happenings@navsing NavMedia Annual Warehouse Sales 14 November 2009 9.00am to 8.00pm 16-20 November 2009 9.00am to 6.00pm Books selling at 25% off or more The Navigators 117 Lorong K, Telok Kurau Singapore 425758 tel: 63444133 New Releases: A Prayer Life, Invitation To The Jesus Life, When I Get Married, and more Best Sellers: Respectable Sins, The Gospel For Real Life, When The Soul Listens, A Sacred Sorrow, The Hidden Face of God, and more v
The Navigators Singapore will be off to Malacca for a Staff Family Conference, 8-11 September 2009.
Building A Strategic Team for the Kingdom
After 22 years of Navigating... By Roy Tan
W
hen I first contemplated about going full time with the Navigators, I had two big concerns – finances and abilities. Those concerns became opportunities for me to trust God and I’m amazed how he met all my needs and inadequacies for the past 22 years. To the Son of Man I am deeply grateful! ORPC comes to mind when I recall the first Navigator meetings I attended. That is Orchard Road Presbyterian Church – the place where the NavTeens hung out back in the 70s. I still remember most of the faces I used to meet those days. I am so grateful for the lots of fun we had together – from teenage years to single days and through midlife. We had fun in meetings, ministry, sports, sharing hobbies, lazing together, sharing jokes, retreats, fun nights, and celebrations. About ten mentors blessed me with their willingness to share their lives and families with me and through them I have known that much of growth comes through “one-anothering”. The men and women whom God had given me the privilege to minister have blessed me and my family deeply. My life has been enriched because of them. They spurred me on to ask questions I needed to ask, which I would have otherwise overlooked. They shared their food for my soul. Yes, I am indebted to the Son of Man as well as the sons of man. I learnt what it means to be a family – we go through thick and thin together with life’s joys and sorrows, celebrations and even pensive moments. In spite of the realities of a fallen community, it is better to be in a community than to be alone. There is strength in two and safety in numbers. I learnt too that there is a bigger family beyond our border – our brothers and sisters in the Navigators all over the world. I am indebted to them for much of my growth and perseverance! It’s been a long time since I have committed my life to God and it’s all God’s grace that kept me till today and will keep me as he leads me through another journey. v
Roy now pastors Neighbourhood Christian Church, his home church.
By Shannon Sandquist
Learning so much from the ones who have so little
B
efore he came to the orphanage, he lived alone in the jungle for two years. He had run away after seeing his dad kill his mother. He was only eight years old! Another child was forced by her mum to beg on the streets because people give more money to pitiful children than to adult beggars. Others were addicted to sniffing glue. One lost her parents to HIV. And the list goes on – 115 children – each with their own story, forgotten by society, abused, destitute, without hope – and yet, there they are, now living at ChildLife; smiles on their faces, three meals a day, education, safety, and an opportunity to experience the love of Christ. These, among other encounters, have made Nanyang Technological
University (NTU) Navigator labourers and friends return to Singapore with a great experience in sharing the love of Christ with the children of ChildLife, a non-religious, non-government organisation and care for all children in need in Northern Thailand. For two weeks, we befriended them, served them, hugged them, and blessed them. Our students learned so much from these children who have so little. It seems that our best work among the kids was to just play with them. We also painted three of their dorms and their meeting hall. One highlight was taking all the kids to a nature park for a picnic with games and swimming. These
Our team at the “Golden Triangle” – we are sitting in Thailand with Laos over the Mekong River to the right and Myanmar to the left.
