Never had I been surrounded by a group of young people this on fire for God!

It wasn’t just a fire of human zeal. It was a fire from the Holy Spirit overflowing in the hearts of each and every person who was there.

These youths and young adults were like blazing torches, carrying the flames of God’s revival.

Though they were total strangers whom I had met for the first time that day, their fire was contagious and I could feel it setting my entire being ablaze with a renewed passion for God and His Kingdom work. 

Just who were these people and how did I meet them?

Most of them are in their twenties, young leaders from different churches and ministries, who had been invited to a Movement Day Next-Gen dinner gathering hosted by Timothy Wong.

Timothy is the son of the late Canon James Wong, a spiritual giant who played an instrumental role in the Charismatic Renewal of Singapore in the late 1970s.

“You can’t let it die down, you have to carry the flame,” urged Timothy over dinner, who constantly emphasised the importance of building upon our forefathers’ foundation to carry on God’s work.

This burden for the next generation to “move forward” for the Gospel, taking on the baton passed from the previous generation, was how Timothy knew he had to anchor and start Movement Day Singapore.

Movement Day and ONE:UnConference 

Simply put, Movement Day Singapore is our city’s “expression” of the Lausanne Movement, which aims to connect influencers and ideas for global mission.

According to Movement Day Singapore’s website, its mission is “to unite the whole body of Christ in taking the whole gospel to the whole city, so that we may see a movement of the gospel that brings about a lasting transformation in Singapore”.

Timothy shared that Movement Day Singapore is focused on the generation that is in their twenties.

The goal is activate this generation to take the movement of the Gospel forward for Singapore and the nations.

To that end, Movement Day Singapore will be hosting ONE: UnConference on June 4.

Leaders in the city will come together in one accord to pray and collectively discern what the Spirit of God is saying to His church.

It is an opportunity to understand how God is moving, and to partner Him in His kingdom work.

It all begins from being willing vessels that God can use; fledgling gospel initiatives will be birthed that might well grow into movements!

Who should join and how?

This event is open to leaders who are deeply invested in what God is doing in Singapore, and who have some sort of stake in it, whether they’re from churches, the marketplace or non-profit organisations.

Participants don’t need to prepare anything beforehand, except to come with prepared hearts, open and ready to discern how God is moving in Singapore.

Timothy shared that when God speaks, our job is to listen and align ourselves accordingly in whichever role He would have us play in the advancement of the Gospel.

That is how Singapore will rise up as the Antioch of Asia.

This event is open to leaders who are deeply invested in what God is doing in Singapore, and who have some sort of stake in it.

As we were worshipping and praying together during an earlier Movement Day gathering on May 10, the Lord gave me a picture.

It was as though we were standing in the middle of the Jordan river, in the process of crossing it.

The word that was strongly impressed upon my heart was “get ready”.  

“We are at the cusp of a new 40-year cycle,” declared Timothy. “And if you guys are the ones who are in the best position to start the movement, it means this is your decade.”

What he said deeply resonated with what God had revealed to me.

I was reminded that 40 years after the Israelites’ last major breakthrough (crossing the Red Sea), the next generation of Israelites had their own season of breakthrough in crossing the Jordan River. 

I believe that just as the baton was passed from Moses to Joshua, the next generation must rise up and take ownership of the responsibilities God has entrusted us with.

May our generation cross over from spiritual wildernesses into the Promised Land of spiritual breakthrough! 

At the dinner gathering, Su Ziling, a 25-year-old next-gen leader from Charis Tabernacle Church and Missions, shared something that stirred my heart.

“I feel that each one of us holds a very important puzzle piece in this whole thing that God is trying to catalyse us into,” she said. “But every one of us has to take ownership of the piece we hold to fit it into the picture.

“We are no longer in an era of just one person being the champion for God — He is mobilising an entire generation to demonstrate His glory.

“It takes each one of us to have that humility to know that it’s not about us, but about us partnering with Him, collaborating with one another to finish up a very beautiful masterpiece that He has entrusted to this generation.”

I really couldn’t have said it better. As Ziling beautifully phrased it, each and every one of us has a role to play in God’s bigger picture for Singapore.

Everyone is somewhere for a reason – it is not by chance or by accident that we are in a particular place.

It reminded me of a verse from the biblical story of Queen Esther: “… And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14).

Just like Queen Esther who was placed in a position of influence as part of God’s plan to save His people, we likewise are here for such a time as this – to play our parts in His Great Commission.

If God has placed you in a position of leadership, will you steward your influence well for His glory?

What’s next?

ONE:UnConference will take place on Saturday, 4 June 2022, from 9am-5pm at Church of the Good Shepherd.

If you are a fresh graduate or student with prior leadership experience in any type of ministry or Kingdom project, and feel the Spirit compelling you to step forward and be a part of this movement, you are strongly encouraged to write into [email protected] to get connected and receive registration details.

There will also be a pre-event prayer meeting on Sunday, 29 May 2022, from 7-9pm also held at Church of the Good Shepherd. While the ONE:UnConference is invite only (send the organisers an email first!) this pre-event prayer meeting is open to all.

Let us as the next generation rise up to partner with the Lord in doing His Kingdom work!