Work with Organizations
TESTIMONIALS FROM CHRISTIAN LAYMAN CHURCH
Cecil - thank you for your passion and dedication to our kids and the families at CLC! We always felt so welcomed as you warmly greeted us by name each Sunday in the church foyer. You set a wonderful example of how to be a calm, disciplined leader and we enjoyed learning about how to explore and develop our emotional and spiritual health as individuals and a family unit. We will miss you and are praying for you and your family! Love, the L’s
Dear Cecil, You are so appreciated! Thank you, not only for your years of leadership and service to CLC families and kids, but also for your heart for emotional and spiritual health. Thank you for all the love you showed us by investing in the emotional/spiritual health of individuals, families, and CLC as a community. I'm grateful for all the conversations we had. Stay in touch! K.F.
Hard to believe that three years has passed by so quickly. Thank you for the many ways you have cared for and loved the children and families of CLC! We will miss you and your down vest greeting us on Sunday mornings :). We have always appreciated your passion for sharing God's love with the kids and for encouraging our families to be firmly grounded in the Word as they grow and live life. Wishing you God's blessings and guidance in the next exciting chapter of your life. Thank you for being a part of our CLC family. In His Love & Ours, L & M
Loved being out on the water, Cecil! So great to zip through the rushes and learn how to fish. So glad I didn’t hit A with my fishing hook. Good times. Thanks for taking us out. Super awesome birthday gift. I’m sure A is also posting his own message, so here is mine. Thank you, Cecil! You have been such a blessing to me these past few years. From coffee chats to that *infamous* email… to open, authentic communication. Thanks for inviting me to be a part of “the four”… Words that come to mind are: real, open, liberating, authentic, grounded, centered, mentor, coach, friend.
You have helped me find & deepen relationships here at CLC. And, you’ve helped coach me on boundaries and emotional health. So bummed that your 3 years here are coming to a close.
Thank you for your work & may God bless your next adventure! A & I will definitely stay in touch - either on the tennis court or out on the water.
L.L.
Thank you for journeying with us these past 3 years in Children's Ministry. So grateful for your leadership and ability to lovingly connect with people, drawing teachers, children and families together. May God continue to bless you and your family in your future endeavors!
N. M.
Thank you for your dedicated service to the children and families these past few years. You have been a welcoming and constant presence for us ever since we first started attending CLC. Your intentionality and thoughtfulness permeates everything that you do. We appreciate the ways you've encouraged us to pursue emotional health that is rooted in Christ and for all the times you met personally with us over a meal or coffee. We will miss you!
The L Family
I am so grateful to have gotten to know you these past few years! Your love and dedication to the kids is admirable and I aspire to radiate positivity and calmness as much as you do. You were such an important part of my time at CLC and you've helped me grow not only as a teacher, but also as a believer of God. You never hesitated take time out of your busy schedule to meet up and I could feel your intentionality in every conversation that we had. Thank you for helping me in my walk with God and encouraging me always.
Wishing you all the best in your future endeavors; may more families be blessed by your smile and presence!
Keep in touch,
D
Thank you for your desire for our church to grow in faith and emotional health. I really appreciate you wanting to help us to parent our children and all the workshops you organized. It was really awesome how you came beside the church in the Listening and Healing and helped to facilitate that time. You are a man of much depth. Thank you for trying to share all that with us!
Praying for God's blessing on you as you transition onto new things!
Blessings,
R and A
We have loved getting to know you and appreciate your taking the time to listen to us and give us insightful advice! We will miss you at CLC but we should still continue to keep in touch and meet up for a meal when it is safe. Wishing you a great adventure ahead!
Love,
S, H, A and A
Thank you for the 3 years you leaned in with CLCers young and old. You were the first face we saw when we stepped into SDA every Sunday morning ... your vest and your big smile were something we could always count on. I’m excited to find out where God will send you next. May you and your family continue to grow closer to Him, as you use your unique talents to serve and love His people.
God bless,
Y and S C.
Thank you for providing support for our Children's Ministry. You've helped us supply the Toddler room - the kids love those cars you found!. And we love that you are always trying to catch love in action. We will miss you! May God bless you in your next adventure!
K and R J.
