Council for World Mission The Partners in Mission Unit CONNECTED August 2022 Issue
The
Meet Rev. Nigel Lindsay Rev. Ramboanjanahary Rasolonjanahary Samoelijaona Ms. Rachel Zote So Young Jung "Praying, Waiting and Listening" Page 3 Greetings from the Mission Secretary for Mission Programme & Partnership - Rev. Sim Joo Yee (Julie) Page 5 Pray for our PIMs Page 10 Reflections from former PIMs Page 15 Stay Connected through Stories Page 19 News from the PIM Unit Page 2
Greetings from the Mission Secretary for Mission Programme & Partnership Page 3
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Dearsistersandbrothers, Greetings from the CWM Singapore office! Hope this letter finds you in good health by God’s Igrace.amvery privileged to have been assigned the new department of Mission Programme and Partnership following the CWM New Programmatic Structure on July 1st, 2022. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation for your continuing support for CWM and its member churches across the six regions.
I would like to introduce myself as the former CWM Board of Director/Trustee (2009-2016), Mission Secretary for East Asia and South Asia Regions (2016-2022) and currently serving in my new capacity as the Mission Secretary for Mission Programme and Partnership, overseeing Partners In Mission (PIM), Mission Support Programme (MSP), Internship Programme and the regional work for East Asia and South Asia Regions. I am taking on this extensive portfolio with great humility and motivation. And I look forward to knowing you and enjoying your participation and partnership in the PIM programme.
Thank you. With every good wish, Revd Sim Joo Yee (Julie) Mission Secretary for Mission Programme & Partnership Photocontributed
The PIM programme is today an active and effective unit passionately committed to connecting and supporting member churches and partners in line with the department’s objective: Life-flourishing Church in Action. My desire is to continue working and supporting member churches, partners and missionaries in keeping with CWM values and commitment to witnessing to life-flourishing communities. I could not sign off without thanking my colleague, Mrs Vickeisha King Burke, for her hard work, dedication and leadership for the PIM Unit. We will continue to work together with two other colleagues, Stephen Chia and Faris Ariffin, in the Mission Programme and Partnership Team for the betterment of CWM family.
Please feel free to contact me at julie.sim@cwmission.org meet you soon in person.
PRAYING for our PIMs Page 5
aspects:
Hi, I am the Rev Nigel Lindsay, a Minister with the Congregational Federation in the United Kingdom and serving as as Partner in Mission (PIM) with the Presbyterian Church in Grenada. I live in the more rural north of the country and my work has 3 I am the Minister for Samaritan Presbyterian Church and Chaplin to Samaritan Presbyterian Primary School and Mac Donald’s College (Secondary School).
Meet Nigel
REV. NIGEL LINDSAY
Grenada is a beautiful country and over the 11 months I have been here I have walked around the whole island and have enjoyed the brief conversations I can have. Some places I walk regularly so the conversation gets fuller. Wherever we are it takes time to trust and build relationships I hope my contacts will give good foundations for the future.
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Church As with many Churches, the Covid-19 pandemic has had an impact and the numbers of people engaging in the church over the past years have declined, even before Covid-19. We struggle to find people to step forward to take on leadership roles and a few people who have done it for years are left in roles which may not be right for them now. I know this to be case in many organizations. As a partner in mission, I am keen to partner with others to empower, support, provide training so that in the longer term the Church can sustain itself in to the future. I am trying to do this, but have not found others with that vision yet.
It is a privilege to work with both schools and have opportunity to speak at Assembly and take some class lessons. Many of the young people do not have a Church connection and certainly by secondary school age many have walked away from Church I arrived at the start of a second lock down and so schools were mostly closed until January 2022 and even then activity was limited. I have tried to be involved as much as I can. As this is a new role it has been difficult to establish how I fit within the schools and I pray that as we move to a new academic year that clarity can be had and communication improved. I am excited that I have been able do some lessons on guidance like: anger management, bullying, worry, and assertiveness alongside a little Religious Education. I am also able to spend break times having conversations with students and teachers. I have many ideas of how I could support the schools and have submitted some ideas and just wait for agreement to go ahead.
