Missions Traineeship: Interview with Hannah
At our recent Prayer Meeting on 9 February, we heard from Hannah, our Missions Trainee. Here, she shares more about this Traineeship, as well as how we can be keeping her in prayer.
On the Missions Traineeship
The GBC missions traineeship is a new 1-year programme. It focuses on D&D:
Discern a trainee’s potential calling to cross cultural missions
Develop the competencies and skills needed for evangelism and disciple-making in a cross-cultural mission setting
It will be done in two parts, the first will be in Singapore and the second will be with a missions partner overseas.
Hannah and other interested GBC members — informal participants— of the missions traineeship at the first training session.
In Singapore, I am getting a taste of what being on a church staff team looks like, having more time to serve with the Youth Ministry, discipling women and caring for children. The Hamiltons have also graciously allowed me to shadow their ministry to the unreached in Singapore, and learn from their missiology.
Why I am doing this Traineeship
Actually, I did not expect to do this missions traineeship. Firstly, because I thought that God was leading me to go to Bible college as preparation for full time cross-cultural ministry, and secondly because the missions traineeship didn’t exist till the end of last year! However, through a change of events at work and the elders’ affirmation, I felt God saying this was the right next step for me this season.
From Luke’s record of the Acts of the Apostles, I have also learnt that it is God who calls and local churches that send missionaries. While I grew up at GBC and am known by older members, the church has changed a lot in recent years. This is an opportunity for the GBC of today to observe and get to know me, so we can be confident of the missionaries we send out. Likewise, I want to be confident in my church family to “hold the rope” for me if they do send me out!
How you can pray for me
My prayer acronym is ECP (also known as the road to Changi Airport…):
E: Ephesians. The text that God has given me to meditate over for this traineeship is Ephesians 5, and the first lines go like this: “Therefore be imitators of God, as dearly loved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. “
It is taking me time to adjust to working in a church, after spending the last six years working for the National Library. I need to fight idols of productivity, perfection and performance anxiety. Now that my work looks more “godly” on the outside, it will be all the more easy to hide ungodly motives on the inside. Please pray that I will imitate God out of a secure rest in my identity as a dearly loved child of God, not to prove myself and steal God's glory.C: Conversion. Pray that I will remember it’s God who converts and gives new life, my work is to be faithful with sharing the gospel. Pray that many will believe in Jesus and be saved!
P: Partnership. Though I am the only official missions trainee doing the 1-year program, there are 5 other informal trainees who are tagging along for the ride. Praise God for fun friends! Pray that we would encourage each other, and together with other GBC members, bring the gospel across the barriers to those who have not heard of Jesus. Please also pray for a missions partner that is committed to proclaiming the gospel and planting church, for the placement in the second half of the traineeship.
I would love to have a meal together to get to know more members — my details are in our directory. You can also reach me at @hannahyhe (Telegram), or just say hi in church!