Worship Rota for 2009

To all worship leaders, musicians and persons in charge of the PA system:

You can find the Worship Rota for Jan-June 2009 here or click on the link to the right.

Thank you.

There's A Fountain

William Cowper was born in Great Berkhampstead in Hertfordshire in November 1731.
His mother died when he was only six years old and this tragedy left a life-long scar of grief. When he was ten he was sent to boarding school and there his suffering was added to by the cruelty of the older boys.

However, he survived and at eighteen began to study law. Although he passed all the bar examinations he never achieved much success in his profession. In nine years of law practice, so-called, Cowper never once felt worthy to serve people nor could he manage to attract business for himself.

Next, a clerkship in the House of Lords was arranged for him, but still he felt unfit for the task and was in such misery that he made several attempts to take his own life. The failure of these suicide efforts, compounded by two unhappy love affairs, increased his feelings of self contempt; so that as he walked the streets he felt that all eyes were fixed upon him in scorn.

Because of his suicidal tendencies Cowper was confined, for a brief period, in St. Albans Asylum and, remarkably, it was during this time that his famous hymn was written.

A visiting relative sought to ease the sick man's depression by telling him of Jesus' power to save. Cowper burst into tears saying, 'It is the first time that I have seen a ray of hope.' When the friend had gone the poet opened his Bible at random and, in the providence of God, his eyes fell on those words in Romans Ch. 3 v 25: 'Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood.'

This scriptural account of Christ's redeeming work touched Cowper's heart, causing him to later testify thus:

'There shone upon me the full beams of the sufficiency of the atonement that Christ has made; my pardon in His blood; the fulness and completeness of my justification and, in a moment, I believed and received the gospel.'

So thrilled was he by his new-found hope that he described it in verse, basing it on the words of Zechariah Ch. 13 v 1: In that day there shall be a fountain opened up for sin and uncleanness.'

There is a fountain filled with blood,
Drawn from Immanuel's veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Loose all their guilty stain.

It was William Cowper's great hope that other troubled souls would be helped by his hymns.

Read more...

Visit to chocolate factory postponed

Please take note that the visit to Beryl's Chocolate Wonderland this Saturday (22nd) has been postponed to another date due to the insufficient number of participants. The new date will be fixed later.

Description of a Disciple

1. General Definition:

A disciple is a Christian who desires increasingly to be like Jesus by intentionally seeking to obey all that He commanded. He does this by giving priority to his relationship with God, his growth in Christian character and his ability to minister to others.

2. Phase One Description – “Come and See”

1. Major intent:

To help the person experience the saving grace and goodness of God by acknowledging Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. He will be helped to learn some basic truths about his faith so that he can have a personal relationship with Christ. This will be evidenced by his personal testimony and water baptism and commitment to pursue a new life in Christ.

2. Initial Commitment Required:

• personal devotion daily.

• occasional involvement with covenant group

• occasional participation at worship services

3. Final Goal:

The disciple has completed this phase when he

• has trusted Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord and has been baptized.

• grows in knowledge and understanding of God’s basic truths about his faith

• grows in knowledge of basic doctrines of the Bible that affect his life and behaviour.

• shows enough commitment to learn and practice some basic spiritual disciplines for his growing relationship with Christ.

• is committed to attend a covenant group, weekly worship service and personal time with disciple-maker.

• is willing to commit himself to the next phase of discipling.

4. Approaches used:

• Personal follow-up by disciple-maker

• Evangelistic Bible Study/New Believer’s Class

• Attendance at worship services

• Outreach events (example: Parents’ Appreciation Night) and retreats

• Invitation to home fellowship

• Attendance in covenant group

4. Duration: 6-12 months

Read the entire write-up here

Download a copy here

Faith EFC Philosophy of Ministry

Our Purpose:

The purpose of our church is to glorify God by making disciples equipping them for life and ministry.

Our Product

The most important aspect of our product is the kind of disciple we produce. We desire to produce a disciple who desires increasingly to be like Jesus by intentionally seeking to obey all that He commanded. He does this by giving priority to his relationship with God, his growth in Christian character and his ability to minister to others.

