god’s three waves • on a deeper spiritual journey€¦ · · 2012-02-246 god’s three waves...

Vol.27, No.3• Private circulation only

MAY/

JUNE

11

‘Knowing God Our Father’‘Knowing God Our Father’GOD’STHREE WAVES

• Spreading Scriptural Holiness, Transforming the Nation• ‘My Experience Of The Small Group Concept’ • On A Deeper Spiritual Journey


At Your Service

Service and Activities

MAY/JUNE’ 11

TRINITY METHODIST CHURCH6 Jalan 5/37, 46000 Petaling Jaya

Tel: 03-79565986, 79565872 • Fax: 03-79569241Email:[email protected]

Pastor : The Rev Ricky HoAsst.Pastor : Ps Lee Chee KeatLTIDirector : Mr Ng Cho HuiMinistryStaff: Mr Rick Tan & Ms Sun Wai Wai

SundayWorshipService(Traditional) 8.30amWorshipService(Contemporary) 10.45amWorshipService(Chinese) 10.45amWorshipService(Expository) 6.00pmSundaySchool(allages) 8.30amSundaySchool 10.45amAdultBibleStudy 10.30amMondaySanctuaryChoirPractice 8.00pmTuesdayMSFMeeting 10.30amStudyGroups/Talks 8.00pmBaptism/MembershipClass 8.30pmWednesdayBibleStudy 9.30amCounselling(TheOasis) 2.00pm ThursdayBibleStudy 8.00pmFridayMPSChapelService 12.00noonPrayerMeeting 8.00pmLiveWire 8.00pmSaturdayPrayerWatch 7.00amCounselling(TheOasis) 2.00pmBoys’Brigade 2.30pmGirls’Brigade 2.30pmBaptism/MembershipClass 2.30pmMethodistWomen(3rdweekmonthly) 3.30pmMAF(4thSaturdaymonthly) 4.00pmMYAF 5.00pmMYF 6.00pm

Contents

1.Pleasenotethat

fromJuly2011

onwards,theClarionwillbepublished

onaquarterlybasis.T

henextissue

istheJuly/August/Sep

tember2011

issueandthedeadlineforsubmission

ofarticlesis10th

September2011.

2.TheEditorialCommitteereserves

therighttoeditallarti

clessubmitted.

Itdoesnotguarantee

thatallarticles

submittedwillbepublished.

3.Lengthofarticle

s:Articlesshouldbe

confinedtotwoprintedA4sizepage

s

ornotmorethan1,200words.

4.ThePublicationCommitteeofth

e

Clarionseeksthecooperationof

allinvolvedinthedifferent

ministriesofthechurc

h,and

appealsforsubmission

ofreportsand

testimoniesonactivities

carriedout.Relevantarticlesand

testimonieswillencourageand

inspirechurchmembersintheir

journeytowardsspiritualgrowth.

• Mrs Lily Ch’ng • Mdm Jessie Thaw Chin Sooi • Mdm Louise Tay Gaik Lan • Dr Khoo Soo Ghee• Datin Dr Ng Sook Ming • Ms Liew Pooi Lin • Ms Debbie David • Mrs Ng May Lee • Mr Rick Tan Teng Kim

editorial B O A R D

HEA

LTH Y

CHU

RCH

SPIR

IT-L

ED,

RELATION

AL

1CLARION MAY/JUNE 2011

Pastoral & Ministry Team2 LetThePastBeThePast...

Feature4 SpreadingScripturalHoliness,TransformingTheNation6 God’sThreeWaves7 ChurchAnnouncements8 ‘KnowingGodOurFather’9 TrinityMethodistChurch(TMC)Redevelopment12 Listen...14 ChurchRedevelopmentAnnouncement

Testimony15 OnADeeperSpiritualJourney20 TheThirdStepToTMC,PJ22 ‘MyExperienceOfTheSmallGroupConcept’23 ‘LifeIsWhatHappensWhileYou’reBusyMakingPlans’

Mission24 Goodbye,MyFriends

Jeremiah School26 MyJSExperience...

Home Fellowship27 ReturnToSentul

Activity30 Tenebrae–AServiceOfShadows32 HowToBeThe‘Arrows’ThatHelpProtect FamiliesFromAttacks33 HealthCampaignForPre-schoolers

EDITORIALNOTES:

MAY/JUNE 2011 CLARION2

PASTORAL & MINISTRY TEAM

Rev. Ricky HoSeniorPastor

Mr Lee Chee KeatAssistantPastor

Mr Ng Cho HuiLTIDirector

Mr Rick TanMinistryStaff

Ms Sun Wai WaiMinistryStaff

Let The PastBe The Past...

ByRev.RickyHo

“...ButonethingIdo:Forgettingwhatisbehindandstrainingtowardwhatisahead,Ipressontowardthegoal...

Philippians 3:13

Life is a continuous learningprocess, there are often

moments that we need to learn “to forget what is

behindandstrainingtowardwhatisahead.”Thegoal

istoremainfocusedonwhattheLordhasassignedustodo

andtolayasidewhateverthatmayhinderusfromachieving

Hiswillandpurposes in life.Weallneedto learnto letgo

ofourpast,ourhurtsandallthathadboggedusdownfrom

movingforwardintheworksofhiskingdomandalsowhat

heintendstodoforusindividually.It’shardtomoveforward

whenyoukeepthepastinthepresent.Letthepastbethe

past...

The baggage which we often carry around in life, may be

unforgiveness.

Maybeyouhavebeenrejected

Yourlovehasbeenspurned

Youhavebeenbetrayedbyaspouse

Orhavebeenabandonedbyafriend

Youwerewrongedinsomeway...

In his sermon“LovingYour Enemies”, Martin Luther King,

Jr.,said:WhenAbrahamLincolnwasrunningforpresident

of theUnitedStates, therewasamanwho ranall around

the country talking about Lincoln. He said a lot of unkind

things. And sometimes he would get to the point that he

would even talk about his looks, saying, “You don’t want

a tall, lanky, ignorantman like thisas thepresidentof the

UnitedStates...”


Finally, onedayAbrahamLincolnwaselectedpresidentof

theUnitedStates... then came the time for him to choose

secretaryofwar.Helookedacrossthenation,anddecided

to choose a man by the name of Mr. Stanton. And when

AbrahamLincolnstoodaroundhisadvisorsandmentioned

thisfact, theysaidtohim:“Mr.Lincoln,areyouafool?Do

youknowwhatMr.Stantonhasbeensayingaboutyou?Do

you know what he has done, tried to do to you? Do you

knowthathehastriedtodefeatyouoneveryhand?Doyou

know that, Mr. Lincoln? Did you read all those derogatory

statementsthathemadeaboutyou?

AbrahamLincolnstoodbeforetheadvisorsaroundhimand

said:“Ohyeah. I knowabout it; I readabout it; I’veheard

himmyself.Butafterlookingoverthecountry,Ifindthathe

isthebestmanforthejob.”

Mr Stanton did become secretary of war; and ...later,

Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. And if you go to

Washingtontoday,youwilldiscoverthatoneofthegreatest

wordsorstatementsevermadeaboutAbrahamLincolnwas

bythismanStanton.AsAbrahamLincolncametotheendof

hislife,Stantonstoodupandsaid:“Nowhebelongstothe

ages.”And he made a beautiful statement concerning the

characterandthestatureofthisman.

IfAbraham Lincoln had hated Stanton, ifAbraham Lincoln

had answered everything Stanton said,Abraham Lincoln

wouldnothavetransformedandredeemedStanton.Stanton

would have gone to his grave hating Lincoln, and Lincoln

wouldhavegone tohisgravehatingStanton.But through

the power of love Abraham Lincoln was able to redeem

Stanton.[MartinLutherKing,Jr.,onLincoln,Citation:Martin

LutherKing, Jr.,AKnockatMidnight, editedbyClayborne

CarsonandPeterHolloran(WarnerBooks,1998)p.154].

May God grant each of us grace and strength to do what

Christwouldhaveusdo (Iknowforsure thatwecan’tdo

sobyourownstrengthbutwithGod,nothingisimpossible).

In the true spirit of humility and love let’s hear what the

WordofGodsaysinJames 5:16afreshasweseektomove

forwardintothefuture,“Confessyoursinstoeachotherand

pray for eachother so that youmayhealed.” Webelieve

GodandGodalonecandothehealingifonlyweallowHim

to, and let’s learn to set aside our pride and embraceHis

graceinourlives.

AbrahamLincolndeliveringhisinauguraladdress,1861PortraitofAbrahamLincolnStanding,1864

PortraitofEdwinStanton,1864


FEATURE

Spreading Scriptural Holiness, Transforming The Nation

• Second Methodist Prayer ConventionByMrWongChoongMeng

The Second Methodist Prayer Convention was held inKingwoodHotel,Sibu,Sarawak,from29Aprilto1May2011, attendedbymore than3,500Methodists from

alloverMalaysia.

ThemoststrikingfeatureoftheconventionwasthegatheringofthefaithfulinSibuTownSquaretoprayintheearlyhoursofthemorningaswellastoworshipandprayintheeveningoftheSunday,May1.

The convention commenced on Friday with an eveningservice, followed by Mr Graham Power’s testimony onhow God directed him to initiate the Global Day of Prayer(GDOP)movementinSouthAfrica;amovementthatisnowtrulyglobalwithagatheringofChristianstoprayoneveryPentecostSundaysince2001.

Inthatfirstyearalone,45,000Christiansofalldenominationsgathered in Cape Town to fill Newlands Stadium to prayfor SouthAfrica. Some may recall that the GDOP event inMalaysialastyearwasheldinMalawatiStadium,ShahAlam,where more than 10,000 Christians gathered to intercedeforMalaysia.

TheGDOP isa call to repentanceandprayer to transformnations and be filled with the glory of God in line with2 Chronicles 7:14 – If my people who are called by myname,willhumblethemselvesandprayandseekmyfaceand turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear fromheavenandwillforgivetheirsinandwillhealtheirland.

Every plenary session was followed by about an hourof prayer facilitated by each of the Methodist AnnualConferences in turn. It is always a moving experience tobe in the midst of so many brothers and sisters in Christprayingin“differenttongues”.Andsothedelegates“stoodinthegap”forthechurchandthenation.

After theprayers,delegateswereaskedtostaybackforagroupphotograph.Seeforyourselfthatitispossibletotakeaphotographofmorethan3,000people.Theannouncementsforthisasfortherest,weredoneinEnglishandMandarinbyabrotherwhosegreatsenseofhumour,deliveredwithastraightface,broughthilaritytotheproceedings.

The following morning, on Saturday, Rev Dr James Shiaspokeon“PrayerandtheBible”,givinganextremelyhelpful


waytoprayandlistentoGodatthesametime–byusingGod’swordtospeaktoGod.RevDrShia’ssuggestionswerepracticalandeasytotrulyhelpusdevelopaloverelationshipwithourLordthroughprayer.Onecouldnothelpbuttoapplythislearningatthefirstopportunity.

Intheafternoon,workshopsonvarioustopicswereheldindifferent languages in the function rooms, many of whichwereburstingattheseamswithpeople.

RevDrShiareturnedintheeveningtospeakon“PrayerandtheHolySpirit”usingJude 1:20-21–Butyou,dearfriends,buildyourselvesupinyourmosthighfaithandprayintheHolySpirit.KeepyourselvesinGod’sloveasyouwaitforthemercyofourLordJesusChrist tobringyou toeternal life.HesharedonprayerthatwasreliantontheHolySpiritandintheauthorityofourJesusChrist,alwayslivingaholylife.

Thenextmorning,delegatesroseearlytowalktothetownsquareforworshipandprayerat5,yes,at5am.ThiswasfollowedbySundayserviceat variousMethodist churchesinSibu,wherenodoubt,warmhospitalitywasextendedbyeachofthelocalcongregationstothedelegates.

In the afternoon, the last plenary session was held at thehotel.MrPowerspokeon“UnashamedlyEthical–Integrityand Holy Living”. This was the part in 2 Chronicles 7:14 where we, as a people, were expected to“turn from theirwicked ways”. He spoke on “Unashamedly Ethical, thesecondwave”followingtheGDOPforChristianstodeclaretheir willingness to lead lives that are consistent withChristianbeliefs, honouringGod, especially in themarket-place. Delegates were challenged to sign a declaration tothat effect andmost if not all promptly did so.To findoutmoreabout this,checkoutunashamedlyethical.comin theInternet.

The final session took place at 7 pm in the Sibu TownSquarewheredelegatesaswellasnon-delegates,includingChristiansofotherdenominations–perhapsabout10,000peopleinall–gatheredforworshipandprayer.Itwastrulyglorioustobeabletoworshipopenlyinapublicsquarewheremany curious bystanders were also gathered. Occasionaldrizzleonlyadded to thesenseofcollective fidelity toourLord.BishopHwaYungpreachedon“SpreadingScripturalHoliness, Transforming the Nation”. Bishop drew on theWesleyan Revival to inspire and challenge Christians toreturn to holy living, without which no transformation cantakeplace;surelyarelevantissueintheseturbulenttimes.Communionwasadministeredbyourpastorsafterwards.Lettheflameburnbrighterintheheartofdarkness,Turningnighttogloriousday.Letthesonggrowlouderasourlovegrowsstronger,Letitshine.Letitshine!

MrGrahamPowerspeakingattheconvention

PrayergatheringinSibuTownSquareat5am

Topandbottompictures:SundayEveningServiceinSibuTownSquare–aviewfromtheside


FEATURE

God’s Three WavesByMrsWongSweeMun

It’sallabouttheLordGodAlmighty,Hisholiness,HisWord,His truth, His glory, His greatness, His purpose and Hiswork of redemption and transformation of all nations.

