A Vision for The World, A Heart for The Individual
M.I.T.A. (P) 099/11/2000
Hock Meng and Jean have been active in church for fifteen years. Though devout, the faith they profess impacts little of their real life. Their values, hopes, basis for decision-making, lifestyle and fashion of relating to others are little different from their pre-Christian days; the only difference lies primarily in the addition of Christian activities. The Christian relationships they have hardly touch their souls. Though we may wish it otherwise, I believe their situation is typical rather than the exception.
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The Disciple-Making Community
er By Roy Tan
When we consider all the “one-another” verses in the New take up the cross and to follow Jesus our Lord in the way we Testament, i.e. love one another, encourage one another, relate. We are called to live well by loving well. We often justify honour one another, etc, we are and rationalise our behaviour. We We are called to love deeply from our heart faced with the glaring gap want to die less, love less and and to pursue the same agenda for each other between the kind of communities hopefully live more! What a lie the that God is pursuing in each of our lives – we are and the kind that we evil one has sown! Is it not in dying Christlikeness, eternal beauty should be. In a generation of to self that we truly live? Is it not in of the highest order! alienated people, I believe one of sacrificial living that we richly live? the critical needs of the church Our Lord sums up all the today is to flesh out the community that God had commanded commandments in the two great commandments 2. Can all us to be. We are called to love deeply from our heart and to His time-tested, wise precepts and statutes be truly distilled into pursue the same agenda for each other that God is pursuing in one commandment that holds the essence of all of God’s wisdom each of our lives – Christlikeness, eternal beauty of the highest for us – Love God and Love Our Neighbour? order! We often fail by sacrificing the Greatest Commandment Discipling is the process by which we help another grow (to love God and one another), in our zeal to fulfil the Great in Christlike character. The apostle Paul, who described himself Commission (to make disciples). As pragmatic people, we tend as being like a mother in labour, had one passionate longing to see our relationships in the context of getting the job done, 1 for his dear children – that Christ be formed in them . The not neglecting coming together, meeting needs, and even community is one of the primary means God uses to form Christ fulfilling our Christian responsibilities. Are these bad reasons in us. Discipling needs to be fleshed out in the context of for meeting together? Of course not! They are Biblical and community, of relationships. To our detriment, we have often therefore essential. But when we stop there, we are shortrelegated this call to make disciples to specific individuals, sighted. Often this is chosen myopia, for to go further will require spiritual leaders and specialised mentors. us to sacrifice so much more. The point is this: we must not fulfil the Great Commission at the expense of the Greatest Commandment. It is in fulfilling To Love Deeply From The Heart the former that we more fully and authentically fulfil the latter. It Life in community will constantly call us to change and to is not an either or solution – it has to be both. influence others to change. The Spirit of God incessantly Ironically, in failing in our church relationships, that prompts and commands us to leave the comfort zones of our results in us being influenced by the secularised environment sloppy and sinful styles of relating. He wants us to deny self, to 1. Galatians 4:19; 2. Matthew 22:37-40
...continued on page 8... Nav News • June – August 2001 • page 1
people@SingNav by Joan Teoh
“… you shall be My witnesses… in all Judea and Samaria…” (Acts 1:8)
Recent years have seen a steady and increasing stream of foreign talent, workers and students coming into our midst. While intellectuals gathered in Starbucks cafes and retired ‘ah peks’ lounging at ‘kopi tiams’ debate the pros and cons of this trend, we as Christ’s disciples secretly rejoice that some of Samaria and Judea have come to us!
Samaria and Judea have come to us! About 70% of the NTU Navigators are foreign students, the proportion being something that came about “by chance”. Some were already Christians when they came, others found Christ here. On a fine Tuesday evening, I met and interviewed two of the volunteer staff. It was an encouraging session! I got a glimpse, through what they shared, into God’s work in the lives of some of these foreign students. Cheryl is currently discipling a fellow Malaysian; and JH, a Chinese and two Indonesian students. He is himself a Malaysian. Many Aspire, Few Attain — NTU Navigator Camp 2000
Q: How did you come to be with the NTU Navigators? CHERYL: I met two NTU Navigator volunteers in the TV room of my hall when I was in my second year. They followed through that meeting with phone calls, investigative Bible studies and visits. Prior to this, my hall mate, as well as friends from another hall, had already been sharing the gospel with me. I came from a Taoist family and was taught reincarnation as the fate of man’s spirit. The Christian concept of God that they shared was rather strange to me at first. I became increasingly interested in Christianity and eventually accepted Christ. The Navs helped in my new faith.
the Bible was too flustered with preparations and failed to sit quietly at the Lord’s feet, I had become too worried over many things as I served Him. Eventually, I was convicted to focus on my ministry here in NTU. JH: As a student, I had learnt to prioritise in order to balance the demands of studies and ministry on his time. When I started working, I began learning to trust God as I obeyed His word in Leviticus 19:11 in situations where dishonesty would have been the easier way out.
