Jeremy Liou

When I first arrived at HOC6, it was the first day of 2017. I had just landed the night before and was still battling jet lag. That morning, I came to the back door of the English Hall, where Dean came out to meet me. Kathy and Chris greeted me warmly, and I also met Matt. During the worship service, Daniel and Kelsey were leading the song Give Us Clean Hands, Give Us Pure Hearts.

That song comes from Psalm 24—the very same psalm my church in Hong Kong had prayed over me before I came to visit this church in the Bay Area. I wondered if God was already saying something. Three days later, I attended the Wednesday night prayer meeting led by Pastor Sidney. The very first thing he said was a quote from Psalm 24: ““Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.”(Psalm‬ ‭24‬:‭3‬-‭4‬)

The same verse again, the third time. In that moment, I knew I had received His confirmation—this was the church He was calling me to serve.

I have now been here serving at HOC6 for eight years. It’s a small church; we don’t have a lot of people. But what continually impresses me is the people’s heart for service. Almost everyone serves in some capacity. We don’t really have spectators here—everyone participates. It’s very close to my vision of an ideal church, a worshiping community where everyone takes part rather than simply watching.

When I first arrived, our Sunday attendance was around 20 to 30 people—sometimes as few as 15 on a quiet week. Today, our attendance averages 45 to 50. We’ve grown a bit, and more importantly, we’ve become more steady in our faith. Our young adults especially have become more committed to the life of the church.

My hope is that we will continue to raise up the next generation, growing together in faith, in the love of God, and in love for one another. May God continue to use this church for His glory and make us a blessing to our community.

All glory and thanksgiving be to God.

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Alice Wong

When I was first invited to write this testimony, I felt honored and thankful for this opportunity to share my little story, and more importantly, taking time to reflect on how amazing God’s guidance has been shaping me to whom I am today growing with HOC6 together. Over the past 25 years, God has been leading me to walk with the church as a witness and be part of a church family member.

To me, what makes HOC6 so special is that we all began as strangers, yet through God’s grace, we not only opened our hearts to the Lord, but also to one another.

Back to January 1999, I was brought to Ardenwood Elementary School to join church service in Mandarin. “Wasn’t it strange to have service at an elementary school?” Moreover, the services were in Mandarin, which was a language I did not understand back then, so, I would spend Sundays at the school playground with my cousin waiting for the adults to finish the service. Of course, the “fun” did not last long. Many brothers and sisters patiently reached out to us in different ways. In time, they gathered couple more young teens to start Sunday School in English.

Reflecting on all the things happened back in the old days during that time, I can see how God has planned a seed deep inside my heart, which guided me to walk a step towards Him following the plan that He has prepared for me. As more youth leaders started to join us from another Home of Christ Church, we eventually grew bigger and moved to Agape Center with the Chinese congregation and the English congregation was formed. It moved again to have services in a conference room of a hotel in Union Landing. (“The name of the hotel? You can ask me in person if you’re curious.”)

Those young leaders played a very important role in my life — and I believe many others felt the same too. Their willingness of serving, reaching out across ages, welcoming newcomers, and helping others even outside the church truly reflected love in action. We have all learned to “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31) and turned it to action. As both the Chinese and English congregations grew, we found our current building finally, where we can worship God together with peace of mind, a real Home of Christ.

The care and encouragement that I have experienced from our church has continually strengthened me. It helped me to overcome my timidity and serve God in different areas. From greeting at the door and helping with events, to painting a mural for our church upstairs, designing bulletins, flyers, the website, and even serving as a moderator — God has used each opportunity to help me grow stronger in Him, as well as shaping me to be His better follower and shine outside of church.

If someone asks when did I begin to believe in God or how my faith started, I cannot give a specific date or moment as it has been a long journey of knowing Him gradually since I was a baby — a lifelong process of learning and trusting. For a long time, I hesitated to get baptized because I was waiting for a “dramatic moment” that would make my heart race like in many others’ testimonies. I also carried doubts, troubling myself that unanswered questions meant weak in faith. Because of that, I did not get baptized for over 10 years after joining HOC6.

