Blessing the poor in the region through
donations and church planting
By NORMAN WONG
I WAKE up some mornings and pinch
myself to make sure I am not dreaming - for one whole year now,
I have had the privilege of being a part of your MMS team. No
mistake - it is your MMS team. I hope you all know by now what
MMS stands for - because you are a part of MMS! (Look at the end
of this article if you do not know).
For as long as I can remember - I think I must have caught this
from my mum and dad - I have known that a large part of my mission
in life is to help the less fortunate. I have had the privilege
of travelling to several countries in the region. Each time I
have returned with a very heavy heart. So many people lack even
the basic necessities of life - food, shelter, education and a
reasonable way to make a living.
I am quite sure that on the Day of Judgment, the Lord is going
to ask the church in Singapore what we have done with all the
material wealth He has blessed us with - have we shared some of
our abundant resources with the needy?
Obviously, I cannot answer for everyone - all I can say is that
I have been overwhelmed and greatly encouraged by the generous
response of so many of you. Whenever we highlight the plight of
the less fortunate, we have received an immediate response. Thank
you very much!
This is one of the two main pillars of MMS - community development
- caring for the needy in a wholesome way that will empower them
to not only survive but to help others in return. And every time
I receive reports of even one person being helped, through your
generous support, my heart overflows with joy.
But I am equally passionate about the other main pillar of MMS
- church planting - empowering people to preach the good news
of God's amazing love in Jesus Christ to those who have never
heard. I believe the Lord will use His church to change His world.
With your help, many have come to know Christ, and several new
churches have been planted.
The more I spend time in discussion with our
pastors and missions committees in our churches the more encouraged
I am. So many of our leaders are more experienced and more passionate
about missions than I am; it has been a huge learning experience
for me.
On top of all that, the MMS staff team in our headquarters are
a great bunch to work with. With all that support, I truly have
a dream job, helping the poor through church planting.
So if you have not had the joy of helping a child in desperate
need, or contributing to the support of a church planter or helping
to purchase land to build a church or Bible college, contact me
at 6478-4818 and share my joy.
A church being built in Maeyamin, northern
Thailand. - Methodist Missions Society picture.
The MMS is currently helping the poor and planting churches in
six countries, including Cambodia, Nepal, Thailand and Timor Leste.
Please ask if you would like a copy of the seven-page report I
submitted to our Annual Conferences.
Thank you for giving me a dream job!
The Rev Dr Norman Wong is the Executive Director of the Methodist Missions Society.