Uni-YA Ministry Recruitment Drive

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Mark 12:30

It is indeed a privilege for us to serve our Lord Jesus. Not that He needs our service for He is the creator of heaven and earth and everything in them. Rather God allows us to participate with Him in building His Kingdom together. God urges us to join Him in building the church together with all the skills, gifting and talents that He has first given freely to us. God has never withheld His blessings from us and it is good to bless Him back in service unto Him and His people, with thanksgiving and joy.

Would you volunteer today to serve the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength?

Read on for a list of ministries where you can volunteer your time and resources.

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1. Décor Specialist

Ministry Description:
Be part of a team who hopes to inspire the corporate worship experience through creative and artistic craft works. You will be challenged and expected to be resourceful and creative in coming up with designs and solutions that will communicate service themes and messages clearly with the congregation.

Requirement:
- Member
- Enjoys doing handicraft and has a good aesthetic sense
- Creative or desire to develop in your creativity
- Resourceful
- Willing to work on tight schedules

Estimated Time Involvement:
Project basis


2. MM (Production) Specialist

Ministry Description:
The MM Production Team is looking for volunteers who are keen to contribute their creative talents in MM production in the form of video-editing, photography, animations, filming, etc. The team is responsible for making productions that will form part of the visual and audio learning aids for our people as well as pre-believing friends in their discovering about God. The team shall also provide ad-hoc support to other service production teams during special services.

Requirement:
- Member
- Creative
- Has experience with MM productions such as video-editing, animation, photography and filming.
- Familiar with MM softwares & equipments.
- Keen on impacting lives through MM but has little experience with MM productions are also welcomed.
- Must be a keen learner and able to work as a team
- Willing to work on tight schedules

Estimated Time Involvement:
Project basis


3. Bulletin Writer/Editor

Ministry Description:
You will be part of a team to design, write and edit for our upcoming bulletin and newsletter. Your writing will include sharing and living lives as a community, announcements, publicity of events, testimonies, interviews, etc.

Requirement:
- Member
- Able to write in good English
- Proficient in microsoft office tools
- Proficient in Adobe Photoshop or keen to learn and apply
- Willing to work on tight schedules

Estimated Time Involvement:
Weekly (with rostering)


4. Team Hope Ushering

Ministry Description:
The Team Hope Ushering consist of a group dynamic and helpful young people. They greet visitors/believers to service with a firm handshake and a cheerful smile. Ushers are also expected to be thoughtful and understanding towards the needs of the visitors/believers in service. They also need to be resourceful and confident to respond promptly to situational needs. Besides that, they also assist in the preparation and serving of Holy Communion. This is what they do to translate a bright smile that brings joy and warmth to every visitor and believer entering the house of God!

Requirement:
Committed visitor or member
Willingness in serving others
Observant and enjoys helping people
Never serve in a ministry before and willing to play a part to serve God through simple acts of service

Estimated Time Involvement:
Weekly (with rostering)


5. MM (Live) Specialists

Ministry Description:
MM (Live) volunteers are responsible for supporting the core functions of the service: Multimedia support for Praise & Worship, Sermon and Announcements.

They are also to help people to be ushered into God’s presence and truth through the expert and creative use of audio-visual equipment and multimedia design for the duration of the service.

MM volunteers can be seen coordinating slide presentations and displays behind laptops and manning the cameras and projectors during the service. They help prepare visuals to support praise and worship and sermon times before the service. MM volunteers can expect to learn principles of design and colours, how to design slides, handle cameras, do service recordings, and run other service-related operations which would help create a total worship experience.

Requirement:
- Members
- Willing to learn
- Able to use cameras and projectors
- Basic knowledge in using Microsoft office applications or other MM softwares
- Alert and meticulous

Estimated Time Involvement:
Weekly (with rostering)


6. Sound Specialist

Ministry Description:
Sound volunteers are responsible for supporting the core functions of the service: Setup of sound equipment and instruments and Sound support for all segments of the service.

They are also to ensure sound support, so that Stage Ministers are able to communicate clearly to the audience and thus lead the congregation more confidently during the service.

Sound volunteers can be seen manning the mixer during the service, and are involved in setting up the speakers, laying cables and ensuring good quality sound for the duration of the service. Sound volunteers can expect to learn how the sound system works and how to lay, coil and sort cables. They would also be trained in the art of mixing good quality sound, problem-solving, and supporting the worship team so as to help create a total worship experience.

Requirement:
- Members
- Committed
- Willingness and humility in learning
- Sensitive in hearing
- Able to work well under stress

Estimated Time Involvement:
Weekly (with rostering)

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So How do I sign up?

