New Life Worship band talks about how its music changed after tragedy struck in its home church.

Contributed By Dwayne Lum

New Life’s deepest worship was birthed out of pain. PHOTOS COURTESY OF FESTIVAL OF PRAISE.

The team from New Life Worship, the worship ministry of New Life Church in Colorado Springs, made their first trip to Singapore to perform at the 2011 Festival Of Praise.

To hear them praise God, one would never have guessed that their church has weathered great tragedy and controversy in recent years. On December 9, 2007, a gunman entered the church compound and fatally shot two people, while wounding three others. In the midst of the crisis, New Life Worship found itself providing hope and strength for its congregation through worship. Today, the church remains strong at over 10,000 members.

Songwriter and keyboardist Jared Anderson, 31, said, “It was really a time of being torn apart in the area of our faith, a time of questioning God, of almost walking in a fog. We were going through the trials, and we were trying to worship our way through that whole time as well.”

The songs on their 2008 album Counting On God were written in response to those times of difficulty.

Anderson was accompanied by worship pastor Brad Parsley, 43; associate worship pastor, Matthew Fallantine, 44; drummer Jared Henderson, 25 and guitarists Erick Todd, 31, Chad Tipps, 28, and Elissa Tipps, 27. To date, New Life Worship has released three albums, with My Savior Lives (2006), Counting On God (2008) and their latest release in 2011, You Hold It All which includes the anthemic “Great I Am” and the intimate “Be Thou Exalted” and “Sing Hallelujah” (written with Dove Award winner Kari Jobe).

What has been your one unforgettable experience leading worship?
PARSLEY: One that we can all agree on is the night of Dec. 12, 2007 when [we] met after the shooting in our church. The church met as a family and worshiped with the song “Overcome,” and faith just rose up immediately in everyone. That was a pretty powerful moment.

What was it like recording the live album Counting On God, knowing that the songs had come out as a “fruit” of that trying season?
FALLANTINE: I remember the night of the recording we were all emotionally hit, he (Henderson) was crying back on drums. We looked at it not just as a recording, but that we wanted our people to find hope in worship.
PARSLEY: Lots of people use worship as escapism, to get away. But worship is really the minimizing of self and the exalting of God. So it’s not an escape. It’s more of a reference to who God is and how you view your relationship to Him; getting your eyes off yourself and your circumstance and the trouble you may find yourself in, and remembering that God is all-knowing, all-powerful. So it’s more of a realigning.

How have these trials changed you as a band?
ANDERSON: Our trials brought maturity into our worship. I felt like we were no longer solely just celebrating what God has done but we know what it’s like to be led through the fire, having God with us.
PARSLEY: Every time we sing songs at our church like “Counting On God,” it just means something different each time. For a song like “Yahweh,” when we sing the line “Faithful God, You’re here to stay,” it’s just a reminder that it doesn’t matter what you experience, God is with you. He’s not going anywhere.

What does becoming a “better worshiper” mean?
PARSLEY: I don’t think there’s anything that makes you a better or worse worshiper. It’s just the ability to connect your heart with God’s heart and, without reservation, lavish your love back to Him with humility. Worship is a response to God’s love through Jesus. To me, those are the keys to developing as a worshiper. One thing that has made me better over the years is learning how to have communion with God myself instead of trying to lead everyone. That’s the Holy Spirit’s job. So all I do is worship Him myself and give Him the honor He deserves, and people will come as they are ready.

What is the one thing you want listeners to take away with them when the music ends?
ANDERSON: Records become musical photographs of the season our church is in. Our songs are like the prayers of our congregation. So I think looking back, each record becomes to the listener like a memorial of the season that God has brought us through.
TODD: I’d like to think that we’re prophesying through our instruments to our listeners.

Finish this sentence, “If I lost all my musical talent tomorrow, I would …”
PARSLEY: Be a really bad worship leader.
HENDERSON: Sell my drum set and have a whole bunch of cash all of a sudden.
TODD: I already help run a missions agency, so I’d probably do that more.

Tune in to the new season of shows on City Radio, City Harvest Church’s online radio station.

Contributed By Dwayne Lum

CN PHOTO: Michael Chan

Launched on April 22 this year, helmed by program producer Bernard Loh (below), City Radio aims to provide listeners with a buffet of multi-lingual programs ranging from weekly devotionals to lifestyle shows.

