HOPE MALAYSIA CONFERENCE 2018
On the 30th of August 2018, Hope Conference 2018, a gathering of all Hope churches throughout Malaysia, was held at the Imperial Hotel Kuching. It was a record-breaking event, hosting over 2,000 delegates from all over Malaysia, with a few special international delegates. For the duration of 4 days, delegates of different racial and ethnic backgrounds came together to get to know one another and learn more about God. Speakers from all over around the world were invited to minister to the delegates.
On the first day, registration for outstation delegates began at 9.00 a.m. A carnival was held at the foyer outside the hall at the same time. The delegates enjoyed many exciting activities such as dart games, exotic delicacies and animal experience, treasure chest games, photobooths, and live unplugged acoustic performances. But the moment everyone had been waiting for was when the doors to the hall opened. As the delegates found their seats, the first plenary began. Starting off with a praise and worship session that set the mood for the entire conference, the program flowed into a preaching by Ps Simon Eng, the president of Hope International Ministries (HIM). The people were encouraged to pursue a fresh anointing from God, to seek consecration before commissioning. But moreover, we were reminded that above all else, we must first submit to God’s sovereignty, gaze at the beauty of His holiness and be moved to worship in His glorious presence.
The second plenary began with an opening ceremony, with a traditional drum and dance performances and a guest appearance by Prof. Datuk Dr. Sim Kui Hian. As praise and worship commenced, the delegates had an engaging time singing and dancing along to the songs that were sung that night. The presence of God was tangible all across the hall that night. Thereafter, Ps Denis Lu of Hope Kuching took to the stage and shared about the need for personal renewal. As Christians, a personal renewal is necessary before ministry renewal begins. He ministered to the people on how conviction affects each person in their spirit, soul and body as well as how God deals with every individual’s confession of past wrongs. As the night ended, the delegates were left to ponder upon their personal journey with the Lord, and how they should first seek personal renewal before they served.
For day two of the conference, each congregation had their own gathering in their respective locations. The young adults had ‘Innovators Connect (IC)’, the family group had ‘Family Experience (FX)’, the Chinese group had ‘Xin Lian Xin (XLX)’, the BM/Iban group had ‘Pesta Harapan (PH)’, and the youth group had ‘Youthopia (Y)’. Each congregation enjoyed a day of fun and laughter as people from different states and cities all over the country came together to fellowship. That night, the Youthopia concert was held back in the Imperial Hotel Grand Ballroom. It was open to the public, and hundreds of youths attended. It was awe-inspiring, and every soul in the hall experienced God’s love afresh that night. The invited speaker, Ps Dennis Loh from Hope Singapore shared to the youth and those in attendance about how easily distracted the younger generation were, how his life changed as he experienced God’s love deeper and how second-generation Christians needed to start taking their personal relationships with God more seriously instead of taking it for granted. The night ended in high praise, with a short but powerful ministering session where many responded and were healed both physically and emotionally.
On the morning of day three, the third plenary session was held. The speaker, Dato’ Dr Daniel Ho, founder of DUMC, shared about nation building. He spoke about how individuals can contribute to nation building, and how both individuals and churches alike have important roles to play in forming a strong country free from corruption and fraud. In the afternoon, the TEGtalks and Masterclasses were held. TEGtalks, which stands for Transformed by Encounters with God, was a platform where people of various backgrounds shared their testament of the goodness of God in their lives. Based on different themes, such as pioneering, outreach, and personal development, 63 different TEGtalk speakers spoke about past experiences and how God helped bring them through despite all that was going on in their lives. The Masterclasses were breakout sessions for different disciplines and spheres led by experts in their field. Masterclasses of various subject matters were held to cater to each individual’s needs, such as ‘Effective People Helping’, ‘The Hope Place Story’ and ‘Viral Outreach of Next Gen’. A vast majority of people gained more insight on how to serve in their different ministries more effectively. The night session included another dance performance by the locals, portraying the traditional dances of different cultures. As the night wrapped up with another preaching session by an invited guest, every participant was stirring in their seat, ready to play their part in the Kingdom of God.
On the final day of the conference, the delegates gathered in the hall for the last plenary. After an impactful session of praise and worship, the people found their seats and the closing ceremony ensued. Dressed in their traditional costumes, the dancers presented a final performance for the audience, depicting beautiful traditional native dances. The people then steered themselves for the preaching session by Ps Simon. He talked about encountering God and responding to God through action. He taught about persistence despite the fruitlessness and duration that the people might face in responding to God’s calling. It was time to go beyond experiencing God and being freed from sin – it was time to respond, persevere and believe in God’s call.
The children (3 -12 year olds) were very blessed by the WOW Kids Conference which ran concurrently with HC18 With many fun and engaging activities, the children learned how to be more responsible and initiative. They were thirsty to learn more about God after experiencing Him during the conference. The children had a wonderful time enjoying the many activities that had been planned for them, including the ‘WOWlympic’, the ‘Wowgic Show’, the ‘WOW Mission!’ and the many inspirational teachings. They learned the value of teamwork and sportsmanship, and how to work with another despite their differences. Many new friendships bloomed, and the children grew in their spiritual lives as well. Although young, they had the opportunity to experience God in their own lives and grow closer to Him. But most of all, they learned that despite their young age, they had an important role to play in God’s Kingdom.
Hope Conference 2018 was a learning experience for all who attended. Many were touched by the sermons by the different pastors and speakers. Others connected with God during the praise and worship sessions. And others still received some enlightenment during the TEGtalks and Masterclasses. All in all, two thousand lives had the chance to experience a deeper level of connection in their relationship with God and with one another. They were reminded of the important roles they play in building the nation. But most of all, they got to see things from a different perspective; be it about the lost souls all around the world, or about how prayer changed our country, or even about how the younger generations are in need of salvation now more than ever, every single person who attended the conference did not leave empty-handed. So it’s time to focus on outreaching to the ones who are still lost, time to put ourselves aside and allow God to take the lead.
