For me, this has been a simple and yet meaningful Christmas. And there are many reasons to say that.  The church decorations were just right not too much compared to the glamorous displays in the malls,

The worship liturgy was not flowery but with childlike trust.  The “offerings” (presentations) by the children, the carolers, and a duet were not professionally perfect but sincere.

As I shared the message based on John 1:1-14, our new “friends” whom we met recently was close to my heart and their stories deeply ingrained in my head. They helped me appreciate the significance of what “giving presence” means, and how that related to God’s unique and ultimate giving of himself through the person of Jesus Christ. It’s going to take a life time for us to allow the following sentence to unpack its treasures full of grace and truth.

God did not send us an SMS, God sent us his Son.

Indeed, we can only but sing Hallelujah! with those who’ve gone before us, those with us and around us, and All of creation humbled, surprised and amazed.

Once again blessed Christmas – from all of us from Bangsar Lutheran Church.

Thank you Takeshi for this words of farewell and encouragement to us in BLC last Sunday.  It meant so much to me personally.  BLC will miss you, Vicky and Caleb tremendously.

Thank you, Takeshi, Vicky and Caleb for walking with us and opening up your lives so we can walk with you the last four years.

Thank you for showing us what is humble service with no complaint, and sincerity of faith and love.

Thank you for the little gifts of humor and joy you bring to us and perspectives that stretched us by your sharing and questions.

Thank you for demonstrating genuine care and love with the quiet acts of kindness and hidden prayer.

Takeshi, Vicky and Caleb’s Four Year Journey with BLC from Sivin Kit on Vimeo.

We pray for your safe journey back home and time well spent with family.

We also pray for God’s provision and guidance for your quest to continue your studies in Singapore (which in some ways we are happy since we are still close by).

We pray that as you continue in following Jesus in these crazy times, and may you persevere in offering humble service and witness through your lives,

Indeed, as God has given you this breath and this strength to live to obey him, may you fulfill God’s unique purpose for your lives glorifying his name!

Excerpt from Sivin Kit’s Garden

Amongst the many themes which emerged in Luther’s struggle during the Reformation period, what are the historical resources we can tap on as we confront the issues of our day as Christians and the Church in Malaysia? In what ways do we see similarities and differences, what could be ways forward?

What kind of “reformation” is needed for Christians and the Church in Malaysia today as we are faced with much uncertainties and challenges both internally and externally in all social, cultural, political, theological dimensions? How can we discern God’s will and know Him in the midst of our struggle to be faithful to the Gospel here and now?

When?
Friday, 31 October 2008 @ 8.00 pm

Where?
The Father’s House
Bangsar Lutheran Church
(see location map)

Who?
Rev Sivin Kit
Lutheran Church in Malaysia & Singapore

Rev Wolfgang Grieninger
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria

For its 2008/2009 season, Footstool Players is proud to present Crazy Little Thing Called Love: poignant portraits of the ties that bind – and sometimes knot – in a collection of sketches pertaining to the themes of love, courtship, marriage and family relationships.

The play features a mix of comedy and drama, but all thought-provoking in some way in highlighting issues pertaining to relationships. There’s innocence, idealism, joy, humour, reassurance, hope, regret, heartbreak, sorrow, and more – everything that comes with that “crazy little thing called love”!

You’ll laugh, you’ll weep. But most importantly, you’ll also think – and perhaps also discover.

Suitability

Crazy Little Thing Called Love is suitable for all audiences, regardless of religious background or affiliation. Age-wise, the play would be appreciated by older children through to seniors.

Performing Date

Sunday, 19 October 2008
7.30 pm

The Father’s House
23, Jalan Abdullah
off Jalan Bangsar
59000 Kuala Lumpur

(location map)

Tickets

Tickets are available at RM 5.00 per pax. Contact us for bookings.

For more details of the production, visit the Footstool Players.

