Trained as a graphic designer, Sophia Ho never imagined that today she would be managing Vintedge, a digital marketing and system integration company. 

Contributed By Reuel Eugene Tay

Ho and her brother have grown Vintedge into a group of companies in just 10 years. CN PHOTO: Daniel Poh.

Set up in 2001 by Sophia Ho and her brother Boon Peng, with a shareholder, Stanley Mak who joined a year later, Vintedge (Singapore) Pte Ltd is a recognized digital marketing and system integration company boasting a regional staff strength of over 80 people in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Vintedge’s clientele list spans Canon, Samsung, Esplanade, DHL, Singtel, HSBC, Pizza Hut and many other big names. Out of Vintedge (Singapore) sprang forth Vintedge Malaysia, Bounche Indonesia, Vintedge Technologies, Hues Communications, vBox Asia, each specializing in a different spectrum of the IT industry under the Vintedge umbrella.

As acting director, Ho manages the human resource, business development, accounts management and servicing of clients among many other things.

Retracing her steps, Ho determines, “God has led me every step of the way. I never really planned for my career nor sent out my resume after graduating from Temasek Polytechnic in 1994. There was a vacancy for a graphic designer in a company, I showed my portfolio and they took me in.” In between the five-year period spent working for the company, Ho also enrolled herself into City Harvest School Of Theology.

In 1999, Ho was asked by her brother to help him in a new Internet technology startup, which he had collaborated on with his friends. Despite having no IT background or working experience, Ho threw in her lot with the company as she wanted to support her brother. Two years later, Ho was again asked by her brother to venture into a new partnership, this time just between the two of them. And thus, Vintedge was born.

However, this also marked the beginning of many trials and setbacks that the siblings had to face before reaching their current success today. In debt and practically unknown in an industry that relies very much on reputation and branding, the two of them took on as many projects as they could, painstakingly building up the portfolio and brand name of the company, job by job. Their journey was a rollercoaster ride filled with the highs of breaking new ground and lows that included financial shortage and losing employees to bigger companies.

Ho divulged, “[In our initial years], clients had little confidence in us. As such our quotations to clients were much lower than what the industry charged, yet at the same time we needed to work very hard. Our next major challenge was dealing with high staff turnover. Back then, there weren’t many talents within the industry. Only fresh grads were willing to join us, and many left us after we trained them. There was even a designer who, after leaving, set up his own company using our portfolio!”

The stress of those early years took a toll on Ho. “One night when I was sleeping, I heard many voices in my head, but I was very tired physically so I told myself to ignore it. Suddenly, I felt that if I didn’t wake up the next moment, I would become insane because of the stress. So I quickly got up and started to worship God, singing the song, “Jesus Loves Me (This I Know),” the only song I could think of at that point of time. Only after the feeling of peace came upon me did I go back to sleep.

When I woke up, [I felt] God tell me, ‘This will not happen again because I will increase My grace in your life.’ If you want God’s grace to increase in your life, then you have to take on something bigger than yourself.”

Slowly, the business began to pick up as more and more companies started coming to them through word-of-mouth. One of their clients, Pizza Hut, has been with them since 2003 and Vintedge has done multiple revamps for their website.

“The Christian values I learned in church such as ‘Turn your stumbling block into your stepping stone’ helped me a lot. Even though my pay was low back then, I always reminded myself that I don’t work for man, I work for God. God is my Boss, so He will definitely be my rewarder. This attitude has helped me a lot: it has driven me to give good performance, keep a good attitude at work and work hard to be a problem solver because I’m working for God,” Ho explained.

Ho first came to CHC on May 29, 1993 and never looked back. Her life in church was just as exciting as her career: she served in the usher, choir and counseling ministries before becoming a cell group leader for six years. Ho married Timothy Wong in 2005 and last year, they had their first child, Owen Enoch.

Ho thanks God for guiding her unerringly throughout her life. “I’m only a diploma holder, and all this while I have never looked for a job [after graduating from TP]. I know that God has been leading me in my career right from the beginning to where I am today. If it’s not for God, my education and work experience would not have enabled me to run a business in Singapore with 40 staff. He has been guiding me all this while. There is a vision God has placed in my heart, which is to use my experience to help smaller setups and I would serve as a consultant to help them because I know it is not easy starting out.”