Nothing isaboutus.God isawesome.Westand inaweofHimaswegatherinHispresence.The2ndMethodistPrayerConvention in Sibu, Sarawak on 29 April 2011 broughtabout 3,500 people together to worship the Almighty. HehasrevealedHisplantohispeoplethroughthespeakerMrGrahamPowerfromCapeTown,SouthAfrica.GodwillsendthreewavesacrossAfricaandeventuallythewholeworld.1) The first wave is the Prayer Movement.

God is calling His people to humble themselves andpray. In the words of Mr Power, “People with humilitydon’t think less of themselves. They just think aboutthemselvesless.”

God says,“If my people, who are called by my Name,will humble themselves and pray and seek My faceand turn from theirwickedways, thenwill I hear fromheavenandwillforgivetheirsinandwillhealtheirland.”2 Chronicles 7:14

At the turnof theMillennium,believers inSouthAfricasensed God calling them to seek Him in repentanceand prayer and to call people across their country toassemble in united prayer for their cities and nations.ItwasacalltorespondtoGod’sinvitationin2 Chronicles 7:14 tohumbleourselves,prayandseekHis face.ThefirstprayergatheringwasheldinCapeTownin2001.

Soonsimilarprayergatheringswereheld–allmeetingon the same day of the year multiplied across Africa,and in the years that followed, all over the world.TheresultwasthebirthofthefirstGlobalDayofPrayeronPentecostSundayin2005.

“When the day of Pentecost had come, they were alltogetherinoneplace.”– Acts 2:1

The following years, millions of Christians all over theworld including Christians in Malaysia have gatheredtoanswerthesamecallforrepentanceandprayer.ThePrayer Movement continues to spread and to deepen,filling stadiums, homes, open fields of towns andvillages,andunitingmanychurchesinprayerforChrist’sgreatergloryandtheblessingsofthenations.

2) The second wave is the Commitment to Ethical and Holy Living

GodiscallingHispeopletoturnfromtheirwickedways,tobeholyandsetaparttoHim.MrPoweristhefounderofthe“UnashamedlyEthical”campaignthatchallengespeople to fight against systemic corruption in order toeradicate systemic poverty. Collusion and corruptionarebigproblems.Theyare likea sickcancer thatwilleventuallydestroythewholenation.Thepeoplehavetostandupagainstthestreamofcorruption.Itwillhinderits flowandhopefully stop it.Godshowedhimhow toaddressthesecondwavewiththefollowingthreesteps:

• Challenge Christians to sign a pledge form “UnashamedlyEthical”tocommittoethicalandholy living.

• Theywillbelinkedontoanelectronicdatabasewith information of members’ professions and their companies’businesses.

• TherewillbeateamofOmbudsmantokeepwatchof anycomplaintsandbreakingofrules.

It is important for the people to reflect on the ‘EthicsCheck’ questions before committing to sign any workcontract in the market place. They should ask thefollowingquestions:-

1.Isitlegal?WillIbeviolatingeithercivillaworcompany law?

2.Isitbalanced?Isitfairtoallpartiesconcernedinthe shorttermaswellasthelongterm?Doesitpromotea win-winrelationship?

3.Howwillitmakemefeelaboutmyself?Willitmakeme proud?WouldIfeelgoodifmydecisionwaspublishedin thenewspaper?WouldIfeelgoodifmyfamilyknew aboutit?

According toMrPower,onecannoteradicatesystemicpovertyunlessoneeradicatessystemiccorruption.Theabove is one way for the people to check and ensurethat they practise good ethics in business and at theworkplace. He also reminded the people not to forgetGod’sword inDeu.8:17-18. It isGodwhogivesustheabilitytoproducewealth.

You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength


of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” Butremember the Lord your God, for it is He who givesyou the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms Hiscovenant which He swore to your forefathers, as it istoday.– Deu.8:17-18.

To Mr Power, no amount of success in business cancompensateforfailureinthefamily.Hetoldthepeopletoconsider thisquestion:“Doyouwant tobeapersonofmeansorapersonofmeaning?”God’speoplemustmakeafirmstandtorejectbribes.ForGodhasgivenHiswords to his people to follow. Many at the conferencehavesignedthepledgeform“UnashamedlyEthical”.Forthosewhowishtomakethepledge,pleasegointothewebsitewww.unashamedlyethical.com

TheLordabhorsdishonestscales,butaccurateweightsarehisdelight. – Prov. 11:1

Foodgainedbyfraudtastessweettoaman,butheendsupwithamouthfullofgravel.– Prov.20:17

Whenthestormhassweptby,thewickedaregone,buttherighteousstandfirmforever.– Prov.10:25

Therearepromisesofblessingsaswellasresponsibilitiesthat come with wealth.We honour God when we obeyHiswords.

Honour the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruitsof all your crops; then your barns will be filled tooverflowing,andyourvatswillbrimoverwithnewwine.– Prov. 3:9-10IneverythingIdid,Ishowedyouthatbythiskindofhardwork we must help the weak, remembering the wordstheLordJesushimselfsaid:‘It ismoreblessedtogivethantoreceive.’– Acts 20:35

Command thosewhoare rich in thispresentworldnottobearrogantnortoputtheirhopeinwealth,whichisso uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richlyprovidesuswitheverythingforourenjoyment.Commandthem to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to begenerousandwilling toshare. In thisway theywill layuptreasureforthemselvesasafirmfoundationforthecomingage,sothattheymaytakeholdofthelifethatistrulylife.– 1Timothy 6:17-19

3) The third wave is the Transformation

Godwillforgiveandbringtransformationtothenationsandhealtheirlandstofulfillhispromisein2 Chronicles 7:14 ifhispeoplewillhumblethemselvesandprayandturnfromtheirwickedways.PraythatwetheMethodistChurch of Malaysia will heed His call and respond inobedience to pray and live holy lives, able to spreadscriptural holiness throughout our land and be God’sagentoftransformation.

MrPower has encouragedus to start eachday on thefoundationofprayer.ItisthecurrencyofGod’sKingdom.MayGodhearourprayers,forgiveoursinsandhealourlands,transformingthenationsforHisglory.

ChurchAnnouncementsCalled Home to Eternal Rest“Jesussaid,IamtheresurrectionandIamlife.Thosewhobelieveinme,eventhoughtheydieyetshalltheylive.Andwhoeverlivesandbelievesinmeshallneverdie.IamtheAlphaandOmega,thebeginningandtheend,thefirstandthelast.Idied,andbeholdIamalivefor evermore, and I hold the key of hell and death.BecauseIlive,youshalllivealso.”

-TheWordofGrace–(UMHpg871)

ThefollowingmembersofTrinityPJhavebeencalledhometoeternalrest.Ourcondolencestotheirfamilymembers.

Mdm Jacob, Esme Rosamalar Called home on19 April 2011

Mdm Ling Su Teik, Esther Called home on20 April 2011

Mr Yeoh Lai Chin, Andrew Called home on

30 May 2011

Mr Khet Kok Yin Called home on

3 June 2011

Sim Han How and Lydia Pok Say Lee.

The marriage celebration was held on 11 June 2011.

MarriageGod’s blessings as they start their journey as a married couple“Lord, send your blessings upon this couple, thattheymaysurelykeeptheirmarriagecovenant,andsogrowin loveandgodlinesstogether that theirhomemaybeahavenofblessingandpeace;throughJesusChristourLord.”

-BlessingoftheMarriage–(UMHpg868)


FEATURE

Many members of Trinity PJ anda sprinkling of those who camefromtheotherMethodistchurches

in the Klang Valley were blessed by theinspiringtalksdeliveredbyourBishopDrHwaYungduringHolyWeek(17–20April2011).Allthosewhoattendedtheseriesoffivetalksweretouchedbythemessageswhich were delivered with passion andclarity.A largenumber faithfully followedtheseriesoftalksasevidencedbythebigturn-outeachevening.

The Bishop pointed out that we are allbroken, insecure, wounded people whooften strugglewith our sense of identity, security and selfworth.TofinddeephealingwehavetodrawneartoGodandask forHishelp so thatwewill experienceHis lovebeingpouredintoourlives.GodtheFatherwantstomakeuswholeandwearetoappropriateHishealingmercies“…GodhaspouredouthisloveintoourheartsbytheHolySpirit,whomhehasgivenus.”Romans 5:5

WearealsocalledtobelikeJesuswhofoundHissecurityinGodalone.KnowingGodasDaddywillalsohelpusknowour origin and destiny and that assurance can help in thehealingprocess.AsourlovingFather,Hewillprovideforoureveryneedandhassufficientpowertoguardandprotectusinourjourneythroughlife.

AllthatwehavetodoistolearntogotoHimforhealingandtotrustandobey.HeistruetoHisWord,“…testmeinthis,”saystheLordalmighty,“andseeifIwillnotthrowopenthefloodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing thatyouwillnothaveroomenoughforit.” Malachi 3:10

As we go to God and draw close to Him through prayer,meditating on HisWord and solitude we come to feel thethrobbing of His heart. However, there are times whenGod takesus throughsuffering inorder tohelpus feelhisheartbeatandinsodoingHeopensourspiritualeyestoseeeventsandcircumstancesfromHisperspectiveandcometoknowHimbetter.WhenwedrawclosetoHimwewillfeelthatsenseofbeingblessed, thewallofhardnessofourheartswillcrackopenpermittingtheloveofGodtoflowintoitandhealingwilltakeplace.Therewillthenbeanewconsuming

passion for God and compassion forothers. Out of this overflow of love andpassionforGodthereisthenaturaldesiretoobeyandserveHim.

AsIreflectonthemessagesgivenduringHoly Week, I am mindful that I too amwounded because of my own sins andthesinsofothers.ThetendencyistousemyownstrengthtocoverupmywoundsandscarsbutIhavediscoveredthatitisfutilebecause thepainwould rise to thesurface every now and then, affectingmy personality and character. Thecover-upofhurtsmanifestsnegativelyin

myattitudes,temperamentanddemeanoraswell.IrealizethatonlyGodcanhealeffectivelyasIwalkcloselywithHim,asIexperienceHisloveandhavethatinnerconvictionthatIamHischild.

Therehas tobedisciplineonmypart tooas I spend timereadingandmeditatingonHisWord,communingwithHimthroughprayer,practisingthepresenceofGodmomentbymoment,worshippingHimandfellowshippingwithmembersofHisfamily.

Well, I often fail but the consoling part is His promise,“Ifweconfessoursins,heisfaithfulandjustandwillforgiveus our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”(1 John 1:9)

After many years of serving God through the differentministries of the church, I am aware that it is so easy togetentrappedinthebusynessofallkindsofactivities,andforgettheOneIamserving.

The lesson Ihave learnt is that,“Nobranchcanbear fruitby itself; itmust remain in the vine.Neither can youbearfruit unless you remain in me.” (John 15:4b) It is onlywhen I remain in theVine that Iamreminded that I servebecauseIloveChristandamempoweredtodosothroughtheindwellingHolySpirit.

With that, I servewith joy, recognizing thatwhatever fruitthatIcanbearinmylifeisbecauseofChristandallglorygoesbacktoHim.ToGodbetheglory!

‘Knowing God Our Father’ByMrsLilyChng


FEATURE

Trinity Methodist Church (TMC) Redevelopment

Report of Independent Evaluation Panel (EP)(Summary Report)

Section IEXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1. In December 2010,Trinity Methodist Church (TMC) setupan independentEvaluationPanel (EP)whose taskistoidentifyandevaluatethepresentandfuture spaceutilisationandspaceneedsofthechurchover thenext5-10years.

2. TheEP,comprising6(six)personsdrawnfromagood mixofprofessionalknowledge,skillsandexperiences, are:

i. MrArcPaulLaiChu(Chairman) ii. MrPeterTSChen(Secretary) iii.MrDavidLeeKow iv.DrIngPaulSFChan v. MrTanKeokYin vi.MsArcLeeMeiMing

3. The Terms of Reference (TOR) of the EP are as detailedbelow:-

i. Assess the current available space and project space requirement of TMC over the next 5-10 years.

ii. Determine on current space utilisation whether thereareopportunitiesforoptimisingtheusageof space, particularly through rescheduling of activities.

iii.Provideanoverviewoftheimpactoffutureplans of the various ministries on church space utilisation.

iv.Evaluate whether the projected church physical growth is sustainable in the long run in terms ofmembershipgrowth,futurefundingandcostof maintenance.

v. Recommend the total space (in terms of area), typeofspaceandfacilitieswhichTMCshallseek toincludeintheChurchRedevelopmentproject.

4. In accordance with the TOR, the EP adopted amethodology and approach in its work thatencompass as comprehensively as possible thevarious stakeholders for inputs and feedback. AsthefinaloutputthattheEPhastodeliverrelatestocurrentTMCspaceandusage, issuesandproblemsarising and future space needed forTMC’s growth,theEPreliedsubstantiallyonthefollowingdataandconsultations:-

i. Perspective drawn from TMC 50th Anniversary Booklet - Celebrating 50 Years of God’s Faithfulness(1959-2009).

ii. MeetingswithLCECrepresentatives,SeniorPastor RickyHoandchurchModeratorsonprojectedspace requirementsofvariousministriesoverthenext 5-10years.

iii. Responses from 24 Moderators of various ministriesoncurrentandfutureactivitiestothe surveyquestionnairedatedDecember2010.

iv. ChurchAttendancedata2000-2010.

v. ChurchMembershipandDemographicProfile.

vi. Current floor plans and utilisation of various buildingspacebyKKHArchitect.

vii. LCEC’sVisionandTMCPlan,2010-2014. viii.Submissionsby23churchmembersinresponseto the EP’s request for views and suggestions, includingthe2002ConceptualMasterPlan.

ix. BriefingandconsultationswithKKHArchitecton currentfloorandbuildingplans,includingModelA– NewBuildingwithanewWorshipcentre,endorsed by65%ofchurchmemberswhovotedinApril/May 2009.

