A gospel concert being held next week aims to raise awareness of the continuing plight of Japan.

For most people, the memory of the shocking March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan has begun to fade, overtaken by more recent world events. But for Japan, the road to recovery is slow and painful.

Love East Japan is a touring gospel concert that aims, among other things, to keep Japan in the hearts of people.

“After the tsunami hit, we discovered that among the many Christians working in the relief centers, there were a number of performers,” says co-organizer Francis Kang. “Through Pastor Joshua Sasaki, principal of Music Minister’s Institute of Worshiper Japan in Tokyo, they came together with the intent of letting the world know about the plight of the Japanese.”

Apart from creating awareness about the extent of destruction in Japan, Love East Japan is also being held “to sing for the glory of God—among the performers are survivors of the tsunami, to thank Singaporeans for their support, to create a network of prayer support among Christians—starting with Singapore and Malaysia—for the restoration of Japan.”

The concert plays on Aug. 5 at Kreta Ayer People’s Theatre and on Aug. 6 at Anglo Chinese School (Junior), both nights at 8 p.m. Following their Singapore performances, Love East Japan travels to Kuala Lumpur from Aug. 9 to 14.

The Christian performers, who will sing gospel songs as well as some of their own compositions, include Shinichiro Maeda, a vocals and choir trainer, and a church concert performer); Jamaican-born gospel artist John Lucas Barrett; Sayuri Kume, a gospel singer and songwriter; Daisaku Kume, a leading composer and arranger; and Steve Sacks, a saxophonist, flautist and composer.

To get free tickets for the Love East Japan show on Aug. 5, kindly contact naomilee@chc.org.sg before Aug. 1, 6 p.m.

Green Screen: Films for a Greener World

Sinema Old School (11b Mount Sophia, #B1-12, Singapore 228466, +65 6336 9707) is screening four award-winning green-themed documentaries that address the environmental conundrums of our times, namely Tapped (2009), Plastic Planet (2009), Bag It (2011) and Carbon Nation (2011). Aug. 5 to 20, S$9 from www.sinema.sg.

National Day Promotion

In conjunction with Singapore’s 46th birthday, Red House Seafood Restaurant is offering a 46 percent discount off their signature Chilli Crabs to diners who wear a red top, dress or pants. Available for lunch dine-in at the The Quayside outlet (60 Robertson Quay, #01-13/ 14, The Quayside, Singapore 238252, +65 6735 7666) on National Day, Aug 9 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

City Harvest Church is reminded of God’s faithfulness as the churchwide Bible study on the Book of Ezekiel concludes.

Contributed By Foo Cechao

Members delved deep into the Word over the course of the five-week study. CN PHOTO: Shaun Neo.

Prophecy, judgment, and the end times. These were the topics explored during City Harvest Church’s churchwide Bible study on the Book of Ezekiel that began in March this year. Taught over five sessions by CHC’s senior pastor, Kong Hee, members came to learn how to build a solid foundation on God’s Word, to know Him more through studying Scripture.

The Book of Ezekiel was categorized into four main topics: the prophecy against Judah (chapters 1-24); the prophecy against foreign nations (chapters 25-32); restoration of Israel (chapters 33-39) and the Millennium Temple (chapters 40-48). Ezekiel, which means “The Lord strengthens,” was among the captives who had been exiled to Babylon when King Nebuchadnezzar laid siege on Jerusalem. But God raised him up as a prophet to warn the people of the coming destruction of the city of Jerusalem and the Temple of God.

At the first topic—the prophecy against Judah—Kong highlighted how God’s people were usually the most resistant to change and constantly faced temptations of idol worship in their lives. That said, he encouraged the members to regularly examine their hearts and renew their minds through the Word of God. Many recommitted themselves back to basic spiritual disciplines as they were reminded to adopt a humble heart and a contrite spirit.

Jason Tan, 18, student, found these sessions very helpful in strengthening his walk with God. He said, “[The Bible study] helped me understand more about God, and taught me the importance of worshipping, studying His word and daily prayer; to build a covenant with Him,” he said.

