ISSUE 01/2020
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ENVISION LIVING OUT THE PROPHETIC
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FOCUS MAKING ROOM FOR GOD
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HEARTBEAT MISSIONS SPECIAL 2019
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THEOLOGY FOR TODAY BEING IN AND OF THE WORLD
E X P A N S I O N
LIVING OUT THE PROPHETIC
TRINITY.SG
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contents
IN THIS ISSUE HEARTBEAT
48
Thank You Trinitarians for Going to the Nations! HEARTBEAT
ENVISION
36
Missions: Trinity’s Foundation and Cornerstone Lead Pastor’s Missions Message
Missions trips and Waves in 2019
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Small in Numbers, Big in Faith
Making Room for God
Trinity’s training and consultation
Preparing ourselves to receive God’s prophetic word
Trinity’s sponsored children
Empowering Kingdom Leaders TCA College
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Trinity’s Language Ministries
The Leadership Church
Trinity’s mandate for discipling the nations
Trinity’s Missions Endeavors
Being God’s hands, feet, and heart 62
Reaching the World, Discipling the Nations A local church with global impact
CCSS
A highlight of Trinity’s missions endeavors from January to December 2019 66
PULSE
Faith to Go, Faith to Grow
Watchnight Service 2019
Trinity@Bangkok
Connecting, Discipling, and Thriving 64
Missions at a Glance
Statistics for January to December 2019
Bringing Families Together
HEARTBEAT
Missions Report 2019 58
66
108
110
Missions at Our Doorstep
Tilling the Ground
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104
Bringing Hope, One Life at a Time
Empty Enough for a Miracle
Trinity’s first humanitarian missions trip
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Trinity@Jakarta
Stories of Destinies Changed
Project Rescue
Missions Special 2019
Discipling Leaders, Transforming Nations
Trinity’s first Missions Convention 52
Trinity’s first evangelistic missions trip
HEARTBEAT
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74
86
112
120
Christmas 2019
Giving for Kingdom Expansion
DiscoveryLand’s Christmas event
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Making Room for God Through Prayer
Celebrating the Reason for the Season
The Mission Faith Promise
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Christmas Sock vs Smelly Sock
Celebrating Faith, Living Out the Prophetic
First Prayer Meeting, Prayer Conference, Prophetic Alignment
An overview of Trinity’s missions efforts from January to December 2019
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X Factor
IGNYTE’s Christmas event
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We Still Do!
Marriage Retreat 2019 136
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Camp Surge
DiscoveryLand Camp 2019
Camp All for Jesus IGNYTE Camp 2019
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ISSUE 01/2020
LIVING OUT THE PROPHETIC
A QUARTERLY NEWS MAGAZINE BY TRINITY CHRISTIAN CENTRE Advisor Lead Pastor Dominic Yeo Chief Editor Pastor Janice Chng Editors Pastor Edward Lim Diana Lim, Jessie Chew Editorial Team Carol Lim, Hannah Tan, Han Mei Zhen Imelda Lie, June Teh, King Rachel Koh Zhi Guo Daniel, Kristine Lee Loh Dan Lin, Lye Huixian, Maryann Goh Miranda Zhang, Nyon Yit An
18
ENVISION
Contributing Writers Lead Pastor Dominic Yeo Rev Dr Babu Immanuel Venkataraman Alison Chang, Arielle Yeo, Desiree Yang Elizabeth Koh, Ho Yi Xin, Jacqueline Cheong, Jennifer Ng, Marcus Leow, Pamela Koh, Sarah Han Sharon Sam, Sherlyn Tan, Zoey Lee
Receiving, holding on to, and stepping out into our tomorrow
PULSE
UPCLOSE
Camp Metanoia
Real Life Miracles
Campus Ministry Leaders’ Camp 2019
142
SEED
Campus goes for the harvest
Raising Leaders through JSP DiscoveryLand
146
40
Love Multiplied
44
150
Being In and Of the World
MICA(P) 036/04/2019 Printer and License number Times Printers Pte Ltd L007/08/2019 For Ad Sales Enquiries Contact Jessie Chew at +65 6304 7721 or jessiechew@trinity.sg.
Daring to make a difference
THEOLOGY FOR TODAY
Designers Hue & Ink
152
All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without express written permission is prohibited. Opinions and views expressed does not necessarily constitute the official stand of the church.
C R N 19 7 802 91 1H
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Family Communion Band of Brothers Edition
Love Restored
144
Into the Waters
Water baptism in DiscoveryLand
Contributing Photographers Campus Photography Team IGNYTE Photography Team Renatus Photography Twenty4Frames
Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint... Proverbs 29:18 (ESV)
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LIVING OUT THE PROPHETIC 2 0 20
is a milestone year for Trinity. As we enter into our 50th year, it is a golden opportunity to look back and look forward. From our humble beginnings at 2 Hillcrest Road, the pioneering spirit of our founding fathers – the Staffords, the Busbys, and the Fergusons – continues on through generations of Trinitarians who have invested their lives to see God’s purpose and destiny fulfilled in and through this house. To honor the past, we must continue to forge forward into the future – to build faith upon faith, line upon line, and foundation upon foundation. That is why it’s so important for you and I to have the right revelation from God so that we will be guided towards success (Proverbs 29:18). When God speaks, we must be quick to listen. When God speaks, we must be quick to act. When we entered the New Year, I shared key prophetic words that have been spoken over Trinity – some as far back as 20 years ago. The unearthing of these prophetic words during Watchnight brings clarity on God’s plan for us as a church – a rallying call to come into alignment with God’s mandate for us and live out the prophetic (pg 22). Far from being the agenda of man, the Decade of Expansion is about the unfolding of God’s greater plans and purposes for this house. By making room for God through prayer (pg 12), many have gained a greater awareness of Him in
our midst. As new hunger and passion arise in our spirit, it becomes the fuel upon which we can continue to do great exploits for God and, thus, bring us one step closer to the fulfillment of our destiny. God’s prophetic words for us will never die. And when we do our part to bring His prophetic words to pass, we become people who daily operate in the miraculous. When God calls, He restores. When God calls, He empowers. When God calls, He qualifies. When God calls, He defines. When God calls, He enables. With COVID-19 and all the uncertainty it brings, we see an enemy working hard to thwart, stun, and derail us from God’s plans. It is all the more important for us to keep the unity of faith and vision so that His purposes can be fulfilled in and through us. Let the faith of the past and God’s present prophetic word spur us towards the future. Let’s continue to be a people filled with a tremendous passion for God and His expansive agenda to the nations (pg 48-125). As we embark on the next 50 years and beyond, let’s do so with Courageous Faith, Relentless Tenacity, and a Renewed Vision. Let’s get ready for an exciting year ahead and believe that our tomorrows will be greater than today!
C E L E B R AT I N G FAI T H , LIVING OUT THE PROPHETIC WATCHNIGHT SERVICE 2019
B Y J E SSI E C H EW
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ON NEW YEAR’S EVE, THOUSANDS OF TRINITARIANS GATHERED AT TRINITY@PAYA LEBAR (WITH LIVE STREAMS TO TRINITY@JAKARTA AND TRINITY@BANGKOK) FOR WATCHNIGHT 2019.
From worship to videos to testimonies, we rejoiced over the many ways God has expanded our faith life. Watchnight also marked the start of a new season as we prepare to celebrate our 50th Anniversary in 2020. Before stepping into the next 50 years and beyond, Lead Pastor Dominic Yeo www led us to recall the prophetic words that were declared over this house – words that are coming to pass through our active participation in the Decade of Expansion and will continue as we live out the prophetic this year.
From worship to videos to testimonies, we rejoiced over the many ways God has expanded our faith life. ISSUE 1
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MAKING ROOM FOR GOD THROUGH P R AY E R
BY JACQUELINE CHEONG AND KING RACHEL
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WHAT IS PRAYER? FOR MOST, THE IMAGE OF A PERSON KNEELING AND CLASPING HANDS COMES TO MIND – A SOLEMN OCCASION OF BRINGING ONE’S NEEDS TO GOD. BUT IN THE BUSYNESS OF LIFE, WHO HAS THE TIME TO PRAY? WHILE PRAYER CAN SEEM COMPLICATED, RITUALISTIC, OR TIMECONSUMING – IT IS OUR OPEN LINE TO GOD, OUR DIRECT LINK TO HEAVEN. IN THIS YEAR OF LIVING OUT THE PROPHETIC, TRINITARIANS WERE CALLED TO MAKE ROOM FOR GOD THROUGH THE DISCIPLINE OF PRAYER.
FIRST PRAYER MEETING OF 2020 In this time of checking hearts and attitudes, the Sanctuary was filled with Trinitarians on January 3 submitting their hearts before the Lord. Sharing from 2 Kings 2:9-11, Pastor Dominic exhorted us to be bold in asking for a double portion of anointing, as well as the three dangers that will hinder us from living out this double portion anointing: 1. Stagnation of our faith – staying in the anointing of yesterday, building monuments instead of altars of worship 2. Gossip and careless words – words that tear down, create confusion, and bring disunity 3. Unwillingness to move forward – choosing to stay in the past instead of living in the new power of the double portion anointing
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The level of your prayer life will be the same level of your faith life! The level of your prayer life is the same level of your supernatural miraculous life! – Pastor Dominic Yeo
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The posture of prayer is like a womb giving birth to the promises of God. We don’t see it but we should continue to build that womb as we know it lives! – Rev Ong Sek Leang PRAYER CONFERENCE Is there a link between prophecy and prayer?
In one segment, Pastor Dominic called forth those who wanted to receive
Through this year’s Prayer Conference (January 30-31), we learned that the answer is a resounding “yes!” Through our conference speakers – Rev Marie Miller, Rev Ong Sek Leang, and Pastor Dominic Yeo – we gained new insight on how to pray prophetically and what is needed to receive a prophetic word from God.
a new anointing from God.
Deep calls to deep and the Holy Spirit yearns to bring us into a mode of victorious living. When we recognize our identity in God, pray with expectation and relegation, pray with persistence, and pray knowing that God is faithful, our words become powerful because we know that God can and will bring them to pass!
“God is still doing His work. He is not finished yet. He is clothing us with a new anointing,” he declared. At that moment, I experienced an awesome moment with God. Time and space seem to be at a standstill as I felt a golden fabric covering my body. Hallelujah for the new anointing! Pansy Yeo
Even at the worst moments of your life, your prayers are still ascending to heaven by the Holy Spirit, take one step at a time in faith! – Rev Marie Miller
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PROPHETIC ALIGNMENT Charged up from Prayer Conference, Trinitarians entered into five days of prayer and fasting in Prophetic Alignment (February 3-7), seeking God for breakthrough in our families, relationships, church, and nation. I was experiencing a sharp pain from my spine before I came to the prayer meeting. Seated in front of the screen of my computer, I asked myself if I could make it to the prayer meeting tonight. Then, another thought came to me telling me that I won’t want to miss out what God is doing among His people. I decided to come no matter what.
Spirits were fortified and renewed vision released as we prayed over the prophetic words that were spoken over this church – fueling us to partner with God to see His word come to pass.
During the prayer meeting, I experienced great comfort from the Lord as I pressed in to pray for healing. By the time I left the meeting, I was totally healed. Praise God for His goodness and miracle. Cruse Queck Testimonies have been edited for clarity and length. ISSUE 1
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LIVING OUT THE PROPHETIC BY LEAD PASTOR DOMINIC YEO
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What does tomorrow hold? Every person on this planet desires to know what our tomorrow holds. But as Christians, you and I can know our tomorrows because God wants to reveal His plans for us – to give us a prophetic word that reveals His heart, His ways, and assure us that He has planned our every step.
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y looking at 2 Kings 4:8-37, we discover what it takes to receive, hold on to, and live out the prophetic word in our everyday lives.
W AT C H T H E W ATC HNIG HT SERM ON HERE
THE PROPHETIC WORD, DEFINED
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Whether it’s a “now” word (forth-telling, revealing the present) or a predictive word (foretelling, speaking into the future), the Bible shows us many instances where God’s people have received a prophetic word – spontaneous, revelatory words that are inspired, anointed, and charged by the Holy Spirit. In those times, God spoke through the prophets. Today, the Holy Spirit enables us to receive prophetic words in a multitude of ways. The prophetic word can come to us like a gentle rain – gradually over an extended period of time. Other times, it can come like a shaken soda can – a fast and spontaneous revelation that arrests and apprehends us. Have you ever read Scripture and had certain words jump out at you? Or woken up with a worship song in your heart? Ever looked at an object and suddenly receive a divine revelation? What about encountering the same verse or theme repeatedly or experiencing divine coincidences? If so, these are all ways the prophetic word can be revealed to you and I.
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R ECE I V I N G T H E P R O P H E T I C W O RD : M AK E RO O M F O R GO D
Because the Shunammite woman made room for God, God answered the deepest desire of her heart. She was given a prophetic word – a word that turned her barren situation around with the promise of life.
8 One day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he stopped there to eat. 9 The woman said to her husband, ““I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God God. 10 Let’s make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us us.” – 2 Kings 4:8-10
[Elisha] said to his servant Gehazi, “Call the Shunammite.” So he called her, and she stood before him. 13 Elisha said to him, “Tell her, ‘You have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can be done for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the you king or the commander of the army? ’” She replied, “I have a home among my own people.” 12
“What can be done for her?” Elisha asked. Gehazi said, “She has no son, and her husband is old.” 15 Then Elisha said, “Call her.” So he called her, and she stood in the doorway. 16 “About this time next year,” Elisha said, “you will hold a son in your arms arms.” “No, my lord!” she objected. “Please, man of God, don’t mislead your servant!” 17 But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her her. – 2 Kings 4:12-17 14
In recognizing Elisha as God’s representative, the Shunammite woman wanted more than a visitation from the Lord – she wanted a holy habitation. Her desire for God was so strong that she created room for Him. Notice how Elisha responded to her devotion – he asked: “what can be done for you?” (verse 13) Usually, we are the ones asking God to do things for us. In this instance, God was handing the Shunammite woman a blank check! Every time we make room for God, we position ourselves for a miracle. Every time we make room for God, we position ourselves for an answered prayer. Every time we make room for God, we position ourselves for a supernatural intervention.
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Every time we make room for God, there will always be space for God’s prophetic word. And to make room for God, it starts by developing a hunger and passion for Him. With so many things demanding our time, it’s easy to become so absorbed in our work, in our studies, and in our personal lives that we forget to make room for Jesus.
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Friends, don’t let the busyness of life rob God’s prophetic word from you. In this year of living out the prophetic, keep building your Word, prayer, Spirit, and faith life. Keep making room for God so that there’s a fresh revelation in your life!
T HE P OW E R OF T HE P RO P HE TI C W O RD Prophetic words are powerful because they create an awareness of God – a realization and confirmation that God is in our midst. Far from being distant or uncaring, God uses this divine tool to nurture, nourish, or challenge an existing worldview – demonstrating His desire to change lives and transform situations.
God uses prophetic words to demonstrate His desire to change lives and transform situations.
ONE PROPHETIC WORD FROM GOD can transform your life.
Beyond a personal prophetic word there are corporate prophetic words for us as a church.
can put us back on track. can set us up for the rest of our lives.
Revelations that God is with us and is leading us forward.
can break the bondage of poverty.
Revelations that cultivate in us a Kingdom worldview.
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can impart purpose.
can strengthen.
Revelations that instruct us in the way to go.
can let others know that God is present.
As we enter into the fourth year of the Decade of Expansion and Trinity’s 50th Anniversary – it’s time to remember the many prophetic words that have been spoken over this house.
will result in open heavens. will usher us into the supernatural life.
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P R O P H E T I C W O RD S SPOKEN OVER TR I N I T Y
SILVER FORCE There’s new apostolic strategy and restructuring coming to accomplish this job. And now bring in the warriors. Men and women of renown. Men and women that have got years of experience. And God has trained some of you in the business world to get ready to work with people, to work with purposes, to work with destinies, and to work with jobs.
DECADE OF EXPANSION You’re going to see people come into the Kingdom. And as a result of the growth that God is going to give you, you’ve got to expand.
REV BILL HAMON FEBRUARY 27, 2000
You are going to send missionaries in the form of business leaders.
I believe that God is orchestrating these things because He is preparing you for a great harvest.
REV CINDY JACOBS JUNE 24, 2001
And so, God says, “Listen. It’s time for expansion!” REV CHE AHN FEBRUARY 20, 2000
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And the Lord says, “I am going to give this church not one warehouse but warehouses.” For I hear the word – property, property, property.
MOVEMENT OF CHURCHES God showed me a seed box, a seed pod like a pea. And He said, “You’ve got a church filled with church planters.” And the seed pod is so tight now with those seeds wanting to fly out, and it’s just bursting at the seams.
And the Lord says, “I made you the head and not the tail. And from this place will go an anointing that will touch Indonesia, touch the Philippines, touch Malaysia.
And God says, "It’s time to release a number of ministries to a number of nations now."
For I am going to bring one of the greatest missions-sending anointing from this church."
I want to tell you, the timing is now. I want to tell you, there is a number of nations that you need to plant into in quick succession in the Spirit, and not just Asia.
You are expanding for the sake of the harvest.
There’s coming an acceleration in the Spirit to this church. And brakes are not part of the mechanism.
The best protection is the unity of vision.
But you cannot see it in terms of saying, let’s just buy another facility. You have to see it in terms of souls. The bottom-line is souls. We want to see as many souls get saved in Singapore and then establish a base right here to go to the nations.
REV KERRY SOUTHEY JUNE 10, 1998
This is a missionary church. This is an Antioch Church.
A big church like this one, as you push and give birth, should come forth another big church.
And I tell you, Get ready. Get your bags packed. Get ready because God is going to launch, because the Spirit is going to say, “Set apart so and so.”
Many, many churches are to come forth from this church. From this church can come a thousand more churches.
And after ministering to the Lord in prayer and fasting, people are going to be launched out all over the world.
REV DAG HEWARD-MILLS JUNE 6, 2019
REV CHE AHN FEBRUARY 20, 2000
If you are still ignorant after 20 years in the Lord, then you are in sin.
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REV CINDY JACOBS JUNE 24, 2001
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IPTV I am going to provide the best technology.
CHILD EVANGELIST
I am going to open a door to communication that is shut. And that includes television and radio.
I see children worshipping God. I am going to build the children center so that children can be trained.
And the Lord says, “I want you to think higher because I want to give you satellite communications.”
And the Lord says, “I am going to bring a great revival of My Spirit to the youth of this church. And they are going to affect the schools of the land. For there will be a day when I am going to sweep by My Spirit through the secondary schools of this land.”
REV CINDY JACOBS JUNE 24, 2001
I felt God said to me that He is going to grace you in media. It is not just here in Singapore, prime doors of opportunities will be opened to send message from this House of God by means of television to many other nations. And particularly to nations that have restricted access.
REV CINDY JACOBS JUNE 24, 2001
New leaders will be young.
They will hear the Word of the Lord coming from you and it will be like they were in your House receiving the vision and the inspiration.
New leaders are going to be vibrant, dynamic. REV KERRY SOUTHEY JUNE 10, 1998
REV DAVID CARTLEDGE DECEMBER 2, 2000
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The unearthing of these prophetic words have brought new clarity to where God is leading us.
LEADING VOICE IN THE PENTECOSTAL MOVEMENT
In the first three years of the Decade of Expansion, Trinity has opened five regional centers in three countries, sent out our first church plant, and expanded service timings four times. Never in our history have we moved so fast. In fact, the leadership desperately wanted to slow down but we were unable to.
This church is to be an apostolic-prophetic church with keys of revelation knowledge, keys of breaking into nations, keys for releasing the anointing, keys for touching souls, keys for establishing God’s kingdom. And God’s going to give you keys to the Kingdom. God has raised this church up for His Church.
Now, we finally understood why so many doors were opening to Trinity. God had already spoken growth, acceleration, and quick succession into this church. His Kingdom is forcefully advancing and brakes are not part of the mechanism!
God is giving you a new strategy, apostolic strategy, apostolic structure, apostolic relationship, and apostolic insight to be able to affect God’s purposes.
Securing the land at Choa Chu Kang is really God’s favor upon us to build storehouses for the great harvest that He is giving to us.
