Upcoming Events

• Today. From now on the Children's Ministry newsletter can be accessed from the church Facebook official business page: https://www.facebook.com/FriendshipTaipei/

• February 18th, Chinese New Year Service, 11:00am–12:00pm. We will hold an abbreviated service on Sunday, Feb. 18th, on account of Chinese New Year. There will be no Sunday School classes that day.

• February 25th, “Meet the Kims” Lunch, 1:00–2:30pm. Join us in room 501 for lunch and a chance to meet and learn more about Peter Kim, the Pastoral Search Committee’s nominee for Senior Pastor. You must register for this event, and registration is limited to 20. Register here.

• February 27th, Monthly Prayer Group, 7:30-9:15pm. “The Engine Room,” FPC’s monthly prayer group, will meet at the church apartment this month, near the Shida night market. Come join us for an evening of kingdom-centered prayer. We gather at 7:30pm and go into prayer from 8:00 to 9:15. All are welcome. Contact Peter Brown for the address (pb2059@gmail.com).

• Wednesdays (beginning Feb. 28th), New Community Group for Men, 7:30-9:00pm. The group is called “Gospel-Centered Work,” and will run for 8 weeks. It will meet at the church apartment and consider the question, “How does faith impact your work?” Learn to connect Sunday morning with Monday morning. Sign up at the welcome table outside the sanctuary or contact Peter Brown for details (pb2059@gmail.com). 

• March 4th, Town Hall Meeting, 1:00–2:30pm. All members and regular attendees are welcome at this family-style gathering over food and conversation to discuss the Senior Pastor candidacy of Peter Kim. Peter will have delivered the message during the worship service, and will present his philosophy of ministry at the meeting. It will also be a time to review his contract and discuss any other questions. Be sure to join us for this family meeting in room 1701 (7th floor) of the building at 261 Roosevelt Road.

• March 8th, Tim Keller Event in Taipei Tim Keller, Paul Tripp, and Gordon Huang will be giving a talk from 3:00 to 10:00pm on Thursday, March 8th, at the Taipei International Convention Center, titled Gospel—The Power of God That Changes Everything. For complete details, follow this link: https://goo.gl/njJQCg.

• March 11th, Congregational Vote, 12:30–1:00pm. All members are asked to attend this brief meeting directly after the service to vote on the candidacy of Peter Kim for the position of Senior Pastor. We will gather in the sanctuary on the 4th floor of the church building.

• March 25th, Baptism Class, 1:30–2:30pm. [Please note--this event has been moved to Sunday, April 8th] There will be a Sunday School class for adults on the topic of baptism. The class will be held in room 1801 (8th floor) of the building at 261 Roosevelt Road. All are welcome.

5 Questions With...(new) Deacon Stephen Tsai

            (new) Deacon Stephen Tsai

1. How did you first get involved with Friendship Presbyterian? My wife and another Christian from her workplace set out to find a place we could call our home church while we lived in Taiwan. The first church in Taipei we attended was well known and recommended, but after attending several services we decided it wasn’t the right one. The teachings they preached sounded good on the surface, often referencing God’s love and grace, but under the nuance and subtlety was a deeply legalistic message. Although it seemed harmless, even good, my wife and I were both enslaved by messages like that in the past.

For twenty-six years, I had gone to Taiwanese-American churches steeped in legalism and mysticism. Their teachings deeply damaged me for most of my life. My wife has a similar past. Then, in 2006, God led us to a pastor and church that was theologically sound where the good news finally reached us.

Finding a church in Taiwan that was centered on the gospel was a priority for us. FPC was the second church we attended. My wife knew right away it was the place we were meant to go. It took me another two or three services to come to the same conclusion. (What can I say? I come to conclusions slowly).