The second topic, prophecy against other nations, speaks of the judgment of God against seven nations: Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Tyre, Sidon and Egypt. Kong pointed out that we should not be too quick to judge others when God is dealing with them, but our morality needs to be tempered by mercy and grace. Members should always walk in love and forgiveness towards one another. The lessons learned here helped to strengthen relationships between members and their families. “I learned that whatever happens in real life, we should never lose our love for God and for one another. It helped me to build a better relationship with my wife by learning how to forgive,” said Steven Tan Chin Hin, 50, an engineer.

For the third topic, the restoration of Israel, Kong taught that just as Jesus shepherds the church with his heart and pierced hands, leaders in City Harvest should also do the same, through prayer, trust and giving. By speaking out the rhema Word of God for their lives, members can expect breakthroughs and experience miracles.

In the final and concluding week, Kong covered the fourth topic: the Millennium Temple. He warned that the spirit, soul and body of a person will be checked thoroughly and the ultimate law of God’s house is holiness. As Jesus learned obedience through the things He suffered, members were called to be faithful when they undergo tribulations.

Throughout the five weeks, members were blessed by their newfound understanding of the Book of Ezekiel. For Natalia Sanusi, 30, a marketing executive, her love for the Word of God was reignited after she attended the series. “This Bible study has taught me the meaning behind the passages and to understand that whatever is written in the past is relevant to our present lives. The teachings inspired me to read other books in the Bible.”

Angeline Lee, a project administrator, was reminded of God’s unchanging character. “My takeaway message is faithfulness and holiness. I learned to stay in focus, be faithful and to live in righteousness.” David Kok, 32, a technical officer, summed it up beautifully: “[The Bible study] has helped me to devote myself wholeheartedly to God and to place my trust in Him alone.”

The youth conference stirred the young people of CHC to rise up with a heart after God.

Contributed By Reuel Eugene Tay & Dawn Seow

The youth media crew with CHC’s senior pastor, Kong Hee. PHOTO COURTESY OF CITY HARVEST CHURCH. CN PHOTOS: GARY SIM, GAY SEN MIN, TAN SONG KOW & MICHAEL CHAN

Last weekend, City Harvest Church held its sixth Emerge youth conference. After a four-year hiatus, the comeback of Emerge was a significant milestone in the history of the church and a celebration of its upcoming generation. Nearly every aspect of the service was run by youth, from the praise and worship to the technical functions of the media and audio. Senior pastor, Kong Hee, announced during the first service on Saturday, July 16, that “nearly everyone you see on stage today is under the age of 25.”

The young people boldly stepped up to the challenge of making the conference their own. Apart from logistics, they also organized the finals of the five Emerge competitions—Live Jam!, Center Stage!, Cut!, Your Best Shot!, and Oh My Word!—which became a showcase of their many talents and creativity.

Preparation for Emerge began during the school holiday camps held in June, which served as a precursor to the actual event.

Two of the bands that played in the youth camps went on to compete in the Emerge Live Jam! competition, and they were given the opportunity to lead the congregation in praise and worship during the main services last weekend. In addition, some of the skits performed as part of the camps were reprised during Emerge, for the drama competition, Center Stage!. The school camps had effectively paved the way for the young people to rise up and stretch their faith in God and glorify Him with their gifts.

Apart from all the activities, the highlight for many was the preaching of the Word by Kong. On both days, Kong shared about being hungry for God and walking with the Holy Spirit. He used the example of Moses. “When God wants to bring a revival to the land, He will always look for a boy, a girl, a man or a woman, who is hungry enough to do His work. While man is always looking for better methods, God is always looking for a better man. And God found such a man in Moses,” Kong told the congregation.

Kong encouraged City Harvesters to learn from Moses who was not content to merely attain the promises of God; he desired the presence of God more than the material possessions he was promised. “Moses was hungry for God,” preached Kong. Even though God spoke to him regularly, he was not satisfied and wanted to see God’s face. Because of Moses, God revealed Himself to mankind for the first time in the history of Man.