1. You may fill in the response slip and drop it into the box at the back of HSR Auditorium before you leave the service for the next two weeks. Or,

2. Discuss with your pastoral leaders and pass the response slips to them. Or,

3. Email us directly @ uniya.ministryrecruitment@gmail.com providing the information below:

• Name
• Subdistrict/ Unit/ CG
• Member: Y / N
• Ministry of your interest
• HP:

Kindly note, you are encouraged to discuss with your pastoral leaders prior to signing up for the above ministries. We will contact you via email or through your pastoral leaders.

INTERNAL ANARCHY ?!?

– Fasting is the antidote to many evils

Body Parts Drama-Play

Tom Tummy said to Vince Vision, “I gotta have it again man. That Cajun chicken from Botak Jones’ is REALLY good. I could take down 3 portions.. Man, you gotta help me scout for it.”

Vince Vision was distracted running up and down a lady’s physique and did not reply Tom Tummy.

“Oi. U heard me?” Tummy screamed unceremoniously.

Vision’s reply was slurred and piece-meal “I don’t know about you, but I am totally chewing on eye candy.”

Meanwhile, Ernie Ears was taking it all in from a bunch of friends saying all the good things about him…..how he is sensitive, caring, adorable, sincere, able to listen well… totally smothering him about how perfect he is…

---------------------------------------THE END ---------------------------------------

This doesn’t happen in real life of course, and what you just read is about body parts turning bad and running amok. Imagine body parts taking over your body! Now, take a minute to digest that again.  It really isn’t too far-fetched to think that if we don’t manage our body parts, we will be ruled by them. Philippians 3:18-20 says “¹⁸For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. ²⁰But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ..”

Question: Are we ruled by our appetites? Are we focusing too much on earthly things?

Hopefully not, for if we are, we probably find life easy to live, with little resistance. We are at ‘peace’ with ourselves, complying with the wishes of our body. Then again, it may feel good yet totally wreck our lives if we were to live our lives giving in totally to our appetites. No! We won’t be ruled by our stomachs, our private parts, etc.. And we also won’t  be ruled by our appetites for “sweet things” (quoted from Hong Teck’s Sermon), our appetite for sleep, our appetite for sex, our appetite for love, security, affection, food, chatting online, L4D, TV, You-tubing,etc...

Our appetites need training. But often times, we drag our feet in disciplining ourselves to eat right, sleep right, live right.

What we need is to protest! Yes! Protest against yourself!

Well, it does sound weird. Of course it sounds weird. We need to get used to the idea that we are essentially waging war against the sinfulness of our body (See Romans 7:7-25).

But we are creatures of comfort, trained by the excesses of society to go with the flow of things and smother dead our conscience for change and training. Since we do know we need to change and train our appetites, why don't we. Simple, we think it's ok. It's alright.

 Here's some lies we need to deal with:-

Myth of Waiting for Change

Time will help, we will grow up. We’ll change, after a while. After all, time heals all wounds. Right. We are all creatures of habit. Supposedly, if we keep doing something and keep that pattern for 21 days, it becomes a part of our lives. So, there you have it. The truth of the matter is that appetites are nurtured, which means that WILL counts for more than simply waiting for divine transformation. Another deception comes in this form: “Whatever can’t kill you will make you stronger.” We are led to believe that bad things are good for us. Go figure.

Myth of Sincerity

The path to hell is paved with good intentions. You can’t take intentions to the bank. Even if you have good intentions but your girlfriend can’t see them…. You get the picture. It ain’t enough. Actions are proof of sincerity. Even God’s word doesn’t mince its words. Faith without deeds is dead. And by the way, we can lose that sincerity down the road too. And then it’ll be completely downhill.

Myth of Nuclear Bomb

Some of us believe in the dramatic. Or at least we hope for it. One ring to rule them all, one crushing victory that would send the enemy scurrying for cover. In my world, there is no such thing as once off victory. Battles are fought daily, hourly. The battlefield of the mind  (for guys) is always on. The battlefield of the heart (for the ladies) is also a place that needs to be wrestled back for God. We cannot rely on the illusion that one fine day, God will make it right in our lives. Or worse, that once we have conquered it, we are invincible and we would be able to conquer it anytime later on at will. The fact is God has given us the power to overcome, but we need to continually exercise that power by receiving from Him.

We need humility. An accurate and true assessment of our ability to manage our appetites. Knowing what has gone off-balance.

