Celebrating 10 years of Christ-centred, God-glorifying ministry at CERC Camp 2018 | CERC Blog | Christ Evangelical Reformed Church (CERC)

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Celebrating 10 years of Christ-centred, God-glorifying ministry at CERC Camp 2018

Posted on 2 Feb 2019 by CERC


CERC Camp in 2018 took the church with its family and friends east to Cherating, Pahang. The 4-day-3-night camp saw a record number of campers totalling some 400 people. In many ways, it was a special time this year in Cherating as CERC celebrated the 10th anniversary of its founding on August 31st, 2018. We were blessed to have Reverend Phillip Jensen as our guest speaker for this year’s camp topic on Relationships.

Rev. Phillip, who flew in from Australia with his wife Helen, lives in Sydney. He has been instrumental to many ministries in Australia, ranging from full-time paid ministry training, university student work, church planting, to the founding of the Christian publishing company, Matthias Media.

CERC counts itself as a beneficiary of Rev. Phillip Jensen’s ministry too, as our lead elder Robin Gan trained as an apprentice under him during his time in Australia.
Rev. Phillip took campers through the book of Ephesians, first showing how our relationship with God was broken when Adam and Eve sinned against God in the Garden of Eden, and how this changed when Jesus took on the sins of the world through His death on the cross in order to satisfy God’s wrath.

Over the course of 4 days, Rev. Phillip Jensen then showed campers how different relationships — husband-wife, parents-children, bondservant-master — should look like under God based on Ephesians. He also reminded us through Ephesians 4 how we are to walk worthily as Christians and to speak the truth in love to one another so that each may grow into Christ-likeness.

While spending time deeply reflecting on relationships through the book of Ephesians, CERC also took the opportunity to celebrate God’s grace and mercy for sustaining the church over the last 10 years.

As a church together with our guests, we spent the evening of August 31st watching videos and reading messages from our supporters overseas spurring us on in gospel ministry and listening to encouraging testimonies from our members on how God has changed their lives.

Every message from our supporters reminded us to hold fast to the gospel and to Christ. It was encouraging to see brothers and sisters in Christ who were many miles away praying and wishing for CERC to continue on in faithful gospel ministry amidst many challenges and difficulties.

It pulled heartstrings and stirred up emotions that night when fellow members shared how their lives were changed by knowing God for who He is through the teaching of His word. For the church seated in the hall, it served as a great reminder of how we should press on in the gospel work being done in the Klang Valley because we see how God is truly at work in our midst.
The evening filled us with gratitude to God for how He has sustained CERC from its early days gathering during the early days in Pastor Robin Gan’s living room to the 400-strong congregation today.
“Watching the videos from supporters and listening to the testimonies by members of the church was like a pat on the shoulder, to say: ‘Well done to have come so far’ because it was really a do-or-die situation during the first few years. At the same time, it was also a reminder to brace myself for what’s to come in the next decade. This time, hopefully with the same fire for the gospel accompanied by more maturity. There is a lot of work to be done in the church and outside the church and I’m praying that God would keep us all faithful to Him — fixing our eyes on the prize, running and never shrinking back,” says Natalie Ooi, one of the long-time members of the church.

Some of the earliest members of the church sharing their experiences being a small church

At this year’s camp, we also witnessed the baptism of two from our congregation.

Baptism of Jovie Tan and Liau Hui Jan

There have been 66 baptisms in CERC over the last 10 years. With Jovie and Hui Jan’s baptisms at camp, it brings the total number to 68 people. We count ourselves truly privileged to witness the declaration of faith through baptism by so many individuals that are bound together in Christ over the course of these 10 years.

Jovie, a university student who had no exposure to the gospel, shares that God converted her through the book of Ecclesiastes. Using Daniel Lu (a former CERC apprentice and recent seminary graduate) and other Christian friends in her university’s Christian Fellowship, God moved Jovie’s heart to His truth.

“By God’s grace, while I was still a rebel who suppressed His truth, He opened my eyes to see and understand who Jesus Christ really is through His Word. My understanding of the gospel as a young Christian after conversion was shaped through books like Colossians and 1 Corinthians. Now that I’m living this new life under God, God has used me as His instrument to do the very same thing His people did for me – to preach the gospel to His sheep. May all glory be to God as more and more people are saved by His gospel. Soli Deo Gloria!” shares Jovie.

CERC also witnessed the swearing in of seven new members on our 10th birthday.

Voon Hui Shun, a pharmacist, who was among the seven sworn in, spent a lot of time thinking about his choices before choosing to be a member of CERC. He completed his tertiary education and has recently moved back to his hometown in Kuantan.

It will be several years for Hui Shun before he is able to return to the Klang Valley.

“I still want to be a member of this church despite having to be in Kuantan for several more years because many assumptions I had about God were clarified and corrected through CERC’s faithful Word ministry. I have been liberated from a “me-centric” understanding of Christianity, knowing that the purpose of life is not about living for myself but ultimately about glorifying God, serving Christ and His church.

As a recipient of God’s grace and truth through CERC’s labour of love, I was convicted to commit to her Christ-centred, God-glorifying ministry. Mutual edification in a church is important, and being a member of CERC will hold me accountable to my support for its ministry while attending a local church in Kuantan,” Hui Shun shares.

Swearing in of seven new members

We praise God for the commitment made by these Christian brothers and sisters.

As we look forward to the next decade of gospel ministry in the Klang Valley, we pray that the church will continue to grow in love for God, and walk in a manner worthy of Christ’s calling. To many more years of serving our Lord!

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4: 1-3