Thank you so much for helping us and for playing with me! I appreciate that you always talk to us and take funny photos of me, N and E. We love to play with you and talk to you. We will miss you. Thank you so so much-Noelle 💪 💪 💪 💪 💪 💪 💪 💪 💪 💪 💪 💪 💪 💪 💪 💪 💪 💪 💪 💪 💪 💪 💪 💪 💪 💪 💪 💪
I am sad to hear that you are leaving the church. I will miss you greeting everyone at the front when we go back in person. Thank you for being nice and kind for the past 3 years. G
Thank you so much, Cecil, for bringing your gifts to our CLC community. We have appreciated your humor, insight, dedication to emotional health, curiosity, and love for Jesus that permeates who you are. You also helped both of us understand more about our own gifts and have a unique way of empowering others to get involved and lead. We know we'll stay in touch but will also miss having you at CLC! Thank you again for all that you have invested in CLC and we look forward to hearing where you are called to next.
-J and D
Cecil! It was always such a joy to show up early on Sundays to your warm ‘good mornings’ as I set up the nursery. Thank you for being such an encourager for the development of children and families! Even as a volunteer pre-my own family, I felt the impact of what you were doing in our community and I look forward to hearing what is next for you! Thank you, T
CECIL! Our very own Gaston!
Very thankful for the years with you brother! Ever since joining staff, I've appreciated hearing your insights and perspective. You're a deep thinker and deep carer and have inspired me to grow. We've had many great walk and talks around my work, and I hope we can have many more. Thank you for guiding and shepherding our youth and families for years! love you Cecil!
Many Blessings,
S
Cecil, thank you for your service to Children's Ministry!
Thank you for sharing your heart and expertise with all of us. Your love for our children shines through in your service. Thank you for supporting each of the different children's ministries with supplies, volunteers, and yourself!
Thank you also for bringing me in on some of the older kids' lessons. I enjoyed it! (Hope they did too!)
We will miss you, but we know that God has plans for you as you move forward. Please stay in touch. 🙂
N and D Y.
We will miss seeing you at the Children's Welcoming Table when I usher on Sunday mornings. Thank you for your leadership and love for the CLC family. Hope to continue seeing you at the tennis court...but please be gentle with us!!! Much blessings to you and your family.
A
Thank you for your selfless love to the CLC families, especially for our children. We will miss your warm welcoming smile and greeting every Sunday. We can see that you love children and can connect with each of them in such genuine ways. You have left a "Jesus" imprint on us all!
J and I will always fondly remember that meal at the CLC Retreat that we shared with you and your wife. We are glad to have shared that brief moment in time together.
Please remember that we will always miss you, and are so grateful for you. God bless you with rich and exciting days and opportunities to come.
Love in Christ, J and J L.
Our family has been so blessed by you and your ministry. When we first started coming, you reached out to us, you befriended our children, and you ministered to our family as a whole. It’s been a blessing serving alongside you in children’s ministry, and your passion for children, for conflict resolution, for building relationships is contagious.
While we are so sad you are leaving CLC, we know that God has given you a heart to serve wherever He leads you. Perhaps one day our paths will cross again. Until then, praying for you, your family, and your ministry!
Love,
The Y’s
p.s. Such a bummer I don’t have any photos of you with the kids!
Thank you for all your mentorship and words of wisdom, Cecil! I've definitely enjoyed our catch-up conversations and you challenging me to really think through what and why I hold true to my values/convictions. Wishing you and your entire family all the best - keep in touch and looking forward to seeing your motorcycle in the near future ;) -- D
Cecil, thanks for pouring into the kids and families at CLC. You speak with conviction and energy, and your impact was clearly seen and felt. We will miss you! May God bless your future endeavors. Just for fun, not sure if you've seen the TV show, Kim's Convenience, but Jung Kim, reminds me of a young Cecil!
God's blessings to you,
G
You've been an inspiration to me, almost like a father figure. For sure, definitely the best counselor I've ever had. In times of struggle, in times of hardship, I always feel more at ease after talking to you. Thank you for extending your company in those times of struggle. I've already missed you dearly due to COVID, and it's saddening to know that you'll be leaving soon officially. You helped CLC in ways we didn't even realize we needed help in. I heard that S might take up some of your responsibilities once you're gone. Thank you for helping us realize how we should be leading children's ministry and I hope that S doesn't get intimidated by the big shoes he has to fill in your place.
