May 2005 VOL 22 - NO.4 For Internal Circulation Only SynopsisOf President’sAddress 29thTRAC - Rev. Ong Hwai Teik, President - P r e a m b l e serve.” Since establishing the contributing towards “By awesome deeds You answer six essentials along with this, leadership development. us with deliverance, O God of TRAC has had a more our salvation; purposeful growth. The six b. Building Community. You are the hope of the ends of essentials of Leadership the earth and of the farthest Development, Community Most of the churches provide seas.” Building, Missions, Deepening opportunities for fellowship Psalm 65:5 S p i r i t u a l i t y, Outreach and Yo u t h after worship services & Children Ministries had through the provision of light he above words of the helped to provide direction and refreshments as well as T Psalmist remind us again as focus to each congregation as celebrations of anniversaries G o d ’s people, that He is the well as synergized our A n n u a l etc. These occasions One who is both close at hand Conference efforts in terms of facilitate relationship building to be our Saviour, and also the equipping for growth both and the church takes on a One who must be shared internally and externally more welcoming and warmer globally to all the nations. We (outreach and missions) profile that will draw people must always remember that we in. The emphasis on Small are called to give ourselves for The Six Essentials surveyed. Groups continues. Building the life of the world; that the servant leadership community church is not called to live for a. Leadership Development. is also essential to the life itself but for others. and ministry of the church. To We have a student in STM. that end retreats at various I shall now go on to follow-up There are now 7 A p p r o v e d levels of leadership are the President’s Address along Supply pastors and one more carried out. the following trajectory: will be added in 2005. We thank the Lord for the c. Missions. I Perusing and Reviewing the increase of Local Preachers P a s t . from 30 (listed in 2000) to 44 The Persidangan Missi I I Progressing Purposeful by the end of 2004. T h r e e Sengoi (PMS) had change Intentionally in new Elders will be ordained established another Tr a i n i n g T R A C at the 29th Session. Centre in Raub. Work is I I I Possibilities for the Future. Intentional leadership training expanding in Pahang as other I V Practicalities for the is being carried out as more tribes are being reached. Let P r e s e n t . churches are consciously us pray and work with our organizing annual LCEC Sengoi brethren towards the I. Perusing and Retreats cum Training for the PMS becoming a Provisional Reviewing the Past. local leaders. The LPL Annual Conference in 2008. Module on “Foundation of TRAC is helping in the Our Mission Statement is Leadership for the Local Translation Project of “Building Community, Mobilising Church was held in STM for capturing the Sengoi Resources, Empowering to the 1st time in 2004, thus language in written form thus >> continue page 3 Berita TRAC is a quarterly newsletter of Trinity Annual Conference. We welcome articles, contributions, comments and feedback that will edify the TRAC churches. The Editorial reserves the right to edit and publish all submissions. PLease forward all enquiries, comments and contributions to : [email protected] or call 03-7954 2836 C o n t e n t s 01 From the President’s Desk Rev.OngHwaiTeik Laity 06 Reflections • 29th Session, TRACAnnualConference TRAC29Session 09 AppointmentsFor2005 Prayer 12 PrayerConference Youth 14 - ABriefDescriptionOfJS - FromTUMC - YouthMinistryTraining(YMT)2005Schedule Missions 17 TheMiracle125thAnniversaryThanksgiving Tribute 20 Eulogy : Rev.PaulGeorge 27 TRACCalendar2005 FromTheEDITORIAL l e v e l . 21 December 2004. Excerpts of the Greetingsfrom Read the President, Rev Ong Hwai tributes and eulogies have been Te i k ’s Address at the last A n n u a l compiled for your reading. We wish theEditorial Conference to know the heartbeat to convey our heartfelt Team! and direction of TRAC for the next condolences to the family of the quadrennium in areas like family late Rev Paul George. We will miss y the time you receive this life, prayer, leadership a pastor, a mentor, a colleague B issue, the lent season for the development and development of and a friend. But we shall meet year would have just ended. We TRAC Headquarters. For those again, indeed! pray that the significance of who were not at the annual C h r i