Hi Church,

How are you keeping on? I pray that you are well and the peace of God is upon you.

Can you believe it that we are already in the last week of October 2010? Time flies at the speed of light! It really felt like just yesterday when we started the year. And now that October is here, it is time for us to Arise and Build once again as we build the house of God. This is our 5th Arise and Build as we raise the finances needed to do this work and our theme is ‘Seek Ye First The Kingdom Of God.’ This is a very powerful statement made by Jesus as He teaches us the importance of putting God’s kingdom ahead of what we do in life. As believers, it ought to be both our sense of joy and responsibility to do this. A sense of joy because we can see His kingdom established here on earth and a sense of responsibility because we want to see the generations after us to keep on worshipping and serving God.

The opportunity to build His kingdom and His church on earth is a privilege. It is a testimony that His work is growing and we have been given added trust by Him. Hence, we need to take this seriously and responsibly. The lives that God has given to us are precious. They mean a lot to God because Jesus died for each one of them.

As a church, let’s learn to love God and His people. Let’s learn to offer love, hope, peace and prayer.
Minister to those who are needy.
Love those who are hurt.
Care for those who are weak.
Pray for those who are sick.
Touch those who are depressed.
Befriend those who are lonely.

Church, let’s build both the physical and the spiritual house of God!

Building with you,

KEV

Hi Church,

Greetings in the blessed name of Jesus!

WOW! WOW! WOW! What a weekend we have had! 4 services with 4 different speakers! Except for Chee Chuang, both Shao Hen, and Jin Chong preached in church for the very first time. Amen! As your pastor, I am very proud to say that as a church we have grown to a whole new level of maturity. Our leaders have grown so much over the years that it was sheer joy to see them deliver the Word of God with such clarity and conviction. My wife and I were so blessed and impacted. Not only were they eloquent, they also carried the presence of God.

I believe this is what church is all about. Helping people to love God and building their lives along the way. And there is no greater reward in life than remaining in His presence for all eternity. As such, I truly want to encourage all of us to focus on this. Every time we come together, we must ask ourselves;

1. Am I loving God more?
2. Am I helping others to do so?
3. Am I building lives with what I am doing?
4. Is someone’s life enriched because of my actions?’

If you and I can answer these 4 questions confidently, I am sure our church is on the right track. Our spiritual journey is not meant to be travelled alone neither is it meant to be short. With each passing day, we ought to grow deeper in our love for Jesus and remain obediently submissive to His Lordship. Learn to listen to Him through His Word and walk in it. Learn to serve with a grateful heart. I am sure when we put this right in our hearts, helping others and building lives will not be an issue. Truly, let’s grow our church from the INSIDE-OUT. Let’s love people from the INSIDE-OUT. Let’s transform our world from the INSIDE-OUT just like how CHRIST has transformed us. AMEN!

Excited by the new season ahead,

KEV

Hi Church,

Greetings in the name of Jesus!

How are you? Once again I pray that this week’s Pastor Writes finds you blessed and well.

We are in a very interesting season of our church life right now - TRANSITION. The last 9 years had been an amazing journey. From a humble beginning of only 20 people, we have grown to a sizeable congregation. However, the growth is not just in numbers but also in age. Oppss! As a result, a lot of things have changed. We are certainly older now. What used to work may not work anymore. And what used to be fun may not be that applicable anymore.

As I seek God, one of the recurring themes that keep impressing upon my heart is for God to give us the grace to embrace change. Yes, all of us know that change is constant. We talk about it and we often preach about it. But we have come to the point whereby preaching about it is not good enough or teaching others about it is not sufficient. We need to be open enough to say that we ourselves need to change. We need to ask God to give us the capacity within to change. Change the way we think. Change the way we speak. Change the way we do things. If this change does not come from within, it will last for just a couple of months, or weeks perhaps. This change is not just about changing our programs or changing the way we do church. It is about changing ourselves on the inside and the way we view our world. We need to recognize the new season that is dawning upon us.

The Holy Spirit gives fresh revelations. His manna is for this present season. Draw close to Him and draw from Him. As your pastor, I am very excited about what is ahead. But there is a condition: we ought to seek God personally. The pulpit is not a place for personal revelation!

In Him,

KEV

Hi Church,

Greetings in the name of Jesus!

Hi! How are you doing? After 2 weekends away, I am finally back! It was a great trip for me as I was invited by Ps. Phil Pringle to speak at his church at Oxford Falls. That was truly a memorable experience for me as I got to minister in such a huge setting. Life-changing for me. :) Apart from that I also spoke at C3 Central City and prepared them for their 1st Arise and Build season. They bought a new place near Camperdown that can potentially contain 500 people! It is all very exciting. Church, let’s be a part of their journey and pray for Ps. Anthony and Melinda Shalala. Personally, it brings joy to my heart to see the kingdom of God growing and expanding.

