Ignite Movements Everywhere

IN O HER NEWS

Ignite Movements Everywhere

LONG SERVICE APPRECIATION

Lisa (left) enjoying Cantonese wonton with her teammates.

KIDS AND THE MEDIA In May, the Homemakers ministry organized two seminars to help young moms deal with pertinent parenting issues. These seminars were entitled “The Influence of Media & Technology on Our Children Today” and “Unconditional Parenting”.

Homemakers Ministry leader Jodi Yong shares, “We thank God for the positive feedback and the non-Christian moms who are keen to join our small groups. Pray that they will want Christ as they see God’s love exhibited in our small groups.”

MEDIA MINISTRY RESOURCES

UNSIN GAME CARDS Learn the truth between man and sin through a fun card game. Comes with instructional guide. Suitable for the whole family and useful as an outreach tool.

USUAL PRICE: S$12.84 PRE-ORDER NOW AT 25% OFF Coupon code: UNSIN2013

www.media.cru.org.sg/UNSIN PRE-ORDER ONLY To be released by early Nov 2013

Terms & Conditions: 25% discount for online purchase using Coupon Code: UNSIN2013 • Price includes GST and free normal delivery in Singapore • Pre-Order discount of 25% ends 15 Nov 2013 or while stocks last • No exchange or refund allowed.

September 2013

Ignite Movements Everywhere

As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:57-62).

Each year, we acknowledge the call to faithfulness of those serving the Lord, and extend our heartiest appreciation to staff members who have served for 5,10,15 years and so on.

“God used my role to grow me,” accounts executive Lisa Tan shares. “I’m not good at public speaking, but I was given opportunities to brief our new staff in finance procedures. I even had the opportunity to help equip another Christian organisation on the use of financial software. It has been a meaningful 25 years of serving the Lord.”

EDITOR’S NO E

A newsletter of Cru Singapore

THE COST OF

FOLLOWING CHRIST

HIGHLIGHT SMU: A Divine Pursuit

Dear Ministry Partner, As much as we want to follow God and do our best as Christians, sometimes it is just not so easy.

life of faith isn’t always easy, but the life of doubt and unbelief is much harder.”

In Luke 9:57-62, Jesus challenged the three men who wanted to follow Him to surrender all that they hold dear. The first man proclaimed, almost rashly, his desire to follow Jesus. He was challenged to count the cost, which entails giving up what gave him a sense of security and comfort. The second man wanted to follow God, but only after discharging his family obligations. The last man wanted to follow God, but also not before he had settled matters at home.

What gives us security? In our day and age, it could be a house and an ample retirement fund, good health and perhaps a supportive network of friends. Living in a competitive society, we could be easily drawn into the culture of comparison, which makes following Jesus all the more harder.

While the Scripture is silent about the responses of these three individuals, we know that ultimately, what counts is a simple “You follow Me!” (John 21:22)

These things are no doubt blessings from God but they don’t define the goodness of God. His goodness is inherent in His character, demonstrated when He chose to die for you and I on the cross while we were walking in rebellion and rejecting Him. Perhaps we forget that in the first place, He who is the Lord of Lords does not need to prove Himself to us!

Our followership with the Lord Jesus Christ is sometimes bound by self-imposed conditions that only become clear when our faith is tested. Have you ever found yourself asking these questions?

In our mission statement, we express our dream to see everyone know someone who truly follows Jesus. How are we following Jesus today? Have we allowed personal preferences to set the conditions of our followership?

I pray that we may, in surrendering our all to our Master, find true rest and richness of soul in Him.

If God loves me, He should do / give me ____________.

What if, after I surrender my future to Him, He doesn’t give ____________ to me?

I will obey when I am financially secure.

Behind these conditions lies the fear of losing what we consider dear and precious to us. These could be our possessions, relationships or career. Yet we can take comfort in knowing God is faithful. As Warren W. Wiersbe said, “The

Pass it on if you know someone who can benefit from this newsletter.

Email us at corpcomms@cru.org.sg for free subscription. ©2013 Ignite Movements Everywhere is a publication of Cru Singapore.

Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

With you in following Jesus,

Gail Tan Editor

152 Paya Lebar Road, #04-06 Singapore 409020 Tel: 62232269 Fax: 67473742 Website: www.cru.org.sg

FEATURE From private to public faith

This Christmas, Let’s Get the Message Out!

IN OTHER NEWS Long Service Appreciation Kids and the media

MCI (P) 124/03/2013

HIGHLIGH

Ignite Movements Everywhere

In this 3-part series feature on Cru’s campus movements, we trace God’s hand in the development of our ministries through the testimonies of Cru staff and students. We hope you will be inspired by these faith adventures!

However, God spoke again to Claire through a sermon about Jonah at one of the camps she attended. As she explained, “God told me to do something here in SMU and I’ve been running away. I need to do it now.”

In 2006, SMU Campus Crusade for Christ (SMU CCC) was official recognized as a student group on campus. Claire, together with a group of student leaders pioneered the efforts, praying fervently and serving sacrificially, as God led these faith-filled efforts to fruition. Claire recalls of her first meeting with the school official, “When I met him, I was ready to spill out everything I had prepared to say and to defend every concern he might have about CCC.” But God surprised her -- it turned out to be a positive meeting and that marked the start of the ministry.

MINIS RY TIP! Have you thought of the virtual world as your harvest field? Here are some tips to get started. Adapted from NotAshamedOfTheGospel.com

Ignite Movements Everywhere

FROM PRIVATE TO PUBLIC FAITH

are currently looking at training volunteers to be effective in engaging and profiling people through the social media platform. To further extend our reach in getting the message out this Christmas via digital platforms, we are also working on a family-themed online resource (either a video or an interactive website). We are trusting God to use these efforts greatly to bring many people into a personal relationship with Himself.

“How can they hear without someone preaching to them?” (Romans 10:14)

Claire’s heart almost sank when she heard God say to her, “Go to SMU and start Campus Crusade.” She had just finished an earlier stint with Doulos, serving on board the floating book shop right after her graduation from polytechnic.

Things didn’t pan out smoothly for Claire though. For one, she didn’t know any other like-minded individual who was keen to start a ministry. For another, there was already an official Christian group in SMU. These challenges were compounded by her hectic schedule, and brought Claire to a point where she decided to put God’s call on hold. “I spent the next year or so running away from God. I got heavily involved in cocurricular activities and school work. At the end of my first year, I had attended 11 camps and one sailing trip.”

Ignite Movements Everywhere

THIS CHRISTMAS, LET’S GET THE MESSAGE OUT!

SMU: A DIVINE PURSUIT While she was offered places by both NTU and SMU, she also considered foregoing her university studies to head straight into missions ministry. This prompting to start a new ministry in SMU surpised her greatly since she knew very little about Campus Crusade for Christ back then. Yet she obeyed and enrolled at SMU.

FEA URE

JOIN US IN GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT!

“Being that someone who truly follows Jesus” defines for Cru Singapore the kind of disciples we are trusting God to develop through our ministry. This disciple is characterized by his passionate loving relationship with God and his heart in reaching out to others.

SMU ’s first freshmen camp in 2006. Claire was in pink t-shirt.

The SMU CCC movement began with the vision to impact the campus “so that every student knows someone who follows Jesus”. The movement continues to do so in different ways. In 2011, under the leadership of student leader Bobby Harjani, SMU CCC embarked on a campus wide campaign entitled “No Place Like Home” to encourage students to spend more quality time at home. Using catchy tag lines on stickers, posters and appreciation cards, they helped drum home the importance of cultivating a healthy school-family balance. The campaign proved effective, judging from the empty campus and library during the usually-packed exam season.

Located in Singapore’s city centre, SMU attracts some of the brightest minds in Singapore who will eventually graduate and enter the marketplace in Singapore and abroad. The SMU ministry is hence an enormous opportunity to impact future generations. Over the years, disciples with the ministry have graduated with a clearer view of their identity and role as believers to be salt and light wherever they go.

In Claire’s own words, “I strongly believe that God had a strategic plan when He called us to bring the ministry into being in SMU.”

Contact a friend through Facebook private messaging. Go beyond “Like” and “Comment” and show genuine concern for your friend.

