Back home, I come from a church where everyone knows my name. So when I first heard God's call to move to Hong Kong, to a big international church where I knew nobody, believe me, I didn't have an Isaiah - send me moment! Why? Because it meant leaving a community...

My story isn't very exciting or something you will find in a book, but it's the steps I've taken and the choices I've made to become a Christian. I was born in Hong Kong; soon after I turned 3, my parents left to live an immigrant life in a small town in Northern...

Christians disagree with each other all the time. Sometimes these disagreements are over small things. Sometimes they’re over significant issues. Recently, five bishops in the Church of England have approved the blessing of same-sex marriage in their dioceses against...

Our younger daughter is an obstetrician and is full of stories about exciting deliveries, crying newborns, and anxious parents. As humans, we have our ideals and expectations. New parents expect an uneventful nine months of pregnancy, a smooth and quick delivery, then...

As a junior high school student, the author Bill Bryson was told by his biology teacher that all the chemicals which make up a human body could be bought in a hardware store for US$5. Questioning this figure, later in life Bryson sought to find out if it was correct....

There was a time in my life when I enjoyed wearing t-shirts with quotes on them. Some of them were more clever than others, but I remember one of them being a basic black t-shirt with white text that simply read, “Work hard, play harder”. I’m a firm believer in taking...

This week we welcome our friends from the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council. The social arm of the Anglican Province in Hong Kong. All around the world, Christians seek to reflect God's heart for the poor and oppressed by caring for those in society with...

Quarantining at home over Mid-Autumn Festival, I couldn’t go moongazing, but I did enjoy a bunny-shaped custard mooncake, which I’d gotten from the women's growth group I attend. During my lockdown from having been in contact with someone who’d tested positive for...

I used to have a rugby coach who repeated a mantra in training, “There is no ‘I’ in ‘TEAM’”. He did this to get across the idea that we weren’t playing an individual sport, independent of one another. Rather, we’re dependent upon one another’s effort, skills, and...

The past few years have been difficult for all of us, but parenting has been especially challenging during the pandemic, with online learning, limited social interaction, increasing amounts of screen time, strained family dynamics, and not to mention an unexpected...

Do you sometimes find yourself comparing yourself with others at church? Someone is better at doing something, so we feel intimidated and inferior; insecurity gets the better of us. Or someone isn’t as good at doing something, so we look down on them; pride rises to...

Growth Group Leaders are ordinary believers with the same family, work and life pressures as everyone else. We are fallible, we get tired and we are susceptible to complacencies and distractions. We do not know everything about Scripture and do not always have the...

It’s impossible to overstate the privilege of being part of Sunday church: to be able to meet with God and His people; to be able to speak with and hear from the King of the universe. What we do on Sundays is not supposed to be merely out of habit, or convenience, or...

When you’ve started a new job or a new course, maybe you’ve asked the question, “What am I doing here?”. Answering that question helps you to not only understand your purpose in that context, but also how to conduct yourself. To be honest, we ask ourselves that...

Some people might say I'm predictable; when I go out for coffee, I always order the same thing, a filter coffee; it's not complicated, and I don't have to worry about choosing from the endless combinations available. It’s become so normal that sometimes I can't even...

When I joined St. Andrew’s youth almost two years ago, we were still meeting on zoom. We’ve since made it back to in-person gatherings every Sunday morning at 9:30am and 11:30am and every Friday night from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. Sunday mornings are filled with a few games,...

Most of us are used to hearing about the goodness of marriage and family in the church. At church, we see proud parents celebrating their newborns at baptism and bringing their children to Kidzone. In the Bible, we read about the marriage of Adam and Eve that begins...

Most people love a buffet. It’s the opportunity to pick and choose what you’d like to eat, no matter the eclectic combination of foods. “I like that, but I don’t like that.” We say that at the buffet, but sometimes we also say that about the Bible. Let’s face it,...

A few weeks ago, a former Australian Prime Minister made headlines for telling Christians not to trust in governments. Scott Morrison wasn’t campaigning (he’d just lost an election). He was merely reminding Christians, regardless of their nationality or political...

What was your last conversation with God like? Was it a lament as you poured out your soul through tears? Maybe it was joyful thanksgiving to acknowledge a gracious blessing from the Lord! Or perhaps it was a quiet confession in repentance after a wrong you have...

