A children’s ministry in Indonesia sees a huge turnout during a recent Big Day event organized by City Harvest Children’s Church.

Contributed By Glynisia Yeo

Thousands of children were blessed by the ministry of CHCC. PHOTO COURTESY OF WENDY WONG.

On Dec. 3, a group of eight Children’s Church workers from City Harvest Church conducted a surprise children’s Christmas party at GPDI Lippo Cikarang, in Jakarta, Indonesia. This Indonesian church is an affiliate of CHC and is pastured by Daniel Martono, a graduate from CHC’s School of Theology. Together with his children’s church pastor, the CHCC team reached out to hundreds of children in public schools in the Lippo Cikarang district. Their efforts paid off when 2,321 children and 1,208 adults showed up at the party. This is the largest number of people the children’s ministry had ever had.

The CHCC team got down to work by getting the children involved in exciting games and interactive activities, followed by a time of praise to God. There was also a special performance by jugglers Kit and Kai, whose antics made the children laugh.

The day ended with a meaningful Bible story about the power of love, which reminded the children that they have a heavenly Father who loves them and will never give up on them.

CHCC volunteer, Bob Tham, shared his thoughts, “Through this trip, I learned that we should always give our best every time we serve, because you never know if this is the only time that a child will get to hear the gospel being preached.”

CHC’s executive pastor will return home to care for his ailing mother.

Derek and Susan Dunn break the news to the church. CN PHOTO: Gareth Gay Sen Min.

After 15 years of service at City Harvest Church Singapore, executive pastor Derek Dunn will be returning to the United States to care for his mother, who is currently in poor health.

It has been a very difficult decision, both for Dunn and his Singaporean wife Susan, who will be relocating to the US with him and their three children, and for the church leadership. But after months of attempting and considering every other solution, both sides agree that the imperative issue is Dunn’s mother gets the best care right now, and he needs to be there to ensure that.

“My mother was the one who raised us to be strong Christians,” says Dunn. “My brothers and sisters have tried to help her, but I’m the one closest to her, and being a pastor, this is something I have to do for my mom at this time. We really tried to work out another way—the easiest for us would be to just go there several times a year, but after looking at the state my mom is in, and how much disrepair her house is in, it’s just not possible for me not to be physically there.”

This is a decision the Dunns have come to after months of prayer and discussion with Kong Hee, senior pastor of City Harvest Church, and his wife Sun. “It is a very, very hard decision for us. But the Bible says, if we honor our father and mother, things will go well for us. Now is the time for Derek to take care of his mother. Anyone who remembers her will know she’s a sharp, beautiful woman. She needs to get well.”

Dunn has been in full-time ministry since 1993. He is originally from the United States and grew up in a strong Christian family. He went on his first mission trip to Haiti after graduating from high school at the age of 18; he received a call to ministry and enrolled in Bible College. Upon graduation, he traveled extensively as a full-time missionary throughout Southeast Asia for two years, before joining City Harvest Church Singapore in December 1995. In his years with CHC Singapore, Dunn has been instrumental in running the pastoral office, the usher ministry of the church, and the expatriate fellowship for members from other countries. He has also been one of the key lecturers at CHC’s School of Theology.

“City Harvest Church is my church—you can’t get rid of me,” smiles Dunn. “I will always be a part of CHC.”

There are plans for the Dunns to plant a City Harvest Church in the US once Dunn’s mother is well on the road to recovery. Kong says, “That won’t happen for a while yet—Derek has to focus on getting his mom well—but we have discussed it, and when it happens, it will be a City Harvest Church in the US, and we will support it to the hilt.” There are over 50 affiliate churches and Bible schools across the globe.

The Dunns will leave for the US on Dec. 19, 2011.

Get ready to be inspired by the annual TEDxYouth@Singapore 2011 event, organized by the youth, for the youth, about the youth of Singapore.

Contributed By Glynisia Yeo

On Saturday, Nov. 19, Singapore will be hosting its annual TEDxYouth@Singapore 2011. The theme for this year’s event is “IDEA+ACTION” and will feature an innovative and inspiring lineup of local speakers who will share their views on how they are shaping the hearts and minds of tomorrow’s generation. Among the speakers is City Harvest Church’s former media producer, Adrian Chan, who will be talking about how he connects creativity and culture through his production, broadcast and archival work.

