Created specially for Asia Conference 2010, CHC’s latest album celebrates the gospel of Jesus and God’s divine love.

Timed for the start of the Asia Conference, City Harvest Church’s  much-anticipated new music album is out this week. CHC’s music ministry is known for bringing a contemporary twist to traditional church music, producing popular music that would not sound amiss on the pop charts today, but at the same time these songs are rich with spiritual depth.

Music is one of the strongest characteristics of City Harvest, one that has attracted media attention. Music director David Yem and creative director KC Gan appeared on Channel NewsAsia’s Get Rea!, a top-rated documentary series on contemporary issues that appeal to Singaporeans, to talk about the unique style of songwriting that has become a signature of the church.

Work on Reign began at the start of 2010. Gan told City News that while the process of song-writing is always ongoing for the CHC music team, for this album, they started conceptualizing and exploring different musical directions at the start of this year. He said, “The musical styles vary, from anthem praise to intimate worship. We spent a considerable amount of time rewriting the lyrics, melodies and arranging the music until the ‘feel’ of the songs was right to us.”

Sun Ho, an international pop singer, spent two weeks in Singapore to collaborate on this project. She co-wrote the title song with Yem and Gan, and penned another—“Perfect Sacrifice.” A church member now based in Los Angeles, Mark Kwan, wrote two songs in this album: “Sing” and “You See Through Me.” He also sang on three tracks

Reign will feature 14 songs in a double-disc album like 2004’s Cross.

With new concepts and new songs, there is freshness with every new album. The production of a music album is a collaborative effort between the producers, songwriters, singers and musicians. Many a time, differing opinions need to be reconciled.

CN PHOTO: Kenneth Tan

One of the singers on Reign, Calvin Ho, who was the lead vocalist for several songs on previous albums like Writings On The Walls and Light Of The City says, “The part of the recording process I enjoy most is when I can sing in a way that captures the right type of sound the songwriter or music producer wants to hear—yet with my personal input in it too.”

Ultimately, says Ho, it is his aim to deliver the desired quality of vocals and unique flavor to the whole song. He is happy to be part of the new album, especially since it’s going to be released to people from all over the world this week at Asia Conference.

“To be able to contribute to this album in the little ways I can, gives me great satisfaction, a privilege I am grateful for.”

Another singer on the album is Indonesian Sendy Bolang, who has been a professional singer outside the church for 10 years. The daughter of an Indonesian pastor, she started singing in church when she was 9 years old and recorded her first Gospel album when she was just 15 years old. She was a back-up vocalist for the number one male and female artists in Indonesia for three years before coming to Singapore.

Bolang records in English for the first time, having only cut Indonesian albums before this. “All the songs are anointed. Each line has deep meaning. These songs are so real—they reflect our daily lives as human beings and as Christians. I love all the song and I enjoyed every moment of the recording—even though we were singing at 3 a.m.! It was so fun!”

Ho hopes that through the songs in Reign, CHC will be able to bring the voice and spirit of the church in its global message of the Cultural Mandate, the Great Commission, and the Great Commandment to the worldwide body of Christ and beyond to the unchurched and unsaved world.

So what’s going to be that X-factor in Reign?

Yem says, “May that be the ‘Cross-factor’ in the message of the album! Our desire is that the cross of Jesus be the central focal point of everything in our lives. Today, we can approach boldly before our heavenly Father and worship Him, all because of Jesus’ perfect and finished work on the cross.”

Yem hopes that the songs will bring listeners a new revelation of God’s divine love and that worship will be the response of an overwhelmed heart.

So why the title? Gan explains, “As we look to Jesus daily and let His presence reign in our hearts, we can overcome life’s challenges and experience His peace and joy. May the songs in this album remind us how close Jesus is to us.

“Truly, as a church we are called to rule and reign with Him in this present world and society, just as Christ is, so are we.”

Reign will be launched during the Asia Conference 2010. For more information, readers may also search for its page on Facebook.

City Harvest’s vocalists are getting in shape to wow visitors at the end of May.

CN PHOTO: Michael Chan

With the Asia Conference coming up, every ministry in City Harvest Church is doing its part to contribute to the conference’s success.

