A note which I recently posted on my facebook...
The GO4th Trippers!
“There’s no such thing as foreign Mission with God, God’s Missions Belongs to the World” - Rev Dr Eddie Fox (World Director of Evangelism, the World Methodist Council )
GO4th 2011 has certainly broadened my perspective of what Missions really is. Especially in recent months where our YMOVE committee has been going for intensive mission training session of deconstruction of preconceives ideas & assumptions of what Missions is to us. And right now as I write this I’m still in the midst of reconciling my thoughts of what missions really is.
Going Beyond Boundaries
Rev Rick Seaward mentioned that reasons why we don’t go for missions is we put boundaries & limitations for ourselves. But God has NO BOUNDARIES. Jesus cross all boundaries & push every boundary. Jesus was one who was move with Compassion! And I believe that what would move us too, perhaps we should pray for God to give us that compassion for His people, and that would move us out of our boundaries.
Diaspora Missions
The overview of missions around the world was certainly an eye opener to me. One of which was Diaspora missions in the world as well as in Singapore. There are 3 main groups of such Diaspora missions, the migrants, the Students and the professionals. And it was really encouraging to hear first hand from people out there who do such missions. One of which is the ministry in Fairfield Methodist church (FMC) where they reached out to the Chinese migrants workers. And it all started from just 110 people who attended this one CNY dinner celebration, where 49 received Christ on that day and now it has grown to up to 13 000 of such Chinese migrant workers who has came to FMC. Where 5000 has received salvation, 500 baptise and now there’s people receiving Christ at almost every service each week.
Adding to that there was this Vietnamese girl who shared a heartfelt testimony on how she came to know Christ from this girl she met in school and circumstances of others who came along the way. Just hearing her story really moves one to know that we never know how our actions & deeds to one can actually lead one to Christ eventually. And that’s how I see in relational evangelism nowadays. It all starts at building relationship to one another. And it’s as simple as just showing that love to one another. “This is my command: Love each other. John 15:17”
Going Deep
We had the privilege to go deep with in-depth Bible Study with Bishop Robert Solomon in the morning sessions. We discuss on the story of Jonah on the first day and on Song of Deborah from Judges on the second day. Below are some of his deep quotes which I noted down.
"Responding to Missions is like Falling in Love with God... "Yes God use me"- Bishop Dr Robert Solomon
"One step forward in obedience is worth years of study about it."- Oswald Chambers
“We have too many Christians doing too many calculations, with whatever knowledge we have we just need to make that commitment." - Bishop Dr Robert Solomon
“Why we obey God?
1) Fear of Him
2) Knowing God can be Trusted
3) Knowing that He Bring Joy to your Heart
4) Because we Love God”
The Powerful Testimony
My personal highlight of the whole conference was when Pastor Peter Tsukahira a Japanese American Israeli citizen gave two insightful sharing’s during the conference, and I still remember the powerful testimony of his wife’s ministry in Israel where they reach out to the poorest of the poorest by setting up this shelter for these refugees. And soon the prime minister’s wife even heard about this and not after even the media heard about their ministry & when the media ask of them to share on their ministry they took that chance to tell about their relationship with Jesus and how they were Messianic Jews. And this public declaration of their Faith & ministry was on the front page news of which millions of people read after.
Ministry in the market place
He also shared about his marketplace ministry when he was working in the business world and was a pastor at the same time. He shared that we shouldn’t focus on just looking to climb that corporate ladder and hope that when we reach to the top we than we have a great amount of influence to talk about Christianity. Sometimes we get too caught up with the world just looking at climbing that corporate ladder that we may never even be close to God when we reach to the top. In fact we should stop focusing climbing up that corporate ladder but look down to those below you instead. We should look at their needs and ask God how we can meet their needs.
Looking Far
On the final night, Peter Tsukahira shared a heartfelt sharing from his book "God's Tsunami”, the move of the gospel expanding in a westward direction. From the time of the Apostle Paul, Peter shows that God directed Paul to preach the gospel to the west. Peter chronicles how the gospel has moved west into Europe and has been moving steadily westward to this day. Though Paul's ministry only took him as far as Rome, the gospel has continued to spread to Europe, then to America. From there it moved to Asia (the 10/40 window) and will circle back to Israel - where it all started, will be the "end of the line" in the western sweep of world evangelization. Jerusalem is God's chosen place for the return of the Messiah. This message is described in Scripture. The passage Peter references is Romans 11:25, where Israel's revival will follow the fullness of God's harvest among all nations and is the chief requirement for Christ's return.
Are you ready to "Catch the Wave of God's Purposes?"- Pastor Peter Tsukahira
What is mission to me now?
Some of the thoughts which I have gathered from our YMOVE sessions is missions is not just meeting the spiritual needs but the part of the physical need that we need to consciously address too. And we really need to think through the impact we create when we are going for mission trips. For example, when we go on short-term mission trips, why are we there to teach English for e.g, like would it actually be beneficial for them in the long term, when we plan an Easter programme etc, would it actually help? Sometimes although with good intensions are we actually imposing the culture of how we do church to maybe a village in another country who do church totally differently? I believe this are considerations we need to take note of and be aware about. Sometimes it can be just as simple as going there to encourage the missionaries there or just playing with the kids. At the end of the day, I have came to a personal conclusion that there’s definitely still purpose for such short term mission trips, as God can always use anyone in His ministry, just that we need to think through of the real intentions of why we go for such trips.
If someone asks me what mission is about now, I guess this would be my reply for now, “It’s playing a part in God’s Mission to reconcile back His Kingdom to all creation & to restore His Creation Mandate. It’s a holistic approach, not just in a spiritual sense by evangelising to others, but being that true witness of God in our life and meeting the physical, physiological & emotional needs of the marginalized and the people we meet along in our journey in this life. And this is only possible with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.”
“We are called to spread the Good News of the Gospel by Word, Deed and Sign in the power of the Holy Spirit so that the world may know Jesus Christ,”
...“We, the people called Methodists, are followers of Jesus in the company of the Wesleys. John Wesley made it clear the Wesleyan Way for the Methodist Movement is to be alive, vibrant and growing.” - Rev Dr Eddie Fox (World Director of Evangelism, the World Methodist Council )
GO4th Conference: Recorded Sermons & Testimonies
URBAN MISSIONS-Pastor Peter Tsukahira, Stanley & Lucy sharing of ministry in Japan
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2862742/Go4th%202011%20Day%203%20Morning%20Plenary_%20Urban%20Missions.m4a
FINAL NIGHT RALLY- Jiamin Testimony Sharing at Doulos & Pastor Peter Tsukahira Sermon
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2862742/Go4th%202011%20Day%203%20Night%20Rally_%20Beyond%20XYZ.m4a
(Video Recording) Catch the Wave of God’s Purpose- Pastor Peter Tsukahira
http://www.godstsunami.com/video/56/go4th-national-missions-conference
Pastor Peter Tsukahira shared this article during his sermon at the Go4th Conference.
A write up on that article... http://www.grahamdaley.com/ihp/christ-has-risen/
The Wesley YMers who came on the final night of GO4th!
All the brochure, flyer a FREE thick MISSION BOOK, A Free Reinhard Bonke DVD, and many other mission information from the one visit to the GO4th exhibition!
Our YMOVE discussion on one of our many meetings on missions, on "What's the KINGDOM OF GOD?" We spend a long one hour plus just discussing on this!
_3_March+copy.jpg)
