30 Jul 2024
“Every GG aims to grow but I feel like VGG, not saying we’re aiming to die, but our goal is to ship you back to the physical church.” – Rhakjesh Balakrisnen, VGG Leader
The beginning of Virtual Growth Group was as chaotic as you might imagine a group of people joining a virtual platform would be like.
VGG was born on CERC’s Foundation Day, 31 August 2023, at a time when Growth Group (GG) Leader Rhakjesh Balakrisnen and his wife Esther were expecting to have their first child in just two weeks.
Rhakjesh recalled that his memories of the first two weeks of VGG were of him just running back and forth from the hospital to his home to join the GG virtually.
“That was very tiring and sanctifying… the whole experience helped me see priorities and what it means to carry my cross and deny myself, to see even in those very demanding situations, what it means to fear God, love Jesus and His church.”
This young Growth Group was formed with the aim of supporting two main groups of people: CERC members or candidates who are currently outstation (many who are in the healthcare industry) and those outstation who desire to be a part of a church like CERC. Currently in VGG, the former makes up the majority of the group.
Jia Yun, one of the VGG members, joined VGG after trying to follow TGG IMU online.
“I wasn’t learning well—it’s very hard… I want to chat also but how ah—because only a few [cameras] are up, and it’s disrupting their dynamic,” she said.
And Chloe Tristan, who is currently in Indonesia, said, “I still see myself as somewhat part of CERC because I am most likely coming back. So that’s why I still want to be a part of the church in that sense, and I still want to learn and grow”.
Each week, VGG gathers on the virtual platform Gather (also known as Gather Town). It’s quite spacious: a living room area with many couches for all the members, a newly-added games room and a meeting room.
After going on the Leaders’ Working and Planning Retreat (LWPR) in 2023, Rhakjesh and his assistant GG Leader Winnie thought of ways to improve the online fellowship. So, they added two sections to their usual program flow: games and ‘Life updates’. This was to help people be more engaged with the bible study and to intentionally get to know each other more and so, love each other better.
While being on a virtual platform has been challenging for Jia Yun because “it’s still ultimately not physical”, meeting with them face-to-face by going to Gospel Growth Fellowship’s (GGF) Thinking Theologically Conference in 2023 helped her to see her VGG members as God’s people, and that she should therefore actively care about their holiness, whether she’s online or physical.
For Chloe, VGG has been a refreshing injection of Christian truth.
“It helps remind me of why I do what I do and why Christianity doesn’t just become a religion to me. It reminds me of the reality I’m living [in] and always challenges me on who I am right now. Like, [am I] picking up [my own] cross? How do I go all the way knowing who it’s for and what it’s worth?”
By God’s grace, some of these sheep have made their way home. One of their original members, Vincent, joined the Growth Group while he was stationed in Sabah for his housemanship. He has since returned to Kuala Lumpur and is now a membership candidate.
“It was a great experience but I wanted to come back to KL to come back to the church for physical gathering.”
Reflecting on the role VGG played in his life back in Sabah, Vincent shared, “I was alone, tracking the sermons with a few friends physically there… but ever since VGG came about, I was able to connect with more brothers and sisters who are like-minded.”
“It was really helpful to keep me on track with the series that [was] happening in KL and to help me keep sharp in the Word and [it was] a bridge to prepare myself for KL – the pace, the reading, the attitude, the mindset, everything needed some bridge to cope back.”
The GG leader confessed, “The honest truth is that when you’re in front of virtual [GG], it’s so easy for you to be not present while being present.”
Rhakjesh also knew that a very important element to VGG growing closer together is their intentionality.
“Now we are planning to meet on Wednesdays, for them to come online, maybe come hangout, turn on [their] cameras and be in Gather Town and just do work so everyone is side by side… whereas with church, you can do a lot of catchup, virtual is much more intentional.”
Ultimately, he said that, “It’s a good thing if [VGG] dies – because it means everyone is there, part of the church, there’s no need for this [virtual] platform that [this is].”
Contact Rhakjesh (+60 12-505 8918) if you’d like to know more or join VGG.
