2020 ISSUE
03
RESOURCES for MISSIONS
HARVESTFORCE 2020 • 3
Faith in action 1
Kings 17:8-15 records that when Elijah was hungry, he asked for food from a poor widow who had very little left even for herself and her son. In fact, she was so deprived that she was literally preparing their last meal. But as she went ahead to prepare the bread for Elijah, a miracle happened right before her very eyes. She found she had more flour and olive oil that lasted for many days. Had she refused to make any bread for Elijah, she would have missed out on experiencing God’s abundance. At some points of our lives, all of us may experience bouts of worry and anxiety regarding our lack of resources that are essential to our health, finances, relationships, nutrition, accommodations, work, ministry, etc. However, God is our provider and He promised to supply all our needs (Philippians 4:19). It is so comforting to know that our God cares for us and this energises us. So before we look around for help, let us look to God first. Let prayer be the first thing we do when we are faced with a need for resources. May we set our eyes on God the Provider for all our needs. But also, miracles happen when actions are taken in obedience. This happened time and again in the Bible. The five loaves of bread and two fish were multiplied WHILE the food was being given out and passed on (Matthew 14:13-21). The ten lepers were healed WHILE they were on their way to the priest (Luke 17:11-19). The water was changed to wine WHILE it was being served to the wedding guests at Cana (John 2:1-11). Actions of faith need to be taken. In response to our prayers, God will work through people in the midst of our obedience. Imagine if you were one of the 50,000 people at a remote place, would you be wondering why you need to pass your bread or fish to the persons next to you? But you did it in obedience. Imagine if you were one of the 10 lepers being sent to the priest, would you be wondering why you need to make that journey? But you did it in obedience. Imagine if you were one of the servants at the wedding banquet, would you be wondering why you need to serve the wedding guests plain water? But you did it in obedience. Is God leading you do something that does not really make much sense? Just do it in obedience. And you may witness a miracle happening right before your eyes.
This issue of HF focuses on Resources needed for our mission works. On page 2, Rev Derrick Lau explains how MMS adopts a framework for financing the operations of her ministry undergirded by biblical imperatives. Bishop encourages us on page 28 to find new resources and reassess what it needed for effective electronic communications in the mission field. You may also read about Rev Dr Lorna Khoo’s thought about rethinking missions in a digital age on page 26. On page 6, Collin Tan, MMS Finance Chairman, encourages us to give generously for missions. And Grace Chung, MMS Church Engagement Manager, on page 8, invites us to contribute especially during this difficult time of COVID-19.
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CONTENTS
02
FIRST WORD • Glean towards a sustainable Financial Stewardship Protocol
04
WAZZUP! • Country Information • Opportunities to Serve
Methodist Missions Society (MMS) is the missions agency of The Methodist Church in Singapore. MMS is given the mandate to establish indigenous churches supported by mission endeavours in communities across this region where there is no Methodist presence. Harvest Force is published three times annually and distributed free. The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher. All information published is correct at time of writing and may subject to change. All Scripture quoted is based on the English Standard Version, unless
FEATURE STORY • A Reflection on Resources 06 • Love through unity in action
otherwise stated.
PERMIT NUMBER
ADVISOR Rev Derrick Lau
014/01/2020
NOVEMBER 2020
EDITOR
Leongheng PROOFREADER
Wendy Tan CHINESE PROOFREADER Goh Tuan Gee TRANSLATORS Henry Wang, Koh Wan Yee PHOTO CREDITS Benjamin Lee, Collin Tan, Daniel Loo, David Chan, Gopal Sebastian, Juliette Arulrajah, Lesley Yeow, Jessie Chan, Lionel Lee, Lorna Khoo, Ong Eng Keow, Rudy Wong, Winai Koysap
FIELD FEATURE CAMBODIA 10 • A Tribute to the Late Rev
Sea Khemra EAST ASIA • Stay Behind LAOS • Thank You for the Music! THAILAND • An online Mary Jones story • Education as a Missions Endeavour TIMOR-LESTE • One can never outgive our Jehovah Jireh
DISTRIBUTION & SUPPORT Eileen Lim, Helen Tan, Tan Poh Ling & Volunteers DESIGNER SNAP! Creative Pte Ltd PRINTER Print & Print Pte Ltd PUBLISHER Rev Derrick Lau 70 Barker Road #06-01, The Methodist Centre Singapore 309936 Tel: 6478 4818
MMS IS SOCIAL! Connect with us and never miss an update
mms@methodist.org.sg
www.mms.org.sg mms.org.sg mms.org.sg
IN ON... • MMS Family 25 HOME
26
IN OTHER WORDS • What If... (Rethinking Missions in a Digital Age)
28
CLOSING THOTS • Seeking New Resources in Post-Pandemic Missions
t.me/mmsorgsg
mms_org_sg
COVER: Nepalese woman carrying a bag of supplies on her head. Photo credit: Dr Ong Eng Keow.
02
HARVESTFORCE 2020 • 3
Glean towards a SUSTAINABLE FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP PROTOCOL T
Rev Derrick Lau 刘作丰牧师 卫宣执行主任 Executive Director of MMS. Running and cycling are his hobbies.
he Holy Creeds such as The Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds, were carefully crafted Statements of Faith of our early Church Fathers. They originated in the early Christian centuries when in the context of a wide array of heretical teachings then, ecclesiastical leaders sought to provide distinctive Professions of Faith for believers. The primary objective of the Creeds was to maintain and express the Church’s legacy of the fundamental and foundational tenets of the faith. They have stood the test of time and are often recited during corporate worship services all over the world. However, ecclesiastical authorities have further revised and updated the Creeds over the course of time to meet the changing landscape of the post-modern world. Suffice to note, the core values remained intact. Similarly, MMS adopts a framework for financing the operations of her ministry undergirded by biblical imperatives. It has to be robust as well as not overtly rigid as that might hamper the work of missions. I would like to share my perspective on this. 1. Source and Provider – God
Our primary focus in securing resources for missions springs from our belief that God Himself provides the resources. In other words, we seek Him, and He provides in His own ways. I am convinced that whatever the Lord has called us to venture into, He shall provide the means to accomplish it (cf. Psalm 31:19, Philippians 4:19) James Hudson Taylor, the founder of China Inland Mission, declared, “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’supply.”
2. Servants of God – Stewards
As the Lord provides the resources, we are expected to exercise responsible stewardship. It demands careful scrutiny and analysis of the operational requirements of the mission and a deep understanding of its application that will optimise the resources for His work. Ultimately as stewards, we are accountable to God for all that he has entrusted to us (cf. 1 Peter 4:10).
3. Sustainable Mode – Financial Framework MMS Missionaries are generally sent and financed by the local churches or Annual Conferences. Country projects and programmes are jointly financed by churches, donors, and the MMS General Fund. Hence we advocate a strong and rigorous on-going engagement with sending churches and Conferences, where we provide regular updates and concerns of the missionaries and their mission. We also establish a robust Financial Framework whereby policies on budgeting, governance, and approval authority are interwoven with the strictest accountability at various levels, in order to facilitate fund raising efforts and efficient deployment of resources expeditiously and prudently.
