with me about your stories of how God is moving in your lives. Special thanks to my missionary sisters out there who are moving so diligently to do the work of proclaiming the gospel. Thank you brothers for constant reminders of your friendship, I find strength in your faith and most of all your service towards the work of God.

So, since I worked late today and had a meeting with our small group co-leaders, I am gonna have to keep this prayer update brief!

Prayer Support letter is coming out this week...sorry for the delay, I wanted to include some new updates but also feel the fear that is creeping up on me since support raising has never been this hard before...But God is breaking me...and God has been great in providing me a job and full funding for Jamie's studies...Pray that God will move in the hearts and for surrendered provision! Pray for my fear to transformed to hope!

Speaking Engagements
Heading back to the city this coming weekend to speak at Chinese Evangel Mission Church Queens Coffeehouse outreach. Thankful for the organizers and look forward to speaking on "Above the Noise" For a flyer click here. Pray for the organizers, for the kids and most of all for the anointing of God as I share about the "voices" that Christ heard on the Cross and what was the voice that He ultimately focused on...despite the silence...

I am going back to my High School (Brooklyn Technical High School) on May 18th and speaking for Seekers Jesus Day. Pray for this day as a working of the spirit as the students plan this day!

Laity Ministry
There are really some exciting news regarding some partnerships that are still in the works! Praise God! Specifically, pray for a special conference where we will have a launch for the Laity Project. I am working on my website and still striving to have the website up in the first week in May 2006.

Marriage
Jamie and I are in the midst of planning for our future as the year is closing...we had the wonderful opportunity to engage with campus students (Jamie has been so amazing these past weeks...seeing what God is doing in her heart for the students here...she had some great moments of sharing with student about Easter). We are ready for another season of our lives here...we want to grow in our marriage which has been such a blessing...I feel that marriage is such a divine blessing for us...we comforts each other, we make each other laugh and most of all, just taking care of each other and our moments of yearning....Pray for diligent surrender for the plans He has for us...here...overseas...and may we respond "Here I am..." (even Syracuse!!!)

Refl3ctions
We have a date and venue for our next Refl3ctions event! JUNE 17TH at Overseas Chinese Mission Church I am organizing in getting an artist and also finding a speaker for the event. I have some ideas but want to lift it up to prayer.

Ministry in Syracuse
Meeting with pastoral staff of Syracuse Alliance Church this week to continue our dialogue in my involvement with the church. I am growing more and more sensitive to what God is leading me to serve here...it is not an easy place for me...But that is when I feel safest because He works most in my discomfort...Pray for prayerful entrance into this endeavor, it is so eas for me to rely on formulas and talents...but to truly serve and to humbly submit to the leadership.

Misc. Prayer Items
Several of my friends' parents are ill this week...pray for my brother HL's dad as he is in the hospital for some tests, please pray for CB's mom who is diagnosed with cancer, and for those who are sick and in need of a touch of peace.

My sister, she is still undergoing ups and downs with her new life apart from her husband. Divorce has been a tough burden for her and the kids. Pray for her to rend her heart to God...

My parents are still in Asia travelling. I pray for encounters with God as they reunite with family members and I believe that as God is working in China, He reaches His hand to them...there...

Pray for the churches in Syracuse...there is definitely a stirring and I am so thankful He is alive!

Absence of a Voice

2006-04-10T17:02:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone, it has been a busy week and I have much to write about and very thankful for your audience and your words. Thanks for all of you who remind me that you read this blog and I hope that we continue to engage with one another to pray for mutual inspiration and encouragement. It is in this circle of friendship I feel most pointed towards God, so your presence in my life has been a true blessing in my walk with God.

Easter Reflections: Voices and Silence
Since undergoing this journey of co-leading "Experiencing God" for Grace in Motion, the college and career fellowship group at Syracuse Alliance Church, I have been focused on reflecting on the cross and the experience of Christ on the cross. It has been a difficult reflection because of the sheer brutality of it, the wounds, the voices of accusers, the presentation of Mary by John, and what strikes me most is not the voices that is present but the absence of the Father's voice...Jesus states that "I thirst..." which water (river, overflowing, etc.) represents the presence of God (see Psalm 23). But somewhere in this moment, I find myself easily satisfied with the voices that seem to affirm who I am...the voice of my wife...my friends...the prestige and celebrity of speaking at certain venues...but I am really bothered by the apparent muted voice of God? He is easily heard in my morning devotions, on my ipod (on my "spiritual" playlist) but I don't know if I reallly take moments of deep pause to hear Him...not just for direction but the sheer beauty of experiencing His presence.

One of the things that captivate me is the sound of birds...Bird chirping is one of the things that really catches my heart, as I am writing this, I hear the sounds of birds and I stop my typing to hear them...because it is beautiful to me...yet, do I stop to hear God? How often do we really pause to listen, to hear and discern with a sense of holy hunger for God? And yet, what is endemic to the church is the apparent "silence" of God in our lives. I wonder if the "silence" is because of what we are tuning into...what catches us when we listen...a whisper of a beloved, the sounds of the newest sports updates, the approval of a supervisor at work, or even worse, the deceit of the enemy that tells us we are so much less than what God wants us to be. So I journey towards Good Friday with a sense of expectation...To hear...to listen...and to be transformed by the wonders of His words.

Here is a quote I want to share with you:

"I'd always know, in one place in my throat, how Jesus must have cried in the garden—crying not to die, because there was no fear of death, and not to leave his friends, because he walked alone, and not to suffer, because the blood and bruises and thorns were part of his perfection—but crying because he could not find his Father's face, because when he would suffer all that he could bear, the pain of every person, living and dead, in that dark moment, there was really nobody there." Paul Shepherd, More Like Not Running Away: A Novel

Prayer Support Letter
I am sending them out this week and you should receive it before Easter Sunday. I will also post it on the yahoogroup site, if you have not done so already, please join the yahoogroup so that you can access the new and old prayer letters. Please pray that it will be able to communicate my calling to this new Asian American laity project and also serve as a source of encouragement.

Laity Ministry
I have made some inroads to launch the ministry in August with some assistance with IV, Campus Crusades for Christ and professors from Alliance Theological Seminary. I am also going to work with some local ministries to come together to serve the Asian American leadership through fellowship, training and mentoring. I am hoping to have a strategy and ministry vision formation at the Eastern Chinese Bible Conference in September.

I am also working together with some ministry leaders to come up with some definitive plans for ministry development for their leadership and to offer some resources and insight for implementing and developing ministry models. Pray that God will use this as a springboard for the ministry to move forward. Pray for guidance and a ministry saturated with Holy Spirit insight.

I am excited to announce that we will move forward to another Refl3ctions event in the summer! The first two Refl3ctions Events were huge successes that was part of a youth movement for engagement for witnessing and to intersect into the lives of Asian American youth. The first one was to challenge them to Refl3ct on three questions and served as convergence event for the Billy Graham Crusades of Greater New York which featured performances by Koo Chung and Jinny Kim. The second one was a historic event of having youth from all over the city and ethnic groups to gather to pray for the lost. The picture from the event was used for a New York Times article. Pray for this next event to build on what God did last year and pray for my leadership in preparing for this event.

I have been invited to serve with OneHouse event happening in the end of summer. At its core it is to bring the churches of New York City to be united and to spend an evening celebrating our unity and to challenge us towards missions and justice. Here is a mission statement from last year's event...

One House is the celebration of our family united in Jesus Christ, embodied through the worship of our Savior and Lord. As fellow believers in a city of nearly nine million people, many of whom are squished onto an island only 22.7 square miles, Christians here have the awesome privilege of being in one of the largest communities in America.

Because we share the same devotion and commitment to Jesus, not only can we celebrate life within our local houses of worship, but we can all praise Him together as one in this city, in this world, because we all belong under One House under God. Worshipping together is just the beginning. The stage is set for a multitude of opportunities for churches within our community to partner in furthering the commandments of our Lord; first and foremost, to love.

Journey of a Servant Website
I know that there has been a delay in getting this up, but I have made a commitment to get the website up by the first week of May...no excuses...It will feature prayer updates, my venues where I am speaking and also some resources for other pilgrims on this journey towards serving.

Asian American blog
I have been invited by Blogger Dave Park to be a co-author for an online blog for the Next Gener.Asian Church. I look collaborating with Mr. Park on some issues facing the Asian American church. I am still working on an essay for the Asian American church called "Exit Wounds..." I am hoping that it could be a good launching pad for my personal website so that we can start an online thinktank for New York based ministry and also to gain some national perspective. Pray for opportunities for community and for exchange of ideas and strategies and heart felt engagement.

'Cuse
In my last week's sharing, I expressed a more intentional pursuit of discovering what God is doing here in Syracuse and I am thankful for your words of encouragement and also for the way God continues to unveil the work He is doing here. I went to

Intervarsity Graduate Christian Fellowship at Syracuse held a colloquim called "My Profession as My Mission" by Syracuse Professor J. David Richardson. He spoke with deep conviction and insight about how we are to use opportunities where we work as a field for spiritual harvest and testimony. I have posted his talksheet on the yahoogroup here. I was moved by his authencity in his passions and his shortcomings as a fellow follower of Christ. Truly blessed to also meet other grad students on campus who is working out their faith in Christ and their professional endeavors. I was happily surprised to see Kar-Lai visit the fellowship as well to offer some of her insights and thoughts.

I met with an amazing minister and visionary, Rufus Morris who heads up this ministry bridge through Street BUZZ TV. I was amazed by his heart for the youth in the community and his openness to hear and learn from others. It reminded me of the work that Jeremy Delrio does at Generation Xcel and Adam Durso's Christ Tabernacle Youth Explosion Ministries. They are exploring media and music to enter into the lives of youth and their heart language. I am amazed and inspired. I hope to visit one of his afterschool programs and ministry in the near future.

I met with pastoral staff this week at Syracuse Alliance Church to discuss opportunities to serve with the church and I am on a journey of prayer and expectation for me to see how I can serve this community. Personally it has been a trying time since I feel that there is a great deal of holding back and just learning the culture here and to honor the existing structure of ministry. I am looking to serve and not to "innovate" but rather to humbly walk aside what God is doing here and to just be a faithful child to the "bride of Christ." Pray for wisdom and for a deepening heart for the church and its people. Pray that I continue to balance ministries that I am involved in.

Speaking Engagements
I have prepared my talk for the Chinese Evangel Mission Church Queens Coffeehouse Outreach which is in two Saturdays. I will be attending a wedding in the morning of Lauren Chiang and Carleton Mak (I have the privelege of reading scripture for their wedding) and then off to the church. Here is the theme for the evening:"Above the Noise" Ever feel like being choked by the world, and its ways? Bombarded with so many different noises and couldn't distinguish which voice to listen to? Do you ever wish to be free from the snares of the world so that you can hear the voice of the LORD clearly?

I have accepted the invitation to speak at the Mid-Hudson Chinese Christian Church on June 4th, 2006. Pray for a specific topic for me to preach on and that the preparation is faith filled.

