Strengthening and imparting valuable tips and tools to the creative arts ministry in Zion Praise Harvest Church.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ALISON TANG

From Aug. 19 to 22, songwriter, music producer and City Harvest Church’s creative director, Gan KC, was at Zion Praise Harvest Church in Perth, Australia, to conduct a series of songwriting workshops for the church’s creative team. Gan first met the pastors of ZPHC, Patrick and Joyce Chen, during the Hillsong Conference held in July this year, and was invited to address the creative ministry in their church.

This is the first time Gan has ministered in ZPHC and he considers it a great honor to raise up songwriters and help them discover their own unique “sound” in the church.

The sessions consisted of local and international participants—students and working professionals who all share one trait in common—the desire to praise and glorify God through music and creativity. Gan sees the need to develop an all-rounded songwriting course that can equip the writers at different levels with practical skills.

Ray Ong, music director and worship leader in the church said, “The sessions were not just inspirational but very practical, too. I’ve been trying to write songs for a long time now but seem to keep hitting a ‘brick wall.’ The sessions have helped me get through the ‘dead end.’ Now I look forward to penning some songs for my church!”

Gan is a firm believer of “teaching a man how to fish, thus feeding him for life” rather than “giving him a fish and feeding him for just a day.”

He says, “Instead of giving the church ministers ready products, it is more important to equip them with tools to help them uniquely express their creativity and ministry in church.”

Inez Lee, a worship leader and the head of vocalists in the church, shared, “Through KC’s sharing and workshop, I have gained greater confidence in asking God to deposit His heavenly tunes and words into my life.” Her greatest takeaway was the knowledge that God is ever ready to inspire His people as they come before Him, so that they may glorify His name and bless their community.

One of the core messages of Gan’s teaching is that one’s understanding of the depth of God’s love and the gospel is ultimately more important than formal techniques or methodology. He acknowledges that “art should evoke emotions in people. As creative ministers, it is essential that our ‘creative well’ is constantly filled and inspired by the love of God as that is our core message to the world. We want them to experience [God’s] love which is what changes people’s lives.”

Reflecting on this trip, he says, “Zion Praise Harvest has a team of dedicated, talented musicians and singers, and given the right tools, I believe they can start writing their own songs and producing their own compositions for the house of God.”

Chen, who is also the worship pastor of ZPHC, affirmed, “I believe that many songwriters will be helped and more songs can be written, not just in our house but in every house of God, if they are provided with the tools and insight for songwriting that KC has discovered and helped develop.”

Richard Sng channels his rebellious streak into a fast-growing tanning and beauty  business.

 PHOTO COURTESY OF FABULOUS TAN

Being rebellious has its advantages as well, or so Richard Sng, director of Fabulous Group, feels. Since single-handedly setting up the business in September 2006, Fabulous Group has grown to become the largest chain of indoor tanning boutiques in Singapore with 15 solariums in total. The company has since expanded into other services such as detoxification, Brazilian waxing, teeth whitening and eyelash extensions, among others.

The inspiration behind Sng’s choice of business were negative personal experiences he had with tanning salons in the past, motivating him to set up a tanning salon offering good service at affordable prices. Later on he decided to expand into other services, fulfilling his vision of providing a one-stop solution for beauty needs.

Coming from a background in the telecommunications industry, the indoor tanning industry was completely foreign to Sng and starting the business was a leap of faith. “Even on the day when I opened my doors for the first time, I wasn’t sure whether any customers would come!”

However, by taking one step at a time and planning for the short term as well as the long term, Sng has come a long way. He asserts that even with detailed planning, there can be surprises along the way.

According to him, the biggest challenge of the business is maintaining balance. As such, ensuring that various areas of the business are functioning well and growing healthily are what keep Sng the busiest, and form the most challenging aspect of the job. However, it is a challenge he has overcome well and his success is seen from Fabulous Group’s growth. He has since expanded to three local branches and one franchise outlet in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Today, they have also expanded into health services through another arm, Fabulous Health.