TEDx is an affiliate arm of TED—a nonprofit organization whose motto, “Ideas Worth Spreading”, is celebrated across cultures and communities around the world. Its first conference in 1984 saw people gathering from the technology, entertainment and design sectors and this scope has since broadened to include other platforms for more creative exchange between individuals and communities, such as the award-winning TEDTalks video site, TEDx programs, the Open Translation Project, and the annual TED Prize.

The TEDx program was created in the spirit of TED’s mission to devote to Ideas Worth Spreading, and is designed to give individuals, communities and organizations the opportunity to stimulate dialogue through TED-like experiences at the local level. Each TEDx event is independently organized on a community-by-community basis and this year’s TEDxYouth@Singapore 2011 is fully planned and coordinated by the youths of Singapore.

Register for your TEDxYouth@Singapore 2011 tickets now at http://www.ted.com/tedx/events/2381. CLOSING DATE: Nov. 11

Event Details

TEDxYouth@Singapore
Venue: One Marina Boulevard Microsoft Auditorium Singapore, 
Singapore
Date: November 19, 2011
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

This weekend is the culmination of the My Church, My Life campaign, which celebrates the calling of City Harvest to build lives. 

These past six weeks have been a powerful time for City Harvesters. Many long-time members have joyfully called it “a return to Hollywood days.” For those who joined the church after its time at Hollywood Theatre at Tanjong Katong, this season has revealed a side to CHC that they have never seen. Senior pastor Kong Hee and his wife Sun have drawn the heart of the church back to the core values it’s built upon: loving God wholeheartedly and loving people fervently. The call to seek God diligently came with a carrot: a beautifully designed and printed “My Inflections” journal for members to pen their thoughts toward God and His thoughts toward them. A Bible-reading plan united the church to study the New Testament simultaneously. All around the premises, members were greeted by displays that reflected the theme, from testimony walls to “My Church, My Life” images peeping from elevator doors at the Jurong West church.

Week after week, members old and new packed the church to experience the effects of “loving others”, touched by the testimonies of former drug addicts, gang members, abused children who came to CHC and were given new hearts and new lives in Christ. Laughter rocked the house of God and tears of joy flowed as City Harvesters prayed for their church and each other, in one spirit.

This weekend, the church comes together to launch the building fund. City Harvesters will be making a promise to the Lord to honor Him with their faith giving, trusting Him to continue building lives in this church—for all who are already in this house, and for the many who will come.

Contributed By Glynisia Yeo

PHOTO: Rayvin Hsu

In October, Kong Hee flew to California, USA, and taught at Lionsgate Leadership and Missions Institute. He preached a total of nine sessions on the topic of the Cultural Mandate and challenged the students to become the salt and light in society. LLMI was established to equip people with the Word of God and specializes in preparing and sending out students into the mission field.

Contributed By Glynisia Yeo

Over the past few weeks, CHC’s founder and senior pastor, Kong Hee, took time to meet and fellowship with the leaders of the different zones in the church. These special moments created a closer bond between Kong and the people as they shared their lives with one another. Much laughter and prayers were exchanged as various ones opened up.

City News talks to two long-time members of CHC about their reflections on God’s faithfulness in their lives over the years. Below are the interviews with Chin Khen Theen, a teacher who has joined the church since 1990 and Kelvin Chew, a regional director, who came in 1998.

Khen Theen (top, extreme left) has been leading cell groups for 15 years. PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHIN KHEN THEEN.

You’ve been a cell group leader for many years now. How is it different being a CGL then and now?
I started serving as a CGL in October 1996. Back then we were younger and inexperienced in life but filled with excitement to serve God and His people. Cell group members were younger and many were fresh out of junior colleges or serving the army or in universities. Back then, discipleship was already emphasized. Though the methods have changed considerably, one thing remains: discipleship is always done in love and in godly relationship. Now that I am married, have a son and a career, my focus in life is very different. So are the needs of our members. Then, they needed friendships, motivation, inspiration, vision and direction in their lives; now, they need security, common friends, interests, hobbies and spending time with the families. Hence, the CGL’s role has evolved and will continue to as we grow together.

