5 Questions With...Cory Zimmerman

1. How did you first get involved with Friendship Presbyterian? My wife (fiancée at the time) Sarah and I heard about Friendship from a member of our former church in Washington, D.C., and we checked it out when we visited Taiwan for the first time in February 2017. After moving here that summer, we attended a church closer to where we live in Tianmu before re-visiting and then joining Friendship this past fall.

2. What do you do Monday through Saturday? I am a college counselor at Taipei American School, where I work with students in grades 11 and 12 as they consider where they would like to attend college and how best to go about preparing and applying. Apart from logistics and deadlines, much of the job has to do with dealing with the stresses and anxieties that come with the college application process, as well as the discovery process that students can experience while making decisions about their future. From November through January, I also assist with coaching the varsity swim team (I am a former competitive swimmer, myself).

3. What is something people might be surprised to know about you? It might be surprising to know that I have spent almost half my life living outside the U.S., my home country. I never attended grade school in the U.S., but I lived there for fifteen years after graduating high school. Moving to Taiwan was a return to a home region for me, as I had lived in Singapore, Malaysia, and Japan as a child. This time, I get to experience it with my wife! This is Sarah's first time living overseas, and I love learning new things about Taiwan and the world by seeing it through her perspective.

4. What do you find most challenging about being a Christian today? Relatedly, as someone with an affection for the places and people I have met through the years, I can fall prey to the temptation of seeing this world as something closer to the perfect creation that it once was, rather than the fallen place that it is. Couple that with all the modern distractions with which we can engage, and it can lead to complacency on my part, when instead fervent prayer and reliance upon God for my every need are what I was made to do. Another challenge is being a relative newlywed (~1.5 years) and striving, by God's grace, to be a Christ-like example to my wife. It is a tall order and a daily reason to seek God's wisdom.

5. What is one of your favorite books of the Bible? For many years I would have pointed to Esther as my favorite book of the Bible because it plays like a movie screenplay (and I love movies!), while also displaying God's faithfulness to His people. Today, I would say Hosea is my favorite for how it displays God's burning passion for justice and for His beloved: "How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel?...My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender" (Hos. 11:8). I once heard a pastor sum up Hosea this way: "God answers our [spiritual] adultery with fidelity." As someone who struggled for many years to understand and accept God's grace, this truth is a balm to my soul. 

Youth Retreat to Wulai - Feb. 9-10

Photos courtesy of Sam Huang, Anna Wang, and Peter Brown.

Noteworthy Events

·    Fit Kids Club Outreach - Hike @ Bi Shan Park, Jan. 12th from 10:00am: Jackie Z and Sam Huang will be leading another Fit Kids outing, this time a hike at Bi Shan Park finishing at Da Hu Park Station. We encourage all church family to join this fun event and to bring along a friend. You can pick up a flyer on the Newcomers Welcome Table today or email Jackie for more details (fpcfitkids@gmail.com).

·    Communion Sunday - Jan. 13th: We will hold our monthly celebration of the Lord’s Supper during the service on Sunday, Jan. 13th. Please prepare your hearts to participate in this intimate act of recognition of our dependence on our Lord Jesus Christ.

·    Proposed 2019 Budget: The proposed budget for the year 2019 will be made available Sunday, Jan. 13th. Members can sign in and pick up a copy at the Newcomer Welcome table after the service.

·    Informational Budget Meeting, Sunday, Jan. 20th, 1:00–2:00pm: We will have a budget informational meeting and Q&A on Sunday, Jan. 20th, in Room 402 of the church building.

·    Annual Congregational Meeting, Sunday, Jan. 27th, 1:15–2:30pm: All members and regular attendees are encouraged to attend. However, only active members are able to vote. Please take this opportunity to gather together as a church family. Our gathering will include prayer and worship. The address is No. 261, Sec. 3, Roosevelt Rd., 7F.

·    Chinese New Year - Feb. 3rd Worship Service: We will have a shortened service for Chinese New Year this year, and no Sunday school will be offered. The service will end at 12:00 noon. You are invited to the fellowship hall afterwards for light refreshments. The church building will be closed from Feb. 4th through the 9th.

·    Spotlight on Service: Did you know that each Sunday Church Service at FPC takes an average of 28 individual acts of service? We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the 64 individuals who served FPC during a Sunday Service in December. If you would like to join our team of volunteers, please email deacons@friendshiptaipei.com.

·    C.S. Lewis Group: The C.S. Lewis community group meets bi-weekly on Thursday evenings at a pub to read and discuss Christian books by C.S. Lewis over beers. The current book we are discussing is, “The Problem of Pain.” If you are interested, email jasonjwarren@gmail.com.

·    Mothers & Wives Facebook Group: This is a Facebook Group created to support mothers and wives in their walk with the Lord and their families. We encourage all mothers and wives from our FPC congregation to join. Email fpchurch@friendshiptaipei.com for more details.