Introduction
Purpose of the Vietnamese Christian Fellowship Conference

Introduction

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Warmest greetings to:

1        Reverends, Professors, Ministers and Senior Pastors
2        Representatives for each Christian group
3        All Christians and non-Christians over the world

Dear all Pastors, brothers, and sisters in Christ,

On behalf of the Vietnamese Christian World Fellowship Conference 2008, we dearly greet you in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ! May His grace, peace and kindness be upon each of us abundantly!

Thank God that He has answered the prayers of many Christians in Australia. It has been over 30 years since the first settlers of Vietnamese Christians migrated to Australia. We have longed for a Vietnamese Christian Fellowship Conference in Australia. By God’s grace and presence over His church, He answered our prayers and guided the leader group of Vietnamese Independence Christian Committee and the board of Vietnamese Baptist Church in Australia to come to the decision of holding the Vietnamese Christian World Fellowship Conference, for the first time at Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.

God has touched the heart of the leader board of Vietnamese Christian World Fellowship to cooperate with the Organizing Committee of Vietnamese Christian Fellowship in Australia to hold this historical event. The purpose is to unite Vietnamese Christians from around the world, regardless of denominations they belong.  As we gather in one spirit of love and unity in Christ, we pray that we will be empowered to build and develop the church of Christ throughout the world.

With great joy and honor, each member of Vietnam Grace Church Brisbane is blessed to be part in organizing the Conference for the first time from Sunday, December 28th, 2008 to Thursday, January 1st, 2009 at Bond University (located at the most famous tourist city in Australia), Gold Coast, Australia.  Here, you would enjoy the beauty of beaches, awesome nature, warm weather, fresh air, etc. We believe that each of you would experience the great glory of God, as He is the Creator of these awesome surroundings.

The Organizing Committee has been earnestly praying for a suitable place to hold the conference. For almost a year, with the support of Baptist Union of Queensland, we have looked for a good place all over Queensland. Finally we have found Bond University the best place providing superb facilities; with a conference room that can contain over 500 people, convenient accommodations and good food cuisine with all at a reasonable price for all participants. Besides, the director committee of Bond University has contributed greatly to the Conference by granting us good discount including in the price is a superb Asian Chef who could give us nice meals. How wonderful God provides! Those who will stay at the university hostel during the conference are guaranteed air-conditioned bedrooms and all other excellent amenities. Furthermore, the director Committee of Chancellor Department, a new high-standard five stars accommodation next to Bond University, offered the Organizing Committee excellent accommodations at reasonable rates.

Dear Pastors, brothers and sisters in Christ,

For the sake of the Conference’s great purpose, the Organizing Committee of the Conference shall try their best to make available opportunities for all Vietnamese Christians from around the world to come to attend the Conference.  We believe that God will guide and bless all His servants who will be serving as preachers and speakers in the Conference.  By God’s anointing, they will bring the most practical, inspired and powerful messages of God’s Words to encourage and strengthen the whole assembly.  With the topic “One family, one mission”, the entire program is expected to awaken the spirit of love and unity in Christ among all participants. As a result, the glorious and victorious life of Vietnamese churches all around the world, especially in Australia and our dear homeland, Vietnam, shall be strengthened.

Besides, the Conference would be a great opportunity for all Christian families to relax after the whole year of working and running life errands. They could enjoy and have a good rest at this beautiful place. They also could attend seminars on Leadership Ministry, Crisis of Women in middle age, Young Family, Faith and Science and Differences between Buddhism and Christianity (Samsara/Eternal life; Meditation/Prayer; Nirvana/Heaven;…) for greater understanding about Vietnamese Buddhists. Then we would have a worship night with composers Vinh Phuc and Le An Dong, together with singers like Hagim, Linh Nang, Nguyen Thuy, Hong Chau and so on. You could also join many fun sport games suitable for all ages. Thus, this would be an ideal opportunity for Vietnamese Christian family around the world to find comfort, relaxation and new strength for their daily faith journey ahead. We will also provide sessions for the participants to share experiences and lives with one another during this short time living together. This will be an unforgettable memory, and  a wonderful experience for all by  having  fellowship over meals, through worshiping together with familiar hymns and through speaking in the same Vietnamese language! We together will create a “Vietnamese environment” in a foreign country.

The Conference Organizing Committee believes that at the Conference, God would destroy all walls separating people by their social status, education levels, denominations, prejudices, disagreements and so on. We all would live honestly and equally together by God’s grace according to the key verse of this Conference saying, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28 NIV).

