Ordinary and Simple Discipleship (Part 3): Stories of Faith
This was first given as a breakout session at our Women of Grace event in May 2022 and this is the third of three parts. The first part focused on the what and why of discipleship. The second part focused on how discipleship can be done.
In the first part, we took at look at the what and whys of discipleship, before examining how discipleship could be done in the second part. In this third part, we hope to put some flesh to what has been outlined, to help us see what discipleship could look like. These are not the only way to do things.
Rather, as we hear their sharings, we should be prompted to think of people that God has placed in our lives that we can prayerfully approach. We should also be thinking of how we can trust God with whatever resources—time, energy, efforts—in this particular season of life, and how we can serve and love Him with what He has given us.
At the Women of Grace event, we had three ladies from different ages and background share their experiences discipling and being discipled. Here are their stories and testimonies.
Chua Shiyun
Relational discipleship centred on the Word was how I became a Christian, and how I grew as a Christian. It started with a housemate who faithfully brought me to church and modeled the gospel for me in her approach to work and life. It was also through faithful members of a campus Bible study group who proclaimed Christ to me, and taught me what Christian community looked like.
After I submitted to the Lord as my Saviour, an older woman's church worker invested time in me in a one-to-one setting for a season, teaching me how to read the word for myself. She also gave me opportunities to teach the word to others in a small group setting. Through the years, a younger Christian girl met me for coffee every week and modeled vulnerability and accountability for me in the Christian life.
My experience of discipleship has been one of intentional relationships centred on the Word. In Colossians 1:28, the Apostle Paul tells us that it is not just about believing in Christ, but about growing in maturity until Christ returns, through teaching with wisdom.
Thus, my early experiences as a young Christian have shaped my approach toward discipleship now: that of intentionality and diversity. Having the intention to build relationships with the goal of discipleship has helped me in different seasons of life and through transitions into different countries and churches. Though discipleship has looked different through the years, it has always been an integral part of my life. Having the intention reminds me to take initiative, even when I'm new to a place, and especially when it's uncomfortable.
The diversity of my experiences have reminded me that it is not about having one person to mentor me, nor about being that one person for someone else. It has freed me to see discipleship can occur in our lives in different ways. It has also brought me out of my comfort zone to learn from different people, especially those whom I do not naturally connect with.
Practically what has that meant for me? In every new church community we move to, we make it a priority to reach out and build relationships with people. In particular, we make it a priority to interact with and make ourselves available to people outside our life stage, both younger and older. That has also meant that over the years, our family has strived to build in margin time into our schedules—space and time which are flexible and which we can readily make available for a brother or sister if an opportunity or need arises.
Sometimes these casual conversations morph into a one-to-one Bible study, for a season. Sometimes they stay as regular check-ins and prayer. Sometimes we read a Christian book together. Invariably it includes exhorting each other with the Word in the messiness of life, where fellow sisters enter into the chaos of our home and the struggles of my life in obedience to God. More often than not, it makes me feel inadequate, and reminds me that it is not about me, but about God working through me.
Often, where and whenever appropriate, I also try to be intentional about opening up a one-to-one discipling relationship to invite other women in, so that more women can be connected together and empowered to do the same with others. Through these, I have often been challenged in my idolatry of comfort and selfishness, and been encouraged to see God's sovereignty in uniting us as a body to Christ in unlikely ways.
Another way I've tried to be intentional is to make it a priority to ask people to journey with me in a season I know I am expecting struggle or a season of major transition. For example, in preparing for motherhood, I asked a woman with older children if I could join her and her children at home regularly. In preparing for the transition back home, I asked a sister in Singapore who had moved back a few years earlier to pray with me regularly over Zoom. Before starting work in Singapore, I asked Claire if she would walk with me and hold me accountable. That has helped me to remain rooted in Christ even as I am tempted to be carried into the world by the waves of life. Something I find helpful is that I try to be quite clear with those for whom I ask for discipleship about my goals, the frequency of our meetups, and for how long a period of time, so that it is hopefully less overwhelming and easier for them to feel like it's something they can commit to.
As my daughter grows, I have also been praying about intentional discipleship for her and considering how I can bring other adult women into her life in an intentional way so that she comes to see the faith embodied not just through interactions with her peers, and not just as her parents' faith, but as a truth that is trustworthy because it is lived out across the ages in the diverse church. I pray that GBC will grow in the culture of intentional discipleship with the goal of presenting everyone mature in Christ.
Tiang Siew Ting
For those who don't know me, I'm Siew Ting, a ministry worker for children's ministry. I'm also helping with the Mums Connect group.