We arrived in Hong Kong in February 1985. It was a huge change for a young, recently married couple from the UK. We had already heard about St Andrew's from friends in London, where it had a reputation as an evangelical Anglican Church. We really appreciated the...

Last week, it finally happened: one of my sons beat me in a race. It was a proper race, on a local beach, with me running my fastest. My defeat came with that realisation that every middle-aged man gets: I’m getting older and weaker. Getting physically weaker is not a...

In the last week, I’ve noticed more heat than usual in online discourse. Think of the US Supreme Court overturning Roe vs Wade, or the debate over transgender in sport, or closer to home, the political changes in our city. Sometimes we get in arguments. We feel...

Five years ago, I joined the Youth Ministry team as the leader for the 14 and 15-year-old girls at the 9:30am service. Watching that group mature into the university students they now are, has been such a blessing. Since then, I have known many more students and...

I was born into a Christian family, but that does not in any way qualify me as a child of God. Since I was young, I knew the so-called appropriate words to say in prayers and the rules to follow in church, but deep down, I disliked the idea of being “bound by”...

Recently a Kidzone teacher told me a story of what happened during her Sunday school class here at St. Andrew's. The children were given newspapers to read, to help them pray for world events.   A few months before this, an Iranian family joined our church and sent...

Once a week, my phone gives me a notification that makes me feel a moment of guilt, before I forget all about it. Maybe you get the same notification on your phone. It’s my weekly screen time. It’s that regular reminder about how much I’m connected to my phone; how...

A few of the guys from my football team occasionally asked me, “So what does a pastor actually do?”. It’s a reasonable question. The Sunday is clear enough, but what about the rest of the week? Do I just play golf? I usually reply by saying something like, “I help...

I’ve never been keen on long-distance running. It’s the inevitable discomfort and pain that happens. Exhaustion arrives. It feels like you’re carrying a gorilla on your back. A voice keeps telling you, “Stop running. Just walk for a little while”. Sure, you can get...

Most of us are used to reading profiles on LinkedIn or short bios on websites. We appreciate understanding someone’s story and knowing them better. It’s the same for a community. Last November, we conducted an anonymous survey of St Andrew’s, to get to know our...

"Mommy he's not giving me the crayon!"  "She tried to pinch me!"  "Can you guys just stop fighting for one minute? Just one minute of peace! Seriously!" Lord, please stop my kids from fighting. We just need to get through this afternoon. 5 hours left till bedtime....

Growing up, I was always taught the importance of saying your “please” and “thank you’s”. I think this has really stuck with me because one of the most common phrases I use in my daily life these days is, “Thank you so much!” Someone opens a door for you? Thanks a...

I have a habit of reading several books at once. It’s not because I’m being productive. It’s because I get distracted. A new book interests me, so I’ll pause reading other books to read the new one. When I come back to the older book, I need to remind myself what it’s...

I read an article this week entitled, “The most important week in history”. It was about those events in Jerusalem during that week in April 33AD. Most of us are familiar with those events. Actually, we can be so familiar with Easter that we can become a little numb...

I wonder how many of the languages you can read from the picture above? One of the hardest things I have done as an adult is to learn a second language and I wouldn’t have been able to get to where I am with the language without significant support. There are a...

I don’t normally follow the Oscars. I couldn’t tell you who won any of the awards in recent years. But I will remember one thing from this year’s Oscars: the slap. One man humiliating a lady in front of lots of people and her husband’s violent reaction. To be honest,...

It’s been a month since Russia invaded Ukraine. We hope and pray for the withdrawal of Russian forces and a peaceful resolution to this war, but to be honest, we don’t know how it will end. By now, the shock of this travesty may have faded, but fuelled by saturation...

Ever since restrictions got tighter in Hong Kong amidst the fifth wave, I’ve found that I had to slightly adjust how I spend my spare time. Sometimes that change feels a bit like a downgrade, but I’m thankful to say that there’s been lots of positives too! With gyms...

These days so many people are telling me that they are angry at the things that are happening around them, such as the virus or the war in Ukraine. Understandably, these things should upset us, but it has also become more acceptable to express moral outrage in modern...

For many of us, life seems to have been put on hold. Since there’s no travel, work projects are paused, and everything’s online until at least the end of April, life’s not as we want it to be. It feels like we’re waiting for COVID to end so that we can resume normal...

