 Good morning, everyone. Thank you for connecting on the call this morning. It's really nice to restart the mentoring are the weekly mentoring are that we have every Thursday from 8am to 8.50am Indian standard time. So as we start out the mentoring our sessions for this semester of spring 2024. Let's start off with a word of prayer. And I want to request one of our students on the call to please lead us. That would be wonderful. Would you like to lead please? Good morning, everyone. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we just wish to thank you once again for this hour of mentoring. We pray, Father, that this year too, Lord, that as you lead us through these mentoring hours, Father, that we'll be able to learn from your word and apply it in our lives, Father. We pray, Father, that not only will this hour of mentoring be a blessing for us, Father, but the center course through this year will be able to learn and retain whatever we will learn and apply it in our lives, Father. We pray for a blessing upon our entire faculty and all our students, Father. In Jesus' precious name we pray. Amen. Amen. Thank you, Father Sanjay. So this morning, we will look at a particular subject as well, the way we generally do for the mentoring our sessions. And we can then take questions. So we'll probably have a time of sharing for about 10, 10, maybe 15 minutes. And then we will open it out for questions related to the subject that we are focusing on, or it could be regarding what you're learning in your courses, or maybe something that has been on your mind as you're serving the Lord as you're journeying together with the Lord. So today, I just wanted us to think through the aspect of planning in our lives and to plan ahead for the future. So I really hope that you find this helpful. Just share my screen with all of us. Please give me a moment. Okay, hope you're able to see. Please let me know. Yes, we are able to see. Okay, that's great. That's great. All right. So with regard to planning and planning for the future, we begin by understanding who God is. So as we look at the Word of God, we see that God is a God of plan and design. Psalm 33 verse 11 says the Council of the Lord stands forever the plans of his heart to all generations. So here the word council has the meaning of having plans. So God has a council or he has council regarding things pertaining to everything that he is engaged with. And we can recognize that God has plans. He not only has plans for individuals, but we see that he has plans for generations. So this is the God we serve. In his mind, he carries a plan and a design. And that's how he goes about executing things. So when we talk about the aspect of planning, we are, we are really following what God does. And, you know, we can get God's help in order for us to plan effectively so that it is useful. So let's keep reading on. I just said that God has a plan. He has a specific plan for individuals, as well as for generations. Now, God has formed us with the plan. You know, that Psalm 139 says that God is the one who formed our substance. He formed us so beautifully. And, you know, he has thoughts towards us and he has a purpose for our lives. And the question that is before us before we delve deeper into planning is whether we understand the purpose that God has for us. God has a purpose. We see that in the lives of various men and women in Scripture. Moses as a deliverer. We see Esther rise up at a very critical time in history to save her people. We know that the Lord Jesus came with a mandate of redemption. And in this manner, we can talk about the lives of many men and women, all of whom carried a purpose of God. And they also, along with in line with the purpose of God, they had corresponding gifts and the grace of God given to them in order to fulfill that purpose that God had for them. So, this is also something for us to understand God. God is the God of plan and design. He has designed us individually and in that design is our purpose. And when we talk about purpose, one of the other connected things for us to remember is that there is a grace related to that calling that God has given us. And that's why, you know, all of us may find that we are so different from each other. Our strengths are so different from one another. So, we need to recognize it. Now, having spoken about these matters, we are going to talk now about planning. So, I just want to encourage us that planning is a good thing. The Bible tells us in Proverbs chapter 4 and verse 26 that we must ponder the path of our feet and let all our ways be established. So, in order for us to live life in a manner where we say, you know, whatever happens, happens, we'll see, I'll take it as it goes. That is a risk that we are taking because the Bible encourages us to think about where we are going. So, ponder the path of your feet so we ought to think about it. And right at the start of this year, this new year, we just thought that if we talk about the subject of planning, it would really help us to plan the year ahead and continue to pursue the purpose of God for us. Now, is it possible for us to plan in such a way that we are aligned toward God wants for us very much? That is possible. So, it is possible for us to know God's heart, God's will for our lives. We have passages of scripture, such as 1 Corinthians chapter 2, verses 9 through 10, where we are told