Our Philosophy of Roles and Functions

A. Pastor

1. His primary role and commitment is to give direction, train leaders, teach and preach the Word.

2. He is to model what a disciple is and to impart and keep the vision of disciple-making before the congregation.

3. He should seldom perform ministries lay leaders could do unless it is absolutely necessary.

B. Lay Leaders (Elders/Deacons/Deaconesses)

1. They are to model discipleship and to grow in their own ministry skills.

2. They are to assist the pastor in equipping the congregation for ministry.

3. They set broad policies, and together with the pastor provide direction and strategic focus for the church.

C. Other Key Leaders

1. They are to be faithful, growing disciples committed to the church’s philosophy of ministry.

2. They are to grow in their ministry skills and to equip those who are under their care.

D. Church Members

1. Their role and commitment is to grow as a disciple.

2. They are to be trained to use their gifts.

3. They are to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to directly minister to Christians and pre-believers.

4. They are to carry out the purpose, ministry and mission of this church by exercising the gifts given them by the Holy Spirit.

5. All regular worshippers are encouraged to be official church members. This will provide accountability, nurture, and encouragement to the body of Christ as well as to share responsibility for decision-making, service needs and finances.

Our Philosophy of Equipping

1. All staff, policy makers, Board members, and group leaders must be growing disciples committed to the church’s philosophy of ministry.

2. Leaders will be recognized by considering both character and giftedness.

3. We will recognize servant gifts as being equally important as leadership gifts in building a healthy, disciple-making church.

4. We will develop leadership skills by intentionally provide opportunities in ministry by placing individuals in an apprenticeship role with leaders.

5. All leaders of key ministries will take part in on-going leader training once a month to constantly improve the gifts God has given them.

Our Philosophy of Church Programmes and Structures

A. Purpose:

1. The purpose of every activity of our church is to produce and further develop disciples. We will evaluate every activity by its effectiveness in producing disciples, and will modify or discontinue activities that ineffectively do this.

B. Small Groups (Koinonia Groups)

1. Our primary method of making disciples is the decentralized small group. We see

one-on-one approaches as valid, sometimes necessary, but only as secondary

method for most in our church.

2. We will offer small groups and other ministries at multiple commitment levels to develop sequential growth for disciples.

3. We will develop our small groups to provide relevant Bible study, caring relationships and outreach that lead to personal accountability and discipleship.

C. Evangelism

1. Our evangelism will focus on multiple specific groups (examples: English speaking, lower/middle income family and children) rather than using a generic approach. This will provide different levels of opportunities for everyone to be committed and to be involved actively in evangelism.

D. Worship

1. The primary function of our worship services will be celebrational, God- exalting, and Christ-centred and where there is proclamation of God’s Word.

2. We will make sure all outsiders will feel welcome and comfortable and the committed disciples challenged and encouraged.

E. Structures

1. We will establish a healthy balance between large groups (for unity), medium-sized groups (for fellowship), and small groups (for intimacy) to provide the proper infrastructure for the disciple-making process. Consequently, our church will be structured at three levels:

   1. as a large group (i.e., more than 70 persons) primarily for the purpose of worship, inspiration and proclamation of the Word.

   2. as a mid-sized group ( i.e., 18-70 persons ) which will be a key outreach and assimilation point for church as well as a place for fellowship and teaching.

   3. as small groups ( i.e., 7-17 persons) primarily to develop intimacy which results in instruction, pastoral care, and personal development.

2. Our Church Board will be to set broad policies, macro-manage the church, and keep all ministries in line with the doctrinal statement, constitution and philosophy of ministry.

3. Our organizational structure and leadership styles will flex and change as we move through our life-cycle as a church.

Our Philosophy of Methods and Principles to Help Us Best Make Disciples

A. Intentional Strategy

1. We will, at all times, have an intentional strategy to accomplish each aspect of our purpose. At the same time, we believe that all we do must be saturated with prayer to express our total dependence upon God.

B. Discipling Process

1. We will primarily make disciples as a team, as a church, but not just a collection of independent individuals.

2. We are committed to the principles of multiplication of ourselves by evangelizing, discipling, training, and delegating ministry to others who are faithful, teachable and available.