Tuesday’s government announcements were tough to hear. There’s no easy way to respond to a long extension to the current strict restrictions, school holidays brought forward during this time of isolation, and the prospect of city wide testing and large scale...

What does the ‘good life’ look like for you? I’m not just talking about the end of COVID and the related restrictions. I’m talking about the ideal life that you visualise for yourself; what you think about when you’ve got nothing else capturing your attention. Maybe...

These days, COVID not only dominates headlines but seems to dominate our lives and thoughts. Our family follows the news for latest COVID statistics and tries to get on top of the ever evolving requirements and restrictions. Nonetheless, we struggle to care and...

With a new lunar year comes the opportunity for optimism, the thoughts of fresh possibilities in the year to come. If you stop to think about it, you cannot help but nurture hopes and maybe even make resolutions for the time ahead. This is the year — the year take...

Chinese New Year (“CNY”) brings back lots of fond memory from childhood. I remember the excitement on the eve of the new year day, looking forward to the new year to come, listening to the occasional sound of firecrackers, wearing new clothes and collecting laisee...

When I was asked to write something once more on getting through the difficulties of COVID restrictions, I’ll admit that a small part of me just wanted to rehash my old draft. After all, we’re in the 5th wave. It’s just the same old same old again, right? I felt this...

To be human is to experience temptation. I’m not just talking about eating a ‘Chocolate Temptation’ dessert, or the temptation to take an afternoon nap. Everyone experiences the temptation to sin; the urge to do something that we ought not to do, to give in to that...

As you think about the coming year, do you feel optimistic or rather gloomy? Like most people, I feel more settled when I know what’s coming. But the difficulty is that 2022 looks so unknown. COVID makes having certainty difficult. We can be certain that this year...

I don’t know about you but 2021 has felt like a blur that’s just whizzed by.  If I had to describe it in a few words it would probably be: rollercoaster, online, and grounded (in the sense of describing my non-existent travel life). This Christmas season has been...

Christmas Day is a time for unwrapping gifts. I can’t think of any more needful or comforting gift than the first Christmas gift, our Lord Jesus. God speaks into the brokenness of our world, not just through his words, but by sending his Son. Through Jesus, he is...

Christmas is in the air! There are beautifully decorated trees everywhere, and Christmas music in the malls. We start making a list and checking it twice—to see who’s been naughty or nice. Then we check our wallets and start to stress out. But where did the practice...

As soon as December came, Christmas music has been all around. Michael Bublé crooned holiday tunes as I strolled through a clothing store. “Jingle Bell Rock” came on at the restaurant that served me a steaming bowl of laksa. A choir practiced snippets of “Silent...

This Sunday, we’re introducing you to a new St Andrew’s Mission Partner, International China Concern (ICC). Founded in 1993, ICC is a Christian development organisation that seeks to provide love, hope, and opportunity to children with disabilities in Mainland China. ...

The decorations in the shopping malls have appeared. Celebrations with family and friends are being booked. The gift shopping has begun. And this Sunday is the start of Advent. Christmas is coming. At Christmas, we love to give and receive gifts. Some gifts are...

It’s been over 20 years in the making and I’m in awe of God’s faithful handprints evident in my life. I was not raised in a Christian household but I was first introduced to Christ when my parents enrolled my sister and I to Chinese school in the United States, which...

Almost every Sunday morning and Friday evening, St.And Youth meets with a whole bunch of youth between the ages of 11 and 18 years old. This is because we believe that Jesus loves young people and calls them to follow him. We also believe that people at this age can...

In 2018, St Andrew’s began a partnership with Compassion International. Worldwide, 356 million children live in extreme poverty. Poverty robs children of their basic rights to learn, play, and grow. In its ugliest form, poverty can lead to exploitation, child labour,...

I have a friend who once asked me a question about giving. He’d heard about tithing and asked, “Is this before or after tax?”. At the time the question seemed a little odd, but my friend had recently become a Christian and was keen to “do the right thing”. His...

Often, one of the first words a child learns to say is, “Mine!”. Children use that word frequently when they grab a toy, or a device, or an item of clothing. We don’t have to teach our children to claim possession of something - that comes quite naturally to them....

Occasionally, you may ask yourself the question ‘Who am I?’. Understanding your identity helps you to understand your purpose; it helps to set your direction and priorities in life. Your identity is influenced by so much: your background, your experiences, your...

