EVANGELISM

East Coast Zone Divine Work

Sabah’s East Coast Zone comprises 14 churches and 5 service points. Geographically, East Coast Zone is vast with a sparse population; it is indeed a fertile ground for prospering the gospel. And yet the area has also been preoccupied by other religions. Nevertheless, as the day approaches, while we still have opportunities, we persist in holding our ground and expanding our territory.

The zone works together with the Evangelical Department of the General Assembly, to stimulate a sense of mission to preach the gospel among the zone’s churches through various channels. Together they engage in gospel outreach and strive towards building gospel outreach points for future church establishment.

Praise the Lord! The Holy Spirit has been working continuously. In conjunction with the decision from the Delegates Meeting of East Coast Zone in 2022, the Lord Jesus has prepared a substantial amount of funds for pioneering work to spread the gospel. Thus, in the past two years, the evangelical team of Tawau subzone has established a new pioneering area at Serudong Laut, which is a 6 hours journey from Tawau Church. May God guide this work to bring the gospel to the local friends who have not yet believed. 

Kota Kinabalu Subzone Choral Music Concert

On Saturday, 10th June 2023, the True Jesus Church (TJC) of Kota Kinabalu (KK) Subzone, held a hymnal music concert at the Menara Tun Mustapha Auditorium (formerly known as Yayasan Sabah Auditorium). The concert followed up on the 100th Anniversary of TJC global evangelism touring concert held in 2017, in conjunction with the Centennial Commemoration of Evangelism in Sabah. 

This was the second time the KK Subzone, consisting of 17 churches and prayer houses, collaborated and held a joint outdoor hymnal evangelical event. The theme was “A More Abundant Life.” Churches from this subzone all worked together to promote this divine mission, both financially and in terms of human resources. Everyone responded passionately, collaborated with split tasks, actively planned, and served together as a team to ensure that the work delivered successful results.

Praise the Lord! The Choral Music Concert was a significant and meaningful evangelical event. More people can come to the Lord through gospel evangelism. We were able to carry out this divine work efficiently thanks to God’s mighty power, as well as all of the believers’ proactive effort and undivided participation. 

Outreach Evangelism Work in Nabawan and Pensiangan Subzone

Praise and thank the Lord, from April to July 2023, the Nabawan and Pensiangan Subzone in the Interior Zone conducted outreach evangelism at the subzone level and evangelical services at the local church level. Evangelism took place at 5 different locations with a total of 50 truthseekers.

PASTORAL WORK

West Coast Zone Ordained Ministers and Spouse Seminar

Praise the Lord! Under the guidance of the Lord, a half-day West Coast Zone Ordained Ministers and Spouse Seminar was held at Kolombong Church (Kota Kinabalu) on 23rd April 2023. There were a total of 80 participants.

We thank our Kolombong Church brothers and sisters for their hospitality—they prepared breakfast, beverages, and a sumptuous lunch, as well as organized the venue to ensure the seminar ran smoothly.

The seminar’s theme was “Serving with One Heart and One Mind,” and the topic we studied was “The Family Life of the Church Leader.” With God’s grace, we discovered that it is important for the entire family to manage our home well and to take pride in God’s work. In addition, we learnt to honour Christ as the head of our family and to live as God’s servants in our families.

Praise be to the Lord!  Every time we take part in a church event, we are progressively being shaped into the people we are today, equipping us to serve God with all our hearts and to be His obedient servants.

Sungai Apih Church- Ordination of Deacon

Thank and praise God for His guidance and grace. On  4th March 2023, the Sabah General Assembly conducted an ordination ceremony for a deacon at Sungai Apih Church, which coincided with the church’s spiritual convocation. Sungai Apih Church is located at 14.5 kilometers south to Tenom township in the Interior of Sabah. The ordained ministers of the Interior Zone, together with other preachers and deacons, assisted with the ordination ceremony.

The ordination ceremony was led by Deacon Refaya Insai and began with hymn 290 and prayer. Next, Trainee Preacher Masrianus Semon read from the Bible, and afterwards Preacher Lemuel Leong delivered a sermon. The essence of his sermon was to be a faithful and wise servant of God (Mt 24:45). Subsequently, Preacher Lemuel Leong performed the ordination. The anointed brother is Aljakilee Biou, from Sungai Apih Church. He was ordained as Deacon Enoch. The introduction session was led by Preacher Yeremia Sungkit. The ceremony concluded with hymn 289 and prayer.

The gospel was spread to this village in 1960. Through the steadfast faith of the congregation and continuous leadership based on the truth of God’s word, the church has been growing; hence, in 2022, the congregation decided to increase the number of deacons to shepherd the growing community of believers in the village. Thanks to the grace of God, the addition of divine workers for the local church can strengthen pastoral and evangelical efforts in the church and the surrounding area.

Matthew 9:37-38: “Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.’”

May the love, mercy, and peace of the Lord be with us all. Hallelujah, Amen.

Spiritual Cultivation Seminar for Sisters Fellowship

Thank God, on 1st May 2023, the Kota Kinabalu Subzone held a Spiritual Cultivation Seminar for Sisters Fellowship in Penampang Church. A total of 255 members attended the seminar.

After hymn singing and prayer led by Deacon Daniel Chin, the Fellowship Choir presented two hymns: “Christ Liveth in Me” and “The Hands that Could Not be Seen”. Then, Preacher James Yapp sermonized on the topic of “The Role of Sisters in the Bible”. The content highlighted the roles of sisters within the family, church and society. Firstly, a sister is to be a virtuous wife, a mother full of kindness, a good daughter-in-law and a good teacher. Within the family, the mother’s instruction is closely linked to the growth of her children. Within the church, sisters play important roles as good members, good co-workers and leaders. Lastly, being a good manager, a cheerful giver, and one who bears witness, are the roles that a sister shoulders in society. From these topics, we learned that sisters played vital roles within their family, the church, as well as in society.

Preacher Thomas Kam led a prayer before lunch time. After lunch, Sister Merilyn Kee demonstrated the making of soaps. At 2:00 p.m., Sister Wong Hung Hsiu and Sister Anne Lee shared their testimonies. Last but not least, the seminar ended with hymn singing and a concluding prayer led by Deacon Daniel Chin.

May the Lord continue to lead Penampang Church, Amen!