FIRSTWORD 03
可持续性的财务管理之方案 教
会中常见的信经诸如使徒信经和尼西亚信经等，是基 督教传播初期的几个世纪，教会领袖在异端泛滥的处 境下，为了帮助信徒能清晰地宣告他们独特的信仰而精心撰 写的。 信经主要在于表述、维护和传承教会最基本，最重要的 信仰要义，信经也是信仰的告白。信经经受得住时间的考验， 并经常在世界各地的集体崇拜中被背诵。信经曾经过一些修 饰与修改，以配合后现代世界的日新月异，但是它的核心价 值观却没有改变。 同样的，卫理宣教会也采用了以圣经原则为财务管理制 度的基础。制度本身必须健全完善，而运作时又不过分呆板， 才不会妨碍事工的进展。借此机会，我想分享一下自己的几点 看法。
1. 源头和供应者 – 上帝 卫宣聚焦于护卫宣教资源，这个信念发自我们内心相信耶和 华上帝亲自供应这些资源。换句话说，我们寻求祂，祂以自己 的方式提供。我深信无论神呼召我们去做什么，祂必提供机 会让我们去完成（诗篇31:19，腓立比书4:19)。中国内地会的 创始人戴德生宣称:“ 按照神的方式来做神的工作, 断然不会 缺乏神的供应。”
I conclude with this statement linking stewardship with worship.
Worship is giving God the best that He has given you. Be careful what you do with the best you have. Whenever you get a blessing from God, give it back to Him as a love gift. Take time to meditate before God and offer the blessing back to Him in a deliberate act of worship. If you hoard a thing for yourself, it will turn into spiritual dry rot, as the manna did when it was hoarded. God will never let you hold a spiritual thing for yourself; it has to be given back to Him that He may make it a blessing to others.” ~ Oswald Chambers
2. 神的仆人 -– 管家 当主提供资源的时候，祂期望我们尽到管家的责任。我们必 须认真审视、仔细分析、深入理解事工的运营要求并善用和 优化资源。作为管家，我们终究须对上帝托付给我们的一切 负责 。(彼得前书4:10) 3.可持续的模式 - 财务框架 当主提供资源的时候，祂期望我们尽到管家的责卫理宣教会 的宣教士通常是由本地教会或年议会差派和资助。海外国家 的特别项目和活动则是由教会、捐助者和通过卫宣的普通基 金共同资助。因此我们提倡与差派教会和年议会建立长期沟 通的机制，定期汇报宣教士的近况并他们负责的事工进展。 卫宣建立了完善的财务管理制度用以制定预算、审批程序， 结合各层面严谨的问责框架，以便能快速和稳妥地筹集资 金、有效地配置资源。 最后，我要将管家工作与敬拜联系起来。
敬拜是将上帝赐予你那最好的奉献回给上帝。我 们要谨慎善用所拥有的最好资源。任何时候领受 了上帝的祝福，都要以爱回应祂。花点时间在上 帝的面前默想，并通过刻意的行为敬拜祂，将所 领受的祝福奉献回上帝。你若自私地囤积你所拥 有的，它将会像贮藏的吗哪那样变成干腐之物。 上帝绝不会让你守住自己属灵的特质；它必须献 上让上帝使用。以成为他人的祝福。
~章伯斯
04 4
HARVESTFORCE 2020 • 3
HARVESTFORCE A
Quick Survey
Harvest Force connects you with the Methodist Missions Society. We appreciate your support in terms of reading, praying, and supporting the mission that the Lord has entrusted to us. It is published three times a year. We request your assistance in indicating your preference for: (a) Printed hard copy (by post or collected at church) (b) Electronic soft copy in pdf format (received by email) (c) Online (www.mms.org.sg/harvestforce)
Ways to submit your answer: • Email to mms@methodist.org.sg • Go to https://tinyurl.com/HarvestForceSurvey • Scan the QR code
Opportunities to Serve IN THE FIELD The fields are ready for harvesting – but there are so few labourers. In the seven countries that MMS is serving, we continue to be needful for the following: • Full-time missionaries. We are asking the Lord to send pastors, church planters, ministry workers, mentors, and teachers. • Short-term workers who are able to spend between two weeks and six months to help our missionaries. Please raise your own financial support. • Prayer partners to pray for our ministries and missionaries. What to do if you sense the LORD calling you into His mission field: 1. Speak with your pastor and ask him/her to help examine your calling to missions.
For more information about these opportunities, kindly email mms@methodist.org.sg. Be in prayer with us as we seek God’s direction to challenge and mobilise our Methodist community to serve Christ.
2. If your church pastor and leaders affirm your calling and are prepared to support – praise the Lord! Call MMS straight away.
3. If your church pastor and leaders affirm your calling but are unable to provide full financial support for you – call MMS anyway! Some of our missionaries are supported by the combined efforts of multiple Methodist churches, agencies, and individuals.
WAZZUP! 05
Cambodia • Secondary and primary school teachers to teach and train our teachers at the Methodist School of Cambodia. • Trained social worker as well as Children’s & Youth Ministry worker for Community Outreach Services (COS) NGO. • Prayer and financial supporters for pastors of the Methodist Church of Cambodia, who are receiving below the national minimum wage. • Trainers and volunteers to support market place ministry and consider joining BAMBOO (www.bamboofoundation.sg). • Missionaries who are willing to be trained in making disciples through our ministries. East Asia • Professional trainers to conduct enrichment courses, leadership development, young adult counselling. • Partners to support social work and community development programme, especially for medical services. Laos • Fulltime personnel to help oversee Singapore Mission School (SMS) and develop partnerships for community development. • Kindergarten and Primary teachers familiar with the Singapore curriculum to teach at SMS. Teachers can opt to serve a one-year term or longer. Nepal • A seminary graduate to serve at Caleb Bible Institute on a short-term attachment. • Ministry staff to serve as spiritual counsellors and mentors for Sophia’s Home on short field assignments. • Missionary to serve in Nepal. Two missionaries have returned to Singapore in September 2020 and will complete their service with MMS by 4Q of 2020. Thailand • Short-term helpers to organise programmes and activities for BB, GB, and Children’s Ministry at Rangsit and Song-Roi Phee tuition centres. • Qualified Kindergarten and Primary levels teachers to conduct teachers’ training at Vineyard Methodist School and Little Candles School. • Mission teams to conduct evangelistic events, community services, etc at our Methodist churches. Timor-Leste • Teachers to volunteer for one year to provide instruction for students in Grades 7 to 11 at the St Paul Methodist School (SPMS), or mentor local teachers in basic curriculum design and instructional strategies for at least a month.
• Short-term volunteers to provide English, Science or Mathematics tuition for Grade 10-12 students in the Sundermeier Home. • More sponsors are needed for students enrolled at SPMS and high school residents at Sundermeier Home. Please support the MMS Student Sponsorship Scheme (SSS) for children and youth from poor families. Vietnam • An assistant pastor, pastoral assistant or ministry staff with theological qualifications to serve in International Christian Fellowship (ICF) at Ho Chi Minh City. • Tentmakers, social entrepreneurs, teachers, and professionals to worship and serve in ICF. • Mission teams to visit and serve alongside ICF. • Volunteer to train ICF members on the audio-visual equipment. Exploration of New Geographical Missions Partnerships (NewGMP) • MMS is exploring collaborative partnership with local Methodist churches in countries such as Indonesia and Myanmar. • If the Lord is leading you to serve in places beyond the seven countries where MMS has some form of ministry, please get in touch with us.
AT HOME You can also come alongside as Mission Partners and Volunteers (MPV) at home to encourage and empower God’s work and workers to incarnate the love of Jesus Christ and to make a difference in the mission fields. Communications & Publications • Be an English-Chinese translator. • Be a photographer or videographer. • Be a graphic designer. • Be a web designer. Office Assistance • Be our MMS Event Coordinator. • Be part of our Fund Raising Team. • Be our Fellowship Mailer Team. Financial Assistance • Be a sponsor through the Student Sponsorship Schemes. Please refer to page 23.
