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About TJAC

Shalom and welcome to Tabuan Jaya Anglican Church! Our church is centered on loving Jesus Christ and making Him known to others. We are a community church located in the neighbourhood of Tabuan Heights in Kuching.

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VISION

To Take Tabuan Jaya And Beyond For Christ

MISSION

To build a community of believers to love and to know Christ and to make Him known to others

Tuesday, 23 April 2024

Shalom, my dear family members in Christ.

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you for the incredible support and encouragement you have provided to my family and me. Your love, prayers, and unwavering support have been a source of great strength as we continue our journey in serving the Lord. My deepest thanks and gratitude to our compassionate and gracious Heavenly Father and the guiding presence of the Holy Spirit, which has enabled us to learn the values of mutual respect, unity, and spiritual growth in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This year, our church has adopted a theme - "Growing in Faith and Love for Christ." inspired by 2 Thessalonians 1:3 (ESV), which reads “for your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing”. This theme aims to inspire and empower us to embark on a courageous new chapter as we step into the post-pandemic era. The word increasing”, in the original text carries a profound connotation of “abundance”, and it can be aptly interpreted as "Abounding in Faith and Love within the sanctuary of Christ." We are profoundly grateful because throughout the course of various
ministries and activities this year, we have witnessed a remarkable abundance of faith and love radiating within our congregation.

As pandemic-related restrictions have gradually eased, our church has not only continued with its regular ministries, such as Alpha Ministry and Seminar workshops but has also organised fellowship events that have rekindled the passion and dynamism of our members. These events included a delightful family outing day, allowing our congregation members and their families to bond over outdoor activities. The members of the BM Speaking Congregation took the initiative to clean the Chapel on the third floor, collaborating and dividing tasks among themselves. Their proactive involvement in diverse joint-church activities is truly uplifting. The Chinese ministry celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival with an enchanting gathering that brought everyone together in joy and celebration. Moreover, the church has successfully organised a jog-walkathon this year. Some of our home cell groups have become even more vibrant and engaged. They took the initiative to set up pre-sales food stalls on Sundays to raise funds for these activities. Despite the limitations on event attendance, the enthusiasm of our congregation has been unwavering. Throughout these activities, our members have exhibited abundant patience and love. As a family, they have encouraged one another and learned to grow in serving one another.

Reflecting on the church's ministry over the past year, I am reminded of Psalm 133:1 (ESV), "Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers (and sisters) dwell in unity!" This beautiful image continues to shine brightly in my heart. It is a living testament to the true essence of the church as a united and harmonious community. I firmly believe that many of our church members are ready and willing to forge ahead, lighting the path for the Lord. Looking ahead to 2024, the church has exciting plans to launch a series of new ministries that will provide more opportunities for service and growth. These include community outreach programs, rural mission ministry, and a diverse range of fellowship activities, allowing us to collectively bask in the boundless grace of our Lord and embrace the richness of spiritual life.

Amen.

平安,主内的家人们,

我在此衷心感谢大家在过去的一年里,所给予我的家人和我坚定的鼓励、支持和团契。你们的关爱和祷告,坚定了我们同奔天路的服侍。更要感谢那位慈爱的父上帝,以及圣灵的引导,帮助我们学会彼此尊重,一同在主耶稣基督里成长和建立。

今年教会的主题来自帖撒罗尼迦后书1章3-4节,“信心和爱心在基督里增长”,旨在鼓励大家在后疫情时代勇敢地重新出发。关于“增长”一词,原文含有“充足”的意涵,可以译为“在基督里拥有充足的信心和爱心”。我们非常感恩,因为在今年的一些事工和活动中,大家表现出了充足的信心和爱心。

随着疫情行管令的解封,我们除了进行一些例常的事工,如启发和研讨会之外,教会特意策划的联谊活动,再一次激发了信徒们的热情和活力,其中包括一日游家庭日,让信徒和他们的家人一同享受户外活动的机会。

马来文部的信徒们自发性地为三楼小圣堂进行大扫除,大家彼此分工合作,他们积极地参与堂会各样联合活动的心态是令人鼓舞的;中文部举办的中秋节联谊会,让每位参与者欢聚一堂,玩得不亦乐乎。另外,教会举行的微型徒步活动,各家庭细胞小组也因此更加活跃;一些小组还在主日自发开设了食物预售摊位,以筹款支持活动。尽管活动当天的参与人数有限,但大家都兴致盎然。从中大家都展现出充足的耐心和爱心地彼此包容和接纳,也一起学习体验新的服侍领域。

回顾一年来教会的事工,我想起了诗篇133:1的经文,“看哪,弟兄和睦同居是何等地善、何等地美!”这个美丽的画面在我心中生动地呈现。这就是教会作为一个群体的真正体现,我相信许多教会信徒已经准备好,向前迈进,为主照亮前路。明年,教会将为信徒提供更多侍奉和学习的机会,推出一系列事工,例如社区的事工,乡区
的服侍,以及肢体联谊等活动,让我们一起经历上帝的恩典,并领受丰盛的生命。

诚信所愿——阿门。

Selamat sejahtera, saudara-saudari terkasih
dalam Kristus.

