SAVE THE TREES Scan to Download http://bit.ly/2uhat0h CHURCH OF CHRIST - PASIR PANJANG FOCUS 21. JAN 2018 This Sunday Worship Theme Owning Faith: Reimagining the Role of Church and Family in the Faith of Teenagers BY ACU NEWS Youth may grow up in the church, going to Sunday school or midweek youth groups, but getting teenagers to keep growing their faith beyond adolescence is a challenge youth ministers continually face. Addressing the challenge, five alumni and two professors contributed to Owning Faith: Reimagining the Role of Church and Family in the Faith of Teenagers. The book, published by Leafwood Publishers, a division of Abilene Christian University Press, invites parents and adults to learn how to build fruitful relationships with teenagers seeking their own faith. Edited by Dr. Ron Bruner (D.Min. 10) and Dr. Dudley Chancey (M.A. 93), Owning Faith was released on 2017 January 10. The book is a primer for parents and caring adults who want to help young people in the spiritual aspect of their lives, but really don t know how to go about doing it, said Bruner, who serves as executive director for Westview Boys Home in Hollis, Okla. Bruner and co-editor Chancey, associate professor of youth and family ministry at Oklahoma Christian University, have experienced similar challenges in working with youth. For years we as youth ministers have tried to play the spiritual role of the parent, but it doesn t work, Chancey said. Kids aren t staying in church after they leave high school, so we wanted to give roles back to the parents and equip them on how to spiritually form their kids. In selecting contributors to the book, Bruner and Chancey chose people with backgrounds in youth ministry whose unique experiences and expertise would bring wisdom and difficult subject matters to light. I Will Not Let My Church Be about My Preferences and Desires ACU contributors include Robert Oglesby, director of the ACU Center for Youth and Family Ministry; Dr. Houston Heflin, (M.A. 97), assistant professor of ministry; and alumni Ryan Fraser (M.Div. 02), Monty McCulley ( 98) and Cari Myers (M.A. 97). Other contributors were Brad Childers, David Fraze, Earl Lavender, Johnny Markham, Dave Pocta, Beth Robinson, Walter Surdacki and Scott Talley. The book is a wonderful resource for the church and parents because it s written in a manner accessible to anyone sitting in a pew, Bruner said. You don t have to be a theologian or have a Ph.D. in counseling to understand it. Continue on Page 3 Church of Christ Pasir Panjang 347, Pasir Panjang Road, Singapore 118688 (T) 67788259 (F) 67765278 admin@ppcoc.org www.ppcoc.org facebook/ppchurchofchrist Please address all correspondence to Pasir Panjang P.O. Box 74, Singapore 911123.
FOCUS 02 FAMILY NEWS For this current worship series, our elders are encouraging members to affirm one another and to make personalized pledges to the Lord Almighty. Two trees have been set up by Sister Eunice in the church lobby: Affirmation Notes Tree: Purpose: Members to write a note of encouragement or offer emotional support and/or word of praise to another member. This is a good opportunity for members to affirm and strengthen one another in their daily walks with the Lord. Personalized Pledge Tree: Purpose: Members to share their personal commitment to be more involved in the Lord s work this year, seeking opportunities to use their talents and resources to reach out to others and sharing the gospel of Christ. A Big Thank You! The leaders are grateful and appreciative that more than 60 of you had taken the time to share at the Focus session last Sunday afternoon. We value your presence, time and effort to share why, what and how we are going to keep and pass on in term of our traditions, values, practices and spirit of those who have come before us. The feedback from the younger generation was also useful when they shared on what they would like to receive and keep in those aspects too. We went away discussing how we would want to share our faith, especially on how we would want to express our faith in worship. For those who could not join us, we thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. All glory to our Lord Almighty! Prayer Requests Julie Wee Pray for smooth house shifting for Johnsten & Jasmine s new house. God bless their new home. Pray that God heals my flu. Teck Su Pray for the continuous work in India. Patrick Thank God for the safe return of the PPCOC India team on 20 Jan (Sat). Pray that God may open a door for the gospel message to reach the children and the people in India. 2018 CHURCH DIRECTORY NEWS All members please submit your photo & profile update to sister Annie before you leave the church today. Or email: anniekoh2013@yahoo.com before 9.00am on Monday 22 Jan. THIS WEEK S EVENTS 21 Jan (Sun) 8.00am & 11.00am Worship Speaker: Winston Chong 9.30am Combined Adult Class 6.00pm Worship Speaker: Lim Cher Kiat 23 Jan (Tue) 9.00am Ladies Chapel Filipinos Class room Speaker: Cindy Zheng 24 Jan (Wed) 7.30pm Bible Class Daring Faith Facilitator: Terry Wan 25 Jan (Thu) 5.00pm 6.00pm Weekly Devotion @ AG Home Speaker: Catherine Leow
