Starting right is the easy part

We invited people from the community and sympathizers from our mother church. We had a guitar, a set of drums, two youth to play them, and a passionate songleader. We had a hand-me-down semi-working sound mixer and attached it to one big speaker. We surrounded the place with 8 electric fans. I prepared a sermon on New Beginnings, on obeying, and being blessed in order to be a blessing. As such, I believe we started well… that is from my perspective.

It was not all well though – the drums were too loud, the guitar was too soft, the sound system was clanky, the place was uncomfortably hot. But I said to the Spirit, “Lord, this is the best we can come up so far. Over and above these, just assure me You would be there and that would be enough to say we started well.”

We had about 80 people, including kids but not counting the sympathizers. That was a good size to listen to the gospel of Jesus. We had some food afterwards, and exchanged stories. After that inauguration, a more difficult question raised the ante of it all – can we finish well? Can we sustain the ministry and reach out to more lost people? There were a thousand and one “what’s next” questions that came rushing to me. Hundreds of priorities are making a tug-o-war in my mind. I’m on an entirely new ballgame. Simply overwhelming.

I can’t help but cry out to God. Lord, don’t leave me. I can’t do it alone. Ahead of me are a million mistakes to commit. I don’t want my self-reliance to destroy this church, neither do I want this church to destroy my soul. God gave me this assurance, “Just walk closely with Me, and I will show you the way.” Just like that inauguration, and in the rest of my journey, God would always make me realize, “I am forever enough. My grace is sufficient for you.”

Hopeless to hopeful

With Christ, all get better!

Noel (not his real name) is part of a care group composed of youth who would be easy to dismiss as directionless. Success with them is a long shot. When we met Noel, he has stopped going to school and he contented himself to bum around.

This schoolyear, 16-year-old Noel is returning to high school. We have sponsored him in a summer youth camp and he has attended an Encountering with God retreat. He is almost always present in his care group. He has significantly lessened his smoking habit. His mom has testified that he is now doing a lot of help in the house chores. Last Sunday, his parents were present in our worship service to celebrate Father’s Day. One time he told me, “Changes are coming though bit by bit. Please be patient with me.” To me, those changes are already significant.

C. S. Lewis said that the greatest miracle is a changed life, just like Noel. Hope in Christ has energized him. I long to see the Spirit transform him to a point that he becomes useful for kingdom building.

Give Me 5! (for June 2006)

I hope it’s not a bother, but could you kindly spare at least 5 minutes right now in earnest prayer about the following:

1. My burden right now is the youth. My core leaders right now, including me, are too old for them, making it difficult to connect. Please pray that God will provide a youth leader or group of leaders to start a movement for them.

2. Kids 10-year-old and below are growing in numbers. Catching their attention is quite a challenge during the worship service. Pray that we can provide blackboards, small tables and chairs for their own junior church.

3. A group of ISOT students visited our worship center one time to share the gospel in our community. One of the female foreign students wanted to ease herself in our comfort room only to find out it didn’t have a door yet! The curtain was not enough and one member added a carton at the doorway, and that made her day. Our worship center is currently like that. There are still a lot of things needed and we want to provide them as quickly as we can so that seekers will find the place not a turn-off but a “user-friendly” place.

4. Last Sunday, we celebrated with a brand new Casio organ! I found it on sale and is available on 12 monthly installments interest-free. Somebody gave P5k making the organ cost us P1k every month, which can be handled by church funds. The deal is made from heaven and it made our music heavenly as well.