Due to popular demand - here are photos from Roselyn's birthday BBQ... Hope you had fun Roselyn!! Come back to visit soon!!
Sunday 30 December 2007
fairytale fantasy!
Last night at Matilda Bay, several mythical characters from fairy tales and children's books came out of hiding to bid Vanessa a happy and blessed 21st Birthday! The who's who of the fairytale kingdom showed up to the children's books' night of nights - Snow White, Puss in Boots, Santa, gypsies, fairies, pirates, and even a Greek goddess.
With many children around, it wasn't surprising to see a few children coming up to the gazebo and staring. There were 2 Santa clauses and being so close to Christmas, a few thought that Santa had come to Matilda Bay to hang out with his buddies - little did they know that the two Santas were just Caleb and Jacob in inflatable Santa suits from the reject shop (half price as they were purchased after Christmas!).
Yours truly came as a pirate, as did her fellow buccaneers - Karen and Stevo. Julia came as Wendy the Cowgirl (toy story 2), Adrian as Wally (Where's Wally), Vicks as a leprechaun (complete with a 'pot of gold' containing candy and tracts), Ruth as a bee (bee movie), Fred and kwanthar as ninjas/samurais, Mary as Mary (who had a little lamb), Merilyn as a fairy, and the star of the night, Vanessa, came as Jeannie (I Dream of Jeannie).
It was such a fun night and the colourful photos, I thought, were definitely worth sharing - so here they are!
With many children around, it wasn't surprising to see a few children coming up to the gazebo and staring. There were 2 Santa clauses and being so close to Christmas, a few thought that Santa had come to Matilda Bay to hang out with his buddies - little did they know that the two Santas were just Caleb and Jacob in inflatable Santa suits from the reject shop (half price as they were purchased after Christmas!).
Yours truly came as a pirate, as did her fellow buccaneers - Karen and Stevo. Julia came as Wendy the Cowgirl (toy story 2), Adrian as Wally (Where's Wally), Vicks as a leprechaun (complete with a 'pot of gold' containing candy and tracts), Ruth as a bee (bee movie), Fred and kwanthar as ninjas/samurais, Mary as Mary (who had a little lamb), Merilyn as a fairy, and the star of the night, Vanessa, came as Jeannie (I Dream of Jeannie).
It was such a fun night and the colourful photos, I thought, were definitely worth sharing - so here they are!
lively hope
This is just an exerpt from the Lively Hope (Hope BP's newsletter). Lively Hope is the name of their 'weekly', and while we were over there for Sunday Service on the recent trip over to Adelaide for the National Youth Camp, this following sharing was included. I thought it would be good to share seeing as it was about Street Evangelism and the experiences had by the youth over there. It was quite an encouraging read for me, and I hope it will be for you too.
Volume. XXII, No. 24
Sunday, 09 December 2007
YAF Street Evangelism
On the 18th August this year, 12 YAFers went out to the streets of Adelaide city to hand out gospel tracts and evangelise. These young people were paired up and allocated to the busier roads within the city and North Adelaide area. For many of them, it was their first experience of Street Evangelism. At the same time, a separate group of 10 gathered in church to pray for the outreach. That afternoon, within a space of 2 hours, the 12 YAFers were able to give out about 100 tracts and share the gospel with about 50 people. Throughout the year, several evangelism workshops had been organised to train and prepare the YAFers to be ready to witness for our Lord. This outreach is the culmination of lots of prayer and hard work. Here are three testimonies of some young people who took part in the outreach. Vanessa and Daniel were part of the Tracting team and Corinne was in the Prayer team. Hopefully their testimonies will be an encouragement and challenge to all of us to actively obey the Great Commission!
Vanessa Tan
It was my first time doing street evangelism. It began with nervousness and uncertainty. 'What if I get rejected?' 'What if I fumble my words?' I was tossed about by doubt and anxiety. But thankfully these feelings quickly subsided as I got down to tracting and sharing the gospel with various strangers. My partner was Jason, so I started out by observing him. After a few encounters, I decided to give it a go. As it turned out, the first few times were rejections, but by God's grace, I pressed on till at last I came across someone who was willing to listen to the gospel! And to top it all off, he came to church the very next day!
The rest of the morning went by quickly. More tracts were handed out. My command of the Chinese language was put to the test as I had to share the gospel a couple of times in Mandarin. Street Evangelism was indeed a humbling experience, but also one that was spiritually satisfying. There is an indescribable heartfelt joy when you share your faith with someone. Even though we are but simple vessels, God is able to turn our feeblest offerings into wonderful workings for His glory. Truly, in our weakness He is strong!
Daniel Ki
To be honest, I was really nervous about doing Street E. Although I’m not actually bothered about being rejected when giving out a tract, a tiny piece of me still dies quietly inside when it does happen. Nevertheless, I was quite confident as I had a most experienced partner to go with, one whom I felt could essentially do all of the talking. A brilliant plan I believed. Fortunately, that devious plan would not come to fruition, which was most certainly a blessing.
The day turned out to be a beautiful one, the rain clearing almost right before we started. We were placed at the beautiful Torrens, which is incidentally not really as dirty as everyone claims. Unfortunately, despite the beautiful weather, there were hardly any people to give tracts to and a quick frantic miss call was made to the prayer group for us to find someone. During this time, my fellow tracter shared a story of similar experience where they weren’t able to find anyone at all until the very end. But this one opportunity that they had was one of the amazing almost life-changing etc significant experiences that one would always remember. I certainly hoped that would be the case for us, and obviously, the direction of this story is such that yes indeed, this did happen to us.
We eventually managed to find someone to whom we could give a tract at the end of the Adelaide foot bridge. However, it was not the perfect scenario that I had been hoping for. Instead of a meek, innocent student sitting down with all the time in the world to spend, there was a haggard man with cuts, bruises, a bloody nose, and a large bottle of wine clutched in his left hand. Could you blame us for our trepidation? Had we walked away, we could have come up with a hundred of excuses not to have spoken to him. And so we did, we walked away to find someone else. However, God put shame in our hearts, for as Jesus said, he came down for the sinners, not the righteous. We neared the other end of the footbridge and stood awkwardly, obvious pangs of guilt dripping off our consciences. We then decided to turn back and offer him a tract at the very least.
