Presbyteries play cupid again during summer break

      Taiwan Church News

      3048 Edition

      July 26~August 1, 2010

                                   

       

      Presbyteries play cupid again during summer break

       



      Reported by Chiou Kuo-rong, Chen Wei-chien

      Written by Lydia Ma

       

       

      PCT Seven Stars Presbytery’s Marriage Committee organized an overnight 
trip to 

      Yangmingshan Mountain on July 24~25, 2010 for single young adults. Not 
only did the 

      presbytery extend an invitation to other presbyteries to co-host this 
group dating event, 

      members from Bread of Life Church across Taiwan were also invited to 
attend.

       



      In total, the event drew a record crowd of 110 people from Taipei, 
Hsinchu, Taichung, and 

      Tainan presbyteries, as well as Bread of Life churches. Taipei Presbytery 
Youth Committee 

      staff Rev. Chen Chia-cheng said the influx of participants from various 
churches had helped 

      make the event much more exciting and had also helped men and women to 
engage one 

      another more freely and naturally.

       



      One of the event organizers was Chen You-jie, a 28-year-old young man 
from Hsin-Tien 

      Presbyterian Church. He had begun participating in group dating events 
since 2006 and finally 

      met his other half last year after going on 12 excursions organized by 
his presbytery. His wish 

      to help other youths of his age find their mates prompted him to help his 
presbytery organize 

      this year’s excursion.

       



      Chen offered two suggestions to those looking for their significant 
others. First, they must ask 

      their own pastors for help because Christians are often more passive and 
uptight when it 

      comes to dating and pastors are the best resources because they know 
their young flocks well 

      and can make great referrals.

       



      Second, youths must not place too much emphasis on age. He encouraged 
women not to feel 

      discouraged if they met men they would like to date but later find out 
these men are younger 

      than themselves. Likewise, men mustn’t feel discouraged simply because 
most women they 

      meet at group dating events are older.

       



      “You never know what might happen because older women may have younger 
cousins or 

      sisters. Younger men may have older brothers or cousins. If you get to 
know these people well 

      and they have good impressions of you, they may end up introducing you to 
one of their 

      relatives who may turn out to be a perfect match for you,” said Chen.

       



      Based on Seven Stars Presbytery’s Marriage Committee Chairman Huang 
Sheng-te’s 

      experience in this ministry over the past 10 years, Taiwanese parents 
invest a lot of time, 

      money, and energy into their children’s education but hardly devote any 
time teaching their 

      children about marriage. Hence, he urged presbyteries use such occasions 
to teach biblical 

      courtship and marriage.

       



      In related news, many youths spent a lazy, summer afternoon kayaking at 
Sun Moon Lake and 

      getting to know new friends on July 24. The event sponsored by Taichung 
Presbytery’s 

      Women’s Committee drew 22 single, Christian men and women and included 
sightseeing, 

      biking and group sharing.

       



      This group dating event was modified after youths had claimed that 
similar events in the past 

      had focused too much on classes and left too little time for actual 
interaction. This year’s event 

      included drawing straws and sharing thoughts on random topics, games, and 
sharing about 

      one’s convictions.

       



      According to one event organizer, events similar to this one usually 
attract more women than 

      men. But this year proved to be an exception because there were 3 times 
more men than 

      women registered. Women wound up registering en masse at the very end and 
barely caught 

      up with the number of men registered.

       



      Taichung Presbytery Women’s Committee hopes to organize another group 
dating event for 

      singles in September.

       

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