No We Can’t Stay Put

15 July 2023

By Ps Dev Menon

Personal Discipleship, Gospel Culture & Missional Communities. Those are the three cultural pillars we want to establish in Zion Bishan over the next 30 years. 

Why did we call the final one “Missional Communities”? It was because we noticed, in Scripture[1], from research[2] and from our own experience[3], that once groups grow and stabilise, they tend to turn inwards and focus more on themselves – at the expense of the Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20). This happens at all levels: in churches, congregations, ministries, AGs and even in families. 

If this inward turn happens, it means something is wrong with our discipleship. We are either not teaching the right things, or not modelling the right behaviour. If discipleship goes well, our groups should be multiplying; sending members out to witness to the unreached and starting new groups that are able to personally disciple new or younger believers. 

The needs are great: 

  1. We need many more from existing AGs to be willing to be trained to become AG leaders to personally disciple our newcomers. (Contact Ps Vernon for more info).
  2. We need those from the English Congregations to be willing to migrate to our Ethnic Congregations to personally disciple our members there – most of which are seniors. (Contact Ps Paul for more info).
  3. We need mature members to serve in our Home Missions initiatives, so that there are people equipped to disciple those that turn to Christ. (Contact Ps Zhiwen for more info). 
  4. We need our Zion Bishan members to consider attending and serving at our other BP churches, for a season – particularly those which are dwindling in size, or increasing in age, so that they can be revitalised. (Contact Ps Dev for more info). 

Friends, I know you may be very comfortable in your extended family, your AG, your congregation, your ministry or even this church – and that is a good thing. Yet we must remember, good things used wrongly easily become idols, which take us away from God and the gospel. Now is not the time to settle, that only happens when Jesus returns, in the new creation – now is the time to train for mission.

So no, we can’t stay put….

[1] You can refer here to last year’s missions month sermon here: https://l1nq.com/zbmission22

[2] For example: https://redeemercitytocity.com/articles-stories/why-plant-churches

[3] While membership increased, the number of adult conversions has steadily declined over the last 10 years

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