Al Ngu

HAPPY NEW YEAR …

Albert Ngu — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 05:02:49 +0000

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012

Dear friends,
Personally, 2011 has been a wonderful and challenging year for me. I
got a new job with ConEd, which is a very big and stable utility
company, which gives me more time & energy to serve the Lord. It’s a
miracle in this time of economic downturn, and a fresh breath of life
from the Lord. God has continued to bless my family, with Rachel’s
acceptance to Columbia University, and Sarah’s, Paul’s, and Rebecca’s
continued success in their schools.

Hope NY Church has also grown in 2011 both in number and quality. The
most important change is the gradual transformation of the church to a
more Gospel-centered Church. A number of new college students continue
to be added to our church including some salvations. I am very
thankful for the leadership team that stood with me all year, coming
together for the Hope North American Camp and progressing even further
as a team in the months afterwards. I am sure they have grown in the
Lord as much as I have over the year. Thank you guys!! I’m very proud
of you!! It’s been a sweet and tough year.

Looking forward to 2012, I am certain that God has greater things for
us! We are praying to move into Manhattan from Long Island, embracing
the principle of living with the people to whom you want to reach out.
God has taught me to love and respect the city.

Finally, we wish you all a very happy & prosperous New Year. May the
Lord shine upon you and guide you to truth, filling your hearts with
joy & peace! Like Mary says “My soul glorifies the Lord and my heart
rejoices in Him.”

In Christ,
Albert, Doreen, Sarah, Rachel, Paul and Rebecca.
New York, December 2011

Dear Pastors, …

Albert Ngu — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 03:35:44 +0000

I have been praying about the NACC camp Vs local NY Church camp over the last few weeks. What’s the best for our local churches. I am leaning to host our local church camp, and today it’s all confirmed. I spoke to Minyu from Hope London, also Jon Ah Chern from Hope London and Jon Foo who was from Hope London too. They confirmed that in Hope Europe they no longer do the annual Europe camp anymore, instead they have ELC (European Leadership Conference). I am totally in agreement to this.

I propose we abolish NACC Camp and substitute it with ALC (American Leadership COnference). Our own local church members will have local camp, just like London, Berlin, Oslo etc.

I subsequently brought it up to our core group meeting today in our leadership meeting and my core team totally & unanimously agreed to the concept of Leadership conference for N America, and local camp for members. (Life Gp leaders and above). Thats what we in Hope NY will do in 2012 onwards. I ask that all pastors consider this and pray about this. There is a reason for Hope Europe to do that and honestly, they are doing better than us. I believe that the benefits of spending thosuands and thiousands of dollars does not justify it. We should mobilize ALL our members for local church camp at like $100/person for 3 nights, 4 days. That’s what we plan to do in NY.

Dear Pastors, …

Albert Ngu — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 03:27:17 +0000

Dear Pastors,

I propose we abolish NACC Camp and substitute it with ALC (American Leadership COnference). Our own local church members will have local camp, just like London, Berlin, Oslo etc.

BTW, today my real self preaching came through with 20% Keller’s intellectual stuff, and 80% my won from Hope training and the atmosphere took off. Thanks for listening guys.

In Christ,

Intellectual Power & Faith & Power

Albert Ngu — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:04:50 +0000

I am out sick these 2 days from work staying at home. Feeling better now–from cold.

I therefore had a chance of more intense praying and reading the books that I should read and the bible more. As I was praying intensely to God this morning, alone, at home, I sensed God’s presence and I felt he spoke to me this: We need to build a church that has Tim Keller’s intellectual power to engage the skeptical and cynical world of New York city, and the faith and power movement teachings from our movement. That’s the kind of church that will propel us into 2012 and the next decade and beyond. This will be the power to reach the 15% of NYC population and hence change the culture of the city! That revelation came as I was praying. It usually happens to me that way.

Praying for tipping Manhattan to God, we need commitment to be involved.

Renewal of All …

Albert Ngu — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 14:30:30 +0000

Renewal of All Things Teachings

This is part of our teaching in A Renewed Church in Hope. We need teachings on this very important subject and it will be incredibly appealing to New Yorkers and engaging the minds and philosophy. Ours has good thoughts but is generally over laden with bible verses. I think I would like to study ours again and see if I can make it more culturally relevant & cut those verses down. It will be exiting.

Needing something that is Very applicable to modern lives, engaging into the modern culture, and very good to explain in the quest of knowing why the world without Christ has so much good quality and exceptionalism, for example Apple? Because that’s our human instinct as God created man woman in His image…which has the power of creation that involves excellence, artistic expression and beauty of it all. That quality and ability is embedded in human beings whether they come to Christ or not, however, they become corrupted and distorted the image of God as sins came in.

Therefore God has called us Christians today to bring renewal to all things. To renew all creations. One thing that strikes me most is to bring the beauty of God into our vocations. To bring renewal into our daily lives outside the Sunday service. To see that happening is uplifting and loving it. We know it, but if we don;t love it, we won;t drive it. Passion is needed to make that happen.

Feel free to comment & exchange thoughts. I want to rally some of the western church planters on board in this discussion & blog.