I came to GBC in the mid-1980s when I was a young adult. I met my best friend from my business acquaintance. He was from Bethesda Bukit Arang and joined me in GBC after we got married. Immediately after our marriage, I joined my husband, Siang Teck, in Brunei as he was posted there for his work. We stayed there for 8 years and came back in 2005.
We have just celebrated Mothers' Day and by God's grace, He has given me two "spiritual mothers" – one in Brunei and one in Singapore. They've showed me what it is like to be a faithful and supportive wife, mother and servant of the Lord in practical ways. As I watched them, I've seen what it means to be hospitable and available, ready to share life and the parenting journey while seeking to be faithful in service to the Lord.
Sometimes we may think that spiritual mothers are those older people like a pastor's wife or elder's wife, or just for experienced, seasoned women. But let us not forget that God uses ordinary people for His extraordinary work! I've also experienced in my different seasons of life, how God is faithful in providing His people across ages to spur me on in my walk with Him.
When we came back from Brunei, we struggled to adjust to life back in Singapore, now as a young family with two boys. God continued to be faithful, and used those trials to build and deepen my faith. During this time, a sister from church invited me to join a Bible study group. Through His words, our family came to realize the importance of focusing on the Lord for our family and my children’s faith. By God's grace too, my children came to saving faith, which my husband and I are very grateful for and continue to pray that their relationship with the Lord will be deepened.
I can also say that parenting has not always been easy and it has become tremendously challenging with the influence of the Internet. My two boys are 4 years apart, one born in 2000 and the other 2004, and I have noticed some difference in the parenting approach for both. Parenting my second son (born in 2004) is so different from the first, due to technological advancement. He grew up in the generation of the iPhone, which was first launched in 2007. I've learnt that I need to continue to trust in Him and depend on His faithfulness even in parenting my children as they grow older.
God is also amazing because He continues to put young parents in my life to allow me to share with them. As I interacted with them, God is also growing me too. Many of these relationships develop over conversations, and somehow, I can naturally share my journey as a parent in practical ways. Common topics that come up include: how to handle sibling rivalry, how to nurture the heart of children rather than their behaviour, how to emphasise the importance of time for the Lord. The latter is an important one, as we all seek to consider how to protect the Lord’s day and prioritise other church activities and commitments, especially when making practical decisions, e.g. deciding what CCA to commit to so that our children will be with the church family. Another topic that arises is also not to forget our elationship with our spouse.
I have come to see that parents play an important role in showing a Biblical model of faith to the next generation. Our children see our repentance, faith and obedience and this helps them to see thier own need for His saving grace. I've also realised that because every child is created differently, there is no one model. We seek to be conduit of God’s grace to our children, but ultimately, we we have to be connected to the Vine, and continually abide in Him.
Practically, what does this mean?
Be hospitable. Maybe you don’t have time to commit to meeting with someone on a regular basis but you can open up your home or meet at her home or take her to run errands with you.
Share what you know. Share your life experiences and what God has taught in the process of parenting and share truth about life with her.
Make yourself available. Carve out time. It’s not easy but God will honour your time spent together.
Pray for opportunities. God will send someone into your life. He’ll do it because it matters.
Don’t make it complicated. Make it simple by saying yes, and see what God does!
Esther Cher
Making disciples is the commission from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (Matt 28:19-20). When we are obedient to the Lord, He will show us how to go about it. As for me, the Lord laid it upon my heart to disciple two old ladies in Ling Kwang home who are Cantonese speaking. I cannot read the Bible in Chinese, what more in Cantonese. However, the Lord gave me the idea of playing a short devotional message in Cantonese for their hearing, which were available on YouTube. This made my visit to the Home more meaningful, seeing that the two dear old ladies are ministered to by hearing God's Word.
I also have a friend in her seventies who is single, legally blind and was a staunch Buddhist, before her niece led her to say the Sinners' Prayer in 2021. I believe the Lord made me aware that she needs to feed on God's Word daily to grow spiritually. Hence, I took on the assignment to call her and read the Scripture to her every day. I used the outdated copy of the Scripture Union Daily Bread from my older sister.
At first, our devotional time with the Lord went smoothly. But when it came to the lesson where we talked about surrendering our all to the Lord and to obey Him fully, she got agitated and did not want to carry on. I have to speak the truth that the Lord wants me to speak to her, and not only to speak on things that pleases her. Initially, the door to read the Scripture to her closed and this is the second time that this has happened. I prayed and waited on for the Lord to open the door and He heard my prayers! We have resumed our devotional time with the Lord.
Next steps
There are many more instances of discipleship and faith in life in GBC. Who has God led into your life to be discipled by or to disciple?
--
Other articles in this series and related articles: