WEAR HIS YOKE: Stop trying to save yourself by yourself.

Artist CNY Reunion, A4J Group

February 7, 2011 7:30-10PM

Touch Community Theatre Jalan Buki Merah.

Prop List: coloured pencils, drawing paper, ipod, speakers, verses printed out, highlights journal, samples of postit notes.

Intro:

If we’ve known each other for more than a year, you find out that I love the New Year. I love fresh starts. I love the impetus to begin again - the seasonal natural proof that Spring follows Winter. It’s time for REFLECTION and RESOLUTIONS!

I love taking a personal retreat and asking the Holy Spirit to help me in brainstorming ideas for ways I should be growing, or things I’d like to do in the new year.

I do it on postit notes in categories:

Organizational, Intellectual, Relationships, Adventure...

Since 2004 I’ve done this exercise in community. Subsequently, friends give me postit note pads as gifts! Just look at some of my collection!

Discovering with other artist friends what types of dreams we have that we can partner in, or at least cheer each other forward in. When I started doing this, I had recently turned 40 and I still had dreams that, with enough dedication, discipline, goal setting and grit, I could become some kind of a World Class Artist.

Some of you are rolling your eyes about resolutions. But let me tell you, I started this journey with some eye rolling artists who now say that the exercise has been sort of life transforming. They may not have made some of the same life decisions or risks had they not joined me in 2004.

I always like to preface my postit notes exercise with some reflections on the past year. And in 2011, this is where I camped out for a long time. For weeks I’ve done more reflecting. Trying to make sure I’ve learned what I needed to learn from the lessons that came along in 2010.

Reading over my highlights planner (the only record of my life anymore that’s not digital, I remember lessons or insights from the year before), I saw the note after one particular sermon about relationships, a realization that Jesus was a world class lover of people.

This is a goal or dream that, coming up on 50 now, is probably something I can aim at & possibly hit: I want to be a world class lover of people. That’s what my reflections reminded me.

So, I embarked on to New Year exercise part 2: the postit note resolution making and I didn’t get past the IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIPS category: Loving Jesus better, loving James better, loving Cameron and Tyler better, loving my extended family better, loving my neighbors better, I mean, REALLY loving my circle of friends more honestly and genuinely better.

Jesus, increase my capacity and creativity to apply it to loving others better. How do you want to change my heart? What do they need from me to know your love better?

The rest of the resolution categories, the other possible resolutions, PHYSICAL (yep, as you can see there are a few resolutions that could be made in that category), INTELLECTUAL, PROFESSIONAL... they have no importance to me this year. Whenever I sat down and prayerfully pondered the postits in January, I couldn’t get past: RELATIONSHIPS: LOVE THEM.

So, as I prayed this past month about how to love you tonight, I’m very clear about what you need to hear from me. He wants to love you through me tonight. As God has guided the seemingly random input I’ve had, a number of avenues have converged on the following passage of Scripture. Including yesterday’s sermon at church was on the passage I wanted to look at - after I’d already written and printed out what I wanted to say.

Perhaps what I’ve been learning, you need to hear as well. Let me explain. Let’s look at

Scripture: Matthew 11.25-29

  Come to me ______

                   you who are weary and carry heavy burdens

                   And I will give you rest

                   Take my yoke upon you

                   Let me teach you

                   Because I am humble and gentle

                   And you will find rest for your soul

                   For my yoke fits perfectly

                   And the burden I give you is light. 

[PLAY: O, The Deep Deep Love Of Jesus, then Carlotta from The Mission] SKETCH: Can you take a few moments and sketch what may have come to mind for you as I read this passage?

What kind of burdens? Why are you weary?

You can continue to sketch, but I’m going to tell you where your burdens are from: You feel weary from trying to work hard to be good enough. The burdens are heavy, because there are so many areas where you must work to be good. You must work to be a good girl, or a good boy. You must work to be a good citizen. a good Husband. a good Student. Mother, Father. You must work to be a good Worker. A good Professional. A good Christian.

Jesus is saying to you this New Year:

SONG: Come to Me (Celine Dion)

I will always love you no matter what

No matter where you go or what you do

And knowing you

You're gonna have to do things you're own way

And that's okay

So be free, spread your wings

And promise me just one thing...

