Harvest Force 2019 issue 1

SOMETHING NEW: Some Preliminary Thoughts and Focus for 2019-21

by Rev Derrick Lau, MMS Exeuctive Director

Warmest greeting in the name of the Incarnate One, the “Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

Let’s pray that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Incarnate One will reign in our lives and that His glory be seen everywhere. John Wesley declared, “You have one business on earth – to save souls.” And he remarked, “Untold millions are still untold.” Currently, millions still have no access to the Gospel! Let’s put our hearts, minds, and hands together to proclaim Christ as the Incarnate One!

Personally, I have been privileged to serve in the ministry of reaching out to the community and nations with the love of Christ, and equipping disciples who will in turn reach the lost. As I enter into my 35th year of the pastoral ministry, I shall continue to count on God’s grace and the support of God’s people to navigate through the waters of the various gateways that MMS has developed through these years. I wish to express my appreciation to the Bishop, TRAC President, and the MMS EXCO for their prayers and support for my new role at MMS. I look forward, by the grace of God, and, working in close collaboration with the Home Office staff, MMS EXCO, and the missionaries and their sending churches, to a fruitful and rewarding season of fulfilling our Father’s agenda i.e. to proclaim the love of God to the ends of the earth!

Sensing the Lord’s heartbeat for the New Year?

First and foremost, I have been sensing God’s call to sharpen and strengthen the primary ministry of PRAYER for MMS. Praise God for the prayer network that already exists. My predecessors have established a ministry where more than 2,000 Methodists and friends receive our PrayerConnect three times a year. This particular newsletter outlines the key concerns and needs of our mission. Our prayer intercessors form the spiritual anchor (i.e. a reliable or principal support; something that serves to hold an object firmly, according to Merriam-Webster) that strengthens the ongoing ministry of all the entities in the seven countries that we serve. It underscores the indispensable spiritual weapon of prayer within the context of an intensifying warfare that is prevalent in our fields. I sincerely believe that through prayer, God will further sanctify the mission of MMS and enable her to serve His agenda. Hence, I commend and encourage your continued support as well as an expansion of this prayer network to undergird the mission of MMS this year and in the years to come!

Let me share some preliminary thoughts concerning my personal sense of the Lord’s prompting for MMS in this New Year. As the Lord leads, I shall share more on these developments with you:

'S'ubmitting to the Holy Spirit’s direction in terms of our missions focus and direction via prayer, contemplation, and seeking the heart of God both personally and collectively. Currently, the Home Office team gathers weekly for prayers. We are in the process of developing a MMS intercessory ministry to further sharpen and deepen our prayer network to continually discern the Lord’s direction for MMS.

'E'ngaging the MMS team, missionaries and our Methodist churches at a deeper level through various conversational platforms culminating into collaborative synergies that will prayerfully and hopefully result in greater, deeper and further reach in our region and beyond!

'R'eviewing strategies, policies, and processes to ensure that there is a robust framework in terms of corporate governance, good practices, and smooth operational processes coupled with a spirit of flexibility in responding promptly and creatively to the changing landscape of our mission today. What are the areas that MMS is doing well and where are the gaps that need to be addressed? What are the resources that are required to move MMS into the cutting edge of missions today?

'V'enturing into unchartered waters and sacred spaces where God’s love, justice, and mercy be shared and lives of the people be transformed for His glory! Let’s boldly and courageously plant some footprints in communities and places whenever the Lord opens the doors for our participation. In these matters, let faith arise!

'E'nlarging the tent of God so much so that the incarnational love of Christ might reach deeper and broader to the lost, least, and the last in the seven countries and beyond! We ought not to be overwhelmed by the magnitude of what we are already committed to, but be alert to the new opportunities to extend our reach. We are reminded that the field is indeed ripe for harvest! And “Untold millions are still untold!”

For the New Year, let’s gear up to 'S.E.R.V.E.' the Missio Dei (Mission of God).

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