Warriors from other tribes, from other denominations, from other associations, from other areas coming in and say you have got the apostolic, you have got the prophetic, you know how to equip, you have got warfare praise, you know how to release the anointing, you know how to touch the nation.
When God speaks, it is with the purpose of bringing us – all of us – to action. When we receive God’s prophetic word, we must do more than listen – we must align our hearts and act.
REV BILL HAMON FEBRUARY 27, 2000
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This year, you and I must become people of action by living out God’s prophetic word in and through our lives.
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LI VI N G OUT TH E P R O P H E T I C W O RD When a prophetic word is released, it’s tempting to dismiss or reject it because we don’t understand the word, it seems so incredulous, or it requires too much from us. Like the Shunammite woman’s response in verse 16 (“‘No, my lord!’ she objected. ‘Please, man of God, don’t mislead your servant!’”), we can quickly rationalize our way out of breakthrough and blessing. But if God has spoken, then we must dare to get behind what He’s saying, for when the prophetic word comes, we will see the beginning of a miracle. And as we celebrate the birth of a miracle, we can’t stop there. You and I must continue walking in the prophetic so that we will see our miracle come to full fruition. Since becoming Lead Pastor in 2005, it was important for me to seek and release God’s prophetic word for the church at every
Watchnight Service. And as we walked in God’s prophetic word for the season, I see how He has prepared us for the Decade of Expansion, building faith upon faith, line upon line, and foundation upon foundation. From launching the Trinitarian Experience (2006), blessing the community during the 2009 financial crisis (2010), coming together for God Encounter Meetings (2013), and embarking on the #Jubilee50K Challenge (2015), these endeavors were not the work of man, nor were they man’s striving for success. Instead, the fruition of God’s prophetic word is the very life of our destiny. From the time that Rev Kerry spoke to the time we entered
Trinity’s Prophetic Words (2006 – 2020)
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into the Decade of Expansion in 2017, we were about to hit the 20-year mark. It is truly by God’s grace that we were kept from living in sin.
You and I must continue walking in the prophetic so that we will see our miracle come to full fruition.
But I also see it another way: when the prophetic word comes, God will give His people time to be aligned and prepare for the full manifestation of the word. Every time the prophetic word bears fruit, you and I come one step closer to our destiny. In the process of receiving and living out the prophetic word, there will be challenges. As we receive revelation from God, there is someone else who is aware of the revelation – an adversary who will do whatever it takes to keep the fullness of the prophetic word from coming to pass. To keep the enemy from stealing, killing, and destroying what has been given to us, there are three things we must have to live out the prophetic in 2020 and beyond.
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COURAGEOUS FAITH The child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers. 19 He said to his father, “My head! My head!” His father told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20 After the servant had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until died 21 She went up and noon, and then he died. laid him on the bed of the man of God God, then shut the door and went out out. – 2 Kings 4:18-21 18
Courageous faith is never meant to be buried but it’s meant to be displayed. When the Shunammite woman’s son died in her arms, she didn’t bury him. In those days, it was customary to bury the dead within 24 hours because the hot climate and lack of refrigeration would speed up a body’s decomposition. Instead of burying the body, she laid him upon Elisha’s bed and set off to find the prophet. By going against the customs of the time, the Shunammite woman demonstrated courageous faith.
children. When the teacher asks, “What is two plus two?” the children with the least confidence will respond quietly while the most confident children will wave their hands and shout “four!” If you read the Shunammite woman’s response to Gehazi’s questions (“Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?”), she said that, “everything is all right.” Her response was a declaration of faith. She could have unloaded her grief unto Gehazi, but she professed courageous faith in her reply – “Everything is all right” (verse 26).
She wasn’t afraid that the body would begin decomposing as she left to find Elisha. She knew her son was a promise from God and she was confident that only God (through the man of God) was going to be able to turn this around.
There will be times when God’s prophetic word seems to die with no chance for any restoration. The Shunammite woman and her husband was old (verse 14). Old means old. Old means humanly impossible to have another child. But she was not going to be robbed of God’s promise for her life.
Courageous faith is a strong and confident faith. When your faith is strong, you will have no issues showing it. Whereas a hidden faith is weak faith. What do I mean by this? We see this principle so evidently in our
In the same way, some of you might struggle to profess faith in your situation because you can’t see how the promise of God will come to pass.
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Or perhaps you received the promise and started off well, but things didn’t quite work out along the way. Today, God wants you to arise in courageous faith, to declare faith in your situation. Don’t let the enemy rob you of the breakthroughs and blessings that have already been set aside for you. Don’t let what seems impossible limit the work of a God who can make all things possible. Hold on to the truth that when He says it, that settles it! When you are tempted to let the prophetic word go, keep holding on! Dare to cling with courageous faith so that you can experience what God wants to do in you, through you, for you, and for the church.
RELENTLESS TENACITY She called her husband and said, ““Please send me one of the servants and a donkey so I can go to the man of God quickly and return return.” 23 “Why go to him today?” he asked. “It’s not the New Moon or the Sabbath.” “That’s all right,” she said. 22
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She saddled the donkey and said to her “ servant, “Lead on; don’t slow down for me you 25 So she set out and unless I tell you.” Carmel came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. When he saw her in the distance, the man of God said to his servant Gehazi, “Look! There’s the Shunammite! 24
Run to meet her and ask her, ‘‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?’” “Everything is all right right,” she said. 26
When she reached the man of God at feet the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone! She is in bitter distress, but the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me why.” – 2 Kings 4:22-27 27
After the Shunammite woman laid her son down on Elisha’s bed, the next thing she did was to look for the prophet (verses 22). She set out to find him, not knowing where he was to be found. He could have been anywhere! In those days before GPS and mobile phones were invented, it would be almost impossible to find Elisha. But she was relentless. She knew only the man of God had the answer to her situation. The way she set out for Elisha reminds me of Jeremiah 29:13-14. God promises that He will be found if we seek Him with all our heart. By making room for Elisha, by making room for God in our lives, He will be found in our situation.
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The word tenacity means never giving up. Holding on. Persevering until the very end. When you have relentless tenacity, it will display itself in great humility. The first thing the Shunammite woman did when she saw Elisha was to take hold of his feet (verse 27). In the days before the common use of shoes, the feet were dirtiest part of his body. But her response reminds us that in spite of our situations – no matter how messy, dirty, painful they are – we need to hold on to God and not let go. Jacob is another example of relentless tenacity. After spending the night wrestling with God (Genesis 32:24-28), not even a dislocated hip could compel Jacob to let go until he got the blessing of the Lord (“I will not let You go unless You bless me”). Relentless tenacity is about holding on until the miracle comes. Some of us pray for five minutes and give up. We need to have greater tenacity in our lives if we are going to live out the prophetic word. When everything around you is melting down, hang in there. Don’t give up!
We need to have greater tenacity in our lives if we are going to live out the prophetic word.
Years ago when I was part of a healing crusade in Central Java, a woman with the most distorted facial features came to the altar for prayer. Her eyes, nose, and mouth were on one side of her face. After we prayed for her, she came onto the stage to testify of her healing but everyone could see that her face remained distorted. This continued for the next two nights. When we traveled to the second and third town, there she was seeking prayer and coming up to
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the front to testify that she has been healed. By this point, we were reluctant to give her the microphone. But on the final night of the healing crusade, this woman’s relentless tenacity spurred the entire team to pray for her. Her relentless tenacity to believe engaged our faith and apprehended Heaven’s attention for a miracle. Instantly, her eyes, nose, and mouth shifted to their rightful place. Relentless tenacity is pressing in regardless of the bad news. When I was ministering in Barranquilla, I saw a lady with a downcast face, approached her, and declared that she would have life. Unknown to me, she had suffered four miscarriages, the fourth one happened the day before I met her. The doctor told her she would never be able to have a child. When we went back a year later, the hosting pastor was eager to share with us that that same lady I prayed for to have life has given birth to a healthy baby!
No matter how painful it is, hold on. No matter how bleak it looks, hold on. No matter how long it has been, hold on!
RENEWED VISION “Did I ask you for a son, my lord?” she said. “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t raise my hopes’?” 29 Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my staff in your hand and run. Don’t greet anyone you meet, and if anyone greets you, do not answer. Lay my staff on the boy’s face.” 30 But the child’s mother said, ““As As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you you.” So he got up and followed her. 28
Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response. So Gehazi went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy has not awakened.” 32 When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch. 33 He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the Lord. 31
Then he got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out on him, the boy’s body grew warm warm. 35 Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out on him once more. The boy eyes sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. 34
A prophetic word that God has given to us never dies. It’s active and living.
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Living out the prophetic means we need to take hold of God’s word with courageous faith and relentless tenacity.
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Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite.” And he did. When she came, he said, “Take your son.” 37 She came in, fell at his feet and bowed to the ground. Then she took her son and went out out. – 2 Kings 4:28-37 36
A renewed vision is the power of the prophetic vision. Only when we can see what God sees do we come into alignment with God’s plans. In verse 28, the Shunammite woman lamented that Elisha had raised up her hopes. As she held on to him, she began to have a renewed understanding. In verse 30, as she declared “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you,” she was prepared to have whatever God has for her – with or without that child. A renewed vision enabled her to move from accusation to acceptance, from anger to alignment, and from despondency to dedication. As we wait for God’s prophetic word to be fulfilled, we will encounter people who seek to take our focus off of God. While some will be naysayers, other well-meaning ones will offer to “help” by providing human solutions. When God renews our vision, we must be careful not to be distracted. Just as Elisha told Gehazi not to greet anyone on the way to the Shunammite woman’s house (verse 29), you and I must also be resolute to focus our eyes on God rather than allow our heads to turn to the right or to the left.
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A renewed vision requires us to see beyond the natural. When Gehazi’s attempt at resurrection seemed to fail (verse 31), he simply went back to Elisha and reported that “the boy has not awakened.” When Elisha arrived on scene, he shut the door on both of them. He kept distractions out and prayed. On his first attempt, the boy’s body grew warm. Not willing to only have a warmed body, he stretched out once more and the child came back to life (verse 35). Finally, a renewed vision moves us forward. When the Shunammite woman’s son came back to life, the narrative ends with her taking him out of the room (verse 37) – very likely to continue on with their daily life and their devotion to God. A renewed vision renews hope and restores purpose. But that can only happen when we focus on God and see beyond the natural circumstances.
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What prophetic words are you believing for to come to pass? What part will you play in fulfilling God’s prophetic words for this church?
What prophetic words are you believing for to come to pass? What part will you play in fulfilling God’s prophetic words for this church? Don’t miss out on what God wants to do through this church and through your life. Don’t miss out on the new things He wants to do in this season. Make room for God. Let there be a habitation of God’s presence in your life. As you understand what God has called us to do as a church in this Decade of Expansion, let’s be believers who operate in the prophetic. It’s time to arise in courageous faith to believe in the promises of God – both on a personal and corporate level. Dare to put your faith on display! Shout it out loud, declare faith in place of fear or disappointment. It’s time to hold on with relentless tenacity. Expansion is hard work, we are waging war on the enemy. It will get messy – but we got to hold on until we see the fulfillment of God’s prophetic word. It’s time to operate in the power of a renewed vision. Don’t let the noises distract you. Don’t let reality limit you. If we are going to move in the supernatural, we are going to need to operate in the supernatural. Let’s start living out the prophetic today!
PASTOR DOM INIC Y EO is the Lead Pastor of Trinity Christian Centre.
Follow him on social media at PDomYeo Hear this message and others at www.trinity.sg (Watch > Sermons) or on the Trinity app.
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F R OM L IV E S R E F IR E D AN D R E N E W E D. THESE ARE SOME TESTIMONIES OF THOSE WHOSE LIVES WERE REKINDLED AND RENEWED AT WATCHNIGHT 2019!
King Rachel I was so impacted by 2019 Watchnight service! Hearing the different prophecies spoken over Trinity and seeing so many have started coming to pass really left me amazed at what God is doing through Trinity. Having been in the IGNYTE ministry for the past 16 odd years – from a youth to an adult leader – I’ve seen the landscape of Trinity's youth ministry change so much. When we hosted the Colors concert, I realized that indeed God is moving us to where we have prophesized us to be. And even greater things have yet to come – an acceleration without brakes! Just thinking of that can be scary because 2019 had already been quite a stretching year for me. Yet, Pastor Dominic's message encouraged me. I can’t let the struggles of 2019 stop me from receiving the prophetic word that God is going to work in me, through me and for me.
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This is my prayer for 2020 – to have a courageous faith, a relentless tenacity, and a renewed vision. I will continue to sow into the lives of the next generation as an IGNYTE leader and I will continue to serve God in building His House and His Kingdom. Nyon Yit An This year’s Watchnight message has spoken to me much more than I had anticipated. Hearing the prophesies and seeing the timeline of how it all unfolded, particularly on how God prepared Trinity to step into the Decade of Expansion, has given me a strong conviction that God does not go back on His promises and what He has spoken will come to pass. I’m encouraged to hold on to the promises and visions that I have received but brushed aside because I thought they were too good to be true. I now have a renewed faith to trust God for the seemingly impossible,
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and to persevere and stay the course no matter how difficult it is. I’m confident that as I walk closely with God, His plans for me will come to pass for His glory. Vera Leong 2020 is a year to live out faith and a renewed vision. I’m trusting God to write His story for me as He unfolds His plans. I plan to continue to be faithful in His assignment and prepare myself for the plans of God. Elise Lim 2020 is a significant year because it will be my first year in junior college (JC). Hearing stories of how tough JC is, I was afraid of being caught up such that I lose sight of God or do not have time for God. When Pastor Dominic shared during Watchnight about the Shunammite woman, I prayed I’ll have a relentless tenacity to keep holding on to God, no matter how tough school life is. I realize I cannot go
through this by myself; I need God. And as I hold on to Him, I know He will hold on to me.
follow. I’m excited to see the various territories Trinity will claim for His Kingdom!
In 2020, I pray for a greater hunger for God. I want to make room for God to move in and through my life, to pray for my family and friends, and to see salvation happen in my school.
Azaria Sih The Shunammite woman who made room for Elisha was self-initiated. Listening to the Watchnight message gave me that thrust to be intentional about making room for God. I feel that 2020 is going to be a year of much change but I know when I make room for God, He will provide the time and space to navigate changes successfully.
Rio Sheum The Watchnight message showed me how God has plans to prosper us and He always delivers. Whatever promise and vision He gave, it was true. In this Decade of Expansion, I plan to be more courageous in inviting my friends to church and sharing the Gospel. Christine Wu It was amazing to see how the Decade of Expansion aligns with prophetic messages the church has received over the years. God reminded me that this is His vision for the church and all we need to do is to be obedient and to
Leonard Chua When I heard the declarations made over Trinity and how we have progressed in them, I praise God for the work He is doing through this church. It reminded me that our labour will ultimately reap a harvest of souls. As we move in faith in this Decade of Expansion, I believe that God will guide our hearts and minds and continue to show us the way forward. Testimonies have been edited for clarity and length.
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MAKING ROOM FOR GOD RECEIVING A PROPHETIC WORD STARTS BY MAKING ROOM FOR GOD. READ ON TO SEE HOW YOU CAN INCLUDE GOD IN YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE.
FIRST THINGS FIRST Plot your life, day by day and hour by hour. Then step back and assess where you spend your time. Have you become too busy? Too distracted? Has spending time with God stopped being a priority? Recognize the struggles and distractions. Is life too cluttered with activities? Are you engaged in activities for the sake of passing time? Then, consider places where you can make room for God. Treat your time with Him like any other appointment. Mark it in your calendar, communicate it to your family (or others around you), and commit to stick to it.
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AS AN INDIVIDUAL
• Use a newspaper to pray through current events.
PRAYER
• Stretch your prayer muscle! Mark in your calendar dedicated times for prayer. Use specific Bible verses or tools (e.g., the five-finger prayer) to guide your words.
• Ask God questions during prayer o What do You want me to learn (or do) this season? o How do You want me to respond to a situation?
• Start the morning by starting your spirit! Take the first few moments of the day to pray in tongues. • Use pockets of time to pray – during commutes, while exercising, or while doing chores. • Join in corporate prayer through Church Prayer Meeting (every first Wednesday night) or Pre-Service Prayer (15 minutes before service). • Pray for the church by joining P365!
• Before any endeavor (e.g., meetings, exams, conversations), seek the Lord. Ask Him to guide your thoughts and words. Pray for peace and wisdom. WORSHIP
• Create (or tap on to) Christian playlists to listen to throughout the day.
To sign up, send an SMS to 79777 in the following format: P365<space>NRIC (e.g., P365 S1234567B)
• Take time to reflect on Christian song lyrics. Consider what they say about God and respond in prayer.
The day before mobilization, we will send an SMS with a link to the prayer pointers.
• Mark in your calendar dedicated times for Time Alone With God (TAWG). Start small – e.g., 20 minutes – and add on.
WORD
• Set aside pockets of time to pray for specific people in your life. Ask God to give you prophetic words that you can bless them with! • Use mealtimes as opportunities to pray and fast. Click here for a resource on fasting.
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• Join a prayer group at work or school (or dare to start one!)
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o What prophetic word do You have for my life?
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If you are too tired to do TAWG at night, consider doing your TAWG in the morning. Find breakfast places where you can shut in with God.
Use resources to enrich your TAWG, such as commentaries or Kay Arthur’s book, How to Study Your Bible.
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• Reflect through the discipline of journaling. Record revelations and reflections on verses that “pop out” during TAWG.
• Bolster your spiritual disciplines! Get started by reading these books.
• Meditate on verses during commutes, breaks, or other pauses in the day. • Grow in your Word Life by signing up for Trinity Academy courses. See upcoming courses and sign up by clicking here.
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• Use pockets of time to listen to an audio bible or Christian podcasts. • Commit to reading Christian books. Start with one a month and build from there. ACTIONS
• Grow with a spiritual family by joining a Connect Group! • Look for opportunities to testify of God’s goodness with friends, family, and even complete strangers! • Serve in a Ministry Expression. Discover all the ways you can serve and sign up by clicking here.
Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster Disciplines of the Holy Spirit, Tan Siang Yang and Douglas Gregg
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• Cultivate the habit of reflecting on your day – how it went, what was done, and how things could be better. Give thanks for good moments, and give negative moments/emotions to Him. • In every situation, ask God-centered questions before acting. o What do You want me to learn? o How should I respond? o What should I do? • In the busyness of life, learn to slow down. o Take walks with the purpose of communing with God. o Observe the world around you. Ask God what you can learn from what you see and hear.
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• Shut out the world and shut in with God by going on a personal retreat.
AS A FAMILY
• Look at your finances and intentionally budget for tithing/giving.
Establish a family altar – dedicated times where the family learns about, talks about, and seeks God together.
• Replace something in your nighttime routine to reflect on your morning TAWG.
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Click here to find out more about family altars
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REAL LIFE MIRACLES
LOVE RESTORED B Y L Y E H U IX IA N
WHEN A DESTRUCTIVE LIFESTYLE THREATENED TO END KEVIN FOO AND LYNN ONG’S MARRIAGE, GOD’S PROPHETIC WORD GAVE THIS COUPLE THE HOPE THEY NEEDED TO PURSUE RESTORATION.
A MARRIAGE ON THE ROCKS Kevin: Drinking, smoking, clubbing. What started with curiosity and hanging out with friends in my teenage years became a lifestyle for the next three decades. Even after I married Lynn in 2011, my destructive lifestyle continued. I would be in the clubs until 5:00am and would return home drunk almost every night. Lynn: I was very unhappy with Kevin’s lifestyle. He promised to change when I became pregnant. But even after I gave birth to our son Lucas in 2013, Kevin continued in these vices. We quarreled over this incessantly and even fought physically. Kevin: The constant quarreling only made me unhappier. I drank even more and even turned to other women. In a bid for thrill and quick money, gambling soon became another addiction. Because of that, I incurred a huge pile of debts.
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Lynn: Besides taking care of Lucas on my own, I also had to help pay off Kevin’s debts. In desperation, I ran from one bank to another to pay off another bank’s loan. At one point, seven banks were coming after me for repayment. This went on for more than two years. The endless debts and constant quarrels started to suffocate me. I felt so hopeless about our marriage and our lives. Nobody seemed to be able to help us. Hoping to bring an end to the unhappiness, I asked Kevin to leave our home and filed for separation in November 2014. But I only felt more unhappy and broken. Most of all, I felt like I had failed our son. I was sad that we couldn’t give him a complete and happy family. Three months later, Kevin came back begging for my forgiveness. My mother-in-law also pleaded with me to spare a thought for our son. For Lucas’ sake, I relented by giving Kevin another chance.
