sb-makingadifference

Ministry Update

I survived STCM 2007! It was filled with activities but we at MBTS survived through another STCM, all by God’s grace. The hiccups were lessons for improvement next year. Praise God for it all…

I enjoyed the 3 consecutive mission trips, one a month for 3 consecutive months. They were great. Culminating at the end was the trip to Indonesia, at a place were we were restricted to use any Christian jargon. That was a challenge…for many of us to experience a C4, C5, or even C6 context. What it taught me was to re-define “work.” My team members and the host team were great. They were such fantastic people who love God so much, it overflow through their lifestyles.

I have completed my thesis. Praise the Lord for His grace. However, the final assignment on youth missions is still in progress. It’s hard to get back to work so soon after a major “accomplishment” of the thesis. But I just have to discipline myself…and should not let the momentum slow down!

Today is Malaysia’s 50th Independence Day. I’m truly glad for the freedom of worship and opportunities we have to develop many sectors of society. Yea, there are hiccups here & there, but where can we find a perfect government here on earth? I’m proud of Malaysia & I’m proud to be Malaysian. Last night, I attended a special Merdeka Day Service held in a church across the bridge. It was a new experience. It actually was a prayer & cultural service leading to the countdown to merdeka. There were praises, worship, prayers, and performances from various Peninsular and East Malaysian ethnic groups. I look forward to similar future services. It exhibited the true spirit of Malaysia and proves the patriotism of the Malaysian church. What touched me significantly was the singing of the national anthem at midnight. When I was in Indonesia, I witnessed how their national anthem was sung in such a patriotic manner in a home group. It touched me so deeply and made me so embarrassed because for the almost 20 years of my being a Christian, I cannot remember a single moment where we sing our national anthem in church or in a home group. So, it was especially significant when I joined in singing Negara-ku in church, right on the golden anniversary of my country’s independence. I pray that the church will jointly pray for the true independence of the spiritual sense for all individual Malaysians.

Please remember me in prayer. The new and final term of the year in MBTS will begin the week after next. There are preparations to be done leading to the Convocation service in early November. And as usual, December will be pretty relaxing before we meet the challenge of another new academic year. Pray for the graduating students (me included) and also prospective students.

PHP 1:3 I thank my God every time I remember you.

SB

Ministry Update August 2007

Wow! I didn't realize we have reached August. The last two months, I went to visit the OA Settlements - up north & down south. It has been great adventures & experiences. I'll be going beyond the border later this month. Please pray for my team & I. STCM in campus is drawing to an end. The next phase of busyness is preparations for convocation. I hope most if not all of you are able to drop by & share with us the goodness of God. It's on Nov 9 at the Caring Complex in Penang.

Will be updating you appropriately; God is sustaining us...we are in good hands.

SB

Ministry Update – July 07

I’m writing a response to my earlier entry where I mentioned a topic that some consider “taboo.” I questioned the spiritual discernment of some Christian leaders I know and some friends offered a lot of wisdom and it really helped me confront this issue better. But I still am finding it difficult to reconcile several obvious aspects. Before I go any further, perhaps I need to attempt to “clear the air” a bit. I was referring to an outreach work across the bridge in the main land.

Most Christians would think that to question spiritual authority is an act of non-submission. I agree to a certain extent. I’ve been in the pastoral ministry before and I’m well aware of how leadership is often bombarded with criticism from all sides. But we need to differentiate helpful criticism from harmful criticism. There is no place for spectators in the Christian journey, only participants. Because of that, I consider an opinion is only of value if it comes from a participant, not an observant (in any ministry). And through my few limited years of Christian pilgrimage, I have acquired quite a bit of discernment to distinguish spirit-controlled ministry vs. human-abled work. I think most Christians who seek after God would have similarly acquire such “ability.” I doubt any of us can feel nothing when confronted with something that is spiritually not right. All of us should re-act. It’s a matter of how we re-act. God did not make us to be like robots, instead, we are created in His image. I can be honest to question Him and raise my doubts because I am limited in my understanding. And I see no reason not to raise similar doubts concerning other fellow creators.

I believe that when God gave us brains, we are meant to be thinkers. And to think Christianly is no easy task when we are surrounded by worldliness. This is a challenge for the church today. This is a challenge for the maturing church in Malaysia…to think for ourselves, and to self theologize so that the Malaysian church is authentically Malaysian. Christians must definitely learn to think Christianly or the world is going to do the thinking for the church!

Ministry Update

The previous month was one busy month. However, I thoroughly enjoyed it. There were continuous activities in campus, dinners with church friends and colleagues, preaching engagements, and a short mission trip. I’m now preparing for the next module of STCM. The BM school will start a week later. There will be weekend activities at every weekend, culminating with another short over-the-weekend mission trip (last month was up north but this month it’ll be down south). At the close of STCM, there will be several missions teams traveling to various missions locations. I’m participating in a team to Indonesia.

