After an 18-month long absence from Singapore, International Recording Artiste Sun Ho finally made her homecoming on Wednesday, 17 December 2008.

No matter that her flight touched down at 5 am when the sun had not yet risen, as far as the hundred-odd fan crowd was concerned, the rays of this Sun was all that mattered.

The excited crowd from Sun Fan Club thronged Sun as she made her way out of the arrival terminal, waving placards, flowers and gifts, expressing jubilation at her long-awaited return to Singapore. With son Dayan in tow, Sun was visibly surprised and wowed at such a huge welcome; calling out to her fans, “What are you guys doing here, why aren’t you sleeping?” At this, the crowd shrieked with delight.

Many of the supporters were elated to see their pop idol up close and in person for the first time since May 2007. That she was so cheery and all smiles after a long journey, many felt warm and heartened. Chong Xiao Ting, an NTU undergraduate who was busy putting some finishing touches on her placard for Sun at the airport before arrival, had this to say, “I want to be here to show Sun that we really miss her and that we are totally thrilled that she is back here in Singapore!”

Exchanging greetings with her Fan Club, Sun stressed on how much she had missed them and how happy she was to be back in Singapore. She also exclaimed that the sight of all the fans was the perfect first-thing to see upon arrival, much to the delight of the crowd. After a couple of photo-taking and hugs, Sun bade her farewell as she was whisked away in a black sedan.

Sun, who flew in from Los Angeles, was in Singapore for 12 days until 28 December upon which she returned to the States to begin recording on her long-anticipated English pop album.

PHOTOS: Daniel Poh

Stories of lives that were transformed and the effective ministry of City Harvest Church (CHC) have reached the Kolar Gold Fields, a city south of India, near the IT capital Bangalore, and home to the world’s second deepest gold mine.

Bethel Mission Church’s Senior Pastor, Frank Godberg John recalls passing by our church in Jurong West during one of his visits to Singapore. He came in for the service and sensed the strong anointing upon the leadership. After that visit, he met up with Wu Yuzhuang, a pastor of CHC, and started working closer with the church.

One of the first steps he took was to send his son, John Knox, to the School of Theology (SOT) that following year. Godberg also captured from CHC a renewed vision for Bethel Mission Church. The church also started to flow with the CHC anointing for revival and church growth.

Week after week, the members were ministered to in every service as he lays his hands and prays over them. It felt like they were living in the days of Pentecost when the supernatural infilling of the Holy Spirit was taking place and where lives were transformed dramatically.

From a congregation of about 500 in 2004, they grew rapidly to the current 2,000-strong membership. Bethel Mission Church is now in three locations within the city, they have several groups ministering to men, women, children, seniors, youth, couples, the poor and needy.

In serving the poverty-stricken community, Bethel Mission Church’s approach to ministry involves caring for the outcast and underprivileged and helping them to upgrade their value as individuals.

Its Computer Centre, which runs a computer-training program since 2000, equips the youth in their admission to diploma and degree programs. In turn, the young people become a blessing to Kolar Gold Fields. The socio-economic status of the district is also elevated as a result of their work.

PHOTOS: Bethel Missions Church

Bethel Mission Church has accomplished much thus far but to Goldberg this is just the beginning of realizing his vision to build “God’s Gold Field” in Kolar. Greater days are indeed ahead for this church.

On 23 December 2008, a group of young volunteers from City Harvest Community Services Association (CHCSA) spread the festive joy by throwing a Christmas party for the residents of Sunlove home.

The party began with the singing of familiar Christmas carols like Feliz Navidad. Cheered on by the helpers, the residents participated in the songs and games planned for them. Even though some residents were advanced in age, smiles were seen on their faces as they clapped and sang along to the music.

PHOTOS: Lim Yan Ni

Sunlove Home is a charitable home for the intellectually disabled. Situated in the Hougang area, it is one of the few charitable homes in Singapore, which gives care to patients ranging in age from 22 to 75 years.

It was certainly an eventful day. Through the effort of these young volunteers, the residents of Sunlove home got to experience the Christmas joy.

We all know the story of the three wise men following the big, bright star to the birth of Jesus Christ on that very first Christmas. We know the story of Angel Gabriel proclaiming to the Virgin Mary that she would be the one to conceive and bear the Son of God. We’ve seen many-a-nativity scene of the lowly manger, sheltering Mary and Joseph cradling baby Jesus, with wise men, shepherds and sheep looking on.

This year, the City Harvest drama team took the audience on a re-telling of the Christmas story from a truly fresh perspective. They showed us the Christmas story from a heavenly point of view — an angelic point of view, to be more precise.

Expo Hall 8 was packed to capacity with thousands coming for the debut performance of Operation Save the World. The Christmas story opened to the gospel-funk of heaven’s angelic choir singing and grooving to a medley of Christmas carols.

