Now that the pandemic is behind us, what can we expect? I’d caution you not to be too optimistic. One of the pictures Jesus used to describe the last days was a woman in labour. Just before the baby pops out, two things will happen. The contractions will become more intense, and the intervals would be shorter. And this is exactly what’s been happening. 

2022 saw the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and a missile that hit Poland in November 2022 could have sparked another European war. We’re now witnessing the birth pangs of the nations and, as we approach the finalé, it’ll only get more intense and the contractions will be more rapid. 

Let’s get used to it. The world’s trajectory is going downhill. Wars, rumours of wars, famines, massive earthquakes, tsunamis, pestilences, severe climate changes – that’s the new normal, and we’ve to be prepared even more for 2023. So brace yourself for more. It’s not going to get better – but worse.

Above all, we must pray. APCCS was started as a company of churches who desire to honour and make room for the Holy Spirit in our churches. We must move ahead in unity despite the repeal of 377A.

Let us be reminded that repealing 377A is only a setback. And a setback is a setup for a comeback. Will God find a company of people who will cry out to Him for His plans and purposes to stand?

May the Lord bless you.

Rev Yang Tuck Yoong

APCCS Chairman

Ps Lim Lip Yong There are a few things I see happening in the church in Singapore that augurs well for us: –

Firstly, a new generation of passionate pastors, Christian leaders speaking and working on justice issues that has not been seen before. Secondly, greater efforts to bring about unity and genuine fellowship among local pastors.

I believe these are indicators that show us that God is working and we are responding. As we contend for the retention of S377A, we must also be able to see beyond this. We must see the need to mobilize to evangelize, to disciple, to meet social needs, and to fight for justice issues. 

The Scriptures in Judges 3:1-2 tells us that God left enemies in the land so that the next generation would learn to fight. This implies that things will never be perfect, and it is important that every generation learns to contend for righteousness and the issues of their days. Securing revival, hence, remains all the more urgent.

The practical aspect of sustaining a revival entails preparing resources. It may look different from church to church, but the essentials could mean… discipleship materials, funds to secure space for people to meet, even a functioning database to record new believer names.

In a post-pandemic world where large gatherings may not be possible, homes may need to be prepared.

Rev Naomi shared her experience many years ago when she, as Senior Pastor of Trinity Christian Centre, oversaw the run of the drama Heaven’s Gates, Hell’s flames.

The team felt that God was ready to bring in a harvest of 5,000 salvations through the play.

“We had to put money in advance because we believed that God was going to do something,” she said. That entailed borrowing enough computers to record the decisions, designing and printing new believer packs, among other logistical expenditures.

While the initial response to the first few evenings of the drama seemed discouraging, the team sensed God moving after a breakthrough on the third or fourth evening and pushed ahead.

By the time the drama wrapped up after several weeks, close to 5,000 decisions for salvation had indeed been recorded. Trinity couldn’t handle all the new believers, and they were sent to other churches near their homes to be cared for and discipled.

The Charismatic Renewal in Singapore started with groups of people seeking God.

“The revival wasn’t hitting every church first. It started with people who weren’t just praying… but were really hungry for God. So when they heard something happening in this place – it could be a meeting just in the garden of a house… People went there and they would be touched by the power of God,” said Rev Naomi.

She recounted a time when people would stream in and out of an available person’s home in the Central Business District. People would grab their lunch (homecooked bee hoon in the host’s home) and sit to hear the Word of God preached.

Rev Naomi continued, “(Today), we are going through motions. We put a lot of effort into prayer, but we need that hunger that drives us, to say I want it (revival).”

Organise who does what – Minimally, besides the prayer team, there should be a a) prayer team leader or chairing person b) a team member to help with the administrative details of letting people in from waiting room, taking care of any screen shares, assigning breakout rooms etc.

Decide what materials you’ll need – Is there going to be an explanatory slide for participants to view when they’re in the Main Lobby? Is there going to be music as participants wait in the main zoom lobby? Are there other online follow up forms that you’ll need them to fill?

Pre-assign the prayer team members 2 or 3 people (rather than just 1 person) to a breakout room for accountability purposes.

Debrief – After ministering to participants, prayer team members can return to the main Zoom lobby for a debrief with the team leader or chairing person. It’s also a good practice to have brief notes from each prayer team member about who and what was being prayed for. Again this is for accountability, but even more importantly, for follow up purposes so that people can receive the care they need (if needed) after that single session of prayer. This can be done via email or an online document sharing system e.g. Google Drive, Microsoft One note, Dropbox etc.

If you do not have a switcher, I would recommend the Blackmagic ATEM Mini Pro. Given the price, it is the most affordable video switcher in its class.

The machine has enough functionality to handle a decent livestream, or even recording. It even has DSK (downstream key) abilities so that you can have lyrics in the lower thirds, making it look very professional. And at a price tag of $900+, it is super worth the investment.