Saya ingin mengucapkan terima kasih dari lubuk hati kepada anda semua atas sokongan dan dorongan luar biasa yang telah anda sumbangkan kepada saya dan keluarga saya sepanjang tahun yang lalu. Kasih sayang, doa, dan sokongan yang tidak pernah kendur
ini telah menjadi sumber kekuatan yang besar ketika kami meneruskan perjalanan dalam pelayanan kepada Tuhan. Saya juga ingin mengucapkan terima kasih yang mendalam kepada Bapa Surgawi yang penuh kasih dan kehadiran Roh Kudus yang telah membolehkan
kami mempelajari nilai-nilai saling hormat- menghormati, seiring-sehati, dan pertumbuhan kerohanian dalam dekapan Tuhan
kita Yesus Kristus.

Tahun ini, gereja kita telah mengamal tema - "Berteguh dalam Iman dan berkasih Sayang dalam Kristus," satu inspirasi dari 2 Tesalonika 1:3, yang berbunyi "kerana iman kamu berkembang dengan pesat, dan kasih sesama kamu semua semakin meningkat" (TB). Tema ini bertujuan untuk memberi ilham dan menggalakkan kita semua untuk memulakan babak baru dengan penuh keberanian pada saat kita keluar dari era pandemik Covid-19. Kata "meningkat," dalam teks asal membawa konotasi mendalam tentang "kelimpahan," dan dapat diertikan sebagai "Berlimpah dalam Iman dan Kasih di dalam Kristus." Kita sangat bersyukur kerana sepanjang tahun ini berbagai pelayanan dan aktiviti, kita telah menyaksikan kelimpahan iman dan kasih yang luar biasa bersinar di tengah jemaah kita.

Walaupun pandemik ini telah membawa banyak larangan dan menghadkan aktiviti kita, gereja kita masih boleh meneruskan pelayanan biasa seperti Kebaktian Hari Ahad, Alpha dan sebagainya. Kita masih boleh menguruskan pertemuan yang telah membangkitkan kehidupan rohani dan semangat berpersekutuan anggota kita. Acara-acara ini termasuk Hari Keluarga yang memberi anggota jemaah dan keluarga mereka kesempatan untuk berpesekutuan dalam kegiatan luar. Jemaah kebaktian BM mengambil inisiatif secara gotong-royong membersihkan chapel kecil di tingkat tiga. Mereka bekerjasama dan membahagikan tugas di antara mereka. Mereka
dengan proaktif terlibat dalam pelbagai aktiviti bersama di gereja yang benar-benar memberi semangat.

Pelayanan Bahasa Cina merayakan Perayaan Kuih Bulan dengan aktiviti yang menyeronokkan. Perayaan ini membawa semua orang bersatu dalam hadirat Tuhan. Selain itu, gereja telah mengatur jog-walk-athon. Aktiviti ini menghidupkan beberapa kelompok sel kecil kita dan mengaktifkan ahli-ahli yang ada. Mereka mengambil inisiatif untuk membuka gerai makanan pra-penjualan pada hari
Minggu untuk mengumpulkan dana bagi aktiviti-aktiviti ini. Meskipun terbatasnya jumlah peserta dalam acara-acara tersebut, semangat jemaah kita tetap teguh. Dalam semua aktiviti ini, anggota kita telah menunjukkan kesabaran dan kasih yang melimpah, saling mendukung dan belajar serta tumbuh bersama dalam bidang pelayanan yang baru.

Apabila direnung pelayanan gereja dalam setahun ini, saya teringat Mazmur 133:1, "Lihatlah betapa baik dan menyenangkan bila saudara-saudara tinggal bersama dalam persatuan!" (TB). Gambaran indah ini terus bersinar terang dalam hati saya. Ini adalah
bukti nyata gereja kita sebagai komuniti yang bersatu dan berharmoni. Saya yakin bahawa banyak anggota gereja kita sudah bersiap-sedia untuk melangkah maju, menjadi penerang bagi Tuhan. Melihat ke tahun 2024, gereja memiliki rencana yang sangat
menarik untuk meluncurkan serangkaian pelayanan baru yang akan memberi lebih banyak kesempatan untuk berbakti dan belajar. Ini termasuk program-program pelayanan komuniti, pelayanan misi di pedalaman, dan berbagai macam aktiviti lagi seperti pertemuan yang memungkinkan kita untuk bersama-sama merasakan kasih karunia Tuhan dan kekayaan kehidupan rohani.Amin.

