Calvarites kicked off the first half of 2025 with a Missions Emphasis (ME) on 11 - 12 January. Dressed in vibrant ethnic attire, we were reminded that the gospel is for all people,across all generations, without discrimination.

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The choir’s worship echoed this heart cry: “Father, make me a river, come living water,flow through me.” This resonated deeply with the ME theme—“Bring Life to Dry Lands” (Isaiah 43:19).

Ministry Pastor Steven Kum, our Missions Pastor, praised God for the fulfilment of 92% of 2024’s faith pledges, a testament to His provision through faith promise partners. With this foundation, we are stepping forward in faith with a missions’ budget increase of over 10% for 2025.

Guest speaker Dr. David Sumrall, Senior Pastor of Cathedral of Praise in Manila, challenged the church to embrace our calling—not just to grow but to plant churches. With a solemn tone, he warned against a trend where churches focus on assimilation rather than evangelism — growing by attracting believers from other churches rather than reaching the lost. Instead, he exhorted us to embrace God’s heart, which desires all to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4).

Using the story of the Samaritan woman, Dr. Sumrall emphasised that Jesus saw beyond cultural divisions—He saw her spiritual need and the harvest ahead (John 4:35). In the same way, we must look at people with eyes of compassion.

As the gospel is an imperishable seed (1 Peter 1:23), Dr. Sumrall urged us to step out in faith, reminding us that transformation comes from the message, not the messenger.

Finally, he called on the new generation of Calvary Church to rise up, willing to lay aside career, success, and even family for the sake of God’s mission. His parting words were both sobering and inspiring, “I can’t promise you anything but a joyful life with a front-row seat to God’s grace. Watching lives change is the greatest privilege He could ever give you. Don’t turn away.”