Our appetites aren’t evil. They just need direction and leadership from us. Imagine we totally conquer the appetite for sex. By the time we reach marriage, our spouses would flip!

So it starts now, we fast. We take responsibility over our lives by properly managing our God-given appetites. We draw near to God and we awaken and stir our spiritual appetite by fasting. We do a spiritual buffet and we want more. That’s the way to go; to be filled with His presence and His Word and increase our desire for good in our lives. Let this habit of fasting help us to weed out things in our lives that hinder us from God and from being a spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally right believer of Christ. We need to be upset enough with things that are wrong in our lives and in the lives of others to say “heck it with food, I’m going to God to work things out”.

I seriously think that we need to plan more hunger strikes (fasting) against evil desires and the lies in our brains. That’s for you and me, as an individual.

Now imagine if we take it to the next level…. Corporate hunger strikes (fasting) to protest at the gates of hell, demanding for the release of souls from hell into heaven, from bondage unto freedom…. Sounds like Isaiah 58 now doesn’t it. Now, that’s what I call fasting.

So, brother, sister, what are you going to fast about? :-)

Economics in the Kingdom of God

Recently some of the leaders have been discussing and mulling over this issue of being a productive, yet reflective disciple. It is in that vein that we discuss this many-faceted word:

Y I E L D.


In the olden times where agriculture occupies a lot of what people did and where people depended a lot on the extent of harvest at the end of a long season of hard work, watering, fertilizing and hoping, there is that special moment in which everyone is looking forward to: Harvest Day. That day brings with it an entire spectrum of emotions. Some welcome its coming with eager excitement, like a child looking to the dawn of the promise of a present-filled Christmas. Some worry about false dawns, anxious over the yield they would be getting in return for all their perseverance and their back-breaking labour in the fields. What if it was worse than last year? What if pests devour it just as they ripen? Wouldn't that be unfair?


We all worry at the prospect of not being productive in our Christian life. We carry with us the burden of wanting to be fruitful in God's eyes. Some carry this burden secretly. Some wear their emotions on their sleeves, almost allowing the burden to crush the joy of their salvation. Is that works in disguise? Do we really need to prove anything to God? Seriously, can we ever do anything to prove our worth to God anyway? This is not to say that we should discard the notion of productiveness in our life. His word exhorts us to possess certain godly qualities, so that "if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."


Some farmers cross their fingers, anticipating, waiting with baited breath as the results of their labour for the season unfolds in front of them. The modern equivalent comes in the form of these questions: Did the Word of God bear fruit in my life? Did I make it through the painful trial that God allowed me to go through? Or did I come up short again?


The bible speaks of the person whose heart is fertile and having good soil. It speaks of the abundance of produce that this heartland would produce -- thirty times, sixty times and a hundred times what was sown! In the eyes of the world, such a yield of crop is unimaginable. It would be tantamount to a miracle. But that IS the miracle that God does in our very lives, lives that are yielded wholly to Him. The economics of the kingdom is simple. There are no half-hearted investments. They don't work and never will. But where there are investments, there is incredible yield. Remember about the seed of faith that is ridiculously small (mustard seed) that moved a mountain many times its size? Remember about the 5 loaves and 2 fishes? Remember one life and person called John the baptist that lived his life fully for express purpose of 'preparing the way of the Lord'? Remember the Lord Himself who yielded His life in order to bring salvation to many? For from one man who died for us, all may receive salvation.


It's not easy to picture how it could look like, but in my humble experience, it's strangely painful joy. Oh the joy of knowing the change God will bring as you give up areas of your life to Him, so that he can be that farmer who would plant only the good things in your life. Many times, even as I struggle to give up rights and even lies I've lived with for many years, I realise I miss them. I miss the familiarity of knowing what I'm struggling with... the pain, the torture, the sameness can be strangely reassuring. But in my heart of hearts, I know I need to yield it all to Him. Because I trust Him, completely...


Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies to itself, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Its potential is found, and its power for impact and influence grows exponentially, becoming a blessing far beyond what it was originally capable of. Such is the economics in the kingdom. Yield to Him, the Lord of the Harvest, and you will experience harvest in your life like never before. Blessing, power, annointing and His presence in your life. What a yield we receive as we yield to Him. As we seek the Lord, I encourage all of us to remember one thing : Y I E L D.

Calling for NEW Uni-Ya Banner designs!!!

We need you!

If you have the passion and the skills to draw and design, why not do your part for our Uni-Ya Service? We need new designs for our new banners.