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HARVESTFORCE 2020 • 3
RESOURCES
A REFLECTION on RESOURCES H
ere’s the deal. There is bad news and there is worse news, then there is good news and a catch. Of course, there is a catch – otherwise it would not be a deal. First, the bad news. In relation to your salvation, there is a purchase price involved – yes there is quite a cost involved. Even worse news is that you cannot afford to pay it! We cannot buy salvation - even if you pulled together all the wealth you have, all your resources you could find and went all in with your consolidated balance sheet, you would still not be able to afford it. The good news is that the purchase price for your salvation has been paid in full. Yes, salvation is freely given to all who believe. Then there is the catch – Salvation is free but you cannot have it all to yourself; you have got to share it. That is the deal; that is the mission. God has achieved His purpose (for our salvation) without relying on our resources. Conversely, we cannot achieve God’s purpose (His mission for us) without reliance on His resources. In relation to answering the calling to missions, MMS has been a testimony that our God is faithful. When we renounce dependence on our own resourcing abilities, it is then that we recognise that our God will supply all our needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ. Through the sharing from partner churches and your generous gifts and resourcing, MMS has been able to share in meeting the needs in educating communities, through various student bursaries and support programmes, we have been able to build schools, homes and facilities for orphanages, carried out medical missions, and other community outreach work in Cambodia, East Asia, Laos, Nepal, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.
Collin Tan Chairman of MMS Finance Committee. He grew up in Sunday School at Bedok Methodist Church in the 70’s. He received Christ as his Saviour in the 80’s and married Dorothy in the 90’s. They’ve lived and worked away in Australia, Hong Kong, and the Netherlands, where Collin worked in Corporate Treasury and Banking, and returned home to Bedok in 2010. Still enjoying the journey of life in the kampong on this side of eternity.
GET IN TOUCH with MMS today! www.mms.org.sg mms@methodist.org.sg 6478 4818
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FEATURESTORY 07
This is made possible by your partnership in “the catch” (pun intended, as we are, after all, called to be fishers of men), also by your sharing and generous giving of resources. As the Apostle Paul shares in his letter to the Philippians, “Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account.” Philippians 4:17 (NIV) Over the past year, the team at MMS has worked to align our management of resources with governance and strategy under a funding framework which operates with the kingdom principle of stewardship; Making sure we balance our books given the funding needs in the mission field. Similar to Paul’s reference to needs being met in Philippians, we draw from Proverbs 30, “… give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread (needs). Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.” Proverbs 30:8-9 (NIV) We serve a Redeemer God who paid the price and purchased us by giving His only Son, so let us share as His Holy Spirit convicts us till He returns and finds us faithful servants of His resources.
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RESOURCES
LOVE through UNITY IN ACTION T
he COVID-19 pandemic has escalated at an alarming speed, infecting millions and impacting economies as countries imposed tight restrictions to halt its spread. Even as Singapore battles and grapples with the crisis, the three Annual Conferences (CAC, ETAC, and TRAC), together with our Methodist churches and donors, have come together in unity to respond to the needs in our MMS mission fields affected by the pandemic. MMS Home Office has been working closely with our field teams to prepare, respond, and strengthen their ability to provide assistance to their beneficiaries. We have united in solidarity to show love in action, pray and provide financial aid via our Crisis Relief Fund of about $50,000, so that our leaders, pastors, national workers, and local churches in our mission fields could respond and provide immediate relief to affected families. We hear of heart-breaking difficulties from our fields’ church members and their Grace Chung families as to what they are going through as well as concerns about their livelihoods MMS Church after losing jobs because of the lockdown measures. Teachers in our schools are Engagement Manager. choosing to continue teaching while taking pay cuts. Parents are unable to pay She also handles the for school fees, children cannot afford medical care for their ageing parents, and Donor and Fundraising Management. She numerous church members are facing similar circumstances. worships at Grace Despite the storms of adversity, we witness their sheer resilience and faith as so Assembly of God. many persevere through this crisis. Pastors are praying fervently, national workers are reaching out with food, essentials, and basic sanitisation are supplied to the families and children. Leaders are stepping up to raise funds to pay salaries and more. These efforts have shown God’s love in action to those in need and those who have yet to receive Christ. They are also a testimony to the families of our school children and the surrounding communities that we communicated our love not only with words, but also through compassionate actions. The COVID-19 pandemic is a stark reminder that each of us cannot overcome crisis alone and that we are all God’s people called to serve and support one another. Truly, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” Psalm 133:1 (NIV) We humbly invite you to pray with us for the mission fields, Home visitation to a 12-year-old paralysed girl in Thailand to partner with us to expand God’s Kingdom, and to contribute financially e.g. to MMS General Fund. Your contributions could be life-changing for someone out in the mission fields. We can achieve more together than alone. We are made strong when we come together in the name of Christ. It is our hope that Editor’s note: the work of missions will further inspire us all to press on to share This article was first the Gospel, to build committed disciples for Christ, and to share our published in the love through our twin strategy of church planting and community August 2020 issue of development. Methodist Message.
FEATURESTORY 09
Distribution of relief packages in Cambodia.
Distribution of relief packages in Nepal.
Distribution of relief packages in Timor-Leste.
PRAY • for our national pastors and leaders as they ensure ministry continuity in their respective churches. • for God’s protection in the mission fields that are still having increases of positive cases and for their national health system to provide safe and adequate services. • for MMS as continue to provide for the needs of our mission fields, with financial support from our churches to accomplish the Great Commission.
Families in mission fields bringing home their relief packages
GET IN TOUCH with MMS today! www.mms.org.sg mms@methodist.org.sg 6478 4818
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HARVESTFORCE 2020 • 3
CAMBODIA
A Tribute to the LATE REV SEA KHEMRA I
first met Rev Sea Khemra in 2005 when I was teaching at the Cambodian Methodist Bible School. He was one of the brightest students in class. I remember that after his graduation, he was posted to a small church in a village where people were very rude and fierce. He served and loved the people there even though they did not welcome him. Rev Khemra was a man with passion and he was a visionary leader. He was committed to making disciples and led them into serving in the ministry. He was passionate in bringing up the youth to become real disciples of Jesus Christ. His pastoral ministry at Toul Kork Methodist Church was proof of his sincere heart and passion for discipleship. He not only made disciples from the church members but he also always looked for ways to have outreach events for the pre-believers. He Rev Lun Sophy organised many mission trips for his own church members to various provinces in Cambodia. President of the Methodist Church Throughout his time as a pastor, he was always ever so ready to serve the in Cambodia. He is people and visit the sick and elderly. He would bring his leaders and members married with two along to do ministry every time. He was passionate in what he did. He was known children. not only within the Methodist circle but also in the larger Christian community in Cambodia. Many church leaders respected him. At his funeral service, I could see the love of his members for him. They grieved at the loss of their beloved pastor. He was well loved and respected by many including those outside the Methodist family. Nonetheless, like many of us, Rev Khemra at one point faced a stressful time in his life and this led to a burnout. He took a break from ministry in Toul Kork Methodist Church and the Methodist Church in Cambodia. Before his passing, he indicated his intention to return to the Methodist Church in Cambodia to serve as a pastor. It is unfortunate that he died on 6 June 2020 at a young age of 41 years. It was regretful on my part that I could not meet with him before his passing. The death of Rev Sea Khemra is a great lose to the Methodist Church in Cambodia as well the Christian community in Cambodia. PRAY Rev Khemra left behind his wife Rev Jessica Tiong and their two daughters. Let us remember them in our prayers. • for Rev Khemra’s family. May they Let us continue to support them in whatever way we can. experience God’s everlasting peace and On behalf of the Methodist Church in Cambodia, I would comfort. like to express our sincere thanks to all who have helped • that the fruit of Rev Khemra’s good work out during his funeral. And to those who continue to provide will remain. May his disciples continue to support and comfort to his family. grow in the Lord.
FIELDFEATURE 11
EAST ASIA
STAY Behind WT MMS missionary
E
ver since I started serving in East Asia many years ago, I did not have the opportunity to stay in Singapore for a prolonged period of time. Normally I would spend only two weeks twice a year in Singapore to go for a medical check-up and settle some personal administration. In September 2019, my Area Director noticed that I had not taken a home assignment and recommended that I apply for it. It was a good idea since I missed the hawker food in Singapore. So I opted to spread out my six-month home assignment into two-month periods over three years. This would give me more precious time to see my extended family in Singapore especially my aged mother.