City Radio launched its new season on August 13, with brand new programs hosted by exciting deejays. One highlight this September is a show hosted by the co-founders of CHC, Kong Hee and Sun Ho. Listeners can also look forward to more popular Christian hits from the likes of Chris Tomlin, Hillsongs and the Planetshakers. What’s more, giveaways, contests and roadshows await listeners.

The capsule-sized shows are available via the free iTunes app CHC Mobile, the official CHC iPhone/iPod Touch app, and on your computer at www.cityradio.sg.

City News gets the hosts of each program to explain what their show is about:

STRUMS, hosted by Bernard Loh
“STRUMS is an unplugged acoustic session. We bring guests into the show and get them to showcase their skills, share their story and inspire others to pursue their dreams. During the first show, Annabel Soh, one of CHC’s worship leaders, sang a song with so much heart, it touched me deeply and I actually teared.”

Weekly Online Refreshing Devotional (W.O.R.D.), hosted by Derek Dunn
“W.O.R.D. is all about providing encouragement and empowerment. As we go through our week, we all need that boost to keep us in faith and the principles from the Word of God to keep us on track.”

Beauty And The Beasts, hosted by Gary Sim, Dwayne Lum and Bernie Guan
“Beauty And The Beasts takes a delightful and irreverent poke at the absurdities that lurk beneath Singapore’s dehydrating seriousness. Are hot people smart as well? What’s the best way to tell someone that they have bad breath? Should guys shave their armpit hair? In other words, the stuff that really matters in life.”

Da Cheng Xiao Shi (Stories From A Big City), hosted by Danielle Ho and Koh Yong Hui (Mandarin)
“The lyrics of the song “Xiao Ren Wu De Xin Sheng” (“Voices Of Ordinary People”) speak of how ordinary people like you and I can have a profound impact on others too. As we began recording our programs, we found ourselves relating to our guests’ stories and experiences, sometimes even to the point of tears.”

Xin Fu De Jie Zou (The Rhythm of Joy), hosted by Chen Ying Jie (Mandarin)
“Every episode, a celebrity or famous personality will be invited to share their life testimony on our show. For our first and second episodes, Rosita Chu, a famous radio deejay and writer in Hong Kong and Taiwan, will be sharing her life story with our listeners.”

Kopi Tia (Coffee and Listen), hosted by Asher Lum and Maria Tok (Hokkien)
“Kopi Tia lets listeners reminisce about the past and ponder upon the issues of life. We want to recreate the heartland spirit of Singaporeans, particularly those who love to sit together with friends in a coffee shop to chat about the past as well as current happenings.”

Tebar Pesona, hosted by Putri (Bahasa Indonesia)
“Tebar Pesona teaches our listeners to live life with style. Almost every episode will deal with useful and practical tips and secrets to flawless styles and fashion. I would like to showcase that people can be holy while being sharply and attractively dressed, living the Cultural Mandate in our everyday lives through good personal grooming.”

City Harvest Church celebrates the end of five amazing years at the Singapore Expo.

Contributed By Dwayne Lum

After the finale service, it was time to tear down the fixtures. CN Photo: Elvis Chiu

Feb. 26 to 27 marked the finale to an extraordinary five years of worship services at the Singapore Expo for City Harvest Church. The weekend was a poignant moment, yet one peppered with light-heartedness and optimism for the future as the congregation and leadership celebrated the memories and milestones the past half a decade had afforded them.

It was on Dec. 7, 2005 that CHC began leasing the Singapore Expo Hall 8 as an additional worship venuefor its congregation. Over the past five years, the church has utilized the venue for over 500 worship services, with massive Christian conferences such as the Asia Conference and Emerge Conference being some of the highlights.

Even before the final service started, it was clear that Twitter and Facebook reports of the penultimate service the day before had gone some way to generate a buzz and excitement in the air. Wrote Sheryl Lim, 26, “Seeing the Tweets of those who attended the Saturday service just makes me feel so excited for the final service on Sunday.”