FOCUS 03 CURRENT EVENTS 21 Jan (Sun) 9.30am Young Adult Class Parents-Leaders of Youth Session All parents of Youth are encouraged to attend and discuss the plans for the youth. Please text your attendance to Joel Yeo @ 91548155 or Darryl Law @ 98537433 UPCOMING EVENTS 2 Feb (Fri) 7.30pm 10.00pm Primaries 123 Classroom Awareness (Leaders) Meeting 24 Feb (Sat) 10.00am - 4.00pm CNY Elders' Open House Owning Faith was featured at the 2017 National Youth Minister s Conference and received positive feedback. We ve already had quite a number of church and youth ministers who have said they plan to incorporate it into their work, Bruner said. Youth ministers can use it to better reach their kids, but more importantly to teach parents how to take part in their children s spiritual lives. 17 Mar (Sat) 12.00 4.00pm Chinese Church Hall Young & Older Leaders Huddle 25 Mar (Sun) 9.30 10.30pm Worship Auditorium Worship Workshop led by Young Adults 25 Mar (Sun) 12.30 3.00pm PPCOC Ladies Day Worship and teaching by the ladies of SIBI Singapore. All ladies are invited. 12.30pm Lunch Program will begin following Contact: Terilee Harrison 30 Mar (Fri) 9.00am 12.00pm Worship Auditorium Church Retreat About the authors: Ron Bruner has served as the executive director of Westview Boys Home in Hollis, Okla., since 1999. Because of his interest in practical theology especially in the fields of intergenerational, children s and youth ministry Ron edits the ejournal Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry. Dudley Chancey has served as professor of youth ministry at Oklahoma Christian University since 1998. He is involved in several professional organizations, including the National Council on Family Relations, Groves Conference on Marriage and Family, Association of Youth Ministry Educators, and the National Conference on Youth Ministries. To order the book, please contact (+6596393008) Beng Chuan.
FOCUS 04 2018 Theme: GROW in the Lord! God Put God first in our lives and in all that we do Redeem the time needed to steward wisely this precious resource that God has given to ALL of us One body Realise that we are the one body of our Lord Jesus and that we need each other to grow healthily and function effectively Witness for Christ Sharing God s word is part of the growth process, individually and together as the body of Christ Ministers Ministers Patrick Ong 82005250 Tan Beng Chuan 96393008 Elders Winston Chong Lim Swee Aun Lim Li Chhoan Vincent Lim Terry Wan FACTS Elders Deacons Simon Goh Tan Beng Chuan Deacons Peter Lim Patrick Ong LAST SUNDAY FIGURES 8AM 9.30AM 11AM 6PM 117 150 223 52 GIVING MF 3Rs $10,204 $0 $550 GIVING FYTD $ 414,568 MF FYTD $182,107 3Rs FYTD $34,900 FY Budget May 17 Apr 18 GIVING $670,000 MF $248,000 3Rs $70,000 LESSON OUTLINE 3 FOR SMALL GROUP BIBLE STUDY I Will Not Let My Church Be about My Preferences and Desires Text: Mark 9:35 I. Introduction: Demanding children a. Children can be selfish, demanding b. Adults can be selfish, demanding c. Church members can behave the same way II. Sermon text: Mark 9:35 III. Point 1 - The servant motif a. The word "servant" occurs fifty-seven times in the New Testament (serve fifty-eight times) b. Jesus said we must be a servant to all - Mark 9:35 c. Paul said we must be servants as well - Eph. 3:7 IV. Point 2 - A survey that said a lot a. Survey of dominant characteristics of churches that were inwardly focused b. Worship wars c. Prolonged minutia meetings d. Facility focus e. Program driven f. Inwardly focused budget g. Inordinate demands for pastoral care h. Attitudes of entitlement i. Greater concern about change than the gospel j. Anger and hostility k. Evangelistic apathy V. Point 3 - The mind of Christ a. The attitude we should embody (Jesus Christ) - Phil. 2:5-11 b. What did Jesus do? i. He "did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. ii. "He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave." iii. "He Humbled Himself." iv. He became "obedient to the point of deatheven to death on a cross. VI. Conclusion: Take the third pledge
FOCUS 05 I Am A Church Member (Small Group Bible Study) Session 3: I Will Not Let My Church Be About My Preferences & Desires Opening Illustration & Introduction Imagine for a moment that you are sitting in the stands of a high school football game. Here is what you see: The team breaks out of the huddle but instead of lining up against the opposing squad, they break into groups of two or three, arguing with each other. Soon they start shoving, and two of them actually get into a fight. One of the player s storms off the field and you can hear him say, "That bunch of idiots can't agree on anything. He continues, "Those two over there are arguing over the color of the uniforms. A couple of others are fussing over the right way to kneel in the huddle. Those two guys are arguing because one believes in what he calls 'personal' football, and the other believes in 'social' football. They can't agree whether the individual or the team is more important. Some of the players say the less talented players should go play on their own field, and some of the guys don't like the music played by the band. A few are fighting over whether the other football team has more players. And I'm quitting because I can pass a lot better than that other guy, and they won't let me be the quarterback. This situation seems absurd and yet there are times when this is exactly what happens in the local church. People, who are on the same team, spend more time focused on their preferences and desires than playing the game. Can you describe a time when someone (maybe you) was more focused on his or her own preference and desire than in the best interest of the group? Lesson Summary In this session, we will see that Scripture emphasizes that church members must