The objective — to save the world. God asks His three top angels, Robin, Warren and Abigail to pitch their proposals on how to accomplish such a colossal task. Should the Savior of the world go down to Earth as the next U.S. president? Or should He unveil Himself as a world-renowned celebrity? Or better yet, should He be the ultimate superhero that the world is in dire need of.

Each presentation is delivered with style, verve and multimedia illustration by heaven’s three alpha angels. Out of the three impressive propositions, the loudest roar of approval from the audience goes out to the superhero idea. However, to everyone’s surprise, God takes none of the proposals and instead calls upon bumbling Benny, the most junior of angels. Benny is junior to the degree that he hasn’t earned his wings yet.

So Benny is the chosen angel to accomplish this mission, with reluctant Robin, Warren and Abigail ordered to back him up. With this mandate from God, the mission then unfolds on Earth.

From the get-go, in their usual finesse and flair, the top angels propose various candidates for the woman to conceive the Messiah. Again, Benny fumbles his way through and by chance, picks the young Mary as his candidate of choice. He passes the first hurdle. The story continues with Benny seemingly making a mess of every objective he is tasked. Due to his “incompetence,” Benny gets Mary and Joseph into a misunderstanding over her “holy pregnancy.” Angel Gabriel is called in to clean up the mess. Benny has further communication problems with “heartland shepherds” and his dealings with the wise men. The shepherds get confused and the wise men inadvertently get Herod to kill all the young newborns in the land. Bumbling Benny sure has gotten himself into a lot of trouble.

Each of Benny’s well-intended attempts appears to lead the mission closer toward complete disarray and impending failure. He can’t seem to do anything right. He continually “harasses” Mary and can’t even remember small but important details like making a hotel reservation for the travel-weary and pregnant-heavy couple. It seems like chaos for Benny every step of the way. But every miscommunication and blundering confusion eventually leads to the wondrous nativity scene that is celebrated all around the world to this very day.

PHOTOS: Michael Chan

Benny’s story personifies on many levels, the greatest attributes of the Christmas story that we know and love: trying circumstances, mistakes and desperation over consequences of those mistakes, unlikely choices and ultimately — the culmination and redemption of it all. The message is clear. From the words of Angel Benny himself, “Giving up is not an option… It is never too late… mistakes are not final.”

The crowd clapped and cheered as the finale of the drama peaked with Benny gaining his wings and fellow angels flying in from across the hall, showering the audience with sparkles of confetti. It was truly a spectacular closing for the beloved Christmas story.

Daryl Liu, a cell group leader commented, “I really enjoyed the drama and Benny in particular. He was a very real and genuine character. The characters and chain of events made the Christmas story very meaningful, for both angels and humans!”

“Exceptional! I never thought the Christmas story could be retold this way!” exclaimed Michelle Tan, a member of CHC.

Operation Save the World was undoubtedly an unforgettable Christmas production. The City Harvest drama team has once again outdone themselves. They demonstrated their astounding capacity to translate eternal stories of truth and redemption with creativity, humor and warmth, befitting of the Christmas season.

This year, a grand total of 57,487 people all over Singapore attended CHC’s Christmas services. What a great reward for the hard work the drama team had put in!

Adapted from the best-selling novel of the same name by Stephenie Meyer, Twilight is the must-watch movie of the year — for the global pubescent female demographic, that is.  The plot follows a teenager named Isabella “Bella” Swan (Kristen Stewart) who moves from Arizona to the small, perpetually gloomy town of Forks in Washington.

There she meets, and falls dangerously in love with a vampire named Edward (newly minted teen idol Robert Pattinson). Part of the Cullen family clan who practice the vampire version of the “love thy neighbor” motto (their diet consists of only animals and not their human townsfolk), Edward likewise finds himself powerfully attracted towards Bella.

And the scent of her blood. Thus begins a cautious courting session, complicated further by the threat of a trio of bloodthirsty vampires.

Besides a few swoon-worthy scenes, the movie features many stunning shots of emerald-green forests and cascading waterfalls — the scene where Edward takes Bella for her first vampire joyride is so visually arresting that it feels like Harry Potter and his Quidditch broom all over again. The chemistry between the two star-crossed lovers is undeniable. Stewart and Pattinson both deliver suitably angst, emo performances as they tackle a star-crossed relationship that is painfully restrained yet red-hot intense.

Disappointingly though, the tacky, B-grade special effects and make-up sour the whole experience. As a result, some parts feel cheesy and unintentionally funny, while the clan of Cullen vampire (who are supposed to be like, really beautiful) look as though they had been given the full treatment (read: dusting powder) by an overly eager pastry chef.