5. TotrackandreviewTMC’sDevelopmentplansfrom2000 to the present time, the EP has produced an


FEATURE

Addendumentitled–‘EvolutionofTMCDevelopmentPlan from 2000 to Present’. This Addendumclearly sets out all the plans and efforts on churchdevelopment since 2000, including the ConceptualMasterPlan,2002, its rejectionongroundsofnon-compliancetoguidelinesonNon-IslamicBuildingsofSelangorStatePlanningdepartment.

6. TheEPwishes todeclare that itdoesnothaveanyinterest whatsoever in the TMC RedevelopmentProject,inwhateverformitemerges.Ourevaluationin the Report is purely based on our professionalopinion on what must be done with regard to TMCspacetofurtherthegrowthoftheChurch,itsmissionandplans,andGod’sMinistry.

7. All members of the EP put in considerable man-hours,bothatthenumerousmeetingsoftheEPandathome,toexaminetherelevantdataandinformationavailable to us to prepare and produce our Report.TheEPworkedonatightandfinedeadline,startingfrom January 14, 2011 to the week ending March25,2011.Onaccountofthelimitedtime, itwasnotpossibletomeetallmoderatorsandstakeholders.

8. TMC celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2009.Thegrowthinthelastdecade2000-2010wasmostsignificant in termsofmembership,attendanceandexpanded church activities and God’s ministry. TheEP views that the Youth Ministry will grow muchfurther in the next 5-10 years, given the vigour,passionandactiveinvolvementoftheYouthgroup.

9. TheEPhas takencognizanceof theconsistentandsignificant growth in membership, attendance andexpansionofthelevelandscopeofTMC’sministries.Clearly,thepresentspaceisnotcommensuratewithTMC’sgrowthanddevelopmentofvariousministries,particularly the sanctuary, church hall and pastoraloffice.TheYouth Council, which covers the variousyoung adults, Boys’ Brigade and Girls’ Brigade,constitutethenextcoregroupthatmustbenurturedand developed for them to take on the leadershipandbethedriversofthefuturechurchministry.Theyhaveexpressedthattheyarehandicappedbylackofspaceandfacilitiesfortheirvariousprograms.

10.TMC is at an important crossroad at this point intime. TMC started its church and ministry at aboutthe same time when the township of Petaling Jaya(PJ) and the University of Malaya (UM) took off. PJhasgrownby leapsandbounds since the1960s toinclude new successful suburban areas as SubangJaya, Puchong and Kota Damansara. Similarly, UMhas more than tripled its initial six faculties in the‘60s to 18 at present to include Dentistry, BuiltEnvironment (Architecture), Computer Science, Lawand IT tonamea few.A largenumberof graduates

worshipping inTMC are from UM.They would havenoted that the present Sanctuary completed in the‘60sandextendedlateronto includethenorthandsouth wings are the only physical addition to thechurch’s premises. Whereas other churches withshorter history have expanded their buildings andacquirednewpremises,TMCpresentlycontinuestooperateandrelyonaSanctuarythatisnolongerabletoadequatelyaccommodatethegrowingattendanceandfutureanticipatedgrowthofthechurch.

11.Thethreefundamental inter-relatedquestionstobe answeredare:

i. Where is TMC now and where is the church headed?

ii. Given all the positive indicators of growth in membership, attendance and extended scope of God’s ministries, is the church content with operatingat thecurrentspaceand itsattendant constraints?

iii.Ifnot,will thechurchembarkonadevelopment project that creates the necessary expansion ofspacethatcanbeutilisedtogrowthechurch andbeasignificantspiritualcentreandcatalyst fortheMethodistministry?12.On the above, the EP’s assessment and conclusion are that TMC cannot afford to stand still in its physicalstate.TMCmust takeboldandaffirmative actionstoexpandkeycriticalspacestoensurethat thechurchcontinuestoachievesustainablegrowth in carrying out effectively God’s mission and ministry.

RECOMMENDATIONS

13.TMC has reached an important crossroad atthis juncture in its 52-year history. The growthin membership, attendance and scope and levelof ministry activity is increasingly outpacing thephysical space available. There is also a need tomakeprovisionsfor futuregrowth inthenext5-10years.Without bold and concrete action to expandspaceandaddonnewfacilities,TMCwillbeunabletosustainGod’sministryinthecomingyears.

14.In line with the TOR, the independent EP hasassessed and evaluated the Trinity MethodistChurch’s physical and spatial needs for the next5 to 10 years based on available data and relatedfeedbacks.Accordingly, theEPunanimouslymakestherecommendationstotheChurchRedevelopmentReview Committee and Local Church ExecutiveCouncilasfollows:


A) Proposed TMC Physical Growth:

i) Sanctuary

a) That a new Sanctuary be provided with an area of 12,200 sq ft (1,134 sq m) to accommodate a seatingcapacityof1,030persons. b) ThatthepresentSanctuaryberetained.

ii) Hall

a) ThatanewMulti-functionalHallbeprovidedwith anareaof2,600sqft(240sqm)toaccommodate aseatingcapacityof240persons.

iii) Pastoral Office a) That the new Pastoral Office be expanded to a total area of 2,900 sq ft (270 sq m) from the present area of 2,000 sq ft (186 sq m) to accommodatetheexpandednumberofstafffrom thecurrent12to17andtomeettherecommended spatialstandardsforoffice.

iv) Menorah Cafe a) That a new Menorah Cafe be provided with an areaof2,800sqft(260sqm)toaccommodatea seatingcapacityof150persons.

v) Kindergarten a) ThatthenewKindergartentoreplacetheexisting onewithanareaof14,470sqft.(1,345sqm)be providedandtoincludethefollowing: i) NewdedicatedLibraryof600sqft(56sqm),

ii)NewChildcareRoomof750sqft.(70sqm)to accommodate20children, iii)NewPrincipal&StaffRoomof1,800sqft.(167 sq m) to accommodate 20 persons. This replacesexistingoneof680sqft(63sqm),

iv)New Kindergarten toilets of 1,000 sq ft (93sqm) to replaceexistingoneof500sq ft (46sqm). vi) Sunday School a) That a store room of 120 sq ft (11 sq m) be provided to the new Kindergarten for general storage.

vii) Ancillary Facilities & Storage

a) That a Music Room with an area of 625 sq ft. (58sqm)beprovidedtoaccommodateaseating

capacityof50persons. b) That a Storage Room with an area of 500 sq ft (46 sq m) be provided to for the storage of musicalinstruments.

c) That a Sick Bay with an area of 220 sq ft. (20 sq m) be provided for emergencies and contingencies.

d) Thatanew(second)WakeRoomwithanareaof 500sq ft. (46sqm)beprovided forconcurrent/ alternateusagewhenneeded.

viii) Guest Apartment

a) That the first floor of the present Parsonage building be renovated and upgraded for guests’ accommodation

ThebasisandfactorssupportingEP’srecommendationsabove are as detailed in paragraph 5.5 in the MainReport.

B) Sustainability of Church Physical Growth

15.The EP projected a total net area of 36,585 sq ft (3,586sqm) tomeet futureTMCspaceneedsover thenext5–10yearsandbeyond.

In the Model ‘A’ by KKH Architects, the total net extension area is given as 40, 160 sq ft (3,732 sq m). KKH Architects estimated the total cost to complete the project based on Model ‘A’ is RM12 Million.

16.Presently,TMChasabuildingfundofRM5.5million set aside for development. Assuming that Model Aisimplemented(initspresentorslightlymodified form), a balance of RM 6.5 million needs to be raised to make up the shortfall. Also with a new larger structure, an annual operating and maintenancecostincludingsinkingfundwouldhave to be provided. This should be considered by the Team of Consultants to ensure that the Redevelopmentplanisviableandsustainableinthe longrun.

17.InembarkingonthenewTMCdevelopmentproject, the EP recommends that the existing Kindergarten buildings be demolished to make way for the new sanctuary, upgraded Kindergarten/Sunday School andotherphysicalfacilitiesdeemedappropriate.

18.EPalso recommends that theprovision for carpark beincorporatedinthedevelopmentproject.


FEATURE

Listen ... byJessieChiew

OurAlmightyCreatorstaysattunedtousthatHecan

continue to guide and lead us. Knowing our every

need,thelovingFatherdrewbothmyhusbandEddie

andItotheSilentRetreatatMaranathainMaythisyear.We

hadboth turnedoneyearolder in thesamemonth. Itwas

timely then to takestockofwhereweare inour livesand

ponderonwhitherweweregoing.

Ilivebyfaith.ItalktomyCreator,BenefactorandAlmighty

FatherallthetimeswhereverIamandwhateverIdo.Heis

mysourceof beingonwhom I dependmoreandmoreas

theoutermaniswearingaway.Myfailingweaknessismy

inabilityto–LISTEN–closely,whentheFathercalls.

‘MARANATHA’ (Come, Jesus) is the Father’s divine

interventioninourlives.Togetherwith17otherswhohadalso

respondedtothedivineinvitationandwiththeexperienced

mentoringofDrChewTowYow,welearnttoshutoffandto

shutouttheworld.Itturnedouttobeanupliftingexperience

foreverysingleparticipant.Spendingtimeoneononewith

our heavenly Father enablesHim to pourHis Spirit afresh

intoour souls. It left us restored, renewed, rechargedand

readytotakeontheworldagainasweallowGod’swill to

unfoldinourlives.

The Lord had promised that“when you seek Me, you will

findMe,ifyouseekwithallyourheart”.Whenwemakea

consciouseffort todowntools inresponsetoGod’scall to

“come away with Me, by yourself, to a quiet place”, God

responds with His overflowing and abundant grace. He

shepherds us way from the strains of toil and the fret of

careeversogently.Hehadaskedusinwisdomto–“Bestill

andknowthat IamGod”.Weare tobeat restso thatwe

mayreceivefromHim–Hispeace.

RESTING means putting aside everything to just sit at His

feet, to rely on God’s righteousness and to bask in His

endless love.As we come to Him, broken and contrite in

spirit,Heministerstooursoul.Heteachesustoyieldand

surrendercompletelytoHim,andtoallowHislivingwordto


permeate our senses and redesign our hearts from inside

out.

Relaxing and letting go gave me the feeling of ‘floating’.

Iwasatease,havingcededcontroltothedotingFatherwho

onlyknowshowtogivegoodgiftstoHischildren.Myloving

Fatherhaddrawnmeawayfromallnoiseanddistractions

justtobeinthehealingserenityofHispresence.AsIwait

onHim,Heopenedupmyeyes,myearsandmyheart.He

finetunedthemsothatIcouldseeHim,hearHimandfeel

Him in everything around me. Thus He taught me that a

believing heart and an ear opened to Him alone will hear

Him speak. Our ever loving God is always at work around

us.Heconstantlybeckonsusto“inclineyouearandcome

toMe,hearandyoursoulshall live”.When I respondedto

His call,Godcame through todelightmysensesand“the

mountainsandhillsbrokeforthintosinging”,filingmewith

joyoverflowing.

I was at blissful rest, breathing in the cool crisp morning

air while drinking in the freshness of lush green foliage,

regal pine trees and dainty tembusu. Unbeknownst to me

the cheerful chirping and trilling calls of the birds were

heralding an ensuing act. Suddenly the surroundings

began tovibratewith theboomingcallsof theprimates in

varying tones. It was for moments like this that we live! I

was surrounded and thoroughly immersed in the midst of

nature’s brilliant symphony, the wondrous works of God’s

hands. Inmyawesomewonder Icoulddono lessbutsing

outtoHim-“Howgreatthouart!”

God speaks to those who walk and live with Him. In

committing time to Him and focusing on Him alone, God

reciprocates by heaping blessings upon blessings on us.

I felt thoroughly blessed and completely enfolded in His

embracethroughoutthedurationoftheRetreat.Onthelast

evening,thegraciousLordgaveusasendofftoremember

Himby.

As we looked up at the evening sky, the ‘Master Painter’

wielded His brush on His ‘canvas’ turning it into brilliant

shadesofvermillion.Thesunwaspackingituptocallita

day,while thebirdswerequietlywinging theirwayhome.

Against this magnificent backdrop leafless trees stood in

silentworshipfulpraiseoftheLordofLords.

“O heavenly Father,there is no One like You!

You have made meand You know me.

Lovingly You drew me awayto be with you alone,enabling me to close

my eyes and earsto everything else

but You.I praise You and thank You

for Your blessingsfrom dawn to dusk,for healing mercies,

and for tuning me into LISTENjust to You.”


FEATURE

Church Redevelopment Announcement

TheLCECchairman,MrTanEanChye,reportsontherecommendationsmadebytheIndependentPanelofEvaluatorsonChurchRedevelopment

andthestepsthathadbeentakentodevelopthechurch

Atitsmeetingheldon25May2011,theLCECreceivedanddiscussedthereportoftheIndependentPanelofEvaluatorsonChurchRedevelopment.

The Panel, after three months of studying the spaceutilizationandfutureneedsofthechurch,recommended,inbrief,thefollowing:

1. Buildingofanewsanctuarytoseat1,030people;

2. Havingamulti-functionalhallthatcanaccommodate240 people;

3.AddinganadditionalWakeRoom;

4. Increasingthestoragespaceforvariousorganizations;

5. Increasingtheofficespacefortheadministration;

6.Providing for a new Menorah Café to seat 250 people; and

7.ProvidingforanewlibraryfortheKindergartenchildren.