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BREAKING POINT, BREAKTHROUGH MOMENTS Lynn: Initially, Kevin seemed to make some effort to change, but soon slid back into his old lifestyle. When I discovered that I was pregnant with our second child, I also found that his extra-marital affairs had not stopped. I wanted an abortion. How could I have another child with such a husband? During this dark time, God brought rays of hope into my life. Besides sending a close childhood friend (Jaslyn) to talk me out of abortion, one of my customers noticed my unhappiness and brought me to her church. During the service, the pastor told me that God knew all that I had gone through and all the tears that I had shed. She declared that my sons would do great things. She also encouraged me to focus on God rather than my circumstances and to bring up my sons well. It was then that I realized I had to come back to God. Though I had prayed to receive Jesus as a teenager, I had not been to church for a while. On Jaslyn’s invitation, I started to attend Trinity’s services and Connect Group meetings.
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I felt so hopeless about our marriage and our lives. Nobody seemed to be able to help us.
I also started praying for Kevin to change. I asked God to give me the strength to focus on Him instead of my problems. In time, God prompted me to change my prayers – I asked God to change me instead. I started to pray, read my Bible, and attend Trinity Academy classes to build up my knowledge of God. My Connect Group encouraged me to trust God instead of focusing on how hopeless the situation seemed. Peace and comfort began to fill my heart.
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CHANGES NOTICED, CHANGES MADE
I did not even know myself. And He was calling me to trust Him.
Kevin: I felt useless as a husband and father. Unable to help myself out of my addictions and debts, I fell into depression.
The following week, I came back to church and gave my life to Jesus during the altar call. Yet, I was not keen on attending Connect Group. Why should I force myself to meet week after week with people of different characters, personalities, and backgrounds?
In these dark moments, I began to observe Lynn’s changing behavior. In the past, we couldn’t have a conversation without quarreling. Now instead of arguing or being aggressive, she would go into the room to pray. She had this look of peace and even joy.
Thankfully, Jaslyn and Ben pressed on. Whenever Lynn and I had problems, they were there to support and encourage us.
What was happening to my wife? One Sunday morning in December 2016, I felt the urge to visit Lynn’s church. Something inside was saying there was a message for me. I asked Lynn to bring me to Trinity. Lynn: I was shocked by Kevin’s request. Jaslyn and Ben (her husband) had been inviting us to church for years. Each time, Kevin would make excuses not to go, or go reluctantly but be restless during service.
Ben even “dared” me to give God a chance by attending Connect Group for six months. Since he had just become the Connect Leader, I agreed as a way of supporting him – just as he had supported Lynn and me. To my surprise, I felt myself growing to a new level of faith. Something in me wanted to please God and not myself or others. I attended Spiritual Parenting class and church camp to learn more about Jesus.
Kevin: The sermon felt like God’s personal message to me. I felt a peace that I had never felt before – I felt God trying to embrace me.
I also started inviting oikos to church. That’s when I resolved to turn my life around. I couldn’t tell them about Jesus while continuing my old habits. They needed to see how Christ had changed my life.
God knew what I had been doing. He knew my desires and struggles. I was never one to share details about my life, even to friends I considered my “brothers,” but God was telling me that He knew me in a way that
I stopped drinking, smoking, and gambling. Whenever I felt the urge to smoke again, I would pray. By God’s grace, the urge would go away. I didn’t even have withdrawal symptoms!
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God has truly restored our marriage and our family.
A FAMILY AND MARRIAGE RESTORED Lynn: Kevin and I also went for marriage counseling in Trinity and resolved a lot of misunderstandings. We learned to put God at the center of our marriage and to give in to each other out of love. I also started to see changes in Lucas. In the past, he was often very emotional. When Kevin and I quarreled, he would tearfully plead for us to stop.
Parenting class, and the teamwork of our Connect Group, we have seen seven friends give their lives to Jesus. I was baptized after a year in Trinity. Last year, we cheered on four friends and two Connect Group members who went through baptism. Praise God! In the past, I had no direction or purpose. I felt depressed and lonely, even when I was surrounded by people.
After Kevin and I started to grow in Christ, I noticed that Lucas was much happier. Even his teacher noticed his changing disposition. Lucas told her that he was praying for his family and would ask her to pray for him!
Now I know that God is with me. I can talk to Him every day. I am a much happier person now, knowing the destiny that God has for me. I can do good works for God and bring others to know Him.
Kevin: God has truly restored our marriage and family.
I hope to see more of our friends and family experience the transformation of life with Jesus!
God has used our experience to reach out to friends in similar situations. Using the skills learned in Spiritual
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REAL LIFE MIRACLES
LOVE M U LT I P L I E D B Y L Y E H U IX IA N
WHEN DIVORCE SEEMED LIKE THE ONLY OPTION FOR PREM FELIX AND HERCHELLE VALENTINA, A SERIES OF PROPHETIC WORDS WAS THE KEY TO UNLOCKING BLESSING AFTER BLESSING.
WHEN DREAMS AND REALITY COLLIDE Herchelle: After marrying Felix in June 2011, I believed that my fairy tale life had started. But, it didn’t take long after marriage for reality to hit me. I was so used to being pampered by my father that having to shoulder “adult responsibilities” in my own household came as a shock and stress. Unlike our fun courtship days, I discovered that Felix and I were poles apart in our personalities and daily habits. What’s more, we hardly had time for each other in the busyness of work and life. What little time we had together was spent quarrelling over the most mundane matters. Each time we argued, we would end up in a “cold war” for days. We refused to talk to one another. Instead, we would sweep all our issues under the carpet.
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When every quarrel became more heated than the last, they only served as a reminder of everything that was left unresolved. As Christians, we knew that God had brought us together for a purpose. But what could this purpose be when we were so unhappy in this marriage? Felix: I have always liked children and looked forward to having them. But Herchelle was reluctant. To her, a child would be another huge responsibility and she was concerned that our unhappy marriage would affect the child. This became another issue that we would fight over, and all these quarrels were pulling us further and further apart. In early 2018, we could finally agree on one thing – the need for divorce. Herchelle: I shared with my Connect Leader that I wanted to step down from leadership, file divorce papers, and return to India. She encouraged me and arranged for us to go for marriage counseling with our
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Area Pastor, who identified our different problems and taught us how to resolve them. She also helped us see the true meaning of marriage and gave us practical ways to resolve our differences. Felix: It was around this time when Pastor Joseph Tan preached a message on marriage. He emphasized how we must give up certain unimportant things in life to spend time with our spouses. This was when we realized that we had allowed the busyness of life to distract us from what really mattered.
marriage. I began to enjoy married life! Most importantly, we started to seek God as a family. In my quiet time, I also read from Genesis about the life of Abraham and how he built his faith. It was then God opened my eyes to the importance of having a child.
God spoke to us through this timely message and we did not consider divorce (or even separation) again. Instead, we decided to work on our marriage.
THE PROMISE OF FRUITFULNESS
Herchelle: By learning how to communicate with one another, our marriage improved tremendously. I learned to let down my barrier of distrust and submit to my husband. Rather than seeing what we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have, I began to see the good things in our
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I believed that my fairy tale life had started.
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Felix: In January 2019, God promised us that our seven years of wilderness were over. In the eighth year of marriage (a number that signifies completeness), God promised that He would give us a child â&#x20AC;&#x201C; our heir in the Decade of Expansion! Yet, expanding our family seemed impossible. All this time, Herchelle had
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Do not give up on one another. Entrust your relationship to God because He will not give up on you.
not been able to conceive. But we would not let the facts affect our faith. During my quiet time, God led me to Deuteronomy 15:1-2. It was His reminder that we had entered into a season of grace and fulfillment in our marriage. I held onto this Word by faith. At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. 2 This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite. They shall not require payment from anyone among their own people, because the Lord’s time for canceling debts has been proclaimed. DEUTERONOMY 15:1-2 1
the same thing! Herchelle and I fasted and prayed for a week in expectation for what was to come. Deep inside, I knew that God will bless her womb within the month.
PROMISE FULFILLED Herchelle: In February, I missed my period. Scared of being disappointed, I was not ready to do a pregnancy test. But that weekend, Pastor Dominic preached a message on believing God and prayed for those who needed a miracle in the next 48 hours. Putting my fears aside, I decided to do the pregnancy test the next morning. The test was positive!
Instead of pursuing fertility treatments and relying on ourselves, we believed that we would not have to strive for a child. When people asked us whether we had children, instead of saying “no,” we would reply “not yet.”
Felix: On October 10, 2019, Herchelle gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Jeshurun Samuel. Jeshurun means “honest and upright” – a name God used for Israel. God had revealed this name to my mother-in-law two years ago during a time of fasting and prayer.
God also sent people to speak prophetic words into our lives. A friend from the choir shared that we would have a child – a baby boy. Another friend whom we had not been in touch with for five years called to share
Herchelle: Like Samuel, God revealed to me that our child should serve in the house of God. I did not tell Felix about this revelation, but when he prayed and sought God for our child, he got the same confirmation!
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Felix: God told us that He has great plans for our son. Because of this, we desire for him to grow up in the presence of God, serving God in all circumstances. This started by being godly examples for him. Besides bringing him to church every weekend (something we started when he was three weeks old), Herchelle and I have our Time Alone With God every morning so that he sees the need to seek God first. Herchelle continues to be a leader in the Connect Group and I continue to serve in Creative Ministry. And whenever Jeshurun Samuel is called, we are prepared to release him to do Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work. Herchelle: For those struggling in their marriage, I encourage you not to give up on one another. Entrust your relationship to God because He will not give up on you. Just as He brought us to remember the covenant of marriage and sustained us through His people, He desires to do the same in your marriage. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. JOSHUA 24:15
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Believe that He is a God of reconciliation. Dare to hold on to His promises and believe your household can glorify the Lord!
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50 MISSIONS:TRINITY’S FOUNDATION AND CORNERSTONE LEAD PASTOR’S MISSIONS MESSAGE 52 SMALL IN NUMBERS, BIG IN FAITH TRINITY’S FIRST MISSIONS CONVENTION 54 EMPTY ENOUGH FOR A MIRACLE TRINITY’S FIRST EVANGELISTIC MISSIONS TRIP 56 TILLING THE GROUND TRINITY’S FIRST HUMANITARIAN MISSIONS TRIP
MISSIONS SPECIAL
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AN OVERVIEW OF TRINITY'S MISSIONS ENDEAVORS FROM JANUARY-DECEMBER 2019
58 THE LEADERSHIP CHURCH TRINITY’S MANDATE FOR DISCIPLING THE NATIONS 62
TRINITY’S MISSIONS ENDEAVORS BEING GOD’S HANDS, FEET, AND HEART
64 REACHING THE WORLD, DISCIPLING THE NATIONS A LOCAL CHURCH WITH GLOBAL IMPACT 66 MISSIONS AT A GLANCE STATISTICS FOR JANUARY-DECEMBER 2019 66
MISSIONS REPORT 2019 A HIGHLIGHT OF TRINITY’S MISSIONS ENDEAVORS FROM JANUARY-DECEMBER 2019
70 FAITH TO GO, FAITH TO GROW TRINITY@BANGKOK 74 CONNECTING, DISCIPLING, AND THRIVING TRINITY@JAKARTA 86
STORIES OF DESTINIES CHANGED PROJECT RESCUE
90 THANK YOU TRINITARIANS FOR GOING TO THE NATIONS! MISSIONS TRIPS AND WAVES IN 2019 104 DISCIPLING LEADERS, TRANSFORMING NATIONS TRINITY’S TRAINING AND CONSULTATION 108 BRINGING HOPE, ONE LIFE AT A TIME TRINITY’S SPONSORED CHILDREN 110 EMPOWERING KINGDOM LEADERS TCA COLLEGE 112 MISSIONS AT OUR DOORSTEP TRINITY’S LANGUAGE MINISTRIES 120 BRINGING FAMILIES TOGETHER CCSS 122 THE MISSION FAITH PROMISE GIVING FOR KINGDOM EXPANSION
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MISSIONS: TRINITY’S F O U N D AT I O N A N D CORNERSTONE B Y L EAD P AS TO R D O M I NI C YE O
F
ifty years ago, Trinity was birthed by a missionary family who followed the call of God to establish “a Pentecostal witness in District 11.”
As God’s workshop, the active participation and partnership of generations of Trinitarians have made this church a place to encounter God and experience transformation.
When their time in Singapore was completed, the church was led by a succession of American missionaries who would build upon the foundations they established – grounding the church on the Word of God and overseeing the growth of the congregation into various premises. Fifty years on, their faithful tending has borne much fruit.
Never in our founder’s wildest dreams did they see Trinity as a place of global impact – a leading voice in the PentecostalCharismatic landscape. In the same way, you and I can only guess what God has in store for us in the next 50 years and beyond. But the one thing that we can be sure of is that God’s favor and provision will be with us to do great exploits – latter shall be greater than the former.
From a home church of 10, we have become a congregation of thousands planted in three nations.
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But to whom much is given, much is expected. Once a receiving church,
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Missions is not a “good to have” – it is the very reason for our existence and the core of all that we do.
Trinity must now be a sending church – sending our time, talents, and treasures to equip believers and expand the Kingdom of God. To date, our missions endeavors have reached over 50 nations in six continents. Trinitarians, missions is not a “good to have” – it is the very reason for our existence and the core of all that we do. As a church of our size, we have been given a tremendous gift and awesome privilege to make disciples of all nations, to defend the weak, and to care for the poor.
this church to help ministries around the world in so many ways. As we step out, we see fruit. As you read this Missions Special, let faith arise to see more souls come into the Kingdom, more chains broken, and more disciples raised for the glory of God. This Missions Convention, dare to give extravagantly. Let’s partner with God to see His prophetic word come to pass!
God has deepened our missional roots by making us His workshop. Over the years, our active participation in the life of this church has enabled the leadership of
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TRINITY’S FIRST MISSIONS CONVENTION
SMALL IN NUMBERS, B I G I N FAI T H HAVING A PASSIONATE HEARTBEAT IS ABOUT A DESIRE TO FULFILL GOD’S GLOBAL AGENDA – TO TOUCH THE WORLD FOR JESUS AND SEE HIS GLORY DISPLAYED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
I believe we had to have our Missions Convention first because we should honor the heart of God to reach out to others before ourselves. When we give to the nations, God will build our house.
This desire was the driving force behind our first Missions Convention, held at the old Equatorial Hotel in 1977. These were the days before we had our own place of worship, but Pastor Dowdy was adamant about having Missions Convention before Vision Rally. Though the congregation was mostly made up of young adults, their stand in Christ was strong. And while we were small in number, our hearts were big enough to trust that God would provide. One of the elements at the first Missions Convention was its visual prop – a monkey on a coconut tree. The monkey climbed a higher level each time the Faith Promises
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– Pastor Dowdy
reached a certain amount, raising a total of $35,300 – a phenomenal amount in those days.
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GOD'S CONTINUED PROVIDENCE Whether it’s with a paper prop or a large LED screen, every Missions Faith Promise amount during Missions Weekend is a declaration of faith that He will provide for every amount!
Just as I was about to submit my Missions Faith Promise card, the pastor suddenly said: “Those who wrote what they are comfortable with, let God stretch your faith!” After doing some mental calculations, I decided to use all of my upcoming performance bonus to fulfill my Faith Promise. Despite this plan, I still struggled with this stretching of faith. God, surely you know that I still need to eat while I’m in between jobs! Despite my fears of lack, I decided to pray and submit it to God. For a long time, I struggled with the poverty mentality. Giving towards God’s Kingdom was like asking to cut off a piece of my flesh. I felt that I would give only what I could handle. Faith and obedience were lacking in my calculations. Through the experience of God’s extraordinary provision in the past year, I have learned to add faith to the equation. My faith in God has multiplied as I learned to trust His leading. I am encouraged to give Him my wholehearted service, trusting in His Word that says, “But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33) Cindy Ng Read Cindy’s Real Life Miracle by clicking here
GO
NOW
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TRINITY’S FIRST EVANGELISTIC MISSIONS TRIP
EMPTY ENOUGH FOR A MIRACLE THE FIRST MISSIONS TRIP TO BATU PAHAT, MALAYSIA, IN 1977 WAS AN EXCITING TIME FOR THE TEAM.
When asked why he went for the trip, Samuel Low simply remarked, “Where there is a need, we will go.” It was a fruitful time of ministry as Pastor Dowdy spearheaded the team in preaching and teaching at a small church. Ministering through songs, testimonies, and praying for people at the altar, the objective of the trip was to support and build the faith of believers. The team went beyond just ministering by connecting with the young congregation at the church they visited, playing basketball and having hearty conversations over meals. On the last evening of the trip, the team formed a combined singing group with members of the church as they ministered together.
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Not only were the congregation ministered to but our missions team also returned feeling greatly enriched and blessed. After the missions trip, I remember a local who showed me that we can minister despite our setbacks. He had lost his front teeth but ministered beautifully through his singing.
Ministering through songs, testimonies, and praying for people at the altar, the objective of the trip was to support and build the faith of believers.
Anita Chia
Pastor Eu Yat Wan (our first Missions Director) recalls an interesting experience: “On the way back, our fuel tank indicator was at ‘E’ – empty. In those days, the highways in Malaysia did not have petrol stations as they do now. We were so worried we had to push the car all the way back!” But God saw them through the journey – they arrived at the causeway safely with sufficient fuel. “We were so relieved when we finally crossed the causeway! While ‘E’ can mean ‘empty’ in our case, ‘E’ stood for ‘Enough’ for God to do a miracle.”
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TRINITY’S FIRST HUMANITARIAN MISSIONS TRIP
TILLING THE GROUND BAGUIO, PHILIPPINES, WAS THE LOCATION OF TRINITY’S FIRST HUMANITARIAN MISSIONS TRIP.
Four teams (led by Pastor Steven Tay) went to provide medical assistance after a huge earthquake in 1990. With approximately a ton of medical supplies, the team provided medical care to as many people as possible around the region. Whenever and wherever clinics were set up, an average of more than a hundred patients would turn up despite the weather. Patients were treated and whenever possible, hygiene measures were discussed with patients and community leaders to prevent diseases.
The team became so skilled that they could tell the number of pills there were in one scoop!
Although most members of the team were not medically-trained (each team had one to two doctors), they did what they could to be God’s love wrapped in skin.
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A total of 1,660 patients were treated and 653 people made decisions for Jesus!
The team also sang songs and put up skits to lift spirits, and many were open to hearing about the love of God. A total of 1,660 patients were treated and 653 people made decisions for Jesus! In some villages, there were no Assemblies of God churches at the time, but after the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s visit, at least two vibrant churches were established! In later years, the medical teams went back and testified that these same churches were as strong and vibrant as before.
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TRINITY’S MANDATE FOR DISCIPLING THE NATIONS
THE LEADERSHIP CHURCH of culture. When Steven Penny came to Trinity in 1994, his prophetic word for this house is that we were a “breakthrough church” with a unique anointing. Churches would come to receive training from us and go back with a breakthrough anointing.
FOR DECADES, TRINITY HAS INVESTED TIME, TALENTS AND TREASURES TO RAISE UP STRONG LEADERS AND STRONG CHURCHES AROUND THE WORLD. Read on as our pastors share about the early days of training and consultation and the ways God opened the doors for us to disciple the nations.
His words were a confirmation for us to take what we have developed and bring discipleship to the nations. We shared our success stories as well as our failures so that others wouldn’t have to walk that path.
Why training and consultation? Simply because God told me to make disciples. As a missionary evangelist, I didn’t understand how to make that happen. But God’s directive to me was, first and foremost, to stay in Trinity. Despite my reservations, I obeyed to become Trinity’s first Lead Pastor in 1976. When we started small groups, God taught me to go beyond evangelism to disciple and build leaders – leaders with the DNA of the house.
Today, Trinity has the privilege to empower ministries with leadership succession plans, equip churches with tools to broaden their effectiveness in ministry, and provide consultation on how to restructure and refocus their ministries. Pastor Naomi Dowdy
Trinity became God’s workshop to create and tool out an ecosystem to disciple and raise leaders regardless
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Trinity became Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s workshop to create and tool out an ecosystem to disciple and raise leaders regardless of culture.
