For many years, the Graduates Christian Fellowship (GCF), Chinese Overseas Christian Mission (COCM), and Overseas Christian Fellowship (OCF) have labored hard planting seeds and expanding the Lord’s Kingdom, both within our nation and overseas.
On November 8-10th 2024, they will be celebrating this heritage in Awana Genting Malaysia. Many veteran and notable missionaries will be speaking at the conference which will also be highlighted by a tour of Malaysian heritage places such as the historical locations in Malacca. The exciting news is that they are also opening invitations for participants who are not GCF-ers, OCF-ers, or COCM-ers.
Who are GCF, COCM, and OCF?
The Graduates Christian Fellowship (GCF)
The Graduates Christian Fellowship (GCF) have been a long-time partner of many ministries in Malaysia, including ours, particularly among the young adults. GCF is an inter-denominational fellowship of Christian professionals dedicated to leadership in Christian thought and initiatives. Founded in 1955 by a group of graduates in Singapore, they aim to provide a Biblical perspective that influences both the Church and society. The fellowship is grounded in the principles of Godly stewardship and encourages graduates to serve as “Salt and Light” in the world.
GCF is unique due to its evangelical and inter-denominational nature, comprising graduates from various universities, polytechnics, Bible colleges, and other tertiary institutions. It is also connected to a global network through the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES) and collaborates locally with the Fellowship of Evangelical Students (FES) in Singapore.
GCF organizes a wide range of activities, including talks, seminars, prayer meetings, conferences, retreats, and evangelistic events. They also publish a bulletin and other materials for members, often available at a discounted rate. Regular updates on their events and activities can be found on their website.
Chinese Overseas Christian Mission (COCM)
COCM Malaysia was established in the 1970s in Kuala Lumpur by returning students from the UK who had been involved in the COCM ministry. In 2000, COCM Malaysia was officially registered under COCM Berhad. The organization focuses on supporting the COCM ministry in the UK and Europe, fostering fellowship among returning students, and organizing events during visits from COCM UK’s leadership.
COCM is passionate about reciprocating the efforts of Western missionaries who brought Christianity to Asia by supporting mission work in Europe, where many churches are now in decline. They have established a mission center in Milton Keynes, UK, which serves as a hub for Christian conferences and retreats. COCM Malaysia offers both short-term and long-term missionary opportunities in Europe, requiring candidates to have the support of their home churches.
COCM Malaysia has sent several short-term and long-term missionaries to Europe, with more in preparation. The mission work attracts people from diverse professions, including medical practitioners, pastors, and Bible college lecturers, and encompasses three Es : Evangelising (Evangelise and disciple the Chinese Diaspora in the UK and Europe), Equipping (Equipping believers to build up strong and healthy churches and to serve their communities), and Encouraging (Encouraging believers and churches to share the gospel both intra-culturally and cross-culturally throughout the UK, Europe and beyond). You can find out more about them on their website.
Overseas Christian Fellowship (OCF)
OCF is an Australian Mission reaching overseas students mainly in campuses. As an on-campus fellowship, this organization operates through various university clubs or societies across Australia, with over 400 members on 15 campuses. Each center generally holds weekly Friday night meetings focused on worship, Bible study, and fellowship, along with occasional events like games nights or barbecues.
As a parachurch organization, it supports the local church rather than replacing it, encouraging members to be active in a local church during their studies in Australia. The fellowship is interdenominational, welcoming members from diverse backgrounds while uniting under the common faith in Christ. It celebrates different expressions of faith while adhering to core Christian doctrines. A distinctive characteristic of OCF is that it’s student-led and student-run. Find out more about them here.
The Returnees’ Camp 2024
Specifically, the camp is structured to cater as a fellowship and mission-minded retreat for Returnees, graduates who have studied overseas before. However, the camp cum conference, held at Awana Genting on Nov 8-10th 2024, is open to all who are interested to join them. Many good programs are in place, with visitors from as far afield as Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, Canada, and America. It is a Mission Conference intended to build and encourage participants to take part in Mission Work around the world.