From B T.
Thanks for your work and connecting with so many at CLC! It’s been such a blessing to see you share in the lives of CLC'ers, families, and you embodied the kid connection so well. You had a wonderful, almost effortless way of making the kids laugh to create a fun Sunday class experience.
Even though you will not be a part of the CLC Staff team, I hope you know you will always be a part of the CLC Family. Hope to see you log-in and watch CLCLive, or come by and worship with us when we go back to In-Person! (whenever that will be!)
Don't forget to check in to make sure I'm living a spiritually whole and an emotionally healthy life! Thank you for your heart and encouraging me to contemplate how deeply connected and loved I am in Christ!
I'll miss laughing with you!
L, with G and M too!
Thank you for all the love and service you've poured into CLC! I appreciate how you were intentional about meeting up with CM volunteers individually! One of the biggest ways you influenced my faith was when I was listening to sermons instead of doing personal devotions. I thought I could get a deeper interpretation of the Word through sermons, but you reminded me that the Holy Spirit opens our eyes during devotions! Thank you! :)
I'm excited for how God will work through you in your next adventures!
Yours,
J A.
Cecil! Thanks so much for being a part of CLC and helping out with the kiddos and families! Thanks for always saying hi at church, and also coming all the way over to dropping treats and learning supplies during the pandemic! Thanks also for taking E fishing! :D We will miss you!
❤ - the S fam bam (J.E.N.B.)
We only met occasionally and never spoke at length, but I hope you will continue in your endeavor to teach kids about Jesus. I believe it is vitally important to do, especially during these troubling times.
A lyric from a song, "There is peace in Christ, when we learn of him".
God Bless you and your family,
From R F.
These last three years have been so much richer and more enjoyable with you as part of our staff and church family! I remember our very first lunch at the pho place down the street from the church office haha. We talked about life and family and some deep stuff all in the very first meet up! I think that says a lot about who you are and I'm grateful for how you've impacted me and helped me grow in deeper ways beyond the surface. CLC has been so blessed by your gifts and passions and we are truly going to miss you! I'm excited for the next path that God leads you down! May you continue to bless people with your ministry and continue to grow in your knowledge and love of Christ :) Praying for you and the family!
Love,
C
Thank you so much for your friendly leadership and dedicated service to CLC children and parents. Your enthusiasm and support to help us grow as a family and parent was very much appreciated. I will always remember the parenting classes you taught when you first came, along with you smiling and welcoming us when we came to church. Time has passed by so quickly and now you are leaving... you will be missed!
E and W
From the moment I met you over 3 years ago I knew you marched to a different drumbeat. Your insights are always refreshing for me. You for sure are never boring hahaha. And that has always been a blessing to me. I appreciated all the talks we had, whether it was ministry, emotional health, Kpop, or fishing. Thank you for always challenging me and being the iron that sharpens iron. I hope your time at CLC has brought you closer to wholeness in Christ. May the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Godspeed and may your lines always be tight!
In the Father's love, your bro' in Christ, C
I can't believe the years have gone by so fast. You've been a great asset to CLC. I always appreciated sitting next to you during staff meetings. Thanks for loving and caring for the Children's Ministry and the whole church family. Thanks for the talks we've been able to have. Your genuine and open spirit is refreshing and makes for easy conversations.
We know the next community God fits you with will be as greatly blessed as we have been.
Sincerely,
P, M, and E T.
Wow, three years just like that…it feels so fast, and yet I feel like I’ve known you for so much longer! Thank you so much for all that you’ve done at CLC these past years, and more personally the friend and mentor you’ve been to me throughout the many different seasons of my life. From the moment I came back to CLC (the first time around), you have been so easy to talk to, and incredibly engaging on all levels of life. I would certainly not be the person I am today without your patient mentorship and willingness to believe in me. Thank you for all the opportunities that you have given me, for the ways that you have challenged me to grow and think, and for encouraging me in every endeavor I’ve taken. I have much to owe to you, and I hope to carry on the work that you’ve been a part of at CLC and in the lives of so many people. Of course, I know we still have many more years of friendship, so I look forward to the ways we can mutually encourage each other to good works in whatever God calls us to. Love you bro!
