作者：前執行主任 周同培牧師
Former Executive Director Pastor Peter Chou
大約25年前的某一個週一，「遠東」崔宇明弟兄邀請我去「好牧人」節目試音，沒想到就此開始了我在「遠東」近十年的義工生涯。確實日子不記得了，但我確知是個禮拜一，因為那是一般牧者主日過後比較休閒的日子。從此以後十年如一日。
錄音室的工作，讓我學會對一個人講道—這不是一件容易的事！以後我兼管東岸「遠東」錄音室時，看見那裡擺著一幀上萬人聚會的大照片，我就明白了：那是給講道的同工看的。有一個成語叫萬人空巷，我不是對萬人、我是對空巷講道；其實講道是很需要互動的。為了克服沒有聽眾互動的困難，我練習閉上眼睛講道；因為禱告是閉眼睛的。閉上眼睛就看見了屬靈的圖畫，任你想像千人、萬人、甚至幾千萬人！
我愛上了「遠東」的義工工作；一樣是講道，對著成千上萬、素未謀面的弟兄姊妹，我閉上眼睛就能看見他們；他們在我心裡！禮拜一去「遠東」講道成了我最好的休閒。
有一天，應該也是週一吧；林本立牧師守著我錄完節目，約我去吃飯，席間，他慎重地告訴我，他要退休了，想到要我接任。而且，他觀察我和同工的互動良多，又為我禱告很久了，希望我慎重考慮。我忙推說，我從來沒有做過募款的事，怕不能勝任；其實主要還是因為當時我和幾位同仁才創立「眾聖徒事工團」沒多久，正在招聚有「眾聖徒」異象的同工，怎麼能改弦易轍呢？但是，說真的，我實在從心裡喜歡這份廣播的義工，我覺得是如魚得水。禱告吧！
最後，林牧師想出來一個折衷的辦法：讓我作他的副手，算是兼職，我可以繼續做「眾聖徒」的工作。奇妙的是「眾聖徒」的董事會竟然同意！光陰流轉，2000年初我放下了周遊四方的「眾聖徒」事工，正式接任遠東廣播公司中國事工部主任。沒想到「遠東」的義工轉成了專職！神的帶領往往是出人意外的！
離開了「遠東」十多年，兜兜轉轉，現在我竟然又以義工的身份回來了。光陰不再，但是我又回到原點，而「遠東」還是我熱愛的工作。回想當年，我第一次講道，有人遞給我一個信封，我心裡偷笑，我做了我最喜歡的事，我來傳福音，竟然還有人給我錢！原來信心的生活是這樣的！現在，主的供應讓我足足有餘，我真的可以叫人不花錢聽福音了；（林前9:18）義工不就是這心態嗎？讓我在餘生的年日繼續作我的義工吧！
On a Monday in 1990, brother Yeu-Ming Tsuei, invited me to audition for the “Good Shepherd” program at FEBC. I didn’t expect this was the start of nearly ten years of my volunteering at FEBC. I could not remember the exact date, but I know it’s a Monday, because it’s a more relaxed day for pastors after preaching on Sunday. It was just like yesterday.
Working in the recording studio let me learn to preach to just one person – not an easy task! Later on, when I was managing the East Coast recording studio of FEBC-CM, I saw a large photo of tens of thousands of people. I realized it was for the benefit of volunteers recording the messages. There is a Chinese idiom, “ten thousand people come out from everywhere, emptying every alleyway,” I am not speaking to people, I am speaking to an empty alley. Preaching is very interactive, to overcome the challenge of no interaction with the audience, I practiced preaching with my eyes closed; because we pray with eyes closed. When you close your eyes, you can imagine preaching to thousands, tens of thousands, or even tens of millions!
I fell in love with this volunteer work at FEBC; when I preached to thousands of brothers and sisters I have never met, I can see them when I close my eyes; they are in my heart! Going to the FEBC recording studio on Mondays became my most favorite relaxation.
One day, must have been a Monday; Rev. John B. Lin waited for me to finish the recording session and asked me to have lunch with him. He told me during lunch that he will be retiring soon and would like me to take over his duties. He noted that I interacted well with co-workers, and had been praying for me for a long time. He hoped that I would give it careful consideration. My immediate response was that I have never done any fundraising work. I am afraid that I am not up to the job. Actually, it was mainly because several colleagues and I had just started the “For All Saints Team Ministries (FASTM)”. We were trying to recruit co-workers with the vision of “For all saints.” How can I change course now? Honestly, however, in my heart I really liked this volunteer broadcasting work. I felt like a fish in the water. So I asked Rev. Lin to continue to pray!
In the end, Rev. Lin came up with a compromise: he asked me be his part-time deputy. I can continue to work at FASTM. The wonderful thing is that the board of directors of the FATSM actually agreed! In the beginning of 2000, I put down the FATSM ministry, and officially took over as director of FEBC-CM. I never expected volunteering for FEBC turned out to be full-time! God’s leading is often unexpected!
After leaving FEBC for more than ten years and visited many places, I found myself returning as a volunteer again. Time passes, but I am back to where I started, and FEBC is still my favorite job. I recall after I preached for the first time many years ago, someone handed me an envelope, I snickered to myself, I just did what I love to do best, preaching the gospel, and someone even paid me! So this is the life of faith!
Now, the Lord blessed me even more abundantly. I can truly ask people not to pay for the gospel; (1 Corinthians 9:18) isn’t this the ideal of volunteering? Let me remain in my volunteering work for the rest of my life!
左起：林本立牧師與師母、周同培師母與牧師 (於2000年)
From left: Rev. & Mrs. John B. Lin, Rev. & Mrs. Peter Chou (2000)