When asked what he attributes his success to, Sng surprisingly credits it to his rebellious spirit. As a defiant adolescent, he intentionally did the opposite of whatever his parents asked him to do, but now, he channels his rebelliousness in a different way, explaining that one needs it in the face of opposition when pursuing goals. “Same spirit but different direction,” he says. “Guts are also a muscle,” says Sng. “When I was young I was unwittingly training my ‘gut muscles’ by rebelling all the time. Now that I’m older, this ‘training’ has paid off as my rebellion is redirected to positive avenues, such as my business.”

His positive attitude toward failure is another strength that has contributed to his success thus far. He expresses that he has made many mistakes, but his mentality toward these mistakes is that when one does not win, it does not mean he is a loser. It simply means that they have gained a lesson and that they will win eventually.

When questioned on the need for indoor tanning services in sunny Singapore, Sng quips, “People come for indoor tanning to buy time, not to buy the sun.” He says that when people want to obtain a tan, there is no guarantee that the sun will be out, or that after tanning for a few hours, they will get the desired results.

However, at the cost of approximately S$30 for a 15-minute session, one can have the tan they desire. Furthermore, due to the nature of the solarium, the amount and effect of harmful UV rays are limited, while the effect of the positive UV rays are still present, so in this sense, indoor tanning is actually a safer alternative than tanning in the sun for six hours in a row, for instance.

Fabulous Group’s loyal client base includes an impressive number of local celebrities, such as Belinda Lee, Christopher Lee and Michelle Chia. In terms of marketing efforts, Fabulous Group offers many sponsorships especially in contests such as pageants and body-building competitions.

With regards to future plans, Sng aims to create a system to support and run the entire business so that he will eventually not be indispensable to the company. His aim is simple: to make the business successful without the need for him to be at the helm of the business, managing all its operations. After devising this system, he then plans to share it with other businesses.

Although this mentality is ironically the opposite of many business-owners’ mindsets, Sng is more than happy to advocate it. “I believe in abundance,” he says, “good things ought to be shared. Why be selfish? When many people are successful, it enables others to become successful as well.” Above all, Sng believes in a simple yet effective mantra for the success of his business, “Do whatever it takes to achieve your goal—with integrity. And sometimes we shouldn’t think so much. Just do it!”

Fabulous Tan
8 Grange Road,
#05-03 Cineleisure Orchard
Singapore 239695
Tel: +65 6735 5335

Stay-at-home mother turns entrepreneur through passion and prayer.

Though this may be the last industry she imagined herself working in, Lilian Ong has come a long way in building up the company, Class, which specializes in custom-made sofas and chairs, curtains and blinds, as well as upholstery.

As the director of Class, her role is to grow the business and further its development. Surprisingly, Lilian has no prior background in design or home décor, so this business was a huge step of faith.

Her journey began in October 2007 when, after being a stay-home mom for seven years, she was encouraged by her husband and the marketplace mandate she learned about in City Harvest Church, to re-enter the workforce. She decided to take her interest in soft furnishings further, and together with her husband, jointly started this business with two other partners. Ong’s learning curve was extremely steep and she faced many challenges, given her lack of experience in the industry.

However, through hard work and persistence, Ong and her partners have seen Class flourish over the years. Class specializes in providing high-quality products that meet customers’ needs, lifestyles and desires, but at a less-than-extravagant price.

Class’ strength lies in customizing furniture to meet clients’ specific needs, such as incorporating a laptop stand into a chaise lounge for someone who works from his living room.

Since the opening of its showroom in 2008, the company has been able to double the size of their Siglap showroom. Their clientele has also grown—Class enjoys the patronage of quality customers who reside in premium properties such as the Four Seasons Park Condo, St. Regis and The Sail. In addition, Class handles upholstery for some big corporate clients: Coffee Bean Singapore, ION, Somerset 313, Orchard Central, Changi Airport, Resorts World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands. The company is also one of the few appointed dealers for HunterDouglas products, a global brand in window fashions.

