Confessions from Downunder/ Discovering God’s Heart
CONFESSIONS FROM DOWN UNDER by Glenn Chan
"You won't relent until You have it all, my heart is Yours." (Jesus Culture)
It was almost exactly a year ago when I sang this song at a summer retreat I attended when I first arrived in Sydney, Australia. Little did I know that through the course of the year, this song's message, captured in that one line, would pretty much be the theme of my journey at Hillsong International Leadership College (HILC).
Our Heavenly Father loves us. He loves us so much that He will not stop until we are His, entirely His. My spiritual journey of 2010 was marked by a daily revelation of this relentless love, of the love of a Father that is never ending, of His grace that knows no end.
My first year at HILC has absolutely exceeded my expectations. The classes have been enriching and have given me a greater desire to grow in His Word, allowing Him to transform me more and more into the likeness of Jesus.
Being in the worship music stream has given me a renewed vision of what it means to be a musician and singer in God's house. It can be somewhat challenging when you are constantly surrounded by numerous gifted musicians and singers However, I have learnt to embrace my own personal journey, and thank God for bringing so many great people around me, from whom I can learn and grow alongside.
There is also a huge leadership emphasis at HILC. Pastors and leaders constantly stress the need for us to rise up and be leaders that honour Christ and serve His Church This leadership culture, modeled on a day-to-day basis, has been one of the greatest blessings and has challenged me to grow in so many ways.
As part of my college fieldwork, I've also had the tremendous opportunity to serve in Hillsong Church. In 2010, I served with the Hillsong Asian Extension Service. This service had so many Singaporeans and Malaysians who had migrated to Sydney, it almost felt like home! In this new year, I will be serving on the team at the Northern Beaches Extension Service, one of the newest church plants of Hillsong Church, aimed at reaching the community at the Northern Beaches of Sydney. We leave home at 6am every Sunday and set-up church overlooking the sea. The views are stunning! One of my primary responsibilities at the service will be to grow and develop the children's ministry worship team (SPK teachers, you are NOT reading this).
I have also loved being in a college that comprises of students from more than 70 different nations. You find yourself developing a greater appreciation of cultures and backgrounds from all over the world. Our college chapels are breathtaking, being able to worship God with like-minded people from around the globe. I believe I caught a glimpse of eternity during my times of worship in chapel.
Come 7th of February, I leave for my 2nd year at HILC, to complete my Diploma in Ministry. I would like to thank Ps Terry and St James' Church for your continued support and prayers. The best is to come!
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DISCOVERING GOD'S HEART by Jeanette Lim
"Two roads diverged in (my life) and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."
My journey in the last 2 years echoes the words of Robert Frost above. This adventure began in April 2009 when I did my Discipleship Training School (DTS) in Youth With A Mission (YWAM). In DTS, I discovered what I had been missing my entire life as a Christian, an intimate relationship with God. Learning to hear God's voice, discovering my identity in Him, acknowledging Him as Lord of my entire life and having His heart for the nations were a couple of my treasures.
My life was transformed. My life was no longer just about me. My life is all about the one who made me.
With these new revelations and experiences, I committed to serving God fulltime in YWAM. It has been an adventure filled with God-stories, stepping out in faith, immense personal growth and continuous discovery of the one who has called me. With each nation God takes me to, He stretches my heart to contain more of His love to make room for more people groups and to see what He is up to among them.
It has been a rich journey marked by people and relationships. It's amazing to see how God brings people together from different parts of the world and no matter how brief the encounters, lives are impacted from the relationships that form. I have been so enriched, encouraged and embraced. Thank you St James' Church for being a part of my journey. You have been my encourager, inspirer and supporter!
I have discovered that God's heart is simply to dwell with His people and to enjoy relationship with them. I pray that each one of you will discover God's heart for you and enjoy your journey to the fullest with Him.
"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5