A newsletter o f T h e N a viga to rs S inga pore M C I ( P ) 086/04/2015
MARCH 2016
Daniel (centre left) and Jensen (centre right) teaching college freshmen how to spend Quiet Time daily with God. Freetown, Sierra Leone
MISSIONS TRIP TO SIERRA LEONE
The people of Sierra Leone have lived through a decadelong civil war, widespread poverty and most recently, an outbreak of the dreaded Ebola virus. When the opportunity arose for the Singapore Navigators to send a short-term missions team there, we decided to send two of our hardiest guys: Daniel Lim and Jensen Chiang , who trained in the Naval Diver & Commando units respectively. They are key leaders with the Temasek and Ngee Ann Polytechnic Navigators, both with a great heart for discipleship and missions. They spent close to 3 weeks in the capital Freetown, helping “tentmakers” (i.e., missionaries with jobs) who work with campus students and needy communities.
TOP: Daniel cooking binch, a local dish, with his new friends. NEXT PAGE: Jensen explaining God’s plan for redemption to a freshman from University Campus.
Daniel gave a glimpse into the ministry as he described a typical day: “Jensen and I stayed with a group of tentmakers within a single compound. With us were 15 local people involved with the ministry. We woke at dawn for Quiet Time and prayer. After that, it was Servanthood in practice as everyone served each other by cleaning up the house. Apparently, things were very different previously — there was an instance when a plate of food was passed around at the dining table; before it got through the middle, the food was all taken. Since
then, they have learnt to put others before themselves and to serve as Christ served. We headed to the campus where we met up with Andrew, a freshman, for a time of sharing about what we learnt from our Quiet Time that morning. Campus evangelism was next. Sierra Leone is one of the world’s most religiously tolerant country (80% Muslim, 20% Christian). We met two Muslim students, James & Dauda. James considered himself a rare Muslim who believes that Jesus is the Son of
God, but he also followed the practices of Islam. Dauda on the other hand, was a staunch Muslim. We had a great conversation with them and exchanged phone numbers. Lunch was spent learning from the tentmakers who shared about the challenges and joys of service in the face of vast differences in culture, environment and standards of living. They fell sick frequently in the initial months, were pickpocketed, encountered house breaking, were stopped frequently and delayed by authorities for not giving bribes. Over the years, they had frequently seen believers in whom they had invested their lives leave the ministry because of false doctrines, worldly ambitions and sin. Through their perseverance and steadfast trust in Him, God brought a
few faithful men who were humble to learn in the past 3 years and they are now growing strong in the Lord. In the afternoon, we prepared for our weekly Friday biblestudy. All the classrooms were void of lights and fans. Together with the ministry helpers and the tentmakers, we swept the classroom and wiped all the benches. Approximately, 30 people were present and we studied John 1 in several groups. Then we headed back to prepare dinner. On the other afternoons without bible-study, we met with people in the ministry to encourage them from the Bible according to their needs.”
Jensen reflected on some key lessons: “As I looked at the lives of the tentmakers, I could not help but see that they had surrendered their way of life, their comfort zones, their culture, their prospering ministries back at home, and their finances for the kingdom of God. The tentmakers chose to live together with the locals so that they could constantly model Christian living, a necessity for effective discipleship. In one instance, a fellow who had been staying with them for a while confessed that though he lived in the apartment, he regularly went out at night and indulged in sexual sins. This came as a shock to the tentmakers because he had appeared to be spiritually growing and mature. After probing, they realised that it was not just him, but others as well - this was the culture of the people here. They had to love and accept these people in order to disciple them effectively. They continued to live with them, and train them.
makes me ask if I would do the same. Interestingly, I did not see that the tentmakers have lost out in any way. In fact, what they have lost materially or in the eyes of the world, they have gained in Christ.
During the Ebola outbreak, the tentmakers were evacuated. Out of concern, though, for the people they had trained so far, they entrusted their apartment, all the possessions in the house, and also their vehicle to the care of the local believers. They gave these things to the locals for 7 months so that they could continue to have a place to fellowship and grow together.
Paul summed it up well in Phil 3:7-11, ‘But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more I compare everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ and be found in Him...’
