Missions and You Newsletter: 2006-1 edition

Singapore: the Antioch of Asia
by Dr. Howard Foltz

I can clearly see why Singapore is called "The Antioch of Asia." The recent visit to Singapore of my colleague and I had this confirmed powerfully to us. What a joy for Accelerating International Mission Strateiges (AIMS) to partner with the splendid ministry of the Singapore Center of Evangelism and Missions (SCEM).

We trained an outstanding group of pastors, missionaries and m ission executives how to present our proven Equipping for the Harvest missions mobilization training. Now, these participants are equipped to utilize this training in Singapore and around the world. In the past ten years, the ministry of AIMS has taught this Equipping for the Harvest curriculum in multiple international locations.

Tens of thousands of pastors and business/professional people have been trained in mission mobilization. And, to God be the glory, over 14,000 new churches have been planted among unreached people groups as a result of this training strategy.

The mission statement of AIMS is, "Challenging the church to take the Gospel where it has never been proclaimed. This also is the passion of SCEM. We thank God for this tremendous new partnership between SCEM and AIMS.

Mobilize

Although Singapore is the "Antioch of Asia," further missions mobilization can certainly be accomplished. This six basic local church mobilization criteria that we taught in the SCEM/AIMS training are:

1. Every church should be praying earnestly for at least one adopted unreached people group, along with fervent intercession for the entire world.

2. Every church should give at least 10% of its general revenue to missions, plus adding to this foundation "Faith Promise Giving" with a goal to clim to 15, 20, 30, and even 50%.

3. Mobilize 10% of the church's congregation to become involved in local cross-cultural ministry or go on a short-term mission trip.

4. Ask the Lord of Harvest to raise up one percent of the church members as career missionaries and another one percent as tent-maker missionaries.

5. From the previous four criteria, model what a missions mobilized church is to other churches to help them to become mobilized.

6. Cooperate with the global body of Jesus Christ, particulatly national churches in the developing world.

If every Singaporean church reached these goals, think about what new resources could be released! Singapore possesses the potential to be a significant player in completing the Great Commission.

Globalize

Currently, globalization is opening new doors of ministry around the world. The Singaporeans are outstanding messangers in many places where Americans and other Westerners are no longer welcome, so this is the day of the new multi-cultural harvest force.

In my book, For Such a Time as this: Strategic Mission Power Shifts, I emphasized the need for every church to strategically shift from thirty to sixty to one hundred percent increase in fruitfulness in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. This is a kingdom-class church!

I challenge every church leader in Singapore to get a end vision of God's goal for completing the Great Commission as symbolized in Matthew 24:14. "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come" and Revelation 5:9-10 "And they sang a new song: 'You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation."

Then, organize your church and ministry according to God's end-vision to help populate the crowd around the throne that we visualize in Revelation. As my friend and brother Reihart Bonke says, "Let's plunder hell and populate heaven!"

For reprint information, please call the AIMS publication office at (757) 495-5850 or email the editor at aims@aims.org.

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