It is very exciting on our home front as well. As of last week, we have finally taken the first step towards the construction of our new sanctuary by cleaning up and demolishing the existing warehouse. After much praying and planning, I am so glad to say that we managed to cut the cost down by a lot and build our new church way within our budget. It will take approximately 8 months to construct everything so please pray for the efficiency and safety of everyone involved. And next year, when we celebrate our 10th anniversary as a church, we will also dedicate our new church unto the LORD. Hence, with so much happening in the next 9 months, please pace yourself well. Make ample time to pray and be with God, hear His voice and know where He is placing you in His plans. Stay in step with the Holy Spirit and walk closely with Jesus. That way we shall continually touch and build lives around us as we build our lives in Him.

Last but not least, next weekend, all the staff, board members and leaders will be away for a 3-day retreat to prepare our church for a fresh new season. Please pray for us that we may have a fruitful time together. We need this to gear our church for what is ahead.

Love you guys and stay cool,

KEV

Dear family and friends,

Greetings from Down Under!

How are you keeping on? I pray that you are healthy and strong as you come back to church to worship God once again.

I have been here for about a week now and I have spent the last week preaching and speaking to the leaders at C3 Oxford Falls. It was a great honor for me as I get to speak at one of my spiritual mentors’ church. Just before I was about to go up to speak on Saturday night, I was so nervous I almost fainted! Ps. Chris kept encouraging me, telling me that she loved me and that I would do just fine. Phew! Well, I still can’t believe that I have done it. But for a younger minister like me, that was a dream come true. Thanks for praying for me. I truly needed that badly. Well, actually on Wednesday, I went back to Oxford Falls to share at their staff meeting. And you know what, they told me that Ps. Phil just landed and he would probably stay at home to rest. I was more relaxed when I heard that. But to my shock and my surprise, Ps. Phil was seated right in front when I got there. Double-pengsan! Hahaha. Anyway, I have done it now... :) This coming weekend, I will be speaking for Ps. John Lee, Ps. Anthony Shalala and also Ps. Andrew Gray. Church, I need your prayers. Please continue to intercede for me. Thanks ya.

And as I am writing this, I am thankful. Thankful for all that God has done for us individually and corporately. Thankful for all that God has done for our country Malaysia. As Malaysians, we have been blessed and church, I would like to inspire you to keep praying for the peace, unity and prosperity of our beloved country. Let’s not take anything for granted. Continue to pray for wisdom and strength for our Prime Minister and his Cabinet as he leads our country into the future.

Friends, let’s unite as we build our community, our nation.


Proud to be a Malaysian,

KEV

Dear family and friends,

Welcome back to church once again!

By the time you have this bulletin in your hand, I would have landed in Sydney, Australia. Personally, this is a massive week for me as I have been invited by Ps. Phil Pringle to speak at his churches. It is the first time I have been invited to speak at such an established church and that is truly an honor for me. As such, I covet your prayers and intercession. Am I nervous? You bet! I am nervous even speaking at our own services. Please pray that God’s anointing will come upon me and use me as his mouthpiece. Thanks guys!

And in about a week’s time, we will begin our construction work. Finally! WOO! HOO! I am sure all of us have been waiting for this for a long time. Me too! And now that the work will begin, please continue to pray for God’s wisdom to come upon us as we plan everything to the minute detail and stretch every dollar that God has given to us. The task ahead is huge and the burden is great too. Hence, once again I want to ask for your prayers. Please pray for this building project on a daily basis. We need God’s protection and covering every step of the way. On top of that, let’s believe God that our new church building can be completed by June next year to the glory of God! Amen!

The next 9 months are going to be extremely busy and demanding on us. However, let’s not lose sight on what’s important – LIVES!

I want encourage every one of us to continually touch and build lives from the INSIDE OUT. With that, we will live out our vision and purpose:

LOVING GOD WITH PASSION,
LOVING PEOPLE WITH COMPASSION.

Yours,

KEV

Welcome back to church once again!

It is just so good to have all of you here. I trust that you have had a blessed and wonderful week.

Do you know it is already September? In about 4 more months or 120 days, 2010 is going to come to an end. Have you done all that you wanted to do for the year? Most of them? Half? Have you written the letter that you have been wanting to write? Have you been more loving? More caring? Whether you have done it or not, I want to encourage you to keep pressing in. Take time to pray and do all that God has put within you. Do not be afraid to try. It is alright to fail and make mistakes. No one is perfect. You have your entire church family to support you. I am here to pray with you, amen?

I think the lack of conviction is one of the reasons why some people are rather inhibited in their approach towards life. When we do not know what we are passionate about or what we are willing to die for, it is hard to keep pressing on and be excited about things that we do in life. If we, as a church do not have the conviction that without Jesus, people will perish, we will not have a genuine compassion for the lost. We will not have the desire to go for missions or give to missions. On top of that, we will not be able to pray and intercede with fervency.

Without convictions, we live mediocre lives. Anything that can be potentially exhilarating, turns mundane. We lack motivation and the drive within to excel. I believe conviction is the basis of a colorful and purposeful life. It gives us the courage to do things that we never imagined that we would do. It creates momentum. It allows creativity to flourish. It silences all fears. It gives life a different edge.

Church, I want to encourage all of you to live life with convictions! Live it to the fullest! Live up to your God-given destiny!

KEV