Five Fruitful Years
An Interview with Ms. Law Tsui-shan
After graduating from the Master of Divinity Program in 2001, alumna Law Tsui-shan has been serving at Tai Po Baptist Church for five years. In the beginning she experienced much anxiety, but also shared the joy of growing with sisters and brothers in the church. In the course of following God, a minister finds the journey leads both uphill and downhill. Through it all, he or she is blessed by receiving the Heavenly Father’s frequent admonitions. It was these admonitions and guidance that helped Tsui-shan move ahead and experience five very substantial years.
Experienced the anxiety in the beginning
“I grew up in a very small church. When I first came to a big church I felt quite uneasy. For example, I was stunned at seeing hundreds of people pouring out of the sanctuary after the worship service. I had no idea that the impact of such a huge crowd of people would make me overwhelm with anxiety. Later, as I began to get acquainted with more of the sisters and brothers in the church and to get used to the environment and operation system of the church, my sense of oppression began to fade away. But to my surprise, I found out that many members of the church were well equipped. Some of them had even taken courses in theology. This caused me to worry that being young and inexperienced, I would not be able to minister to their needs.”
Thank God that about one month later, Sze-wah, my former classmate at the seminary, also began her ministry in the church. As newcomers, we shared a common concern about adjusting to the new environment. So we agreed to meet and pray together every day that God would guide our ministries. Besides, Tsui-shan’s fiancé Tin-sang, who had graduated from the seminary with her, also gave her full support. As time went by and Tsui-shan became more familiar with her work environment, she gained confidence in her job and in the direction of the church’s ministry.
Whenever she wanted to turn back…
“God has not only provided someone to walk with me and share my burden, but also He continues to remind me that it was He who called me to this church. Surely, there must be work that He intends for me to do and that I can shoulder. I recall that on the day I first entered the theological seminary, my minister reminded me repeatedly to remember God’s calling. She said, ‘Whether you are studying in a theological seminary or doing ministry in a church, there will be times that you will want to give up. Whenever you want to turn back, just recall how God calls you to full-time ministry. Then you will know how to go on!’ At first, the idea of giving up did flash across my mind. But, as my minister had promised, God’s calling strengthened me and helped me overcome my worries and fears. As time went by, I came to enjoy my ministry more and more.”
Tsui-shan is mainly responsible for youth ministry. She is the adviser of the Youth Department. When the Youth Department was first established, her co-worker helped her find some sisters and brothers to go to work in the Youth Department. Starting from scratch, they explored and planned with Tsui-shan until the Youth Department was finally established.
She was also the adviser of the Friendship-Building Department. With the help of other members, she planned the social gathering activities of the church and this allowed her to get acquainted with some adult sisters and brothers. Besides being the adviser of the two departments, Tsui-shan is also the minister-in-charge of the Sunday School for Youth Group and the supervisor of the Youth Fellowship. Moreover, she is also the advisor of a rehabilitation group for former mentally ill patients, the Emmanuel Group. She helps them build up their confidence and integrate into the church. In fact, she had earlier been a social worker serving mentally ill patients. In fact, it had never dawned on her that she would ever have the chance to care for this group of people again. It is amazing how God perfectly provides for us.
The limitations of ministers
“In these five years, God gave me many opportunities to learn. He also allowed me to serve with one mind with pastor Chan Chi-keung and other ministers. In the Youth Department I have worked with a majority of members for five years. We have grown together and developed close friendships in the Lord. Now the Friendship-Building Department has been turned into the Sports and Recreation Department. I have also been redeployed to be the coordinator responsible for planning and conducting cooperative activities for church members under the system of ‘pastoring according to different age groups.’ When I was a social worker, I mainly did case work on a person-to-person basis and seldom got involved in administrative duties. But in the church, I have had to learn to carry out administrative duties. I also have had to plan an overall ministry from a wider perspective. At first, I was worried that I could not manage such duties. But God has taught me to count on Him and be open to learn new things. Today, God has guided me through the initial stage. I no longer feel any pressure in ministry but rather enjoy the joy it brings me!”
Witnessing the growth of sisters and brothers is of course a great joy beyond description. But on the other hand, while Tsui-shan was serving in the youth fellowship, she came across some young people who continued making mistakes and obstinately preferred to make the wrong choice despite her advice. In the Emmanuel Group, the mental state of some members fluctuated. This made her weary both physically and psychologically. When Tsui-shan saw some sisters and brothers make mistakes or struggle so hard that she could not but feel depressed. She even shed tears and was unable to sleep.
“God let me realize that ministers have their limitations. Even if I keep worrying or take no rest, sometimes I still cannot help the sisters and brothers and cannot change the situation. The only thing I can do is to entrust everything to God and let God be in control, and let myself rest. After handing over everything to God through prayer, I often see His grace and teaching. Again and again, I see that God can change the things that I cannot.”
Instructions and teachings that are kept in her heart
Throughout this period of ministry, God left many instructions and teachings in Tsui-shan’s heart: You have been called. There is no turning back or shrinking back; you also should not be pleased with yourself and rob God of His glory when people praise you. You should learn how to love your sisters and brothers in Christ. Only then can you pastor them and not merely a worker. As you love sisters and brothers, you should learn how to let go, knowing that God does not rest when you rest. You should not neglect to come close to God just because you are busy with your work. You should not rely on your ministry skills and forget the Lord whom you serve.
“In serving God I came to experience Him in a deeper way. There have been many things that are unforgettable in these few years. Last year, I went camping at Wong Yi Island with some young people. Two things made this unforgettable. We were having outdoor worship and were singing hymns. When the guitar played the introduction, we all sang ‘You are being chosen and greatly used by God.’ Suddenly, the cicadas around us began to chirp. It was as if the cicadas in the wood had set the time to sing with us. They continued to sing with us as long as we sang. We began to appreciate what it is meant by the whole universe echoing in resonance. It seems that God reminds us through the hymn that we were chosen by Him and we are to serve Him together. Something else happened at the barbecue gathering that night. It had been drizzling in the evening. We prayed for the weather and then made a fire. The rain stopped. Then just when the barbecue came to an end and we were about to extinguish the fire, it began raining cats and dogs. Every one ran back to the hostels. Even though we were soaked with rainwater, we were so happy that we embraced one another. I really thanked God. He had let the young people experience His presence, showing that He had heard our prayers. It seems that he was telling us: Just do your best and He will take care of the rest; and what He does is what we are unable to do ourselves.”
Enter the second stage of ministry
God let Tsui-shan experience five fruitful years. During this period of time when she has been growing spiritually with a group of young people to whom she ministered, as a result she has entered a different stage in her life. In late 2001, she and Tin-san were married. Three years later, she became a mother. In the past, because of the busy ministry, Tsui-shan did not have enough time to take care of her child. After having prayed about this, the couple decided that Tsui-shan would work half-time beginning July this year. She would only begin serving full-time again when their son went to school. At first, she was reluctant to change her post from full-time to half time. She valued partnership with the co-workers at church. But she also felt that ministers should try their best to care for their own family. Moreover, she could equip herself for some other ministries in her spare time. She could learn some new things as a mother. She has also thought that as she grows older, she may no longer be able to do youth ministry and may need to switch to a ministry with married-couple or with children.
After graduation from the seminary for five years, Tsui-shan will soon launch the second stage of her ministry. In the past five years, she has kept in close contact with her former classmates. Sometimes she returns to the seminary to have a chat with her teachers and to borrow books from the library. She also seeks advice from seminary professors through the e-mail. She hopes that her classmates and the seminary can continue giving her support and walking with her at each stage of her ministry.