CN PHOTO: Jere Chong

Celebrating God’s Goodness

That expectation paid off as right from the get-go it was evident that this would be one for the history books. With songs such as “God Of My Life,” “You Deserve” and “Sweetest Devotion,” the powerhouse trio of Teo Poh Heng, Annabel Soh and Alison Yap took turns leading the congregation in worship. Ending off with “Thank You For The Cross,” something from an earlier era of worship music in CHC, emphasized the sentimental atmosphere for the day. It was also a reminder for the church of how much God has blessed them for the past 22 years and the amount of history it has written.

The video presentation which followed highlighted this fact, showcasing the milestones CHC had accomplished whilst congregating at the Singapore Expo. In just five short years, Expo and CHC have played host to more than 50 guest ministers with world-renowned speakers such as David Yonggi Cho, evangelist Reinhard Bonnke, Joyce Meyer, A.R. Bernard and Phil Pringle. Notable international praise and worship acts such as Delirious?, True Worshipers and Don Moen have also graced the Expo stage with their presence and unique music styles.

Engaging The Marketplace

Apart from luminaries of the Christian world, CHC has also seen more than 70 celebrities visit or perform at their services in Singapore Expo. This was apt considering that it was at this venue that CHC’s senior pastor Kong Hee began teaching the Cultural Mandate, calling upon the church to engage culture via the realms of art and entertainment, a movement which has since spread throughout the Christian world. A Celebrity Weekend on Jun. 13 and 14, 2009 was held to depict that message, having stars such as Vanness Wu, Liu Geng Hong and Taiwan pop group F.I.R. perform whilst sharing testimonies of how being a Christian has helped them to shine in their industry.

Singapore Expo has also played home to notable large-scale Christian conferences. The inaugural Asia Conference held from Nov. 19 to 23, 2008 drew 20,356 delegates from 68 countries. Its follow-up in 2010 saw a joint effort with Church Growth International from South Korea. The CGI-AC 2010 saw over 25,000 attendees, with more than 7,200 international delegates from over 70 countries, representing 2,086 churches. Making full use of the facilities at the Singapore Expo, conference attendees were invited to attend a wide range of electives held in the multiple halls and conference rooms available at the Singapore Expo whilst Marketplace exhibitions and competitions were also on show.

Wong (right) testifying of the odds God helped him overcome. CN photos: Kenneth Lee

A Changed Life

Perhaps even more significant than the events and activities were the lives which were changed and impacted at the Singapore Expo. During last Sunday’s finale service, Marc Wong, 25, shared with the congregation a moving testimony of how he experienced a radical life change these past five years in CHC at Singapore Expo.

Born with thalassemia major, a blood disease which requires him to undergo blood transfusion therapy every single day, doctors did not expect him to live past his teenage years. In spite of such a negative report, Wong found hope in God and courageously overcame feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem to transform his self-image into a healthy one. Setting his mind to prove the doctors and their report wrong, Wong was bent on having a full and long life ahead of him.

Graduating with First Class Honors in his Bachelor of Sciences degree, Wong secured a job at the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Singapore even before finishing university. Meanwhile, his doctors were surprised to find that his condition had actually improved at an unexpected rate over the past few years. Still believing for his full and complete healing, Wong is living the dream having recently been accepted into the medical program at Duke-NUSS Graduate Medical School in Singapore.

Finding Strength In God

This dovetailed nicely with Kong’s message for the final weekend of services at the Singapore Expo on combating discouragement. Preaching out of the book of Haggai, Kong told of how the Israelites headed back to rebuild the House of God after Solomon’s temple had been destroyed but faced tremendous criticism and negative external circumstances. Emphasizing that “discouragement is an immobilizing force,” Kong explained that the bad situation resulted in the Israelites neglecting the very work they set out to do for 14 years.

Recounting well-known examples such as the Wright Brothers, Rembrandt, Einstein and the Beatles who faced discouragement and criticism at the start of their respective careers, it drove home the message that success comes through overcoming setbacks and not allowing them to have a hold in your life. “Discouragement is only as powerful as you allow it to have power over you,” said Kong.

Just as how God had sent Haggai the prophet to encourage the Israelites in the rebuilding of the temple, Kong echoed the very words of Haggai for the leadership and congregation to stay optimistic—“Be strong!” Strength, he taught, is the mental and emotional ability to bounce back when one is knocked down. With God as our strength, we know we can rely on Him to overcome for us when it seems that we are unable to.