3. We will multiply ourselves and train others using the method of apprenticeship.

C. Evangelism and Missions

1. We believe evangelism (including pre-evangelism) is the starting point and indispensable catalyst to all disciple-making.

2. Our evangelism methods will flex and change according to the type of people we are trying to reach. The gospel will never change, but our ways of presenting it will shift in response to our culture. Thus, many methods can be used at any one time.

3. We will encourage our members at all levels of the disciple-making process to make appropriate commitments to missions. This will be done through prayer, practical home-based involvement, participation in mission trips or to be sent as missionaries.

D. Ministry

1. The micro-management of all ministries will be delegated to leaders of those ministries and accountability will be maintained through leadership training meetings and normal discipling channels.

E. Finance, facilities and other resources

1. We will budget for growth and not maintenance

2. We will ensure that facilities and resources are only important as they serve to enhance the mission of making disciples.

F. Implementation and Amendments

1. This philosophy of ministry will be pursued with grace during the first 12 months and will take full effect on September, 2009.

2. The philosophy of ministry will be amended when appropriate by the Church Board with agreement from the congregation.

Click here to download a copy of this article.

Musicians' rota updated

Worship leaders and musicians please take note. Some changes to the musicians' duties have been made. Check the updated rota here.

Worship Rota online

For the convenience of Worship Leaders and musicians, the Sunday service worship rota is now available for viewing online here or use the link on the panel to the right.

Our beginnings...

In view of the upcoming visit of Rev. Dr. Ben Sawatsky to Faith EFC this Sunday, a little history lesson is in order. To the uninitiated, Rev. Dr. Sawatsky was instrumental in the birth of our church more than 30 years ago.

For many of us, it would indeed be a great privilege to be able to meet him for the very first time. We also look forward to Rev. Dr. Sawatsky ministering to us from the pulpit.

How did Faith EFC begin? For a brief history lesson, click here.

Special sessions with Martin Goldsmith

(Click for larger image)


For location map, click here.

"Christian Art" charity art exhibition

(Click to enlarge)

Harapan Komuniti is a non-profit organisation that helps the poor by providing them with education, training and counseling, running HIV/AIDS, youth and children's programmes, and engages in disaster-relief efforts.

It is funded by individuals and organisations which believe in its work.

While the organisation has many plans for the future, finance stands in the way of realising its dream of setting up a one-stop centre for these disadvantaged children and youth.

As operational costs increase each year, the organisation has stepped up efforts to fund the programmes to provide for the needs of the children.

Recently, a group of 10 artists and a potter joined hands to raise funds for Harapan Komuniti through the sale of their work.

The charity art exhibition, themed “Christian Art”, was recently launched by Glad Tidings Assembly of God pastor Ng Koon Seng at Galeri Dunia Seni Lukis in Cheras.

It features 62 paintings, with prices ranging from RM400 to RM12,000.

Dunia Seni Lukis Sdn Bhd (DSLSB) business development director Liew Kian Yap said apart from local artists, the group included some from Indonesia and South Korea and they had agreed to contribute 40% of the proceeds from the sale of their work to the Harapan Komuniti charity fund.

Liew said 50% of the proceeds would go to the artists and 10% to DSLSB. The exhibition runs until July 31.

“This two-week exhibition is a run-up to the International Contemporary Art Fair 2008, which will be held at the Mid Valley Exhibition Centre on Nov 26,” Liew said.

Among the artists taking part in the exhibition is Fred Galan, who has spent 44 years in the field and attributes his passion for painting to God who has given him the talent.

The others are Marivel Galan, Elisha Farida Mursalim, Ni Wayan Handoko, Pastor Chong Kengsen, Lyn Deutsch, Lam Le Siang, Yong Dong Kyu, Tommy McKoi – whose name, incidentally, is derived from his depictions of the Japanese Koi, Mary Easaw Thomas and pottery specialist Alex Tan.

“I am a firm believer in missions,” said Lam, who began his artistic career in 1974 after graduating from the Nanyang Academy Fine Arts, Singapore.

Pottery specialist Tan said his success or failure came precisely at the moment he opened the kiln.

“I draw my strength and inspiration from God. I pray before I open the kiln, entrusting the final result to God. I have done my best and leave the rest to Him,’’ said Tan.