that God has amazing plans for us, but He has revealed those things to us by His Holy Spirit. And so, God is willing to reveal the plans to us and therefore we can know what He wants us to do. Similarly, in Ephesians 5-17, we also understand that it's possible to understand the will of God. I know that we touch upon these scriptures in some of our courses, fulfilling God's purpose for our lives. And you know, how do we really recognize that purpose? So, I would encourage us to spend time reading some of those publications that, you know, we already study. So, the point is that we can know God's will for our lives and therefore plan aligned to God's will or God's purpose. Now, what is the usefulness of planning? Planning will help us prepare for our future. There's a passage in Proverbs chapter 6, which talks about the ants and their wisdom. We see how they plan up for the season ahead. They work very hard to gather for a season of lack in the season of abundance and this passage points us to the ants and tells us to learn from their ways. So, when we plan, we are able to prepare for a better and a brighter future. The other advantage of planning is that it helps us have foresight. We sort of think about things, we reflect on all that is possible. We take into account some of the resources that we have and the best way to utilize them. So, basically we are reflecting and we are thinking matters through and it enables us to foresee certain things that we will miss out otherwise. And that is the importance of planning. It gives us foresight and that way maybe we will escape, you know, some unnecessary delays and unnecessary problems. So, it gives us foresight. And thirdly, we see that when we talk about planning, it helps us to really hear from God and know his heart. So, we begin to plan aligned to what God wants us to do. So, when I am seeking God for a plan for this year 2024, what I am really saying is, God, whatever is your plan for me or whatever is your purpose for me, I want to know that from you. And, you know, I want to work towards it or I want to pursue it. So, we see that even Apostle Paul, when he talks about his planning in 2nd Corinthians chapter 1, he states that he doesn't do it, you know, just as a matter of an exercise, just a practical exercise to do, but he waits upon the Lord to see how the Lord may be leading him and then he makes his plans. The next important aspect or usefulness of planning would be that it helps us utilize our resources, which I mentioned earlier. We can make better use of our time, better use of our energy, maybe money or any other resource that we have. If we are working in an organization or we are working with people, then human resource that is around us, we can make the best use of all the resources if we work with a plan. And planning leads us into an increase. It also helps us be excellent in what we are doing. That's quite self-explanatory. So, I just move on to the next slide here that talks about certain practical steps. And I'm going to give us an overview of these practical steps. However, I would refer us to a sermon series on the apcwo.org website, which is called as Plans and Pursuit. You can look that up. It was done last year and it carries quite elaborate explanations about things like life plan and how one can do it effectively. So, what are some practical steps that we can employ as far as planning is concerned? As I've been saying, seeking God's heart and that is the beginning of planning because we hear from God and then we are able to apply. Now, this is not to state that we cannot use our wisdom, which we have gained over the years through experience and study. So, we hear from God, we apply whatever we have built up over the years and that helps us to plan well. Now, we can enlist priorities. I'll just highlight some of the points. I think in the slides there is a repetition. My apologies for that. So, we can enlist priorities. That is helpful. So, it is said that unless we plan anything and everything can take away our time. But when we plan, what we are really doing is we are prioritizing our time in a given day or in a given week, in a given month. And we know where we want to put our time and that really helps us to invest where we really want to invest and where we really want to see growth. And we can avoid time wasters that way. We can make long-term plans and short-term plans. So, both of these will involve goals. We would need to identify long-term goals. It could even have to do with our life plan. What is it that we want to see achieved in our life? And then we can sort of break that down into different things like what do I want to see achieved in my spiritual work with the Lord? What do I want to see achieved in my career? What do I want to see achieved in my family? And so, we break it down to different things that concern us and enlist the goals there. So, this can be done for the long-term. We can plan for a decade. We can plan for five years at a time, three years at a time. And short-term plans would be somewhat, you know, timeline is shorter as it states, planning for maybe, you know, a year or less than a year. So, all of these will help us understand our goals and then work towards it. When we set goals, it's really important to have them as smart goals. Smart goals stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time bound. And when we plan in this