March 2013
“Fundraising is, first and foremost, a form of ministry. It is a way of announcing our vision and inviting other people into our mission.” So writes theologian Henri J. M. Nouwen in his book, A Spirituality of Fundraising. Nouwen continues, “Fundraising is also always a call to conversion. It is a shift of attention in which we set our mind on divine things.”
The ministry of The Navigators is supported solely by the gifts of families, friends and churches. We have no central fund to pay our staff salaries and administrative expenses. Yet we have often shied away from the vital ministry of fundraising.
To do better, we have asked long-time staff member Royston Koh to focus his attention on “donor ministry.” Royston knows our ministries inside and out, having personally ministered to students, professionals, churches, and alumni-community people. He is the ideal person to “announce our vision and invite other people into our mission” through their resources, helping them to “set their minds on divine things.” He is also someone who can relate to current donors, thanking them personally for their support and, as needed, provide counsel regarding spiritual needs. I know you will enjoy getting to know him!
December 2012
This has been quite a year for the Singapore Navigators … our 50th Anniversary! You would think that being so “old” we would have taken it easy. On the contrary, it was full-speed ahead. We launched two new ministries … one at Republic Polytechnic, and one to 20 and 30 year-olds. We hosted a first-time-ever Navigator conference for students from around Asia, with over 300 coming from 8 countries. Of course, we had some special anniversary events as well:
• a Topical Memory System Challenge (completed by 46 who were each able to repeat the 60 verses of the TMS word-perfect, at one session)
• a prayer walk across the “length” of Singapore (where 130 completed the promise of Genesis 13:17, given to our founder Roy Robertson, who walked the “breadth of the land” 50 years ago),
• the publication of our anniversary commemorative book, “With Eyes Singled to His Glory” (containing heart-warming stories of God’s faithfulness for the past 50 years)
• a celebratory dinner with almost 800 attending (including past missionaries, staff, and volunteers, and many clergy and marketplace leaders who have been discipled by our ministries)
Thank you for your partnership these last 50 years.
May you experience the angels’ promise of “great joy,” as well as our sincerest appreciation, this Christmas. (Luke 2:10)
September 2012
We had a wonderful 50th Anniversary Celebration Dinner on 18th August at the Grand Ballroom of the Orchid Country Club. Close to eight hundred Navigators, ministry pioneers, ministry partners, and current volunteers came together for the culmination of a year of celebratory events which included an island-wide prayer walk, a scripture memory challenge, the NavMemories Stories Project and a commemorative journal “With Eyes Singled to His Glory.”
At the dinner, Doug Erdmann, our National Director, refocused our attention on the task God still has for The Navigators. Here are excerpts from his speech. (Note: the speech was preceded by a video of the finals of the women’s 4x400 relay race at the Beijing Olympics. Sanya Richards of the U.S. ran the last leg of the race to give her team a come-from-behind win.)
“Sanya Richards ran to win. The Bible tells us to do the same thing in 1 Corinthians 9:24, ‘You’ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win.’ (The Message)
Singapore Navigators’ history is rather like this relay race. We started out fast, and maybe slowed down a little in the middle due to changes in Singapore culture, certain relational issues and philosophical differences. I’d like to think that we’re now in the final lap of the race, straining forward to win. To win, we must do three things.
As Christ’s followers, we are called to fix our eyes on Jesus (Heb 12:2), and what He has called us to do. We also need to know what not to fix our eyes on. There are two things in particular—what God has called others to do, and the past.
Sanya Richards wouldn’t have done well if she had thought too much about the past, especially about the slowness of the runner who preceded her. We rejoice in the great things that the Singapore Navigators have done in the past, but we don’t dwell on them. The focus must be on what God is doing now. As Isaiah 43:18-19 says, ‘Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?’
And God is doing some very encouraging things now! In the last three years, we’ve had seven new staff join our team. We’ve also instituted a comprehensive new staff training curriculum. Three years ago, most staff were under budget. Now virtually all are at budget or above. Our university ministries are stronger in discipling. We’ve launched several new ministries ... the alumni/community ministry, the 20s-30s ministry and a ministry at Republic Polytechnic. In May this year we hosted a first-time-ever Asia-Pacific students’ conference with over 300 participants from eight countries.
God is doing a new thing! We want to celebrate the past. But we also want to rejoice in the present and the future!