We approached him not knowing what to expect and offered him a tract. As we began to leave, he faced us teary-eyed and thanked us. We could see the sorrow in his eyes that languished and grasped upon our hearts. We hesitated for a long moment and then went up to him and asked if we could explain the tract. We stayed and talked to him for about a half hour, during which he told us a lot about himself including that he was the son of a Catholic priest. He knew a bit about God, but told he never heard of the gospel in the way that we presented it, ie that we are saved by grace instead of works. In the end, he tearfully drank to our good health and we went on our way. However, it’s truly moments like this that people become lost souls instead of a chore borne out of duty.
And as a summary? Tracting is something that becomes easier to do the more you do it. Getting started is always the hardest and having someone else to do it with you is always helpful. You might not think that you have enough passion, enough knowledge, enough courage etc. However, all that becomes secondary once you’re actually doing it. The experience of evangelising is so satisfying, so rewarding, that it is a marvel that I had ever thought of it as a chore instead of an opportunity or blessing. Still have qualms? Well, if God is with you, who can stand against you?
Corinne Teng
At 10:30am, as the Evangelism Team met on North Terrace for Street Evangelism, a Prayer Team made up of 8 YAF members plus Elder Michael and Uncle George gathered at Hope Church to pray for them while they shared the gospel in the streets of Adelaide city. For those who didn’t feel quite ready to take to the streets to spread the gospel with the Evangelism Team, the Prayer Team was an equally effective way to serve God. Everyone who came to Church was ready and happy to be there to support our fellow YAF members in the city through prayer. Admittedly we had a bit of a disorganised start, after an initial list of prayer items and a Bible verse (“Pray without ceasing” – 1 Thessalonians 5:17) were written on the whiteboard we commenced praying.
The Prayer Team began with about half an hour in corporate prayer. After this, we split into smaller groups of two or three people to pray together. Once in a while, a group would get up for a stretch, a snack or a drink, and then continue in prayer. We finished the prayer session with another half an hour or so in corporate prayer.
During this time of prayer, we were able to pray specifically for the people in the city who wanted us to pray for them at any particular time. The people in the Evangelism Team had been paired up and the names of those in each pair were given to the Prayer Team. If a pair was currently speaking to someone they met in the city, then one person in the pair would give one missed call to someone in the Prayer Team; however if they were having trouble finding someone to speak to for a while, then they would give two missed calls from their phone. This way, the Prayer Team knew exactly what each pair was up to and we were therefore able to pray specifically either for the conversation they were currently having, or for God to lead them to another person to speak to. We also kept a record on the whiteboard of each of the pairs’ current situation and at what time they contacted us, so we could keep track of what everyone was doing and it would be easier for us to pray for them.
The two and a half hours that the Prayer Team spent in prayer at Church were quite challenging for many to get through. For some people, the idea of corporate prayer to begin and conclude the prayer session was nothing scary and for others it would have been quite daunting, but everyone did manage to participate. There were also many in the Prayer Team who were not used to praying for extended periods of time, and we knew we would all require concentration and strength to get through. These were all things that we prayed for, knowing that God would hear our prayers. Despite these possible difficulties, the people in the Prayer Team trusted God to look after us, and were still willing to come to church to pray anyway.
It was a real blessing to know that our prayers were not only heard by God, but answered too. Several times we prayed for a pair of people in the Evangelism Team who hadn’t spoken to anyone for a while, and shortly after we would receive one missed call to indicate that they had now found somebody to talk to. Quite a few times we also prayed for a pair who we had not heard from for some time and therefore we didn’t know how they were going. Then a little while later we would hear back from those people to let us know they want us to pray for. God really does answer our prayers!
We would have also been blessed by those who for other reasons were not able to join the Prayer or Evangelism Teams on that day, but who were able to pray from home or wherever else they were at that time. It was encouraging to know that people were praying with us, even though they couldn’t be present there with us.
After we concluded our prayer session, the Prayer Team was joined by the Evangelism Team who returned to church for a de-briefing and discussion time. We were able to hear each pair in the Evangelism Team speak about their experiences in the city, the people they met, what techniques did or didn’t work for them, and their suggestions for people who would like to do this in the future. The Prayer Team was also able to share about what we found easy or difficult, and the way God answers our prayers. It was of course very encouraging to hear what different people had to say. What a wonderful thing it is to carry out God’s Great Commission.
Humbly,
Bro Jason Tan
Volume. XXII, No. 24
Sunday, 09 December 2007
YAF Street Evangelism
On the 18th August this year, 12 YAFers went out to the streets of Adelaide city to hand out gospel tracts and evangelise. These young people were paired up and allocated to the busier roads within the city and North Adelaide area. For many of them, it was their first experience of Street Evangelism. At the same time, a separate group of 10 gathered in church to pray for the outreach. That afternoon, within a space of 2 hours, the 12 YAFers were able to give out about 100 tracts and share the gospel with about 50 people. Throughout the year, several evangelism workshops had been organised to train and prepare the YAFers to be ready to witness for our Lord. This outreach is the culmination of lots of prayer and hard work. Here are three testimonies of some young people who took part in the outreach. Vanessa and Daniel were part of the Tracting team and Corinne was in the Prayer team. Hopefully their testimonies will be an encouragement and challenge to all of us to actively obey the Great Commission!
Vanessa Tan
It was my first time doing street evangelism. It began with nervousness and uncertainty. 'What if I get rejected?' 'What if I fumble my words?' I was tossed about by doubt and anxiety. But thankfully these feelings quickly subsided as I got down to tracting and sharing the gospel with various strangers. My partner was Jason, so I started out by observing him. After a few encounters, I decided to give it a go. As it turned out, the first few times were rejections, but by God's grace, I pressed on till at last I came across someone who was willing to listen to the gospel! And to top it all off, he came to church the very next day!
The rest of the morning went by quickly. More tracts were handed out. My command of the Chinese language was put to the test as I had to share the gospel a couple of times in Mandarin. Street Evangelism was indeed a humbling experience, but also one that was spiritually satisfying. There is an indescribable heartfelt joy when you share your faith with someone. Even though we are but simple vessels, God is able to turn our feeblest offerings into wonderful workings for His glory. Truly, in our weakness He is strong!
