Looking back on a decade of God’s faithfulness as City Harvest Church carries the message of the Cultural Mandate across continents through Sun Ho’s pop music career.

By Yong Yung Shin

CN PHOTOS: Alvin Loh, Daniel Chong, Daniel Poh and Michael Chan.

The weekend of Apr. 28 to 29 held special meaning for City Harvest Church, as it held a 10th year anniversary celebration of the Crossover Project. The Crossover Project was an extension of CHC’s mandate to build a church without walls—to bring the Gospel to the unchurched across society, and this included the world of entertainment.

HOW IT ALL BEGUN

In 1999, Kong Hee was invited to speak in Taiwan for the first time. There, he found out that in the youth ministry in local churches was almost non-existent. It was during this trip that the Holy Spirit dropped a word into his heart and said, “Kong, I want you to bring a revival to Taiwan, and I will use this revival to touch the entire Chinese-speaking world.”

Kong kept what the Holy Spirit had said to him at the back of his mind. The following year, he went back to Taiwan to minister at the Bread Of Life Church in Taipei. This time, he brought along his wife, Sun, who led worship in CHC. Over the next few days, a powerful typhoon swept the city. But to their surprise, many young people, most of them un-churched, came to the church night after night, not to listen to the preaching but to watch Sun leading praise and worship. They loved her colored hair, her pop culture look, and they loved the pop songs she sang in between the worship songs.

It was then that they realized that pop music could be a powerful bridge to communicate the love of God to the youth. What if they could repackage the message of faith, hope and love of Jesus Christ and bring it into the schools, the boardrooms and the bedrooms of the unchurched? At that time, it was unheard of for those in the Christian world to share the Gospel through the secular entertainment platform.

Apprehensive and more than a little doubtful, Kong needed confirmation from God that what was beginning to take form in his mind was a God-idea. God gave him not one confirmation, but four.

On Sep. 11, 2001, the day of the tragic 9/11 suicide attacks on the World Trade Center’s twin towers in New York City, Kong and Sun were in the city to minister to a friend on the verge of suicide. As the tragedy took place, God spoke to Kong: “From today, the world has changed. I brought you here to watch history unfolding. Go back to Asia and bring the Gospel to your generation—the young people and the urban professionals.” That was the first confirmation.

In obedience to that word, the couple went to Hong Kong soon after to participate in a prayer walk. As they were walking along the busy streets of Kowloon, they passed by an electronics shop that had a display of television sets near the entrance. On the screens of the televisions, thousands of young people were dancing to the beat of a secular pop-rock group from mainland China. There and then, the presence of God fell on them. Kong recalled, “God spoke very, very clearly to our hearts. ‘Sun, you will do better than this. I will send you to sing before millions of people and you will lead them to Jesus Christ.’” That was the second confirmation.

One night, Sun was leading worship at church, when a visitor, touched by her singing, approached her after the meeting and offered her a full professional contract. He was the managing director of Decca Music, an international recording label. This was confirmation number three.

It was all good, but Kong needed a Scriptural confirmation. When his respected mentors Ulk Ekman, AR Bernard and Phil Pringle gave the same verse from Mark 4:35, “Let us cross over to the other side,” Kong knew there was no more space for hesitation, and the Crossover Project was born.

SETTING SAIL

In 2002, Sun recorded her first Chinese pop album, Sun With Love. She held her first pop concert in the biggest indoor arena in downtown Taipei, the National Taipei Sports Complex. The team worked with a small Taipei church, New Life Church, which had about 200 members then. “Nobody was sure if anybody was even going to turn up,” said Kong. On the first night, the 4,200-seater stadium was jam-packed, with thousands more watching on big screen projectors outside. It was estimated that 80 percent of the audience had never been to church.

