About this blog series:
We believe that doing justice is key to understanding the gospel, especially to areas of life that society can often dismiss. As such, we want to hear from members of our congregation and their efforts in bringing God’s Kingdom on earth. For this blogpost we interviewed Sherman Ng about her work with YoungLives.
What area or aspect of missional justice are you involved in?
I am a volunteer at YoungLives. YoungLives is a ministry that reaches teen moms by entering their world, showing them the love of Christ, pointing them to the gospel and encouraging them to become the women and mothers that God created them to be.
Through different activities such as weekly playgroups, monthly club time and a yearly camp, I have the opportunity to get to know some teen moms along with their young ones. These young moms strive to meet life’s challenges and are eager to seek love and genuine relationships—they are all ordinary people like us! As we build up our friendship and trust with each other, we share our joys, pains, sorrows, and struggles. While walking alongside the women, we try to point them to Jesus and share His love.
Why should God’s people take action? What does Scripture say about it?
Many teen moms take care of their children without a husband and family support. There are cases of children being sent to orphanages because their moms can’t provide proper care to them.
Through Scripture, I am reminded that widows and orphans are close to God’s heart.
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27
“Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” Isaiah 1:17
God cares immensely for those without support and He calls us to help and care for them.
How did God lead you to YoungLives, and what inspired you to get involved?
About 7 years ago, I had a casual chat with a sister at Watermark church about reaching out to teen moms in Hong Kong. She asked me to consider serving together. That was the starting point when God planted the seed of serving at YoungLives in my heart. In the beginning, I was skeptical if this was the best choice. I didn’t have any experience working with teen moms and I had no idea how I could contribute or serve. So I prayed to God about it, and the more I prayed, the more God stirred my heart to step out of my comfort zone.
One bible verse which always came into my mind was: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). All Christians are called to live out their faith in Jesus so that people can see God’s glory in our lives and give praise to Him. We are meant to be a shining light that draws people closer to God and His love. What an honor it would be if God would bring a teen mom to know Him through them seeing the beauty of God in my life!
With a leap of faith, I decided to volunteer at YoungLives and serve young moms along with their kids whom God calls us to love and care for.
How has God impacted you through it?
Praise God for His wonderful work in many of the teen moms’ lives. Through different moments and situations, God revealed His love and grace to these girls. Serving them is like a partnership with God—it is beautiful and amazing! When I look back on my journey of serving at YoungLives, there are a lot of memories—tears of joy and sorrow, mourning for sins and suffering. When all these moments are put together, it becomes a beautiful story of how God has shown His power, sovereignty, faithfulness, and amazing love in people’s lives. When I stepped up to serve with an empty hand, God showed me that it is all about His power. He is the one who changes people’s hearts and accomplishes great works. God brought me onto this journey so that I could know Him and trust Him more.
What encouragement would you have for Watermark members to get involved?
If you are interested in serving teen moms and their kids, there are a number of organizations which you can get involved with. One of them is YoungLives. You may also consider helping out in the Safe Families Program launched by Mother’s Choice.
Some of you may feel hesitant to serve in this area because you might doubt that you are able to help (similar to how I felt before!). However, there are many leaders and volunteers serving together at YoungLives, so you will receive a lot of training and support from them. But most importantly, God showed me that He is the One who makes things happen and He will give us strength to do His work. What God wants from us is our willing hearts to follow Him and our dependence on His power and grace. God not only changes these teen moms’ lives but also the lives of those who serve Him.