Blessings,

Behold I am making everything new Revelation 21 vs. 5

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5 vs. 17

Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being

renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Colossians 3 vs. 9-10

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things,whether things on

earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Colossians 1 vs. 19-20

My 1st Prayer Meeting /fellowship with NYC pastors 11/9/2011

Albert Ngu — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:36:22 +0000

After my 3 years in NYC, today marks my 1st meeting to pray with other NY pastors in Manhattan which turns out to be 3 blocks form my office over lunch time. This is amazing for God has definitely blessed me in that. I have to say this is a great prayer meeting, just to meet other fellow church planters and pastors, I am thrilled to hear what God is saying and doing in their midst.
One thing for sure, I want to move into Manhattan soon.
I also learnt about the revival that broke out in Uganda, how God healed thousands of those with Aids. Stunning testimonies because people prayed 24/7, fasting 40 days etc. My heart is stirred as I heard those stories. O Lord give us revival in NYC.

Holistic shepherding

Albert Ngu — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:11:57 +0000

Recently I started studying about the dynamics and significance of Holistic shepherding from the scriptures. It means looking after and caring for someone’s physical, emotional & spiritual condition. It’s only possibly done by a one-on-one shepherding, where one builds trust, chemistry, and comfort level. Relationally built to a level where you are accountable to someone in the group, and also to the leader above you.

I believe this shepherding system is highly attractive because too often, church is only a big place for people to gather wihtout knowing the dynamics of the inner life from Monday to Saturday. We see small groups or cell groups during mid week meeting to supplmenet that and we have plenty of that examples in Acts 2. However, to exactly execute the shepherding that the bible talks about is one on one because people will open up more in one on one situation. And this is very attractive to many folks in the city where people live in an individualistic world and community sense is fast disappearing. People feel lonely. People are under peer pressure to follow the trend and they are usually counter biblical.

Let’s arise and build a righteous shepherding church or community.

Spreading the Gospel 2 Thess 3

Albert Ngu — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 14:42:36 +0000

2 Thess 3:1 Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you.

This would be my prayers that God’s gospel may spread RAPIDLY in Columbia U & NYU & the city of NY. Spreading rapidly is a biblical concept. We need to move fast, and not slow. The tendency of the churches today is to spread it at a comfortable pace as they can. The reason is that people are not motivated. Don’t see the urgency of it. The world would have been lost otherwise. Or worse still simply doesn’t see the need of it because of the dilution of the gospel message in some liberal sectors. Now we see clearly it’s in the bible and hence there is this command and mandate to do that rapidly. Slothfulness is no excuse. Ignorance is also no excuse, because eternity hangs in the balance! Folks-we must be motivated. We must spread the gospel. We must ask for power from on high. Love from on high for the lost.

Not only that-the message spread rapidly and be HONORED! That’s a real important piece of message. Not only the gospel spread rapidly, but be honored. What’s the purpose if many embrace Christianity but none actually honor the Lord, honor the gospel? It will be meaningless. People need to obey the gospel, embrace it, work it out, and experience the power of the gospel. The Lord becomes their shepherd. The Lord becomes our savior. The it will begin to vibrate and resonate. Arise Hope NY. God bless all.

Why we must not preach shallow sermon?

Albert Ngu — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 02:52:20 +0000

It is impossible to build a superficial shallow worded church that is easily blown and tossed by the waves of the world. Why? because it’s disheartening and will not work in the long run, though in the short run, it may attract people. It is also disengaging when that happens, without going deep, there is not much impact. People’s lives are not changed. Not impacted. Not satisfying. People don’t feel fulfilled. It’s hollow. It’s shallow.

But we can do better. We must do better. Our people deserve that. The world needs that. We are reaching out to a broken world. It’s full of challenges. sometimes we forget how difficult it is, because we are kind of cocoon within a church culture that is somewhat disengaged from the world culture. That can’t penetrate into the culture of the world. We need a unique culture that will.

Sharing my thoughts in NY to fellow Malaysians

Albert Ngu — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 19:50:25 +0000

Dear all,

Greetings from the cold New York…:) How are you? I am planning to visit Malaysia in July this year…God has blessed me with an amazing job with the Utility company (ConEdison) a bit like SESCO of Sarawak, except a lot bigger! This job gives me much more energy and time and financial resources to do the work of God. I am blown away by the graciousness of our God and His love and faithfulness to me and my family. I can only give thanks and praise Him.

Building a church in America has proven to be harder than I thought with my naivety and zeal some 10 years ago when Doreen & I arrived in Los Angeles in 2001. I am not giving up. Even the brutal cold weather of -10C in NY will not deter me. In fact, I am powered up by the bigness of NYC and the strategic-ness of this great city! Above all I am totally pumped by the Lord Jesus our God!I want to say like Paul….I press on to reach the goal that God has captured me for. It may sound shocking to some, there were times I wonder if I am on the right track….after all the humbling pie, the so called seasoned church planter from Sarawak/Sabah.

But its about to crack…that big cultural barrier and gospel power will begin to dawn. Romans says “Gospel is the power of God”! It will break that bondage and hangups that bind the people from coming to Christ. I am trying my best to learn from all the resources from America outside my 40 hours week job + 3 hours commute/day. I believe the day of breakthrough is coming and though it tarries, it will surely come. I do not believe for one moment that the hardness will not break and crumble in the mighty Name of Jesus Christ our Lord. The tide will change. NY will be impacted. America too. I believe it. It will not be with raw power that the strong man be bound. It takes all our hearts and souls to capture what the Lord has captured us.

The Lord has truly blessed me and Doreen and children. Sarah has gotten into Columbia University-an Ivy League, then Rachel will be attending Columbia this Sept, following the footstep of her sister. Our other 2 younger kids are in middle and high school in Long Island, New York.

For the faithfulness of God reaches the sky, and the love of God beyond the highest heavens. I salute you all.

Faithful in Christ, Albert