Looking Ahead

Directing the congregation to look to the future, Kong repeated the words of the prophet Haggai that “the glory of the latter temple shall be greater than the former.” The rebuilt temple of God faced opposition but was greater and more glorious than even the grandeur of Solomon’s Temple before because Jesus, the Messiah and Son of God would personally come into this Temple. Drawing parallels, Kong explained that despite CHC’s setbacks in moving over to Suntec Singapore and the changes they have had to make as a result of the new URA guidelines, “if Jesus’ glory would go with us, it would be enough.”

A fitting end came right after the message, with Kong moving the congregation to set their hearts to worship and be thankful to God for all He has done in their lives these past five years. After refrains of “Great Is The Lord” and “Friend Of God,” it was clear that the congregation was prepped and ready to go for their move to Suntec. Praising way past the usual two-hour mark for service, hardly anyone left their seats whilst the worship team led them in the last song CHC would sing in Singapore Expo—“Happy Day.”

Said Kelvin Loh, 22, a medical sales representative who started attending CHC in Singapore Expo, “this will always be a place where my dreams were born and a place where I knew for sure that God loves me.”

A joyous time for City Harvest Church leaders.

CN PHOTO: Michael Chan

It was a rowdy, noisy night, yet one filled with moments of retrospection and reflection on the days gone by for City Harvest Church at the Leaders’ Appreciation Night 2010, an event acknowledging the achievements and efforts of the cell group and ministry leaders of CHC who form the backbone of the church and its affiliate organizations.

The event, which took place at CHC’s Jurong West St. 91 premises, was a night for the church’s hardworking staff and volunteers to let their hair down with performances, games and video presentations lined up for the evening.

One such video presentation which tickled the funny bones of many was a look at the evolution of CHC’s praise and worship song-leading styles through the last two decades. It was a real sight to see how far they had come, from simple guitar and keyboard ensembles during the late-80s days of Ekklesia Ministry (CHC’s name in the 1980s), to the strobe-light and sound experience of the current generation.

The “journey” did not end there, with the worship team leading the congregation on a “praise and worship flashback” with popular songs through the years. Oldies but goldies such as “Jesus My Heart Is Overflowing” and “Gotta Give Him The Glory” were met with raucous applause and joy as the attendees relived their days of singing those songs in church. The juxtaposition of the catchy, tap-your-feet sounds of the “older” praise songs with the newer infectious and rhythmic rock-and-roll beats of songs such as “Your Generation” set a nostalgic tone for the rest of the night.

The first group to receive the evening’s honors were the various ministries who had sacrificed much ever since the move to the Singapore Expo premises. With memorable events like the Celebrity Weekend in 2009 and the Asia Conferences in 2008 and 2010, as well as the 74 humanitarian trips to places such as Haiti and Sichuan, it was evident that it has been a busy past five years for CHC. It was thus appropriate to commemorate the efforts of ministries such as the photography, television and drama ministries as well as the much-appreciated missions and humanitarian workers, just to name a few. Recipients of the night’s honors were given gifts such as eco-friendly notebooks, water bottles and thumb-drives emblazoned with the theme of the night, Walk On.

Up next were the heroes of the Jurong West era. As a result of the history-making accomplishments from the teaching of the Cultural Mandate, a tour throughout 36 Asian cities recorded over 100,000 salvation decisions, and the School Of Theology, O School and City College were established. This was the era when CHC began its foray into engaging and shaping culture. In a segment hosted by principal and founder of O School and City College, Kenny Low, it was inspiring to hear how some of the dancers had their lives changed for the better upon encountering the love and support of the church members through the establishments.

Turning back the clock further was a short video presentation of the various ministries in CHC which started during the Hollywood Theatre days in Tanjong Katong. Though small when they started, ministries such as the Children’s Church, Chinese Church, Dialect Church and City Harvest Community Services Association have grown into the pillars of the entire CHC organization today. Fueled by a vision to build a “church without walls,” efforts among the members to engage the less fortunate in society resulted in unprecedented growth for the church. Said Wong Jie Yun, 23, an attendee since the Hollywood days, “It was a time when it was ingrained in us by Pastor Kong’s teachings to find a need and meet it, and to find a hurt and heal it.”
Other groups honored during the night included the first ever adult cell group in CHC, as well as other pioneers from the days when the church gathered in the now-defunct World Trade Centre premises.