If you ever need a place to cry

Baby, come to me

Come to me

I've always known that you were born to fly

But you can come to me

If the world breaks your heart

No matter where on Earth you are

You can come to me

Don't walk around with the world on you're shoulders

And you're highest hopes laying on the ground

I know you think you've gotta try to be my hero

But dont you know the stars you wish upon they fall its true

But I still belive in you

If you ever need a place to cry

Baby, come to me

Come to me

I've always known that you were born to fly

But you can come to me

If the world breaks your heart

No matter where on Earth you are

You can come to me

And the seven sea's you sail

All the winding road you're on

Leave you lost and feeling all alone

Let my heart be your beacon home

If you ever need a place to cry

Baby, come to me

Come to me

I've always known that you were born to fly

But you can come to me

When the world breaks your heart

No matter where on Earth you are

You can come to me

You are weary from trying to be good enough your whole life. Jesus says, COME TO ME. He wants to give you rest.

REST. That may be all God wants you to take away from our evening together. He’s giving you the permission to rest - let HIM give you rest. He has spoken: Come to me. I will give you rest.

We could stop right here for many of you.

But for some, you need to think about:

What’s at the core of the burden?

We have been told the gospel, we believed it enough to admit we are sinners and need Jesus, and then we got on to work at being good enough.

We’re burdened because we’re trying to work to be good enough.

And when we’re not, we’re trying to work to cover up or hide that we’re not good enough. We’re trying to cover our bad.

So what do we do to cover our bad? To be good and acceptable? We HIDE. We work at being nice. Moral. Successful. We work at being creative geniuses. We work at being important...to cover up.

And with all this working going on, there’s no need for Jesus. We keep forgetting: He saved us once and for all, the righteous for the unrighteous to bring you to God...(Hebrews)

You can’t help it. This hiding is our human default mode. It’s a human reaction to sin, from the Original Sin. The first persons who hid their bad were Adam and Eve.

I heard you God in the garden, and I was afraid because I realized I don’t have any clothes on! So I hid from you...

You also can’t help it because you were raised to be this way. You were raised to be a little moralist. A good person who needs to work to save yourself by the power of yourself.

Did you ever have this experience in your family? Cause, this is how it went with my children:

“Tyler! BE KIND TO YOUR brother!!”

And Tyler said, “[sigh. Ahhhh.] I’m  k i n d . You’ve said it, and I will it to be.  I am kind!”

Ha. It doesn’t really work that way does it? Tell the child to shape up and they will it in their own power to be good. Nope. Doesn’t work.

Did you ever experience this? Child does bad and parent...

Ahrgh! you did it Again! Go to your room. You make me sick. You will never....Argh just...get out!

In other words when we mess up the response is condemning.

I just can’t deal with you right now!

And the child is split off relationally because they were bad. By rejecting you...I mean, by rejecting the child, the child slowly slowly in the deep gets sent into hiding their real self, trying hard to be good, but can never be good enough.

So, when this is all you ever are told is,

BE GOOD!

Then slowly, slowly over time you’ve come to a core belief that you can’t be loved as you are Which is BAD and nobody can cover your bad except for you, and the only way to cover it, is by being good.  

Let me ask you something.

Did you feel loved by your parents when you were good?

Did you feel loved by them when you were bad?

Did you feel MORE loved when you were good?

That’s what I thought.

You grew up programmed to think that no one can love you in your bad.

But here’s the bright side:

That’s what has made Singapore so great! To prove your worth, to show you are great and worthy and not just a tiny red dot, you’ve grown into a society of high achievers totally driven to excell.

But, That’s also what made some of you -- especially as artists creative people who’s hearts aren’t drawn to careers that will make the parents proud or give you respect and draw a high salary -- you gave up on being accepted. You instead were driven as a teenager to give up, act out, drop out.

Perhaps you came to believe in the core of your soul that no one could love you or who you are - which is ADMIT IT, partly, sort of, a whole lot... bad. (Am I repeating myself?)

And then this comes out in how we relate to others in all our relationships, but especially in our spiritual life. Though we may at first have believed we’ve been saved by grace. We come to God knowing we aren’t good enough and enter into communion and abiding in him covered by that grace. Then, we try to prove our worthiness! Which is stupid, because it’s not possible, and it makes Jesus sacrifice pointless.

Oh, and it’s probably the worst, for those of us who have grown up in the church. We’ve been working out our salvation with fear and trembling and discipleship, and service and prayer life and bible study to cover our bad. No, because of all this WORKING, by the time we’re teenagers, we got bored with the cross. On top of that we feel guilty about it, knowing we should feel a different way. Rather than coming to him in relationship and learning with him how to face up to our bad; recognizing it, admitting

I can’t do this without you Jesus,

We instead just did a lot of work!