For the vocalists, who are seen on stage each week leading praise and worship, preparation includes a get-fit program to ensure they are in the best shape, visually and stamina-wise.

Assistant vocals supervisor Alison Yap explains the purpose of the program. “The most important thing is that we want to be healthy and fit. By exercising, we wish to build good stamina, which is very much needed when we sing.”

She adds, “We want to be leaner and hope to look better on stage. The camera really does add 10 pounds!”

Most of the female vocalists have joined the program and are exercising regularly together.

The regime involves cardiovascular exercise and weight lifting. They usually start with leg training, and move on to upper body and then abs. Finally, they finish their workout with a rigorous 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise like running or cycling.

Singer Serina Perera says that she has developed a positive lifestyle change through the program, “What started out as just wanting to get in shape for Asia Conference and to look good on stage turned out to be a change of mindset and a change in lifestyle.”

Perera says she is now more aware of many aspects of health, not just about weight, but also nutrition, balance, posture, perseverance and mental determination. This awareness has spilled over to Perera’s children. She is involving them in more sporting activities to inculcate a lifestyle of healthy living from young.

The vocalists hope that this program will turn into a lifestyle of healthy living long after Asia Conference is over.

With top Christian speakers converging here in May, Asia’s largest Christian conference is all set to make an impact.

CN PHOTO: Michael Chan

From May 26 to 30, 2010, minuscule Singapore will play host to one of the biggest Christian conferences for the year—the Asia Conference. First held in November 2008, the Asia Conference is a gathering of Christian believers from all over Asia, coming together for five days of power-packed preaching, dynamic praise and worship, educative and empowering elective sessions, and exciting competitions and games. The inaugural conference in 2008 saw more than 20,000 Christians convening at the Singapore Expo.

This year’s Asia Conference is expected to eclipse the first as it will be combined with the Church Growth International Conference. CGI is an organization dedicated to teaching the principles of evangelism and church growth to pastors all over the world. It was started in 1976 by David Yonggi Cho, founder and senior pastor emeritus of Yoido Full Gospel Church, the largest church in Christian history, with an estimated 830,000 members in Seoul, South Korea, today.

CN PHOTO: Gary Sim

Cho will host the Asia Conference alongside City Harvest Church’s founder and senior pastor Kong Hee. Conference speakers include Phil Pringle from Australia; A.R. Bernard, John Avanzini and Stephan Munsey from the USA; Reinhard Bonnke from Germany and Lee Young-Hoon from South Korea (see sidebar).

Electives For Everyone
The Asia Conference will feature more than 20 elective classes covering a wide range of topics, which delegates can sign up for according to their needs and interests. Two sessions of each elective will be conducted in the afternoons from May 26 to 28. Several elective classes will be conducted by CGI’s board members.

Rather than having one teacher per elective like in 2008, some electives will feature different teachers for different sessions. For instance, the six different sessions of the Church Growth elective will be taught by six different teachers.

CHC’s deputy senior pastor Tan Ye Peng will be helming the last Church Growth session, while guest speakers anchor the others. These include Theo Wolmarans, senior pastor of 14,000-strong Christian Family Church Johannesburg, South Africa; Casey Treat, senior pastor of 10,000-strong Christian Faith Center in Seattle, Washington, the largest church in the Pacific Northwest; and David Sumrall, senior pastor of Cathedral of Praise in Manila, which was founded by his father, the late Dr. Lester Sumrall. All three are members of Cho’s CGI board. The other two sessions will be taught by Mark Connor of CityLife Church in Melbourne, Australia; and Peter Mortlock of City Impact Church in Auckland, New Zealand.

For the women: One session of Woman’s Ministry, a newly-featured elective, will be conducted by Kim Sung-Hae. Apart from being the wife to Cho, Kim is the president of Hansei University in Seoul. She is also a professional music minister and has written several popular Korean songs. The other two sessions will be taught by Chris Pringle and Beverly Wolmarans, wives of Phil Pringle and Theo Wolmarans, and co-founders of their respective ministries.

