Winter Newsletter 2023 – SparkLit

Pray for those who persecute you

Katy — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 01:52:17 +0000

“My father taught me to read and obey the word of God. He also set a good example. He loved and served the Lord Jesus with his time, money, knowledge and music. He was gentle and brave. I want to be like him.”

Thoun Poch seeks to serve rather than be served.

In the middle of the night I got up and went outside to go to the toilet. I saw my father under the mango tree weeping and crying out to God. As I watched him, I felt hot tears run down my cheeks. I was eight years old.

Because my father was a Christian, our relatives and neighbours made his life unbearable. They stole our animals and violated the boundaries of our rice fields.

God is our refuge

We are a family of fighters. My grandfather and great grandfather were soldiers and martial arts fanatics. My father was big and strong and owned a gun but he chose not to repay evil with evil. He was gentle and brave. He loved and served God with his time, money, knowledge and music. He taught me to trust and obey the Lord Jesus. I wanted to be like him. I decided to follow Jesus.

At university I completed a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in public administration. To become a commune clerk I had to sit an exam. I came fourth in my cohort. In Battambang province there are 103 communes. In my commune there are seven villages. At first, because I was a Christian, I was ridiculed by my peers and disrespected by the villagers, but now people appreciate that I don’t get drunk or accept bribes. A nearby cafe is my second home. This is where I meet with people and listen to their stories.

Bless those who curse you

Each morning on the way to work, I watch the staff of the private hospital burn incense and pray for people to become sick or be injured in an accident. When I arrive at my office I weep and cry out to God. I pray for the safety, health and prosperity of my staff and community. God answers my prayers: last year my commune produced more rice than any other commune in Battambang province. Above all, I pray for peaceful and harmonious marriages so I don’t have to fill out divorce papers.

To pay my daughter’s university fees, every day I teach English for six hours: two hours before breakfast, two hours during siesta and two hours after work. I have 100 students.

Let us proclaim the goodness of our God

I read books to relax and feed my mind. If I do not read, how can I teach? I love to study history. The gospel was first proclaimed in our district 100 years ago. To celebrate God’s goodness, I wrote a history of our church. For ten years I conducted research, interviewed people and collected stories. My book was published as part of our centenary festivities. I am currently writing a history of Battambang province and a history of the church in Cambodia.

Please pray that God will give me wisdom, patience, humility and a love for the people I serve.

Thoun Poch is a commune clerk and secretary of the Chhkekoun Baptist Church. He attends Fount of Wisdom writers’ workshops.

$30k will enable Christian publisher Fount of Wisdom in Phnom Penh to publish 12 books written in Khmer by local Christians.

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How will they preach unless they are sent?

Katy — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 03:49:00 +0000

You can help students like Yusuf Kurniawan disciple believers of all ages.

Shalom! My name is Yusuf Kurniawan. I was born in a Christian family and grew up in a house church. At the age of 18, I was called to be a servant of God to a younger generation whose lives are far from God.

I have been active in various churches and youth ministries but during the pandemic I was forced to do everything from home. This is what the pandemic taught me:

Prayer is indispensable

During the pandemic, young people experienced new problems and needed prayer. Some were sick because of Covid, some lost their jobs and some faced difficult family dynamics. Many lost direction and became depressed. Prayer became urgent. As I prayed together with young people, I helped them realise that they were not alone. I taught them to be honest and open with God and express even their darkest thoughts and feelings. This enabled us to draw near to God in prayer. I continue to pray with young people. During the pandemic I prayed with them via Zoom but now I can visit them in their homes.

Training is crucial

Before the pandemic I was very busy ministering at church and teaching at school. During the pandemic I couldn’t do any of those things. Instead, I was able to meet regularly via Zoom with small groups of people who shared similar burdens. I prepared study modules to address their needs and concerns. These modules have since been used in various churches to train and disciple young people.

Reading books like Issues Facing Christians Today (John Stott), The Mission of God’s People: A Biblical Theology of the Church’s Mission (Christopher J Wright), and The Complete Book of Discipleship: On Being and Making Followers of Christ (Bill Hull) helped me understand that discipleship needs to be holistic and transformative. We need to encourage each other to make Jesus Lord of every aspect of our life and allow the Holy Spirit to change us and use us to influence our surroundings. Our society and environment are under severe stress. I want to help young people understand their responsibility to care for their environment and community.

Get set, go!

This discipleship ministry helped me realise how young people form part of the priesthood of believers. In his mission, God involves people of all backgrounds and ages. When they appreciate this, young Christians grow and mature. Whatever they do, with a strong theology of creation and work they can understand how their own work is part of God’s mission and an opportunity to present a taste of God’s kingdom.

Please pray that I will continue to learn to feel for God’s people and lead them as a fellow servant of our Lord and Saviour.

Yusuf Kurniawan is studying for a master’s degree in theology at a regional Bible college.

$4k will provide a regional Bible college library with new titles for their digital collection.

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Books are good teachers

Katy — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 00:09:20 +0000

You can help Bible college principal Alpha Lugoley prepare leaders to faithfully serve a growing church.

When I was a secondary student, I sang in the school choir. One afternoon in 1997, we were invited to perform at an open-air meeting. As I listened to the preacher, I felt a change within me. The call to repent rang inside me. I gave my life to Jesus from that day onward.

I wanted a deeper understanding of the word of God so I could serve him better. After finishing secondary school, I decided to study theology. While studying for a diploma of theology, I read the words of Jesus in Matthew 28: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

I wanted to share what I had gained so that others could know God. I became a deacon in 2003 and a priest in 2004. I continued to study and at St John’s University I earned my Bachelor of Theology in 2013 and my Master of Theology in 2017.

From reading books, I learn good ideas and arguments, and many hidden things. Books have shaped my understanding of theology. Books help me solve questions students ask, and they help me interact with people of different faiths.

I want to shape the character and attitude of my students so that they will trust God in difficult circumstances. I encourage my students to read because books enable them to think critically about theology and the world, and apply the word of God in our context and situation. Reading will help them polish their understanding so they can preach clearly what they believe and avoid heresy. Books are good teachers: they keep information and do not forget.

SparkLit has supplied my college’s library with a wide range of titles. SparkLit also provides graduating students with books. They will take these books with them into their ministry. By providing books you enable our graduates to fulfil God’s good purpose in their ministry and spread the gospel.

Revd Canon Alpha Lugoley is the principal of Bunda Bible College in the Anglican Diocese of Mara, Tanzania.

$80 will provide a Bunda Bible College graduate with a personal theological and pastoral library.

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