At the end of the sermon, Kong gave an altar call for all the youth, and the pastoral team laid hands and prayed for everyone who came forward.

Hearts were renewed and revived as Emerge 2011 came to a close with the youth band leading in the closing song, “Paint The Town Red.” The conference inspired and challenged the youth of CHC to live their lives for God, and encouraged them to unleash their God-given gifts and talents in their schools and the marketplace.

AFTER THE WIN
City News speaks to the winners of the five Emerge competitions.

PHOTO COURTESY OF FESTIVAL OF PRAISE

The Festival of Praise is an annual inter-denominational event that gathers Christians from all over Singapore for a time of prayer and worship.

Now in its 25th year running, the festival this year welcomes renowned speaker and acclaimed author, John Bevere, who will be ministering the Word of God each night. Leading the congregation in worship will be the New Life band from the USA, and worship leader Andrew Yeo from The City Church, Singapore.

This August, come and join fellow believers for a time of celebration over two nights at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Dates: August 5 and 6
Time: 7:15 p.m.
Venue: Singapore Indoor Stadium
For more information or queries, please email info@festivalofpraise.org.sg.

The Dialect Church will be holding its Oldies Concert on July 31, 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Jurong West Street 91. The concert, which is in its fourth year running, will feature many talented singers crooning past and present hits including “Won’t Go Home Today” and “This Evening”. For more information, call the Dialect Church hotline +65 9199 5440.

Have a free slice of cheesecake on Bakerzin and donate for a good cause. PHOTO COURTESY OF BAKERZIN

On Saturday, July 30, enjoy a slice of Bakerzin New York or Oreo Cookie Cheesecake in exchange for a donation of any sum to the Children’s Cancer Foundation. The dessert haven is giving away 12,000 slices of its delicious cheesecake (takeaway only) from 2 p.m. onward, at eight Bakerzin outlets: Paragon, Suntec City Mall, VivoCity, United Square, Tampines 1, Jurong Point, North Point and MyVillage in Serangoon Gardens.

“Although a slice of Bakerzin Cheescake retails at S$6.50, we are leaving it to the customer to decide how much they would like to donate. We hope that customers will dig deep into their hearts and pockets to help these kids and their families,” says Daniel Tay, founder of Bakerzin. Proceeds go toward helping children and their family to cope with the high costs of fighting cancer.

Three City News writers are transformed by the renewing of their hair at the hands of Perry Goh of Ooosh!

Contributed By Jeremy Chua, Annabelle Low & Yong Yung Shin

Jeremy Chua: Why it pays to pay more

I’m not exactly the most fashion-forward guy around. I look that way in my “before” picture because I am too darn lazy to cut my hair, and too “plain and simple” to try new styles when I do make the perfunctory trip to the barber’s. Moreover, the pragmatic (read: cheapskate) side of me has never understood the value of going to a nice hair salon.

But two hours in Ooosh!’s posh seat and I am a changed man. Most of my haircuts comprise nothing more than just a light trim. This, however, is an entirely new look; a combination of short and long, and to my surprise, I like it—it’s daring yet versatile and easy to maintain, and according to Leslie, my hairstylist, it brings out the shape of my face.

With the exception of my mother, I have been told that this cut perks up my look: I look younger, more “awake.” And most people don’t recognize me at first glance! So, to all my penny-pinching friends, the adage “you get what you pay for” applies when it comes to getting a quality trim.

Annabelle Low: From bedhead to turning heads

My hair tends to sit on my head like a limp rag. To create volume, I resort to the “bedhead” (i.e. backcombed) look, but more often than not I end up looking dishevelled.

To tame my overgrown hair, Leslie created layers that took the weight off. For this style, maintenance is key—a trim every now and then is recommended to keep it in shape. Also, I happen to have a heart-shaped face. Leslie cut me a fringe to draw attention to my eyes, and to divert attention from my cheeks to my chin. The ultimate result is an illusion of a slimmer face: every girl’s desire.