After some deliberation, the LCEC accepted therecommendations contained in the report. The LCECacknowledges with thanks the contribution of the PanelMembers(headedbyMrPaulLaiChu)andthemembersofthe Church Redevelopment Review Committee which wasmoderated by our Bishop Dr HwaYung and co-chaired byourTRACPresidentRevDrOngHwaiTeik.

(Church members who wish to have the full report of theIndependentPanelmayorderacopyatcostbysubmittingawrittenrequesttoMrAlexVoon,ourAdminManager.)

Inlinewiththerecommendations,theLCECwishestoinformallchurchmembersthatthefollowingstepshadbeentaken:

1. Submission of all relevant plans to Majlis Bandaraya PetalingJayaforitsapprovalofthechurchdevelopment plans;

2. SettingupaChurchDevelopmentProjectCommitteeto overseeandimplementtheplans;and

3. Appointment of members to sit on the Church DevelopmentFund-raisingcommittee.

To ensure transparency and cost efficiency, the LCEC hadappointedaCostandTenderTaskForcepanelthatwillstudyallrelevantareasoftheprojectthataffectcostandtenderprocesses.

TheLCECwouldliketorequestmemberstocontinuetopraythat theChurchDevelopmentProjectwillunite theChurchandproceedwithGod’sguidanceandblessings.PleasealsopraythatitwillreflectGod’sloveandenableourChurchtobeatruewitnessofourLordJesusChristtoourcommunity.

TOGODBETHEGLORY!


TESTIMONY

On A Deeper Spiritual Journey

TestimoniesontheYouthAlphaandYouthAlphaWeekendAwayinBrogaOutbackCamp

Miss Crystal Chong Jing Jing writes:

Ithought I know a lot about God since I went to SundaySchoolandtheGirls’BrigadebutIwaswrong.AftergoingthroughYouthAlpha, I realised that I do not know that

much.

I learnt so much atYouthAlpha, such as why Jesus died,howHedied,thepainHewentthrough.IlearntthatSciencewithout religion was so lame! I learnt that God healed usbothphysicallyandemotionally.Thatissocool.

IlikedeverysessionofthecoursebutthebestpartwastheYouthAlphaWeekendAway.WhatIdislikedwasbeingaskedquestionsthatIcouldnotanswer.

InFebruary thisyear,whenAuntyGrace invitedme to joinYouthAlpha,Ihadnoinklingwhatitwasallabout.Mymomconvincedmetoparticipateinthe12-weekcourse.IlearntaboutGod’sgraceforusandwhyJesusdiedonthecross.HediedforoursinssowewouldnotbeseparatedfromGodforever. How Jesus died through crucifixion was the mostpainfulandcruelformofpersecution.

My knowledge increased little by little and finally the daycameforustogoonourAlphaWeekendAwayattheBrogaOutbackCampon30April.WeassembledatTrinityMethodistChurchat8amandsetoffonourtwo-hourjourneybycoach.

Uponarrivalatthecampsite,weunloadedourluggage,AVequipmentsuchasmicrophone,cablesandotherstuff.TheCampManagergaveusashortbriefingontheprogrammeandweplayedsomeice-breakinggames.

After we checked in and had a delicious lunch, we madeour way to the seminar room to listen to talks by UncleSteven. Later,webroke into small groups fordiscussions.I learnt about the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit – “But thefruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”(Galatians 5:22)

Thereafter, we went outdoors to participate in activitiessuchastheflyingfox,obstaclecourse,kayaking,etc.Thenitwastimeto freshenupandtohavedinner.Therewasacampfireshowwherefire-eaters litupthenightwiththeirfierybreath.Itwasthrillingandawesome!

About 10pm, we had a BBQ supper of grilled chicken,prawns, sausages and much more. While enjoying ourmeal, we took the opportunity to discuss and prepare forour talentime contest. Paige won the best actress award.Weactedaccordingtothetheme“YouthAlpha”andalltheperformances were very interesting and funny. ZhiYang’sgroup(akamygroup!)wonthetalentimecontest.Everyonereceivedmanygoodies,snacksandprizes.


TESTIMONY

Bythenitwasalreadypastmidnightbutweweresohappyand excited that we could hardly sleep and continued tochit-chat. We were so noisy that Ma’am (Aunty Giok Hui)reprimandedus.Lightsout!

Next day, we woke up early for breakfast and haddiscussions with Uncle Steven about the Holy Spirit. HetoldusthatspeakingintongueswasagiftfromGod–noteveryonehadthisgift.Wealsolearntthatwemustplantthehabit of reading the Bible every day and let God lead anddirect our life. By doing so, everything will fall into place.Somegave testimoniesabout theirexperienceswhen theywere filled with the Holy Spirit, some said they cried andotherssaidtheyhadapeacefulfeeling.

Wehadlunchandthenleft forhome. Ihavesomanyfondmemoriesofourcampandmyfriends.IwouldliketothankUncleSteven,AuntyGraceandAuntyGiokHuifortheireffortsinplanningsuchawonderfulweekendawayforus,butmostimportantly,webecamemoreknowledgeableabouttheHolySpirit. I trulyencourageallyoungpeopletosignupfortheYouthAlphacourse!

‘Helping me to trust God’

Miss Tan Peige writes:

Ilearnt many wonderful things at the Youth Alphaprogramme.Therewerethreemajorlessonsthatimpactedme.Thefirstonewasthelessononhowwehadtoputour

trustandfaithinGod’shandsregardingourplansinlife.ItappliedtomebecauseIwaslostandconfused,notknowingwhere togoorwhat tostudyaftermySPM.Nevertheless,GodhasansweredmyprayersandIbelieveitwasHisplanallthiswhile,thusIamhappybecauseIamabletofurthermystudiesincollege.AllthankstoGod’sgrace.

Thesecondonewasabout theHolySpirit thatwastaughtduringourtriptotheBrogacamp.Ihadalwaysthoughtthatthe Holy Spirit was just the small little voice in my head.I know now that the Holy Spirit also helps us to connectwithGod.Since then, I prayed for theHolySpirit to guidemeinmydailylife.KnowingmoreoftheHolySpirit, InowacknowledgetheHolySpiritmorethanbefore.

The last one was the lessons learned about the power ofhealing. Although I have yet to see someone healed onthe spot by the Lord, I have definitely experienced God’shealing. It taught me that one’s prayer for healing wasstrong enough and that we brothers and sisters in Christshouldpraytogetherwhensomeoneneededhealingorhelp.

YouthAlphahashelpedmerepairandfixmybondwithGodandhelpedmerenewmyfaithinHimandtoloveHimandlivelikeChristdid.

We went on an adventure trip to Broga on 30 April. It isa small town on the border between Selangor and NegeriSembilan. The camp is widely spread out, with greenpasturesagainstabackdropofhills.

Beforecheckinginourbaggage,wegatheredattheseminarroomforabriefsessionfollowedbyhavingour fellowshipdiscussionandpraiseandworshiptime.Besidesthat,minigames were conducted where all of us were divided intofoursmallgroups.

After lunch, our first activity was the flying fox whichrequiredcourage,braveryandconfidence.Fromthetopoftheplatformoftheflyingfox,youcouldgetabird’seye-viewofthepicturesquesceneryofthehills.Forme,thisflyingfoxwasthehighestoneIhadeverriddeninmylife.ThusIwassuper excited to ride it.The next activity was an obstaclecoursewherethetermteamworkandtrustcameintoplay.


During each obstacle, the team members needed to trustoneanotherandbeconfidentinordertosuccessfullyfinishthechallenge.

Thethirdactivitywasthe“PuncturedDrums”thatinvolvedusgettingwet.Thegamewasinterestingandfunbecausewe got to see our group members being silly, with theirshouting. I laughed the entire time. After that, we got tocanoeatthebigpondthatwaslocatednotfaraway.

Oneofthehighlightswasthecampfirethattookplaceafterdinnerwherewegatheredatthebasketballcourttowatchliveperformancesfromthestaff.Thestaffperformedalivefireshowandtherewasadancingsessionandsomegreatgamesforalltoenjoyandrelax.

Aftertheperformancesandfun,wehadabarbeque.Allofusenjoyedthefoodservedforitwassimplyscrumptious.Thentwo teams took part in aTalentime with the given theme,Youth Alpha. Both teams did a wonderful job. Interestinggiftsandprizesweregivenawayaswell.

The next day, we had our usual fellowship discussionfollowedbypraiseandworshipsessionsbeforehavingourlastlunchatBrogaandthendepartingforhome.

Overall, the camp was fun and interesting as we wereserved great meals and the activities were fresh andexciting.Forme, the favouritepartwas thewholeprocessof the camp, from getting to know God more in-depthto building a stronger relationship with Him during ourfellowshipdiscussions,andotherexcitingactivities.PraiseGod,theYouthAlphagroupreturnedbacktochurchsafely.

‘Learning to give my best’

Miss Sarah Ti writes:

During the period when I was involved in the YouthAlphaProgramme,Ifindmyselfeahsaturdaymorningpondering about the topics that were discussed

thatweek.Examplesofquestionsthatpoppedthroughmymindwere– Is there reallymore to life than living for theday?What is my purpose of repeating unending cycles ofworkfortheday?WhatamIonearthfor?

Wesoon fall into the trapof living lifebymakingourowncalls.WedonotacknowledgeourCreator,wefindpleasureinmaterialgainandwerejectourcallingtobesetapart.

TheYouthAlphaprogrammehasassistedmetounderstandminordetailsthatImissedoutwhenIwasakidgrowingupinchurch. It touchedonpointssuchashowtopray,resistthedevil,readtheBible,healingtoday,thechurchandtheHolySpirit.Theprogrammenotonlyhelpedmeintellectually,but gave me some sweet memories. The weekend awaywas definitely the cherry on top of the cake. I enjoyedeverymoment of it –whether it be thebus ride, dormingina ridiculouslycold room,gameactivities,barbequingorpunctureddrums.

ThroughYouthAlpha,IhavelearnttoserveandgivemybestinaministrythatIamplacedin.Evenafteranundoubtedlytiringweek,going for theAlphasession refreshedmeandkeptmeontrack.

To the youths who attended the course: Thank you thateverytimeIledinworship,youguyscooperatedandjoinedinsongtoworshipourLord.Thankyouforunitingwithyourhelpersduringdiscussion.

Thankyoutothemainorganisersofthiswholeprogramme– Steven Ooi, Grace Choong and Tan Giok Hui. Most


TESTIMONY

importantly,weareblessedtohaveachurchthatprovidesthisplaceforustohosttheprogramme.

AllofyouguysarepricelessinGod’ssight.IwouldnotstopprayingforeachandeveryoneofyouguystomoveforwardwithGodfromwhereyouarenow.MayHeuseallofyoutoimpactthosearoundyou,mayHematureallofyouguys,tobeafterHisheart,will,purposeandplan.

‘Awesome to know God lives in us’

Mr Joel So writes:

The Youth Alpha Weekend Away at Broga Camp wasawesome. Our first session was on “Knowing theHoly Spirit”. It is great to know that the Holy Spirit

islivinginEACHandeveryoneofus.Thismotivatesmetohave a righteous lifestyle. Imagine, God living in you! It issoawesomeknowingthatHelivesinyouandHewillneverleaveyou.

Oftenwhenwepray,wefeelthatGodisupthereandwearedownhere.Well,IlearntthatGodisrightherewithinus!Itiscomfortingtoknowthat,NOMATTERwhat...Hisplansarealwaysforourgood,thoughthingsmayseemhelplessandhopeless at times... Remember, it isALWAYS within Dad’splanandCONTROL!Often,wethinkthateverythingisoutofcontrol.WRONG!ItisalwaysinDad’shands.

The discussions in small groups and sharing wereencouraging and thought-provoking. Helping to facilitatewasanexperienceforme.EvenifIhadbeenthroughYouthAlphabefore,Istilllearntsomanynewthingsfromthesmallgroupdiscussions.

SeeingayoungergenerationwantingtoknowDadandHisawesomeNessreallyencouragesmeandwell,yea,IhopetoseeawholeNEWgenerationofyouthswhoLOVEDadandlivealifestyleforHisglory!

ThanksGrace,StevenandGiokHui! (Iknowyoualldonotliketheauntyanduncletitles).

How not to be scared of the devil

Master Caleb Goh writes:

Iliked the Youth Alpha course because it was a veryexciting programme. Every Saturday I would be veryhappybecause Ihad threeprogrammes ina row.Every

timeIwenttoYouthAlphathefirstthingIdidwaseat.AndwehadbeeneatingnicefoodlikeChickenRice,NasiLemakandPizza.Afterwehadfinishedeatingwewouldgotothechurchhall andsingpraises toGod.Mostof the time,wehadice-breakersfirst.Thenafterthat,SarahTiwouldleadusinworship.UncleStevenwouldplaythepiano.

AfterworshipUncleStevenwouldtellussomethingsintheBible and mostly about God the Father and God the Son.Afterthatwelearntalsoaboutthedevil.Iwasscaredofthedevil.Iknowhisfaceisveryuglyandscary.Ihadadreamonce about the devil and his two demons and I couldn’tmoveortalk.ButUncleStevensaidthis,“Itisokaytomakefunof the lion if it’s in thecagebut it’snotokay tomakefunof the lion ifyouyourselfare inside thecage.”Got it?Well, if you did not, just remember that“your body is thetempleofGod”.NowIamnotscaredbecauseIknowJesusisinsideme.

YouthAlphateachesmealotofstuffandIwillbebeggingmymomtosendmetoYouthAlphaagainnextyear.

I also want to say thank you to Madam Tan Giok Hui, toGraceforhelpingoutandSarahTifortheworshipandalsothankstoUncleStevenforteachingusandforplayingthepiano.

‘Knowing my weaknesses’

Miss Jacqueline Ong writes:

Duringthe12weeksofYouthAlphaInotonlylearnttolivelikeChrist,butalsorecognisedtheweaknessesIhadinme.