The exhibition is open from 11am to 8pm daily except on Mondays and public holidays.

For further information, call 03-9286 3385 or visit www.artmalaysia.com.my

(Source: The Star)

No service on 18 May '08

Please be informed that there will not be a Worship Service on Sun. 18 May '08 at this premise as most of us will be at Faith EFC's Family Retreat at the Trolak Country Resort in Sungkai, Perak.

Using the Arts to teach

After a thought-provoking and eye-opening sermon on "Christian Response to the Arts", Pastor Chong Keng Sen conducted a very interesting workshop on the "Positive Use of the Arts for Bible Teaching".

Here's what happened. We were divided into 10 groups of about 3 to 4 persons each. Each group was given an empty flower pot. We were then asked to write or draw anything that came to mind on the pots.




Next, we were told to smash the pots into pieces! Ouch! The adults were a little apprehensive at first but the kids just could not wait to do the "honours"!




So, now what? We were then required to piece them back together, that's what. Okay, that's not going to be so easy.





So, armed with a glue gun, we began trying to stick the broken pieces together.




If that does not work, maybe cellophane or masking tape might...




Well, if you don't know where the pieces go, this solution may work...




Now, that is one really smashed up pot. But, no fear... with some glue, lots of cellophane tape (and patience!) and paint, it's transformed into a work of abstract pot-ty art!




Wow, this one looks like new.




This sure is one masterpiece. So creative. What was once a flower pot is now a, well... New Creation.



Another work of art...




Time to reveal the exhibits.




So, what was this exercise all about? It's about how we were once broken (we sinned) and now in the hands of the Great Potter (God), we are made anew. Pieces that are useless and do not fit anymore are discarded.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" - 2 Corin. 5:17

One commentator states, "For Paul, "the old" which has gone, is the condition of alienation from God and its bondage to sin. "The new" which has come is our relationship with God in Christ, a relationship which empowers us for a kind of living in which the continuing reality of sin can be overcome again and again.

To be a "new creation" is not to be perfect or faultless, or immune from anger and pain, or insulated from the tough experiences of life. Rather, to be a "new creation" is to live a life turned toward the God whose grace has reclaimed us in Christ."

(Brauch, Manfred T. Hard Sayings Of Paul. 1989. Downers Grove, IL InterVarsity Press. p. 186).

It can be concluded, therefore, that just as Adam and Eve lived unbound from sin at least for a time in the Garden of Eden we can thus live unbound from sin in Christ Jesus today.

The Arts, if used in a positive and creative way, can be a very effective means to share the Gospel and teach Biblical truths.

Special workshop

Pastor Chong Keng Sen from Hope EFC will be preaching at Faith this Sunday (20th April). After the refreshment, he will be conducting a workshop on the "Positive Use of the Arts for Bible Teaching."

If you or your family members wish to attend this workshop, please bring a small empty flower pot each (4-5 inches and made of clay) this Sunday. The session will last for about an hour.

FEFC Family Retreat

This year's Church Family Retreat will be at the Trolak Country Resort in Sungkai, Perak from May 17th-19th 2008. Interesting programmes have been planned for this retreat. Among them are visits to places of interest including a hot springs.

We have booked the place for 60 persons and hope that many will take advantage of this retreat to escape the bustling city for a time of relaxation, refreshment and rejuvenation.

Registration forms are now available. To facilitate the Retreat Committee in the planning, please register by 20th April 2008.

The Book of Isaiah: An Overview

The Isaiah Scroll, found in the caves in Qumran.
It is the oldest existing copy of the Book of Isaiah and is over 2,000 years old.

Isaiah divides into two natural sections, even as the entire Bible divides into two great sections--the Old and New Testaments. The first great section consists of the first 39 chapters and the second section consists of the last 27 chapters. The 66 chapters of Isaiah are analogous to the 66 books of the Bible.

The Historical section in Isaiah, chapters 36-39, look backward and forward, just as the Gospels are Historical and draw from the Old Testament and point to the future. Chapters 36-37 represent the conclusion of the Assyrian period and chapters 38-39 are preparatory for the beginning of the Babylonian period. It contains key sections and revelations about God, and the Messiah expressed through the themes of a Servant and Sovereign Lord. From the study of Isaiah, we can understand God better, see the unfolding of His purposes through the Savior, and have a confident hope for the future.

