by Wong Yi Khen
It takes a kampung, a village, to raise a child. We intuitively understand this about parenting, but sometimes forget this reality about raising the next generation of leaders in the church—we expect “flash in the pan” discipleship rather than the patient ferment over time. So, what does it take to raise a church planter? Allow me to share how God used other believers to shape and disciple me over the years. Few people in this story likely imagined themselves discipling a future church planter. My hope is that whatever role you play in discipleship, you would be encouraged that God can use your faithful, everyday efforts for his kingdom.
Gospel indebtedness
“I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.”
(Rom. 1:14–15)
Every few weeks, someone asks me, “What made you leave the corporate world for ministry and to plant Flourish Hill?” Flourish Hill began as a small group within Gospel City Church (GCC) in January 2025, before the team was commissioned in August 2025 to plant in Bukit Damansara. For me, the clearest answer is found in Paul’s words, “I am under obligation.” The church exists for mission and church planters are sent to further that mission among those who have not yet heard the gospel (Rom. 15:20).
By “obligation,” Paul means to say that he is indebted to those who have yet to hear about Jesus. Failing to pass the gospel on would be to leave a debt unpaid! So where does a church planter learn “gospel indebtedness”? The answer is his kampung.
The debt to family
“I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.”
(2 Tim. 1:5)
I am convinced that behind many fruitful ministries around the world are faithful parents: mothers and fathers who faithfully taught their children to read the Bible, pray, and be part of the church. Parents who taught their daughters dignity, and their sons respect. My mother was such a parent. Though far from perfect, she did all these things, including praying for an unbelieving husband for more than ten years until he received Christ, and praying for her three children—especially the youngest (me!), who was particularly difficult.
Whenever I tell my testimony, the faithfulness of my mother is my starting point. Whenever I share where I learnt to pray, my mother’s perseverance is my model. Praise God for faithful parents, especially those who continually pray and nurture children in the faith.
The debt to age
“Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness… Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity…”
(Titus 2:2; 6–7)
If not for the wisdom of older, godly men, I would be a wreck. Let me tell you about the blessing of two such men. For much of my later educational years, I saw little point in studying or being diligent. Change seemed impossible until a retired senior pastor named Matthew took me out for dim sum, looked me in the eye, and said, “If you continue the way you are, your life will amount to nothing, and all your potential will be wasted. Make a choice.” At rock bottom nine months later, I recalled his words, and heeded his wisdom.
Then there is Dave. Dave is over 60 years old, holds a Master’s in Theology, and lives in a small port town in southern England. He was asked to mentor me as a young Malaysian student from his church who would only be around until the end of his course. So he did. Every week for two years, he met up with me to study Colossians and Revelation verse by verse, patiently listening to all my worries and asking me piercingly insightful questions that revealed my sin and insecurities. Most of the world does not know Dave and never will. But I owe him a debt I can never repay, except to pass the gospel on.
The debt to gospel community
“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ…”
(Eph. 4:11–12)
While I had been ministry-minded throughout university, I eventually concluded after starting work that full-time ministry was something I might pursue once I was comfortable and nearing retirement. Working in finance seemed like a good starting point to get there.
Yet, as I began work in Kuala Lumpur, I became immersed in a local church that relentlessly preached the gospel every single week and spoke in amusing phrases like, “we are a church planted pregnant,” to express its vision of loving the city by planting other churches. But the church did more than talk. Though I had told myself I would never stay in Kuala Lumpur, the church community taught me to love the city and its people. When I struggled with the frustrations of work, they upheld the inherent goodness of work without downplaying the urgency of mission.
Through the church’s gospel-centredness and preaching, I started to view both my work and the city through “gospel lenses.” The gospel provided the answer for every kind of struggle in the city. I learnt not only to understand the pain of my colleagues and friends, but also to mourn with them. Furthermore, as I learnt about the need for the gospel to go out, I mourned the lostness of the people, grasping for a nameless satisfaction and a faceless love. Thus began my journey of wondering if God might be calling me into church planting.
When one elder first learnt of my growing interest in ministry, he invited me to sit in on the church’s preaching team discussions. Initiated during COVID-19, these weekly GCC preacher calls aimed to refine the church’s pulpit ministry and to raise younger preachers. We would debrief the previous week’s sermon and prepare for the coming one. On these calls, I observed seasoned preachers with PhDs humbly receive constructive criticism from people who had never preached a sermon, then patiently coach those very same individuals to preach. This taught me that preaching exists for the good of the church, not for the preacher.
Eventually, I was thrown in the deep end. The first few times I preached, one elder named Massimo invested as much as four hours each week on the phone, helping me prepare.
Over time, the call to church planting became clearer, and the church responded by praying with us, affirming us, and voting to send out Flourish Hill. Gospel communities can powerfully shape individuals.
The debt to Christ
So, do we begin drawing up a cross-generational, multi-decade plan? That is not the point. For many of us, the challenge is not formulating a discipleship plan, but persevering in it. Raising mature and missional disciples takes time, and discipleship sustained by self-effort alone will eventually exhaust and discourage us, especially when people take one step forward and two steps back. Persevering discipleship is a matter of posture that backs up the plan. It comes from learning gospel indebtedness. Rather than depending on the success of our discipleship to energise us, we should be driven most of all by looking to the Giver who gave of himself, and who continually gives us good things (James 1:17).
Ultimately, our service must flow from the sacrificial, generous service of Christ who paid our infinite debt to be reconciled to God. Jesus is the genesis of gospel indebtedness—the ultimate giver who can never be repaid. To the extent that we grasp the generous mercy of Christ, so we will joyfully feel indebted for the salvation of others, including discipling others toward maturity and mission. And such is the hope for Flourish Hill, that as we increasingly know and experience the joy of the gospel, that we would pass it on in that same joy.
As for me, my kampung does not consist of only one group of people at one place at one particular time. I was discipled through the concerted efforts of people throughout my life who did not even know they were working together. Yet in God’s providence, they were his instruments to show me the message and character of Jesus Christ so that I could learn to pass it on. May we faithfully nurture whoever God has entrusted to us, knowing that God is the Sovereign who knits every thread of effort into a wider tapestry of his grace and glory.
Author
Wong Yi Khen is one of the pastors at Flourish Hill, a church he co-planted in Bukit Damansara. He is passionate about helping people see Jesus as both true and beautiful, especially amidst everyday life. Yi Khen also loves a good game of badminton and brewing coffee that tastes like tea.