Second, to win, we must stay in our lane.
In the race shown in the video, each runner had her own lane. If she went outside of it, the whole team would have been disqualified.
What is our lane as Navigators? What has God called the Navigators to do?
I spend many weekends watching my son play baseball, and I get to meet the parents of the other boys. After exchanging names, often the next question is, ‘What do you do?’ I tell them that I work for The Navigators, and someone will invariably say, ‘Oh, shipping!’ ‘No,’ I explain, ‘it’s a Christian organisation.’ Usually the conversation ends there! But occasionally the conversation goes further, particularly if the person happens to be a believer:
‘We make labourers for the harvest. You know, the harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few?’
‘We evangelise to make converts, establish to make disciples, and equip to make labourers, so that we can send them into the harvest.’
The 3 E’s are our lane. This is what we must continue to do. Each is critical to raising up labourers for the harvest.
Finally, to win we must run hard.
Sanya Richards, the American runner in the video, ran hard.
The apostle Paul said that, by God’s grace, he worked harder than all the rest. (1 Cor 15:10)
Our staff and volunteers have been running hard these past few years. And by God’s grace, we have accomplished a lot. Some may even be thinking, ‘Now is the time Doug is going to give us a break!’
Unfortunately, I have to say what Winston Churchill said to the British people in World War II, ‘I have nothing to offer you except blood, sweat and tears.’
But, if we run hard and have courage and faith, something that Winston Churchill also said may happen. People will look back and say, ‘this was their finest hour.’
Many of us start out running hard, but then we begin to coast. Sit back. Busyness, wealth, comfort creeps in. Is this the way life in ministry ends?
In the poem, The Last Defile, Amy Carmichael quotes from the epitaph of a Swiss mountaineer, ‘he died climbing.’ I want to die climbing. Do you? How do you know if you’re climbing? If you are obeying Jesus last command to ‘make disciples.’
As Howard Hendricks, noted professorat Dallas Theological Seminary says, ‘Our risen Christ left this legacy – the Magna Charta of the church – ‘make disciples.’ He provided both the model and the method. His life – and death – recast the lives of men. He demonstrated that you have not done anything until you have changed the lives of men.’”
319 student leaders on 26 campuses from 8 countries across the Asia-Pacific region attended CONNECT 2012. The video below was screened at the conference opening.
March 2012
As students leave their tertiary schools and enter the workforce they face a lot of adjustments. First and foremost is the adjustment to a job. (It is true that our young men have experienced non-academic work during their stint in National Service. But life in NS is a bit different from the hustle and bustle of the marketplace.)
A second adjustment is to serious relationships with the opposite sex, relationships that often lead to marriage. A third adjustment is to the receipt of regular and substantially increased income, and the need to decide how to use that income.
If a young Christian graduate is not careful, all these adjustments can have a wearing effect on his or her spiritual life. These exciting new things can actually end up being “thorns” (“the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things”) that can choke the Word planted in their lives and make it unfruitful. (Mark 4:18-19)
That’s why we’ve started our “20s-30s” ministry (page 3, NavNews March 2012). We want to continue to stoke the passion that young people have developed as students to “know Christ and make Him known.” We know that if they keep that passion, they and those they pass it on to will be well-served, as it “holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” (1 Timothy 4:8)
December 2011
In Matthew 9:37, Jesus tells us that “the harvest is truly plenteous, but the labourers are few.” In the verse following, He asks people to pray for labourers.
As Navigators, we do pray for labourers. Indeed, we not only pray for them, we work hard at producing them, building young Christians up to be disciples, and then giving them the skills and vision to minister to others.
But if we stop there, we really are not accomplishing what Jesus sought. Jesus not only wanted labourers to be raised up, but for them to be “sent forth into His harvest.” Harvesting has to do with giving the incredible gift of eternal life to people. As Jesus says in John 4:36, “Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life.”
I am writing to you from Kuala Lumpur where I am attending a conference of Navigator national directors from the Asia-Pacific region. Our regional director, Alan Ch’ng, reminded us of the above...that raising up labourers is not an end in itself, but merely the means to the all important end of reaping God’s harvest.
The needs in Singapore are large. The needs are even larger in the Asia Pacific, home to 97% of the world's unreached people. Who will reach them? Those who have not only been trained to labour, but those who, like Isaiah, have said, “Here am I. Send me.” Have you said that?