Departing from the group-themed awards, Osim iPampers were also given out to five individuals who received the Family-Oriented Cell Group Leader Award. These awards were given out to CGLs who had been exemplary in the way they juggled the commitments of family, work and ministry. One such example was Lee Kiam Hiong and his wife, Ong Sin Lee, who were pleasantly surprised to receive the award. Despite the busy and at times tiring schedule of being a CGL, Ong said what keeps them going is, “seeing people grow. That gives us the greatest encouragement.”

Before the end of the night, every leader in attendance was presented with the Courage Award, a coveted award given out to a particular individual who had displayed bravery and strength in the face of overwhelming odds. This year, the award was given out to every cell group and ministry leader in CHC for their commitment and unwavering support of the church despite the criticisms it had received and tough times it had gone through in the past year.

The eventful night closed on a poignant note as founder and senior pastor Kong Hee led the congregation in a time of worship on the guitar with the song he had written years ago entitled “Draw Me,” with support from his wife and CHC co-founder Sun Ho. For many there that night, especially CGL Lau Quan Han, 24, “it was the highlight of the night,” he said.

This segued nicely into a heartfelt speech from Kong to all the leaders expressing his gratefulness to the church for their support and love all these years.  Kong ended the night with the following words for every one of the leaders in attendance, “Every dreamer must be prepared for every eventuality. Count the cost, be willing to pay the price and … live life with no regrets.”
With the highly anticipated move to CHC’s new home at Suntec City Convention Hall, there will no doubt be more milestones marked, more pages of CHC’s history written, and more future leaders and heroes to commemorate.
Walk on, CHC.

CHC’s latest album Reign draws enthusiastic responses from delegates at CGI-Asia Conference 2010.

Reign, the latest collection of praise and worship songs from CHC’s music ministry was well-received by local and foreign delegates alike at the recent CGI-Asia Conference 2010. The catchy tunes and intense lyrics also served as powerful theme songs throughout the conference.

Songs such as “Savior Of The World” and “Only You” were instant hits with the crowd and listeners. With catchy hooks to each song and rock-and-roll guitar riffs, these songs capture the passion, zeal and “all-out” spirit of praising God that the church is known for.

The feel-good, pop music vibe from the praise songs in this album prompted singer Alisa Galper, a recording artiste with Universal Music Taiwan, to remark: “You would not know you are listening to gospel songs—they are so contemporary.”

On the other end of the spectrum of such anthemic praise songs are intimate bare-all worship songs, demonstrating the versatility of music director David Yem and creative director KC Gan who wrote most of the songs on the album. The honesty and simplicity of songs such as “Out Of My Hands” and “Sweetest Devotion” tug at the heart-strings and wonderfully express the devotion of the believer to the majesty and beauty of Jesus Christ.

On the third night of the conference, one particularly memorable moment happened when CHC vocalist Alison Yap led the congregation in worship with the song “Out of My Hands” on the piano. Her heart-felt performance left many teary-eyed in the presence of God.

Re-recorded and re-mixed versions of favorites like “In Your House” and “Because Of You” from CHC’s last album Writings On The Walls round out the song list, making this latest album from CHC a must-have for every person looking not just for a good, but a great gospel album that will stand the test of time.

	Sidney Mohede, lead vocalist of True Worshippers, Indonesia: “This is the best the CHC band has ever produced. It has well-written songs which come from the broken-ness and heart of the writers.”
	Jussar Badudu, True Worshippers singer: “The compositions are simple but very touching. You only need to hear it once to grab hold of it. Spiritually and technically they are very nice songs to worship to.”
	Wing, singer-songwriter, Taiwan: “There are new elements contained in the songs in this album, such as a disco feel to some of its songs. These worship songs are different from just usual love songs in that they can touch lives more than ordinary music. I believe everyone who listens to it will be blessed.”
	Shawn Lee, top international beat-boxer, Malaysia: “I feel that there is an ambience of happiness in the songs, which convey positive emotions to the listener.”
	Will Liu Geng Hong, singer-actor, Taiwan: “The song lyrics are full of images and fit well as theme songs for the Asia Conference. I know that when I sing these songs in the future they will bring to mind my experiences at the Asia Conference 2010.”
	Matt Tsai, worship leader-songwriter, New Life Church, Taiwan: “This is an album that you can listen to for a very long time yet not get tired of the songs. The album is very ‘full’, with a mixture of so many different styles that it will really give listeners a good experience.”