I will be at my 6th Teen Eastern Chinese Bible Conference and I will be doing a workshop on "Vote for Pedro: An Insiders Look at our Identity in Christ" Yes, I have sold-out to the whole Napoleon Dynamite movement. The theme is on Hope...Pray that God wil move in my presentation and my engagement with the youth. Every year I have attended and serve, I am always amazed how God moves to heal and to inspire this generation of youth to become radical followers of Christ.

Hofstra Conference: I will be the main youth speaker for New York Summer Conference. I am preparing for my talk and my workshop for this upcoming conference in July, I am so excited to have this opportunity and reflecting on how God has brought me to so many experiences on this journey that allowed me to "persevere..." It has been filled with His grace and I am still amazed by this miracle of being where I am, despite some of the wilderness journeys I have undergone. Pray that God continue to humble me and to seek His face in what I should share and how to express the word of God in a narrative that is impactful and faithful.
Here is the theme of the conference:

"Persevering Faith"

"...These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect." {Hebrews 11:39-40}

Friday, June 30th - Tuesday, July 4th, 2006

Thanks for your support and please continue to lift up these prayer items and also for you to support me financially:

Pastoral and Laity Ministries
48-19 196th Street, Fresh Meadows, New York 11365-1316
Please make the memo out to: Peter Ong/Laity Project

Reflecting collides with the Future...

2006-04-03T22:12:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends and Family! It is good to have this weekly forum to share with you some of the things that are happening in life and in ministry! Thanks for all your words of encouragement and keep your prayers coming as I am learning more and more of God's grace.

One thing that I have been meditating on is that "life is messy." We live in such a state of chaos without apparent boundaries...we have broken relationships, broken churches and we live in such disarra. Even our intimacy with God becomes a sense of unfocused worship and devotion. But there is such a yearning for the body to develop a spiritual cadence that walks in faith and deeds. I yearn incarnational lives in the church that will bring such a beautiful collision of light in darkness. I am not afraid of "messy things" but rather, exhale and realize there is so much healing that Jesus can bring here...and may I be an instrument of that healing. No more "God is good...all the time..." but rather walk as if we really mean it...and not some bandwagon fraternity chant.

NYC Comes to "Cuse (well for at least three hours!)
The guys from Jesus Generation came up to Syracuse to lead worship for One Voice event at Korean Church of Syracuse. It was a blessing to see them again and to reminded of what God has done in my years serving the Asian American youth. It is amazing to see them here and to reflecting on how memory arrives in such sweet ways. These young men are growing into such anointed leaders for Christ and really felt their maturity and their gifting as they invited God into that sanctuary. Herman, Simon and their friend Yelena stayed the night and they came to Syracuse Alliance Church

Laity Project
I had a wonderful opportunity this week to do some planning for a September launch for the Pastoral and Laity Ministry Asian American laity project. I am pretty excited of some of the ideas that I am exploring to help equip the Asian American leadership. Pray that God will continue to build this ministry and that there is provision.

My prayer support letter is done! I am sending it out this week. It will give an update on all that I have been doing for the last 6 months and a look ahead in the next six months as have a goal of raising $20,000 for the ministry. I know that it seems impossible but I know that even though I am working remotely, I believe that God can use a lot of the gifts and I am really excited to see what will happen.

Future
Jamie and I are in the midst of some planning for our future. It has been a lot of exploration of what her program at Maxwell School for Citizenship and Public Affairs will require for us as it might include going overseas for a semester or even a year. I am thankful for this opportunity for Jamie to have an opportunity for such solid training. May it help us in our future to meet the needs of the global community. Personally, I am both afraid of what this means but also excited because I am moved by our love for one another...and to trust that we have God's best in mind for each of us.

Experiencing God
Jamie and I are continuing together to lead with a smallgroup study on "Experiencing God" by Henry Blackaby. I just had an honest time with my co-leader Dan and we were able to wrestle through some of our thoughts about church, ministry and the meaning of "authenticity..." I am learning through this process and I trust that God will continue to have His hand here.

Speaking
I was invited to speak at the Mid-Hudson Chinese Church in May and June...getting ready to serve at Teen Eastern Chinese Bible Conference on Memorial Day weekend...and preparing for outreach coffeehouse at Chinese Evangel Mission Church Queens in two weeks, the theme will be "Above the Noise." I am excited that I am speaking for the youth track at New York Summer Conference at Hofstra...I am preparing my talks and they are really convicting my heart. I am beginning to really pray for those who are coming. Pray for just a passion sobered by truth.

'Cuse
Each week, I drive on South Salina Street and this week my friend Simon mentioned "these houses looks like they turn into haunted houses at night..." I replied..."what? houses are haunted only at night? What happens during the day..." I realize that many of the homes on this street are "urban" and there is a lot of hurting here...I want to be part of rebuilding these houses not just the physical dwelling but the spiritual home...yet, how does a Chinese American man be able to engage with these people who are predominately African American? The church wants to move in a direction that will impact this community...but they are mostly middle to older aged Caucasians...so, I pray with an earnest desire because I know God loves all of us, to be united in some movement towards a deeper understanding of God through loving one another...but I don't know how...where do I begin?...I want to visit a black church and see how God is moving there...I want to see college student church and how they are impacting the Syracuse community...I want to see the International Fellowship Church to see what impact these fellowships are making in the lives of these future global ambassadors...there is so much to see...so please pray for Jamie and I to discover more.

I have an opportunity to be part of ministry here in Syracuse but after some thoughts, I am more unsure of what God is leading me...I am partly confused, partly lost, and perhaps I am dont' know how to find a place for me to serve...I would be happy to just sweep the floors at this point...I wanted direction and not sure if what is in store for me...I believe that we are not called to a need but to a vision...

I met with the Associate pastor this week and I appreciated his heart and his integrity...and to just listen to his heart...I think that is enough for now...Pray for eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to surrender.

This has been a great week, special thanks to those of you who wrote. Especially to those in NYC who continue to remind me that God is working in 'Cuse. Even through some tough talks this week, I am persevering and discovering more and more...He is so good.

If you wish to support the ministry please send your support to:

Pastoral and Laity Ministries
48-19 196th Street, Fresh Meadows, New York 11365-1316
Please make the memo out to: Peter Ong/Laity Project

He Sees

2006-03-27T14:12:00.000-05:00

Hi Folks, I am back from the NYC from another whirlwind of festivities. It was good to be back in New York City for another stint of meetings with friends and family.

Special thanks for Gordo for creating this logo for me! I am planning on developing a website for ministry updates and also for blogging. I am still investigating any good services out there. I am not looking for anything too fancy, just suitable enough for updates and blogging and photojournaling. If you know of any good web-hosting services, I would appreciate your counsel.

I went to attend the wedding of Eugene Lee and Grace Chen from Overseas Chinese Mission. It was a beautiful wedding where I had the privelege of serving as a Master of Ceremonies with Sook Yee, one of the teens I have seek grow up.

Jamie and I went back to Chinese Conservative Baptist Church, Jamie's home church and to our surprise, Greg Jao, Intervarsity NY/NJ Field Director, was the guest speaker! He gave a great talk about the first chapter of the book of Daniel which spoke about relevance and engagement with our culture. I didn't realize he was a corporate lawyer who went into ministry. Very thankful for his work and his excellence in the ministry he is involved in. I am especially thankful for his encouragement and his support of the Asian American laity Project.

Experiencing God
Jamie and I are still working together to lead with a smallgroup study on "Experiencing God" by Henry Blackaby. The men's group had some new members. Overall there has been such an overwhelming blessing on my part as I prepare and also go through the study. I have felt a new sense of intimacy and focus in my worship.

Pressing Forth
I am making some inroads in planning for a Laity Project launch in September and there are some things up the pipeline that are very exciting. I am gathering some local leaders and national leaders to be part of a forum to form strategic planning for the next year or so. Pray for wisdom and continued perseverance.

Jehovah -Jireh
I was asked to be on-call at my part-time job in Syracuse. So once again, the issue of finances have come up. I hope that my next prayer support letter will inspire brothers and sisters to partner with me on this project. I have invited several people to become formal prayer partners to commit to consistently pray for the ministry and the provision. But Jamie and I have peace that God will provide and I am going to start looking for other opportunities in the meantime. Reminded that the Hebrew word for Jehovah Jireh literally means "God sees" and that is a great comfort.

Discouragement
I have to confess that the lack of funding has been a source of some of questioning on how to proceed. But tonight a special gift was offered. I was going to buy groceries while Jamie was finishing up her take-home exam...when the cashier finished ringing up my items...I realized I forgot my wallet...I was so upset and realized that dinner was going to be late and while my plans to help Jamie seemed to be in jeopardy...I went home and then went back to the grocery store when there was a long line and I didn't want the cashier to re-ring my items. But then there was this older South Asian woman who needed help getting her groceries into her car...it was cold and I just had a sweater but there was a stirring in my heart to help her...I offered my help and decided to come back...as I was pushing her cart, she asked me if I was a student, I said no but told her that my wife is a grad student. She then asked me if I knew Dr. Koshy, and I replied "of course...He is the chaplain at Syracuse... (and pastor at International Friendship Evangelism in Syracuse)" She then told me, "I am his wife, I was praying that God would send someone to help me..." As I walked her to her, she was limping, she asked me what I did and I shared that I organize ministry to serve Asian American laity, she responded "Praise God, I often pray for young people to get a vision for God's work and He has given you that. You are such an answered prayer..." As I placed her groceries in her car and said "good night" she invited to visit her home and church. I told her that I would. In that, all my insecurities about ministry seem to melt into the kindness of God's provision for two simple children of God to help each other. I was really blessed.

Thank you God for this little woman who in my helping her, she renewed my faith. Pray for me that I would have the confidence in spite of the funding to know that God can use me...just as He did when I was in NYC.

Misc. Prayers

Please continue to pray for my mom and dad who are on vacation in Indonesia. They are visiting my uncle whose family members are all Christian, I pray that this journey will be part of the story of their salvation.

I found out two good friends of mine who were engaged broke off the engagement. I know them both and it has brought back a lot of pain for my own journey but I see how much I feel for them and the pain they are going through. Please pray for the two of them to continue to seek peace in the midst of this.

Jamie and I are trying to plan out our future with her new dual graduate program at Maxwell School, which would mean that we are going to stay here a bit longer. I pray that God will give us wisdom and perspective that is beyond our speculations and planning. To be practical but also ready to surrender our plans for Him.

Please continue to pray for my sister and her divorce, the more I think about it and the more I talk to her, there seems to be such a despair in her voice and the way things are turning out. I pray for authentic moments for her and God.

These past few weeks, I have been yearning to discover more about the ministries in Syracuse, not to "work" but to explore how I can use some of what God has placed in my heart to serve. We are going to start visiting some other churches this month and just see where God is leading us. I am seeking a deeper engagement with this community and Jamie and I are wanting to explore more of what God is doing here.

Thanks for praying for me in my Chinese class, I aced the midterm and today I did a presentation about the Church in China, I am developing some good friendships with these students and hope to grab coffee to learn about their lives.