Ihadalways thought thatYouthAlphawas likeanactivity


oreventwhereyoujustlearnaboutGod,theHolySpiritandotherstufffromtheBible.ItookthecouragetosignupandfoundthatitwasreallydifferentfromwhatIthoughtitwas.AndIdonotregretgoingforthecourse.

Most of all I would like to thank Uncle Steven for guidingus through the whole course. And I would like to thankSarah and Joel for their big help when I needed to knowsome answers. The Weekend Away was also one of thebest camps I havebeen to.Themost important thing thatI have learnt fromYouthAlpha is to serve the Lord Jesuswillingly.Whatever it is andnomatterhow theworldmaynotunderstandyou,Jesusdoes.

The Power of prayers and the Bible

Miss Deborah Goh writes:

IjoinedYouthAlphabecauseIwantedtolearnmoreaboutGod.Ilearntmanythings,likeWhoJesusis;HowIcanbesureofmyfaith;WhoistheHolySpirit;HowIcanbefilled

withtheHolySpirit;WhyandhowIshouldtellothers;andDoesGodhealtoday.WecanalsoaccomplishmanythingsbyprayingtoGodandbyreadingtheBible.

So fun… see you next year

Miss Vanesse Leong writes:

YouthAlphawasfun. I lovedtheYouthAlphaWeekendAway Camp in Broga. I did the Flying Fox, canoeingandsomegames.Iwishthattherewillbetwocamps

inoneyear.Itwasso-o-ofunandinteresting.IwillseeyouguysnextyearinYouthAlpha.Wishyoualltheverybesttillnextyear.


TESTIMONY

The Third Step To TMC, PJByDatinDrNgSookMing

Iwasdiagnosedwithbreastcancerin1994.Fromthatdayonitpreyedonmymind.Itoldmyselfnottofallintothe,“Whyme,Lord?”trap.Afterall,whynotme?Butbeing

human, when I looked at my healthy friends, sometimes Icould not help but feel a bit envious of their good health.Even though I hadbeendiagnosedas a stage1 case, theuncertainty of survival was always present. Had it spreadandif ithad,howlongdoIhave?ButwhenyoubelieveinGodandhisangels,wonderfulthingscanhappen.

In1998,KhaikLeangand Iwent toLondon to visitSzuLiwhowasthenstudyinginImperialCollege.Onedaywhilehewasatwork,Itookadaytoursouth.OneofthestopswasWinchester Cathedral (I think). The sky was overcast andit was drizzling.The cathedral was undergoing restorationandpartsoftheexteriorwerecoveredwithscaffoldingandnets.Wescurriedinside.Theinteriorwasdark,gloomyandechoey,thewaylargeoldchurchesoftenare.AfterexploringthenaveImovedalongwithsomeothertouriststoaroombehindthealtar. Itwasjustasdarkandgloomy,litonlybywhat light that could filter through stained glass windowssetveryhighupinawalltotherightofthechurch.There,stackedagainstanotherlowerwall,sometimesthreedeep,weregargoylesandfigurines.Theycouldhavebeenplacedthere while the restoration took place. I looked at each ofthem in turn. Where else would I have an opportunity toexaminesuchalargecollectionatsuchclosequarters?

One in particular caught my eye. Carved from stone orbronze, itwassoold that thematerialwasadarkbrown-grey,almostblack. Itwasastatuetteofamanaboutoneandahalffeettall.Hehadakindfacewithabeard.Hehadonatallhead-dressandwasdressedinalongrobe.Inhisrighthandwasastaff.“Mustbeasaint,”Ithoughtandafterexamininghim Imovedon.Buta fewpaceson, Istopped,turnedandretracedmystepstill Iwasstandinginfrontoftheiconagain.Unbidden,athoughtcametomymind,“WillIbeallright?”andcontinuedtolookathimasifhopingforan answer but not really expecting one.Then right beforemy eyes the statuette changed colour.Very slowly, almost

imperceptibly, it lighteneduntil thepatinawasa faintdullgoldencolour.Myfirstthoughtwas,“Ohgood,ithasstoppedrainingandthesunhascomeout.”ButthenInoticedthatthe other items around it were still cloaked in their darkcolour.“Strange,”Ithought,“shouldn’tlightcomingthroughstained glass be multi-coloured?” I was sure I had seenmulti-colouredpanes.Iturnedtocheck.Sureenough,theyweremulti-coloured.WhenIturnedback,theiconhadlostits golden sheenandhadgoneback to its original colour.I looked around to ask other tourists if they had seen thecolourchangebut therewasnobody in theroomwithme.Iwasalone.At that,aftera lastbackwardglance, Ibeatahastyretreat.

Outside, nothing had changed. It was still overcast andraining. In the bus I puzzled over what I had seen. I hadbeeninahouseofGod.Ihadaskedaquestion.Wasthatmyanswer?Itookitthatitwasindeedananswer–apositiveone.Fromthatmomenton,itfeltlikemyburdenhadbeentaken away. I thought less and less about my cancer andmovedconfidentlyon.ThankYou,Lord.

I also took it that the Lord was sending me a message.Youaremortal, time togetcommittedbutstill Ihesitated.I gave the sameold excuse - that Iwas stillworkingandcouldnotgivefullcommitmentandtherewasnowanotherconsideration - my aged Taoist parents, at that time 75yearsold.

By then my four siblings had converted. Kam Yoon, amedicaldoctor isaMethodist.HiswifeSueisaMethodistlaypreacherinHuddersfield,Englandwheretheynowlive.ChorMing,aneconomist, ischarismaticbrethrenand isamember of the Full GospelAssembly. Even as I write thisshe issomewhere in the junglesofSarawakevangelising.Henry (HonYuen),anarchitect, isaDoctorofMinistryanda lay preacher who also goes to Sarawak for the samepurpose. He is an independent charismatic who worshipsattheNewLifeRestorationChurch.Magdalene(LaiMing),an accountant, is a Roman Catholic worshipping at the


AssumptionChurch.SheisthemostactiveofusinchurchworkandhasevenrepresentedherDioceseataconferenceinSouthKorea.BothChorMingandLaiMinghavebeentotheHaggai Institute inHawaii toattend leadership trainingcourses.

As you can see our denominations are as diverse as ourprofessions and with an aunt, Mdm LohYuen Lan, who isamemberofDUMC,religiousdiscussionscanbelivelyandheatedwhenwegettogether.OncewhenI,abiologistanda fervent believer in the Theory of Evolution, mentionedthatweweredescendedfrommonkeys,Suegotallhotandbotheredunderthecollar.“Nono!Howcanyousaywearedescendedfromapes?Icannotacceptthat.WeareallmadeinGod’simage”.Well,Sue,inthosedaystheybelievedthatthe earth was flat too. So to maintain our freindship andcloseness we agreed to disagree and seldom discussedreligionwhenwegettogether.

Taoistshavecomplexfuneralrites–alotofprayerchanting,burningofjossticks,papermoneyandpapereverythingelsewhich they believe will ensure them a comfortable life inthenextworld.Itwasprettyobviousmysiblingswouldnothavebeenabletocarryoutsuchduties.Soitfellonmylottodoso.

WhenKhaikLeangwasdiagnosedwithlungcancerin1999,I took it as a reminder from the Lord about our mortality.Afterall,theexcuseofstillworkingwasgone.Ihadretiredandhewasretiring.At80myparentswerestillgoingverystrongandtheycouldwelloutliveus.Ihadtomakeamove.Butwhatandhow?RememberingthatthepastorinAustraliahadaskedifIhadattendedanycoursesorclasses,thefirststepwastoattendsomeclasses.NowreadontoseehowtheLordworks.

AtthattimeIhadlivedinmyhousefor40yearsandmostof my neighbours had sold their houses and moved awayexcept for two, Mrs Jean Cheah and Mrs Mai Khoo. Thenumberof times the threeofushavegot together tochatabout nothing in particular can be counted on the fingersofonehandwithtwotospare.JeanandMaicommunicatemorefrequentlyandarealwayspoppinginandoutofeachothers’ homes. I who had a job had to confine myself to,“Hi,”and“Bye.”

When I retired, I started gardening. One day, while in thegardenIsawthetwoofthemwalkingbacktoMai’shouse.I went out to say, “Hi,” and they lingered to chat. I knewthatMai,anIrishladyisaRomanCatholicandthoughtthatJean, a Scots belonged to some Scottish church. Out ofcuriosityorperhapsitwasmyguardianangeleggingmeon,IaskedJeanwheresheworshippedandshereplied,“Trinity

MethodistChurchinPJ,deah.”“Trinity!”Iexclaimed,“Iamthinking of joining that church.” “You’re welcome, deah.”I asked if there were any courses I could attend and shereplied,“Yes, theDisciple classes.”“Howdo I register forthe classes? I am not a church member.” “No problem,deah.IamthinkingoftakingDisciple1again.Youcancomewith me.” I could not imagine anyone wanting to take aBible studyclassagain. If I takeacourse,once it isdoneIamfinishedwith itandBiblestudyclassessoundeddull.“Areyousure?Youarenotdoingitagainbecauseofme?”“No,deah.ImissedsomeclassesthelasttimesoIwanttodoitagain.”

ItriedtopersuadeKhaikLeangtocomealongwithusbuthewasstillwaryofChristianityafterourexperiencewith theAmericanpreacher.Hesaid,“Yougofirstandifyouthinkitisall right, Ishallconsidergoingnextyear.So itwas thatJeanregisteredjustmeforDisciple1andIdutifullyfollowedhertochurchforthefirstclass.Iwasnervousandfilledwithtrepidation.What if Ididnotfit intheclassbecauseofmyignorance?IhadtoldDatinRachelLimofmyintentionandshehadsaid,“That’sunusual.Weusuallyattendtheclassesafterwearebaptized.”AndhereIwasthinkingthatIwouldfindoutwhatChristianityisfirstbeforeIcommittedmyself.If it isanything likewhat the fireandbrimstoneAmericanpreacherhadpreached,did Iwantanypartof it? IprayedbeforeIenteredtheclass,“Lord,pleaselettheteacherbeopen-mindedandveryintelligent.AndLord?Isitpossibletohavesomefamiliarfaces?”

IenteredandthefirstpeopleIsawwereDrLeeSooSeongandhiswife,DrPoonSiewKein,twoverygoodfriendsandmyformertutorsandcolleaguesintheUniversityofMalaya.Iwasverysurprised.Theyhadbeeninthechurchforaverylongtime.Howcometheywereonlytakingthecoursenow?Igotmyfamiliarfaces.ThankYou,Lord.

Ididnotknowanyoneelsebuttheywereallhappy,smilingandlaughing.OurmoderatorwasMsAileenKhooandtheyall knew her except me. When we had settled down, theclassstartedandAileensaidsomethingthatblewmysocksoff. “Within these four walls, you can say anything youwant.” I couldn’t believe my ears.“What?Anything?” andshe said,“Yes.” I thought,“What?No‘Blasphemy,Ming.’No‘Heresy,Ming’.”Wow!

As time went on, I found thatAileen knew her Bible. Sheclarifiedissuesforusandwasnevershockedorchastisedus for what we said. She led us gently back to the rightpathwhenwestrayedandneverever forcedherbrandoftheologyonus.To thisday,manyyears later, I stilldonotknowherbrandoftheology.Ihadgotmyopen-minded,veryintelligentteacher.THANKYOU,LORD.


TESTIMONY

‘My Experience Of TheSmall Group Concept’

ByDrKhooSooGhee

WhenIattendedtheone-day“SmallGroups”MeetinggivenbyMsSunWaiWaion17April 2011, Iwasinterested to find out more about the Small Group

Ministry.

Iwantedtoknowhowitwouldaffectthelifeofthechurch–whetherweweremovingtowardsacellchurchorachurchwithsmallgroups.

Iwasalso interested inhow itmightaffect the formation/existenceofrecognisedorganizationswithinthechurchliketheMYAF,MAF,MSF,MW,etcandhow itdiffered fromtheexistinghomefellowshipgroups,biblestudygroups,mannagroups(intheMW)andmutualsupportgroups(intheMSFwhichunfortunatelyhadnottakenroot).

The term “small group” is generic and may include cellgroup,caregroup,covenantgroup,discipleshipgroup,etc.It may be defined as“a group of 6-10 people that meetsregularly outside the church building for the purpose ofevangelismanddiscipleshipwiththegoalofmultiplication”.Thenumbermayvaryslightly.

Small groups may be organised according to age (youngadults, college groups, teenage groups, seniors group),specialneeds,geographicallocation,familyorientation,etc.Ina largechurch it isnotpossible to reachout fully to itsmembers, to genuinely care for them and to help them intheirspiritualgrowthwithoutadefiniteplantodevelopandbuildeffectivesmallgroups.

Followingthisone-daymeetingIthenjoinedthefirst“FOURW” Small Groups Training Workshop that was held overeightSaturdaysstartingfrom15Mayto24July2010.ThefourWsareindicativeofthetypesofactivitieswithineachsmallgroupmeeting.

Thefirst‘W’representsWELCOMEandtheaimistoprovidea welcoming environment through use of effective ice-breakers and a mutual covenant of confidentiality andaccountability,andagenuineinterest invisitors. It ismorethanjustbreakingtheicetomakenewcomersfeelathomein thegroup. Itcanalsobeanoccasion for thosewhoarealreadyfamiliarwithoneanothertosharetheirexperiences,thoughtsandfeelings.

Thesecond‘W’referstoWORSHIPwhichisanexpressionoflove,praiseandadorationforGodthroughsingingofhymnsandhelpingustoexperienceGod’spresence.

