February 2012 ‘To know Christ and to make Him known and to help others do the same’
RESUMPTION OF AODO 2012 We thank the Lord for the more than 70 who have been meeting faithfully since the beginning of 2011 in their respective AODO (Adventure of Discipling Others) groups and their progress in reaching out and helping others grow. We resume our AODO studies this year with the regulars gathering at the Nav HQ on the first Saturday of each month. We are trusting God for more of such groups to take place this year. We welcome any alumnus to join us every first Sat of the month from 4-6pm if you share the same passion spelt out in our Navigator motto ‘To know Christ and to make Him known’ and want to help others do the same. NGEE ANN POLY ALUMNI TH GATHERING JAN 15 2012 More than 20 NP Alumni gathered just prior to Chinese New Year on Jan 15th (Sat) at a clubhouse. Many had earlier attended the Nov 2010 Alumni Lunch at the Hilton and were prompted to hold their own alumni gathering with the purpose of spurring one another in their walk and labor for the Lord. This is the second gathering for this group of NP alumni. Besides the good food, there was a lively time of worship followed by updates and sharing from various ones. NP alumnus Chua Teck Chuan, in particular,
Heartfelt sharing by Teck Chuan encouraged us with personal lessons that the Lord had taught him when he lost his job for 14 months. Now, in spite of his heavy travelling schedule due to work commitment, and raising 3 teenage children, he, together with his wife Sylvia took up the call to lead a young adult discipleship group in their church. At the same time, both of them serve as link persons to this particular generation of younger NP alumni, many of whom were their personal babes in Christ. It is no wonder that they were looked up to as their ‘lao-da’ ( elders ).
Sylvia’s winsome ways
Navigator staff Robert Goh who had been the Ministry Leader for NP Navs in the 80s & 90s, and his wife Phek Tin, shared of their outreach to a friend who came to know the Lord recently after decades of sharing and praying for him. Two other NP alumni groups also met in Robert Goh’s home over the Chinese New Year. It is interesting to note that all these three groups mentioned here represent three generations of NP alumni who were followed up and trained by these two couples who, even in their fifties and seventies, are still going strong in their labor for the Lord. Their example was a strong challenge to the NP gang to press on laboring. We are praying that the NP alumni will start their own AODO group in the near future.
MILITARY NAV ALUMNI TH GATHERING JAN 24 2012 4 MID couples together with another 4 MID ladies met at our home for our annual CNY celebrations. We are thankful for the longstanding friendship and partnership in the ministry since the early 80s. We had seen each other through the ups and downs of our lives. We did our traditional Lo-Hei for the Lord’s abundant blessings in our lives.
Lo-hei for the early birds
Robert Goh & Phek Tin with the NP gang in 2011
2009 CNY get-together
We have much to celebrate with the stories of our military alumni. Various ones have begun to be conscious of the open opportunities to share the Gospel and build into the lives of others. Whether it be a simple 10 minutes personal testimony that led to a former BB contact praying the sinner’s prayer in a ‘chance’ meeting, studying the Bible with colleagues who are interested to find out more and seeing them coming to Christ, or a living situation with a flat mate who asked for help in QT and subsequently follow up, they are all there for the harvest. We are excited to see each of these alumni becoming more intentional and focused in ministry.
SINGAPORE POLY NAV ALUMNI GATHERING FEB 4TH 2012
generations after generations of effective laborers. And those whom he trained are still laboring in their respective churches. “It was through Bible study and personal time with my leader that I am convicted that my purpose in life is to make disciples. That was the model that I received and I know I will pass it on”
At the Sapuan’s residence Another group of 7 SP couples met at Matthias Sapuan’s house for Chinese New Year gathering on Saturday Feb 4th. This is a group where the children are very young and the couples are juggling careers and family. In particular, they took the opportunity in celebrating Teck’s birthday to gravitate this group to gather. Matt had taken on a heavier responsibility at his workplace. When he heard the sharing on the mission of chasing the Alumni to resume laboring from 100 to 10,000 (Lev 26:8) based on the encouragement of 2 Ki 3:18 (easy thing in the eyes of the Lord to fill the ditches with water in the desert), he replied, “It is very possible!” He claimed the same promise for his job and for the first time the company made a profit when he was given that assignment and had been doing so, 4 months in a row ever since we started meeting one on one. SINGAPORE POLY NAV LEGACY LIVES ON Like Matthias and his gang, Patrick Tan was one of those from the rich legacy of the SP Navigators who produced
With wife Julia, TNT alumna Patrick Tan quoted from John C. Maxwell “there are 2 great days in a person’s life, one – the day they were born and second, the day they discovered why”. He proceeded to ask those present, “Have you discovered your purpose in life?” “ I have, 33 years ago with the Poly Navigators. My first great day was being born into a Christian home 50 years ago; the second day was finding Christ in SP Navigators at the age of 17.” Patrick reconnected with the Navigators when his older boy entered SP for his studies. He desired his son to receive the same kind of spiritual help that he received. When he found out that the laborers were short handed, he wanted to jump in to help. Patrick is part of a SP alumni group together with Alumni team member Alex Lo. He also facilitates ‘Growing Kids God’s way’ as a
discipleship ministry to pass on the Word of God to young parents. CHINESE NEW YEAR REUNION OF OUR OVERSEAS STAFF JAN 25TH 2012 We relished the time on the third day of CNY to hear our overseas missionaries share of their time in the respective countries.
