NavNews October 2015

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Doug Erdmann National Director The Passing Game. Shown on the cover of this edition of NavNews, it is just one of the many activities at our “Navigator Sports Day.â€? Every year we bring together some of the students we help, and those staff and volunteers who are doing the helping, for a day of soccer, Captain’s Ball, relay races and other competitive events. This year, 280 came from 5 universities, 3 polytechnics and our teen ministry‌ a hundred more than last year! (You’ll see the group on the right) Why do this? For fun, but also to help the students see that what God is doing in Singapore is bigger than what is happening on their own campuses and schools. What is God doing in Singapore? Actually, another type of passing game. This one involves bringing the Good News to people, and then giving them the motivation and skill to pass it on to others. When Jesus told the original disciples to “make disciples of all nations,â€? He didn’t imagine that they would do it all by themselves! No, the only way the job could be accomplished was if those original disciples passed on what they knew to others, who would then pass on what they knew to others, who would then ‌ Well, I think you’ve got it! In this issue, you’ll enjoy reading the stories of some of our Navigators who are committed to this all important passing game.

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Kian Fong replied, “We benefited much from our Nav leaders who nurtured and trained us to grow in the Lord so that we are able to help others. There is always a need for workers in the harvest field, so we continue to labour regardless where God places us. It so happens that for us, the missions field is NTU.� The couple observes that it seems tough nowadays for those just starting work to want to do the same. “There are too many distractions and priorities in our lives that sometimes God’s interests are not placed first. In the book of Haggai, God’s words came through the prophet Haggai to the remnant of Israel: ‘Give careful thought to your ways.’ The people of God were busy with their own house but God’s house remained a ruin.�

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Kian Fong added, “The lives of many who do not know God are in ruins and we need to work to bring the message to them. God’s work should be our priority. We hope that God will stir up the spirit of individuals and raise up more spiritual generations to work on the house of the Lord and advance God’s Kingdom.�

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“We feel that God groomed and trained us to impart our skills and knowledge to Christians as well as the corporate secular world, and what better place to do that than with The Navigators who helped us establish our walks with God as teenagers. Honestly, we want to serve and use what God has established in us, and bless others as He leads. I Peter 4:10-11 says ‘As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.’ To illustrate this, allow me to share the testimony of one of my course participants which helped me realize

that even in a corporate setting, God is in charge and God is using us. Hi Leslie, I’ve been through some turmoil lately. Illnesses started to occur and I felt really weak, both emotionally, spiritually and physically. When I walked into the room and saw you in that chilli red jacket, I had a feeling that something was going to happen. I felt so good at the end of the day. God used you and my gloominess vanished. Terrie Kong

God used me (I was unaware) to help this participant re-start her walk with Him. We can be labourers for God’s Kingdom wherever He places us when He is placed at the centre of our lives.�

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“I recently bumped into a friend from my days in the Air Force. He had helped me get into my second career as a fitness instructor. While catching up with each other, the opportunity presented itself for me to share the gospel. I took out my handphone where I had the Bridge Illustration in photos and, flipping through them, shared the Gospel with this friend. Praise be to God that he accepted Christ and now I meet him regularly at the airport to help him grow as a Christian.

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You know, I am quiet by nature. When I was in the Air Force, I didn’t subscribe to certain norms like the beer-drinking culture. But I believe the way I chose to live out my Christian convictions at work was a testimony to Jesus Christ’s work in me, and my colleagues could see that clearly. Some accepted Christ because they observed my life and found something different. I would say to young believers who have their lives ahead of them: have

the conviction to set apart time for God and His Word. Be committed to growing in Christ. Help lead others to Christ because when you don’t do that, your own faith and convictions will cool. At my age, I have recently started to meet fornightly on Monday mornings with a group of likeminded men in Clementi. We share what God is teaching us in our Quiet Times with Him and it is an encouragement and blessing to me.�

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NN: Give us the pulse on reaching out to and discipling teenagers today. KS: Youths today have access to information beyond their age and many are struggling with the ambivalence of that knowledge. This generation asks a lot more “whys�, is not readily accepting of answers and is cautious of commitment. We need therefore to make greater effort to help what is “in the head� go down “into the heart�. They need to experience early the reality of God’s love and the adventure of committing to God’s Word and work. In little ways, we let them learn commitment in serving God so that they see themselves as labourers in God’s harvest as they grow. NN: You are Vice-Principal of a secondary school, and have a family with 4 young children. Why full-time now? KS: God has blessed me with opportunities to make a difference in young lives and with promotions. Yet the higher I moved up the ranks, the more I found myself in a less favourable position to do ministry. I realised that when God was leading me upward in my career, He was actually leading me outward to serve Him in full-time ministry. I am personally convicted that Christ has commissioned all believers to go and make disciples. For me, I go to teenagers. They are our future leaders and Christ’s ambassadors for future generations. NN: You have spent more than 20 years labouring with TNT. Share with us some highlights.

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KS: My first Bible-Study leader was Richard Lian who was a teacher, Boys’ Brigade Officer and labourer with TNT. He spent a lot of time with us. Along the way, I followed his example of discipling men, as he had followed his own Bible-Study leader. In fact, we were all just following what Jesus did with His disciples. I pray and work to “replace myself.� It is my greatest joy to see one of my students, Chloe Cai, become a Nav staff; and one of my BS guys, David Seetoh, become a faithful labourer with TNT.

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“Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.� — Psalm 2:8 “In April, three of us who are fourthyear medical students visited a Korean Navigators ministry while on our overseas elective posting. We saw how powerfully God had worked through the life of a Dr Lim Byung Sung, and through other personnel in the medical field, in spite of the intensity of the medical course. Significantly, we saw the irrefutable role of prayer in the success of their ministry. We were told that without prayer, nothing could or would be done. Once home, under the guidance of our ministry leaders, we decided to pray weekly for our faculty. These ‘medicine

prayers’ would start with Isaiah 49:5-6 which we claim as God’s promise for the NUS Navigators ministry. We would then go on to pray for medical students with NUS Navs. Then we prayed through the name list of our entire cohort of undergrads. We also prayed for the 7 restructured hospitals – for the students posted there, the doctors, the healthcare staff and the patients, and ended off with a prayer walk around our faculty. Five weeks into it, and we have seen how God has been absolutely faithful! God blessed us with one student after another. During Freshmen Outreach, the Lord led people in our ministry to meet various medical freshmen. One female medical student began to join

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www.navigators.org.sg The calling of The Navigators is to advance the gospel of Jesus and his kingdom into the nations through spiritual generations of labourers living and discipling among the lost. Views expressed in published articles are those of the individual writers and may not necessarily be the views of The Navigators Singapore. THE NAVIGATORS SINGAPORE Ĺ? National Director: K. Douglas Erdmann Ĺ? Editor/writer: Patricia Lian Ĺ? Design & Layout: Loo Jia Yu 117 Lorong K, Telok Kurau, Singapore 425758 Ĺ? Tel: (65) 6344 4133 Ĺ? Fax: (65) 6344 0975 Ĺ? E-mail: admin@navigators.org.sg Ĺ? www.facebook.com/singaporenavigators Printed by Seng Lee Press Pte Ltd

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