Effective Missions will be taught by David Mohan and Dick Bernal. Mohan is the senior pastor of New Life Assembly of God in Chennai, India, which has more than 30,000 members. He is also the General Superintendent of All India Assemblies of God and Southern Asia’s representative of the World Assemblies of God. Bernal is the senior pastor of 14,000-strong Jubilee Christian Center in the USA. Both are also CGI board members.

Other electives will cover topics like choosing life partners, parenting, finances, counseling, depression, youth ministry, children’s ministry, social etiquette, worship leading, drama production, among others. With such a plethora to choose from, delegates can be assured of a fulfilling learning experience.

With spiritual heavyweights from all over the world slated to converge in Singapore, the Asia Conference promises to be a life-transforming experience for every delegate.

Log on to asiaconference.org.sg/2010 for more information.

The Main Speakers At Asia Conference 2010
	Phil Pringle is the senior minister of Christian City Church in Sydney. He also founded Christian City Church International, a movement of over 200 churches, spreading throughout the world.
	A.R. Bernard is the founder and CEO of 28,000-member Christian Cultural Center in New York City, a thriving community of believers that seeks to espouse Kristos Kai Kosmos, or Christ in Culture.
	John Avanzini is the most widely-published author and teacher on the subject of biblical economics and debt-free living. His messages on the laws of the harvest, principles of stewardship and living a debt-free life have been instrumental in liberating thousands of believers to step into God’s plan of supernatural abundance for their lives.
	Stephan Munsey is the senior pastor of Family Christian Center, which has 12,000 members. He employs creative and innovation preaching techniques like the use of drama to convey his message. Munsey will also be teaching the elective on Creative Preaching.
	Healing evangelist Reinhard Bonnke hails from Germany and is known for his Great Gospel Crusades throughout Africa. His crusades have seen as many as 1.6 million people in a single gathering. In the last decade, Bonnke’s ministry has recorded some 52 million decisions for Jesus Christ.
	Lee Young-Hoon is the current senior pastor of Yoido Full Gospel Church and the Chairman of the Theological Committee at National Council of Churches of Korea. He is the author of the book The Holy Spirit Movement In Korea.

It has been six weeks since the announcement that City Harvest has acquired a place for its new church building. Exactly where it is, members find out during this weekend’s services.

Since Jan. 16 when senior pastor Kong Hee announced that City Harvest Church had successfully acquired a property for its new church venue, located in the central- south of Singapore, CHC members have been buzzing with eager anticipation of exactly where their new home will be.

Bound by a non-disclosure agreement, church management could not reveal the location until Mar. 6. Kong will finally end speculation and announce the specific location of the venue during this weekend’s services. For the past six weeks, he has only promised, “You will not be disappointed.”

Church building committee member Lee Tat Haur, who practices as an architect, told City News what the committee looked for in its search, and why the final destination was selected.

“A few key factors that the building committee looked for in our new property were a central location, accessibility to food and beverage outlets, easy access to the MRT, ample parking space and facilities that could support all the needs of the various ministries in CHC,” explained Lee. The new church location fulfills all these criteria.

CN PHOTO: MICHAEL CHAN

Time To Arise & Build
This weekend also marks the start of Arise & Build 2010, a season of fundraising for the new premises. The project costs S$310 million.

This will entail members pledging monetary amounts that they plan to give to the building fund over four months, from March to June. The church aims to raise S$17.3 million during this round of Arise & Build. This will be the fifth campaign in a series of 13.

CHC’s history in churchbuilding has demonstrated the importance of this campaign. With 1,686 members in 1995, the church mounted a seven-year Arise & Build campaign to fund their first self-owned building at Jurong West St. 91. By 2001, the then 10,000-member church had outgrown its location at the former Hollywood Theatre along Tanjong Katong Road. The Jurong West building project cost S$48 million and was fully paid

Martin Ong, chief executive officer of First Automobile and also a member of the building committee, says, “We must all know that we are building a house for God, and it’s a privilege to be a part of this great work. In the Bible, King David had a vision to build the first temple, but though he gave more than what would today be a billion dollars, he was not given the privilege to witness the actual building — that honor went to his son Solomon. I am glad to be able to both give and witness the building of our new ‘temple’.”

Ong and his wife, Paullyn, “are committed to continue giving, and believing that God will provide the finances as we work on our businesses and investments.”

