Action speaks louder than words.

I was given the privilege to speak at the New Year Dinner organised by Taiping Gospel Hall on 1st.January 2008. It was held in a restaurant. In fact, it has been their "tradition" for the past few years. A mean of celebration with the intend to share God's love with friends and loved ones.

It is such a friendly atmosphere in a dinner for all the visitors. They sit in to listen to Christian songs and testimonies. They had the opportunity to hear the gospel. Praise God for their leader Mr.Lai Su. He worked hard to plan and to make the occasion a success. This is an example of a working leadership, not one who leads by words of instruction and rebuke, but by personal example and hard work.

Pray that God will raise up more leaders among the assemblies who would lead in the front and getting involved personally in the ministry. This will bring about a revival in the assemblies.

Motivation Seminar

In the business world many of us have attended some form of motivational seminar one time or other. I was thrilled when I was invited to take a series of meetings at the AIGC Leadership Seminar. I was told the nature of the seminar is motivation to serve the Lord.

In fact, at this time of the year, many corporate companies are holding some kind of an Annual Dinner for their staff. The purpose of this dinner is to motivate and to lift up working morale among the staff, and an act of appreciation for their hardwork put in for the year.

I hope church leaders should give a thought of how to encourage their team of leadership to contribute wholeheartedly for the Lord. It is time to review how the leaders are showing their appreciation for the team work of all the participating membership.

Praise God for AIGC. Their team of leadership itself is like a size for many existing small assemblies. They have over 150 membership, on going ministry, missions, and also had expanded from one shop lot to three shop lots.

I can forsee that they will soon plant new churches in the next 10 years.

May God continue to bless AIGC for the good work put in to reach out to the lost.

Year End Decision for the Lord

Charles joined us at NTGH just in recent months. Praise the Lord, he finally decided to commit his life to the Lord. He also decided to go for baptism before end of 2007. We met to prepare for our trip to Jireh Home on 16/12 at 5.30pm Before we went off to Kulim, we had a baptismal service for Charles.

Thank God for the blessings from his wife and family members. They came to witness his baptism too.

Immediately after the baptism, both Mr.& Mrs Charles joined us to Jireh Home. May God bless our brother and his family for his faith in Christ Jesus.

Jireh Home In Kulim

Jireh Home in Kulim is the faith ministry run by David and Rebeca, fulltime ministers of the Home.
They have launched the caring ministry since their marriage. Today they have two kids.(Picture David and children.)

The Home keeps and feed the desolated people from the streets. They have both inmates from the Indian and Chinese communities. It is housed in a shop lot (coner lot) in Kulim. They have prayer and services at the Home itself for the inmates. Throughout these many years, they have brought many such lonely and unattended people to the Lord through their loving care.

NTGH English Assembly visits the home regularly. We provide some practical help as well. Every Christmas we would cooked and have a meal with the inmates of the Home. We would sing carols to them and have fellowship with the pastor.

The Home needs practical fellowship from all caring Christians and churches. We encourage Pastor Divid to avail himself to take meetings in some churches in 2008. In this way, we believe more Christians will be made aware of such a work and be able to partner with them to care for the desolated.

You can contribute to the Home through NTGH English Assembly. Receipt will be send to you from Jireh Home when we pass over your gift to them.

Merry Christmas

Joy to the World, the Saviour came; Let Earth receives her King!

Vietnamese Fellowship group invited their friends, over a hundred of them, to their recent Christmas gathering.

Praise the Lord, at the end of the day, five new friends received Christ Jesus as their Lord and saviour.

NTGH English Assembly is expecting a heavy expenditure for this Christmas season. We need to provide transport for both the Vietnamese and Nepali Christmas gatherings. Pray with us that there will be harvest of souls for the Kingdom of God in both the gatherings.

Visit to Kuala Kangsar

It has been many many years since I last visited Kuala Kangsar. This time, while making a trip to Nilai, I decided to stop at Kuala Kangsar Gospel Hall for fellowship with the saints and worshipping together.

Praise the Lord, we had a good time chatting and recalling the past. Thank God for seeing the KK Gospel Hall through these many years. There was a brother Frankie who has devoted himself to serve in this small town church. Together with Guan Choo & Chee and a few others they have kept the work going.

I had the opportunity to witness their Sunday School Prize Giving Day. At the same time, the church celebrated a belated birthday for MR.& Mrs. Chee. Let us always remember the smaller churches in prayer. Drop in to encourage them whenever you have the opportunity. Get to know their leaders and their need. Pray and support them.