What are some of the challenges you’ve faced over the years? How did you go through those times and what kept you going?
The challenge for me is keeping the fire of God burning in my heart when things aren’t going smoothly at work, in ministry or in family. When I become too busy to spend time with God, I get disoriented and discouraged. I’ve realized that by going back to the house of God and to loved ones; by reading the Word and worshipping God with my guitar; by watching a motivational movie; by sharing my burdens and challenges with friends in Christ and by praying for one another—I can keep on going. These are what have kept me going all these years.

Khen Theen, with his wife, Chua Wan Ee, who is also a long-time member in the church, and their son, Egan.

You’ve participated in every Arise & Build campaign over the years. How has each experience been?
I have participated in all the Arise and Build campaigns since I joined the church. I remember giving several tuitions and working during school holidays from 1995 to 1998; saving up my dollars and cents so that I could give more. Over the years, God has blessed me tremendously and I am now able to give more than before. For me, the challenge is to give like it is the FIRST time I am giving.

Can you share with us one instance of God’s goodness in your life? How did God come through for you?
There was this instance when I was waiting for my results to enter university. After receiving rejection letters from my application to both NUS and NTU in 1992 and 1993, I wasn’t sure if I should apply again and I contemplated signing on in the Special Force or getting a diploma instead. But after speaking and praying with some close leaders in the church, my faith arose and I applied to NUS again and eventually got in at the third try. The results of the application came just one week before my birthday and I was overjoyed that God came through for me.

Is there a vision/dream that God gave you long time ago that has come to pass?
My dream and vision is to be an anointed educator who is able to motivate, inspire and facilitate life-long learning in the young. I have always been passionate about student leadership and I want to encourage and empower my student leaders to find value and purpose in their lives. That has unfolded in my work for the past 11 years and this area is officially recognized as an accomplishment in my school.

In your opinion, what do you think constitutes CHC’s DNA? Is this what keeps you rooted in this House of God?
To me the CHC’s DNA is in our unity, commitment and love one for another. It is the unwritten pledge that we say every time we come together to serve and to worship Him. What keeps me rooted? Friends, relationships, strong core values, and a future together. Among them all, the most important to me are the relationships I have forged over the years.

Serving as a shepherd to God’s people brings great joy to Kelvin. PHOTOS COURTESY OF KELVIN CHEW.

As a working adult, can you share how God has taken you further in your career?
Before I accepted Christ, my life was in a mess: with no qualification, no career and no money, and worst, with debts. Since coming to CHC in 1998, God has been moving in a mighty way.  He has changed my path. All the teachings that I have received from Pastor Kong, Pastor Tan and others, have equipped me with a transformed mind. I applied godly principles in my life and workplace and have excelled much in my career. One of God’s promises that I constantly adopt in my life is Matthew 6:33, always put God first in all that I do and He will take care of the rest.

What are some lessons you’ve learned in CHC that has helped you shine more effectively in the marketplace?
One of the greatest lessons that I have learned is God wants us to have a spirit of excellence. With this spirit, I aspire to excel in all that I do.

Your entire family worships in this church. What are some biblical values you want to instill in your kids? What do you hope your kids will learn from CHC that will shape their lives?
There are four areas: firstly, I want to instill in them a lifestyle of prayer, putting God first in their lives. Secondly, I want to raise them as true disciples of Christ and not just “mere” Christians. Thirdly, I want them to make a difference to people around them and to always be a blessing to others. Last but not least, I want them to adopt a spirit of excellence in everything they do.

Kelvin and his family share a great love for the house of God.

Can you share with us one instance of God’s goodness in your life? How did God come through for you?
When I first came to church, I was in debt to the tune of more than S$40,000 due to unwise spending. My monthly income was only a meager S$1,500 then. But I learned the principle of tithing and began tithing faithfully. God did a miracle and I was supernaturally brought out of debt as I literally tithed myself out of debt. What God did for me is way beyond what I could ever ask or imagine!

Is there a vision/dream that God gave you long time ago that has come to pass?
When I was a 2-year-old Christian, God spoke to me to teach His Word to His people. I reacted the same way as Jonah—I tried to escape. However, God has proven His ways are higher than mine. I became a cell group leader and have been sharing the Word of God week after week for the last seven years, inside the church as well as outside.

