This is Part 2 of my personal testimony and my spiritual autobiography.

2. Spiritual Pilgrimage & Ministerial Experience

A few months later, my fellowship counselors invited me to help out more and asked me if I would be interested in joining the “Planning Committee” as Secretary. I was uncertain as to what skills or gifts I possessed that would be useful for helping out in the fellowship, but I accepted the invitation, trusting God that He would give me the strength I needed to serve. A short time afterwards, I was also invited to lead Bible study—something I was quite surprised about, since I did not think I knew enough of the Bible in order to “lead” others in studying it. My pastor encouraged me that I needed not great skill in order to lead, but rather humility in being teachable, and to use my own unique experiences to build up others; I graciously accepted the invitation and started leading my peers in journeying through God’s Word. During this time, my church’s English Ministry elder made known to me that there was a need for worship leaders for the English Worship Service, and seeing that I was a new Christian and servant leader in fellowship, invited me to the worship team. I had no formal musical training nor I could play any instruments, and knew nothing about worship leading, but somehow, God began teaching me the true meaning of worship—that it is not just singing but moreover an attitude of the heart—and enabled me to share what I learned with the congregation through song.

Even though I grew up in the church, it was not until these “early years” as a born-again Christian that I experienced the hand of God really working in my life. In retrospect, I can see that God was preparing me for a greater purpose through all these areas of ministry He put me in; He was equipping me to serve His church in even greater capacities. During my high school years, I continued serving on the fellowship planning committee and led Bible study once a month for about 2 years, but all the while, I found the most personal pleasure and transformation in leading musical worship. Through all the Sunday worship services and fellowship gatherings I led, God was molding me spiritually, not just in terms of ministry, but especially in terms of my own walk with God. I learned that worship consists not only of music, but first and foremost it is a lifestyle of worship, an all-consuming response to the all-deserving revelation of God.

When I entered Ryerson University to study Geographic Analysis, I carried with me that yearning to lead others into worship through song and lifestyle. In my first year, I began attending the Chinese Christian Fellowship (CCF) at Ryerson after hearing about it from a few friends. Attending the fellowship provided me a home away from home where I could be a witness to those around me and also encourage fellow Christians with the life experiences that I had. In that same first year, the Worship Coordinator at the CCF upon hearing that I led worship at my local church invited me to serve at CCF on the worship team. I accepted the invitation, hoping that it would be a good channel to get to know others better as well as a medium through which I could encourage my peers in their worship.

(To be continued…)

In this series: (Download PDF of the entire autobiography)

• Shaped by the Cross, part 1
• Shaped by the Cross, part 2
• Shaped by the Cross, part 3
• Shaped by the Cross, part 4
• Shaped by the Cross, part 5
• Shaped by the Cross, part 6