PK and Kim, while serving as elders in the Hope of Hong Kong Church, responded to the call of God to plant a church in the United Kingdom. On May 20th 1998, they landed at Heathrow Airport. The same week, the first Sunday service was held at their home with four people. Three months later, on August 2nd, 1998, the first public Sunday service of Hope Church London was held in a small room at the London City YMCA. The size of the congregation back then was around 12.
Today, the church has a congregation that consists of different nationalities and different backgrounds. Life groups focusing on specific groups of individuals (i.e. students, working adult, Thai, European) have been planted all over London. Hope London has also planted its first satellite church in Ealing, West London.
In the UK, Hope Church Leeds has been planted and the church has pioneered care groups in Hatfield, Nottingham and Birmingham.
Market Place Evangelism Pastor PK graduated with a Master degree in Structural Engineering in the
UK. After working in the UK for 7 years and having qualified as a Chartered Structual Engineer, he continued his career in Hong Kong, worked a further 22 years on a number of major building and infrastructural projects, the last one being the 300,000 people New Town next to the new Hong Kong Airport. He became a Project Director in a top consulting engineering firm in Hong Kong before returning to the
United Kingdom for church planting.
In this article Pastor PK shared how the Lord has used him to be salt and light in the market place. While pastoring a church in London, Pastor PK also capitalised in his position as a Branch Secretary in the IStructE and a Project Director to impact others for Christ.Introduction
Market Place Evangelism simply means extending God’s Kingdom through evangelising to people outside the church, particularly in the workplace. There are many references in the Bible that evangelism was conducted in the market place. 
Jesus often reached out to people outside the synagogue:- Jesus talked to a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well [John 4: 7-26]
- Jesus healed a man who had been an invalid for 38 years at the pool at Bethesda [John 5:1-9]
- Jesus fed 5000 men with 5 loaves and 2 small fish on a mountain side [John 6:1-13]
The early church was no different. The Apostles often ministered to people in the market place:
- Peter spoke to onlookers at Solomon’s Colonnade [Acts 3:11-26]
- Peter healed the sick in the streets. [Acts 5:15,16]
- Philip evangelised to the Ethiopian eunuch at his chariot [Acts 8:26-35]
- Paul and Silas evangelised in prison [Acts 1622-34]
- Paul evangelised in the market place in Athens [Acts 17:17-34]
I sense in my spirit that God is rising up more men and women to extend His kingdom in the market place. In Europe, the traditional way of conducting a church service is becoming ineffective and irrelevant. Ministers who have never worked in the market place are at a disadvantage when they ministered to people in the market place; there is a
lack of credibility.
I was fortunate in a way that I came to know Jesus when I had been in full time work for many years. After I became a Christian and started serving in the church, I continued to work. Even after coming to the UK for church planting, I only stopped working for the first 2 years.
In my case, besides serving in the church, I serve in a professional body: The Institution of Structural Engineers. I also work part-time in a multi-discipline consulting engineering company. Both non-church avenues offer opportunities for evangelism:
- As a Branch Secretary in the IStructE, I get to know many engineers from all levels: from Students to Fellows. For student engineers, I place into vacation and industrial year jobs in my company. I help to review graduate engineers before they proceed to sit the professional examination. Finally, I help interview senior chartered engineers who are applying to become Fellows. (View above photos)
- As a Project Director in the company, I mentor the younger engineers in the office and I get to work with colleagues in other disciplines. In my job, I also have the opportunity to work with clients, contractors and other professionals in the construction industry. (View above photos)
Besides touching lives, I am also building bridges with people of influence who can help the church in indirect ways.
To be effective as a market place “evangelist”, here are a few qualities that I believe are needed for success: - Be a person of integrity who has an uncompromising moral standard. I was once asked by my boss to overcharge the client. I did not co-operate with my boss in that respect. My actions proved to be correct and in the long term, I gained the respect of my boss.
- Offer help within your power and authority. I mentor younger engineers in their career development, winning their respect and trust.
- Build team spirit. I conduct fortnightly team meetings, updating everyone on the progress of various projects, work prospects, praising their good work and keeping them informed as well.
- Celebrate. Seize every opportunity to celebrate: birthdays, project completion etc. This creates positive and joyful atmosphere in the workplace.
- Prayer meetings. Some companies may allow you to hold prayer meetings even though they may not be exclusively Christian.
Conclusion
The Body of Christ would be a powerful force on earth if every Christ follower had a Kingdom mentality; seizing every opportunity to advance God’s Kingdom. God put us to influence people in every arena in society: government, commerce, education, entertainment, the arts, media, health, law and order, science and engineering. The body of Christ should be able to evangelise to everyone, everywhere.
For more information about Market Place Evangelism:
Pastor PK, Hope London
Today, the church has a congregation that consists of different nationalities and different backgrounds. Life groups focusing on specific groups of individuals (i.e. students, working adult, Thai, European) have been planted all over 
lack of credibility. 