My wife and I were supposed to return to the mission field by midFebruary and early March 2020 respectively. But COVID-19 hit and a lockdown was imposed. Our air tickets were cancelled and we could not go back. At that time, Circuit Breaker in Singapore had not started yet. We prayed and asked God to show us what He would want us to do while were are in Singapore; we felt we could not remain idle and do nothing. We continued to be in contact with the church back in East Asia and committed ourselves to read the Lent 40-day devotion together online every day. But God had His plan. On 14 February, a brother-in-Christ called and requested us to visit his aunt who was suffering from ObsessiveCompulsive Disorder (OCD). She had confined herself at home and dared not go outside. On the first day we met the 70-year-old Aunty Z, we noticed darkness over her countenance. Even at the gate of her house where we were
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introduced, she repeatedly ranted and complained about her suffering and pain. Inside her house, everything was wrapped in plastic bags. I had never before seen so many plastic bags being used to wrap everything, from the living room to the kitchen. We learnt that Aunty Z had been a nurse at Singapore General Hospital since she was young. She bought an HDB flat and stayed there alone and retired at age 55. She developed OCD soon fear. She suddenly developed a fear of going outside. She closed all her windows and blocked out daylight coming through them with pieces of cloth. She was washing all of her clothes every day even though she was not using them. Her clothes were being hung out to dry everywhere in the kitchen. Although she had OCD, her house and toilet were very dirty and smelly. We removed all the cloth from her window grills and opened all the windows up to let sunlight and fresh air come into her house. We also shared the Gospel and prayed for her, but her face continued to looked angry and she was very resistant to prayer. We continued with our weekly visits thereafter. Every week, we would bring some desserts and her favourite food – roasted pork rice or chicken rice. After our second visit, she started looking forward to our visits. On our third visit, as we prayed, we sensed some evil spirits in the house that were holding her legs in bondage. She had been complaining that she could not walk and described her legs as being chained up; she could only take small, draggy steps. But when we placed our hands near her legs, she would struggle, push our hands away, and show us her angry face. We persisted in prayer and she calmed down after a while. She even agreed when we asked if she was ready to receive Jesus into her life and proclaim Jesus as her Lord and Saviour! After saying the sinner’s prayer, she could walk normally and praised God for breaking the chains at her legs. Surprisingly, on our fourth visit, she even agreed to go downstairs to have lunch with us at the food court. We also brought along our dessert with us and had a wonderful lunch with her. After lunch, she surprised us by wanting to visit our home. At our home, we chatted happily for the whole day. We even cooked dinner for her and the brother-in-Christ who introduced her to us. At our next visit, the spiritual attack seemed to intensify. At her gate, she told us that she was feeling uncomfortable again. When we went in to pray for her, her face suddenly changed completely. She became very angry and scolded us and questioned why we were there. We proclaimed that we were there because of the love of Jesus Christ to bring the Gospel to Aunty Z. We also commanded the evil spirit to leave her as it did not have a right to be there. After that, her face changed; she behaved normally again and could chat happily with us. We called Aunty Z daily to enquire about her condition. From our sixth visit onwards, each weekly visit had become a spiritual battle.
FIELDFEATURE 13
We sensed that a demon goddess had possessed her. Aunty Z had always denied being dedicated to any goddess, and her anger would boil up and she would scold us when we questioned her about this. And after prayer, she would change back to being herself again and speak nicely to us and invite us to visit her again. At our second to last visit, she suddenly accused me of being a bad person. But my wife proclaimed that I am a disciple of God and that our intention was meant for her good, and began praying. During the prayer, Aunty Z suddenly shouted that she was a believer of a goddess and did not know Jesus, and that she did not know what we were talking about. Immediately, we prayed against the evil spirit and casted it out of her in the name of Jesus. After a while, her face returned to normal but she felt very tired and wanted to rest. She went to her room to rest while we prayed quietly at the living hall before taking our leave. Our last meeting with Aunty Z was on the second last week of April. Her tooth was aching and her nephew had made a dental appointment for her at 4pm. When we reached her house at about 2.45pm, she claimed that she needed to change. She went for a shower and changed into fresh clothes. But she kept delaying the time to leave until it was almost 4pm. I asked for her IC and Pioneer Card so that I could go ahead to register for her first since she would be late. After registering her, I rushed back to pick her up as my wife was with her. At 4.05pm, Aunty Z said that her tooth was not painful anymore and that she did not want to go to the dentist any more. We knew it was not her but the evil spirit trying to torment her. She finally relented after I told her that she had to be at the dentist personally collect her IC and Pioneer Card. But halfway to the dentist, she suddenly turned back, claiming that she needed to go home to take something. She ran back home and my wife followed her to her gate. She could not open the lock and asked my wife to help. As my wife was trying to open the gate, Aunty Z suddenly pulled at and tried to strangled my wife who immediately called upon the name of Jesus. Sensing that something was amiss, I went back to them. I commanded her to go to the dentist. At the dental clinic, Aunty Z’s voice suddenly changed. It was like a little child asking why we had brought her to the dentist. I commanded the spirit to
go away. While waiting for her turn, the front desk told us that the dentist was also a Christian and she could handle the elderly well. The dentist told us that we had brought her in at the right time as there was a serious gum infection and two teeth were extracted. After we sent Aunty Z home, she asked us to go and see her again. During that time, a new social distancing measure was enforced in Singapore; only one person could visit an elderly person. So my wife visited her. Aunty Z happily ate the food that my wife had packed for her. She also enjoyed the fruits and desserts my wife bought for her. More importantly, she professed her belief in Jesus. Over the next few days, we called her on the phone every day. She thanked God and us for looking after her over the past few weeks. She even asked when we will visit her again. But we couldn’t due to the social distancing measures. We told her that her nephew would visit her instead on 24 April. On 23 April, we heard from her nephew that Aunty Z had spoken with his mother and that everything was all right. But when we called her the next day, nobody answered the phone. We thought that the nephew was visiting her that day anyway, so we felt she should be all right. We tried calling the next few days but there was still no answer. On Monday, her nephew called to inform us that he missed the visit on 24 April and wondered why Aunty Z did not answer our calls. He thought she might have admitted herself to the hospital as she had done that before. But this time, it was not the case. When we opened her door, there was a bad stench. And we found her lying face down in the kitchen. According to the coroner, the cause of her death was heart attack. We arranged for the funeral and her family decided to scatter her ashes in the sea after cremation. We thank the Lord that we were able to journey with Aunty Z during the last few months of her life and bring Christ’s saving grace to her. We believe that she has already gone into eternal rest in Christ. This story tells of God’s love, grace, and mercy. God uses every situation. Even though we could not go back to the mission field, God has His higher calling. Glory to God.
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HARVESTFORCE 2020 • 3
LAOS
THANK YOU for the MUSIC! B
Lesley Yeow Principal of Singapore Mission School Laos. She learned something new this year when the school was forced to run classes by Zoom. It was a great experience, but the staff were all very happy to be back in physical school!