The launch of Asia Conference “Live” Internet radio.

Asia Conference Radio was a ground-breaking use of media and the first radio station ever set up for a Christian Conference. Though this represented the first time that City Harvest Church had ever done “live” radio broadcasts, this apparent drawback was at no point evident. Asia Conference Radio was an instant hit with iPhone users, as well as those who could not attend the conference but logged onto the Asia Conference website to tune in.

The line-up of “Live” radio programs done up by a 12-person strong deejay team, led by Danny Yeo Jun Wei, even contained a countdown of the Top 10 Most Popular CHC Original Songs. “Live” radio programs took place every single day as Conference attendees took their lunch and dinner breaks, featuring both English as well as Chinese deejays. With radio programming put together by Yeo, former UFM 100.3’s creative and music director and popular radio deejay, along with sound editing and voice-over talents from the likes of Andrew Crothers, more popularly known as one-half of the 98.7FM feature duo of The Don and Drew Show, Asia Conference Radio ensured quality entertainment for every listener.

Accessible via an iPhone App downloaded from Apple’s iTunes App Store, the station featured “Live” audio feeds of the sessions as the sermons were being preached by various Conference speakers. With no webcasts of the sessions save for one on Sunday morning, this came as a proverbial godsend to those who were unable to attend any particular session or even the entire Conference. For home-maker Lai Baoting, 28, who had been quarantined at home during that week due to a bout of chickenpox, access to the messages as they were being preached was a “thoughtful feature that made me feel part of the Asia Conference from home.”

Also featured were “Live” audio feeds of City News interviews of the various Conference plenary and elective speakers such as David Yonggi Cho, A. R. Bernard, Reinhard Bonnke, Phil and Christine Pringle, Tsai Chin, and more.

A milestone for CHC, Asia Conference Radio represented an engagement of a new media platform for people to hear the Word of God. With this new step into radio broadcasts being well-received and appreciated by many at the Conference, it remains to be seen what CHC has in store for developing and harnessing this powerful media tool.

It was a mix of green and glamour at the Miss Earth 2009 Swimsuit Competition cum Pre-judging held at the Bellini Grande on Saturday, 5 September 2009. Organized by C.T. Hansen International Pte Ltd, the annual pageant’s aim is to be a vehicle in creating awareness for environmental issues, as well as to raise up Green Ambassadors to be role models for Singapore youth. Differentiating itself from other beauty pageants, Miss Earth requires contestants to participate in recycling and conservation events, ensuring that they have not just beauty, but a heart for the environment as well. With plush booths, an in-house jazz band, complimentary house-pours for guests and service staff dressed in white shirts and black vests, the luxurious and glamorous atmosphere provided by the Bellini Grande was clearly apt for the grand event. In-house singer/comedian Gino, whose brand of comedy was brash and bawdy but side-splittingly funny nonetheless, put the crowd in a relaxed mood before the start of the program.

PHOTOS: Xavier Tan

Hosts Genecia Luo and Elliot Danker did a good job keeping the energy going before introducing what the audience — made up predominantly of friends and family of the contestants — had been waiting for. As the bevy of beauties strutted on stage in their baby-blue two-piece bikinis sponsored by Change, the excitement (and temperatures) in the hall were sent soaring. The swimsuit round, a staple in all beauty pageants worth their weight, never fails to pull in the crowds — and this one was no exception. For the 13 contestants who have made it this far, the pre-judging and swimsuit round was their last chance to impress the judges before the Coronation on 17 September 2009 where the winner of the coveted crown would be announced. With the ‘formalities’ dispensed, it was back to serious business as the girls took to the stage in their evening gowns for the Question and Answer segments. With questions posed from the audience and judges surrounding the subject of environmental conservation, the girls’ sincerity and nerves were put to the ultimate test. Samuel Seow, guest judge and Managing Director of Samuel Seow Law Corporation, found the girls’ answers rather ‘refreshing and intelligent,’ showcasing the girls’ beauty and brains.

