The Youth Is The Church Of When?

No, no tomorrow. The youth is part of the church, along with the elderly, adults, & children. Together, we are all part of the church today. Get it straight. When you (especially the leaders of the church) think that the youth is the church of tomorrow, what do you have now & will always have? An adult church. Having such a mindset actually hinders the growth of the church. The adults will be thinking 'Ah, they're just youths, they can't do it yet'. & the youths will be thinking ' Ah, someday when I'm 40 I'll reach my God-given potential' - this causes the church to be ineffective as people with the right gifts are not placed at the right positions, as people of age & supposed maturity level assume roles out of necessity.

Why not now? Why can't a youth lead prayer meeting? Why can't they preach on Sunday or in cell service? Why aren't they nominated into the church board?? Why can't they have a say in the way church should be? Are we despising our youths? Are we letting young people despise their youth?

No matter your age, you have a purpose & a role to play in the local church. Get clear directions from God, humble & equip yourselves, rise towards your God-given potential & take your place in the Kingdom of God. Let us unite to build the church, TODAY.

Power Of The Spoken Word

Growing up in church & having my parents as pastors of the church, I did not realise the impact of the words delivered from the pulpit can have upon the spiritual well being of the church & its members. My parents were diligent in preparing their sermons, but I never understood what the fuss was about. I could preach too. I've been preaching & teaching since I was 15 years old (1o years!! Already?). I understood how we must communicate effectively & make sure it's not boring, so that the audience doesn't waste their time listening to you. I tried to be as diligent as my parents - do more research, meditate, be way more humourous, & make sure the people under my care learnt something that day.

My little collection of books... (most are from my dad)

Nowadays I still preach, & all these virtues have stuck. But ever since my father's sabbathical and subsequent resignation, I began to understand the measure of urgency that comes with being a preacher. For me it's like this - You don't know how white, white is, until you see how black, black can be. & that's all I'll say for now, lest I offend the little people. But suffice to say, I now know how good my parents actually were, & how much more I need to up my game.

Since last year, I began to teach from the book of John. Why the Gospel of John? Well, for one, I like it that I can create jokes from it. Another big reason is that my dad has this HUGE commentary of the Gospel of John. But most of all, it's the red letters - the spoken words of Jesus Himself. On a personally level, I discovered so much about this faith that I possess. & I believe my youth members are more mature in the faith as a result.

With that said, I will be posting my sermons on this blog of mine, in hope that as I share my findings, people will find out about this awesome person we know as Jesus. & I invite you all to be part of this amazing journey of discover Him.

The Many Faces Of May

Here's a special blog post decidated to the girl who makes me laugh - even in her sleep. I love you, May Wong (Chan) Mei Chin.

A Return Behind The Mic Stand

On Mothers' Day last month, I had the privilege to songlead in Lemuel's church (I guess we'll have to refer to him as Pastor Lemuel now). My mom was invited to preach that Sunday, & initially I was charged to be her driver. But then something came up & somehow I was invited to songlead. The church was also short of musicians that day, so I immediately seized the opportunity to ask my favourite keyboardist, Ken Chung, to come along. It was great to receive an immediate positive response from him.

You see, almost 10 months ago, Ken Chung & I (and also May) made the decision to step down from the music ministry. It wasn't an easy choice - we love playing good music, we knew our calling as musicians, & our band has come a long way. But this was a decision we knew we had to make, & having a friend along made it much simplier. So with the opportunity to return behind the mic stand, I was very pleased to have Ken Chung as a band member again.

We had to practise on Sunday morning itself. Had Jason & Joshua to provide the bass & the drums, while Lemuel played the electric guitar. Yet, in spite of the rush & playing with strangers, both Ken Chung & I felt at ease - it was almost like we never left. I believe that's the anointing of God upon us, confirming & assuring us of our calling once again, and telling us the season to return to the music ministry is near. For that, I am grateful.