Moving forward, Ho envisions Vintedge becoming an integrated solutions hub providing integrated marketing and communications solutions. “In my opinion, I do not believe that web and mobile marketing will dominate it all. I believe that marketing is a holistic approach. My direction for Vintedge is to have a presence in all the different aspects of marketing, be it above- or below-the-line, or even events, so that we can provide more holistic solutions to our clients and do bigger projects in the future.”

Vintedge
58 Tras Street, #03-01
Singapore 078997
+65 6224 8689
www.vintedge.com

City News speaks to Stars of SHINE winner Justine Lee and nominee Elijah Ted Ng.

Contributed By Reuel Eugene Tay

Justine Lee accepts his award from Minister for Community, Youth and Sports, Chan Chun Sing.

On July 30, three outstanding youths received the Stars of SHINE Award for their significant contributions to the community at the SHINE 2011 Festival Closing Ceremony. Justine Lee Fu De, 20, the co-founder and director of Soule Apparels emerged as one of the three winners of the award given out by the National Youth Council and the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports. The other winners were Mohd Farhan bin Mohd Firdaus and Salihin bin Sinai.

Lee impressed the judging panel with his social enterprise Soule Apparels, a social enterprise he set up in collaboration with two church friends, John Tay, 21 and Lim Jing Ying, 20.

Lee told City News, “The other nominees were really good! To even be nominated for this award was a privilege to me and I am very thankful. I first started out with the intention to help people so that I can bring glory to God, so for me to win this award while doing so is really a humbling experience for me. And to be recognized by MCYS, and to be selected as a role model for youth—I know this could not have been possible without God.”

The young social entrepreneur declares that “God is at the very center of this business. In the first place, this wasn’t just any good idea, it was a God idea given to us—and He will surely make it work. And He has. In the past three, four years, I have seen God’s providence as doors after doors are opened to us even though we lacked experience. Even government agencies and business people want to help us.”

Now a national serviceman, Lee serves as a cell group leader in City Harvest Church, and graduated last week from the School Of Theology. He hopes to inspire other youths to make a difference. “One man can only do so much, but if one man can inspire hundreds, thousands, that’s a totally different level. That’s the soldier movement. For us, we want to start the Soule-dier movement; inspiring youths to fight for a social cause, fight against poverty. We cannot have a small mindset like ‘What can I do? I’m only one person,’ but we should get people involved, get people to take up ownership, just like taking up responsibilities in a cell group. Together we can make a difference.”

Elijah Ng (right) with Elim Chew. PHOTOS COURTESY OF NATIONAL YOUTH COUNCIL .

At 15, Elijah Ted Ng was the youngest nominee at Stars of SHINE. Through his social enterprise Art With A HeART, Ng started Project Vision to provide children and youths in Indonesia with spectacles, so that they can see better in class. Ng has helped more than 500 families and individuals.

“I am happy to be nominated because this is an indication that I am doing something right. It will also open more doors for me to do more humanitarian works,” says the student.

Ng draws his inspiration from some established figures, like John Hope Bryant, Kong Hee and Sun Ho. “Elim Chew is more than a godmother to me; she has demonstrated to me that to love is to give, even when we get hurt or disappointed.”

Ng’s aim is to start a foundation to aid marginalized families. “I hope to be able to finance children for education, to provide healthcare in areas where living standards are a challenge, to share love where no one understands the love of God.”

Support Soule Apparels (http://www.soule.com.sg) and Art with a HeART (http://www.artwithaheart.sg).    

As the 2011 intake of School Of Theology students graduate this weekend, one shares how going to Bible school has touched his life and those of his classmates.

Contributed By Reuel Eugene Tay

CN PHOTO: Daniel Poh

August 21, 2011 marks the closing of one chapter and the beginning of the next for 518 Bible school students from 21 countries who will be graduating from City Harvest Church’s School Of Theology. For some, this has been a challenging journey, but for the rest of us, we wish that school could continue.

Not only have we had to undergo an intense six-month course filled with Bible lectures, we also have had to put our knowledge to the test by sitting through 10 exams, enduring four preaching tests, going for mission trips, preparing 10 sermons each, clocking a minimum of 57 ministry practicum hours, and to top it all, writing 10 book reviews.

Beyond all these works, we have been challenged to seek God and His will and to discover His calling on our lives. For the international students, this means returning to their countries to share what they have learned in SOT in order to bless their church and congregation. To others, it is a reminder to excel in their work and to be the salt and light in the marketplace.