What did Jesus mean by “take his YOKE?”

[picture of a YOKE]

SKETCH: Would you take a few moments and draw a little sketch of what comes to mind as you think about a yoke. What is the traditional way of understanding what Jesus is talking about?

Here’s something about a yoke, that you may not have known before. It may blow your mind:

Different rabbis had different sets of rules.... A rabbi's set of rules...was really the rabbi's interpretation of how to live the Torah, was called that rabbi's yoke. When you followed a certain rabbi, you were following because you believed that rabbi's set of interpretations were the closest to what God intended through Scriptures. And when you followed that rabbi, you were taking up that rabbi's yoke. [ Velvet Elvis, by Rob Bell, ]

So Jesus offered this new yoke, which he claimed was easy. But in a way, it seems harder. He often began with "you've heard it said" and cited the Old Testament law. Then he followed with "but I say to you." For example, he said, "you've heard it said,... 'Don't murder.' but if you call someone a fool or hate them, you've killed them" (Matt 5:21-22)  ...His teaching encouraged people to hold to a higher standard than mere legalism but also helped them to realize that keeping the law perfectly is an impossible proposition. rest - living in sabbath simplicity (keri wyatt kent)

His yoke is his teaching, his yoke is HIM and he’s bearing the sin, not you...he’s already born it!

You’ve heard this before: 2 Corinthians 5:21

He made him who knew no sin to (what?)

become sin for us,

that we might (what)

become the righteousness of God.

He also said he is

Gentle and Humble.

He has a few words to say to you about that too.

He doesn’t follow the TIGER MOTHER method.

Take my yoke upon you

                   Let me teach you

                   Because I am humble and gentle

This is what I heard growing up, in my wonderful loving Christian Western Moralist Family:

Kimberly! Oh. Kimberly! Shame on you! That’s not nice! Creasmans don’t do ______.  Do the GOOD. [spank]

Take a moment and write down what YOU heard. Did you have a tiger mother or father? Or teacher. You’ve got a few of those tapes always playing in your mind. What did they say? We’re going to try to start reprogramming tonght.

This is Gospel Parenting.

This is what Jesus says to you:

Kimberly, Dawn, Namiko, Aaron. You are a failure. I love you, but on your own, you are a failure. You’ve done it again, wandered off. But you need me. You can’t do it. Stop. Give up. Abide.

Here’s grace. Here’s me. Be filled with me. here’s my yoke, It’s easy because it’s mine. Because it’s me and I bear the weight of your bad on my shoulders. Wear my yoke and let’s go on a journey. You have no idea what kind of journey I’m going to take you on. But first you must open your heart to me. Search your heart. Before we go on adventures together, first we must go down. I’m going to take you down Kimberly...and see your crap. Kimberly, you know it stinks and you will want to hide it, or run. I promise you Kimberly, you will get nothing but LOVE from me as we go down there and sit in it so that you can really know what it is and really know I love you no matter what it smells like or how much there is.

You don’t believe it. Guilt and shame has made you believe that no one will love you in the deep honesty of your bad. But I do.

It may take you some time to reprogram. But take my yoke. I will teach you. I am gentle and humble. If you draw near to me and let me help you, it will actually be easy. Would you like to try?

In early childhood we should have been modeled unconditional sacrificial love. Firm standards for right and wrong, surely, but with a foundation of

I AM HERE FOR YOU AND I LOVE YOU

NO MATTER WHAT YOU HAVE OR HAVEN’T DONE.

My guess is you didn’t get that.

As I work on being this kind of parent to my sons, I’ve started reading books about ADHD. One which has become a kind of Bible for me lately: UNDERSTANDING ADHD is written by Daniel Amen. People with ADHD have what he calls “ANTS” Automatic Negative Thoughts - condemning thoughts that come into your head that you’ve heard since childhood in addition to other voices of authority who may have confirmed your worthlessness and hopelessness.

There are some things that Psychologists do to help in reprogramming clients who are victims of these Automatic Negative Thoughts.

As Christians, we can reprogram with breath prayers. Have you heard of “breath prayers?” Early church fathers...I can’t remember who...they practiced these simple statements of truth or desire or worship like a mantra. A phrase that can be focuses on for a period of time and said in a single breath. Here’s a sample of a breath prayer:

Lord, show me how to wear your yoke.

