CHC’s Father and Son camp helps build parental bonds.

At school camps, children often do high-element activities that test the courage and fitness factor of each individual. But during City Harvest Church’s Father and Son camp held on June 20 and 21, it was the children who were on the ground, cheering their fathers who were attempting the high elements, also known as physical feats.

The camp was held over the Father’s Day weekend and featured many activities to encourage greater bonding between fathers and sons. These activities included outdoor cooking, tent-pitching and raft-building. There was also a session where fathers and sons prayed for one another and learned tips on how to improve their relationships through good communication.

According to camp organizer Fang Xin Wei, 28, the purpose of the camp was to allow opportunities for fathers and their sons to spend time together and interact in a casual and fun environment. He added, “Nowadays, parents are busy, so there is not much quality time that fathers and sons can spend together.”

For Eugene Tay, 38, an IT professional, the camp was a good opportunity for him to know more about his two sons and it turned out to be a special experience for him. “This is the first time I’ve pitched a tent with my kids and encouraged them during the high elements.”

Tay also learned a great deal about communication during a sharing session on the first night of the camp, conducted by Ng Bing Hwa, 44. Tay discovered that it was not just about what a father expects from his children, but what his children expect from him as their father. “I realized that I need to know what my children want daddy to do, and what they don’t want daddy to do,” acknowledged Tay.  His older son, Emanuel, 10, clearly cherished the weekend with his father. He shared happily, “It’s the first time I pitched a tent with my dad, and I’d say we really did well!”

CN PHOTOS: Ben Lee

The next day, Jason Wong from the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports conducted a session on fatherhood. “What we aim to do is create a movement where fathers will step into their roles,” said Wong. He encouraged fathers to be around for their children, to make time to listen to and encourage them whenever the need arises. At the end of the session, the fathers pledged their commitment to their sons. This was a touching moment and many were moved to tears.

Andy Zhu, 39, said, “The pledge really sealed me to my promise to be a good father and to spend more quality time with my children.”

The Father and Son camp also allowed the fathers to get to know other fathers who attended the camp. During mealtimes, the dads would gather around the table, talking about their work and army days. Contact numbers were also exchanged, with some fathers planning ahead for more father-son outings with other families.

On the last day, Choong Tsih Ming, a pastor of CHC, provided some useful advice on fatherhood and how to cope with stress from work. His session was one of the highlights of the camp. He advised fathers to de-stress before going home so that they would not vent their frustrations on their spouse or children. Choong emphasized the importance of fathers calling their children on the phone and expressing their love by hugging their children. He  encouraged every father and son to come forward and share what they had learned during the camp.

One father sacrificed his sleep time just so he could keep his son cool in the tent. He would stay awake to fan his son whenever he awoke and would sleep only after his son went back to sleep. This father only slept two hours that night despite the tiring schedule earlier in the day.

Another dad, Vincent Chang, 45, a director in an insurance agency, talked about his son’s (John) courage. John had undergone many major operations when he was younger and had six bones surgically removed from his leg. “Even though the high elements were a big challenge for him, his courage helped him to go through it, not just once, but twice,” said Chang proudly.

That session ended with fathers and sons praying for each other. Fang commented on the success of the camp, “It is a joy for me to see that the camp made a difference in their lives. We hope that they will continue to spend quality time with each other [long] after the camp [is over].”

This church in Indonesia faced several challenges and emerges stronger than ever.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GPDI ELOHIM SIDOARJO

The numbers of Christian followers in Asia have ballooned from 101 million in 1970, to 351 million in 2005, according to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, based in Washington, D.C. Interestingly, this surge in Christianity is seen not just in Christian nations in Asia, but also in countries where Christians were once a minority group.

TIME magazine reports that Christianity in Indonesia is growing at a remarkable rate, and is now officially the second largest faith in the nation. The populous country saw the birth of hundreds of churches throughout the country. The pluralistic nature of the country, where freedom of religion is practiced, contributed to this growth. Every church planted pushed the Christianity revival a step further.

Under the Pentecostal denomination in Indonesia, GPdI Elohim Sidoarjo is a church with a remarkable story, one prepared to change the face of Christianity in their nation, one person at a time.