We remember the encouraging words of our Dean of Students, Bobby Chaw, who said at his opening speech on the school’s orientation day: “We (SOT) may set the test, but it is God who sets the ‘exam.’ It’s more important to pass that ‘exam’ that God has set for each one of you.”

Six months have come and gone for the 17th SOT intake. We have fought the good fight and finished the race (2 Tim. 4:7). Many of us came not knowing what to expect, armed only with hearts that were spiritually hungry for God and His Word. But as we graduate this weekend, we leave with hearts filled with visions and dreams, and greater faith in God, excited to pursue His call.

STEPPING OUT IN FAITH

Corriolan Olrich helping at JAMs church.

Corriolan Pierre Olrich, 42, an associate pastor with Light Ministries Inc. in Carrefour, Haiti, took a leap of faith by enrolling in SOT together with two fellow Haitians, Rodolpho Merientié and Sherly Otilien Merientié. They came with the desire to be trained for ministry. Olrich first came to know about CHC and its Bible school program through a disaster relief worker from CHC who served in Haiti.

It was a tough decision for Olrich. He came to SOT without a single cent in his pocket, leaving behind his wife, 8-year-old daughter, and 10-day-old son. Despite all this, Olrich came to Singapore with a heart of expectancy, believing that God would provide and move mightily in his life. True enough, the last half a year has proven to be a fruitful time for Olrich. He has been blessed in many ways, most of all through the SOT sessions during which faith was deposited in him and ignited a fire in his heart for his church and country.

“SOT helped me in my spiritual life in more ways than I could imagine,” he says. “Through the in-depth and practical lessons conducted by the various pastors—Pastor Kong, Pastor Tan, Pastor Ming, Pastor Bobby—I grew more in my spiritual walk, learned to discern and listen to the voice of God, learned to flow with the Holy Spirit and even gained confidence that as I laid hands on people, they would be healed, as Mark 16:18b says.”

Olrich will be returning to Haiti on August 23 and he is excited to go back. “My vision is to impact my church, and other churches in Haiti and share everything I have learned at SOT, all for the glory of God!”

Katsutoshi Kido (in white) with his classmates.

AGAINST ALL ODDS

Japanese national Katsutoshi Kido, 26, faced one of the most challenging circumstances the last six months. During the SOT preparation course in February, he flew back to Japan to spend time with his ailing mother who had been struggling with cancer for several years. It was a difficult decision for Kido to return to Singapore to resume his studies. But he did so only because his mother expressed her wish for him to complete his studies and to serve the Lord.

Even after Kido’s mother passed away on March 31, Kido continued his studies. But he was constantly plagued with doubts about whether his decision to complete SOT was the right one, till one day, God comforted him. “During one of my prayers, God spoke to me, ‘Your mother served the Lord and the people her whole life. She’s never stopped her ministry for revival in Japan. Now it is your turn to continue her legacy to serve the people and churches in Japan.’ Since then, I have never wavered in my mind [about finishing SOT],” Kido reveals.

PURSUING GOD TOGETHER

The SOT students from W460.

One of the biggest enrolments this year came from a single cell group, W460. Nine of its members registered for SOT: Shaun Neo, 21, Yang Wyncy, 21, Wei Yangling, 25, Lee Yi Ling, 21, Natalie Sun, 21, Jason Ng, 20, Yap Hwee Ying, 23, Rayna Tan, 20, and Vanessa Ng, 21.

For these nine friends, seeing each other six days a week created deep bonds between them. “SOT allowed us to get to know one another on a deeper level. We were able to pray over issues of the cell group and for each other more frequently, as well as encourage one another to be persistent in our calling, our walk with God and our ministries,” says Neo.

“As we studied the Word of God, each of us became more spiritually mature, learning to build our own altar in Christ. Through this, we became more independent in our walk with God, while working together to build a dynamic team to do more for the kingdom of God.”

A Singapore company makes headway in the electric vehicle market with the launch of the YikeBike, the world’s lightest foldable e-bike.

Contributed By Reuel Eugene Tay

A rider atop the YikeBike.

For public transport commuters who are well acquainted with the hassle of closing the distance between their doorstep and the MRT or bus, the YikeBike might just be the solution. Launched on July 22 by FSG Mobility Concepts, an electric mobility concept store by Singapore company EV Hub, it was named one of the top inventions of 2009 by Time magazine.

