Who We Are
We are the Sunday Service Sheet Translation Team, dedicated to ensuring accurate and meaningful translations of our service materials.
Since the COVID period, the Sunday service sheet has been written word by word in English. We thank the Lord for this practice, as it enables us to easily translate the entire content into other languages.
Starting in 2021, we have welcomed more and more Hongkongers to our Sunday services. To meet their needs, we began translating the service sheet from English into Traditional Chinese, a written language that Hongkongers can easily understand. It is our hope that this will make God’s Word accessible to a wider group.
What We Do
Our process involves:
- Receiving emails with the service sheets (both the English original and the Microsoft-translated Chinese version) on Wednesday or Thursday.
- Reviewing and double-checking the Chinese translation for accuracy and cultural relevance.
- Completing the review by Thursday evening to ensure hard copies are printed on Friday morning.
At first, one person handled this demanding task. Over time, the team grew to six members, and we now operate on a 12-week rota system. Each member takes turns checking the translation to share the workload.
Our Challenges
Overcoming Linguistic and Cultural Differences
Translating God’s Word is not just about grammar; it involves understanding context and culture. Some key challenges include:
- Idiomatic Expressions: Certain English phrases don’t translate literally into Traditional Chinese.
- Christian Terminology: Specific terms are often misinterpreted by machine translation. For example:
- “Communion” (the Lord’s Supper) has been mistranslated as “Sharing ideas.”
- “Institutions” during Communion has been rendered as “Agency.”
These errors can obscure the true meaning of Scripture and worship practices.
Join Us in Prayer and Service
We ask for your prayers for our team as we work to faithfully translate the service sheets. If you feel called to join us, know that this ministry is both a challenge and a blessing. When you double-check the passages, you are the first to digest the Truth and receive its blessings.
Together, let us ensure that God’s Word is proclaimed clearly and meaningfully to all.