After Sun finished singing, she gave her testimony about the abuse she endured in her childhood and how Jesus saved her from her years of depression and brokenness. “The love and presence of God hit the entire arena; practically everybody was crying.” Kong then gave a simple altar call, and thousands upon thousands responded. “We didn’t expect that at all. When we went back to our rooms, we were wondering what exactly happened. We were in a daze.” Over the next two days, a total of 21,500 people attended the concerts, and 8,000 decision slips for Christ were collected.

Sun performed in various other cities, including Taoyuan, Hualien and Tainan—it was here that one of CHC’s affiliate churches, Rhema Harvest Church was birthed. In Kaohsiung, on the eve of a concert, a typhoon was raging, but 700 people still came, and 560 responded to the altar call. In the small town of Jia Yi, Sun performed at a high school to about 1,100 students. One of the students, a teenage girl named Christina Yu, testified of the miraculous work of deliverance from depression God did in her heart as she listened to Sun sing.

Today, Yu pastors 400 members at New Life Church, among whom are three pop stars who flew in for a special performance during the service— Chen Weiquan, Wing Luo and Huang Mei Zhen. It was a pleasant surprise for the congregation, as they listened to the trio cover some of Sun’s songs in addition to their own hits.

As for that little church, New Life Church, which helped put together the very first concert, it experienced a great revival too. From 30 people, the congregation grew to 1,250 in three years, and today, counts Universal music producer Chen Ailing, Taiwan’s “Simon Cowell” Huang Kuo Lun and the trio from F.I.R among its members. Each is a testament to the seeds of the Cultural Mandate Ho’s concerts had planted. To date, Taiwan’s Christian population has more than doubled, from a mere three percent to 10 percent in 10 years.

From Taiwan, Sun flew to Hong Kong and performed at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium to 10,500 people over three nights, and yet again, thousands gave their hearts to Jesus. One of the most dramatic salvation stories belongs to Teddy, the notorious leader of a gang and owner one of the largest nightclubs in the city. He also had dealings in illegal gambling, drug trafficking and prostitution. Kong recalled that Teddy’s parang-wielding henchmen were all waiting outside, ready to pounce in to protect their boss. But at the end, Teddy came forward and gave his heart to Jesus Christ.

It was not until two months ago that Kong met Teddy again while preaching at a service in Jakarta. It was a joyful, tearful reunion for the two men, as Kong prayed over Teddy, now a businessman travelling all over Asia to share his testimony.

Sun also performed in Malaysia, including Sibu and Kuching. Out of her performances there, Kuching Harvest Church was born. In Kuala Lumpur, her concerts in 2003 sparked a revival in City Harvest Church Kuala Lumpur. Today, CHCKL is one of the fastest-growing and most vibrant churches in Malaysia.

In Indonesia, in the cities of Jakarta, Makasar, Medan, the response was equally tremendous—people actually broke down the doors and pushed their way into the concerts. Even the security guards who were sent to protect the team responded to the altar call themselves.

Back in Singapore, Sun performed 14 times over one weekend at the church’s premises at Jurong West. Over two days, 30,700 people came, and 10,140 salvation decisions were recorded. It was the second highest salvation decision in Singapore church history, the highest being a rally at the National Stadium in 1978 when evangelist Billy Graham gave an altar call.

One person irrevocably changed by Sun’s concert was Cynthia Chua, who came from an unhappy family where arguments and violence were the norm. She gradually slipped into depression and even entertained thoughts of suicide, but it was at Ho’s concert that the love and presence of God touched her heart and she found the strength to get out of her depression. Chua is now a full-time church staff, with hundreds of youth under her care and guidance.

Another life that was changed was that of Sun’s choreographer, Ryan Tan, a well-known and highly respected Singaporean choreographer who responded to the altar call, after performing with her in about 70 concerts. Together with Kenny Low, then also a dancer in Sun’s entourage, they started O School in 2006.

