It’s been a hectic beginning to the year with the STEP-Up Programme, and its not going to let up anytime soon. Now, let me assure you, we are not doing things for doing things sake. I am very mindful of Jesus’ words to the church of Sardis; a church that had all the appearances of being alive but in reality was quite dead (Rev 3:1b-2a).

Please tell me if you see us doing something that does not add value to the life and ministry of the church or which does not move us towards God’s vision for the church. We must be radical enough to evaluate its raison d’être.

I didn’t intend to say all that when I started out with the first line. But I felt that I needed to put the record straight. I’m not into activities and programmes —I’m into what counts for the Kingdom of God. STEP-Up: empowering the young people in our church—I’m into that. The upcoming series of Encounter Weekends and the Purpose Driven Life Campaign—I’m into those things. So, let me give you some head-start on these, because I’m looking for your fullest participation.

Encounter Weekend (EW). The purpose of EW is to give you an opportunity to get away from your usual and busy routine and spend focussed time with Jesus. My prayer is that you will have a life-changing encounter with the Lord at the EW, just like Moses did at Mt Horeb with the burning bush. Many have gone to an EW (in churches that have also carried out something similar) and have been awed by the impact that the encounter made in their lives. Make time for this, make time for the Lord; make time for your own sake.

Each weekend will encompass a packed programme of teaching, ministry and many other things which I cannot share with you. The element of surprise is important to enhance the effectiveness of the programme. Trust me, you will be pleasantly surprised. And to ensure that every participant benefits as much as possible each EW is limited to only 30 participants.

The first EW is set for March 13-15, and it’s for men only (it’s a gender based set-up). For this first round, priority will be given to ministry and cell leaders. The second EW, for the ladies, is scheduled for May 1-3, followed by a Youth EW from July 17-19, then a second Women’s EW from Aug 21-23 and a second Men’s EW from Oct 16-18.

I know you have many questions in your mind…. I will answer them in good time. For the moment, just take note of these dates.

No. 2: The Purpose Driven Life Campaign (PDLC). I believe most of us are familiar with Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose Driven Life, and in fact, a few years ago the cell groups did a series of studies based on the book.

PDLC is similar and yet very dissimilar. The theme and topics are the same but the focus and approach are totally different. The campaign is not for our benefit but for the unchurched. The objective of the campaign is to engage the unchurched with the Gospel by discussing the vital question vis-à-vis the purpose of life—What on earth am I here for?

PDLC will be carried out over six weeks; from the third week of June to the last week of July, culminating with Project Harvest from July 31-Aug 2. The Sunday services and the messages during the period will hinge around the same topics, and cell groups will be expected to divide into three or more small groups so that the unchurched can be invited to join the discussions.

We will unroll more details to you in the next few months. Just take note of the dates. Start praying. It’s going to be a hectic but exciting time. This is not activity for activity sake—this is about advancing the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

Outward & Forward
PrSH