-S
Dear Uncle Cecil,
I enjoyed playing tennis with you.
From,
E
Dear Uncle Cecil,
I really enjoyed playing tennis with you. I enjoyed playing with you at church with N and E. Hope we can play tennis soon.
From,
N
Dear Cecil,
We will miss having you with our church family, but we were blessed to get to know you these past 3 years through our different activities together. It's been a blessing to serve with you in Children's Ministry and to glean from your leadership, faithfulness and devotion. I remember having lunch at Salesforce with you discussing family, ministry, and life together. It was a blessing getting to know you over a meal and that really started our journey as friends in ministry together. But most important was when our families hung out and shared life together. Thanks for opening your heart and time with us. You will be missed. All the best to you and May.
In His love,
W and D L.
Thank you for your service at CLC and loving our youth. I still remember sharing dinner with you and May at the CLC Retreat a few years ago. We talked about fitness, our wive's careers, potential retirement one day and our kids. It was a wonderful conversation to just share life with you. We wish you much blessings in the next chapter of life. Thank you for loving CLC. Blessings to you. Love, R, I, L and M Q.
Just really thankful to God that He brought you to us - CM, to be sure, but also the whole CLC family is healthier because of you. Hard to corral the thoughts of appreciation bubbling up here... what a blessing to call you Friend as well as Brother. May the One God continue to bless you, May and your family and all the many He brings into your path.
Love, J and J
Thank you so so very much for introducing me to "Emotionally Healthy Spirituality" and going over Scazzero's book. You were the first staff to reach out and the memories of playing tennis in Foster city was just yesterday and yet here we are a yr. later. There is a Korean Proverb that states, "We really don't recognize when someone comes into a group but we certainly notice the empty chair when they leave." Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Others stay awhile, to make strong footprints on our hearts and I think you were that kind of a person. Thank you for your help and kindness. I wish you the best of God's blessing and continued success wherever you may find yourself. I'm one of those persons that saying goodbye to a true friend is really tough but I'm going to quote our last conversation, "we are not saying goodbye but starting a new chapter in our friendship!" Yo....Cecil....I know you won't be around at CLC but def. let’s keep in touch. Cecil, I want to pray over you the passage from Philippians 3:14, “...run straight toward the goal to win the prize that God’s heavenly call offers in Christ Jesus.” May you keep running to share the Good News to all and to the end of nations.
Your brother in Christ,
B
When we first hired you 3 years ago, I thought "Man, this guy has some big shoes to fill!". But looking back, I've realized that God brought you to CLC to make your own path with your combat shoes and pristine bright athletic shoes! You've grown Children's Ministry in new and different ways - instead of big programming and events, you built relationships, not just with CM but CLC as a whole! God brought you to CLC at a season when we needed you most - being a vital part of Listening & Healing, meeting people for coffee to be a friend and a listening ear, especially during the pandemic and always greeting people every Sunday with a smile! I know you've touched many lives in these 3 short years. We're so thankful that God detoured you to bless us and our church family (and we'll always consider you part of it!). Many blessings on your next stop along the journey.
With our love and blessings!
B and M K.
Hi Cecil, thank you for your unwavering commitment to the Children's Ministry and the greater community at CLC! Thank you for your thoughtful leadership and service. As you transition to this new chapter in your life, I pray that God continues to guide you (Psalm 32:8) and bless you. I pray that you prosper in all that you do (3 John 1:2) and that the perfect peace of God that passeth all understanding be with you always (Philippians 4:7).
- G
Thank you so much for your dedication and time to the CLC families. We really appreciate your accessibility and candor in sharing your experiences with individual families as well as at the seminars you presented on parenting. We will miss your warm greetings on Sunday mornings!
S, C, A, D and A
The Lord brought you to our church at a critical time. Not only did we need a children’s director but we needed someone to help us reach new heights in emotional health. Thank you for bringing depth and open communication to every conversation. I appreciate how clearly you made your values known, and how year-by-year you stood by those values with consistency. Truly, you are a man of integrity, Cecil. Thank you for blessing our church, and for leaving us a greater legacy of emotional health and spiritual integrity. (You are like the spotter in the GIFs, lifting us to greater heights of spiritual strength...) God bless you, Cecil! Love, AH
Cecil - thanks for your three years of service at CLC. I especially have appreciated your willingness early on to listen to the teachers and find value in the things that were already in place for Children's Ministry and your work in strengthening faith in families through your many workshops. Thanks for reaching out to check on how things were going for me in the classroom. Wishing you many blessings as you transition to the next phase of your coaching career, and as you and May have more time to spend together. Come back and visit!