Pray for Cornell IVCF as Joel Miller, the stalwart staffworker is resigning this year and they need help, I am considering helping out...but only as a volunteer...pray for wisdom and discernment.

urban reversion

2006-03-19T20:54:00.000-05:00

Jamie and I are back from a trek from New York City for some meetings and also for some leisure with friends and family. I felt so alive taking the subway again.

I had a Pastoral and Laity Ministries fellowship meeting with Asian American pastors and ministry. They are participating in an ongoing study on Shaped by God's Heart. We had an engaging discussion on "Authenticity." I was able to spend some time sharing about ministry with Pastor Donald Yee at Boon Church of Overseas Chinese Mission.

I was able to spend some quality time with my parents who are heading out to Indonesia to see my uncle who is recovering from a stroke. It was a wonderful time of sharing and reconnecting with them. Pray for their experiences in their travels to be filled with understanding of the testimony of my father's family who are Christian in a such a hostile country. It is the largest Muslim country in the world. Please refer to this page for prayer items.

I was able to meet briefly with Jennifer Ikoma who is the new recruitment director of Multi-ethnic Ministries and who is also assisting with the Asian American ministry for Intervarsity Christian Fellowship National office. It is always such a blessing to hear of her stories of her engagement (congratulations!) and to see how much God is doing through the ministry of IV. She asked me to consider helping out with Cornell because their staff leader is transitioning out.

We were able to spend some time with my good friend Eshean who just had a beautiful baby Maya. You can see more of her pictures here. It was a good time for Jamie and I to hold a baby and realize the miracle of this gift of children. Pray for our continued pursuit of seeking after His will in this area in our lives.

We had a great time at the Jinny Kim CD launch concert, it was a breathtaking performance with her beautiful words to match that voice. She is a saint who pursues beauty for ashes. I ran into some old friends and some youth. Pray that God continues to work through the work of artists, I am developing a strategic engagement of artists with seekers and how powerfully God speaks through people like Jinny.

On Sunday, I was able to attend my old home church Redeemer Presbyterian Church and once again, I am speechless by the simplicity and beauty in which Pastor Tim presents the gospel and the steps towards discipleship. I was so moved by His call for us to "go down so we can go up..." I love that church.

I wasn't able to meet with any of leaders of EPIC, the Campus Crusades Asian American ministry. I hope to connect with them online and to seek some partnership.

Congratulations and Praises! Jamie just got into the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs for a dual Masters program. It has been ranked as the #1 Graduate School for Public Affairs according to U.S. News and World Report. Pray for us as this would mean an additional time here in Syracuse.

I have been invited to speak at other groups and I have decided to cut back and not do any more speaking engagements till the summer. Pray that I prepare well for the New York Summer Conference. Pray for good preparation for Teen Eastern Chinese Bible Conference, they asked me to do a workshop, I am praying about doing something on evangelism...

We are approaching our second official session of Experiencing God and last week only two men showed up. I was a bit surprised but satisfied with who God brought. I know it is a blessing for me to serve this group and I pray that whoever God brings, it be filled with His glory.

I am doing a presentation for my Chinese class at Syracuse University. The teacher asked us to do a presentation about what interests you about China and I decided to do it on the Churches in China. Pray for a time for sincere sharing and for engagement with the students on who Jesus is.

Misc Prayer Items
For provision for the Laity Ministry. Next Fall, is the determining moment for us...it is going to be a challenging time for us financially to pursue ministry without funding. Pray for more diligence on my part to share the vision of the ministry and for faith to grow in the process.

Please continue to pray for my sister since my niece have moved out and now lives with the father. My niece refuses to talk to my sister. It makes me so sad that there is so much brokenness.

Pray for the youth, who are the most vulnerable in this country, this past week we have learned of such horrendous crimes that are being inflicted on youth...please pray for these innocents.

Pray for our settling into a home church, we are thinking about looking and prayerfully seek out how we can serve the church.

Restless Intimacy

2006-03-12T18:12:00.000-05:00

a sunset view at from the lakeview of Stella Maris Retreat and Renewal Center

I am back from the my renewal retreat from Stella Maris Retreat and Renewal Center. I arrrived around noon and they provided me a wonderful suite called the Potter's House. I was able to enter in...restless, I prayed in a chapel filled with sacred silence. Things that I learned...

1. stillness doesn't mean intimacy...
2. my restlessness is a form of intimacy...
3. i am wounded...
4. i am in reach of healing
5. i am not alone...
6. God is everpresent
7. peace resides in the future grace of God

Although it was shorter than I hoped, it was a first step towards a deeper communion with God. The story has just begun...

Jamie and I had a wonderful weekend of exploring the wonders of God's creation at Chittenango Falls, being part of community by attending a surprise birthday party for a sister (where I met an old acquaintance from New York City! Such a small world!). I sense that Jamie and I are uncovering a yearning for a direction for our future...we are finding so many possibilities for us...We want to serve God...to the broken and to the people of God. To be a vessel to provide "living water." Pray for our planning to be drenched with a sense of surrender to whatever He desires. To be joyous in our love for Him and for others.

Thank you for your prayers for our Experiencing God fellowship group where Jamie and I are co-leading a men's and women's group. It was a great start and already God is teaching me so much through this despite the fact that this is my fourth time I am going through this study. There is always something new and exciting on this journey. Pray for our co-leaders Dan and Yu-ting and for our group, that we all grow through this experience.

Prayer letters are coming soon. Look for it on your inbox and I will send them out soon. Pray for provision and inspiration for the work that God desires to do through the Asian American laity. I am finalizing my invitations for core group of brothers and sisters to be my prayer partners. If you would like to be a prayer partner, please let me know.

I have made some comments in DJ Chuang's on-line blog discussion. I am still working on the article I am writing regarding issues with the generational churches. Will keep you posted about this.

We are coming back into New York City this week to spend some time with friends and with family. My uncle in Indonesia had a stroke so my parents are going to Asia to see him. Pray that they experience God through the testimony of my family there (almost all of his siblings have come to Christ in Indonesia and some of them in full-time ministry!) Amazing! Pray that their pilgrimage home will be a spiritual return.

I am waiting for the launch for the English CCHC website! The content is about finished and I have some follow up with the different directors for some final CCHC specifics to be posted. Pray for an unveiling of this site.

I won't go into detail regarding my speaking engagements but I praise God for the invitations from groups to speak but I am learning to say "no" and having to engage in focusing on the laity ministry that is before me. Part of the issue is funding and the other is wanting to speak with a sense of devotion and not desperation.

Pray for all our friends who are getting married or contemplating marriage in the next few months. We have so many weddings and we are looking forward to sharing this blessing with all our friends.

Love you guys, hope to talk to you all very soon!

Peter O

sabbath delivered

2006-03-06T17:18:00.000-05:00

This was a weekend of some deep rest for me. I had some time reflecting on faith, love and intimacy. I have been reading a lot C.S. Lewis and traveling with Donald Miller and exploring worlds and words with Frederick Buechner. It was much needed pause and interruption for me to listen, to feed my soul and to seek His face.

I am working on a reflection on Asian American ministry called "Exit Wounds" that will discuss some of my thoughts regarding the apparent splits that are happening in the Asian American Church. I would appreciate any insights that you may have to me at peter@palmny.org.

I just finished my Chinese midterms today and enjoying the opportunity to learn and glad to know that despite my age I am able to do reasonable job in learning the language. I am hoping that this will help in my future work in overseas or immigrant ministry.

If you have time join the blog-based discussion hosted by DJ Chuang on the book Growing Healthy Asian American Ministries by Peter Cha.

I am preparing for my trip to New Y ork City in two weeks for the long-awaited CD release of Jinny Kim's "Finding Ophelia" which reached #1 on Independent Band's Website! Here was my last year's reflection I had about musicians and their role in expressing the gospel.

During my time in New York City, I hope to connect with some pastors at the Pastoral and Laity Minsitries Monthly fellowship. I am hoping to meet with some leaders for the Campus Crusades for Christ EPIC movement. I will also spend some time with parents before they head out to East Asia to be with my uncle who suffered a stroke. Please pray for my sister as she is still undergoing some pretty rough patches in her divorce.

The Chinese Christian Herald Crusades English website template is completed and it looks great. Now we need to put in some of that content and we are ready to go. I am excited to launch this website in the upcoming weeks. Pray that this online ministry will help a larger body of believers to be inspired by what God is doing through this minsitry.

I am procrastinating on getting those prayer letters out. Spending too much time planning it and praying about it that I am really not looking forward to this part. Pray for a deeper faith for provision and understanding the importance of this call. I promise to have them out this week.

Jamie and I are leading an "Experiencing God" Study by Henry Blackaby and Claude King study. I remember meeting and getting to know Claude King as he was moving toward the New Hope, New York Prayer movement. It was a book that was very close to my heart in my early years of discipleship and my subsequent years of ministry. I pray that we can use this to impact the members of Syracuse Alliance Church's adult fellowship called Grace in Motion. Pray for us as we are leading a guys and gals group with another couple Dan and Yu-Ting.

I have been invited to speak at Overseas Chinese Mission Church's Hosanna Fellowship, the adult's career group for a Friends Night on June 19th. The theme will be "Are We There Yet?" to communicate hope to the driven focused people.

I have also been invited to speak at the Summer Conference for Grace Alliance Church in Brooklyn. I spoke there a few years ago for their Summer Conference, they are asking me to speak on July 4th Weekend which is the week before the New York Summer Conference. So pray for wisdom to decide.

I booked myself for a one-day retreat to Stella Maris Retreat and Renewal Center this Thursday, I am looking forward to a day of just basking in the beauty of God's creation and just reading and refreshing.

Thank you again and I miss you guys. Hope to see you in a few weeks! We might have another friend's gathering. Look forward to it. Be well!

So as I think of you, I leave you a quote from Mr. Buechner:

"Compassion is sometimes the fatal capacity for feeling what it is like to live inside somebody else's skin. It is the knowledge that there can never really be any peace and joy for me until there is peace and joy finally for you too. "

May God's peace that surpasses all understanding be with you.

Redemption Policies

2006-02-27T21:58:00.000-05:00

The New York Times did an elegant story regarding the vision of Redeemer Church and its pastor, Tim Keller. I am so thankful for the opportunity to be part of learning and serving at this church. Dr. Keller has been a spiritual father from the pulpit to many men and womenin the city. If you desire, please dive into their Vision Campaign for the city where you can learn more and download some priceless materials. Also take a look at their Urban Church Planting Center. Pray for the church as it stretches itself in new territories that the leadership would surrender to our Lord's wonderful direction.

This week my computer crashed numerous times (this is my second time I am writing this!) I lost all my last entry...But it is all good. My Dell Desktop was acting up but I was spending most of time configuring the computer until I discover that it was my Firewall settings. Needless to say, I wasn't able to accomplish a whole lot.

I was able to finish up the content for the Chinese Christian Herald Crusades English Website, I sent it over to my wonderful web designer and awaiting his masterful creation. As I was writing and editing the site, I was amazed by all that CCHC does and continues to do for the sake of the gospel. The are so committed and it is part of their ethic that has been to reach everyone for the gospel. I pray that when the website is posted, people will be inspired to reach the Chinese for Christ.