things they almost never get to do – including a lunch with meat – a luxury that the orphanage cannot afford to give the kids. All our NTU students summed up their enthusiasm about the trip by saying they would definitely go back if given the chance – in fact one of the guys did not even come home with us, but stayed back to spend a couple more weeks with the kids! v
A new ground by Aurelia L. Castro
F
or 20 years, staff member Goh Siew Lim served faithfully with The NavTeens (TNT). In June this year, God opened a door for her to minister to a new ground with the Navigator ministry at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE). “God confirmed his leading for me through the Navigator leadership’s blessing to move from TNT to the ITE Navigators. I thank God for the many opportunities he had given me to learn and grow in TNT. I believe that our faithful God will continue to do his good work in and through me for his own glory as he leads me to do this new ministry among ITE students. I have much more to learn and grow in, 2001 and will need much of Seated fourth from left is Goh Siew Lim. God’s grace,” Siew Lim shared. v
2001
Alumni & Friends
C O N N E C T I O N S
The Qualities of Wood A
re you a block of wood? Would you enjoy being called one? For one man, it is the highest compliment that his wife gives him. In 1991, on Kent Ridge campus, a gal from Varsity Christian Fellowship fell in love with a Navigator-trained undergraduate because “he is like a block of wood—simple, solid, disciplined.” That undergraduate is Andrew Soong, a long time volunteer with The NavTeens (TNT); who with his wife Siew Moi, are parents to Esther (12), Ezra (9) and Eunice (6). Through the rigours of raising a young family, a demanding work schedule, as well as their son’s battle with leukaemia, the couple has continued serving God and has found his never-failing love and his grace abundant. WOOD IS SIMPLE AND SOLID Wood is useful because of its solidity and willingness to be shaped by a master’s hand. By all accounts, Andrew is a man given to simplicity and truth. Trained under Tan Peng Jin and later, K. Supramaniam and Bernard Lee, Andrew began labouring with The NavTeens from his university days. At that time, he made a three-year commitment to God to serve whole-heartedly with no distractions (which basically meant no chasing after girls). Ironically, this
deep desire to be set apart for God’s work caught Siew Moi’s interest. As a couple, they worked with students from St. Hilda’s Secondary. When the children were born, building the home became Siew Moi’s primary ministry. She credits mentors like Tan Lee Chun, Lilian Lee and Yuen Yik Kwong “who are not afraid to stay home.” “They showed me what it means to be patient and supportive. I also admired how they taught their children.” She saw that practising hospitality by inviting the teens to their home was another way of doing ministry. Although often tired with keeping home and caring for the children, Siew Moi continued to encourage Andrew in his discipling work with the teens. WOOD FLOATS IN ADVERSITY In October 2005, their son Ezra, then five, was diagnosed with leukaemia. Those were dark and frightening days and the family often felt themselves cast adrift on God’s mercies. Although relatives and friends came forward to help, the family often had to manage alone. Ezra had to be kept away from crowds because of his weakened immune system. Andrew decided that they would face the illness together as a family. For a year, Andrew led his family in Sunday worship at home. It was trial by fire. It was inevitable that so severe an illness put great strain on the marriage and family life. Like Peter who felt the impossibility of the water beneath his feet, Andrew and Siew Moi found that the only way was to keep looking steadily to God. Faith was being tested and strengthened every step of the way.
by Patricia Lian
(L to R) Eunice, Siew Moi, Esther, Ezra and Andrew
THE BEAUTY OF WOOD The beauty of wood is in its texture. Be it sunny days or devastating storms, they leave their effects. And to become wood that can be used, a tree has to die. Siew Moi ponders, “Through Ezra’s illness, we have learnt to show care to others without worrying too much about what to say or what to do.” There is temptation to hold back for fear of embarrassing ourselves or the other person. “But from what we experienced, it is a comfort just to know that someone cares.” “Put God first, put others’ needs before our own,” is one of their convictions. It comes from a tried and tested belief that God is sufficient to meet every need that they may have. “Sometimes Andrew is reluctant to go to NavTeens activities because he has so much work from school. But he still goes. And he comes back telling me how blessed and refreshed he has been by the experience.” Andrew continues to impact teenagers and young adults through Bible studies, workshops and manto-man sessions. Siew Moi meets fortnightly with a group of mothers in her Punggol neighbourhood for Bible study. v
But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.
