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Pastors' Kids Retreat: Taking Home the Presence of God

Pastors' Kids Retreat: Taking Home the Presence of God

by Evangeline Han
Photo credits: Nathanael Sanjeevi and Joshua Jesudasan

 

BEING a pastor's kid (PK) is no guarantee to a Christian life without struggle. Growing up with a parent or parents who are pastors or are in ministry has its own baggage, expectations and disappointments. The second Pastors' Kids Retreat from 15 to 17 December 2011 addressed these challenges and more. Held at the Bukit Gambang Resort City in Kuantan, 153 pastors' kids came from Vietnam, the Philippines and across Peninsula and East Malaysia to the retreat where they were refreshed and challenged.

Pastor Gabe Ahn from Harvest Rock Church in Pasadena, California, was the main speaker. Himself a PK, Pastor Gabe was able to speak aptly and accurately into the lives of all those present. We were also graced with the presence of a few pastors and intercessors, including Rev Chan Theam Lai.

The camp was a great success. On the first night, God moved so strongly that Pastor Gabe was compelled to move straight into a time of ministry. God's healing flowed as many PKs were healed from both physical and emotional pains. The first night turned into a prayer meeting that lasted close to two hours of soaking and waiting at the feet of Jesus and gazing at His beauty.

On the morning of the second day, the PKs listened to a businessman and his son talk about their daily walk with God. Workshops followed in the afternoon on topics such as hearing God and intimacy, conflict and leadership management, and discovering one's gifting. Games took place after workshops and were a rowdy and fun time. PKs had to put their heads together to plan a war cry, help each other protect group property, and solve a Bible quiz. There was much laughter as they got into the competitive spirit.

The second night, God moved greatly as Pastor Gabe spoke about the Lord being the God of dreams and us being the dream of our God. Every person has a purpose, plan, and destiny designed by God. The session concluded with pastors praying for the PKs that God's purpose will be fulfilled in their lives.

The second night also turned into a night of prayer from 12am to 4am and 75 PKs stayed on to experience a strong encounter with God. We sat before Him with no agenda and no requests but that of Psalm 27:4 to behold His beauty.

The needfulness of the camp was confirmed when during testimony sharing, many PKs shared how they had been hurt by their church leadership and church members. They spoke of how the camp had brought a sense of belonging and family to them. One PK in particular who was of Lun Bawang descent whose father had been serving in Penang, was glad to meet other PKs from East Malaysia. He said he felt that he had returned to his own people. Another PK talked about how he had backslidden for some time and how he had encountered God again during the camp.

After the retreat, many parents wrote in to report changes in their children's behaviour. Many experienced an anointing in worship that they had never received before. As one PK said, it was "as if the presence of God was rubbed onto all of us and we carried it home with us."

This was the second Pastors' Kids retreat and was jointly organised by Impacting Pastors, Impacting Nations (IPIN), NECF Malaysia and the Pastors' Kids Fellowship Malaysia (PKFM). PKFM is a ministry to the children of pastors and was started after the first Pastors' Kids retreat in 2010. For more details of PKFM events and partnership opportunities, visit thepkpost.wordpress.com or email pkfmalaysia@gmail.com.

 



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