Lord, show me how to wear your yoke.

Here’s another one.

Lord, help me give up on this project of trying to be good enough.

I present myself, and my bad to you. Transform me by your love.

Let’s take a few moments for you to think of one that you like. One that suits you and you’d like to start to practice. Let the Holy Spirit lead you in what breath prayer you could start praying. I’m comfortable with silence...

In the Bible we are told to “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling...”

Isn’t that what it says in 1Peter? You know what comes after that part?

“for it is GOD WHO WORKS IN YOU according to his divine purpose & pleasure.”

It’s GOD who does the work with you as you come to him and abide in him. I’d like you to exchange the parenting statements -- your “tapes” for these breath prayers.

Here’s one last passage from Scripture that I want to read. You’ll hear it in a new light, now that you’re realizing a new perspective on relationally, WITH HIM, doing good.

It’s from Titus 3

5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. 8 This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

We have a new perspective on what we’re doing and why we’re devoted to doing good. It’s doing good in relationship WITH HIM not FOR HIM. Come to him and let him be part of the decisions, the reactions, the work, the frustrations, the mundane. Have him do it with you and help you decide, DO I REALLY HAVE TO DO THIS? or is there something else more important you want me to be doing?

Prayer: The last thing we’ll do tonight is spend some time praying together. Because this is kind of personal, I’d like you to find someone you know to pray with. Groups of 2 or 3 would be good. You can pray about whatever the Spirit leads you to pray for. What we’ve been thinking about just now, or something else that’s on your mind and heart. You can pray for one another, or other artists. All I ask is that you don’t take the time to TALK about your prayer requests. Just go to God, together in prayer.

Diary of an Arts Pastor: A Landscape of Church & Art Questions: Part 2: Cor...

What are the two problems that we need to keep in mind as we think about the place of art in corporate worship? (FYI: By "art" I mean any given art medium and all possible functions of art.)

1. Ignorance
2. Anxiety

Diary of an Arts Pastor: A Landscape of Church & Art Questions: Part 2: Cor...: thanks Aaron Lee for the link.

Devised Theatre: my definitions

always seems like an odd rojak (sald bar) with a number of tasty bits, but a few odd and "off"  items thrown in to make it a meal where I feel a need to go home and take some Eno!

...or "a 2 hour shower of confetti. Some colorful and sparkly, but an awful lot of confetti made of newsprint and tuition worksheets in the mix!"

Ice Breakers, Teambuilders, Icebreakers, name games, songs, and more!

Time to build a team, or get off the ground in a first rehearsal?Need some fresh ideas? Think: ICE BREAKERS in your FRESHMAN DORM... ResidentAssistant.com has some good ideas.

Family Time Toolkit: Drama Games & Storytelling Kids Can Teach Their Parents

Designing a Community Workshop for Sept 5th*

Is your family stuck in a rut of what you talk about around the dinner table, or when you're together on evenings and weekends? Take the "Creasman Challenge" and learn a few drama tricks to spice up your family life. This session is for kids of all ages to let their hair down and have a little creative & dramatic fun. The catch? You take what you've learned back home and try it out with their parents and grandparents! If you report back to me within the next 2 weeks, I'll post on the web it to inspire others. A prize will be awarded on September 19th, to the student who has the best family photos/most creative report of the experiment.

BIO: K!Mberly Creasman spent the first half of her life in Los Angeles where she obtained her BA in Communications/Drama from Biola University and married James at very young age (in 1984-25 years ago!) It was eight and twelve years later that Tyler (the Singlish Speaking White Boy) and Cameron (13) added "Mother" to her CV. In 1997 the Creasmans moved to China for 2 years of language & culture study that help endear her to all her neighbors in Singapore, where she studied Mother tongue with her boys who attended local schools for their first 6 years here. She is currently working on a guide book: Get Out of the Malls and Movies: A Singapore Guide to Family Fun with Teenagers (working title).

A permanent resident for many years now, she gets really re-charged when teaching and mentoring creative people in theatre and personal development. Since her arrival in Singapore she's had some part in dozens of performances for itheatre, Focus on the Family, Tapestry Playback Theatre, yelowbox studios, raintree productions, All Good Gifts and various church groups. In recent years she has lead the drama ECAs at ICS (http://ourtheatrecompany.blogspot.com) and is currently an adjunct lecturer in theatre studies for TCA College. More about her work in drama can be found at http://spicetolife.blogspot.com.

