Friday, February 22, 2008

Introducing Marketplace Penang


EXCITEMENT
EXCELLENCE
EXAMPLESHIP


We are a Christian organization that seeks to motivate believers to excel in their work and business so that they can be examples to their workmates.

We focus on three broad areas:
Career Education
Professional Excellence
Business Enterprise


What Marketplace Penang believes about Workplace Evangelism?

It is more than exemplary workplace ethics. We need to develop other effective approaches or strategies in such areas as:

Enjoying Our Work
Excelling In Our Work
Entrepreneurship at Work
Energizing Our Work

A BRIEF HISTORY

In 1995, after twelve years as senior pastor of a Baptist Church in Penang, Pastor Abraham Gan and his wife, Sister Irene, were led by the Lord to pioneer Marketplace Penang to impact workers and business people. This decision was much influenced by their time in Regent College, Canada where they discovered the strategic role of equipping Christians for the workplace. Abraham & Irene received their early ministry training at the Baptist Theological Seminary in Penang, Malaysia.

REGULAR ACTIVITIES

1. WORD B4 WORK
We continually emphasize the importance of a daily Bible reading habit so that believers will open the Word before they rush out to work. Members are encouraged to focus their reading on the same Bible Book of the month.

A practical guide & journal workbook has been designed for busy professionals who wish to profit and preserve that gain from their daily Bible reading. It has a special section to challenge deeper reflection and application of vital marketplace principles discovered.

2. DINNER SING ALONG
We recognize that many find relaxation in the music of yesteryears. Marketplace Penang organizes a monthly get together to enjoy the golden hits of the 60s and 70s.We provide live music and those who come have an opportunity to sing their favourites including Christian songs. There is free refreshment for those who are not dining. Believers are encouraged to bring their family and friends. Often, we are able to witness and pray for those with needs. Whenever possible, we try out new restaurants and new food.

3. VISITATION TEAMS
are now available to go into places of work and business where we are invited. It may be a simple service of prayer and blessing as proposed by Rich Marshall in the last chapter of his book, God at Work. We believe God’s power is released into a believer’s life and his/her workplace when we proclaim at the place of work and business the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:14).

4. MONTHLY FELLOWSHIP
is held every first Tuesday of the month to allow members to keep in touch with each other and to share reports of our team ministries. There will be a continuing training series on how to minister prophetic encouragement and empowerment to the people and places where the teams are invited. We will learn how to draw upon the spiritual resources of God to work and minister in the marketplace.

5. FTZ MINISTRY
recognizes that believers working in the manufacturing sector share a unique work culture and often encounter special workplace challenges. We offer on-site and on-line coaching on issues like work-life effectiveness and work wellness. We organize occasional seminars and other group events.

6. MTV FELLOWSHIP
We have a Monthly Lunch Fellowship for believers in the Travel & Hospitality sector (or MTV Fraternity = Marketplace TraVel Fraternity). Our objective is to provide Christian care and coaching in workplace issues.

7.AMEN is the Association of Marketplace Entrepreneurs. It offers regular opportunity for business networking and training in practical and biblical principles of business entrepreneurship. It seeks to promote businesses set up by believers and to help the Christian community on how to support believers engaged in business.


SOME SPECIAL EVENTS
1. COMMISSIONING SERVICE
Every year on January 1, we hold a Commissioning Service to affirm those believers who have already responded and are active in their calling as Marketplace Ministers. We also affirm those who are exercising a mentoring role as Marketplace Mentors.

2. Our annual CHRISTMAS OUTREACH in the early part of December each year brings together the families and friends of Marketplace members. It is also an evangelistic event.

3. We have sponsored several programme to improve job skills and marketability of the participants. For the past 5 years, we have conducted THE CERTIFICATE COURSE in RESIDENTIAL CHILD CARE & MANAGEMENT in Chiangmai, Thailand. This course is held in October for one week. The students are 2nd-level staff from the many children’s homes and orphanages in Northern Thailand.

4. Month-long ENGLISH IMMERSION COURSE held in Penang. In the last course, we had 6 Thais, 6 Laotians & 2 Vietnamese. We believe Penang provides an ideal environment to acquire good English communication skills. We provide travel subsidy and free board & lodging.

5. BURN AGAIN CONFERENCES
We have sponsored two conferences in 2000 and 2005. We are planning to hold the 3rd conference soon. These conferences have rekindled the ministry passion of many ministers and missionaries serving in obscure roles and places. Our past conferences have brought many from Thailand and the Philippines.

OFFICE, MINISTRY TEAM & FINANCES
Beginning in January 2008, we will have A NEW MINISTRY BASE up on a hill. In 1995, when the Lord gave Pr Abraham & Sister Irene the vision to launch Marketplace Penang, He drew their attention to Psalm 45 and impressed upon them the words, “a mountain in the city.” We believe our new ministry base up on Pearl Hill, Penang will carry special significance in relation to that word.

THE MARKETPLACE PENANG MINISTRY TEAM
We thank God for a wonderful team of Christian brothers and sisters from various churches who volunteer their time and personal resources to support and lead out in the various programs. We honor them as “Marketplace Ministers”,” Marketplace Mentors” and “Marketplace Pastors.” Through the years, these volunteer leaders have developed ability in prayer & worship, preaching & teaching and team leadership. Marketplace Penang has been like a spiritual oasis to them, having found encouragement, comfort and strength. Subsequently, they have also caught the vision of ministering in the marketplace.

HOW IS MARKETPLACE PENANG FINANCED?
The operations cost of our ministry is kept low so that we can release the bulk of the budget for ministry and mission support. We do exercise faith in expecting God’s supernatural provision but we also maintain prudence in spending within our means. The Ministry does not plan to own capital assets. All our activities and programs are financed by freewill offerings.

SOME MARKETPLACE DISTINCTIVES
1. We are devoted to building up second level leaders in the secondary cities of our region
2. We believe often less is more. We promote a style of operation that is minimal organization but maximum participation and minimum cost/investment but maximum value / impact.
3. We believe that we honour our Creator God when we seek to innovate rather than duplicate.
4. We prefer training in the field rather than in the classroom.
5. We believe that in Christian ministry, “tent making” is a more effective option to serving Christ our Lord.

In Marketplace Penang, we promote:

SMALL rather than Size
SILENT rather than Sensational
SLOW rather than Speed
SUBSTANCE rather than Style
SIMPLICITY rather than Sophistication
SUSTAINABILTY rather than Start-Ups
SERENITY rather than Success




We Value Your Prayers & support:
Abraham & Irene Gan
22 Puncak Bukit Mutiara Satu, Tanjung Bunga 11200. Penang. Malaysia.
Tel & Fax: 604-890-8872 / 016-4428080
abrahamgan@hotmail.com

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