Discipleship

Jesus spoke the following words found in Matthew 28:19-20, known as the “Great Commission” -

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

To actualize this important work in our community, the Personal Ministries department in the Sydney Chinese SDA Church is formed by two separate but complementary sub-departments: Out-reach aiming to reach out and share the Good News with non-church members at large, whereas In-reach focuses on empowering church members to become willing, caring and loving Christian disciples.

There are a number of initiatives to meet these goals of the In-Reach Department:

Care Groups – Small groups meeting regularly in homes as a caring environment for spiritual growth and life change for everybody.

New Testament churches began with people gathering in each other's home and our church has been actively promoting the concept of small groups since its inception.

Jesus said in Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them”. Hence our small groups aims to have Christ Attitude Reflect in Everybody (CARE Group)

CARE Group is where individuals (Christians and Non-Christians) gather together regularly on a week night to dine, praise, pray and care for each other. This is done in conjunction with a Christ centered and practical scripture study catered for the group.

We pray that participating in a CARE group would become an integral part of everybody's Christian walk!

Caring – To be accountable for each other in relationship and fellowship. We conduct home visitation, prayer groups, one-on-one counseling, birthday celebrations etc.

Training – The following activities mobilize and inspire church members to effectively use our gifts to serve God and our neighbors:

    a) FAST – Discipleship course to train Christian to become a worker for Christ.

Jesus said in Matthew 28:19-20 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

At Galilee, Jesus had not only instructed us to spread the good news in the Great Commission, but also make disciples teaching people to observe His commandments.

To this day, this is still God's plan to find faithful servants to reap the plentiful harvest. For this course, there is a need to train workers for Christ.

FAST (Faithful Available Spiritual Teachable) is a programme that has been adopted by Adventist communities worldwide, designed to equip baptised members to memorize scripture effectively, apply it practically in everyday Christian life and learn to pass God's word to their peers.

    b) INSPIRE – Annual event from the Greater Sydney Conference to revive, grow, train and inspire all church members to create and connect a community

Inspire is an annual event organised by the Greater Sydney Conference aiming to revive, grow, train and inspire us on creating and connecting a community.

It is run as a combination of workshops, presentations, and worship services from kindergarten children to elderly folks. During the weekend, there are opportunities where church members from all around Sydney can catch up and mingle, as well as for individuals to enjoy the retreat style in the country side to reconnect with God.

Inspire is truly an inspiring event. On behalf of the Sydney Chinese SDA Church, we wish to extend our invitation to all church members to join us in Inspire 2020!

    c) Reframed – A Greater Sydney Conference run seminar series aiming to teach its members to preach, share and give bible studies. Not to be missed!

The Sydney Chinese SDA Church is a strong advocate for promoting training opportunities available to our members.

In its 3rd year running, Reframe is a series of seminar organised by the Greater Sydney Conference held over the week nights spanning over 8 weeks, where members from sister churches around Sydney gather together to learn to teach, preach and give bible studies.

Drawing on experience of some of experienced / qualified communicators and practioners, the Reframe experience would allow the attendees to study the bible with new eyes, present it with authority and sharing it with impact.

    d) AYC – Designed for Youths with a passion or thinking how to respond to Jesus’s Great Commission. The Adventist Youth for Christ is a movement, aiming to ignite the Fire for Christ in their heart, preparing hearts, train and equip young people to Rise and Build.

    e) Seminar – Periodic sessions with different topics conducted by qualified / experienced speakers on the Bible and its teachings.