Q: What has the experience of discipling been like?
JH: I had accepted Christ as a teenager through the witness of a teacher. When I came to NTU as a student, I looked for the Navigators but somehow missed them in the matriculation. A pastor in my church had a contact in the ministry, and so, I was eventually found by the NTU Navs!
CHERYL: Encouraging! I have found myself empathising with the struggles my ‘disciplee’ faces as a foreign student, having been through it all myself. I especially found it difficult coping with the use of English. I am very convicted about discipleship, and that it can take place anywhere!
Q: What are some important lessons you have learnt from God?
JH: I experienced joy in seeing people grow in their faith and trust God. When I encounter difficulties, like stubbornness and resilience, I pray for the person and have seen God break through! Helping another person grow in their faith is very much God’s heartbeat. I help ‘disciplees’ to handle specific problems
CHERYL: I learnt to serve God wholeheartedly. There was a period when I had spread myself too thinly between church involvement and serving in the NTU ministry. God spoke to me about being faithful in small matters. Also, just as Martha in Nav News • June – August 2001 • page 2
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Learning Life’s Lessons
Losing Things and Gaining Faith By Adrian Sng Oh-oh something is missing. Pastor Kenny was already halfway into the Sunday morning pre-worship service class. My “lost something” feeling hit me suddenly. Where did I put the bag that I was told to pass to my brother? My heart sank. The bag contained some baby clothes for my nephew and my brother’s ang pows* for the Lunar New Year. I stayed in a state of paralytic shock for five minutes. I must have left the bag at the coffee shop where I had had breakfast. Thoughts of my mother’s reaction when she hears that I have lost the bag, words that she would use to scold me – these images flooded my mind, sweeping away the Sunday class lessons. To leave or not to leave – that was the question. To leave was the easy way out. After all, it was only the first lesson. The earlier I left the class, the better the chances of finding the bag. The voice of faith told me not to leave – honour God, trust Him to retrieve this bag. The bag was already missing for at least 30 minutes, will another 30 minutes for the class to end make a difference? It boiled down to leaving the class 30 minutes earlier or surrender the matter to God and stay on till the class ended. I thought for five precious minutes and finally decided. I stayed. My faith was tested. The remaining 30 minutes was raw agony. Waves of doubt came relentlessly. I swung between doubt and trusting God. Class over! I rushed to the coffee shop and prayed all the way. I reached the coffee shop only to discover that the bag was not there. “Uncle, did you see my bag?” I asked the food vendor. Relief! I found the bag with everything intact. Losing a temporal bag for a fleeting one hour has added a layer of permanent muscle to my eternal faith. Losing things and gaining faith.
Volunteer staff Adrian graduated from the NTU in June 2000. He was led to Christ by his brother who is also a Navigator volunteer at the Ngee Ann Polytechnic. Adrian who works in an established IT company says, “I jog to deflate my stomach which is inflated by buffets. I seek to increase my appetite for God’s Word and decrease my appetite for unhealthy food.”
* red packets contain money usually given as gifts during the Chinese New Year and special occasions.
...continued from page 2... Samaria and Judea Have Come To Us...
or life issues – like finding God’s timing in boy-girl relationships, or qualities to look for in a life partner – by guiding them with God’s word. The ministry is God’s word. We are instruments that He uses. The only thing He asks of us is that we be faithful and obedient to Him. The vision that we want for the people we are helping is that they will in turn help others, to have a heart for them. Indeed, may the Lord, through the faithful labour of people like Cheryl and JH, continue to draw to Himself and make disciples of many more foreign students, so that in time to come, wherever they go — perhaps back to “Judea and Samaria”! – they will carry on the ministry of discipleship.
