Page 21 - Preservation for the Documentation of Chinese Christianity

Culture and Values certainty is that of pastoring; that is, to comfort given in each issue and there was also a
In any society, the absence of a responsible at­ and to enable. Another seminar on a similar theological reflection. For the past few years,
titude towards society will serve to encourage subject for a wider Christian audience is being this publication (which now stands at 2,500
undesirable influences that already exist in that considered for December, 1982. copies per issue) has proved to be very popular
society. Today in our society people are swept Labour Law among high school teachers and students as well
away by consumerism, concerned only with their In the past 14 years the Christian Industrial Com­ as social workers.
own interests and aiming to climb up the social mittee has been closely watching the labour laws In order to help those anxious to deepen their
ladder higher and faster. At the same time, the in Hong Kong which affect the livelihood of understanding of important issues, staff members
mass media, especially the TV commercials and a workers, advocating more adequate legislation also made an effort to compile and duplicate
few TV shows are adding oil to the fire, helping for their protection. pertinent documents. “District Administration”

the spread of an unhealthy mentality. The and “1997”were two examples.

s

Council’Youth Committee set up a task force Last year the Committee paid special attention
last year to monitor the influence of mass media. to industrial safety. (For more information, The monthly Chinese publication "Message" con­
Through the effort of its members, public con­ please see the Christian Industrial Committee's tinued to serve the function of helping people to
cern on the subject greatly increased. The annual report.) reflect on how to live as a Christian in this day
Licensing Authority also agreed to tighten up re­ and age. Concrete issues were thoroughly
strictions on TV commercials. One such move analysed and discussed from the Christian stand­
was to extend the restricted hour for advertising Service point. In order to more systematically interpret
cigarettes and alcohol from 6:30 p.m.. to 8:30 the work of the whole Council, beginning in
p.m.., and to ban the association of the image of June, a monthly newsletter was published.

success with smoking and drinking. In addition, hristian service is rooted in the spirit of “News & Views”continued to be our only English
the task force is designing a teaching plan to raise C“Love God” and “Love Your Neighbour as publication, fulfilling the functions of both

.
.

the awareness of TV watchers. Yourself’ Christians should be willing to “Message”and “Newsletter” Through Federal
sacrifice for the sake of others. In our directly- Publishing Limited, we completed the publica­
1997 managed or related service agencies, we try to tion of Religious Education textbooks for F.l to

Since the Consultation on the Mission of the put this kind of service philosophy into practice. F.5 students. This “Faith and Life”series of
Church in Hong Kong in the Eighties (November The following are brief reports of these agencies* textbooks is an attempt to make the teaching of

1980), mission among the poor has been the various activities. “Religious Education” lively, interesting and
urgent task for the Church. In as much as the relevant. They have been very well received by
issue of 1997 affects the entire population of Resource Centre and Publications teachers and students alike.
Hong Kong, including a large percentage of low- During the past year, the staff overhauled our
income people, the Church cannot afford to Resource Centre, which contains a great deal of Communications Centre
ignore it. The Commission on Public Policy pro­ valuable data on current affairs as well as This Centre took the place of the Audio-visual
duced an information package on the subject and important social issues. Because of shortage of Evangelism Committee and the Communications
sponsored a seminar to reflect on the theological staff, the Centre is open to staff and very limited Department. It has a well-equipped audio-visual
perspective of the issue. The latter was attended personnel only. Last year, 30 issues of the library, serving both schools and churches, and
by some fifty seminary teachers and pastors. “Economic and Public Affairs Bulletin”were its studios are widely used. Last year, besides

During the seminar, a consensus emerged that the published. The latest and the most important cassette dubbing and sound dubbing services,
role of the Church in the face of social un­ information relating to a particular topic was video-taping services were started. Several slide
19