There were three retreats in the whole 21 months program. The learning is very experiential. They began with a short retreat with input, followed by a longer silent retreat with spiritual direction, and now this is the longest of the three, eight days of directed silent retreat, with half day to begin in prayer and another to seal the fruits of the retreat.
This is held at St Patrick’s School at East Coast Road. La Salle House is the name of the center, formerly a boy’s hostel. Its newly renovated and it looks good, and is comfortable. However, there were insufficient rooms, so all the men stayed in rooms at where the La Salle brothers live. The rooms are old, real old but old has its modest charms (see room floor tiles below). However, you can walk out across Marine Parade Road and the AYE highway, and you are at East Coast Park with ample places for meditation and prayer (see below)
This blog will be static until the retreat is over and hopefully I have a desire to write about this retreat. Until then, the Lord bless and keep you.
I attended a Covenant Pastors fellowship recently. This was not my first time experiencing the gracious hospitality and welcome in the home of Pastor Justin. He has been doing this for many many years. Long ago, I was a regular, until the pressures of ministry drew me away. Now that I have stepped down from pastoring I found myself gravitating to the fellowship. Of course, it is because I have more time and less responsibilities now. I even bring my wife these days to this and other pastors’ fellowship.
Covenant Pastors is a fellowship of pastors and ministers from church and marketplace that has as its main focus fellowship, bonding and ministry to one another. They also focus on Singapore and the nations, and the wider Body of Christ. The fellowship is led by Rev Amos Jayarathnam, a humble but bold prophet, whom I got acquainted with in the late 1970’s. We were from World Revival Prayer Fellowship. He is the real thing, a prophet: authentic and gentle, but a lion when he delivers the word of the Lord.
Pastor Justin Leong and his wife cooked up a sumptuous dinner for about 25 of us. It was pleasant to meet and get to know other ministers. I sat beside pastor Clare and she shared about her ministry with another church. Then we sang and worshipped the Lord (always led by Pastor Isaiah). I always loved this part – the anointing of worship helped me become keenly aware of God’s presence and always lifted up my spirit. Pastor Beulah had a vision of a high priest with the gem stones on his breast-piece, and those gemstones had our faces reflected in them.
Jacob Sim, a prophet and an effective marketplace minister shared a word in season from his heart. It was about how to reach the omega generation by looking from God’s PERSPECTIVE, and facilitating PERSONAL ENCOUNTERS with God, and POSITIONING.
Amos then shared with us stories of his ministry in Russia and Estonia, and prophesying over Russia, and in the spirit, over Putin. His testimonies were astounding and inspiring. I never get tired of the stories of his prophetic encounters.
Pastor Henry then prophesied over me, and while he was prophesying, I felt a fire and heat rising up within my belly, and he too was moved by the Spirit. Later when we broke up into groups to pray for Ukraine & Russia, Singapore, and the Singapore church, I went to Henry and shared what I experienced while he was prophesying over me. There and then, Pastor Andrew shared what he saw. He saw the mantle of Isaiah 11:2 upon me: the Spirit of wisdom, understanding, and counsel. I received all their words with joy and reverence. I was indeed surrounded by prophetic ministers all around me. I will sit with these words before the Lord and continue to wait on Him. I left the fellowship that night in animated conversation with my wife, and walked with energy to the Tanah Merah MRT station. I pondered, “What does all these utterances point to?”
Have you been ministered to by prophets or prophetic ministers? Share your experience with us in the comment box.
CRMS (Church Resource Ministries, Singapore) is now NOVO Singapore. CRMS was founded by James Creasman, and it was affiliated to CRM (US). CRM US decided to change their name to NOVO, which means “make new”, and invited other countries using CRM to change theirs too. The committee in Singapore decided to follow suit, and with that change of name a new emphasis on being missional. Read more about this in their website HERE.
I was blessed by the CRMS’ Focusing Leaders and Coaching programs and together with others facilitated a few runs of Focusing Leaders Network in the church I served as well as outside. I also served in their committee for a few years, and before I left, I recommended Abraham Sim(Vice President, NOVO), a senior leader of World Revival Prayer Fellowship, who loves and honours pastors, with the right spirit and abilities to help CRMS, and I was pleased that he has so faithfully served in this mission for these many years. Thus when he personally invited me to the 20th Anniversary celebrations, I simply could not say No.
I enjoyed renewing contact with old comrades like Pastor How Beng (a stalwart of CRMS), Pastor Andy and Pastor Charles(the President, NOVO). Furthermore, I was surprised to meet again with missionary Mike Crow, who was the special guest. The program was ably and smoothly chaired by Abraham Sim. I heard exciting stories and presentations about the ongoing ministries that NOVO are doing from missional work in a specific community and sports outreach, to missions mentoring and member care, focusing leaders networks, coaching, and some new ones for making disciples. There was also a thanksgiving for the founders of CRMS, James and Kimberly Creasman. After the program, we had a lavish Peranakan lunch, and I sat down with marketplace leaders from other churches and listened to their stories of how the NOVO helped them. It was a happy and meaningful morning for me and I felt pleased with all that the Lord has done for and through them.
Have you been blessed by this ministry? If you have been blessed, do drop a comment and share your personal thanksgiving or well wishes for NOVO, to celebrate their 20thanniversary on 8th July 2023.