The tentmakers’ continual surrender of their preferences and expectations to love the people as Jesus loves them
My goal in life should be nothing less than knowing Christ, and to do that, I must surrender all.”
Doug Erdmann N ATION AL DIRECTOR
Excerpt from a talk given by Doug to the staff at last month’s “Missions Day”: “The Singapore Navigators have a rich history of sending missionaries. But who have we sent long-term recently? Just William Tew to the Philippines, and that was seven years ago. Are we making progress? Yes. Virtually all of our ministries sent a short-term team last year. And now Nissi Goh has said she is willing to go to Kolkata for a 2-year mid-term assignment. How do we build on this? Keep sending short-term teams. Work at sending mid-termers. And some here will need to go long-term. Will there be risks in going long-term? Anytime we travel overseas there is a risk. We could even lose our lives like the missionary Jim Elliot who, along with four other young men, was martyred in the jungles of Ecuador in the 1950’s. Interestingly, their martyrdom inspired a whole generation
of people across the world to give their lives to the Great Commission. When we go we try to minimize the risks, but we still go. Will there be costs? I can imagine some of us having a conversation with God when we get to heaven: ‘Why didn’t you go?’ He asks. ‘Well, I wouldn’t have gotten to see my family as often.’ He responds, ‘What about that new technology called Skype?’ We continue, ‘Well, my children would have missed a Singaporean education.’ He asks, ‘What about all those excellent international schools?’ Finally, pressed into a corner, we ask, ‘Have you ever heard of the Hokkien word, ‘kiasu’?’ Missions is always going to be costly. But do we pay the costs? Yes. Vaclev Havel, the Czech playwright who was forced into politics to lead his country out of communism wrote, ‘The real test of a man is not when he plays the role he wants for himself, but when he plays the role destiny has for him.’ What is the role we want for the Singapore Navs? A nice tidy ministry reaching only Singaporeans? Rather, what is the role destiny has for us? Better yet, what is the role God has for us? For years we have prayed Isaiah 49:6 for ourselves, ‘...I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.’ I believe that is the role God has for us. Let’s go out and seize it.”
CNY BLESSING @ NTU The NTU Navigators held a Chinese New Year Blessing and Outreach Dinner on 13th February for overseas students who were not able to spend the holidays with their families. It was well-attended with about a third who were non-believers. Chen Xin, from China, shared how he encountered a man in a dream when he was seven years old and had broken his arm. In the dream, the man said that he would heal Chen Xin’s arm. Years later, when he met Kian Fong and Paul from NTU Navs and they shared God’s Word with him through an Investigative Bible-study, he realised that this was the God he had experienced in his dream in China all those years ago. Chen Xin shared about how he came to know Christ and how knowing God had been a great blessing in his life, a blessing that he wanted to share. JM, after hearing the gospel presentation, said, “I want to believe but my educational upbringing tells me that there is no God.” Ecclesiastes 3:11 was then shared with her (“God
TOP: Chen Xin, a PRC undergrad, sharing the message of God’s blessing while Tze Shien translated.
has set eternity in the hearts of men”), and she was asked if she herself believed that there is a higher being despite what she was taught. JM paused and said yes, she believed that there is a God. JM , and some others like her, is very keen to find out more about God and will be joining an Investigative Bible-study.
CHURCH DISCIPLESHIP MINISTRY Mogan Mannar, Sita Shanmugam and Kuek Chung Lee (from left to right)
One of The Navigators’ Core Values is “interdependent relationships in the Body of Christ in advancing the Gospel”. We fulfil this by:
Conducting clinics, seminars to equip leaders: • To use HighQuest, a mentoring tool, • To use our discipleship tool, the 2:7 Series • On evangelism strategy, using the Authentic
Serving the churches here in Singapore by: • Facilitating the Intentional Disciplemaking Church Process (IDC Process) in several churches. • Remaining available and engaged with these churches on how they are progressing towards becoming a disciplemaking church • Supporting groups of churches by:
Evangelism Seminar • With disciping principles and skills, through the Discipling Others Seminar
Our contribution at The Global Discipleship Congress (GDC) 2013, and GDC Asia 2016 in Manila.