September 2011
I’ve heard it said that there are two resources necessary for ministry to happen...people and funds. I’ve also heard it said that it’s easier to trust God to provide the latter than the former! Not sure if that’s true, but you may recall me mentioning in our March NavNews that we’ve been asking God to provide us with more full-time staff. He has answered!
Chris and Pat Lian joined last month. Chris was a lecturer at St. Andrews J.C. Previously he was a volunteer with our teen ministry and headed the post-secondary ministry. Along with serving as a deacon at his church, he and Pat currently enjoy a fruitful ministry in their church among young adults and families.
Chris will be taking over our ministry at NTU next year, and Pat already serves as our Communications Executive. This is a big step for them, leaving a good salary to come on support with three young children.
In our June NavNews, I mentioned that Viloane and Patricia Ko would be taking over our ministry at NP. The plan was for them to be volunteer leaders. After I wrote, Viloane decided he was enjoying ministry too much to do it on a part-time basis. Leaving his A*STAR job at NUS, he and Pat also joined our full-time staff last month. This is after a number of years of faithful ministry by both of them at NP and SP.
We prayed and God answered. As with the early disciples, Jesus still calls some to "cast down their nets" and follow Him.
Is He calling you? If so, what a privilege to be "set apart for the gospel of God." (Romans 1:1)
June 2011
P.Y., our campus director at NUS, is moving to Thailand.
Opening a student work in Bangkok is a high priority for the Asia-Pacific Navigators. Some unique circumstances have made it clear that PY should take this on. He, his wife, and their two young children moved from the U.S. to Singapore three years ago. We will miss them, but are excited that they are getting the chance to “advance the Kingdom” in a new country. Please pray for their quick adjustment.
Their departure means we need a new director at NUS. We are excited that we have another missionary available to take on this role. J.K., and his wife C.H., moved from Korea to Singapore 10 years ago. Initially J.K. assisted at NUS, but after three years he was asked to take over a flagging ministry at Ngee Ann Poly. Starting with literally one student, he and some NP and NUS grads worked hard and the Lord blessed. The ministry spread to next door SIM, and soon he was asked to take on Singapore Poly as well. Now, between the two Polys and SIM, J.K. and C.H. are ministering to over 100 students and grads. Along with this large ministry, J.K. has always given special attention to a few key people. Two of these he met during his years at NUS … V.K., whom he led to Christ, and Xue, whom he followed up. They were a couple of the NUS grads who joined him at NP, where he continued to disciple them. Because of his faithful investment in these men, V.K. is now ready to take over the ministry at NP, and Xue to take over at SP. This means that J.K. and C.H. can move back to NUS and direct the ministry there.
What’s exciting about this? The Y family are freed up to be missionaries in Thailand because another man, over the years, went deep with a few key guys. J.K’s investment has produced leaders, leaders who can replace him so that he can move to a another campus. A good reminder to all of us that if we want to broaden our ministry, we often need to narrow it….giving careful attention (as the Master did) to a few.
March 2011
Navigator ministry is carried out by two types of people … labourers and full-time staff. Labourers have a regular job, and spend their off hours actively ministering to students, friends and work colleagues. Full-time staff are financially supported by others, and so have their schedule completely free for ministry.
Right now we especially need more full-time staff. We sense the Lord is telling us to, "Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes." (Is. 54:2). Opportunities are presenting themselves to start works at several additional tertiary and secondary schools. We are re-engaging with our alumni, many of whom are asking for help to "labour in the harvest" once again.
To seize the opportunities we need people who, like the first disciples, are willing to leave their jobs ("throw down their nets") and serve the Lord full-time. Roger Yeo (pictured at left) is a wonderful example of this. He left an excellent job at Mindef so that he could invest in the next generation. Is the Lord calling you, just like he did Roger, to join us full-time? The costs are great, but the rewards are priceless!
December 2010
How do you fit 12 fist-sized rocks, a bucket of gravel, a bucket of sand and a pitcher of water into a one-gallon, wide-necked Mason jar?
Answer: By putting in the big rocks first!
The above illustration is often used by management strategists to make the point that for any work that we undertake, we need to establish the Big Rocks first. Or else we may never get them in at all!
This year we identified 5 big rocks and worked hard at getting them into the jar first!