Thethird‘W’referstoWORDwhenthereistheopportunityfortopicalstudiesortostudypassagesintheBibleandto

shareourinsightsandalsoexperienceofcertainscripturalpassages.

Thefourth‘W’isWORKS–atimetoblessothersthroughprayer, visitation, evangelism and social work. During thistraining workshop I learnt about the structure of a smallgroup meeting and how it is to be conducted. I had theopportunitytopractiseleadingsomeofthe4Wactivities.

Aftercompleting the“FOURW”TrainingWorkshop I joinedthe firstTURBOGROUPwhichstartedon29October2010withthefollowingmembersnamely,PengLeong,HockTin,Swee Hah, Mary Bien, Coleen SeeToh andWaiWai (as aco-ordinatorforthegroup)andmyself.PastorAndrewwasalsowiththegroupuntilhistransfertoTelukIntan.LaterLilyCh’ngandEngHockjoinedthegroup.YenChooandMonicaWongalsoparticipatedinoneofourmeetings.

We meet every Friday for two hours at a member’s placeand there has beenno shortage of potential hosts for themeetings.Wetaketurnstoleadineachofthefouractivitiesand also to provide food/refreshments at the end of eachmeeting.Whenseveralmembersareunable tobepresentthemeetingiseithercancelledorchangedintoanoccasionforvisitation.

One significant aspect of the small group is thatwewereable toopenlyexpressour thoughtsand feelings.Throughtheempathyandgenuineconcernforoneanotherwehelptostrengthenoneanotheremotionally.Wheneveranoccasionarisesforrejoicingwealsojoinoneanotherincelebration.ThroughthesharingofourpersonalexperienceswebecomemoreawareoftherealityofGodinourlives.

InourprayerstoowewereabletosensetheSpiritatworkthrough thegroup. I praise theLord for answeredprayersandforthepeaceofmindthatIhavefeltaftersharingwithmembersmyshatteredemotionsandfeelingofhelplessnesstrying to chase away pigeons that were increasing innumbersabovemyroomwindow.Theprayersandadviceofgroupmembershavebeenmosthelpful.PraiseGod!

Our Turbo group will be ending soon and hopefully newsmall groups may be formed after that. Perhaps we needtoencouragemorememberstojointhegroupfirstandformorepeopletogainexperiencebeforewemultiply!

I realize the small group concept is good for the church,meaningitsmembers.Itisbiblicalinitspatternoffellowship,accountability, discipleship and evangelism (Acts 2:42-47). It helps to develop intimacy, mutual caring andencouragementwithinthelargercommunityofthechurch.


Inawayit isalsosimilartothepatternofsocietiessetupbyJohnWesleytobringsmallgroupsofpeopletogethertopray,tostudytheBible,toserveandtoencourageandenjoyeachother’scompany.Iwishthereisagreaterawarenessofthesmallgroupconceptinthechurchsomemberswillnotbereluctanttoparticipateinsuchgroupswhichareindeedbeneficialtothem.Ibelievethesmallgroupconceptcanbeausefulcomponentofthechurchandcancomplementtheactivitiesoflargeorganizationsinthechurchorevenhomefellowshipgroups.

The small group has its valuable role to play – it is ableto reach out to individual members easily. However, thereare someactivities that are effective andappropriate onlythrough theorganizations. However,bothcanco-exist for

the benefit of the church. Concerning the other existinggroups in the church (mentioned earlier) there may be aneed to make slight adjustments to fit in with the smallgroupconcept.

Itisonlythroughsmallgroupsthatcloserelationshipscandevelop.Memberswithin thesmallgroupcan freelysharetheir personal experiences of the love of God, help oneanothergrowinspiritualmaturityandalsoreceivespiritualandemotionalsupportduringdifficulttimes.Whenwetrulyexperience the love of God we are able channel this loveto others through the giving of ourselves and serving thechurch.Itisalsoingivingthatwereceivemuchinreturn.

‘Life Is What Happens While You’re Busy Making Plans’

HiDads!

Maybeyoucan relate to thatquotebyJohnLennonasindicatedinthetitle.Isurecan!

Most dads I know, including myself, are busy makingplans...plansforourwork,plansforourweekends,plansforourfamily,plansforourhouse,ouryard,ourmoney,andsoon.

Butwhilewe’rebusymakingall theseplans...well, lifehappens.

Diapersneed tobechanged.Attitudeshave tobedealtwith. Spouses need to be communicated with. Dishesneedtobewashed.Bathroomsneedtobecleaned.Billsneedtobepaid.Grassneedstobemowed.

And before we know it, our kids are no longer infants,toddlers,orgradeschoolage.They’reinhighschool,orcollege.Andthenreadytolaunchoutasyoungadultsontheirownlifejourney.

I was reminded of this once again recently when mysecondoldestsonsomehowreachedhiseighthbirthday.How did that happen?!? How I wish I could find the“pause”buttontokeepmychildrenfromgrowingupsofast.

So let me encourage you today, Dads, to live in themoment. Carpe Diem. Seize the day. Take joy in yourdailyroutine.Seriously.

Appreciatewhereeachofyourchildrenisrightnowathisorherstageofdevelopment.Andliveeachdayengagedwiththem.

Andstayengagedwithyourwife.

Nowit’stimeformetogospendsometimeholdingmy

six-week-oldsonandenjoyinghischubby-cheeksbabysmile... because I’ll be celebrating his eighth birthdayjustafewshortmonthsfromnowtoo!

Blessingstoyouandyourfamily,Joey

PS:Doyouhaveasonordaughtergraduatingfromhighschoolthismonth?Makeitaveryspecialmemoryofhowmuchyoulovethemandareproudofthem.Idea:Writea hand-written heart-to-heart letter to them from Dad.Theywillkeepitforaverylongtime,perhapsevenafteryou’regone.

ThisarticleistakenfromFamilydads.(withpermission)

RosalindYongandherfamilyspendingtimetogether


TESTIMONY

Shestoodbythedoorwayandwatchedmehopontothetruck.Itriedtowinddownthewindowbutitgotstuck.Thedriverhelpedmewinditdownsothat Icouldwavegoodbyetoheraswedroveaway.Myheartwasmelancholic, seeing thatshedidnotsmile... juststaringatmeasIleft.Itstirredmemoretoseesomeonesadatseeingmeleave,thantheleavingitself.

WheneverIvisitedher,Iwouldjumpdownfromthetruckandrunintothe hut while cheerfully calling out“Ah Puah!Ah Puah!”, meaning“grandma”inthelocaldialect.Sheisalocalpastor’smother,stayingatalittlehutcumchurchonthewaytothevillage.

“Ah Puah, I’m leaving…” She was stunned for a second and thenhuggedmewithoututteringaword.Sadnesslingeredintheair.Itold

herIwouldmisstheporridgeshecookedeverySunday.Irememberonce,someotherdessertwasserved,andshesecretlykeptabowlofmyfavouriteporridgejustforme,whisperingtomenottotellothers.

IgaveAhPuahsomefarewellgiftsandwestoodatthedoorwaytotakeafarewellphoto.Sheshowedmeherfingerwithtwoplasterbandagesonit,likeshewouldalwaystellmewhenevershehadatoothacheorafingerprickedbyathorn.Avinegaryfeelingdeep-downinmyhearttriedtosneakitswaytomynose,andallIdidatthatmomentwasaskifshehadenoughplasters.AsIwalkedawaytoaskthetruckdrivertohelpholdthecamera,shethoughtIwasshootingheraloneandsokeptsayingthatImustbeinthephototoo.Onmywaybacktoourlittletown,Istoppedattheonlyphotoshopthereandpaidforthatphototobedeveloped,andthenIaskedthetruckdrivertohelpcollectitlaterandtogiveittoAhPuah.Ihopeshewillnotforgetme.

Sayinggoodbyetotheschoolchildrenandvillagerswasnotanyeasier.Thechildrenlovedtodrawandtheyweregood at it. Some of them liked to draw me, and theyalways gave me sweet messages telling me that theylovedme.ThesepicturesarenotbyVanGoghorMonetorRenoir,butIlaminatedthemandkeptthemastreasuredbookmarks.

Thoughitwasnotsafetotravelacrossthecheckpointforthe last time, Ihaddoso inorder tobring toaclosure,or Iwouldregret itaswemightneverevermeetagain.Moreover,IcouldnotforgettwospecificthingsIneededtodo,ontopofgenerallysayinggoodbyetothechildrenandvillagers.

Firstly,Imustfulfillmypromisestotwobrothers.Sometimeago,IgaveapairofslipperstoachildafterIsawhimwalkingaroundbarefootandsteppedonshatteredglass.Itwasabeautifulbluepair.Thatseven-year-oldwasagloomychildandheseldomsmiled,soIrememberedhisbrightwidesmileevenmorewhenheworetheslippers.Butsincethen,weneversawthatpairofslippersagain.Hewouldnottellmehowtheywerelost. Isuspectedthatsomeonemusthavesnatchedthemfromhim.SoIpromisedhimanewpair.IalsopromisedtogiveapairtohislittlebrotherafterIfoundverybadcutsonthefive-year-old’ssoles.Havingonlytwopiecesofplasteratthattime,Iputthemonthebiggercuts,andthenhecoveredtheothersmallercutswithcartoonstickers.Hemusthaveinnocentlythoughtthatthosestickerswerethesameastheplasters.

Goodbye, My Friends JANICE TAY dedicates this article to“eachoneofyouwhohassupportedmein various ways. You’ll never know howmuch your prayers and encouragementmeanttomethroughoutmy15monthsonthefield.”


Secondly,onthatlasttrip,Ihadhopedtofindthechildwhodrewthe abovepicture ofme.Hehadnot been attending school forsome time. Other children told me that he and his family hadnotbeenseenaround.Thechildrenledmetohishousebutthedoor was locked.That 13-year-old was studying in Grade Onetogetherwithotherseven-year-oldsbecauseheattendedschoollate. I needed to tell him that he was clever and had a brightfuture and must not abandon school. It is a norm here for thechildrentodropoutofschooltohelptheirfamilies,andsomeofthemleavethevillagetowork.IfounditupsettingeverytimeachildsuddenlydisappearedfromschoolandIcouldnotseehim/heranymore.

Iwasdisappointedwhenmytwowisheswereunfulfilled.Itwasaschoolholidaysothetwobrotherswerenotaround,andtheotherchildwasstillnotfound.

We gathered at a child’s home to say goodbye.Those childrenwho stayed nearby came over, especially those who were veryclosetome. Ispenta lotoftimethedaybeforetopackspecificfarewellgiftsforeachchild,alsoputtingineachplasticbagaphotoofhis/hermemorablemomentwithme.Asforthetwobrothersandthat13-year-old,Icouldonlyleavetheirpackswithotherchildrentopasstothem.Thechildrentoldmethattheywouldmissme.Tome,thatalonewasworthmy15monthsspentwiththem.

ItwassadthatIhadtoleavethefieldaftermyvisaextensionwasdenied,ontopofsafetyconcerns.Inthepast,Iwouldhavebeenstubbornandwouldhavedoneanythingandeverythingtocontinuethere.Butovertime,Ihavelearnedtoletgowhenitistimetomoveon.IfeltdownheartedforsometimeafterIleftthefieldattheendofApril.Havingcontractedaverybadfungalinfectionfrommylasttrip,mybodywasinflictedwithveryitchyrashesandblisters.Aninfectedboilhadtobecutopentoletoutthepus.Iwasfrustratedandcouldnotunderstandthisoutbreakofrashes.Inaddition,Iwasworrieduponfindingoutthatmyfatherhadbeendiagnosedwithdiabetesafewmonthsago.Andontopofthat,someotherthingswerenotgoingwell.IcouldnothelpthinkingofJob,butdeepdownIhadtoholdontoknowingthatourGodisnotaninflictingGod.Theinfectionpersistedfortwoweeksbeforetheconditiongotbetter,afterdaysofmedication.Itwillbeafewmoremonthsbeforethespotsandscarscanhealcompletely.Twoweeksofquarantineathomedidnothelpinmywrestlingtore-adjustfromthefield’sroutinetothelocalsurroundingsagain.Whilerecuperating,IwasseekingGod’shelpastowhattodofromnowonwards.Overtime,IamlearningtobepatientandwaituponGod.

Behold,Iamwithyouandwillkeepyouwhereveryougo…(Gen 28:15a)HecalledthenameofthatplaceBethel… (Gen 28:19a)ThenJacobwentonhisjourney… (Gen 29:1a)IamtheGodofBethel,whereyouanointedapillarandmadeavowtome.Nowarise,gooutfromthislandandreturntothelandofyourkindred.’”(Gen 31:13)ThenletusariseandgouptoBethel,sothatImaymakethereanaltartotheGodwhoanswersmeinthedayofmydistressandhasbeenwithmewhereverIhavegone.”(Gen 35:3)andtherehebuiltanaltarandcalledtheplaceEl-bethel,becausethereGodhadrevealedhimselftohimwhenhefledfromhisbrother.(Gen 35:7)

Ihadaninsightfromapastor’sarticlethatmightbestdescribemyjourneyoverthe15monthsonthefield.InGenesis28,JacobhadadreamwhereGodpromisedthatHewaswithhimandwouldkeephimwhereverhewent.JacobnamedtheplaceBethel(theHouseofGod)andwentonhisjourney.Afteryearsofupsanddowns,theninGenesis35,GodcalledJacobbacktoBethel,andhebuiltanaltarthereandrenamedtheplaceEl-Bethel(GodoftheHouseofGod).Jacobgotbeyondfocus

ontheplaceofGodtotheGodoftheplace.

Itisnotintendedtomeanthatplacesdonotmatterandthatgoingouttoforeignlandformissionisredundant,butitisallaboutGod.

