With the crossing of several major milestones as a nation in the past few years, Singapore is clearly shifting into a new spiritual season. Many of us believe God is doing a new thing right in this place we call Home.
Never before have I seen so many organic collaborations going on in all my years as a believer. What is even more heartening is that these collaborations are not merely instructions given top-down from lead pastors, but spontaneous initiatives by young people.
And rather than arising from a heart of rebellion, these movements are sparked from a desire and hunger to see God’s name lifted high wherever they are placed.
Take for example the Burning Hearts 1:11 Conference, where countless young people went forward to pray boldly for their generation.
Or the FOPx Praise & Worship Night, where everyone was willing to forgo their seats so that the queue outside could squeeze into the auditorium to worship as one Body in one place.
The spontaneous weekly worship sessions held at Lepark every Tuesday night have seen young people coming to Christ and even the most soft-spoken of individuals stepping out to share what is on their heart.
Earlier this year, we had Permission to Dream – a collaboration among the universities to unite in prayer for students to pursue their lost dreams once again.
This was followed by SYATP, short for “See You At The Pole”, a gathering of high school believers at their schools’ flag poles to pray for the school and the nation.
Then another revival meeting sprung up in the form of Campus Combined, a prayer session for students from all around Singapore to come together to pray for our schools.
I’m sure there are so many more out there that I have not yet heard of, but this is the bigger deal for me: These movements are not operating on their own. The leadership of each of these projects and movements are coming together, praying and supporting one other.
It has become increasingly evident that we have reached a point where we no longer see names, labels, organisations, denominations – we see the Kingdom. Our eyes are set on our Bridegroom.
More and more, young people are asking: How do we pray and fast? How do we reach our schools? How do we use what we have to preach the Gospel?
We understand that a shift has taken place in our nation, visibly among the young people. And if this is what God is doing, what should our response be as their leaders?
THE TIME IS NOW
In December last year, Ps Andrew Yeo was invited to speak at the Circuit Riders School at Los Angeles, California. It was at the one-week training school that he experienced something he’d never seen in Singapore: He learnt how the Circuit Riders had been moving around campuses in the U.S. and seeing tens of thousands students receiving Christ in the last 2 to 3 years.
The Circuit Riders movement started when young people were inspired and equipped to step up, step out, and through creative means, preach the gospel, simply because they wanted to see their friends and schools saved.
After witnessing what he calls an element of faith, Ps Andrew was having a team meeting with the staff and leadership of Circuit Riders, led by Andy Byrd and Bryan Brennt one afternoon when a synergy arose and they recognised the need to collaborate, even if it meant across nations.
They were stirred by the belief that nothing will change if our methods do not, gripped by the knowledge that souls are lost with each passing hour. Convinced by the immeasurable potential of media, coupled with a tech-savvy, revival-hungry generation, the team believed it was time to bring an initiative called 21project to Singapore.
Started in 2011 by Circuit Riders, 21project is a Youth Leadership Training School for youth leaders, young people who desire to make a difference and anyone who has a heart for the young. The week-long training programme reinforces in students a courage and dedication we can use to awaken our generation to the freedom and power of the Gospel.
Designed to raise up revivalists and soul winners who will reach their generation with the radical love of Jesus, 21project focusses on outreach through practical means – media, messenger, music, missions.
Furthermore, we see this as a useful platform to gather like-minded individuals from different churches across our nation together to collaborate and exchange dreams, ideas and vision. We truly believe that Circuit Riders has something significant to impart to us.
From 3-8 September 2017, Circuit Riders (USA) will be bringing their immersive leadership curriculum, 21project, to Singapore. By fostering collaboration and working on real projects with attendees from other youth ministries in Singapore and around Asia, 21project will broaden your perspectives and unlock ways to practically reach people and cultures to further His kingdom.
Sign up for 21project at www.21project.sg. You can also connect with them on Facebook, Instagram or [email protected].
