Ambassadors for Christ (AFC) hosted their twelfth annual event, Love for Live Marriage and Family Conference on July 2-4, with the theme, "Walk with the Lord in Painful and Joyful Moments," which focused on strengthening mainland Chinese families by equipping them with the knowledge of how it is to live in the "family of God."
There were three main speakers and five main sessions.
Rev. Jonathon Liu, pastor at Chinese Bible Church in Maryland, opened the conference on Saturday morning, and preached again the next morning for the Sunday worship service. The content of his messages emphasized how to strengthen family values, relationships, and remaining strong through the ordeals of life.
Dr. Yading Li, director of training at AFC, focused on the reality of God's presence, especially at times of suffering.
And lastly, for Sunday afternoon, upon request, Dr. Elaine Eng, a Psychiatric doctor from New York, was asked to share her testimony about being blind and the way that God answered her prayers. She was "purposely" invited for this conference, states Mrs. Ruth Chang, psychologist and one of the coordinators for this event.
The conference brought 522 people that included: 120 children ¨C 12 and below, 43 youth ¨C 13-18, and 358+ adults. Although most families were already Christian, there were four people who asked to receive Christ into their lives.
For clarification, Rev. Zhang said last week that at these conferences, there is no intention to commit people, but because they're hopeful after listening to the messages, they want to renew their life.
The workshops provided covered topics, such as parenting young children, leading a child to Christ, domestic violence, and couple communication, to name a few. In addition, there were workshops specially designed for single parents and seniors.
In one workshop, led by Dr. Elaine Eng, entitled, "They came to Christ," the focus was to educate people on reaching families that deal with disabled members in the family.
"We want to increase disability awareness among the Chinese, and let them know that even though the person is disabled, they're still a part of the family of God," replied Mrs. Chang when interviewed.
Rev. Zhang and his family, "actively support ministries that focus on disabilities." "We know what we want to do and accomplish; and, in the midst of pain, we need to stand firm in the Lord."
"The purpose of this event is to strengthen mainland Chinese families who are working in the U.S as professionals and giving them the definition of Christian families."
When Rev. Liu asked the congregation of families to stand if they wanted to dedicate their lives to Christ, the whole audience stood with conviction.
