FLC Newsletter September 2023
  1. Support for Pastors – Pastor Dr Devin Yu, Pastors Renewal Ministry
  2. Thanksgiving & Prayer
  3. Cantonese Seminars
  4. English Webinars
  5. 2023 Seminars For Pastors (Preview)

Support for Pastors – Pastor Dr Devin Yu, Pastors Renewal Ministry

  • Dear brothers, sisters and friends,

    I hope you’re enjoying the warmer weather as much as I am.

    At First Light Care, we are deeply grateful for the opportunities we have to connect with various church fellowship groups. In reflection, this year, I’ve noticed most of my invitations focused on family relationships—an area that forms the bedrock of our lives. Families can be a wellspring of strength and joy, but they can also present significant challenges.

    Many pastors and leaders have shared that their congregations are seeking guidance on a range of family relationship issues. These include communicating effectively with adolescents, navigating marital conflicts, setting boundaries with elderly parents while preserving relationships, and motivating young children without relying on bribes or threats.

    Through our discussions, we often find that these family challenges are possibly intertwined with underlying mental health concerns. For instance, a grandmother described as domineering may be struggling with generalized anxiety disorder. A child labelled as lazy and irresponsible could be dealing with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A young woman who finds it hard to form close relationships may be dealing with the impacts of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).

    Relationship issues are complex and frequently linked with mental health problems that may not yet be fully understood. Addressing these concerns is crucial for fostering meaningful relationships and achieving lasting recovery. This has been central to our mission at First Light Care for 25 years. We are committed to using our mental health expertise to address these deeper issues and support long-term positive change, all grounded in Christian values.

    In the coming months, we are excited to launch our “Living Through Sunshine” series, offering support and treatment groups for various mental health challenges. Each series will feature five to six face-to-face sessions in a small group setting (up to eight participants) and will be available in Cantonese, English, and Mandarin. All proceeds will support the First Light Care fund and our ministry. We are also seeking volunteers, or Journey Companions, to support participants during and after these groups. This role is ideal for those studying 4th year or postgraduate psychology. Volunteers will receive weekly support from an experienced registered psychologist and will commit 1-2 hours per week over 5-8 weeks. For more details, please visit “Journey Companions“.

    Thank you for your continued support and partnership in this vital ministry. Your involvement makes a profound difference, and we are grateful to journey alongside you in this work.

    Lastly, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to our admin team for their dedication and hard work during the recent transitions in admin support, accounts, and service planning. Your serving hearts and kindness have made First Light Care a special place in the community. I am humbled and honoured to lead such a remarkable team and am so proud of all that you do.

    Warmly,

    Cherrie

  • Dear brothers, sisters and friends,

    I thank my God every time I remember you. (Philippians 1:3)

    Every now and then, we receive inquiries from individuals facing financial difficulties who wish to seek therapy for themselves or their loved ones but lack the necessary funds. Upon assessing these cases, I find that many of them are genuine, yet they do not meet the criteria for government-funded services due to their unique circumstances. In such instances, we gladly offer special rates, bulk-billing, or even free services, depending on their needs. These individuals are the very reason we exist, and their gratitude for our assistance never fails to touch my heart. It serves as a constant reminder of the invaluable support we receive from all of you – our donors, supporters, and volunteers – who contribute to the functioning of FLC. Therefore, I often respond to them by saying, “It is not us, but the generosity of our donors.” I only wish I could capture these beautiful moments of appreciation and show you the difference you have made.

    If you live locally, you may have noticed the abundance of professional counselling and psychology services available in our community. However, among these options, FLC holds a unique position. Thanks to the support of individuals like you, FLC is able to offer a range of services that set us apart. We provide multilingual and affordable psychology and counselling services that is grounded in strong Christian values. This combination of factors truly distinguishes us from other providers in the area.

    In addition to our therapy services, we also offer free psychoeducation seminars both online and in-person at churches and other organizations. These seminars allow us to reach a wider audience and provide valuable information and resources to those who may not have access to professional help otherwise. We are grateful to all those who have made these initiatives possible and have allowed us to fill the gap in the community’s needs. 

    We sincerely hope that you will continue to partner with us and support our mission. Your ongoing support is crucial in enabling us. We also invite you to prayerfully consider becoming one of our pledge donors. Regular donations make a significant impact on our ability to serve individuals and families in need, and your contribution would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your continued support and for helping us make a difference in the lives of those we serve.

    On a different note, I would like to share some updates regarding the internal changes and transitions happening at FLC. We have made significant progress with our new client information system and our accounting procedures. I want to express my gratitude to our volunteers, Mr. Ivan Cheung, Mr. Kingsley Hui and Ms. Wylie Ma, for their valuable time and expertise. Additionally, I am pleased to announce that we have welcomed two new staff members, Ms. Paula Ngu, who joined us in April and Ms. Venus Lee, who joined us in May, as part-time administration officers.

