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The God of many
From left to right:
Yi Jay (Staff of the Operations department)
has a good eye for details, and injects his
hearty humour into the office environment.
Hui (Staff of the School of Biblical Studies)
longs to see the church renewed in love and
unity, to be a family where the broken can
heal. 1 Thessalonians 5:17: “Rejoice always,
pray without ceasing...” is close to her heart.
Maria (Head of the School of Biblical Studies)
has spent 25 years teaching God’s Word. She
loves to explore God’s character revealed in
nature, and has a knack for bringing His
timeless truth alive.
Richard (Staff of Frontier Missions and
Member Care) has been sustained by God’s
invitation to draw near to Him always
(Matthew 11:28-30). Our community is always
enriched by the prophetic words he shares.
Though the name may suggest otherwise, Youth With A Mission
(YWAM) embraces all generations. What started decades ago as a
movement of visionary youths has blossomed into a family where
wise “uncles and aunties” champion the next wave of missionaries.
The young, at the brink of their own future draw wisdom from a
generation who has fervently prayed, weathered storms and
navigated through the changing seasons. A discourse between them
carries with it a wisdom that is palpable – when this age has passed
and the mission is over, our worship unto Him abides forever.
As rather young missionaries, what have you glimpsed of God that
impacted what you are doing now?
YJ: Throughout my life God’s compassion has been very real to me. I struggled to
believe in my worth, but God brought me into this community where I got to know Him
and myself better. His compassion keeps me going, and I’m increasingly stirred with a
burden for those in need. In my current administrative role, I desire to relieve our teams
of the back-end work, so that they can focus on serving our neighbours better.
H: More than before, I see God in His holiness and
wholeness. Out of the endless options, He is the One.
True life is found only in Him. Like Peter said, “Who else
could we follow?” (John 6:68). Being present in the
presence of God, who cares about every aspect of life,
can impact even the most mundane activity. I am
compelled to pray more fervently for my change and
society’s transformation.
What significant pointers can you give the
younger ones for staying close to Jesus in
their endeavours?
M: Keep your focus on Him! I have observed one subtle
pitfall over the years — the performance of ministry to
impress others. We convince ourselves that we are
doing great things for God, but we can easily lose the
heart of worship amidst the desire to be successful. To
every young person I would say, “Do not stress to
impress! Above all things, desire to please Jesus. Make
Him the centre!”
R: Our personal times with the Lord require discipline.
It might seem like a waste of time, even boring, to
worship God and meditate, but we need to remember
our priority for deep intimacy with Him. You might not
see immediate results, but fruit will grow. God’s
presence will sustain you in the long run. Whatever you
step into, you need those time-outs with Him.
How can we keep our focus on God,
especially in Singapore’s stressful,
high-performance culture?
consistently check our hearts to see if we are being too
work- or self-absorbed. But with the right attitude, we
can learn so much, even in failure. Our life’s purpose is
beyond getting things done; it is all about walking in
relationship with God.
R: I find waiting on God to be very helpful. Intentional
rhythms of solitude keep our perspectives clear.
Personally, I always like to walk amidst nature on the
weekends. These intentional “down times” increase my
productivity and resilience to stress.
What have you learned from the older
YWAM generation that encourages you to
press on in missions?
YJ: Our leaders, who faithfully love and fear Him, have
become role models who champion my strengths by
entrusting projects to me. Through them, God showed
me that my failures and successes do not define my
worth.
H: YWAM is like a family. The older pioneers have
taught me that the foremost basis of missions is about
loving people. And through their genuine concern,
God’s relational character is revealed to me. Life is
not all about “tasks”. He cares about people.
R: When life gets rough because of misunderstandings
or insecurities, honest prayer with Jesus, contemplation
in nature, and regular debriefs with trusted friends
sustain me to finish the race well. These practices help
me to stay centred on Him. True listening is key!
M: Be aware of who God is and take things one step at
a time, trusting that He will lead you. We need to
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