
River of Life Christian Church in Philadelphia
Location: Jamison, Pennsylvania
Pastor: Reverend Tony Xu
Year started: 2013
Church Website
River of Life Christian Church in Philadelphia was started in Oct 2013. Brother Tony Xu, who attended Bread of Life Christian Church in Los Angeles, relocated to the East Coast due to work. At first, he attended a church that was not very open to the work of the Holy Spirit, but he felt the longing for the work of the Spirit. Pastor Joseph Sun and Weiwei Du, who led Brother Tony Xu to Christ, encouraged him along with a few other brothers and sisters, who longs for the work of the Spirit, to start a new church. During the East Coast Bread of Life Pastoral Conference in 2010, they received confirmation and encouragement from Pastor Mudao Xiao of Harvest Church of New York. Therefore, they started Sunday gatherings and weekday prayer meetings in Jamison, located in the Greater Philadelphia region. In the East Coast Ling Liang Conference in Jan 2013, they met with Pastor Tong and his wife, and received encouragement from them. In Oct 2013, they officially started River of Life Christian Church in Philadelphia. Since their inception, they have followed the vision of the river of life to build glorious churches in the four aspects of worship and praise, renewal of the Holy Spirit, group churches and evangelism, worship together, grow together, and glorify God. The church holds conferences twice a year to build up the spiritual lives of the congregation. Since the global spread of the pandemic in 2020, the church has switched to online gatherings. Thank the Lord. Although there have been many changes during the epidemic, the number of their online gatherings has increased a lot. Before the pandemic, there were only about 30 people. Now every Sunday gathering is Nearly 200 people come from all over the United States as well as from other countries, and their offerings have also increased. Pastor Xu used to serve part time and experienced God’s power during the epidemic. He saw God’s work at the ROLCC in Philadelphia and felt God’s new calling and promotion to him. So starting in 2021, he served full-time and was officially ordained as a pastor. During the three years of the epidemic, although he faced huge challenges, he was cultivated and established in the Lord, and the ministry of the church continued to grow. Currently, there are online meetings every day during the week, which has solidly increased the lives of members. May God lead the way ahead and bless the church to grow, and at the same time bring God's love to the entire community, making them a local blessing.
費城生命河靈糧堂成立於2013年10月。 原本在南加州真道靈糧堂聚會並擔任理事的徐英傑弟兄,因工作關係搬到美國東岸,開始時在一間對聖靈不開放的教會聚會,但感覺滿足不了心靈上的饑渴和需要。帶他信主的以馬內利靈糧堂的孫新民牧師和杜蔚蔚牧師夫婦,鼓勵他及幾位對生命河靈糧堂的異象和發展有很深感動的弟兄姐妹們,成立一間向聖靈敞開的教會。2012年10月份在東岸靈糧牧者聯禱會中,再次得到紐約豐收靈糧堂蕭慕道牧師的鼓勵及印證,決定在賓州大費城區的Jamison 鎮開始固定的主日聚會、週間的細胞小組及禱告會。2013年一月份,參加東岸靈糧特會時,得到劉彤牧師及師母的勉勵,同年十月正式成立了費城生命河靈糧堂,並於十月六日開始第一次主日崇拜。自成立以來,他們就跟隨生命河的異象,以敬拜讚美,聖靈更新,小組教會和福音宣教四個方面來建設榮耀教會,一起敬拜,共同成長,來榮耀神。他們每年舉辦兩次特會,來建造弟兄姐妹們的屬靈生命。自2020年新冠肺炎全球蔓延以來,教會轉為線上聚會,感謝主,雖然疫情期間有很多的變化,但是他們線上聚會人數增加很多,疫情前聚會只有30人左右,現在每個主日聚會都是近200人,會友來自全美各地,也有其他國家的,奉獻也增加很多。徐英傑牧師原來是帶職服事,在疫情中經歷神的大能,看到神在費城生命河靈糧堂的作為,感受到神對他新的呼召和提升,於是他從2021年開始全職服事,正式按立為傳道,同時於2022年按立為牧師。在三年疫情中,雖然他面臨巨大的挑戰,但他在主裡被造就、被建立,教會事工不斷成長,目前教會正在尋找新的聚會場地,希望可以容納更多人,求神祝福帶領教會,在今年找到場地穩固下來。2025年持續希望新場地與裝潢都能夠持續進行,希望能擴張服務的範圍,讓更多人聽到福音。
partner in prayer:
The church is now planning to purchase an existing building and expand it into a new church. May God personally take charge of the entire process so that every decision is in accordance with God’s will. Pray that God will prepare a suitable location for the new church to become a place to preach the gospel, equip the saints, and serve the community. We also pray that God will inspire our brothers and sisters to be of one mind and one heart in this process, and look to God for provision with faith, so that we will have sufficient financial, resource and human resources.
現在教會正計畫購買現有建築,擴充為新的堂會,求神親自掌管這一切的進程,使每一個決策都在神的旨意之中。求神預備合適的地點,使新的教堂能夠成為傳揚福音、裝備聖徒、服事社區的地方。也求神感動弟兄姊妹,讓大家在這個過程中同心合意,憑信心仰望神的供應,不論是財務、資源還是人力,都能充足無缺。
May God personally grant us a passion for the gospel, so that every group member will be eager to bear witness for you, and courageously invite new friends to join the group to know your love and truth. Please prepare people’s hearts so that those who seek the truth and long for love and hope can be attracted to come among us and find their spiritual home in the group.
求神親自賜下福音的熱情,使每位小組成員都渴望為祢作見證,勇敢邀請新朋友來到小組,認識祢的愛與真理。求祢預備人心,讓那些尋求真理、渴望愛與盼望的人,能夠被吸引來到我們當中,並在小組裡找到屬靈的家。
May God bless all ministries of the church, so that every worship, prayer meeting, discipleship, group, and care ministry can exert influence and become a channel to attract people, so that they can truly feel your love and grace. . May the church become a place filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit, so that everyone who comes can experience God’s healing, deliverance, and renewal.
Lord, we also pray that God will raise up more faithful workers who are willing to commit themselves to serving, so that the growth of the church will not only be an increase in numbers, but also a spiritual maturity and growth.
求神祝福教會的各樣事工,使每一個敬拜、禱告會、門訓、小組、關懷事工,都能發揮影響力,成為吸引人的管道,讓人真實感受到祢的愛與恩典。願教會成為一個充滿聖靈同在的地方,使來到的人都能經歷神的醫治、釋放和更新。
主啊,我們也求神興起更多忠心的工人,願意委身服事,使教會的增長不只是人數上的增加,更是在屬靈上成熟茁壯。