3 January 2012
Dear Urban Design Church
I hope you all had a good Christmas. For those who were with family I hope it was a brilliant time. We had some of our number in America, Norway, Denmark, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Africa over this period! 2012 looks to be an exciting one—most of all in Singapore, and most of all at Urban Design Church.
I want to encourage you for 2012 to live in the grace of God. God has set us free from our sin, and He has done it without requiring us to live up to some standard of good works. The church of Jesus is a place of freedom. We need to get into the habit of reminding each other of this truth. It will keep us free and it will keep us rejoicing! We should also get into the habit of preaching this message of grace to people who have not yet accepted it. We exist as a church for the benefit of our non-members. We are a grace community that celebrates on the inside the grace we have found; and we extend the same grace to those on the outside. If you do not marvel at this grace then prepare for a dismal 2012!
I want to further encourage you this year to live for Jesus. First, you need to refresh, update, and increase your revelation of Jesus. If you ask Him for revelation He will give it to you. Live in the fullness of personal revelation. Second, you need to make time for Him and walk with Him as Enoch did (Genesis 5). Third, you need to avail yourself to serve Him with the gifts that He has given to you. Let's be more concerned this year with Jesus' glory than we are about our own agenda. God's glory is our agenda!
God has uniquely established a community with us here in Singapore. If this is the family that you are called to be a part of for this season, then you will honour God by building up this family with your love and your sacrifices. God is big on community. He is a communal being. We owe our salvation to God's desire for community and fellowship. You will please God if you seek to enhance the community He has established.
I feel like Urban Design Church is a newborn chick in an egg-shell that has been tapping at the shell to get out and a crack has appeared—it is soon time to break out and take the world by storm! We have made it through our baby phase; time for the baby to start toddling along.
On a practical level may I ask you to commit (as best as you are able) to a method of monthly planning that will include two fellowship group attendances and one corporate prayer time, as well as the Sunday meetings. In truth, this is a low threshold of commitment. If we achieve it we are guaranteed to burst forth victoriously. There is always cost involved in meeting outside of Sunday times. If we agree upfront that this is something that God wants of us then we are able to pay the cost joyfully when it comes around. It's never convenient to meet with the saints; but convenience is hardly the measurement of whether something is important or not.
People are always asking me how they can be of help in the church. I want our church to be run on a contribution basis, not on a needs basis. By this I mean that every church has many needs. Let's not look at the needs but rather at what we have been given by God that we are able to contribute for the greater good. Jesus is piecing this church together. We should trust Him to supply people who can make contributions as to what we need. Some of our needs are: (1) Children's ministry teachers (2) venue hunters (3) musicians (4) equipment set-up personnel (5) IT and social media genii (plural of genius) (6) people who will run / lead small groups (7) people who welcome outsiders and have them round for a meal (8) Starbucks menu administrators (9) tithe / offering collectors and counters and bank depositors (10) children's ministry lesson preparers (can be done at home and doesn't mean you have to teach the lesson) (11) power point projection experts (12) sermon audio recorders and website uploaders (13) 'captains' of areas to oversee areas of church administration. There are a host of other opportunities too. We are not appealing for people to plug the needs. We are outlining ways in which you can exercise whatever gifting you may have that God is calling you to exercise.
Finally, let's be radical this year. The Truth of the gospel is powerful and hard-hitting. Let's be radical in following Jesus, and walk on the water when necessary. We should be equally as radical as we are free. This is the year to take risks for God and trust Him in new ways and obey Him on new levels.
I leave you with some thought provocation: (1) Are you the most honourable person you know? (2) Will you do anything for God? (3) What will you not do for God? (4) When was the last time you took a risk for God and had to rely on Him 100% without any back-up plan? (5) Does God talk to you? (6) If you had to weigh your church contribution against your church consumption on a see-saw which end would be in the sky and which end would be on the park floor?! (7) Do you believe that whether you lift a finger for God or not you will still be saved and be loved just as much? (8) Do you believe in grace and in a salvation that is free from works? (9) Are pursuing your reward in heaven?
Jess and I are passionate about every single person in the church—young or old. We love you all. We are desperate to be jobless, that we might be able to devote ourselves to you (in a time sense)! We look forward to getting to know you better and sharing life with you this year! Living in the Kingdom is the greatest thrill in the world.
Love from Purch
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