1. Staff recruiting. There are many ministry opportunities before us and we need staff to cover them. So, as Jesus did with a few fishermen, we asked several this year to “cast down their nets” and join us as full-time staff. Two excellent young men responded—one now ministers to university students at NUS, and another will be ministering to secondary school students in February. There are others who are seriously considering the possibility. Please thank God for these two men, and pray that more will join us!
2. Staff training. New staff, of course, need to be trained. With the help of Singaporean Toh Kai Hua (one of our missionary associates in East Asia), we now have new staff training objectives and a new curriculum. When implementing anything new there are things to be learnt. Please pray that we would implement aggressively, and modify appropriately.
3. Staff funding. At the beginning of this year most of our staff were under budget. Together, we studied what the Scripture had to say about the funding of missionaries and learnt how to practically invite people to financially partner in our ministries. Applying the Scriptures and these practical skills, almost all our staff are up to budget. Praise God for their hard work and His provision.
4. University ministries. Our staff are working hard at three universities, but fruit is challenging, especially among Singaporean students (as opposed to internationals). Also, Christian students who join us are often not strong in spiritual disciplines, and don’t know how to bring another to faith and disciple them. So, among other things, we instituted our first-ever combined Vacation Training Programme for NUS and NTU students. Students and staff spent three weeks in the Philippines doing in-depth Bible study, practicing spiritual disciplines and sharing the Gospel with Filipinos. The programme was such a success we plan to do it again next year.
5. Alumni ministry. It is estimated that we have had 10,000 students involved in our ministries over the years. Most of these alumni still have a heart for making disciples, but just need a little help and encouragement to do so. Our goal is, in the next two years, to help 100 of these alumni who are not currently labouring to labour again. We have held two large alumni events this year directed at that. At the most recent event, which over 500 attended, many agreed to join “Adventure of Discipling Others” small groups, to link fellow alumni together for ministry purposes, or to visit one of our overseas missionaries. We are well on our way to our goal of 100 restarted labourers!
Thank God with us for the progress made on these five big rocks!
September 2010
When I was a college student, I was invited to my first Navigator “vacation training programme.” For 9 weeks, I lived with 30 other Navigator students in a fraternity house in Boston. We were put into teams with a team leader. During the day we worked at regular jobs. At night and on the weekends, we did Bible study, heard messages, did evangelism and had fun team activities.
It was amazing—the positive changes that took place in my character and walk with God over those 9 weeks…all because I was exposed to a training environment.
The Apostle Paul would not have been surprised at these changes. He knew that spiritual transformation doesn’t just happen. The Holy Spirit helps, but we have a part to play as well…engaging in the spiritual disciplines, getting close enough to others so that character flaws can be observed and addressed. Indeed, Paul tells Timothy, “train yourself to be godly.” (1 Tim. 4:7)
We had a recent university ministry vacation training program. This was the first university training program we have held for a long time. It was such success that we plan to do one each year!
Our mission as Navigators is to raise labourers. I think these vacation training programs will play a vital part in seeing that mission accomplished.
June 2010
The Navigators have a God-given vision of multiplying labourers in Singapore and around the world. To help give "voice to the vision" we have been blessed with two excellent communicators… Angeline Koh and Aurelia L. Castro. Angel is one of our field staff who has served as our communications director since 1998. In 2006, she recruited Au from the Philippines, and together they have been writing and producing this quarterly NavNews, updating our website and handling other corporate communication. They have done a fantastic job, receiving accolades from around the world. So you can imagine that it is with mixed feelings that I tell you that they will be leaving us soon to take on a new opportunity – Digital Storytelling, a way to use today’s technology to tell timeless truths (www.digitalstorytellingasia.com). Thank you Angel and Au for your wonderful service to The Navigators and we bless you in this exciting next step!
Although Angel and Au are leaving "big shoes to fill", we are grateful that God has provided us a new communications executive, Patricia Lian. Patricia is not new to Navigator communications, having written several articles for NavNews, including one in this issue. We’ll let you know more about Patricia in the next issue, and the exciting story of how God led her to take this new role.
March 2010
The Singapore Navigator ministry to students has been very fruitful over the years. Indeed, I am told that at one point the number of students involved in the Singapore Nav ministries was second only to those involved in the U.S. Nav ministries, which is particularly amazing in light of Singapore’s size relative to the rest of the world.