Daniel Ki
To be honest, I was really nervous about doing Street E. Although I’m not actually bothered about being rejected when giving out a tract, a tiny piece of me still dies quietly inside when it does happen. Nevertheless, I was quite confident as I had a most experienced partner to go with, one whom I felt could essentially do all of the talking. A brilliant plan I believed. Fortunately, that devious plan would not come to fruition, which was most certainly a blessing.
The day turned out to be a beautiful one, the rain clearing almost right before we started. We were placed at the beautiful Torrens, which is incidentally not really as dirty as everyone claims. Unfortunately, despite the beautiful weather, there were hardly any people to give tracts to and a quick frantic miss call was made to the prayer group for us to find someone. During this time, my fellow tracter shared a story of similar experience where they weren’t able to find anyone at all until the very end. But this one opportunity that they had was one of the amazing almost life-changing etc significant experiences that one would always remember. I certainly hoped that would be the case for us, and obviously, the direction of this story is such that yes indeed, this did happen to us.
We eventually managed to find someone to whom we could give a tract at the end of the Adelaide foot bridge. However, it was not the perfect scenario that I had been hoping for. Instead of a meek, innocent student sitting down with all the time in the world to spend, there was a haggard man with cuts, bruises, a bloody nose, and a large bottle of wine clutched in his left hand. Could you blame us for our trepidation? Had we walked away, we could have come up with a hundred of excuses not to have spoken to him. And so we did, we walked away to find someone else. However, God put shame in our hearts, for as Jesus said, he came down for the sinners, not the righteous. We neared the other end of the footbridge and stood awkwardly, obvious pangs of guilt dripping off our consciences. We then decided to turn back and offer him a tract at the very least.
We approached him not knowing what to expect and offered him a tract. As we began to leave, he faced us teary-eyed and thanked us. We could see the sorrow in his eyes that languished and grasped upon our hearts. We hesitated for a long moment and then went up to him and asked if we could explain the tract. We stayed and talked to him for about a half hour, during which he told us a lot about himself including that he was the son of a Catholic priest. He knew a bit about God, but told he never heard of the gospel in the way that we presented it, ie that we are saved by grace instead of works. In the end, he tearfully drank to our good health and we went on our way. However, it’s truly moments like this that people become lost souls instead of a chore borne out of duty.
And as a summary? Tracting is something that becomes easier to do the more you do it. Getting started is always the hardest and having someone else to do it with you is always helpful. You might not think that you have enough passion, enough knowledge, enough courage etc. However, all that becomes secondary once you’re actually doing it. The experience of evangelising is so satisfying, so rewarding, that it is a marvel that I had ever thought of it as a chore instead of an opportunity or blessing. Still have qualms? Well, if God is with you, who can stand against you?
Corinne Teng
At 10:30am, as the Evangelism Team met on North Terrace for Street Evangelism, a Prayer Team made up of 8 YAF members plus Elder Michael and Uncle George gathered at Hope Church to pray for them while they shared the gospel in the streets of Adelaide city. For those who didn’t feel quite ready to take to the streets to spread the gospel with the Evangelism Team, the Prayer Team was an equally effective way to serve God. Everyone who came to Church was ready and happy to be there to support our fellow YAF members in the city through prayer. Admittedly we had a bit of a disorganised start, after an initial list of prayer items and a Bible verse (“Pray without ceasing” – 1 Thessalonians 5:17) were written on the whiteboard we commenced praying.
The Prayer Team began with about half an hour in corporate prayer. After this, we split into smaller groups of two or three people to pray together. Once in a while, a group would get up for a stretch, a snack or a drink, and then continue in prayer. We finished the prayer session with another half an hour or so in corporate prayer.
During this time of prayer, we were able to pray specifically for the people in the city who wanted us to pray for them at any particular time. The people in the Evangelism Team had been paired up and the names of those in each pair were given to the Prayer Team. If a pair was currently speaking to someone they met in the city, then one person in the pair would give one missed call to someone in the Prayer Team; however if they were having trouble finding someone to speak to for a while, then they would give two missed calls from their phone. This way, the Prayer Team knew exactly what each pair was up to and we were therefore able to pray specifically either for the conversation they were currently having, or for God to lead them to another person to speak to. We also kept a record on the whiteboard of each of the pairs’ current situation and at what time they contacted us, so we could keep track of what everyone was doing and it would be easier for us to pray for them.
The two and a half hours that the Prayer Team spent in prayer at Church were quite challenging for many to get through. For some people, the idea of corporate prayer to begin and conclude the prayer session was nothing scary and for others it would have been quite daunting, but everyone did manage to participate. There were also many in the Prayer Team who were not used to praying for extended periods of time, and we knew we would all require concentration and strength to get through. These were all things that we prayed for, knowing that God would hear our prayers. Despite these possible difficulties, the people in the Prayer Team trusted God to look after us, and were still willing to come to church to pray anyway.
It was a real blessing to know that our prayers were not only heard by God, but answered too. Several times we prayed for a pair of people in the Evangelism Team who hadn’t spoken to anyone for a while, and shortly after we would receive one missed call to indicate that they had now found somebody to talk to. Quite a few times we also prayed for a pair who we had not heard from for some time and therefore we didn’t know how they were going. Then a little while later we would hear back from those people to let us know they want us to pray for. God really does answer our prayers!
We would have also been blessed by those who for other reasons were not able to join the Prayer or Evangelism Teams on that day, but who were able to pray from home or wherever else they were at that time. It was encouraging to know that people were praying with us, even though they couldn’t be present there with us.
After we concluded our prayer session, the Prayer Team was joined by the Evangelism Team who returned to church for a de-briefing and discussion time. We were able to hear each pair in the Evangelism Team speak about their experiences in the city, the people they met, what techniques did or didn’t work for them, and their suggestions for people who would like to do this in the future. The Prayer Team was also able to share about what we found easy or difficult, and the way God answers our prayers. It was of course very encouraging to hear what different people had to say. What a wonderful thing it is to carry out God’s Great Commission.
Humbly,
Bro Jason Tan
Thursday 27 December 2007
hot
It has been ridiculously hot in the last few days... 41 on Christmas day, 44 on boxing day and 34 today. In fact, yesterday was the hottest December day ever recorded!