THE NAVIGATORS is an international evangelical Christian organisation. As a community of labourers, we are committed to advancing Christ’s kingdom among the nations. Through God’s enabling, The Navigators’ calling is to do two things:1) MAKE DISCIPLES (Matthew 28:18-20) Evangelise the lost and establish the believers to observe all that Christ commanded. 2) MULTIPLY LABOURERS (2 Timothy 2:2) Teach the things we have learnt to other faithful men and women who can teach others also. We work on campuses, secondary schools and with working adults. Singapore-trained missionaries are also serving abroad. THE SINGAPORE NAV NEWS brings you inspirational articles with news and reports of the work of the Navigators in Singapore. You can be more actively involved and increase the value of each issue by using the articles as a prayer guide for the Navigator work. Views expressed in published articles are those of the individual writers and may not necessarily be the views of The Navigators, Singapore. Although The Nav News is distributed free-of-charge, gifts received to help defray the cost of production would be greatly appreciated. • Executive Director: Tan Peng Jin • Editor: Angeline Koh • Editorial Advisors: Bernard and Lilian Lee • Allan and Maureen Goulstone THE NAVIGATORS SINGAPORE 117 Lorong K, Telok Kurau, Singapore 425758 • Tel: 344 4133 • Fax: 344 0975 • E-mail: coms@navigators.org.sg • Web site: http://navigators.org.sg
Nav News • June – August 2001 • page 3
For further reflection on Roy Tan’s article (pages 1 and 8)
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We may not have the capacity to relate deeply with all whom we know but we must love all whom we know deeply... What characterizes the people of God? Romans 12:15-16 Romans 14:13 1 Corinthians 1:10
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1 Corinthians 8:10-13 Galatians 5:13
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Galatians 6:1 Galatians 6:10
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Ephesians 4:7, 11-13 Ephesians 4:32
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Ephesians 5:21 Philippians 2:2-4
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Colossians 3:16 1 Thessalonians 5:11 Hebrews 10:24-25
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James 2:15-16 James 4:11
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James 5:9 1 Peter 4:8-11
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1 Peter 5:2,5 1 John 3:16-17
Nav News • June – August 2001 • page 4
How is the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37-40) expressed in community? In Attitude
In Action
1. When you get someone to be involved in your ministry, what is your chief desire for him/her?
R E C O M M E N D E D R E A D I N G by Roy Tan
3. According to 1 Corinthians 7:7-27 what kinds of people can be involved with making disciples?
Where Your Treasure Is By Eugene Peterson, Eerdmans Eugene shares on how 11 Psalms can provide insights to healing our nation as we pray together as communities, turning from self to Community. Again, this is written for the American Context. But, I believe anything by Eugene is always worth reading. He often shares principles that are trans-cultural.
4. What are the essential characters of someone who wants to be involved in making disciples? 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12
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2. What is Paul’s chief desire for those he helps? (Galatians 4:19; Ephesians 3:14-19, 4:14-15; Colossians 1:28)
The Community Of The King by Howard A. Snyder, IVP This is a great book to develop healthy, critical thinking about Christian Community.
Church: Why Bother? By Philip Yancey, Zondervan Though a small but deeply personal book, Yancey shares his personal pilgrimage out of the church and back to it again. A good read for those who are fed-up with church.
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5. Is it possible to not like a person and still love him? How?
A copy of the full list of Bible verses can be downloaded from the Nav News Resources at http://navigators.org.sg OR write to The Editor at coms@navigators.org.sg to be emailed a copy.
6. What motivates me to continue to be involved with the mess of community and discipling?
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7. As I seek to disciple others, am I also growing as a disciple?
F E E R
Getting Real — An Interactive Guide To Relational Ministry By Ken Baugh & Rich Hurst, NavPress
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Special price: $15.00 (usual $23.00)
8. In what ways can I choose a greater depth of relating, opening myself to be touched and changed as well as to and be a change agent in the lives of fellow Christians?
True to being an interactive Guide, its an engaging workbook with lots of good snippets to transform a thriving Generation X or Net Generation Into A Transforming Community. Apart from the drawback of being very much focused on the American context, there are enough to make it worth a good look. Special price available only at The Navigators Singapore 117 Lorong K, Telok Kurau, Singapore 425758, Tel: 344-4133 Offer valid till August 31, 2001 Price includes packaging and postage
Nav News • June – August 2001 • page 5
happenings@SingNav Go Make Disciples...
He left our shores in 1980 after serving as the first National Director (ND) of the Singapore Navigators. “22 years has passed and he still beats the same drum: Go Make Disciples,” commented Navigator alumnus Elsie Khoo who was involved in the Navteens when Dave Dawson was ND. She and her husband Edmund had come specially to listen to the 65-year-old veteran. What encouraged Elsie most was the number of young people present at the meeting. 40 people were expected but more than 75 turned up. “It’s heartening to know that after all these years that there are still young men and women who still have a heart for the Lord and the Great Commission.” The evening meeting was organized for the Navteens and the National University of Singapore Navigators ministry. Dave served as ND from 1968 to 1980. — AK
Final year Singapore Polytechnic student Ong Mei Lee puts her hand to the plough at the 2001 Freshmen Orientation…
“Charge!”