In this Conference, we will also provide a special program for young people to train them to be a good, enthusiastic and faithful generation committing themselves wholeheartedly to God, the church, family and others. As they will be the future of Vietnamese churches, we hope that they will be filled with strength, knowledge, enthusiasm, sympathy and love. They are expected to inherit their forefathers’ commitment to continually and firmly extend the church of Christ. The Organizing Committee has been specially guided by God to invite inspired and bilingual speakers, who use both English and Vietnamese fluently and know both Vietnamese and Western traditions, to speak to the youth. These are Rev. Dr. Nguyen Hong Phuc, Rev. Dr. Phan Minh Hoi and Mr. Nick Vijucivick. They will organize for the youth interesting and meaningful programs through training, sharing, sports, musical performances appropriate to the culture and language of young Vietnamese in foreign country.

Lastly, on behalf of the Conference's Organizing Committee, I earnestly ask all Vietnamese Christians and ministers, wherever you are, to specifically pray for this conference. May God open the way and pour out His providence and blessings upon all our participants to be that they could attend this historical Conference. This would be a strong sign of unity in Vietnamese Christian churches in Australia particularly and all Vietnamese Christians all over the world.

With our hearts, the great purpose of the Conference which is for God's glory in His church, with love, unity and commitment together with the beautiful and awesome surroundings of warm sunlight, blue oceans, smooth sand beaches, fresh air..., the Conference's Organizing Committee gladly welcome all of you, Vietnamese Christians - God's children - to the Vietnamese Christian World Fellowship Conference, in the love of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Please go through the "Conference Information Book” or check out the link http://vcfconference.awardspace.com to learn about all our Conference's activities.

We are looking forward to seeing you at the Conference 2008! 

On behalf of the Organizing Committee

Executive Organizer                                        Chairman

Pastor Trinh My Hoa                                         Rev. Nguyen Hung Vuong

Purpose of the Vietnamese Christian Fellowship Conference

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The purpose of the Conference is to open opportunity for all Vietnamese Christians from all over the world, regardless of their denominations, positions, genders, ages, and so on, to come together in united fellowship in Christ as one big family of God. With the topic "One Family, One Mission", the Conference seeks to renew the heart of love and unity in Christ among Vietnamese Christians all over the world. We share a common purpose to build up the body of Christ - developing a strong community of Vietnamese Christian all over the world. This conference will surely serve as a mean to encourage and strengthen Vietnamese Christians to continue to carry out God's command to spread out the Gospel among Vietnamese people both in our homeland and around the world (Matthew 28:19-20).

The Vietnamese Christian Fellowship Conference 2008 would also be the opportunity for church leaders in Australia particularly and in the world generally to break down walls of social positions, denominations, prejudices, disagreements, etc. We shall live together according to God's word with respect and equality in spirit in God's amazing grace; as said in the slogan and key verse of the Conference that “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28 NIV).

Another aim of the conference is to train our young people so that they may be empowered into a good, enthusiastic and faithful generation: committing themselves wholeheartedly to God, the church, family and others. Their development will be the future foundation of Vietnamese churches. It is hoped that they will be filled with strength, knowledge, enthusiasm, sympathy and love. They are expected to inherit their forefathers’ commitment to continually and firmly extend the church of Christ.  The program is designed to respect our diversity of cultures and languages which is lacking in the Diaspora of our Vietnamese youths scattered around the world.

Besides, the Conference will provide a great opportunity for all Christian families to come together and to relax and renew fellowship following a year of hard work and daily grind! It will provide a wonderful opportunity to have a good rest in beautiful surrounding. Plus the opportunity to attend seminars, trainings and worship services for further encouragement and building up of the body of Christ.

With all our hearts, for the great purpose of the Conference which is for God's glory in His church, and with love, unity and sympathy as Christians, all of us here are looking forward to meeting the new generation of Vietnamese churches throughout the entire world. The Organizing Committee prays that our triune God will help and bless this conference; so that we could accomplish our great purpose for this conference through His amazing grace.

May the glorious name of our Lord Jesus Christ be lifted high through the Vietnamese Christian Fellowship Conference 2008! 

On behalf of the Organizing Committee

Executive Organizer                                            Chairman

Pastor Trinh My Hoa                                            Rev. Nguyen Hung Vuong