The Grace Methodist Church of Miri has reached another milestone of its history on January 3rd 2016. More than 30 of its church members, some with very young families, some over 60 years of age, were commissioned to pioneer a new branch at the Airport Road.
As I live nearer to the Airport Road, I am one of the team. The Commissioning Order of Worship was very meaningful to all of us, touching our hearts. A few of us are also amongst the oldest of the congregation being over 60 and now we are moving to a new branch.
To me, I felt like an old bird flying to roost on another branch of the tree of life.
However a hymn kept ringing in my ears as I walked up the aisle to the front of the church for the ceremony.
So Send I YOU
So send I you to labour unrewarded
To serve unpaid, unloved, unsought, unknown
To bear rebuke, ot suffer scorn and scoffing
So send I you to toil for Me alone
So send I you to bind the bruised and broken
Over wandering souls to work, to weep, to wake
To bear the burdens of a world a-weary
So send I you to suffer for My sake
So send I you to hearts made hard by hatred
To eyes made blind because they will not see
To spend, though it be blood to spend and spare not
So send I you to taste of Calvary
I am sure that the whole team will be able to carry out the tasks ahead of them and that we will
a) Labour on and long
b) Serve unpaid, unloved (at times), unsought, unknown
c) Bear rebuke, often suffering scorn and scoffing
d) Bind the bruised and broken
e) Bear the burden of the weary world
There are other aspects mentioned in the hymn which really are more appropriate for missionaries going into unknown and distant fields. We are just going to a fairly suburban area just 15 km from the mother church. In a way we would be safe in many ways but the work will still be a tremendous burden to the team to make our new branch grow into a workable, successful plant.
Setting a up a new preaching point is a grave task. Many people will be involved and we have to work together with brotherly love. A pioneering team will have the burden of smoothing the aches of teething problems so to speak. We also have to trust each other to see through all our tasks.
Then there will be the small number to start with. Can 60 grow to 100 and 100 to 150 in time? We have to pray every day for God’s blessings. The area has a big population, from different ethnic groups but maybe they are seeking an English Church and that is our burden.
This new branch will be sited in the MCITI Square. Many Open University students will be coming for their courses and perhaps we can reach out to them and bring them the good news. The surrounding residential areas can be the spring of new church members.
May we BEAR this burden for a new branch of life, a new service to the surrounding area. The commissioning ceremony was very meaningful as we stood in front of the church. The whole church prayed over us and blessed us, in a way, like sending us off to a new field. May we bring love and care to a new fellowship of God fearing people as we full fill our vision : Spreading Spiritual Holiness, Transforming the Nation.
By Changyi
Grace Methodist Church, Miri