As “the world’s lightest foldable e-bike”, the New Zealand-designed YikeBike is designed to be more of a “last mile solution” more than a core form of transport, explains David Chou.

The YikeBike’s biggest advantage over other products in the Personal Transporter category such as the Segway is its portability. It weighs in at a reasonably manageable 10 kg (less than half the weight of a bicycle), and comes without the usual hassle of bicycle chains, pedals or levers. It also folds into a compact, office cubicle-friendly form in less than 15 seconds. Ergonomically, the YikeBike is a step up from the Segway in that users can sit instead of stand.

Powered by electricity, a fully charged YikeBike can travel up to a maximum of 10 km in a single, 55-minute charge. At first glance, the hip-level handlebars don’t look like they promise a firm grip or enough stability, but Chou explains that it is part of the bicycle’s safety design. In the event of a crash, the bicycle is propelled forward towards the ground, allowing users to cushion the fall with their legs, made possible by a limited top speed of 23 kmh—this cannot be done if the handlebars are positioned in front of the rider.

The YikeBike in its folded form. PHOTOS COURTESY OF YIKEBIKE

Market acceptance aside, vehicular classification is the main hurdle the YikeBike has to clear for use on public roads. Pending approval from the Land Transport Authority, it can nevertheless be used on pedestrian pathways, park connectors and other recreational areas away from fast-moving traffic.

The YikeBike is priced at S$4,988 while a slightly heavier (14 kg) model is priced at S$2,888.

EV Hub
28 Jalang Kilang Barat
Singapore 159362
+65 6276 1929

Rum-infused cuppas and pretty pound cakes make up Spinelli’s new menu additions.

Contributed By Reuel Eugene Tay

Spinelli Pound Cakes. PHOTO COURTESY OF SPINELLI.

Spinelli brings back its seasonal favorite, the Rum & Raisin Spin ice-blended drink (S$6.90), available starting July. The highly addictive rum and caffeine concoction packs a solid punch with every sip.

The Rum Latte (S$6 onwards) is the latest creation by the Spinelli team. The fusion of rum and latte is not something totally new in the market, but Spinelli’s offering leaves consumers with a strong but pleasant aftertaste of rum.

New nibbles comprise the Spinelli Pound Cake (S$3.30), available in three flavors. The dried cranberries in the Cranberry Matcha Swirl complements the nutty flavors of the crunchy almond slices and the matcha swirl well—a balance of sweetness and tartness. The Berries Delight is an implosion of strawberry pie and raspberry filling, perfect for an indulgent tea-time treat. And chocoholics should give the Chocolate Walnut a try; it sounds like the perfect accompaniment to a cup of coffee.

Spinelli
3 Temasek Boulevard,
#B1-008 Suntec City Mall,
Singapore 038983
+65 6238 6781

Sean Lee scores big with his win at the ICON de Martell Cordon Bleu Photography contest.

Contributed By Reuel Eugene Tay

Lee in a self-portrait. PHOTOS COURTESY OF SEAN LEE.

It’s the Oscars of photography in Singapore, the local photographer’s dream. The winner of the ICON de Martell Cordon Bleu walks away with S$30,000 in prize money, gets his art book published by Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, and is awarded an all-expenses-paid trip to Cognac, France. Sean Lee, 25, a commercial photographer and photography instructor beat out eight other finalists including heavyweights like John Clang and Zhao Renhui to clinch this coveted prize.

In its second year now, the annual ICON de Martell Cordon Bleu seeks to recognize Singapore’s most outstanding photographers, elevating them to role models for promising young photographers. The contest was judged by an outstanding internationally acclaimed panel including Simon Bainbridge, the editor of the time-honored British Journal of Photography, and French independent photography curator, Agnes de Gouvion Saint-Cyr.

In his first exhibit entitled “Method”, Lee plays the duo role of photographer and subject. The production of this exhibit spanned a total of three years, and took Lee in and out of Cambodia dressed as a transsexual named Shauna. The exhibit presented images from Shauna’s world and her perspective.

Lee explained, “I was intrigued by transsexuals but did not want to create a documentary on them. I wanted to challenge myself by placing myself to some degree in their shoes, and so I became the subject of my own work.” Adopting their makeup, clothes and accessories, Lee spent a lot of time with transsexuals, emulating their moves and hanging out with them at bars and clubs.