Hooray! Freshmen Enrolment time is here – harvest time! The Lord promised us a bountiful harvest of souls this year. We rolled up our sleeves and got into gear to work. The harvesters comprised first year Navigator students, fresh graduates and some second year students who took time off their industrial attachment to be available for the sowing. Every morning, we gathered in our clubhouse for a time of worship, sharing and prayer in preparation for the sowing of the Word and the reaping of lives for Christ. At the end of each day, we got together to talk about the day and to commit our yield for the day to the Lord. It was a great encouragement to listen to younger brothers and sisters talk about how God helped them share their
testimonies and how they challenged freshmen to receive Christ through the “Bridge Illustration”. I was especially inspired by one of our first year brothers who had not shared the Gospel before. He made efforts to learn the “Bridge Illustration” from two graduates whom he partnered during the enrolment; bucked up his courage and presented it to the freshmen! God fulfilled His promise that we would reap a harvest by bringing to us freshmen who were open to hear the Gospel. He blessed us with fifteen freshmen who prayed to receive Christ and others who indicated a desire to know Jesus more. One brother shared that he was so amazed at how God worked in the freshmen that they were so willing to hear the Gospel this year!
Harvesting continues throughout the months of May and June in the various Navigator polytechnic and University ministries. Indeed the Word that goes out of God’s mouth will not return to Him empty but will accomplish what He desires and achieve the purpose for which He sent it. Nav News • June – August 2001 • page 6
National University of Singapore Navigators Swimmathon 2001
Po oLING oUR RESoURCES
By Yeow Sushan & David Khoo
In the water, no one can see you sweat. But for the NUS Navigators, raising funds for charity this year definitely involved sweating. Rather than ask for donations, we decided to swim 1000 laps in a twelve-hour relay – and with fewer than forty people! Just making it happen required everyone to venture beyond their comfort zones. The planning committee had to liaise with the Community Chest and the Police to get permission to raise funds. Corporate sponsors had to be found for the event. Each NUS Navigator had to convince contacts to pledge money for every kilometer we swam. The publicity team created a dramatic banner, along with posters to spread the word. And all along the way, we witnessed God’s amazing provisions in sponsorship, donation pledges, and administrative breakthroughs. Most of all, we learned to work with each other, accepting the weakness we see of each other because we had to work closely together. We tried to train twice a week – even through our exam period. Recreational swimmers had to adjust to a training regime; competitive swimmers strove to push their limits again. Beginners had to learn basic strokes. One of our friends managed to overcome his phobia of water with Divine help. As we swam, we befriended seasoned and big-hearted swimmers who most willingly joined our cause. Finally, on 11th May, 9 a.m. guest champions Ang Peng Siong and Dawn Ling dived into the pool. Their speed, power and simultaneous underwater somersaults thrilled the crowd. As Ang touched home, followed by Dawn, the next two swimmers dived in, and the Swimmathon was on! Ang encouraged us to persevere – in his words… “one stroke at a time.” It was a timely word. We had wondered if our twenty-odd swimmers could conquer the target distance in 12 hours. But soon the laps began clocking up. Guest swimmers joined us throughout the day to swim harder and faster than we could. One lifeguard used his lunch break to swim an astounding 40 laps non-stop. Even weaker swimmers joined in by sharing 4-lap runs with each other. By three o’clock we were splashing ahead of schedule. In between laps, people watched movies, chatted, and made new friends. Bright sunshine, crystal clear water, a worship songfest and generously supplied food sealed God’s gift of a wonderful day. By six o’clock we were down to the final twenty laps, and a relay race was organized as a finale. In spite of a long day’s swim the race exploded with excitement, cheering and speed. Team 1 finished first, but really everyone had won. The 1000-lap mark had been hit three hours early, and many testified that their final race lap was the fastest they had ever swum. We had been swimming for cash, but ended the event richer in faith and friendship as well. The fun, commitment and achievement we shared in God’s strength left many convinced that we had only begun the first lap of a great annual tradition for the NUS Navs.
Warming up for the swim... warming up to each other...
National champions Dawn Ling and Ang Peng Siong taking the first plunge.