be willing to yield their preferences and desires in order to serve others. We will encounter Jesus challenge to his disciples to seek to serve instead of being served. Ultimately, we are called to recognize that church membership is not about our preferences and desires; it is about serving others! Rainer wrote: The strange thing about church membership is that you actually give up your preferences when you join. Don t get me wrong; there may be much about your church that you like a lot. But you are there to meet the needs of others. You are there to serve others. You are there to give. You are there to sacrifice. The Call To Serve Others Serving others is probably not something we think about often but it was at the very heart of Jesus ministry. In fact he said that he did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). One of the clearest pictures of Jesus servant heart can be found in John 13:1-17: 1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, Lord, do you wash my feet? 7 Jesus answered him, What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand. 8 Peter said to him, You shall never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I do not wash you, you have no share with me. 9 Simon Peter said to him, Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head! 10 Jesus said to him, The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you. 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, Not all of you are clean. 12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, Do you understand what I have done to you? Continue on Page 6
FOCUS 06 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. I m not sure about you but feet are not my thing. In fact, I think feet are only appropriate when socks and shoes cover them! Take some time to think back to the dirtiest your feet have ever been at a particular point in time. Do you think someone would have been willing to touch you feet much less wash them with their bare hands? Don t forget that the disciples feet would have been absolutely disgusting. They would have been sweaty and caked with dirt. They most likely would not have smelled too good. But, Jesus took each of their feet into his hands and washed them. Washing someone s feet back in New Testament times would have been the ultimate picture of humility and service. That is why Peter makes such a commotion about what Jesus is doing. He recognizes that his Teacher should not be doing anything close to this. This was the job of a servant, not a respected Rabbi. Why do you think it is so difficult to serve? How does Jesus example in this passage help you think about the call to serve others? Jesus was not the only person in Scripture that discussed the idea of serving others. Paul saw himself as a servant of Jesus Christ and was willing to do whatever was necessary to spread the gospel. After he became a Christian he wrote, in Ephesians 3:7 Of this gospel I was made a servant according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. Why do you think Paul was willing to call himself a servant of the gospel of Jesus Christ? Do you have that same perspective? The willingness to serve others is not natural in our world and it was not natural for people in Jesus day either. In fact, the focus on position and authority had crept into the minds of several of his disciples. Consider the ironic story in Matthew 20:20-28: 20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. 21 And he said to her, What do you want? She said to him, Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom. 22 Jesus answered, You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink? They said to him, We are able. 23 He said to them, You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father. 24 And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to him and said, You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. The mother of two of Jesus disciples (James and John) actually had the audacity to come to Jesus and ask him to show favor towards her two sons. Just imagine if your mom showed up at your place of work and asked your boss to show favoritism towards you. This may work in little league but it would most definitely not work in your career. Let s be honest, Jesus is very gracious with this well- meaning mom. He does not rebuke her or chastise her. He simply says that she really doesn t comprehend the scope of what she is asking. For Jesus, this is a great opportunity to remind his disciples that they have been called to serve and not to be served. Whose example are they to follow? Jesus example the King of kings came not to be served but to serve. Rainer wrote: Continue on Page 7