This is how you can do your part by following the details below:

1. Design requirements
   
   a. A total of 3 banners in the following sizes:
   i. 1no. of 5m x 1m
   ii. 2no. of 1.6m x 0.8m
   
   b. The 5m x 1m banner will bear the Uni-Ya Service Vision Statement.
   “To build Credible and Courageous young adults making and living out biblical decisions committed to fulfilling the Great Commission.”
   
   c. The 1.6m x 0.8m pull-up banners must bear the words “Welcome to UNI-YA Service”.
   
   d. The designs for all 3 banners preferably follow a similar theme.
   
   
2. Submission details
   
   a. File specification: 50% of Actual size, 140dpi, cmyk color and save in JPEG file
   
   b. Name your artwork in the following format: ___
   Eg. JanOng_YG_C1_5x1, JanOng_YG_C1_16x08A, JanOng_YG_C1_16x08B
   (Please indicate clearly your banner size (see bolded))
   
   c. Send your files to godismybanner@gmail.com
   
   d. If your file size is too large, you may upload to www.yousendit.com and submit the URL for download to the abovementioned email address.
   
   e. You are reminded to save your original artwork in photoshop format for easy editing if required.
   
   
3. Closing date for submission is 27 February 2010!

Send Us Your Entries Now!

STM Cambodia group photos taken at the airport:

(The goers and the senders..with Benaiah taking the shot)


(Serene, Weiling and Joyce with the YG supporters)



-- Photos courtesy of Justin Choo --

happy berthday Uni-YA!

Hi all who played your part in making the event a successful one last saturday...from the planning team to the frontline programmes to the most background work and all, to every audience on the floor, thank you so much =) it was an amazing night of celebration & get-together for the entire uni-ya group, with thanksgiving and appreciation unto God and each other..I believe everyone enjoyed the time very much, that of course including myself.. =)

more than just the day itself or a few hours of celebration, I'm thankful that God brought us to so far..looking back at a year ago, rather, 1.5yrs back..how the leadership team came together...how we seeked God to go ahead with the vision..to the real test of faith as we embark on the service..to execution of the service & our own ESS productions...to the perserverance of the vision as we serve by the grace of God just as we always have been (even though there may be times we are in lack & feeling so weak & inexperienced)..to seeing growth in many aspects of all the different pastoral groups as we walk with God...& here we are! =) not that we've been able to do these by ourselves, definitely not without the presence & reality of God...not that we are "there" yet too (or so we shall ever be near perfection), but the entire journey of growing together has made us stronger in the process.

thank God for every single one of you for pouring forth your life to God..for giving so much, for loving Man, for serving and following God. We've still got a long long way to go..just as we move forward, let's continue keeping in step with the Spirit, contending for the faith and expecting in hope..we shall grow from strength to strength with God!

love,
huili

STM to Cambodia!

On the morning of 3rd January 2010, we sent off some of our dear brothers and sisters to Cambodia for a Short Term Missions trip. They will be our first mission team in this new year with many more to follow.

(From left, the Missions Team: Guan Rui, Calyn, Wei Ling, Joyce, Serene, Timothy)

Many bros and sis from NYC, NUS and YG arrived at the airport very early to bless the Team with our prayers and wishes. A few pple (I shall not mention names.. hee..) din go home but stayed at airport after the anniversary celebration. Despite of the lack of sleep, everyone was so excited. Taking pictures after pictures.. hmm..for a moment, I felt as if the anniversary celebration the night before had not ended! ! LOL!

I am touched by the Team's desire to want to live out the Great Commission in their lives. Reminded me of the vision of our congregation to build credible and courageous young adults! The amount of work they have to do at Cambodian and the preparation was really a massive project. Numerous workshops (at least 6-10), teachings and sharings as well as conducting an outreach service to about 100 youths. All these to be conducted in just 6 days. (seems like a mini church camp to me but it's by a team of just 6 pple) Sounds crazy. Yeah for the past few weeks, they really had a tough time preparing for it, at the same time to oversee the pastoral needs in their respective groups. Many have been stretched and fallen sick. However God blessed them and they managed to complete most of their preparation on time.

In case you have not known, the team has set up a blog (http://for-god-so-loved-cambodians.blogspot.com/) to share with us all their experiences and reflections first hand while they are on the missions ground. There are updates of prayer requests by them on the blog as well. Please visit the site and keep them in your prayers. May the spirit of God empower and protect them. Through them, may God's love touch the Cambodian youths and changed their lives.

God bless the Team (Joyce, Weiling, Serene, Calyn, Timothy and Guan Rui) and Cambodia!