Editor’s note: This article was first published in the October 2020 issue of Methodist Message.
eing able to run our summer programme at the Singapore Mission School (SMS) this year was an unexpected blessing. With the hardships of lockdown and having to come back to school for an extended term, there was very little time left in the school year and it was uncertain if anyone at all would turn up. However, a modest number of students came, all determined to have a good time. So naturally, teachers pulled out the stops with an intensive three-week music course, complete with instruments, that aimed to have every participant play at least one song from scratch on one of several instruments: recorder, ukulele and keyboard, and play as a band using handbells, cajons and other percussion instruments. Teachers set the tone right at the start with a hearty rendition of ABBA’s hit “Thank You for the Music” and by demonstrating the songs the 40+ children would learn, including “Home” and “Seek Ye First”. It was not exactly music boot camp, but close! Students were introduced to different genres of music, music from around the world, the mechanics of producing music, and very basic music theory. All this in between practice times. Afternoons were spent practicing individually and putting the pieces together as a band. Those were exuberant times, with many children surprising us with their abilities and enthusiasm. It was also very noisy — in a euphonious kind of way. What made it special were the interviews. Mostly held via Zoom, these sessions gave students the opportunity to ask questions of the “experts”. Musicians in Lao and Singapore contributed to widening our children’s perspective of performing music, and drove home the need for “hours of boring practice”. Members from Lion City Brass Band opened our eyes to the beauty of brass instruments. Khaen player Salathy wowed teachers and students alike with the complexity of this traditional Lao Pan flute. Singer Aluna shared how her parents influenced her love of and taste in music, and pianist Jordana kindly explained the difference between piano and keyboard.
FIELDFEATURE 15
Lynette Seah on Zoom
Zoom interview with Lion City BB Kang Chun Meng (left) and Ignatius Wang
These young ones got into the spirit of the concert when they had to present their tickets to get admitted!
The school celebrates Singapore’s National Day every year, and everyone is invited back that day. The highlight activity this year was a banner expressing solidarity with Singapore amid the challenges of COVID-19. Made up of close to a hundred cards decorated in red and white expressing well wishes for Singapore, the finished banner Singapore.” Through MMS, and despite facing reads: “We Stand with You, Singapore. tough times themselves, Singaporean believers had contributed support for those affected by COVID-19: for school, staff, and community.
Rehearsals
Banner with Ambassador Leow Siu Lin
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HARVESTFORCE 2020 • 3
PRAY
Ukulele practice
• for Laos as many are suffering from the economic downturn due to COVID-19. The families of our students are no exception. We praise God for relief funds received from MMS and other donors, which have helped us keep most of our students. • for more students to enrol with us, especially at K1 level. Our numbers have shrunk this year, and that directly affects our income.
Keyboard practice
• for many in the provinces who suffer from severe deprivation. Pray that hearts may be moved to share even the little they have with one another. • for many in the provinces who suffer from severe deprivation. Pray that hearts may be moved to share even the little they have with one another.
The icing on the cake must have been violinist Lynette Seah’s appearance on our Zoom mini concert. Recalling how she became a musician, Lynette encouraged the children not to give up practicing and learning correctly, saying, “Learning to play a musical instrument is the same as learning any kind of sport. You also have to practice.” She played “Meditation” from Thaïs, her “most heartfelt piece” and explained how it was like a prayer to God. Music programmes should end with performances, but this was not possible in the current situation, so all the items were videoed and put up on the school’s Google Drive for parents to enjoy. Needless to say, the children performed with as much gusto as if they were in front of a live audience. It may not have been excellent, but their satisfaction was obvious. As Lynette said: “I’m very grateful to God for the gift of music in my life.” Indeed, thank you, God, for the music, for giving it to us!
• PRAISE God for the energy and dedication of our staff team in keeping their teaching skills honed, maintaining the school premises and handling the admin and finance despite having to bear with pay cuts and the increased cost of living in the city. Pray for relief and God’s timely provision for all of us.
ABOUT SINGAPORE MISSION SCHOOL Singapore Mission School provides holistic education in English and Lao for the coming generations of Lao people who will possess the right moral, mental and educational upbringing to positively influence their community and country through excellent service in all sectors of society. For more information, contact us or visit www.facebook.com/sms.vientiane
Recorder practice
FIELDFEATURE 17
THAILAND
AN ONLINE MARY JONES story from Thailand Editor’s note: Printed with permission. This article was first published on www. thai.bible/blog/maryjones-story-fromthailand.
T
his is Nattiyan, 10. She lives in northeast Thailand and is in grade 5. Just like the 19th Century Mary Jones in Wales, whose desire for her own Bible sparked the Bible Society movement which has spread to nearly every country on earth, Nattiyan saved her own money to purchase a Bible from Thailand Bible Society. But unlike Mary Jones, she did not have to walk for miles to purchase a copy. With the COVID-19 lockdown in place, that would have been impossible anyway. Instead, with the help of her pastor, she was able to order it online and get it delivered. Nattiyan is a member of Nong Bua Lamphu Methodist Church. The church runs a dormitory to help parents who have no time to look after their children, and the children board at the church. The church provides them with bedrooms, food, and even pocket money. Every night before bedtime, they listen to Bible reading. And in the morning, they have a group devotion before school. The children also learn responsibility by doing chores. In March, Nattiyan told her teacher that she had been saving her pocket money since November because she wanted to buy a Bible. She took out her piggy bank, counted her money and found that she had enough for the small Bible she wanted from Thailand Bible Society. The one her teacher uses was too big for her, she said. She wanted a smaller one to read by herself. She said, “I read the Bible every day but I have never had my own Bible. I want to have my own Bible because the Word of God teaches me to be good and kind to others. Even though there are many difficult words, I still want to read the Bible.” Pastor Winai Koysap from and his wife, Ruangnapa, helped Nattiyan to buy her Bible online from the Bible Society. And she was delighted to unwrap it from its packaging when it arrived. Her joy at receiving and opening her Bible package was captured. Nattiyan says that her favourite Bible verse is John 3:16 because “it helps me to know that God loves everyone and He loves me.”
PRAY • for the health of all the church staff. • for God’s strength and wisdom to evangelise through various church ministries. • for the disciple-making efforts to build up the leaders.
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HARVESTFORCE 2020 • 3
THAILAND
EDUCATION as a MISSIONS ENDEAVOUR “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 (ESV)
J Dr Lionel Lee is a retired SAF Brigadier-General and a former Professor with NTU. He was the Chief of the SAF Medical Corps, the Director of the Defence Medical and Environmental Research Institute, and the Executive Vice Dean of the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine. A member of Charis Methodist Church, he has been involved in the Education and Missions ministries of the Methodist Church in Singapore by serving on the boards of Geylang Methodist School, Vineyard Methodist School, and Little Candles Methodist School.
Editor’s note: This article was first published in the September 2020 issue of Methodist Message.
apanese gardens provide a stunning visual experience. Trees are beautifullyshaped in ways that are very pleasing to the eye. The clever gardener can envision the potential beauty of each young sapling and guide its growth so that eventually each tree will be shaped differently yet equally be pleasing. To achieve this effect, gardeners prune and sculpt the trees during their early growth, and shoots are guided around wires. The twists and turns of the young tree’s stems and branches are supported until the trunk is stronger. In the end, these trees are shaped to their natural inclinations and bents. We could view the nurturing of children in the same way. Wise teachers and parents will teach and guide their children, understanding the latter’s natural inclinations and “bends”. They can recognise and support desirable tendencies whilst smoothing the rough patches and nudging out undesirable attributes. This was the aspiration of the Singapore Methodist Missions when Rev William Oldham set up Singapore’s first Methodist English language school in 1886, giving birth to the educational mission of the Methodist Church in Singapore. Today, we have 14 Methodist schools and these schools have impacted many generations of students and brought many young pupils to Christ. This is also the aspiration of the educational mission of MMS in Chiang Mai. The Bible teaches that every child should be given the chance to start right. We aim for this in our two schools, the Vineyard Methodist School in Sansai district at the outskirts of Chiang Mai and the Little Candles Methodist School in Phrao, a two-hour journey to the north. When Bishop Emeritus Robert Solomon asked me to set up a School Board for Vineyard Methodist School (VMS), I leapt at the chance to do what our Methodist schools in Singapore have achieved, for the education of Thai children. On 28 September 2018, I was appointed to chair the VMS Board and have never looked back. It will always be a privilege to start a young Thai child in the way he or she ought to go. VMS was the brainchild of Mrs Sungwan Yeo, a former MMS missionary who had a passion for the education of young children in Thailand. Together with her husband, Rev Henry Yeo, currently the District Superintendent of the Mettakij Church Association in Thailand, she started a nursery, a kindergarten, a student hostel, and the VMS Primary School. In 2004, the Vineyard Kindergarten was officially dedicated to the glory of God by Bishop Dr Robert Solomon, with the Governor of Chiang Mai, Mr Suwat Tantiphat as the Guest of Honour. In 2011, it expanded into a primary school known as Vineyard School of Chiang Mai. In 2012, the school was renamed Vineyard Methodist School and a new building was officially declared open by the Governor of Chiang Mai, Mr Panadda Disku, and dedicated to the glory of God by Bishop Dr Solomon. VMS has consistently won awards as an outstanding school in the Chiang Mai Province and
FIELDFEATURE 19
Both Schools have Boards of Management which meet a minimum of two times a year.