Visit to Nilai

GOD willing MEBS will be moving from Seremban to Nilai in 2008. Kiwi was assigned the job to look around for a suitable place to house the MEBS.

On 11/11 Kiwi drove to Ipoh. On 12/11 together with Bro.Ow Kok Heng they visited Nilai. They were shown around town by David the MEBS Superintendant and a few others.

Thjey visited the new site for the Nilai Gospel Hall.The new site will have two church buildings: one for Nilai Chinese Assembly and one for Nilai English Assemblies. At the back of the building is a row of shop lots. We visited the shop lot right behind the church building. We have the intention of renting the first floor of the shop lot for MEBS. Having got the potential location for MEBS, they went for lunch and returned to Ipoh and Nibong Tebal.

Pray and ask God for leading.

Kiwi's Plan for 2008

What to expect in 2008 ? I should make more trips outstations to promote MEBS (Malaysian Emmaus Bible SChool) to the various Chinese Assemblies.

I have joined the MEBS Council lately and I will be acting on behalf of MEBS to interact with the various churches. I hope to encourage the Brethren Assemblies to give practical support and fellowship with MEBS. In fact the Board of MEBS Council hopes to see more assemblies sending their people to study at MEBS, equipping them for church ministries.

I will also continue to help up in the various small assemblies, taking meetings and sharing with them the visions of MEBS in the next 10 years.

Do pray with me that I may have a fruitful ministry in 2008. Pray also that God will provide me all the finances as I make more trips outstations. Last of all, ask God for good health and a lively spirit to move about. Thank you.

Joyful Moment

These Young people from the Chinese Assembly were baptised on 4th.November2007. NTGH has this practice to encourage those who have grown up from our Sunday school and before they left town after SPM to confirm their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ with baptism. Throughout the years many young people have accepted the Lord Jesus before they left for the cities.

Just pray that we will have more opportunity to work among new friends who have joined us recently.

Inter-Assembly Youth Fellowship

It is a good effort put in by the Youth Workers of the five assemblies to bring together the youths for a day of fellowship and learning together. In order to encourage the youth of Sungai Petani Gospel Hall this special gathering was held at SPGH. The NTGH team was led by our Youth Worker sister Tong Gaik Sim. She had served the Lord faithfully all these 18 years. Though not many people know her, the Lord remembers her. Praise the Lord.

Congratulation

We wanted to congratulate Mr Tan & Mr Kee for seeing their children growing up in the Lord.

on 26th.August 2007 Krystal Kee and Tan Jie En and Tan Su En were baptised.

We thank God that they have confirmed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ by going through the water baptism. May the Lord continue to bless and lead them, helping them to grow in greater faith and greater zeal for the Lord.

The Unfinsied Work

A local Christian leader had tried to initiate a caring ministry in Sungai Petani Gospel Hall some years back. However, due to the lack of fund, the project is shelved temporarily.

This Home for the Aged can take in both men and women up to 15 -20 inmates. But it is shelved. The five Chinese Assemblies in Seberang Perai had come together, hoping to help reviving the project. We hope that we can have a Home for some lonely senior citizens from our churches. The sub-committee is meeting up to work work the detail pertaining to the support and supervision of the project. Pray with us. If you have a gift for this project, just set aside until we come up with a organised procedure.

A sincere apology

Hi,
I am posting this open apology to all my prayer partners and friends for a recent virus strain that sent off mails to all my pc contacts. I did not send off the mail. It just executive by itself when I click and browse through what was sent to me in the mail. Very sorry!!

In future, please do not click on any unknown link even if it comes from known contacts. Sorry for the annoying incident.

Kiwi

Reflection on Assembly Leaders' Conference 2007

Thank God for blessing the recent Assembly Leaders' Conference held in genting View Resort from 19th.-21st.August.2007.

The turn up was very encouraging. The emphasis of this conference was to build up the Assembly together.

What strikes me was the awareness of the need of small assembly. It is a good sign that leaders have come to realsed that the smaller assemblies in the country is a Mission Field to the city churches.

There was this call to the retired Christians residing in the city to consider moving to stay near the smaller assemblies and to contribute atively towards church growth.

The conference also reminded leaders to get involve and to be more concern about the Children and Youth ministry in the churches. Though there was nothing new, it is still the same reminder to the leaders. The differnece is that most assemblies have this awareness of a dwindling congregation in most assemblies.

May God bring about a great revival among the assemblies. Amen.

Outreach Through Music

Have you ever thought of making use of your musical talents to serve the Lord? I had this dream and vision for many years, but it is yet to materialise.