CN PHOTO: Michael chan

Despite Class’ rapid growth, Ong recognizes that the company is still young and she has much to learn, grow and improve. She attributes the business’ success to a dedicated team of partners with different gifts, talents and experiences, and the values and unity that keep this team strong. “What sets us apart from other soft furnishings companies is our passion to excel in what we do, which encompasses always listening to and understanding the needs of customers and devising innovative solutions for them. This is captured in our company vision, ‘Understanding needs, providing solutions.’ ”

Ong shares that the team at Class is reliant on God for inspiration and guidance in the running of the business. In situations where she did not have the knowledge or experience to overcome obstacles, it has been God’s wisdom which has enabled her to make the right decisions and lead the company effectively. She says that God led them to the right manufacturing partners and presented them with many good business opportunities. Furthermore, she has always enjoyed the support of her church community through their prayers and encouragement.

Though Ong is a busy mother of two, who juggles work, family and ministry life, she considers her job a ministry as well. This year, in addition to meeting the needs of customers, Ong will launch a program called Platform@Class in the second half of 2010.

Says Ong, “At Class, we believe the sky is the limit when it comes to creativity. These talented students have great ideas but may lack the experience or knowledge as to whether their designs are ergonomically safe or commercially viable so we aim to help them.”

Students will submit their designs to Class, and Ong and her team will fabricate selected designs and display them in Class’ showroom, or on their website or Facebook page. In addition, students will earn a fee for their designs that are successfully sold to customers. Through this program, Class hopes to help provide a holistic learning experience for students, helping them better understand and succeed in this industry.

For more details on Platform@Class, e-mail platform@class.com.sg or visit www.class.com.sg

PHOTOS: Courtesy Of City College

Grace Heng battled all kinds of odds to ace her exams.

She may have spent many years completing her “O” levels, but Grace Heng shows us, through her outstanding results, that taking longer to get there is better than not getting there at all.

The 23-year old star student of City College’s 2009 batch of “O” level students proudly received her four distinctions this January, after a long, arduous journey that spanned several years.

Heng’s difficulties began in secondary school, when her parents went through a difficult divorce which involved long-drawn custody battles and fights for alimony and child support. The relationship between Heng and her parents worsened under the strain. Her father blamed her for all the problems and her mother did not want anything to do with the family. To make matters worse, they were struggling with finances.

Heng was unable to concentrate in school, and she developed a habit of playing truant. Eventually she was asked to leave school, and after an unsuccessful stint in another school, where she was defiant towards her teachers, Heng dropped out of the education system completely.

At this time, she was diagnosed with clinical depression and had to see a psychologist. As a result of the ordeal at home, she harbored deep resentment and was unable to cope with the situation.

Says Heng, “I remember that beneath the overwhelming sense of helplessness and lethargy, there was anger seething and raging within me.”

After three years, Heng made another attempt to achieve her goal of continuing her studies. At the age of 19, she enrolled to take her “N” level examinations, but gave up after two months as she had been away from it for such a long time. In 2008, she tried once again, this time enrolling into a private “O” level course. However, she failed the exams and found herself back where she started.

Despite facing continual obstacles, one after another, Heng refused to give up and enrolled one more time, this time into City College. She kept trying because “one day, I want to teach and be knee deep in childhood education. I’ve always wanted that. And in order to achieve that, I had to have the ‘O’ level certificate.”

At City College, Heng encountered a completely different experience from what she had gone through previously. She credits being at City College for helping her to overcome inertia, enabling her to adjust back to the education system and maximizing her potential.

According to her, “The atmosphere is just different. I felt this sense of acceptance not only from the teachers but from my schoolmates. I sense that the teachers want us to do well for our benefit and not because it would look good on their end-year report.”

Aside from the many “turnaround stories” credited to City College in its early days, the school has, over the years, displayed a trend of consistently producing strong academic results, a track record which not many private schools can speak of.

Aside from the atmosphere, the teachers in City College are known for helping students to believe in themselves and live up to their potential. For Heng, they certainly made a difference to her learning experience.

