Christianity in Taiwan, especially among the youth, was in a rather dismal state in 1997. The church population was aging and many were growing weary serving the ministry. The leaders’ relentless efforts to reach out to the youth saw no results and they lacked the faith and the direction to effectively build relationships and evangelize the un-churched.
1997 was also the year when Taipei New Life Church (TNLC) got to know about City Harvest Church (CHC), Singapore, through an International Pastor’s Conference hosted by CHC. Abraham Ku, the founder and senior pastor of TNLC, came with a heart full of expectancy for a new vision and longed for the spirit of revival that CHC has been experiencing.
He was overwhelmed when he witnessed confident, young people loving God and serving Him passionately, bearing the spirit of excellence in all they do — particularly in their dressing! He was tremendously impacted during the Conference and hungered for a mighty move of God in his home country.
   |
| PHOTOS: Melvin Chen |
CHC and TNLC soon started to forge an inextricable relationship with each other. CHC sent their key leaders to train and build up their pastors and church workers regularly and aided them to host many exciting youth events, like Taiwan Emerge.
Through the mentorship of Kong Hee, Ku drew on the discipleship values learnt and sought to establish strong relationships with the un-churched through secular and creative methods. He recognized that relationships are the avenues to influence and impact, sustaining a long lasting transformation in the young people.
TNLC actively reached out to celebrities and many were saved and set on fire for the Lord through their ministry. These celebrities then pulled their talents and resources together birthing forth creative programmes, such as the Rainbow Connection and producing a secular music album of faith, hope and love, to penetrate into the schools in a secular method, but conveying the sacred message of the Gospel.
TNLC is in the midst of a huge wave of youth revival in Taiwan, growing from 11 in 1997 to 450 high school and university students. To date, they are averaging 2,500 people on a regular weekend service. Indeed, TNLC fully lives out the Cultural Mandate; transforming not only their church, but their society as well!
