Page 24 - Preservation for the Documentation of Chinese Christianity

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Further progress has been made in the drafting of a constitution
which will result in a new organization to be responsible for the
operation of the new hospital in Kwun Tong as well as Nethersole
Hospital and any other organizations which may wish to join the group
scheme.

The Committee is grateful that the Hong Kong Christian Council
has undertaken to sponsor a Hong Kong fund- raising campaign as the
project still faces a sizeable deficit. It is hoped that the church
of Hong Kong, and the community at large, will respond to this urgent
need to allow the hospital to go forward.

Hong Kong Christian Service

It is two years now since the merger between Hong Kong Church
World Service and Hong Kong Christian Welfare and Relief Council took
place and during that time Hong Kong Christian Service has been able
to make quite a few changes and initiate some experimental pilot
projects.

Three important conferences were organized for church, medical
and social workers by HKCS in the early part of 1968. The purpose of
these conferences was to provide a place for dialogue and a sharing
of common concerns. Two of the most exciting and rewarding joint
programs in which we have invested some staff time have been the
Training Program for Volunteer Hospital Visitors from local churches
and the Joint Seminary Program on "A Field Seminar on the Hong Kong
Community". Over thirty lay men and women were recruited to take part
in an eight-session training program and then to commit themselves
to regular visiting at Nethersole Hospital. A second training series
was carried out in March, 1969 for over 80 persons. In the Joint
Seminary Program, thirty-four seminary students from five theological
schools including two Lutheran seminaries, Chung Chi College Division of
Theology, Union (Anglican) and Holy Spirit (Roman Catholic) attended.
The purpose of the seminar was to help future ministers and priests to
be knowledgeable about the resources and forces of change in the Hong
Kong community. Two other exciting projects were the Youth Tea Houses
and the Wah Hong Hostel for the elderly. The Ecumenical Social Service
Projects for Youth Committee, representing both Protestant and Roman
Catholic groups, for the first time, sponsored and operated three pilot
Youth Tea Houses which turned out to be a most welcome and successful
summer program. The Wah Hong Hostel is a co-operative project of five
voluntary agencies and two Government department to house 120 people
aged 60 or more. Hong Kong Christian Service is the co-ordinator and
administrator of this project which is the first of its kind in Hong
Kong.

To help our sister organization, Asian Christian Service, HKCS has
been purchasing supplies for programs in Vietnam and recruiting
volunteers. The first volunteer went to serve in Asian Christian
Service in Summer of 1968 for a period of four months; the second one
left in April 1969 to serve as a nursery and children’s worker in a
refugee camp.

Besides these co-ordinating responsibilies, Hong Kong Christian
Service's three operational departments have been carrying on effective
services for the church and the community at large. During the year
the Material Resources and Service Department received over 1.7 million
pounds of food, clothing and other commodities from overseas. A total
of 125 institutions and over 60,000 people received regular service.
The transfer of the Noodle Factory to the Children's Meals Society and
the Mobile Dental Van to the Wei Li Kung Hui have been accomplished
while the future of the T.B. Injection Clinic is under consideration.
The purpose of these transfers is to allow Hong Kong Christian Service
to concentrate on co-ordination, promotion and interpretation among the
service agencies and the churches.