In your opinion, what do you think constitutes CHC’s DNA? Is this what keeps you rooted in this church?
To me, it is loving God wholeheartedly and loving people fervently. Genuinely loving others is to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. Also, I’ve learned to always give God my best in anything that I do. It is the love of God that is evident in the church that has kept me rooted in this house. Indeed, this is My Church and My Life.

Contributed By Glynisia Yeo

CN PHOTOS: Daniel Poh.

Last Saturday, thousands of City Harvest Church members, mostly decked out in red jerseys, turned up at Halls 601 and 602 at Suntec Singapore to catch the live telecast of Barclays Premier League Liverpool vs Man U match. Both young and old followed the game on the huge 9-by-5-meter LED screen—the largest of its kind in Singapore. Yells and cheers were heard throughout the 90-minute match as fans stomped, jumped and danced in favor of their teams. The game ended with a draw (1-1).

The City Harvest Church creative ministries department met with CityLife Church’s music director, Andrew Naylor.

Contributed By Glynisia Yeo

Naylor (center) conducting the songwriting session. CN PHOTO: Daniel Poh.

The creative ministries department in City Harvest Church hosted Andrew Naylor for a day on Friday, Sep. 30. Naylor is the music director at CityLife Church in Melbourne, Australia, the church pastored by Mark Conner, who has preached in CHC several times over the years.

During his 24-hour stopover enroute home to Australia, Naylor, who is a long-time friend of CHC, met some members of CHC’s worship team. He held a songwriting session to coincide with the church’s Arise and Build season together with CHC’s music director, Jessel Yam, as well as worship leaders Mark Kwan and Teo Poh Heng. He also conducted a bass workshop for some of CHC’s bassists.

Yam shared, “It was good to catch up with Andrew even though it was a very short time. With his years of experience in the worship ministry, there is so much we can learn from him.”

City News traces the history of the City Harvest Children’s Church and how it has touched the lives of the young for more than a decade.

Contributed By Glynisia Yeo

Young ones in worship at a Children’s Church service.

October 7 is Children’s Day and all around the island, children celebrate and are celebrated this weekend. At City Harvest Church, kids are in for a delightful time as Eileen Toh, pastor of City Harvest Church’s children’s ministry, together with her dedicated team of workers, prepare for the annual Children’s Day celebration party this weekend, Kidz Wonderland.

More than 15 years ago, the CHCC ministry began with a handful of volunteers led by Toh.

“Back then, most of the church members were students and not married so there were very few children in CHC. Together with some friends, we volunteered to take care of the children and started conducting weekly Sunday School classes,” she describes.

As the children’s ministry began to take shape, God was also doing a work in CHC.

GOING BEYOND CHURCH WALLS

It was in 1995 when City Harvest’s senior pastor Kong Hee and his wife Sun had just returned from a conference in Hawaii. They came back challenged to start what they called the “Church Without Walls program,” which was an initiative to go beyond the four walls of CHC and meet the needs of the community, touching individuals like the elderly, the intellectually-challenged, youth at risk, families and children.

With this vision, CHC members began to reach out to the lost and unsaved people outside the church, sharing the love of God. Within months, thousands of people were blessed by the efforts of CHC members as they gave their time, effort and even finances to spread the love of God around them. They went all out to “find a need and meet it, to find a hurt and heal it,” as the saying went.

Children performing on stage during a CHC service at Westin Plaza in the ‘90s. PHOTOS COURTESY OF CITY HARVEST CHURCH.

The church grew rapidly in number as people from the community began to flock to CHC, having been touched by the love of  God that was demonstrated in practical ways by its members. As every department in CHC was going through tremendous growth, the children’s ministry was also experiencing a revival of its own.

Toh and her children’s church team planned an evangelistic outreach event on Children’s Day in 1996. They went to the residential estate in Ghim Moh without
much of a concrete plan. Toh was only prepared to simply befriend the children she would meet at the estate and to casually invite them to the Children’s Day party.

She recalls, “We met some children playing basketball and our volunteers went ahead to play with them and befriended them. After the game, we asked if they were interested to attend our Children’ Day party and they agreed. These kids came to church in their slippers, carrying carrying plastic bags but we were ready to include them in our activities.”

LOVING CHILDREN

As Toh and her volunteers began to get to know the children better, they also organized block parties for them and befriended their parents and families along the way, showing a genuine concern and love for these people even though they were not members of the church. As a result, many of these children became the first Christians in their families.