More than a performing arts center teaching dance, O School is a social enterprise that seeks to provide stable employment opportunities for youth who are gifted in dance, to celebrate their potential and talents, and to generate funds for low income Singapore youths to complete their secondary school education at City College, also founded by Low. “We believe there’s a place for artists—when they’re placed on the right platform, who knows how God can use them?” said Low, who was named Schwab Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2007. With a current membership of 11,000, there are 100 dancers on staff, and every year, S$40,000 goes toward the education fund.

“We find that as young people come together to work with us, the same anointing that flowed in the Crossover Project flows in O School. The young people find acceptance here, and when they dance, they feel a release from their depression,” said Low. But it gets better—these youth are using their talents to reach out to their counterparts. When the 2011 tsunami hit Japan, they organized a Dance For Japan fundraising event and rallied 2,000 youth to the cause.

THE BIG LEAP

Twenty-five months after the Crossover Project was launched, Sun had performed more than 100 concerts to about half a million people, and out of that, almost 140,000 gave their hearts to Christ. The Crossover Project sought to achieve two purposes: reach out to the unchurched—those who would never step into a church, those who grew up on a musical diet of Beyonce, Gwen Stefani, Pink and Lady Gaga. Secondly, it aimed to encourage Christians who are already in the entertainment industry to step out with their faith.

But it was no walk in the park. With this calling also came many challenges. In every country Sun and her team traveled to, they faced demonic attacks, near-death encounters and media backlash against Sun’s contradictory image as the pop star wife of a pastor.

Over the next few years, Sun released four more Chinese albums. Ironically, it was the most criticized song on the Sun*day album, “Miss Catastrophe”, that caught the attention of the former general manager of MTV in the US. This paved the way for Sun to enter the American market. In 2003, she became the first Asian pop icon to be invited to sing at the Hollywood Film Festival. Subsequently, she was also the first Chinese singer to be invited to the 46th Annual Grammy Awards in 2004 as well as the MTV Europe Awards in 2007.

Her debut American single, “Where Did Love Go”, produced by David Foster and Peter Rafelson, was the number one breakout hit on the Christmas week in 2003—“God’s Christmas gift for us,” said Kong. After her first Billboard dance chart number one hit “One With You”, Sun went on to score another four number ones on the Billboard dance chart, the last of which was 2009’s “Fancy Free”.

“With success in both the USA and the Far East, we crossed over to China, which was our greatest desire,” explained Kong. Sun and her team went to Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Szechuan and other cities. Her humanitarian team was part of the 2005 Tsunami Disaster Relief Operations, and with her royalties from album sales and the contribution of friends, she built schools and medical clinics in Indonesia and China as well as orphanages in Sri Lanka.

In 2002, Sun was presented The Outstanding Young Person Award by the Junior Chamber of Singapore for her humanitarian works. She was also awarded the “Outstanding Young Person of the World Award” in 2003. That same year, she became the first celebrity outside of China to be honored with a First-Day Cover Stamp series in light of her humanitarian contributions to China. “Her success is our success because this is our project,” declared Kong.

In May 2004, on the last night of her concert in Australia, Sun discovered she was pregnant. After a difficult nine months, a son, Dayan, was born. Sun, along with her family and the church, had reached a crossroad—should they continue with the Crossover Project now that she is a mother?

After all, it had brought tremendous growth to the church. In four years, CHC had grown from a congregational size of 10,300 to more than 18,000; it now had 24 affiliate churches. For six months, the couple prayed and discussed with the pastors and senior staff and consulted with spiritual mentors from around the world.

Finally, it was a word given by Phil Pringle to Sun privately in May 2005 that gave them clarity to their path. “He said, ‘Five more years, because God is going to open a big door for CHC in China to be a blessing to the people.’ That word gave us the courage, faith and confirmation to resume the Crossover Project,” said Kong. (True enough, it was in May 2010—five years later—that Sun broke her US contract and flew home when the investigations into CHC began.)