Located at Sidoarjo, a city in the East Java province of Indonesia, the church thrives under the leadership of senior pastor Franklin Lumoindong and his wife,  Nina. This vibrant church, strong in faith and worship, and growing in strength, is a living testimony of God’s faithfulness and grace.

In 2006, the church entered into a time of tragedy, where the senior pastor of the church at that time, Nina’s brother, and his wife, perished in the Adam air crash at Manado. It was an unexpected crisis, and the church struggled to grapple with the sudden loss of their two  main shepherds overnight.

Then the resident teacher in GPdI Bible School at Malang, Lumoindong and his wife were immediately asked to take over the leadership of the church. This was a high call for them, as they were still dealing with the painful loss of two family members, and had no experience whatsoever in pastoring a church. Lumoindong shared, “Both of us knew that we needed to pick ourselves up quickly as the congregation was feeling very discouraged and some had begun to scatter.” It was their dedication and bravery, which were key factors in helping the church move on down the road to recovery.

An adapting period

Former students from Singapore’s School of Theology who were among the congregants stepped forward to render help. They encouraged Lumoindong and his wife to approach senior pastor of City Harvest Church, Kong Hee, for help, which they did. Kong and CHC immediately responded by helping to implement a Bible School curriculum at the church, recognizing the importance of the Word of God to help the church through this period of darkness. Once every few months, CHC sent teams to minister to the congregation and their leaders.

After half a year of hard work, the church moved on out of despair, armed with fresh vision and purpose through the Word of God. One amazing miracle was that the church did not lose a single member throughout this period, but managed to keep all 750 adults. This gave Lumoindong and his wife great encouragement, knowing they were on the right track.

Once the church had been stabilized, Lumoindong and his wife devoted themselves to being discipled in the ministry, desiring to move on to the next level.

Says Lumoindong, “Nina and I knew that the best thing a disciple can do is to follow his teacher.” So in 2007, they spent one year traveling and ministering together with Kong and his team whenever he came to Indonesia. Spending time with them inspired Lumoindong and gave him many new ideas for effective growth and leadership. That year, the church saw a growth of 100 members to an average attendance of 850.

First big day event since the tragedy

In 2008, the church felt ready to launch out and believe for a great revival in the town of Sidoarjo. They decided to organize an outreach event and open it to the entire community. In faith, they targeted to reach at least 2,600 people, praying fervently and working hard at the same time.

Members came together with great excitement to prepare for the event— they decorated the hall and the church, invited Christian Indonesian celebrities to share their testimonies, and the dance team prepared a special item to appeal to the youth. They even specially invited Taiwanese actor-singer Liu Geng Hong to perform for the Chinese community. On top of these entertainment acts, the church bought 4,000 burger meals to bless the new friends. From May 1 to 4, 2008, they opened the church compound for their first ever Big Day (large-scale outreach event). The response was overwhelming—4,876 people came, with 890 decisions made for Christ that day. It was a major breakthrough for the church.

Thereafter, the church began averaging 950 adults. In just 2 years, the church had grown by almost 27 percent.

Moving on to greater things

Besides using the cell group system to integrate new friends, the church started the Young People of Destiny, a youth community with the purpose of reaching out to youths through common interests. Member Trifosa Benyamin explained, “With YPOD, it would be easier to integrate youth friends, as they would have established friendships with other church members within the group.”

Besides evangelizing, the church also blessed the community by providing free medical treatment for the public. Members were actively encouraged to help save lives by donating blood during donation drives held quarterly.

The church took time to appreciate the unsung heroes of the city’s cleaning service, the Yellow Brigade by giving out food parcels to them during the annual Muslim Breakfast Celebrations.

The past two years have seen GPdI Elohim Sidoarjo grow in multiple areas. The creative launch of YPOD, together with an effective cell group system and strong weekend worship services, worked together to win the lost. To date, GPdI Elohim ministers to an average of 1,000 adults and 500 children weekly.

