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Subsequently, Abundant Grace Assembly Of God joined 7979 Holistic Care Relief Network and set up 7979 Holistic Care Station. The church launched “7979 Underprivileged Children Companionship Class” first, and set up Companionship Class to provide homework guidance to children of economically underprivileged families. In addition, the church assisted those families that were facing crises to apply for Crisis Intervention Fund’s aid, solving their immediate needs during COVID-19 pandemic.
A sister told me the origin of the name “Kepong Central Garden''. It is known as “Central Garden”, because it is connected with three areas and they are: Jinjang New Village, Kepong Baru and Segambut.” Upon reaching Kepong Central Garden, the first thing appears before you will be blocks after blocks of 30 year old flats battered by age and weather. There are more than 1000 units of houses here, its residents are mainly middle class and below. The opposite of these flats are shoplots, you can find many sundry shops in just one row of shops, this is to meet the demands of the residents here. In this row of shops, you will be able to notice a very obvious orange and white coloured bunting set beside a church’s door. On the top right corner of the bunting, you will find a logo of “Manna Food Bank'', which is one of the programmes that we have in 7979. Through giving away Manna Food Bags, we provide food aids and company to the poor and underprivileged. This bunting is to welcome the needy to walk-in and register. The bunting is being placed at Abundant Grace Assembly Of God, which has been around for 31 years. All these years the church has shown great concern and care for the local residents and underprivileged. They had organised various community care activities in the past, such as helping the needy to apply for food aid from other organisations, held special events such as free blood test campaign and Mid-Autumn Lantern Celebration. 
Church and Community are Interrelated
“The church and the community are interrelated, the existence of a church in a particular community is to provide assistance in every area for the community.” Rev. Joshua Tang of Abundant Grace Assembly Of God expressed that he takes community care ministry very seriously. Rev, Joshua Tang and his wife Sis. Loh moved into this community about 4 years ago, they noticed the blocks of flats opposite the church. They chose to observe first while trying to understand the living condition of the local residents. Later, they realised that the church cannot approach the people just by the church’s present community care ministry, they need to find another approach. While Rev. and Mrs. Loh are standing outside the walls of concrete, they are actually thinking of ways to penetrate into those concrete walls, so that they can care for the poor and the needy. 
The flats opposite the church (photo extracted from google map)
Subsequently, Abundant Grace Assembly Of God joined 7979 Holistic Care Relief Network and set up 7979 Holistic Care Station. The church launched “7979 Underprivileged Children Companionship Class” first, and set up Companionship Class to provide homework guidance to children of economically underprivileged families. In addition, the church assisted those families that were facing crises to apply for Crisis Intervention Fund’s aid, solving their immediate needs during COVID-19 pandemic.
Enter into the Flats and Serve In 2022, 7979 gathered a few churches in the vicinity to form Klang Valley Manna Food Bank Distribution Point at Gereja Christian Grace Kepong. Its purpose is to provide Manna Food Bags to the 7979 Holistic Care Stations nearby. Henceforth, Abundant Grace Assembly Of God no longer needs to travel far to pick up Manna Food Bags, this change had greatly reduced the workload of the church in picking up allocated resources. From then on, the volunteers will pick up Manna Food Bags from Distribution Point once in two months. The following day will be the delivery day. The church’s volunteers, irrespective of age and gender, would gather together to deliver the bag printed with “Manna Food Bank” to the flats at the opposite, handed over the food bags personally to the aid recipients.
In 2023, considering the inconvenience of some elderly aid recipients, the church decided to add in a new service, that is doorstep delivery, with the intention to do a glucose and blood test for them.With this doorstep service, the underprivileged families will be more concern for their own health condition, while our volunteers would have the opportunity to engage conversation and get to know them more. On some occasions, the volunteer would do the glucose test for other family members as well and sometimes the neighbour too. Sis. Liew told us there was one aid recipient who initially was not interested with our free blood test activity, but after the volunteer’s doorstep delivery service, she became willing to attend all our blood test activities, because now she has become more health conscious.
Felt the Warmth Within the Walls of Concrete
“I feel very relieved, the neighbours can bear witness to what we have been doing here for all these years because we provide personal service.” Abundant Grace Assembly Of God ex-coworker, Ying (pseudonym) shared. She has years of experience serving among the local residents, managed to build good rapport with the people, while being the reliable helper in promoting community care in church. She believes door step delivery of Manna Food Bag's main objective is to build good relationships with aid recipients. Henceforth, whenever Ying delivered Manna Food Bags to those aid recipients, she did not only hand over food bags, she would also talk to them, and listen to their cries. By delivering Manna Food Bags, Ying and the volunteers often felt the warmth deriving from the changes in the lives of aid recipients and the gratitude shown to the church. We have come to realise that serving others is not limited to only sharing love with others, but we felt the love and warmth too. 
Experienced Ying becomes energetic whenever comes to the community care ministry.
The church does not only care for the underprivileged in the community, they also do not want to see this ministry diminish at the hands of younger groups of Christians. They hope to train more young volunteers who are passionate in community care. Therefore, after each Sunday service, the church would encourage the youth to stay behind and participate in the Manna Food Bags delivery.
There was one youth by the name of Jessica, during July’s Manna Food Bags delivery day, she familiarly performed the task of measuring blood pressure and tallied the items in the food bag. Jessica, was actually an introvert, she can hardly engage conversation with people, she always forced herself when it comes to community service. However, in order to help the needy, she is willing to change herself, and communicate with the aid recipient. She said: “Through delivering Manna Food Bags, I am able to see there are plenty of people who are in need and struggling for a living. If I can contribute something to society, I see that as a blessing. ” Jessica hopes that although the Youth can do very little, imitation, they still can contribute to the society.