*details: Date: 5 Sept, Sunday
Time: 3pm Free Health Screening by Adventist Community Services (ACS) / 5pm Concurrent Workshops / 7.30pm Worship with Be107FM
Venue: Jurong Seventh-day Adventist Kindergarten

Broadcast Media Ministry & Internet Evangelism: CVC

WEDNESDAY, April 28, 2010


For the second time this week a group of believers in Singapore met up with local bases for Broadcast Media Ministries. After a quick lunch outside the Eunos MRT station and finding out who made up our "group du jour" we made our way to CVC's office in Eunos Techpark. Today's gathering was a bit of a challenge as one in the group spoke no English, and another in the group spoke no Chinese! We muddled through with translating and switching around and asking alot of clarifying questions. Hopefully I've gotten my facts straight!


CVC, previously known as Voice International, started its operation in May 2000. Here's a description of their comprehensive mission work from the CVC UK Website:

Christian Vision is a UK-based international charity. Our mission is "To introduce people to Jesus and encourage those who acknowledge Him to accept Him as the Son of God and become His true followers." We run projects working with local churches in training leaders and church planting. These include education, healthcare, skills training and humanitarian projects, aimed at making a positive impact on the local community.

Christian Vision's media projects use the most appropriate format, in the major languages of the world, to establish relationships with audiences and introduce them to Jesus. Christian Vision is both a producer and distributor of media content, and seeks to be contemporary and culturally relevant.

The local office here in Singapore was set up in mid 2008 and has a focus solely on broadcasting to the Asia Pacific Region, namely: India, Indonesia and China. They work closely with the region's main office, the Asia Pacific Broadcast Centre (APBC) on the Sunshine Coast Australia. These offices put together all the programming needed for the work of CVC in the region.

According to Hui Fang, a friendly energetic and articulate young Singaporean (with perfect Mandarin), our visit came during the first month of a huge transition for CVC. At the end of March 2010, only a few weeks ago, they have all but stopped shortwave program production and broadcasting, and are ramping up for doing all broadcasting via the internet. For now there is still an hour of shortwave broadcasting daly to China, and CVC continues to monitor it's effectiveness to determine their shortwave efforts in the future.


Their target audience for their pop music programming is young people aged 15-35. To be even more specific, Hui Fang and her team are now fervently studying how to reach the demographic of 18-25 year old Chinese nationals. 


Theirs is not the traditional form of "gospel radio" where Bible classes and the message of salvation through Jesus is preached on the programming. Instead, their aim is to reach those who would not tune into Christian Radio, but might enjoy a station that plays pop music with positive messages with practical advice and help about life and listeners felt needs. Local record companies are providing CVC with their latest releases and then playing music with positive messages, the DJs will use this platform for developing a listener base. Listeners can tell, if they listen long enough, that the DJ's or talk show hosts are followers of Jesus and are part of a local church. There is encouragement via radio to call and write in, and counseling available, which is clear to the listeners will be from a Christian worldview. When listeners do show an interest in following Christ or learning more about the teachings of the Bible, CVC refers them to the programming resources of other Media Ministries such as HCJB, FEBA, FEBC, TRW.


NEEDS FOR MINISTRY PARTNERS/HELP/MENTORING: According to Hui Fang, "We are in the transition stage now where we are moving into 100% Internet Ministry and outreach to Chinese youths in China.  Anyone who may have prior experience in China youth work or Internet-related ministry experience could contact us.  It would be awesome if we could then learn from experienced folks who could give us some pointers on what we are doing currently.  We are also looking at improving our website as well as to start producing video which are short, relevant, may/may not be evangelistic content on our own so we could use these clips to reach out and to impact the intended online audience."


Should you know of someone who might be able to assist/freelance/or take a position with CVC, contact leehuifang@cvc.tv


Here's what the others had to say about our visit to CVC:


Ray Arsenault My impression of CVC is that they are a small but professional organization with a huge mandate!  They are trying to bring the Good News to most of Asia which encompasses more than half the world's population.  Yet their staff is very, very small.  During my time there, I really got the sense that the "Harvest is great, but the workers are few".  Even so, God is always in control. 


Rita Cao
(Worked in broadcasting in Mainland China before becoming a Christian, and is looking for what God would have her do now. Her child is starting school and her husband is in seminary here.)
Learning about these new trends in Christian media is eye opening. I am challenged to think more creatively concerning program making when I start to get involved in media again.

