A twice-weekly video series showcases the work of young Lutheran women and men in Hong Kong and seeks to inspire new leaders in the church.
Musician and YouTuber Leung Sze Nga, featured in the first episode of the ‘Thankful Lutherans’ series. Photo: ELCHK
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hong Kong’s Youth Department launches ‘Thankful Lutherans’ video series
(LWI) - A unique insight into the post-pandemic lives of young Lutherans working and worshipping in Hong Kong. That is what the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hong Kong (ELCHK) is offering through a new series of videos being published on YouTube over the coming months. The 23 short films, which include both Chinese and English subtitles, have been designed and produced with funding from the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) as part of a Youth Empowerment project.
Entitled ‘Thankful Lutherans’, the series features young leaders working in a variety of different ministries, as well as a church elder and a missionary who are concerned about the issues facing Hong Kong’s youth. Produced with the support of a Christian media company, the series is the brainchild of the church’s Youth Department which seeks to engage people impacted by the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rev. Jeremy Lau, head of ELCHK’s Youth Department, during the filming of a video for the ‘Thankful Lutherans’ series. Photo: ELCHK
“Many people in our congregations have stopped going to church and a lot of them are still afraid of attending any social activities,” says Rev. Ida Law, ELCHK’s secretary for church ministry. “Other families have emigrated from Hong Kong and this is causing a lot of new challenges for us,” she adds.
Over 200.000 residents left Hong Kong over the past two years, the largest population drop since records began. This is partly the result of strict quarantine policies during the pandemic, as well as continuing political and social unrest inflamed by a national security law introduced by the government in 2020.
ELCHK members Ms. Sandy Wong, Ms. Kary Tsui and Mr. Pak Ching Chan during the filming of a video for the ‘Thankful Lutherans’ series. Photo: ELCHK
“It was so difficult here during the two years of lockdown and many young people in particular are struggling to recover,” Rev. Law notes. “We want to encourage them to connect with the church and to rediscover a shared sense of identity and belonging.” She continues: “Through these videos, we hope to inspire some of them to consider training as pastors and raise up a new generation of leaders to serve the church."
The first episode, published on 17 April, features 22-year-old musician and YouTuber Leung Sze Nga, a Creative Arts and Culture graduate currently working in the church’s worship ministry. A new video will be published every Monday and Thursday until 3 July on the YouTube channel of the ELCHK’s Youth Department https://www.youtube.com/@youthelchk3012
LWF’s Program Executive for Youth Savanna Sullivan welcomed the launch of the video series, describing it as “a great way of showcasing both the challenges and the creativity of young Christians in Hong Kong.” She added: “I urge all our youth to share these videos widely within their networks to inspire others and to pass on the sense of hope that that they hold for the future of our church.”
