HIM FAMILY NEWS
Oceania Convention 2013: HEROES
Oceania Convention provides Hope churches throughout Australia the opportunity to come together and unite in growing together and in capturing the vision of Hope Movement for 2013. This year, the Oceania Convention was held in Phillip Island, Victoria during the Easter Break in April and empowered Hope churches to understand how to be heroes for the kingdom of God.
The convention kicked off with Pastor Simon rousing attendees with Ruth 1:1-7, showing that God uses ordinary people with weaknesses and character flaws to achieve great things in Him. Through the life of Ruth, Pastor Simon encouraged attendees to build our relationship with God in order to find the extraordinary hope needed to endure hardships and to discover what God wants to teach us through these difficult experiences. Yet through it all, he continued to drive the importance of relying on Godly wisdom in our decisions, for it is our decisions that define our future.
Pastor Wilson continued building the momentum of the conference with Ruth 2:4-12, showing the DNA of heroes who embrace the extraordinary call of God. Using the life of Boaz, Pastor Wilson spurred people to live to a higher standard where our relationship with God is seen through our loving treatment of others and the keeping of God’s law not out of duty, but compassion. He emphasised the significance of building a lasting foundation of character, wisdom and tested experience as well as a foundation of devotion in order to remain aligned with God. Yet through it all, he continued to challenge attendees to live sacrificially for God and to daringly engage with those around us in order to make a lasting impact.
On Resurrection Sunday, Julian stepped up to the pulpit to not only proclaim how great God’s love for us is but to also break down the misconceptions about salvation. He grounded attendees on their understanding of forgiveness and the Gospel by showing that forgiveness is not dependent on our level of sin, but who we sin against and that the Gospel is about Jesus, and not about health and wealth. On top of this, Pastor Julian enlivened attendees to run towards the call that God has destined for us, reminding us that God will be with those who chase after Him and He empowers His followers to bear an abundance of fruit that will last for eternity.
We are thankful for Hope Melbourne and leaders from other states in Australia who invested not only their time and effort in hosting the event and facilitating the workshops, but who have dedicated their lives to building His church. Their dedication and work will help to ensure that Hope churches move together as the one body of Christ to impact the marketplace, communities and nations. The next Oceania Convention, themed “Power”, will be held in Queensland. We hope that you are able to join us in growing and celebrating what God has accomplished in our churches at next year’s Oceania Convention.
Written by Paul Ng
HIM Chiang Mai, Thailand - Easter Service
On 31 March 2013, HIM Church Chiang Mai arranged an Easter Service to celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The theme was "He Is Alive" and we had attendees from HIM Phuphing, HIM Maejo and Christians from other churches in Chiang Mai. The day started with a sunrise service at 5:30am where Dr. Kiat Laksanasakulchai, President of The Evangelistic Fellowship, Northern Region, was the preacher. After a rousing sermon, everybody participated in what has become a tradition at HIM Chiang Mai - an Easter egg hunt in the church gardens. Everyone was filled with joy and experienced the victory of God in their lives.
Oasis church Bangkok - A Resurrection Celebration:
A strong wind of worship surrounded the entire church atmosphere. Resurrection anthems saturated the Sunday morning service commemorating the glorious rising of Jesus from the grave. Even Pastor Mayette Alkuino, in one of her simplest yet most powerful sermons, emphasized that God is worthy to be praised! Worship is a choice. If we do not worship, still He is continually worshiped. An illustration of how the symphony of stars and whales worship God, just as it is mentioned in Psalm 148. Inspired by this new truth encounter, the church ended morning service with a blast of praise and worship that left the congregation wanting more.
The big event was in the afternoon program. The church's evangelism team hosted a mini-production depicting Jesus' suffering, death, and resurrection. An audience from many cultures was present to witness the event. A live version of the song Via Dolorosa (The Way of Suffering) was performed with silhouettes on a curtain showing the passion and crucifixion. The choir and dance ministry also performed to the song "Was It A Morning Like This" highlighting Jesus' resurrection.
After the mini-musical, the congregation listened to inspiring testimonies about new life, freedom, and favour.
Finally, the program was concluded with an exhortation on the significance of Jesus' resurrection from 1 Corinthians 15. The congregation learned how blessed they were upon the resurrection. Through this event, Oasis Church stands on Jesus' victory on the cross and continues to push its boundaries to make the message of salvation known to all.
Written by Lisa
‘The Titanic is a metaphor of the inevitability of death. We're all on the Titanic.’ said Pastor Jeff as he quoted James Cameron.
