BEAUTY FOR ASHES
The Sichuan Earthquake on 12th May has again sounded the alarm. In less than 6 months this year, we’ve already witnessed 3 huge natural disasters in Asia occurring in swift succession – China’s Snow Storm in January, Myanmar’s Cyclone Disaster in April and now the earthquake in Sichuan. We ponder again on the brevity of life and the limitations of man.
In Sichuan’s many quake zones, emergency teams continue to risk their lives, using all means, to seek and save people who have been buried under debri for more than a week – far surpassing the critical 72-hour rescue time frame. Despite having little chance of success, these rescue teams are not giving up in their fight against the odds and in rescuing lives. We know that disasters are the impending signs of the second coming of Christ (Deut 29:29, Matt 24:3-14), but how should we as Christians respond?
When asked, Jesus tells his disciples
“It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:6-8)
Jesus tells us to testify of Him and what has been revealed to us – the Good News and to know that the Holy Spirit has come to empower us to be His witnesses. Someone sent me a text message not long after the Sichuan Quake: “Disaster victims are innumerable, they all need the Lord. The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.”
Indeed, the harvest is ripe and the workers are few. Time is short and our response to these natural calamities is to urgently set up a Missions Centre to train and send local workers to the harvest.
Conviction – Missions Centre
After 6 months of on site prayer and observation, we sense that our “Migrant City” is a potent platform for bringing the Gospel to the whole nation. The government’s emphasis on opening up and developing the city’s economy has led to a great influx of young workers from all over the country coming in to seek job opportunities here. These people, when called by God into the ministry and sent back to their hometowns with the Gospel, can become effective church planters for they carry with them the prestige of having been to the city and the advantage of working among relatives and kinsmen.
In addition to this, the city’s open outlook towards development extends also into the area of religious freedom, thus making the setting up of a Missions Centre here favorable and essential.
Through this Centre, we seek to:
- Address various Christian doctrines and traditions that have confused many local believers;
- Provide systematic studies so as to resist rampant heresies and false teachings;
- Encourage and empower believers in this city to bring the Gospel back to their hometowns.
- Equipping and empowering those who are called to plant self-governing, self-supporting & self-propagating churches in their hometowns;
- Providing basic needs and simple accommodation to trainees so they can fully focus on the full-time course;
- Training local teachers/trainers to train future leaders.
Goal
To raise up 50 church planters in 5 years.Strategy – Missions Centre in the City
Operations
Our conviction, strategy and goal alone would not have amounted to much had God not send us a like-minded man of peace at a very timely moment – Ps GW, a local pastor with a heart for reaching this country with the Gospel. After several months of discussion and prayer with him, we both sense the Lord’s affirmation in setting up the Missions Centre together. To achieve our goal, we’ve drawn up a 9-month church planting course for believers called by God to plant churches in their hometowns.
The Missions Centre will commence in September this year and the first intake will be limited to 10 trainees. It is our aim to not only equip them in the classroom for 9 months, but also to empower them for service after they complete the training by visiting them and their new works on a regular basis in their hometowns. The remaining 3 months of the year will be devoted to this area.
Budget
The one time start-up cost for the Missions Centre is set at S$8,000 and its 9 month running cost is at S$6,000/month. By faith, we are trusting God for partners – 4 people to contribute S$2,000 each towards the start-up and another 20 people to contribute S$300/month each towards the running cost of the Centre.Partners
We invite you to partner with us in this venture. It is our hope and desire to serve the Lord of the Harvest, the One who had compassion for the lost multitudes, along with you.You can contribute by making cheques payable to “CENTRE OF NEW LIFE” indicating “East Asia Missions Centre” at the back of the cheque and mailing it to Blk 211, Henderson Road, #07-04, Henderson Industrial Park, S’pore 159552
