播道会教会增长讲座苏颖智指出危害教会之毒素（10月23日消息）

播道会教会增长讲座
苏颖智指出危害教会之毒素
（10月23日消息）

蔡圣龙 / 2007年10月23日

播道会总会于今明两日（十月廿二及廿三日）主办「再闯高峰．教会增长实录」讲座，由播道会恩福堂主任牧师苏颖智及恩福堂队工主讲，吸引了约一千二百位来自香港什至澳门的教牧和信徒领袖参加。

苏颖智在首日下午的分享中坦言，在近三十年的牧会生涯中无时无刻都有挣扎，例如人手、地方、灵恩、行政财政等；即使恩福堂现已发展成相当规模，他亦常挣扎于如何协调事工、照顾同工，以至堂会的时间空间安排等。

「其实我不喜欢使用『增长』一词，我较喜欢分享如何成为一所『健康』的堂会。」他分享教会健康的元素，首要是以大使命为依归，信徒以宣教为己任，在生活中活出信仰。教会亦要同心合意兴旺福音，传道人更要以身作则：「过去我每年也带领五十人信主，不是指布道会呼召出来的人，而是参加福音性研经的人，我真认识他们每一位。」教会亦要有活泼的敬拜，敬拜本身应已有信息流露。而牧者的释经讲道，则要针对到信徒工作和生活的压力，让弟兄姊妹口服心服。信徒间要有埋身关顾，一个组员出事其他人愿意为他「煲汤、凑仔」。小组、团契、教会环环相扣，全民皆兵，人人也有服事岗位：「恩福堂的教牧信徒比例从未少于一比二百，靠的是众多委身的义工。」弟兄姊妹愿意委身，缘于全面的栽培系统，受洗时他们已能清楚讲出所信的是什么，能分享生命的改变，并继续参与课程重整价值观：「看过不少信徒婚姻出现问题，原因就是他们的信仰本身也有问题！」

苏颖智接着分享一些影响教会健康的毒素，首项就是传道人「狗咬狗骨」，其次就是教牧与信徒领袖相争：「牧养最重要的只有一个字──关系。」苏颖知坦言牧者应学效食客三千的孟尝君广纳人才：「即使是『顶心杉』，放对位置的话他也会成为资源；若把一个人错放位置，资源也会变成垃圾！」他亦郑重劝戒教牧们：「信的人，你才用；用的人，你便要信！若你信不过一个人，便千万不要用他，不然你和他也受害；若你真要用一个人，便应放手让他干，不要事事管制。」而信徒领袖其身不正、属灵短桩亦是另一毒素：「有些教会习惯选一些奉献多的人入执事会，但若这些人只愿开会而不愿传福音，这样对教会有害无益。」他指教会的使命是照顾人，因此选执事应计算其事奉而非金钱。他列出执事的条件是：个人品格、家庭见证、自我形象、恩赐、价值观。「恩福堂的执事会每次也很畅顺，因为我和每位执事都有生命关系，大家有相同异象，很多东西不用怎样讨论已打通。」

（www.christiantimes.org.hk，时代论坛每日快拍，2007.10.23）

舊回應1則

佚名Anonymous / 2007-11-02 08:22:15

Success Factors of Yan Fook

Rev. So’s practical wisdom is right on!

1. On relationships in the church, I can not agree more with his statement that “the most important word in pastoral care is relationship.” Relationship will either make or break a pastor’s (or a church’s) ministry. If the relations are poor or shattered, unity is lost. On the other hand, when the relationship is cordial, there is unity and joy is service. And the effect can be infectious and is almost immediately felt. However, it takes more than strategic placement – hiring or firing - of people to safeguard a church’s human relations.

In this age when results and efficiency are regarded as god for whom human relations are often sacrificed, I plea for a return to the more significant. To me, harmonious relationship in the church is more important than numbers and programs, because without the former, the latter can not be guaranteed. In fact, harmonious relationship is something that goes back to the core of true spirituality. When clergy and lay humble themselves in the face of the Lord, and when they let Jesus be the Head and serve God with trembling hearts, the Lord will be sure to personally preserve the church’s human relations.

2. On the element of trust in Christian service, Rev. So reminds us that we must use only trust-worthy (proven and tested?) individuals. And once identified, we should empower and entrust them to do their job. I believe this is more than just common sense. However, the problem we face in our typical Chinese church is that we have no mechanism to identify, much less train and test/prove, a qualified worker. Furthermore, mentoring in our Chinese church is painfully lacking. Many seminary in-terns often pass through our churches as "migrant workers" and/or cheap laborers. And many faithful lay workers are often burnt out in a few short years. In our hectic routines, we are often only too pleased to identify a helper - any helper - and only too willing to leave him/her alone to fend for himself/herself.

Yan Fook, with close to 10,000 members, has easily become the largest Chinese church ever in existence. Her success factors, as mentioned by Rev. So in paragraph 3, are not unique to this church. However, one must in all fairness give credit also to Rev. So himself. Since I have lived and worked overseas for more than 45 years (a half gwai lo?), I will beg to indulge a bit in my straight-shooting: To me, Yan Fook’s success is largely due to a fiercely loyal (to the Lord and His Church) pastor, who is both talented and humble – a rare combination for Chinese indeed! His preaching is always Scriptural, relevant, dynamic and satisfying. And he believes in organization AND team work! His uncompromising commitment to the Gospel has prompted him to focus the entire church’s energy and programs on saving souls and nurturing the saints. When Rev. So leads the rest of the church in aggressive soul-winning himself, is there any wonder why Yan Fook is constantly growing?

I earnestly pray that God will keep Yan Fook and Rev. So humble for many, many years to come. May this pastor and his church continue to be a blessing to the rest of the Chinese churches.

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