Today I felt the heat more than any other day, because it was post-Christmas sale day, and I decided to head into the city for some shopping. As the city is open air, it was quite warm - but the killer for me was walking back home from the bus stop in the heat. It was nasty... Thank God for airconditioning!
Monday 24 December 2007
christmas eve
Twas the night before Christmas, and before her comp. screen
Rowena was blogging, of the year that had been.
She thought long and hard of the events that had turned,
the way she had changed, and the experience earned.
After a while, with her canvas still blank
She realised to God she should truly thank.
Because though it seemed that little did hap,
more than she grasped had entered her lap.
Her perspective on issues had truly changed,
the way she had viewed things had all rearranged.
She noticed as well, some sins in her heart,
And resolved, from these sins to quickly depart.
The battle continues in this soldier's life,
and though the discouragements and fears may seem rife,
she knows the One who taught her and teaches her still,
has all things planned out in His perfect will.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Merry Christmas everyone! Amongst the craziness of this time of the year, remember that Jesus is the reason for the season!
Rowena was blogging, of the year that had been.
She thought long and hard of the events that had turned,
the way she had changed, and the experience earned.
After a while, with her canvas still blank
She realised to God she should truly thank.
Because though it seemed that little did hap,
more than she grasped had entered her lap.
Her perspective on issues had truly changed,
the way she had viewed things had all rearranged.
She noticed as well, some sins in her heart,
And resolved, from these sins to quickly depart.
The battle continues in this soldier's life,
and though the discouragements and fears may seem rife,
she knows the One who taught her and teaches her still,
has all things planned out in His perfect will.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Merry Christmas everyone! Amongst the craziness of this time of the year, remember that Jesus is the reason for the season!
vocab boost
ro·tund(rō-tŭnd') adj.:
Rounded in figure; plump. See Synonyms at fat.
Having a full, rich sound; sonorous.
lynch(lĭnch) tr.v.:
To execute without due process of law, especially to hang, as by a mob
rub·ber·neck(rŭb'ər-něk') intr.v.:
To look about or survey with unsophisticated wonderment or curiosity.
coquette \koh-KET\, noun:
A woman who habitually trifles with the affections of men; a flirt.
glower \GLAU-uhr\, intransitive verb:
1. To look or stare angrily or with a scowl.
Rounded in figure; plump. See Synonyms at fat.
Having a full, rich sound; sonorous.
lynch(lĭnch) tr.v.:
To execute without due process of law, especially to hang, as by a mob
rub·ber·neck(rŭb'ər-něk') intr.v.:
To look about or survey with unsophisticated wonderment or curiosity.
coquette \koh-KET\, noun:
A woman who habitually trifles with the affections of men; a flirt.
glower \GLAU-uhr\, intransitive verb:
1. To look or stare angrily or with a scowl.
Saturday 22 December 2007
at the cross
At the Cross
Oh Lord You've searched me
You know my way
Even when I fail You
I know You love me
Your holy presence
Surrounding me
In every season
I know You love me
I know You love me
At the cross I bow my knee
Where Your blood was shed for me
There's no greater love than this
You have overcome the grave
Your glory fills the highest place
What can separate me now
You go before me
You shield my way
Your hand upholds me
I know You love me
At the cross I bow my knee
Where Your blood was shed for me
There's no greater love than this
You have overcome the grave
Your glory fills the highest place
What can separate me now?(x2)
You tore the veil
You made a way
When You said that it is done(x2)
And when the earth fades
Falls from my eyes
And You stand before me
I know You love me
I know You love me
At the cross I bow my knee
Where your blood was shed for me
There's no greater love than this
You have overcome the grave
Your glory fills the highest place
What can separate me now?(x2)
You tore the veil
You made a way
When You said that it is done(x4)
Oh Lord You've searched me
You know my way
Even when I fail You
I know You love me
Your holy presence
Surrounding me
In every season
I know You love me
I know You love me
At the cross I bow my knee
Where Your blood was shed for me
There's no greater love than this
You have overcome the grave
Your glory fills the highest place
What can separate me now
You go before me
You shield my way
Your hand upholds me
I know You love me
At the cross I bow my knee
Where Your blood was shed for me
There's no greater love than this
You have overcome the grave
Your glory fills the highest place
What can separate me now?(x2)
You tore the veil
You made a way
When You said that it is done(x2)
And when the earth fades
Falls from my eyes
And You stand before me
I know You love me
I know You love me
At the cross I bow my knee
Where your blood was shed for me
There's no greater love than this
You have overcome the grave
Your glory fills the highest place
What can separate me now?(x2)
You tore the veil
You made a way
When You said that it is done(x4)
Thursday 20 December 2007
carols by moonlight
After months of preparation, Carols by Candlelight was finally here. Though the Freo Doctor (Perth's nickname for the sea breeze - because it comes from the direction of Fremantle and brings relief from the heat during summer) came uninvited, and proceeded to make a nuisance of himself by blowing out our candles, and interfering with our already-dodgy P.A. equipment!!
But by the grace of God, many people came along to the event, with several new faces floating about. Yorkie and Mez did a great job MC-ing, the choir was good, and the skit? well... let's just say that we have room for improvement hehe.
The most important thing of all was that we were able to remind people of the reason for the Christmas season - Jesus! As well as show some good-old-BPCWA-hospitality by providing them with a free feed and some friendly fellowship!
I really like it when our church does stuff like this... How everyone works together to make things work is always an encouragement to my heart! I just pray that the end result was glorifying to God and that the testimony of our church will continue to shine brighter.
Pics below...
But by the grace of God, many people came along to the event, with several new faces floating about. Yorkie and Mez did a great job MC-ing, the choir was good, and the skit? well... let's just say that we have room for improvement hehe.
The most important thing of all was that we were able to remind people of the reason for the Christmas season - Jesus! As well as show some good-old-BPCWA-hospitality by providing them with a free feed and some friendly fellowship!
I really like it when our church does stuff like this... How everyone works together to make things work is always an encouragement to my heart! I just pray that the end result was glorifying to God and that the testimony of our church will continue to shine brighter.
Pics below...
