Melbourne University OCF
Reach Out, Build Up, Send Back

Scripture reading:  Acts 5:42

Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

A true church is a biblical church - a church which believes the Bible, honours the Bible, teaches the Bible and lives according to the Bible.

Malaysia

Population: 21,793,293
Religion: Muslim 55%, Chinese 18%, Christian 8.6%, Buddhist 7%

Malaysia, formerly Malaya, is developing rapidly and is influential in the Islamic world and in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). It faces challenges with its peoples’ racial and religious mixture. To be Malay usually means being Muslim. The constitutional guarantee of religious freedom is being ignored.

An extremist Muslim minority has been pressing for radical Islamic reforms and the formation of an Islamic state. This has brought stress to the whole country and an acceleration of Muslim missionary activities.

Non-Muslims are suffering a creeping erosion of religious freedom. Pray for:

• The restoration of full religious liberty.
• The restrictions on Christian meetings to be removed.
• Unity among Christians in the face of persecution.
• Courageous Christian leaders who are willing and able to present the needs and rights of the Christian community to the authorities.

Since Malay became the only national language, Christians have been pushed into a series of crises. The Bible in Bahasa Malaysia and Bahasa Indonesia is available in Christian bookshops. However, the government requires that it is made obvious that it is not for Muslims.

There is a need for Christian literature in the Malay language.

Some states have strongly discouraged the use of Malay in church to inhibit the conversion of Malays to Christ.

Pray for missions to and from Malaysia:

• Many Malaysians are studying overseas. Pray that they would find Christ and be able to maintain their faith back at home.
• Pray for Malaysian Christians to rise to the challenge of cross-cultural missions both within Malaysia and beyond.
• Malays who have believed have suffered social ostracism and the loss of legal rights, privileges and jobs; some have had to leave Malaysia. Pray for supportive fellowship for Muslim background believers. Pray for Christians to tactfully, but fearlessly, share the gospel.
• In East Malaysia, 23 per cent of the Chinese and the majority of the indigenous peoples are now Christian. However, there are some unresolved problems for the churches, including nominal beliefs, materialism, the drift to the cities and a lack of full-time workers.
• Pray that the Malaysian Church will be a reconciling community through genuine care for all.

OCF Berwick

President: Voon Zhen Yi
Theme: Steadfast in Faith
Campus: Monash University, Berwick Campus

Attendance: 2008: 3-11 (Average 7)

Description:

In 2008, OCF Berwick begins their first year as an official club registered under Monash University, Berwick. Meetings have been held consistently every week for the first semester though attendance still can be improved. As a new club, we are careful in laying its foundations - to be God centered (not merely a club for people, but for Him). Embarking into the second semester, we a praying for more divine appointments where key individuals will be discovered and called to serve in OCF. Our members come from a diverse background (Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, Egypt, Pakistan, Egypt), and God willing, that diversity will continue to build.

Praise God For:

• Official recognition from the university
• Excellent bible study sessions
• Unity among the regular members
• Support from a local church (Casey Life International Church)
• Support from other OCF centers (especially OCF Clayton for manpower)

Please Pray For:

• Continued growth in membership
• All members will develop a personal relationship, deeper intimacy and a heart of service
• God guidance as members take up more responsibilities and challenges to impact the campus
• Divine appoints - people called by God to serve His people and purpose through the OCF ministry
• Sustained faith - that things will fall into place as long as we do our best, God will do the rest