One Body
by Pastor Mark
October 02, 2014
A new year begins
We commence a new year of ministry. We thank God for a blessed and wonderful time of worship at Bethany’s 40 + 1 Anniversary celebration. It was great to see the next generation being featured and rising up to the challenge of ministering effectively in the church.
Now, we enter into our 40 + 2 year of ministry. New beginnings are always exciting, for we are filled with new hopes and new challenges for the year. Our hearts are filled with great anticipation as to what the new year of ministry holds for us as a YAG and as a church.
An exciting year for the YAG
This year is going to be a thrilling year for us as a YAG. Pastor Charlie shared with the YAG committee about the involvement of the YAG in the year ahead. We will be involved in a number of events throughout the year that will present to us opportunities of working together with each other and ministering to the church family as a whole. It will be a coordinated approach to link each event with a central theme. What would that theme be?
The challenge to be one body
The theme will be “ἓν σῶμα” (hen soma) which means “One body”. Pastor’s inspiration for this theme was drawn from Paul’s word to the Ephesian church, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;” (Eph 4:4) There is only one body. There are no two or multiple bodies. There exists only one body…the body of Christ. The church must see itself as one body and should always function as one. Let’s be challenged to cultivate this greater sense of oneness over the next year.
Commencement point
The first event that will commence this whole year’s theme of oneness will be our 20th YAG Retreat. The theme of the Retreat will be “The unity of the Spirit”. There is a great need for us to learn and to practise unity as a church in the Spirit of God. This Retreat will be unlike any of the other Retreats as it will be a time not only to learn but to celebrate and to give worship to the Lord for His blessings over all these 20 Retreats.
The cultivation of a sense of oneness will continue to other events such as the Christmas Caroling, the Chinese New Year celebrations and the 21st YAG Retreat. This will give opportunity for the YAG to work with different groups within Bethany and to cultivate a greater cohesion with them.
Culmination point
The year will culminate with the 40 + 2 Anniversary at Shangri La. It will be an exciting finale to this whole year of events in which we would have sought to cultivate greater unity in the Spirit of God. Our prayer is that God would truly make us even more one at the end of this year of ministry
It’s time to rise and shine
It is a new year… a new dawn. It is time to rise and shine. We are truly privileged as a YAG to be given this opportunity to serve. And we must recognise the need to pray that the Spirit of God will lead us …to challenge us to rise up and to work together as one body. Let us be challenged to rise up and to truly shine for the Lord in the 40 + 2 year of ministry.
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