HMCC of Ann Arbor

This fall has been an exciting time as thousands of new students flooded the University of Michigan, and as we moved into our newly purchased and renovated Transformation Center, right on the heart of the U of M campus in downtown Ann Arbor. Having a permanent location has brought a greater presence on the campus, and is opening avenues for us to be a blessing to the campus and surrounding community.

We also recently had Missions Week, where we when through a special series of devotionals about missions, prayed in LIFE groups and as a church, and ended the week with a global celebration, incorporating traditional Indonesian dance, video clips from alumni around the world, special worship and a slideshow of prayer requests for nations presented by the Global Access International ministry, and even Indonesian food prepared by the Refreshments Team. We had the privilege of hosting Pastor Paul and Ailsa Liu, and their children, Caitlyn and Hannah. The Liu family is serving the Lord in Southeast Asia, and our community was blessed and challenged by the reminder that our missionary calling is based on the identity God has given us as His beloved children and His redeemed people.We look forward to seeing God raise up a generation of people who will have a burden to spread the gospel to the nations!

HMCC Chicago Update

It has been an incredibly eventful start to the academic year at HMCC of Chicago. At the Evanston site, we ushered in a new quarter by welcoming, hosting and plugging in the incoming freshmen and newcomers to our church. This being our third year of ministry on the Northwestern University campus, we were able to enjoy some of the fruits that come after the initial foundation-laying part of a church plant. This is the first year we are actually able to meet on campus for our Sunday Celebrations as well as begin to expand our reach to other residence halls on campus. Meanwhile, we celebrated the official launch of the HMCC of Chicago, Downtown site with the Inaugural Celebration on September 14th. It was a momentous occasion particularly for our UIC members who previously commuted to Evanston for church. Having a church site right on campus, with the City as a backdrop is an tremendous confirmation of our call to be a missional community. Everything culminated at the Undergraduate Retreat where both the Downtown site and Evanston site were able to rub shoulders with their University of Michigan peers and be a part of something bigger than ourselves.

One immediate outcome of the retreat was that the freshmen class became the first class to create a united class identity. They will be known as “Remedy."

HMCC of Austin Update

Hello from Austin! We launched the Austin campus at the beginning of September and it’s been an exciting time of meeting new people and building new friendships. There are over 50,000 students on campus, yet less than 8% attend church. As we’ve experienced over and over again, the harvest is indeed plentiful here at the University of Texas. The majority of the people whom God has brought our way have been pre-Christians, and that’s been very exciting for us. We are praying that as we continue to build relationships with the students and reach out to them with the love of Christ, that they will come to know Jesus in a personal way. It hasn’t been an easy road for us, but we know that God is faithful and the vision of transformation that God has breathed into our church will continue to become a reality in our campus and city.

Jakarta International Church Plant

October marked a historic moment as we officially announced our plans to plant our first international church in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2009. Pastor Seth and his family will lead the team and lay down the foundation for the first year in Jakarta. We are privileged to be a part of this missions movement, and ask for your prayers as we move forward into this uncharted territory. For more information about the churchplant, please visit http://hmcc.net/special/JakartaFAQ/.

Alumni Spotlight: Shaun Tan

Location: Brownsville, TX
Area of Profession:Manufacturing/Operations; Engineering/Architecture
Job Title:Asst Manager, Mech/Piping Section, Engineering Dept
Employer/School: Keppel Amfels, Inc.

What do you do in your job?
I work in the oil industry, manufacturing offshore drilling rigs, down in Brownsville, Texas. The rigs weigh about 13,600 tons, or about 80 Boeing 747s, and are required to operate in the harshest of conditions far from land. Because the rigs need to function correctly and safely, we spend a great deal of time in engineering design and working with clients. In my job, I help with maintaining work schedules, negotiating design changes with clients, interacting with equipment suppliers, and general interfacing with the other departments. I also get to walk out of my office into the shipyard and check on work progress on the rig itself. Witnessing the rig 'launch' into the bay is one of the highlights of a job well done.

What significant changes have happened for you since you left HMCC?
I worked in Singapore for about a year before moving back to the US. Since then, I've been fortunate enough to have assimilated decently into a predominantly Hispanic culture, building relationships through work and church. My heart for the church continues to grow, as I served through leading a small group and also teaching on missions at church. But best of all, I got engaged to a wonderful girl earlier this year, and we're now busy preparing for a November wedding. It's going to be beautiful.

Please share one (or briefly two) of you favorite memories from HMCC.
Gosh, where can I start? I would say that the missions trip to Peru summer 2003 ranks pretty much at the top. Not only did our team bond really well with the GCC (Grace Covenant Church) team, but the memories of that trip and the subsequent get-togethers still continue to bring a smile to my face. Another wonderful constant was the time that our class spent together in hanging out, playing silly games with even sillier punishments, and in ministry. I think this might even continue till we're 40.

What did you take away from HMCC that you are thankful for, or that has positively impacted where you are today?
There is much to be thankful for. That missions trip with HMCC revolutionized my heart for God's kingdom, and absolutely redirected my life and decisions that I make today. Serving under the leaders of the church helped to grow my heart for serving others in a sacrificial way. I definitely learned that giving myself to others brought joy like nothing in the world can.

What are some professional and personal goals you hope to attain in the future?
I hope to further my experience in the Oil & Gas industry, especially in other areas outside of manufacturing. I'm looking forward to working overseas as well, and to eventually serve with my wife-to-be in building up the Church, hopefully somewhere in Asia.

Alumni Spotlight: Myungji Gina Kim

Location:Seoul, Korea
Area of Profession:Arts/Entertainment/Publishing
Job Title:Program Director
Employer/School:Korean Pops Orchestra

What do you do in your job?
I am a program director at Korean Pops Orchestra. Korean Pops Orchestra is one of the most famous pop orchestra in Korea. We perform various kinds of music including classical, film OSTs, Jazz, etc. I decide the piece of music based on a target audience and performance type, and manage for overall contents of the program. I also liaise instrumental soloists and singers from abroad.

What significant changes have happened for you since you left HMCC?
Many things happened since I left HMCC. I worked at Legal Department of Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Korea almost for 2 years, and also got admissions from couple of UK Law Schools. However I decided to stay with my family in Korea who left church long time ago. With God’s grace, my parents and my younger sister now became believers.

Please share one (or briefly two) of you favorite memories from HMCC.
Like many of you, one of my favorite memories from HMCC is small group gathering. I was able to learn and experience God’s wisdom and love from the intensive HMCC type of bible study at small group meeting held every Tuesday evening. I remember that all refreshments I had with my small group family after bible study was so great even though they were just ordinary doughnuts and cookies. ^^ I also miss Saturday brunch with my best friend Gina. We shared prayer requests, God’s messages from prayer and bible. I really miss those times in Ann Arbor.

What did you take away from HMCC that you are thankful for, or that has positively impacted where you are today?
I am so thankful for being able to serve at church where believers from various cultural and ethnic backgrounds. At HMCC I was able to experience how God’s world can be great. I especially appreciate HMCC pastors, and small group leaders, Rose, Julie, Rachel, Shaun, Grace, Gina who were always there to listen to good things as well as bad things happen in life and to share and teach God’s words and wisdom with me. From the lessons that I learned from HMCC family, I realized everything that’s given in my life is from God’s grace whether it is beautiful or not.

What are some professional and personal goals you hope to attain in the future?
I am currently challenging myself to get into Korean law school while I am working for the Orchestra.. However, no matter what happens to my plan, I hope to be surrendered and obedient to God’s plan for my life.