In December 2008, more than 2,000 youths gathered in the main auditorium of City Harvest Church’s Jurong West Building for the third installment of EMERGE, City Harvest Church’s very own established brand name that defines a new generation of young and contemporary Christians positioned at the cutting edge of culture.

Entitled ‘The Great Exchange’ in line with the soon approaching Christmas, the meeting was slated to be the biggest year-end event for the youths of the Church, and the sense of expectancy in the air was tangible. Huge numbers turned up in glittery and dazzling Christmas outfits, complete with obligatory Santa hats in an array of colors.

The hall was filled with the sound of excited chatter as the people took their places, and the multiple beams of colored lights and pop music enhanced the mood of the congregation for a night of merriment and gaiety.

The meeting began with rousing and upbeat praise and worship songs from the latest Christian albums, and the crowd was swept away by the intense and deeply personal time spent worshiping God, witnessed by the countless smiles and tears of joy and gratitude for a year of blessing.

The masses were then treated to a series of performances by singers and dancers alike, all of whom had won accolades at their individual zones’ talent competitions. EMERGE’s very own dance crew also took to the stage to deliver an electrifying item that drove the crowd wild. Ian Chin, 16, was certainly impressed by the excellent line-up, and had this to say, “I was totally blown away by all the performers! They truly inspire me to want to use my talents to serve God in a greater way.”

PHOTOS: Rayvin Hsu

Ng Seng Wee, a youth from Audrey Ng’s zone, then shared his personal testimony about how God had changed his life in a dramatic way after he attended church. The 20 year-old was once a member of a secret triad, and engaged in an aimless and fruitless lifestyle. He shared that it was only after he was invited to a service at CHC and accepted Christ that his life took a turn for the better, and he began to find purpose and happiness he never thought were possible.

Wu Yuzhuang, otherwise known affectionately as Zhuang, proceeded to preach a stirring message of the love of God, and His patient and ceaseless voice in constantly drawing the lost and purposeless unto Himself. Zhuang shared that five questions that God asked the characters in the Bible, and he asked those very same questions to the congregation that sat listening intently. The message was closed with an altar call for the lost to accept Jesus as their Savior, and there was an overwhelming response as tens upon tens of youths streamed towards the front of the stage.

Even the members of the church were deeply impacted by the sermon they heard, and Catherine Lee, a Cell Group Leader, shared that “the questions were very relevant to the situations some people are going through in life, and it’s like God’s voice asking each individual on certain issues in his or her life. The presence of God was very tangible, and the Holy Spirit probed each to surrender their lives to Jesus all over again.”

‘The Great Exchange’ was certainly a momentous event for all the participants, and more so a time of transformation for many as they renewed their love for God in the last days of 2008.

Contributed by Victor Lim Fei

A Visit to Elim Welfare Town and Hansei University

True to the spirit of saving the best for last, the final day of the Korea Study Tour saw demonstrations of love and care by Yoido Full Gospel Church in the form of Elim Welfare Town.

Drawing revelation from the verse in Exodus 25:27, “And they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water, and threescore, and then palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters,” Elim Welfare Town is set up to be a place of refreshing and refuge for the community.

Offering welfare services for personal and social development, Elim Welfare Town provides comprehensive training programs for the young adults in its Vocational Training Institute as well as the provision of a conducive and adequate environment for the destitute and ailing elderly in its senior citizens home and nursing home. The Town also boasts a pre-school education center that hosts a carefully conceptualized and executed curriculum for children aged four to seven. Indeed, the Town is designed to be self-sufficient with all necessary facilities such as offices, cafeterias and apartments. In fact, Elim Welfare Town even has a satellite chapel of Yoido Full Gospel Church, with a 1,500-seater serving 4,000 members.

The scale and standards of Elim Welfare Town are awe-inspiring. Elim Welfare Town is built on 66,116 sq m of land and is the largest of its kind in Asia. The Town has modern amenities supported by cutting-edge technology along with a team of dedicated professionals to ensure the delivery of quality and care to the needy.

PHOTOS: Edmund Tay & Jimmy Sng

It was at Elim Welfare Town that our team developed an understanding of the extent of the influence and compassion of Yoido Full Gospel Church. The Town started with a budget of KRW 15 billion (US$15 million), a sign of Yoido’s commitment to serve the community, beyond the four walls of the church.

