March 1999

Issue #1

Contents

Editor's Welcome

As we edge towards the millenium and our ages edge towards that evil "hill" everyone keeps talking about, God's plan for our lives seems that much more important.

I'd like to extend a warm welcome to all the freshers. This newsletter SMAll as it is, is SMAshing and will deliver to frontal lobes the information vital for survival. 2 pages/2 months should provide you with the right amount of nutrients your body needs to know :

1. Reports on the latest events in SMA
2. Upcoming events you'll need incredible excuses to get out of since you now know!
3. Who's who and how to contact them
4. Prayer requests
5. Incredibly awesome photos of the president with SMArt comments

2 pages … it's like baby Robins. To the point and you'll thank it because it saved your life!

Comments and feedback are welcome regarding this newsletter (and the prez's latest haircut):

Solomon

A big welcome back to all from the summer vacation and a special hello to the freshers! It's good to be back in what promises to be a very

exciting year. For the regulars, an important change to note in SMA this year is the official inclusion of dental students as part of SMA. It is a new direction which can only make SMA stronger.

For the uninitiated, SMA is a christian fellowship of medical and dental students. It stands for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, the three friends of Daniel who were thrown into the burning furnace for what they believed only toemerge victorious. We are called SMA because we identify with this group of young men who stood up for the truth they knew in a pressured environment. SMA was founded in 1992 by christian med students who felt the need for an organised fellowship with one another.

SMA seeks to provide for the special needs of medical and dental students which stems from an unconventional university and later, working experience. It is easy to function as a support group as we all will be sharing the same pressures and experiences.

This year, SMA has the theme of "to know Christ and to make Christ known". There are specific goals under this theme which include equipping SMA with certain skills, spreading the gospel message amongst fellow students and organising meetings and activities for all year groups. In this way, we can provide support and fellowship.

There are regular year group meetings, monthly prayer meets and various events where all the year groups get together. Some of these are the fresher's welcome, dinner, camp, dessert nights and the christmas dinner.

All are welcomed!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank some SMAers and also int

roduce some of the committee who have been working very hard to organise stuff over the summer: Kalvin (V President), James (Secretary), Annette (Treasurer), Jill (Prayer Sec), Solomon (Editor), James T, Mike T and May. A special thanks also to the 2nd yrs (Paul, Kristy, Lena, Weng,Daniel and Michael).

Let us all look forward to a great year of blessings!

One of the things I love most about SMA is the great diversity of churches and denominations represented in it. We may worship a bit differently on a Sunday morning but all of us share many things - a love of God, a thankfulness to our Saviour, an openness to the Spirit’s prompting, a desire to know our Lord through His Word and in prayer, and a burden for the unsaved.

In these things and many more we find a common bond, and through this unity I think God can make us stronger and more effective witnesses for Him. Through combined Christian group prayer meetings on campus, and events like ‘The Church Together’, we see just a glimpse of the calling for unity and the fruits of it that God promises and nowhere is it expressed better than in His Word.

For us as Christians, unity is important…

(Ephesians 4:1-6)

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit-- just as you were called to one hope when you were called-- 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

(Romans 15:5-6)

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(Ephesians 4:11-13)

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

(John 17:20-23)

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."

(Psalm 133:1)

How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Whether it be to obey or glorify God, for us who are saved or for those who are not, unity is good, and the best way we can achieve it is through expressing and displaying God’s love to each other. We are all parts of the one body and God has arranged every one of us just as he wanted us to be. (1 Cor 12:18 paraphrase)

James Seow (IV)

1. Great turn-out to planning meetings, and enthusiastic volunteers

2. This year we have dentists in our midst!

3. Support of SMA from graduates

1. For each event we need wisdom, strength, inspiration, love and patience as we work together and a passion for telling others about Jesus. We also need speakers.

Specific events to pray for:

a) Fresher Welcome (esp. our speakers,Cynthia & Siva)

b) Delivery of the Easter message in our year-groups

c) Dinner

d) Camp

e) 2nd semester evangelistic event