Nav News • June – August 2001 • page 7
...continued from page 1...One Anothering One Another — The Disciple-Making Community...
It is an misleading notion to say that rather than influencing it. We everyone perfect in Christ.”9 we love someone and yet not like him. pick and choose our When we examine the oneI believe that God not only loves us but He likes us relationships among fellowanother passages we realise as well. Love is both loving and liking the person... Christians much like we do in that we need to own up to our We love, because we like what we know our work and social circles. We frequent failures in these areas they will one day become rationalise, saying we do not – teach, correct, rebuke, have the capacity to love everyone deeply. The result is that restore, etc. And the focus needs to be clear: we disciple not to we love a few, tolerate most, dislike not a few and hate the rest! make better church members who are faithful to the church’s If we are honest with ourselves we know that the Scriptures do agenda. It is not to clone mini pastors. It is to invite and hold not allow us that right to choose. We are not to exclude certain people to be the Beauty they were destined to be. people from our love. Rather, we are exhorted not to display But there is yet another beauty that I often forget in my 3 4 favouritism , sideline those whom we view as weak , or treat passion to disciple another – my own beauty. One of God’s our enemies with contempt or condescension5. We are to love purposes for parenthood, I believe, is that the parents grow to 6 sincerely, to love deeply, and to love from the heart . No one is be like our Heavenly Father. Children are given for our own to be excluded. We may not have the capacity to relate deeply growth. I remember a seminary professor who always spoke with all whom we know but we must love all whom we know with eloquence and depth whenever he lectured on the subject deeply. of his specialty – counselling. He was an expert and it was evident. However, when he began to speak on parenting, there was a marked change in his words and posture, tone and To Pursue Christlikeness In Each Other volume. He came across to me a humbled man; a Christlike I often see my brothers and sisters very short-sightedly. Paul’s man – a man who had taken a real beating and refining and great vision for the Galatians, on the other hand, was that they had come through those experiences a much better person. become like Christ. His relationships with them were consistent My wife and I are learning that to be so true. God seems with this vision. Do we see our fellow-Christians as proud, to be more concerned with what He can do in us than what we arrogant, selfish and self-righteous? If they are, we need to see can do in our children. That is painful. But we are encouraged that we love them just the same. Otherwise, we are short– we are seeing signs of growth in ourselves. We are sighted and will never love them as we should. It is an “humbling”. misleading notion to say that we love someone and yet not like What motivates me to continue to be involved in the him. I believe that God not only loves us but He likes us as mess of community and discipling? Strange as it may seem, I well. Love is both loving and liking the person. am beginning to realise – it is for my own growth and beautifying. We love, because we like what we know they will one As I seek to disciple others, a sort of “humbling” happens in day become: righteous in the kingdom of our Father7; pure me. God seems more concerned with what He can do in me and blameless; abounding in love, knowledge and depth of than what I can do in them. God disciples me as I relate to insight; able to discern what is best, filled with the fruit of 8 others. righteousness – to the glory and praise of God ; In other words, What will this all mean for Hock Meng and Jean? It they will be like Christ! This is a great work. It will take the diverse gifts, strengths, personalities and experiences of a may mean choosing a greater depth of relating, opening themselves to be touched and changed as well as to touch community of faith to disciple one. and be a change agent in the lives of their brothers and sisters. Such responsibility is not limited to apostles or It may mean choosing not to remain safe (and thus unchanged). shepherds. A single person is inadequate for the discipling of The church may not always be a safe place. Betrayal and abuse any one individual. Paul said, “We proclaim him, admonishing can be as real in the church as it is outside. and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present He who was accustomed to both betrayal and abuse, calls us to embrace His Church (ourselves actually), now both grotesque and glorious. We are to love and be loved. In that loving He transforms us. If we do well in loving deeply from our heart and pursuing the same agenda for each other that God is pursuing in each of our lives, we become beautiful – Christlike, which is beauty of the highest eternal order! We can jump in and get our feet wet for our security is always in His everlasting arms. Painful? Definitely – but it is a price well worth paying. 3. James 2:1; 4. Romans 14:1; 5. Matthew 5:44; 6. 1 Peter 1:22; 7. Matthew 13:43; 8. Philippians 1:9-12; 9. Colossians 1:28 Nav News • June – August 2001 • page 8
Roy Tan is leader of the Living Proof and Branches, Singapore Polytechnic Graduates Ministry. Design and Layout by Angeline Koh • Printed by Seng Lee Press Pte Ltd