disciplemaking TOOLbox
NavMedia Resources Maximum Truth in Minimum Time by Rick Cornish, NavPress
Fishing with Jesus by Sandy Fairservice, The Navigators, New Zealand
Scripture: John 3:1-21; John 4:1-42; Acts 8:4, 26-40
I
have often heard people excusing themselves from speaking to others about Christ by appealing to their makeup or gifting. “Oh, but I’m not an evangelist.” The second excuse I have heard, though not so often, is that only church leaders are the evangelists. These two excuses are simply dealt with by Acts 8:4: “Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.” Jesus commissioned his disciples to be his witnesses and to make disciples everywhere. Immediately they took that command seriously and began in Jerusalem. Christ made sure the gospel was liberated further by a great persecution following the martyrdom of Stephen and “all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.” It was the converts who did the preaching wherever they went. The three passages listed above epitomise typical gospel conversations— Jesus and Nicodemus; Jesus and the woman of Samaria; and Philip and the Ethiopian. A study of these three events reveals a great deal about strategy and results. I can summarise them this way: Personally Initiated Nicodemus initiated a conversation with Jesus. Jesus initiated a conversation with the woman. Philip was commanded to speak with the Ethiopian—and he
had run alongside to make that work! Skilful Jesus began with the physical, and then skilfully moved to the spiritual. The Ethiopian was already there. Conversations They were conversations, not one-sided harangues. Questions were asked and answered. Explaining Though Jesus’ two hearers didn’t catch on right away, Jesus explained. The Ethiopian asked a key question. Philip explained. Salvation All three conversations proceeded to their purposeful conclusion, how to be saved. In the Philippines I picked up a little souvenir, two colourful, carved tropical fish. They got me thinking. The Latin word for fish is pisces. Before the emperor Constantine promoted the cross, the early Church used the fish as a symbol, a reminder of Jesus’ command, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” PISCES So my mnemonic for personal evangelism is P-I-S-C-E-S Personally Initiating Skilful Conversations Explaining Salvation v
‘
A truckload of truth in a teacup. Without compromise. Rick Cornish explains complex issues and topics in relevant terms that are applicable to the context of our twenty-first-century culture. – Harold J. Sala, Ph.D, President of Guidelines International
’
5 Minute Apologist will help you say the perfect words at the perfect time. In short, five-minute readings, Rick Cornish (author of 5 Minute Theologian) gives you powerful yet humble words to speak persuasively about your faith. Talk about your faith with a new sense of clarity and purpose. Available at NavMedia, 63444133 . www.navmedia.com. v
2
Question
Ponder
How have you initiated conversations with seekers lately?
Write to us if you have a comment or story angel@navigators.org.sg
asia and beyond By Chong Ching Ching Community and Missions Trip to the Philippines 18 May-14 June 2009
Postcards from the Philippines
T
wenty National University of Singapore Navigator staff, labourers, and friends coming from different backgrounds and culture (five different nationalities represented) made up the team; there were five prebelieving friends – of which two are exchange students from Shanghai.
Part of the team
Learning compassion We visited children in the slum area to feed them, hold film screenings for the slum community and embark on gardening and farming projects with the hope that these projects would be able to provide the community there with a source of income to support their livelihood with the University of the Philippines Los Baños Navigators.
Out of our comfort zone
Agta
nan
ala P , h c a e r out
Flew to a place called Palanan, where there is ongoing outreach to the Agta, a previously unreached people group; partnered with pastors and leaders with the Christian Missions for the Unreached (CMU), who have planted churches among the Agta people and in neighbouring lowlands. Gave sermons, workshops, English lessons, and prayed for the sick.
In Antipolo, we served a community by developing a 1-ha plot of land for them to use for farming, and improve their standard of living. We also did a tuition class for children. v
More photos and full report at www.navigators.org.sg
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 • National Director: Thomas Chua • Editor / Design & Layout: Angeline Koh • Writer: Aurelia L. Castro 117 Lorong K, Telok Kurau, Singapore 425758 • Tel: (65) 6344 4133 • Fax: (65) 6344 0975 • E-mail: admin@navigators.org.sg Printed by Rejoice Printing & Marketing