Chinese Adventists help strengthen urban communities in Jakarta and around Indonesia

Radio shows on health spark interest among a growing number of listeners while a local health food store provides a network of support to customersRadio shows on health spark interest among a growing number of listeners while a local health food store provides a network of support to customers

Participants to a recent health camp sponsored by Chinese Ministry Center-Jakarta in Indonesia. [photo grabbed from CMC Jakarta Facebook page)

Organized in 2003, the Chinese Adventist membership in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta has found a way to serve urban communities by offering a practical and sustainable jumpstart to improve the quality of life for city dwellers. This enthusiastic group, mostly composed of working professionals in various fields, started the Chinese Ministry Center (CMC) and began producing a simple radio talk show in 2006. The show’s focus on health issues widely caught the attention of listeners. Information about these radio shows are also shared through social media to reach a wider audience. The hosts would then invite their listeners to a health camp where activities are centered on nutrition, spiritual & social health and physical fitness.

The founding members of CMC truly believe that every member of the Adventist church needs to be personally involved in sharing love, spreading hope and encouraging spiritual and physical healing to communities. To support this, four centers of influence were first established by the CMC-Jakarta in the Jakarta suburbs of Cideng, Pluit, Kelapa Gading and Serpong.

Today, centers of influence are promoted as Life Hope Centers by the Adventist world church (GC). These centers can be any establishment that connects the church to the needs of the community.

The focus of these centers in Jakarta is as varied as the Adventists who serve there.

Liong Pit Lin is involved in the Life Hope Center in Pluit. She miraculously healed after being diagnosed with three types of critical stage cancer. She now travels across Indonesia to share her testimony. She believes it is God’s way of blessing others through her story and allows her to offer awareness seminars on cancer and prevention.

Liong Pit Lin, one of the founding members of the Chinese Ministry Center-Jakarta talks to Adventist world church president Guillermo Biaggi at Club Sehat during his recent visit to the health food store and community center run by Adventist members in Jakarta. Lin is a cancer survivor and would travel across Indonesia to talk about cancer awareness and quality lifestyle. [photo by Joshua Sagala]

Dewi Tjhin is a career woman who has devoted her life for the mission of the church because she found joy in following Jesus Christ. She believes that God’s purpose in her life is to serve others. As much as she is still involved with the programs and planning of the Chinese Ministry Center-Jakarta, she presently gives more of her time as an administrative director of Sekolah Kristen Makarios, a school where she is developing a program that caters to the holistic academic experience of students. She believes that if students have a clear understanding of self-worth and personal value as God sees them, they will attain success. This will therefore help fulfill their purpose in life and encourage them to become better citizens of their country.

One of Dewi Tjhin's Facebook posts evidently shows her burden to provide quality education to youth from any status of life giving them a chance for a better future. Pictured is a bag of bananas and other farm produce given as a gift to her by a child who came to attend Makarios, a school where Dewi serves as director. [photo grab from Dewi Tjhin's Facebook page]

Liong Pit Lin & Dewi Tjhin would also find the time to co-host in CMC-Jakarta’s local radio show giving health tips and encouragement to their listeners. The show is aired on Heartline FM 100.6. They would also post updates and information on their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/cmc.jakarta88

Today, Adventists all over Indonesia took inspiration from what CMC started in Jakarta and have now started Life Hope Centers in places like Bandung, Surabaya, Semarang, Makasar, Manado, Solo and Bali.

One result is Club Sehat, a health food store in Bandung, a city southeast of Jakarta. Club Sehat not only introduces products for a healthier lifestyle, but has become a venue for locals in the community. Local church members come to support the regular meetings organized for customers who have a deeper interest in how to live a quality life. This Life Hope Center provides a safe place where locals can join in light conversations or intentional discussions over specialized topics which they can practically apply in their lives.

A small community meeting area in Club Sehat, a health food store and community center called Life Hope Center in Bandung, Indonesia where the local Adventist church members would share health and lifestyle presentations to connect with the customers of the store. [photo by Joshua Sagala]

Dr. Max Langi and wife Elsye (in Batik), bring their choice of drinks to the cash register of Club Sehat during their visit to Indonesia on May 7. Club Sehat, located in Bandung Indonesia, is a health food store and community center or Life Hope Center managed by Adventist members in Bandung, Indonesia. Langi is the treasurer of the Adventist church in the southern Asia-pacific region [photo by Joshua Sagala]

Offering practical life improvement and positive messages, these are just a few ways the Adventist church in Indonesia is becoming known for its centers of life and hope. With more members becoming inspired to share more with their communities, plans are underway for more Life Hope Centers. To learn more about these centers and how to get involved in your area, go to https://am.adventistmission.org/lhc.

Indonesia, one of 14 countries in the Southern Asia-Pacific Division territory, is home to over 200,000 Adventists in over 1,700 churches.

[Gay Deles]

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