s t ’s death and resurrection has conference, the Conference Lay Easter reminds us of the hope of brought a renewed meaning and L e a d e r, Dr Chan Kook We n g ’s eternity with the Father. Let’s live purpose to your life personally as article vividly captures some everyday with Easter in mind! :) well as to the life of your local significant events that took place. church. Find out what exciting stories and The Editorial This is the first issue of Berita testimonies there are from those TRAC for this year which we hope who attended the 2nd Prayer will give you an overall picture of Conference and get glimpses of the direction of TRAC, some key the Lord’s work of grace in the essentials and emphasis for the lives of His children and the body next quadrennium as well as the of Christ. pastoral and lay personnel appointments for the work of T R A C We end this issue by paying a at local churches and at T R A C tribute to the late Rev Paul George who was called home suddenly on 2 From the President’s Desk >> continued from pg 1 enabling more materials to be e. Outreach. I IP r o g r e s s i n g put into writing for wider usage Purposeful Change and ministry. Churches have their Intentionally in TRAC. TRAC is establishing respective caring ministries, connections with the Lower mostly in supporting Christian May I now share with our Myanmar Methodist Church organizations like Malaysian Annual Conference my own and overall, our churches are CARE, and child sponsorship observations of what we shall growing in their awareness projects through World Vi s i o n need in order to facilitate and support of Missions etc. A few have their own further advancement in overseas as well as support of Centres for slow-learning T R A C ’s alignment to God’s local missionaries in children, haemodialysis call in 1 Peter 2:9 “But you are partnership with Missions treatment, day-care for the a chosen race, a royal A g e n c i e s . e l d e r l y, etc. We have at least priesthood, a holy nation, 3 NGOs that had developed G o d ’s own people, in order d. Deepening Spirituality. out of outreach ministries that you may proclaim the carried out in our T R A C mighty acts of Him who called The emphasis on prayer churches. These remain very you out of darkness into His continues in TRAC. The 1st much connected to their marvelous light.” TRAC Prayer Conference was respective mother church. held in Chefoo on 31st 1. A vibrant prayer movement. January 2004. It was attended f. Youth and by 93 members from 21 Children Ministry. Over the years, since we churches. As a result, some began organizing prayer took up the challenge to be The National Youth Director retreats, TRAC has gone on to Prayer Coordinators in their and Youth Ministry Coordinator establish the TRAC Retreat respective churches and have been making their visits and Prayer Directors’ p o s i t i o n s Districts. Rev. Dr. Chew To w to the various chapters. T h e to enhance the prayer Yow continues to conduct Jeremiah School has improved movement in our midst. Prayer Prayer Retreats and these are from an initial intake of 7 in will be practiced on a personal becoming ‘more popular. ’ 2003 to 23 in 2004. There will level - right from our pastoral be the continued efforts to leadership, LCEC to the The Board of Worship and minister to our youths and person on the pew. There will Music has helped to facilitate challenge them to be open to be a specific place, space and the printing of Lent and Holy G o d ’s call to Christian time for prayer in our total Week Resources/materials for vocations. We shall have to church life. May we go on to TRAC churches. explore creative ministries to pray in our anticipation of a reach the youths of our nation, revival to come upon the The Board of Christian especially in urban settings. Methodist Church in Malaysia. Education has produced the membership manual MYF counselors have been 2 . A focused DISCIPLING “Foundations”, and is in the provided with training and a M i n i s t r y. process of producing the youth Counselors Network has been edition. Popular resource established in the Klang Our churches must see materials used in churches are Va l l e y. Youth Alpha and the outreach beyond a one-off 2:7 Navigators materials, the Purpose Driven Life courses event, but as a lifelong Disciple syllabus, for youths are also being lifestyle process. We must Experiencing God course, promoted to help the churches review our evangelistic eff o r t s Alpha Philippians, T h e reach the young.