Pastors Stuart and Nancy brought our upcoming church plant before the Vineyard Singapore church body for “visibility and prayer” at last Saturday’s celebration service on November 20th, 2004. (Vineyard church, Singapore or Vineyard Christian Fellowship Singapore, what shall we call it?)

Unfortunately Anne and Alice and their family were unable to attend. However it was a great opportunity for the rest of the launch team to receive prayer and ministry. We felt very blessed and uplifted by the prayers (and now wish we had recordings of all the encouraging and promising words spoken).

Stuart had invited us to share our vision to the body, as well. Lye Heng felt he should speak on what we are passionate about, which is in turned shaped by what has happened to us.

Where we came from

We have shared elsewhere that Lye Heng was a non-ordained (lay) elder of a big church (with over 1,000 members). We were at ease with both its traditional and charismatic congregations. Well regarded, even. But much of the work at the end had involved corporate stuff (committees and approvals). He had also served as Chairman of the church board, and we count it a miracle that he managed to remain Spirit-filled.

We are forever grateful for our spiritual roots, Christ Methodist Church. However from good and bad modeling, we came out with several deeply ingrained values, things that we are passionate about: And they are servant-leadership, teaching the word, discipleship, accountability, worship and intimacy with God.

Lye Heng felt that when the Lord called us out of our comfort zone into church planting God said to him, Close the door behind you and step into the new. The fields are white unto harvest. Who shall I send? You are a mighty man of God and I have called you. Seek only my purpose, my will and my glory and keep your eyes on me.

If you have no reservations you will have victory over and over and over and over and over and over again and will completely destroy the enemy. (Unlike the experience of Jehoash, the King of Israel described in 2 Kings 13:14-19.)

These words were added to what we felt the Lord had said when in a very quiet moment Lye Heng had asked Him why we should answer the call. His short and sharp answer was, I will be in it!

Accordingly, we are also passionate about evangelism (saving lives like Super heroes snatching people from the jaws of death, rescuing them in a burning building, leading them out from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light). We badly want to make a difference in people’s life in what we are doing, and God has to be in everything we do!

Vineyard experience

Building community in house churches has been our priority over the last two years. When we were beginning to gather people and “pouring ourselves” into their lives, Susan was reading Tommy Tenny and we had the opportunity to hear him speak (in person) at a couple of meetings. A challenge he made to the pastors present at one meeting sort of stuck. We felt God saying, “Work with everyone that I shall bring to you as if they are your only sheep! Do not worry about numbers or about resources. Just care for them and be their pastors (shepherds)”. With no intention of depreciating any one, Tommy had shared about how God had blessed pastors whom worked selflessly with the people that nobody else (and no other church) wanted. At the end of it God brought people to them that everyone wanted.

We have been so enriched by the love, care and help shown to us.

Building real community, one that flows out from a relationship with the Holy Spirit will continue to be a high priority. Building the church from the bottom up is extremely challenging (say hard work). But it seems to us that God is more interested in whether we get it right, what we become, rather that just doing it or getting there fast. (It’s like teaching at Young vines on the “Purpose Driven Life”, that God is far more interested in what you are than what you do. We are human beings not human doings). We feel that God is saying to us, I am in the business of multiplication. Are the right values and processes in place? Are you ready and prepared to give thanks for what you have got, and ask for multiplication?

We asked the body to pray for the kingdom of God to move us as it had compelled John Wimber: Actually doing the stuff that Jesus did, in terms of proclaiming the kingdom and the works (say signs and wonders). To resist the temptation to redirect and dilute Jesus’ teachings and works on the kingdom if our own ministry does not have consistent evidence of the kingdom breaking through. Pray for us specifically that we will see clearly in the spiritual realm, and actually exercise kingdom authority and move in faith. May the Holy Spirit greatly use us to bring in his sovereign rule in this present evil age, and to do as Jesus did, healing the sick, casting out of demons, even the raising of the dead, in the power of the Spirit.

There are other Vineyard stuff but suffice we hope to mention them briefly. We have “caught” the passion for missions, and will participate in the Inroads2asia/Vineyard Singapore mission activities in SE Asia. Mercy is a high priority. We are already spending time ministering to friends at the “Econ” home. Now Lye Heng feels that God may be leading us to work with families of convicts, and explore an ex-prisoner ministry. Two other values which are ingrained in us are: Vineyard’s willing to give away ministries and its “best” and our relational approach.

About Singapore

We are too serious, and place too low a value on fun. Can we try to have fun in “doing church”? We know that nothing beats the joy of seeing people come to Christ and grow. But again, can we try to enjoy one another, worshipping, and have fun studying the word and serving, etc.? Any ideas will be gratefully received and experimented upon!