Review Change is always difficult for many people, but our Christian journey has to be a movement and not static. As numbers of people decline in our Churches and commitment levels change it is important that we reevaluate and identify how we can do work more effectively with limited resources. The problem is that within many Churches and organizations, people are accustomed to structures and ways that were right when put in place 20 or 30 years before, but are no longer fit for 2022. Once this is sorted we can then look at our vision and how we can stimulate growth once more. As an incomer who has experience with both Fresh Expression of Churches and Community Development. I see things in relation to both our schools and Churches which could be changed for the better. I do know that I need to understand better the systems and culture and I may then accept the status quo as being best.
Schools
We now have a few teams of people who are working together in some areas of church life. I hope they will develop and take responsibility in areas such as pastoral care, worship, fund raising, children’s work, and youth work.
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I believe that we have more impact outside of our buildings, in school, workplaces, streets, than we have by being inside of them Our Churches can be bases from which we go out, but sometime they are a burden and we spend so much time, energy and money on just maintaining them for the few Due to adult support we have not been able to run a Holiday Bible club, but I have started ‘Games on the Pasture’ (field) I go with Balls, Skipping ropes and Frisbees and just allow people to play four nights a week, in two locations. Response has been slow so far, but some have come, so let’s see I am grateful for all your prayers as I seek to serve the people here in Grenada.
Community
RevNigelLindsay
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As mentioned I walk a lot and am keen to be involved and believe that Church should be outward looking Luke 10:1-12 the sending out of the 72 after sending out 12 and Matthew 28: 19-20 (NIV) -
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
A prayer from Rev. Dr Michael Jagessar Mission SecretaryDiscipleship & Dialogue, CWM Caribbean Bless us with your sustaining presence, that in our walk of faith and faithfulness we will be freed to live a truly a good life, that, in turn, will bring blessing to others and delight to your name. In the name of the One who offers full and flourishing life for all.
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Faithful God: eye of our eyes ear of our ears heart of our hearts mind of our minds breath of our breaths life of our lives soul of our souls fill us with love.
Reflections from former PIMs Page 10 on the 45th Anniversary of CWM - Sunday 17th July
“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” Habakkuk: 2. 14,NIV
I am a former CWM Partner in Mission. God chose us, me and Parfaite my wife to carry out his mission from the Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar (FJKM) to two (2) countries of the CWM mission field: first in the Solomon Islands (in the United Church in Solomon IslandsUCSI) and then in Kiribati (in the Kiribati Uniting Church-KUC, former Kiribati Protestant Church). I was posted in those places as a Mathematics teacher and Parfaite as a dentist. Later on, after distance learning I was ordained as a church minister.
"SHARING THE LOVE OF GOD AS CWM PARTNERS IN MISSION"
As we look back to the beginning then we remember that when we left home at the end of 1994, the use of internet was not popular if not inexistent yet, so the mail took time to go from one place to another so communication was frustrating somehow. It took weeks to get news from home in Madagascar and from CWM too which was in London at that time. So it was a time as though our umbilical cords were cut for a second time, Parfaite lost her mother while we were on our way to the Solomon Islands, in a foreign land, in the United Kingdom; I lost my mother too, and one sister while we were serving in the Solomon Islands and the news came to us after some days or weeks. That is to tell you that when you go on mission for God, you do not turn back, you belong completely to Him; He is your family, He is your protector. Rev. Ramboanjanahary Rasolonjanahary Samoelijaona and Dr. Parfaite Rakotondramasy Razafindramary
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So how do we understand CWM? It is a Christian organisation of sharing, an organisation where cultures interact with one another, you do not go on mission as someone who knows everything but someone who is giving and eager to learn too. It is a place where your notion of family is enlarged, a place where you get acquainted to life’s unknown faces without giving up. It is mainly a place where Jesus is the life’s centre.