1.	Chapters 1-6	This section is introductory in nature. Its purpose is to point out the relationship between the sins and sufferings of Israel, and the necessity of future judgments, as God's means for purification and salvation. This section includes prophecies of Messiah's rule, and describes Isaiah's call to ministry. The themes that occur here run throughout the entire book.
2.	Chapters 7-12	Sometimes called "The Book of Immanuel" because of the great prophecies of Christ in chapters 7-9. These chapters also present the prophetic perspective of Israel's relationship to Assyria, the representative of all world power.
3.	Chapters 13-23	Judgments against foreign nations.
4.	Chapters 24-27	These chapters comprise a type of finale to the judgments of the nations in the previous section. Eschatology features prominently in this section: the end of the Great Tribulation, the battle of Armageddon, the resurrection of the dead, and the restoration of national Israel.
5.	Chapters 28-33	This section pertains to the relationship of Israel to Assyria during the reign of King Hezekiah. Included are five discourses, that begin with present distress, forbid relying on false means of deliverance, and mingle the near-salvation with far-off, eschatological salvation brought about by the return of the Messiah.
6.	Chapters 34-35	These form the cap to the first section. Isaiah's great themes of judgment and salvation are mirrored in these chapters: chapter 34 features judgment, while chapter 35 predicts salvation and millennial life.
7.	Chapters 36-39	These chapters are historical in nature. They are paralleled in 2 Kings 18:13-20:19.
8.	Chapters 40-66	This section contains vivid prophecies of the Christ, His work and ministry as the Servant of YHWH, the raising up of King Cyrus and the deliverance from Exile, the return of Christ in judgment, the creation of the new heavens and earth, with descriptions of millennial life unmatched in the rest of Scripture.

©1998 Internet Biblical Resources

Christ the Lord is Risen Today

An Easter Hymn written by Charles Wesley.



Christ the Lord is risen today Alleluia
Sons of men and angels say Alleluia
Raise your joys and triumphs high Alleluia
Sing ye heavens and earth reply Alleluia

Lives again our glorious King Alleluia
Where o death is now thy sting Alleluia
Dying once He all doth save Alleluia
Where thy victory oh grave Alleluia

Love’s redeeming work is done Alleluia
Fought the fight the battle won Alleluia
Death in vain forbids him rise Alleluia
Christ has opened paradise Alleluia


History of the sacred Easter hymn "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" written by the greatest English hymn-writer and evangelist Charles Wesley.

"Christ the Lord is Risen Today" is an Easter hymn written by Charles Wesley, co-founder of the Methodist Movement. It was first published in the Foundry's Collection – "hymns set to music as they are commonly sung at the Foundry" and originally entitled "Hymn for Easter Day" consisting of eleven four-line stanzas.

The composer of the music has never been identified. The tune first appeared in the Lyra Davidica hymnal anonymously. This was published in London in 1708. The "alleluia" at the end of each line was not written by Wesley but added by an editor to fit the text to the tune. "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" is among the most popular and loved hymns sung in Christian worship, particularly, on Easter.

Charles Wesley was born on 18th December 1707, in Epworth, Lincolnshire. He studied at Christ Church College, Oxford, where he formed a small group of fellow students the 'Oxford Methodists', or the 'Holy Club', later joined by his brother John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist church.

In 1735, he was ordained and accompanied John Wesley to Georgia as secretary to governor James Oglethorpe, returning to England just the following year. He was the tireless lieutenant of his more famous brother.

The brothers Wesley founded the Methodist church. Like many people at that time, they found the worship in the Church of England quite tedious and monotonous, so they launched the movement with a renewed emphasis on emotional involvement, singing and studying the Bible.