A band of musicians: guitarists, keyboard player, drumer, and volunteer gospel singers from the churches, and a fulltime preacher/manager with the team.

Objective: Sharing our faith through songs and drama. Winning friends to Christ Jesus.
It should be a faith ministry: living by faith through the free will giving of the churches and suppoters.
Having the video clips posted into the internet, sharing the gospel through such media.
Composing songs and introducing them to the churches.

How to go about it? Pray and commit your hearts desire to the Lord. Write in and share your desire with me. I will coordinate and gather all interested parties to a special get-together.

Be prepared to stay-in as a "family", as a team. If you are married, you will have to move your family and come and stay nearby the team. We hope to introduce a schedule of 3-2-3-2-2
eight months on the move with four months homestay and practices.

Songs can be a good media to share the gospel and Christian messages to certain sectors of our surrounding. Pray with me to see that such vision is made feasible.

Vision of a Mission Field

I would like to give the mission a code name: Operation N. By God's grace, we have the privildge to bring a good number of people from N to the Lord, baptised and equipped for local church planting. Of late I have this vision of adopting the nation N as our mission field. It is not starting from zero, over 50 if not more have returned to their home land accepted the Lord.

My plan to set up a base in the city where our plane touch-down. We need to have two fulltime workers to be stationed in this base---- a small office and a small conference room.

From this base we will work with the locals, equipping them for church planting and outreach work.

From this base we will received those who may be returning home from Malaysia. Providing them a reorientation program at the base, and encouraging them in their faith. Soon afterward, we will see them off to their various home.

From this base we will also plan short mission trips for Malaysians who may be going over there. We will be able to received and accompany them to the various outreach points.

If we can manage to get a local to work at the base, and the other worker can come on rotation basis from Malaysia.

If you share my vision after reading this sharing, just provide me your contact, so that we can keep in touch. God willing, we should put it to work in 2008. This project will need financial support for those whom God has touch their hearts. The project is coded as MMN (Malaysian Missions to N).

contact: kiwikhor@yahoo.com

Church Planting---The Healthy Way

How should we go about planting new local churches?What has the Bible to say about this matter? Surely the Acts of Apostles should be able to give us some guideline in this matter.

Case Study No.1 Acts 1:4-5/8
Waiting in Prayer
"Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about...You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Whenever we have a burden and vision to plant a local church in a certain region, we should first shared with our church leadership. Gathered for prayer with those of the same vision. Ask God for a clearer direction, and ask for wisdom to plan ahead. Waiting in prayer is the first step in church planting. We wanted to know exactly where the Lord is leading, and how to go about in a certain location with their local culture and people group.

Start Sowing the Gospel
Organise a small mission team to visit the place and to make a good survey of the place and people. Make contact with local believers and share with them the desire of starting a local church in their own locality. Go about making contacts with the local people, sharing the goodnews, and give some practical fellowship to the poor and needy; praying for the sick.

For those who have believed the gospel, baptising them and gathered them for regular home fellowship and workship. Began organsing some regular prayer and Bible study sessions, and weekly worship in the home of Christians.

Increase Manpower
With good pastoral care and regular witnessing and sharing, the number will surely grow. With the increase in membership, increase with manpower. Recruiting more Christians to join in the new work. Appoint local believers to leadership role allowing them to watch and to learn the administration and running of the local church.

This could only be possible if there is a continuous descipleship training program. As soon as some local leadership is appointed, a establishment of a new local church is officially announced. It should be given a name suiting the scripture teaching. You may want to call it So and So (name of a town or district) Gospel Center; or So and So Christian Assembly. Name that seems to include all believers of the particular district or locality.

It all this preparation, the Sending Church must be informed. The leaders of the sending church must be invited to give their blessing to this newly established local church.

Case Study No.2 Acts 11:19-21
Migration Church
People do move around due to livelihood and employment. Soem move because they have purchased their houses in a newly established township. Each time when members of a church began to move into a new township, we should encourage them to consider starting a new local church.The believers could have open house to make contact with friends in the new neighbourhood. They could gathered believers in the same locality for fellwoship and sharing with them the vision of a local church.

The beleievers could organise some fellowship meetings and Bible study sessions. They could organise talks and social activites. This should carry on till a new local church is formed. All this while, the Home Church should provide all possible assistance to get the work going.

Case Study No.3 Acts 13:4-7/14:1-7/19-23
Mission Activities
The church could send missionaries to do church planting. It is a targeted mission objective. Sending mission teams to a particular location with the aim of starting a local church. Whenever there are new converts, they should be given good discipleship training, preparing them to lead their own local church.