She said, “They’re patient and creative in the way they teach. They don’t give up when a student doesn’t understand what they’re teaching. Sometimes, I’ve seen them stay back beyond working hours to teach small groups of students who want or need extra practice.

“We love our teachers and we want to do well so as to not let them down.”

City College staff hold the belief that no matter what circumstance or problems a student faces, he or she deserves a chance to shine.

Heng has a word of encouragement for those who are facing overwhelming discouragement and obstacles, “It’s okay to try, and fail. The most important thing is to try again, no matter how many tries it takes to succeed. Because when you do succeed, that feeling of accomplishment is beyond description.”

In 2009, CHEC officially changed its name to City College, under City College Holdings Limited, as it moves towards becoming a full-fledged school. The school now offers three courses, spanning one, two and three years, and all leading up to the GCE “O” level examinations. For more informationon enrolment, go to www.citycollege.edu.sg.

It was a leisurely walk for some and a leap for faith for others, but the ‘25th Wheel, Walk or Jog 2009’ (WWJ 2009) brought both the disabled and the able-bodied together for a worthy cause. Held on Sunday, 5 July 2009 at HortPark, off Alexandra Road, the event featured a 1.6km walk as its main highlight and was organized by the Handicaps Welfare Association (HWA) as one of its major fund-raising events for the year. As the participants of the walk were flagged off by Guest-of-Honor, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr George Yeo, it was certainly a sight to behold as some 200 disabled members from HWA set off, most in a wheelchair or sporting a prosthetic leg. Accompanying them were 150 dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers, many of whom helped to push the wheelchair-bound participants along the entire route, hence, enabling everyone to take part. Held annually, WWJ 2009 is not only a fund-raising event, but also an opportunity for the members and volunteers of HWA to come together to enjoy themselves and bond together. Following the walk, the participants proceeded to enjoy some refreshment and games, as well as a lucky draw. Many returned looking triumphant and elated to have completed the challenge. Not all found it trying, however, such as Mohammed Shariff, a marathon runner with a prosthetic leg, who found it almost effortless.

PHOTOS: Cassandra Gayle A.

Said Jack Lie, a wheelchair-bound member of HWA who actively takes part in sports events like basketball and bowling, “This event is good because the morning walk perks us up. We hope that more Singaporeans will come and support our events by joining us.” HWA was set up in 1969 by 23 members to promote self-help and provide mutual support among the disabled in Singapore. It is an organization run by people with disabilities, for people with disabilities. Since then, HWA has expanded to a 1,800-strong membership today, with more than 200 regular volunteers, offering services such as rehabilitation, transportation for the disabled and a befrienders service, among others. This year, HWA aims to raise at least S$300,000 from WWJ 2009 to further expand and improve the quality of services provided to its members. Some of HWA’s longtime volunteers were also present at WWJ 2009, including Dennis Khoo, who is 72 years old this year and has been volunteering with HWA for 28 years. Said Roger Tan, a volunteer with HWA for 30 years, “I have an inner satisfaction when I treat the members as my friends and help them. You must have the heart to help others; this has been my motivation all the time. The mindset of Singaporeans today towards volunteering could do with the same motivation!”

Dr Kim Sung Hae may very well be the key to the success of the world’s largest church. She is the wife of Dr Yonggi Cho, the founder and senior pastor of the 830,000-strong Yoido Full Gospel Church in South Korea.

Since the church was started in 1958, she has assisted Dr Cho in leading the congregation and the setting up of various ministries, such as the Prayer Mountain and Elim Welfare Town for the elderly. As an evangelist, she travels around the world preaching and ministering in churches, especially to women. She also serves as the President of Hansei University, Korea, which is dedicated to training ministers and pastors. In addition, Dr Kim is an accomplished professional pianist who has made use of her God-given talent to bless countless people.