The year 2007 was when CHC’s vision for China really took off. Sun was named the Charity Ambassador of Love for Asia’s first Special Olympic World Summer Games. The following year, she was selected to be the Music Ambassador for the 2008 Beijing Olympics Songfest. “These assignments were to open a huge door for us to do humanitarian works on a global level,” said Kong.

Presently, CHC has 96 humanitarian projects under its belt, from water sanitation projects to medical centers, children’s hospitals, schools, orphanages and women’s shelters—many of which are in China.

In closing, Kong read from Mark 4:34-36 and posed three questions to those who want to “cross over”. First of all, what will we forsake? Are we willing to leave our comfort zone? “Spiritual greatness will cost you something. Often, it will cost you everything,” said Kong.

Next, what will we take? Will we take Jesus as He is with us? “Sometimes, Jesus sleeps so that we have to awaken our faith to keep walking and trusting,” Kong explained. Finally, what impact will we make? Would we rather play safe and cruise through life, or give our all to walk in the fullness of God’s plans for our lives and those He wants to touch through us?

The three-hour-long service presented the full story of the Crossover Project to many in the congregation, many of whom had not previously understood its scale, scope and perhaps even its legitimacy as God’s assignment, but had chosen to trust in the leadership of the church.

Looking back at the hundreds of thousands of people who have been ushered into the saving grace of Jesus Christ through this project, it is clear that it has all been worthwhile. Kong was joined on stage by Sun and various others who had played a key role in the success of the Crossover Project such as executive pastor Tan Ye Peng. The journey turned out to be much more difficult than they had imagined, but there were no regrets over the no-holds-barred obedience Kong and Sun had chosen and the fruit their efforts had borne.

Practical wisdom on how to take action in the Springtime that is upon City Harvest Church, from the senior pastor of Abundant Life Church, Bradford.

By Yong Yung Shin

CN PHOTOS: Kenneth Lee.

As we understand, you did not preach from the original sermon notes you prepared for the first weekend service on Apr. 21, Saturday evening. Tell us, how often is it that you get your preaching “interrupted” by the Holy Spirit?

It’s very rare. I can’t remember the last time we had a service like we did that night, maybe 15 years ago. Having plans is good but we need to be prepared—be open and ready—to be interrupted.

So how can we as a congregation best take hold of this Springtime that is upon us?

The best follow-up would be to exercise practical wisdom to run with the season; Jesus Himself sought to equip His disciples for the three years of Springtime He was with them. Once the farmer understands the season, he has to start doing something—however small that thing is; most movement begins in the heart, even when it seems as though nobody is doing anything.

But as we could sense in the gathering of the people last night and this morning, there is a movement inside the people toward the future, toward a new beginning. This energy must be channeled into something practical as soon as possible. People must start to do something, get involved in lifting the weight of the church and taking the church forward.

Start cultivating different ways of thinking that create different habits, look for new circles of relationships that are future-oriented, have less negativity and more creativity and more faith.  More people need to step up to volunteer more, attempt new things. Give up the areas in which you have become rusty and gotten stuck in a rut, and serve in new areas in the church.

It’s been a little more than a year since you visited us. Bring us up to speed with what’s been going on at Abundant Life Church this past year.

We’re doing great! We’re very involved in the community as you would probably know, reaching many un-churched people—98 percent of the people in our country do not go to church. We’ve experienced a resurgence of strength and confidence, a lot of young people have been added to the church, and in terms of music, a new album is coming together. There’s been a lot of growing the past year, which was a very creative year. We also had what was probably our best leadership conference to date—the Stronger Conference in March, which Pastor Kong also attended.

With CHC being in a year of relationship and discipleship, what is the key to effective discipleship?

The most effective form of discipleship is that which is attached to a task or a purpose. When Jesus took His disciples under His wings, He said, “Take My yoke and learn from Me.” In other words, learning is in the context of a yoke, which is work.  Jesus created a growth environment that was uncomfortable for His disciples, which made them want to listen and pay attention more—people are better students when they feel that they’re out of their depth. We need to create some discomfort in our church, where people will feel that they have to pray, have to read the Word and have to ask questions.