To finish, Leslie created big, blow-dry curls to pump volume into my cut. I floated out of the salon feeling like a Japanese doll.

Yong Yung Shin: Short and sassy

A lifelong dislike for long, girly tresses (they make my face look long) has consigned me to super-short ‘dos for the past 10 years. This year, however, my hardwired female side insisted that I grow my hair out just a bit.

Perry studies me for a few minutes, and decides on the answer: a chin-length asymmetrical bob to bring out my eyes and cheekbones while making the bottom half of my face look shorter. He would angle it at 45 degrees for a chic silhouette that would make my features look sharper. Because my hair is thick, Perry gave me an inner cut, thinning out the layers underneath so that when the hair grows, the shape will be intact for a longer period.

To add some pizzazz, his colorist added streaks of blond using a silk lift, where the black pigments are removed gradually. It takes a longer time than conventional bleaching, but is milder on the hair. The streaks are placed at three points using a foliage technique for a peekaboo effect: flip it this way and the blond lock frames the left parting, flip it the other and another look appears.

Perry Goh, the award-winning owner of Ooosh! Hair Salon. Make-up by Amy Chow.

Not a day has passed that I haven’t received a compliment for my new look!

Prices at Ooosh! start at S$69 for a haircut and S$139 for coloring.

Ooosh!
Delfi Orchard, 402 Orchard Road
#01-05/06 & #02-10
Singapore 238876
+65 6733 1068/ 6733 6113

Camp STEP 2011 gathered CHC’s university students for an encounter with God.

Contributed By Nicolette Ng

CN PHOTO: Daniel Poh

When the young get going, there’s no stopping them. Following the highly successful youth camps in June, 113 tertiary students gathered from the July 7 to 9 at Jurong West Church for CAMP Step3.

This was the first time all the university students in City Harvest Church—from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Management University, National University of Singapore, Singapore Institute of Management and other private tertiary institutes—got together to encounter God and to fellowship with one another. Grace Kong Yun Rui, 22, a third-year NTU linguistics student and a camp organizer said, “This camp was for the university students in church o come together to build strong relationships to support each other and make a difference in their campuses together.”

“CAMP Step3—Out. In. Up.” expresses the three-tier vision of the camp. First, to step out of one’s comfort zone, old ways and limitations. Next, to step in to campuses. Finally, to step up to the calling of God in their lives.

The first night’s Alumni Night brought graduates and undergraduates together. It kick-started with a mass dance item, followed by a testimony by Dorcas Xu, 28, an NTU graduate who spoke about campus life and revival. Candice Huang, 22, a freshman at SIM, said, “What impacted me the most was the seniors’ passion for campus revival and how they manage to excel in spite of their busy schedules.” Next, Goh Yock Kiang, a CHC pastor, shared a powerful word about preparing oneself for God’s vision and realizing one’s identity as a child of God. The crowd was inspired by his personal testimony about how he broke through many challenges to grow from a small cell group to a zone of 2,000 people today.

The campers had to perform tasks at various stations. PHOTO COURTESY OF JEFFREY WANG

The most exciting point of the camp was a race christened “The Promised Land.”  The campers had to race to seven stations across Singapore: Jurong West, Amber Road, World Trade Centre, Singapore Expo, Suntec City, Tanjong Katong Road and the former Westin Stamford Hotel. The campers “traveled back in time” to see how City Harvest Church started and progressed from place to place. This helped them to visualize how growth could also happen in their schools.

On Day Two, the university students gathered according to their schools to share their revelations and pray. Jonathan Ashley Ng, 21, from SIM said, “When we shared heart to heart our vision for the campus ministry, the presence of God was very strong.” Jeremy Choy, another CHC pastor, spoke on five things that the Holy Spirit has anointed young people to do, and gave an altar call for those who were facing difficult decisions.

The grand finale was conducted by Lee Yi Lun, CHC zone supervisor and organizer of the camp. She preached a message titled, “Building to Last,” about the seven areas that each person needs to develop in order to build a lasting legacy.

