Updates, Events, and Publications

Published Date: November 4, 2020

Dr. Suraja Raman is an alumna of Asbury Theological Seminary and Trinity International University. She earned her Masters of Religious Education in 1982 and a PhD in Educational Studies in 1993 respectively. She served as a missionary with Asia Evangelistic Fellowship in Asia (Malaysia, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Nepal, Sri Lanka), sent and commissioned by her home church, Fairfield Methodist, Singapore. More recently she taught in Kenya, East Africa, at Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology (NEGST), now known as Africa International University (AIU).

Currently, Suraja is back home in Singapore serving as an adjunct faculty with Africa International University, (Kenya), Alpha Omega International College, Malaysia Evangelical College (West and East Malaysia), Discipleship Training Centre (Singapore), and the Asia Pacific Theological Seminary (Philippines).

Dr. Raman has written a research article for the Community of Mission Information Workers titled The Hand Model: Reflections for Research.

The Hand Model: Reflections for Research

Letter to Younger Researchers

by Dr. Suraja Raman

Picture - Suraja Raman Dear researchers,

Greetings in the strong Name of Jesus Christ.

I am writing this letter to all of you as you commence on the ministry of research writing. I would like to suggest that you consider using models to inspire you as you reflect on this journey. Models can be useful for depicting theoretical frameworks. The Hand Model, for example, is an educational model, illustrated and communicated by my professor, mentor, and dissertation director Ted Ward. (For a full description see “Values Begin At Home,” 1989, Victor Books.) This model can be used to help represent the concept of sin and the love of Jesus Christ towards sinners:

image - The Hand Model The hand represents us, that each one of God’s created being is important in the Kingdom of God. Each finger represents our human development in the physical, mental, emotional, social, and moral realms. The spiritual core is represented in the centre of the hand. This is an important aspect of being a human being created in the image of God.

In the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman (John 4), Jesus ministers in all the realms. Physically, she was thirsty and came to the well for water. This was not met because she needed living water. Mentally, she had many questions and discovered that Christ was not just a prophet but the Messiah. Socially, she was ostracized because of her background, but Christ took time to minister to her though she was a Samaritan and a woman, and He a Jew and a man. Culturally this was unacceptable, but Christ had broken all barriers and revealed that God loves and accepts us just as we are. Morally, she was living in sin and needed forgiveness of her sins. Christ responded broadly to her needs.

The woman had forgotten her original intention for coming to the well; instead she ran to the town and became a witness to the Samaritans. Later the Samaritans believed because of Christ’s message to them also. Her loneliness ended and a sense of relief came when Christ initiated the dialogue with an opening request: Give me a drink. Because of this moving encounter, she went to the town and openly declared regarding the humanity and deity of Christ: “He told me all that I ever did.” (Jn 4: 39). The result was that “many more believed because of His word.” (Jn 4: 41).

Research is intended to uncover truth. To do so holistically, our research needs to be undergirded with a solid understanding of the human person and its complexity. Employing a model such as Ward’s enables us to do so systematically. As you embark on your research career remember that every group we study, each person we interview, is complex and has diverse needs. As Christian researchers, we need to take time in our communication and ministry to consider these human realities. We need to keep the communication process a meaningful one through sincere relationships with those involved in our research. This is my prayer: that you will be motivated to develop a research model that will impact the hearts of readers to a response for the Kingdom of God.

MSI PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AUTUMN 2020 UPDATE

Our friends at MSI sent us their Autumn 2020 bulletin with several articles from different perspectives on how the pandemic has affected many within their organization and how they are expanding their range to reach others during this time. They ask us to join with them in prayer over these 5 specific things:

Please pray for foreign passport holders awaiting return to China.
Please pray for more people to respond to the Lord of the harvest.
Please pray for continued good cooperation with local partners.
Please pray for our annual work plans and budget for year 2021.
Please pray for new ways of working and wisdom in using new technology.

To read these articles and for more information on MSI, please visit their website here.

To find the articles, scroll to the very bottom and you’ll see where it says, “Our Stories.” Click each to open and read.

ONE MISSION SOCIETY : “WHAT CAN WE DO TO FIGHT HUMAN TRAFFICKING?”

Our friends at OMS, Paul and Sylvia Cummings, updated us on their recent experience with a neighbor who revealed to them that she had been the victim of human trafficking at the hands of her own mother at a very young age. They tell us that as scary as it sounds, the reality of these situations are more common than we think and happen (and are happening) to our own neighbors without us ever realizing. They ask us to please pray for this woman who they call “G” and her husband “W”.

Paul and Sylvia share with us how we and our local churches can help prevent human trafficking right where we live and around the world. Here are the words they share:

“Learn how you and your local church can prevent trafficking where you live and around the world. (Although the local church should support survivor service ministries, only 1% of trafficking victims are rescued.) We need to prevent it through the local church, using our abilities to work with vulnerable people to make them aware of what is going on, give them Jesus, and be community to them. We will still be giving HOPE61 seminars to churches and groups so that human trafficking through Zoom or in person with small groups – just call or email. Please check out the HOPE61 Facebook page and the onemissionsociety.org website to see how God is using local pastors and missionaries in several countries around the world such as Uganda, Spain, and Haiti to reach vulnerable people with the Good News of Jesus while working to prevent trafficking.”

And of course, they are asking us to PRAY!

If you want to directly reach the Cummings regarding seminars or anything related, please email them at cummingses@gmail.com. Also, please visit the OMS website for information on how to give, serve, specifically what to pray for, and for other articles and information about the organization, especially as they feel the effects from COVID-19.

UPDATES FROM BROTHER ISAIAS CATORCE WITH AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST PHILIPPINES

PRAISES:

Praise God for our 27 Filipino students going through online schooling for our Certificate of Christian Ministry (CCM) in partnership with Shekinah Alliance Bible College (SABC) and Helpers In Ministry (HIM).
Praise God for all our team with our respective family members for sparing us from COVID.
Praise God for the 42 new believers baptized by Pastor Chris Sumampong in Oras, Eastern Samar in the midst of the storm. Chris is one of our church planters a product of our STI or Samar Theological Institute,

URGENT Prayer requests:

A Super Typhoon (above 200 kilometers per hour) with local name “Rolly” is posing a threat to Quezon Province and Central Luzon areas. Metro Manila where we reside is within the danger zone. Landfall is expected tomorrow November 01, Sunday evening which might last up to Monday morning (date and time here).
Pray also for our teaching team: Isachar Losbanes, Robert Shem Catorce, David Dasig and I, that our zoom/online classes (every Sunday from 1:00pm to 5:00 pm) in Japan with 27 Filipino students taking Certificate of Christian Ministry will not be disrupted.
Please pray also for Isachar as he continues to do mentoring and coaching through cell phone conversation and skype to our 14 church planters in Eastern Samar. Every Monday to Friday Isachar is scheduled to call at least three (3) church planters. He also Administers our Ambassadors For Christ Philippines Theological Institute (AFCPTI) in Japan. Continue to pray also for Edna the wife of Isachar as she continues her dialysis treatment twice a week.
Please pray also for me as I mentor and coach 10 Filipino Pastors in Japan every evening schedules each week from Sunday to Thursday.
Pray also for Robert Shem Catorce as he takes charge of the technological matters and ILI training.

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