“I wanted to get into character, to experience what it was like and also spare myself as little as possible in the process—within reasonable boundaries.” Lee became friends with many of the transsexuals in Cambodia as well as in Singapore, bringing one of them to City Harvest Church services a few times.
In his second exhibit titled “Homework”, Lee explores the theme of family and spirituality. The idea came to Lee during his days at CHC’s School of Theology in 2010. “I come from a traditional Chinese family that is not very affectionate. After Bible school ended, I proceeded to make those pictures. In my work, I try to explore photography’s capacity as a healing device. One of the things I do quite often is to make my family members touch each other. Through the process of that we became closer. The other thing that I do is make them laugh.” Lee’s family and photography subjects are his father, 53, a taxi driver and mother, 50, a housewife and two younger sisters, 23 and 17, both students.

Images from Lee’s winning exhibit, “Homework”, starring his family members.

Lee first discovered photography after enrolling into a basic course while waiting to enlist into National Service after graduating from a local junior college. It was love at first snap—Lee would often look forward to the next class right after attending each one. After National Service, his application to enroll into the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the National University of Singapore was successful. But Lee withdrew his application.

Lee fondly recounts the experience. “When I told the receptionist at NUS that I want to be a photographer, she asked me what ‘If I don’t make it?’ I told her ‘If I don’t make it, I will die trying.’ When I left, I began to think about what she said: What if I don’t make it? I cannot believe I said it so confidently! Today, I am glad that so far I am still at it, doing what I love.”

An image from “Method”.

The photographer says that God has guided him in his pursuit “in the most wondrous of ways.” After joining CHC in 2005, Lee often wondered if it was God’s will for him to be a photographer. “During that period, although most of Pastor Kong (Hee)’s messages were about pursuing your dreams, reaching for the stars, living out the Cultural Mandate and doing what God has gifted you for, I was still conflicted as I thought I was being idealistic and conjuring those thoughts on my own. One day I picked up a copy of Harvest Times magazine, and in it was an article written by Pastor Kong. He used photography and camera as a metaphor for having spiritual focus—and I took that as a sign from God to pursue photography.”

Photography is a very confrontational device, says Lee, and if used in a wrong way it can be easily used to exploit. There are people who use photography as a voice to speak about the evils about the world or to record precious histories about to be lost. Then there is paparazzi culture, which is the violent and intrusive side of photography.

“Three things I pray about are that I will have a place in the history of photography, like the famous late photographer Diane Arbus, that I will leave behind a very positive legacy and, that I can speak about God through my work, or at least make people feel love and tenderness,” says Lee.

Lee’s exhibition is currently being held in Barcelona, Spain until September 7, 2011.

City News gets the scoop on ice-cream places for the indulgent, the health-conscious and the adventurous.

Contributed By Reuel Eugene Tay

CALORIFIC GOODNESS

Cold Stone Creamery opened its first store on our shores early this year, and ice-cream lovers have taken so well to its offerings that a second store is opening at Far East Square on July 27. Besides being the pioneer of the now-famous frozen slab technique, the American franchise prides itself on its ice-cream, freshly made daily in-store.

We tried the Chocolate Devotion made from chocolate ice cream, chocolate chips, brownies and fudge, and the Strawberry Banana Rendezvous made from strawberry ice cream, graham cracker pie crust, white chocolate chips, strawberries and bananas. Both were worth every single calorie. Each scoop is priced at S$5.50.

Cold Stone’s bubbly crew often breaks out in song or a cheer. You can catch your own ice cream with their cup: replacements are free if you miss!

181 Orchard Central Road, #01-09/10,
Singapore 238896, +65 6634 1015

VEGAN ICE-CREAM

Brownice has made it possible for the words “ice-cream” and “healthy” to exist in the same sentence. Created by co-founder Denise Lim, it is the first (and possibly the only) vegan ice-cream store in Singapore according to the Singapore Book of Records. Lim was inspired to create a vegan version when she met a child who couldn’t enjoy ice-cream as he was lactose-intolerant.

Brownice uses organic brown rice milk in its ice cream, making it a healthier alternative since it is low-fat and cholesterol-free. It also contains no artificial flavoring, coloring or stabilizers.

Flavors include Hazelnut Chocolate, Peanut Butter Caramel, Banana Oats, Lemongrass Sorbet and Chendol at S$3.80 per 100 ml. Surprisingly, there is no “raw” taste of brown rice, but a smooth, none-too-cloying concoction that leaves you desiring seconds.

