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BY CARRIE MADREN
UMCONNECTION CORRESPONDENT

During a Sunday night study group, Doris Chan rarely sits still. Moving about the group, she leans over to a few older members, quietly translating Mandarin Chinese to Cantonese as her husband, Stephen, makes introductions. A few minutes later, she's translating both Chinese dialects for two English-speaking visitors and explaining family connections between group members. Later she slips over beside her husband to lead a hymn in Chinese.

For the past few months, the Chans have helped nurture a growing Chinese community at the mainly English-speaking Glen Mar UMC in Ellicott City.

It's their first experience with a United Methodist church. They came to Glen Mar in June on the recommendation of friends. "The people really touched us," Doris said. "The whole church is involved, even little kids, youth, everybody's serving."

As 18 small groups formed in the fall to study the "Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations," by Bishop Robert Schnase, the Chans decided to invite nearby Chinese family friends to begin a Chinese-speaking group.

Since the book was in English, the Chans summarized the main points of each chapter into Chinese to help the group in study. They've also made Chinese hymn binders that include traditional United Methodist hymns translated into Cantonese or Mandarin.

"One of the goals is for Christian fellowship, to encourage each other, to have good bonding, and the second goal is to evangelize," Doris said. Currently, she and Stephen are in the process of building up disciples, training others to take on leadership roles and lead the group.

Meeting together as disciples is changing their lives, the group members said.

"We need to have faith to walk with God; when we have more trust, we're able to let him use us," said group member and pianist Joe Xiu, who recounted an experience in talking with a difficult teacher, in which she prayerfully prepared for the conversation.

Another group member shared how when working at a nursing home, she decided to start working to please God, rather than her employer and ended up becoming Employee of the Month. Another mother shared how her teenage son, seated beside her, had changed since becoming a Christian.

"It amazed me that there was this truly intergenerational study, with college, middle and high school students, as well as older adults," said the Rev. Mary Ka Kanahan, pastor for community life, who has been helping the group with logistics.

Some of the group members attend worship services, said Chan, but language is a barrier for others. Someday, the Chans hope to get a headphone translation system for the sanctuary, so that non-English-speaking Chinese worshippers can listen to services translated immediately into their native language.