Static discipling such as having Bible studies that is not attached to anything practical becomes stagnant, very academic and religious. The best form of mentoring is one that’s attached to a purpose, something bigger than the mentoring itself, otherwise it becomes mentoring for the sake of it, where people get more knowledge but don’t do anything with it.

What is one important lesson you’ve learned in building relationships with others?

The most valuable lesson I think I’ve learned is to be yourself. Don’t be what others want you to be, don’t be who the group says you should be and don’t be who you used to be. You cannot connect with people until you are being yourself. Authenticity is the greatest form of communication—once you know you are dealing with the real person dealing with connection and progress is fully possible. Give people the gift of your authentic self.

Da Paolo’s recent overhaul features minimalist décor and a menu boasting more seafood offerings. 

By Yong Yung Shin

Tagliatelle Bellavista. PHOTO COURTESY OF DA PAOLO RISTORANTE.

Something fishy’s going on at Da Paolo, and we mean it in the most positive way. The stalwart 23-year-old Italian restaurant has been through an overhaul of its interior, taking on a classic white theme, and updating its menu to offer more seafood-based dishes.

For starters, the tantalizingly aromatic Crema di Crostacei (S$22) with lobster, crab, langoustine, cream as well as a quick dash of cognac and truffle oil is a soup that’s good enough to be a meal itself if you’re in the mood for a light lunch.

Diners who want to pile on the protein can go for the Baked Sea Bass (S$40), served with celery, cherry tomatoes and olives. Highly reminiscent of our signature Teochew steamed fish with sour plums and vegetables, it is nevertheless a quintessential Italian dish that will go down well with fish-lovers; the fish is filleted whole. Of course, red-meat diehards may want to try the Agnello dell’Aquila (S$38), a dish of roasted lamb tenderized in Galliano liquor and served with ricotta cheese and herbs.

The white-themed interiors of Da Paolo’s second storey dining space.

If you want to fall back on safe options, Da Paolo’s fresh pasta is always a palate-pleaser. The Tagliatelle Bellavista (S$36) showcased the restaurant’s homemade egg pasta to great effect, each springy strand of tagliatelle coated in a lobster sauce accentuated with tangy notes from the cherry tomatoes.

Longtime patrons will find it hard to resist Da Paolo’s famous tiramisu, but the Delizie ai Tre Cioccolati (S$18) is worth breaking tradition. A special creation of Chef Morelli, it is a creamy pile-up of Venezuelan dark chocolate mousse atop Piedmont hazelnut milk chocolate mousse and Madagascar vanilla white chocolate, served in a tall dessert glass. Indulgent but not overwhelmingly sweet.

Lunch sets are available at S$28.

Da Paolo Ristorante

80 Club Street,

Singapore 069448

+65 6224 7081

True to its name, House Of JOY’s first picnic outing was a joyous affair of delicious food and rib-tickling games.

By Yong Yung Shin

The House Of JOY’s first picnic drew big smiles. CN PHOTOS: Jeremy Ong.

It was not a contest 70-year-old Teo Bee Geok expected to win. On a Saturday afternoon on Mar. 24, she was awarded “Most Long-winded” by virtue of her being able to hold her “Ahhhh … ” for the longest time—a good 45 seconds. The grandmother of six was one of 255 participants at Breezy Galore@Labrador Park, House Of JOY’s first ever picnic outing.

House Of JOY (an acronym for “Joining the Old and the Young”) is an initiative of the Community Outreach Program to the Elderly or COPE, an arm of City Harvest Community Services Association. It is a senior citizen center located at Old Airport Road which was set up in August last year. The participants of the picnic came from three estates—Pine Close, Toa Payoh and Old Airport Road, areas where COPE has been active in for the last few years.