Throughout the 1990s, Pastor Dowdy, Pastor Dominic, and several pastors (including ourselves) travelled to India to conduct training and consultations with the churches there. Because of the positive reception and the potential for greater church growth, Trinity decided to send us as full-time ambassadors in 1999.
- Pastor Naomi Dowdy
Being based in India was an opportunity of a lifetime. Given our missions call, we saw this as the fulfilment of Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s destiny and purpose for our lives. Our ministry took us to hundreds of churches in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, and Delhi. The process of empowering local churches using the TCC Cell Church Model did not happen overnight. But many churches persevered and began to see numerical and spiritual growth that they had not previously experienced. As a result, many other churches also participated in subsequent cycles of training and consultation so they could learn and implement this cell church strategy.
We also saw how pastors of successful and effective carecell churches wanted to pass the blessing on. We even had opportunity to train many of these pastors to be trainers and consultants so they could equip other churches. It is heartening to see the churches mature to the point where they can take the baton of helping other churches in the same way that we have been able to serve them. Pastors Steven and Margaret Tay
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In 2005, Pastor Dowdy saw a need to build up the Chinese-speaking churches, especially in the nation of Taiwan. As one of the few bilingual (English/Chinese-speaking) pastors at the time, she shared her intent to send me to the churches of Taiwan as an Ambassador. Pastor Dominic, having stepped into the Lead Pastor position in March of that year, also continued the expansion of Trinity’s efforts into Taiwan. He saw the nation as the foundation for reaching out to the Chinese-speaking communities of the world.
It is heartening to see the churches mature to the point where they can take the baton of helping other churches in the same way that we have been able to serve them.
Despite my reservations, I went to Taipei later that year with nothing more than faith. I didn’t know anyone in that country, but God brought people who could help with translations and introduce me to churches that might be interested in what we had to teach. As a result of Trinity’s investment and God’s favor, many churches have experienced breakthrough after breakthrough: pastors were discipled, lay leaders were raised, and churches encountered tremendous growth.
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- Pastors Steven and Margaret Tay
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With the TCC Cell Church Model, congregations once on the brink of death were revived and are now flourishing. As the churches mature, Trinity’s culture of “being a blessing” flows through them; they are now a blessing to other churches in their nation. Those trained in the TCC Cell Church Model now teach alongside me in conferences and consultations, imparting their knowledge and experiences to other churches. As I think about the future, my hope is to continue imparting into the churches of Taiwan – building in them a mission-minded outlook so that they can continue winning the nation, and other Chinese-speaking communities of the world, for Jesus.
As a result of Trinity’s investment and God’s favor, many churches have experienced breakthrough after breakthrough: pastors were discipled, lay leaders were raised, and churches encountered tremendous growth. - Pastor Christina Onn
Pastor Christina Onn
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REACHING THE WORLD, DISCIPLING T H E N AT I O N S BLESSED BY MISSIONARIES WHO CAME TO SINGAPORE IN 1970, TRINITY IS NOW A CHURCH OF GLOBAL IMPACT, REACHING 60 NATIONS IN SIX CONTINENTS (AS OF DECEMBER 2019). THESE MISSIONS OUTREACH ENCOMPASS TRAINING AND CONSULTATION TRIPS, PREACHING AND TEACHING TRIPS, MISSION IMPACT TRIPS, HUMANITARIAN WORK, CHURCH PLANTING, AND LOVE OFFERINGS TO LOCAL AND OVERSEAS MINISTRIES.
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Albania
China
Hungary
Argentina
Colombia
India
Austria
Denmark
Indonesia
Australia
East Timor
Italy
Bangladesh
Ecuador
Japan
Barbados
Germany
Macau
Bermuda
Ghana
Malaysia
Bulgaria
Guam
Cambodia Canada
New Zealand
Singapore
Thailand
Solomon Islands
The Bahamas
South Korea
The Netherlands
Spain
United Kingdom
Sri Lanka
Turkey
Swaziland
UAE
Philippines
Sweden
USA
Mexico
Poland
Switzerland
Venezuela
Guatemala
Mongolia
Romania
Taiwan
Vietnam
Hong Kong
Myanmar
Russia
Tanzania
Zambia
Nigeria Norway Panama Papua New Guinea
Map courtesy of freevectormaps.com. Flags courtesy of Freepix from www.flaticon.com. ISSUE 1
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TRINITY’S MISSIONS ENDEAVORS TO DEMONSTRATE A PASSIONATE HEARTBEAT FOR GOD’S GLOBAL AGENDA BY EMPOWERING AND EQUIPPING CHURCHES, ORGANIZATIONS, MINISTRIES, MINISTERS, AND COMMUNITIES. THIS INCLUDES THE ESTABLISHMENT OF, AND/OR SUPPORT TO, CHARITABLE AND HUMANITARIAN WORKS, AS WELL AS EQUIPPING OF PASTORS AND CHURCH LEADERSHIP.
M ISS IONS AT A G L ANCE
MIS S ION S RE PORT 20 19
ST AT IS T ICS F O R JA N U ARY D ECE M B E R 2 0 19
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GO MISSIONS IMPACT TEAMS (MITs)
143 Trinitarians
7
13 MITS
1,349 decisions
60
countries
CAMBODIA INDIA INDONESIA MALAYSIA SINGAPORE TAIWAN THAILAND
Trinitarians going for the first time
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THAILAND
TRINITY@BANGKOK Trinity@Bangkok experienced many breakthroughs in 2019 – holding its first Introduction to the Trinity Family course (water baptism and church membership class), hosting its first baptism where three new converts were baptized, launching its first Connect Group, and empowering the first batch of Silver Force members who served for an extended time in Bangkok.
The regional center also celebrated its first anniversary on October 27.
Trinity Wave teams comprising the AlphaTrackers, AlphaTrack alumni, and Campus students partnered in various activities, such as the feeding program for the homeless. Through various activities and outreaches, they were the conduit for many to make decisions for Christ. In August, Trinity@Bangkok moved its services and Life Skill Courses to Chamchuri Square – strategically located next to the Chulalongkorn University. The church is now positioned to reach out to many young adults studying,
WAVES TO REGIONAL CENTERS
106
11 trips
Trinitarians
55
Trinitarians going for the first time
working, and living in the city. At the inaugural service, five people became the first to receive church membership at Trinity@Bangkok. At the first Spiritual Parenting course, six participants completed the training, catching the heart of connect and disciple – learning how to share the Gospel and make disciples. At the Christmas party, the Connect Group had a breakthrough with an attendance of 46 with 29 first-time visitors.
TRAINING AND CONSULTATION TRIPS ^
15
1,349
trips
23
decisions
21
healings
8
GIVE
destitute children
SPONSORED IN INDIA, INDONESIA, MYANMAR, THAILAND
countries
BULGARIA, CHINA, COLOMBIA, JAPAN, MALAYSIA, TAIWAN, UNITED STATES, VIETNAM
51 ministries
supported
^ Training and Consultation trips are counted by the number of destinations and do not include preaching and exploratory trips.
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The young church was also stretched to give by participating in the first Missions Faith Promise in March and first Vision Faith Promise in November. ARTHON CHUMCHORN
FOUNDATION A significant milestone took place in February with the approval of the Arthon Chumchorn Foundation – our community services arm that has a vision to see the lives of the needy in Thailand change for the better through compassion and charity. It seeks to provide support to youth in various areas of education and welfare, as well as reaching out to give help and shelter to the homeless.
INDONESIA
TRINITY@JAKARTA As Trinity@Jakarta crossed over into its second year in November 2019, many breakthroughs continued to take place in and through this regional center including the launch of our children’s ministry in April and the start of pre-service prayer in July.
In May, the congregation moved its services to Plaza Semanggi in central Jakarta.
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Besides starting side-by-side Bahasa Indonesia translation in August, we also saw growth in the area of serving with worship services being anchored by a local Creative Ministry from the month of September. Our leadership base continued to expand with many attending our leadership courses (Spiritual Parenting, Connect Leaders’ Training), participating in Leadership Community Empowerment sessions, Discipleship Nights, and the installation of Pastor Budi Haryanto as our first bi-vocational pastor on August 25. Connecting and discipling remained a focus for this regional center with the multiplication of Connect Groups throughout the year, the start of first Family Connect Group in December, and a strong culture of hosting fellowship lunches. We praise God that He has doubled our congregation to more than 60! On December 31, Trinity@Jakarta joined the Singapore family in hearing God’s prophetic word for 2020 via livestream. The congregation is ready
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to embark on a year of living out the prophetic and seeing God’s vision come to pass in Indonesia and beyond.
LANGUAGE MINISTRIES
A home away from home, Trinity continues to be a blessing to the Filipino, Indonesian, Japanese, and Thai communities through our language ministries. We thank God for many that were water baptized this year. Much excitement was generated as Filipino Ministry members prayer walked and invited people for the launch of a second service on July 28 at Trinity@Orchard. Everyone was filled with joy as many came to this new location and gave their lives to Jesus. The congregation at Trinity@Paya Lebar also experienced growth in numbers and many stepped out to serve in greater capacities. On September 15, the four Language Ministries (Filipino, Indonesian, Japanese, and Thai) and Chinese Ministry had their first combined Leaders’ Meeting. It was a time of
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celebration as each ministry shared what God had been doing. In an atmosphere of faith, the leaders spent time prophetically praying over each ministry.
MISSION IMPACT TEAMS In 2019, 143 Trinitarians (60 going for the first time) went to six countries (Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand) to be God’s hands, feet, and mouth in missions trips. Closer to home, two teams partnered with Care Community Services Society to bless 174 children at the New Town and Stamford CareHuts.
TRINITARIANS, THANK YOU FOR GIVING TO THE NATIONS BY PRAYING, GIVING AND GOING! IN THIS DECADE OF EXPANSION, LET’S CONTINUE TO BE PART OF TRINITY’S GROWING MISSIONS ENDEAVORS SO THAT MORE LIVES CAN BE TOUCHED AND IMPACTED FOR HIS GLORY.
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TRAINING AND CONSULTATION
Trinity continues to equip churches around the world by sending her pastors to equip and strengthen churches in the nations. Our pastors went on 15 training and consultation trips to eight countries (Bulgaria, China, Colombia, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, United States, Vietnam).
SOCIAL JUSTICE
Trinity’s involvement in social justice continues to grow to greater levels with Lead Pastor Dominic Yeo’s role as Chairman of the Commission on Sexual Exploitation, Slavery, and
PRAY
Trafficking. Through this World Assemblies of God Fellowship Commission, Trinity networks across borders to address human trafficking around the world.
SPONSORSHIP OF CHILDREN
Committed to breaking the cycle of poverty, Trinity continues to invest in the lives of the next generation by sponsoring 1,349 destitute children in four countries (India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand). Through your financial support, these children have opportunities to develop intellectually, emotionally, physically, spiritually, and socially.
• Missions Impact Teams and Wave Teams:
• Ambassadors and Trainers:
• The Children:
• Expansion Endeavors:
Safe travels and God’s manifest power to be seen through their ministry. To know God intimately and to grow in favor with God and man.
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Fresh anointing, and impactful, lasting ministry. Divine alliances and wisdom for our leadership.
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SOWING INTO TRINITY@BANGKOK
FAI T H T O G O, FAI T H T O G R OW B Y L I S E T T E T A N A N D J ES S IE CH EW
IN 2019, CAMPUS STUDENTS AND MEMBERS OF THE SILVER FORCE WENT TO TRINITY@BANGKOK TO SEEK, BRING IN, AND DISCIPLE THE HARVEST.
CAMPUS
50 students from Campus Ministry embarked on 4 Wave trips to Trinity@Bangkok in 2019. Despite many challenges and uncertainties, each person chose to step out in faith to go and to grow.
BELOW Peng (left) and Fern (second from left)
PENG
“If there is a God out there, or someone or something out there that can help me, please help me!”
Our faithful God truly hears the cries of His people and exchanges their brokenness for the fullness of life!
This was the desperate cry of Peng, three days before a divine encounter with Vanessa Teo and Timothy Tan (January Wave). While seeking God for direction during street evangelism, Vanessa received a vision of someone sitting in a pavilion at a park. In faith, they went to a nearby park where they saw Peng in a pavilion!
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After approaching him, drawing the bridge diagram, and sharing their testimonies, Peng made a decision for Jesus. As the team at Trinity@Bangkok faithfully discipled him, Peng continued to grow.
After meeting Shaun and Cheryl, I was introduced to many people at Trinity@Bangkok. For months, they would take time to talk to me, pray for me, encourage me, and help me know more about God through New Beginnings.
Today, he is serving as a Spiritual Parent and discipling even more lives for the Kingdom of God!
I felt so loved, especially since I was going through a very difficult time in my studies. Now that I’ve graduated, I look forward to spending more time in church and with the Connect Group.
PRAPAWARIN (FERN) “Just one more.”
Demoralized after hours of street evangelism, Shaun Tan and Cheryl Ying (July Wave) were about to call it a day. But they were prompted to approach just one more person – Fern. They also introduced her to others in the team who intentionally built friendships with her. Five months later, Fern gave her life to Jesus! Her friend Nest, whom she brought to church that day, also accepted Christ that day! Fern and Nest are now attending weekend services and fervently growing in their faith and love for God.
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Since receiving Jesus, I don’t fear anything because I know that He is in my life. And I want others to experience this same peace and joy. I’ve brought my sister to church and have even started going through New Beginnings with her! Fern
Peng and Fern’s stories are reminders that God desires to partner with us to sow, water, and reap the seeds in faith. The fruits are evident in the many lives that have been touched and transformed for His glory. What a privilege it is to work hand-in-hand with our Mighty Father!
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SILVER FORCE
During my time at Trinity@Bangkok from July-December 2019, I helped to oversee the renovation of Chamchuri Square, assisted the local team with Trinity Academy planning, helped in humanitarian works, and led a Connect Group.
By allowing God to use a lifetime of experience, members of the Silver Force sowed into Trinity@Bangkok through a variety of leadership platforms.
I was also trained to teach English and, through that, led a Thai to make decision for Jesus together with other Trainers. Besides discipling, I was also discipled by the pastors in the areas of preaching and managing and planning Connect Groups. The time spent in Trinity@Bangkok reinforced what I could do as a member of the Silver Force â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to play a supporting and complementary role in missions. My involvement can help to build, strengthen and grow this local church and free up the leadership to open up more centers. Poh Teong Eng
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When Pastor Dominic and Pastor Allen called for members of the Silver Force to serve at Trinity@Bangkok, I knew that it was time for me to go. Having received prophetic words that I would serve Him outside of Singapore, it was time to step into the new season God had for me.
When Pastor Dominic first announced greater involvement in Trinity@Bangkok, my first reaction was lukewarm. I was not familiar with Bangkok and I felt little connection with it. But at one altar call, I told the Lord that I would be obedient to His call. God certainly took me at my word for Pastor Dominic called me within the same week! I have been serving at Trinity@Bangkok intermittently since September 2019, traveling there in between my work commitments here in Singapore. Besides helping to run Trinity Academy courses, it has been wonderful connecting with people in different seasons in their lives. I have found this to be a most exciting part – walking with people whom I’m not necessarily familiar with and discovering the different ways God can use me. Belinda Charles
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Each time I went to Trinity@Bangkok, I would stay there for 3-4 weeks. Besides overseeing the renovation of Chamchuri Square, I also helped with weekend service, the feeding program, connecting with the growing congregation, and launching Connect Groups. Leading the Connect Group was exciting and fun. To see them participate and enjoy the time was encouraging and fulfilling. I also led two Thais to do New Beginnings. They were very attentive and even asked me to repeat myself so they could take copious notes! Since the start of the Decade of Expansion, I’ve learned to be ready at any moment, willing to be mobilized at a short notice. I enjoy the peace that comes with these assignments because I know that God is with me. Like Caleb, I encourage my peers to honor the Lord with our experience and time. This is not the age to “retire” but to partner with Him in Kingdom assignments! Nathaniel Cheang
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LEFT Discipleship time with Pastor Janice and Sister Grace, RIGHT Celebrating Water Baptism with the Connect Group
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TRINITY@JAKARTA
CONNECTING, DISCIPLING, AND THRIVING In 2018, my good friend Martha invited me to Trinity and I attended the Introduction to the Trinity Family course. Though I didn’t receive Christ then, I remembered Pastor Janice’s testimony.
AS TRINITY@JAKARTA CROSSED OVER INTO ITS SECOND YEAR IN NOVEMBER 2019, WE GIVE THANKS TO GOD FOR THE MANY BREAKTHROUGHS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE!
Martha didn’t give up on me. She would video call me often. It wasn’t until a year later that I came back to Trinity@Jakarta. During the service, God touched me and I received Christ into my life. Now I really love reading the Bible.
CONNECT GROUPS CONNECTING AND DISCIPLING
Even though I live in Surabaya, I come to Jakarta over the weekends when I can. Trinity is my home church, I want to get water baptized and become a Spiritual Parent.
MARTHA CONNECTED US! I was prompted to invite Janet (a business acquaintance) to Trinity@Jakarta so I forwarded her the e-flyer for Financial Freedom sermon series. After Pastor Janice shared about audacious fervor during our Discipleship Night, God prompted again and I prayed boldly for God to awaken her spirit to come to church. God is faithful! Janet just walked into
Sri with Martha
Sri Paulina
Celebrating Janet’s birthday with the Connect Group
our service! Martha Proyogo
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RONNY CONNECTED US! We love our family in Trinity@Jakarta. It is not just a Sunday church service, but a family that we can count on and our support system. Ronny is our Spiritual Parent, no, he is more like our Spiritual Grandparent (Ronny brought Frans, and Frans brought us)! We thank God for our leaders Desmond and Rose who mentor us. Since we came to Trinity, we have really grown a lot from the sermons and Connect Group as we apply God’s Word into our practical living. Not forgetting we also have the best home-cooked food in the best Connect Group!
Samuel: Ronny has been our best friend for years and he brought both Dilla and I to Trinity@Jakarta. Dilla: I was searching for God and the meaning of life. After a number of weeks in Trinity@Jakarta and reading the Bible, I realized that we can only know our purpose in life through God. I received Jesus and I became so hungry to know Him! Samuel: I can see how God has changed our lives. I used to be very impatient but now I am less impatient. I admit that I am still a work in progress.
Christopher Atmadja and Mega
My grandmother brought me to a Christian meeting when I was a child, but I stopped since then. Not going to church created a vacuum in me. When I stepped into Trinity@Jakarta, I couldn’t stop crying because of the presence of God, and Grace led me to give my life to Jesus! I am so grateful for the warmth and love of my new family here. I want to serve in the Children’s Ministry and be a Spiritual Parent! Janet
Dilla: I have been trying to share Christ with my family. Recently I decided to bring my sister to Trinity. At first she was very reluctant, but she finally came. I was very surprised when Pastor Janice asked whether she could pray for her, and she said “yes.” I was even more surprised when Pastor Janice asked whether she wants to receive Christ, and she said “yes!” Samuel: We thank God for Trinity@Jakarta and our pastors. We can see lives are so impacted through this church. Today, Dilla has started serving as the interpreter and I serve in the multimedia team. Samuel Sentana and Aldilla (Dilla) Suwana Testimonies have been edited for clarity and length.
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CONNECTING THROUGH CHRISTMAS PARTIES
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Commissioning of Leaders
EMPOWERED TO BE LEADERS
Connect Leadersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Training
LCE with Pastor Dominic
Discipleship Night
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BUILDING A STRONG COMMUNITY
ABOVE Wedding Thanksgiving Lunch with Pastors Budi & Alana
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Media and Tech Team
RISING UP TO SERVE
ABOVE Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ministry BELOW Interpretation
ABOVE Celebration Hosts BELOW Worship team
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INSTALLING OUR FIRST BI-VOCATIONAL PASTOR
Pastor Budiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s installation
Pastor Budi receiving his credentials
PRAYING WITH AUDACIOUS FERVOR
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GROWING IN OUR CELEBRATION SERVICES
Discipleship Night
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SEPTEMBER 2017 PASAR BARU
NOVEMBER 2017
JUNE 2018
ARYADUTA HOTEL
MAY 2019
CENGKARENG BUSINESS CITY
PLAZA SEMANGGI
BUILDING GOD’S HOUSE (VISION MONTH 2019) THE GOD OF ABUNDANCE! In June 2019, I started a home catering business so that I could care for my two young children. During Vision Month, Pastor Janice challenged us to sow for the new church building. My husband wrote an amount to be given every month for one year. Initially, I sat without giving anything. Suddenly I was nervous because a voice in my head said “those are your husband's seeds.” I thought that my husband's money was my money, but I was challenged to give my own amount, and it turned out to be the same as his!
