On 26th Oct, there are six FELM friends visiting CLS. Rev.Tuula Sääksi

(FELM Deputy Director and Director of Department of Mission), Ms. Ulla-Maija Säärilahti(Regional Coordinator), Dr. Pirkko Lehtiö(Retired Seminary Professor) and one young couple Mr. Antti Nironen(theological student) and his wife Mrs. Maija Nironen.  Ms. Ulla-Maija was very excited about this new build because last time she went to CLS, it was under construction by digging the basement!

-A Building for Theological Education and

Church Resources Center

A General Description

1. A 7-story multi-purpose building with a bi-level

basement will be constructed:

a. Total budget is NT$200 million (US$6.7 million).

b. Projected date for groundbreaking is July 2005.

c. Projected date of completion is September 2007.

d. Total floor area : 9240 ㎡

e. Three Section of Muiti-purpose Building

1st Section: China Lutheran Seminary Campus

-A theological digital library with capacity

 of 60 to 100 thousands books

- Research Center for Traditional

Chinese  Religions and New Religious

Movements,  which meets the needs of

this era.

-Professors with solid theological

 background and Study Rooms for

 students

- Lay-people training courses and Lodge

 forretreat

- Graduate School in Luther Studies

with  solid theological foundation

- Plain but comfortable dormitory for

  single and married students

- Mission Center - Halls for social

 intercourse and Dinning Hall

        2nd Section: Campus Church

- Medium Church with 480 members

3rd Section: Joint Offices for Church

     Organizations - Contains 7 Para-church

     organizations'  offices.

f. Building Introduction:

4F-7F the Fellowship Training Center,

the Faith Training Center, Student

Dormitories and the Social Center

3F Classroom, Teachers, Study Room,

the LutherTheological Research Center,

the Religion Center

1F-2F the Digital Theological Library, the

Community Center for Cooperative

Churches,

Offices Outdoor Athletic Field

B1F Multi-Function Assembly Hall (with

480 seats for audience), Conference

Rooms, a Dining Hall and a Kitchen

B2F Indoor Parking Space, Storerooms

by Thomas Yu (CLS President)

Global Views Monthly once had a catchy heading: “Man power is the power of a nation”. It reported on the survival strengths of Israel that makes the best use of its human resources under the shortage of natural resources. The same principle applies to a private corporate whose creativity and prosperity rely heavily on its investment on human resources.

This Tuesday (March 13th ), Mr. Joseph Lu, the Director of Administration, led all the faculty and students to the construction site after the chapel service. While we saw the building and we all witnessed how great and faithful our God is. From the groundbreaking and the adding of each floor, now the building amazingly stands in front of us.

Ground Breaking

Knots and cross--God's amazing work!

Higher, higher and higher

Thanks be to God! The construction is rapidly approaching to the end and this June the whole building will almost be finished. When the fall semester starts, students will move to the new dormitory and use new classrooms and facilities.

 Internal Building

by Joseph Lu (CLS Construction Project Director)

Why do we start the expansion project? What can the Taiwanese churches benefit from the project? What can it do for evangelical mission, growth of the Christian community or the Taiwan society as a whole?

Today's society puts unreasonable emphasis on "Self"(self-centeredness), "Success"(self-realization). "System" (efficiency, quantification, measurement, and control), and "Diversity" (mixing and compromise). Lots of people struggle to reach the top of the tidal wave and get lost in their aimless pursuit.

The fundamental mission of China Lutheran Seminary is to "preach the Gospel of righteousness by faith and to train God's servants with the spirit of the Cross." This mission stems purely from the truth of God and keeps streaming down with everlasting significance. The seminary determined not to follow the pattern of the world and not to indulge its students in the so-called "success-ism". It determined to educate its students to aim solely at Jesus Christ and the Bible, to seek solely His grace and faith, and to serve the Lord whole-heartedly as their life-long goal.

I have witnessed how such a theological learning (learning to be Christ-like) has renovated broken churches and workers, released frustrated and depressed believers. It teaches all Christian soldiers who is the commander what we are fighting for. The truth-abiding theological vision of the seminary points out the correct direction of the Church and provides the real cure of the Chinese society. It is a "pearl" that has been sought by all the churches, but not yet fully discovered as it might be buried with limited resources.

With a clear visionary mission, China Lutheran Seminary has being growing and transforming over the past 40 years. More active and supportive efforts should now be made to complete the last phase of its reconstruction. The expansion of the seminary ensures an expansion of the theological foundation whereby all the churches are built and facilitates an integration of evangelical resources whereby all the churches can be united and work together to fulfill the Great Commission.

Our church have a fellowship named 'Praising Fellowship' which is called to serve physically or mentally disabled friends, to encourage growth in love and in Christ. One day, I was moved to purchase a ‘reconstruction lamb’ with Pastor Pei-yiu's help. We would like to feed the lamb with what we have. It grew slowly but our happiness grew fast. The disabled often rely on assistance from others, but this time, we could assist others and exercise our share on servant training and evangelism.

The 9-year-long expansion project is featured with more than 3000 days of seeking, praying, discussing, correcting and more prayers. It would be much easier if we just stayed where we were. But no pain, no gain. China Lutheran Seminary has outgrown its current capacity and has to be expanded to accommodate more needs and services. As a mid-to-large size seminary, CLS is faced everyday with increasing needs: more classrooms and facilities, better equipment and instructional resources, more housing units and a bigger library…. These are all needed to upgrade its educational quality.