Hey guys!
I've included the Petra statement below. This statement was crafted by the core and I, and we hope that it has given you guys some form of idea about what is going to take place, as well as some form of reassurance. If you have any questions/feedback/requests or whatsoever, kindly email estella and/or me by the 15th June 2008. The both of us will work together and look into all feedback and anything else with 100% attention and seriousness. Requests will be reviewed BUT Estella and I can't promise that you may get your way. Above all, let's continue to serve and love God, and surrender the future of our cell groups to Him!
Email us at: hugsnkisses07@hotmail.com
estella_87@hotmail.com
Love,
Ee Ling and Estella
Dear Petra,
We have grown considerably over the past year or so. Before most of you came, Petra's regular attendance was an average of 9 or 10. When most of you came from Barnabas in March 07, our numbers soared greatly. We also welcomed some of you from the YPMS group that He Lu was leading at that time. And today, praise God, our regular attendance is much more than in the beginning of 2007.
Because God has blessed us with a growing cell group, the Church has therefore encouraged us to multiply. For instance, in Genesis 9:7, God commanded Noah to be fruitful and multiply. After much thought, consideration and consultation with our Ministry Head, Caleb, we have decided to heed the advice of Church and will thus multiply. This is not a last minute decision, in fact, when our numbers started to increase in March last year, we knew, in our hearts, that a multiplication would be inevitable. Multiplication is something healthy, because it means more resources for everyone: as leaders, we can therefore focus on you more and serve you better. As a group, it also means that we have a slightly bigger budget to spend when we go for outings.
Some of you may be reluctant to multiply, because over time, we have had fun and enjoyed each other's company. When we were first advised to multiply, I too, was heartbroken. You see, I've spent so many years in Petra, and have grown to know and love everyone. It was especially painful for me because I've been very good friends with Estella since our Kindergarten days and if Petra were to multiply, Estella would obviously be in another group. I struggled with this heartache for many, many months but eventually as time passed, I knew that it would be for the good of everyone that Petra multiplies.
Also, in Matt 28:19-20 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
In these verses, we are called to make disciples and not to remain stagnant or be complacent in our growth. Therefore, it is a good thing for us to multiply and have room for more disciples. And through it all, even after the multiplication, God promises that He will still be with us, to the very end of the age. His love will continue to bind us as one Body. We may be in different cells, but we are still one Body in Christ, serving the same God.
There are advantages to a small group, because we can pay more attention to you and help you better. In a big group, we may not be able to pay the same amount of attention to everyone and may accidentally neglect some of you. When this happens, it could have negative repercussions. For instance, people may stop coming because they don't feel accepted or feel a sense of belonging. Also, when we multiply, you will have more opportunities to serve in various capacities within the cell group. A multiplication will enable us to raise new disciples and disciplers in time to come. Although we can't predict what our future will be like after the multiplication, we have confidence that it will be for the better, and not for the worse. So, as we learnt in Chapter 4 in the previous cell group session, let's trust God and surrender the future of our cell groups to Him!
With regards to the multiplication, the core group and I are looking at a multiplication in August 2008. In the meantime, we will slowly work towards multiplication by having discussions in the same room, but when there is group discussion, we will go into groups according to how we are splitting. The core group and I have also spent many months deliberating and discussing who should go where. We've tried our very best to make it an equal split. And we want it to be as painless as possible for you guys, so we have tried to put you together with your friends, to the very best of our abilities. Please do not be worried that you will never ever see your friends in the other group again, we can still sit together during sermon weeks, and we will still have combined outings/gatherings now and then. We can even go for dinners together. Rest assured ok? This is not the end of your friendships. :)
I just want to say that it's been an amazing experience getting to know so many of you in such a short time, and I've had lots of fun with you. I have learnt many things from all of you as well, and I sincerely hope that your time in Petra has been equally fruitful, and will continue to be fruitful after the split. Continue to love and grow in the Lord and continue to encourage one another!
If you have any other concerns, please feel free to approach Estella or me. We will be glad to hear and address any of your concerns. Or you may ask us any questions now, we'd like to address your questions together too.
welcome to the petra blog!