I am still behind in getting my prayer support letter up, part of me is afraid of the prospect of failing again to get the support in time for an August launch of the Laity Project. Financially I am still struggling with part-time work. I may start looking for a full-time position if things don't go through or balance two part-time positions.

I had a good talk today with Asian American leader and blog-master, DJ Chuang, we were able to share our mutual passion for Asian American ministry. He recommended that I read "Building a Healthy Asian American Church" by Peter Cha. You can get a supplement chapter here. He is currently editing a book on Asian American Youth Ministry, I look forward to see the final copy of this. I look forward to cultivating our friendship and our pursuit of serving Him.

I am planning on attending Summer Institute for Asian American Ministry and Theology in June. I am hoping to connect with some of the Asian American leaders and to gain and offer some insight in the future. Pray for funding and for my time to be balanced as I am ministering in the summer.

I started preparing my talks for the New York Summer Conference, this year's theme is PERSEVERING FAITH "...These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect." -~Hebrews 11:39-40. I am amazed by the testimony of how God has written this poor pilgrim's life into something to be used for His glory. Pray for diligent preparation and for a focus on the biblical truth and to express it in a way that is credible and worthy of investigation.

I am planning on a personal time for meditation and retreat sometime in March to prepare for intimacy and love. I am going to Stella Maris Retreat and Renewal Center for two days to just spend time with God and His creation. Pray that my heart will be stilled...and that He will use it to be more discerning of His voice and direction.

Jamie and I were able to host a prayer meeting/pot luck dinner with the Graduate Students Intervarsity Fellowship at Syracuse. I am beginning to feel that Syracuse is my new home and new place for engagement and ministry. I met with Bruce Jackson who pastors Allegheny Center Alliance Church and is currently a consultant for our home church, Syracuse Alliance Church. I am hoping to be able to serve at the church at some official capacity. My heart is developing leadership and offering both biblical and real-life application with the church. Jamie and I had dinnere with a wonderful couple who invited us to serve as smallgroup leaders this upcoming season. Please pray that that God will cultivate our marriage through this first step of serving the church together.

I have been asked to speak at Navigator's Christian Fellowship at Cornell and also Living Stones Chinese Christian Church Fellowship at Buffalo for an outreach event. Pray for wisdom and balance as I am invited for different events and fellowship.

Please continue to pray for Teen Eastern Chinese Bible Conference as they are in the midst of final preparations for the retreat on Memorial Day Weekend. They are still lacking in some of the planning and I hope that I will be able to assist them in securing some workshop leaders and also to give encouragement to them as they are moving ahead this year.

I am coming back to New York in March 18th to see Jinny Kim's CD Launch and also to spend some time with family as they are planning to go to Indonesia to visit my uncle who suffered a stroke. Pray for traveling mercies and also for them to experience Christ (because most of my father's siblings have become ministers or believers!!!).

Please continue to pray for the following items:

-For my sister, she had a difficult and arduous meeting this past Wednesday with the lawyers. My niece has moved in with the father and there is seems to be an ugly divorce battle on the horizon. She has not taken the steps to pursue her faith and I am afraid has lost some of her momentum.
-For my Chinese studies, it has been time-consuming and getting more difficult, I am taking the midterm this week and I am anxious that I will be able to keep up. But the good news is that there are several students who are part of Campus Crusades and they are going to New Orleans for Katrina relief.
-pray for my workplace, I am building some friendships there and I want to be an effective witness and friend to them. I feel that there is a real desire for people to explore faith issues and I pray that it will afford me opportunities for engagement.
-pray for my family and their salvation.
-pray for the emerging church and that they would build a relevant and beautiful portrayal of the "eternal gospel" to all contexts and cultures.

Thank you again for being part of my minisry through prayer and encouragement.

Detoured into Intimacy

2006-02-20T21:49:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of us in snowshoes about two weeks ago! It was fun running around while Jamie was shaking the trees to topple snow on me.

February 20, 2006 Prayer Update

Dear Friends and Family!

I hope this finds you well. It is already the ending of February and I trust that you are keeping warm during this mild East Coast winter.

Happy Belated Valentine’s day, I was reminded of my first love and the gift of this marriage as a glimpse of intimate community. Hope you enjoyed yours, Jamie and I kept it simple and had a quiet home-cooked meal that Jamie prepared (so good!) and we gave out little treats to our neighbors.

This past Friday, Central New York was battered with some pretty severe storms, with wind gusting up to 75 mph! There were downed trees that lead to downed power lines. It was the largest power outage in National Grid’s history, with over 39,000 customers without power. To add to that, there was a winter chill storm that came through. So there were emergency “warm houses” set up for those without power. To read more you can go here.

Long Island Abundant Life Church Winter Retreat Cancelled

Well, because of the high winds, The Sacadanga Bible Conference Center would not have power for three days, so the Long Island Abundant Life Church Winter Retreat was cancelled. I was disappointed that I didn’t get a chance to serve them as their youth speaker but I pray that God continues to bless their church and the youth during this time. They are considering rescheduling the retreat for April.

ESF International Student Night

Since the Winter Conference was cancelled, Jamie and I were able to attend an annual International Students Culture night. There were many opportunities for us to engage with students and I saw my Chinese professor there. We had a wonderful time dancing and mingling and hopefully be able to build some relationships here.

PALM Update

Pastoral and Laity Ministries has launched their new website! It looks great! The website will include a blurb about the Laity Project soon. Due to the change of launch of the Laity Project, I got in touch with Timothy Tseng of the Asian American Center to update him and he gave me some words of encouragement as well as Greg Jao, Regional Director for Intervarsity Christian Fellowship in New York and New Jersey.

If the funding comes through, it would be ideal that the Laity Project could coincide with this year’s Eastern Chinese Bible Conference, this year where Paul Tokunaga will be speaking. I have been discussing the possibility of having a special session with Mr. Tokunaga with Metro Asian American lay leaders. I hope to explore this possibility.

I hope to finish up some of the initial look for the ministry website and get prayer letters out this week! If you would like to be on the mailing list please contact me at peter@palmny.org.

Crossroads Comedian Night

The Syracuse Alliance Church’s Crossroads College and Career Ministry hosted Rich Praytor for an evening of comedy. Over 700 people came out for two evenings of comedy and outreach. I was amazed by how he was able to capture so many of the church’s nuances and quirks. Good stuff. His material about marriage and child-rearing made me think! If you want to see a sample of his work, you can download it here…

Speaking Engagements:

I have been asked if I could speak at Cornell Navigators fellowship meeting. I am praying to see if I could speak at Brooklyn Grace Chinese Alliance Church Summer Conference for the youth (it is one week before the New York Summer Conference and I don’t want to overexert myself). I am preparing for the outreach youth coffeehouse for Chinese Evangel Mission Church-Queens.

Prayer Items

Intimacy

I have been recognizing a deeper need for me to go on a spiritual retreat of some sort. The local pastor recommended some retreat sites and I am exploring a trip to get away to write and to listen to God. I am desperate to start writing again and to have some time with Him so that my relationships with others are rooted on the intimacy I have with the Lord.

Provision
His grace is sufficient indeed…by faith, I can only wait and trust. Thankful for this measure of faith that I can be at peace. I want to praise God for such a patient and loving wife who is so supportive and loving.

Community
I am meeting with two church leaders at church this Thursday to explore ministry and also some mentoring possibilities. I am excited to see what God has in store for this. I am eager to serve and to engage with a church that is growing and yearning to pursue the magnitude of God.

Imagination

Pray that God continues to center Jamie and I on the hope we have in Christ. To know that He is so much more than we can imagine as we plan out future together. Pray for wisdom, grace, faith and passion on our hearts as we seek to engage where we are here.

2006-02-13T17:38:00.000-05:00

Speaking at Binghamton Intervarsity Christian Fellowship about the Challenge of Conflicted Truth

Welcome everyone to another edition of my “Journey of a Servant” reflections and prayer update. It has been a busy week but also some fun as Jamie and I were able to find some leisure together as well. Today is the mark of our sixth month anniversary of our wedding...how time flies.

We went out to Baltimore Woods in Marcellus New York (about 25 miles from our home) to go snowshoeing. Here are some pics if you want to see...it was fun to get out and trip over my feet on snowshoes while Jamie tried to ambush me by shaking trees so snow would fall on me.
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Update on Bono: Thank you for all your responses on the Bono prayer breakfast sermon, I pray that it continues to point a Christian intersections of faith and public engagement. He is one of 163 individual nominees and 36 group nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize...How does one get nominated?

Here is an interesting response from Eugene Peterson, the translator of the Message translation of the bible to Bono.

If this started to whet your appetite for more of these issues of social justice, Christianity Today has a great article called the "Habits of Highly Effective Social Justice Workers."

This was something that I touched upon my talk at the Binghamton Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Large Group seekers meeting. I presented the "truths" that seem to be out there that we have come a long way in our "ethical" progression and my case was that we have not...and in some ways, Christianity has been marred by our "self preservation" tactics versus innovators and transformers of cultures.

Calvin Miller wrote:

"Christians are not to be so much quitters as starters. They do not endear themselves to God because of all they lay aside at conversion. Rather it is what they takep up that catches heaven's esteem."

I pray that it was a time of some challenging, I was able to meet Carrie Moorhead, the IV staff there...the large group was mostly Asian American college students who a number of them were from my time in serving at Teen Eastern Chinese Bible Conference...and a student from my Herald Youth Center days. Overall, it was a good evening and we went to Pizzeria Uno's afterwards with 24+ students...ouchie! They rearranged half the restaurant for us! It was nice to sit together with the smallgroup and outreach coordinator...to talk about campus involvement. I hope to return again.

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Update on John and Rachel Clancey
Last week, we sent off John and Rachel Clancey to their mission field in India, they arrived safely and ready to encounter God as they serve there. If you wish to learn more or see their updates please go to their website.
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Speaking Engagements

Heading out to Long Island Abundant Life Church Winter retreat this weekend with Jamie. I am excited as I will be teaching from Jesus' parables about "Going Deeper." Jamie and I will be spending another weekend and hopefully will be able to balance work and leisure during our time there.

Then, I have a little break until April where I will speak for a youth outreach at Chinese Evangel Mission Church Queens.

Thanks for all your prayers and emails...keep it coming!

Special Prayers

I almost done with the CCHC website content. I am so thankful for the patience of my web-designer as I am restructuring the site. Pray for a focused and blessing for the ministry.

Part-time work in Syracuse, I am enjoying my work at the technology firm, the local newspaper did a feature article with pictures of my bosses!! (you won't be able to see it on the internet version). I like the people but I am not sure if I could afford to work there...with Jamie in school and with funding for PaLM still held off till the Fall...

I am sending my prayer support out early next week. Pray that it will express the vision for "Equipping the Saints" and for partners to come along with me. I am still less than 10% in reaching my goal of funding.

Special friends have been going through some transitions including job changes, engagements, weddings and health issues.

Please pray for an outreach event that a college and career ministry at Syracuse Alliance Church, a church Jamie and I now attend. We will not be there since we will be at my speaking engagement at LIALC but please pray for the leadership and coordinators to make this an amazing evening for people to cross the thresholds of a church door.

