HOPE BORNEO CONVENTION 2014
The 2nd Hope Borneo Convention (HBC) was held from 27 to 30 November 2014 at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching in Sarawak, East Malaysia. This is the final convention in a succession of conventions for Hope Malaysia this year with the theme GREATER. Nearly 1000 children, students, adults, families and seniors congregated together in this exciting annual feast. They came from different villages in the interior, towns and cities all over Borneo. The diverse mix of cultures, backgrounds and languages enhanced the family atmosphere and camaraderie. We could truly see this was more than just a convention. It was a family committing to a covenant love relationship with each other in the name of Jesus Christ!
This year, the committee went on an exciting and risky journey of doing new things in the convention. We decided to inject an element of fun through “The Show”, which is a like a variety show with games, competition and comedic characters. The committee also added in a segment called “Talk Church” which is a talk show with a live audience on stage that discusses relevant church issues such as leadership, relationships, challenges in living out a life of faith, etc. This gave the people an opportunity to hear and learn from the heart of their leaders and their own peers. Another new thing was the 7-minute preaching. Two amazing preachers, Bro Seow Yu and Bro Kilat, preached their hearts out with passion and brought the house down!
In addition, during the very first session of the convention on the first day, we had Greater Connection, which was a time for different mission hubs and churches to update everyone on the latest happenings. There was such a deep sense of connection and family as we listened to the amazing work of God in different parts of Borneo. On the first night, Hope Kota Kinabalu brought us a stirring drama and dance performance of the revival in Ba’kelalan (northern part of Sarawak), reminding us that God is desiring to pour out His Spirit in a greater measure over Borneo.
This year, there were two night sessions, which were specially designed to be open to the public. On the 28 November evening, we had a worship and ministering night called “Encounter”. We had an awesome night of basking in the presence of the Lord, singing praises, dancing, jumping and praying our hearts out for Borneo. A few powerful and stirring words of prophecy were also released that night! Many people responded to altar call after altar call. In particular, an altar call was given for church planting and a throng of people responded to God’s greater call.
The next evening, the presence of God showed up in an even greater measure. We organized a healing rally for the city of Kuching. Peter Truong and his wife, Ruth, taught and ministered to us. But the most amazing thing was that it was not just Peter Truong and Ruth delivering words of knowledge and healing to the sick. There were many nameless and faceless ministers who moved in faith and obedience, who were used by God to heal many sick people that night. There was an estimated crowd of 1,100 people that night. It was estimated that 50 people were fully healed and many were partially healed. There were some healings and deliverances that went unrecorded. The message of the gospel was delivered succinctly by Ps Denis Lu. 15 people came into the Kingdom that night. Watch the testimonies video and be amazed by God’s greater work!
We also had great teaching every day from our speakers, Ps Simon Eng, Ps Denis Lu and Ps Moses Wan. The topics were No Greater God, Greatness in God, Greater Power and Greater Works, all gearing our Borneo churches towards greater measure of faith and obedience so that He can manifest His power and love through each and every believer, not just leaders and pastors. Through their teachings and ministering, God moved many hearts and they responded to God’s unique call in their lives. We also had a few homogeneous group gatherings on the 28 November afternoon, which catered for students, working adults, parents, those in their golden years and those in the BM/Iban (native) ministry.
The children did not miss out on the greater work of God too! They had a grand time in Our Meeting with God (OMG) program. The children church team collaborated with another church, St Faith, to bring OMG to the kids. The kids learnt about the names of God and prayer. Other than that, they were taught to share Christ through role play. The Spirit of the living God also moved mightily amongst the children. During the altar call, around 80% of the children responded to God. There were also children who were baptized in the Holy Spirit.
The convention ended on 30 November with a great celebration. However, the greater work of God has just begun! We look forward to the ripple effects of God’s work in this convention, moving His people towards supernatural pioneering in many different parts of Borneo and beyond!
Written by: Nicola Song HBC Secretariat