6 Eu Tong Sen Street, #B1-52/53,
The Central, Singapore 059817
+65 6536 0882

KOREAN GELATO MASTERS

Founded by a Korean couple that fell in love with Italian gelato on a trip to Italy, the highly successful Gusttimo Di Roma gelato franchise has more than 30 stores in South Korea, and Singapore is their first expansion destination.

Every new concoction goes through stringent quality checks by Gusttimo’s “gelato masters” from Korea. The gelatos, low in fat, with no stabilizers or artificial flavoring, are standardized throughout all branches, with ingredients directly sourced from South Korea. The texture is “chewy and not overly creamy.”

Our top picks are the Panna Cotta (vanilla pudding with macadamia nuts) and Black Rice. There are two sizes available: Piccolo (S$7.20), which allows for a mix of three different flavors and Grande (S$8.40)—you can choose up to four different flavors.

In the pipeline is a new store by year end, offering alternatives to cater to niche customers like diabetics.

2 Orchard Road, #01-17, ION Orchard,
Singapore 238801, +65 6509 9380

PALATE PLEASER

Tom’s Palette is beloved for offering intriguing flavors to its fan base of office executives. This month’s flavor is Sour Plum Sorbet (one time it was Wasabi Lime). Six years since it first set up shop, Tom’s Palette has garnered a loyal following for its traditionally made, stabilizer-free creations.

There are a total of 86 flavors on regular rotation, from Melt & Sizzle (brown sugar with chocolate chunks filled with popping candy), to Cipola (caramelized onion), Gula Melaka and Lou Han Guo, selling at S$2.70 per scoop.

Number one on our list is Granny’s Favorite, comprising malted chocolate and cookie dough, Salted Caramel Cheesecake and Salted Egg Yolk. It strikes a lovely balance, neither too creamy nor too sweet, and the flavors come through nicely. Tom’s Palette also conducts ice-cream making workshops for those who aren’t satisfied to just eat the good stuff.

100 Beach Road #01-25, Shaw Leisure Gallery, Singapore 189702
+65 6296 5239

TAILOR YOUR FLAVOR

Tucked in a cozy little nook along the alleyways of buzzing Haji Lane, The Ice Cream Man serves up gelato-style ice-cream from its staggering inventory of 158 different flavors. Flavors are changed every few days, appealing to customers who are always looking for something new. Popular ones are the Red Bull, Durian and Chicken In A Biscuit (S$3.50/S$4.50 for single/double scoop).

But if you don’t find what you want, call up with your choice of flavor two days in advance, with a minimum double scoop order, and the Ice Cream Man will try to make your dream come true.

Drop in on your birthday, and you’ll be given a free scoop of ice-cream. Customers can also spend their time playing Five Stones, Snakes & Ladders, Old Maid as well as the popular Monopoly Deal and Pictureka, as they enjoy their cold treats.

7 Haji Lane, Singapore 189200
Tel: +65 6398 0919

The young people in City Harvest Church and the School Of Theology make missions a part of their lives.

Contributed By Reuel Eugene Tay

In mission trips, young people get the opportunity to preach the Word of God. PHOTO COURTESY OF SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY.

Missions are an integral part of City Harvest Church. The church sends out a mission team nearly every week each year. This year alone, over 100 mission trips have been organized and 491 members have participated in at least one trip.

Some of these individuals are in their teens and early 20s, part of a generation of young people who desire to make a difference beyond the four walls of the church and to influence people beyond Singapore.

The Bible says in 1 Timothy 4:12, “Let no one despise your youth but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” The Word of God is full of accounts of young people who were used by God to make an impact in their generation. From David as a young shepherd who defeated Goliath, to Samuel who answered the call of God as a young child, it is evident that age is no barrier when it comes to serving God and His purposes.

In CHC, the youth that go for such mission trips are given the opportunity to “stretch their wings and fly”: praying for healing of the sick, leading praise and worship at church meetings, doing humanitarian work in villages, preaching or sharing a testimony in front of hundreds. Age is no factor when it comes to participating in an overseas mission trip.

CHC’s missions pastor, Bobby Chaw, understands the importance of getting everyone in the team involved, regardless of a person’s age or experience. He explains, “Going for mission trips is a good opportunity for young people to do things they might not be able to do in the (local) church. Furthermore, when youth are exposed to the needs of people beyond their home church, it opens up their eyes and hearts, and nearly always moves them to want to respond in love and compassion. Jesus Himself saw the multitudes and was moved with compassion. Then He healed them.”

