Sammi Cheng charms at her sold-out concert.

Judging by the fervor of the crowd, one could easily conclude that Sammi Cheng’s popularity has not waned a bit ever since her last concert back in 2007. Here in Singapore for a one-night only gig on April 2 as part of her Love Mi World Tour, the Cantopop diva crooned her notes to a new high, much to the delight of the 10,000-strong audience at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. The sold-out event saw a wide demography of concert-goers, from teenagers as young as 13 to elderly folk looking every bit as star struck. A good number were dressed in red and pink, colors well-associated with the singer’s own vibrant personality.

The show opened with a strong display of energy, interestingly from both audience and singer. Deafening screams and whistles from the spectators filled the stadium at the same time as a huge canvas covering the stage was dropped, revealing the much-awaited star upon a gondola amidst blinding pyrotechnics. Clad in a futuristic suit that covered her from head to toe in a brilliant shine, she belted out the dynamic number, “Chotto Matte”, meaning “to wait” in Japanese, as if echoing her supporters’ very sentiments of having waited for her return after three long years.

Cheng’s vocal prowess shone through her effortless delivery of 24 breathtaking songs throughout the concert, and her firm grasp of Mandarin, English and Cantonese aided in a nuanced performance. Her impeccable dance steps matched the drumming rhythm of her tunes to a T. A performer worthy of her fans’ adoration, she danced and pranced tirelessly without skipping a beat, and a surprise move of jumping backwards into a deep cavity was met with excited screams from the crowd.

Cheng’s ability to connect with her audience was evident as her humble and sincere persona emerged—in asking them whether her Mandarin had improved since she last came, and laughing along with the audience when she mispronounced certain words, which were all immensely charming for her fans.

Her respect for her craft and other performers was plain to see, as she urged the audience right after her first song, to acknowledge the efforts of her band and dance crew. She also exhibited professionalism and an endearing personality as she heaped praises on her guest singers, Chen Huan Ren and MC Jin.

Vocals and showmanship apart, her costumes lived up to their reputation. Famously known as a stage chameleon, Cheng appeared in a total of seven different outfits, all equally flamboyant and eye-catching, providing a visual feast.

The most memorable moment of the show had to be when she sang a riveting rendition of Josh Groban’s “You Raise Me Up”, along with a couple of other tunes from Believe Faith, a gospel album released in December 2009. The Christian imagery was unmistakable; with Cheng as a figure of pure white, replete with angel wings, against an ominous background and dark slinking creatures. Avid fans will know the message behind this, and as concert-goer Thomas Soh, 23, quipped, “Sammi came out of her depression after turning to God and becoming a Christian, and her songs carry the message of love and hope more than ever before.”

CN PHOTOS: Michael Chan

Proving why she is so well-loved by the masses, she wrapped up the concert with a medley of her classic songs. The concert culminated in her delivery of a song that she asserted she sings for every concert, loosely translated in English as “Only You Cannot Be Replaced.” The entire stadium was swept up in a wave of nostalgia and sentimentality. When asked about the significance of the song, Sheryl Toh, a businesswoman revealed, “The lyrics simply remind me of a time of loss and pain in my personal life, and I believe it speaks to many as well.”

Cheng’s Love Mi concert brings back memories of life’s bittersweet moments for the concert goers, and also showed music in its finest form. More importantly, as Reuben Wong, a 44 year-old manager aptly summed up, Sammi Cheng is one singer that “cannot be replaced” in the undying hearts of her fans, who will continue to love “Mi” for many more years to come.

In December 2008, more than 2,000 youths gathered in the main auditorium of City Harvest Church’s Jurong West Building for the third installment of EMERGE, City Harvest Church’s very own established brand name that defines a new generation of young and contemporary Christians positioned at the cutting edge of culture.

Entitled ‘The Great Exchange’ in line with the soon approaching Christmas, the meeting was slated to be the biggest year-end event for the youths of the Church, and the sense of expectancy in the air was tangible. Huge numbers turned up in glittery and dazzling Christmas outfits, complete with obligatory Santa hats in an array of colors.

The hall was filled with the sound of excited chatter as the people took their places, and the multiple beams of colored lights and pop music enhanced the mood of the congregation for a night of merriment and gaiety.

The meeting began with rousing and upbeat praise and worship songs from the latest Christian albums, and the crowd was swept away by the intense and deeply personal time spent worshiping God, witnessed by the countless smiles and tears of joy and gratitude for a year of blessing.

The masses were then treated to a series of performances by singers and dancers alike, all of whom had won accolades at their individual zones’ talent competitions. EMERGE’s very own dance crew also took to the stage to deliver an electrifying item that drove the crowd wild. Ian Chin, 16, was certainly impressed by the excellent line-up, and had this to say, “I was totally blown away by all the performers! They truly inspire me to want to use my talents to serve God in a greater way.”

