Being sent by the Lord to shine

"Siloam Blessing" Fellowship

Oral/Zheng Qinli

Arrangement, photography/Zhang Shaoqi

▲Of the more than 100 people who were baptized, half took a group photo with Elder Zheng Qinli (front).

In 2010, the 21st issue of this magazine reported on "The Blessing of Siloam". This fellowship in Brooklyn, New York, has grown astonishingly. In recent years, every time more than a hundred people are baptized, churches gather on the waterfront to help, which is a spectacle. In the Old Testament, the waters of the pool of Siloam flowed and irrigated the gardens in the valley. Today, the "Siloam meal" nourishes many anxious lives standing in front of the stove. She even held the original meaning of "Siloah" - being sent to actively search for lost catering workers.

▲Elder Zheng Qinli gave a sermon at the Christmas Eve gathering. The theme was "The Slowly Flowing Waters of Siloam" (Isaiah 7:1-14; 8:5-8).

On Christmas Eve in 2012, the reporter had the honor to witness the baptism ceremony of more than a hundred people with Siloam Blessings, and enjoy the Christmas love feast that flowed like a flowing banquet.

When I stepped into the church and saw the nearly 400-person dining fellowship with young and cute members, I clearly felt God’s care for them. On a busy Christmas Eve, I was honored to visit Elder Peter Zheng, who is in charge of the fellowship.

KRC: Could you please tell me about the process of establishing Siloam Food Blessing.

Zheng:We were originally established as the "HIC Evangelization Center" in New Jersey. In 2006, we saw that there were more than a hundred Chinese restaurants within a fifteen-minute drive of the church. God moved us to spend nearly two months visiting each restaurant. Until one Sunday in September, a midnight party was held to coincide with the restaurant friends' off-duty time. We started by playing basketball, table tennis, and teaching English. We also studied the Bible and sang hymns to build relationships with them little by little.

Later, there was the "Gospel Car" ministry. Because they all went to New York during their breaks, I was moved to buy an 18-seater minibus and take them to New York from restaurants. I donated the expenses freely and played gospel movies and hymns on the bus. I also invited them during church festivals. Dinner together. After a year, we discovered that a large number of young catering workers were living in Brooklyn. It was clear that God had moved us to drive a gospel truck. It was not just a simple pick-up and drop-off, but an opening of our eyes to see the harvest field in New York. Therefore, from the end of 2007, we I kept praying, hoping to open up a gathering place here.

We approached the senior pastor of the Brooklyn Chinese Baptist Church in New York, Mr. Xu Tongli, to rent a venue to hold the Monday service. Pastor Xu said graciously: "This is God's house. As long as God wants to use it, we will open the door." This sentence left a deep impression on me and has deeply affected me ever since. thank God! From the first meeting of 40 people on January 7, 2008, to now, there are more than 400 people every week. The age range ranges from 18 to 30 years old, and most of them are single.

KRC: It is a very meaningful thing to hold a baptism ceremony on Christmas Eve and celebrate new life with Jesus. How many people have been baptized? How to prepare a seeker for baptism?

Zheng:We have three baptisms a year: Easter and Christmas at the church, and in August on the Atlantic Ocean coast of Coney Island. One hundred and eight people were baptized this Christmas. Since its establishment in 2008, more than a thousand people have been baptized.

It is easier to teach and establish norms before baptism. We stipulate that the seekers must attend eight baptismal classes. After the classes, they must attend eight fellowships upstairs. A group of ten to twelve people, led by two to three group leaders, discuss what problems arise in class? Is there anything you can't understand?

Most of the team leaders are trained from brothers and sisters who have taken life education classes. In the past, brothers and sisters from Lord's Grace Church, Ruoge Church, Evangelism Center and various churches in New Jersey accompanied us one-on-one on the phone. The group of people led by them became our co-workers, that is, the fellowship group. long. There are now forty to fifty people, taking turns leading ten groups of fellowships.

KRC: Are there any brothers and sisters currently attending seminary? Is there a vision for outreach?

Zheng:There are currently four Siloam Blessings (myself included) studying at International Canaan Bible College in New Jersey. Thanks to the support of the college, many theological students in the past and present come to "Siloam" to serve together.

Not long ago, Pastor Moses Chen’s wife told me that there are many Chinese restaurants in Washington, D.C., and nearby Maryland and Virginia, but there are no churches that pastor catering friends. I pray that if God opens a way and prepares it for us, he will send co-workers to open up meeting points.

KRC: How do you pastor and care for your members on weekdays?

Zheng:There are about 20 air fellowships held from Tuesday to Saturday evenings, where brothers and sisters share and pray over the phone. In fact, those who are most in need of care are some sisters who live in Brooklyn and have children or are pregnant. We have a fellowship of caring sisters who serve and visit after 2 pm on Sundays and need constant prayer.

▲"Siloam" trains members Wang Lifang, Gao Huayue, and Zhang Weiyan (from left to right) to study at the "International Canaan Bible College" and cultivate elite soldiers.

▲There are many people being baptized, Pastor Xu Tongli (left) assists in baptism.

KRC: Please share your pastoral journey.

Zheng:Some brothers and sisters come to the church for impure purposes. They leave after receiving a letter of certification of membership, but they do not gain the life of the Lord, which is sad. There are also brothers and sisters, whether they have received status or not, especially the fellowship leaders, who are still committed to serving in the team. It is these co-workers who inspire us the most. We are happy to see that they really have the new life of God. hapiness!

Recently, a sister who was very serious about her pursuit returned to the world and slowly drifted away from God. She used to have a burning passion to bear witness for the Lord, but now she is indifferent to God, which is really sad. However, there are also happy things, just like the sister who led worship today. Although God’s grace has not yet reached her, her heart is so longing for it and so reverent to God.

Many brothers and sisters go to other states to make money in order to survive or pay off debts. They stop gathering when they can't find a suitable church, which is very sad. Therefore, Siloam Blessings has a great burden, which is to go to different cities to establish other Blessings and bring the lost sheep back to the church.

We hope to go to various city centers and cooperate with local churches to set up meeting points. That would be the most beautiful! Although there may be walls between churches, I believe there are many church pastors who say the same thing: "This is God's house. As long as God wants to use it, we will open the door." And they are waiting for us to go. Knock on the door.

In 2013, Siloam's focus and largest budget was to train co-workers to expand missionary work. Since last year, it has invited Pastor Zhang Naiqian from the "Adullam Bible Camp" four times a year to help with training work. Without co-workers with a solid foundation, how can we get out? We hope that all churches will hold the same vision and aspiration as us - to go out of the church walls together and care for the marginalized people who are wandering in foreign countries, so that they can receive abundant grace and regain a new and glorious life.(Siloam Blessing Meeting Location: 5123 7th Ave. & 52St. 3F, time: Monday at 3 p.m. If you are moved to donate, please make the check payable to: SRM. Donations in the United States are tax deductible.)

Journalist profile

Zhang Shaoqi loves Latin dancing and traveling. She has been in the United States for 13 years and now lives in Pennsylvania.