Tony Wang
Grace Irvine Church | Irvine, California
Tell us about your family.
My wife’s name is Lin, and we have been married for 11 years. We have three children: Josiah, 10; Karis, 6; and Vera, 1. As a family, we enjoy spending time together and going on hikes.
How have you seen God working in your family?
Through the ups and downs of ministry, I have seen God draw us closer together as a family. God also revealed to me that during the first 18 months of the church plant, I was neglecting some of our children’s needs. I repented before God and apologized to my family. By His grace, I made adjustments and now prioritize and protect our family devotional time above other commitments.
How have you seen God working in your life?
Through the pain and challenges of ministry, God has given me a deeper sense of His call on my life. I am learning to lead with greater patience, courage, humility, and dependence on Christ. He is teaching me that loving people does not always mean avoiding difficult decisions, and that true unity is not built by pleasing everyone, but by gathering around a shared mission under the authority of God’s Word. Often through tears, I am also learning that the Chief Shepherd cares for His church far more than I ever could.
How have you seen God working in your church?
We have seen God faithfully build and strengthen our church. After moving into a larger worship space, our attendance recovered and has grown beyond its previous level, with more worshipers, seekers, children, and families gathering around God’s Word. God is also bringing greater unity around our gospel-centered mission and helping our leaders and members serve with greater clarity, courage, and shared conviction. Through every season, Christ is maturing His people and reminding us that He is the one who builds His church.
What is your church’s mission/vision?
Our vision is to be a gospel-centered church that helps lead a church-planting movement among Chinese immigrants. We seek to reach people with the gospel, make disciples, develop leaders, and plant more churches in major cities in North America.
How can we be praying for you?
Pray that I would lead with humility, courage, patience, and dependence on Christ.
Pray that God would strengthen our church and deepen our unity around the gospel and our shared mission.
Pray that God would provide for our financial needs and continue gathering people, saving the lost, and using Grace Irvine as a gospel-centered witness.
To send Tony a note of encouragement, write to HelloCP@spanishriver.com.