A theme that runs through every Arise & Build campaign in CHC is “unequal amounts, equal sacrifice.” The congregation consists of people with different backgrounds and from all walks of life. From working adults to students, from retirees to the unemployed, every member gives the best that he or she is able to.

Some members are sprouting new business ideas to increase their income during this season.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ELJIAH TED NG

Elijah Ted Ng, 14, is a student with a big idea. In November 2009 he set up an art cart at VivoCity, called Art with a HeART, aims to encourage all Singaporeans to own at least a piece of art in their homes, hence prices range from S$10 to S$50. The cart runs two Sundays a month at VivoCity, and Ng has further plans to start “art parties” to help parents short on birthday party ideas.

“My target is to raise S$500 for the building fund through my new business,” says the young entrepreneur. “In fact, I’m nearly there already.”

Though his business was started so that he could give more to the building fund, rev enue has grown steadily to cover Ng’s tuition expenses, even allowing him to provide some financial assistance to children from needy families

PHOTO COURTESY OF KENNETH TAN

Kenneth Tan, 27, recently started a tuition center, K-Cube, in collaboration with two other partners. The center caters to secondary school students, and lessons are conducted at a rented space on Orchard Road. Tan’s tuition center has a three-fold purpose. “Firstly, we want to provide quality tuition services to help students improve their grades. To this end, we are only hiring trained teachers. The second purpose is to generate additional income for ourselves so that we can give to the building fund.”

Lastly, K-Cube rewards for referrals. Church members who refer secondary school students in need of tuition to K-Cube will receive a commission of 20 percent of the first month’s fees.

For professionals like Lee, “I will source for additional projects to increase my income during this season.”

For these members of the church, the Arise & Build campaign “is a time when our faith and love for God is built and strengthened,” explains Ong. “God appeared before King Solomon twice— both times, Solomon was making sacrifices to the Lord when he had the encounters.”

True stories abound of financial victories and personal triumphs experienced by givers. Some who participated in Arise & Build for Jurong West have become very successful since, and are looking forward to giving again.

In the 21-year history of CHC, members have traditionally excelled in the midst of Arise & Build campaigns, with better performance at work and school, investments paying off, healthier family relationships and expansion of church ministry. Indubitably there will be more such stories in the coming months.

Kevin Loo attended the School Of Theology, caught the vision, and went home to start City Harvest Church Kuala Lumpur, now thriving with a congregation of 1,400.

Since it was founded with a mere 20 people on Jul. 7, 2001, CHCKL has skyrocketed to an average weekly attendance of 1,400 in 2009. That is an impressive 70 percent increase, year-on-year.

When quizzed on his church’s secret to growth, Kevin Loo, the church’s senior pastor, attributed its development to the anointing for growth that was imparted from his mentor, Kong Hee.

Loo said, “Honestly, the secret is to be submissive to God and to the leader over my life. When we first started, I didn’t know anything. I didn’t even know what spiritual covering was. But I decided to obey and to be submissive to Kong even though I did not understand why he wanted me to do certain things. Since then, I have closely followed whatever he tells me to do.”

Loo became a Christian in 1987 at the age of 12 and entered into full-time ministry in 1992. His relationship with CHC started in 1997 when he enrolled into the School of Theology. It was there that Loo received his theological education and developed a heart for the lost.

This heart for the unsaved was quickly translated into a passion for revival in Malaysia, and Loo decided to answer the call of God to start the church in 2001. Under Kong’s mentorship, Loo learned how to overcome the various challenges of pioneering a young church.

Their mission was to build a strong Bible-believing, Spirit-filled city church where the cultural mandate is realized.Every member is trained to love God with passion according to the Great Commandment and equipped to love people with compassion to fulfill the Great Commission. Its vision for 2010 is to reach 2,000 in average weekly attendance.

In order to realize the vision, the church employs different strategies, from cell group level to church level. For instance, just this year, the church introduced a new ministry called “6 Degrees” to connect all the new friends and enrich them at the same time. “6 Degrees” organizes various life workshops for friends where they will learn how to bake cupcakes, style their hair and put on make-up. They even get to participate in a mini football league. This way, the church can have an avenue to build strong bonds with all their new friends and properly integrate them.