2 Corinthians 9:7-8 says, “You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” God will generously provide all that we need. Then we will always have everything we need and plenty left over to share with others. Indeed God is an abundant-giving God! Herlina Mawardi
I obeyed God's voice, and wrote down that amount on my Faith Promise card. Not long after that, God caused many orders to come in! During the Christmas season, I even had to decline some orders because I was going on vacation.
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Herlina & Roby
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A PLACE OF MIRACLES GOD SET ME FREE FROM ADDICTION! I was an alcoholic but repented when I became a Christian. But when I backslided, I stopped praying and forgot all that God has done for me. I started drinking again because it made me happy. I even gave the excuse that it’s okay as long as I don’t get drunk or did not harm anyone. But it didn’t take long before I got drunk daily. On the last day of 2018, I was drinking until sunrise. I welcomed the New Year with a screwed-up life.
accept me back as your child again.” Tears flowed. My heart was filled with guilt and sin, but God’s forgiveness and His perfect love overwhelmed my heart. God reminded me of Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” I knew that at that moment that I was forgiven! I surrendered my life back to Him and He miraculously took away my drinking addiction.
A few days later while I was alone in my room, a soft voice came from my heart, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, My ways are not your ways.” My brain tried to process it but I knew it was the Holy Spirit. I knew this verse from the Bible. I was fearful but I took courage to answer God. “If my life now is not of Your will, then help me stop drinking, I can’t do it on my own. God it is only You who is able to work in me.”
Still, I didn’t really go back to church. I am thankful that my friend Erlyn didn’t give up on me. She was very persistent in praying for me and encouraging me. In October 2019, I had to go through a major surgery. Pastors, friends, and people from Trinity@Jakarta came to visit and pray for me. I was moved by their sincerity. I knew I wanted a new life, to walk in a right relationship with God.
In early 2019, I went out trying to drink again but suddenly felt nauseous and I threw up. I knew this must be God. I took courage to close my eyes and pray and hope to get an answer. I believed God had forsaken me because my sins were too great.
After the surgery, I began to attend church regularly. My cousins came along and they rededicated their lives to Jesus. In fact, I just opened my house to host my new Connect Group! I am glad God gave me what I needed, not what I wanted. He gave me a new family and friends in Christ!
“Jesus, it’s me again. I want to return to You. Please forgive my sins and please
Yumelda (Yumei) Testimonies have been edited for clarity and length.
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GOD INTERVENED IN MY BUSINESS! Two years ago, God led me to start a recycling business, turning plastic waste into plastic seeds, and using plastic seeds to produce plastic items. My recycling plastic milling would frequently supply propylene seeds to a key customer.
a new prayer – “God, send me more people to work with me to pursue production targets!” Our God is indeed a God of provision, wisdom, and wealth! Denny Tanubrata
Then, in October 2019, this customer raised the quality standard of the seed material. I had difficulty in meeting the requirements and eventually, my output was rejected. I was so overwhelmed with fear and anxiety. My factory could be forced to shut down.
Denny & Yolanda with baby Nehemiah
Fear gripped me and I couldn’t even pray. When I finally spoke to my wife Yolanda, she reminded me of Pastor Dominic’s sermon. “Remember Denny, when there is a Goliath, God prepares a David inside of you, a Spirit of Conqueror. Goliath never kills you, but through Goliath, God promotes you.”
Family Communion
After that, my chaotic mind calmed down. Though the business was still struggling, I kept my eyes fixed on God. One day, I asked God what I should do. He answered with a vision and gave me a strategy. When I followed His instructions and presented the new output to the customer, he asked me to increase monthly shipment! He said, “More is also ok!” Not only that, other factories began to ask for my seed material. Now I have Testimonies have been edited for clarity and length. ISSUE 1
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Fellowship dinner
CELEBRATING FAMILY COMMUNION AND WATCHNIGHT Celebrating Watchnight
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PROJECT RESCUE
STORIES OF DESTINIES CHANGED HAVING BEEN ENTICED WITH EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN MORE PROSPEROUS REGIONS, VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND SEXUAL EXPLOITATION DON’T REALIZE THE HORRORS THEY STEP INTO UNTIL IT’S TOO LATE.
Forced to sell their bodies for their exploiter’s gain, what happens to them behind closed doors is unimaginable. They were not seen as human beings, but as commodities to be used and thrown away. The cycle of slavery continues when these women bear children. As soon as the children come of age, young girls are forced into prostitution while young boys are trained to become pimps. When K.K. Devaraj and local church members saw what was happening in their backyard, they knew something had to be done. That’s when they started Project Rescue – an organization dedicated to rescuing and restoring victims of sexual slavery.
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Over the past 20 years, Project Rescue has partnered with God to help women and children find true freedom and healing in Christ. The strongest ministry staff today are former madams and young women who have been rescued through this ministry.
In the winter of 2017, I went with a team of pastors to witness the harsh reality of sexual exploitation. What I saw was heart-breaking. Along the streets of the red-light district were young women in skimpy clothing shivering in the frigid weather waiting for the next customer. Their only form of warmth came from bonfires fueled by cardboard that the mafia occasionally tossed out of their car windows.
Since partnering with Project Rescue in 2013, Trinity’s support has changed the destinies of many – sponsoring life-changing care for children in Southern Asia, securing land for three safe homes, and expanding the ministry’s presence in Europe where women are ministered to and rescued from the horrors of sexual exploitation.
Human trafficking is not something confined to developing countries. It is a global problem that requires a global solution. When faced with such evil, I knew that Trinity needed to act. We needed to make other churches aware of what was happening in their backyard. We needed every pastor to be an advocate and to mobilize their congregation for engagement and activism.
Last year, Project Rescue ministered to and educated over 50,000 women and children impacted by sexual slavery. That is 137 every day, or six every hour rescued through the efforts of those who believe and have given to the cause. And yet, these are but the minority that have been rescued. Thousands upon thousands remain trapped in sexual slavery. We need to be aware and heed the call of justice.
Lead Pastor Dominic Yeo
“This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.‘” (Zechariah 7:9) Turn over to read the stories of the precious few that have been delivered into freedom.
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T ESTIMON IE S F ROM DE ST I N IE S C HANGE D
AM AR A KASHVI Imagine your mother not knowing for sure who your father is. Imagine being told you’re “useless” by that same one and only kin, and that your future is prostitution. Kashvi did not have to imagine it, she lived it. Born in the brothels of Nagpur, her mother was trafficked from Mumbai and resorted to alcoholism to numb the pain of her cruel circumstances. Abused verbally and physically, Kashvi was abandoned at an age before she could attend primary school. Leaving Nagpur, she survived by begging on the streets and
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living the future she seemed condemned to live in the dim shadows of another city’s red-light district. This was until she was rescued by staff from Project Rescue before her life was completely transformed. Kashvi was then all but eight years old. Kashvi thrived in her new life. She excelled in her studies and attained her Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work. Determined, she is now studying for her Masters and training to become the director of Project Rescue in the very city she was born Nagpur.
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Escaping to work in Europe, far far away from the poverty of her birth country, seemed too good to be true. And it was. Amara was trafficked from Africa with the promise of being a nanny. She was rescued from prostitution in Spain and placed in the care of a Project Rescue Safe Home. Amara became the first to graduate from the Home’s program, and the once-victim of sexual slavery is now a victor who boldly shares her salvation story. Married to a local pastor in Spain – the very country where she was once enslaved, she is now the mother of two beautiful children.
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JAYA , AM AR A , J YO T H I, D E V YA , L E K H A, NAM I TA , R O S H N I, M E H AR, DAM I N I Can someone be “too far gone?” Can there still be hope for those mired and lost from a tender age? Jaya, Amara, Jyothi, Devya, Lekha, Namita, Roshni, Mehar, and Damini were given to Project Rescue in Pune after a government raid of a local brothel. They were 11-12 years old, frightened and illiterate.
C H AN DA Destitute and stricken with HIV, she was desperate to raise her son and twin daughters as best as she could, with what little she kept of her earnings from working at the brothels. Chanda was trafficked from rural India when she was a teenager. Befriended by staff from Project Rescue, she was visited and prayed for often. She began sending her three children to Project Rescue Daycare, and they later joined Project Rescue’s Home of Hope. Chanda became a regular at the Project Rescue red light
district church and regularly obtained her HIV treatment and medication from the Project Rescue medical clinic. With negotiation help from the staff of Project Rescue, Chanda received her freedom last year. With some financial aid, she started selling food at the local market. Today, Chanda is an independent business owner. Her son is in his first year of college studying commerce. Both her daughters have been doing well at the Project Rescue Home, and they are set to enter college next year.
A local government official visited the young women when they first entered the Project Rescue Home. He expressed concern that these young girls were “too far gone” and were “like animals.” Imagine his surprise seven years later, when he visited and bore witness to how well they had all progressed. In 2015, these same girls that could hardly read or write, graduated from college. Jaya and Devya are now bringing hope as leaders of the very Home that first gave them hope. Pseudonyms and stock images used to protect identities.
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THANK FOR
YOU GOING TO
T R I N I TA R I A N S ! THE NATIONS!
T RI NIT Yâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MI S S IONS IMP A C T TR I P S A N D WA VE S F ROM J A NU A RY- D E C E M B E R 2 0 19
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In 2019, 261 Trinitarians chose to be God’s hands and heart – 115 for the first time! Let’s continue to pray for the lives that have been touched and decisions made for Christ. May every seed sown be watered and nurtured to fruition!
God completely amazed me so many times this trip. Never would I have imagined to experience so many breakthroughs day after day! This trip was the first time I saw God’s miraculous healing, the first time I led two strangers to Christ, the first time I saw so many visions across 12 days, and also my first time serving on stage as a worship leader! G L O R I A KO K
BANGKOK THAILAND [Evangelistic]
JAN UARY 2-1 3 (CAMPUS) 1 2 TEAM MEMBERS 1 0 FIRST-TIMERS ON THE TEAM Supported Trinity@Bangkok’s services Conducted young adult programs Engaged in street evangelism
185 LIVES TOUCHED 10 DECISIONS FOR CHRIST
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EAST SUMBA INDONESIA [Evangelistic]
APRIL 1-8 15 TEAM MEMBERS 7 FIRST-TIMERS ON THE TEAM Conducted children and youth programs Conducted evangelistic rallies
3,326 LIVES TOUCHED 302 DECISIONS FOR CHRIST
After sharing God’s Word, I struggled with giving the altar call because I was worried that no one would respond. Seeing the many hands raised for Jesus showed me that it is really not about me. God is moving and He is touching lives. We are only His vessels. M I RABEL J IANG
BANGKOK THAILAND [Evangelistic]
APR I L 1 8 -2 1
(ALPHATRACK ALUMNI) 7 TEAM MEMBERS Supported Trinity@Bangkok’s service Engaged in street evangelism
130 LIVES TOUCHED 6 DECISIONS FOR CHRIST
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NAGPUR INDIA
[Evangelistic]
APR I L 2 7-MAY 3 12 TEAM MEMBERS 1 FIRST-TIMERS ON THE TEAM Conducted children, youth, and adult programs
I am very blessed to go for this mission trip with my daughter Elizabeth. It was amazing to see her rise to the task. As I witnessed the passion that she put into this missions trip, I knew that the Holy Spirit was empowering her and that God was in control. PANG KAI LEE
169 LIVES TOUCHED 46 DECISIONS FOR CHRIST
BANGKOK THAILAND [Evangelistic]
APRIL 29-MAY 1 5 (ALPHATRACK)
6 TEAM MEMBERS 3 FIRST-TIMERS ON THE TEAM Supported Trinity@Bangkokâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s service Engaged in street evangelism, visitations, and feeding program
543 LIVES TOUCHED 90 DECISIONS FOR CHRIST
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PHNOM PENH CAMBODIA [Evangelistic]
M AY 6 -1 2 1 2 TEAM MEMBERS 7 FIRST-TIMERS ON THE TEAM Conducted children and youth programs
388 LIVES TOUCHED 88 DECISIONS FOR CHRIST
People constantly seek new experiences and encounters. This was my first overseas missions trip and the best experience I’ve had in a while. I witnessed God’s love, provision, revelation, and protection and was deeply impacted by His enormous vision for the people of Bihar. I am humbled that God would use us as His hands and feet to be a blessing and He richly blessed us in return. I’m planning for more missions trips to be fruitful with the time, talents, and treasures I steward for His glory. TIMOTHY NG
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B I H AR INDIA
[Evangelistic]
M AY 1 1 - 1 9 1 1 TEAM MEMBERS 2 FIRST-TIMERS ON THE TEAM Conducted children, youth, and adult programs Engaged in home visitations and outreach
1,050 LIVES TOUCHED 100 DECISIONS FOR CHRIST
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BANGKOK THAILAND [Evangelistic]
MAY 1 5-JUN E 2 (ALPHATRACK)
8 TEAM MEMBERS 4 FIRST-TIMERS ON THE TEAM Supported Trinity@Bangkok’s service Conducted young adult programs Engaged in street evangelism and feeding program
380 LIVES TOUCHED 49 DECISIONS FOR CHRIST
I am thankful for the many opportunities to converse with people and connect with those who are open to the Gospel. I am also thankful for the opportunity to minister and serve the homeless. It taught me humility and the heart of serving. ELISA TAN
BANGKOK THAILAND [Evangelistic]
J U N 12 - 2 3
(CAMPUS)
8 TEAM MEMBERS 2 FIRST-TIMERS ON THE TEAM Supported Trinity@Bangkok’s service Conducted young adult programs Engaged in street evangelism and feeding program
119 LIVES TOUCHED 3 DECISIONS FOR CHRIST
I have grown immensely in stepping out of my comfort zone, overcoming my fear of street evangelism, and gained the confidence to share the word of Jesus to anyone in my life no matter how unfamiliar they are to me. D E B O R AH Y E O
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I’m thankful to the team for supporting me every step of the way. I’m also thankful for the opportunity to see the impact and the change we had made in the lives of the teens.
KOTA KINABALU MALAYSIA [Evangelistic]
JUN 13-17
(IGNYTE)
1 1 TEAM MEMBERS 6 FIRST-TIMERS ON THE TEAM Conducted youth programs
JOSIA LIM
40 LIVES TOUCHED
KAOHSIUNG TAI WAN
[Evangelistic]
JUNE 23-JULY 1 1 7 TEAM MEMBERS 5 FIRST-TIMERS ON THE TEAM Conducted children and youth programs Engaged in home visitations and outreach
50 LIVES TOUCHED 23 DECISIONS FOR CHRIST
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TAIPEI
TAI WAN
[Evangelistic]
JULY 22-28 7 TEAM MEMBERS 5 FIRST-TIMERS ON THE TEAM Conducted children, youth, and adult programs Engaged in home visitations
150 LIVES TOUCHED 70 DECISIONS FOR CHRIST
BANGKOK THAILAND [Evangelistic]
JULY 24- 31 (CAMPUS) 1 8 TEAM MEMBERS 1 3 FIRST-TIMERS ON THE TEAM Supported Trinity@Bangkokâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s services Engaged in street evangelism and feeding program
133 LIVES TOUCHED 3 DECISIONS FOR CHRIST
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97
2020
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TAINAN TAIWAN
[Evangelistic]
JU LY 2 8-A UG U S T 4 10 TEAM MEMBERS 6 FIRST-TIMERS ON THE TEAM Conducted children and youth programs Engaged in street evangelism and revival meeting
184 LIVES TOUCHED 4 DECISIONS FOR CHRIST
I have been blessed to serve in this trip. It has expanded my confidence and trust in God. Indeed, God can use anyone do His work, including me. I hope that sharing my time on this trip can be a way to show my friends and family how Jesus has impacted my life. IR ENE TAN
BANGKOK THAILAND [Evangelistic]
JULY 30–A UGUS T 1 1 (ALPHATRACK)
11 TEAM MEMBERS 5 FIRST-TIMERS ON THE TEAM Supported Trinity@Bangkok’s service Engaged in street evangelism, feeding program, and prison ministry
When we reached the feeding program, many were waiting for us to minister to them. The Holy Spirit moved and I saw so many people tearing. God taught me to love people and carry His heart to the nations.
195 LIVES TOUCHED 10 DECISIONS FOR CHRIST
ALAN HAN
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When I shared the colors Gospel with the children, many wanted to receive Christ into their lives. I am immensely grateful for the opportunity because I saw that it wasn’t about how well I presented it or what material I had – the Gospel itself has the power to save. ELENOR S OH
CHIANG RAI THAILAND [Evangelistic]
A UGUS T 7-1 4 7 TEAM MEMBERS 1 FIRST-TIMERS ON THE TEAM Conducted children and youth programs
620 LIVES TOUCHED 280 DECISIONS FOR CHRIST
I thought the language barrier would’ve been a hindrance to ministry, but God showed me that the heavenly language of His Spirit overcomes this limitation and builds those who hunger for and seek Him. KOH ZHI XIONG
JOGJAKARTA INDONESIA [Evangelistic]
A U G U S T 1 2 -1 8 10 TEAM MEMBERS 3 FIRST-TIMERS ON THE TEAM Conducted children and youth programs Engaged in youth and adult revival meetings Assisted in renovating a children’s home
10 LIVES TOUCHED 3 DECISIONS FOR CHRIST
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I am thankful for the opportunity to pray for two believers for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Even though I felt unequipped, I stepped out in faith and one of the them started speaking in tongues! That helped me see that when we partner with the Holy Spirit, we will be able to do incredible things! LEE HAN EE
TAIPEI TAIWAN
[Evangelistic]
A U G U S T 1 2-1 8 12 TEAM MEMBERS 2 FIRST-TIMERS ON THE TEAM Conducted children, youth, and young adult programs Engaged in home visitations and street evangelism
313 LIVES TOUCHED 90 DECISIONS FOR CHRIST
I am glad to see that the children enjoyed the activities more and more each day. When we taught about leadership, it was great to see some of them rise up to encourage others and do their best. CHONG YU WEN
C C S S, C AR E H U T SINGAPORE [Humanitarian]
A U G U S T 1 4-1 6 1 1 TEAM MEMBERS 5 FIRST-TIMERS ON THE TEAM Conducted childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s program
114 LIVES TOUCHED
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BANGKOK THAILAND [Evangelistic]
A U G U S T 1 4-1 8 7 TEAM MEMBERS Supported Trinity@Bangkokâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s service Engaged in street evangelism, feeding program, and prison ministry
380 LIVES TOUCHED 1 DECISION FOR CHRIST
While sharing a message during the feeding program, I saw the hungry eyes of those who came. They were hungry both physically and spiritually. The responses to healing and salvation were beyond my expectations. I was reminded that the harvest is plentiful but laborers are few. RICHARD LEE
KAOHSIUNG TAI WAN
[Evangelistic]
AUGUST 26-SEPTEMBER 2 1 0 TEAM MEMBERS 6 FIRST-TIMERS ON THE TEAM Conducted children and youth programs Engaged in home visitations, street evangelism, and evangelistic rally
150 LIVES TOUCHED 19 DECISIONS FOR CHRIST
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BANGKOK THAILAND [Evangelistic]
S E P T E M B E R 9 -1 5
(IGNYTE)
1 1 TEAM MEMBERS 7 FIRST-TIMERS ON THE TEAM Supported Trinity@Bangkok’s service Engaged in prison ministry
291 LIVES TOUCHED 2 DECISIONS FOR CHRIST
BANGKOK THAILAND [Evangelistic]
S EPT EM BE R 3 0-O C T OBE R 2 7 (ALPHATRACK)
8 TEAM MEMBERS 4 FIRST-TIMERS ON THE TEAM Supported Trinity@Bangkok’s service Engaged in street evangelism, feeding program, and prison ministry
399 LIVES TOUCHED
Seeing the people respond to God’s Word made me aware of the privilege I have to partner with God in expanding His kingdom here on earth. SAN TIAGO DÍAZ
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BANGKOK THAILAND [Evangelistic]
OC TOBER 21 – NOVEMBER 1 7 (ALPHATRACK)
12 TEAM MEMBERS 7 FIRST-TIMERS ON THE TEAM Supported Trinity@Bangkok’s service Engaged in street evangelism, and feeding program
138 LIVES TOUCHED 7 DECISIONS FOR CHRIST
C C S S, C AR E H U T SINGAPORE [Humanitarian]
DEC EMBE R 4 -6 8 TEAM MEMBERS 4 FIRST-TIMERS ON THE TEAM Conducted children’s program
60 LIVES TOUCHED
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TRINITY’S TRAINING AND CONSULTATION
DISCIPLING LEADERS, TRANSFORMING N AT I O N S
OVER THE YEARS, OUR MINISTERS HAVE HELPED CHURCHES, DENOMINATIONS, AND MINISTRIES AROUND THE WORLD EXPERIENCE NUMERICAL AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH THROUGH TRAINING AND CONSULTATIONS.
