吹號者事工一週年 Trumpeter Ministries Inc.: One Year

吹號者事工成立於 2021 年 7 月 1 日。但它的種子是在多年前種下的。 2001 年紐約市發生 9/11 事件後，當時我在曼哈頓擔任電腦工程師和蕭牧師及一群弟兄姐妹共同創立了紐約豐收靈糧堂。那時我認為是實現上帝對我生命的呼召時候了。然而，在 2002 年 1 月，一位牧師為我禱告說：“你就像火箭，似乎要升空了，但神說發射的時候還沒有到來！[你的服事]將通過你的家庭,而這過程不會白費。”老實說，當時我很失望。然而，不久之後，通過在家教育，上帝將我的心從「教會增長」轉向了「家庭」，我帶領全家開始一起在英文堂服事。根據我的建議，教會也在其異象中加入了“家庭復興”。

我從小在台灣的教會長大，一直積極參與教會的服事，但逐漸對自己所觀察到的事情感到不滿。我看到教會的人數越來越多，但它周圍的文化卻越來越世俗化，可悲的是，教會似乎不願去面對外面發生的事情。

直到後來我住在美國，結婚並與成家後，在一次的在家教育大會的講座者認識到“聖經世界觀”。我讀了查克科爾森(Chuck Colson)的書「Now How Shall We Live (世界觀的故事)」, 它令我人耳目一新，因為它解決了我的多年來的困惑。我甚至在 2004 年參加了 Chuck Colson 親自教授根據這本書的線上培訓課程，並獲得了證書。 （是的，當時就有“線上課程”，但它們是通過教師和學生之間的文字交流進行的。）之後在偶然間我聽到了美南浸信會神學院(SBTS)院長Albert Mohler 博士的每日廣播節目，他在節目中”用一致和明確的基督徒世界觀回應當代的議題” 。我很驚訝有這樣的廣播節目，並因此去美南浸信會神學院攻讀道學碩士(M. Div.)。

2007 年，我和妻子賣掉了我們在紐約的房子，帶著我們的四個女兒（當時 4 – 14 歲）搬到了肯塔基州，開始了我們家的新旅程。我們離開了我們的家，就像聖經中的亞伯拉罕離開吾珥一樣——”他出去的時候還不知往哪裏去”，但卻帶著來自上帝的清晰異象。就我而言，它是呼籲在教會中復興家庭，讓基督徒回歸聖經的世界觀，並提倡在家教育。

2010年，我和家人回到紐約母會，擔任全職英文堂牧師。自 2001 年以來，通過在英文堂的服事，上帝讓我親眼目睹了當下家庭和下一代的危機。

2010 年 3 月 7 日，我從神學院回來後第一次在中文堂講道，題目是《為家庭爭戰》（The Fight for the Family），出自撒母耳記上 30:1-19。事實上，這就是現在吹號者事工的主要信息。在 2016 年，我第一次應角聲佈道團 CCHC 的邀請在父親節分享。我分享了關於“拯救男孩”，因為我目睹了太多關於沒有父親如何影響男孩的案例。

只要有機會，我都會談論“拯救下一代”。如果沒有我們的下一代全心全意地跟隨上帝，上帝在申命記中的話語就沒有希望實現 – 6:2 “好叫你和你的子孫在一生的日子都敬畏耶和華—你的　神”！

2016年，我右眼因為視網膜剝離做了四次手術，那隻眼的視力只剩20%左右，基本上只靠左眼看東西。在 2019 年的勞動節教會退修會中，我左眼的視網膜也剝離了，眼科醫生告訴我，這不是乾淨的剝離，可能不易恢復。因此，我的左眼在手術後恢復了 95% 的視力，這是一個奇蹟，也是上帝的恩典！那時我知道這是上帝的信號，讓我為祂更大聲、更勇敢地呼喊復興家庭和搶救下一代。

出乎我的意料，我受邀在馬里蘭州巴爾的摩為 CMC 2019 組織“下一代”工作坊。因此，我邀請了另外三位講員，就“如何培養敬虔的一代”舉辦了六場工作坊。儘管所有講員，尤其是我自己，在與會者中並不為人所知，但每場工作坊都擠滿了人， 甚至被重新分配到更大的會議廳。我感覺到聖靈在呼召父母們將他們的心轉向他們的孩子。隨著我新恢復的屬靈（和身體！）視力，我感覺到時候終於到來了。大會結束後，我迫切地為我的下一步禱告。

COVID-19 於 2020 年 1 月左右在中國開始，當時“吹哨者”發布了有關該病毒的警告。 大約在那個時候，通過聖靈的提示，“吹號者”這個名字從以西結書 33 章出現在我的腦海中：當守望者看到危險臨近時，他必須吹號警戒百姓，不僅要拯救當地的居民，也是要拯救自己。