In 2004 the then 180-strong church spent RM1 million (S$412,000) to move into their current venue. Having outgrown that place, the church bought a piece of land totaling 10,200sqm in 2007. Construction is underway for a commercial tower that will include a hair salon, a café and even an old-fashioned chapel for weddings on the rooftop.

Beside this tower, there will be a contemporary auditorium and an area dedicated for recreation, with a gym, swimming pool, futsal pitch and children’s playground. Loo’s vision is for the church to be an attractive place where people would want to be seven days a week. The entire project will cost around RM25 million (S$10.3 million) and the new premises is slated to be ready by August 2010. Kong is scheduled to dedicate the new building during the church’s Emerge Youth Conference in September.

Far from being reclusive, the members do their part to engage the Malaysian community at large. The church has partnerships with companies like Toni & Guy to organize hair shows and fashion shows.

In order to promote volunteerism and serve the needs of the community better, CHCKL started Community Care in 2009. At the moment, the church has close to 300 volunteers serving different homes on a monthly basis. This year, the church is also planning to organize holiday trips of a different nature: volunteers will do their part for the overseas community, like refurbishing an orphanage.

In recognition for his achievements, Loo was also named as one of the Outstanding Young Persons of Sabah in 2009, in the Moral and Religious Leadership category.

CN PHOTOS: Andrew Teoh and Bernard Yeo

Being a church in a predominantly non-Christian country has its challenges. It is still not officially recognized as a religious institution. Thus, certain things like owning of properties can get a little complicated.

With regards to the recent spat between several religious factions, Loo said, “The recent incident was an isolated case. We do not know who instigated it and for what purpose. However, as believers, we know we have the right to profess our faith. We have confidence in our government that they will make the right decision.”

He added, “My stand is always to pray for our government and our leaders. They need wisdom from God to run this nation well.”

Loo is married to Esther Ku who is the church’s creative director. They have a two year-old son, Eitan.

A CONSORTIUM of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) recently broke new ground for the private sector in Singapore. These SMEs are pumping an estimated US$1.5 billion (approximately S$2 billion) into developing an eco-park in Hangzhou, China. Past efforts of such scale in China have been undertaken by the Singapore government or government-linked companies, but never solely by private companies.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed on 24 November, between the consortium, called Cleantech Partners Pte Ltd and the Hangzhou municipal government to jointly master-plan, develop and promote the Hangzhou-Singapore Eco-Park (HSEP). The 500 mu (about 35ha) HSEP will comprise commercial and retail buildings, service apartments and eventually, residential buildings and light industrial zones.

The HSEP aims to have at least half its energy use derived from renewable sources and will be utilizing green strategies for water management, waste and by-product exchanges, transportation and green buildings to enhance the competitiveness of businesses located within the park.

Steven Lim, chief executive officer of RSTN Consulting Pte Ltd, who is also the chairman of the consortium explained that the potential of entering into the green business in China is immense, because Chinese President Hu Jintao recently announced that China will play its part in combating climate change by significantly reducing its carbon emissions by 2020.

Hangzhou was chosen as a suitable location for several reasons. Situated a mere 180km southwest of economic epicenter Shanghai, Hangzhou is one of the most renowned and prosperous cities in China. One of the seven ancient capitals of China, Hangzhou is rich in historical and cultural heritage. Well-known for its iconic West Lake, Hangzhou also boasts beautiful scenery.

PHOTOS: Yuan Wenling

The city is home to some 56 universities, including Zhejiang University, one of the top-rated universities in China, resulting in a highly educated population. Hangzhou-ans are reported to have the highest happiness index across China.

Lim concluded that ultimately, the Cleantech aims to “build an eco-park that is iconic for Singapore, setting a standard for future SMEs and even government-linked companies when they enter the Chinese market.”

“Serve the customer,” says the chief of Alibaba Group, amidst other smart advice for SMEs.

“Serve the customer.” That was Jack Ma’s answer when City News asked what advice he would give a company looking to expand into the Chinese market. The chairman and chief executive officer of Alibaba Group added that understanding the customers’ needs in the market was not difficult if one put in the effort.

