From Participants to Pioneers: How Kairos Sparked a Mobilization Movement at Arcadia Chinese Baptist Church

Arcadia Chinese Baptist Church (ACBC) stands as a vibrant, multicultural, multilingual, and multigenerational community in the heart of Southern California. At its core, this church family lives out a simple yet profound calling: to be disciples who make disciples.

That calling took on fresh momentum in 2015 when Pastor Paul Liu hosted the first Kairos course at ACBC with Pastor John Lee as the Senior Pastor at the time. Developed by Simply Mobilizing, Kairos is a transformative nine-session journey that reveals God's heart for the nations, challenges believers to see mission as central to the biblical story, and equips them to live on mission with God.

Among the inaugural participants was Doris Chang, a faithful ACBC member since 2006. Already serving behind the scenes—managing church finances and lifting her voice in the choir—Doris felt her ministry path shift after Kairos. By 2016 she had become a certified Sunday school teacher for elderly members and new believers, joined the church's Missions team, and stepped into the role of Kairos facilitator.

A Calling Ignited: Cindy's Story

Cindy Lee, a longtime ACBC member since 1986, took the Kairos course in May 2017. The experience lit a fire in her. Just months later, she attended a Finishing the Task conference in December, where the reality of Unreached People Groups (UUPGs) gripped her heart. That encounter propelled her into mission trips focused on UPGs in China, Thailand and Serbia. Since then, she built networks with like-minded pastors and leaders. In 2018, Cindy answered the call to become a Kairos facilitator herself.

Reviving and Sustaining the Vision

When the Kairos program at ACBC paused briefly, Cindy felt a deep burden to revive it. After taking early retirement to serve more fully, she chaired the Mission Committee from 2017 to 2020. Drawing on the lasting impact Kairos had on her and the early participants, she rallied the church through word-of-mouth promotion and vision-casting. The result? A series of successful facilitator training courses that built a strong, committed core team.

Even the COVID-19 pandemic couldn't halt the momentum. "The Lord used the stay-at-home period to advance the ministry within Chinese churches," Cindy reflects. She and Doris facilitated online Kairos classes for ACBC members, and she also joined others that drew participants from Northern California and across the United States.

Lives Mobilized, Borders Crossed

Doris, meanwhile, continued growing under the mentorship of Pastor Danny Chu and joined USA Care Ministries International in 2016—a California-based nonprofit focused on missionary work and community aid. Her journey has included short-term trips to Tianjin, China; a student camp in the mountains of Chiang Mai, Thailand; and leadership training at a Chinese church in Serbia.

Both women have embraced the simple, powerful framework of Go, Send, and Welcome that Kairos teaches. Today, they share a growing passion to equip the next generation for missions and to introduce other Simply Mobilizing tools as a sustainable framework within ACBC. Cindy also pours herself into the Love Afghan Neighbors (LAN) ministry—a "front-door" missions effort supported by regular Muslim-focused prayer gatherings that seek God's guidance in reaching Afghan and Muslim communities.

A Milestone Worth Celebrating

Since that first Kairos course in 2015, more than 25% of ACBC's congregation, over 100 members—has completed the course. Around 50 have gone on to become trained facilitators. The entire movement enjoys enthusiastic support from pastoral leadership and the Mission Committee, which hosts monthly mission fellowships, local prayer walks, and cross-cultural outreach.

In a beautiful full-circle moment, Pastor Paul Liu personally trained and endorsed Doris and Cindy as ACBC's first Head Facilitators in February and March 2026.

This milestone reflects Simply Mobilizing's core values—Kingdom Culture, Integrity, Training & Mentoring, Partnership, Teamwork, Creativity, and Flexibility—and underscores the church's deep commitment to discipleship that equips and empowers believers to mobilize their communities.

Doris and Cindy have walked faithfully with the Lord in humble obedience, serving His body and extending His love to the unreached. Doris expresses her gratitude this way:

"Whether teaching Sunday school or leading the Kairos course, I am willing to dedicate the rest of my life to the Lord."

Cindy echoes the sentiment: "What inspired me to pursue becoming a Head Facilitator was seeing how eye-opening and transformative Kairos could be for others—just as it had been for me. Participants often experience a profound shift in perspective and values. Though it requires effort, the course is enjoyable and deeply inspiring, whether you're a student or a facilitator!"

Amen, sisters. We are grateful for women like Doris and Cindy who live on mission with God—and for a church like ACBC that continues to raise up disciples who make disciples.

What about you? Has God used a Kairos moment in your life to stir a heart for the nations? We'd love to hear your story in the comments, or email us to have your story featured.