Join the Micah Conversation

1 September 2019

Together in God’s Mission—this was Bishop Dr Chong Chin Chung’s call to the Church in Methodist Message’s May issue.

And those who came for the Micah Conversation, which was held from 19 to 20 July 2019 at Covenant Presbyterian Church, are now clearer about what it means to be a follower and witness of Jesus Christ, to proclaim the Good News—about Jesus the Saviour and King of all creation, and to live the (truly) Good Life:

to view our Sundays and weekdays as merely different arenas in which we live out the integrated Christian life;
of pouring out sacrificial love for our neighbours—including the poor and marginalised; people of all races and religions (involving reconciliation and peace-making work). That in loving our neighbour, we love God;
of practising true hospitality, that the Church will be the first and the last resort for those in need;
of living out Kingdom values in our workplaces—even when it means going counter-cultural against the fear, greed, injustice and corruption of “the system”;
of engaging the powers-that-be for good. Not a violation of the separation of religion and state, but about infusing the authorities with values that truly make for human flourishing;
of practising good stewardship in our care of creation;
that as difficult and painful it may be and requiring so much wisdom, it is good and profoundly liberating;
that in the process of living like this, we show the world that there is a new world coming, that the rightful and righteous King of everything is returning.

The early signs of this imminent future are the transformed lives of the people who profess allegiance to this King, because we would be reflecting Him. If that were so in the whole Church, what a wonder it would be! Therefore, what a wonderful gift it would be to our neighbours to come to know Jesus too.

Imagine then the potential of a few churches in the neighbourhood partnering to bring about greater service to that neighbourhood! Imagine if this went nation-wide.

We hope that those who attended the Micah Conversation have also gained a greater love and hope for the Church—the kind that will compel you to work with, or even to join the leadership of your church! And, in that position, help others see that all things indeed are redeemed in Christ, and all of life is to be lived for the glory of God.

Micah Conversation highlights:

Prayer walk through Little India
Keynotes on theological framework for integral mission, integral mission in community by the local church, peacemaking and reconciliation with people of other faiths, and engaging the powers for good
Case studies of local “ministries”, with interviews and presentations done by participants
Small group conversations and new connections
Vision pitches for the Bezer Initiative (a community serving young people in crises), and for a Christian disability network
organised by a multi-generational and trans-denominational team (two of which were Methodists),

Micah Conversation was a joint effort involving Micah Singapore, supported by the Biblical Graduate School of Theology, Fellowship of Evangelical Students Singapore, Singapore Centre for Global Missions, WorldVision and the Methodist Church of Singapore (TRAC Board of Outreach and Social Concerns).

https://www.micahsingapore.org/micahconversation2019

For more information on integral mission, see Dr Kwa Kiem Kiok’s article “What is Integral Mission?” (Methodist Message, July 2019, page 24).

Conversation takeaways for some participants:

“Today’s conversation reaffirmed God’s heart for the last, lost and the least, and as a Church, we can’t just preach about Christ, but we must be incarnational and display the love of Christ to those around us.”

“I learnt that witness includes both telling and showing Christ; that you cannot do one without the other; and that both are ends. That witness can have so many beautiful applications in the brave and courageous examples of Godly living in any area—law firms, catering businesses, the migrant worker industries, and even our own homes.”

“It’s just amazing how so many like-minded, like-hearted, Spirit-led people who love God are giving their lives to people.”

Ng Zhiwen worships at Zion Bishan Bible-Presbyterian Church, and has been seconded to Singapore Centre for Global Mission (SCGM), where he serves in the area of missions research and missions mobilisation. His passion is to see a church united for God’s mission.