Beyond discipling leaders, they have also been involved in numerous speaking and preaching engagements, releasing God’s prophetic word to the nations. Trinitarians, thank you for releasing and praying for your pastors. Your local partnership is making a global Kingdom impact!
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Russia
God is giving you a new strategy, apostolic strategy, apostolic structure, apostolic relationship and apostolic insight to be able to affect Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s purposes.
Colombia
My relationship with Trinity started in 2008 when Apostle Naomi Dowdy came to Barranquilla for a time of training. In 2012, I had the privilege of coming to Singapore to serve as a pastoral staff in Trinity. After five years of first-hand experience, I returned to begin small groups in our church. We are also partnering with Trinity to help other churches in Columbia and the US transition into small groups.
- Rev Bill Hamon February 27, 2000
Trinity, thank you for answering the call to come across the world to support our pastors and our church. Thank you for each word of wisdom, and for all that you have sown into our community and nation. God bless you! Frank Smit Caballero Associate Pastor, International Bible Centre Colombia
Vietnam
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It has been seven years since our church started small groups. Initially, we thought this was not possible because many of our members are mature (in age and faith) and, thus, more averse to change. However, Spiritual Parenting courses taught us that it is more important to have faithful people.
Spain
Supporting and raising up leaders has also caused us to grow in faith and numbers. We are grateful to the Lord for what He is doing in and through our church. Pastors Ichiro and Tomoyo Noguchi Otsu Christ Church Japan
Tanzania
I want to thank Trinity for the vital role you are playing in the global church. Pastor Dominic shared principles that will reinforce and strengthen the leadership that is here. They have been so essential, both in where a vibrant church is and how they get to the next level. Rev David Wells Vice-Chair, Pentecostal World Fellowship General Superintendent, The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada
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Japan
I have seen year after year our churches that are growing exponentially to the glory of God. Thank you Pastor Dominic and Trinity for being open to sharing with the global church. Rev Barnabas Mtokambali General Superintendent, Tanzania Assemblies of God
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UK Taiwan
We have been so encouraged by the ministry of Trinity. It has changed our life, changed our ministry, and we are so, so grateful. Pastor Kirk McAtear NLT Missions Director, Assemblies of God Great Britain Senior Pastor, Connect Church United Kingdom
US
When Pastor Dominic came to our church, we were touched by his ministry and his message. I believe God is going to use Trinity to shake the world for Jesus Christ. We love you, keep the fire! Rev Jean Turpin Founder, Centre RĂŠveil International Canada India
Bulgaria
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TRINITYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S SPONSORED CHILDREN
BRINGING HOPE, ONE LIFE AT A T I M E
FROM 165 DESTITUTE CHILDREN IN 2007, TODAY WE SPONSOR 1,349 CHILDREN IN FOUR COUNTRIES ^ SO THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE TO DEVELOP INTELLECTUALLY, SPIRITUALLY, PHYSICALLY, SOCIALLY, AND EMOTIONALLY.
Read on to hear how your praying, giving, and going enables children to have safe, nurturing environments where they can grow up in the ways of the Lord.
^ In India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand ISSUE 1
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AR AYA T U B-T I M-T O N G AN U R AG M O R I YA
GRACE MERCY CENTER INDIA
L AN I M Y I N T
G L O B AL FAM I LY CHILDREN HOME M YAN M AR
I am very happy to live at the Children Home. We pray every morning and every night, and we also sing songs. When I was in refugee camp, I almost died twice because there was no clinic. But when I get sick in the children’s home, I can go to the clinic quickly and I am healed quickly. I am very happy to play with my many brothers and sisters. Thank you so much for your support. When I graduate from high school, I want to become a school teacher and help many children who cannot go to school because of poverty.
Due to our financial problems, I was unable to enroll in an English school even though I desired to do so. Eight years ago, my family got to know about Grace Mercy Center and enrolled me. I learned a lot here. I come here every Sunday to learn about Jesus and His word. I thank my teachers and Jesus for helping me. Praise the Lord!
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CHILDCARE PLUS THAILAND
My father passed away five years ago. Since then, my mother has had to work and so we were left alone. She didn’t have enough time to take care of us. My mother made the decision to find the best place for us to
K AN S H N O K H O M E T H AI L AN D
I didn’t have a chance to live with my parents since I was young, but I thank God for all of you who have supported me so I can have a good place to live, good education, and good friends. I like to dance. I have learned to be patient with people. Please pray for my loved ones who don’t know Jesus yet. Please also pray for my studies which is more difficult in higher grades. I will study hard and I can do it with God’s help. Thank you and may God bless you!
stay by sending my brother and I to a Christian dorm. My five-year-old sister came a few years later. It makes me happy to have what other children have. Without the support of the home, my siblings and I would not be able to further our education. We are so thankful. Testimonies have been edited for clarity and length.
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TCA COLLEGE
EMPOWERING KINGDOM LEADERS The Master in Divinity program was very rigorous and has sharpened my understanding of God’s Word. After graduation, I returned to Myanmar to continue serving God with the new wine that He has placed within me.
FOUNDED AS TRINITY SCHOOL OF THE BIBLE (TSB) IN 1979, TCA COLLEGE IS A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY COLLEGE THAT TRAINS WELL-ROUNDED LEADERS THROUGH ITS SCHOOLS OF COUNSELING, THEOLOGY, AND LEADERSHIP.
Besides imparting bible and theological knowledge, TCA College has helped me understand that ministry is about God working through people. This has impacted me greatly.
Its graduates have become professional counselors, marketplace leaders, pastors, bible college teachers, and denominational heads that make an impact in their workplaces, churches, and nations.
As the Academic Dean in Kalay Christian College, I place great emphasis on helping my students build strong faith in God. I mentor my students as the Spirit empowers me, helping them develop their ministry skills in preparing Bible lessons for preaching and teaching. By God’s grace, some of them are prepared to enter full-time ministry by pastoring churches in their villages.
Read on to see TCA’s impact in empowering leaders for Kingdom assignment.
Last year, TCA College commemorated 40 years, 40 nations, and 4,000 students with a week of events. Click here to read how TCA celebrated family, legacy, empowerment, and influence. ISSUE 1
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Important skills like research and report writing have been invaluable. I’ve been putting them to good use, as I am now working on updating the college curriculum and adding new courses to it. My three years of studies have been very fruitful and fulfilling. I thank God for the opportunity to study on scholarship so that I could focus solely on building the right foundations for ministry. I thank God for TCA. Through my time here, I’ve learned to present biblical truth to the current generation in my home country in a relevant way. It can be challenging at times, but I consider it a great blessing for me to see Christ shaping the lives of my students. Matthew Lian was serving God in Myanmar before coming to TCA College from 20162018. He now serves as the Academic Dean, Acting Dean of Students, and lecturer in Kalay Christian College, Myanmar. He is also the President of Churches of Christ Youth Fellowship in the Sagaing Region, Myanmar. Matthew is married to Elizabeth and they have a three-year-old daughter.
Coming to TCA College was instrumental in my growth as a woman of faith. And without a scholarship from the college for tuition and living expenses, it would have been impossible for me to study here. TCA’s extensive curriculum – covering biblical, theological, and ministry teaching – has been very helpful in preparing me for full-time ministry. It has taught me to look at it from different perspectives and to consider the challenges ahead. I am grateful to the lecturers who took the time to mentor me and share their valuable ministry experience. Because of their mentorship, I come to understand the importance of communicating accurately and appropriately, and how to handle interpersonal relationships with care. TCA has become a place where I grew in maturity and knowledge. Today, I am able to lead and serve. As I surrender my future to God, He showed Himself faithful to meet all my needs. For this, I am thankful to God and TCA. After three years of full-time studies, Chang Jiajia graduated with a Bachelor of Theology from the School of Theology (Chinese). She is now serving as a full-time pastoral staff in the youth ministry of Calvary Discipleship Centre, Malaysia. Testimonies have been edited for clarity and length.
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TRINITYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S LANGUAGE MINISTRIES
MISSIONS AT O U R DOORSTEP
GOD CREATED US TO LIVE IN COMMUNITY. SO FOR THE 1.3 MILLION 1 NON-SINGAPOREANS WORKING HERE, BEING AWAY FROM FAMILY AND FRIENDS CAN BE A TREMENDOUS STRUGGLE.
Through our language ministries, individuals and families have the opportunity to be part of a community that offers support and encouragement. Most of all, they have the opportunity to hear the Gospel and develop their relationship with God in their native tongue. Read on to see the many ways our language ministries have been beacons of hope and a home away from home in 2019.
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FILIPINO MINISTRY
I want to praise and thank the Lord for Trinity@Orchard. I consider this an answered prayer. The time and location is also very convenient for me. I also praise the Lord for all my newfound friends. They are so caring. Their love and prayers makes me feel so at home.
WATER BAPTISM We praise God for the 26 people who were baptized in this year!
I learned about Trinity through Facebook. On my first day here, I felt the Holy Spirit with me. After a few months of attending the service, I decided to go for water baptism.
L I LY A S U N C I O N
G I NA S. AB U Z O
MULTIPLICATION OF CELEBRATION SERVICES After months of praying, fasting, preparing, and tracting, we praise God for a successful multiplication to Trinity@Orchard. Having seeded 80 people to the new service, average attendance is now over 120! Read about it here
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Joy became a Christian last December. Since then, she became more joyful and has seen a restoration of her relationship with her mother-in-law.
LIFE SKILLS COURSES An initiative birthed in 2001, this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Life Skills Courses hosted seven classes, providing many with the opportunity to gain new abilities and be part of a vibrant community.
At first, I was just attending the classes and then, after a while, I joined the Filipino Service. I felt great every time I hear the Word of God. I received Jesus as my Lord and Savior and I was baptized last May.
Rin, a new believer since April, has experienced Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s provision when He provided her daughter with a job after months of searching.
R U BY M O N TALVO
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THAI MINISTRY Through various initiatives such as a Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day Event and a BBQ at East Coast Park, we praise God for bringing 46 first-time visitors to the Thai Ministry and 8 decisions for Christ!
Mana arose in faith to lead the carecell and nurture new believers when the previous Carecell Leader went back to Thailand.
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JAPANESE MINISTRY CONNECTING THROUGH FELLOWSHIP AND FOOD!
During a service, many received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Makoto Suga (center), being baptized in the Holy Spirit, took another step of faith and prayed for a brother with skin rash. This brother testified that his skin was no longer itchy and he too received the baptism of Holy Spirit!
In a demanding office atmosphere, Adrian Teo encouraged his colleagues by sharing how God has made a difference in his previous workplace. Soon, he partnered with some Christian colleagues and prayed over the work challenges. While three back-slidden Christians were re-connected to church, they did not stop there. Adrian and his colleagues went on to form an office small group that has grown to 10 members.
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INDONESIAN MINISTRY BEBAS At this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Easter event, we saw 30 first-time visitors, the biggest Easter turn out ever! Praise God for the eight who made decisions for Jesus!
A PLACE FOR OUR LITTLE ONES Through worship, stories, and fun activities, the launch of our nursery has given us the opportunity to lead two children to make decisions for Jesus!
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CULTURAL FESTIVAL Celebrating a triple National Day on September 1, this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cultural festival saw a record-breaking 105 first-time visitors!
WATER BAPTISM We give thanks to God for the 17 who were water baptized this year. The youngest Christian made a decision to be baptized only six months after accepting Christ!
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Invite your friends to experience our vibrant language ministries! Sunday, 11am Trinity@Paya Lebar Filipino Ministry Level 3, Lecture Theatre 2 Indonesian Ministry Level 3, Lecture Theatre 1 Japanese Ministry Level 1, Hostel Blk, Classroom H1 (2nd and 3rd Sunday of the month)
ENGLISH COURSES
Thai Ministry Level 4, Classroom 5
A means of meeting needs and connecting with oikos,, the Indonesian, Japanese, and Thai Ministries have been conducting English courses throughout the year. Many attendees are new to us and some have even started attending our services!
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Sunday, 10am Trinity@Orchard Filipino Ministry Orchard Cineleisure Level 5, Cathay Cinema Hall 3
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CARE COMMUNITY SERVICES SOCIETY
BRINGING FAM I L I E S T O G E T H E R
A family poses for a photo at a photo booth at the carnival
B Y SH E RL YN T A N
FOUNDED IN 1996 BY TRINITY CHRISTIAN CENTRE, CARE COMMUNITY SERVICES SOCIETY (CCSS) HAS DEVELOPED A VIBRANT NETWORK OF PARTNERSHIPS WITH INDIVIDUALS, ORGANIZATIONS, AGENCIES, AND GOVERNMENT BODIES THAT SEEK TO INCREASE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR DISADVANTAGED FAMILIES AND MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT IN THE COMMUNITY.
On December 7, volunteers from our five d’Klub^ centers rallied their family and friends to organize a carnival for our children beneficiaries and their families. Held at MacPherson Community Club, over 40 booths entertained more than 200 people with food, a bouncy castle, laser tag, bingo, and henna painting. “Thank you for making our day. We are very happy. The part I enjoyed most was the opportunity to bond with my two boys,” shared Madam Rosman.*
Families play an important role in a child’s development. It was nice to see the parents of our children beneficiaries actively participating in the carnival activities together with their children. Michelle Sim, Senior Programme Executive
Many parents also expressed deep appreciation for the opportunity to strengthen bonds and create new memories with their families. Of the more than $10,000 raised for the event, less than half was used to cover the cost of the event. The balance was channelled into d’Klub’s programs. Suet Yen was one of the volunteers who organized the carnival. Suet Yen and her husband have been volunteering as d’Klub mentors for the past five years and have no plans to stop. On why she keeps at it, she replied, “Seeing the children come out of their shells and making small improvements motivate me to continue volunteering.” *Name have been changed to protect identities
There are many partnership opportunities to share your time, gifting, and voice at CCSS to make a lasting impact on families.
Contact us at +65 6959 7500 or ccss@ccsscares.sg to find out more.
^ d’Klub is a community-based, volunteer-run social work program that seeks to inspire and motivate children (ages 8-12) from disadvantaged backgrounds to discover, develop and display their potential – enhancing their resilience so they may rise above their challenges. Every child that attends these weekly, two-hour sessions are on financial assistance. ISSUE 1
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help youths be socially & emotionally resilient CareYouthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Project Thrive is a holistic intervention that engages at risk students and their parents to improve their resilience by equipping students with social-emotional competencies and life skills.
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GIVING FOR KINGDOM EXPANSION
THE MIS SIONS FAITH PROMISE
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GOD HAS GIVEN US A MANDATE TO MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS. LET’S TAKE COURAGE TO BE USED AS GOD’S CHANNEL OF BLESSING AND PROVISION. AS WE ENTER INTO MISSIONS RALLY AND MISSIONS WEEKEND, GOD IS INVITING US TO RISE TO A NEW LEVEL OF FAITH THROUGH A MISSIONS FAITH PROMISE!
WHAT IS A FAITH PROMISE?
WHERE DOES MY MISSIONS FAITH PROMISE GO?
HOW DO I MAKE A MISSIONS FAITH PROMISE?
• A commitment, made in faith, between you and God.
Every fulfilled Missions Faith Promise goes into the Missions Fund, a Restricted Fund that was established for the following purposes.
• Come to Missions Weekend! Collect a Faith Promise Card from one of our Celebration Hosts. When instructed, complete the Faith Promise Card and return the upper portion to our Celebration Host.
• A time to ask the Lord how much He wants you to give towards a specific area of His Kingdom-work (e.g., Trinity’s Missions). • An opportunity for God to provide for others through you. A Faith Promise is not based on the finances you already have. A Faith Promise is based on the figure God has impressed upon your heart and with continued faith to believe that He will provide the amount in the year.
(a) To fulfil the Church’s vision for missions through the provision of financial support to organizations and individuals, for ministry, church and community development. (b) To finance and support charitable purposes, humanitarian and disaster relief works.
• If you can’t make it for Missions Weekend Collect and return your Faith Promise Card at our Information Counters.
(c) To provide financial aid to needy people. (d) To finance and support the education, training and development of church ministers and leaders.
FLIP THE PAGE TO FIND OUT WAYS TO GIVE
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FOR THOSE WORSHIPPING IN SINGAPORE
HOW CAN I FULFILL MY MISSIONS FAITH PROMISE? MOBILE VIA QR
ONLINE (DBS/POSB ONLY)
• Scan the following QR code using your banking/e-wallet app • Log in and key in amount to give • Proceed to confirm account and amount
• Log in to DBS/POSB Internet Banking > Payment Services > Bill Payment • Select payee “TRINITY CHR CTR – MISSIONS FUND” • Enter amount and date of payment to proceed If this is your first time, you may have to add Trinity as a new Billing Arrangement AXS KIOSK
• Tap Community > Trinity • Select account and key in amount to proceed
MOBILE VIA PAYNOW
FOR THOSE WORSHIPPING IN BANGKOK
FOR THOSE WORSHIPPING IN JAKARTA
• Log in to your banking app and key in the following UEN: 197802911HM01 • Key in amount to give • Proceed to confirm account and amount
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TELEGRAPHIC TRANSFER
CASH/CHECK
• Fill up the fields on the offering envelope • Put your offering in and drop your envelope in the offering bag as it passes Make checks payable to “Trinity Christian Centre“
ONLINE/CHECK
Beneficiary Name: GSJA Trinity Jakarta BCA Account: 692-077791-9
Give online or make checks payable^ to “GSJA Trinity Jakarta“ Rupiah BCA Account: 6920777919
Beneficiary Bank Details Bank Name:
BCA KCP Duri Raya Bank address: Jalan Duri Raya No.37B, RT.5/ RW.2, Duri Sel., Kec. Tambora, Kota Jakarta Barat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 11270 Bank’s telephone: +62 21 6327671 Swift Code: CENAIDJA Bank Code: 6920
TELEGRAPHIC TRANSFER
^ IDR denominated, please write your name and contact number on the reverse
CASH/CHECK
Beneficiary Name: Arthorn Chumchon Foundation Account: Kasikorn Bank Chamchuri Square Branch (052-8-98866-0)
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• Fill up the fields on the offering envelope • Put your offering in and drop your envelope in the offering bag as it passes Make checks payable to “Arthorn Chumchon Foundation”
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CHRISTMAS 2019
C E L E B R AT I N G THE REASON FOR THE SEASON B Y D E S IRE E YA N G & J EN N IF ER N G
THE CHRISTMAS PARTY This Christmas season, Connect Groups throughout the island hosted 329 Christmas parties for 2,969 of our friends, colleagues, and loved ones. More than surpassing the number of parties organized last year, The Christmas Party was about Trinitarians living out the call, walking in obedience, and embodying Trinityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s values. Many shared about how God orchestrated situations and circumstances and used the gifts and talents of many to make the parties memorable. From preparations to execution of the Gospel message and testimonies, faith arose as God showed His mighty hand at work with 325 decisions. We are indeed walking in the Decade of Expansion! This is the first time we have salvations from a Care Event! One oikos said he felt that there's a reason why he with us. It was almost like God led him to the party to receive salvation! C AR O L T E O
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H E AR WH AT O TH E R S SAY Sarah Lim During a service at Trinity@Orchard, I connected with someone who attends service regularly, but was not connected to a Connect Group. I invited her to our Christmas party where she had a good time. She even attended the Christmas Eve Service the next day! She's now more open to the community and being connected to a Connect Group. Jason Ong Our Connect Group was connected to a Trinitarian and we invited him to our party. He enjoyed himself and when we invited him to Christmas Eve Service, he agreed to come. During Pastor Dominic’s sharing, he responded to the altar call where God met him in a powerful way. He now knows that he can hold on to the promises of God and is believing for breakthrough in 2020. Robin Lau It was a joy to see the Connect Group actively using the Colors Gospel and their testimonies to SALT their oikos. That made the Christmas party more meaningful. We believe that what was sown will reap a harvest in due time.