    May the Lord continue to be your sustenance, shield, and delight as you pass each day with His unfolding grace.

    Warmly,

    Cherrie Liu

  • Dear brothers, sisters and friends,

    Wishing you all had a wonderful and fruitful time during the Christmas and New Year break!

    At First Light Care, we are bidding farewell to our beloved Founder and Centre Director, Gerald Cheung as he embarks on a new journey of retirement. While his retirement marks the end of his current role, it does not mean he will cease serving God or the community. Instead, he will take on a new pace and role in a new stage of his life. I greatly admire Gerald’s unwavering commitment to supporting the new generation of leaders and his faithful walk with God since his youth.

    Being able to work with Gerald since 2019 has not only provided me with counselling knowledge but also given me examples of how to manage various difficult personal, client-related and ministry challenges. Once, Gerald shared with me “his secret recipe”, saying, “The challenges we face become insignificant when you see the provision, grace and work of God in life and ministry”. I was deeply moved and immediately resonated with his words.

    We all know that being a Christian does not make us immune to illnesses, the death of loved ones, unemployment, financial loss, difficult interpersonal relationships, and so on. However, God has been faithful to walk with us (He is our strength) and go before us (He is our shield) at the same time. It is a paradigm shift and exciting when we are not blind to seeing His grace, provision, and work each and every day. I know, I am going to take Gerald’s secret recipe as mine! Heaven knows how much I need this to face my new job as Gerald passes his baton to me.

    “Who am I to take the lead?” I asked myself countless times because I know that having a professional registration is not enough. “And who am I to carry the vision of FLC?” It surely requires more than just a strong will and a moment of heroism from the flesh. I understand that I need to look beyond myself to fulfill this new role. Because of all the FLC God-loving staff, volunteers, supporters, and friends, I know that I am not doing this alone. This is not a story of my personal success or failure. It is a collective effort from all of us to carry this vision and sustain the operation of FLC, with God as our ultimate source of support. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you once again for your prayers and support in various forms.

    Besides, I wish I had the ability to write and share with you all my experiences in encountering FLC volunteers and supporters. They constantly amaze me with their dedication, professionalism, and love for God and the community. I cannot mention everyone here, but I would like to introduce our two new management committee members.

    Ms Carmen NG (吳綺銘女士) is a seasoned teacher and former Vice Principal at a Christian school in Hong Kong. Last year, she made the move to Sydney. We are grateful to have Carmen join us in her first year as our secretary. We thank God for His timely provision and Carmen’s generosity.

    Ms Holly SUEN (孫凱恩女士) is an Australian registered psychologist with over 15 years of experience in providing psychological services to a wide range of clients in various settings. We are thrilled to have Holly join our Management Committee and share her expertise with us. We sincerely appreciate Holly’s generosity in taking the time out of her busy schedule to be a part of our organisation.

    Last but not least, it has been a true blessing to have Gerald faithfully and tirelessly serving at First Light Care for the past 25 years. I wish him all the best as he enjoys the fruits of his labor, including his 7 beautiful grandchildren.  

    May we all fix our eyes on Jesus every day!

    Warmly,

    Cherrie Liu

Thanksgiving & Prayer

  1. We are thankful that First Light Care has served the community for 25 years. We praise God that He has provided for all the needs of this ministry through the faithful support and participation of hundreds of people and many churches over the years.
  2. Please pray for our 25th Anniversary Thanksgiving Meeting and the official opening ceremony of our new centre at West Ryde in October. We shall celebrate what God has done through this ministry and to look into the future of our mission in serving the new generation.
  3. Please pray for the election of a new Management Committee in the Annual General Meeting to be held in November. The new Management Committee plays an important role in providing leadership to further develop the ministry and serve the new generation.
  4. Please pray for the Pastors Renewal Ministry as the team seeks to better help and support serving pastors in Sydney and beyond.
  5. Please pray for the two Seminars For Pastors to be held in November this year, that the participating pastors will benefit from the seminars.
  6. Please pray for counsellors Cherrie and Yixin as they are completing the Master of Clinical Psychology course this year. Pray that God will give them good physical and spiritual health as they get through this busy and demanding year.

Thank You For Your Financial Support

We are so thankful for the generous support we received in June that has resolved our current deficit problem.

We ask you to continue to remember and pray for our ongoing need for regular financial support throughout the year to sustain this service for the community, especially for the low-income families.

Please can you consider making a regular tax-deductible donation to help us by:

  1. calling us on (02) 9211 9998 to make a donation using a credit card, or
  2. visit our web page – Support Us, to make a donation via other payment methods.

Thank you for your prayer and support!

Cantonese Seminars

Organiser: First Light Care Association
Co-organiser: Five Plus 2 Christian Platform and EFCA Living Stone

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English Webinars

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2023 Seminars For Pastors (Preview)

– brought to you by Pastors Renewal Ministry of First Light Care & SCCCA

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