New perspectives: Sindy Leung

STUDENT STORY: SINDY LEUNG

「未來領袖：結合基督徒世界觀與學問」文憑課程 (class of 2018) Calvin University: Master of Education (class of 2023)

CEO of Basketball Sport Ministry (籃球體育事工)

Sindy Leung gained more than knowledge as a diploma student at Lumina: there was also fruitful dialogue among peers of varied backgrounds and with different perspectives.

Sindy on a basketball mission trip in Malaysia.

Beginning with basketball

“My eyes were really opened. It’s like that Chinese saying, ‘They put money in my pocket.’”

Sindy never expected to have her hands so full in life. When she first dedicated herself to God, she was a student in Canada studying physical activity. She remembered telling God, “I want to serve you, and I really like to play basketball.” But she could not imagine where God would lead her.

Before going to Canada for her studies, Sindy was already involved in a Hong Kong basketball ministry where she would later serve as its CEO. But after graduating with her bachelor’s degree, she was not sure if the ministry still existed, and in those days, there was no internet to look it up. Instead, she dove into her first job out of university: doing therapy with mentally disabled children. She was content in her work, but soon, she found herself called to something else.

One day, Sindy came across a newspaper, which was unusual for her since she rarely read them. In the newspaper, she saw an ad for a job in the basketball ministry she had been wondering about. She applied and soon began serving there as a development coordinator.

Sindy’s basketball ministry brought her to Sha Tin Alliance Church, where she met Dr. Wing Tai Leung and played basketball with his sons. Dr. Leung founded Lumina College and invited Sindy to hear about the vision for the college. Lumina College, Dr. Leung explained, would be a blend of a seminary and university. Like Jacob’s ladder, it would connect heaven and earth as interrelated realms. When Sindy heard this, she was highly intrigued—and compelled enough to take courses at Lumina, even while caring for her primary school-aged kids and working with the basketball ministry.

Sindy saw herself as a Christian, mother of two, and basketball ministry leader. But when she took a course on personal identity at Lumina, she realized something else: her life had been led by God from the beginning.

A future-oriented view

When the head of the basketball ministry invited some leaders, including Sindy, to take his place, Sindy was hesitant. She was already doing so much, and she told God she wanted to rest. But she felt that God had another plan, and before long, she found herself accepting the position as head of the basketball ministry.

Even after two years in the role, she admitted the road was not easy — especially now with Hong Kong undergoing large-scale changes, from social unrest to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, because of Lumina, she felt equipped for the challenges to come.

“Lumina gave me a future-oriented view to serve and lead others well,” she said. “The courses are not just about knowledge, but a life transformed.”

“Lumina gave me a future-oriented view to serve and lead others well.”

Engaging different kinds of people

For Sindy, one of the most valuable aspects about her education at Lumina were the opportunities to engage with people of different backgrounds. Whether they were classmates or guest speakers, Sindy was able to meet people from all walks of life. At Lumina, people with different backgrounds in age, experiences, work, worldview, church, education, and more would come together and be able to discuss different issues.

At Lumina, people with different backgrounds in age, experiences, work, worldview, church, education, and more would come together and be able to discuss different issues.

“It’s not just about a professor sharing one person’s knowledge,” Sindy said. “It’s also really fun to study with other students.”

Sindy recalled a class she took on Chinese culture. Though she did not have much background understanding of the subject, some of her classmates were quite knowledgeable. She discovered, too, that although she used to consider Chinese culture boring, she did not feel that way about the class. In fact, she often kept asking her classmates to explain ideas, and they were happy to share, even outside of class.

Another time that stood out to Sindy was a discussion with classmates about different views on young people in Hong Kong. Though she did not agree with everything that was said, she found herself understanding more and considering new perspectives.

“Somehow, I appreciate their sharing,” she said.

Within the Lumina community, Sindy was able to find open dialogue and fruitful discussion. It was not about who was right or wrong, but about open-mindedness. Connecting with different students, professors, class readings, movies, schoolwork — for Sindy, these all became pathways to connecting with God.

Sindy