Ben Chew During the altar call, we had an oikos who made a decision for Jesus. He later shared that when he closed his eyes, he saw a vision of Jesus and a cross. We thank God for what He has done through this party. Tay Hwi Hoon It was so encouraging to see members being intentional and spontaneous to connect. The ladies painted their nails with the five colors of the Colors Gospel so that it would be easier to SALT our oikos. Praise God that the party went well and our oikos were touched by the testimonies. Lim Tuang Hin Praise the Lord for sending so many people for us to connect with! One of our oikos traveled all the way from Jurong West to come for our party (on December 21) and attend Family Christmas (on December 25). It is exciting to see that God is working in his life. Yong Wei Feun Even though our oikos didn’t indicate that they were bringing children, the Holy Spirit prompted a member to bring God Loves Me tracts for our party. Out of obedience
she brought three copies. Praise God for the two boys who came and made decisions for Jesus! Olivia Ng Just one week before the party, we only had one confirmed invite. But in the days that followed, we confirmed 12 more oikos! Though we’ve done Christmas parties before, this was the first one where we had a salvation. Praise God! Michelle Kwek There is so much to give thanks to God about this party – how He kept the space open for us, how He stopped the rain when BBQ began (the rain came only after all the food was cooked!), for the many opportunities to connect with our oikos, and for those who received salvation! All glory to God! Lim Wee Guan Originally, we did not plan for a children’s program. But when our oikos shared that they were bringing children, we quickly planned for one. Praise God that two children made decisions for Jesus!
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CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE “Jesus, the light of the world and hope for all mankind” – John 8:12
Throngs of people flooded Trinity@Paya Lebar on December 24 for an enchanting evening at our Christmas Eve Service. A snaking queue, from the Foyer to the Garden, could be seen an hour before the service started. It kept lengthening as the minutes passed. When the clock struck 8:00pm, the magic of Christmas descended in the Sanctuary with a time of carols (accompanied by an ensemble and a 150-strong choir) and, most importantly, the tangible presence of Christ. After a Gospel message by Pastor Dominic, the night culminated with a beautiful time of lighting candles signifying Jesus as the light of the world and the hope for all mankind (John 8:12).
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FAMILY CHRISTMAS Christmas morning saw Trinitarians streaming into Trinity@Paya Lebar for Family Christmas. Many came decked in their holiday best, bearing gifts for friends and loved ones, and calling out cheery greetings to each other. Very quickly, the Sanctuary was filled to the brim. There was an air of excitement and expectancy on that morning, even as we queued to enter. After a time of worship, Pastor Dominic preached a powerful message on divine interruption. While human
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interruptions cause us to be annoyed and frustrated, divine interruptions usher us into breakthroughs and blessings that will change the course of our lives. What a powerful reminder of the opportunity to walk in His presence, bask in His blessings and favor, and live the victorious breakthrough lives as children of God!
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CH R I S TM A S SOCK V S SMEL LY S O C K DISCOVERYLAND’S CHRISTMAS EVENT BY S H A RO N S A M
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n the weekend of December 21 and 22, 543 children (including 33 first-time visitors) were transported to the magical land of Sockville, in DiscoveryLand’s Christmas event Christmas Sock vs Smelly Sock. In Sockville, there are five rules for everyone to follow: #1: Everything must be neat and tidy! #2: Always greet each other with the Sockville dance #3: Never clap your hands #4: Always be happy! #5: Follow all the rules
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“I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” - Psalm 139:14 But one of the characters keeps making mistakes and getting smelly socks! How unfortunate!
TESTIMON IES FROM THE CHILDREN
When our preachers, Pastor Lam Ee Lin, Pastor Chang Wai Wai, and Brother Joseph Teo took to the stage, they shared how negative labels (smelly socks) draw us away from God.
Uel Chiang, age 4 I learned to love each other.
Olivia Zheng, age 5 I learned not to call other people names.
Using Psalm 139:14,“I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well,” they encouraged the children to instead place their value in Jesus!
Raena Toh, age 10 I learned that God loves me even if I do wrong things. He still cares for me.
Anne Sim, age 11 I learned that it is not only others that label you, but we can also label ourselves.
Three of our Pre-Teens – Jayden Cheong, Thaddea Tan, and Jonathan Joel Matthew – shared how God replaced negative labels with labels about who we are in Him – loved, precious and treasured! We rejoice at the 61 decisions for Jesus over the weekend. May our children be constantly reminded of their identity in Christ and proclaim positive labels over their lives daily! Testimonies have been edited for clarity and length. ISSUE 1
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X FACTOR IGNYTE'S CHRISTMAS EVENT
BY SA RA H H A N
WHAT IS THE X FACTOR IN CHRISTMAS? DO YOU SEE IT?
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rom December 20-22, IGNYTE answered these questions through an interactive drama musical that brought together the ancient and modern. Welcomed by a band singing to Christmas songs and a walkway filled with street lamps, 1,392 attendees (including 337 first-time visitors) were ushered into a transformed Chapel, giving the crowd a feel of what life was like in the times of Jesus. Beginning from the night of Jesus’ birth, X Factor followed the journey of Ted, a man teleported to first-century Bethlehem. After encounters with shepherds, the innkeeper and Magdala, the three magi, and King Herod, Ted comes to realize how different ones – rich or poor – dropped what they were doing to find this newborn child, a Savior.
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T ES TIMON IES FROM PARTICIPAN TS
Before X Factor, I did not know much about Jesus. I appreciate the effort that the cast and host have put in. Coming to church has also allowed me to learn about and appreciate Jesus more. JACOB TAN, AGE 12
Bringing the drama together were messages by Pastor Gary Chia, Pastor David Sashi, and Sister Faith Makinen about the hope of Christmas. God doesn’t require us to have the most influence or the most money. He sees us for who we are, and that is our X Factor. We praise Him for the opportunity to lead 12 persons to Jesus!
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Ilyse Ang, age 13 Before the presentation started, I had anxiety and fear that I might forget my steps. But when I got on stage, I was filled with confidence. I knew that God was with me. During the altar call, I saw people coming up to receive Christ. I am thankful that my serving has contributed to God’s plan to bring others to Christ. Ethan Poh, age 13 X Factor was my first time being part of an IGNYTE production. When I started, I was afraid and didn't know what to expect. But through the practices, I felt myself growing closer to God. I want to thank everyone
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– the leaders, props and set, the tech team, the singers, and actors for sacrificing their time to make this drama happen. Lydia Leing, age 18 X Factor was a deeper reminder to see beyond just the festivities and remember God's gift for us. During the lead up to the five presentations, God also grew my heart of intercession, to never stop praying for my loved ones to know Jesus. When I attended, God's presence was so tangible. He reminded me that as long as I would be willing, He would use me to be His hands and feet.
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WE S TI LL DO ! MARRIAGE RETREAT 2019
BY JE SSI E CH E W
S
ince its creation in 1859, Botanic Gardens has continued to thrive and bloom because of the dedication of generations of National Parks Board staff – men and women who carefully cultivate its floral residents and care for its many structures.
AS ONE OF THE NATION’S MOST BELOVED PLACE, THE SINGAPORE BOTANIC GARDEN’S LUSH SPACES AND FOCUS ON PLANT RESEARCH HAVE MADE IT “AN OASIS OF CULTURAL AND NATURAL HERITAGE.” 1
Care and cultivation are required for anything to grow and thrive. This is also true when it comes to marriage. With a culture obsessed with falling in love and planning beautiful weddings, the dream of “happily ever after” quickly dissolves after saying, “I do.” As days and years go by, it’s easy to lose sight of the purpose of marriage. That’s why Marriage Retreat 2019 (December 9-10 at Johor Bahru’s DoubleTree Hotel) was
The tips shared have helped to strengthen our relationship and we learnt how to be a better spouse to each other. AN D R E A L O H
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T ES TIMON IES FROM PARTICIPAN TS
such a welcome time for 200 couples to be reminded of basic principles and handles, and remember their love for one another. Guided by Pastors Martin and Esther Storey, every session was filled with laughter as they candidly shared stories and lessons learned from 22 years of marriage. There was a sweetness in the air as couples engaged in heart-to-heart sharing, held hands, hugged, and prayed for one another – small acts that are so easily taken for granted. From those with the most children (four) to the longest married couple (47 years), the retreat was a celebration of God’s design and purpose for marriage – to be fruitful, multiply, and glorify Him through intertwined lives. More than falling in love all over again, may Marriage Retreat be the catalyst that helps every couple stay in love, care for one another, and cultivate the marriage of their dreams.
Lye Huixian A great reminder of God’s plans and goodness for our marriages, especially as we prepare for a new season. Thank you to Pastors Martin and Esther for their engaging, practical sharing, as well as everyone who made this retreat possible. Adrian Tan Thanks for this retreat! Marriage is indeed an important aspect to get right with God, and we are glad to have this opportunity to commune with the Lord and reflect on our marriage together. Deanna Manuel It has been a wonderful experience for me and my husband, especially since this is our first time attending a marriage retreat. Hong Ming & Jerlyn Tan We want to thank the church for being intentional in planning for the Marriage Retreat, DiscoveryLand camp, and IGNYTE camp all at the same period. My husband and I were richly blessed
during the Marriage Retreat, finding renewed purpose in our marriage. Our two boys were greatly impacted during their respective camps. The elder (age 13) encountered God at a new level. He can now see the move of God in his daily activities and can't wait for the next camp! Our younger son (age 9) has also increased in faith level. When we asked which part of the camp he enjoyed the most, we were surprised when he shared that it was the door-to-door sharing of Gospel where he and his partner led two boys to Jesus! Seeing his enthusiasm, we asked if he would do the same at our Connect Group’s Christmas party. Praise God that they worked together to help three children make decisions that day! We can never thank the leadership of the church enough for their foresight in investing into the lives of the next generation! Our family is blessed to be Trinitarians!
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CAMP SURGE
DISCOVERYLAND'S CAMP 2019 BY A L ISON CH A N G
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eld from December 9 to 11, DiscoveryLand’s annual year-end camp was an action-packed time where 208 children came to Trinity@Paya Lebar to bring their faith to new heights. Through extended times of worship, station games, and workshops, our children pressed in to experience God’s abundant love. Collaborating with Trinity Academy, campers were also equipped with Junior Spiritual Parenting training,
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Though young, they were mighty and God moved powerfully through them. empowering and equipping them to spread God’s love to others. With sessions on singing, acting, and public speaking, campers learned about the power of the spoken word and how they could be God’s messengers. With the tools of evangelism under their belt, the campers went out on the last day for a time of street evangelism. In groups of four to five, they boldly knocked on doors and passionately shared the Gospel. Though young, they were mighty. God moved powerfully through them to enable 31 people to make decisions for Jesus! May God’s love continue to surge in and through our children in 2020!
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TESTIMON IES FROM THE CHILDREN
Kylie Tan, age 11 I always knew that God loved me but I have never felt it. During worship, His love was so real that I started crying. I know in my heart that He will always be with me. Giselle Lim, age 10 I learned that you should trust God with everything. When we went for street evangelism, two people accepted Jesus!
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Faith Goh, age 11 In the camp, I felt God speaking to me for the first time and His love overflowed in many of my friends too. Jadon Chang, age 11 I enjoyed going around the block and sharing the Gospel! I was happy to see an eight-year-old boy come to know Jesus! Joash Tho, age 11 I learned that street evangelism is not as scary as I thought! I had fun sharing with the little children.
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C AM P ALL FOR JESU S IGNYTE CAMP 2019
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he atmosphere of eagerness and anticipation could be felt as all 539 campers gathered at Holiday Inn Batam for Camp All For Jesus. Undeterred by the rain and changing weather, the four factions — Gladiator, Ninja, Spartan, and Viking – battled it out at various game stations and a final mass game. Besides bringing back points from the games, they’ve also gained invaluable lessons on what it means to follow Jesus wholeheartedly. Through workshops with IGNYTE ministers and night sessions with Pastor Dominic, campers were reminded of their success in Christ and challenged to make godly decisions, take up their spiritual authority, lay down individual causes to work towards God’s cause together, and not to despise humble beginnings.
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All For Jesus is more than a catchphrase â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it is a lifestyle to follow Jesus wholeheartedly, stand firm fearlessly, and war for His cause.
As camp drew to a close, campers were reminded that All For Jesus is more than a catchphrase â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it is a lifestyle to follow Jesus wholeheartedly, stand firm fearlessly, and war for His cause. We believe that this will be the declaration and battle cry of this generation of leaders!
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M ETANOI A CAMPUS MINISTRY LEADERS’ CAMP 2019
BY PA M E L A KOH
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rom December 26-28, 74 Campus Ministry leaders were dedicated to be transformed at our annual leaders’ camp at Johor Bahru’s Trove Hotel.
METANOIA IS A GREEK WORD THAT ENCAPSULATES THE IDEA OF TRANSFORMING ONE’S HEART AND MIND.
God began His transformative work right upon arrival when we launched into an extended Time Alone with God. Through sermons and workshops led by Brother Poon Chong Lin and Pastor Gerald Tan, hearts were called to demonstrate transformation (both inside and out), love through connecting and discipling, and dare to harness the ingredients for revival. Sealing the time with a fresh commitment to serve God’s purposes in our generation, we declare that 2020 will be a year of breakthrough for Campus Ministry!
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STORIES OF LIVES CHANGED Jaye Davies (NUS, Year 4) Knowing that 2020 would be the year I transit out of university, God realigned my heart to trust Him for a new stage in my life. He transformed my heart from one that anxiously searches for direction to one that trusts in His leading and provision. I know that God holds my future!
Christopher Chan (SIT, Year 1) It was a powerful time of encountering the presence and love of God where I responded in tears with a posture of surrender to Him. Camp Metanoia renewed my love for God as I continue to grow in holiness to Him.
Serena Lai (NTU, Year 1) As I learned about the revivals of the past, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m convicted that God has called us to take ownership of our generation by sowing into the hearts of many. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m excited for what lies ahead as I choose to step out in faith, boldness, and obedience to be His vessel!
Annabel Tan (NUS, Year 4) God showed me situations and areas in my life that I need to commit and work on to be more aligned to Him. While it can be a slow and gradual process, God showed me that I just need to trust and focus on Him. Even when we don't see it or feel it, God is indeed working!
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SEED CAMPUS GOES FOR THE HARVEST
BY E L IZ A BE T H KO H
“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” - 2 Corinthians 9:6
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harged by Brother Chong Lin to have “faith to go” and “faith to grow,” 110 students from NUS, NTU, SMU, and PIs (Private Institutions) heeded the call to SEED (Seek, Engage, Evangelize, Disciple) their campuses weekly from August 14 – November 25. The sense of excitement and trepidation was palpable as this was a mission that we had never embarked on before. In prayer and worship, we boldly asked God to lead every word and every step. Heading out in pairs to connect and share the Gospel, many experienced open heavens as people opened their hearts and lives. Curiosity about Christ was stirred, new relationships were forged, and four people made decisions for Christ! May our passion for evangelism grow as we keep SEEDing our campuses for Jesus!
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T ES TIMON IES FROM SOW ERS
SEED has sown in me the joy of looking for people I can bless! It has redefined evangelism as a journey of partnership and discovery of God’s response of love towards the felt needs of others. LORRAINE CHEW (SMU, YEAR 2)
Lisette Tan (NUS, Year 2) During worship, I sensed the word “minister” and saw a vision of me sitting with a crying girl. During SEED, my partner and I saw the girl I had seen in my vision. She agreed to let us pray for her. Hoping to see her again, I prepared a snack pack and a personalized note. Two weeks later, we bumped into her again! I passed her the snack pack and she texted me soon after. I’m praying for God’s guidance in sharing His love through this new friendship! Andrea Boey (PI, Year 1) When I first started SEEDing, I only thought of inviting people for TAG Challenge. Over time, God prompted me to change that mindset by striking meaningful conversations with those
I meet. One time, my partner and I had a 30-minute conversation with a Year 1 student from overseas, allowing us to plant a seed in a willing and open heart. God provides as long as we put our trust in Him and I’m sure God will continue using us powerfully to reach out to others! Nicholas Tham (NUS, Year 1) My friend encountered many problems in junior college and national service, prompting questions about God and his purpose in life. I persisted in inviting him to church, and on the third try, he said “yes!” When he came, he was amazed by the sermon about the Holy Spirit and was touched by the warmth of the people here. While talking to my Connect Group, he opened up his heart to God and said “yes” to Him!
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DISCOVERYLAND
RAISING LEADERS THROUGH JSP BY HO Y I X I N
There is no junior Holy Spirit – the same Holy Spirit lives and empowers each of our children!
EVER WONDERED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL OUR CHILDREN HAVE? WONDER NO MORE! AT DISCOVERYLAND, WE BELIEVE THAT EVERY CHILD CAN BE LEADERS OF THEIR GENERATION. THAT’S WHY WE LOVE TO PARTNER WITH ALL PARENTS TO SEE THEIR CHILD ARISING TO BE A JSP!
WHAT DOES JSP STAND FOR? JSP stands for Junior Spiritual Parents – children who understand what it means to live out the lifestyle of being a disciple of Christ and setting an example for the rest.
JSPs are equipped and encouraged to pursue a deeper relationship with God. They are also given opportunities to serve their peers in word and deed.
I HEARD THAT DISCOVERYLAND CAMP THIS YEAR FOCUSED ON THE JSP TRAINING. WHAT DID THEY LEARN? Through services, interactive workshops, and experiential games, our children understood the heart of connecting and discipling. They also learned how to use tools to move their oikos from being disconnected to making decisions for Jesus.
Read about what happened at camp by going to pg 138! WHO CAN BECOME A JSP? Sometimes, we believe our children are too young to be part of God’s Kingdom’s plans. But look at the lives of Jeremiah and
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Timothy (Jeremiah 1:6-8; 1 Timothy 4:12). There is no junior Holy Spirit – the same Holy Spirit lives and empowers each of our children!
Here are some verses to get you started:
Any child who has faith in God, desires to understand God’s will for their lives, and is willing to be molded according to His Word can take steps to be a JSP! Before they can be comissioned, they must meet the following requirements:
We also believe that discipleship begins at home. Model for your children what it means to love God and love others!
• Philippians 2:3-13 • Mark 10:41-45 • Galatians 5:13-15
• Complete Junior Introduction to the Trinity Family (JITTF), Junior New Beginnings, and Junior Spiritual Parenting course • Have been baptized in the Holy Spirit (with evidence of speaking in tongues) and with water (full immersion)
• The stress of starting conversations (Exodus 4:10-12) • Doubts about abilities/gifting (1 Samuel 16:7; 1 Corinthians 12) • Not an extrovert (Galatians 2:20; 2 Corinthians 12:10)
WHAT ARE THE SERVING OPPORTUNITIES FOR JSPS IN DISCOVERYLAND? As JSPs, our children can serve in many ways!
• A belief that they are too young (Jeremiah 1:6-8; 1 Timothy 4:12) • Fear of rejection (Luke 10:16) • Lack of focus or time (Matthew 6:33)
• Hosting games and announcements
• Fear that they will not be properly equipped (training provided in the JSP course)
• Sharing testimonies, giving short sermons, and leading altar calls • Sharing the God Loves Me Track to first-time visitors
Pray with and for them to rise up in faith and courage.
• Leading small groups • Co-leading with adult Group Leaders in conferences and camps
Every year, our JSP courses take place during the June and December school holidays.
• Co-teaching with pastors and adult leaders HOW CAN I ENCOURAGE MY CHILD TO BE A JSP? We believe that God’s Word reveals God’s will for our lives. Therefore, consider using Scripture to encourage your child to rise up!
