The Straits Times carried an article that talks about a leadership program that trains community leaders who would help the needy in the society. The article mentioned several factors that could make this training program effective. First, for last year, the program took in a more diverse group when compared to the participants in previous year, whose ages range from 16 to 25. Such a change helped the care givers understand the various needs of the society. Second, Mr Goh Chok Tong, who launched this program, urged the “strong and able” to “share their resources and ability to build a strong community.” Third, he also encouraged the participants to “view all their fellow citizens as part of an ‘extended family’ headed by the Government.

Several thousand years ago, the Bible made similar points. First, to be care givers, or more precisely, if you wish to bring abundant life to people around you, you need to be trained. Training makes a difference. Paul says: “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up” (Eph 4:11-13). The Lord has given certain leaders the required gifts or abilities to train you. These include the pastor, elders, deacons and teachers. Hence, Sunday School is critical. We train you in the Word of God. It is the instruction manual which equips the servant of God in doing ALL good works (2 Tim 3:16-17). The church has a critical advantage over the world: we have God’s infallible and fully reliable Word to teach us. Those who are not faithful in attending classes cannot be used by God. In fact, God dares not use you lest you lead His people down the wrong path.

Second, if the church is going to become a community that can help everyone, we need different people with different gifts and in different age groups. No one is indispensable. Everyone is important. The church needs people who are young and old, highly and lowly educated, healthy and sick, rich and poor, introverts and extroverts, etc. Paul again says: “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you.’ On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable” (1Cor 12:21-22). The church again is different from the world. The world prefers those who are strong. But to God, even people who are weak are very important. Everyone can and must do something. You should be actively looking out for people who are in need. According to your ability, do something for someone in church. Don’t wait for someone to approach you for help. Be a little “busy body” in a good way. I like what an elderly brother did: he would try to listen in to people’s sharing in church. But he is not a busy body: he would then pray for them.

Third, those who are strong and able in certain ways should be good stewards of what God has given you. If you have more resources in some ways, God expects you to use these resources not just for your own enjoyment—that would be selfish and abusing God’s gifts. You should provide what is lacking in others. Again, the church has an advantage over the world: God knows the needs of every church and everyone. He will put each of us in the right place so that we can meet the needs of others. But you must ensure you do use what you have for the benefit of the people in church.

Fourth, Mr Goh underlines the need to treat all as belonging to the same family. Again, the church is at an advantage. This comes most naturally to us as we indeed are in God’s family. We are in reality brothers and sisters not by blood but in the spirit which is even more intimate and precious. Paul writes: “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Gal 6:10).