I am thankful, however, for our English small groups — especially Northward, which I joined and have seen its growth in both size and depth in bonding over the years. In 2012, the year I was baptized, our group was so large that it nearly needed to be split into two smaller groups! Though each of us was at a different stage of understanding the Bible, we learned and experienced God’s work together. That year, one verse from Mark 9:24 deeply moved me: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” This calm yet powerful reminder gave me the encouragement to be baptized, even though I didn’t feel completely “ready.”

Looking back over these 25 years, I am grateful to grow together with our church. Even during recent years when the pandemic changed how we worship God, we have grown bigger and stronger as one body in Christ. I thank God for allowing me to join the Cantonese Congregation online with my dad and continue being part of the church family in a different way. It also opened doors for more people — both believers and lost sheep — to hear God’s Word. I have faith in Him that He will open everyone’s ears and soften their heart by the Love and works which He has arranged for us to experience through our brothers and sisters.

Every small piece of care and action might seem nothing to make an impact to others, but let’s not be discouraged and look down on those small actions as these are tiny pieces of puzzles to connect to God’s bigger picture. A year ago, Minister from the Cantonese congregation randomly brought up a conversation with me about a Bible reading plan. It requires many people’s willingness to spend time in reading aloud the Bible chapters and record them for the church. You may already imagine how hard to start this project in the beginning. As there were not enough volunteers to complete the plan, I took a small step forward to be a part of this, though I have taken the least responsibility. This project turned out to be very successful and it has extended to another year. I believe many of us has adapted technology to a certain point, especially the elderly, while developing a habit of reading Bible.

May we continue to grow together as one family in Christ, and walk faithfully with Him in the years to come.

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Lance Lin (at her baptism)

My name is Lance. I am from China. I came to the Bay Area to study for my master’s degree. I have been here for a year now.

No one in my family is Christian. But I had friends who took me to a church in China. I also read the Bible a little. At that time, I didn’t understand much, but I could feel that the people around me had something special — a peace and strength I didn’t have. Looking back now, I realize that God had already begun guiding me long before I truly knew Him.

Six months ago, I decided to find a church nearby. That’s how I found HOC6. Robbin welcomed me and took me to the Chinese congregation. The first time I came to church was on Easter Sunday. That day, Robbin and other believers shared their testimonies. I also saw two people get baptized. Their peace and joy touched me deeply, and it made me start believing in God.

On the same day, Elder Jerry gave a sermon called “Jesus’ Reality Show.” He talked about the evidence of Jesus’ resurrection — the empty tomb, how the disciples’ lives changed afterward, and how Christianity grew. This made me realize that faith is not just emotional; it’s also built on truth. It made me believe in Jesus even more.

I also found out that Elder Rich’s wife, Bao Yun, and I are from the same hometown in China. We even went to the same high school and university! This made me feel like I had found an old friend in a new place. I could see that God was gently connecting my life to His plan.

As I came to church more, I began to see how God’s love is revealed through people. Everyone here is kind, patient, and genuine. Their peace is not from this world. Through them, I started to experience God’s grace — quiet yet powerful, steady yet transforming. HOC6 soon became my new spiritual home.

But faith was not always easy for me. I used to think I could handle everything by myself — that I only needed to do what was right. I focused on actions more than trust. Yet the more I tried to rely on myself, the more I realized something was missing inside. Slowly, I learned that faith is not about doing enough, but about surrendering to God and letting Him work through me.

Whenever I had questions about God or the Bible, Elder Dean and Pastor Jeremy patiently guided me. They reminded me that true faith is not built on how much I know, but on who I trust. Through their help, I began to move from understanding with my head to believing with my heart.

For two months, I moved to San Francisco and Mountain View, so I couldn’t come back to HOC6 often. During that time, I felt very lonely and spiritually dry. That was when I realized how much HOC6 had already become part of my life. I missed the worship, the fellowship, and the peace that came from being close to God.

I am thankful that God has been patient with me through this journey — through my doubts, my questions, and my slow growth. He never gave up on me. He waited and guided me with love.

Now I understand that faith is not about having every answer, but about trusting the One who does. I want to live not by sight, but by faith — to let my old self die and to live a new life in Christ.

I am grateful for everyone here at HOC6 who has shown me God’s love and helped me grow. I look forward to walking with you all and continuing to draw closer to Him.

