Healthy church must stand on evangelism, discipleship, says church leader
SIBU (July 20): A healthy church must grow on two pillars, namely evangelism and discipleship, said Methodist Church Sarawak Chinese Annual Conference (SCAC) president Reverend Lau Hui Ming.
When speaking at the opening ceremony of the 11th Youth Leadership Conference of the World Federation of Chinese Methodist Churches here on Friday night, he reminded the young participants that discipleship was not solely about attending church events or learning doctrines but also about walking closely with others on their journey to become more like Jesus Christ.
'We often hear about the importance of preaching the Gospel, but the Bible also calls us to discipleship and not the easy kind – it is disciplined, intentional and requires sacrifice,' he said.
Lau said only a spiritually mature community shaped by love, sacrifice and a deep relationship with God could build a strong and thriving church.
He thus encouraged the young people to reflect deeply on what it meant to be part of a healthy church over the course of the conference.
'Jesus said if anyone wanted to follow Him, they must deny themselves and take up their cross daily – not when it's convenient, not only during big events, but every single day no matter how you feel.'
He said that many often mistook discipleship as just attending Bible studies or church programmes.
'Discipleship is more than knowledge, it's about people. It's about relationships.
'You have to know someone to walk alongside them in their faith.
'That's where true discipleship begins.
'There are four Gospels in the Bible: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
'But many of your non-believing friends, neighbours, and relatives may never read those. Instead, they read you.
'You are the 'Fifth Gospel'. How you live your life, how you know Jesus, how you treat others – that is the Gospel people see every day. If people can see our lives and be inspired to glorify God, then we become a bridge that leads others to Christ.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Herald Malaysia
11 hours ago
- Herald Malaysia
Pope encourages Pax Christi to continue to promote nonviolence
Pope encourages Pax Christi to continue to promote nonviolence In a message to participants in Pax Christi USA's annual National Assembly, Pope Leo says 'efforts to promote nonviolence are all the more necessary' in a world facing the challenges including war, division, and forced migration. Jul 27, 2025 Pope Leo (file photo) By Christopher Wells 'In the midst of the many challenges facing our world at this time, including widespread armed conflict, division among peoples, and the challenges of forced migration, efforts to promote nonviolence are all the more necessary,' says Pope Leo XIV in a message to the National Assembly of Pax Christi USA. The US branch of the international Catholic peace movement is meeting in Detroit, Michigan, this weekend (25-27 July) for a conference focused on 'Reclaiming the power of nonviolence in a broken world'. In his message, which was read to participants during opening ceremonies on Friday night, Pope Leo invited participants to recall that 'after the violence of the Crucifixion, the Risen Christ's first words to the Apostles offered peace,' a peace that is 'unarmed and disarming, humble and persevering'. Jesus, he continued, 'continues to send His followers into the world to become creators of peace in their daily lives'. Therefore 'it is all the more important for a Church capable of reconciliation to be present and visible' in parishes, neighbourhoods, and especially on the peripheries of society. Pope Leo expressed his hope that the National Conference would inspire members of Pax Christi USA to work to make their local communities ''houses of peace' where one learns how to defuse hostility through dialogue, where justice is practiced and forgiveness is cherished'. By doing so, he said, 'you will enable many more people to embrace Saint Paul's invitation to live at peace with their brothers and sisters'. The Holy Father concluded his Message by entrusting the Assembly to the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church and imparting his Apostolic Blessing to participants.--Vatican News
Borneo Post
16 hours ago
- Borneo Post
Miri conference highlights urgent need to preserve indigenous languages
