The year 2025 was full of grace for Grace Light Evangelical Formosan Church. From the thanksgiving service marking the establishment of the Grace Light Prayer Station on 23 February to joining the Browns Bay community Christmas parade in December, only about ten months had passed. As one of those involved in church planting, I had the privilege of witnessing God lead this young church step by step. The Christmas parade became an unforgettable experience for me, as it was the first community parade I had ever joined.

The brothers and sisters prepared carefully for the event. They designed banners and display boards, prepared small gifts for local residents, and arranged matching clothing. The sun was very strong on the day of the parade, but everyone stood in the procession with joy.

What impressed me was that the participants represented almost every age group in the church. There were mothers in their eighties as well as children only three or four years old. The heat and walking distance were not easy for the elderly or the children, yet everyone was willing to take part. I saw more than an event. I saw brothers and sisters walking together in unity for the gospel, offering their time and energy in the hope of introducing more people to Christ.

Along the route, we carried banners displaying Bible verses, waved to local residents and placed small gifts in their hands. We wanted more people to know that there is a Chinese-speaking Christian church in this community. We wanted to proclaim to everyone the good news of the birth of Jesus Christ.

I later learned that ours was the only church taking part in the Christmas parade. This did not make me think we were better than others. Instead, it made me more aware that God had given us an opportunity to bear witness to the gospel in this community and had also entrusted us with responsibility.

Christmas has become one of the world’s liveliest celebrations. People enjoy the festivities, gifts and time together, and these are all good things. For Christians, however, the most precious meaning of Christmas will always be that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, became flesh and came into the world to save sinners. As I walked in the parade carrying a banner that said, “Jesus is the way, the truth and the life,” I kept praying silently that more people would not only remember Christmas, but would come to know its true central figure—Jesus Christ.

Another scene during the parade remains deeply impressed on my heart. The roadside was filled with residents watching the procession. Everyone was immersed in the joyful festive atmosphere. Children happily received sweets, and many people warmly waved and applauded. Then I noticed a local gentleman who appeared to be in his sixties or seventies. He did not cheer loudly; instead, with great courtesy, he bowed several times towards our group. Each bow seemed physically difficult for him, and his body language expressed more than simple thanks.

I still remember his eyes. I do not know who he was or what his story might have been. Yet in that moment I felt deeply moved. It seemed to me that he was showing respect for the gospel we proclaimed and honouring the Saviour who was born for the world. My interpretation may not have been entirely correct, but God used that scene to remind me that the Holy Spirit is still at work in places we cannot see. We do not know whose heart may receive a gospel leaflet, a greeting or a verse of Scripture, nor do we know when God will use these small offerings.

Church planting is not easy, but the parade made me even more certain that nothing we do is in vain. May God continue to lead Grace Light Evangelical Formosan Church to proclaim Christ faithfully in this community. May EFC Central Auckland continue to be a blessing in mission and church planting, helping more churches to be established and more people to know and turn to the Lord through the gospel.

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” (Isaiah 9:2, NIV)

May all glory belong to God.

—Wenyan Tang, 14 September 2026