For me, one moment stood our during the Abolish ISA Forum last night. I struggled to hold back my tears when everyone in the all gave a standing ovation when Raja Petra’s wife Marina Lee stepped on to the stage.

Standing Ovation for RPK and Marina Lee

Later as she shared heart to heart with the attentive audience what is on her mind, it was hard to remain numb and unmoved. The call to re-look at our humanity first, rather than the rhetoric of national security, shouts right in front of us through the feeble and yet firm voice of those who are left behind. The reaction from the crowd was loud and clear.

Heart to Heart from Marina Lee

I received an email last night reminding me of the words of the courageous Lutheran Pastor, Martin Niemöller (1892–1984), who is attributed for penning the poem “First they came…”. As we walk through the comforts of the pictures below, and we consider the various actions each of us may choose to take and converge for truth, justice, peace and healing in days to come, his words strongly impress upon us apathy can no longer be an option.

They came first for the Communists,
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist.

Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant.

Then they came for me,
and by that time no one was left to speak up.

The purpose of this prayer vigil is to open up another avenue for us to express our concerns and even protests in a peaceful (non-violent), purposeful, and prayerful manner.

Date
Tuesday, 16 September 2008

Time
7.30 pm – 9.30 pm

Place
Bangsar Lutheran Church AKA The Father’s House
(location map)

From 7.30pm until 9.30pm at Bangsar Lutheran Church, people who care and are concerned for the nation can come for silent prayer, intercession and adoration anytime for however long or short moment within the timeframe we have dedicated for tonight.

Nothing fancy, no hype no hysteria . only a honest, humble and hopeful posture before God, and one another for the sake our ourselves, our children, our neighbors, our friends and our future!

For those who can join us it will be a good old fashioned face to face meeting, for those who can’t come physically then a virtual one online is welcome, or even organizing one at home with family (or wherever you are) . nothing can or has to stop us!

This prayer vigil is inspired by St. Francis Xavier’s Church and the following words ..

Our country enters the phase of naked display of aggression. When a regime is morally bankrupt it will use immoral means to hold on to power. We might be weak but we still have the power of prayer & silent witnessing. The unjust may break our bones but they can’t break our spirit.

- Rev. Fr. O.C. Lim, S.J.

On Sunday, September 21st, BLC will celebrate our 8th year of anniversary. The church invites you, your family, and friends to join in the celebration.

Date
Sunday, 21 September 2008

Time
2.30 pm – 6.00 pm

Place
Chef & Brew
Epicure 1
Jalan Medan Setia
Bukit Damansara
Kuala Lumpur
(location map)

Special events are planned for the day as we enjoy a hi-tea buffet spread at Chef & Brew from 2.30 pm – 6.00 pm. Kids eat for free while adults pay RM 20 per pax for an eat-all-you-can treat.

RSVP and payment would be appreciated by September 7th to :

• Hsin
  016.295.6111
• Parri
  016.249.2830

Hope to see you on September 21st!

“The church’s ministry to children is broken…It’s broken when church leaders and senior pastors see children’s ministry primarily as a marketing tool…Something is broken when we trivialize God to our children…It’s broken when we depend on our programs and our curriculum to introduce our children to God—not our families and communities…And perhaps most importantly, it’s broken when the church tells parents that its programs can spiritually nurture their children better than they can.”

—Ivy Beckwith in Postmodern Children’s Ministry

My involvement in church as a child was sporadic, preferring basketball and kung fu on Sundays. I started attending regularly as a youth. After seminary, my main focus was as a youth and worship pastor; so it wasn’t until recently that I even really thought much about children’s ministry.

Like in youth ministry, people who are passionate about children’s ministry desire something that goes beyond mere babysitting. They’re concerned about a fragmented, or departmentalized, view of adults, youth, and children. Rich Melheim from Faith Inkubators shocks me with this statement from the U.S., though we in Malaysia seem to be no different:

“The church is the last place in America where all six living generations are gathered together every week under the same roof. And what do we do the moment we get there? We segregate them into separate rooms. That’s bad stewardship. Worse. It’s stupid.”