The radical demands of the gospel constantly confront me. For instance, it tells me that if I’ve understood God’s grace to me, that should be seen in my acts of grace towards others. God’s generosity and care to me should be reflected in my generosity and care to...

This will be a surprise to no one, but here at St Andrew’s we will never stop beating that drum to remind you the importance of reading your Bible everyday. Ask for a humble and teachable heart as we approach the Bible.Why? Well, let me just give you a few reasons: 1....

If you could picture the ideal church community, what would it look like? Maybe that picture includes simple conveniences – a handy location, comfortable seats, good coffee. Going deeper, perhaps it includes captivating musical worship, compelling preaching, and a...

Recently, I was forced to quarantine for 21 days. It felt like being in jail—a nicer cell than prison, but nonetheless a prison. What I found that I missed the most was regular interaction with friends, sharing and praying together to encourage each other. Although...

I still remember the day when I first arrived at St Andrew’s Church 10 years ago.  My wife Keziah and I were sitting at the back of the Old Church during a Sunday service. We came every Sunday and left after the service. As we were sitting next to different people...

Maybe when you’ve started a new job or a new course of study, you’ve asked the question, ‘What am I doing here?’. Answering that question helps you to not only understand your purpose in that context, but also how to conduct yourself. To be honest, we ask ourselves...

God’s Kingdom is topsy-turvy. King Jesus gave up the glories of heaven and stooped down to serve. He washed His disciples’ feet before He went to the Cross to die for sinners like you and me. So the Christian life is one of service. Jesus says He did not come to be...

Who will catch your attention in a crowd? There is a story in the Bible about Jesus' disciples arguing over who is the greatest among themselves. Guess who Jesus noticed while teaching them on this occasion? Children!When you serve children, you become part of...

Being a Christian involves both believing in Christ and belonging to the body of Christ – the church. In a large congregation like St Andrew’s, this sense of belonging is most often developed in growth groups, where we get to know fellow believers on a more personal...

If you went to church as a kid, you’d be fairly familiar with the story of Jonah. Yet, beyond the red herring of a big fish, there is a remarkable story of a God who loves an irreligious city and a religious prophet’s disdain for it. The prophet Jonah makes many...

Sons and Daughters (S&D) is a non-profit organization in Hong Kong that seeks to help those caught in sexual exploitation to reclaim a life of love, family, and freedom. The organization's name aptly captures the vision of seeing not just the sex workers, but also...

Sometimes you meet people who are so impressive that you’re intimidated by them. It might that person’s achievements. It might be that this person is so much better at something that you think you’re quite good at. I’m intimidated by Job. Over the last month, we’ve...

I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour sometime in 1977. It was through the Assembly of God church, in a terraced house in my hometown in Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia. Looking back, I asked God how come there was no lightning, sparks, or voice from above like...

For many of us, Hong Kong is a stressful place. It’s not just the normally high pressures of work, schooling, and caring for family, it’s the added anxiety of the rapidly changing political landscape and concerns for the future. In these times, we can be so focussed...

Some of you might remember that TV show, ‘Friends’. It’s about six people in their 20s living in New York. It had that catchy theme tune, ‘I’ll be there for you’. David Schwimmer, one of the actors in the show said, ‘It’s a fantasy for a lot of people – having a group...

  Occasionally you may be confronted by instances of unexplainable tragedy. An image seared on my mind a few years ago is that of Aylan Kurdi, the three-year-old Syrian boy found washed up on the beach in Turkey, after his family tried to flee their war-torn...

  Irene and I have been attending St Andrew’s since 1985. We are grand-parents with four grown up children: two married daughters and two sons who are still single. My father passed away when I was six. I was brought up by two mums together with six siblings. We...

  When I was growing up, I used to watch re-runs of a show called ‘Cheers’. The show was named after a bar in Boston, where a diverse group of people would meet, drink, and talk about whatever was happening in life. They felt welcomed, included, and could...

  Christian community has often been described as a tapestry. Each of us are like individual threads who are carefully woven together to produce a fabric that’s not only strong and robust, but it’s incredibly beautiful. We’re given an example of this tapestry in...

  Most of us can easily imagine this situation. You find out that a friend at church has done something that you think Christians should avoid. You’re concerned, but you’re not sure what to do. You don’t want to appear judgemental, but you also think what your...