The excitement of the night over, Miss Earth 2009 contestant Ashley Ng, 19, was delighted with the response from the crowd. On the topic of being in a two-piece bikini on-stage for the first time, “I just told myself not to think about it too much and just get used to it. The support from the crowd really helped as well!” With the 13 contestants whittled down to the top 8 finalists, head on down to the uber-cool club, the Bellini Grande for the glitz and glamour of Coronation night on 17 September to witness the crowning of Singapore’s Miss Earth 2009. For more info, visit their website at http://www.missearthsingapore.com/

Many people balk at the idea of writing a will — some due to superstitious reasons, other for fear of thinking about their own demise.

But it is important for every individual to think of asset distribution through the form of wills and trust funds, says Mindy Teo, Director of Wills and Trust Pte Ltd. One never knows when something untoward might happen, resulting in a person’s assets not being left to their family, or the organization of their choice, due to the absence of a will.

Wills and Trust Pte Ltd offers wills and estate planning services unlike any other company or firm. Rather than have a lawyer simply draft out your will across a desk in an office, Wills and Trust offers a personal touch to this important matter. With their fleet of estate planners who mostly have backgrounds in the life insurance industry, Wills and Trust offers a wider range of expertise and experience in the life planning arena than many other companies.

Says Teo, “Wills and Trust’s estate planners are able to recommend, suggest and highlight to a client what to draft in a will once we know the needs of our client. This is different from having a lawyer draft out a will as most lawyers just take instructions from their client.”

According to Teo, Wills and Trust also aims to help in educating the public on the issue of will-writing and estate planning. Wills and Trust offers a wide variety of services on that subject, even allowing clients to set up Charitable Trust funds where the client is able to leave all his worldly possessions to a charity of their choice.

So how old should you be before you start drafting up a will? “You can if you are 21 years or above,” says Teo.

It was an awesome start to the School of Theology 2009 (SOT) for the 673 students enrolled in City Harvest Bible Training Centre (CHBTC). Over 22 nationalities from lands as far off as Nigeria and Sweden underwent their registration and orientation activities on Monday, 30 Mar 2009, which was incidentally the official opening of the new school term.

From as early as 7am, various SOT Team Leaders and Helpers could be seen buzzing about City Harvest Church’s premises at 1, Jurong West St 91, setting up help counters to aid in the matriculation and registration of the students. An air of excitement was evident as local and foreign delegates alike interacted and shared expectantly about what the first day of school and the next five months of SOT would entail.

The official launch of the new school term had guest speaker Dr Phil Pringle, Senior Pastor and Founder of Christian City Church International (CCC) address the students as well as the staff of SOT. He brought along C3 Band from CCC Sydney to lead in praise and worship. The congregation of SOT students and staff grooved and sang through a set of their praise and worship songs off their latest album For Your Glory, such as ‘Eternal Salvation’ and the crowd favorite, ‘Help Me’.

It was a great precursor to stir the crowd up for what was to come next. Phil Pringle then took the stage and delivered not just one, but two sessions of teaching on church growth and leadership. He covered topics such as repentance and the importance of leaders focusing on their strongest members.

“Whatever you focus on, you will get,” he declared.

Pringle issued a needful reminder to the crowd to constantly renew their minds by reading the Bible, the Word of God; and that repentance, new attitudes and mindsets make up the foundation for Christ to build His Church upon.

PHOTOS: Elvis Chiu & Gabriel Seow

Orientation activities began in the late afternoon. Following the usual icebreakers to warm up the cohort, the various SOT teams were instructed to act out skit with themes such as love, power and faith, by incorporating elements from contemporary movies such as The Matrix, Spiderman and The Incredibles. It was great fun and enjoyment as the students entertained the judges and one another with their amusing three-minute skits.

The day done, the students were then treated to a sumptuous dinner organized by CHBTC.

Kuang Jing Xuan, 22, currently studying in NUS as well, had this to say, “People usually look very tired on the first day of school. However, the SOT students really turned that image around today. Everyone was so pumped up and energetic, it makes me look forward to the rest of the five months in SOT!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

PHOTOS: Daniel Poh