Dr Kim first visited City Harvest Church (CHC) in 2008, so her second visit was a highly anticipated one. The congregation over the weekend was treated to a showcase of Dr Kim’s extraordinary musical talent, on a grand piano which was specially brought in for her to perform on.

She presented a piece by Franz Liszt, as well as the famous hymn, ‘Amazing Grace.’ Dr Kim amazed the crowd as her fingers deftly flew over the keys in a flawless yet moving performance.

She also taught the congregation a song of praise that she had composed when inspired by God back home on Prayer Mountain. The message she shared at the Saturday night service at the Singapore Expo Hall 8 was a simple yet meaningful one titled: ‘Open Wide Your Mouth.’ Dr Kim spoke on God’s promises to fill us with blessings when we open wide our mouth. She went on to illustrate how God constantly fills us with love, strong faith, miracles and abundance in our lives.

Though the points were simple, the message communicated was powerful, reminding the people that God has many promises awaiting them, if only they would move by faith to constantly ask of Him and believe in His Word.

Said Gershon Liew, 25, an investment analyst, “Her simple faith, immense love for God and what she has done through that greatly impacts me.” Before ending the services, Dr Kim was invited by Kong Hee, senior pastor of CHC, to pray a prayer of blessing over the church.

PHOTOS: Gary Sim And Michael Chan

Long-time friend of City Harvest Church (CHC), Mike Connell, Senior Pastor of Bay City Church in New Zealand is known for moving in the prophetic, deliverance and inner healing ministry. Many who know him speak of his strong love and sensitivity for God and His people.

CHC invites Connell yearly to minister in their weekend services. In May 2009, Connell devoted two weeks of his time teaching in the School of Theology, preaching in the four weekend services and on top of that, conducted a Counseling and Inner Healing Workshop together with his wife, Joy.

During the workshop Connell taught many invaluable principles on both the spiritual and emotional aspects of counseling. One of the points emphasized was the need to identify root issues to the cause of emotional problems, as well as how to effectively use the tools of the Word of God, the Holy Spirit and prayer on top of our human wisdom to minister to people. As Connell shared many of his personal counseling experiences and lessons learned in more than 25 years of ministry, he taught the participants how to connect with people, the importance of listening and understanding why God allows people to go through problems, among many others. He also emphasized that God’s people are called to bring God’s healing and hope to the hurt and broken.

PHOTOS: Maggie Chang

Said Susanna Wong, a 27 year-old real estate consultant and participant of the workshop, “I was greatly impacted by the fact that people are spirit, thinking and emotional beings and we must take these into account when counseling them. I feel more empowered to minister to people with what I’ve learned.”

During the weekend services, Connell moved powerfully in the spiritual gifts and demonstrated the love and power of God. In the midst of the service, he called upon 18 year old Desiree Peh, who was helping to minister at the altar call area, to lay hands and pray for people. Many fell under the power of God. Through this, Connell demonstrated how the power of God was able to move through anyone, no matter how young or inexperienced, as long as there is willingness and faith in Him.

This project was organized by The Bible Society of Singapore in collaboration with the Embassy of Israel and The Bible Valley Society.

For the project, sheets of paper were distributed to cell groups in CHC on which members handwrote several verses. The efforts of all 27 zones were then combined to form the entire New Testament. This handwritten New Testament will be showcased at the Bible Valley in Jerusalem, together with other handwritten Bibles in different languages from all around the world. It will be the second such project in the past decade.

In addition to creating unique, one-of-a-kind Bibles, the project has another more meaningful cause. For each handwritten verse, the contributing organization will make a nominal donation of at least S$2. Monies collected will be channeled towards Bible translation, publication and distribution efforts to needy Christians in less developed countries. Part of the funds will also go to support the Bible Valley Society project.

Through this project, The Bible Society of Singapore’s goals were for churches to experience a unifying passion for the Word of God as the people wrote out the Bible by hand. In addition, it would allow underprivileged Christians to experience the life-changing power of the Word of God through the financial blessings this project brings.

Certainly, City Harvest has made its mark as our very own handwritten Bible from Singapore is now showcased at the Bible Centre in the Holy Land.

