Bradley & Anita Halter
Serving Hope International Missions as Missionaries in Taiwan
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A word from Bradley & Anita Halter
Missionary pastor in a city church in Taiwan with emphasis on teaching and preaching.
About Bradley & Anita Halter
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News & Updates
2009-11-02 news
Making the Church Visible
IN TAIWAN, temples dominate the scenery. They are a common sight, like churches in America. Often community life revolves around the temple activities. In contrast, many churches in Taiwan are small and almost invisible. Sometimes you see a sign but no church. Sometimes a chapel is hidden in a narrow alley or high up in an apartment building. For example, our church in Chungli is on the top two floors of a seven-story apartment building.
How can we reach people when they don't know we exist? We must make the church visible. One way is to go where the people are. Last May our church took part in reaching the community. A local hypermarket gave us the free use of a section of their parking lot and provided electricity for our activities. We set up a large stage with stools in front for seating. Some of the time, groups sang Gospel songs. Down both sides of the seating area were tents with different activities for young and old. One tent gave free haircuts; another measured blood pressure and bone density. For children, there were booths for telling Gospel stories, making handicrafts, and playing games of skill. Probably the most popular tent served Taiwan sausage. One tent was a prayer booth where people could come with their problems and receive prayer. Many people took advantage of this. Free photos were taken for all who wanted them.
Everyone who entered the grounds to take part in the activities was asked to fill out a form with personal information. Each tent stamped the form; ten stamps were necessary to qualify for a free gift. The personal information on the forms was used for follow-up ministry.
The week after the activity was "visitation week." What a week! With over 2,000 people filling out forms, we had our work cut out for us. Visitation teams went out morning, afternoon, and evening. The first priority was to deliver photos to those who had their pictures taken. Most people received us kindly. After all, if someone delivers a free photo to your home, how can you say, "Get out!"? We were able to give the salvation message and pray in many homes.
We have discovered that in the Chinese society if you want to share the Gospel with someone, you must first establish a relationship with them. This mission to the community was one way of getting to know the people outside the church and of giving them a chance to rub shoulders with believers. It was a way to make the church visible. Our desire is that when people see the church, they will see Jesus.
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