Pastoral Explorations

One practice I found useful: Partnership

Paul started his ministry with Barnabas and then Silas. Throughout his different missionary journeys, he was usually with a partner-in-Christ. In the Pastoral Epistles, he was writing to his partners whom he called “true sons”. Timothy and Titus were his travelling partners to Crete and Ephesus.

The power of partnership cannot be overlooked in our ministry. We are not called to be lone rangers. That’s the reason why we need friends and co-workers to come alongside with us when we serve God. Each of us has been given different gifts and talents to edify, encourage and comfort the believers and we can only be effective when we recognise we are a body of Christ. That’s how we can last long in the ministry too. I thank God for the different friends He has placed and positioned in my life to walk through life’s journey with me. As a Sanguine, I need friends and I function well in a team. Born and baptised in the same church, I’ve served in various ministries since I was 17 years old. I am thankful that I have never been alone. There is always someone I can find to share my joys and sorrows with. In partnership, trust is involved. I believe Paul trusted Timothy and Titus enough to hand over the churches in Ephesus and Crete to them. Their friendships have solidified into blocks of trust that can be used to build the Church of Christ. And this brings me to the next point.

One achievement I am most proud of: Mentoring

Mentoring brings me joy and pain. They seem to go hand in hand when we mentor others. I believe Timothy and Titus brought Paul more joy than pain since he entrusted them with such heavy responsibilities of pastoring churches. He wanted Titus to join him quickly at Nicopolis and longed to meet Timothy before he departed from earth.

God places different people in my life to mentor and invest in. This started after I graduated from the Missionettes programme (an A/G all-girls uniform group) at 19 and taught little girls aged 10 between 12. There were happy moments when we learnt God’s truths, do crafts and go outings together. I shared their family problems and sibling rivalry. We struggled over selection of different secondary schools and post O Levels routes together when their grades and dreams didn’t coincide. Those short rebellious moments which happened during their mid-teens were painful but I persevered and prayed through. One of them even became my colleague when I was still a teacher. I remembered going to NIE with her after her A Levels to decide whether she should go to NUS first or NIE directly. We decided on NUS. Most of them are young mothers now. We still laugh over what they did when they were young. Mentoring is walking life’s journey with my disciples.

Simultaneously, I became an assistant cell leader at 18 and eventually the cell leader when my cell leader answered her full-time calling to become a bible school teaching in Iloilo and eventually a missionary in Cebu, Philippines. These cell members were a pain to us. Haha… They were in secondary school then and struggled with laziness. We were used to them telling us an hour or just before cell started that they overslept (They had gone home to take a nap!), needed to do homework, sick or would be late. Many a time, it’s just my cell leader and I. We cried and interceded for our cell together. Haha..I believed she became my unofficial mentor from then on too. Hahaha… Of course we shared many happy moments together as they grew older and became more sensible, responsible and reliable.

Yes. Mentoring is for life. We cannot give up on people half way just because they disappoint us or even leave God. Like Paul who hoped to have Timothy’s company before his death, I once wrote my will at 18 that I would like my Missionettes girls to be my ushers and my cell girls to do a song item for me at my funeral. One of my closer cell girls was even supposed to pour my ashes into the Mediterranean Sea. Hahaha… Yes. They know. I’ve told them. These girls have blossomed into beautiful warriors for Christ. A few became my successors when I went to Japan for mission work and many of them have become my partners in the various ministries in church currently. I pray that God will continue to enlarge and expand my heart to love and mentor the new people He places in my life.

One idea I have found challenging: Appointing elders and deacons

Paul warned Timothy not to be hasty in laying of hands and he gave both Titus and Timothy the criteria for the selection of godly leaders. There is much wisdom in this because leaders are proven and tested over time. We also discussed this issue during class that we have a lack in church leadership, especially in the church deacon board. Even after careful selection through a nomination committee, the nominated leader may choose not to stand for the position. What then should we do? We can only pray that God will move the hearts of these leaders.

Obedience is better than sacrifice. As I sat there listening to this topic, I couldn’t help but remembered how I agreed to be a deacon at 26 years old. I was the youngest in the board and the oldest was over 70 years old. There was much fear in me when I took up the position but I knew God wanted me there. I stayed for three years and I sat in every meeting clinging tightly to God because I knew I wouldn’t have survived without His assuring presence. I prayed that I would not be stumbled and I also learned to be assertive when the meetings went overboard.

We need more godly leaders in the Church to build a strong community of believers with sound doctrine. May they hear and obey the still small voice of God that resounds and crescendos until they submit to His will.