Christmas and New Year Wishes - A Reflection of the Year That Was

By Jack Chui

Each year I receive a Christmas card from a former cell group friend where her tradition is to write a reflection of the year that was on Christmas day and send it to all her friends. I have been a privileged recipient of her cards for several years now and she has inspired me to do something similar - hence this post. I have given few if any gifts to people this Christmas and I hope the following will be gift enough to everyone who has been a part of year/life. It is the gift of Jesus that I really want to give to all and maybe while I'm writing this, it will come through although I won't be writing about it explicitly.

The year of 2013 for me could be summed up as one of amazement and great blessing. If you look back at all my previous posts in the year its not too hard to see the highs and the lows of my journey as a leader in ministry this year. Through it all, God has provided me with enough just when it was required.

We tried new doing new things for the Friends of Refugees outreach. Early in the year we piloted English classes and employment searching services but after one week the refugees didn't come back. We also invited them to a BBQ at the Church and while we prepared a lot of food, they didn't turn up. Such is the nature of the ministry some times. However, where we might have failed in understanding them or where God did not give us a way through there were other things where God gave us a way.

We continued with our monthly visits to the Detention Centre and the released refugees in their homes, but undoubtedly the most wonder came from the Moving Days. All we had done before were simple tasks which involved volunteers, cars and communication, but Moving Day was a big logistics operation the like I had ever been involved in let alone organised. We started with nothing and just came away amazed at how the Holy Spirit drew volunteers, donations, trucks (Man With A Van) and just a way to bring furniture from those who didn't need it, to those with none.

Emmaus Cell Group was my support through the first half of 2013 and the group was growing slowly from strength to strength. Sadly, from such a high, I decided to leave Emmaus halfway through the year so that I could concentrate more on STAY the young adults ministry. From what I've heard, Emmaus Cell Group (which is a parish cell group) have adapted well to their new leaders and I pray that Emmaus Cell group will only become stronger.

Halfway through 2013 I was facing an ultimatum of whether to continue leading STAY or just giving it up with the other leader Jean heading to Singapore. STAY had few if any consistent people coming for cell group on Sundays after morning mass and it was lonely leading a group that mainly consistent of just me... But at the last moment just when we needed it, God came through and brought a few people along with more fire than me. If you read the last few posts, you can read how STAY has amazingly turned around from next to nothing and become a wonderful group/community which has also driven the growth of Friends of Refugees and Firebrandz (STAY's P&W partner).

A lot of STAY's growth has come through a new ministry called Firebrandz. Firebrandz is an overseas group which brings God to young people through music. Aaron had come from India to start up this branch in Melbourne and was a keen but unknown supporter of STAY. With a little help from STAY, Firebrandz has hosted 4 Worship nights, a healing mass and a retreat with great turn outs. the people attending these were also encouraged to come to STAY cell groups on Tuesday evenings. While the ministry is run predominantly by Aaron, I believe God through the people being formed in STAY will lift Firebrandz so that it will experience the amazement that I was able to see in STAY and in Friends of Refugees.

Writing about how great this year and ministry has been might be repetitive after a while but I do this to bring out God's glory. All I had to do was say yes and be there, and God drew the people and made a way for all these wonderful things to work. In all my years in Melbourne participating in Church and then leading I have not experienced so much amazement. It was not my own skills and ability for which brought all this about because it was never this good before.

I think God was preparing me through the many trials and opportunities of the past so that I could experience and witness the joy of such fruitful ministry. I have a learned a lot in my years leading Emmaus, STAY and Friends of Refugees and I know that I'm a little more wiser now having learned from others and being taught by others. All this has been leading me to a mission - and that is to bring God to people - in particular young people. I have been so privileged to see God draw people closer to him through cell groups, Firebrandz worship/retreat/mass and the refugees outreach. Some people have even been drawn through this humble website.

I feel like I'm Joshua in the battle against Amalek. I'm the one out the front of the battle doing the work and receiving all the glory, but the battle was really won by God and the intercessions of Moses on the top of the hill (Exodus 17). There is no way all of this could be done by my hand below, but through the prayers of the few or many that are praying for me and the ministries. I wish to thank everyone for their prayers and I hope that if you are not able to witness some of the great things that have happened because of them that you might get a glimpse of them through the writing in this blog. If that was 2013, then I'm a bit scared of what 2014 will bring in terms of the new challenges that might be set (2013 challenges were a stretch and beyond for me) but I say bring it on! because then God's work will have be to even more powerful through us.

It has also been a very blessed year for me not just because of the wonder and amazing things which have happened in ministry, but I've also been able to sustain a relationship with my girlfriend. Prioritising can be hard with so many things on and so I'm very blessed to have the time for ministry and importantly her support to be able work for God's Kingdom here on earth. I think the arrangement now permits me to be able to lead and be very involved and so I will continue fighting the good fight while I can because one day, things will change and I may not be able to any more.

So this Christmas/New Year message is one of thanks - for your prayers, participation, support and contribution to all the ministries I've been involved in, that you will be blessed with His love, joy and peace more than I have been so blessed to have witness this year. That 2014 will be one of greater glory for God and that the gift of Christ which is the intention of all ministry is spread deeper in your hearts and in more people. That those who are struggling like the refugees and their own problems will find solace in an unconditionally loving God. Wishing you a most blessed Christmas and a joyful New Year.