Embrace the New! - CVSOM Encounter Weekend 2009

Written by Rev Henson Lim

As part of its Certificate programme, the Covenant Vision School of Ministry held “Embrace the New!” – Encounter weekend 2009 on February 14 & 15 at YWCA Fort Canning Lodge. Altogether 50 students, pastors and facilitators were there expecting to meet with God. And boy did He show up! It was simply awesome!!!

From the word “go”, many received words and impressions from the Lord. Some spectacular, some in small nudgings. As worship began, a student felt a gust of wind blow into the room. During another worship session, a student saw Jesus and angels! Through the teachings, discussions and devotions, many were touched and blessed. God spoke in so many ways and met everyone at their specific point of need.

What was most amazing was how wonderfully each of the five teaching sessions flowed seamlessly into the next. Only the theme was given to each speaker and God led each of them to speak as He laid topics upon their hearts. Rev Francis Khoo laid the foundation for “All Things New”, explaining that the new was actually a restoration to God's original intent and purpose. Then Bro Jacob Sim taught on how one had to “Leave the Old to Embrace the New”. After that, Ps Henson spoke on “Restoration and Reformation” challenging everyone to carry the rubbish out of the Holy Place, and reminding them that true restoration may begin with the individual but it will eventually lead to community and societal reformation. The second morning, Rev Wilfred Png gave a practical lesson on “Sowing in Times of Famine”, affirming how personal restoration must impact the poor and needy amongst us. Finally, Rev Francis concluded with a Kingdom message and challenged all to engage their communities. The result? A comprehensive and cohesive message that stirred the hearts of the students to embrace all that God has for them!

WOW - what a weekend! God is so good, so faithful and so merciful! Praise the Lord! And we are thankful that God gave us this wonderful opportunity to sow into the lives of the students at Covenant Vision School of Ministry.

Testimony by Sis Ruby Than:

Embrace the New … big God, big plans… new things … a new heart … sowing … to me for you.

Thank God for the CVSOM Encounter Weekend on 14 & 15 February at YWCA Fort Canning Lodge! I was really blessed right from the ice-breaker to the end.

I went there with great expectations to meet God as I had reached a stage in my spiritual walk, feeling a “standstill”. During the first worship, God spoke to me through Ps Henson when he released the word, “seasons”. Indeed, I was going through a season and I just wept.

God then showed me, through every teaching session, the season I was at, affirming the plans He has for me, for me to recognise the new things, especially the heart issues I had to deal with and to continue to sow despite the drought, bearing in mind the principle of ministry, “TO ME FOR YOU”.

Every session and discussion we had was word-based, Spirit-led and faith-filled. More importantly, the whole event and the manpower was organised and operated on the basis of Grace, motivated by Love with the objective to bear good fruit. I know God has used CVSOM to accomplish all these.