With more than 200 participants, some of whom were less able-bodied than others, many details both big and small went into the organizing of the event. For one, the picnic location had to offer shelter from the sun, and also feature washroom facilities close by. Even the handle of the drinks dispenser was not the usual lever, but a convenient rubber knob that is easily maneuvered.

Who’s got the longest tongue?

The agenda kicked off with a treasure hunt for Post-its, followed by a game of “Who Has The Longest …” Representatives from each team competed to see who had the longest tongue, toe and breath. The game elicited bursts of laughter from everyone else watching the contestants in their comical stances. Several lucky draws were held as well—winners walked away with food, home appliances and other useful items.

Tucking into a buffet spread.

With their picnic mats laid out in a grassy, shady spot, the elderly feasted on a sumptuous buffet spread after the games, no doubt drawing longing glances from passers-by. A session of photo-taking rounded off the afternoon with smiles and laughter. Organizer Jonathan Goh teased: “Smile as wide as you can, just be careful your dentures don’t fall off!”

Birthed out of a vision to see senior citizens being well-connected with their loved ones and having the means to live life to the fullest, House Of JOY contains a multi-purpose hall and activity room, a café operated by senior citizens, meeting and counseling rooms, a multimedia and recreational room, a KTV room and IT facilities. In-house exercise programs, learning workshops and social work services are provided by CHCSA workers.

Singapore Woman Award winner and City News’ very own chief editor Theresa Tan talks about how the big C led her to do what God had been asking her to do for many years.

By Yong Yung Shin

CN PHOTOS: Daniel Poh.

There was more than one good reason to break tradition on the evening of March 22 at the Shangri-La Hotel; in fact, there were three. That night, writer and editor Theresa Tan was honored alongside two other women as one of the three winners of the Singapore Woman Award 2012—the first time in the award’s history that more than one winner was named.

Tan was recognized for her blog, A Clean Breast Of It, which educates women on breast cancer after she survived the disease in 2010. Tan stands tall next to two  immensely inspiring figures—Bridget Tan and Cassandra Chiu. Tan is the founder of migrant workers welfare group Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME), while Chiu, who is visually impaired, runs The Safe Harbour, a counselling practice, and has been recognized for her voluntary contributions to the Singapore Association for the Visually Handicapped.

Here, Tan shares about how God used her experience to reach out to other women in need of support, comfort and wisdom in facing breast cancer.

What was the first thought that came to your mind when you found out about your nomination?

When (City News writer) Sarah Teo Facebook-ed to tell me she wanted to nominate me I was so tickled, reason being that I was on the planning committee of the very first Singapore Woman Award back in 2008! I did think “The judges will have a good laugh lor!” But I was very, very touched that Sarah thought me worthy of a nomination. It feels wonderful when our City News volunteer writers connect with us in a way beyond deadlines.

Compared to the moment you received the news about your breast cancer, it must have been a whirlwind two years for you! What motivated you to set up a blog? After all, the post-operation period would have been a tremendously challenging period for you, not just physically but emotionally, having to manage the anxieties of your loved ones.

When I experienced that weird pulling pain in my breast that Friday morning of June 11, 2010, I said to God, “Don’t let it be cancer, Lord.” That whole weekend I had no peace at all. I guess deep in my heart, I knew it was cancer. The mammogram and ultrasound on Monday pretty much confirmed it. The first doctor who read my mammogram said, “So you are prepared if it’s cancer?” In a strange way, I was. I thank God He saved me before this happened, because I had my faith to lean on, and I knew, no matter what, He was in control.

Do you know what it’s like when you have deliberately put something God told you to do aside, so that you can pursue the things you prefer to do? For many years now, I have promised God to write for Him—not writing for work, as I do, but for His sole pleasure and purpose. I was a playwright a long time ago, and I had many divine ideas for books but I always made the excuse I would get to it when I didn’t have bills to pay.