their seats on a Sat afternoon for four hours from 2-6pm when Rev Edmund Chan availed himself to be interviewed by Doug Erdmann, our National Director and San Wee, Member of our Alumni Ministry Team. The audience was kept small using the Nav HQ so as to allow for an intimate setting for the interview. Edmund opened his heart like he never did before and gave strong overtures and affirmation of the discipling he received from Doug Sparks and Jim Chew.
Lo-Hei at our Navigator HQ The Lord had brought in Nav alumni who have a heart for missions and in spite of their age, stepped out of their comfort zone and planted themselves in another land. Chinese SP alumna LBE took a golden handshake from her job and joined the gang in East Asia the last few years. We have a new inclusion - SP alumna CLL who came on board not too long ago and it was refreshing to hear her share of her fruitful time in East Asia. To-date, we know of one who is praying towards this. Contact us at missions@navigators.org.sg if you are exploring Missions as a second career
Four hours of intensive listening At this stage of his life when he has handed over the role of Senior Pastor of Covenant EFC of both Bukit Panjang and Woodlands to Tan Key Kiong and Tony Yeo, he is at the prime of his life to deal with these concerns. A brief glimpse of this event will be featured in the next NavNews and a gift DVD of this interview will be released in conjunction with our 50th Navigators anniversary celebrations.
A CONVERSATION WITH EDMUND CHAN ON DISCIPLSHIP & LEADERSHIP FEB 11TH 2012 More than 120 Navigator alumni and friends were kept glued attentively to
Rev Edmund in his element
20s-30s MINISTRY LAUNCH MAR 3RD SAT 2012
generations once again in spite of their age and circumstances.
Why would a TNT alumnus in his late forties eye a ministry with the 20s/30s age group? Low Sau Bing gave three reasons for his involvement – “My earlier mentors had invested their lives to show me the 3Es before I entered the 20/30 phase, and I went through seeing how 3Es can take off strong and yet fade off when family and career challenges came when I was in my 30s. And finally, it’s just plain obedience to use what God had taught and equipped me to now invest back into the lives of one or two willing and likeminded young adults.” Sau Bing is part of a new ministry of 20s/30s led by Robert Yeun. A kick off rally at the Nav HQ will be held on Mar 3rd (Sat) from 3-5pm. This is targeted at working adults who are in the age group between 20s – 30s with the focus on discipling and laboring. NAVIGATORS, SINGAPORE 50TH ANNIVERSARY 2012 AUG 18TH SAT As the Navigators celebrate its 50th anniversary this year, we look to the Lord for more alumni like the Sau Bing, Patrick, Matthias, Teck Chuan who had received this legacy of disciple-making to be willing to respond in faith and trust God to do it again - to pass on this vision in their life time to the succeeding
The Navigators will celebrate its 50th anniversary on Aug 18th Sat with a dinner at Orchid Country Club with 1000 friends and wellwishers. Former National Directors Dave Dawson from the States and Jim Chew from New Zealand will be attending together with their wives Mary and Selene respectively. Registration for the dinner is now open for our alumni at $600 per table or $60 per head. Celebration events during this jubilee year include a TMS Challenge, NavMemories Photo Contest, a commemorative T-shirt and book. Of special note is the “Claiming the Promise” Prayer Walk on July 14th (Sat) across the length of Singapore, completing the promise (Genesis 13:17) claimed by Roy Robertson for the Singapore Navigators in 1962. For more details, visit our Navigator website. Keep the date with us as we celebrate 50 years of God’s faithfulness to The Navigators, Singapore. Yap Kim Meng Alumni Team Leader