At the end of our service, we are so grateful to God for our missional journey, to the sending and receiving churches, and to CWM in facilitating God’s mission. To God only be the glory!
A Kiribati minister said: “what a tremendous work CWM is doing in sending people where they are Andneeded.”Parfaite says: “God’s mission has increased my faith; I could share and live out my faith as a CWM Partner in Mission.”
Page 12 Rev.RamboanjanaharyRasolonjanaharySamoelijaona
Let us put it this way: when you go for a mission of God you get new families; they are the hosting people of the receiving church. You have to fit into new customs, to new visions of things. Mind you! When we went there we did not have to build new schools or new hospitals; I had to teach Mathematics in an already existing school, but at the same time I had to preach the Gospel, I had to strengthen the faith of the students and the communities in and around the school; Parfaite had to start a new way of work, she had to make people accept that a woman can carry out the same job as men, and besides she would start her work every day with a devotion. The mission of God does not consist only in building a church but in cooperating with the local church to bring up people spiritually and intellectually to the standard of God. In working there we received from the local people too in terms of the approaches of sharing the Good News of Christ, for example, if you want to get to the people’s hearts you have to use songs and skits. There in their worship they do it without the accompaniment of musical instruments; they use a cappella. Not only these but we learnt their way of life too: such as cooking, travelling by canoe and driving by sea, being patient too, time there is very long...
I joined CWM PIM service way back in 2000, with Goldie College in the Solomon Islands, South Pacific as my first placement. I have no doubt God used the PCI and the CWM partnership to fulfill my childhood dream of doing mission work in a distant country far away from home. I am grateful to God and CWM for giving me the once in a lifetime opportunity to work across diverse culture and the opportunity to teach hundreds of students across the Solomon Islands and Samoa. I will forever cherish the beautiful experience and the lovely people of the Pacific in my heart. PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF (PCI)
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INDIA
Rachel Zote FORMER PIM TEACHER FROM THE
WhatimpacthasCWMmadeonmyjourney?
When I started my Mission work in the Solomon Islands embracing a foreign culture was a challenge to the point of questioning my missionary commitment. Coming from a Presbyterian background I had this narrow view that the way we worship back home was the best. For a while I felt frustrated and disconnected. But gradually I started to realize that each culture is unique and must appreciate even if it’s not my way. What has become very clear from then on was that, in God’s eyes our differences do not matter much but at the end of the day what matters most is our acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. To me this is the most important impact working in CWM made on my mission journey.
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Stay CONNECTED through Stories Page 15
Is it a generational difference or a cultural difference, or did I burden them too much by my forceful approach? I could not understand why because I tried to be careful, so I needed time to think and pray.
When I first came to the United Kingdom, I tried to approach as many people as possible with passion and enthusiasm of God’s mission and tried to do many Christian activities. There have been fruitful results overall. However, over time, I have discovered that there have been some repeated limitations during mission work leading to some kind of burn out inside of me. No matter how close I approached and knocked people’s hearts, it seemed that they didn't open the door, and some people continually did not respond to my continued messages and attempts at contact. It would be okay once or twice, but it was literally a lot. To be honest I got hurt and got tired
"Praying,WaitingandListening’" - SoYoungJungPage 16
In June 2022, I attended the CWM Europe Regional Assembly which had the theme of ‘Rising Up and Letting Go’ which means considering what we, as part of God’s mission team, need to develop and what we need to throw away. On the first day, every member brought their own pictures of ‘Rising up and Letting Go’ I took a picture of ears. This was because I have come to realise the importance of listening and empathy while meeting people in the mission field these days and I wanted to share my reflection with them. I'd like to share my reflection about ‘listening’ here, too. I am working with local United Reformed Church, focusing on women and children, and youth in the New Malden and Kingston area.