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MY CHILD SEEMS RELUCTANT TO BE A JSP. WHAT CAN I DO? Hear out their concerns and fears. Consider using Scripture to help them overcome these obstacles:
The next JSP will happen on June 10 & 11. Lock these dates down now!
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WATER BAPTISM IN DISCOVERYLAND
INTO THE WAT E R S
They must also have completed Junior New Beginnings and the Junior Introduction to the Trinity Family (JITTF) course. MY CHILD IS AFRAID OF SHARING HIS/HER TESTIMONY ON STAGE. WHAT SHOULD I DO? Besides rehearsing at home, assure your child that he/she can bring their script on stage and that a pastor will be standing on stage with him/her while they share. Finally, encourage them to see that sharing their testimony gives the Lord the glory!
BY AR I E L L E Y E O
IN DISCOVERYLAND, WE BELIEVE THAT EVERY CHILD CAN PROFESS FAITH TO JESUS THROUGH WATER BAPTISM. HEAR FROM PASTOR CHUNG KAH FEI (DISCOVERYLAND PASTOR-IN-CHARGE) ABOUT ENCOURAGING YOUR CHILD TO GO THROUGH WATER BAPTISM!
MY CHILD IS AFRAID OF WATER. WHAT SHOULD I DO? During JITTF, we will share the sequence of water baptism so that they will not be caught off guard. During the water baptism interview, we will also ensure that your child is prepared to go into the water.
WHAT IS WATER BAPTISM? The Bible teaches us that water baptism is
• A public declaration of our faith (2 Corinthians 5:17)
HOW SHOULD I ENCOURAGE MY CHILD TO GO FOR WATER BAPTISM?
• A command to follow Christ’s example (Matthew 3:14-17; Mark 16:16)
• Share your water baptism journey and what it meant to you! Your spiritual journey can inspire them in theirs.
WHY IS WATER BAPTISM SIGNIFICANT FOR OUR CHILDREN? Water baptism is a spiritual milestone in our children’s faith – a reminder of the goodness of God and a commitment to continue growing in the Lord.
• Go through Junior New Beginnings to help reinforce their relationship with God, the church, and their oikos. • Approach your Connect Leader and the DiscoveryLand team for support! We’re happy to partner with you!
WHAT ARE THE PREREQUISITES FOR WATER BAPTISM? Children can apply to be water baptized at seven – the age we believe that they can understand the significance of the event.
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Join our next JITTF on March 18!
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FAM I LY COMM U NION BAND OF BROTHERS EDITION
BY MA RCUS L E OW
DATE TIME GROUP: 291420H DEC 2019. THE UNIT HAS MADE GOOD ETA AT THE RENDEZVOUS POINT. WITH A SERIES OF GESTURES, THEY MUSTERED AND CHECKED THEIR STRENGTH BEFORE BEING ASSIGNED THEIR SEQUENCE OF APPROACH. WITHIN MINUTES, THEY ARE ALERTED TO PROCEED EXPEDITIOUSLY TO... BE PART OF FAMILY COMMUNION.
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amily Communion is definitely not a tactical movement drill or a covert operation. It is, however, similar to many military exercises we participate in during National Service (NS). Besides coordination and planning, there must also be focus on a common goal. For that afternoon, it was to participate in a time of reflection and rededication. Though NS can be simplistically seen as young men doing their duty to the nation, that view grossly belies the many trials we go through daily. Sometimes, we stumble and fall. Often, we make mistakes and stray off the narrow path. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why the fellowship in the Armed Forces (AF)
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Serving in the Navy as an engineer, I often feared whether I could work in the harsh environment of a warship. But my Connect Group’s support filled me with the fighting courage to pull through my everyday challenges. I’m thankful that they helped me put my trust in God. LIEW YI ZHE AGE 20
Connect Groups is so essential to our spiritual growth. A safe community that allows candor among members, it is a psychological and spiritual refuge away from the unremitting salvation of our camps and bases. It doesn’t condemn or ostracize but seeks to be a place of encouragement and support. This year, we came together for Family Communion as a band of brothers. We thank our Father God for His faithfulness in providing this Kingdom Family that offers solidarity, counsel, and hope. Indeed, “though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12).
T ES TIMON IES FROM PARTICIPAN TS
Benedict Tan, age 21 AF Connect Group is a place where I found people who understand what I’m going through. When I share my worries and struggles, I know that they will pray for me and remind me to trust in God. I know that the AF Connect Group will always be there for me to celebrate what God does in my life and to remind me of God’s faithfulness. Peng Hui, age 23 While this year has been a journey of ups and downs, I thank God for placing me into this new family of brothers who are going through a similar experience. I'm thankful for this family where I've learned to be a better person for God.
Sean Lee, age 20 As we participated in Family Communion this year, I saw how it’s about coming together to reflect and look forward. Through the AF Connect Group, it’s amazing to see how God had been faithful in each of our lives in 2019. We believe that there will be more to come in 2020! Lim Jun Heng, age 20 Since coming into NS four months ago, I've seen how the AF community has come together. From sharing tips on how to get through NS life to sitting down to have heart-to-heart talks about how to find God, this is a strong band of brothers that holds each other strong to rise to the next level of faith!
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THEOLOGY FOR TODAY
BEING IN AND OF THE WORLD B Y R EV DR B AB U I M M AN U EL V EN K ATAR AM AN
theology for today
“JESUS SAYS WE’RE TO BE IN THE WORLD BUT NOT OF IT.” SADLY, I HAVE HEARD MANY WELL-MEANING CHRISTIANS CITING THIS PHRASE AS A RATIONALE TO BE TOTALLY DETACHED FROM THE AFFAIRS OF THIS AGE.
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y doing so, this takes Jesus’ words out of context, for He also says that, “My prayer is not that You take them out of this world” (John 17:15).
CLARIFYING THE NOMENCLATURE First, let’s start by defining the term “world.”
While I have traveled to a few Jesus must have, therefore, countries, I admit that I do not meant not being literally out of know what the world or life is the world, but something else. like in many continents and countries. I can’t say I know you do not belong to anything at all about what life the world is like even in that small place JOHN 15:19 or the major issues that the country is facing. they are not of the world JOHN 17:14 Therefore, I have chosen to They are not of the world even as I am not of it JOHN 17:16
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limit this article’s points of reference (the “world”) to issues that affect humanity-at-large, including the human condition.
SITUATING AND BEING SITUATED IN THE WORLD What are some of the challenges that humanity faces? I list the following – not in any particular sequence – to illustrate the plethora of issues that confront humanity: religion and state,1 child labor,2 water crisis and water-war,3 child sexual abuse,4 cyber warfare,5 deforestation,6 domestic violence,7 political violence,8 genocide,9 the global refugee crisis,10 globalization,11
Jonathan Fox, A World Survey of Religion and State (Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press, 2008). Cathryne L. Schmitz, Elizabeth KimJin Traver, and Desi Larson, eds., Child Labor: A Global View (Westport, CT and London: Greenwood Press, 2004). Maude Barlow, Blue Covenant: The Global Water Crisis and the Coming Battle for the Right to Water (New York: New Press, 2009). Karen L. Kinnear, Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Reference Handbook, 2nd ed. (Santa Barbara, CA, Denver, CO, and Oxford, England: ABC-Clio, 2007). Paul J. Springer, Cyber Warfare: A Reference Handbook (Santa Barbara, CA, Denver, CO, and Oxford, England: ABC-Clio, 2015). Paulo Moutinho, ed. Deforestation Around the World (Rijeka, Croatia: InTech, 2012). Randal W. Summers, Allan M. Hoffman, eds., Domestic Violence: A Global View (Westport, CT and London: Greenwood Press, 2002). Philip Herbst, Talking Terrorism: A Dictionary of the Loaded Language of Political Violence (Westport, CT and London: Greenwood Press, 2003). Daniel Jonah Goldhagen, Worse than War: Genocide, Eliminationism, and the Ongoing Assault on Humanity (London: Abacus, 2012). Mark Gibney, Global Refugee Crisis (Santa Barbara, CA, Denver, CO, and Oxford, England: ABC-Clio, 2010). George Ritzer, ed. The Blackwell Companion to Globalization (Malden, MA and Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing, 2007).
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If we are the people of God, we cannot tell the story of God without reference to the dominant history and issue of our times. hate crimes,12 illegal immigration,13 illicit trafficking,14 modern homelessness,15 new slavery,16 climate change,17 rape,18 racism,19 religious persecution,20 right to die,21 women’s rights and gender issues,22 world political challenges,23 international arms trade,24 arms race,25 trade wars,26 poverty,27 proxy war,28 and terrorism.29 On top of this, there are also things we all face at the “micro” level (individual, family) – social, economic, psychological, and emotional issues that are so varied and individual-specific that addressing all of them is virtually impossible. 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
All of these constitute the world as we have it — a world which we share and live in. These issues are our issues; we are part of them and in every way, responsible for them collectively.
the Israelites in Egypt, and the Ten Commandments.
EGYPT – THE ENVIRONMENTAL MAPPING
If we are the people of God, we cannot tell the story of God without reference to the dominant history and issue of our times.
The beginnings of the Israelites in Egypt had been quite auspicious. Joseph had been appointed second to the Pharaoh and appointed “in charge of the whole land of Egypt” (Genesis 41:39-43). He had made sure his family settled down in Goshen, “the best of the land of Egypt” where they would “enjoy the fat of the land” (Genesis 45:18; 46:28-29).
Let me illustrate this by retelling the story of Moses,
But when Joseph died, the fortunes of the Israelites
Given the intricate nature of our world, we have a responsibility to ask ourselves how we can be godly witnesses without becoming out of touch.
Donald Altschiller, Hate Crimes: A Reference Handbook, 3rd ed. (Santa Barbara, CA, Denver, CO: ABC-Clio, 2015). Michael C. LeMay, Illegal Immigration: A Reference Handbook, 2nd ed. (Santa Barbara, CA, Denver, CO: ABC-Clio, 2015). Robert J. Kelly, Jess Maghan, and Joseph D. Serio, Illicit Trafficking: A Reference Handbook (Santa Barbara, CA, Denver, CO, and Oxford, England: ABC-Clio, 2005). Mary Ellen Hombs, Modern Homelessness: A Reference Handbook (Santa Barbara, CA, Denver, CO, and Oxford, England: ABC-Clio, 2011). Kevin Bales, New Slavery: A Reference Handbook, 2nd ed. (Santa Barbara, CA, Denver, CO, and Oxford, England: ABC-Clio, 2004). 2009 State of the World: Confronting Climate Change (London: Earthscan, 2009); Linda Starke, 2009 State of the World: Into a Warming World (New York: Norton, 2009). Merril D. Smith, ed., Encyclopedia of Rape (Westport, CT and London: Greenwood Press, 2004). Robert Miles and Malcolm Brown, Racism, 2nd ed. (London and New York: Routledge, 2003). Brian J. Grim and Roger Finke, The Price of Freedom Denied: Religious Persecution and Conflict in the Twenty-First Century (Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press, 2011). Howard Ball, The Right to Die: A Reference Handbook (Santa Barbara, CA, Denver, CO: ABC-Clio, 2017). Lynn Walter, ed., Women’s Rights: A Global View (Westport, CT and London: Greenwood Press, 2001). Egbert Jahn, World Political Challenges, trans. Anna Güttel-Bellert, Political Issues Under Debate, vol. 3 (Frankfurt: Springer, 2015). Rachel Stohl and Suzette Grillot, The International Arms Trade: War and Conflict in the Modern World (Cambridge, UK and Malden, MA: Polity, 2009). David Carlton and Carlo Schaerf, eds., The Arms Race in an Era of Negotiations (New York, N.Y.: Palgrave Macmillan, 1991). Lori Ann LaRocco, Arturo Sarukhan C. and David M Rubenstein, Trade War: Containers Don’t Lie, Navigating the Bluster (Stamford, CT: Marine Money, Inc., 2019). M. Odekon, ed. Encyclopedia of World Poverty (Thousand Oaks and London: SAGE Publications, 2006). Tyrone L. Groh, Proxy War: The Least Bad Option (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2019). Gerard Chaliand and Arnaud Blin, eds., The History of Terrorism from Antiquity to Al Qaeda, trans. Edward Schneider, Kathryn Schneider, and Jesse Browner (Berkeley, Los Angeles, and London: University of California Press, 2007). From 2007 We don’t know if Joseph sensed that the present euphoria may not continue after him, for he says, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land He promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Genesis 50:24-25).” According to sociologists, forty years is the period of one generation.
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turned. When Moses was born, nearly 400 years and ten generations had come and gone. For them, Egypt was the land of slavery (Exodus 20:2)32 and it was highly possible that the Israelites were waiting for a hero or a messiah to deliver them. Moses miraculously escapes being killed at birth, was rescued by the daughter of Pharaoh, and makes it to the palace (Exodus 1:16; 2:1-10). He could have become indifferent to the plight of his own people, and thought to himself, “Thank goodness, I’ve made it to the top!” But this is where Moses stands out as a class apart. Exodus 2:11 puts it poignantly: “One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor.” It is possible that this was not his first foray out of the palace, and that he had witnessed what has been happening for some time.
After killing an Egyptian who was beating one of his own, he was forced to flee to Midian but eventually returns when God commissions him to bring the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus 2:11-15; 3:10; 4:1814:31).33 As far as the Hebrews were concerned, the dominant history of their times was that of slavery. But one man decided that their past and present was not going to be their future – slavery was not going to be their final history. He was willing to respond to the challenge and make a difference. In the same way, when we become aware of the various challenges around us, we are invited to accept the challenge as the commission. Therefore, we must find a cause to be a part of, a cause worth fighting for, and if necessary, even lay down our lives. The Ten Commandments, given through Moses, further explicates this point.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS — THE MAGNA CARTA FOR A “BRAVE NEW WORLD” 34 Is it possible to envision a brave new world and a brave new society? The idea of One God (monotheism)35 in Exodus opens up that great possibility. Egypt had a pantheon of gods36 hierarchically arranged with Amun as the supreme god. Known as henotheism,37 this hierarchical arrangement provided a pattern for hierarchically structuring society: royalty, aristocrats, and the upper echelons were on top while the slaves (the vast majority of the population) were at the bottom. In Exodus 20:2-3, God introduces Himself as the sole God (“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me”).
32 However, this had already been foretold to Abraham in Genesis 15:13 (“Then the Lord said to him, ‘Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there.’”) In his recounting of the Israelite history several centuries later, Stephen highlights the same (Acts 7:6). 33 More than several centuries later, the author of Hebrews interprets this as no less than refusing to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter and choosing to be mistreated along with the people of God (Hebrews 11:24-25). 34 The title is borrowed from Aldous Huxley’s famous novel, Brave New World, Harper Perennial Modern Classics (New York: Harper Perennial, 2011). Magna Carta means the “Charter of Liberty.” 35 Norman Lamm, The Shema: Spirituality and Law in Judaism (Philadelphia, PA: Varda Books, 2002). 36 George Hart, The Routledge Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses (London and New York: Routledge, 2005). 37 The “turning one’s concentration onto the supreme god while not denying that he has provided a myriad of other divinities to be honoured as evidence of his procreative power.” See Hart, Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses, 20. ISSUE 1
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This One God cannot be hierarchically arranged. Therefore, logically, the Israelites, liberated by this One God, cannot arrange their society hierarchically. The liberation from Egypt is not simply a political liberation, but also a liberation from the Egyptian mindset and model of society. Whereas the Egyptian model of society thrives on a slave model, the new model thrives on equality, equity, and egalitarian ideals. EQUALITY AND FAIR TREATMENT
As slaves, the Israelites were not entitled to job contracts, workplace safety, fair pay, insurance, or rest (Sabbath). But as a free people in their new world, they were to work differently.
Anyone and everyone in this new free society – including non-Israelites and livestock – would have to abide by God’s work-and-rest mandate and ethics. …but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your town. EXODUS 20:10 In a slave society, a slave is an expendable commodity. In a free society, everyone is a person with intrinsic value and a free society is built on everyone’s worth and contribution. Now, they had a responsibility to create jobs and formulate clearly defined
Each successive generation has a responsibility to reinterpret the ideas and ideals of the Ten Commandments and shape their world accordingly.
labor laws. In turn, every person has a responsibility for and obligation to contribute to the welfare of society.38 HONOR AND RESPECT
A slave society has no respect for a slave as a person. But after the exodus, the newly-freed Israelites were introduced the concept of honor through the 10 Commandments. • Honor your parents (Exodus 20:12) – Honor begins from home, no one is taken for granted.
38 Further, the idea of work presupposes that only able-bodied persons can work, which means that this free society has to necessarily keep the welfare of those who cannot work, the physically and mentally challenged. Those who can, are responsible for those who cannot. This is how a civil society functions. ISSUE 1
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about constructing a new society in light of the 10 Commandments – the ideas and ideals for a “brave new world.” In the same way, each successive generation has a responsibility to reinterpret the ideas and ideals of the Ten Commandments and shape their world accordingly.
• Honor life (verse 13) – All lives matter. • Honor your wife and another woman’s body (verse 14) – No adultery. • Honor what belongs to others (verse 15) – Stealing is prohibited.39 • Honor the character and integrity of others (verse 16) – Do not bear false witness. For the Israelites, their Promised Land was not just about inhabiting the land of Canaan. It was
While the issues we face in this day and age are quite staggering, we are not to despair. Instead, we must – while being fully aware of the truth about the world and envision a hopeful future.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THOUGHT, REFLECTION, AND ACTION What, then, can we do as the body of Christ to live out these ideas and ideals in our world? 1. Be intentionally present. Look around, observe, and dare to ask…
Why can’t the world be different and be better?
Who am I in relation to my world or this specific issue that poses a threat to human sanity and dignity?
Be observant without becoming a spectator. This is not a new idea. Moses did it and so did our Lord Jesus.
Jesus saw the poverty and bondage in His society and chose to locate His life and mission right in the midst of these issues – to proclaim the Good News (euangelion), freedom, and deliverance (Luke 4:18-19).
2. Listen more, talk and advise less. Dare to see beyond socioeconomic, religious, racial, and cultural differences by focusing on our common humanity. Demonstrate hospitality of listening to the other’s story without condemnation and judgment. 3. See a need, meet the need. Consider the example of Jesus and the early church to seek and meet needs.
39 This goes back to the idea of creating jobs. If everyone has a job and decent means of livelihood, there is no need for anyone to steal. ISSUE 1
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theology for today
Despite the busyness of public ministry, Jesus was also mindful of individuals hidden in the crowd – those in need of someone to reach out to them. • He heals a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years, restoring her to her family and community (Luke 8:42b-48). • He heals a Samaritan leper and sends him back to his community (Luke 17:11-19).
The early church was also exhorted to consider the needs found within (e.g., the care of widows in 1 Timothy 5:16) and outside of the church (e.g., Acts 6:1-6; 9:36-41; James 1:27).
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS As the people of God, all of us can – and we must – work to combat the issues of our times.
• He visits Zacchaeus to announce salvation to his house (Luke 19:1-10).
The command and commandments have been given. Now it’s our turn to decide how we will be in and of the world we live in.
• He travels to a remote Samaritan village to offer a nameless woman “living water” (John 4).
In the end, all of us can make a difference. And the difference we make will be our witness.
May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart. May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace. May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and turn their pain into joy. May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world so that you can do what others claim cannot be done. - SISTER RUTH FOX 40
• He heals a man who had been invalid for 38 years (John 5:1-15). • Even when dying on the cross, He assures a repentant criminal of a place in paradise (Luke 23:42-43).
Rev Dr Babu Immanuel Venkataraman has been a faculty member at TCA College since April 2010. He earned his Ph.D. in Biblical Studies from the University of London. Rev Dr Babu’s teaching interests include the New Testament, hermeneutics, contextual theologies, literary and historical studies, and theory of ideas.
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2020
Mar 5-8
Missions Rally and Missions Weekend
Apr 9-12
Easter Services
Jun 15-18
Church Camp
Jun 25-28
Mandarin Worship Experience (with Stream of Praise)
Jul 18-19
Worship Experience
Aug 2
50th Anniversary Service and Lunch
Sep 6
IGNYTE Worship Experience
Sep 24-27
Vision Rally and Vision Weekend
Oct 24 & 25
Social Justice Weekend
Nov 7 & 8
Care Community Services Society (CCSS) Weekend
Dec
Christmas Presentation
Information is correct at time of printing and is subject to change.