EAST Mission Hub & Mentoring Group

 

Intentional Development of Multicultural Communities and Ministries Through Mentoring Groups in the EAST Mission Hub

East Asia School of Theology (EAST) exists for the God-given mission to raise Christlike leaders for the Great Commission. For the past decades, EAST has been blessed with faculty, ministry staff and students coming from many nations such as Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Myanmar, Taiwan, India, Korea, Japan, Mongolia, America, Africa and others. As such, EAST is uniquely poised as an international multicultural learning community. They bring to EAST community the beautiful gift of their culture, contribute formatively to the students’ preparation for future missions and enhance the learning experiences for all at EAST.

Our international multicultural community gives a glimpse of Heaven for those who enter EAST. With many languages represented, there is still a common language spoken at EAST and that is the language of love. The EAST Mission Hub premise or EMH provides an excellent place for us to experience the loving and vibrant multicultural community life through our weekly chapel and also mentoring groups (MGs). EAST MGs serve as a key avenue for the students’ spiritual, character and ministry formation. Led by a faculty in a small-sized homogenous group, the MG provides a safe and caring environment where the “one another” ministries happens (Col 3:12ff, Heb 10:24-25). By providing a safe and hospitable place for MG members to share their learning journey and struggles, the MG becomes a place for in-depth mentoring of heart and life issues by the faculty mentors (Pro 27:17). Peer mentoring is encouraged and happens in the MG as well. Hence, intercultural learning and intergenerational discipleship happens in an intentional yet dynamic way through the MGs at EAST.

The mentoring group provides a platform for the modelling of character, transfer of knowledge and skills between the faculty mentors and members. It is an avenue where students can develop their life and ministry philosophy as well as ministry skills. Through our yearly Ministry Weekend, the MG ministers together in a nearby country where the students practice what they have learned in class, learn about new facets of ministry, and expand their awareness about multicultural dimensions of ministry. It provides opportunities for students to strengthen their calling to make disciples.

The mentoring group provides an avenue for students to learn in a classroom without walls. Besides the Ministry Weekend, each MG organizes a yearly outreach event to bring the love of Christ to our local community in Singapore. Just prior to the pandemic outbreak in 2020, several of our MGs participated in prayer walks around Joo Chiat area. God opened our spiritual eyes to see the needs of the people He placed there and we sensed the Lord leading us to join Him at work in this community through the EMH. By God’s grace, He empowered us to move from prayer walks to the actual work of loving our neighbours around EMH at our MG Outreach this year. Five MGs worked together to bless 174 shop tenants with the Lunar New Year goodie bags and care packs. God bless us with opportunities to have had meaningful conversations with several shop owners and others who are our neighbours—some of whom we were able to engage in spiritual conversations. All glory to God!

The mentoring opportunities at EAST culminate in developing our students to be Christlike leaders who are committed to growing in Christlikeness, passionate spiritual multipliers, learning and living God’s Word and communicating God’s truth effectively. It is our prayer that our Spirit-filled community lived out at EMH will reflect what community living in God’s kingdom looks like on earth to our neighbours. Through our intentional efforts such as the annual Mentoring Group Outreach, we seek to join God at work to bring the love of Christ in words and deeds to our neighbours in the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

The above article is part of a series on the impact of EAST Mission Hub on our vision, mission, strategy, education, and ministry effectiveness of the EAST community and beyond. This article is written by Mrs Josephine Goh-Lew, an EAST Resident Faculty and the Director of Mentoring Groups.

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