Indeed, if “pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is to visit orphans and widows in their trouble” (James 1:27), Yoido Full Gospel Church is living out the Word and raising the standard for other churches.

Our next stop was Hansei University, where Dr Kim Sunghae (Mrs Yonggi Cho) serves as president. Hansei University provides a rigorous tertiary education program based on Christian faith and values. Founded in 1958 as a bible school, Hansei University has since grown into eight colleges and seven postgraduate schools that have graduated over 6,000 students, many of which have emerged as leaders and professionals in their chosen fields.

The success of Hansei University stands as testimony of how the church can shape education and thinking through leadership. Building the curriculum on the firm foundation of righteousness, truth and love, Hansei University shines as a beacon in academia, preparing Christian leaders of tomorrow to engage the world. In more than one way, the legacy of Yoido Full Gospel Church is established through its impact on education and in shaping the minds of the future.

Our visit to Elim Welfare Town and Hansei University left a deep impression. Not only did we get to witness the love and compassion of Yoido Full Gospel Church, we also received insight to the influence and impact the church has made in society. Because we have seen these works first-hand, there arises a desire in us to accomplish these works in our home cities as well. For now that we have seen it, we know that we can have it.

Contributed by Sharon Chew

Kong Hee Speaks At World’s Largest Church

On 27 January 2009, Kong Hee, Senior Pastor of City Harvest Church in Singapore, was invited to speak at the world’s largest church, Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, Korea. Founded on 18 May 1958, in Daejo-dong, Yoido Full Gospel Church has 850,000 members, and has planted 370 other churches in Korea.

Travelling together with Kong Hee were 154 other delegates from CHC’s affiliate churches in countries such as India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Australia and Singapore.

As part of the five-day trip, the team had the privilege of joining in Yoido’s daily morning prayer meetings from 4.30 to 6am.

During Yoido’s midweek service, Kong Hee shared a powerful message on the memory of the heart, and the importance of living by faith that pleases God.

Relating to scientific findings revealed in 1993, Kong Hee shared with the congregation on how the heart has a similar neurological system as the brain. While the brain processes information through logic and analysis, the heart processes through feelings; and attaches a feeling to everything it remembers.

As a result, humans act out of faith, love, doubt and unbelief that exist in their hearts. Kong Hee emphasized the importance of being led by the Word of God, particularly when fighting the worst potential hazard in life: fear. Kong Hee ended his message with 1 John 4:16-18, that faith is what is necessary to conquer fear; and the faith that pleases God is the faith that works by love.

PHOTOS: Edmund Tay & Jimmy Sng

Following that service, the CHC team was given a comprehensive introduction of Yoido Full Gospel Church, which included watching a DVD about Yoido’s beginnings, introducing its powerful teachings on the Fivefold Gospel, Threefold Blessings and the Fourth Dimension Spirituality, as well as its home cell group structure. The video also introduced Church Growth International which Yoido founder Dr Yonggi Cho heads; and the foundations of Yoido church — sharing hope and love, missions and prayer — featuring their Prayer Mountain as a testament of the members’ love for prayer.

Contributed by Edmund Tay

The purpose of our trip to South Korea was to attend Yoido Full Gospel Church’s morning prayer meeting and to study how the church is run. I had heard so much about this church, and often asked myself, how is it possible to grow a church into 850,000 members? What is their secret?

These questions were answered on our first day at the church.

The morning prayer meeting was part of a 21-day prayer season initiated by Yoido Full Gospel’s senior pastor, Dr Younghoon Lee. These prayer meetings were held to ensure that the church moved in the right direction for 2009. The most mind-boggling part of the prayer meeting was that it started at 4.30am every day!

The “unusual” timing raised a few eyebrows among us Singaporeans, who are famed for our late nights and sometimes equally late mornings. However, with willing hearts, we readily dragged ourselves out of our beds, and assembled at 4am. To further spice up the situation, we were out and about in the midst of winter, facing minus 5 degrees temperature in the dark morning.

Entering the main sanctuary of Yoido Full Gospel Church at 4.30am, we were not disappointed by the sight before us. The hall was totally filled! There were so many people, that not a single pew was left empty — members came excited and ready to pray.

The one-hour prayer service was conducted into two parts. The first portion of the meeting was focused on prayer: the church members were boisterous and fervent as they prayed in tongues. The second portion was anchored by the service pastor, who delivered a message of encouragement to the congregation.