At this year’s CWM Europe Regional Assembly one of the Bible readings was about the Ethiopian Eunuch in the New Testament, Acts 8:26 40. The story is that the Ethiopian Eunuch wanted to understand the word of God but could not understand it because there was no one to teach him. Philip approached him and taught the eunuch the Word of God Interestingly, even though Philip was led to the eunuch by God he did not try to declare and teach the gospel directly when they first met. Philip carefully looked at what the eunuch was reading and did not force his carriage to stop even though he needed to preach the Gospel.
As time went by from me having those concerns, children and youth, and women shared their daily lives with me, eating, studying together, and three years passed. But there was some special change in the process. There are quite a few times these days when they actively ask me if I have time to talk. When they are having a hard time with some worries or feel heartbroken when they have happy and exciting news, they want to let me know first. It gives me encouragement and motivation, so I am stepping up my missionary work with greater enjoyment.
Therefore, as time went by, I tried to change my focus of thinking about mission itself into building relationships by mixing with them. Surprisingly, it seems that following my change in attitude the people I was in contact with began sharing prayers with me naturally I spent more time with them and tried to listen to them more. Then, one day, I felt that I was loved, and the mission also became solid.
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When you decide to start mission work in the mission field, your heart can be a full of sense of enthusiasm, passion and missional purpose. I was also a hard worker full of passion, praying and thinking, "I can do everything because God led me here and everything will be fine if I do my best obeying God’s will." So when I faced the situations when people did not open their hearts to me and closed their ears to my story, I used to feel resentment towards those who did not recognize my enthusiasm.
Now, as time has passed, I realise that I did not appreciate their situations which they showed and explained to me. Rather, I tried to understand their situation from my perspective. I realised my skills in empathy, relationship formation, and listening were relatively weak as my focus was on spreading the Gospel.
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Philip carefully looked at what the eunuch was reading and did not force his carriage to stop even though he needed to preach the Gospel. The first thing that Philip did was ask a question to the eunuch and tried to understand his situation and needs. We see the eunuch stop his carriage and invite Philip to join him and he was ready to accept the Gospel when Philip listened to his opinion first and waited in prayer. As a result, the eunuch suggested he should be baptised by ThroughPhillip. this eunuch story in the Bible and my mission field experience, I have come to realize that the first thing to do as a Partner in Mission (or as a Christian anywhere) is to respect and listen to the story of the people in the field.
[1]Jong Pyo Lim, “The reverend Ji I Bang’s Mission and Theology.” (Seoul, Kenosis and World Mission Study Institute, 2018), 106-107.
He consistently insisted on the close relationship between missionaries and local people. I think, for the time being, I will be working with my listening ears and respect the people who God gave me in the United Kingdom while remembering this word.
I think we need to have a sense of superiority of the Gospel, but not have an attitude of superiority. One of the missionaries who I respect, Reverend Ji-il Bang, said “Missionaries should respect the local church and respect the local people.”
So Young Jung is a Partner in Mission from the Presbyterian Church in Korea serving in the United Kingdom with the United Reformed Church
Stay CONNECTED with the PIM UNIT Page 19
Virtual All PIM Gathering NO V EM B E R 2 4 AN D 2 5 , 2 0 2 2 A T 2 1 : 0 0 S I NG A PO R E T I M E Introduction of the PIM leadership team PIM stories and reflections CWM's New Programmatic Structure Plans for a face-to-face Gathering in 2023 Further details will be shared soon! To check your timezone use - www.timeanddate.com Page 20
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Let's Stay Connected! Thank you for viewing this issue of CONNECTED! We hope you were both informed and inspired. Share your comments and inputs at vickeisha.burke@cwmission.org. Unless otherwise stated, images and graphics are courtesy of CANVA Romans 15:7 (ESV) Editor: Vickeisha King Burke Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