Take care, D F.
I always enjoyed how you were always in the lobby before service smiling and welcoming people. I will miss that.
Thank you for taking the time to meet with me before service and on Zoom after Covid. It's great to have someone to bounce ideas off of and to coach me about issues and life. You helped me process stuff I was going through and introduced me to Enneagrams which helped me learn more about myself. You're a good listener and always asked questions that challenged me to continue to grow and to draw closer to God. I still remember what you said about doing vs. being. The document you gave me to put on paper my thoughts on what I want to become and achieve was very useful.
May God continue to bless and use you wherever He leads you. Hope to see you on a future hike.
Love in Christ,
J
"Cecil Wong is an innovative speaker who has a unique ability in captivating all his audiences. Cecil was a guest speaker in my Lifespan Class at California State University, East Bay. His lecture on spirituality and self-care empowered my students and I to become more intentional with how we balance work and personal life"
Dr. Aaron L. Horn
Adjunct Professor
California State University East Bay
TESTIMONIALS FROM GOLDEN GATE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
"Good application for family and work environments. Helped me recognize ways to approach difficult situations. Great introduction linking Biblical principles and self examination of mind, body and spiritual (soul). It will help initiate ongoing lifetime changes in habit and procedures to help liberate conflicts."
"Slow down, alignment. Soulful and tool for alignment (was most helpful). (The value I took away was) to be more reflective. (I will apply) H.A.L.T. (am I or my loved ones hungry, anxious, lonely, or tired?) and re-prioritize to reflect on what's meaningful."
"I learned the importance of defining what is a happy and successful marriage. The chart with the pool of shared meaning and the perspective cartoon were most helpful. Realized there are opportunities for improvement in our marriage. Have strategies to help us work on improving our marriage. Need to define and be aligned what is a happy and successful marriage."
"We must allow ourselves to struggle so that we can fly! (I will apply this by) slowing down and being present with one another."
Testimonials from Sunset Church, San Francisco
The following are expressions of gratitude from volunteers, parents, and children of Sunset Church, San Francisco, from my time as Christian Education Director between 2009 and 2015.
“God has blessed you with so many talents. You are so gifted in relating to people of all ages. We’re grateful to you for sharing what God has taught you with the families of Sunset. Thank you for loving the Sunset families!”
“Thank you for your service. The family and I appreciate your kindness, availability, and wisdom.”
“Thank you for teaching me about God.”
“Hi! Thank you for all you do behind the scenes. You are the coolest leader I know. Thank you for being the anchor to the CE department, bringing us back to the Word.”
“Thanks for your faithfulness and love for God.”
“Thanks for always being here for me when I am in need.”
“Thanks for all your work with the kids! May you see many fruits!”
“Thank you for being my friend and playing with me.”
“Thank you for the support and love for the children and encouragement for us to grow spiritually.”
“Thank you for the countless ways you love on our children. May God bless you with abundance through joy, peace and rest! We appreciate you.”
“We thank you so much to make our church a wonderful family for everyone.”
“Thank you for everything you do for my family. My kids are learning so much.”
“Thank you for being real and encouraging us spiritually. You are such a blessing to us!”
“Thank you for all that God has enabled for you to do to support families!
“Thank you for all you do for our children. You are our blessing! May God continue to bless all you do.”
“Thank you so much for your hard work. Your passion about disciplining their children is indeed transforming our church and community.”
“Thank you so much for welcoming our family to the church and being so patient with transitioning our kids. We feel so blessed to be part of this church! The CE Ministry rocks! Thanks for your awesome work. Praise God!”
“We’ve been so blessed by your energy and love for the children. All the parent trainings, the games for the kids, CE side (renovations), the new Bibles, etc. continually spur us to follow and love our Lord God!"
The Community at Sunset Church, San Francisco