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Sunday 30 December 2007
roselyn's birthday
Due to popular demand - here are photos from Roselyn's birthday BBQ... Hope you had fun Roselyn!! Come back to visit soon!!
fairytale fantasy!
Last night at Matilda Bay, several mythical characters from fairy tales and children's books came out of hiding to bid Vanessa a happy and blessed 21st Birthday! The who's who of the fairytale kingdom showed up to the children's books' night of nights - Snow White, Puss in Boots, Santa, gypsies, fairies, pirates, and even a Greek goddess.
With many children around, it wasn't surprising to see a few children coming up to the gazebo and staring. There were 2 Santa clauses and being so close to Christmas, a few thought that Santa had come to Matilda Bay to hang out with his buddies - little did they know that the two Santas were just Caleb and Jacob in inflatable Santa suits from the reject shop (half price as they were purchased after Christmas!).
Yours truly came as a pirate, as did her fellow buccaneers - Karen and Stevo. Julia came as Wendy the Cowgirl (toy story 2), Adrian as Wally (Where's Wally), Vicks as a leprechaun (complete with a 'pot of gold' containing candy and tracts), Ruth as a bee (bee movie), Fred and kwanthar as ninjas/samurais, Mary as Mary (who had a little lamb), Merilyn as a fairy, and the star of the night, Vanessa, came as Jeannie (I Dream of Jeannie).
It was such a fun night and the colourful photos, I thought, were definitely worth sharing - so here they are!
With many children around, it wasn't surprising to see a few children coming up to the gazebo and staring. There were 2 Santa clauses and being so close to Christmas, a few thought that Santa had come to Matilda Bay to hang out with his buddies - little did they know that the two Santas were just Caleb and Jacob in inflatable Santa suits from the reject shop (half price as they were purchased after Christmas!).
Yours truly came as a pirate, as did her fellow buccaneers - Karen and Stevo. Julia came as Wendy the Cowgirl (toy story 2), Adrian as Wally (Where's Wally), Vicks as a leprechaun (complete with a 'pot of gold' containing candy and tracts), Ruth as a bee (bee movie), Fred and kwanthar as ninjas/samurais, Mary as Mary (who had a little lamb), Merilyn as a fairy, and the star of the night, Vanessa, came as Jeannie (I Dream of Jeannie).
It was such a fun night and the colourful photos, I thought, were definitely worth sharing - so here they are!
lively hope
This is just an exerpt from the Lively Hope (Hope BP's newsletter). Lively Hope is the name of their 'weekly', and while we were over there for Sunday Service on the recent trip over to Adelaide for the National Youth Camp, this following sharing was included. I thought it would be good to share seeing as it was about Street Evangelism and the experiences had by the youth over there. It was quite an encouraging read for me, and I hope it will be for you too.
Volume. XXII, No. 24
Sunday, 09 December 2007
YAF Street Evangelism
On the 18th August this year, 12 YAFers went out to the streets of Adelaide city to hand out gospel tracts and evangelise. These young people were paired up and allocated to the busier roads within the city and North Adelaide area. For many of them, it was their first experience of Street Evangelism. At the same time, a separate group of 10 gathered in church to pray for the outreach. That afternoon, within a space of 2 hours, the 12 YAFers were able to give out about 100 tracts and share the gospel with about 50 people. Throughout the year, several evangelism workshops had been organised to train and prepare the YAFers to be ready to witness for our Lord. This outreach is the culmination of lots of prayer and hard work. Here are three testimonies of some young people who took part in the outreach. Vanessa and Daniel were part of the Tracting team and Corinne was in the Prayer team. Hopefully their testimonies will be an encouragement and challenge to all of us to actively obey the Great Commission!
Vanessa Tan
It was my first time doing street evangelism. It began with nervousness and uncertainty. 'What if I get rejected?' 'What if I fumble my words?' I was tossed about by doubt and anxiety. But thankfully these feelings quickly subsided as I got down to tracting and sharing the gospel with various strangers. My partner was Jason, so I started out by observing him. After a few encounters, I decided to give it a go. As it turned out, the first few times were rejections, but by God's grace, I pressed on till at last I came across someone who was willing to listen to the gospel! And to top it all off, he came to church the very next day!
The rest of the morning went by quickly. More tracts were handed out. My command of the Chinese language was put to the test as I had to share the gospel a couple of times in Mandarin. Street Evangelism was indeed a humbling experience, but also one that was spiritually satisfying. There is an indescribable heartfelt joy when you share your faith with someone. Even though we are but simple vessels, God is able to turn our feeblest offerings into wonderful workings for His glory. Truly, in our weakness He is strong!
Daniel Ki
To be honest, I was really nervous about doing Street E. Although I’m not actually bothered about being rejected when giving out a tract, a tiny piece of me still dies quietly inside when it does happen. Nevertheless, I was quite confident as I had a most experienced partner to go with, one whom I felt could essentially do all of the talking. A brilliant plan I believed. Fortunately, that devious plan would not come to fruition, which was most certainly a blessing.
The day turned out to be a beautiful one, the rain clearing almost right before we started. We were placed at the beautiful Torrens, which is incidentally not really as dirty as everyone claims. Unfortunately, despite the beautiful weather, there were hardly any people to give tracts to and a quick frantic miss call was made to the prayer group for us to find someone. During this time, my fellow tracter shared a story of similar experience where they weren’t able to find anyone at all until the very end. But this one opportunity that they had was one of the amazing almost life-changing etc significant experiences that one would always remember. I certainly hoped that would be the case for us, and obviously, the direction of this story is such that yes indeed, this did happen to us.
We eventually managed to find someone to whom we could give a tract at the end of the Adelaide foot bridge. However, it was not the perfect scenario that I had been hoping for. Instead of a meek, innocent student sitting down with all the time in the world to spend, there was a haggard man with cuts, bruises, a bloody nose, and a large bottle of wine clutched in his left hand. Could you blame us for our trepidation? Had we walked away, we could have come up with a hundred of excuses not to have spoken to him. And so we did, we walked away to find someone else. However, God put shame in our hearts, for as Jesus said, he came down for the sinners, not the righteous. We neared the other end of the footbridge and stood awkwardly, obvious pangs of guilt dripping off our consciences. We then decided to turn back and offer him a tract at the very least.
