26 July 2014 by Jason Law CM –
The KVBC (Klang Valley Bible Conference) has been around in Malaysia for more than 10 years, since being started by the Kuala Lumpur Christian Conference in 1999. In that period of time, they had produced much fruit through the favor of God, reaching out to thousands of Malaysian Christians with their expository workshops. Basically, expository teaching helps Christians to understand the teachings of the Bible more accurately and within their proper context.
Despite the name, KVBC’s workshops do not just cover the Klang Valley, but also places like Penang and Ipoh. Many of their workshops are prestigious affairs, with renowned guest speakers like Don Carson, David Cook, David Jackman, Bryan Chappel, Mike Raiter and John Woodhouse. Part of the KVBC Ministry is the KVBC NEXT GEN Conference, formed to equip leaders in youths or children’s ministry, towards becoming godly and influential leaders both in church and society.
On the 13th-15th of July, KVBC Next Gen partnered with the Katoomba Christian Convention (KCC), for a young adult workshop in Seminari Theologi Malaysia, Seremban. This was the first time the Katoomba Christian Convention had organized such an event in Malaysia, but they had a 25-year experience in organizing conferences in Sydney. The young workshop participants had a rewarding time in the comprehensive 3 days’ program, which was made up of three major components; Bible Talks, Strand Groups (Training Groups), and Workshops.
The Strand or Training Groups are the heart of the conference, where leaders are trained by an experienced member who have led Next Gen before. The groups are built year on year, with each year having a different focus. Strand One starts with Biblical exegesis (critical study of the Bible’s text), followed the next year by an understanding of our belief system in Strand Two (Biblical Theology), and Strand Three (Systematic Theology). A delegate ‘graduates’ from Next Gen upon completing all three years.
Bible Talks are focused on a particular book of the Bible. At the Workshops, the leaders learn skills in Christian ministry, for example the character of a leader as well as one-to-one ministry.
The chairman of KVBC, Pr Tan Kay Hoe shared in one of the workshops about the Mark of a Godly Leader. He opened by sharing that the most important thing that God looks at in the leader He choses, is the character of that person. Integrity matters because the life of a leader can either reinforce their ministry, or cause it to lose all credibility.
In Acts 20:17-38, Paul presented his farewell address to the Early Church in an open and truthful manner. Furthermore, he was reminding the Early Christians of the things he had taught them, and he intentionally brought their attention to certain important things. ‘Can you imagine how the Early Church would take him if he did not lead by example? We wouldn’t know Paul as the man we know today. 3 elements marked Paul’s ministry; Power, Conviction, and most importantly, God’s Word.
‘If we want to be influential leaders, people need to see the conviction in us and the power of God’s Word,’ Pr Kay Hoe shared. ‘A leader has to go through preparation.’ For example, the worldly people look at a leader through their self-confidence and connections, ambition, independence and driven self-will, and power in commanding others. These are good qualities but it can be used for the wrong purposes, and does not make the person a good leader in God’s Kingdom.
‘Biblical leadership qualities focus on Godliness, and the alternative to that is Hypocrisy. The world looks at the bottom-line but the measurements of God are of a different kind. Jesus doesn’t measure things that are performed, but how you do it; He looks at the heart & character of a person.
Godly leaders have a confidence in God and seek to first follow His methods in all things. They delight to obey God and are motivated not by profit or personal interest, but by the person’s love for God and people. A godly leader must consider various aspects of life; social considerations, moral qualifications, mental qualifications, personality qualifications, domestic qualifications, and maturity qualifications.’ Pr Kay Hoe imparted.
The workshop was completed by a guided case study. Through the case study, the participants learnt the proper context of words like “the world” and “wordliness”. ‘What Jesus and Paul meant by these words, was not in the physical but the spiritual sense. “The world” do not mean the people around us like your family or friends. We must still love them the way Jesus loves them.
“The world” that Jesus mean, is the organized system of human civilization that is actively hostile to God and alienated from God. We become “worldly” when we gratify and exalt ourselves to the exclusion of God,’ Pr Kay Hoe explained.
Pr Kay Hoe shared that there are two important images in a Christian’s life; “a race” (1 Cor 9:24; 2 Timothy 4:7; Hebrews 12:1); not just in starting well, but also in finishing well. The other is that we’re all “pilgrims/sojourners” in our Christian journey, and every leader is a “work-in-progress” until the day Jesus meets us again face-to-face.
The KVBC Next Gen conferences are built not just to teach God’s Word in the Bible, but to equip many young leaders into learning how to apply them personally in their lives, once they have gained a proper understanding of it. You can find out more about the Klang Valley Bible Conference (KVBC) on http://www.kvbc.info/index.html
NOTE: Some pictures of KVBC’s ministry courtesy of KVBC Trust.
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