• Facilitating a Forum for all the pastors and councilmen of the Lutheran churches under the headship of the Bishop Terry Kee
• Initiating a gathering of the Brethren church pastors and elders under the Brethren Network Fellowship to consider the discipleship and disciplemaking strategies in their respective local churches.
NAGALAND, INDIA Pastors and leaders of the Nagaland Baptist denomination • Introducing “Discipleship in the Church” to the Nagaland Missions Movement in 2013 • Discipling Others Seminar and 2:7 Clinics in Dimapur and Kohima, in 2015
OUR MINISTRY HAS TAKEN US TO:
NAIROBI, KENYA • Teaching and training pastors and church leaders in 2015 • Ministering to young working adults at a Navigator conference and in small groups
Pastor David Yap (Yio Chu Kang Chapel) of the IDC Process
COUNTRY X (NOT SHOWN ON THE MAP) A closed access country • Equipping a pastor and his wife in ministry skills and life skills • Teaching and interacting with the church’s key women and men labourers
TESTIMONIES
“As we journeyed, it was beautiful to see that people were cultivating a very regular daily devotion, and how we desire to apply what we are learning. It is thrilling to see the journey that the church is on, taking the Word seriously… I want to thank the Lord for what He has been doing through this IDC Process.”
SINGAPORE
MEDAN, INDONESIA With Greja Kristen Protestan Indonesia • Mentoring 3 key pastors from the denomination, a ministry which began 5 years ago. • Teaching at a Pastors’ and Leaders’ Seminar
Pastor Jim Lee (Queenstown Lutheran Church) of the IDC Process
“Giving praise to God for enriching times with you; appreciating the time and precious moments you gave as a friend of QLC; applauding your faithfulness in journeying with us, the family of QLC.”
ONE WOMAN FOR MORE WOMEN Diong Siew Siew is our newest staff member under the EDGE program. A long-time volunteer with The Navigators in Ngee Ann, and now Republic-Nanyang Polytechnics (RP-NYP), Siew Siew first obeyed God’s call for her to hold a job that allowed her time and energy to bring the gospel to Poly students and help them grow in Christian living. Siew Siew shares why joining staff is the next step in her journey with God: “Two years ago when I was meeting someone to share the gospel in NYP, God impressed upon me the importance of having a job which allowed me to be more available on the campus. Last year, God brought to me some girls who wanted to grow in Him, but due to my work schedule, I was unable to meet up with all of them. I was burdened that I was not available to meet them consistently to help them to grow and mature
in the Lord as Col 1:28 exhorts, “We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.” I was led to pray about whether I should give up my current job, which I love dearly, and enter into full time ministry enabling me to give my whole heart to the Great Commission. I was challenged by Matthew 6:33 (“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and
all these things will be given to you as well”) to step out in faith, to let go of my own ambition and pursue God’s heart for the world.” Tang Bifen, the women ministry leader at RP-NYP is really looking forward to have Siew Siew on board, “She has a good heart for God and people, is very passionate in sharing the Gospel, in encouraging and spurring on the students.”
EDGE PREVIEW
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.
A new batch of upcoming graduates were invited to the EDGE Preview on 30 January. The Preview exposes attendees to EDGE (Evangelism, Discipleship, Growth and Experience), our one- to two-year staff programme that we have for recent graduates and young adults to serve on campuses.
Views expressed in published articles are those of the individual writers and may not necessarily be the views of The Navigators Singapore.
National Director: K. Douglas Erdmann
Editor & Writer: Patricia Lian
Design & Layout:
David Seah from NUS NAVS on the EDGE Preview
“At the Preview I learnt that I have to keep in mind the question ‘When I get to the end of my life, what do I want to see accomplished?’ At the end of my life, what matters is seeing many disciples coming to have a personal relationship with God, living a Christ-like life and teaching others to do the same.”
Loo Jia Yu
Photographers: Daniel Lim, Jensen Chiang, Joel Koh and Loo Jia Yu
Printer: Seng Lee Press © 2016 by The Navigators Singapore