Chaw firmly believes that going for missions will help one to change his or her perspective about life and what they can do for others. “Every Christian needs to be less inward-looking and more outward-looking because the world is bigger than us,” he notes.

The language barrier between the Indonesians and Singaporeans did not deter the misssion team from ministering to the people.

One young person who went on a recent mission trip was Zachary Ho Yu Xian, 20, a student. Ho went to Malang Indonesia from June 24 to 27 with five other church members to minister at a church called GBI Dampit. During the trip, he was asked to serve as a back-up vocalist, share his testimony and preach in front of about 100 people—his first time doing all three. He recalls, “I was really nervous at the start of the preaching [but I] committed the whole meeting to God. The Holy Spirit then began to move in me and gave me the right words to say to the congregation.” The people were so moved by the Word, when Ho and his co-workers began to pray for them, many of them started to cry as they felt the love of God.

SOT student Esther Cheng, 19, had a unique experience in the mission field with her Bible school teammates. This group went Jakarta, Indonesia and helped to conduct 19 services. “During one morning service, I remember ministering to a particular lady and felt prompted to pray over a specific area in her life,” Cheng recalls. “Responding to that prompting in my heart, I laid hands on her and spoke into her life. She reacted immediately and was eventually set free from an area of oppression over her life. Through that experience, I began to understand that God can use young people for His purpose, even someone like me, to touch lives in meaningful ways.”

Cheng also shares that despite the language barrier between the Indonesians and Singaporeans, it did not deter the team from ministering to people and seeing lives touched and changed by the power of God, because “it is not by might or by power, but by the Spirit of God,” she says.

Chaw is encouraged by the attitude of the young people who see the importance of obeying the Great Commission and going throughout the world to preach the gospel. “It’s precious,” he says. “It’s good that they see the needs of the people and respond, especially on humanitarian trips that we have organized to (disaster-stricken) Haiti, Sichuan and Japan. It is encouraging to see youth willing to serve God through mission work.”

The winner of Singapore’s first endurance cliffhanger challenge held on for over five hours.

Contributed By Reuel Eugene Tay

Koh (foreground) and Hwa battle it out in the last two minutes. PHOTO COURTESY OF AZIMUTH

It’s not quite Ninja Warrior, but nevertheless a superhuman feat. Climbing instructor Jay Koh Zher Yeow, 31, clung on to a “cliff” for five hours, two minutes and two seconds, beating out 93 participants to take home S$10,000 and an Azimuth diving watch worth S$5,400. He was the winner of an endurance cliff hanger challenge at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza on June 18, where the object of the game was to hang on to a manmade cliff for the longest time possible.

The brand awareness event was organized by the Azimuth Watch Company, a Singaporean company which produces avant-garde Swiss-made luxury mechanical timepieces.

The heats for the challenge, which began at 7:30 a.m., sifted out the final 20 participants, all experienced climbers from a pool of 94 hopefuls.

The participants were first allowed to hang from the rocks in any manner they chose; some swung their legs and arms around. In the third hour, they were asked to remove one hand.  In the fourth hour, they were not allowed to lift any of their three limbs from the wall—in other words, there was no rest. By this point, several participants threw in the towel; some even resorted to using their teeth to grip the smaller rocks.

At the 4:45 mark, the remaining six participants were instructed to hold on with only one hand and one foot. Fifteen minutes later, only two were still holding on—Koh and Jonathan Hwa Song Yi, 24, a business studies undergraduate at the Singapore Management University. When they were asked to hang on with only their hands, the latter managed to hang on for another two minutes before he dropped off, leaving Koh the last man clinging.

“In rock climbing, we call it ‘chicken wing’—when you see a climber’s arms start to flag out like a chicken, you know that he will not be able to hold on much longer.  I was just about to ‘chicken wing’ myself!” Koh recalled of the gruelling last few minutes. “Climbing may seem like a very physical sport but it actually takes more mental strength,” he added.

Known widely as the “Mr Strong” of the local climbing community, Koh, who has been climbing professionally for 11 years, will also be representing Singapore in the SEA Games 2012 for Sports Climbing.

“This challenge epitomizes our philosophy of challenging ourselves to explore new boundaries in the area of watch-making, and we are proud to be associated with extreme sports and the sportsmen who continually push the limits of human abilities,” said Christopher Long, who founded Azimuth with his business partner, Alvin Lye.

