牧者心聲

我很喜歡一幀雨後夜晚拍攝北宣的相片，照片中最光亮的地方，有人看見的是康澤外牆的十字架，也有人說是麥當勞和惠康的招牌。十字架與這些招牌互相輝映，仿似在表達：北宣家與這個社區的人同呼吸、共生活；不僅讓人有日用飲食，更供應全人整全的靈糧。

照片裡，地鐵站和巴士站一帶的街道之所以明亮，原來是教會外牆的射燈。即使夜色低沉，從炮台山地鐵站走上地面，北宣家所散發的點點光芒，在不知不覺間讓人心安穩。這，就是我們的北宣家。

回顧有感

看著桌上的月曆標示 11 月，不禁遙想五年前的同一個月分。那時，身為新手堂主任的我，戰戰兢兢地站在康澤正堂，向大家分享「十年北宣人」的第一個五年計劃（2021-2025）。

難忘當時香港的環境急速變化：文化與潮流衝擊家庭倫理，世界觀被翻轉；日常生活越加數碼化；社會動盪加上疫情隔離，更令人與人之間張力倍增。雖然仍在同一香港、同一教會，卻總有一份莫名的陌生感。

正當世事如夜影縈繞，神的話如燈照亮前路：「你不要害怕，因為我與你同在；不要驚惶，因為我是你的神。我必堅固你，幫助你，用我公義的右手扶持你。」（賽四十一10，和修版）

現在回望，若不是神的恩典浩大，由祂帶領和保守，我們無法走到今天。

使命如一

五年前，我們重提宣道會的起點是宣教運動，教會是一個宣教群體，是一艘航行中的船。所以，時代的巨浪不是停駛的理由，即使在困境中，仍要靠主前進，以「持定使命，進新領域」調整心態，走過這五年。

要進新領域，就必須更新視野。感謝主，我們的領袖和資深會眾，雖然重視屬靈傳統的傳承，但都願意銳意開明，容讓教會更新事工和牧養方式，刻意培育這十年間新信主並成長的信徒，預備十年後他們有適切的教會環境，接續在北宣家結出好果子。

這五年，大風大浪不斷，但神依然坐著為王。面對社情變化，北宣家努力未雨綢繆，更新架構；在潮湧潮退之際，踏實地餵養群羊；對遠方宣教，竭力投入資源，也深信「施比受更為有福」，盡力跟本地眾多主內同路人分享資源，一同將福音延展至咫尺。

這五年要過去，但上主仍讓北宣家繼續朝著大使命的目標航行。祈求基督的真光，照遍我城與我們的家國，指明世人當走的生命之道。

I really like a photograph of NPAC taken at night after the rain. In the brightest part of the picture, some people see the cross on the outer wall of the Main Church while others the signboards of McDonald's and Wellcome. The cross and the signboards really go together, as if saying that the NPAC family lives and breathes with this community. People have daily food for their body. They also receive the spiritual food for the whole person.

The street outside the MTR station and the bus stop is bright because of the floodlights on the walls of the church. Even when the night feels heavy, the small, tender glow from the NPAC family imparts a sense of peace and calm to people stepping out of the Fortress Hill MTR station without their knowing it. This is our NPAC family.

Reflections

My desk calendar shows the month of November. This took my thoughts back to the same month five years ago. At that time, I stood in the Main Church as a new Senior Pastor, nervously sharing the first five-year plan (2021–2025) of "A Decade of NPAC Worshippers."

I remember how the environment of Hong Kong was rapidly changing: Culture and trends shook family values; worldviews were turned upside down; daily life was increasingly digitized; and the social unrest and quarantine due to the pandemic heightened the tension among people. It was the same Hong Kong, the same church, yet there was somehow a feeling of unfamiliarity.

Just as the world felt like shadows in the night, God's word shone like a lamp on our path: "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10)

As I look back now, I know that without God’s bountiful grace, without His leading and His care, we could not have come this far.

Mission Unchanged

Five years ago, we reminded ourselves that the starting point of the Christian and Missionary Alliance was a mission movement. The church is a missional community. It is a sailing ship. The huge waves of the times are no reason to stop. Even in difficulties, we must depend on the Lord and move forward. We adjusted our mindset with the theme "Steadfast Mission in New Horizons" and walked through these five years.

To enter new horizons, we need a renewed vision. Thanks be to God that although our leaders and senior members value the continuation of our spiritual legacies, they are willing to be intentionally open. They allow the church to renew our ministries and ways of shepherding. They have specifically nurtured believers who came to Christ and who have grown in faith in the past ten years in order to prepare a church environment ten years later that is conducive to bearing good fruit continually in the NPAC family.

These five years have seen strong winds and high waves. Yet God still sits on the throne. As society changes, the NPAC family strives to plan ahead and renew our structure. When the tides rise and fall, we feed the flock with steady care. For overseas missions, we allocate as much resource as we can. We firmly believe that “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” We also share resources with many brothers and sisters in Christ locally to spread the gospel right where we are.

These five years are coming to an end and yet the LORD still has the NPAC family sailing towards the goal of the Great Commission. May the true light of Christ shine on our city and our nation. May it show all people in the world the path of life they should walk in.