Throughout the service, I also noticed that the members were also tremendously disciplined. Not a single member was walking around — every one was focused and committed to prayer. This is truly a church of committed members — little wonder they are constantly experiencing revival.

This prayer meeting left me in total awe. I was humbled by the fervency of our Korean brothers and sisters, and totally amazed by their commitment towards prayer. Prayer is definitely the key to revival!

At 8am, we had the privilege of going to the Yoido Prayer Mountain. Located 90 minutes from the City Center, this sanctuary is where members retreat to when they want to focus to God. Although we were freezing, as temperatures hit minus 13 degrees, church members still made the trip up the mountain to pray. They came equipped with thermal blankets, and practically camped out at the mountain to seek the face of God. Services are also conducted at the Prayer Mountain, four times a day, to ensure corporate prayer. This church really prays!

PHOTOS: Edmund Tay & Jimmy Sng

As we proceeded back to the city in the late afternoon, we headed for our last stop before dinner. Our team was brought on a tour of The Kukmin Daily editorial office. This news agency was started by the church, to report current affairs with a positive outlook. With this noble vision, the agency has grown in circulation over the last 20 years and it is currently the fourth largest newspaper in Korea. As we visited the offices, our eyes were opened, and our faith was enlarged. We began to dream and think of more avenues, on how we can impact our society.

At dinner, the tables were full of stories and laughter as we exchanged our reflections with each other. Although the day was long and tiring, the experience was truly invaluable. We were definitely looking forward to the next day.

Contributed by Edmund Tay

From 5 to 9 January 2009, I had the privilege of joining the team from City Harvest Church on their trip to South Korea, to visit Yoido Full Gospel Church. This church has a membership of 850,000 and is currently the largest church in the world — a spectacle the entire team was eager to witness. This trip was special for me, personally, because it was also my first time in South Korea and my first experience of winter.

We reached Seoul in the late afternoon of 5 January, and a cold harsh reality began to hit us! The temperature in Seoul was subzero — minus 3 deg to be exact! Coming from Singapore where summer is perennial, our bodies had to make major adjustments. But it was great fun pulling on our woollen thermal wear, thick jackets and ear-muffs — something we never get to do back home. Many of us looked like oversized wan tons!

We were grateful for the extra layers, as we waddled along the freezing streets of Seoul, to meet up with the whole team for dinner.

Korean BBQ in Seoul was a real treat! The heat from the burners kept us really warm. A major bonus of this time together was the chance to catch up with friends from 11 of our affiliate churches who joined us on this trip. In fact, it felt like a Chinese reunion dinner! With delicious food and the warm company of friends and family, it was truly a night to remember.

PHOTOS: Edmund Tay & Jimmy Sng

A highlight for many of the Singaporeans in the group was the bottomless pot of kimchi that was placed on the table. Let me tell you, there is nothing like authentic kimchi from Korea, and many of us asked for refills, which quickly disappeared. As we left the restaurant that night, many of us carried a strong sense of anticipation in our hearts. The trip had just begun, and greater discoveries lay ahead of us. South Korea, here we come!

Even among the ever-increasing array of delicacies on offer during the festive Chinese New Year season, the quintessential “Yu Sheng” remains a perpetual favorite. Despite it being the most well-known dish of this festive season, few fully understand the significance of the ingredients this dish typically constitutes.

Fish, the key ingredient, is the symbol of abundance through the entire year. Pomelo and carrot, which are then added over the fish, indicate blessings of good luck, while shredded green radish representing everlasting youth remains an all-time favourite, for apparent reasons. Finally, the condiments are showered over the dish — sesame seeds symbolizing a flourishing business are followed by peanut crumbs, in hopes of having a household overflowing with gold and silver!

With the dish now ready for serving, all present would gather around to toss the salad an auspicious seven times. Boisterous shouts of lo hei (Cantonese for “tossing luck”), wan shi ru yi (may all be smooth-sailing), nian nian you yu (may you have a surplus every year), jin yin man wu (may you obtain abundant wealth) among other New Year well-wishes are often heard when tossing the ingredients into the air — the higher the better! 

Enlightened now about the meanings behind each ingredient in “Yu Sheng”, let us look forward to enjoying this dish with our loved ones, and a year of overflowing abundance and frutifulness in all that we do!

POD (People of Destiny) is the brainchild of City Harvest Community Services Association (CHCSA). Formed in partnership with Tampines Changkat Citizens’ Consultative Committee and Ministry of Community Development Youth & Sports, POD provides holistic youth services for the residents of the Tampines GRC.