The church’s vision for the next two years is an exciting one—to grow to 2,000 adults and 1,000 children, which is effectively doubling of their current attendance, as well as to build a congregation that is spiritual and strong in evangelism. Given the proven tenacity and faith of this congregation, this goal is certainly not far from attainment.

Short Messaging Service has become one of the most common modes of communication today. Tapping onto this, Talking Hands launched SMS Passion 2010.

Contributed By Sally Ng

CN PHOTO: Lim Chai Seng

SMS Passion is an initiative by Talking Hands, an arm of City Harvest Community Services Association. Going beyond words, Talking Hands provides practical assistance by forming a social support network for the Deaf community in Singapore, to aid them in adapting to mainstream society. An increasing number of volunteers are also being trained in sign language annually to better the quality of services provided. Since its establishment in March 1996, CHCSA has extended its arms to assist the less fortunate of the society, regardless of their race, language and religion.

Some 50 volunteers and members of the Deaf community gathered for the event at The Riverwalk on Sunday, June 13. The afternoon kicked off with the all-time favorite game, Bingo. Spirits were high as participants were determined to win, and very quickly, the ice was melted.

Following that was an SMS challenge preluding the main event. A relatively simple task of typing a short message was made challenging when the participants had to do so in German and Italian. The attitude and determination of the participants were admirable as they willed themselves to complete what seemed like a daunting task.

Winners of both teams progressed on to the final SMS showdown. A strong camaraderie could be seen among all the members of Talking Hands, regardless of ability. Encouragement was doled out in the form of numerous hands gesticulating in the air. The winner emerged from the team representing the Deaf community.

SMS Passion met many objectives. Firstly, social networks were built, providing a means of social support for the hearing impaired. Secondly, volunteers were able to engage the Deaf and provide assistance to meet their needs. Last but not least, the event reminded everyone of their intrinsic value as unique individuals, able to pursue and achieve success and happiness in life.

Pearly Sim who enjoyed the event thoroughly said that “the SMS Passion 2010 was a good platform to engage the Deaf on a whole new different level. I really enjoyed myself and hope that the organizers could arrange for more activities like this.”

Another participant, Valerie Lim, felt that “it was an enriching experience to see everyone mingling together. Communication knows no barrier when individuals are willing to take the time and effort to bridge the gap.” She added, “It was also inspiring to see their determination to do their best, be it for the fringe activities or the SMS challenge itself.”

Organizer Eden Sim remarked that “an event like this facilitates interaction, giving the volunteers more confidence when it comes to engaging the hearing impaired.” Affirmed a volunteer, “Through this, I managed to widen my sign language vocabulary.”

Before the event was over, members of Talking Hands were already expectant and talking about future SMS Passion events. Said Kazay Chua, a volunteer, “I’m looking forward to seeing the group grow and include more of the Deaf community in Singapore.”

Jack Neo shoots short film with CHC drama team.

A 22-minute short film, The Little Star, directed by Jack Neo debuted during City Harvest Church’s Father’s Day weekend services.

This is Neo’s first collaboration with the CHC drama team and the script was completed by Tan Chin Ling in consultation with the drama team. Shooting got underway in mid-October of 2009.

Neo said: “I’ve long wanted to direct a film for the church. It’s a very apt story for Father’s Day.”

The film depicts a single father struggling to cope with the myriad of problems brought about by his young son with behavioural problems. Although he loves his son very much, he is unable to deal with the boy’s issues and lack of communicativeness. Driven by frustration, the father resorts to caning and shouting in order to get through to his son. It is only after things get out of hand —when he is reported by his neighbours to the police for mistreating his son—and a chance encounter with a gangster in jail, that the father realizes the error of his ways and finally sees his son for who he is and how special he is. The father attempts to communicate with the son in a language that the special child is familiar with­—art. This causes their relationship to improve immeasurably.

The film is poignant and moving.  It mirrors the love that God has for His children in many ways. The message is: although we are all inherently flawed, God will always love us and reach out to us in languages which we can understand.

“We are really privileged to be working with Jack on this production—he is a most experienced film director, and we have learned so much from him during the duration of the shoot,” says Jaslynn Khoo, Assistant Drama Director for CHC.