Furthermore, the baddies’ appearances in the plot are so pointedly slotted in here and there, that there is no real build-up to the final sequence where they faceoff with the Cullen clan.

Given all the hype generated thus far, Twilight falls short of expectations, but is a passable watch if you’re in the mood for love.

Rating:

On 5 December 2008, People Of Destiny (POD), the youth centre launched by City Harvest Community Services Association, held its second LOUD party. It was an event that saw more than sixty youth and young adults coming together in a time of games, performances and great music.

LOUD, which stands for Living Out Ur Dream, was created by POD who believes in empowering and challenging youth to pursue their dreams. The LOUD party is the first of many events that POD has lined up.

This year’s LOUD party was held in *scape Youth Centre, the venue sponsor for the event.  The party began at 8 pm with song performances and an energetic dance segment by the LOUD Crew, a dance group mentored by POD.  There was also a unique juggling performance with tops and other objects by Jeremy Tan, an 18 year old awaiting his ‘O’ level results.  His impressive act wowed the crowd and drew the loudest cheers.

The crowd was also treated to a fashion show, complete with runway models clothed by Jean Perrie, a sponsor for the event.  Anchoring the program were emcees, Lucas Chia, 20 and Gloria Wong, 21. The duo had good stage chemistry and were instrumental in building up the atmosphere of fun and energy throughout the night.

The party drew to a close after a rousing swansong by the band Dust 2 Destiny.  Buses were hired by the organizing committee to shuttle the party-revellers back to the POD headquarters in Tampines while others lingered on at the Centre, soaking in the after-party atmosphere.

Stay tuned for an even greater LOUD party in 2009.

The Christmas spirit was thick in the air as children gathered in the huge Expo Hall 8 for a fun-filled evening at Christmas Rock, City Harvest Children’s Church Christmas 2008 celebration.

From the moment they stepped off the chartered buses, they were greeted by Santas and Santarinas who wished them Merry Christmas, shook their hands and handed out candy canes. The atmosphere was palpable as the hall started filling up with children and parents anticipating the start of the show.

It kicked off to a big bang, literally, with a magic show that left the children awe-struck. What followed was a session of high-spirited praise and worship led by the J7 pop group. Children all over the hall clapped their hands and jumped to the beat of the music, singing loud and strong. Not only were the children dancing, the adults were gamely dancing and enjoying themselves too.

Presents such as teddy bears, tumblers, and other knick-knacks were among some of the Christmas presents given out to each and every child. But the main attraction of the entire event had to be the Christmas Rock drama production. The comedic, yet touching and meaningful performance kept the audience enthralled till the very end.

The story was of how two friends who wanted to join a band competition together were split apart by their different tastes in music. And through mishaps that each went through,they learnt the meaning of friendship and how to treasure one another.

The drama production incorporated songs sung by the talented young actors and actresses; familiar pop songs like Barbie Girl and So What had their lyrics tweaked to suit the story line. The audience certainly had a ball of a time.

PHOTOS: Gary Sim

The show ended with the cast coming together to join in the touching duet between the two friends. It was a heart stirring moment as the audience waved their glow-sticks along to the music. Right at the end, the audience burst into applause, and few left the hall dry-eyed.

With a total of 8,520 children who came over 13 meetings, this is truly one great Christmas celebration that will last in the children’s memory for a long, long time.

As millions of Christians over the world gather to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ over gift giving, caroling and feasting, the City Harvest Dialect Church had a Christmas celebration of a different kind. They held a singing competition for the elderly to showcase their individual gifts and talents.

The festive air swept through the Jurong West Main Auditorium on 21 December, as the oldest members in City Harvest gathered together for the finals of 才艺大比拼 (Cai Yi Da Bi Ping or “Talent Showcase”), after a month of intensive auditions and training sessions for the participants.

“Most of the elderly love singing, but have no opportunity to showcase their talents, and we thought that it would be good to use the Christmas season for them to do just that,” said Lee Meijuan, the zone secretary of the Dialect Church.

Some of the elderly had always dreamed of singing on a stage and when the time came, they eagerly put their best foot forward in the competition. The moments they had on stage, though a short while, were very much cherished for the participants who have worked extremely hard for the final showdown.

More than just giving the elderly an opportunity to fulfill their dreams, the talent competition also put forth the message that age is not a barrier to being creative, enjoying life and achieving one’s goals and purpose. Old age does not mean the end of goals and challenges.

“They may be old, but they are definitely not useless. We want them to know that all of us have gifts and talents. It is just a matter of finding out what they are,” said Lee.

She added: “Through this event, I could really see God working in the lives of the elderly, and the sense of accomplishment they felt through this competition.”

Since the auditions held in November, the shortlisted participants had to attend training sessions, choose appropriate songs, and even plan their outfit for the competition, where they could win trophies and NTUC vouchers.

