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].”

City News traces the exciting journey of Shekinah Harvest Church through the eyes of its senior pastor, Sim Chee Teck, and his wife Serene Lo, who built this ministry from scratch.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SHEKINAH HARVEST CHURCH

Shekinah Harvest Church, led by senior pastor Sim Chee Teck and his wife Serene Lo, consists mainly of a group of creative and artistic youth. The church has gone through many challenges in order to get to where they are today; considering that both Sim and Lo have no prior pastoral experience or church-planting training.

Sim says, “It started in December 2000 when I felt the Lord was speaking to me through a pastor-friend to spearhead a ministry. Since then, I started to pray and seek the Lord for His direction.”

Meanwhile, a few friends who had left the faith turned to Sim and he began to minister to these lives through regular counseling and encouragement. Several months later, as Sim was praying one day, the word Shekinah flashed through his mind.

“I knew instantly that the ministry I would be pioneering was one that would minister to the down and out, all for the Shekinah glory of God. I knew that whatever we would do in this new ministry needed to have the presence of God because Shekinah in Hebrew means the indwelling presence of God’,” he says.

On June 3, 2001, Sim took a step of faith and birthed a house ministry under the name, Shekinah Place.

The early years were challenging as the congregation was young and growing in their walk with God. Sim had to strengthen the spiritual lives of his flock. Sim explains, “As most of my pioneering members had ‘broken wings,’ I had to counsel frequently. Financially, it was also very challenging as all of us were ordinary working folk.”

Thankfully, the couple received spiritual support in the early years of their ministry from the senior pastor of City Harvest Church, Kong Hee. Sim remembers how Kong would avail himself to help the church and advise him on many areas of building the church. Sim also received constant encouragement from Tan Ye Peng, the deputy senior pastor of CHC, who ministered to Sim and Lo during the challenging seasons of their ministry.

Apart from pastoral backing, CHC helped to develop the sound and music ministries in SHC. Through the years, the training and assistance proved to be fruitful as SHC saw growth in the creative aspects of their church.

In September 2001, they held their service at Singapore Christian Conference Centre, and here, God began to expand their vision, to reach out to people beyond the four walls of the church. SHC saw the need to be relevant in reaching out to the masses, especially the youth. As a result, through their evangelistic and outreach efforts, SHC saw many young people give their hearts to God and get planted in church.

Two years later in July 2003, SHC was officially registered as a society and became an affiliate of CHC under the name Shekinah Harvest Church.

Although the ministry was now officially a church, both Sim and Lo understood that there was still a need for them to be properly trained and equipped to build a church that would house the Shekinah glory of God. The couple enrolled themselves in the School of Theology in 2004. At SOT, Sim and Lo went through many important lessons and experiences that helped to shape SHC into what it is today.

Sim reveals, “SOT taught me many precious lessons. It was not just the knowledge that impacted my life; it was the atmosphere and the ministry as a whole. I have learned that building one’s spirituality is of much importance, and excellence is required of us whenever we serve God.”

After his graduation from SOT, Sim returned to his church and began teaching and emphasizing the need to build a strong spiritual atmosphere in every aspect of the church, from Bible study to cell group meetings and prayer meetings. At the same time, Sim also shared with his members on the importance of discipleship and the need to shape lives according to the ways of God. He then taught his members to embrace a spirit of excellence and shine for God, “Do everything to the best of your ability,” he told them.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SIM CHEE TECK

What is their key to balancing ministry and home life?

“There is a time for everything. Ministry and church work should never be an ‘idol.’ At the end of the day, it’s the family that matters most—no one else can replace the responsibility of the man in the house. I take my family very seriously, especially raising my two kids, Joshua and David, whom God has entrusted to me and Serene,” says Sim.
The future looks bright for SHC as the church works to attain their five-year goal of reaching 2,000 people for Christ.

For more information on Shekinah Harvest Church, log on to www.shcsg.org.

Gear up for a spiritual encounter at Asia Conference & Church Growth International 2010, coming to you this May.

The biggest Christian event in Asia of the year is almost here—Asia Conference 2010. This is the second one after the highly-successful inaugural conference in 2008. Speaking at this conference are some of the biggest names in the Christian preaching circuit, including Rev. Dr. David Yonggi Cho of Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, and Dr. A.R. Bernard, senior pastor of the 33,000-member Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn, New York. Attendees are also able to sign up for electives with top speakers and pastors, and for recreation, there are dozens of exciting competitions to take part in.