It was established two years ago to engage, involve and provide opportunities for youth to develop their interests, potential and skills in serving the community and in the process, build “People of Destiny”.

POD has a three-fold mission in serving the community: (i) Penetrate the Schools (ii) Outreach to at-risk Youths and their Families and (iii) Develop Leaders in the Community. POD targets youths from 13 to 17 years of age and organizes programs to fulfill their mission.

The Drop-in Centre is a one-stop centre with a café, study rooms and a dance studio for youths to study, socialize or pursue their interests. An estimated 50-60 youths drop by the Centre every day.

The cornerstone of POD lies in its Community Programs which are implemented for effective mentorship to take place. POD makes a difference in the lives of the youths through creative means such as Loud Crew — a hip hop dance team that will allow youths to meet up for regular practices and allow leaders to mentor them and inculcate positive values in them. YouthTM is another mentoring program in which a mentor is assigned to the youth.

Relationship building is the core element in the mentor’s positive influence over the youth. POD has also developed a range of curriculum to address the socio-emotional well-being of the youths and to shape their core belief system.

Youth events play a very significant role in attracting the youths and gear their energy towards positive interests. The activities include street soccer tournaments and LAN gaming competition. At the invitation of schools, leadership and smoking cessation workshops have also been organized. POD has also conducted Community Involvement Projects in schools, teaching the youths how to organize charity events to better serve the Community.

POD seeks to make a positive difference in the lives of youths — to be their voice and their listening ear, and to shape their values and maximize their potential to become “People of Destiny” in their generation.

This Chinese New Year season, Jack Neo unleashes his latest (and probably most controversial) offering, Love Matters.

The topic of sex is the centre of this tale, explored through the lives of three men: Bo Seng (Henry Thia), his “god-brother” Jeremy (Malaysian radio DJ Jack Lim — who looks uncannily like a young Jack Neo) and Bo Seng’s son Benny (played by riveting newcomer Alex Leong).

Set in the land of tongkat ali, Bo Seng and his wife Jia Li (veteran Malaysian actress Yeo Yann Yann) are a middle-aged Malaysian married couple with a teenage son. Their marriage has settled into a humdrum pace, with Jia Li cooking and cleaning all day, and in no mood for loving. It has been three years, eight months since they were last intimate. When finally, Jia Li caves and invites him to bed, Bo Seng finds he has erectile dysfunction. Their mutual frustration and broken-down communication drives Jia Li to unwittingly engage a gigolo (an uproarious cameo by Mark Lee) and Bo Seng to pick up a teenage girl who proceeds to blackmail him for underage sex. (An ode to a political sex scandal, perhaps?)

Jeremy, meanwhile, rubs his Casanova lifestyle in Bo Seng’s face, maintaining multiple mobiles to keep up with his bottomless pool of women. Jeremy has a problem sticking to one — till he meets Benny’s teacher Miss Wong (Cheryl Lee), who holds him at arm’s length, and becomes the playboy’s big challenge. But can he really resist Pussycat, the online vixen?

Benny is the quintessential good-hearted but hot-blooded teen who surfs the net for porn at night before bedtime. He is secretly in love with his best friend’s beautiful girlfriend Jennifer (Natalli) — a weakness that leads him to be tricked into an embarrassing striptease that gets posted on YouTube as an act of revenge.

Neo tackles what is possibly the toughest subject in his 11-year career — but who better to talk about what everyone is really talking about than the Everyman’s Filmmaker? Neo admirably captures the many aspects of the conundrum of modern day sex, from sexual dysfunction to teen sex, from men keeping mistresses to online trysts. The audience finds itself laughing — then thinking, because a lot of it hits home.

When Jia Li asks Bo Seng in a heartbreaking scene, “If there is no sex, does that mean there is no love?”, the viewer is forced to ponder that question.

But trust Neo to then proceed to answer it for you — and the answer is, of course not! When Jennifer accidentally falls off a building, Benny proves his love by being by her bedside and helping to nurse her to health. Jeremy’s final fling turns out to be a nightmare, turning him into a changed man who proposes to Ms Wong. Bo Seng, who has to pay off the extortionist who threatens to go to the police about him allegedly having sex with a minor, breaks down and cries when Jia Li silently hands him her life savings and jewellery to bail him out. Now that’s love.