At the end of the day, the only difference that matters is whether we are dead or alive, eternally. Pastor Jeff distinguished the difference between having a life and being alive. He urged everyone to look beyond the routine of life and make the right choice, lest we regret only when we end up in a place where we can no longer make a choice.
At the end of the sermon, up to 15 believers each service gave succinct testimonies of how their lives were transformed in the form of flip charts. From a selfish brat to a loving friend, from one who indulged in sex and gambling to one who is freed by Christ… the grateful smiles of the dozen moved the audience as they testified to the love and power of God, and we witnessed more than 100 brothers and sisters coming to receive salvation! Praise the Lord!
Written by Liew Ying Hui, Claudia
Oceania Convention provides Hope churches throughout Australia the opportunity to come together and unite in growing together and in capturing the vision of Hope Movement for 2013. This year, the Oceania Convention was held in Phillip Island, Victoria during the Easter Break in April and empowered Hope churches to understand how to be heroes for the kingdom of God.
On Resurrection Sunday, Julian stepped up to the pulpit to not only proclaim how great God’s love for us is but to also break down the misconceptions about salvation. He grounded attendees on their understanding of forgiveness and the Gospel by showing that forgiveness is not dependent on our level of sin, but who we sin against and that the Gospel is about Jesus, and not about health and wealth. On top of this, Pastor Julian enlivened attendees to run towards the call that God has destined for us, reminding us that God will be with those who chase after Him and He empowers His followers to bear an abundance of fruit that will last for eternity.
In addition to the powerful preaching, attendees had the opportunity to attend workshops for growing their leadership, mentoring, personal relationship with God as well as deepen their convictions and ability to share the Gospel with others. One of the highlights of the conference was the workshop run by Kevin and Anne Cranwell from Ellel Ministries, where attendees were empowered with the understanding of how to restore people’s understanding and experience of God’s love in the church. During the breaks, attendees got their adrenaline pumping with giant swings, flying foxes and kayaking in addition to a number of fast-paced sporting activities.
Written by Paul Ng
HIM Chiang Mai, Thailand - Easter Service
Remembering Jesus' passion, suffering, and death on the cross can move anybody to tears. But His resurrection from the grave brings everyone to their feet in joyous celebration. Throughout the day of 31 March, or Resurrection Sunday, Oasis Church was filled with unforgettable highlights that gave everybody a reason to celebrate.
A strong wind of worship surrounded the entire church atmosphere. Resurrection anthems saturated the Sunday morning service commemorating the glorious rising of Jesus from the grave. Even Pastor Mayette Alkuino, in one of her simplest yet most powerful sermons, emphasized that God is worthy to be praised! Worship is a choice. If we do not worship, still He is continually worshiped. An illustration of how the symphony of stars and whales worship God, just as it is mentioned in Psalm 148. Inspired by this new truth encounter, the church ended morning service with a blast of praise and worship that left the congregation wanting more.
Finally, the program was concluded with an exhortation on the significance of Jesus' resurrection from 1 Corinthians 15. The congregation learned how blessed they were upon the resurrection. Through this event, Oasis Church stands on Jesus' victory on the cross and continues to push its boundaries to make the message of salvation known to all.
Written by Lisa
Hope Church, Singapore Easter Service
From blessing people to being persecuted, and finally, crucifixion... Such was the ministry of Jesus showcased through dance by three young talented dancers to kick start our three Easter services. With the assistance of the varied lighting effects, the well synchronized dance steps and touching performance drew applause from the members and visitors alike.
Another highlight of our service was our very own production, an animated short film anticipated by many – The Greatest Day. The film depicted the conversations among the three Roman soldiers who guarded Jesus’ tomb. They discussed whether Jesus would really rise from the dead as he said he would and while two of them were skeptical, one started to believe. The trio witnessed the astounding resurrection, yet their responses were vastly different; one simply refused to believe Jesus’ words, another nonchalant, but the last saw, and believed. That made it his Greatest Day.
At the end of the day, the only difference that matters is whether we are dead or alive, eternally. Pastor Jeff distinguished the difference between having a life and being alive. He urged everyone to look beyond the routine of life and make the right choice, lest we regret only when we end up in a place where we can no longer make a choice.
At the end of the sermon, up to 15 believers each service gave succinct testimonies of how their lives were transformed in the form of flip charts. From a selfish brat to a loving friend, from one who indulged in sex and gambling to one who is freed by Christ… the grateful smiles of the dozen moved the audience as they testified to the love and power of God, and we witnessed more than 100 brothers and sisters coming to receive salvation! Praise the Lord!
Written by Liew Ying Hui, Claudia