These students, about 10,000 of them over the years (according to former national director Jim Chew), have now graduated and are living and working primarily in Singapore. Our goal for these students while in school has always been to reach, disciple and equip them so that, when they graduate, they can do the same with others.
However, for many of them, the pressures and busyness of life begin to crowd out the time needed to do this. I know. I was one of them (albeit a U.S. alumnus)! Busy in law practice, busy with my family, busy even with church activities, but little time to personally invest in the life of another.
Having to lead a disciple-making course at my church changed that. The course ("The Adventure of Discipling Others", available from NavMedia) required me to find a younger Christian and begin to disciple him.
What a joy it was seeing this man take steps to grow! Knowing that there are many of our alumni who would like to experience this same joy, our Alumni ministry has set a goal of, in the next two years, helping one hundred alumni not currently labouring to begin to labour again (Matthew 9:37). The Alumni Gathering described in this issue of NavNews was our first step towards meeting this strategic goal.
We prayed and God answered. As with the early disciples, Jesus still calls some to "cast down their nets" and follow Him.
Is He calling you? If so, what a privilege to be "set apart for the gospel of God." (Romans 1:1)
Navigator ministry is carried out by two types of people … labourers and full-time staff. Labourers have a regular job, and spend their off hours actively ministering to students, friends and work colleagues. Full-time staff are financially supported by others, and so have their schedule completely free for ministry.
Right now we especially need more full-time staff. We sense the Lord is telling us to, "Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes." (Is. 54:2). Opportunities are presenting themselves to start works at several additional tertiary and secondary schools. We are re-engaging with our alumni, many of whom are asking for help to "labour in the harvest" once again.
To seize the opportunities we need people who, like the first disciples, are willing to leave their jobs ("throw down their nets") and serve the Lord full-time. Roger Yeo (pictured at left) is a wonderful example of this. He left an excellent job at Mindef so that he could invest in the next generation. Is the Lord calling you, just like he did Roger, to join us full-time? The costs are great, but the rewards are priceless!
December 2010
How do you fit 12 fist-sized rocks, a bucket of gravel, a bucket of sand and a pitcher of water into a one-gallon, wide-necked Mason jar?
September 2010
June 2010
The Navigators have a God-given vision of multiplying labourers in Singapore and around the world. To help give "voice to the vision" we have been blessed with two excellent communicators… Angeline Koh and Aurelia L. Castro. Angel is one of our field staff who has served as our communications director since 1998. In 2006, she recruited Au from the Philippines, and together they have been writing and producing this quarterly NavNews, updating our website and handling other corporate communication. They have done a fantastic job, receiving accolades from around the world. So you can imagine that it is with mixed feelings that I tell you that they will be leaving us soon to take on a new opportunity – Digital Storytelling, a way to use today’s technology to tell timeless truths (www.digitalstorytellingasia.com). Thank you Angel and Au for your wonderful service to The Navigators and we bless you in this exciting next step!
Although Angel and Au are leaving "big shoes to fill", we are grateful that God has provided us a new communications executive, Patricia Lian. Patricia is not new to Navigator communications, having written several articles for NavNews, including one in this issue. We’ll let you know more about Patricia in the next issue, and the exciting story of how God led her to take this new role.
March 2010
The Singapore Navigator ministry to students has been very fruitful over the years. Indeed, I am told that at one point the number of students involved in the Singapore Nav ministries was second only to those involved in the U.S. Nav ministries, which is particularly amazing in light of Singapore’s size relative to the rest of the world.
These students, about 10,000 of them over the years (according to former national director Jim Chew), have now graduated and are living and working primarily in Singapore. Our goal for these students while in school has always been to reach, disciple and equip them so that, when they graduate, they can do the same with others.
However, for many of them, the pressures and busyness of life begin to crowd out the time needed to do this. I know. I was one of them (albeit a U.S. alumnus)! Busy in law practice, busy with my family, busy even with church activities, but little time to personally invest in the life of another.
Having to lead a disciple-making course at my church changed that. The course ("The Adventure of Discipling Others", available from NavMedia) required me to find a younger Christian and begin to disciple him.
What a joy it was seeing this man take steps to grow! Knowing that there are many of our alumni who would like to experience this same joy, our Alumni ministry has set a goal of, in the next two years, helping one hundred alumni not currently labouring to begin to labour again (Matthew 9:37). The Alumni Gathering described in this issue of NavNews was our first step towards meeting this strategic goal.