Beautifully shot in mostly Kuala Lumpur, Love Matters is a modern morality tale played out by great actors both sides of the Causeway. Henry Thia and Yeo Yann Yann powerfully capture the emotional dance that is marriage. Alex Leong, who plays Benny, proves immensely watchable, with millions of emotions running through his face each time he is onscreen, from unspeakable sorrow to immeasurable joy.

The NC-16 rating, while understandable given the subject matter, seems misplaced seeing that Neo obviously made this movie, in part, to bring out into the open the rampant practice of teenage sex in our countries. It’s a shame parents won’t be able to use this movie as a platform to talk to their 14-16 year olds about the dangers of unprotected teen sex, beyond the possibility that one’s booty might appear on YouTube.

Still, for the rest of us 16 and above, this movie is a must-watch. It may be bursting at the seams with laughs but when you walk away, you’ll find yourself thinking about the true meaning of love, marriage and sex for a long time.

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Droves of students hailing from different secondary schools and junior colleges filed into a dignified, exquisitely carpeted function room, settling around tables graced by candlelight. The headmaster took to the stage, and gave a stern gaze around the room. Much to the amusement of onlookers at the NUS Alumni Guild House, a gathering of a different sort was underway on New Year Eve, 31 December 2008. It was the YK Zone Leaders’ Appreciation Countdown Party with the theme, Back to School.

Attendees for the night came all decked out as marauding gangs of school bullies, matched by clusters of bespectacled nerds. Laughter rocked the room even as a lisping librarian made his entrance, turning up his nose at the rowdy group of students with dyed hair and shirts tucked out. Drama, song and dance was the order for the night as the different leaders staged their performances. Head of YK Zone, Goh Yock Kiang himself crooned a mesmerizing Mandarin pop number which even caught the attention of the service staff.

The highlight of the night was the School’s Belle and Heartthrob Parade as paired couples strutted hand in hand. The nerds were the biggest winners, chosen for their efforts in dressing up and playing the part. In addition to this, there was no shortage of thanksgiving and appreciation as individual awards were given out to different leaders for their faithfulness, hardwork and excellence.

PHOTOS: Roy Lim

The year finally drew to a close with the sound of party poppers and spirited cries of ‘Happy New Year!’ Camera flashes took the place of the fireworks display at the nearby Marina Bay as hugs were given all around the room. All in all, it was a night to remember with plenty of photos to plaster on Facebook and memories to keep till the next year-end countdown party.

Review contributed by Max Tan

“Red Cliff 2,” is the much anticipated sequel to the 2008 John Woo’s blockbuster “Red Cliff 1.”

The two instalments chronicle the events leading to the decisive battle at Red Cliff, resulting in the birth of the 3 Kingdoms during the Period of the Warring States in China.

The movie begins with the siege by the overwhelming Cao Cao northern expedition forces against the combined armies of the Kingdom of Wu, led by Sun Quan and Zhou Yu, and the army of Shu, led by Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang.

Kaneshiro Takeshi stars as the unfathomable, brilliant strategist Zhuge Liang, opposite Tony Leung, who plays the equally enigmatic Zhou Yu. Both stars well portray the famous strategists, especially Leung, whose role includes tender expressions of romance and love towards his wife “Xiao Qiao,” played by the stunning Taiwanese model Lin Chi Ling.

As with “Red Cliff 1,” “Red Cliff 2″ is a breakaway from the usual “period drama/war movie.” Witty barbs and humorous portrayal of unlikely events lends an added dimension to the movie. Like any war movie, this one has its fair share of tactical discussions, war preparations and inspirational speeches.

Unexpected for those who watched “Red Cliff 1,” Tony Leung’s character is not the only one with romantic involvement. Zhao Wei’s character, Sun Shang Xiang, planted in the enemy camp as a spy, has more screentime as well. Her infatuation with the enemy captain is a romance doomed from the beginning.

The battle scenes resembling the wars fought in the “Lord of the Rings,” is interspersed with the swashbuckling antics of Zhao Yun and Zhou Yu, precipitating the showdown between Zhou Yu and Cao Cao.

All in all, the movie is entertaining and well-paced, with touches of well-thought out humor, and moments of affection delicately portrayed. The stellar cast of leading actors and actresses outdid themselves, making this 141-minutes film a movie worth watching for the casual moviegoer. Warring Kingdoms followers seeking historical accuracy would be disappointed, though.

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