When asked if he would be embarking on similar projects with the CHC drama team in future, Neo smiles. “The CHC drama team has been very professional and I hold them in very high regard.

“I would definitely want to pursue more projects like this with the team. And if there are any new projects, we will definitely keep everyone posted!”

CHC’s Father’s Day weekend is a reminder to appreciate and accept loved ones unconditionally.

Contributed By Joshua Chang

The celebration of Father’s Day last weekend was an understated yet touching affair. Church-goers first received a surprise in the form of an appearance by popular Taiwanese band F.I.R. who were in Singapore to prepare for an upcoming concert in July. The trio dropped by Singapore Expo Hall 1 on Sunday morning and paid a simple but heartfelt tribute to their spiritual father in the faith, senior pastor of CHC, Kong Hee. Each took turns to share the impact of Kong’s ministry in their individual lives, in particular the relevance of the cultural mandate message to their line of work, while thanking Kong’s wife, Sun Ho for setting an example in the entertainment industry. Guitarist Ah Qin affectionately said to Kong that they were indeed his “fruits.” As they walked down the stage, Kong and Sun stood up to embrace them, a gesture that met with resounding applause and cheers from the congregation.

A short film entitled The Little Star was screened as a celebration of Father’s Day. The production of the 22-minute featurette was a community project, with no remuneration being paid to the actors, make-up artists and camera crew. Directed by local filmmaker Jack Neo, the storyline revolved around a single father, Mr. Tan (Ed Ong), who struggles to raise his young son Weixing (David Chew). Peppered with scenarios reminiscent of Neo’s previous movies such as I Not Stupid Too, the movie elicited much laughter, yet drove home a resounding message of unconditional love.

Full-time National serviceman Timothy Fang, 19, said that it was a “brilliant movie” and called it “a refreshing change from the usual drama [production].”

Deputy senior pastor Tan Ye-Peng took to the pulpit to deliver the service’s sermon. Drawing from the Sermon on the Mount, Tan began by reading the two Beatitudes: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matt. 5:6-7).

Tan invited the crowd to picture the Beatitudes as a whole, single attitude on its own, instead of eight separate sayings. He likened the eight Beatitudes to a hamburger, where the crux lies in the two verses.

A believer filled with the righteousness of God expresses it through mercy. There are two groups of people seeking to enter the kingdom of heaven—on one hand, there are the religious Pharisees who seek to express their righteousness through judgment. On the other hand, there are the genuine citizens of the kingdom of heaven who seek to express it through mercy.

Tan cited the biblical example of Joseph, husband of Mary, who tried to send her away secretly after she was found to be pregnant before the official wedding. According to Jewish civil law, he could have reported her apparent “unfaithfulness” to the authorities; and she would inevitably be stoned to death. Yet he chose a benign approach instead of condemning her outright. For his act of mercy, the Bible calls him a “righteous man,” and it was this righteousness that contributed toward the fulfilling of the prophecies of the Savior’s birth.

CN PHOTOS: Gary Sim, Kenneth Lee and Yzanne Lim

Believers are taught not to let their left hand know what their right hand is doing when engaged in a charitable deed—which is essentially an act of showing mercy (Matt. 6:1-4). To allow Scripture to interpret itself, he explained what Jesus meant was found in Matthew 25:31-46. In the final judgment, the sheep would be placed on the right and the goats on the left. The righteous will inherit the kingdom of heaven because of their acts of mercy.

Tan recounted his own personal conversion experience. He used to ridicule his Christian friends for their devotion to church and was critical of their beliefs. Incidentally, he found himself involved in a Christmas event organized by CHC years ago, and was irrevocably touched and changed by the members’ acts of kindness to the old folks they were ministering to. It was not the intellectual debates he frequently engaged them in but their kindness (acts of mercy) that opened his eyes to the real message of the gospel.

“Church growth is not complicated. You just have to make sure that the people who come and stay are more than the people who leave,” said Tan, which was met with a ripple of laughter across the hall. “In order for that to happen, the church’s capacity for acceptance cannot be limited to the size of a cup, where once the liquid level hits the brim it starts to overflow as criticism. Instead, this capacity has to be enlarged to that of a swimming pool, or even better, an ocean, so that different people from various backgrounds can be assimilated into the house of God.”

