Hello people! Glad to see the vibes of excitement flowing in the caregroup after camp but just wanna post something that I have noticed and hope everyone will take ownership of :)

Just wanna say that although its good that we talk about evangelism and our enthusiasm to bring people to know God, we must first grow ourselves and the group strong. This will only work out if every single one of us does our part in growing this group. It takes two hands to clap after all. We are one body, if one part refuses to function, how can the others function without problems?

I wanna encourage everyone to get to know your caregroup members well! Ever felt that there's someone i have never really spoken to a lot? Or maybe i haven't showered concern on yet? Or do i really know that person in my caregroup? Well i think that we should think about it and really get down to knowing them. After all, they ARE your sisters and brothers in Christ. If you don't know them, how can you labour beside them? The Acts church fellowshipped everyday and that's how they got closer, and laboured even better for God. Will you go the extra mile today? Send a simple message of "How are you?" or maybe just pop by MSN to talk to people around you because we are going to see each other till eternity! :) This is THE body of Christ, let's make it function to its best alright? Give your best to God, like He gave the best to us!

Take ownership of the caregroup today! Its your caregroup. If no one takes the first step, then no one will. We determine what our caregroup is like. On service last saturday, we were taught that by loving others we show that we are Jesus's disciples. So let's show the world what this love is about. Start with the people who are on the same frontline as you, the people who care for you, the people who are with you in the same God we love so much:)!

JIAYOU HC CAREGROUP!

will be back on friday! See you guys soon! :)

- Cale

Labels: sharings (:

Every time we hear about spiritual warfare, we think about huge, long drawn out battles with the devil. Well, at least I do. But since we've come out from camp, i've started to think about it as the war Christians everywhere are waging on the world today. Not a war of guns and bullets, but one of hearts and souls. One where Christians are tested time and time again in the frontlines, against the enemy of apathy and misguidedness.

The Bible tells us in:
[2 Corinthians 4:8-9], that 'We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.'

The first things(after Jesus) I ever heard about Christianity were the two overarching rules 'Love God, Love People.' We as Christians obey these rules, not because some book tells us to do so, but because they make sense, because if we love God, we very naturally will love who God loves, and that means everyone. Every one of us has personally felt God's touch, and experienced His love, and it is good, amen? So what right do we have to keep others from experiencing it?

You might say, 'No what, I never tell that person about the Gospel doesn't mean i'm keeping him from knowing God'. But on the contrary, I think it means exactly that. God didn't choose, so why should we?

Ok, maybe I'm doing this for selfish reasons, sorta. When I die and go to heaven, I want to have my mum, my dad, my sister, my family, my friends, even my enemies there with me. Imagine how you'd feel if you look down from heaven, and see a loved one looking up at you from hell, in pain, and knowing that YOU are the cause of it? Every single day of your life you could have said 'Hey bro, i want to tell you about my God, the living God, the one that has changed my life.' and now, you cannot do anything about it for the rest of eternity. FYI, eternity's a long long time to be roasting down there.

Or imagine everyone in heaven, i don't know, playing godly frisbee or mmm zizi and you're sitting alone without a loved one by your side, getting ostro-ed. I don't know about you guys, but if till the day I die, I haven't spread a word of the Gospel, and I haven't brought anyone to know Christ, then I'd feel that I deserve to be ostro-ed by God and His frisbee team.

God's spirit is moving within, and around us, people. Can't you feel it? It's speaking to us, telling us that time is running short. Here's a quote from Sandy's blog 'Most of us are talking about the second coming of Jesus, but half the world hasn't even heard about the first ... ' I was praying the other day, that God will sustain this conviction in my heart of hearts, and not let this fire burning in all of us die out, and just telling Him of my fear that i'll end up failing Him, and He dropped these words, now emblazoned in my mind. 'I did not create you to be a loser'. In the same way, this caregroup, this Hwachong caregroup was, as Psalm 139:13-14 states:

'... knit together ... fearfully and wonderfully made.'

We were put together by God's very hand for a reason and we can, no. We WILL be the factor that will make all the difference!