Ma was speaking to reporters after his keynote address at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Small Medium Enterprises (APEC SME) Summit. His address, entitled “Small is Beautiful”, expounded on the strengths and challenges faced by SMEs.

Small is beautiful because in today’s consumer-driven world, success depends on how quickly one can reinvent or change in order to meet the needs of the market. Because of their smaller scale, SMEs are better positioned to be agile.

However, SMEs face great challenges when it comes to raising funds. Ma told the audience, “You can only rely on yourself, your friends and your dreams.”

Over the past 15 years, Ma has built eight companies within the Alibaba Group, a family of internet-based businesses including Alibaba.com, the biggest business-to-business portal in the world and Taobao.com, the Chinese equivalent of eBay.

PHOTOS: Jayson Lee

Ma highlighted three key areas that all SME bosses should focus on. Firstly, they should pay attention to their customers. Most shareholders are share-traders. When customers believe in the company, they will provide the funds for the company’s operations and expansion. Businesses should meet customers’ needs, which will in turn lead to innovation.

Secondly, business owners should focus on their employees. The team makes the difference. Companies must hire the right people, not the most highly qualified people, as the latter may not necessarily meet the needs of the company.

Thirdly, business owners must respect their competitors and learn from them. This can be achieved by looking for similar companies that are good role models.

Ma ended by urging business owners to have tenacity when facing challenges. He said, “Today is very difficult. Tomorrow is even more difficult. The day after tomorrow is very beautiful. Sadly, most people die tomorrow evening.”

The APEC SME Summit 2009 sought to address future trends while identifying strategies for growth.

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) can potentially add about $1 trillion in trade and about $150 billion in annual foreign direct investments to Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies if they operate in a more conducive and business-friendly environment at home, and a more frictionless and integrated market abroad.

The above statistics, published in an APEC study in 2003, were quoted by Mr Lee Yi Shyan, Singapore’s Minister of State for Trade & Industry and Manpower, during his ministerial keynote address at the APEC SME Summit 2009.

Delegates from more than 30 countries attended the summit on 11 and 12 November at the Raffles City Convention Centre in Singapore. Respected business leaders addressed an audience of business owners and media, and took part in panel discussions on the challenges faced by SMEs, strategies for SME growth and initiatives that can be taken to facilitate it.

SMEs in APEC account for approximately 90 percent of all businesses and provide jobs for around 60 percent of the workforce across the APEC countries. On the other hand, they contribute to about half of the GDP of their respective economies and account for only 30 percent of exports. Mr Lee explained, “This profile shows that APEC SMEs have an enormous potential if the right structure is put in place to empower them to grow.”

It is no secret that SMEs face great challenges. Mr Jack Ma, chairman and chief executive officer of China’s Alibaba Group, highlighted during his keynote address that, among many hurdles, SMEs often find it challenging to get credit from banks.

A few delegates surveyed by City News highlighted other issues. Mr Aung Soe Naing, project director at Apcol Pte Ltd, a company dealing with telecommunication equipment pointed out that SMEs face fierce competition as they try to expand within their own market and overseas.

Dr S Kamaraj, a soil scientist at Kiat Lee Landscape and Building Pte Ltd, which handles projects in Australia, Dubai and Taiwan, said that his company has struggled with finding manpower overseas.

The challenges are not merely without but within as well. Mr Clarence Nah, general manager and consultant at Asiawide Franchise Consultants Pte Ltd, a company that helps SMEs franchise their brands, felt that some SMEs cannot grow because of their mindset. Having built their company from scratch, many SME bosses struggle to let go as they grow bigger.

In the closing panel, Mr Teng Theng Dar, CEO of the Singapore Business Federation, pointed out that restrictive trade policies have hindered many companies from tapping into profitable supply chains, causing one of the biggest hindrances to the growth of SMEs.

PHOTOS: Michael Chan

In order to help SMEs bring their businesses abroad, Mr Lee announced that Singapore has proposed two new initiatives this year, namely the Study on Export Technical Models and the APEC Business Fellowship.

The former aims to give SMEs advice on export, regulatory and technical issues. The latter is a five-day in-market executive training program to expose visiting APEC SMEs to practical business norms in each local market.