We approached him not knowing what to expect and offered him a tract. As we began to leave, he faced us teary-eyed and thanked us. We could see the sorrow in his eyes that languished and grasped upon our hearts. We hesitated for a long moment and then went up to him and asked if we could explain the tract. We stayed and talked to him for about a half hour, during which he told us a lot about himself including that he was the son of a Catholic priest. He knew a bit about God, but told he never heard of the gospel in the way that we presented it, ie that we are saved by grace instead of works. In the end, he tearfully drank to our good health and we went on our way. However, it’s truly moments like this that people become lost souls instead of a chore borne out of duty.
And as a summary? Tracting is something that becomes easier to do the more you do it. Getting started is always the hardest and having someone else to do it with you is always helpful. You might not think that you have enough passion, enough knowledge, enough courage etc. However, all that becomes secondary once you’re actually doing it. The experience of evangelising is so satisfying, so rewarding, that it is a marvel that I had ever thought of it as a chore instead of an opportunity or blessing. Still have qualms? Well, if God is with you, who can stand against you?
Corinne Teng
At 10:30am, as the Evangelism Team met on North Terrace for Street Evangelism, a Prayer Team made up of 8 YAF members plus Elder Michael and Uncle George gathered at Hope Church to pray for them while they shared the gospel in the streets of Adelaide city. For those who didn’t feel quite ready to take to the streets to spread the gospel with the Evangelism Team, the Prayer Team was an equally effective way to serve God. Everyone who came to Church was ready and happy to be there to support our fellow YAF members in the city through prayer. Admittedly we had a bit of a disorganised start, after an initial list of prayer items and a Bible verse (“Pray without ceasing” – 1 Thessalonians 5:17) were written on the whiteboard we commenced praying.
The Prayer Team began with about half an hour in corporate prayer. After this, we split into smaller groups of two or three people to pray together. Once in a while, a group would get up for a stretch, a snack or a drink, and then continue in prayer. We finished the prayer session with another half an hour or so in corporate prayer.
During this time of prayer, we were able to pray specifically for the people in the city who wanted us to pray for them at any particular time. The people in the Evangelism Team had been paired up and the names of those in each pair were given to the Prayer Team. If a pair was currently speaking to someone they met in the city, then one person in the pair would give one missed call to someone in the Prayer Team; however if they were having trouble finding someone to speak to for a while, then they would give two missed calls from their phone. This way, the Prayer Team knew exactly what each pair was up to and we were therefore able to pray specifically either for the conversation they were currently having, or for God to lead them to another person to speak to. We also kept a record on the whiteboard of each of the pairs’ current situation and at what time they contacted us, so we could keep track of what everyone was doing and it would be easier for us to pray for them.
The two and a half hours that the Prayer Team spent in prayer at Church were quite challenging for many to get through. For some people, the idea of corporate prayer to begin and conclude the prayer session was nothing scary and for others it would have been quite daunting, but everyone did manage to participate. There were also many in the Prayer Team who were not used to praying for extended periods of time, and we knew we would all require concentration and strength to get through. These were all things that we prayed for, knowing that God would hear our prayers. Despite these possible difficulties, the people in the Prayer Team trusted God to look after us, and were still willing to come to church to pray anyway.
It was a real blessing to know that our prayers were not only heard by God, but answered too. Several times we prayed for a pair of people in the Evangelism Team who hadn’t spoken to anyone for a while, and shortly after we would receive one missed call to indicate that they had now found somebody to talk to. Quite a few times we also prayed for a pair who we had not heard from for some time and therefore we didn’t know how they were going. Then a little while later we would hear back from those people to let us know they want us to pray for. God really does answer our prayers!
We would have also been blessed by those who for other reasons were not able to join the Prayer or Evangelism Teams on that day, but who were able to pray from home or wherever else they were at that time. It was encouraging to know that people were praying with us, even though they couldn’t be present there with us.
After we concluded our prayer session, the Prayer Team was joined by the Evangelism Team who returned to church for a de-briefing and discussion time. We were able to hear each pair in the Evangelism Team speak about their experiences in the city, the people they met, what techniques did or didn’t work for them, and their suggestions for people who would like to do this in the future. The Prayer Team was also able to share about what we found easy or difficult, and the way God answers our prayers. It was of course very encouraging to hear what different people had to say. What a wonderful thing it is to carry out God’s Great Commission.
Humbly,
Bro Jason Tan
Volume. XXII, No. 24
Sunday, 09 December 2007
YAF Street Evangelism
On the 18th August this year, 12 YAFers went out to the streets of Adelaide city to hand out gospel tracts and evangelise. These young people were paired up and allocated to the busier roads within the city and North Adelaide area. For many of them, it was their first experience of Street Evangelism. At the same time, a separate group of 10 gathered in church to pray for the outreach. That afternoon, within a space of 2 hours, the 12 YAFers were able to give out about 100 tracts and share the gospel with about 50 people. Throughout the year, several evangelism workshops had been organised to train and prepare the YAFers to be ready to witness for our Lord. This outreach is the culmination of lots of prayer and hard work. Here are three testimonies of some young people who took part in the outreach. Vanessa and Daniel were part of the Tracting team and Corinne was in the Prayer team. Hopefully their testimonies will be an encouragement and challenge to all of us to actively obey the Great Commission!
Vanessa Tan
It was my first time doing street evangelism. It began with nervousness and uncertainty. 'What if I get rejected?' 'What if I fumble my words?' I was tossed about by doubt and anxiety. But thankfully these feelings quickly subsided as I got down to tracting and sharing the gospel with various strangers. My partner was Jason, so I started out by observing him. After a few encounters, I decided to give it a go. As it turned out, the first few times were rejections, but by God's grace, I pressed on till at last I came across someone who was willing to listen to the gospel! And to top it all off, he came to church the very next day!
The rest of the morning went by quickly. More tracts were handed out. My command of the Chinese language was put to the test as I had to share the gospel a couple of times in Mandarin. Street Evangelism was indeed a humbling experience, but also one that was spiritually satisfying. There is an indescribable heartfelt joy when you share your faith with someone. Even though we are but simple vessels, God is able to turn our feeblest offerings into wonderful workings for His glory. Truly, in our weakness He is strong!
