Page 34 - Preservation for the Documentation of Chinese Christianity

The Service, on the theme "Let Us Pray", was attended by more
than 400 people and took the form of a bi-lingual service (Cantonese
L
and English) with 2 speakers - Dr. Ho Chung Chung and Mrs. T. .
Quong. The Choir of Kowloon True Light School led the hymn-singing
and sang 2 anthems. The offering taken at the Service amounted to
HK$624.35 and is to be donated to the proposed United Christian
Hospital.

Some publicity this year was given to the fact that the word
"Women’s" has been dropped from the name, previously "Women's World
Day of Prayer". The day is still sponsored by Church women throughout
the world but a warm invitiation is now extended to all and it is
hoped to further this idea in future years.

VI. WORK OF AUXILIARY ORGANIZATIONS

1. Hong Kong Christian Welfare & Relief Council
The Christian Welfare and Relief Council, which is the Service arm
of the Hong Kong Christian Council and is now in its tenth year, has
twenty six member churches and Christian agencies, all concerned in
some form of relief or rehabilitation work in the Colony. It has three
main functions; to be the meeting place, in respect of their welfare
and relief work, of the principal Protestant churches and Christian
agencies of Hong Kong; to be the agency through which inter-church-aid
funds for its members' work are obtained from overseas; and to be the
joint body of its members in carrying certain needed pioneer social
projects through their early stages.

The first purpose the Council carries out through monthly meetings
of members’ representatives, and by additional meetirgsof members'
representatives, and by additional meetings of members concerned in
particular aspects of the totoal work such as .disaster aid, education,
relief, rehabilitation, vocational training, and agricultural
settlement.

The second purpose is carried out through the machinery for
inter-church-aid sot up by the World Council of Churches, whereby
the needs of Hong Kong are made known worldwide and funds are collected
from amny countries to help meet them. During 1963 the churches in
twelve countries contributed more than one and a quarter million dollars
to make possible members’ work and joint projects, as well as a further
sum to cover the cost of the Council’s own administration. This is
of course in addition to the far larger amount contributed directly by
the supporting bodies of the member churches and agencies, since as
yet only a small proportion of the total support is raised by or
channelled through the Council.

The third purpose, that of pioneering projects of common interest
and concern, is carried out through three projects of joint Christian
participation namely those for agricultural resettlement, vocational
training, and the rehabilitation of needy persona through self help
projects.

There is however scope for more sharing by means of more joint
effort to meet the immense body of work that needs to be done. Nor
is the task of presenting a Christian viewpoint and voice in a predo-
minantly godless and wholly materialistic mercantile community sufficiently
realised.

Looking at the field of Christian social endeavour, it is seen that
comparatively little is done jointly, though what there is is done well -
common effort and common responsibility in emergencies of fire or
weather, in help to T . B. sufferers, in helping students without

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