Indeed, over and above presenting delegates with opportunities to learn from leaders of successful businesses, the APEC SME Summit proved the rare chance to provide the milieu for delegates to network and forge new business relations across and beyond the APEC economies.

Singer-songwriter Jonathan Chong’s resume gives no hint of his artistic side. Trained up to PhD level in robot management, and currently working as a mechanical engineer, Chong, 29, launched his debut album, State Of My Mind on 19 September with a showcase at Bar None, St James Power Station.

The cosy gathering of around 50 fit comfortably into the chic venue. Most were close friends who turned up to show their support for the singer. Chong rose to the occasion and belted out seven songs from his album (which features 10 of his original compositions).

Chong’s music, birthed from a time when he went through a period of depression while pursuing his PhD, offers a refreshing blend of pop, rock, jazz and soul. The song that started it all was ‘Tell Me Why’, written when he was in a period of questioning life and its meaning.

City News spoke to Chong during a set break. The singer revealed that he writes songs almost anywhere. He could be in a jungle, on a cliff, or in his own bedroom. This is testament to the fact that his experiences in life are more varied than most. Born in laidback Kuching in East Malaysia, Chong has lived in cities like Boston, Moscow and Tokyo, and is currently based in Singapore.

Chong’s wife and manager, Belinda, 30, called the album a dream come true. She said that working on Chong’s music together united them in reaching for a common goal and as a result, strengthened the bond between them.

During the showcase, Chong sang ‘The Brightest Star’ — a term he uses to describe his wife. This song “is not a love song, but could be a love song”.

PHOTOS: Jason Lee and Xavier Tan

A close friend of the couple, Joan Ho, 31, a polytechnic lecturer, described Chong’s music as very refreshing and inspirational. She said, “Music is really about the meaning behind the music.”

State of My Mind was produced by Joshua Wan, a renowned producer who has worked with Tanya Chua and Stefanie Sun. It took three years of persistence on Chong’s part to engage Wan.

When quizzed about future plans for his music, Chong said he is open to anything. One thing’s for sure though: he has the full support of his loved ones. As our interview drew to a close, Chong received news that his parents had just flown in from Kuching to show their emphatic support for their son’s first steps into the world of music and entertainment.

Joint Byline: Darice Jill Ng

To kickstart the year with a worshipful heart and draw near to the presence of God, the youth zone CK Zone invited City Harvest’s assistant music director, Teo Poh Heng, to conduct a three-part series on the art of leading worship, titled “iWorship 101″, in January this year.

Over the course of three Thursday evenings, about 120 guitarists and song leaders turned up each time at the Riverwalk, excited to learn from the man they so often see leading in song at church. At each session, Teo led praise and worship before commencing with the teaching.

At the first meeting, Teo emphasized that, when one song-leads, striking a balance between skills and spirituality was vital. He also stressed the importance of a good relationship between the song leader and the musician, since it is this duo that work together to lead a group in praise and worship.

During the second session and third sessions, Poh talked about the anointing and the dynamics of a contemporary worship band. He gave the members some take-home lessons like learning to sing and play songs like ‘Shout It Out Loud’ and ‘My Life, Your Song’. The class constantly rang with laughter as Teo entertained with endless jokes, playing off beat and singing off key to demonstrate what not to do.

Teo also incorporated values into his teaching, telling the class to “not be bitter, be better” and “train hard, fight easy; train easy, fight hard”. From the examples he gave, it was easy to see that Teo himself hungers for the presence of God and has a spirit of excellence. Before leading any song, he would practice it at least 50 to 100 times.

At the third and final session, the class had an interview session with Teo. He shared about how he started playing in church, and is now entering into secular music, having been offered opportunities to play tracks for movies and television commercials. All this came because of his hard work and faithfulness over the years.

PHOTOS: Nadia Wong

Cell group guitarist Cavin Tan, 16, a Hwa Chong Institution Student, told CityNews after the sessions that “Poh’s sessions were deeply motivational and reminded me not to be complacent. I have also learned that spirituality and skills are equally important. Both must work together to usher in a strong atmosphere of faith and power.”

So well-received were Teo’s sessions that he has been invited back to teach intermediate and advanced classes on the art of worship later this year.