American Alumnus Ministering Locally
Alumnus Will Stacken & wife Amanda
American Alumnus Will Stacken graduated in May 2018 with a Master of Divinity in Christian Ministry. He has been serving in Living Hope Methodist Church since then and has settled down in Singapore with his wife Amanda, a Singaporean. Below is a short interview with him along with his prayer requests.
- Being an American who had ministry experience in the Netherlands, what led you to Singapore and EAST to complete your seminary studies?
I have always been passionate about multicultural ministry and missions. After several successful mission trips to Southeast Asia, I felt that God might be leading me to long-term service in region. By doing my MDIV in Singapore, I had the time, opportunity and necessary tools to test and affirm God’s calling for the future.
LEADing Leaders for the Great Commission
“Maraming-maraming salamat, po [thank you very much],” was the oft refrain as eager hands held tightly the relief care packages being distributed to typhoon struck homes by church volunteers. The aid distributions were organised by Life Empowerment and Action for Development (LEAD) Academy in the Philippines.
They have worked with the pastors and church leaders in their leadership training program. These church leaders received relief aid to meet their own needs and then became the channels of blessing for further aid distribution to neighbouring barangay (district or ward). Aid recipients were able to hear the gospel as they waited for their turn to receive the care packages. Some 878 heard the gospel and received the care packages resulting in 636 who trusted in Christ as their Saviour.
Love Your Neighbour
Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ~ Matthew 22:37-39, ESV
In “Wanna do outreach? Let’s first talk about love,” Pastor Jeff Chong of Hope Singapore Church said, “Our neighbours are anyone that we encounter; that God has brought into our sphere of influences. Everyone is our neighbour.”
Thus if Christ’s commandment is to love God and love people (see the verses above), then it has to be ongoing acts of love toward others especially our neighbours located around us.
Alumnus & family who served in the Philippines
Alumnus Kelvin Ng graduated in 2018 with a Master of Arts in Christian Ministry. He together with his wife Julienne and young daughter Theo served in the Philippines as missionaries for nearly a year before Covid-19 hit the world and they had to return to Singapore. Below is a short interview and some prayer requests from Kelvin.
1. How long were you and your family in the Philippines as a missionary family? What was your experience there like?
Kelvin, Julienne and Theo has been in the Philippines for 10 months before COVID struck. We learnt a lot about ourselves, the culture and doing ministry there. I was setting up a basketball ministry and Julienne was in the livelihood ministry putting her art and design skills to work! At times, it was tough but God was there with us and carrying us through with His grace and mercies.
The season of Lent is upon us
The season of Lent is upon us, starting from 17 February 2021, which is Ash Wednesday. Lent is a 40-day period where believers take time to reflect upon Christ’s journey to the cross, death, burial and resurrection leading to Good Friday and Easter Sunday. This weekend, as preparation toward the start of Lent, here is an article published for last year’s Ash Wednesday but still remains relevant today.
Cru Singapore has produced a 2021 Lent devotional entitled, “Ashes to Resurrection,” which you can subscribed to here. They have also produced a series of downloadable wallpapers for smartphones with the Lenten theme here.
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