manner, we are more likely to fulfill what we have planned out for ourselves. And of course, you know, there are very many tools and methods that we can use, things like scheduling, time-boxing. When we utilize all these tools, it will help us be more effective and achieve our goals. So, I'm just showing for us here on the slide. As I mentioned in our sermon series, we talked about the life plan. And there's an example here in our slide where someone who wants to become a tech entrepreneur or launch a tech startup, you know, what kind of a plan this individual could make with timelines and what they want to achieve the objective and of course their pursuits or their goals. Similarly, they could plan for various aspects of their lives, spiritual life, personal life, family finances, whatever else is of priority to them. So, finally, I wanted to state this for us to consider. Planning is wonderful. But a plan which is not implemented is, you know, it is not useful because great plans exist on paper, great plans exist in our minds. But if it is not implemented, then, you know, it's not real. And so, implementation has to go with planning, which is what makes it successful. And even though we plan in life, you know, many things could go a different way due to certain decisions that were made, maybe some mistakes that happened along the way, some challenges that we faced, some unexpected situations that we came across or, you know, something that happened because of people around us. Now, when all of these things happen, one must not be discouraged. You know, God is still in our lives. We can always seek the Lord and see how we can move forward from that point onwards because, you know, God is a God who has taught us in His Word that all things work together for good to those who love the Lord and those who are called according to His purpose. So, I just want to encourage us to plan and to trust God and maybe have a very fruitful and a wonderful 2024. So, I just want to stop here and have us ask questions if there are any related to planning. And of course, we will also take up other questions. Our faculty also are on the call, so we'd be happy to share what we know. Good morning, Sister Nancy. Yes, yes, good morning, Sister. Like the practical tips for planning is such a great blessing to all of us. However, we do face challenges when we intend to apply, whether it is smart goals or timeframes which we consider while planning. So, most important, I mean, I feel the challenge we face is we plan as a team, we plan as an individual. But sometimes all of them may not be on the same level of maybe intellect or also cannot understand the gravity of the situation. So, such a case like we have planned, we have everything in place, but the different mindsets and different priorities have different goals of people. So, how do we overcome that delays or lag or get them onto the same page when you're executing, especially if it's a teamwork? Thank you, Sister. That is a very pertinent query. So, when we are working in a team, I believe that in order for us to lead a team, it's good to have a vision. So, when we set the stage, when we paint the picture of what we are looking ahead for, it becomes easier for the team to understand and for the team to follow. So, having a vision is helpful to begin with. Now, the second important thing that I would consider is communication. So, as a leader, it's important for us to communicate with clarity with the people on our team. So, let's say I know the vision and I'm working hard towards the vision and my team has no clue. Though I am pulling in a certain direction and they also are people with good intentions, they will not be able to work alongside. So, it's important to communicate the vision to our team and, thirdly, to depend on the spirit of God to bring in that understanding. Now, I am reminded of Acts chapter 15, where there was a certain situation where circumcision was being imposed on the Gentiles who were turning to the Lord. And it was said that that would be a requirement for salvation, which the apostles did not agree with because circumcision was not a requirement for salvation. So, in this matter, when the apostles had to make a decision for the people, it's really wonderful to see how they did it. They called for a team meeting, they discussed together and the passage says that as the Holy Spirit led them, so as the Holy Spirit guided them, they came up with the conclusion. And they were all in agreement to that conclusion and they were actually able to go forward with what needed to be done. So, I hope that helps Sister Esther and if my colleagues have anything more to add, that would be nice too. Thank you Sister Nancy. That was really very enlightening. Thank you. Okay, sure. Thank you so much Sister. Thank you. I appreciate that. Alright, I see here in our chat, how do you plan on starting a ministry with little or no finances? Can you recommend a resource material on ministry preparation? So, Nadal, thank you. These are good questions as well. We have a lot of content on this question in our subjects. I think when we talk about the house of God, we have some sections towards the end where we talk about church planting and that could enlighten you on this matter. Even related to finances. But having said that, I'll share my thoughts and I think Pastor Roshan is here. Pastor Deepika, Pastor Selena, please