THE VMS BOARD OF MANAGEMENT
THE LCMS BOARD OF MANAGEMENT
Singapore Members: Dr Angela Goh Col (Ret) Quek Koh Eng Ms Kon Mei Leen Ms Seow Hong Kiang
Singapore Members: Dr Angela Goh Col (Ret) Quek Koh Eng Ms Kon Mei Leen Ms Seow Hong Kiang
Thailand Members: Pastor Pattama Angkoolwatana Pastor Seeda Saenkasa
Thailand Members: Pastor Pattama Angkoolwatana
Chairman: BG (Ret) Dr Lionel Lee
Muangthai Mettakij Foundation Chairman: Mr Suchad Chiaranussati Secretary: Mr Jeremy Choo Ex-Officio: Mrs Yeo Sungwan (School Principal) Mr Henry Yeo Ms Cassandra Lee
Little Candles Methodist School
Chairman: BG (Ret) Dr Lionel Lee
Dek Chalard Foundation Member: Pastor Daniel Loo Muangthai Mettakij Foundation Chairman: Mr Suchad Chiaranussati Secretary: Ms Seow Yen Leng Ex-Officio: Ms Viranpatchara Kannit (Principal LCMS) Ms Jirapom Yodyoi (Vice-Principal LCMS) Mr Jeremy Cho
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HARVESTFORCE 2020 • 3
VMS Board of Management
Vineyard Methodist School
Little Candles Methodist School
is well sought out by parents into which to enrol their kids. More information is available at www.vms.ac.th/ en/home. The VMS will be starting a secondary school and renovations to accommodate the new school will be required. Donations to the VMS building fund are most welcome. Little Candles Methodist School (LCMS) was established in 2012 for the purpose of Christian outreach ministry through education. It stems from a vision to bring the Gospel to the Thai people when Ps Daniel Loo and his wife, Sharon, arrived in Phrao as missionaries in 2008. They had a heart for church
PRAY • for God to bless the school children to be a blessing to the nation. • for the favour of God to come upon the school building projects.
planting but where the local Thais fight shy of joining a church, they readily embrace the idea of Christian education even if it means praying to God, singing praises and studying the Bible. The school has grown, and in 2019, enrolled 165 kindergarten students and 40 nursery students, making it the biggest kindergarten in Phrao (www.thesurinfoundation.com/little-candlesschool). LCMS has provided a platform for effective Christian outreach to the students, staff, parents, and community over the years. This has included Christian teaching to the students through weekly Bible activities, praise and worship during assembly, and prayers before meals. The teachers attend a weekly Bible study class and are required to join LCMC’s church service (conducted on the school premises on Sundays) once a month. The school’s overall success, reflected by its awards and students’ achievements, has made a positive impact on the community. This has enhanced the image of Christianity and the Church in Phrao. LCMS will be starting a primary school which will require a new building on site. Donations to the LCMS Primary Building Fund will be most welcome.
FIELDFEATURE 21
TIMOR-LESTE
One CAN NEVER OUTGIVE our Jehovah Jireh I
David Chan Principal of St Paul Methodist School. He and his wife, Jessie, are missionaries from Aldersgate Methodist Church.
n my pioneering journey at St Paul Methodist School (SPMS), there were many occasions when I experienced God’s blessings upon the school, especially in terms of financial support, to ensure that the children of Timor-Leste can continue to have an education. Due to the COVID-19 situation, Timor-Leste declared a State of Emergency which led to school closure for three months. During that period, I had decided not to collect any school fees from the students so as to ease the financial Grade 8 Science practical class in burden of families that were affected by the loss of small groups in the outdoors income or jobs. However, to honour the contracts we have with the school staff, I also decided to continue to pay them their full salary each month by committing a portion of my monthly support towards their salaries. What was amazing is that the next day after the commitment made, the Lord stirred the heart of a friend in Singapore to donate towards the operation of the school during the COVID-19 period. I told her how timely her donation was in support of the staff salaries. When asked what made her give to SPMS, her response was: “I felt a strong push to do this now even though part of me knows that times are getting hard over the next few years.” What an awesome God we serve!
ABOVE Grade 3 paying attention in class • LEFT Hand washing station (designed & built by David) allowed to enter school ground
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HARVESTFORCE 2020 • 3
Classroom arrangement with desks 1m apart
As Timor-Leste was coming to the end of the state of emergency in end June, the Ministry of Education of Timor-Leste required all schools to put in place the necessary COVID-19 measures before we could re-open the school. The expectations on the schools to implement these new measures will require an addition expenditure of at least $100 per month to purchase cleaning solutions, hand sanitizers, masks, etc. This expenditure was an added burden on our monthly budget as we could hardly make ends meet each month. However, we had no choice but to trust the Lord to provide. Lo and behold, it was then that another friend in Singapore texted me, wanting to donate $500 to support the school reopening after COVID-19 lockdown. Guess what? I had not even told anyone about this new financial need! I broke down and cried because the Lord once again showed me that He is sovereign and faithful. He will meet all our needs according to His riches in heaven as we serve Him faithfully and surrender our all to Him. What a mighty God we serve!
Temperature taking by teacher on duty before students are allowed to enter school ground
ABOUT ST PAUL METHODIST SCHOOL PRAY • that the lives of our students and their families will be transformed. • for the missionaries and staff at SPMS as they minister to the students. • that the official land title for the property will be signed soon so that we can construct the SPMS building.
PE lesson after a long break
St Paul Methodist School provide formal education with Christian morals and principles for children from remote villages. If you sense the Lord is calling you to support the MMS school ministry, please email mms@methodist. org.sg or call 6478-4818 for more information.
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OUR GIFTS FOR MISSIONS
We would like to support MMS so that the Good News of Jesus Christ can be proclaimed to the ethnic Cambodians, Lahus, Laotians, Nepalese, Thais, Timorese and Vietnamese, by giving to:
GIFT DETAILS General Donation (where it is most needed)
$
Crisis Relief Fund (General)
$
Rev Dr Clarence Lim Missionary Development Fund $
Student Sponsorship Scheme (Non-Residential)* General $ @ S$45 per month Cambodia / Laos / Nepal / Thailand / Timor-Leste
Student Sponsorship Scheme (Residential)* General @ S$110 per month
[ [ [ [ [
East Asia
Ministry Support Staff & Ministry Support Community Development
] COSI (Cambodia) ] Sophia’s Home (Nepal) ] Mettakij Hostel (Thailand) ] Term Fun Home (Thailand) ] Sundermeier Home (Timor-Leste)
Cambodia
$ $ $ $ $
Church Planting Ministry Staff & Ministry Support Post COSI Integration Programme Hope House National Pastor Support
$ $ $
Community Development Staff & Ministry Support Sponsorship for Pastor Lay Leader Training at Caleb Bible Institute Education
$ $
Nepal
$
$
Laos
$
Thailand
$
Staff & Ministry Support
Timor-Leste
$ $
Staff & Ministry Support St Paul Methodist School Building Fund
Vietnam
$
V ietnam Children’s Fund
Printing And Postage Cost
$
Harvest Force, PrayerConnect, etc.