The works done by Abundant Grace Assembly Of God in the community gradually gained the affirmation of the local residents, this can be seen by the increase in referral cases given to the church. Whenever, the church walks around carrying Manna Food Bags, the shop owners or neighbours would acknowledge that the church is doing something good, and sometimes, they would support the good work by giving “love tokens” to the church. “Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied.” Luke 6:21 Hope that more people living at the opposite flats will be satisfied in body, heart and spirit. “甲洞中央花园之所以有‘中央花园’之称，因为它连接增江新村、甲洞卫星市和泗岩沫等三个地区。”一位姐妹告诉我们这地的名称缘由。来到甲洞中央花园，映入眼前的是一栋栋经岁月洗礼，长达三十年陈旧的组屋。这里的住户超过逾一千个单位，以中下阶层居多。 组屋对面是店铺，一排店铺有好多间小超市，以满足当地居民的即时需求。在这排店铺中，有个橙、白色的站立式布条，立在一间教会的门旁，十分瞩目。布条右上角印着“吗哪食物银行”，是7979的方案之一，透过吗哪食物包为贫穷及弱势家庭提供粮食辅助及陪伴他们。这布条欢迎有需要的人登门申请。 这布条所在之处，正是成立三十一年的甲洞神召会颂恩堂。教会多年来很注重和关心当地弱势群体的生活情况，并做了许多社区关怀工作，例如为个案申请其他组织的食品援助、举办免费验血活动和中秋节庆典等活动。  教会与社区 息息相关“教会与社区的关系息息相关，教会所在之地就是为社区提供各方面的协助。”甲洞神召会颂恩堂主理陈永平牧师表示，他自身也很看重社区关怀事工。大约四年前，陈永平牧师和刘雅玲师母到这里，见到教会对面有许多组屋。刚来的时候，他们先观察和了解当地居民的生活情况。之后，他们发现，教会不能只靠眼前社区关怀事工来接触居民，需要另寻他计。站在这些组屋墙外的陈牧师夫妇思考要如何进入墙内，关心贫穷和有需要的家庭。  教会对面的组屋（相片摘自Google Map） 于是，甲洞神召会颂恩堂在2020年加入7979关怀救助网络，设立7979全人关怀站。教会先推动“7979弱势儿童陪读”方案，即在教会设立陪读班，为经济弱势家庭的孩子提供课业辅导。此外，教会协助社区生活陷入危机的个案申请急难家庭救助金，在疫情期间解决他们眼前的难题。 进入组屋 服务他们2022年，7979在临近教会设立雪隆区吗哪食物银行集散点——甲洞基督教宣恩堂，为临近7979全人关怀站供应食物包。因此，甲洞神召会颂恩堂再无需舟车劳顿，从其他地方获得食物援助，这大大减轻教会领取资源的工作。因此，志工在每两个月一次到集散点，领取为个案申请的食物包；隔天就是派发日，教会同工和志工不分男女老少，齐心协力带着印有“吗哪食物包”的袋子走进对面的组屋，亲手将食物包交到个案的手上。
2023年，教会顾及年长者行动不便，在派发食物包当天增添新的上门服务，主要是为个案验血糖和量血压。透过上门服务，让弱势家庭开始注意自己的身体健康，同时志工有机会与个案交谈，了解他们更多情况。有时志工为个案验血糖时，顺道服务其他家庭成员，包括邻居。刘师母说，有一位个案原本对教会举办的免费验血活动不感兴趣。当志工第一次为个案进行上门服务后，她愿意出席教会举办的验血活动，因为她开始看重自己的健康了。
感受四面墙内的温暖“我很欣慰，这么多年，邻居们能看到我们在这里做的事情。因为，我们的服务都是亲力亲为。”甲洞神召会颂恩堂前全职同工——英（化名）拥有多年服务当地居民的经历，与他们关系要好，也是教会推动社会关怀事工可靠的帮手。她相信教会在派发吗哪食物包，为个案提供上门服务的基本条件是与个案建立好关系。 每次派送食物包给他们时，英不只送食物包，她会与对方聊天，听他们诉说心声。透过派送吗哪食物包，让英和志工感受温暖，这温暖来自个案的改变和他们对教会发出真诚的感谢。原来，服务有需要的人，不只把爱带给他们，也能让自己感受到爱和温暖。  经验有道的英，做起社区关怀事工充满干劲。 教会不只积极关心社区弱势群体，也希望这事工不要出现断层现象，就是希望栽培更多年轻的志工，用心服务社区。教会鼓励青年人在聚会后，留下来一同加入派发食物包的行列。其中一位青年人Jessica在7月教会派发食物包当日，熟练地为个案量血压、与个案点算食物包内容。她原是内向，不擅长与人沟通，每次都是硬着头皮服务个案。为了帮助有需要的人，她愿意改变自己，与食物包的受惠者沟通。她说：“透过派发吗哪食物包，我看到有更多有需要帮助，为生活挣扎的人。如果我们能为这社会贡献一份力，是祝福。” 这是Jessica希望透过他们青年人小小的力量，造福社会。  甲洞神召会颂恩堂在当地社区做的事工逐渐获得居民认同，因为有越来越多人转介个案给教会。每当志工提着显眼的食物包在社区走动时，商家和邻舍都知道教会正在做一件好事；有时教会还收到居民给的“爱心奉献”，支持教会做的这件好事。 “你们饥饿的人有福了！因为你们将要饱足。”<路加福音>6章22节 希望教会对面组屋更多人的身、心、灵得饱足。 Comments are closed.
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