The Revd. Richard Chang

Sunday, 25 December 2022

The Revd. Richard Chang

My warmest greetings to brothers and sisters in Christ of TJAC.

I praise God for his guidance and many blessings throughout 2022. TJAC entered a new chapter this year. We bade farewell to The Revd. Kelvin Jawa. TJAC appreciates his leadership as vicar for the past four and a half years. May the grace of God be with Revd. Kelvin and his family in St. Francis, Kota Samarahan. At the same time, the Bishop appointed me as the new vicar of TJAC. I felt genuinely humbled when the congregation of TJAC warmly welcomed me and my family from the beginning. I am blessed to be here because I have a team of supportive leaders. I will serve God faithfully in every ministry in this new place. Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us work together to go forward.

This year, we licensed three Readers to assist TJAC in various ministries. We hope these newly appointed Readers, as well as current and future leaders, will serve God faithfully, especially in social work and spiritual needs.

We witnessed the confirmation of 45 members on the 6th of November 2022. Let us welcome them to this big family of TJAC. I urge every member to support them in their spiritual journey so that everyone in this big family will grow to become Christ like.

The Movement Control Order was lifted in May 2022. Our cell group meetings are in hybrid fellowship. Some members long to meet physically, but some prefer to meet online. Let us praise God because some members have overcome the hurdle of using media and to keep up with the constantly changing digital technologies.

In the media age, we experience many global issues, such as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex and Asexual (LGBTQIA), economic crisis, war, natural disasters, and fake news. These current issues are alarming. How do we face them?

PRAY! I can only humbly offer my advice to the big family of TJAC to keep praying in your daily devotion during your quiet time with God, in church or with your family members. The Diocese of Kuching has declared Years 2021 to 2030 as the Diocesan Decade of Discipleship. The first three years of the discipleship are to inculcate the praying lifestyle.

In the letter to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul reminded the believers to stand united in Christ. When we are facing conflicting issues, we must be united.

Let us be encouraged by these verses from Philippians 2:2, 5 & 15, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. v2 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. v5 ….so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe. v15
Let us be united in prayer. Christians should make praying a habit in their daily lives. Our daily intercession can strengthen our faith and put Jesus Christ first in our life.

感谢上帝带领我们走过2022年,对圣公会达万堂来说,是进入新篇章的一年。原任堂主牧加尔文(Kelvin)牧师在今年6月15日调往三马拉汉的圣法兰西斯堂服侍,结束了他在达万堂4年的服侍,转交由郑晓靖牧师接替堂主牧要职,达万堂的家人们从一开始就热烈的欢迎我和我的家人,使我深感无比的卑微。很荣幸能在这里服侍,有一个支持牧师的团队。牧师将尽他所能服侍上帝的教会,让我们一起努力前进。
同时,本堂有三位弟兄被教区授权为司祷员(Reader),协助堂会牧养和关怀事工,让堂会的事工进入另一个层次。
蒙上帝的恩典,堂会今年有45位弟兄姐妹接受坚信礼,加入达万堂的大家庭,盼望堂会能继续帮助他们的属灵生命成长,以致长成基督的样式。
另外,疫情管制令也在今年放缓,各事工进入线上和实体两种方式进行。感谢主,部分信徒克服了使用数码科技的困难。实际上,我们需要面对的困难不只这些,也包括一些社会议题,如性别倾向(LGBT),经济软弱,假新闻等。我们要怎样面对这混乱的时代呢?祷告,在此牧师要鼓励达万堂的家人们藉着我们自己每日的灵修祷告,教会的崇拜公祷,和家庭崇拜时间与上帝保持连接。古晋教区在2021年开始推动了10年门徒训练计划;前面的三年(2021-2023)就是在推动信徒操练祷告生活,呼吁并鼓励信徒有更进阶,更敬虔的祷告。
保罗在腓立比书二章提醒我们,上帝的子民必须在基督里同心合意,一同面对着歪曲的时代。『2你们就要意念相同,爱心相同,有一样的心思,有一样的意念…,5你们当以基督耶稣的心为心。…15使你们无可指摘,诚实无伪,在这弯曲悖谬的世代作 神无瑕疵的儿女。』(2:2,5,15)
牧师盼望信徒透过操练祷告生活,能建立坚固的信仰,以祷告保守我们的下一代,将信仰传承给下一代,成为以基督为中心的基督徒。

诚心所愿,上帝祝福大家。

Friday, 24 December 2021

The Revd. Kelvin Jawa

Christmas must always be about the birth of the promised saviour, Jesus. With His birth into this fallen world as a human baby, God fulfilled His promise to the Israelites made thousands of years before. The promise was for the grace of God, who offers salvation to all, first to the Jews and then to the nations, to come and redeem all who believe in Him. For all on whom His favour rests, He gives them peace that the world cannot give. That is wonderful for two reasons.