Tan ended the service with two altar calls: one for those who wanted to release grudges and express their righteousness through mercy and acceptance; and another for those who wanted to receive salvation.

Undergraduate Jeannette Soh, 22, was particularly impacted by the sermon and was inspired to demonstrate God’s love to her own father.

CHCSA is recognized as a Champion Bloodmobile Organiser 2009 on World Blood Donor Day.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHCSA

The Singapore Red Cross Society and the Health Sciences Authority of Singapore celebrated World Blood Donor Day by honoring outstanding blood donors who have made contributions to the National Blood Programme. Held on June 12, a total of 1,500 individuals and groups received mention at the Champion Blood Donor Recognition Ceremony held at Clifford Pier.

Mr. Heng Chee How, Minister of State (Prime Minister’s Office), Mr. Matthias Yao, Mayor for South East CDC and Ms. Indranee Rajah, Deputy Speaker of Parliament, graced the event and presented the awards to the champion donors.

One of the recipients for the Bloodmobile Organiser Gold Award was City Harvest Community Services Association. CHCSA, which has been involved in blood donation drives since 2000, has on many occasions partnered with other associations in its efforts. This year, it collaborated with Assayafah Mosque and Jelutong Community Club on April 17, holding a blood donation drive in the mosque. In 2009 alone, CHCSA collected 2,039 units of blood through its blood drives.

Said Daryl Loh, Executive Director of CHCSA, “We started partnering with Red Cross and HSA in 2000 and since then, we have organized more than 30 drives­—each of which would not be possible without the belief, commitment and giving nature of the blood donors.

“We deeply value the opportunity to serve and contribute to the community in such a meaningful way. It is wonderful to know that lives are saved and transformed through all the efforts. We look forward to continually impacting the community together with our volunteers and donors!”

Aside from the awards presentation, beneficiaries took to the platform to share about how the blood donation programs have made a difference in their lives and families; a testimonial to how blood literally saves lives.

During the ceremony, SRCS and HSA also launched the “Someone in My Family is a Blood Donor” campaign, encouraging the public to recognize the blood donors in their family by creating an online “Blood Donor Tree.”

The aim of the project is to find the family in Singapore which has the most number of blood donors. To participate, log on to www.blooddonortree.sg. The competition lasts till September 30, and the three families with the most donors will be revealed a month later at a special event to honor them.

Tucked away in a corner of Suntec City, it’s easy to miss the small entrance of Shin Sapporo Ramen. Its dark brown façade almost fades into the sprawling exterior of its next-door neighbor, Old Town White Coffee. However, it makes up for this with its strategic location near the exit of the Circle Line Promenade MRT station.

We were greeted by the very helpful staff who explained the menu to us. There were three kinds of noodles to choose from—we were taught that the slightly curly noodles are to be eaten with the miso stock; the thin noodles with the meat broth and the thick straight noodles for the seafood clear stock.

All noodles served are freshly made in the shop daily by their chef. Trained by ramen masters in Japan, these chefs operate the noodle-making machine imported from Japan with ease. Having their own machine also means that they are able to cater to your specific request—you can choose to have your noodles as firm or as soft as you like.

The broth is also noteworthy—it is made by boiling fresh pork bones over high heat for up to 15 hours instead of using concentrated soup. Coupled with the noodles and the perfect tamago (poached eggs, firm on the outside, runny on the inside), the whole bowl made for a delectable experience.

We also took an extra order of yukibuta (Japanese for “roast pork”) which had a great char-grilled taste, with its smoky flavor enveloping the tastebuds at first bite. The Japanese leek that accompanied the meat soaked up the grilled pork oil, adding to the scrumptiousness. The other side order we had was the gyoza (dumpling). Although a common Japanese dish, the gyoza here was a fulfilling experience as it was meaty and tasty. This is definitely a great place to check out the next time you get a hankering for a slurp-worthy bowl of ramen.