2020 年 3 月 10 日，我作為吹號者事工的第一個視頻被上傳到我新開的 YouTube 頻道。 從個性上講，我是一個非常膽小和內向的人（許多人不相信！）但我知道我無法逃避上帝的呼召。

2020 年 3 月 16 日，紐約市學校系統因 COVID 關閉，為吹號者事工提供了許多機會。 我開始了每天（週一至週五）兩場的線上靈修在線，適合所有年齡段的人，但主要是面向年輕人，到今天仍在繼續。

以下是吹號者事工的一些大事記：

• 2020 05/16: 第一次 Zoom 研討會: “現在我們都是‘在家教育者’嗎?”, 之後每月一次的 Zoom 聚會。
• 2020 06/27-08/29：世界觀1.0培訓（中文，10週）
• 2020 10/03-12/12: 教會歷史培訓（中文，10週）
• 2020 01/16-03/27: 世界觀2.0培訓-成為七山的變革推動者（中文，10週）
• 2021 01/17-03/28: Worldview 1.0 class (English)
• 2021 03-05: 和美國華福合辦三場”搶救下ㄧ代”特會
• 2021 05/21-23: 第一場實體”搶救下ㄧ代”特會 – 賓州威徹斯特主恩堂
• 2021 06/05: 第ㄧ屆華人在家教育大會-重建牆垣
• 2021 07/01: 吹號者事工正式成立
• 2021 07/07 – 08/13: Worldview 3.0 class (English, 12 Sessions)
• 2021 07/10-10/02: 世界觀3.0培訓（中文，12週）
• 2022 01-03: 活出家味培訓（中文，10週）
• 2022 01-03: Church History class (English, 10 Weeks)
• 2022 03/25-04/05: 看見土耳其之旅
• 2022 06/11: 第二屆華人在家教育大會-我和我家
• 2022 03-06: “永無止境”的驚恐
• 2022 06: IRS 通過為501(c)(3)非盈利機構 EIN: 87-1794334

[現今的機會] COVID-19、2020 年的選情和政情是上帝對基督徒父母和教會的警鐘。 吹號者事工在這關鍵的時刻回應神的呼召：1）警戒危險：”搶救下ㄧ代”特會，2）集結行動：世界觀培訓，然後是 3）一起爭戰：在家教育，最後，4）一同歡慶 ！

願將來的世代發現我們一直是忠心的——我們沒有錯過這個上帝賜予的行動機會。

吹號者事工尋求與教會和父母們合作：在最重要但又最被忽視的宣教工場——我們的下一代。

Trumpeter Ministries Inc. was founded on July 1, 2021. But the seeds for it were planted many years ago. After the 9/11 incident in NYC in 2001, I cofounded Harvest Church of NY with Pastor Xiao while working as a computer programer in Manhattan. I thought the time had come for the fulfillment of God’s calling upon my life. However, in Jan. of 2002, a pastor prayed for me with these words: “You are like a rocket  that seems ready to take off, but God says the time to launch has not yet come! [Your calling] will be through your family and [your waiting] won’t be in vain.” Honestly, back then I was quite disappointed. However, not too long afterwards, God, through homeschooling, did indeed turn my heart from “church growth” towards my family and I started to serve in the English ministry with my wife and daughters. By my suggestion, the church added “Family Revival” to its vision statement.

Growing up as a young boy in Taiwan, I had been actively involved at the local church but gradually had felt a dissatisfaction about what I came to observe. I saw that the church was growing larger in terms of the number of attendees, yet the culture around it was still growing increasingly secular, and sadly the church seemed to have no desire to counter what was going on. 

Only later when I was living in America, married and with my own family, did I learn (from homeschool convention speakers) about the “biblical worldview”. I read Chuck Colson’s book Now How Shall We Live? which I found refreshing, as it addressed many of my concerns. I even took an online study course on the book in 2004  taught by Chuck Colson himself and received a certificate. (Yes, there were “online courses” back then, but they were conducted via text communication between the teacher and students.) I then came across SBTS President Dr. Albert Mohler’s daily radio program in which he addressed contemporary issues from a consistent and explicitly biblical worldview. I was amazed that such a radio program existed and was soon led to pursue my M.Div. studies at the seminary.

In 2007, my wife and I sold our house in NY and moved to KY with our four daughters (ages 4 – 14 at the time) to start a new journey for our family. We left our home like Abraham in the Bible had left Ur – without knowing what the next step would be but with a clear vision from God. In my case, it was to call for family revival in the churches, for Christians to return to a biblical worldview, and to promote homeschooling.