Still working on a website for ministry updates but I am thinking this is enough for now...perhaps will make some additions. I am thinking of some names...pray for wisdom.

That is all for now...I love you guys...pray! pray! pray!

A mixed bag: Recovery, Bono and looking ahead

2006-02-06T16:27:00.000-05:00

Happy February everyone! I hope this finds you well and enjoying the momentum of the new year~This has been one of the mildest winters here in Syracuse ever.

I am learning Chinese and trying to read the Bible in Chinese!!! Woo Hoo!

I have been moved by this vision that Bono has made at a Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C. Please take a look at it, it is worth a picture of this. For those of you who don't have the patience to read, you can see it here (thanks Steph...for that)

Still recovering from this past weekend and seeing how being able to share the convictions that I have for community and faith. Here is my Reflection...

Recovering: Cornell Grace Christian Fellowship Winter Retreat Refections

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Speaking Engagements
To my great joy and pleasure...I will be speaking at Binghamton's Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Large Group meeting this coming Friday.

This was what the coordinator asked me to speak on..." Ourvision for this semester is "Students and Faculty Transformed, CampusRenewed, World Changers Developed for Christ. And I think it would beappropriate to kick off this semester with a message about prayer. Noneof these things can be accomplished without prayer and prayer is thefoundation of our faith. I would like you to speak on Ephesians 1,where Paul repeated stresses that fact he is praying for the Churchthere and for its growth. There is power in prayer and it is essentialfor the body to stay together and for us as Christians to develop aheart for the lost on campus. ...Thank you so much. We are lookingforward to hear you relay God's Word to us. May God bless you abundantly."

For President's Day I am preparing my sermons/talks for "Doing Deeper" Winter Conference for Long Island Abundant Life Church, I am going to focus on the parables of Christ.

After some dialogues with the Teen Eastern Chinese Bible Conference Chair, I have asked that I serve as a coordinator instead of being a speaker. I think that this will help with the development of the next group of committee leaders.

Fixed Eyes
This past weekend, we were able to pray and send off John and Rachel Clancey and their beautiful newborn baby Aria. They are missionaries heading off to Hyderabad, India. They expressed wonderful story of their faith and their desire to proclaim the gospel to Asia. They gave me encouragement for the funding and don't be hindered for my heart to serve God in minsitry. It was a great time with community and friends.

Please visit their website here.

Happy Chinese New Year
Jamie and I were able to go to a Chinese New Year celebration hosted by ESF Graduate Students. Despite us being there late and watching a 3 hour CCTV Chinese New Year celebration, we had good food and some confusion at trying to figure out what each program in the show was about...after about 40 minutes, we gave up and left...but it was another way for us to engage the community. This weekend, I found out there is a Bible Study for international students at Syracuse University. It is being lead by a professor at SU...Jamie and I hope to attend next Saturday.

I am enjoying Chinese class and getting to know a few of the students there. I hope to host a hang out with them sometime soon.

Jiu Jitsu and Pilates
I found a Jiu-Jitsu school here in Syracuse that is pretty reputable, I am planning on starting sometime in March or late February. I started Pilates on Thursday nights...wow, I can't believe how hard this is to just move around...ergh...I am the only guy there...but I am learning. To focus on developing a more healthy lifestyle...to my praise and joy, I haven't gotten sick since i have moved here...

Deferring Academy
I have contacted several ministry partners who were interested in working with me on the PaLM Asian American Laity Project. But due to the funding situation, I will have to wait till the Fall. I am still in the midst of developing a website, that is a glorified version of this blog...with updates on funding.

Supplications
Provision and solitude
I am in a place of wrestling through provision and how I should use my time. I am seeking to go on a guided retreat in March. I hope to spend some time alone with God and also do some deep reflection for myself. Financially, I can't afford it...Spiritually I can't afford NOT to go...I know that God sees and He is reminding me of believing...that He will provide.

I had to cut back my hours at my part-time job because of my Chinese Studies (they won't let me take a half-day there). So I am going to have to seek other options.

There may be a chance for me work at a ministry at Syracuse, pray for wisdom and not get too caught up with the "need" but rather a "calling."

Marriage
Jamie and I are still in our honeymoon stage of adoring one another, I am amazed by how we seek His heart in our moments of weakness and insecurities. I love the way we seek to not settle for anything less than what God wants for the two of us. We are finding this out...as we find ourselves to serve as one...may we reflect the Glory of God.

Praises to God for allowing Jamie and I to spend a dinner with my co-workers at my part-time position.

Speaking
Pray for a deep reflection of the why I am speaking and how to engage in a way that will bring people a

Fellowship and Mentorship
I am finding that I sometimes feel very alone here...but God is leading me back to some old friendships back in New York with an old network of youth workers...and talking more on the phone...

The Great Unknown

2006-01-30T17:11:00.000-05:00

Happy Chinese New Year! It is the year of the Dog (that's my year!). I hope that all of you were able to spend time with your families and get some red envelopes!

I just returned from Cornell Grace Christian Fellowship Winter Retreat. It was a blessed weekend teaching on different aspects of faith and community. I gave four messages throughout the weekend challenging them to step into the "Great Unknown" challenging the fellowship to engage with one another and with campus students...Saturday was a special night that the Holy Spirit came and ministered through prayer and worship. The worship band was amazing and I wanted to just bask in the warmth of worship but I had to teach...I am realizing that the preaching was just a platform for me to express some of my convictions from scriptures and the real ministry was with engaging with the individuals. I opened the evening but challenging them to get away from the convention of having the speaker be the fulcrum of the retreat but rather focus on God and each other...to pursue the extravagent glory of God.

Testimony time was affirming as I saw brothers and sisters share about the beauty of their fellowship and how they have encouraged one another through their love for one another. A remembered vision of the hope they have in Christ (Hebrews 10:18-25).

It was the first time Jamie and I served together on a retreat. It gave me a glimpse of how this beautiful union could work together to honor God and our hearts for the people of God. I didn't realize how lonely these retreats could be...and to have Jamie there in the evenings and the afternoons to reflect the events of the day gave me a "realized" hope...I am so thankful for God expressing His love of community through this institution of marriage.

Jamie and I spent our Chineses New Years with some undergraduate students at ESF who were her students from her WaveHill program in New York. I really enjoyed the dinner with the students and being able to spend time with students here. They are really such a blessing to me and to see how they are still connected to Jamie is very precious to me.

Prayer Items:
Pray that the seeds that were planted this weekend at Cornell Grace Christian Fellowship will bear fruit as they seek to impact their campus through inreach and outreach. I pray that that God will bring glory to His name through them.

I am sending out my prayer update this week...Pray for provision of God's people for the funding. I am stepping out in faith...doing it unto the Lord (Ephesians 6:7)

Working on the content for the CCHC English Website. Thank God for the commitment from CCHC to explore share with an English audience the things that God are doing through CCHC. Pray for our webmaster and for me to be diligent.

Preparation for Winter Retreat for Long Island Abundant Life, for their youth track.

I received an invitation to do a workshop for the missions conference at Chinese Christian Church of New Jersey on March 25th. I pray that God will use me.

I am taking Chinese at Syracuse University and I am learning quite a bit and enjoying the class although I feel a little behind...but pray that through it I can learn the language and also for me to interact with the students.

A special praise to my friend HarveyLiu and Amy Shum, they are engaged! Pray that their journey together on this altar will continue to unveil the beautiful story that God is telling through them.

Another Praise is my good friends Eshean and Robert Cho just gave birth to Maya Man-Wai Cho...please join with me in rejoicing.

Jamie and I sponsored a World Vision child name Faith Ouma from Kenya...you can read more about her here....

Thank you for all your prayers...and support...I really sense the power of your prayers as I spoke this weekend and so thankful for each of you.

If you are interested please send all support to PaLM at 48-19 196th Street, Fresh Meadows, NY 11365-1316. Please indicate on your check that is for the Laity Project/Peter Ong. All donations are tax-deductible.

Sufficiency II

2006-01-23T22:14:00.000-05:00

Jet Lag (not Jet Li)
Hi there friends and family! I am back after a week of hiatus...readjusting to the time clock and having my body adjust to Eastern Standard Time. I can say with a great deal of thanksgiving that I am now back to the swing of things.

Jamie and I gave our new year commitment to the Lord and each other by spending a weekend in Skaneateles, NY (near Syracuse) and had fun in the cold and ate good food such as Doug's Fish Fry.

Sufficiency
Jamie and I just returned from a weekend in New York to go to the annual Pastoral and Laity Ministries Appreciation Dinner where we were able to give thanks to those who have been so generous with their support of the ministry. I had to give a presentation to the Board about the ministry and they were very encouraging despite my funding situation. I have raised a little over $2,000 from my $26,000 budget.

They suggested that I take a part-time positon (I started working at a technology firm in Syracuse who have been so flexible with my schedule) to make ends meet. The PaLM Board suggested that I put most of the projects on hold which means the Asian American Laity Project launch will be set in the Fall 2006. I am looking into launching it at the Eastern Chinese Bible Conference.

For the Spring of 2006, I will focus on fundraising and developing support for the ministry. I have a deadline of August 25th to raise all my support. So I am going to go on a support campaign this upcoming two weeks.

It was a humbling experience for me and I will continue to seek His face and it is moving me towards a place of seeking His sufficiency.

Ivy-Leaguing
My mother was so disappointed that I didn't make it to an Ivy League so this is my chance to feel somewhat fulfilling my dream of being at a Ivy League school, I will be preaching at Cornell's Grace Christian Fellowship Winter Retreat this Friday through Saturday. The theme I will be speaking on is "The Great Unknown: The Challenge and Hope of Faith." I am excited to be able to stretch and speak with "smart" college students.

Talking Heads
After some consideration and prayer, I will be speaking at the Hofstra New York Summer Conference. I was hesitant because of my speaking schedule and the size of the retreat...but I am stepping out on faith and expecting a blessing to have an opportunity to share my heart here. I found out that my beloved mentor John Ng, is one of the speakers for the adult track! We get to hang out! Now if only Jesus Generation could be there to lead worship.

I am also preparing to speak at Long Island Abundant Life Church Winter Retreat. Praise God that my brother Ron Chen is their new youth pastor. Praise God! I always have a heart and affinity for youth pastors.

I said yes to Tammy Chan (my boss' daughter...wink wink) and agreed to speak at an outreach coffehouse in Chinese Evangel Missions Church Queens...will give you an update on the theme next week.

Still working out speaking at CCOWE and figuring out if I should fundraise to go to Macau for this important conference.

Xin Ai Ni (God loves you)
One of the perks of being married to a Graduate Assistant at the School of Environmental Studies and Forestry is I can take a class for free of costs! Guess what I am taking? I am taking
Chinese 102. It is exciting for me to be able to develop my Chinese language skills while I am in Syracuse.

Journey of a Servant Website
I am behind in developing my personal ministry website, I am hoping to launch it by the first week of February. It will feature updates and thoughts and reflections on Asian American ministry. Here is a preview....