  If the past year was a product that you bought at the store, you’d probably make a complaint to the manager and demand your money back. To put it mildly, it’s been a difficult year. No travel, strict social distancing restrictions, dramatic economic downturn,...

  In our midst are an incredibly vulnerable and marginalised community. Many refugees come to Hong Kong for shelter and safety. A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war, or violence and cannot return home due...

  Reflecting on Mother's Day, my mom is not the perfect mom, but the things that matter she gets right. Her faith in everyday life matters; so does her love, trust and obedience to Jesus! Her actions also speak louder than words, pointing to Jesus.   My mom loved...

  This Sunday we’ll celebrate the Lord’s Supper. For most of us (except those who attend the 8.30am service), it will be the first time in over a year that we’ve participated in this event. It’s been one of the many parts of life affected by the pandemic. As we...

I’m an extremely introverted person. But if the pandemic lockdowns have taught me anything, it’s that human beings are social creatures… and even introverts need community. I don’t know what you’d consider yourself, but if you are reading this, then I imagine that you...

  Many of you have shared with me how encouraged you’ve been with the resumption of our Sunday services. Whilst we’ve still been able to meet, learn, and grow online, it’s much better when we’re together. Christian community is all about God’s people serving and...

  Most of us appreciate feedback. We know that we can benefit from the wisdom and advice of a trusted friend. But have you ever wondered what Jesus would say to us? What observations would he make about our situation? What advice would he give to us about the...

 Jesus rose from the dead. On this, Christians stake everything. We believe it to be a real event in the past, which shapes our present lives, and guarantees our eternal future. As we remember and celebrate Easter this week, here are some reflections on why the...

  I don’t know how your prayer life has been recently, but let me tell you, mine has been amazing. I’m not saying this to brag. If anything, I’m actually quite ashamed that it’s taken a global pandemic to shake me out of complacency and help me see how...

  When I was growing up, my friends and I had a particular way of sharing chocolate bars: one person divides the chocolate bar, the other person chooses which side he wants. It was a way of ensuring equality; that neither person was disadvantaged, and we could...

  I used to have a rugby coach who repeated a mantra in training, “There is no ‘I’ in ‘TEAM’”. He did this to get across the idea that we weren’t playing an individual sport, independent of one another. Rather, we’re dependent upon one another’s effort, skills,...

  Every so often, you may say to yourself, ‘I don’t think I have enough to get by. I’m not sure God understands my needs.’ How do you deal with that murmur of doubt when it enters your mind? John Wesley’s father was an Anglican minister with nine children, who...

  Over the last year I’ve seen more beautiful parts of Hong Kong than I ever have before. Like many people, the restrictions against travel and group gatherings have meant that I’ve hiked a lot. COVID has brought innumerable challenges that have been easy to see,...

  Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent, a time that Christians have used over the years to prepare for Easter. Lent is not kept by all Christians. That’s okay. There’s nowhere in the Bible that specifically forbids it or that promotes it. Whether or not...

  Maybe like me, you have hopes that the coming Lunar Year will be better than the last one. If this last year was like a product that you bought at a shop, you’d return it wanting your money back. This raises a question, how do we judge the success of any...

  One of the things this sermon series in John's Gospel has taught me is how significant it is that Jesus prepares a perfect home for us. Our earthly homes reflect a spiritual reality and longing for our perfect home in heaven. It also shows why homelessness is...

  It’s always sad to say goodbye to someone you really care about, especially if you are not sure when you will see them again. We have been especially aware of this during COVID-19. Saying goodbye can feel overwhelming, even crushing. But although separation can...

  I have selective hearing. When my wife says things that are pleasant to me, I’ll listen attentively. But when she says things that I don’t like, all of a sudden, I cannot hear. When she reminds me afterward of something she told me, my inevitable response is,...

  It happens to all of us. We get down. The gloom can arrive for all sorts of reasons. Perhaps a project that hasn’t worked out or someone’s giving you a hard time. Maybe it’s the continued grind of life online (whether it’s work, or the kids’ school, or church)...

  In this Sunday’s sermon, we’ll see that God asks Joshua to do something that seems strange. God wants the people to build a pile of stones. The reasoning was simple. The stones were to be a reminder of what God had done in helping the Israelites to cross the...