Williams hit the gong to kick off the Borneo Indigenous Linguistic Conference 2025 in Miri. MIRI (July 27): Indigenous languages should be celebrated for their richness and diversity, as they play a vital role in shaping the cultural identities, heritage and knowledge systems of the indigenous people. In stressing this, Malaysia Evangelical Theological Seminary (METS) Miri Campus chairman Philip Ngo hailed these languages as beyond being merely means of communications, as they also stood as living testaments to the history, traditions and ancestral wisdom of communities. According to him, in Sarawak alone, there are 27 native ethnic groups, each with its own distinct tongue. 'Unfortunately for some of these tribes, their languages are in danger of being forgotten or even being lost,' he said in his opening address at the Borneo Indigenous Linguistic Conference 2025, held at a hotel here yesterday. Adding on, Ngo regarded this conference as being in line with the goal of the United Nations International Decades of Indigenous Languages (UNIDIL), declared in 2022 and on-going until 2032. 'The purpose of the conference is to create a platform meant to celebrate indigenous languages of Borneo, the literature, and the traditional songs. 'At the same time, it provides a forum to raise awareness of the current status of the languages. 'We hope to also ignite a wave of cultural resurgence with the inaugural launches of indigenous dictionaries, the Bible translation, children's books, as well as songs to nurture and revitalising the languages for generations to come. 'The conference also aims to promote awareness within Sarawak, especially the indigenous communities, of the importance of safeguarding and revitalising indigenous languages, in alignment with the UNIDIL 2022-2032,' he elaborated. Among the keynote speakers of the conference was Dr Lorna Wanosts'a7 Williams, who is the Associate Professor Emeritus of Indigenous Education – Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Victoria in Canada. Ngo said Williams' presence at the conference offered a unique opportunity for the participants to learn more about indigenous communities in Canada, as well as the advanced processes of language protection and revitalisation being undertaken at University of Victoria. In her sharing-session, Williams talked about the revitalisation of indigenous languages and also the UNIDIL. There were other speakers as well: Dr Jeannet Stephen who presented 'Bridging Worlds: Borneo Voices in Global Conversation'; Dr Roselind Wan who discussed 'Language Documentation in Practice: A case study of the Kayan language'; Ricky Yakub Ganang who spoke about 'The Lun Dayeh Language Dictionary'; Elya Bit who delivered the report on 'Compiling the Tring Dictionary'; Mutang Urud and Agan Uru who jointly talked about 'Kelabit Language in Transition and Bridging Generations: The Digital Kelabit Lexicon'; and Komeok Joe Tungang who gave a presentation on 'Penan: Oral History & Pre-School'. Borneo Indigenous Linguistic Conference lead miri native languages
Herald Malaysia
a day ago
- Herald Malaysia
Letter from Gaza: The last word is for life and peace
L'Osservatore Romano's young contributor who was wounded in the Israeli attack on the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza, shares his recollection of the raid and the beginning, for him, of a path of recovery. He affirms that even in the face of violence and despair, the final word belongs not to war, but to life and peace. Jul 26, 2025 Displaced Palestinians flee Beit Lahia, north of Gaza City (AFP or licensors) By Suhail Abu DawoodHello everyone! I'm happy to be back with another article. Today is the 656th day of war, suffering, and death in our beloved Gaza Strip. Thursday, 24 July, marked exactly one week since I was injured while I walked to the Father's house inside our church compound... It was 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, 17, for my lesson on spirituality. The bomb was so strong I couldn't protect myself from the fragments, so sadly, I was injured on my lower back. The fragment damaged my right leg and caused some serious injuries inside my stomach and abdomen. I felt an excruciating pain and dropped to the floor, face down, and I started bleeding heavily. Thank be to God, Father Gabriel and Father Iusuf saw that I was injured, so they called the ambulance to take me. Father Gabriel kneeled on the floor and held my head ( He has problems in his knees ), and Father Carlos was also with us as we prayed: O Lord Jesus, help us! O Holy Virgin Mary… Thanks to God, they managed to take me to the Al-Ahly Hospital 10 minutes after I was injured. The situation there was something I couldn't describe; it was so awful. They put me in an emergency tent on the floor, and my mother, my father, my aunt, and Father Carlos stayed with me all the time. Never in my life had I felt such pain and suffering. After so many days and months, I was wounded because of the war, and instead of bringing the news of the war to you, I was the news. I will not forget what the Fathers told me when the pain was intolerable. They said to me: Remember the Calvary! Jesus was there, on the cross, suffering and dying, and you too put all your sufferings and pain on the Cross. Finally, after 2 hours of waiting, at noon, I was taken into Surgery to be operated on. Many fragments inside my abdomen caused infections. The surgery took about 5 hours, and I woke up at 7:00 pm. Many people came to visit me: my family, parishioners, and, of course, our Fathers. I was totally out of focus. My injury isn't the end of writing, but it's the beginning of a new, empty page. As always, the last word isn't for death and war, but for life and peace. Because peace is stronger than war… To be continued.... --Vatican News