And relevance: In the face of materialism and a managed society that works well and delivers the goods, how is the kingdom of God relevant, how is church relevant? We remember once asking the kids in Young vines if they trusted and love God more or money in the bank? Money in the bank had more “ayes”. We confessed that we don’t have the full answer to this one yet. But nothing like God demonstrate his reality and working powerfully in our lives. Just the other night, Susan sighed and said, “God got to do something here. There is nothing more for us to say. It’ll take kingdom break through to convince people”. And she is right!

What next?

Be totally dependence on God. Yet be down to earth. Our greater priority is ensuring that each person gets all the pastoral care he or she needs and they are being “discipled” in the house churches. We may only have a “monthly” celebration service when we start out, unless we get more help along the way.

Help wanted: Worship pastors or leaders from more established Vineyard churches. Sent and supported by your church to be a part of this church plant for at least 12 to 24 months to “reproduce” yourselves and ministry. We will consider providing the lodgings in a member’s home. If interested, we need to start talking and getting to know one another better.

It is coming soon to two years of church planting involvement. We are so enriched and blessed to enjoy the covering and coaching by our Lead Pastors, Stuart & Nancy Gurnea and others, in particular, Pastors Dave and Sheila Johnson.

We have just spoken of our desire to be sent to plant a new Singapore Vineyard church, and are hoping to eventually receive the blessings of our Lead Pastors (and leadership team) and the church.

Being sent will be an important next step for us.

It’s obedience to Christ’s command for us to move from Jerusalem (this is the place from where we began) even if it is just to Judea (to cover our city and country). In simple words, we hope to be sent to plant a Vineyard fellowship here in Singapore!

And quite simply as well, the desire of our hearts remains to love and shepherd each person whom God brings to our care.

We now have oversight over three small groups. They are the Young Vines, Young Professionals (Tertiary students actually) and a Friday group, comprising Young at Hearts (Adults actually).

Working closely with them, we have come to realize that there is a great challenge in this field, if you like. It is for people to become convinced that God, not material comfort, careers or businesses, is whom we should place our love and trust in. (Did we hear Duh?)

How do we model and demonstrate that God is so good, and his kingdom and the spiritual realm are as real and practical as a “bank account”? Talk about being functional and relevant!

We also have to address how Singaporeans can be Disciples of Christ, and yet meet the tough demands of work or running a business in our performance-driven and meritocratic society! (A quest for the Radical Middle?)

The work and market place is an obvious avenue of outreach. This is where our people already spend much of their time. But we feel led to also bring them outside of their comfort (social) zones. To do outreach and extend mercies, such as to the foreign workers living here, nursing home for the aged, and the prison?

Mission trips and church planting projects abroad, which have been initiated by Vineyard Singapore and Cross International Ministries, Inc give us inroads into the neighboring countries.

Gathering and growth through evangelism will continue as our primary strategy. We have started to do some real training for the Alpha course, and are observing first hand how Alpha works, by attending a current “Alpha Course” in the city held at ACTS Lifestyle.

We just completed a one-year discipleship program using Master Life involving 6 people from our house church. How everyone has grown in the process!

Basically it is a truism that we will attract people who believe in our cause, and share our values and priorities. To have an idea of what we love to be building, consider the responses that we expect to hear from those who feel at home with us. They will be somewhat like this:

“I am here because my spiritual needs are being met and I am growing in the knowledge of the living word, and in spiritual maturity.”

“We have a covenanted relationship to be accountable to one another, to share our joys and bear each other’s burdens. I have received such love and care from my pastors and other members.”

“What I’m doing is significant and purposeful. It makes a difference. Lives are being touched and transformed by the love and power of Jesus Christ. It is demonstrated in our lives and actions.”

“I know that I’m still not all that Jesus wants me to be. But I’m trying and am making progress. My pastors are committed to building me up. It’s a community that depends on the Holy Spirit.”

“I love to minister in the power of the Holy Spirit and don’t mind working hard at learning.”

“I don’t want a Christianity, which is only like an insurance policy to go to heaven. I want to proactively do my part in Kingdom work. Jesus paid an enormous price for my salvation. I want to do whatever I can that will please my Father God, and to fulfill the plan and purpose He has for my life.”

“We have worship and prayer as one of our priorities. It helped me to know God intimately and to enjoy His presence. At the same time, having a heart of compassion for people is not overlooked or neglected.”

“In the world’s culture, sin seems normal and righteousness, strange. People casually sleep together, gossip, and backbite. But in this place we work hard at creating a different culture.”