Sharing ART with our New Team of ULs @ Artease in Esplanade

A – A New Thing

See, I am doing a new thing! 
   Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? 
I am making a way in the wilderness 
   and streams in the wasteland.  - Isaiah 43:19

Don’t miss it but perceive the new thing that God is doing in your life.

Delegate ministry to others as ministry is not just our own. …. (the people I formed for myself  that they may proclaim my praise – Isaiah 43:21)

Bus are Life Groups, Bus Captains are mobile Life Group leaders.

Roles of Talent leaders  (TLs) is to “learn”.

Roles of Ownership Leaders (OLs)  is to “make a way in the wilderness & streams in the wasteland”
1. LGL (Life Group Leaders)
- Visit weekly to pray for kids/family
- Own 3-8 kids
- Multiply LGs as it reach 8 kids
2. UL (Unit Leaders)
- Coach LGLs for the above

Role of Staff to be active outside the office to pave the way

R – Relational

Be available to lead groups relationally.

As the group grows bigger, we have to grow smaller.

God sent His son not to establish a religion but for a new relationship with us.

All ULs to learn and read a leadership book a month.

Use technology, Twitter, Facebook etc.

T – Thankful Heart

Only way to grow not by our effort but by the spirit living in us.

Keep a prayer/gratitude journal and give thanks in all circumstance.

Use Apps.

Was at an old LP record shop at Adelphi. The shop inside was organized, clean and I can tell kept with great attention. The LPs sold there were carefully cleaned and wrapped up. All of them cost a bomb that I could not find anything with a $30 budget. The same record I bought just a month ago for $7 in the discount bin of another shop can cost $170 here.

I realize there’s always much greater value in stuff we carefully take care of.

Didn’t stay long but had a great conversation with Boshari the owner of Vinyl Lucky at Adelphi about music and faith. We shared our love for music and favourite bands since young. We also shared about our faith where I learned very interesting things about his life as a Muslim and he did the same about mine as a Christian. I shared what’s different about Christianity and why I chose to go into it.

I left without buying anything but I gained a friend. I’m so glad I did because relationships are one of the most worthwhile things to take care of on earth. Keep taking care of your marriage, friendships or whatever are important relationships in your life.

Think Big?
We think big because between thinking big and thinking small, one is better. It’s common sense. Who wants small thinking? But the better may not be easier and that’s what makes thinking big so unusual.

Act Small?
We act small because between acting big and acting small, one gets you into trouble, the other just works great for everyone. Again its common sense but not easier to act on small things.  That is what makes acting small so unusual.

So thinking big and action small is common sense. But we do foolish things and always opt for easier.  So thinking small and acting big will always permeate space of our world even though there’s a better way.

Our aim is not to go there. We have Godly wisdom to do the opposite which is slightly harder to do.

- Stop believing small. Believe God in thinking every big thing he has in store for his people.
- Stop doing what is easy and start acting our common sense towards others.

Bought 2 old classic rock LP. Love playing it on my old Pioneer PL-61 Turntable. It gives me warm fuzzy feeling because it gives me good growing up memories when I listened to music.

Today spending the time at home with the family.

Mei Si cooked breakfast.

May Ann is preparing for her PSLE with mum.

Chern Han is doing his finger painting work. Just started with 2 prints.

What we do today in our homes created memories for people in the future. We just hope it’ll be of the warm and fuzzy type.

Last week at HopeKids LIVE!, one of the kids that come to us on a bus, came up to me and openly told me  “Teacher Hong Teck, my father and mother fought yesterday”. I looked at him and he had great sadness in his eyes.

Later during Life Group time, I found him alone, crying so I went up to him and asked what’s wrong. He wouldn’t tell me but with with a bit of interrogation, I narrowed it down to his little sister. Then I offered to pray for him and he responded with bowing his head and closing his eyes. When I prayed, I didn’t pray about anything concerning his sister but I prayed for his parents because I know he’s more bothered about his parents fighting than  what his sister may have done to him. After the prayer, he said thank you and ran off with a bit more cheer than before.

I’m reminded again that we cannot minister to a child without ministering to the family. We also cannot reach families without reaching the child.  Reaching families is an integrated work and it has to be a collaboration so that we serve and work together and not in parts.

On the 3rd of September we are reaching the whole family. There’s something for parents as well as something for kids. It’s our way of saying families are important and loved in the eyes of  God and God has a great plan for families to change the world.

Invite your friends. Tickets are now available at http://timemachine.eventbrite.com/

Multi colored ants shows in their abdomen exactly what they have been eating. We are really what we take into our soul.

More about multi-colored ants here

It’s almost impossible to lack ideas for games nowadays.

2 simple tips for kids targetted games in church ….

Tip 1: For Small Group > Consider improvisional games which is fun and healthy ( Go to You Tube and search for ‘improvisational games’)

Tip 2: For Big Group > Just tweak a Minute to Win It (Go to Youtube and search for ‘Minute To Win It’) Our friend Sam Luce has done some fantastic tweaking for us  on his site here: how to tweak it

I have little else to say except that its the mystery of the heart of God. Once we get that life is to be given away and have access to this truth, then we can truly be rich. Life is truly for giving away. We can’t understand divine mystery. We can only abide to it and do it with joy.

A few days ago, I asked my wife how much I use for pocket money after every thing is carved out per month. I decided to give away 10% of how much I spend on top of my regular tithe. Just for fun, Ripple Generosity in my way of practicing “Pure Religion” for the cause of under-served children and widows. Join me to raise $500 by end of this year for World Vision.

Do it here…

I’m also moving Ragsstudio.com as a place where we can use our talent, time and treasure to serve children in the city and the world

Spent a little time in the afternoon doing this painting. It was a doodle and practically improvised it all the way. At the end of one hour or so, it turned out to be a tree planted by the streams of water on a nice late afternoon. Incomplete, I will paint the leaves on it another time.

What do you think? Where can this painting go?