feel free to share your thoughts. As I stated earlier, Nadal, I believe that the statement is, I've heard it somewhere, where there is God's vision, there will be God's provision. So, to start a ministry at a point where we may not have resources, we at least need a vision, a God-given vision that we are clear about and we are passionate about and start to work hard from there, seek God for his wisdom and all these other things will come. Like resources, finances, because we are building up step by step, but it's got to start with a vision. So, that's my thought and maybe my colleagues could share more light on this. Nothing from me, Pastor Naseer. I think you've answered everything. Oh, okay. Thank you so much, Pastor Roshan. Pastor Deepika, any thoughts? Oh, I suppose we would kind of, you know, when we are planning out the ministry, we would be kind of figuring out what are the different things that we want to take up. So, I mean, if it's going to be a ministry, let us say, in a nearby town, so we would be kind of thinking of what would be the expenses involved for the different activities that we would be taking up. So, once we put that down on paper, you know, at the planning stage when we are just waiting upon the Lord in prayer, maybe the Lord would say, you know, first I would like some prayer teams going out over there for a few months and going to different localities and praying over there and then maybe the Lord would say, I would want some teams to go and start contacting some people there and getting to know them. So, I mean, there are some basic things that the Lord would have laid on our hearts regarding that particular ministry, right? So, once we put on those different points on paper, the expenses which would be involved for each of those components of the ministry, we would probably have to start praying for it. So, we already have on paper an outline of what the Lord wants from us and now we need finances for those particular things. So, we can now more specifically pray and say, Lord, from where would I be getting the finances for each of these components? Is there anyone specific that you want me to reach out to and, you know, share with them about this particular ministry? So, would you want them to partner with us in doing this? So, maybe the Lord would bring to our hearts certain people who would, you know, be willing to contribute for those particular aspects of that ministry. On the other hand, the Lord just may give us ideas on how we can raise funds for those particular components. So, praying specifically helps a lot. Once we have things down on paper, these are the things that the Lord wants me to do in this particular ministry. I can start praying specifically for each of those particular components and the Lord would give creative ideas on how to raise funds or He would bring to mind people who can help me with different aspects of that ministry work. It's maybe one point. Yeah. If anyone else could add to that. Sure. Thank you, Vasipika, that those are very practical things for one to do. And I think we, Vaselina was wanting to say something. Thank you, Pastor Nancy. Just like you mentioned, it's good to, you know, define the vision, the mission, the purpose and the goal of your ministry. Because once you know your vision, it will help attract people or like-minded individuals who share the same passion that you have. Also, you know, look for people with the same, you know, who are able to volunteer, give their time and skills. And, you know, that will be an amazing resource of people who will be able to contribute with their time and their skills. Also, you know, online, we can, through social media, also reach out to a wider audience where we can connect with people who have, you know, who can support us, potential supporters. And also partner with other mission organizations or other Christian organizations or churches that are doing the same ministry that you are doing and, you know, which can lead to sharing resources and also help in moving you forward in your ministry. We'd also like to say that we can raise, you know, have something like a fundraising event where you can raise funds for your, you know, ministry that God has laid in your heart. I hope this helps. Thank you. Thank you, Pastor Selina. Those were very important points as well, especially what you shared initially about setting down the vision, mission, purpose and goal for the ministry. So, and then I hope that this answers your question. If there are any follow-up questions to that, please let us know and, you know, we'll try to address that. Yes. So, Jack in as posted. Pastor, how do we keep our focus on God even while making plans and while implementing? We may face some oppositions. And as you mentioned, there may be God appointed surprises when it gets delayed. How to handle such situations without getting discouraged, pursue and take it further care. Anyone would like to address this for Jack in. All right. So I'll just share some thoughts that I have. So you're right, Jack in, when we make plans, we may find that there are sudden surprises along the way. Some may be positive, whereas some are challenging and may give us this sense of we may not be able to achieve what we had put down when we started on this mission. But here's the thing, you know, though, like when we do this exercise of envisioning our future planning for