CCHC Website (HOORAY!)
The CCHC Board approved for the budget for the English website and I will be coordinate the project! I am so excited for this opportunity to continue to serve with this ministry. I am developing most of the content and working with the national office and affiliates for updates and content. This the first step in a long-term plan for funding for the ministry.

On your Knees
Thanks for all your prayers, it is really a great blessing. Some amazing praises is that God really have been working in the heart of Jamie and I as we approach this new year. We are going through a renewed time of devotion and appreciate the moments with God and with one another.

The men's fellowship I attend here in Syracuse had a major breakthrough with some of us asking for a deeper sense of accountability and sharing. It is amazing to see...

Likewise the couples' fellowship had a major breakthrough this past Sunday with our study of Love & Respect...as we learned we are to do things "unto the Lord." This is a great tool for those who are married or considering marriage...intense biblical stuff.

Pray for planning for another Refl3ctions event...possibly in the Spring or in the Fall of 2006...

Thank you for your prayers. If you feel compelled to support me You can send your check to PaLM at 48-19 196th Street, Fresh Meadows, NY 11365-1316. Please indicate on your check that is for the Laity Project/Peter Ong

Many blessings to you!

Return Policy

2006-01-10T06:10:00.000-05:00

Hi folks,

Happy New Year! I am back from my trip to Hong Kong and thank you for your prayers and support. It was a good time for Jamie and I to spend time with the parents and to get some great food. The weather was beautiful (around 60 degrees everyday) and had wonderful opportunities to explore.

We arrived this past Friday and had our "meet the Ong's" party in Chelsea...we had over 35 people who came out for some pizza, buffalo wings, pasta and tons of snacks. We had an impromptu time of sharing about our lives in Syracuse and marriage (it felt like a marriage/dating workshop).

It was a blessing to have a time of prayer and we capped it off with ice cream. The time was a reminder of God's provision of fellowship and I was able to share brieflyabout the vision for the ministry and their partnership.

Prayer Requests:

Logistics: We are back in Syracuse this afternoon and Jamie is taking an intensive five-day course this week and we are reorienting ourselves from the holidays to the work and ministry ahead of us. We have a lot of odds and ends of upkeep here. Including our budget and schedules.

Provision: I will be focusing on developing a new prayer support letter. Pray that God will speak through me in this letter and that there will be continued support from those who are moved to support. I am going to focus more of my time on fund development and also look for other sources of support.

Vision: I am focusing on developing the vision for the Academy and will move ahead in Spring for the launch and will use the summer as a time of developing a core meeting in the Fall. Pray for a clear vision and continued perseverance.

Ministry: I am going to decide this week if I will speak at the New York Summer Conference and preparing for my talk for the Grace Christian Fellowship at Cornell for their winter retreat, I will be speaking on "The Great Unknown: The Challenge and Hope of Faith" Still praying about TECBC and wanting to serve with the committee instead of being their speaker. Praying t through this. There will be a leadership meeting this Saturday at Syracuse Alliance Church and I have been invited to attend. I am still working out the details of a mentoring program for outreach and inreach for the church.

I am still in the midst of developing the website for Chinese Christian Herald Crusades but not sure if they will have the finances to support this project. Pray that God will provide the resources to develop this for this instrumental ministry.

Personal Items: I am planning on taking a course at Syracuse this semester and thinking about a literature course or a language course. Pray that God will use it to build up my mind and my heart for the campus students. Jamie and I are celebrating a renewed vigor in our marriage that has brought a new territory of intimacy and pray that God continue to guide our devotion time and our united life towards His glory.

Please remember my sister and her family in your prayers as she is going through some very difficult decisions about custody. It has been a trying time for my parents and myself as we feel so helpless.

Pray for our friends who are engaged and they are joining this wonderful covenant of marriage. May they continue to seek to bring their lives in sweet surrender to God and to each other.

Thank again for your support and I look forward to hearing from you.

belations

2005-12-23T09:16:00.000-05:00

Sorry for taking so long, Jamie and I were preparing for our trip for the holidays and we had a lot of "wrappng" things up for the ministry. I want to thank all of you for our prayers and words of email, comments and chatting online...

Jamie and I arrived Tuesday night into the city and discovered a very upturned city as the transit strike was well on its way. Christmas season seemed belated and somehow subdued with all the streets a bit deserted and people looked determined. I miss this city.

Well, things have been a whirlwind and here is a quick update.

-In a matter of one week, I was invited to speak at college conference for an Asian American ministry of Campus Crusades for Christ called EPIC at Texas (thanks to a great referral from Patrick. Thanks Pat, you and Vicky are always in my prayers and your wife's constance of encouragement has been great). I was able to express my passions to Clement, the coordinator and told him that I would pray about it. Four days later, I found out the conference was cancelled. Please pray for this Asian American ministry as it continues to seek to reach those on campus. I appreciated Clement and his challenge to the students to not be just a "religious huddle." I hope to connect with him this upcoming week to see how he is doing.

-I have been asked to speak for the winter retreat for the youth at Long Island Abundant Church for President's Day weekend, as well as for a Korean church in the Syracuse area praying for wisdom and for diligence in balancing my speaking time with funding. I am looking forward to speaking at Grace Christian Fellowship at Cornell at the end of January. I have also been asked to speak at a youth coffeehouse at Chinese Evangel Mission Church Queens in April.

-We are working out the logistics with the CCOWE conference in July, as they cannot pay for my way to Macau in July, they are asking that we coordinate a teleconference or a recorded presentation. I am looking forward to see how things go.

-I approached some more individuals for funding from Redeemer, my local church in NYC and it turns out that many of the people are financially committed to the church's Vision Campaign. It is an amazing ministry and the overall feeling I get from the church family is that they are really expecting great impact in this city. So, in one sense, I am discouraged but in another way, I am caught breathless that His church is at work mightily to proclaim the hope we have in Christ.

-I am going to get creative in terms of funding and hopefully connect with some people in Syracuse and also in other Asian American ministry circles, I know that there are many challenges but I also know that there are many worthy workers out there who are part of the need....as long as the gospel is being preached in the minds and hearts of people, I will remain on course...

-Thanks for voting on the website, it should be launched by this week! I will keep you posted as soon it is up!

-Personal prayer request! Jamie and I had some wonderful time with my family here in NYC. They just returned from a three week vacation with my sister in San Fran and was concerned with her family as she is going through so much as a single mom. If you can remember her and her two children. Jamie and I are heading to see her parents in HK. We hope that it will be a time of connecting with them and expressing the love we have for one another. I hope to spend some time with some local churches as well to see how ministry is run there.

Okay, that is all folks, if you are interested in partnering with this ministry please give me an email at ong.peter@gmail.com.

You can send your check to PaLM at 48-19 196th Street, Fresh Meadows, NY 11365-1316. Please indicate on your check that is for the Laity Project/Peter Ong

Thanks and have a great holidays and reflecting on God's goodness.

an excerpted chat with David Par

2005-12-15T18:00:00.000-05:00

For those who are interested...here is a chat I had with David Park about Asian American ministry...

Return of the King

2005-12-12T13:17:00.000-05:00

Hey folks,

I am on lunch break from my part-time job so here is my Monday updates! I just returned from my weekend trip to NYC. My friend Wai, John and Rich came with Jamie and I to NYC and they were able to take a look around while Jamie worked on her papers, and Melanie, Jamie's sister studied for her GRE. I was finishing up my sermon and ministry plan.

It was a good time for me to eat some dim sum, have great sushi and to run into my inspiring norman at sushi. It was a good time and had a great time meeting with Chinese Christian Church of NJ missions board regarding supporting me in ministry. I met with them for two hours and then had to preach. I taught on Genesis 22: 1-19 on the testing of Abraham and it was great to see so many youth there in this congregation. Drove home exhausted and slept for 10 hours...

The Ministry Plan is about finished, I will be posting it on the group as a pdf file...please give me your feedback.

Here is a chat I had with Dave Park about the immigrant and Asian American church.

Please make sure you vote on the website templates you like for me at the polls section in the group.

Praise:

A pastor approached me this week and asked that I send him my prayer support letter because his church would like to support me.

During the Missions Board meeting there was a member who challenged me and encouraged me to developing this ministry because of the need. He also challenged me to go to seminary for the kingdom.

For my wife, during the missions meeting, she was such a support to me and it was something that opened my eyes to her direct support for me in ministry.

My friend Jenny approached the board of this ministry and asked that they support me.

Prayer:

Financial situation looks like it is moving but slowly. Pray that I am diligent in prayer and trusting in His provision. I have to draft a Christmas support letter.

I have been asked to speak at Long Island Abundant Life's winter retreat in February and another ministry in upstate NY asked me to be there winter speaker. Pray that God gives me wisdom and discerntment that what seems overwhelming, He woud provide for strength.

I was challenged to think about my speaking engagement with TECBC and thinking that I would rather serve the kids and the organizers instead of speaking.

Pray for the Academy for Asian American Laity would come along. I am looking at some dates in April for the launch of the Academy and to see where this would lead us. I will be leveraging Intervarsity and Alliance Theological Seminary. I am still working on connecting with some pastors to talk about some topics of interest for their congregations.

I am working with OCM on an Refl3ctions event in Chinatown for youth outreach...pray for logistics and for God to guide this event...for a larger equipping of the church.

Jamie is in Final week at ESF and have papers and exams, pray that I can serve her well and be a support to her during this week and also for us to grow during this whirlwind period.

Advent Rising

2005-12-05T13:04:00.000-05:00

“Here the impossible union Of spheres of existence is actual, Here the past and future Are conquered, and reconciled”-T. S. Eliot, from The Four Quartets

Hello Friends,

Happy Monday to you all. I pray that this finds you well and for all you East Coast friends, you had your first dose of snow. It is the second week of Advent as we reflect on the coming of the Lord in the form of a newborn child. During worship on Sunday, my heart was overwhelmed to tears to recognize the depth of my sin but more powerfully the measure of His love. That came in the desperate cry of a child in the company of confused parents:

"He has regarded the lowliness of his handmaiden," said Mary when she saw, accepting her nothingness, the essential love of God and felt her flesh become the dwelling place and nourishment of the Word Incarnate. How wonderful that Mary's nothingness should attract God's all. What sweetness in her prayer when she recognized that she was at the opposite pole from God, where humility not only becomes the acceptance of love, but is one of its demands.”-Carlo Carretto, Letters from the Desert

I hope as Christmas approaches, we are reflecting on the advent journey of this child. I will be posting a reflection of Jesus as priest and king on a seperate blog on Wednesday. As part of my ministry, I wanted to have some writings and spiritual musing for expressing some of my thoughts and rants about ministry and my pilgrimage.

I want to thank you all again for the encouragement. I want to thank Jenny for giving me some funding leads and for always encouraging me. Also want to thank DJ Chuang for giving me some perspective on ministry and look forward to connecting with him and listen to his thoughts on Asian American ministry. I also connected with a youth pastor in GA who i hope to connect with soon. This blog is getting some exposure so that is great to know.

I am posting some support forms on the Yahoo Group so that it would make things easier if people want to support me. Thanks friends who gave me some advise on this.