Shin Sapporo Ramen
3 Temasek Boulevard
#01-223 Suntec City Mall (Tower 4)
Contact number: 6836 3538

Overall Rating:

How City Harvest Christian Fellowship Sibu grew from 300 to 1,000 through prayer, praise and outreach.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CITY HARVEST CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP SIBU

On May 27 in 2001, a group of 300 believers gathered at the Sibu Kawan Hotel for their first ever Sunday worship. It was tough in the start for this congregation, as they had limited experience in many areas of church management, from conducting services to starting cell groups and reaching out to the community.

Undaunted, the church elders quickly assessed their manpower and resources, determined that their church would not only survive but thrive. By the grace of God, they found a building at Merdeka Barat Road to conduct their services, and with that, City Harvest Christian Fellowship Sibu was born.

As an affirmation that God always provides, CHCF Sibu received much needed help during the early years from City Harvest Church Singapore and its affiliate churches from East Malaysia, Taiwan and West Malaysia. For example, Peter Chu, the senior pastor of Taipei Truth Church and George Ong, the senior pastor of Skudai Harvest Church in Johor Bahru visited the church and taught the members on setting up the church structure, starting cell groups, conducting evangelistic meetings and organizing community outreach activities. Leaders from Harvest School of Ministry, led by Ong, also helped CHCF Sibu’s members settle down and strengthen their faith during the transition period.

“Many training courses were conducted by visiting pastors. These included praise and worship workshops, cell leaders training, marriage courses, healing and deliverance practice and the use of spiritual gifts like the word of wisdom. We also received different kinds of Bible teaching materials like the 10-lesson “Getting Started” workbook, which we used in our cell groups and during Bible study sessions,” says Dennis Ngu, CHCF Sibu’s sub-zone supervisor and executive director of Harvest Learning Centre, the church’s youth arm.

Grateful for the aid which CHCF Sibu received and the subsequent breakthroughs which the church has experienced, Ngu says, “Many church leaders came and helped us. All of them encouraged and strengthened our faith with the word of God. Numerous evangelistic meetings were held and thousands of souls were saved, followed by signs and wonders, like sicknesses healed and burdens lifted.

“We praise God and thank CHC Singapore for sending mission teams to our church. We were so blessed that many people, especially the youth, responded to the altar calls and rededicated their lives to God,” he adds.

In the years that followed, some of the church’s pastors and leaders went on to graduate from School of Theology, subsequently helping to bring CHC’s unique brand of high energy praise and worship sessions to their own services.

“We believe that God deserves our highest praise and worship so we jump, sing, shout and make as loud a noise as possible, so as to usher in the presence of the Holy Spirit during our services,” says Ngu.

In line with CHCF Sibu’s mission to build a “Spirit-filled, Christ-centered, purpose-driven healthy church”, the church has put in place several initiatives to ensure that members stay rooted in Christ and lead purposeful lives.

Besides worship services, every member is encouraged to join a cell group. “The cell group is the backbone of the church. We make sure that every member is connected in this big family, so that everyone can be planted in the church and equipped accordingly. This is the pre-requisite for a member to join a ministry,” Ngu explains.

CHCF Sibu also places much emphasis on prayer. The church conducts two morning prayer sessions (5 to 6 a.m. and 6:30 to 7:30 a.m.), as well as prayer meetings every Wednesday and Friday night. Members are encouraged to attend the prayer meetings in order to stay filled with the Holy Spirit. “We make sure each member lives and exists for a purpose, reminding them always that they can do all things through Christ who strengthens them.”

Members’ needs are not forgotten either. The church has in place a special committee that identifies members with practical needs such as food, clothing and transport, and ensures that their needs are adequately met.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CITY HARVEST CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP SIBU

Outside the four walls of the church, CHC Sibu is committed to making a difference in the lives of the community, in line with their strong belief of “loving God and loving people”. For example, church leaders actively minister to students in two local high schools by conducting leadership courses and praying for them before major exams. Recently, both schools co-organized an evangelistic event, where 60 out of 80 students gave their lives to God.

