5 Questions with...James Cheng-Hsien Chiang

1. How did you first get involved with Friendship Presbyterian? I first met [FPC members] James and Monica Jih through a reunion with a mutual friend, Mike, who was my pastor in Pittsburgh. I am from Taiwan and spent two years in Pittsburgh as a visiting scholar doing research with a prestigious professor. Mike came to Taiwan with his wife to visit his father in-law and also caught up with James and Monica.

2. What do you do Monday through Saturday? I have a full-time job as an engineer in an auto-injector manufacturing company. I work Monday through Friday and stay chill on Saturday. 

3. What is something people might be surprised to know about you? I have done skydiving with friends from a height of 15,000 feet from a helicopter. The experience was scary, but amazing.

4. What do you find most challenging about being a Christian today? To use time smartly. Because there are so many temptations out there in the world that make every effort to steal your attention away from serving God. 

5. What is one of your favorite books of the Bible? I love the stories of King David. He escaped and suffered a lot before he really became the king on the throne. Also, in many ways, his story is as down-to-earth as any living person here today. David succeeded and failed in different areas of his life. So my favorite books are 1st and 2nd Samuel. 

Pictures from April - Youth outing. Church picnic. Tenebrae service. Baptisms. Members Lunch. Whew.

Photos by Stephen Tsai and Peter Brown.

Youth Outing in Sanchong (2)

Church Picnic (5)

Good Friday Tenebrae Service (3)

Baptisms (1)

Members’ Lunch (4)

Noteworthy Events

• Youth Group Weekly Gatherings - Fridays, 6:30-9:30pm: Our Youth Ministry has concluded its trial-period of Friday evening gatherings and is now pleased to offer the meetings on an ongoing basis. We provide a time of worship, Bible study, fellowship, and fun. We meet every Friday (except Friday, April 5th, due to the holiday), 6:30-9:30pm, at 261 Roosevelt Road, 6th floor.

• New FPC Line News Group: We have a new FPC LINE news group where you can get all the latest information about FPC. You will not receive a bunch of messages from other people, only from FPC. You can also send prayer requests which will be received by the church leaders. To join, search for "@osv3181q" or scan this QR code.

• Christianity Q&A – Sunday, April 7th, 1:30-3:00pm: Bring your questions about God, the Bible, or your walk with Christ, and we will answer as many as we can with Pastor Kim in our upcoming Q&A session hosted by FPC’s university ministry, Gospel 2 the Campus. All are welcome. Room #501 in the church building.

• Monthly Prayer Group – Tuesday, April 9th, 7:30pm: FPC’s monthly prayer group, “The Engine Room,” meets regularly on the second Tuesday of each month. Accordingly, the April meeting will be held Tuesday, April 9th. Come join us for an evening of Kingdom-centered prayer. We gather at 7:30pm on the 4th floor of the church building and go into prayer from 7:45 to 9:00. All are welcome.

• Youth Outing – Saturday, April 13th: All FPC teens (and their friends!) are invited to an afternoon of bowling and other games in Sanchong from 11:00am to 4:30pm. Lunch will be provided by the church. Required permission slips are available in the Sunday youth service and at the Newcomer Welcome table in the fellowship hall.

• Communion Sunday – April 14th: We will hold our monthly celebration of the Lord’s Supper during the service next Sunday, April 14th. Please prepare your hearts to participate in this intimate act of recognition of our dependence on our Lord Jesus Christ.

• Church Picnic – Sunday, April 14th: Grab your lunch and come join us for an all-church picnic! We will gather together at the Triangle Park outside the church building at 1:00pm, then walk over to Tai Da Lake to enjoy food and fellowship.

• Good Friday Tenebrae Service – April 19th, 7:00-8:30pm: In the Easter season, the Tenebrae (TEN-uh-bray) service recreates the emotional aspects of the passion story. '“Tenebrae” is Latin for “darkness,” and the somber tone of the service emphasizes the darkness of the crucifixion. There will be orchestral music, readings from the crucifixion story, the lighting and extinguishing of candles, and the return of the Christ candle at the end looking forward to his resurrection. There will also be cross-nailing and the Lord’s Supper.

• Spotlight on Service: Did you know that each Sunday at FPC, church service takes an average of 28 individual acts of service? We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the 72 individuals who served FPC during a Sunday service or special event in March. If you would like to join our team of volunteers, please email deacons@friendshiptaipei.com.