Written by Hope Kuching
On the first day, registration for outstation delegates began at 9.00 a.m. A carnival was held at the foyer outside the hall at the same time. The delegates enjoyed many exciting activities such as dart games, exotic delicacies and animal experience, treasure chest games, photobooths, and live unplugged acoustic performances. But the moment everyone had been waiting for was when the doors to the hall opened. As the delegates found their seats, the first plenary began. Starting off with a praise and worship session that set the mood for the entire conference, the program flowed into a preaching by Ps Simon Eng, the president of Hope International Ministries (HIM). The people were encouraged to pursue a fresh anointing from God, to seek consecration before commissioning. But moreover, we were reminded that above all else, we must first submit to God’s sovereignty, gaze at the beauty of His holiness and be moved to worship in His glorious presence.
The second plenary began with an opening ceremony, with a traditional drum and dance performances and a guest appearance by Prof. Datuk Dr. Sim Kui Hian. As praise and worship commenced, the delegates had an engaging time singing and dancing along to the songs that were sung that night. The presence of God was tangible all across the hall that night. Thereafter, Ps Denis Lu of Hope Kuching took to the stage and shared about the need for personal renewal. As Christians, a personal renewal is necessary before ministry renewal begins. He ministered to the people on how conviction affects each person in their spirit, soul and body as well as how God deals with every individual’s confession of past wrongs. As the night ended, the delegates were left to ponder upon their personal journey with the Lord, and how they should first seek personal renewal before they served.
For day two of the conference, each congregation had their own gathering in their respective locations. The young adults had ‘Innovators Connect (IC)’, the family group had ‘Family Experience (FX)’, the Chinese group had ‘Xin Lian Xin (XLX)’, the BM/Iban group had ‘Pesta Harapan (PH)’, and the youth group had ‘Youthopia (Y)’. Each congregation enjoyed a day of fun and laughter as people from different states and cities all over the country came together to fellowship. That night, the Youthopia concert was held back in the Imperial Hotel Grand Ballroom. It was open to the public, and hundreds of youths attended. It was awe-inspiring, and every soul in the hall experienced God’s love afresh that night. The invited speaker, Ps Dennis Loh from Hope Singapore shared to the youth and those in attendance about how easily distracted the younger generation were, how his life changed as he experienced God’s love deeper and how second-generation Christians needed to start taking their personal relationships with God more seriously instead of taking it for granted. The night ended in high praise, with a short but powerful ministering session where many responded and were healed both physically and emotionally.
On the morning of day three, the third plenary session was held. The speaker, Dato’ Dr Daniel Ho, founder of DUMC, shared about nation building. He spoke about how individuals can contribute to nation building, and how both individuals and churches alike have important roles to play in forming a strong country free from corruption and fraud. In the afternoon, the TEGtalks and Masterclasses were held. TEGtalks, which stands for Transformed by Encounters with God, was a platform where people of various backgrounds shared their testament of the goodness of God in their lives. Based on different themes, such as pioneering, outreach, and personal development, 63 different TEGtalk speakers spoke about past experiences and how God helped bring them through despite all that was going on in their lives. The Masterclasses were breakout sessions for different disciplines and spheres led by experts in their field. Masterclasses of various subject matters were held to cater to each individual’s needs, such as ‘Effective People Helping’, ‘The Hope Place Story’ and ‘Viral Outreach of Next Gen’. A vast majority of people gained more insight on how to serve in their different ministries more effectively. The night session included another dance performance by the locals, portraying the traditional dances of different cultures. As the night wrapped up with another preaching session by an invited guest, every participant was stirring in their seat, ready to play their part in the Kingdom of God.
On the final day of the conference, the delegates gathered in the hall for the last plenary. After an impactful session of praise and worship, the people found their seats and the closing ceremony ensued. Dressed in their traditional costumes, the dancers presented a final performance for the audience, depicting beautiful traditional native dances. The people then steered themselves for the preaching session by Ps Simon. He talked about encountering God and responding to God through action. He taught about persistence despite the fruitlessness and duration that the people might face in responding to God’s calling. It was time to go beyond experiencing God and being freed from sin – it was time to respond, persevere and believe in God’s call.
The children (3 -12 year olds) were very blessed by the WOW Kids Conference which ran concurrently with HC18 With many fun and engaging activities, the children learned how to be more responsible and initiative. They were thirsty to learn more about God after experiencing Him during the conference. The children had a wonderful time enjoying the many activities that had been planned for them, including the ‘WOWlympic’, the ‘Wowgic Show’, the ‘WOW Mission!’ and the many inspirational teachings. They learned the value of teamwork and sportsmanship, and how to work with another despite their differences. Many new friendships bloomed, and the children grew in their spiritual lives as well. Although young, they had the opportunity to experience God in their own lives and grow closer to Him. But most of all, they learned that despite their young age, they had an important role to play in God’s Kingdom.
Hope Conference 2018 was a learning experience for all who attended. Many were touched by the sermons by the different pastors and speakers. Others connected with God during the praise and worship sessions. And others still received some enlightenment during the TEGtalks and Masterclasses. All in all, two thousand lives had the chance to experience a deeper level of connection in their relationship with God and with one another. They were reminded of the important roles they play in building the nation. But most of all, they got to see things from a different perspective; be it about the lost souls all around the world, or about how prayer changed our country, or even about how the younger generations are in need of salvation now more than ever, every single person who attended the conference did not leave empty-handed. So it’s time to focus on outreaching to the ones who are still lost, time to put ourselves aside and allow God to take the lead.
Written by Hope Kuching
