Friday, September 29, 2006

Awesome

Some things can make me cry. Some things as simple as the imagery of 4 candles. How about you?
Try out by viewing this flash animation:
4Candles

CWM News: My career - a lesson in God's care (Eld Richard Chong)

CWM deputy moderator and administrative secretary for the Presbyterian Church in Singapore Richard Chong looks back on a career in which God's grace has always been a step ahead.

While in the Singaporean army on national service, I joined an Institute of Biblical Study course conducted by the Campus Crusade for Christ. Confronted with my helplessness, my depravity and the wonderful grace of Jesus Christ, I needed no further prompting to bend my knees to ask him come into my life.

I found inexpressible joy in reaching out to the recruits at evangelistic meetings and learning from the witness of my Bible study group on weekends.

When I left the army, God used me to set up bible study groups in and outside my workplaces. I decided that there could be nothing more fulfilling in life than to serve God in the ministry of evangelising, training, and equipping people to spread the gospel. God had other plans!

I slowly learned there is a difference between being driven and being called

For 11 years, I worked in the printing industry, working hard to bring up a young family, and manage priorities at workplaces and in church. My work involved reviving a loss-making company of 50 staff and building it up to an international and profitable corporation of 300 employees.

Pride
I began to believe that there was nothing I could not achieve with commitment. I left the company to partner with a friend in a completely new business. But we soon faced setbacks after my friend had to pull a big part of his capital from the business.

So I started again with a completely new business. Again lack of capital was a constraint.

With depleted savings I went back to the printing firm I had left feeling beaten and discouraged. God revealed to me how dependant I am and how fragile and transient these businesses are!

It was also during this time that I took up eldership in the church with the view to help the church serve effectively. I was humbled at the attempt. I slowly learned there is a difference between being driven and being called; that people are more important and enduring than structures and methods.

Knowing that I needed to reflect and live my life meaningfully, I sought God for relief. I took the step of faith to invest my time in the church's service as administrative secretary for the Presbyterian Church in Singapore.

I have never been happier in my work and walk with God. He provided me the opportunity to put my administrative gifting to work with our church leaders; expanded my worldview through engagement with world mission bodies and missionaries; challenged me to take bold steps into new missions and entrepreneurial initiatives through prayer and faith.

Thursday, September 28, 2006

Free visualisers!!!

Dear Pastors/Church Managers/Admin Support

A Home for the Aged in East Coast has 7 visualisers (used) to give away. Anyone interested please contact Br Ricky Seah at HP no: 97439717.

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

CWM News: Good shepherds to Zambian youth

Delinquency and poverty are major issues for Zambian youth found returning missionary Rev Fereti Tutuila. The church can provide direction and care for them.

Flowers laid on gravestones don't last long in Lusaka. Children scour cemeteries for flowers hoping to resell them. Others roam around looking for a chance to steal.

Day by day children are on the streets begging. They accompany blind people asking for help, getting their meals from trash bins, sleeping by the roadside with plastic bags tied round them for warmth.

Young people are in a critical state in terms of moral values. Debate is raging as to why this is so and who is responsible.

Church youth are addressing the problems their generation faces

The youth are also crying out for the kind of equality where anyone's problem is everyone's problem and where nobody is marginalised.

As CWM missionary Rev Fereti Tutuila ministered at St Andrew's Church in Lusaka he noted that elders and clergy are only minimally involved with the youth. "With our 100 per cent involvement we will know them and they will follow our direction because they recognise our voice," he says.

St Andrew's Church youth department comprises of Sunday school, youth fellowship and a Boys' Brigade and Girls' Brigade. Church youth are addressing the problems their generation faces by getting involved in a wide range of church activities such as small projects, fundraising, visitations and counselling.

Tutuila says: "Although HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria and high poverty levels are hitting them, their faith is firmly anchored onto the Lord, leading to growing in mission."

Tutuila helped respond to youth problems by putting in place a social welfare committee to give whatever the church could manage to homeless children, and creating youth projects, such as a brick-making scheme.

He tried to be with families grieving over sick children, and constituted an HIV/AIDS committee to work with the church marriage guidance committee.

"I still have a passion to go back to the ministry in Africa," he says.

Rev Fereti and Sosefina Tutuila from the Congregational Christian Church in Samoa served the United Church of Zambia at St Andrew's Church in Lusaka for five years.