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Dorcas Chang

I have attended Home of Christ 6 (HOC6) since I was ten years old –meaning I’ve been here for 23 years, a little over two-thirds of my life. I can confidently say that HOC6 is where God wants me. However, I didn’t always feel this way.

In my youth, I couldn’t care less where I went to church. HOC6 was where my parents made me come every Sunday. Once I started attending the English Ministry, my apathy turned to dread. My parents would drop me off at the hotel where the English Ministry held their Sunday service and where I knew no one. It was a room of strangers and I was at my most awkward and uncomfortable stage of life: middle school. Eventually, all the congregations met together once we had our own building. By then, I no longer dreaded going to church. Instead, I developed a bit of resentment. I couldn’t understand why I had to keep coming back to a place where I didn’t belong and no one knew me. I would have continued in my bitterness if it weren’t for young disciples (yD), the youth group at the time. I didn’t realize how tired I was of being invisible, of not knowing what to do with myself until my parents came to pick me up. Now that I found yD, I no longer wanted to leave right away after church, I wanted to stay longer. 

All I needed was to be seen, and once I was seen, I bloomed, and so did my faith as well. The timing couldn’t have been better, as I took my faith seriously right before I left for college. Looking back, I know I couldn’t have experienced immense growth in college if it weren’t for the catalyst of my spiritual journey: yD. So, you would think that I would come back to HOC6 after college grateful for how it has contributed to my faith and eager to serve as a way to give back. Unfortunately, I did not come back with a humble attitude, though at least I came back! Instead, I came back thinking that my stay was temporary because I had outgrown HOC6, having become so “spiritually mature” in college. In fact, HOC6 was going to be a stepping stone to a greater, better church– one with a coffee bar. 

Even though I kept telling myself HOC6 was a temporary stay, I was thankfully very lazy about church hopping. The more I put off church hopping, the more involved I got in church, and the more stuck I felt at HOC6. The dream to leave was always there, especially during the difficult transition I had with changing leadership. I remember coming back from visiting my friend’s church in LA thinking how my friend was thriving in a lush rain forest while I was shriveling up in a desert at HOC6. I would have continued in this second bout of bitterness if it weren’t for my mother getting cancer and dying. I didn’t leave because I didn’t want to have any more major changes in my life and I realized how much people at HOC6 cared for my family after my mom passed away. I wanted to stay longer.

The longer I stayed, the more I served, and the inevitable happened: I was asked to be on the Leadership Team. Elder Dean gave me a month to think about it, so naturally, I took about six months to get back to him. I knew that if I committed to the Leadership Team (LT) I would have to attend regular meetings (shudder) and I would have to truly let go of the dream to leave. Most of all, I was struggling with my pride of how important I thought I was. Finally, God told me: “The church doesn’t need you. You need the church.” Despite all her flaws and shortcomings, God loves HOC6 so much. He is going to take care of her whether or not I am on LT, whether or not I stay. HOC6 is God’s. He will be there for her even when I am gone, even when everyone I know and love is gone. This was my most humbling moment. Free from my pride, I decided to be on the LT, further cementing my stay at HOC6. 

Now, I didn’t think it was possible to lock in my stay at HOC6 even more until I signed the papers to be the Youth Director at HOC6 a year or two later. There were definitely a lot of growing pains and tears transitioning from a volunteer to a staff member and a lot of challenges that come with being a Youth Director. But I am convinced more and more every day this is where God wants me to be. Looking back at my history with HOC6, I realized that this was God’s plan all along. God had planted my love for the church long before it would grow and even when love sprouted, it would take time to bloom. It turns out the best kind of love takes time to grow. 

After all these years, I am grateful for how HOC6 has always opened its door for me no matter how resentful, bitter, and prideful I was. I am grateful for how patient HOC6 has been with me when I didn’t care for her as well as I should have, when I looked down at her, and when I wanted to leave her. I am grateful that HOC6 didn’t give up on me as a youth, an adult, and as a staff. I am grateful for all the painful lessons she has taught me and the incredible joy she has given me time and time again. I am incredibly grateful for all the people I have met because of her, all the people that have shown me Christ’s love, all the people I love. Most of all I am thankful that she is where I met the greatest love of my life, Jesus.