3147 Edition
June 18-24, 2012
Church Ministry News

Reported by Chen Yi-hsuan

Written by Lydia Ma

Tainan Presbytery Church and Society Committee passed a motion a few months ago encouraging Yungfu Presbyterian Church to set up “massage stations” at any church that would welcome head and shoulder massage services. Local churches in Tainan have responded enthusiastically to this decision by inviting Yungfu Church’s fellowship for the blind to go to their churches and offer massages.

To further help this fellowship raise more funds, Yung-Fu Church will also begin to make special donation boxes where people can drop off uniform invoices. These boxes will be placed inside every PCT church in Tainan and any cash prizes won from uniform invoices will go toward the fellowship’s general funds. The uniform invoice, also known as receipt lottery, is a form of state lottery managed by the Ministry of Finance. It is given to consumers as a mandatory receipt of their purchases by any business with a monthly turnover of NT$200,000 and above.

These receipts will help raise funds for visually impaired people who are struggling financially. Ever since the government allowed anyone to offer massages and set up massage shops, the livelihood of people with visual disabilities has been seriously compromised. Yungfu Church, known as “Christians for Blind Peoples Association” before it became a church, has always had a special connection with visually impaired people. It has devoted much time and effort over the years in increasing the welfare of people with visual disabilities.

On June 17, 2012, a joint service was held at Yungfu Presbyterian Church attended by 5 churches. Christian fellowship of the blind was invited on that occasion to set up a station and offer massages there. Many people queued up to receive massages and the fellowship received a total of NT$2,360 as result. According to Yungfu Church’s pastor, Wang Shou-lu, each session lasts approximately 10 minutes and people can request to have their head, shoulders, hands, and feet massaged. The massage team asked for free donations for each session instead of charging a fixed rate.

To help people with visual disabilities who do not have stable incomes and boost their finances, Yungfu Church began to design and distribute donation boxes at the end of May. It has already won NT$200 worth in cash awards. The church plans to promote these boxes at every church in Tainan Presbytery. The boxes will be picked up and emptied at the end of every month by someone from Yungfu Church.