Firstly, we receive hope through Christ Jesus. Despite this COVID-19 Pandemic, we find hope in that Christ Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection and ultimately His ascension to the right hand on high. Every single one of us has faced the sorrow of losing a loved one to COVID-19 complications. Every single one of us knows of someone who has or still is suffering from COVID-19. Every single one of us knows of someone who is suffering from the devastation caused by COVID-19 on their life and work or school. No one is spared and all suffer in one way on another. But we know that COVID-19 cannot steal our guaranteed salvation which we receive through Jesus. Even in death, we know we will transition into a wonderful eternity with Him so long as we are His while alive. Death has no more sting in the light of Christ Jesus’ resurrection. Hence, we have hope in Christ Jesus.

Secondly, because we have hope in Him, we experience peace. During this Pandemic, every morning we wake up, we worry if we have been infected by COVID-19 the day before. We worry if someone in our household was infected and has passed it on to others. We worry if someone we met in the office or school, or shop is infected. Unfortunately, due to the cunningness of the virus, we cannot be certain until after symptoms manifest or tests are done. The unpredictability of the disease creates stress, for some too unbearable to stand. The worry weighs down on them to the point they live in constant fear. We all know at least one of our friends or family member who is like this. But with the peace received from our holy loving Heavenly Father through His Son Jesus Christ, we can strive forward knowing that He is with us all the way. Even if we are infected and go through all five categories of sickness, we can be assured that God is there to guide and lead us. We experience His peace when He makes His presence felt, something which we all must pray for. His peace must take away all our worries so that we are able to live lives according to His command.

Jesus was born into this world to enable us to live lives in hope and peace, striving towards holy living. Yes, Christians will sin because we are not perfect. Not yet. However, through the grace of God, we are able to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives. This must be our prayer, that we will realise our calling to be salt and light of the world through living lives in righteousness through the grace of God and the peace attained from Him through His Son Jesus Christ.

And so, as we approach another Christmas, let us be assured of His wonderful gift to us in the form of His one and only Son, Jesus Christ. In Jesus is the grace of God made manifest to this fallen world. In Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, we receive peace that the world cannot give.
May the peace of God which passes all understanding and His all-encompassing grace be with you and your loved ones this Christmas and into the new year.

Monday, 31 December 2018

The Revd. Kelvin Jawa

Greetings in the wonderful name of Jesus our Lord and God!

My name is Kelvin and I am the new Vicar of Tabuan Jaya Anglican Church.

I was transferred to the parish on 2nd January 2018 and was made the Vicar three months later 1st April 2018. Since then I have had a wonderful time meeting and getting to know the individual members of our church. It has also been a good time working together with the parish staff, pastoral staff, and PCC members.

With the advent of the new year 2019, I am very excited to continue the journey with our church, especially as we commemorate the 10th Anniversary of our Parish. Several activities and programmes have been lined up throughout the year to celebrate the occassion. They are great opportunities for our members to fulfil their calling as Christians in Reaching Forward as emphasied by Paul the Apostle in Philippians 3:12-14.

I hope you will join us in serving our Lord Jesus Christ through these activities and programmes. If you are unable to, then I hope you will pray for us because your prayers are very important to us. At the end of the day we would like to give glory to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

As it is also the advent of the Chinese New Year, on behalf of my family, I would like to wish all who are celebrating a Happy and Blessed Chinese New Year. May God bless you with His presence and allow you to experience His wonderful love and mercy in the new year.

Puji Tuhan!

Wednesday, 26 January 2022

The Revd. Kelvin Jawa

Jesus Christ is mighty to save!

That is the message of the Gospel reading for the first day of Chinese New Year this year which comes from Mark 5:21-end. The healing of the woman suffering from a life-long sickness and the raising from the dead of Jairus’s daughter highlights Jesus’s mighty saving power. One on sickness, the other on death. We tend to dwell on the more amazing one but both the miracles He performed point to one very important thing – that Jesus Christ is mighty to save, even in death. Nothing is beyond His power; all is under His sovereign reign.

