And it's so touching. Right now, I don't have any official shepherd now during this transition period (but I am very blessed to be able to chat with Peter anytime when needed, and of course, my buddies too). But as Hong Teck quipped, "God is your new shepherd!" Haha. Funny lah. But in the meantime, HT reminded me that it's not the 'structure' that's so important. "We don't do organized religion. It's the relationship with God that counts. And people too. In this caregroup, we all will take care of you, and you too help to take care of us."

When I mulled over what he said, I realised that this is a new kind of discipleship level. You know that in our discipleship conference, we learnt about a spiritual newborn, to a spiritual child, to a disciple, and to a disciplemaker. 

Well, I met up with Yufen on Saturday night, and she shared with me that she learnt from one of Edmund Chan's books (a pastor from another church - CEFC? I'm not sure right now) about yet another level of discipleship: CO-LABOURERS with Christ.

It struck me that hey! in this HopeKids CG, this ministry caregroup, we're all co-labourers. :) Thought about it. We have a great structure for discipleship. But ultimately, like the stick for a grapevine, the scaffolding for a building, the gantries for a rocket, all these structures were meant to fall away when the time is right.

It shouldn't be the case that if we're not told to take care of someone, then we don't take care. That's one rather unfortunate side-effect that could happen if we're not intentional in our disciplemaking. We have the shepherding system, so that we can have the opportunity to catch the heart of a shepherd, and learn the skills needed. So that wherever we go later on, disciplemaking will be an integral part of our nature as disciples of Christ. Everywhere we go, we can't but help make disciples, in the same way that a physically mature adult can't help but make babies if the conditions are right. Hmm. That sounds rather... haha. But yeah! =)