the purpose that God has for us. Let me just talk in terms of maybe a life plan, right? So we prayed, we sought the Lord and we have this idea about what God wants us to do, what God wants us to be. And we've kind of put it down. And we're saying that, okay, I am seeing that in the first 10 years, this is what God would use me for. And the next 10 years for something else and then something else, something, something else. Broadly, like if you've sought the Lord, it should go aligned to that. But for whatever reason, there is some change. So we must recognize that it's not set in stone in the sense that we're still journeying with God and God is still with us. And so in the midst of that change or interruption that's happening, we can ask God as to how he would want us to navigate through that particular season of our lives so that we can bounce back into the purpose that God has for us. So it's about journeying with God. It's not just about putting it down on paper and being very sort of rigid about it. If certain changes do happen in some seasons of our lives with God's help and His guidance, we should be able to navigate those things. So that would be my view. Okay, thank you, Jackie. So I'm assuming that addressed your question. So thank you for that. Now coming to Diksha's question here. She says, ma'am, as we think to do plan, but how can we know that such, such things will happen on those particular time or season? We can know about accuracy. So Diksha, as we shared earlier, God is able to reveal. Okay, so it's about us seeking Him. Now in the process of seeking the Lord, it is possible that maybe we are not like 100% accurate. We had an idea, but it's not like some portions may still be unclear. So that's okay. So we just do our best, Diksha, we just do our best to hear from God and then begin to flow with it. And of course, as we journey forward, God will help us strengthen us and there are, yeah. So for us to exactly like, let's say we plan something and that's not exactly happening, don't let that discourage you. Try to do your best once again to seek God in that moment to figure out, hey, what is it that I missed? Maybe I should have done it this way. I'm not learning from that experience. Okay, so I hope that answers your question. And yeah, sure. Thank you so much for those really good questions. Any other questions or something that you wanted to share regarding the aspect of planning? All right, so I mean, if we have any questions regarding other teams, please feel free. You could ask about them as well. All right. So yeah, I really hope that we are able to use some of the thoughts from today's call to plan ahead for 2024 and pursue the purpose of God. And if there are no questions that we can wrap up this morning's call, is that okay? Okay, great. So let's do that then. We will close off with a word of prayer. And I would like to request Pastor Selena, Pastor Selena, could you please pray for all of us as faculty and students for God to lead us this new year. Pastor Parson and Zee, let's pray. Father in heaven, we thank you God for your grace, for your mercy, the way that you have enabled us all these years for your presence, for your guidance, for your wisdom, for your leading. We thank you Holy Spirit for journeying along with us, for teaching us, for counseling us, for enabling us, helping us this last year. We thank you God for the things that you've helped us to accomplish. We thank you for the grace and the strength that you have given to us in times of our need, in times of our challenges. We thank you for every season that you have seen us through. And we know that even as we journey along this new year that your presence goes with us God, your wisdom is with us. We thank you for your power that enables us, that strengthens us. And we just commit all of us as students and faculty. Father even as we go through the spring semester, it will be a wonderful time of learning, learning from your word, from fresh revelations that we receive, that would transform our lives, that would give us a new perspective and how we look at ministry, our lives and how we look at things and we pray Father that you would build us up and that all of us together as your people were called by your name. God would do great things for you Father, that you have in store for us, that we would take hold of what you have taken hold of us and that we would continue to run our race with perseverance and endurance fixing our eyes on you, who is the author perfect and the finisher of our race Father God. We thank you, we bless you, we give you all the glory and honor and praise. We thank you God that even as you have great plans and purposes for us even as you reveal it to us Father we pray that we would be able to receive it, receive it by faith and God that we would be able to implement that in our lives, that we would be able to take it forward and achieve God, the calling that you have placed for us, the plan and the purpose that you have for us. We thank you that you are a great God and you have great things in store for us and that you will do great things in our lives this year. We bless you, we thank you in Jesus name, we pray. Amen. Thank you, thank you Pastor Selena. Thank you everyone, all faculty and students, really good to start off this week and we look forward to the upcoming mentoring our sessions. See you there. Thank you. Bye for now.