A wonderful truth for us even if we are not facing death or destruction. In the mundaneness of life, in our daily patterns, we must accept how mighty Jesus is. Every day seems to bring its own set of challenges that we must think about how to overcome successfully. Truth of the matter, we tend to worry a lot about how things need to be like at the end of the day. To most of us, we tend to worry too much and make these challenges and the overcoming of them our main concern in life. Basically, the worry envelopes and eventually drowns us.

Yet for Christians, our Lord Jesus Christ has taught us not to worry as we read in Matthew 6:25 onwards. Oswald Chambers wrote in one of his devotionals, that we should heed our Lord’s instructions and stop worrying about our life, even a little. He goes on to write about worrying, “Jesus says you must not. Beware of allowing yourself to think that He says this while not understanding your circumstances. Jesus Christ knows our circumstances better than we do, and He says we must not think about these things to the point where they become the primary concern of our life.” Worrying about our life, even about the food that nourishes us, should not be our priority! Scandalous!

But this is not irresponsible of Christ Jesus. On the contrary, Jesus’ main concern is for us to make our relationship with God personal and meaningful. It should be one that is intimate and ever reliant of Him. It should be like a husband with his wife or a child with its parents. For when our relationship with God is on the right track, when it is so intimate and so reliant on Him, all our worries would be cast aside. This is because we trust God so much that we believe and know that He will provide accordingly and abundantly. Matthew writes on in verse 33 that Jesus wants us to “… seek first His kingdom and His righteousness,” because at the end of the day, “… all these things will be given to you as well.” Those who put their trust in God will inevitably receive sustenance and will never go wanting again. It reminds us of that oft recited line from Psalm 23 that teaches us that when God is our Shepherd, we will never lack anything. Let us then, all cast aside our worries at the feet of our Lord and let us take His hand so that He can guide us through this earthly life till the end.

So, as we conclude our celebration of the Gregorian New Year and begin the celebration of the Chinese New Year, let us not worry about the days ahead as if we have no hope and that there is no God. Let us instead, seek Him, build up our relationship with Him, and rely entirely on Him for providence and sustenance so that we are able to be free to praise and worship Him in spirit and in truth.
A blessed Chinese New Year to all who celebrate!

Sunday, 31 January 2021

The Revd. Kelvin Jawa

Greetings from Tabuan Jaya Anglican Church, Kuching.

I write this on the tenth day of February 2021. We are still in the thick of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Cases in Sarawak specifically and Malaysia generally are still too numerous for any of us to breath a sigh of relief. Everyone still needs to follow the enforced Standard Operating Procedures (S.O.P.) given out by the relevant agencies in order to bring the curve down and low. Everyone still needs to wear face masks properly whenever necessary and keep our physical distance. So much fear and worry fill our daily lives because the virus is invisible and unpredictable. Our hope now rests on vaccines which is not 100% effective in protecting everyone from getting infected and dying from COVID-19. However, it is definitely a step forward to bring down the number of cases and deaths. Still, no one can be perfectly sure of a positive outcome in the nearest future with some experts predicting that the Pandemic will last more than 7 years. So much for the hope of a brighter future in this new decade.

But for us who believe in Jesus Christ, there is always hope. There is hope for everyone despite the terrible blanket of death and depression brought by COVID-19. In Jesus Christ, there is hope of salvation that can save everyone, even in death. He promised that He would be with His faithful disciples through the valley of death, at its gates and even in it. For in Christ’s death on the cross, He defeated death once and for all. In His death, His faithful people will inherit eternal life in Him, forever secure and safe in His embrace. His faithful children should not fear death because it is merely a transition into eternity with Him. Hence, this COVID-19 Pandemic should not be feared but taken as an opportunity to solidify our faith and obedience to our loving God. During this Pandemic, let us not live in the darkness but instead reflect the true light that comes from Christ Jesus. As His faithful servants, we must serve Him by serving His creation. Shower the world with God’s grace and mercy so that despite the sufferings endured, His creation will experience His love in abundance.

In a few days, some of you will be celebrating the Chinese New Year in a manner never experienced before. Despite this, let us be reminded that God is in control and continues to provide and sustain us. You may not be able to gather with family members and friends like you used to, but I hope that you will continue to be thankful to Him for whatever you have now. I pray that in the Lunar New Year, He will continue to be with you and to guide you to do His will for His glory and honour. I also pray that He blesses you abundantly so that you can share His grace and mercy with others as you love and serve like His Son, Jesus.

The peace of the Lord Jesus be with you and yours this Lunar New Year. Gong Xi Fatt Chai!

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