Personal Items:

Tears: I cried at service...it started with songs that are familiar to me...but then realized the depth of my sin...my heart was reminded that 9 years ago...this prodigal son brought me home and then have blessed me so much in my life...even in the midst of so many hardships, God called...in the depths of my sin...he is so faithful.

Married life has been good. Jamie and I are attending a couples fellowship where we are studying Love and Respect Series. It has been a time of refreshing...there is great intimacy and affection in our relationship but also places of healing and restoration. Pray for us to be strengthened to be the man and woman He created us to be and that we may serve others.

Family We are planning to spend time with folks as we come back to NYC and then with Jamie's parents in HK. Pray for interaction and reflection of the love we have for one another because of Christ.

Pray for my sister as she is going through transitions and raising the kids on her own. She accepted Christ a few months ago and still trying to sort out her faith in the midst of many trials.

Syracuse Alliance Church (our home church here) has asked me to come aboard to serve as an advisor to the youth ministry and also to observe on their strategic meeting. I am a bit ambivalent as it seems that there seems to be a great deal of struggles as the church seeks to move forward. I attended a SonLife Youth Ministry Strategy Seminar this past weekend and took in a lot of the challenges that face the youth ministry. Pray for servant heart and to allow God to use me.

Ministry Items:

-Funding:
I had some leads this week and that I will be able to follow through on those. Pray for boldness and sharing. I am meeting with the missions board of the Chinese Community Church of NJ this coming Sunday as I am speaking. I will be preaching on Christ as the fulfillment of Isaac.

-As I mentioned earlier, my friend Jenny gave me some names for me to pursue a partnership with. I hope that those meetings go well.

-I am praying that I could approach some individuals in Syracuse to connect and partner with them for this vision.

-I am trying to form a committee of intercessors who can pray for me and also serve as a sounding board to raise some funds. Pray that I ask with humility and wisdom those who are close to the ministry to join me.

-Praises! There were some more funding that came in but at this rate, I won't be able to get paid till next year! But I have faith for He is the Lord who provides.

-Sending out my prayer support letter to Church missions board. I will also send another appeal letter to some of my friends and supporters.

-Speaking:
I have decided that I will speak at Teen Eastern Chinese Bible Conference if their first choice cannot speak. The theme is Hope...which is awesome! Please pray for discernment and passion as I prepare my heart.

I am still praying about the New York Summer Conference and their theme is persevering faith. The organizer and I are good friends and I served before there as a workshop leader and see how God has used the conference to do amazing things.

I had a good talk with Joel, a staff at Cornell who is facilitating the Grace Christian Fellowship retreat in January where I will be speaking. They are still developing a theme and expressed that they have several non-believers coming which is such a burden of my heart.

Academy
I am finishing up the surveys for the churches and also organizing a date for the academy. I was thinking of having an emphasis on youth ministry and leadership the first time around. But thinking of contextualizing it and partnering with Intervarsity and other institutions.

Website
I am in the midst of making a website for my personal ministry page. I have asked a good friend of Jamie's to develop it and I should have it up soon. I hope to get it up before Christmas.

forthcoming

2005-11-28T13:13:00.000-05:00

Hey friends and prayer partners,
Thank you for your emails and encouragement! It has been a source of great strength on this journey. Thanksgiving was great. Jamie and I spent it with the Leung Family as they hosted us and an international student Priscilla. Jamie and I had the pleasure of making some sugar cookies with two students from China but one of them left for a hot pot dinner (how I miss those). It was nice to be taken care of and spending it with a great family.

This past Saturday was the mark of one year when I asked Jamie to marry me. It was the Saturday after Thanksgiving of 2004 when I popped the question. Things move so fast.

It was a slow week but nevertheless, I had some things that have been in my heart for the new season...Here are some prayer items.

1. Funding: I am not sure how to approach this. I met with most of my prospective funders and there is little more that I can do. I am drafting up a Christmas letter for the churches and perhaps their missions committee would be able to support the ministry. But I am moving full steam ahead...regardless....single-minded. I received an message from my yahoo group...

"Your list of fundraising issues is fairly comprehensive, good to see your being sober. One more item that you may consider adding is this: Asian Americans on the whole have the highest median family income, and yet we do not see a proportional level of giving and donations and philanthropy among Asians. This suggests that perhaps our Asian heritage does not have yet have the understanding and motivation to give more towards Christian ministries and non-profits."

Pray for diligence on my part to develop a good fund development plan and communicating the ministry goals. I will be meeting with a Mission Committee member at a church I will speaking at.

2. Preaching: Lately, I have been preparing a sermon for December 12th service at Chinese Community Church of New Jersey on Abraham. Speaking on the progression of faith as God calls us to growing faith and reversing our fortunes.

3. I have been asked to speak for New York Summer Conference for the youth track. I have enjoyed doing workshops there for past years. The theme is "Persevering Faith" from Hebrews CH 11 but more specifically the last 2 verses: 39-40. The dates are June 30-July 4th... it begins Friday evening and ends Tuesday noon. You'd be doing 4 morning messages (roughly 45 minutes each session plus one workshop topic, and 4-short 20 minute messages in the evening.) I am praying about this and seeing if God is leading me towards this. I have been less inclined to do "big" things since 2003 but I have to prayerfully consider it.

4. Jamie is on her final stretch of her semester and there are the collateral stress that comes with it. Pray that I can serve her during this time and that we can continue to seek His grace in our marriage. Last week, we focused our prayer on friendships and relationships that God has given us. This week we are focusing on vision and how God wishes to direct us towards His will.

5. The Herald Youth Center: They had their Herald Gospel Camp reunion this past Sunday and I am amazed how God continues to use this ministry to bring prodigals home. Pray that what was planted this summer will be part of their journey towards discipleship. Part of the reason why I am so passionate about laity is to equip the church to welcome this generation.

6. I am still in the midst of seeing how I can serve Syracuse Alliance Church, the local church Jamie and I are attending...They have asked that could be part of their strategic team and develop a mentoring model of outreach...I feel torn and yet excited about serving at a local church. Pray for wisdom and discernment, they asked that I attend a conference this weekend and also for me to be part of the debriefing meeting on Monday. But I am not sure if I could make it since Jamie and I were planning on attending a shower in NJ this Saturday.

7. I miss the engagement of faith and community. I find that it is hard to find people here in Syracuse who go "deeper" in their understanding of God. Something that struck me today in my devotion....

"The New Testament example of the Christian experience is that of a personal, passionate devotion to the Person of Jesus Christ. Every other kind of so-called Christian experience is detached from the Person of Jesus. There is no regeneration— no being born again into the kingdom in which Christ lives and reigns supreme. There is only the idea that He is our pattern. In the New Testament Jesus Christ is the Savior long before He is the pattern. Today He is being portrayed as the figurehead of a religion— a mere example. He is that, but He is infinitely more. He is salvation itself; He is the gospel of God!" Oswald Chambers

I am so hungry for that kind of fellowship...but yearning to be content where I am....

2005-11-21T16:56:00.000-05:00

Hello Friends and Family!

I am currently at the Syracuse computer lab writing this to you since my internet service at home is not doing too well. I hope you are all getting ready for your Thanksgiving Holidays with your family.

I just returned from a Delaware wedding of a sister who attended a seekers group that my friend Harvey and I started shortly after 9/11 It was amazing to see her up on the stage as a bride. Three years ago, I remember her coming to small group with a sense of wonder and wanting to discover her faith. She later invited her best friend and in the course of a year journeying together, her and her friend found God. So there they were…one the bride and the other maid of honor…and I was amazed to see how God worked. To see degree of work He can accomplish when we are willing to seek His face.

“It reminds us that God may use a crisis--even a severe one--to help us better understand his purpose for us and changes in direction he wants us to take. The point is especially redemptive to consider at this time, when our nation is reeling with grief over the events of September 11, and many of us continue in disillusionment and shock.”

Then I took some time to reflect and saw so many of those who came to the group became believers. One of them, is getting baptized, another is reaching youth through her profession and I think of them and their names and I am inspired by the grace of God. During my ride back, Jamie asked “what made that smallgroup so special?” and all I could say was that it was God. I remember wrestling through many of the questions that they had and in the end, it was just a simple gathering where we all tried to uncover this mystery of grace. I don’t think I had answers…just presence.

I went to Chinese Conservative Baptist Church (Jamie’s church) and I saw two youth from my work at Chinese Christian Herald Crusades and I was touched to see that his mother brought him to church. She shared that she was looking for me at CCHC and developing a heart for the Lord.

Prayer items:

* Pray for funding, I am working on a church prayer/mission support letter. I hope that it will be a source of encouragement for me as I am very far behind in my fundraising.

* Pray for preparation for my sermon at Chinese Community Church of New Jersey, I will be speaking on the Reversal of Fortune: Renewal through Sacrifice. I am also meeting with the mission board for their support of my ministry with PaLM.

* This past week, I was working a PaLM survey for the Asian American pastors to discuss the needs for the laity and I am approaching some Asian American leaders who can help come up with the survey with the appropriate questions and insights for the Asian American Academy.

* I am still thinking a great deal about the issues of the first and second generation Chinese Church and the challenges that are facing a unified vision for ministry. I have committed to writing a paper on this subject and submitting it to review for publication.

* Jamie and I are planning on staying in Syracuse for the Thanksgiving break since her parents are in Hong Kong and my parents are in San Francisco to be with my sister in certain personal transitions. Pray for wisdom and healing for the family as my sister is still seeking out her identity in Christ and for my parents to be a source of encouragement to her. We are hoping to host some international students on campus for dinner and to let them be part of our home and life here in Syracuse.

* I have been ask to be part of the Strategic Team at the church Jamie and I attend. I am praying for wisdom and discernment on the level of commitment and time I can give to this church. They are in the midst of some renewal and changes and seek my experience with building leadership.

* Pray for Jamie and I to continue to walk by faith, in our love for one another and for our marriage to be rooted in Him. Because of our schedules we have had a difficult time of a deeper devotion with God together. I hope that we can grow intimate towards God together. We are learning and He has put a desire in our heart for more of Him.

good news and hope

2005-11-18T12:39:00.000-05:00

“Christianity is not a message which has to be believed, but an experience of faith that becomes a message.” Edward Schillebeeckx.

“When the brilliant ethicist John Kavanaugh went to work for three months at the house of the dying n Calcutta, he was seeking a clear answer as to how best to spend the rest o his life. On the first morning there he met Mother Theresa. She asked, ‘And what can I do for you?’ Kavanaugh asked her to pray for him. ‘What do you want me to pray for?’ she asked. He voiced the request that he had borne thousands of miles from the United Stats: ‘pray that I have clarity.’ She said firmly, ‘No, I will not do that.’ When he asked her why, she said, ‘Clarity is the last thing you are clinging to and must be let go of.’ When Kavanaugh commented that she always seemed to have the clarity he longed for, she laughed and said, ‘I have never had the clarity; what I have always had is trust. So I will pray that you trust God”

Sorry for the delay, my internet at home is down and when it runs, it is so slow!