This year, CHC will be collaborating with Church Growth International, based in South Korea, in organizing the conference. The conference will be hosted by Rev. Dr. Kong Hee, founder and senior pastor of CHC together with Rev. Dr. Yonggi Cho, founder of CGI.

According to Derek Dunn, CHC’s executive pastor, the conference will be a significant one for Asia as two of the largest congregations are collaborating to run this event.

“What an honor it is for CGI to ask us to combine our event with their mega event. We are truly humbled and believe that the conference will be a successful one. To have Dr. Cho gracing our pulpit is going to be an historic event.”

Apart from this, the conference will also showcase an impressive line-up of renowned international preachers and heroes of faith, all gathered under one roof. Delegates can look forward to great faith-boosting sessions with Phil Pringle and Reinhard Bonnke, among others. The first Asia Conference in November 2008 was attended by over 20,000 delegates from more than 60 different countries. Featuring world-class speakers from around the globe and a list of practical ministry and professional-related electives, participants had the opportunity to glean lessons for personal growth.

One person who is all geared up for Asia Conference is Lin Hui Hui from Northeast Asia. At the last Conference, during a session by Phil Pringle, Lin received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and went back to his country with renewed strength and vision. Lin comes from a traditional church background and most of his church members were not very open to the baptism of the Holy Spirit. However, within a few months of his return, his family, consisting of full time workers and pastors from five churches, were subsequently filled with the Holy Spirit and began to see God moving powerfully in their churches.

Lin shared, “The conference taught me to be more sensitive to the Holy Spirit and I received an impartation of faith, which helped me greatly in starting a new church.” Since then, Lin’s church has grown to 100 members. This year, he is planning to bring up to 120 people from his hometown to Asia Conference.

For others, the Conference is a chance to enjoy exciting activities. Student, Jelin Siow, 19, is excited about a competition which tests contestants’ scriptural knowledge and memory. “I’m actually looking forward to Word Power! It’s a chance to increase my knowledge in the Word. Plus, I stand a chance to win an iPhone!”

“Whether you are a pastor, full-time worker, businessman or student, I believe God has something for every one of us,” says Dunn. “Mark down the dates in your calendar and don’t miss out on all that God has in store for you. You will be propelled into greater heights as we gather together for a week of encounters in His presence.”

The conference will be held for five days from Wednesday to Sunday, May 26 to 30.

For more information and updates, please visit the conference website at www.asiaconference.org.sg. Registration is now open for all sessions and electives.

The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.

Kelvin Yew, 32, a General Paper teacher at Millennia Institute falls into the category of “great teacher”.

His performance at school had led to him being nominated by three of his Third-Year students for the annual Inspiring English Teacher award.

The award is given to outstanding English teachers who have been played a strong role in motivating their students to master the English language. This year, a total of nine teachers received the award, including Yew.

So what formula did Yew adopt in his teaching that has made him an inspiration?

“There is no fixed way to teach English,” said Yew. “You need to engage the students, teach in different ways, crack jokes and also conduct group activities to keep them on their toes.”

Yew’s out-of-the-box teaching style has helped keep students like Atikah, 19, a current Third-Year student in Millenia Institute, engaged with the lessons.

”Mr Yew always comes into the lesson with new things to share with us, to keep us engaged and interested in the subject,” says the student.

Yew also employs the use of media and new media to better illustrate his lessons. One of his recent initiatives led to his students’ letters being published in The Straits Times’ YouthInk section, and their thoughts being aired on 938 Live during a campus forum.

“Still, they did not have good argumentative skills,” said Yew, which he emphasizes very much to his students in learning the language.

Yew believes that part of mastering the language requires being able to argue one’s case, which would mean one has built up the ability to be understood, whether in speech or in writing.

PHOTOS: Lee Boon Bee

To develop these skills, he encouraged his students to inculcate the daily habit of reading the newspapers and even online blogs, at least to have opinions on relevant global and social issues.

Over time, his efforts have paid off as most of the graduated students that have entered university and are doing well in terms of language.

But in closing, to all other teachers who still find teaching a struggle, Yew has this to say.