Daniel Ki
To be honest, I was really nervous about doing Street E. Although I’m not actually bothered about being rejected when giving out a tract, a tiny piece of me still dies quietly inside when it does happen. Nevertheless, I was quite confident as I had a most experienced partner to go with, one whom I felt could essentially do all of the talking. A brilliant plan I believed. Fortunately, that devious plan would not come to fruition, which was most certainly a blessing.
The day turned out to be a beautiful one, the rain clearing almost right before we started. We were placed at the beautiful Torrens, which is incidentally not really as dirty as everyone claims. Unfortunately, despite the beautiful weather, there were hardly any people to give tracts to and a quick frantic miss call was made to the prayer group for us to find someone. During this time, my fellow tracter shared a story of similar experience where they weren’t able to find anyone at all until the very end. But this one opportunity that they had was one of the amazing almost life-changing etc significant experiences that one would always remember. I certainly hoped that would be the case for us, and obviously, the direction of this story is such that yes indeed, this did happen to us.
We eventually managed to find someone to whom we could give a tract at the end of the Adelaide foot bridge. However, it was not the perfect scenario that I had been hoping for. Instead of a meek, innocent student sitting down with all the time in the world to spend, there was a haggard man with cuts, bruises, a bloody nose, and a large bottle of wine clutched in his left hand. Could you blame us for our trepidation? Had we walked away, we could have come up with a hundred of excuses not to have spoken to him. And so we did, we walked away to find someone else. However, God put shame in our hearts, for as Jesus said, he came down for the sinners, not the righteous. We neared the other end of the footbridge and stood awkwardly, obvious pangs of guilt dripping off our consciences. We then decided to turn back and offer him a tract at the very least.
We approached him not knowing what to expect and offered him a tract. As we began to leave, he faced us teary-eyed and thanked us. We could see the sorrow in his eyes that languished and grasped upon our hearts. We hesitated for a long moment and then went up to him and asked if we could explain the tract. We stayed and talked to him for about a half hour, during which he told us a lot about himself including that he was the son of a Catholic priest. He knew a bit about God, but told he never heard of the gospel in the way that we presented it, ie that we are saved by grace instead of works. In the end, he tearfully drank to our good health and we went on our way. However, it’s truly moments like this that people become lost souls instead of a chore borne out of duty.
And as a summary? Tracting is something that becomes easier to do the more you do it. Getting started is always the hardest and having someone else to do it with you is always helpful. You might not think that you have enough passion, enough knowledge, enough courage etc. However, all that becomes secondary once you’re actually doing it. The experience of evangelising is so satisfying, so rewarding, that it is a marvel that I had ever thought of it as a chore instead of an opportunity or blessing. Still have qualms? Well, if God is with you, who can stand against you?
Corinne Teng
At 10:30am, as the Evangelism Team met on North Terrace for Street Evangelism, a Prayer Team made up of 8 YAF members plus Elder Michael and Uncle George gathered at Hope Church to pray for them while they shared the gospel in the streets of Adelaide city. For those who didn’t feel quite ready to take to the streets to spread the gospel with the Evangelism Team, the Prayer Team was an equally effective way to serve God. Everyone who came to Church was ready and happy to be there to support our fellow YAF members in the city through prayer. Admittedly we had a bit of a disorganised start, after an initial list of prayer items and a Bible verse (“Pray without ceasing” – 1 Thessalonians 5:17) were written on the whiteboard we commenced praying.
The Prayer Team began with about half an hour in corporate prayer. After this, we split into smaller groups of two or three people to pray together. Once in a while, a group would get up for a stretch, a snack or a drink, and then continue in prayer. We finished the prayer session with another half an hour or so in corporate prayer.
During this time of prayer, we were able to pray specifically for the people in the city who wanted us to pray for them at any particular time. The people in the Evangelism Team had been paired up and the names of those in each pair were given to the Prayer Team. If a pair was currently speaking to someone they met in the city, then one person in the pair would give one missed call to someone in the Prayer Team; however if they were having trouble finding someone to speak to for a while, then they would give two missed calls from their phone. This way, the Prayer Team knew exactly what each pair was up to and we were therefore able to pray specifically either for the conversation they were currently having, or for God to lead them to another person to speak to. We also kept a record on the whiteboard of each of the pairs’ current situation and at what time they contacted us, so we could keep track of what everyone was doing and it would be easier for us to pray for them.
The two and a half hours that the Prayer Team spent in prayer at Church were quite challenging for many to get through. For some people, the idea of corporate prayer to begin and conclude the prayer session was nothing scary and for others it would have been quite daunting, but everyone did manage to participate. There were also many in the Prayer Team who were not used to praying for extended periods of time, and we knew we would all require concentration and strength to get through. These were all things that we prayed for, knowing that God would hear our prayers. Despite these possible difficulties, the people in the Prayer Team trusted God to look after us, and were still willing to come to church to pray anyway.
It was a real blessing to know that our prayers were not only heard by God, but answered too. Several times we prayed for a pair of people in the Evangelism Team who hadn’t spoken to anyone for a while, and shortly after we would receive one missed call to indicate that they had now found somebody to talk to. Quite a few times we also prayed for a pair who we had not heard from for some time and therefore we didn’t know how they were going. Then a little while later we would hear back from those people to let us know they want us to pray for. God really does answer our prayers!
We would have also been blessed by those who for other reasons were not able to join the Prayer or Evangelism Teams on that day, but who were able to pray from home or wherever else they were at that time. It was encouraging to know that people were praying with us, even though they couldn’t be present there with us.
After we concluded our prayer session, the Prayer Team was joined by the Evangelism Team who returned to church for a de-briefing and discussion time. We were able to hear each pair in the Evangelism Team speak about their experiences in the city, the people they met, what techniques did or didn’t work for them, and their suggestions for people who would like to do this in the future. The Prayer Team was also able to share about what we found easy or difficult, and the way God answers our prayers. It was of course very encouraging to hear what different people had to say. What a wonderful thing it is to carry out God’s Great Commission.
Humbly,
Bro Jason Tan
Thursday 27 December 2007
hot
It has been ridiculously hot in the last few days... 41 on Christmas day, 44 on boxing day and 34 today. In fact, yesterday was the hottest December day ever recorded!
