Ministry Update October-November 2022

 

Yes, I realized I am not sending out my updates every month. Will continue with once every two months. Work load is piling and studies getting more demanding. Will appreciate your prayers

 

SAM Northern Centres matter: Penang centre has 2 students graduating later this month in Seremban campus. The number of students is dwindling in this centre. In the meantime, the final course planned for this academic year was unfortunately cancelled due to the assigned teacher who pulled out at the last minute. Ipoh centre is progressing well. They will continue till end of this month.

 

SAM Council will meet for a retreat in early November. We have been working independently for so long that we assume the other centres function like each of us. So, coordinators of Northern Centres, KL, n JB centres will meet to streamline SAM direction, now that we have merged into a single entity.

 

STM Graduation events will begin next week on Friday but preparations are picking up. Assignments deadline are also drawing near. It is going to be busy. Do pray for us as this will be the first physical graduation events after a two-year lock-down. Commissioning Service is on Friday morning followed by Graduation Dinner in the evening and the Graduation Service itself on Saturday afternoon. This will be followed by Faculty Consultation on 17-18 Oct n faculty/staff field trip to Ipoh 19-20 Oct.

 

Yes, I do plan to “balik kampong” to Penang. Likely end Nov till Dec. Can’t wait to savour Penang food again.

 

Once again, thank you for your partnership in ministry

 

TSB

04102022

Ministry Update August2022

Greetings from Seremban! Thank you for your support in the Sekolah Alkitab Malaysia (SAM) Northern Centres ministry. I apologize for the long silence. A few may understand why. Generally, I was on medical leave till end of June. I am picking up from where I left and there are many things to pick up.

 

SAM Northern Centres together with two other SAM centres in KL n JB have bought SAM Leadership Academy Sdn Bhd and we are now a legal entity. It has signed a MoU with MBS to offer BM programs at the certificate, diploma, bachelor, and master levels. In this transition period, programs in partnership with STM will continue and when the details are finalized, existing students will be given the option to choose which path they are comfortable to pursue. In considering various seminaries to partner with, SAM decided on MBS as both already has a history of partnership from the beginning. Also, the less academic nature will be more attractive to increase the percentage of completion of study programs for our targeted students.

 

In Penang, we continued with online classes and two students are scheduled to complete and graduate with Diploma in Christian Ministry this October in STM. We are now at the third module along the year. Penang, being the only urban centre continued with classes online despite the MCO during the pandemic. The other rural centres remained closed as internet was inaccessible in the interior.

 

In Ipoh, classes only resumed physically in June and classes took place in Gereja Shalom Gopeng with mainly OA students.

 

Other extension centres still closed and pending the local coordinators’ advice to open are in Tapah, Temerloh, and Lenggeng. Kindly pray with us that the endemic situation in the interior of these places will improve and safe for gathering soon.  Lenggeng/Seremban is a new centre and in its initial set-up stage. While Gopeng/Tapah is focused on the OA Semai people group and Temerloh to the Semelai, the Lenggeng/Seremban centre will focus on the Temuan people group.

 

I am also picking up on my studies. Praying that within this semester I will be able to complete the necessary to enable me to begin actual research – both library and field research. Again, will greatly appreciate your prayer partnership.

 

Once again, I thank you for your partnership in this exciting ministry