My months were like Jacob’s years, gathering God’s refinements through fears anddistress, and experiencing more about the Person than things around. I thankfullyrecognizeeveryencounterwithHim,andIgratefullyacknowledgeHisfaithfulnessandfavourthrougheverymoment.

Prayers1) Pleasecontinuetoprayfortheschoolchildrenandvillagers.2) Prayformyfamily,especiallyformyfather’shealingfromdiabetes.3) Prayforcompletehealingofmyskinproblems.4) PrayfordiscernmentonwhatGodwantsmetodonext.


JEREMIAH SCHOOL

My JS Experience…‘Inowseethingsfromadifferentperspective’

ByMrJoelSo

It was an awesome two months. Though it passed like*snap*Ialreadymisseveryone…

Firstweekand thereweresomegroans, Idon’twannabehere… *Sigh!When is this gonna end… and come a fewmoreweekseveryonewaslikesaying,“Ohmygoodness…Idon’twannagohome!*Sniff!IhopeCNYbreakendsquicksowewouldbetogetheragain…”

Haha!The ironywas I hadawonderful time there, I couldtellyou!Apartfrommeetingnewpeople,meetingandbeingwithDadagain… thatwas thebestpart. Living in suchaclose community like that, with 20 awesome members,reallybroughtussoclosetooneanother…thoughattimeswe had our misunderstandings, we still were one body inChrist,andwestilllovedoneanother!Amen!

Jeremiah School (JS) is a place to really open up and berealtooneanother.NeverhadIbeeninsuchafamily…Itwas justoneofakind…Iwoulddefinitelymiss the timesat thebeach, sittingby thehutearly in themorningwhilethe moonlight glistened at the horizon, the meals at thecafeteria,thesessionsinHall2…

Graduation was a joyous and sad occasion… we saidso many goodbyes I lost count haha! Everyone lookedhandsomeandbeautiful thatday.Whataway tocelebratesuch a joyous occasion. Our families were there.And thebestofall,Godwasthere…rightinthemidstofus.

Onamorepersonallevel,JSreallyhelpedmeseethingsfromadifferentperspective.Thatwasthetitleofthesermonette(Mini Sermon) that I shared with the others during one ofourChapeltimes.Seeingthingsfromadifferentperspectivereallychangedtheworldaroundme.Notanymorewasitaroutine going to church. Every day was not just the sameolddayanymore!Everydaywasfilledwithexcitementandawesomenesshaha!…seeinghowDadworksinmylife,inthe livesofothersaroundme.SeeinghowHecouldspeaktomethroughthebiblestudy,likewhatmybrotherZhiWeisaid, “We got addicted to the Word of God.” How cool isthat?!

Well,JSalsohelpedmeseethebeautyand importanceofevangelism, as I got the chance to share Christ with onepersonduringourMissionWeekandpraiseDadforbringingyetanothernewmemberintoHishugefamily…nowIhaveasmalltasteofwhat itmeanswhenDadsaysinHisWordthatalltheheavensrejoicewithonesinnerwhoissaved.ThatwasmyJSexperience.There issomuchmoretotellactually,buttheywouldrequiresomuchmoreexplanation,haha,thatIcouldwriteanovel…ifeveranyonewouldliketoknowmore,dofeelfreetoapproachmetoask!

Me(secondfromleft)andmybuddiesatJSongraduationday,

Thesetwophotosshowushavingfunandhowclosewehavebecome

UncleHerbie.


HOME FELLOWSHIP

Return To SentulByChanBingFai

Home Fellowship GP 8A

IgrewupinSentulinthe1930s.Sentulatthattimewas

justaneighborhoodofK.L. Itwassituatedat the21/2

mile-stone along Ipoh Road. It was a very small town

with just3 rowsof shops, oneblockononesideand two

other blocks on the opposite side of the road.There were

nobuildingswithmorethantwostoreys.Itwasaquietand

peaceful place. The activities were centered around the

market place especially in the mornings. Very few people

had refrigerators then, so housewives had to buy their

dailyneedsformeat,fish,vegetablesandothernecessities

fromthemarket.Itwasdividedintoparts.Thecoveredpart

measuringabout40’x30’,hadacorrugatedasbestosroof

butwithnosidewalls.Ithadabout20permanentconcrete

stalls, each measuring about 8’ x 4’ with a height of 30’.

Theywereusuallyoccupiedbyfishandmeatvendorswho

required a firm platform for cutting and chopping. A few

were occupied by vegetable sellers and many were left

vacant. Petty traders preferred to display their goods on

groundsheetsintheopenmarketsection.

In frontof thecoveredbuildingwasanemptyopenspace

about40’x30’forpettytraders.Inonecornerofthemarket,

spices,condimentsandfruitsweresold. Inanothercorner,

itwas occupiedby food stalls selling‘UCharKoey’, ‘Ham

CheenPean’andredbeanporridge.Thisstallhadabout10

lowstoolsforcustomerstositwhileenjoyingtheirbreakfast.

Nexttothiswasastallselling‘WanTanMee’andadjacentto

itwasthe‘CharKweTeow’man.

Foruschildren,goingtothemarketwaslikegoingtoafair

to be entertained. From time to time, there were all sorts

oftravelingpeddlerspassingthrough.Theywerethesnake

charmers, fortune tellers, medicine men and also many

others. If one heard the clash of cymbals from afar, one

couldbesurethatitwasthemedicineman.Peoplequickly

gatheredroundhim.Toattractattention,hewouldperform

sometrickslikeamagician.Thenhewouldtalkconvincingly

about the efficacies of his medicines. Usually he was

assistedbyhiswife.Theyworeakindofkungfuoutfit.As

children,weweremore interested in their sleightofhand

tricks and their prowess in kungfu. Besides being a very

skilleddemonstrator,hewasalsoamastercommunicator.

Whenhegothisaudiencemesmerized,hewouldchangehis

toneandbeganpromotinghismedicines.Whensaleswere

sogoodthatveryoftenheforgottocontinuewithhistricks

fromwhereheleftoff.Mostchildrenweremoreinterested

inhiskungfudemonstrationsthanhismedicines.

Childrenweregenerallymoreinterestedinsnake-charmers

and dough modelers than fortune-tellers. For 1 cent one

couldbuyaverycolorfulmodelofasimpleanimallikeadog

oracockerelmadefromdoughstucktoatinybamboostick

about8” long. For2 centshecouldmodel thedough into

a Chinese opera character complete with head-gear and

matchingcolorfulcostume.Theyweresobeautifullymade

andlife-likethatonewouldliketokeepthem.Unfortunately,

thedoughwoulddryout, crackandshrinkand thecolors

wouldfadeandchangeintime.

Sometimes if one was lucky enough, one would meet the

candy-man. They candy sold here had no mints, munch,

popsanddrops.Itwasjustplainoldmolasses,athickbrown

syrupobtainedfromrefiningsugar.For1centonecouldbuy

thistreacleor‘MahNgaTong’.Thecandy-manwouldliftup

somestickytreaclewithawoodenspatulaandthensmearit

ontoasmallbamboosticklikealollipop.Onehadnochoice

forflavors,justnaturalmolassesflavor.Thiscandywasfor

stick-lickingandtosimplyenjoyitssweetness.Oneseldom

saw the lollipopor thecandy-flossman.Peoplewere less

sophisticatedthen.

Fromtime to time if the localcircuscame to town, itwas

heldintheprecinctsofthemarket.Togetherwiththecircus

cametheFerris-Wheel,Merry-Go-Round,Go-cartandother


HOME FELLOWSHIP

forms of entertainment. The place would be transformed

intoaminiatureamusementpark.Atnightwhenthe lights

werelit,itbecameafairyland.Itwouldbeincompleteifthe

colorful hydrogen-filled balloons and kacang-puteh sellers

werenotaround.

Opposite the market was the Hindu Temple. Once a year

duringThaipusam,thehighlydecoratedchariotcarryingthe

idolofLordSubramaniam from theSriMahaMariamman

Temple at High Street, K.L. would arrive. It was parked

in front of themarket opposite theHinduTemple.At night

thechariotwouldbepulledbyapairofoxenbacktoHigh

Street. Thousands of devotees would come to theTemple

andpayhomagetoLordSubramaniam.Theythenjoinedthe

processioncausingmassivetrafficjamsalongtheroute.

Thefestivitywouldbeincompleteifitwasnotaccompanied

by some Indian musicians consisting of drummers,

accordion-players and trumpeters. Indian-style Ferris-

wheelswouldbesetupinadvance.EachFerris-wheelwas

about20’high.Ithad4spokes,eachfittedwithabox-like

seat for two persons.To swing it round, two men, one on

each side, would push it round and round in circles. The

spacewassmallandasthecrowdgatheredintheevening,

it really became very congested. The merriment went on

deepintothenight.

The market place was a thriving community centre. Each

morning housewives went there to buy their daily needs

and by noon the place was half empty. By late afternoon

theplacewouldbedeserted.Whentheymet,theygossiped,

exchanged recipes and appointments made for the

afternoon mahjong sessions.Workers went there for their

breakfastbeforeproceedingtowork.Childrenwentthereto

beentertained.Theyoftenvolunteeredtohelptocarrytheir

mothers’basketshopingtoberewardedwithsomenyonya

kuihorsome‘UCharKoey’.Thosedayspeoplewerewithout

television,rediffusionandsomewithoutradios.

I used to live in a squatter-house in a rubber estate near

Sentul MBS, about 300 yards off Sentul Road. My cousin,

just one year older, lived in the same house. We both

attendedBatuRoadSchool(BRS).Manyofourfriendsalso

went toBRSand they lived in theGovernmentquarters in

theneighborhood.Afterschoolandonweekendstheyoften

came and played with us. Living in terraced quarters one

had limited room for playing. When we were young, we

played catching, police-and-thief and also kampong-style

roundersandfootballusingonlythetennis-ball.Weplayed

withmarbles,spuntopsandalsothegameof‘Kontal-kontil’.

Besides games, our past-times were catching fighting-

spiders, kite-flying, catching rainbow-fish from the fish-

pondandthelittlestreamnearby.Wedidnothaveexpensive

casting fish-rods with reels and spinning flies, so we just

used a long bamboo pole about 10’ to 15’ long. A piece

of thin steel wire was attached to the tapered end of the

bamboo.Theotherendwastiedaharuanfish-hook.Adead

frogwasattached to itand thiswas flung farout into the

pond.Withtherighthandplacedabout3’fromthebaseend

oftherodandthenrestingitfirmlyonthehip,thebaitwas

draggedacrossthepondwithjerkymovementstostimulate

the swimming movements of the frog. A hungry haruan

might takethebait thinking itwasa life frog. If therewas

abite, one could feel a sudden thugon the rod.Then the

movementoftherodmustbestoppedtoallowtimeforthe

fishtoswallowthebait.Withsomeexperience,onecouldtell

whetherthefishhadtakenthebait.Thefirstsignofabite

wasalittlejerkontherod.Onecouldseeasmallwhirlpool

withtinyairbubblessurfacing.Itwasthentimetoswingit

hardsidewaysinordertohookitandlanditontheshore.

The operationwasdelicate and it requiredperfect timing,

skill and experience. If one was clumsy and swung it too

prematurely,thefishwouldreleaseitsbiteandescape.One

could learn and acquire the skill as time went by. Fishing

couldbeaverysatisfyingandrewardingpastime.

In1957,ImovedoutofSentulandcametoliveinPJ.Having

leftSentul53yearsago,Ilongedtoreturntomyroots,the

place of my birth.An absence of over half a century has

givencause fornostalgia.Whatwas theplace like?There

werenamelessanxietiescoloredbytheemotionalchanges

between the place where I came from and paralyzed by

the neurotic lassitude engendered by meeting one’s past

at every turn. How would other people respond to me?

Would I be recognized and accepted as a Sentul original,

coldly rejected or received a range of responses between

extremes?

OnedayinNovemberlastyear,anoldfriendofminewholike

me,wasanAnakSentul,bornandraisedinSentul,returned

toSentul for sentimental reasons trying to reconnectwith


our past and to seek out familiar landmarks or perhaps

hear a familiar voice. Unfortunately, the place had been

transformedbeyondrecognition.

ManyoftheoldRailwayquarterswhichusedtocovermost

ofthelandscapehadbeendemolishedforredevelopment.A

wholenewtownshiphadtakenitsplacenowcalledSentul

East.ItcoveredthepieceoflandbetweenSentulRoadand

Pahang Road. The place had been worked over by a tin-

dredge many years ago. When the tin-dredge stopped its

operations,itwasleftasakindofwastelandwithmanyex-

miningpoolsovergrownwithwater reeds.Manymigratory

birds from Europe stopped in these wetlands en-route to

otherpartsofEastAsia.SentulTimurisnowpartofBandar

Baru Sentul. It is now filled with high rises, shopping

complexes and condominiums. To the north it connects

SentulPasarDalamtoGombak.TheStarLineoftheLRThas

itsterminusinBandarBaruSentul.

The few remainingsightswere theSentulMBS, theGrace

Tamil Methodist Church, the Roman Catholic Church and

the Convent in Sentul Pasar. We decided to seek out the

famous coffee shop known as“Ah Lim Shop” along Jalan

Haji Salleh. In its heyday it was the meeting place for the

gentryofSentul,mostofthemwereemployeesoftheSentul

RailwayWorkshop. It used to occupy a shop lot in a two-

storiedblockofshop-housesalongthisroad.Itcouldnotbe

tracedbecauseonthesitenowstoodarowoffour-storied

buildings.StationRoadnowcalledJalanHajiSallehusedto

beconnectedwithIpohRoadattheSentulPostOffice.The

skeletonof theoncemightySentulWorkshopstill remains

withonlyanemptyshell,roofless,desertedanditsroaring

machinessilentandinastateofdisrepair.