2. What do you do Monday through Saturday? I do not have a paying job, so, in one sense, I do whatever I want! However, I have tasks that I am deeply committed to. One is studying. Pastor Dennis had recommended that I look into seminary courses by Third Millennium, a ministry intended for training leaders who may lack proper theological resources in their home countries. I heartily endorse the curriculum for anyone interested. It is free and available in several languages. At first, I did this just out of curiosity, but it has become a real joy in my life lately. I am also currently leading FPC’s #tbt community group. I am not a leader or teacher by nature, so it takes me a long time to prepare for each study--about three hours a week. I attend the T.G.I.F. group as a participant. And I practice Jiu-Jitsu. I have trained in martial arts for almost thirty years. My physical abilities have decreased with age and injuries so, these last few years, I have quit the striking arts (hitting, punching, kicking, etc.) and focused on grappling (wrestling, grabbing, submissions). It allows me to enjoy the physical challenge and competitive sparring with fewer injuries. I started Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 2010 and used to train daily and compete. But it has been on the back burner these days, as I shift my priorities to studying.

3. What is something people might be surprised to know about you? I am, or was, really into motorsport. It started with cars, just typical American teenager stuff like drag racing and modifying cars. Over the years my hobby evolved. It went from street to racetrack, and from cars to motorcycles. I eventually got my certification to race motorcycles and have completed several classes/courses on advanced riding. Nowadays, due to lack of funds and time I do not get to the track regularly. But I still get professional instruction and train at a race school every couple of years as a refresher and for fun.

4. What do you find most challenging about being a Christian today? The promises of this world. Our career promises financial security and purpose. Money promises security and leisure. Education promises self-fulfillment and social admiration. Significant others promise true love. The list goes on. We are constantly bombarded by these promises, spewed out by all forms of media and deeply embedded into the personalities of those we call our friends and family. It seems impossible to escape.

The real struggle for me is to preach to myself every moment I can remember to and turn to God. I often fail, both consciously and unconsciously. But I have faith in God’s promises and know God will enable me to reject the enslavement this world offers.

5. What is your favorite book of the Bible, and why? It used to be Romans because it is so densely packed with theological wisdom. But lately, Galatians has really spoken to me. I really relate when Paul writes that adding anything to the gospel reverses (“distorts” in ESV) it. That message hits me hard because it’s something I unintentionally do all the time.

Gospel + (good works; serving; being a moral person; going to church; etc.) = salvation. That is the direction my mind keeps going back to, even if I know better, intellectually. So when Paul is writing, it feels like he is writing directly to me.

Paul reminds us that God called us, we did not call Him, and that any change to the gospel makes it about what we do for God, rather than what He has done for us.

5 Questions With...(new) Deacon David Morton

     (new) Deacon David Morton

1. How did you first get involved with Friendship Presbyterian? I found Friendship Presbyterian through a former Wycliffe missionary that I met in St. Louis. When I told him about some plans I had to move to Asia, he encouraged me to consider Taiwan and told me about some churches out here in Taipei, among which Friendship was one. Now, the reason that I stayed has much to do with a particularly delicious batch of chocolate chip cookies baked by the honorable Mrs. Dennis [Pastor Dennis’ wife, Kay]. That, and the wonderful people who have showered me with love and grace since the moment I arrived.

2. What do you do Monday through Saturday? I like to meditate on Scripture, watch rivers flow, play music, write stories or read them, pass time with friends over cups or bowls of something warm, generally marvel at the miracle of life and gradually chip away at the language barriers that keep me from closer communion with all my brand-new neighbors. 

3. What is something people might be surprised to know about you? I really love Latin music. Particularly Salsa, Meringue, Bachata, oh man, those rhythms really get me going.

4. What do you find most challenging about being a Christian today? I grew up in the "fabulously free" Western world, so for me the devil has always been in the details. I think we fear men more than God. I think we're afraid of being judged as intolerant by the world for our beliefs on marriage or sexuality and we fear being judged as “weak” or “worldly” by our brothers and sisters for being honest about our spiritual doubts and struggles. We need to remember that absolutely everything is vacant of meaning or purpose without the saving power of Jesus Christ, and stop clinging to the rags we claimed to forsake when we chose to follow Christ. Please know that I am preaching to myself. 

5. What is your favorite book of the Bible? In the Old Testament, aside from the Psalms, it’s got to be Isaiah. It’s all there, man. I mean—wow. In the New Testament…tough contest, but I’ve got to say Colossians. Really shakes reality down to the bones and shows us what all this is truly about.