Arrow: A Youth Ministry of New Creation Church - Pastor Benjamin's Keynote Address

Pastor Benjamin's Vision for Arrow

In 2006, the Lord spoke to our senior Pastor, Pastor Joseph Prince, to reach out to the young people and impact them with the gospel of Grace. Ever since then we have seen the ministry grow tremendously. Exciting things have been happening – Hillsong United came for a concert in 2006, we then had our 6th History Makers Camp at the end of that year, we hosted Planetshakers in June 2007, and to top it all off we have our very own new church building coming up! We are living exciting times, and what a year 2007 had been! These are the days where we want to send the gospel into the streets, into the corridors of the classrooms and lecture theatres indeed. We are expectant that God will continue transforming and blessing this ministry, and this website is but one manifestation of the blessing.

There is a pattern in the Bible: whenever God wants to do a new work, whenever God wants to bless someone, He changes the person’s name. Abraham and Sarah were both called Sarai and Abram, but God changed their names when He wanted to do a new work in them. God breathed grace (hei, the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet) into their name. So it is with our ministry. As Pastor received a commission from the Lord to impact the youth with the message of God’s undeserved, unconditional love and favour, so the youth ministry was to be renamed.

In 2006 we had a contest for a new ministry name which drew quite a number of suggestions. To those who participated: thank you for your effort, we really appreciate it, but we did not find any suitable ones. That’s when Pastor Prince revealed that he already had a name in mind when he asked me to think of a new name for the ministry, but he didn’t want to impose; that’s the thing I like about Pastor Prince’s style. He shared with me while we were in London at the Hillsong Conference that he felt that the Lord had given him a name for this youth ministry: Arrow.

Why "Arrow"

When we give a name, we do not take it lightly. Names are important, because you call forth what you name, and the arrow has a lot of meaning in the Bible. “Arrow” refers to all of you – arrows in the hands of God. If you are arrows in the hand of God, you will hit the mark.

The word ‘sin’ simply means ‘missing the mark’ in Greek; when we call this ministry Arrow, it is also a declaration that all of you will hit the mark in your life, whether it is a hundred marks in your exams or the mark of God and the call that He has prepared for you in your life.

The Amplified Bible version of Isaiah 49:1 says

"Listen to me O isles and coastlands, and hearken, you people from afar. The Lord has called me from the womb; from the body of my mother He has named me. He has made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of His hand has He hid me and made me a polished arrow."

God will make you a polished arrow. Why a polished arrow? Because a polished arrow is ready to be released, it will always hit the mark. In the next verse it says, ‘In His quiver has He kept me close and concealed me and [the Lord] said to me, You are my servant, Israel [you who strive with God and with men and prevail], in whom I will be glorified.’ You, your life, will glorify Jesus.

Laying the Foundations of Many Generations

"Those from among you Shall build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In." - Isaiah 58:12

I believe that this ministry will change, and has changed with its renaming as Arrow over the space of less than a year. Continue to be expectant, not just corporately, for the ministry, but in your individual lives as well! I really believe that this is a ministry God has raised up to reach out to young people; God has raised this ministry to lay the foundations of many generations to come.

In December 2006, the leaders of Arrow had a one-day retreat, where we had the cluster heads put up how many care groups they want to see in the polytechnics, the varsities, the JCs, breaking them down to all the various departments, because we’re believing God a caregroup in every department, in every college. And as they were sharing how many caregroups we were believing God for, I just felt the Holy Spirit come upon me, and I stood up and said, "Hey guys, I don’t just see caregroups, but I see nation shakers, history makers, that will come out of this ministry."

I don’t see students in engineering department, but I see future chief engineers, that will position in the manufacturing sector, in the marketplace, that will influence people for the Lord. I don’t just see doctors, I see Spirit-filled doctors that will go around the wards and start laying hands on people. That’s what I see, and that’s what I believe God has for Arrow. As you encounter Jesus and grow in this ministry, God will release a call and His gift of grace in your life, He will prepare you so that you will hit the mark that God has destined for you to hit.