Church in the "New Normal": Should I Start Going Back?

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After five months, I finally went back to church last week. I had expected it to be an emotional event for me, but I have to confess—it wasn’t, really.

What Almost Ruined a Relationship before It Got Started

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With a passing glance, I thought he was a homeless man who had wandered into church. But then he started handing out weekly programs, and as people greeted him by name, I realized I was more of a stranger than he was.

3 Tips for Managing Life's Transitions

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The three years I spent as a student in Canberra were some of the best years of my life. And then, I found out that my student visa was expiring, and it was time for me to head back to my home country, Malaysia. I tried applying to further my stay in Australia, but it was rejected twice. I was heartbroken, but reluctantly packed up my belongings and made my way “home”.

3 Steps to Decide Whether You Should Step Up and Serve

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While serving is a privilege, work has been busy, and my weekends are taken up with church commitments—so I knew it would be hard for me to take it on. But the thought of rejecting the request when it was a valid need made me feel terrible. Several thoughts rang in my head: Was I being selfish? Would I disappoint my leader if I said no?

Reimagining Church Amidst Covid-19—and Beyond

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All over the world, mass gatherings have been suspended, and churches are no longer conducting physical congregational worship services, but are reimagining different ways of gathering. All these changes have made me ponder what exactly church is. What if God, through the present crisis, is asking us to rethink how we do church, so as to rediscover His intentions for it?

I Was Too Busy for Small Group

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The excuses for why we couldn’t join a small group (also known as a community group, life group, crew, tribe, etc.) came easily. That is, I was prepared in case anyone asked. But usually, it wasn’t a direct ask, just a generic call from the altar that was easy to dismiss.

Why I Decided to Leave My Church

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How I wish my church at home was like this. Guilt wracked me. I quickly repented and pushed the thought away, astonished at how I could conceive such an idea. I drew my focus back to the evening church service which had just ended. We had just heard an impactful message about sharing life together as a church community and loving our city.

Why I Decided Not to Leave My Church

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The questions themselves were good, but I realized something was off the day my pastor preached about how we needed to step up as parents, and I left service wrecked with a heavy sense of guilt. You see, I don’t have kids.

When I Was Offended By My Church

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I couldn't believe that they actually mailed me a letter. When I had completed the Small Group Leadership Training several weeks earlier, our Campus Pastor had informed the class that at the end of the training, some of us would, unfortunately, be receiving a letter stating that we were not currently fit to be small group leaders. I brushed off the possibility.