The youth left the camp fired up to excel for God in their various institutions. Jeffrey Wang, 23 from NTU, said, “This is the most memorable camp I have been to. I gained friends, faith, memories and love. I am inspired to do great things not just within the four walls of the church but step out!”

A post-camp event will be held on July 21, 7-10pm at Playnation, *Scape. Join us on Facebook Campus Ministry for exciting updates. For more information on campus ministry, email uni.campus.fellowship@gmail.com.

When Winnie Pua was retrenched, she turned her crisis into an opportunity by starting her own integrated marketing company.

Contributed By Billy Ong

CN PHOTO: Michael chan

During the world-shaking financial crisis of 2008, Winnie Pua found herself out of a job when the Dubai market crashed.

While most people in her position would have awarded themselves a few months of wallowing, Pua, now 35, leaped at the chance to start up her own business, something she had always wanted to do.

Pua, who graduated from the National University of Singapore with a degree in political studies, began work in the marketing communications department of Creative Technology. She went on to join Starhub, launching the brand in 2001, before she joined advertising agency O2, and dealt with over 17 markets in her portfolio. Pua’s last job was with the Singapore Tourism Board and Dubai World before she started Antics@Play.

In this fast-moving industry, the boundaries between advertising, marketing, branding, media-buying and social media often merge. Pua positioned Antics@Play to provide integrated marketing solutions to multi-national companies.

Incorporated in April 2009, her company has gained a strong reputation in two short years. Among Antics@Play’s many clients is Johnson & Johnson, which engaged Antics@Play to run several successful campaigns that targeted youths for its Acuvue contact lens products. Whether it is online or offline marketing, Antics@Play offers clients large doses of creativity in their marketing campaigns.

With over 14 years of experience, from consumer technology, entertainment to hospitality, Pua’s experience played a big role in the success of her start-up. Hers being a people-centered industry, she has also built a large network of contacts in the business, and that has helped accelerate the building of her company’s portfolio. When news that she had started Antics@Play went viral in her network, clients quickly came knocking on her door.

Recently, Antics@Play won Marketing Magazine’s award for “Brand Consultancy Of The Year.” To Pua, awards like these motivate her and her team to reach new heights in the competitive field of marketing, though they are a small outfit.

While Pua makes success look easy, truth is that running Antics@Play comes with its own set of challenges. “Finding the right staff, attracting them to join a new start-up, and having the right skills and mix of skills in people—all that remains a challenge,” she says. “With the growth of business, our needs and requirements change constantly.”

There have been times she has struggled not to give up. “In fact, that happens every month!” she admits. “Running a business is rewarding but it requires working on multiple areas of business; whereas as a marketing professional, we can simply focus on honing our marketing skills and knowledge. Having to ensure that all bills are paid and cashflow is properly managed is fairly stressful.”

In such times of stress, Pua is grateful for the support she gets from her church mates. The City Harvest Church member shares that “Pastor Yock Kiang and my cell group members have been a pillar of support to my faith, and guidance to key decisions I make.” As a believer, Pua constantly looks to God for guidance and answers, and draws strength from her church friends who share with her their experiences, particularly on managing people and business.

It is common to hear that business owners struggle to have a personal life beyond working long hours. But Pua believes in striking a balance between the two. She spends time with her friends and family and even attends dance lessons for leisure. At church, she serves in the Marketplace ministry, which provides a platform for business owners and professionals to network. “I am also busy planning for my wedding in November this year,” she reveals.

Today, Antics@Play has a trendy office in Chinatown and Pua is supported by six full-time staff and a part-timer. This boss declares that she loves the supportive and conducive environment that exists in the office. One of her secrets to building a successful marketing company is to focus on nurturing her employees. “Our people and our work represent the company; only when we put our best forward, will we shine.” In the area of hiring, Pua also believes in hiring the right people with passion and the willingness to learn.

The company’s five-year plan involves exponential growth through working with more multi-national companies. Pua also has a vision to bring her brand into the overseas market. “With the right partners, we may even open boutique agencies overseas!” she says.