Last Christmas, the church members shared the love of Christ with children from Sibu General Hospital by giving them Christmas presents and sending them warm wishes. During Chinese New Year early this year, the church also gave away red packets to all the patients in the hospital.

Periodically, CHCF Sibu also ties up with hospitals to conduct blood donation drives held at the church’s premises. The event usually draws a good response, with hundreds of people turning up to donate blood.

“We praise God that we are able to share His love with everyone regardless of race, religion and status, and bring joy to all, from the medical staff to the patients. We believe that we need to give just like God has given us His Son,” says Ngu.

Leadership and training are important pillars in the continual growth and renewal of the church. The church conducts cell leaders’ training every Monday night, where a church elder trains cell leaders on the techniques of leading a cell group. In addition, the church invites external pastors to train its leaders, all of which help broaden the leaders’ horizons and increase their skill sets.

“Most of the time, we learn and grow by watching videos and sending our members to other churches. We also send a delegation to every Emerge Conference, Asia Conference, Harvest School of Ministry, Skudai conference, and other such events in Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan,” he adds.

Hungry for the Word of God and desiring that more souls be saved, CHCF Sibu has recently embarked on plans to construct a bigger church building to house its growing congregation.

“Within the next five years, we want to build our own church building. Our current worship venue is already packed with people, so the building committee is planning ahead. We have already started an Arise and Build campaign.”

Indeed, CHCF Sibu has come a long way since its humble beginnings. Today, the church has grown to more than 1,000 members with three weekend services. They also started another chapel at Permai a few years ago in order to cater to their expanding membership.

As a testament to their success, other churches in Sibu and other towns in Sarawak have invited CHCF Sibu to help build their churches.

Old is gold. The elderly have the time and freedom for meaningful pursuits. City News takes a look at the senior citizens who count themselves in.

CN PHOTOS OF BILLY LIM AND MABEL LIM: MICHAEL CHAN. OTHERS: COURTESY OF INTERVIEWEES.

A snapshot of Singapore’s population shows that there are approximately 300,000 people aged 65 and above. The number is expected to treble to 900,000 in 20 years’ time. How many of these senior citizens are likely to remain in gainful employment and for how long?

A recent survey by Russell Investments and The Nielson Company on how Singaporeans are planning for their retirement shows that 70 percent of the respondents believe they will need some part-time work to supplement their retirement income. Apart from monetary issues, retirement is a period of one’s life when a person is no longer fully engaged in the pursuit of making a living or in a full time vocation. But retirement isn’t for everyone: there are those who may want a change of vocation, to pursue their passion or simply to relax and enjoy life in their golden years.

A profile of how some Singaporeans who are living in or approaching their golden years shows that a fair number of retirees are still a force to be reckoned with.

Take Billy Lim, a student at the School of Theology. Lim is doing his Advanced Certificate in Theology this year. What makes him stand out from his 690 classmates is his head full of silver hair. Being 80 years of age qualifies him as the oldest student that SOT has ever seen.

Lim has had a colorful career as a civil servant as well as in the private sector before retiring at 62. He has drawn admiration from many of his classmates who feel he outpaces them in terms of energy and enthusiasm. Lim enrolled in SOT in answer to God’s calling for his life after the passing of his wife a few years ago. He is independent and does not live with his children (although his family regularly visits). He does not have domestic help, and is spritely and in the pink of health.

Another retiree enrolled in the SOT this year is Mabel Lim Hong Choo. Not one to sit back in retirement, this purpose-driven retired teacher decided to take a year of sabbatical to study God’s Word and strengthen her faith. After she finishes her course at SOT, she is considering relief teaching as a post-retirement option.

Margaret Lam Chway May is 73 and a retiree from the accounting and finance sector since the age of 60. A fervent Christian, Lam worships in City Harvest’s Dialect Church. In her free time, she does freelance accounting work, but spends most of her time socializing and catching up with friends. Lam

also undertakes voluntary community work, something which she finds extremely fulfilling.

A fellow church member of CHDC is Henry Koh, 70, an ex-tour guide who retired at age 65. He, too, is now relaxing and enjoying life, catching up with friends.