Blessed with Children

When Bangsar Lutheran Church (BLC) got “resurrected” in the year 2000, we only had 2 toddlers—so the urgency of launching into a children’s ministry wasn’t there. But God has blessed us with new children (praise the Lord for natural biological growth), and new families are becoming part of the BLC family. So we experimented with a variety of methods with the limited resources and experience we had, and we stumbled and fumbled here and there. As we prayed about the wellbeing of the children and discussed our desire to nurture them in a relationship with Jesus, we read excellent resources, talked with experts, spent time in prayerful reflection, searched the Scriptures, and gathered parents and other advisors to make a plan.

I’m thankful that at this stage of our church life with about 50-60 adults and 15 younger children (mostly still toddlers), we could still afford to experiment from the ground up. After several meetings, we decided to embark on the following steps:

Step 1: Integrate Children during our Corporate Worship Gathering

This means they stay with us (even during the message time, though we provide table guides and activities for them). Learning to be in the corporate worship environment isn’t achieved through lecturing to the kids but actually consistently allowing them to be with us. Indirectly, all of the adults (not just the parents) serve as models and examples for them.

Step 2: Orientation for the after – Worship Children’s Time

This four-week training helps align the basic flow of the age-specific children’s time with how all ages worship corporately. But more importantly, it gives us a more focused time when we can learn the corporate discipline of worship, listening to God’s Word, responding to God’s Word, relating to each other, and serving each other. As Mac-mini is supposed introduce people to the Mac experience, this is church-mini for kids. (Though actually, the adults who helped responded with their learning as well.)

Step 3: Learn the Nuts and Bolts of Raising Kids

We wanted to encourage all parents and other interested individuals to participate in this learning process together. If we’re going to take seriously our roles in young people’s lives, we need to understand their life stages and how to most effectively minister to (and parent) them.

Step 4: Refine Methodology and Reflect Theologically

Reviewing and refining our practical methodological issues and continuing to consciously engage in theological reflection is needed in all ministries—and it’s a longterm journey for us, not just something we can check off a list. We draw from the Bible, church history, and current available voices—especially in education, psychology, and sociological research. And we do so not as a solitary quest but rather a corporate endeavor—starting with the team directly involved, the families in the church, and ultimately the whole church community.

Continuing Questions

The following questions have sparked my quest and will continue to be crucial and keep us focused:

• How can we intentionally include children in our worship life, starting with corporate worship gatherings and moving towards their future full participation?

• How can we encourage Christian nurturing in our families? How do we connect to kids who come from non-Christian families?

• What are some resources and reflection we could draw from to meet concerns while re-engaging the Bible and church history? Where’s God working in us, children and adults, throughout this learning process?

The GIFT We Can Offer

When I first read the quote above by Ivy Beckwith, I could feel fire in my heart and a wind of questions like the ones above spinning in my head. The questions which resulted in some second thoughts on children have moved on to include families as well as our whole local church family. I’m sure the lessons won’t end there. While not every church would do it the same way, I genuinely believe none of us can afford to rely on the “way it has always been done” or jump on what’s popular (and therefore is bound to work?).

We begin by being like children and asking questions while holding on to the value of children, honoring the importance of families and the roles they play, and seeking to be the kind of church God wants us to be—which includes bringing “generations in faith together” (a phrase innovative Lutheran Rich Melheim used to form the acronym GIFT). If there’s a GIFT we could offer our kids it would be a church that’s truly an intergenerational family where they can see Godparents and grandparents, uncles and aunties, and brothers and sisters learning to follow Jesus together.

“…A church program can’t spiritually form a child, but a family living in an intergenerational community of faith can. Our care for children is broken and badly in need of repair. Let’s imagine together a new way, a new future.”

— Ivy Beckwith in Postmodern Children’s Ministry