Name: Riana Lim
Age: 22 years old
Church: Peace Presbyterian Church
When I was 16, the staff at YFC promoted the evangelistic event “Beauty Workshop” outside my Secondary School. That was my first interaction with them and I found out that they were a Christian organisation. This organisation would regularly organise different activities for Secondary school students, encourage them to attend and also create an opportunity for them to hear the gospel. I was very interested in hair and nail art at the time and when I found out that it was also organised by a Christian organisation, I did not hesitate to join and even invited my friends to tag along. On the day of the event, I attended it with my friends and we were introduced and guided by our friendly group leader. During the gospel sharing segment, my friends remained with my group leader while a staff, Mei Yann, had an individual conversation with me, asking me questions, to understand my view on my faith. At the time, I told her that my mother is a Christian and therefore, I am a Christian too. Mei Yan told me that my belief should be a personal decision and not one related to my parents or others. She also introduced YFC and told me more about what it does and its purpose. I decided to continue meeting her for bible study, to help me understand my faith better and also learn how to share the gospel. From that day on, I began lessons on “Basic Christian Living” and slowly progressed to other bible studies such as Sermon on The Mount and Mark. I also participated in different evangelistic events, learning how to share the gospel and that has continued to this day.
I have learnt so much from joining the YFC programmes. They helped me to understand my faith and helped me be clear about what I believe in, no longer a confused Christian. Initially, I did not know that I was able to be in Heaven with God because of my identity as a sinner who will not stop sinning. I used to be so afraid that I would be sent to hell that I would lose sleep over this thought. There was no peace in my heart. Praise the Lord, after completing the first lesson of “Basic Christian Life”, I finally understood that as long as I believe and trust in God, I will receive eternal life. I am someone who has already received salvation! Although I no longer need to fear, it does not mean that I can continue sinning. Being repentant is a journey of a lifetime and I have to be alert so as to not sin against God. After understanding and being clear about the contents of the gospel, I started learning how to share this gospel of peace. I first learnt how to share the gospel using the small “Bridge to Life” booklet and then moved on to using my fingers to share the gospel. Besides those, I learnt many creative evangelism methods to share the gospel. I also learnt how to teach others to share the contents of the gospel well. I also learnt how to organise both big and small evangelistic events, how to think constructively and effectively deal with unforeseen circumstances. Most importantly, the staff at YFC are very caring and would encourage me to live every day for God. When I face gray areas in my life, I can always approach them and they are always so willing to explain using the bible’s perspective. They taught me the things Christians should and should not do, teaching me to be a Christian who can witness for Christ. I finally understood that my belief is not just a part of my life but it should be reflected in my entire life.
After knowing what the gospel is about, I began learning how to share the gospel with others. I started participating in street evangelism, big evangelistic events and also personal evangelism. I do this so that the people who have not heard of this peace-giving good news can hear it, especially my family and close friends. It is my hope that they can have eternal life with me and spend eternity in the heavenly kingdom. I also began to pay more attention to my words and deeds because the gospel not only gives me “eternity” but it also gives me a new life and a new way of living. I have to change and this change is brought about by the gospel. I want to be someone who will be a witness for Christ. Not only to share with my lips but to influence lives through my own. After understanding my faith better, it is easier for me to share the gospel with non-believers and it also prevents me from sharing the wrong things. As I converse with my friends about Christianity, I am able to answer any questions or clarify any doubts they may have towards Christianity. However, there will be times when I do face challenging questions that stump me, the Lord will protect me to answer calmly or find opportunities to answer them after I have found an answer. I am also not easily swayed and I am more discerning to differentiate what is right and what is wrong. I am no longer as I was before, someone who is easily swayed by man’s words. Not to mention that the skills I learnt in YFC, I am able to apply in my daily life such as planning a major event, how to communicate with others and how to use different computer software. All these skills have helped me in my studies and in university.
I believe that the role of YFC among the youths is to lead and guide. I believe that YFC has helped many Christian youths and played a major role in leading and guiding them; giving different aid to match the different needs of the youths. If there are Christian youths who are weak and have strayed, there are bible study classes and interesting materials to build a strong foundation for their faith. If they are interested in serving, there are many roles and opportunities for youths to serve. If someone is lost and struggling, YFC will patiently use the bible to encourage them. They are able to encourage and mobilise Christians who will then mobilise other Christians to serve together in the ministry. YFC is like a platform that will let them learn how to stand firm in their faith, and give them the opportunity to participate in various types of ministry positions, and work together to carry out the Great Commission. What about the non-believer youths? If they have yet to hear the gospel, YFC will give them the opportunity to share the gospel. If they have heard the gospel, YFC also has other materials that they can use to help them understand Jesus Christ even more and to build a relationship with them. When they face any difficulties, they will also provide them with suitable guidance.