FOCUS 07 We will never find joy in church membership when we are constantly seeking things our way. But paradoxically, we will find the greatest joy when we choose to be last. That s what Jesus meant when He said the last will be first. True joy means giving up our rights and preferences and serving everyone else. And that s what church membership means as well. Why does the world view the idea of serving in such a negative light? How can we combat the prevalent ideas of being first and being served in the church? Serving Others Should Push Us Outside The Walls Of The Church I m sure all of us have heard the church referred to as a holy huddle, a place where believers can gather together and focus on one another. Recently, I heard a pastor say that the only problem with this idea is that the world around us has a very different perspective of a huddle. When they see a huddle they see a bunch of backsides and the view is not pretty! The church was never called to be a holy huddle or a hotel for saints. The church and its members were called to be a hospital for sinners. To accomplish this mission, we must be willing to serve someone beside ourselves. Consider the Great Commission given by Jesus in Matthew 28:19-20: 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Jesus commission to the church and to believers is that we are to go and make disciples of all nations. We must realize that making disciples does not take place primarily within the walls of the church. In fact, the early church did not have a building where they met each week (they usually met in homes or in the temple) and most of their time was spent fulfilling their regular responsibilities. It was in fulfilling these responsibilities (work, etc.) that they were to make disciples. The same is true for us. However, we often think of making disciples only in the context of the gathering of the church. Rainer, as a result of his research, offered ten dominant behavior patterns of churches that are inward focused: Worship Wars. One or more factions in the church want the music just the way they like it. Any deviation is met with anger and demands for change. The order of service must remain constant. Certain instrumentation is required while others are prohibited. Prolonged minutia meetings. The church spends an inordinate amount of time in different meetings. Most of the meetings deal with the most inconsequential items, while the Great Commission and Great Commandment are rarely the topics of discussion. Facility focus. The church facilities develop iconic status. One of the highest priorities in the church is the protection and preservation of rooms, furniture, and other visible parts of the church s buildings and grounds. Program Driven. Every church has programs even if they don t admit it. When we start doing a ministry a certain way, it takes on programmatic status. The problem is not with programs. The problem develops when the program becomes an end instead of a means to a greater ministry. Inwardly focused budget. A disproportionate share of the budget is used to meet the needs and comforts of the members instead of reaching beyond the walls of the church. Inordinate demands for pastoral care. All church members deserve care and concern, especially in times of need and crisis. Problems develop, however, when church members have unreasonable expectations for even minor matters. Some members expect the pastoral staff to visit them regularly merely because they have membership status. Attitudes of entitlement. This issue could be a catch- all for many of the points named here. The overarching attitude is one of demanding and having a sense of deserving special treatment. Greater concern about change than the gospel. Almost any noticeable changes in the church evoke the ire of many; but those same passions are not evident about participating in the work of the gospel to change lives. Continue on Page 8
FOCUS 08 Anger and hostility. Members are consistently angry. They regularly express hostility toward the church staff and other members. Evangelistic apathy. Very few members share their faith on a regular basis. More are concerned about their own needs rather than the greatest eternal needs of the world and community in which they live. Do you think our church struggles with any of these behavior patterns? What are some ways that we can focus our attention outside the walls of the church? 3. Cultivating The Mind Of Christ ( He Came To Serve ) As we have said before, serving others is difficult and it is not usually our natural response. Paul understood this perfectly, which is why he encouraged the believers in Philippi to cultivate the mind of Christ. Consider Philippians 2:1-11: 1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Rainer wrote: So what did Jesus do? He did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave. He humbled Himself. He became obedient to the point of death even to death on a cross. Keep in mind that Philippians 2 is not only a description of the obedience of Christ; it is an example for us to follow. We are to be servants. We are to be obedient. We are to put others first. We are to do whatever it takes to keep the unity in our church. So if we approach church membership from the perspective of entitlement, we have it upside down. You always ask first what you can do for your church. Describe someone in our church that best fits the description of having the mind of Christ and a servant attitude? Questions for Study 1. Show from key Bible verses the difference between church membership and country club membership from the perspective of personal preferences and desires. Of course, the Bible doesn t speak of country club membership, so you will need to assume the benefits of belonging to one. 2. Find and explain key passages in the Bible that talk about Christians being like servants. How would you describe a servant as it applies to being a member of a church? 3. Why do many churches have worship wars? What does that have to do with the right or wrong attitude about church membership? 4. Describe someone in your church that best fits the description of having the mind of Christ and a servant attitude. Find key New Testament passages that would fit him or her.