Today I felt the heat more than any other day, because it was post-Christmas sale day, and I decided to head into the city for some shopping. As the city is open air, it was quite warm - but the killer for me was walking back home from the bus stop in the heat. It was nasty... Thank God for airconditioning!
Monday 24 December 2007
christmas eve
Twas the night before Christmas, and before her comp. screen
Rowena was blogging, of the year that had been.
She thought long and hard of the events that had turned,
the way she had changed, and the experience earned.
After a while, with her canvas still blank
She realised to God she should truly thank.
Because though it seemed that little did hap,
more than she grasped had entered her lap.
Her perspective on issues had truly changed,
the way she had viewed things had all rearranged.
She noticed as well, some sins in her heart,
And resolved, from these sins to quickly depart.
The battle continues in this soldier's life,
and though the discouragements and fears may seem rife,
she knows the One who taught her and teaches her still,
has all things planned out in His perfect will.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Merry Christmas everyone! Amongst the craziness of this time of the year, remember that Jesus is the reason for the season!
Rowena was blogging, of the year that had been.
She thought long and hard of the events that had turned,
the way she had changed, and the experience earned.
After a while, with her canvas still blank
She realised to God she should truly thank.
Because though it seemed that little did hap,
more than she grasped had entered her lap.
Her perspective on issues had truly changed,
the way she had viewed things had all rearranged.
She noticed as well, some sins in her heart,
And resolved, from these sins to quickly depart.
The battle continues in this soldier's life,
and though the discouragements and fears may seem rife,
she knows the One who taught her and teaches her still,
has all things planned out in His perfect will.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Merry Christmas everyone! Amongst the craziness of this time of the year, remember that Jesus is the reason for the season!
vocab boost
ro·tund(rō-tŭnd') adj.:
Rounded in figure; plump. See Synonyms at fat.
Having a full, rich sound; sonorous.
lynch(lĭnch) tr.v.:
To execute without due process of law, especially to hang, as by a mob
rub·ber·neck(rŭb'ər-něk') intr.v.:
To look about or survey with unsophisticated wonderment or curiosity.
coquette \koh-KET\, noun:
A woman who habitually trifles with the affections of men; a flirt.
glower \GLAU-uhr\, intransitive verb:
1. To look or stare angrily or with a scowl.
Rounded in figure; plump. See Synonyms at fat.
Having a full, rich sound; sonorous.
lynch(lĭnch) tr.v.:
To execute without due process of law, especially to hang, as by a mob
rub·ber·neck(rŭb'ər-něk') intr.v.:
To look about or survey with unsophisticated wonderment or curiosity.
coquette \koh-KET\, noun:
A woman who habitually trifles with the affections of men; a flirt.
glower \GLAU-uhr\, intransitive verb:
1. To look or stare angrily or with a scowl.
Saturday 22 December 2007
at the cross
At the Cross
Oh Lord You've searched me
You know my way
Even when I fail You
I know You love me
Your holy presence
Surrounding me
In every season
I know You love me
I know You love me
At the cross I bow my knee
Where Your blood was shed for me
There's no greater love than this
You have overcome the grave
Your glory fills the highest place
What can separate me now
You go before me
You shield my way
Your hand upholds me
I know You love me
At the cross I bow my knee
Where Your blood was shed for me
There's no greater love than this
You have overcome the grave
Your glory fills the highest place
What can separate me now?(x2)
You tore the veil
You made a way
When You said that it is done(x2)
And when the earth fades
Falls from my eyes
And You stand before me
I know You love me
I know You love me
At the cross I bow my knee
Where your blood was shed for me
There's no greater love than this
You have overcome the grave
Your glory fills the highest place
What can separate me now?(x2)
You tore the veil
You made a way
When You said that it is done(x4)
Oh Lord You've searched me
You know my way
Even when I fail You
I know You love me
Your holy presence
Surrounding me
In every season
I know You love me
I know You love me
At the cross I bow my knee
Where Your blood was shed for me
There's no greater love than this
You have overcome the grave
Your glory fills the highest place
What can separate me now
You go before me
You shield my way
Your hand upholds me
I know You love me
At the cross I bow my knee
Where Your blood was shed for me
There's no greater love than this
You have overcome the grave
Your glory fills the highest place
What can separate me now?(x2)
You tore the veil
You made a way
When You said that it is done(x2)
And when the earth fades
Falls from my eyes
And You stand before me
I know You love me
I know You love me
At the cross I bow my knee
Where your blood was shed for me
There's no greater love than this
You have overcome the grave
Your glory fills the highest place
What can separate me now?(x2)
You tore the veil
You made a way
When You said that it is done(x4)
Thursday 20 December 2007
carols by moonlight
After months of preparation, Carols by Candlelight was finally here. Though the Freo Doctor (Perth's nickname for the sea breeze - because it comes from the direction of Fremantle and brings relief from the heat during summer) came uninvited, and proceeded to make a nuisance of himself by blowing out our candles, and interfering with our already-dodgy P.A. equipment!!
But by the grace of God, many people came along to the event, with several new faces floating about. Yorkie and Mez did a great job MC-ing, the choir was good, and the skit? well... let's just say that we have room for improvement hehe.
The most important thing of all was that we were able to remind people of the reason for the Christmas season - Jesus! As well as show some good-old-BPCWA-hospitality by providing them with a free feed and some friendly fellowship!
I really like it when our church does stuff like this... How everyone works together to make things work is always an encouragement to my heart! I just pray that the end result was glorifying to God and that the testimony of our church will continue to shine brighter.
Pics below...
But by the grace of God, many people came along to the event, with several new faces floating about. Yorkie and Mez did a great job MC-ing, the choir was good, and the skit? well... let's just say that we have room for improvement hehe.
The most important thing of all was that we were able to remind people of the reason for the Christmas season - Jesus! As well as show some good-old-BPCWA-hospitality by providing them with a free feed and some friendly fellowship!
I really like it when our church does stuff like this... How everyone works together to make things work is always an encouragement to my heart! I just pray that the end result was glorifying to God and that the testimony of our church will continue to shine brighter.
Pics below...
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