Friday, 7th November 2008
To: Rev Dr Wee Boon Hup, TRAC President
Hi Rev Dr Wee
Greetings in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ!
With the TRAC sessions just around the corner, I thought you may want to get an update about what is happening in your home church since you moved on to assume the Presidency.
You may want to verify these facts independently with members of the PPRSC or LCEC.
(1) Dwindling pledges
Pledges are at an all-time low, at just about 45% of membership.
(2) Low participation in prayer wave
The number of people who have signed up have been on the decrease. The latest wave has less than 20 participants.
(3) Blessing campaign
A target of 10,000 was set. We are now into the month of Nov 08, and have not even reached the 3,000 mark.
(4) Falling WIN attendance
While there were close to 200 before, now it is hovering at about 60 persons.
(5) Service Burnout
While the first Serfest attracted more than 380 sign-ups, this number has dropped to about 250 last year and only about 150 or so this year.
(6) Cell attendance
Cell attendance have fallen alarmingly, and cell leaders themselves are attending other churches because of the lack of spiritual food.
No condemnation here, but law-based initiatives are never sustainable, and the facts speak for themselves.
I know you love PLMC very much (and so do I), and so it saddens me to see her not being able to reach her full potential because of poor spiritual leadership.
Now contrast these to grace-based initiatives, which God blesses and multiplies, viz:
(1) Record collections
A staggering $55.4m for the year ended 31 Mar 08
(2) Hunger for God’s Word
Hundreds upon hundreds queue up patiently as early as 2 hours before the service starts.
(3) Faith to embark on a $500m project
While the world is experiencing an economic downturn, God has given the leadership the vision to build a church to the glory of His name at a cost S$½ billion
(4) Increasing church attendance
Attendances have been increasing and is consistently above 20,000 now
(5) Ministry reaching out to millions worldwide
Invitations to speak at major conferences, and messages are broadcasted worldwide – USA, Middle East, Africa and Australia
I am sure you will take the above into consideration when you make the pastoral appointments for 2009 :-)
God’s richest blessings be upon you and your family.
Shalom
Malcolm
P.S. It is no coincidence that there were 6 pointers for the former and 5 for the latter, because 6 is the number for man, while 5 is the number for grace.
4 comments:
Hi Mal,
At my previous church, we used to have a yearly Missions Convention when the pastor spends 2 Sundays preaching on Jesus' command to the church to evangelize i.e. missions, and later hand out missions pledge cards to the congregation to fill up and put into the offering bags. We can pledge to donate a one-off lump sum or a monthly sum for 12 months.
After thinking about how much money a month I could spare, I would fill up the pledge card and drop it into the offering bag. I actually did not want to give as I felt then that my monthly salary was already not enough for my growing family, but I filled up the card as I did not want to be embarrassed if everyone else dropped the card into the offering bag while I did not.
I wasn't even tithing then and sad to say, I also did not fulfill my missions pledge, giving up after a few months. This cycle would repeat itself one year later. I wonder if there were others also like me.
However, after learning about God's grace and goodness in NCC, now I am a tither and give willingly to the one-North project whenever I can (in army speak: own time own target) without any pressure.
I heard of this saying: "Give till it hurts". Well, for me previously, it hurts whenever I give. However, now I feel happy whenever I give.
Previously I was trying to give in order to please man and God but now I give because I know God is already pleased with me (because I am in Christ) whether I give or not.
Sounds familiar.I was attending a church before where we also had to tithe and give mission faith pledges.I was a cell leader and have leaders meeting twice a month.On Sundays I attended 2 classes and 2 services.Actually my Sundays "burned!"
On Mondays go to work tired while the full time staff have their Mondays off.We also have seminars every quarterly.Sunday to Tuesday nites.
My unsaved parents at that time thought I was crazy.Looking back, I don't blame them for thinking that way at all.
Now that I have come to know of the Gospel of grace ,I will never go back to follow a system like that ever again.My Christian life now is joyously wonderful and the love of Christ compels me to serve Him.I enjoy what I do!His burden truly is light and His yoke is easy.It's man's burden that is heavy and man's yoke is difficult.
To Stanley:
Glad that you are giving and feeling happy. Enjoy that. We should all give out of s spirit of praise. However, there will come to a time when we have to give till it hurt, don't reject that notion altogether.
Giving out of abundant is always joyful, it's when you are giving out your last few dollars that you'll have a closer encounter with the Lord in special ways.
Christian live is a journey.
Yes, I gave to one north too. NCC is a giving church and the church tithe to mission, but I know a pastor of another church who gave away his entire (almost) church's building fund to help built a few other churches in the mission fields. That's when it really hurt. After close to 15 yrs later, they finally got their own church building.
To Malcolm
Nice blog here. I remember walking into the church you grew up in and asking if we could rent the church for our wedding. I was told NO, it's only for church member, or a member of the denomination who's church is under-construction. i.e. other methodist cannot even use the church unless their own is knock down. It was a shocker to me.
The grace church did not have it's own building, but all these years it gave to many church building projects in Singapore unannounced. Most members won't even know it. I happened to know because I have friends in a few church building committee. Just like the pastor who gave away his entire church building fund, the grace church is also reaping the fruits of it's giving.
It hurts to give out your fund to other's building funds when you are renting, but great is the rewards. When we see the Grace of God, giving is easy, not that it don't hurts...
Be greatly blessed.
Heya Stan, I know what you mean... guilty as charged too. We were from the same church after all ^.^. I felt it hard to accomplish what I set out to give in the missions pledge and like you, I was not giving out of revelation than but out of obedience or law.
Ian gave but he also gave out of the spirit of law and we struggled for a bit - not understanding why.
It was only after we started attending NCC that we started giving out of revelation of the first fruits. We realised that we give not because we are obligated to give under law, we give not because God is too poor and needs our help - no, we give now because we understand that in offering to Him our first fruits with a joyful heart and spirit, He is able to bless the 90%; we give to be good stewards of His blessings - by giving Him back, we ensure that our fallen money is made righteous in Christ.
Ian and I have seen growth in our financial capabilities and our career - growth that cannot come about without the grace of our LORD.
Just 20mins ago whilst cabbing to work, Ian reflected on how we've seen his company (that he owns with 2 friends) experience double growth a few times already. And I've seen how God's hand has been upon my career too. When I need rest, He understands & I rest and get to do optimal quiet time, and care for the household better PLUS He provides extra to Ian to make up for where I did not chip in monetarily. THEN when I am ready to rumble again, the jobs would flood in non-stop.
In the midst of the economic downturn, we've not seen a downturn and I believe it is the hand of the LORD protecting us and providing for us.
For this I am eternally and joyously grateful!
God is good all the time and all the time, God is good! HALLELUJAH!
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