PHOTOS:Desmond Tan

Averaging at about 600 in the regular congregation, this event was a breakthrough for the Dialect Church, which saw some 1,015 attendees that day, where close to half were first time visitors.

“The whole event was a great success,” shared Lee.

2009 looks set to be an even greater year for the Dialect Church, as they prepare to usher in the Chinese New Year with a musical in February!

The City Harvest Choir has existed for almost as long as the church itself. They have been serving faithfully, week after week, throughout the years.

Quiz any choir member about the vision and goal of the choir and they will tell you, with no hesitation, that they exist to build up the spiritual atmosphere of the worship and to provide visual impact for the congregation.

Standing on the platform on stage, the choir is a constant feature depicting praise and worship, an element that the congregation looks to and follow in terms of trend, fashion, even in the style of praise and worship.

Of late, the choir have been togged out in bolder and funkier garb, displaying style that is edgy and eye-catching. Gone are the days of the shapeless choir robe! The in-threads these days are denims and bold-printed tees — plus the piled-on bling! The choir is getting into the groove.

“Because God is a creative and stylish, we want to dress in a way that reflects His nature,” Cheryl Tan, 25, a human resource consultant.

“It’s not about the dressing; it’s really about being excellent in dressing your best and looking good and sharp at all times. Even when you are casual, you are stylishly casual,” says Wong Hexing, 19, a student.

“We represent Jesus here on earth, and we don’t want to give people the impression that the church is full of outdated people. We are actually very contemporary people who reflect our times. Jesus was a very radical person in His time, we should have that same spirit in us, to be able to shape and transform our culture and our world,” says entrepreneur and choir member Kelly Tang.

So how does the choir keep abreast of fashion that is relevant and contemporary?

Celine Tien, 18, student, recommends foreign fashion magazines, particularly Japanese magazines, such as Kawai and Vivi (available at Kinokuniya bookstore). She also reveals that the web is a really good source of inspiration. Others get their fashion inspiration from celebrities, via magazines like Life & Style and People.

James Poh, 27, an interior designer, get his inspiration walking down Orchard Road and looking at the window displays for the latest trends, which he incorporate into his personal style.

PHOTOS: Gary Sim

“You can’t just clone someone’s style wholesale,” says Tan. “The idea is to pick something that makes you look good. It’s great to dress up and come fresh and happy on Sunday morning to praise God!”

The choir members agree on one thing: you have to be comfortable in whatever clothes you wear, and more importantly, you need to be comfortable in your own skin. Confidence is the key to looking good on and off stage.

An interview with School of Theology graduate Teresa Tan

Why do you want to go School Of Theology (SOT) and what is your motivation for wanting to go?
Ever since rededicating my life to God when I came to City Harvest Church in May 2003, I had a strong desire to know more of God’s word and to be properly equipped and trained in the things of God. I was hungry for more of God in my life.

When I started to lead my own cell group in December 2005, I felt an even stronger need to be properly and effectively trained in the Word of God. I also wanted to be more effective in my ministry to my members. Back then, I had only 12 members under me, but I was believing God that I could multiply it.

What were some of the sacrifices made when you decided to go SOT?
I left my job in a German multi-national corporation in May 2006.  I had been in the company for six years. It was a good job with attractive opportunities. Even though, I had an average salary of S$10,000, I did not find fulfillment in what I was doing, I only stayed there as it was in my comfort zone.

When I decided to leave the corporate world, it made the way for God to speak to me to go to SOT in 2007. And it began to make sense to me why I left my unfulfilling 14-hour-a-day job in the corporate world. I was freed up to go to SOT. Still it took a big step of faith — in order for me to have an income, I decided to start my own business in financial services where income may be irregular.

What was the best part of SOT?
It is the presence of God. Every morning in our daily devotion, we were praising and worshiping God, sitting under the Word of God, soaking in His presence. We learn practical skills such as how to move in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, how to do deliverance, how to be effective witnesses for Christ, the art of preaching and writing our own sermons.

SOT also taught me leadership principles which enabled me to better lead and grow my cell group. As a result of this, I grew my cell group from 12 to 50 members! I have since multiplied my cell group twice. Also I am involved in the aircrew fellowship. We started with 10 members and now it has grown to 30 members!

During SOT, I had to juggle between school commitments and assignments; meeting sales targets in my business; leading and growing my own cell group, having a balanced family and personal life. My spiritual and emotional capacity became enlarged during SOT. I also begun to rely more on God and less on my own strength.

How has SOT helped you?
Through the training in SOT, I have become more confident in engaging people in the marketplace. I am also more confident of my leadership skills. I learnt how to apply the Word of God to be the salt and light in the marketplace, especially in my field of financial services where I have to give regular talks to clients.

PHOTOS: Daniel Poh