In 2010, my family and I returned to Harvest Church of NY and I served as the full time English Ministry pastor. It was through serving in the English Ministry since 2001 that God enabled me to see first hand the crisis of the family and the next generation. 

On March 7, 2010, the very first sermon I preached to the Chinese congregation after returning from seminary was entitled 為家庭爭戰 (The Fight for the Family) from 1 Samuel 30:1-19. In fact, this is now the main message of Trumpeter Ministries. Then in 2016, for the first time I was invited by the Chinese Christian organization CCHC to speak on Father’s Day. I shared about “Saving the Boys” because I had witnessed so many cases of how fatherlessness affects boys. 

Whenever I have the opportunity, I speak about “Saving the Next Generation”. Without our next generation wholeheartedly following God, there is little hope for fulfillment of God’s Word in Deut. 6:2 “that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God”!

In 2016, I underwent four surgeries on my right eye due to a renal detachment, leaving me with only about 20% vision in that eye so that I basically depend on my left eye to see. At a Labor Day church retreat in 2019, the retina of my left eye also detached, and I was told by the surgeon that it had not been a clean detachment. Therefore it was a miracle and only through the grace of God that my left eye regained 95% of its vision after surgery! I knew then that it was God’s signal for me to speak louder and more boldly for Him about the family and the next generation.

Beyond any expectation on my part, I was invited to organize the “Next Gen” track of workshops for CMC 2019 in Baltimore, MD. Accordingly, I invited three other speakers to conduct six workshops on “How to Raise a Godly Generation”. Despite the speakers, myself in particular, not being well-known by the conference attendees, each workshop was packed and the rooms were even reassigned to larger ones. I sensed the Holy Spirit’s calling upon parents to turn their hearts back to their children. With my newly regained spiritual (and physical!) vision I sensed the time had finally come. After the conference I prayed earnestly for the next step for my life.

COVID-19 started in China around Jan. 2020 when the “Whistleblower” put out a warning about the virus. Around that time, through the prompting of the Holy Spirit, the name “Trumpeter” came into my mind from Ezekiel 33: when a watchman sees danger approaching he must blow the trumpet, to save not only the inhabitants of the land but also himself. 

On March 10, 2020, my first video as the Trumpeter was uploaded to my newly started You Tube channel. By nature I am a very timid and introverted person (which many don’t believe!) but I knew that I could not run from God’s calling.

Due to COVID, on March 16, 2020, the NYC school system shut down its classes, opening up many opportunities for Trumpeter Ministries. I started a daily (Mon.-Fri.) twice-a-day online Bible reading for all ages but geared to youth which still continues today. 

The following are some of the major milestones of the ministry:

• 2020 05/16: The very first Zoom workshop: “Are We All ‘Homeschoolers’ Now?”, followed by monthly Zoom meetings.
• 2020 06/27-08/29: The first Worldview 1.0 class (Chinese, 10 Weeks)
• 2020 10/03-12/12: Church History class (Chinese, 10 Weeks)
• 2020 01/16-03/27: Worldview 2.0 – Be a Change Agent for the Seven Mountains (Chinese, 10 Weeks)
• 2021 01/17-03/28: Worldview 1.0 class (English, 10 Weeks)
• 2021 03-05: In conjunction with CCCOWE for three “Saving the Next Gen” meetings
• 2021 05/21-23: The first on-site “Saving the Next Gen” meeting – West Chester Community Evangelical Church, PA
• 2021 06/05: The first Trumpeter Ministries Chinese Homeschool Conference
• 2021 07/01: Official launch of Trumpeter Ministries Inc
• 2021 07/07 – 08/13: Summer Worldview class (English, 12 Sessions)
• 2021 07/10-10/02: Summer Worldview class (Chinese, 12 Sessions)
• 2022 01-03: 十週活出家味課程
• 2022 01-03: Church History class (10 Weeks)
• 2022 03/25-04/05: Group Tour to Turkey (“The Seven Churches of Revelation”)
• 2022 06/11: The Second Trumpeter Ministries Chinese Homeschool Conference
• 2022 03-06: ”Never-ending“ Terrors
• 2022 06: Approved by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization EIN: 87-1794334

[For Such a Time As This] COVID, the 2020 Presidential Election, and racial tensions in America were God’s wake up call for Christian parents and churches. The response of Trumpeter Ministries to God’s call for such a time as this is to 1) Warn of the danger, 2) Call Christians to gather together, to 3) Fight the battle, so, at the end, we will be able to 4)Celebrate together! May those who come after us find that we have been faithful – that we did not miss this God-given opportunity to act!

Trumpeter Ministries seeks to partner with churches and parents for the most important and yet neglected mission field – our next generation.