The Camp Speakers
There will be three main speakers for the camp, all of them very veteran and notable, such as Revd Ps Tan Kah Thuan, Revd missionary Merrilyn Teague, and Member of Malaysian parliament YB Yeo Bee Yin who studied in Cambridge UK before. Ernest Kong, the husband of late Mary Wang, former general director of COCM will grace the conference.
Reverend Ps Tan Kah Thuan (England, United Kingdom)
Ps Kah Thuan Tan left Singapore in 1966 to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London. On completion of his studies in 1970, Ps Stephen Wang of the Chinese Church in London invited him to serve 6 months as a Student Intern. Thus began a journey that was to span the next 30 years, from Student Intern to Senior Pastor with CCIL.
In 2001, he took early retirement and began another journey, this time outside CCIL and UK. Volunteer Interim Pastor to Chinese Churches without pastors! He served in Sydney, Brisbane, Vancouver, Copenhagen, Paris, Singapore and Mauritius.
Rev Merrilyn Teague (Adelaide, Australia)
Rev Merrilyn Teague was a missionary to PNG from 1964 to 1979. She was the Missions Pastor of Austral Asian Community Church (AACC) from 1986 to 2009 and is currently the Church’s Resource Pastor. She was a missionary lecturer to Nepal from 1994 to 2017. She helped to plan medical mission in 2002. Merrilyn was the Resource Person OCF AUSTRALIA (1986 to 2003) and later became the National Advisor of OCF AUSTRALIA from 2004 until Dec 2022. She lives in Adelaide.
YB Yeo Bee Yin (Malaysia)
Yeo Bee Yin is a Malaysian politician and field engineer who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Puchong since November 2022. She graduated from Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) with First Class Honors in Chemical Engineering under the Petronas Scholarship in 2006.
After two years working with Schlumberger, she went on to pursue an MPhil (Masters in Philosophy) in Advanced Chemical Engineering at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, under the Gates Cambridge Scholarship by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and completed her degree with a Commendation.
Besides these three speakers, Dr Peter Ho (the President of GCF Malaysia), Prof Lawerence Chia (GCF Singapore), and Mary Cheng (Beacon Hospital) will also be sharing messages related to the theme of the conference.
The Venue: Awana Genting Resort (4-star resort)
Experience the serenity of unspoiled nature at 3,100 feet above sea level in Peninsular Malaysia. Just a 35-minute drive from Kuala Lumpur city center, this nature-inspired resort, nestled at the southern tip of the Titiwangsa Mountains, offers an ideal escape from the bustling lowlands. The resort features a renowned 18-hole mountain golf course, multi-level treks through a 130-million-year-old rainforest, and spots for exotic bird watching.
Resorts World Awana also features AYU Awana, Malaysia’s first tropical lifestyle restaurant and poolside lounge in the highlands. The resort is conveniently located just 5 to 10 minutes from Genting Highlands Premium Outlets, with complimentary shuttle service available from the hotel lobby at regular intervals.
Video tour of the facilities at the hotel (ref: The Biannual Travellers)
Tour to Malaysian Heritage Sites
The organisers of the camp have also lined up tours for participants to visit various famous sights in Malaysia such as various sites in Malacca where Admiral Cheng Ho and Francis Xavier once stepped foot and where the Chinese Bible was first printed.
Camp Details
Date: 8-10 November 2024
Venue: Awana Resort, Genting Highland, Pahang
Fees: RM 1,760.00 per couple (twin share room) / RM 1,190.00 for single (Single room)
Conference and Accommodation throughout all 3 days and 2 nights, 2 buffet breakfast, 2 buffet lunch, one buffet dinner, one Chinese dinner.
Please contact Daniel Gan (whatsapp: +60122901570) or David Liew (+6016 680 4422) for further enquiries.
Registration Closing Date: 10 October 2024
Registration Form: Download here
Payment information:
Account No : 21247900060126
Swift Code : RHBBMYKL
Contacts
Christianity Malaysia endorses the event but is otherwise not directly affiliated with it.
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