I am back from my trip in New York City. It was filled so many things. First, I want to thank you all of your for your prayers and words of encouragement. During my trip there was good news and some “yet to be good” news.

I drove early on Wednesday morning to attend the Pastoral and Laity Ministries, there was a presentation by Chinese Coordination Centre of World Evangelism (CCCOWE). They are having a conference in Macau in March of 2006.

The are having a Congress meeting for world evangelism; information on this Congress and their core values are here. After the presentation, we had lunch and I was able to pray with some pastors and was really encouraged by Pastor Steven Ro and Ben Ing for their words of honesty and how we are seeking to not be complacent in our passion and to see God's people with a sense of love and promise. After our lunch... There was a roundtable discussion about the current situation/challenge of the American born Chinese ministers who have difficulties working under Overseas born Chinese leadership.

It was a difficult but fruitful discussion and I was able to engage the pastors and lay leaders into a discussion regarding being missional towards the cultural complexities of being an American born in Chinese ministry. In the six years I served at Chinese Christian Herald Crusades, I have struggled in the context of sometimes difficult circumstances that seemed unjust but as I learned and learned about the importance of being missional (Urbana in 2003 was critical to my understanding of seeking to enter the lives of others) as a western minded.

I met with some of the representative of CCOWE the following day at Starbucks and they have invited me to speak in Macau to share some of my insight with outreach and church partnerships. It was a time of deep affirmation for the work I have been called...

Here is the "yet to be good news..." For the last three months of funding I raised $685. Yes, only $685...that was a huge discouragement to me. But somehow I was challenged with the above quote about faith and trust...But I have to be senstitive to what this means...

I meet with Greg Jao the new Regional Director of NY/NJ Intervarsity Campus ministries. He looked over the Asian American laity proposal (I have uploaded it on yahoogroup). They have agreed to have Intervarsity and their resources to partner with us in enriching and working with the Asian American laity. We are going to have a survey produced this month to identify the needs of the Asian American church and in Spring work with IV to develop a training and networking event.

I had a meeting with Norman to go over preliminarily on the CCHC website. He will have something ready by the end of the week.

On a personal note, I had a good meeting with some friends...Jinny, Koo, Harvey, Amy, Norman and Joanna. It was good to reconnect and to just veg, eat, pray and have some decent sushi.

Praise God for giving me opportunities to speak at the following churches and ministries:
I was invited to speak at Mid Hudson Chinese Christian Church in February. I am speaking to the adult service on December 12th at Chinese Christian Church of New Jersey

I was also invited to speak at Cornell University's Grace Christian Fellowship for their Winter Retreat as well as the Hosanna Fellowship at Overseas Chinese Mission Church.

Possible upcoming speaking engagements are at Binghamton Intervarsity and possibly at Teen Eastern Chinese Bible Conference in May of 2006.

Please pray for funding as that seems to be most pressing thing for me. I have taken a position at a technology firm in Syracuse to make ends meet. It has been a wonderful time so far and learning a new field. I am working on their final reports and some research for projects and technology. But it has been hard to focus on ministry with all the reality of financial burdens. With the current realities of funding I have to consider these possibilities:

1. It could mean that the vision and the mission of the ministry is not compelling enough
2. I have not communicated the financial needs of the ministry.
3. Churches and people do not feel a need for this ministry, therefore there is no support.
4. I have to pray more about the provision. I have been spoiled with generous friends in the past and expected that this would be taken care of.
5. It could be charity exhaustion, this year with all the natural disaster, the support has gone to mostly these relief efforts and people are financially bound.

Thank you for listening and praying. I know this was long and I appreciate you reading this.

Remaining in Him,

Peter O

Departure/Return

2005-11-08T10:43:00.000-05:00

I am getting prepared to another trip to New York, I will be driving very early Wednesday morning to attend an important meeting with PaLM co-workers and pastors to discuss the current struggles of the Chinese Church in the midst of generational issues between first and second generation Chinese pastors. This has been especially close to my heart since I have served under an Overseas-Born Chinese (OBC) minister at the Herald Youth Center and learned the difficulty and challenges of being "missional" towards the leadership. Please pray for a time of fruitful discussion that is filled with grace and healing-there are a lot of our hurting second-generation pastors out there...

Wednesday night, I am going to have dinner with Broken For Good Records Recording artists Jinny Kim and Koo Chung for fellowship and continue to seek more direction about a follow-up to our youth Billy Graham Crusades Greater NY convergence outreach event called Refl3ctions we held at Overseas Chinese Mission this past summer.

Thursday, I will meeting with some local pastors and ministry leaders who can possibly partner with me on this laity project. I am looking to work with some local seminarys like Alliance Theological Seminary to discuss possible training and development of training of laity. I am exploring the possibility of working with Westminster Seminary's Masters in Urban Missions.

Friday is my meeting with Greg Jao of Intervarsity who is regional director of NY/NJ and I pray that our meeting will expand a vision for equipping and strengthening the Asian American laity. Then I am having lunch with some friends and funders to thank them and to catch up.

Last night, Jamie and I were able to send out some my Fall Ministry/Prayer support letter )if you would like to take a look at it, you can find it in the files sections of this group). to her friends and family. I am praying that God will use it to provide funding for this ministry. I will give you guys an update on my fundraising soon.

On a personal note, It has been a hard time for me since moving to Syracuse to connect with my family. They are in the midst of renovating my former Rego Park Apartment and moving there. They have some time constraints for them since they have a trip to San Fran on November 15th to see my sister.

Thanks for taking time to read this. Love you guys. I will post up pictures of my meetings in NYC and hope to update you soon.

2005-11-01T12:05:00.000-05:00

Renovare: The Latin word “to make new.”

Psalm 4.6
6 Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?"
Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD .

The gospel is the power to make things new…to bring light into darkness, life from death (Luke 1.78-79, Colossians 1.13), wholeness from brokenness (2 Corinthians 4:8-10, 2 Corinthians 7: 12-7-10)…beauty for ashes (Isaiah 61: 3)…The father welcomes the lost son into someone found with a garment, a ring and a feast (Luke 15: 22-24), the poor into the rich (James 2:5), it is this renewal and transformation that is to transform.

Renovare

This redemptive force of “making new” is the hope for a desperate and harried world. Where does this force reside? God has equipped us with the commission to be a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9 ) which puts us in a unique position of engagement as that of a king and a priest; a position that is not appointed by man but by a living God.

As I move ahead in the new season of ministry with Pastoral and Laity Ministry of developing Asian American laity, it has been my passion and desire to bring to the sacred office of ministering towards each other and the community. It is in this movement of God’s people; a gathering of its people; a convergence; the church that I believe will transform lives in a city. This is something that has been a driving force in my desire to serve the Asian American church. I hope to bring community encouragement, practical resources and applicable strategies for the equipping to these faithful servants.

This new ministry to forge a new vision for the laity came from my 6 years served with The Chinese Christian Herald Crusades as Director of the Herald Youth Center. Since Chinese Christian Herald Crusades is a parachurch organization, we focused on partnerships with the churches to accomplish the work of outreach, evangelism and community services. I experienced the leaders and their passion and love of Christ and the people. I realized that many were overburdened and sometimes in need of perspective. Many struggled with the context in which they were serving. To be able to develop a church ministry that was both personal and social in its approach to discipleship and outreach. In that interaction and friendships, I often fellowshipped with them to discuss measured theology, a balanced vision, divine compassion, incarnate presence, and our delight in our relationship with the one true living God.

But another motivation is my passion for youth. In developing the Laity ministry, I wanted to see the emerging church to welcome the young people of this generation. Never, in the history of the world, has there been a more both dynamic and broken generation. Yet, in the church, the youth today are seeking a home for their spiritual and emotional cultivation. My hope is to continue to strive to make youth ministry into something that is dynamic and deep for this generation and to create an orthodoxy that is compelling and stirring among young people.

I pray that you can be part of that with me. It is my hope and my conviction that it is a much needed ministry to serve the Asian American community. My hope is towards bring a vision that is focused on discovering the legacy of those who came before us, who can provide a beacon to discover new ways of pursuing ministry so we can initiate a movement to build His church. Thank you for listening!

A fellow Pilgrim,

Peter Ong

conception

2005-10-16T09:17:00.000-04:00

Hi Friends,

This is the first post on a day where the first hint of sun has broken through the clouds. There has been a stubborn overcast of rain and despite the inconvenience of running around from the dampness, it creates an environment for reflection.

Being away from the city has been a time of exhaling. Just taking in the heart of the city and seeing the urban landscape yearning for the coming of Christ (Romans 8:22-23). Constant wanderers that find themselves unaware of the love of God around them and here I am...distant and praying...that there will be freedom in "generous orthodoxy" that breathes inclusion. To bring the foreigners, the displaced, the poor, the ugly and all outsiders to the circle of worship (Isaiah 56:1-8). To the table of the father. That is my greatest desire for the mercy of God to bring forth a wonderful fear of His majesty.

How do we make the modern church into an emerging and contextually impactful movement? How do we transform a church that are messengers of hope and agents of mercy and justice?

In such a culture, there seems to be more and more hunger for the true redeemer. To seek people who are "real" with depth and textures of faith that is beyond pale orthodoxy and superficial agents of mercy. But a divine recklessness that trusts what we profess...a people who are desperate for the glory of God.

There needs to be a renewal. The saints of the church have created a wonderful opportunity for the generations to be under this banner of salvation. Renewal. one definitinon of renewal is "filling again by supplying what has been used up" God doesn't want to destroy what is old but to renew...there is something that is profoundly beautiful that he doesn't annihilate us to oblivion but melts away and refines us to be who we want to be.

One of the most wonderful experiences of being involved in large events was the diversity of those who I worked side by side with...and each soul encounter was filled with such an acknowledgement of the work that God has done in that person and yet, they remained intact the color of that person's life. Their humor, their disposition, their tastes, their preferences for certain things...we are not clones...but truly we are children under one household.

So in that, we can speak in beautiful different languages with the outpouring of the gospel. A fragrant gospel. A radiant gospel. We can't add anything to the word but we can sure bring our passion for it. Our hunger for it...to be released...our desire...a "sweet illumination..."

I am serving with Pastoral and Laity Ministries (PaLM) and working towards this equipping of the saints...to bring a renewal in the church...to facilitate a circle of exploration of what, as leaders of the church, can better be suited to engage with culture...to be non-negotiable Christians to our community and our church. To be a remnant of hope to those who encounter us...as a shepherd and an ambassador. A masterpiece of creation...beautiful despite the imperfection.

So, I am in the fundraising phase of working with PaLM and finding it both a time of struggle of trying to focus on ministry in the midst of seeking provision. So far, it has not been promising but I stay in the center of trusting...and knowing...that God truly provides. He has brought me here...in relation to speak with boldness and humility to serve.

I have been approached to speak and share about the ministry in a church in NJ and in Fishkill. Pray that it will be impactful for the kingdom.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
So what does the church desperately need to make impact?

upcoming...arriving

2005-09-21T11:26:00.000-04:00

upcoming...launching in October!

If you would like to email me, you can at peter.at.palmny.org