PHOTOS: Rayvin Hsu

Ng Seng Wee, a youth from Audrey Ng’s zone, then shared his personal testimony about how God had changed his life in a dramatic way after he attended church. The 20 year-old was once a member of a secret triad, and engaged in an aimless and fruitless lifestyle. He shared that it was only after he was invited to a service at CHC and accepted Christ that his life took a turn for the better, and he began to find purpose and happiness he never thought were possible.

Wu Yuzhuang, otherwise known affectionately as Zhuang, proceeded to preach a stirring message of the love of God, and His patient and ceaseless voice in constantly drawing the lost and purposeless unto Himself. Zhuang shared that five questions that God asked the characters in the Bible, and he asked those very same questions to the congregation that sat listening intently. The message was closed with an altar call for the lost to accept Jesus as their Savior, and there was an overwhelming response as tens upon tens of youths streamed towards the front of the stage.

Even the members of the church were deeply impacted by the sermon they heard, and Catherine Lee, a Cell Group Leader, shared that “the questions were very relevant to the situations some people are going through in life, and it’s like God’s voice asking each individual on certain issues in his or her life. The presence of God was very tangible, and the Holy Spirit probed each to surrender their lives to Jesus all over again.”

‘The Great Exchange’ was certainly a momentous event for all the participants, and more so a time of transformation for many as they renewed their love for God in the last days of 2008.

In line with City Harvest Church’s focus on the Cultural Mandate and keen attention on both the inward and outward standards of its members, it is not uncommon to find scores of spiffy parishioners worshiping with a zeal at its service locations at Singapore Expo and Jurong West Street 91 on weekends.

Eighty per cent of the churchgoers at the Saturday service at Jurong West are young people. We talk to three smart dressers about how they personalize their dressing, and their motivation for doing so.

	Christabel Seow, 15 Having attended CHC since she was in primary five, Christabel feels that she has gleaned self-confidence and a greater sense of self-esteem through the sermons she has heard in church, and this has translated to the way she carries herself on the outside.She asserts that dressing well is part of being more like God, and that paying attention to the way you groom yourself is in the DNA of the church. She also reveals that her mother goes shopping with her, and mother and daughter offer suggestions to each other on how to improve their appearance.Writer’s notes: You can’t go wrong with black. Christabel’s faux-leather jacket and boots work well with the red-hot micro shorts she sports. She adds a subtle touch of glitter with her necklace and belt. Her outfit is a sure attention-grabber.
	Joshua Liew, 20 A final-year student at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Joshua firmly believes that dressing smartly brings glory to God, and also helps one boost one’s self-confidence.He also shares that the recent video screened at church, showing the colourful styles of New Life Church members in Taiwan inspired him to dress himself in a finer way.Joshua has found that sprucing up his looks also spurs the rest of his cell group members to do the same.Writer’s notes: Joshua perfects the art of classic casual dressing: blue jeans, black jacket and tee. He goes for simple but expensive-looking pieces: a pewter-grey top emblazoned with a beautiful silver sheen and a black bomber jacket, worn with a pair of well-cut jeans.
	Brendan Tan, 21 Fresh out of the School of Theology (SOT), Brendan is currently pursuing a Business Administration degree at the Singapore Institute of Management.He confidently declares, “The way you carry yourself in your dressing is a reflection of how much you honour God.” Brendan also sees his efforts at grooming as an opportunity to encourage the rest of his cell group members to better their appearances, and hopes to bring positive change in his group in embracing the Cultural Mandate.Writer’s notes: Brendan has great colour co-ordination, and he’s able to carry off a purple jacket — a rare choice for guys. He matches his jacket with a blue sequined tee, and balances the colours with classic white jeans and subtle black shoes. If praying can improve one’s personal style, we all ought to pray more, for it clearly works for Brendan!

A diverse group of missionaries, aged between 17 and 35, went on a mission trip to Surabaya and Malang, Indonesia from 1 to 7 September 2008. The group was united by one common goal: to increase the resident churches’ knowledge of God and the Bible.

Multiple meetings were held throughout the trip, of which a noteworthy one was the service on the first night at Geraja Bethel Church in Dampit, a small town in Malang.

The atmosphere was electrifying: the Indonesian believers were actively engaged in worship, and fully tuned into the preaching from the pulpit.

Janelle Tan, who had the honor of sharing a message that night, reflected, “Watching the young and old worshiping God together was truly touching.”

PHOTOS: Janelle Tan

The attendees expressed that they were especially touched by the testimony of an ex-drug peddler who received salvation and had his life changed in a dramatic way.

The team also participated in a variety of activities, which included recording sermon videos to teach Bible lessons to the Indonesians in a practical way.

In Surabaya, the team put up a skit to entertain the children, and assisted at a Sunday School teachers’ conference, where a wide range of enrichment classes were being held. What particularly moved the mission team was seeing elderly teachers in their 50s and 60s who had an intense passion for their God and the children they were taking care of.

The trip to Indonesia was a most fulfilling one. The team felt entirely at ease and served to their best abilities despite being in a foreign land. Janelle mused, “No matter where you are, as long as you believe in the same God, it feels like home.”

This trip, the 14 missionaries found a home away from home.