The Azimuth boutiques are located at Marina Bay Sands (2 Bayfront Ave #B1-87 the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands) and Mandarin Gallery (333A Orchard Road, #02-20).

The highly-anticipated go4th National Missions Conference featured speakers who inspired and mobilized churches for missions in today’s changing world.

Contributed By Reuel Eugene Tay

The City Harvest Children’s Church worship team leading praise and worship at the go4th National Missions Conference. CN PHOTO: Michael Chan

The Great Commission is for disciples of Christ to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you …”

The theme of this year’s go4th National Missions Conference, which took place at the Singapore Expo from May 26 to 28, was “Beyond Going Places.” The national missions conference was first founded in 2002 by several Christian bodies and organizations, with the goal to challenge Christians and churches in Singapore to do missions, regardless of denomination. Held every three years, this was the fourth go4th conference to date.

This year, the organizing committee put together some of the best speakers to challenge, inspire and galvanize the Church to take the gospel to every people of every culture within and beyond Singapore. “This is the time for churches and believers to rethink missions, to go deeper and look further; beyond going places, for the sake of God’s name among the nations,” said Lim Yeen Fun, chairman of the organizing committee.

Keynote speakers included Robert Solomon (president of National Council of Churches of Singapore), Rick Seaward (the apostolic overseer of Victory Family Centre in Singapore), K. Rajendran (chairman of the World Evangelical Alliance Missions Commission), Peter Tsukahira (co-founder of Kehilat Hacarmel in Israel) and over 50 plenary and workshops conducted by more than 70 missions luminaries, pastors, leaders and missionaries. City Harvest Church members, Eileen Toh, Johann Sim and Lim Koon Jin were among those invited to speak at the workshops.

MISSIONS IN THE MODERN WORLD

Sim, a zone supervisor in CHC, shared on the importance of embracing modern technology and media to engage today’s children. His workshop was titled “Understanding The Mindset Of The 4/14 Generation.” Sim encouraged the attendees to put away the traditional “I teach, you listen” hierarchical approach, and instead, adopt social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter to connect with children and youth who are tech-savvy. Sim was quick to caution that one should not forget personal touch and connection that only comes from face-to-face interaction. He said, “Children are leaders of today. They are in training, not in waiting. God wants to use children as they are today. Give them opportunities to participate and to lead. Train them, release them and watch them bloom!”

Pastor of City Harvest Children’s Church, Eileen Toh, spoke at the “Raising And Reaching The IPOD Generation” workshop together with Penny Armstrong from Create International and Stephanie Tan from Youth For Christ.

According to Toh, children today are also known as the IPOD generation (for “Internet-savvy,” “Play,” “Overloaded” with information, “Digital” world). They tend to be restless and uneasy when they are not stimulated by technology and media. Toh said, “Therefore, wholesome and fun activities must be prepared for them, otherwise, they will end up playing their iPhones and PSPs while in church.” Toh revealed how her CCH team uses contemporary music, on-screen interactive games, and animation to capture the attention of the kids and educate them. Reconciling contemporary ways of reaching out to children with the traditional, Toh expressed, “At the end of the day, more than just utilizing the advancement in technology: we cannot lose the personal touch with the children and their families. And that is why my team visits about 2,000 children every week, both Christian and non-Christian.”

This year’s conference focused heavily on the changing “worlds” that Christians are called to evangelize. Apart from the challenges of conducting “urban missions” (vs the Third World missions that is the tradition), the rapidly-evolving information age and reaching the youth, who make up 40 percent of the global population, the world is also seeing more natural disasters, and Christian mission groups must be equipped now to minister to people in these areas.

At the “Meeting The Basic Needs” workshop, managing director of Crisis Relief Singapore, Lim Koon Jin spoke on the overview of phases in a disaster, meeting the basic needs in a post-disaster area, food, shelter, medical needs and more. Lim asserted to the crowd that disaster relief work is for everyone and not just a select few. “All of us can be used by God to be the ‘salt and light’ with whatever abilities and resources we have. Let’s all avail ourselves to bring relief to the widows, the fatherless and the victims in disaster situations,” he exhorted.

The CCH worship team led praise, worship and ministry at the last session of the conference. Worship leader Veroy Chua brought the congregation into the presence of God as they sang “My God Reigns” while Peter Tsukahira prayed and imparted the anointing of God on those who answered the altar call for missions.