Christian Radio & Video: Studio Elpizo - Be107FM

SINGAPORE. Our Christian Broadcasting Tour added a couple more visitors yesterday, and included a small core of those who made it to all three media ministry venues. Our last stop this week was for a visit with a dynamic, passionate and obviously multi-talented Faith Toh in the 3rd floor studio belonging to the Seventh-day Adventist Mission of Singapore on Upper Thompson Road between Caldecott Hill and Mt Alvernia Hospital. She packed a whole lot of information and inspiration into our short time together.

Incorporated in 1997, the mission of Studio Elpizo is: Enhancing your ministry through media content & services. They see their role through radio to broadcast a message of hope, healing, love and mercy. Their target audience is those who are "open minded to the Word of God" and makes their availability for prayer and counseling clear through their broadcasting and websit. The studio has a prayer-team network where they can forward calls and requests to the care of ministries serving and praying for specific groups (ie. children at risk, or counseling care for women's issues etc.)

The station incorporates media content from such groups as Focus on the Family, the Media team from Trinity Christian Centre, Loma Linda University, a Mandarin speaking pastor's wife (Jurong Chinese Seventh-day Adventist Church), as well as producing their own content and is looking for more partners. Studio Elpizo is programming for not only English, but Mandarin, Tamil and Tagalog as well!

With a transmission tower located on Indonesia's nearby Batam Island, they are able to broadcast on Batam, in Singapore and parts of JB. Broadcasting remotely via a tower in Batam has certainly gotten easier since the days when DAT tapes and equipment were carried by Sampan from the port at Batam to the little island Belakang Padang where the original transmission tower was; complete with it's own power generator! If something broke down at the site, it could take up to a month to complete repairs and get on the air again! In recent years the base has been on the main island where there is internet and stable electricity. But they still needed to hand carry programming via pre-recorded CDs to Batam. As we met with them this week we saw that they are on the verge of a huge change in the transmission their programs from Singapore via a WinMedia system. Not quite up and running, and with short term technicians Steve and Vlad still checking for "robustness" this will streamline the process, freeing the small two person staff to growing and developing new programs and projects.

Current Programs are as follows:

The aim of Studio Elpizo is to "echo hope to the community through 'beautiful music and inspiring messages.' We perceived a need for radio programs that offered hope in a world affected by broken relationships, loneliness and other social problems. The aim was to provide a positive alternative to the programs prevalent in today’s broadcast industry."

Sarah, and NTU Broadcast Media major nearly jumped up and down when Faith took us from the recording studios into their newest room and revealed that they have added a video production studio. "Over the years, we’ve evolved into media center, broadening our purpose to include producing Christ-centered materials for video broadcast and providing professional standard production services to suit your ministry’s budget." (website content). Faith told us they are currently organizing a short video production course where it will be a pay as you can, but ask those who attend to offer their new skills back to the studio of at least 10 volunteer hours. One of the many projects they've got going are with pastors who have their teaching in various languages made into dvds which are then sent in to other countries for Bible, Theology and other types of training.

Here's what the others had to say:

Ray Arsenault
107FM is a pioneering radio station delivering Christian music and talk formats to the people of 3 nations, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.  The idea for the station originated from Singapore.  Even though the Singaporean government has said "no" to any form of religious programming, with a little bit of ingenuity and direction from God, the Word can become flesh no matter how difficult the circumstances may be.  The physical radio station is situated in Batam, Indonesia and the office is located in Singapore.  The message is beamed from Batam towards Singapore and the signal makes it's way to parts of Batam Island and Johor Bahru in Malaysia.  I think that 107FM has already come a long way in the past 11 years, but I feel that there are many, many more chapters to be written in the future.


Adel
Really see how the different medias are used together to benefit the community. I am also very impressed byt the external partners and collaborative synergy with the local churches' outreach programs.... I want to thank Kimberly to organise these ministry visits and I especially like the way she closes the visits with a prayer for the people. I find that brings great comfort and encouragement to the ministry team in the various offices, it makes our visits all the more meaningful. I'd be looking forward to the future visits and events and courses and getting to know the people better.

The "I Am Second" Movement

I Am Second

Check out this website - video interviews with a whole range of people who've learned that life isn't about them. It's about living for God and others...Simple. And very cool.

When meeting with Hui Fang at CVC last week, she mentioned that they were researching ways to harness the power of the internet. She mentioned this website particularly as inspiration to them...

