Mentoring Groups Outreach 2022
MGs preparing gift packs at EAST Mission Hub
Four Mentoring Groups (MGs) got together on the Wednesday morning right after Chinese New Year school break to pack 60 gift bags for the residents of two HDB blocks at Haig Road. The room was filled with excitement and joy as MG leaders and students of these MGs worked in unity preparing for an afternoon of outreach to the community near our school. February is the time of the year for our annual MG Outreach. All MGs at EAST would set aside time to plan and organize outreaches to “love our neighbours” (Mark 12:31). The purposes of MG Outreach are to help MG members take steps to identify felt needs and reach out to our neighbours near and far, and also to provide an opportunity for MG leaders to model and coach the students accordingly.
How do we love?
1 Peter 3:8 “Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.”
Last week, 1 John told us why we should love. Not for personal gain, or out of obligation, but because that is God’s command to us, to love others as Jesus loved us.
Today’s verse deals with what that love should look like. Agreeability with each other, sympathy and understanding, compassion and humility. Key traits in the love that we Christians should exhibit to everyone around us, no exceptions.
In the context of the verse, Peter says that this love should be shown to those who oppose us and are evil, and to repay evil with blessings. 1 Peter 3:17 “For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.”
This is the kind of love and understanding we are to show to everyone, for it falls upon us to be blessings during times of evil.
Christ’s love as an example to us
“We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19, NIV
Note here, that the verse instructs us to love. Not “love specific people who have been good to you” or “love those who are convenient to love”. The verse says be loving, for He loves us.
Christ’s love is sacrificial and unconditional. Our love should be the same, but as loving as we can be, many of us don’t live up to these expectations most of the time. Our love is conditional, and not always sacrificial.
Keeping with this month’s theme of loving thy neighbour, look at those around you, your church, class, CG or MG. Is there someone you haven’t spoken to or caught up with for a while? Start by striking up a conversation with them, ask them how you can pray for them, and do so.
Be loving, because he first loved us.
EAST Mission Hub & Mentoring Group
Josephine Goh-Lew with her 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.
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.
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