“The pure motivation for teaching must come from within — wanting to give into the lives of the students. In your lessons, students are given a chance to speak good English, a chance which some of them may never have at home.”

Over 40,000 lives were impacted from 23 to 25 October in Yoido Full Gospel Church (YFGC), Seoul, Korea, as Kong Hee, senior pastor of City Harvest Church (CHC) ministered to them.

Kong preached to them a practical message, “What to do when you don’t know what to do”, which was very well-received by the members. There were a total of four services, the first one for the leaders and staff of YFGC on Friday night followed by the Sunday morning service, YFGC Young Adult service and finally ending off with the YFGC International Service. Every service had an atmosphere which was very lively and full of expectancy.

The main highlight of this trip was the Prayer Rally in the Seoul World Cup Stadium, where about 100,000 leaders and members of the YFGC came together to pray for the world. The atmosphere was very powerful, with 100,000 people believing together for God to move mightily in their midst.

During the prayer meeting, Dr. Yonggi Cho, founder of YFGC, encouraged all the members to keep on seeking God and also to pray for peace in the world.

PHOTOS: Andew Teow

Another highlight of the Prayer Rally was the President of the Republic of Korea, Lee Myung-Bak, addressing them in a video clip. He thanked them for their prayers and encouraged them saying that he also gets up at 5a.m. in the morning, as well, to pray.

Eric Soo, personal assistant to Kong, described the atmosphere of the prayer meeting as “Awesome! Especially when 100,000 people shouted to God in prayer in unison.”

Next year, Kong will be taking another team of 300 to YFGC for another study trip. The trip will be held from 4 to 7 January 2010.

With a two-storey high playground, mini slides, inflatables and state of the art bicycles and tricycles, children attending City Harvest Children’s Church (CCH) services at the Singapore Expo Hall 8 are experiencing the time of their lives.

The facilities, known as “Kids@Play” was introduced in CCH at the Expo location since 2008. Lynn Tan, 30s, manager of the facilities explained that the rationale behind Kids@Play is “to make church a fun and memorable experience for the children, as well as to benefit them in terms of development and social interaction.”

According to Tan, the current hot favorite among the children are the rides and bicycles. A visit to Kids@Play during operating hours found several children laughing away as they zipped around on their bicycles, or dived themselves into a pool of coloured balls.

A volunteer for Kids@Play, Regina Kam, 20s, observed that the children do not just have a good time playing, they also learn how to wait their turn, share, and problem-solve as they interact with others.

PHOTOS: Alvin Loh and Gabriel Seow

The equipment is well maintained and sterilized to ensure that it is free from germs and bacteria. The area is cleaned at the end of each operating day and even the coloured balls in the playground are properly sterilized once a month.

Kids@Play is open on Saturdays from 4pm to 5.15pm, and from the time the worship service ends to 8.30pm. On Sundays, the facility opens from 9am to 9.45am and 12pm to 2pm.

Founder and President of renowned C3 International ministries, Phil Pringle, was in town during the weekend of 29-30 August 2009 to speak at City Harvest Church’s (CHC) English Services.

Phil Pringle, 57, visits the church in Singapore at least twice a year and has never failed to bring fresh messages to the 27,000-member strong church. “(Pastor Phil) never fails to bring a new Word and perspective of God to bless the congregation here at CHC,” says Benny Lin, 24, a facilities officer for CHC. “I look forward to his messages on faith and prosperity and I certainly experience personal breakthrough in my own life when I apply the principles of these messages.”

“God wants to bring freedom and victory to believers,” said Pringle on 29 August 2009, the evening service at the Singapore Expo. His sermon spoke largely of God having a purposeful plan for Christians and how their lives should not be one of fear and destruction.

Pringle added to his point by saying that, “God thinks of many things; but one of the greatest things that He thinks about is His people,” in other words; God will always have a wonderful plan for everyone’s life simply because He loves His people.

PHOTOS: Daniel Poh

Ang Mei Mei, 22, a recent graduate of this year’s City Harvest Bible Training Center (CHBTC) recalls that services with Pringle have always been characterized by a strong “presence of God and His love” felt by the students in CHBTC. “Not only do I come away from the meetings with a new revelation of God’s character, I also feel a renewed and stronger love for Him.”

The next visit to CHC for Pringle would be for the upcoming Asia Conference 2010, a bi-annual conference organized by CHC.