After serving in Taiwan for many years with a very small organization, we began to feel a kind of weariness that comes from laboring in spiritually hard places. Without a team, we felt like the work God had called us to in West Taipei was unsustainable, and while burnout isn’t the right word, there was certainly a sense of being overwhelmed and unprepared for the needs around us.

The gospel that first drew us to faith—God’s lavish grace toward sinners—also began to reshape how we understood ministry. We realized that longevity in this work would require more than perseverance or competence; it would require a community and a set of shared convictions that continually brought us back to grace. Those convictions would go on to shape not only how we served in Taipei, but what kind of team and organization we were ultimately seeking.

During our onboarding with Serge, we saw the values God had cultivated in our hearts lived out in tangible ways. We were encouraged by how the gospel shaped not only individuals but the culture of the organization as a whole. We experienced a community marked by hospitality, humility, honesty, and prayerful dependence on God. That posture—rooted in grace rather than performance—confirmed for us that this was a place where we could continue serving faithfully for the long haul.

The four core values of Serge are:

• Centrality of the gospel 福音的中心性 
• Ministry from weakness 從軟弱中服事
• Kingdom-Centered prayer 以神國為中心的禱告
• Love for people 愛人的心

Having lived and served in Taiwan for more than 12 years, one of our most recurring hopes and prayers is that more churches would be established here, where Christ and His gospel are at the center of everything the church does. This means the preaching, teaching, small groups, prayer meetings, outreach events, and everything in between would be formed by the gospel of grace.

1. 福音的中心性 (Centrality of the Gospel)

We believe that the only hope for West Taipei is the gospel of Jesus Christ. God so loved the world that He gave us His one and only Son, and only through Him can anyone in Taipei (or in any city or place on earth) find peace with God. Therefore, it is the name of Jesus that we proclaim here, praying at all times for open hearts to receive this precious gift.

“Gospel-centered” doesn’t mean the law of God is denigrated; it simply means that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation and that apart from Jesus, we can do nothing (John 15:5). As Tim Keller wrote, “The gospel is not just the A-B-C’s but the A-Z of Christianity.” It’s the means by which we are reconciled with God, it’s the fuel for our renewal in Christ, and it’s the never-ending fountain of comfort and peace which Jesus offers to us through our union with Him. 

In order for both of us to humbly serve our community and boldly share this gospel, we first need ourselves to be renewed by God’s grace for us in Christ. When we are filled with peace and joy because of what Jesus has done for us, then we will more eagerly share the Good News with our neighbors. It’s so easy to forget how much we’ve been forgiven and how deeply we’re loved by God. Working with an organization like Serge, that constantly reminds us of the gospel, enables us to thrive and be refreshed by it—month after month, year after year—as we continue laboring here in Taiwan.

2. 從軟弱中服事 (Ministry From Weakness)

Weakness is not something most of us like to talk about, as it brings up feelings of shame and inadequacy. But the reality is that we all have areas where we are weak (physically, emotionally, and spiritually). We all have parts of our hearts where, although we love God, we need renewal and repentance.

This shouldn’t surprise us, because after all, the gospel itself is only Good News to those who are first humbled by God. It comes to us as life-giving, amazing news after we admit our need for God’s mercy and rescuing grace. When you and I admit we are weak but proclaim that God is mighty to save, then His strength will begin to empower us to do that which is, humanly speaking, impossible. 

We will love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.

We will leave our comfort zones and move out in faith to live a life of love and hospitality.

The Bible affirms again and again that true strength is not found by looking within ourselves; rather, it is found in the Lord.

Being part of an organization that recognizes that the Lord is our strength is refreshing and takes the pressure off of ourselves. Serge believes in the counter-cultural idea that when we are weak, then God is strong. This core value isn’t just written down in a field manual somewhere, but we’ve seen it embodied in the way they run their meetings, the way they teach and preach, in their publishing, and in the way they care for their members.

Ministry from weakness does not mean passivity or resignation. It means choosing to labor in honest dependence on God rather than relying on our own competence or strength. While we still strive for excellence, we seek to do so with humility—willing to confess our shortcomings and to live lives marked by repentance and faith. We trust that it is God’s all-surpassing power, not our effort, that accomplishes His purposes, and that as we depend on Christ, both we and those we serve are continually shaped by grace.

3. 以神國為中心的禱告 (Kingdom-Centered Prayer)

It’s easy to say that prayer should be an indispensable part of our lives as followers of Jesus (we are especially aware of this as full-time Christian missionaries), and yet prayer far too easily takes a backseat to the seemingly more pressing demands of life and ministry.

As we mentioned above, none of us wants to admit that we are weak and needy. We want to appear strong and competent: able to overcome whatever the world throws at us.

Jesus told His disciples that apart from Him, they could do nothing. The Psalms remind God’s people that unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Despite these Biblical realities, we often look first to our own wisdom and strength when challenges arise. This doesn’t mean we don’t pray, but our prayer life is often much less rich and connected to God than we desire.

Recently, we attended a praying life seminar here in Taipei. The speaker, Jon Hori from seeJesus (a ministry founded by Paul Miller, son of Jack and Rose Marie Miller), shared with us how God desires us to cry out to Him in humble dependence, not just when we are desperate and out of options, but throughout our entire lives. A praying life is one where we seek God’s presence and experience His grace, even when we come to Him with doubts, discouragement, or a sense of disconnectedness. 

Annie and I appreciate that our organization puts prayer at the center of all they do. They believe it fuels mission, sustains missionaries, and opens up conversations with those around us about our ever-present need for grace and renewal in the gospel.

4. 愛人的心 (Love for People)

You might be thinking: Why is love for people listed as a core value? Doesn’t every missions organization strive to love people? 

Serge highlights this intentionally because it can be all too easy to let methods, curriculum, programs, and structure replace our love for others. Though we want to do well in these areas, God calls us to be transformed by grace so we can truly love people. Therefore, we focus on meeting people’s needs lovingly and holistically, even as we pursue their deepest need: reconciliation with God.

Love is at the center of everything we want to do here in Taiwan. Love for our God who sent His Son to live and die for us, love for one another in our marriage, love for our children as they live and grow up as third-culture kids, love for the Church, and love for our neighbors in Wanhua.

One tangible way we try to express love to our neighbors is through hospitality. Hospitality isn’t just entertaining guests—it’s a way of life that welcomes strangers and helps them feel at home.

It’s no coincidence that we call our cafe and Gospel Center “Homeland”. Many people in our community are lonely and longing for a place to belong. We strive to welcome everyone who steps into our Gospel Café with the love of Christ, and this is why we’ve chosen to be in the business of gospel-driven hospitality.

Since perhaps only 1% of those living in our community are followers of Jesus, we cannot assume that anyone we meet has ever heard the gospel or even has a Christian friend. 

We all long for home, and in the brokenness of life, so often home is a place not of peace and joy, but of hurt and alienation. Therefore, we need to holistically and lovingly welcome people in the name of Jesus, and offer them friendship, prayer, and a place to find true and abiding rest. 

Our vision is to see more people in South Wanhua come to know, love, and experience Jesus through gospel proclamation and the transforming power of grace.