Being Missional 02: We are His Missional Disciple

BY REV DR FOREST KOH

Last week, I wrote about Jesus as the first missionary in Christian history. As His disciples, adopting a missional lifestyle should be ingrained in our DNA. This might manifest in acts of hospitality, stepping out of our routines to share about Jesus, praying for people near and far, and dedicating time to listen to those with stories to tell (I will elaborate more about this next week) - these actions epitomize what it means to be missional. Whether through hospitality, visits, or attentive listening, the essence of being missional lies in establishing relationships for the sake of God's kingdom.

This year, I found great inspiration in our seniors during the SAFE Mission Retreat in June. The fusion of mission and retreat struck me as a novel concept, where a retreat itself becomes a form of mission. Their program included visits to orphanages and slums, combining learning about mission through acts of service, listening, communal prayer, and benevolent deeds - all happening simultaneously. In addition to bringing gifts for the orphans, the seniors ingeniously devised games for them during the visit. Together, we sang praises in worship to God. When the orphans presented a hymn, the seniors were captivated by the spirited angelic voices. I felt the Holy Spirit working in our midst, and post-retreat, many expressed their desire to return.

Indeed, the SAFE committee has made plans to visit them again in 2024. Please stay tuned and pray for continuity and a long-lasting relationship with the pastors and churches who already have been there serving for more than 15 years.

As I've emphasized before, being missional extends beyond overseas endeavours; it's also about mission right at our doorstep. For the past decade, we've been distributing Christmas gifts to our Toh Yi community as an invitation to our Christmas concert, providing more people with the chance to hear the gospel. I invite you to join and engage with our community.

Another enduring ministry our church has committed to is the Boys Brigade and Girls Brigade program. We've sown seeds in the hearts of these young ones. As they learned more about Christ, their behaviours were also transformed, and parents were deeply moved by the positive changes in their children. Many have joined our church because of the impact on their kids.

Calling everyone, young and old! Let's commit to serve as we continue the missional story of Jesus! As we celebrate Christmas, this is the greatest gift we can offer to our loved ones and neighbours as a response to our love for Jesus.

[To be continued]