Elizabeth Lim, 52, was the Head of Fuji Xerox Global Services in Singapore and subsequently the Director of FXGS China before her semi-retirement. After coming to the end of her busy career, she is now “enjoying what I like and spending more time with my daughter.” Lim has set up a shop called Paws For Tea at a private residential estate in Lucky Heights to “help others with their well-being by advising them on eating right and exercising.” She also travels around to places like Shanghai to catch up with friends.

Lily Lim pioneered the set-up of ARCA Dance studio in September 2009. A prominent lawyer, who in “1989 left active practice but only gave up my practicing certificate this year,” engages professional dance teachers from overseas (Russia, America, the Philippines) to teach in her studio. Dance courses include the Waltz, Cha Cha, Rhumba and even the Argentine Tango.

These vibrant, driven, energetic individuals bust the myth of the elderly citizen who have retreated from both the workforce and a fulfilling lifestyle. On the contrary, they are actively looking for meaningful ways to put their time to good use. Most of them have launched into activities which they had no chance to entertain previously because they were holding full-time jobs.

One common road that most retirees take is community work, by helping those less fortunate than themselves. There are a host of programs offered by various community centers and organizations, which one may join in, not just to brighten the lives of others, but also to bring color and resonance back into their own worlds.

Derek Dunn preaches about the purpose of trials.

Contributed By Jonathan Teo

CN PHOTO: Teo Chin Aik

Two weeks have passed since news about the church surfaced in local media, but services went on as usual. The weekend services started off with praise and worship, announcements and offering message, followed by a video greeting from A.R. Bernard—CEO of Christian Cultural Center, New York.

Bernard encouraged the congregation to stand strong during this season of life in the ministry. He shared that it is through crisis that a church moves up to the next level, and called the church to trust in the God who loves them.

After the video, Dunn led the church in corporate prayer for the upcoming Father’s Day weekend services, to be held on June 19 to 20. Members prayed for open hearts and for their parents to be touched by the love of God.

Dunn shared from Matthew 14:21-33, in which Jesus asked His disciples to take the boat and cross to the other side. However, in the middle of their journey, a storm arose and sent the disciples into despair. Jesus appeared to them walking on water, and called Peter to come to Him in the midst of the raging waters. Although Peter fared well in the beginning, his faith faltered before he reached Jesus. Such was a trial Peter faced in his life.

Dunn shared three reasons why believers go through trials in life. He added that life is not about the destination but the journey.

Firstly, trials build up the faith of believers. In 1 Peter 1:7, Peter wrote to encourage the church in Asia Minor. He told the church that God allows trials to build up the believer’s faith. Likewise in the Bible, Job did not curse God in spite of all the trials he faced, instead he trusted in Him.

Secondly, trials purify the believer’s life. In 1 Peter 4:1-2, Peter spoke of Christ who suffered and ceased from sin; similarly the believer can apply the same example of the Lord Jesus.

Thirdly, trials bring glory to God. In 1 Peter 3:15, Peter described how a trial can become a testimonial of God’s goodness and power in a believer’s life.

Dunn shared three things that the Apostle Peter learned through his trials.

For a start, Peter learned that trials caused him to focus. In Philippians 3:13, Peter left all that was behind, and focused on God. Likewise for CHC, Dunn encouraged the congregation to focus on the positive and not to dwell on the negative.

Next, Peter learned through trials that he is never alone. Isaiah 43:2 describes how Jesus is with the believer through the storms of life. The believer’s walk with God is all about walking by faith, and not by sight.

Lastly, trials help the believer to see the need for God’s presence. In Matthew 14:27, Jesus told His disciples to be of good cheer in the midst of darkness. Dunn shared that sometimes it is in the midst of trials that Christians will pray and fellowship more with other Christians.

Dunn gave an altar call for salvation. Before the service concluded, it was apparent that many people were blessed.

After the service was over, members commented how happy they were to see senior pastor, Kong Hee,  who was spotted at the service. Twitterers sent supportive Tweets to the senior pastor whom they had caught a glimpse of that day. Many others expressed their love and support for him.