Retweet an evangelistic tweet or meaningful quote from a Christian author, pastor or singer.

Share evangelistic articles on your Facebook page or blog. For a start, you can visit www.everystudent.com for thought provoking articles and short films.

Email gtmo@cru.org.sg if you have any inquiry or you are interested in any of these areas:

Our clarion call is to help accelerate the fulfillment of the Great Commission. We do so in part by mobilizing, equipping and resourcing believers to share their faith, moving from private to public faith, and getting the message out wherever the Lord has placed us.

ASK

God to ignite in the hearts of believers to move from private faith to public faith to share the Christmas story.

Last year we partnered with Celebrate Christmas in Singapore (CCIS) to distribute about 200, 000 copies of a magazine that shares the reasons for the (Christmas) season. Magazines were distributed in Orchard Road, the Central Business District and in the heartland estates. Churches and individuals also gave away the magazines in their communities; to friends, colleagues and loved ones.

TAKING A STEP OF FAITH As a process supervisor in a pharmaceutical company, Yong Chean supervises a production team of 17 men. She loves her team and desires for them to come to know the Lord. She recalls, “The Christmas magazines came just in time for me. By faith, I put together a Christmas gift pack for the team, complete with home-made cookies and a Christmas card expressing my appreciation for each of them.” And God multiplied her act of faith. “Seeing the smiles on their faces while they enjoyed the cookies, I felt privileged to be given the opportunity to bring them a Yong Chean is also a member of our young little Christmas joy by showing professionals ministry. Here, she is sharing my appreciation for them, with them how to use the magazine as an while at the same time sharing outreach tool. the reasons of Christmas.”

for her to reach out and connect with someone.

THIS YEAR...

Similarly, Elaine, a mother of two, participated in Cru’s distribution effort by mobilizing her cell group consisting of 8 children and 10 adults. This proved to be a wise move. During the distribution, the adults observed that while some passerbys were rather “cold” towards them, they could not bear to reject the children. It was a wonderful and encouraging time as she saw each member making the effort to set aside their time for this. At the same time, the children got a glimpse of the significance of the season through sharing their faith in this simple way.

It wasn’t just about distributing the magazines too. A young lady who received the magazine outside Tampines MRT station was so intrigued by the magazine’s contents that she decided to find out more and visited christmas.godlife.com, a Global Media Outreach (GMO) weblink that was mentioned in the magazine. Through GMO’s portal, she indicated her desire to grow in her faith through the online response form.

Her email ended up in our local GMO e-mentoring system.

When Lay Kuan, an e-mentor, replied her, this young lady shared, “I think God is trying to tell me something when I got the magazine.” Today, the online fellowship and conversations between Lay Kuan and this young lady is still on-going. The internet, in a way, provided a non-threatening environment

This year we want to continue sharing the Christmas message with greater reach through both physical distribution, as well as utilizing digital platforms. We will continue to do so by partnering with churches and mission organizations who can in turn mobilize their congregations and networks. In doing so, we hope to have greater engagement with the body of Christ to move from private to public faith.

The theme for this year’s magazine is “All I Want For Christmas”. It will share a collection of meaningful true-life experiences related to Christmas, penned by Singaporeans.

This year, our focus is on the importance of treasuring family and building strong bonds that will last, encouraging our readers to cherish their loved ones and stay true to traditional family values. Our cover story will feature three dads and their families, and demonstrate how the father’s role is vital to a healthy home. The magazine will also include a manga (cartoon) section relating the biblical Christmas story, and an interview with popular MediaCorp host Belinda Lee on the topic of being a blessing to the less fortunate.

Part of our objective in this year’s initiative is to encourage believers to engage with non-Christian friends as well, over the Internet, particularly during the Christmas season. We

THINK

of 4 friends, colleagues or neighbors you can bless with the magazine. You can accompany it with a note of greeting, encouragement or Christmas gift.

GATHER

your friends or do it as a cell group. It is a fun way to build common memories together.

GIVING FOLLOW UP

contributes to getting the message out.

via a web-based email platform with interested individuals who visit a Global Media Outreach website highlighted in the magazine.

LEARN

how you can engage non-Christian friends over the Internet.