Others (please specify):
$
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PDPA MMS is committed to ensuring the security of all personal data she collects. MMS shall use and disclose such data only for her necessary purposes and if so, shall adhere to the guidelines of the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA). All personal data shall be kept strictly confidential at all times. If ever MMS has to disclose any personal data to any third party, she shall do so only with the prior consent of the owner of the personal data. To withdraw or limit consent, please email to mms@methodist.org.sg.
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PERSONAL INFORMATION
OUR GIFTS FOR MISSIONS “I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God which cost me nothing” 2 Samuel 24:24
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BUSINESS REPLY SERVICE PERMIT NO. 08175
MMS Executive Director Methodist Missions Society 70 Barker Road #06-01 The Methodist Centre Singapore 309936
HOMEINON... 25
MMS Family W
e welcome Juliette Arulrajah who re-joined MMS as the Area Director of Laos with effect from 3 August 2020. She is no stranger with many of us because she was with MMS some 15 years ago and she is the MMS Training Committee Chairman since 2014. She is also overseeing MMS special projects. We also welcome Dennis Lee who joined us as the Area Director of East Asia with effect from 1 October 2020 on a part-time contract for service arrangement till end of the year.
Cheryl Chen joins her husband, Rudy Wong, as a missionary in Timor-Leste. She will teach English at St Paul Methodist School and also help upgrade the school teachers with teaching skill sets. At the time of writing, the date of her departure is pending subject to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic situation. We are sad that some staff and missionaries have completed their service with MMS. We thank God for the faithful service of David Khew (30 June), Jacob Cheng (31 July), Suzanna Lee (31 August), GS (10 December), and JZ (31 July).
Dear Lord, we thank You for bringing Juliette and Cheryl into the MMS Family. May they be attentive to Your voice and keep in step with You to serve You and Your people. May Your grace and favour be upon them. We pray for God’s blessings on David, Jacob, Suzanna, GS, and JZ in their new endeavours. Amen.
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HARVESTFORCE 2020 • 3
WHAT IF... (Rethinking missions in W
hen we think of Missions, it is usually one of these scenarios:
A) Persons or teams going to a foreign country and staying there for several years to reach out to the people via education, social enterprises, etc. The country may be “adopted” and resources (prayer, funds, personnel, and equipment) will be sent there to build up the ministry. A church or a school may be established there after a while.
Rev Dr Lorna Khoo Pastor at Holland Village Methodist Church (HVMC). A Methodist pastor for 41 years, she has been and is involved in missions to TimorLeste since the early 2000s: first at Living Hope Methodist Church, then at Aldersgate Methodist Church, now at HVMC. She is also involved in missions in Japan at HVMC.
B) Teams might be sent there for short term exposure experwiences. They may help physically to construct toilets, to do teaching, to do a programme for the children or congregation. The people who usually go on such trips would be teens and youth, and adults of various ages. We ask… 1. WHO ARE THE PEOPLE MOBILISED FOR MISSIONS? Usually they are the older children, the able bodied adults, those who can set aside a block of time for travel, and those who can afford the trip or whose churches can afford to sponsor them for the trip. But what about younger children, busy adults, handicapped, bedridden and mobility challenged adults, and retirees who have limited income? Yes, they can be prayer warriors. But can they not be mobilised for frontline missions? 2. COST OF MISSION TRIPS Mission trips to nearby third world countries are usually fairly economical. These places are ‘easier to reach’ with speedier results. They are favoured by most churches. But recent mission studies have indicated the urgent needs for outreach to ‘hard ground’ – these are places where much will be sown with very slow and little results. These are places where longer trips are required and expenses are higher as some are in ‘the first world’. How can these places be reached? Does it mean that only rich congregations can do the work? Even then, sending children, youth, and retirees to this mission field would be rather challenging. Some people have wondered if the money spent on mission and mission exposure trips – even to nearby third world countries - might be better utilised by the locals in their own ministries. Locals are more experienced in building houses or toilets than our urbanites. Time would be saved for missionaries if they do not need to play travel guides and hosts to teams upon teams of neophytes (or some ‘spiritual tourists’). With COVID-19 changing the landscape of the travel industry and highlighting the health threats in different countries, perhaps it is time for us to re-think how we do mission- mission trips and mission exposure trips? 3. THE NEW NORMAL Some people are waiting for the COVID-19 situation to be contained and to “get back to normal life.” Hello! The world has changed since COVID-19 emerged. We are facing a serious recession. Money will be scarce. There will be travel restrictions. And in case we have forgotten - the largest growing group of people in Singapore are not the youth (as in the 70s to 90s), it is instead the silver generation! Unlike the previous cohort of seniors, these have more education, more resources, and more networking capabilities. They are the untapped potential treasure trove.
INOTHERWORDS
27
a digital age) THE QUESTION: How then do we re-envision doing missions for the postCOVID-19 scenario?
We need a team to help think through this sector.
4. THE GIFT: DIGITAL MISSIONS If the COVID-19 Circuit Breaker taught us anything, it is that there is a digital world and that world is here to stay. This might not be something new to the younger generation of digital natives but it is something that the older ones have been dragged into to discover. Like it or not, they have had to have cell meetings, Bible studies, and office meetings on Zoom, Google Hangout, Microsoft Teams, etc. Pastors have to become tech- savvy to some degree as sermons and training sessions have to be pre-recorded in their homes for on-line services. While in the past, older people have dismissed the digital world as ‘virtual’ and ‘for only the young’, now we know it is the new reality. True relationships and deep communications can take place online. With this new insight- let’s rethink the need for our frequent mission trips/mission exposure trips….
It would be good if those engaged in missions digitally can go to the country at least once in their lifetime or if they have the means, within the first 24 months of their involvement. This will provide the physical encounters that digital interactions do lack. They can make a second trip after many years of digital missions.
THE PLUSES: A) More people can be involved. As long as they have a phone, computer or laptop, and Wi-Fi, they can be engaged in missions. B) Children, the handicapped, the mobility challenged, the bed ridden, those in homes for the aged, and the retirees can all be mobilised. C) Less money needs to be pumped in to support their travel. More can be given to the people in the field for the local work there. THE CONCERNS: A) It requires training and equipment. Our young digital natives can help. Webinars might pose high learning curves for newbies. Training one-to-one with teamviewers would be very helpful. Churches can recruit and equip the younger ones to train the children and the older people on how to do the work. B) It requires security. There should be a way of monitoring what digital missionaries (this new group of local church mission supporters) say and do. C) Every individual request for money and resources from the field needs to be carefully filtered through leadership lest we end up as fairy godfathers or godmothers raising local ‘rice Christians’ in the long run. D) Young digital missionaries from Singapore should not be introducing spiritually or morally questionable world wide web sites to children and youth in the mission fields.
Does it mean no mission trips at all? No.
THE WAY FORWARD Here are two small examples of digital mission possibilities: A) We know that CRU Malaysia has done digital missions. The person doing it is actually the daughter of a Methodist pastor in Malaysia! Years ago, when letters were the main way of communicating with people – training sessions, friendships (remember pen pals?), and even spiritual direction were done that way. Digital missions by CRU is simply friendship evangelism across countries through English lessons. B) DIGITAL 360 founder SC Lim told me this: “X group of people want to learn English. They go to Western countries to learn. When they return home, their written English is good but they can’t speak English for lack of practice. What if there can be English mentors who are willing to meet them once a week for a verbal conversations or even Bible Study lessons? This can be digital missions.”