“That Children’s Day event in 1996, we saw an overwhelming attendance of 300 children who came through our neighborhood outreach efforts!” Toh recalls. “The work didn’t stop there as we continued to do the same thing in other estates such as Ang Mo Kio, befriending the kids and inviting them to church. We also visited the poorer estates in Singapore and reached out to the street kids, who subsequently brought their classmates, neighbors and friends to our children’s church. This was how our ministry began to grow.”

In the midst of the revival that was happening among the children, Toh saw a need in the area of the children’s studies, a chance to help those who were weaker in school. She organized free tuition classes on a weekly basis to help these kids improve in their schoolwork.

The children’s church team followed this formula tirelessly, and within four years since 1996, the children’s ministry grew from 40 to 900 children.

Bill Wilson and the CHCC team in 1996. PHOTO COURTESY OF EILEEN TOH.

Toh first heard about Bill Wilson [see story on cover] when she, together with three friends, attended a conference in Kuala Lumpur in 1995. “That was the first time we heard Pastor Bill Wilson preaching and we were immediately captivated by his sermon. It was a simple message and a call to respond to be a teacher. Somehow all four of us responded with tears in our eyes. I believe something happened in our hearts that day and we knew that our lives would be transformed. That night, I read one of Wilson’s books, Whose Child Is This? which changed me and my mindset about reaching out to children.”

One of the things Toh remembers from that conference was this phrase that Wilson uttered: “If you know why you are doing it, you will know how to do it!” Those words moved her heart and she sensed God telling her that He would use her to reach out to the next generation if she was willing.

Kong and Sun had heard Wilson preaching in Hawaii, and this led to a sharing of hearts and a unity of vision between Toh and her senior leaders as they envisioned reaching out to people beyond the church. And just as CHC launched its Church Without Walls program, Toh too stepped into her destiny to head one of the most exciting chapters in the church’s children’s ministry.

Today, CHCC has an attendance of 2,500 children on a regular weekend and each week, the teachers and volunteers visit over 2,000 children on weekdays.

GROWING BEYOND THE DREAM

The Children’s Church today is closely patterned after Wilson’s ministry. While some changes were made through the years, the core values of constant outreaches, home visits, transporting children to church and meeting needs are a direct result of his ministry.

“I visited Metro Ministries in 1998 and saw firsthand how Metro Ministries conducted their Sunday School. It was an unforgettable moment for me as I witnessed Bill Wilson’s ministry come alive before my eyes. From the bus ride I took that Pastor Wilson was driving, to watching the children sit and listen attentively in the service, I was deeply impacted. Everything was done in an orderly yet loving manner.”

Toh implemented certain aspects of Metro Ministries into her children’s church programs when she returned to Singapore. What she also did was to adapt the service settings to suit the local context to meet the needs of the children here. For example, Toh introduced age group teaching so various kids from the same age group could receive more age-appropriate teaching and activities.

Toh also developed other aspects of the children’s church ministry, drawing on the creativity of her workers and volunteers. One of the first milestones they achieved was writing their own curricula, Dream Factory 1 and Dream Factory 2, which are now used by other churches outside CHC. Previously, Toh used materials from Metro Ministries or other overseas resources.

In addition, Children’s Church has ventured into the creative arts, producing two children’s praise and worship albums, First and God Of My Universe,
with songs composed by the Children’s Church’s own singers and musicians, as well as three full-scale musicals, When I Grow Up, Special and Fishball Ping
Pong, which celebrated the artistic talents of the kids in children’s church.

REACH OUT AT ALL COST

Toh attributes a significant part of the ministry’s success to Bill Wilson’s influence in her life and that 1995 KL conference, which left a permanent stamp in her heart regarding the direction of the children’s ministry.

When Wilson visited CHC between 1996 to 1998, he helped to lay the foundation of the children’s church in CHC, strengthening the team and inspiring them
to reach out at all cost. More than a visible pulpit ministry, Wilson also showed a new dimension of what real love was by practically demonstrating the love of God to those around him.

Those early days were what motivated Toh and her team to always do their best to serve God and the children. So whenever you catch a glimpse of the enthusiasm and efforts of the teachers and workers in children’s church, you know why they do it with so much passion and drive—it’s all about loving God and loving His people.