Envisioneering

Yufen and I celebrated Joyce's birthday today at Orchard Central. We went to Fruit Paradise. Delicious fruit tarts and pies! Haha... but yes, it was a very encouraging and exhilariating time of sharing our thoughts and hearts in pastoral ministry.

One thing that Yufen shared with us was what it really means to have a vision for a caregroup. It simply means having a picture of what you hope to see in the future. A picture. Vision. Makes sense, right? Nothing abstract or fancy here. But so essential for leading your caregroup, and making sure that your caregroup doesn't go nowhere.

So I was thinking about my caregroup. Burdened. What can I do next?

Ah. But an encouragement from God here. The HopeKids skit team. The vision to see it become a fully-fledged drama ministry, if God wills it so, to attract and help prepare children's hearts for the gospel message.

Actually it's coming to fruition already. Spencer has very willingly taken a step of courageous faith to fill in for me for October. I'm amazed at how God works through the most unlikely of people - unlikely in terms of skills, that is. Spencer has been amazingly supportive and encouraging... even though he might not be the most educated of people, but I am confident that God sees his heart to impact the children in whatever way possible... and now it seems the Spirit is moving me to ask him to fill in for me in script-writing.

And amazingly, God has helped me talent-spot someone else today. There's this sister from Youth ministry, who has drama stage experience. It seems that maybe I can ask her to do the stage management for the HopeKids ministry.

Ah. Once that's done... I should be more free to do the intro video for HopeKids ministry. Or maybe the HopeTV team can do that. Ah. See what we can do next, God willing.

Delegate, delegate, delegate. I love to delegate. Delegation has great value in extending the kingdom of God, because it enables more people to join in the vision together, and plunge their hands into the same dream together, and to experience the power of God as a united body.

The Vision So Far
Personally, I envision this skit ministry, whose role is to captivate and open up the hearts of the children to the message being preached, in a bigger and more exciting way.

We've already managed to bring the professionalism of the skit ministry to move beyond simple 5 min appetizers to full-blown skits, and even an experimental mime drama, complete with face paint and costumes.

And now we're looking forward to building a steady team of scriptwriters who are able to produce scripts on a ready and regular basis every week, to support and

We envision the skit team's ultimate role to be like that of John the Baptist, whose role was to prepare the people's hearts for the coming of the Messiah. Likewise, we prepare the children's hearts every week for the preaching of the Word.

Gosh. I'm so amazed to see how God is enabling and empowering me to lead a team. It's so un-me. 'Cos God knows I struggle with faithfulness, with leading and so on. By nature I'm not a confident person, not a natural leader and not organized. Just a mere dreamist. But having responded to God's calling to do skits, He has empowered me to actually increase and develop the skit team into something bigger... something that is clearly of God.

Which I am again and again reminded of every time I direct the skit team: "God doesn't call the qualified; no, He qualifies the called!"

YES AND AMEN! God is faithful! Oh, He is so, so, so able to do more than all we ask or even dare to dream of... according to His power that's at work within us... to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus, throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen!

=D