I would like to meet people interested in exploring the above concerns to form teams for equipping the churches in digital missions. Please email me at lorna@hvmc.sg before 15 December 2020 with your name, church, handphone, and area where you think you can help.
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HARVESTFORCE 2020 • 3
Seeking NEW RESOURCES in post-pandemic missions “I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” Acts 20:33-35 (ESV)
Rev Dr Chong Chin Chung
新加坡卫理公会 会督 Bishop of The Methodist Church in Singapore. He loves local delights like char kuey teow, chai tow kway, prawn mee soup, gado gado, lontong, nasi lemak, etc.
Editor’s note: This is Bishop Dr Chong’s last article. Our Bishop-elect, Rev Dr Gordon Wong, will be writing for the next issue onwards.
M
issions needs resources including money, materials, talents (involving the missionaries, personnel, and professionals at both the frontline and backend). The circumstances of the mission fields and the sending countries are bound to change over time - slowly over a century or more quickly within decades. No one could have foreseen that the COVID-19 outbreak would become a pandemic in 2020, having a global impact in such an unprecedented way. The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed life in every sphere and at all levels, in particular with the implementation of lockdowns. Slowly, people began to adapt to staying home. Employers and employees became familiar and comfortable with the idea of the “home office”. As such, companies no longer fretted over providing suitable work spaces, thus cutting back on office floor area, and saving on furniture and other office paraphernalia which relieved some of the pressure of ever-increasing rents and business costs. Workers are also happy with the workfrom-home arrangements as this saves them travelling time, transport costs, from dressing up, and the costs of meals outside home. Working from home allows one to be with family, and to be more casual and relaxed. Most importantly, much of what used to require our physical presence such as training and meetings can now be done online. These practices will continue as the new normal after the COVID-19 pandemic is over. In fact, this will surely have a huge impact on our future missions strategy in ways we may not even fully understand yet. During the pandemic, MMS requested all our missionaries to return home from the mission fields. It was an unexpected but absolutely crucial policy. The reasons are firstly, the ability of some countries to control the pandemic has been inadequate. Medicines and medical supplies were in short supply. The chances of infection were very high and missionaries and their families were in danger of being infected. Secondly, the cost for prevention and treatment was prohibitive. Most countries placed a priority on taking care of their own citizens while non-citizens are responsible for their own treatment costs without any forms of subsidy. Under such situations, even insurers may decline to accept premiums as they do not want to provide coverage. Thirdly and importantly, during the Circuit Breaker and lockdowns, the various governments stipulated that no activities, fellowship, or worship services would be allowed. The missionaries had to choose between staying indoors wand going back to their home countries. Many mission fields were without their foreign missionaries during this period.
寻找新常态 新常态 的宣教资源 宣教资源 As a result, MMS Home Office and the missionaries maintained the long-distance connections with their mission fields through video conferencing. All activities were adapted to the use of smartphones or laptops with communications technology for online meetings and pre-recorded videos for teaching, preaching, and training. Visitations and catching up were also done online. We can thus envisage that in future, the missionary need not be at the mission field for the whole time in order to carry out certain activities. Those who provide training and instruction, evangelistic speakers, and preachers can in fact be in their own country and deploy video conferencing for exchanges and to connect with those in the mission fields. Unless there are other pressing reasons, some short term mission teams can consider connecting with new mission fields remotely instead of just going physically to the established ones. Such methods are not restricted by time and space, so there is no concern over visa restrictions. Of course, the results of reaching out at a distance are sometimes not as effective as when one is personally present on site. But we must seriously consider what to change in and how to change our future missions strategies. To sum up, we affirm that missions involves the co-existence of the missionary and the missions entity. A life-influencing life has to be done in real life; not by means of virtual images. But we must accept that the new normal will displace many of our traditional work and methods in the mission field. We will not be able to just pick up the old ways after the pandemic. Instead, we must begin immediately to find new resources and reassess what is needed for effective electronic communications in the mission field. Conduct a fresh estimation of future missions expenses, and then approach the churches that are willing to support the missionaries and the missions work. I call upon the experts in these different fields, who are in our churches, to voluntarily come forward to help to bring the much-needed resources to the mission fields.
我未曾贪图一个人的金、银、衣服。我这两只手常 供给我和同人的需用，这是你们自己知道的。我 凡事给你们作榜样，叫你们知道应当这样劳苦， 扶助软弱的人，又当记念主耶稣的话，说： 「施比受更为有福。」 (使徒行传20:33-35） 宣教需要资源，当中包括金钱、物资、人才（这包括宣教士及支持宣教士的 前线和后方的各领域人手和专才）。宣教区的情况以及差遣国的情况不会是 一成不变，不是几十年，就是百年会出现改变。谁也想不到2019年冠状病毒 传染病在今年初爆发后，竟然改变和影响今天的世界，而且是史无前例的大 改变。 冠状病毒真的改变了各层面的生活。阻断措施实施后，人们似乎渐渐习 惯了居家不外出的生活方式，公司的雇主和员工也从“居家办公”得到许多启 发。员工不需要定点办公，公司无须为办公空间不足伤脑筋，减少扩充空间 和添购器材用品的开支、舒缓租金只升没降的成本压力等。员工也对居家办 公的安排乐见其成，省却了舟车往返的时间、车费，服装费、餐饮费等。在家 工作能看见家人，而且行动又比在办公室随意和自由。更重要的是许多需要 实体出席的培训、呈现和会议都可通过视频和线上进行。这些是疫情过后 未来会继续保持的新常态。新常态对未来的宣教策略有着很大甚至未能意 料的影响和冲击。 疫情爆发后，卫宣在评估病毒迅速传播全球的危险性后，要求所有宣教 士从宣教区撤离回国，这是意想不到而且是强制性的政策。原因是：第一， 国外的疫情管控能力强弱不一，医药物资不足，染病的可能性极高，对宣教 士和家人存在生命的危险；第二，防范和医治病患的医药费昂贵，各国的福 利和津贴只限于照顾国人，非公民都不能享有当地政府的医疗津贴，保险公 司在全球性大传染病爆发下不一定会赔偿治疗费用。第三，最重要的是在疫 情阻断措施实施期间，政府下达的法令不允许人际活动，更遑论宣教聚会和 崇拜，宣教士只能留守在家或撤离回国。这时期，许多宣教区的国外宣教士 不得不离开岗位！ 在这种处境下，卫宣和宣教士并宣教区都必须通过远程视讯保持联系， 因此整个宣教活动转成用智能手机或电脑屏幕，在线上和视频沟通交往：线 上开会、视频教导、讲道、培训、探访、对话等。这就衍生了未来的宣教活动 模式，宣教士不一定完全需要留守在宣教区里，许多提供宣教区的培训、教 导和传福音的导师，其实在本国就可以通过视频和宣教区交流互动。短宣队 若非必要也不必频密前往同一个宣教区。当然，效果肯定没有实体现身在场 来得好。不过，我们必须认真考虑未来宣教策略的改变，这种方法不受时空 的限制，也不用面对进出境签证的难题。 总的来说，我们可以肯定宣教必须是宣教士与宣教群体实体的共同生 活，生命影响生命是无法用虚拟影像替代的。但是，我们必须接受新常态下 的宣教模式将取代我们过去在宣教区的某些传统宣教方式。我们不可能在 疫情过后仍一成不变！其实我们必须立马行动，寻找新的资源和重新评估在 宣教区的各种必要电讯视频的装备，检讨我们未来的宣教经费，以便向支持 宣教士、宣教事工的教会问责。我呼吁教会里不同领域的专才能自动请缨协 助我们。
HARVESTFORCE 2020 • 3