Prayer for the Arts May 10th Touch Community Theatre

this came today from...

 lovesingapore

A moving song, an inspiring film, a captivating dance. 
The Arts have an amazing capacity to influence our thinking, touch our hearts, and lift our spirits. But where you find a great potential for good, you will also find the same great capacity for evil. God knows. He is in the picture and He longs to create masterpieces through us that will reflect His character and fulfill His mission! Do you see what He sees? Is He already stirring your heart? 
Don’t miss lovesingapore’s inaugural prayer encounter for the Arts and Entertainment Gate. 

Especially if you are someone in Arts and Entertainment! Or perhaps you are just someone with an interest in or a burden for this Gate. Please come. We need you there. Pastor Lawrence Khong will be leading us. Our dream is to build a critical mass of visionaries and warriors to effect Kingdom transformation within the Arts and Entertainment Gate of Singapore. Bring your friends.
• Monday 10 May 2010  • 7.30 pm • TOUCH Community Theatre Auditorium (3615 Jalan Bukit Merah) 
PS: Please help us spread the word. Forward this email to church members and Christian friends in your sphere of influence. Post on your web. Announce in this week's church bulletin. Thank You so much. All for the Kingdom!

Broadcast Media Ministry: HCJB Global Voice - Asia Pacific Office

Five random believers in Singapore met this morning at the offices of HCJB - a broadcast media ministry which was founded in 1931 in Quito, Ecuador. HCJB has expanded and morphed over the years as technology has grown, and we had a chance to learn a bit about some big things which are going out from their little office in Bishan off Jalan Pemimpin.  It was an inspiring morning. Not just in hearing from the staff at HCJB, but also meeting one another. 


Besides hearing about the unique ministry of the Asia Pacific office, their work and dreams of what can be done in the various countries of the region, we also saw two compelling promotional videos. One aimed at potential investors in the work and the other video interviewed an Indonesian partner ministry who's effectiveness has grown through the support of HCJB helping them set up local FM radio stations around Indonesia. 


Thank you to Ty Stakes (Radio Planter and all around great guy), Janice Reid (Radio Trainer),
plus Steve Balzer (Regional IT Support) and Lisa Balzer (working on a newly launched project of MMS subscriptions to English Lessons via Cell phones in Thailand as platform for link to website with Gospel and arranging user group meetings)


Here's what these guests had to say:


RITA
(Chinese national with a background in broadcasting before she became a Christian in China, seeking part-time work as a trailing spouse in Singapore the next 2 years)


It's amazing to learn that there are already so many forms of ministry in the media field, and there are almost unlimited possibilities for using broadcasting in ministry.

SARAH

(Student from NTU, majoring in Communications)

It was really an eye opener for me today to talk to people from HCJB. Just to see the various ways the Gospel can reach the Muslim world in Asia through non-direct pre-evangelistic ways. I think a lot of time when we thing of missions many of us thing about preaching the gospel directly but not seeing the way different locals can reach out their own communities in their own local contexts. It really touched my heart and I pray God will continue to work in this way through HCJB.

RAY

(Professional Trainer with education in Broadcast Media)

No matter how big or how small, the Lord will always find a way for His work to be completed. We met with an amazing group of individuals whose numbers were just a handful, but their small group has managed to plant several radio stations in SE Asia. Their plans are to plant up to 200 FM radio stations in Indonesia. So far, they are approaching 50! Praise God! What is seemingly small, God can make into a big thing. From the mustard seed to the largest plant in the garden.

ADEL
(Currently researching and working on new media based discipleship training)


This is an exciting information session and I am much impacted by HCJB's ministry in the Asia Pacific region. What I noticed in the presentation that I find suitable for what I do now is the way radio is an effective communication tool for church planting and outreach to communities in local areas. 

Broadcast Media Ministry & Internet Evangelism

Friends,

Last week, talking with an intern who is interested in broadcasting/media ministry, I thought: Hey! I know a few folks who do that sort of thing! I'll bet a lot of the Drama Ministry or A4J friends I've made along the way would be fascinated to learn about such work!

So, in my spontaneous "oK!-let's-make-it-a-party-style," 

I started setting up appointments to visit a some local broadcast media organizations/studios.

With no time to waste! 

We're meeting up next Monday and Wednesday (and perhaps Saturday too!).

Join me!

