Welcome
Each year, the southern California Evangelical Formosan Churches put on a retreat for their English ministries. Come for food, fellowship, and fun!
Retreat Theme: Living a PC (Practical Christian) Life
“Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”
Date/Location
Friday, December 26 – Monday, December 29, 2008
Pine Summit Christian Camps
700 Wren Drive
Big Bear Lake, CA [map]
Registration
(1) Register here
(2) Print out and sign the Release of Liability Form
Charts
See who else is going! These charts and tables represent registrant data in real time.
Deadlines
Early: $175
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Regular: $190
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Late: $205
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Total Registered
Registrars
Alhambra: Bryant Lee
Arcadia: Andy Kuo
Berkeley: (?)
Cerritos: (?)
East Valley: Sam Shui
Grace Bible Church: Mike Lin
Hacienda Heights: (?)
Inland Empire: (?)
Irvine: Helen Yu
Los Angeles: Henry Wang
Orange County: Brian Su
Saddleback Valley: Yen Lin
San Diego: Justin To
San Fernando Valley: Carol Sun
South Bay: Chris Maruyama
Promotion
Winter Retreat Video Contest to Win Your Registration Back!
Share your thoughts on the "Living a PC Life" theme and get your *early* registration back! The content of video should be appropriate material relating to your interpretation of the retreat theme of "Living a PC Life" based on John 13:17. If you have any questions about this video contest, e-mail Sam at efcchurches [at] aol.com.
Winner: Practical Living - EFC Orange County
Entries were based on five categories:
- Creativity (How original is the idea?)
- Artistic Presentation (Composition, Idea Expression)
- Technique (Filming, Acting, Drawing)
- Relevance (Is the theme addressed? Has the entry “interpreted the retreat theme of ‘Living a PC Life’ based on John 13:17” or answered the following question: What is living a PC Life?)
- Replay Value (Fun, Viewable, Good Promo)
"First off, I would like to thank all the participants in this year’s video contest. You’ve all made a good effort and should be proud of your work. Unfortunately, since this is a contest, there has to be a winner. After watching each entry several times and careful consideration over the criteria being evaluated, I have come to the conclusion that EFC Irvine’s entry and EFC OC’s entry are quite supplementary to each other. In particular the issue of relevance was key. Both of these entries do a good job of illustrating aspects of Christian living, yet neither is entirely comprehensive (EFC I is more on the Practical Church life vs EFC OC is on Practical Living but misses the “Christian” part since the principles presented can be applied to life in general and thus to non-Christians as well). A film combining the essence of both these entries would have been great. EFC EV’s entry compliments the above two by telling us what the Practical Christian Life ISN’T. The EFC SBV entry, then, is a straight forward presentation for the retreat theme and verse, which is nice for its simplicity. I hate to declare one a winner over the other, however, but based solely on point count, the winner would be EFC Orange County by a mere 1.5 point differential. All in all everyone did a good job so use these promo films to their fullest extent and let's have a great Winter Retreat!"
— Isaac Liao, EFC General Assembly (October 17, 2007)
Speakers
Pastor Gabe Barber
EFC Orange County
Gabe Barber came to EFC of Orange County as the English Pastor in 2005, the same year he graduated from Talbot School of Theology. He grew up in Irvine, CA and went to college at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. It was there that he met his beautiful wife Cheri, to whom he has been married for 8 years. Gabe and Cheri have two children, Andrew (3) and Keira (born March 2008). Some of Gabe’s favorite things to do are play games with his family, watch and play all kinds of sports (Go Lakers!), read books that are unique and challenging, and drink a nice cup of coffee.
Pastor Andy Kuo
EFC Arcadia
Andy Kuo grew up in Cincinnati, OH and moved to Wisconsin to attend college at University of Wisconsin–Madison. After working professionally, he moved to California to attend Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena in 2005 and became the Youth Pastor of EFC–Arcadia in 2006. Andy is a huge extrovert and loves cats. On the side he is a big Apple computer geek, likes to build websites, and plays World of Warcraft.