TheredevelopmentofSentulseemedconcentrated toEast

Sentul. West Sentul’s development is very limited at the

moment.WestSentulroughlycoversthemarket,postoffice,

policestation,therowofshophouses,theHinduTempleand

theirsurroundingareas.Thepostoffice,policestationand5

or6timberyardsalongIpohRoadhavealldisappearedand

arenow replacedby rowsand rowsof shophouses.Near

the3rdMileIpohRoadwastheseniorofficers’RailwayClub

and itsadjacentplaying field.Behind theclub-housewere

rows and rows of senior officers’ quarters. They all have

beendemolished.

OnecanstillenterthisareaviaJalanStrachamandthereare

many colorful decorative flags along this road advertising

thePerformanceArtsTheatretogreetvisitors.Goingtothis

placeislikeenteringanatureparkbecausetherearehuge

shaded trees on both sides of the road.There is a sentry

with security guards at the entrance checking on visitors.

The Sentul Development Site Office is situated along this

road. Less than 1 Km from Ipoh Road is the Performance

ArtsTheatre.ThesurroundingareaistheSentulGolfClub.It

ispredominantlygreenwithmanymaturedtrees.Ihopethis

willremainasthegreenlungfortheSentulfolks.

Ifindmyselfastrangerinmyownhometownwithmostof

the familiar sightsgone.Whatever itmeans, I cannot turn

the clock back. As we grow older, we become homesick.

But the trip is not a complete failure. Going back to our

rootsmakesuspineforthegoodolddays.Nobodycanhold

backtime.Aslongasthependulumoftheclockcontinues

toswingtimegoeson.On-goingdevelopmentsandfurther

changescanbeexpected.

Sentultomemeansmorethanaplace.Itembracesagamut

ofmemoriesofmychildhoodandmycarefreedays.There

is always a corner of my heart which is forever Sentul in

theway I know it.The sentimental journey downmemory

lane makes my heart yearn for the memory of my youth.

Thosegoodolddayshavegoneandtheywillneverreturn.

MyfriendandIvowedtobebacksometimetoseefurther

changeswhichareexpectedastimemovesforwardinlock

stepswithprogress.

Nothing in the world stays the same hence the dictum,

“You cannot step into the same river twice” so declared

Heraclitus,aGreekphilosopherwholivedfrom544to483

B.C.SotoosaidGeneralDouglasMacArthurwhenhehad

toleavethePhilippinesforAustraliabecausetheAmericans

weredefeatedbytheJapaneseInvasionForcesduringWW

II.Ontheeveofhisdeparturehedeclared,“IpromiseIshall

return”.SoinsimilarveinIpromisetoothatIshallreturnto

Sentulfromtimetotime.


ACTIVITY

Tenebrae – A Service Of Shadows

ByMsDebbieDavid

Silence.What does it mean to you?They say silenceis golden, where saying nothing is preferable tospeaking.

Fast forward to today,andabsolutesilence ishard to find.Amidst thebustlingworldpackedwith informationcomingatyoufromallangles,wheremobiledeviceshavebecomeaninseparablecompaniontomany,itishardtofindsilencein today’s world. Spiritually, our mind becomes cluttered,confused,occupied.ArewelisteningwhenGodisspeakingtous?HowcanweshutouttheambientnoiseandfocusonlisteningandreflectingonHisWord?OnGoodFridayofthisyear,wedidjustthat.Weshutoutthenoise,weturnedofftheworld for justonemoment,and focusedourheartsonthecross,thecrosswhereJesusChristdiedforus.

ThisGoodFriday,aTenebraeservicewasconductedinoursanctuary. Tenebrae is Latin for ‘shadows’ or ‘darkness’.ATenebraeservice,a‘serviceofshadows’hasbeenaroundforcenturies,andbelievershavegatheredinquietservicesofshadowsandcandlestoreflectonthesufferinganddeathofChrist.AtTMCPJ,thecongregationgatheredtogetherthatevening, and as the service began, the sanctuary lights

were dimmed, engulfing the sanctuary with the sombermoodofGoodFriday.Spotlightswere focusedon thealtarcross,wrappedinabloodredcloth,crownedwithacrownofthorns.

The service was led by Sun Wai Wai, who provided anintroduction to theTenebraeservice,what itwasallaboutandwhatthepurposeoftheservicewas.

Asthelightsdimmed,sevencandlesonthealtarremainedlit,symbolizingthesevengoalsoftheTenebraeservice:-• ReflectingandmeditatingontheScripturesfocusingon God’sextremeloveforus• Remembering the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the sufferingHeendured• Recognizing the seriousness of sin and penalty we deserve• RepentingandturningtotheLordforforgiveness• Realizing thegreatnessofourTriuneGod–ToseeHis character,holiness,justice,wrath,love,mercyandgrace• RespondingtotheLordinreverentworship,singingand prayer• ReturningonEasterSundayinhopeoftheresurrection

Thecross,thebloodredcloth,thecrownofthorns


Selected readers guided the congregation through eachof the seven reflections, pausing between each reflectionsothat thecongregationcouldreflectandmeditateontheeventsthattookplacethatFriday.Appropriatehymnswerealsosunginbetweenthereadings.

The first reflection, EXTREME NEED, talked about how weashumanshadsinned,andbecauseofGod’sgreatloveforus,GodwaspreparingtosacrificeHisoneandonlySontosaveus.

The second reflection, EXTREME COMMITMENT, spokeaboutJesus’commitmenttoHisFather’swill,howHewasbetrayedandledlikealambtotheslaughter.

Thethirdreflection,EXTREMEPAIN,illustratedtheextremepain that Jesuswent through, as a very real accountwasdemonstratedaboutdeathbycrucifixion.Thescenewassetupbythereaders,andaccompaniedbyaverseof‘WereYouThere’.Thecongregationtookpartincountingthe39lashesthatJesushadtoendurewhilenailedtothewhippingpost.Gossip,Inhumanity,Prejudice,War,Lies,Unforgiveness.HowcouldJesusendure?ByHisstripeswearehealed.

The fourth reflection, EXTREMESUFFERING, expressed theextremesufferingthatJesushadtoendureasHewasnailedto the cross, as all the sins of the world were nailed to abrokenbody thatwassoon tobe lifted forall theworld tosee. Beaten, bloodied, bruised for our guilt and iniquities.As thecrowdshouted“CrucifyHim!”,a rangeofemotionsandwordswereutteredtodescribethescene,bringingusaveryrealexperienceoftheemotionsofthatday.Mocking,vulgarities, blasphemy, loneliness, abandonment, thirst,shock.

The fifth reflection, EXTREME SACRIFICE, was the mostemotional of the seven. Jesus now hangs on the Cross,stripped,bleeding forall tosee.Terriblewordsand insultswereuttered–“IfYouaretheSonofGod,saveYourself!”,“Idon’tneedYou!”,“Leaveusalone!”,“I’mthemasterofmyownlife”,allwordsthatarereflectiveofnotjustpeopleofthatday,butsometimesevenrealtopeopleoftoday.Toallthis,JesusasksforforgivenessfromHisFather,forallofoursins.“Father,forgivethem”,heutters.

Thesixthreflection,EXTREMEMERCY,spokeofJesus’andGod’smercy,evenaswestandguiltyandcondemnedbeforeGod.ForattheveryheartoftheEasterstory,thereliesmercy.TheEasterstory isastoryofnew life,newbeginnings forthosewhohaveneverdeserveditandwillneverdeserveit.ForJesustookalloursins,allourpunishments,andput itonthecross,sothatourlivesarebridgedbyChrist’scross,andourrelationshipwithGodisrestored.

Theseventh reflection,EXTREMEGLORY, illustratedJesus’final moments before giving up His life. Jesus’ cross

displayedthegloryofHislove–personalloveforyouandI.The eighth and last reflection, EXTREME LOVE, expressedJesus’ extreme love for us, asHehungdying.SometimesweevenforgetthatthisJesuswhohungonthecrosswasGodintheflesh,dyingforus.Jesusdiedwillingly, in love,extreme love.No one tookHis life fromHim, asHe laid itdownforusall.Extremelovethattheworldhadneverseen,lovegivenforallofus.

God isrich inmercy,andforgivesoverandoveragain.Hecares about the intimate details of your life, and wants apersonalrelationshipwitheachoneofus.

AsthecongregationtooktimetoreflectuponthewordsandScripture thatwas read,acandlewasextinguishedat theendofeachoftheeightreflections.

Thelightsshiningonthecross,symbolizingourLordJesusChrist, became dimmer as the candles were extinguishedonebyone, light slowly fadingaway, reflectiveof the lastmomentsofJesus’earthlylifeashebreathedhislastbreath.Asthefinalcandlewasextinguished,thesanctuarywasleftintotaldarkness.Quietdarkness.Silence.Jesushaddied,lifedrained,lovelost.

Afinalsolowasrenderedentitled“IGaveMyLifeforThee”,thelyricsevokingtheextremelovethatJesushadforeachand every one of us, that He would sacrifice his life anddie on the cross to save our sins and allowus to enjoy apersonal relationship with our Father God in heaven. Theserviceclosedwithanimportantquestionfromthesolo….”Igavemylifeforthee,WhathasthougiventoMe?”

InrespectandmemoryoftheGoodFridayofmanycenturiesago,thecongregationwasaskedtoleavethesanctuaryinsilence,andcontinue toprayandreflecton themessagesandreflectionsuntiltheygatheredagainonEasterSunday.Lovewillliveagain.Becausethreedayslater,JesusChristarose,Heconqueredthegrave,andHelivesforevermore.

Andwewill never be the sameagain. BecausewithGodandJesusasourstrengthandshield,anythingispossible.

Congregationmembersstandingandcountingthe39lashestogether


How To Be The ‘Arrows’ That Help Protect Families

From Attacks

ACTIVITY

ByMrJoelSo

Youth Prayer Conference (YPC) this year was called“DotA”,haha!No,not theonlinegame,but itstandsfor “Defence of the Almighty” people! Who are we

defendingagainst,youask?Well,theworkoftheevilone…Where?Ineachandeveryfamily!Yes,wefoundthatoutatYPCthisyear,anditwasmyfirsttimeattheconference.

Itwasagreatexperiencegettingtogetherwithabunchofyouths (yes, that includesyou,UncleHerbie,haha) topraytogetherforoneanother’sfamily.Attimes,wedonotrealizehowmuchwecouldhavestrayedfromDadtillwedoaself-check.

Thatwaswhatwedid,andreally…itisamustbeforewegooutintothebattlefieldofSpiritualWarfare.WemustrealizethatSpiritualWarfareisnotagameanditisnotsomethingthatonlyDaddealswith.ItisVERYrealanditisHAPPENINGeveryday!Isharedwiththewholegroupaftergoingthroughthe sessions, when Uncle Herbie mentioned children werelikearrows in thehandsofawarrior. Ipictureeachofourhouseholdsasaminicastle,withusinsideandourparents(theheadsofthefamily)standingatthewatchtowerkeeping

watch,protectingthefamily.Asweprayforourparentsandeachother,arrowsfill theirquiverandthatgivesthemthefirepowertostriketheevilthatisalwaysouttherewaitingtocomeanddestroyourhomes…andbreakourfamilies.

Itispainfulknowingthattheevilone’sschemesbeginwithour families as the family is the very basic version of thewholechurch.Whenthefamilyfails,thewholechurchwillbe crippled. It is sad to know the amount of brokennessthatsomefamiliessufferfrom…butIcanalsotellyoutheamountofjoywefeelwhenafamilywehavebeenprayingforgetspiecedtogetheragainandhealed.

ThatisallfrommeonYPCthisyear.Continueinprayerforourfamilies!

UnlesstheLORDbuildsthehouse,thebuilderslabourinvain.

UnlesstheLORDwatchesoverthecity,theguardsstandwatchinvain.

Psalm 127:1

Me(left)withtheYPCdevotiongroup


ACTIVITY

Health Campaign ForPre-schoolersMethodistKindergartenPetalingJaya

ByMsMaryTan

Methodist Kindergarten was chosen as thelaunch pad for the Kindergarten HealthCampaign. It is a community service by

Persatuan Tadika Malaysia and supported by GlaxoSmithKlinePharmaceuticalMalaysia.

It was held on 19 May from 10am to 12pm in theChurch Hall. Parents and the media were invited tothelaunch.

MethodistKindergartenwashonouredtobepartoftheHealthCampaignasitreflectedourcorefocus,whichistoensurethatthechildrenreceivethenecessarytoolsandknowledgeforahealthyandhappychildhood.

Themed “A Healthy Child is a Happy Child”, theKindergartenHealthCampaignaimstobeaplatformtocreateawarenessandeducatekindergartenchildren,teachers,parentsandcaretakersaboutthechildren’shealthdevelopmentand inparticular, the importanceofprotectionagainstcommonchildhooddiseases.

As parents, teachers and caregivers, we have aresponsibility to ensure that our children receiveproper guidance and care in their early years astheyrepresentourhopeandfuture.Itisduringthesegrowing years that proper education and health areespeciallycrucial.

While parents are responsible for the wellbeing ofthe childrenat home, this responsibility is bestoweduponteachersandcaretakerswhenthechildrenstartattendingpre-schoolorkindergarten.

Childrenbeingentertainedbyaclown

Kindergartenchildrenwiththeirsponsors

Choralpresentationbythechildren

LaunchofthePersatuanTadikaMalaysiawebsite

Vol.27, No.3• Private circulation only

MAY/

JUNE

11

‘Knowing God Our Father’‘Knowing God Our Father’GOD’STHREE WAVES



god’s three waves • on a deeper spiritual journey€¦ · · 2012-02-246 god’s three waves...

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