-Shaun

Labels: sharings (:

God sent me a stark and painful reminder today, of how limited our time is.

everytime someone dies, people mourn.
everytime a Christian dies, fellow Christians may feel comforted, because we know they're going to a better place.

but everytime a non-Christian dies, doesnt the heartache go several notches deeper ?

everytime a non-Christian dies, we lose another soul to the devil. we lose another person who could have been in Heaven. we lose another person, who could have lived a fulfilling life, experiencing God's goodness.

tell me, isnt it outrageously selfish to lock this goodness in our hearts, being content with our lives and choosing not to share it with others ? perhaps, thats the easy way. thats the life of a lazy Christian. a lazy Christian who loves himself more than others. dewen said this in the Christian Living class - the basics of a Christian life is this: God first, others second, me third. God definitely didnt create us to lounge around, living the easy life. need i say more ?

perhaps God sent us this painful reminder, so that we may carry it deep in our hearts, knowing that every soul is precious, that everyone deserves a chance to be saved.

i dont know how long this lesson will stay in your heart. or mine, for that matter. but i hope that as we embark on this journey of evangelism, we wont think twice about sharing the gospel with anyone, no matter how cynical, how difficult the person may seem to be.

perhaps the person who brought you to church thought twice, maybe thrice. what if the person decided not to share, not to try, because you were simply being too difficult ?

perhaps the next time, when we start thinking twice about sharing with someone, we'll keep the possibility in our hearts, that this person may just die the next day, that regret is the last thing we want to live with in our hearts, that we have to be accountable to God, in everything that we do.

God sent us to be channels of His love; Love one another, He says. what better way is there to share His love to others ?

Jesus didnt think twice.

why should you?

fong.

Labels: sharings (:

CAMP'S TOMORROW.

Some crucial announcements -

We are meeting at 9.30am at Woodlands MRT tomorrow. For breakfast! Don't be late.

Pack according to the packing list (click for online version) and include:

- 1 Hwachong PE shirt/HC orientation tee (MUST!)

- As much money as possible (for buying stuff at mama shop)

- The coloured shirt for games according to your house

- Something to give to your shepherd (remember our informal shepherd's appreciation on day 1)

- Birthday cards (if you still owe the respective shepherds who are collecting)

- Frisbees, balls, cards To play in our free time! It's the Singapore Sports School what.

I think you can come in your coloured house shirt for day 1. Because we're playing games right after we check in.

Our caregroup shirt will be distributed on the day of camp itself. (If you haven't paid, please give the money to Fung.)

Part timers - please always check with your shepherd what to wear or bring before you come! Good to join us at the start of the day at 8am thereabouts.

Finally, workshop allocations (DAY 2).

How to grow to 10
Seokhui
Shaun
Liping
Fongyee
Tianruo

Turning visitors into shepherds
Jiexun
Jon
Huiying
Robert
Yvonne
Yongsheng

Forming a community
Fung
Eunice
Suet
Samuel
Lilin
Kenny
Lee Yang
Tracy
With love, Mia.

P/S: Let's really go to camp with excited and expectant hearts.

Labels: all the randoms

Mia says -

It was such a lovely caregroup. For the benefit of those who weren't there, check the photos out!

First up - HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEE YANG!

I think you are very blessed to have your birthday celebrated at the Kallang Stadium. Check out the tiny people on the field. They were holding vanguard sheets spelling "We love you Lee Yang". Touching to the max.

Yes, we were all screaming the birthday song.

The happy birthday girl.

And she gets another birthday song.
Next - games on the track! They were oh so fun. (: And very, very funny.

The game masters briefing us about the relay.

Click to enlarge, please! (: The 9 different stations.

Group 2 ended up having to do the forfeit, which was to toss the squid (haha) with trash bags.

Caveman likes his seafood raw.

Happy people after the games! (:
Other pictures taken at the stadium...

Eileen plays golf with a pole and a toilet roll.

Jump shot #1.

Jump shot #2.

Game masters who did a great job planning games!

Shepherd + sheep combo with toilet roll wrapping.

The HC caregroup! (:

Afterward, we went to the park opposite the stadium for the rest of the programme.

Holy comm - Like a roseeeeee, trampled on the groundddd.

Yes, yes, he just killed what symbolised Jesus.

After caregroup. Actually the two hands on Kenny were supposed to be flapping vigorously but obviously I can't capture it.

Yongsheng does his retarded thing again. Oh well. I pray it doesn't give you nightmares.
I thought it was a fruitful caregroup, especially the bit where we brainstormed about our group objectives for camp. They'll be typed out on the blog soon, I hope.

Let's really be the most passionate school out there. 4 days to camp. (:

By the way, we're not called CE2 anymore. We are JC Central A3 (Samuel's and Fung's) and JC Central A4 (My cg!).

P/S: To mark the start of the JC district forming, we are supposed to wear sch uniform for service on Saturday! So please remember. (:

Labels: cg mania