My Hope Singapore

Hi all,

I thought I would post a summary for the discussion that we had after cell last week on My Hope Singapore, both for the benefit of those who attended as well as those who were not able to make it for cell.

My Hope Singapore is an evangelistic initiative of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association which uses culturally sensitive video and printed media and the relationships between people to present a simple Gospel message to the nation of Singapore during Christmas 2008. It plans to work through local churches and seeks to mobilize and equip every believer to be a witness to their pre-believing friends. It is an outreach where pre-believers are invited into the homes of individual/group/family of believers.

Not everyone can be a pastor, evangelist or teacher. But everyone can be a witness.

Background:
My Hope has been implemented in more than 28 countries worldwide since 2002, including countries in Latin America, Europe, South Asia and South East Asia.

The biblical basis of My Hope Singapore is derived from Matthew 9:9-13 and Luke 5:27-32. When Matthew (also known as Levi) the tax collector had and encounter with Jesus, he invited all his friends to his home to have them personally meet Jesus.

You can read more here: http://www.bmc.org.sg/mhs2008.htm and http://www.myhope.com.sg/myhopesg/index.html as well as other links to participating church websites.

At this point more than 200 churches in Singapore are participating (our church is one of them), and about 19,000 homes will be open this Christmas for partying over the weekend of 12-14 Dec 2008. Although you are not forced to have the parties on these dates, they are highly encouraged as it is a nationwide collaboration and we will be able to see the effect of everyone praying and opening homes over the same weekend. Also, we will be able to invite those who accept Christ to our church's Christmas programmes.

How ROR is being involved and how you can be involved:
Our cell has decided to take up this project. This Christmas, let us pray and wait together on the Lord for our pre-believing friends. Each of us will invite at least one person to our Christmas party, we can do it at Serene's function room or another home. We can have makan and even Christmas present exchange.

We will make it clear to our friends that it is a Christmas party, that there will be some Christian sharing (up to you to decide whether you want to mention that a DVD regarding some testimony will be shown) so they can decide if they are comfortable to join us.

During the party we will show the DVD (provided by the organizing church) and then one or two persons will share their testimonies (about 3 min each) of what the Gospel is about, how they accepted Christ and how God has changed their lives. Then we will invite our friends to accept Christ and follow up with them.

Paul and myself have signed up to indicate that we are interested, we have 3 extra packages with us should you like to hold a party on your own. Maybe you have more friends to invite as a group on its own or want to do one for your family, etc. Please obtain this from us (I'll bring it on Sunday), and you will have to fill up the form at the back and return to the church by this Sunday 16 nov, so they can prepare the DVDs for us to collect by the end of the month.

Please list down friends whom you want to invite and pray for them daily. We can pray as a cell group too. Thanks! Any questions, please ask!

Personally, I was very fearful when I heard of this, because I'm very afraid of evangelizing. I've always been afraid of speaking to people and sharing Jesus because I'm afraid of rejection and people asking me difficult questions or questionning my faith. But I do believe that Jesus has put so many pre-believing friends around me for a reason. Somehow I have to reach out to them. And sometimes it is not enough just living a life that is right, sometimes there needs to be active sharing of Jesus with them. So I do believe this Christmas God wants to use all of us to touch our friends, and also to build our faith in Him and to leave things to Him. Because He wants to work through us, and use our weaknesses for His glory. So, I submit my fears to Him. How about you?

-Sarah