This was an unusually quiet Christmas party — there was little sound of chatter and laughter. But making up for it were faces lit up with excitement and beaming with smiles, and hands moving rapidly in communication.

This was the scene at SingTel Recreation Centre on Sunday, 14 December 2008, at the Talking Hands’ Christmas party, themed “Christmas Cheers”. Sixty-six hearing-disadvantaged individuals were treated to a line-up of exciting and heartwarming programs put up by 23 Talking Hands volunteers. This was followed by a delicious buffet spread.

The afternoon kicked off with a game that challenged participants to decorate a Christmas tree with recycled materials. After lunch, there was a rousing caroling performance, with translation, put up by the volunteers.

The volunteers also put up a short skit which highlighted the value of genuine friendship and love, especially during this festive season. The performers did a commendable job — not only did they have to plan and rehearse the skit, they had to do it fully in sign language. Their dedication did not go unappreciated, judging by the “applause” they received: their audience enthusiastically waved their hands in the air.

PHOTOS: Talking Hands Ministry

Micah San Jose, 19, who is hearing-disadvantaged, spoke of how her life had changed after the Talking Hands volunteers befriended her and helped her in her studies. Another hearing-disadvantaged member, Jody, shared a song she had written titled ‘Accept Me The Way I Am’. The lyrics tell of how the disabled can be talented and achieve much in life, if only our society would believe in them. The song touched many.

Eileen Toh, manager of Talking Hands, took to the stage and encouraged the participants to strive for a fruitful year ahead. Last but not least, a lucky draw was held, where attractive prizes, such as dining vouchers were won.

Christmas Cheers was no ordinary Christmas gathering, but truly served the vision of Talking Hands, that is, to provide support and friendship to the hearing-disadvantaged community, as well as to create a platform for them to express themselves. Every participant brought home many wonderful memories this Christmas.

PHOTOS: Talking Hands Ministry

Ge Zhao Xing and his wife are pastors of Pingtung Peace Church in Taiwan. This is one of City Harvest Church’s affiliated churches and has grown immensely during the recent revival in Taiwan.

According to Ge, the breakthrough in his ministry came in the year 2000 when he attended the Taipei Revival Conference held by Kong Hee, senior pastor of City Harvest Church. After that conference, he experienced a change in his mindset and a spiritual hunger began to arise in him for a greater move of God in his church.

In 2004, Kong traveled to Pingtung to preach. It was then that Ge began to work more closely with City Harvest Church. The following year, Ge felt led to attend the Pastors’ Course in the School of Theology in Singapore, and it was there that he was tremendously impacted by the teachers who not only imparted knowledge, but also moved in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Furthermore, he was greatly inspired by the unity of CHC, and his observation that it was a church that truly practiced what it preached. It was these essentials that he sought to bring back to Taiwan to raise his church up to the next level.

PHOTOS: Pingtung Peace Church

The change that took place when Ge returned to Pingtung was vast. He began to implement changes in the church and brought in a new area of focus — the youth ministry. After realizing its importance, he began to raise up leaders who were youths and launched a ministry that would penetrate the schools. This was done by identifying a distinct group of people and starting a cell group with them, as well as implementing CHC’s caring system in the school. In addition, they established creative co-curricular activities such as grooming workshops, which improved the self-image of the students

From an average attendance of 40 to 50 people in 2003, the church’s congregation ballooned to 360 in 2008, and it is still growing steadily today. Not only that, Ge also feels that the spiritual DNA of his congregation has changed to be like that of CHC.

Nonetheless, all these victories did not come without their fair share of difficulties. One challenge Ge faced was a low retention of members. This was because many students would either leave Pingtung after graduating from high school to study in other parts of Taiwan, or they would return to their hometowns after graduating from Pingtung universities. Thankfully though, many students would choose to faithfully return to Pingtung every weekend just to attend church. Indeed, its commitment like that which testifies of the good work that Pingtung Peace Church has done in the lives of its members.