I believe it will be a good opportunity to reconnect, meet some others who are in the arts and are believers, 

learn about such ministries, pray for, be inspired, and perhaps even consider such a ministry for yourself in the future. Either partnering with an existing group, or pioneering your own.

Follow this link

http://www.doodle.com/us3aaurzdvyvvzhu 

and check when you'll be there! Come for one, or all of the appointments. However it fits your schedule. 

If you have to change your reply at the  last minute, text me!

K!Mberly Creasman

kimberly@crms.org.sg

CRMS

Empowering Leaders

crms.org.sg

+65 98396965

So far we've got these lined up:

Monday 26 - 10AM 

Ty Stakes

HCJB (Asia Pacific)

http://ap.hcjbglobal.org/

59 Jalan Pemimpin (Bishan)

#02-06 L&Y Building 577218

tea afterward at the kopitiam nearby on Jalan Pemimpin

Wednesday 28 1PM-2PM 

Hui Fang

CVC Network 

http://www.espira.tv/

60 Kaki Bukit Place
Eunos Techpark
#01-13

2:30-3:30 Faith Toh

Studio Elpizo / Be107 FM 

http://studioelpizo.com

798 Thomson Road, Singapore 298186

Divine Arrangements! This week's events, and Saturday April 24th

After getting the inspiration for touring studios/regional offices only last week, then meeting up with this intern who brought it up on Friday, then today while sending out this little invite about the tour, I learned about this event below (and as I'm writing this, Cheh at Focus on the family sent me the info too!: 

IED = Internet Evangelism Day

http://ied.sg/

Focus Day: 24 April 2010

• Sat 24 Apr (Face-to-face meeting)Session 1 Understanding our Digital World (10am-12nn)Introductory seminar series on New Media and its Impact on Learning and Communications (Orientation seminar for pastors/ministry leaders)Session 2 Making the Gospel Click (2-4pm)Snapshots and sharing from Media/New Media ministries. Project Forum for missions in Second LifeSession 3 ATRIA Unconference (4-5pm)Open space discussions on three key issues around Church and New Media. Summary and FellowshipVenueKum Yan Methodist Church. Get map hereRegister here

Fringe events

• Mon 19 Apr - Fri 23 Apr (Online activities)Mon 19 Apr: Blogging carnivalTue 20 Apr: Testimony wallWed 21 Apr: Online missionsThu 22 Apr: New media ForumFri 23 Apr: Creative Communications
  
  
  

  IED@SG is jointly organised by:

• New Media Group
• Creative Communications, Singapore Campus Crusade for Christ

Drama Ministry Meet Up

UPDATE on the meeting today:

A great time this afternoon meeting one another, talking about what each person had been or is doing or plans to do.

what we'd seen other churches doing etc. 

Heard updates, affirmed the power of drama not just on the audience but the way it brings people together with the shared experience - lifelong lasting impressions.

(regardless of the professionalism - it still was a catalytic event)

A new youth drama ministry held auditions. A "using drama to teach children" workshop is now in the works for August. The Voice theatre company is branching out to do shows in the community in Chinese. We discussed things like the problem of youth not having the capacity to sit for long periods or tolerate simple, so churches working at Big production values and then there's the small churchplant where worship is simply singing, preaching, communion, casual welcomes and announcements every week and it's growing like i've never seen with teenagers enjoying it.

Oh, we covered a lot of territory in 2 hours. 

But we all had the unanimous conviction that it's all pretty unimportant compared to simply walking with Christ our Saviour.

When the gals who exchanged business cards cc me on the plans they make, or the websites they've found, or other resources they've discovered, I'll post it up on the blog.

http://spicetolife.blogspot.com.

Please pray for my family and I in Turkey this next week! Let me know how I can be praying for you - especially Easter preparations! We'll come back in time to come watch and worship with you, so if you're using drama Easter weekend, please let me know! Also, if you want me to take you off this group, let me know that too! Don't want to spam you!

One of your fans,

K!Mberly

Theatre Practitioner / Explorer

CRMS

www.crms.org.sg

just an fyi - for what it's worth -

i made a second blog years ago with lesson plans, and handouts for drama training sessions/seminars

http://spicetolife2.blogspot.com

Who came today? 

Quek Shi Wei (Riverlife)

Cheryl Ng (Trinity Christian Centre, The Voice)

Mary Soon (Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer)

Tina Atiga + imminent baby! (Every Nation Church)

moi (Redemption Hill Church)