Charles Wesley's Other Best Loved Favorite Hymns

Charles Wesley didn't always agree with his brother John on some matters relating to religious convictions. After an evangelical conversion in 1738, he wrote hundreds of hymns, scripture-based songs, including such well-loved favorites such as:

• Jesus, Lover of my Soul
• Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
• O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing
• Love Divine, all Loves Excelling

In the spirit of Easter celebration, this sacred song he has written, "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" is remembered, one usually sung in Christian churches on Easter Sunday. This Charles Wesley hymn was written by him for the first service in the first Wesleyan Chapel in London, England in 1739, one year after his dramatic Aldersgate conversion experience. The first chapel was a deserted iron foundry, which became known as the Foundry Meeting House.

Charles Wesley died on March 29, 1788. Many of his hymns remain as popular and as favorites among Christians.

© Tel Asiado

Sources:

101 Hymn Stories by Kenneth W. Osbeck, Kregel Publications (1982)

Together in Song, by Wesley Milgate and D'Arcy Wood, AustralianHymn Book Pty (2000)

A Life Worth Living

Special meetings with Stuart and Jill Briscoe.

Stuart Briscoe: A Life Worthy of the Gospel (based on the Book of Philippians)

Jill Briscoe: Living Above the Circumstances (A Ladies Meeting)


For details, please click on the poster below.




All meetings at PJ EFC Heritage Centre.

(Click to enlarge)

No worship service on 16 March '08

Please be informed that there will not be a worship service on Sunday 16 March '08 at Faith EFC. The congregation is requested to join the Combined EFC Worship Service at:

PJ EFC Heritage Centre
No.3 Jalan 13/6, 46200 Petaling Jaya

Time: 9.00 am

Location map (click for larger image)

How Great Thou Art

The Hymn



In the summer of 1934 a thirty four year old British missionary, serving in a remote part of Eastern Europe, set out by bicycle to preach and distribute Bibles high up in the Carpathian Mountains. His name was Stuart K. Hine.

As Stuart later wrote, ‘the thoughts of the first three verses of How Great Thou Art! were born, line by line, amid my unforgettable experiences in those mountains.’

The first and second verses were inspired partly by the Russian words of Prokhanoff’s hymn and partly by the ‘awesome wonder’ and beauty of God’s creation.

Verse three was written as a consequence of villagers expressing their amazement at hearing for the first time the revelation of God's love.

In 1948, the grief and sorrow of refugees from Eastern Europe, separated from their loved ones, inspired Stuart to write verse four; a verse of hope for a future reunion in Heaven.

As Kenneth Osbeck, the distinguished American hymnologist, said:

“this great hymn teaches us three essential truths:
the greatness of God’s creation,
the greatness of Christ’s redemption and
the greatness of our future inheritance.”

More about the Author...

Chillin' out at Chiling

One Saturday morning, on the the 9th of February, fifteen of us from Faith EFC took advantage of the long Chinese New Year holiday to visit the Sungai Chiling Fish Sanctuary and Waterfall. Organised by Han, the journey by car took us through a very scenic route. Sg Chiling is located just after Kuala Kubu Baru. More info here.

The trek started with us crossing a suspension bridge which then led us through wet and muddy paths, climbs, five river crossings and even more climbs. Quite exhilarating really. Everyone including the children enjoyed themselves... I think (!). Well, one was heard screaming each time we crossed the river.

Before we even reached the waterfall, the soles of the Reeboks and Nikes were already giving way. Strangely though, the cheaper unknown brands survived the whole experience! Go figure. Along the way, we saw more remnants of soles that used to be shoes. So, we were not the only ones. That prompted Yun Yee to call it the "Trail of Lost Soles". Cute.

The climb to the top of the waterfall was the steepest but worth the effort as the view was simply magnificent. After that, we spent some time cooling off at the foot of the waterfall while some of us had fun jumping off the rocks and swimming in the water. The water is refreshingly cool and I think this would make a great place for water baptism. So, who's going to be baptised next? :-)

The trek each way took us about 2 hours. I would have loved to take more photos but my camera, mobile phone, keys, etc had to be tightly packed in plastic bags to prevent them from getting wet during the river crossings. The water at some parts of the river were up to waist level... and then there's the risk of slipping and falling into the water and getting everything wet!

All in all it was a very enjoyable outing and I think it's worth coming back again. Here are two short video clips of the trip that I've made. The photo album can be found here.

(Thanks to Lit Fong for some of the photos and videos)