Suggesions for church administration:
The senior christian who initiated a new work will definitely manage the new church as their elder/pastor. In its appropriate timing, more locals are appointed to leadership role. Local churches should invite preachers and Bible teavhers to come over to lend a helping hand in nurturing the new group.

Suggestion for Meeting places:
Do not rush to acquire property like building etc. Do not inccured the new believers in any form of financial burden. The group could meet at a home, or a hotel conference room, a public utility hall. Try to make good use of ready facility in the surrounding.

Literature Ministry

Literature Ministry is a very important ministry. It was through God's own writing comes the Ten Commandments. It was God who instructed Moses to write down the various rules and regulations for the various feasts and sacrifices record in the book of Leviticus. If not for the writings of Paul we would not have the various epistles in the new testament.

It is from the writings of men that we have historical records of events and people in the past. Writings stay longer with us more than just words passed down by mouth of men. In fact, God said in 1Cor 10:11"These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us."

By God's grace, Nibong Tebal Gospel Hall was given the task to produce the Chinese Assembly Magazine "Fu-su Kang" at the recent Chinese Assembly Leaders' Conference. Mr.Khor Kee OOi is the chief editor and he had a team of editorial board helping him to get it done. Praise God, the Internet version of fusukang is already available online. http://webiz.bz/fusukang

Mr.Khor hopes to get the hard copy out by end of July. He hopes to be able to spend time in preaching and work on literature ministry for the remaining years of his fulltime ministry. Kindly support him in prayer asking God to speak through the writings.

Chinese Assembly Leaders' Conference 2007

Twenty Three Chinese Brethren Assemblies were reprsented at the recent Leaders' Conference held at HCC from 31st.May to 2nd June.

It was a good time of fellowship among the many leaders from the various assemblies. It was also a good time of spiritual refreshing with the Bible teacher Mr.Ong Pak Looi from Singaore.

This time it was hosted by Cameron Gospel Hall. However the next one to be held in 2009 will be organised by Elim Gospel Hall, Ipoh.

The theme for this conference was: The Vision of Assembly Leadership.

The main emphasis this time was centered around the development of a new generation of leadership. And the emphasis of leadership development through "mentoring" principle was presented to the participants. Many leaders had agreed to see to the implementation of the "mentoring" principle. The participants were divided into groups for open group discussion. One of the groups had introduced the idea of 1 + Class + 1 approach to the idea.

Leaders are to appoint a mentor for an individual when he/she professed faith in Christ. The mentor will go through with the mentee through some basic basic Bible lessons with the help of a booklet. After which the new believer will be encouraged to attend a suitable fellowship group for church life and group discipling. Gradually a mentor will be appointed for a matured believer to equip him for ministry.

This conference also reminded the leaders to get to understand the youth of this generation, and to give them personal attention, and designed fellowship meetings to meet their need.

In one of the sessions, the conference affirmed the ministry and need of Emmaus Bible School. All the assemblies were encouraged to extend the practical fellowship with EBS. The fulltime worker of Rumah Berkat, Eu-fu Care Home reported to leaders regarding the work and development of the home in Jasin, Melaka. Churches were encouraged to extend fellowship with them. Participants at the conference also affirmed the need to get the Chinese Literature ministry going inspite of difficulty. NTGH was appointed to be in charge of the literature ministry (producing a quaterly magazine) for the next two years.

Thank God for a succesful conference.Amen.

Love Has A Price

Fifteen Nepalese lost their job recently. They were dismissed from their work place unreasonably, without any form of compensation.

Among them were some who had just accepted the Lord Jesus. The church rented a flat to put them up temporary. Another church contributed in kinds. Yet another offered legal aids to arrange help to meet up with the Labor Court.

In the mean time, our Nepalese leaders Amar and Sudir also lost their job. Their factory winded up. At the first look it was an unfortunate matter. However, it turned up to be a blessing. The two could help to encourage the 15 of them. They have time to meet with them daily in the church and have prayer sessions and Bible studies with them. Even those who were non-christians accepted the Lord through these sessions.

The church contributed to the need of three Nepalese who were short of fund to buy a return air ticket.10 of them were sent back to Nepal middle of May. Five remained for an extended period to appear before the Labor Court.

By this time, God opened a door for Amar and Sudir. Sudir was placed to work with the factory of a church leader. Amar was admited to GLO Training Centre for a short period. While they were at the new place, they tried to reachout to other Nepalese as well. Praise the Lord !

To love and to care costs money. The rental, the food, and transportation, the air-tickets etc. God bless our Nepalese brethren. We prayed that they will plant churches upon their return to the homeland.