I hardly have time to work on my thesis. I’m revising the first draft & seem to be stuck at the concluding chapter. Anyway, my supervisor will be away to Africa for the next 3 weeks, so it doesn’t matter if I drag it a bit. But in a week’s time I’ll be attending the last classroom course. Yeah! Then no more classroom courses…as a student that is?!

There is one issue that I’ve been confronted with recently. If any of you can lend some wisdom, I will greatly appreciate it. I can’t elaborate publicly this matter but I’m questioning the lack of spiritual discernment on the part of several Christian leaders I know. I don’t know whether it is because I’m too idealistic, too futuristic, or too naïve myself but when a situation contradicts the Biblical mandate (or advice) I think it’s extremely foolish to pursue that matter. I believe the church should be influencing the world, however, many circumstances in the church today reveal that it is the world that is influencing the church! If God prompts you to think along this line, do share your thoughts with me.

Updating you briefly this month…SB

Ministry Update June 2007

Dear partners in ministry,

Thanks for your partnership in serving God together. It’s been an extremely busy time here in campus. We have two modules of the School of Trans-Cultural Missions this short term. The first module has the English/Chinese stream plus the children studies (HCD). The second module has the English/Chinese stream plus the BM stream! We are planning field trips to the OA settlements end of each module and concluding the school are missions teams to various parts of South East Asia.

I’ve completed my first draft of thesis and it has been returned for revision. I’m glad that I only have to re-write one chapter (out of six). Next month I’m attending the final classroom course and I’m done with classroom courses (forever! Dissertation is 100% research). I hope to return to “normal church life” by October after disciplining myself to complete all requirements for graduation in early November. (Yea, I’m graduating again but no big deal this time, the sash color is still the same as the previous)

Please remember in prayer:
1. The STCM here in campus: overseas students/lecturers – travels, study, activities…
2. The missions teams: preparations, travel, logistics…
3. The exciting topic & writing of my thesis “Urban Youth in Cross-cultural Missions”
4. The youth work that is progressing slow & sturdy at GBC (S)
5. The ever growing Viet church
6. The fear of God upon the church & spiritual awakening of the church in Malaysia
7. Cousins/neighbors to embrace the Truth

Once again, Phil 1:3, Aku mengucap syukur kepada Allahku setiap kali aku mengingat kamu.

SB

Ministry Update – May 2007

After three consecutive weeks of preaching engagements I was ready to take a break. Actually, it also marked my 50% done of my thesis (first draft). So, I think I deserve a little break. I went to visit my nephews in PJ over the long weekend. The problem with taking a break is the reluctance of getting back to work! That’s why I’m in front of the PC right now writing this blog entry.

The Seminary is all geared up for the next School of Trans-Cultural Missions (STCM). There are exciting programs lining up – classroom instructions, field study, etc. I’m taking a team to Pengkalan Hulu end of June, another team to Gopeng at the end of July and still another team to Acheh in August. So, should I go for the church camp scheduled for the first weekend of June? I’m still pondering. But back to Seminary news, we have just launched another prayer meeting. Besides the dawn prayer meetings that are attended by most residential students, we have this lunch time prayer meetings. And I invite you to share my vision for the Seminary to be so soaked in prayers that there is an open heaven above us. Those of you who are MBTS Alumni, do join us to carry the burden for a spiritual revival of our Seminary.

My thesis is coming along well. It’s a great opportunity to speak to various churches to discover the status of youth ministry in Malaysian Baptist churches all through the peninsular. Apart from that is the study into various aspects of discipleship, training, missions education, etc. What is more exciting is that my study is an original research needing raw data from the field. Actually, I’m very excited to pursue further into a dissertation on missions strategy involving youth in missions. Anyone like to join me in this study?

Ministry in church is progressing well, I suppose. The new youth group is doing sturdily well in GBC South. We are meeting once a month, at the first Saturday of each month. Our regular program is a game followed by Bible study and we project towards the next meeting & how to prepare for it. I’m hoping to build some accountability in them as I asked them to commit themselves to study a certain portion of the Bible. I certainly welcome suggestions from anyone of you. There’s some good youth study materials offered to us at the Seminary by some local publishers at a discounted rate. I think if we start using these, I can start letting the youth lead some sessions. Youth needs to know that they don’t need to wait until tomorrow to be effective ministers.

The Viet church is growing. It’s due to the Viet pastor who is actively ministering to the Viets around Paya Terubong. This old man can hold cell groups to cater to those working on shifts regardless of time. This means, there’s a cell meeting at 2am!

Please remember me in prayer – the three mission trips (two short over the weekend field trip & the overseas one), my studies (scheduled to graduate this November with ThM), my ministries in MBTS (BM Dept., Graduate Studies Dept., Missions Dept.) & in church (GBC South & Viet church). Thank you. (Phil. 1:3)