Pastor James Yu
EFC Irvine
James Yu was born in Taiwan and came to America when he was 12 years old. After high school he fell in love with business and pursued it for 18 years. He is currently a fulltime pastor at EFC of Irvine and loving it. When he has some free time he spends it with Helen, his wife of 20 years, and his three children. To James, there is nothing more gratifying than seeing lives transformed by the grace of God.
Workshops
Workshops are an important part of Winter Retreat. It gives campers the opportunity to choose among different topics that interest them. Topics are subject to change.
Christian Perspectives on Homosexuality Session 2 only
Pastor Eddie Sun, EFC Los Angeles
This workshop is a summary of different Christian perspectives on the issue of homosexuality. We will be discussing these positions in their understanding and interpretations of what the Bible says on this subject. We will also be discussing the different positions regarding Proposition 8 [VoterGuide, Wikipedia, Ballotpedia], and the legal ramifications for us as a church and as a denomination.
Faith/Evangelism in the Workplace Sessions 1 and 2
Tim Wu, EFC Irvine
This workshop will look at leadership from how Jesus lead during his time on earth, and will include a discussion of how we can be effective Christian leaders in our circle of influence. In addition, it will cover the basics of leadership, ranging from making a solid first impression to business etiquettes.
Free Will/Predestination Sessions 1 and 2
Pastor Andy Kuo, EFC Arcadia
A common question is how free will and predestination work together in God's world. How does one reconcile the doctrine of election and the doctrine of salvation by grace? This major controversy among Christians will be discussed, as well as a brief introduction to the major beliefs of Calvinism and Arminianism. The purpose of this workshop is to present these opposing views, and participants are encouraged to come to conclusions on their own.
Genesis Session 1
Pastor James Yu, EFC Irvine
Genesis One – is a provocative view on the first chapter of the Bible, challenging the traditional interpretation using Historical – Theological approach. Perhaps the most contested chapter in all of scripture, some of the question this session will address the relationship between the Word of God and modern day science. Why are we forced to take the position of one or the other? Or is there a healthy harmony between the two? What is a consistent reading of Genesis One despite our understanding of evolutionary science?
(CANCELLED) Inductive Bible Study Session 1
Pastor Gabe Barber, EFC Orange County
You don’t need a Seminary degree to study the Bible! The beauty of God’s word is that it was written by normal people, for normal people. Come to this workshop to learn how to deepen your personal Bible studies and open up the Scriptures.
Missions Sessions 1 and 2
Pastor Joe Chou, EFC San Fernando Valley
A workshop about what our Christ-centered mission in life is, with an emphasis on how take real steps out into the mission field; going beyond summer mission trips. Check this workshop out if you're interested in how to find your life by first losing it!
Personal Evangelism Sessions 1 and 2
Elder Sam Shui, EFC East Valley
Don't know how to share Jesus without make it one of those "awkward" moments? Come and get some help on ways to share Your faith with others. Learn how to cultivate a life of evangelism, and shining your light for Jesus.
Romancing the Stone Session 2
Pastor James Yu, EFC Irvine
Romancing the Stone – is an observation and critique on relationship in the 21st century. In a world filled with moral ambiguity what is a Christian’s perspective on dating and sexuality? How has the media and post-modernity transform the way we think of romance and love? What does the Bible say in regards to our sexual identity as a believer?
What is God’s Will for Me? Sessions 1 and 2
Pastor Ted Kau, EFC East Valley
Can I be absolutely sure about God’s will for my life? How can I be sure he/she is the one, that this is God’s job for me, that this is the right house to by, or where to go for mission? Come to this workshop for answers from the Bible.
Post-Retreat Media
2008 Winter Retreat Slide Show
Pictures courtesy: Julie Ip (CER), Richard Yang (CER), Isaac Liao (OC), James Lee (LA), Jason Lee (LA), Jolene Lee (LA), Ted Kau (EV)
Main Session Videos
Praise and Testimony Night
Acknowledgements
Post Retreat Survey
Let us know how we did!