God must have got a bit tired of waiting. Haha.

Theresa Tan with (left to right) Bridget Tan, Minister of State for MCYS, Madam Halimah Yacob and Cassandra Chiu.

So, during my recovery period, after my 10 days in hospital, I felt that still small voice say, “Write for Me.” An entire book was too daunting a task, and so I said, “Lord I will start a blog and this one’s for You.” It wasn’t what I had in mind all those years ago—I always imagined my first written work for God would be a wonderful series of novels.

Now I had time—weeks alone in my bedroom—to write at my own leisurely pace. I started chronicling my journey, the physical, mental and as well as spiritual path God led me through. It became a wonderful bonding time between me and my Lord, and it also caused me to count and list my blessings in a tangible way. In many ways, the blog healed me.

And how has the effort paid off? What were some of the most heart-warming responses you received from those who read your blog?

I don’t work hard enough at it! It’s become much harder since I got stronger and came back to work, haha! But the responses to the blog have been what keeps me going. I received comments from old friends like (actress) Andrea D’Cruz, who really encouraged me. Her father died of cancer too. I also received many cries for help from women who think they’ve discovered a lump, but are too scared to have it checked out because of various reasons: a) they haven’t bought insurance yet and what if it turns out to be the Big C and they can’t pay their bills? b) they are in between jobs and any diagnosis of cancer will greatly diminish their chances of getting hired c) they are single and if they have breast cancer, what if no man wants to marry them?

These are all real fears. I began to realize that popular media usually only addresses the discovery of an illness, maybe the treatment, and the overcomers. But there wasn’t much out there that talked about the seemingly small, but very significant things, like not knowing where one had put her insurance policy, or how to navigate the doctor situation (not wanting to go to their company doctor for a referral to National Cancer Centre because they need a private doctor who has a more calming bedside manner). The whole issue of cancer is wrought with many sub-issues.

I’ve been encouraged by many respondents — some share their victory stories with me, other their horror stories. It’s become a place where, I feel, women feel safe talking about what seems “silly” to other people. And when you’re faced with cancer, there’s no such thing as a silly question.

How do you envision your blog progressing?

I hope to grow the community larger, and maybe one day even have a meet-up. Support for each other is so important. And nobody understands a breast cancer patient like another breast cancer patient.

As a Christian, how has your experience battling breast cancer strengthened your faith in God?

The first two weeks before my surgery, I was on my knees next to my bed, in my own garden of Gethsemane, crying out to God and begging Him to take this cup from me, because He could. My tears felt like blood all right. Why couldn’t I get a miracle of having my cancer drop out of my breast, like I had read in so many testimonies?

But slowly, as I sought Him, I realized that He wanted me to walk through this valley because He was going to use it. I remember this prayer I scribbled in my Bible: “FATHER, DON’T LET ME WASTE THIS EXPERIENCE!” Paul said to exult in trials—I never understood the craziness of that phrase till I was on my knees, realizing what God was doing. I could let this cancer crush me, or I could crush it. God would give me the strength to crush it—and He has.

Now my faith in God is at a totally different level. If He brought me through this, there is absolutely nothing He would not do for me. I’ve always prayed to know Him more, in a deeper, more intimate way. This cancer experience has opened the door for that intimacy, but I pray to still go deeper.

Just as you have been an inspiration for many women, who was your personal inspiration?

My mommy. I did not know until my mother had passed away, and we held a three-day wake for her where all these people I didn’t know came and wept over her corpse, all the amazing stories of how, while she was going through chemo, she would take a bus to someone’s house to pray for them. She led a neighbor to Christ a few days before he died of lung cancer. There were women who had breast cancer, one woman who had mouth cancer—all of them telling me how my mother’s love and faith brought them out of suicidal moments to have hope for their future.

I cried and cried—it was as if I had never known my own mom, who suffered through breast cancer three times. But it was then I also realized she had left me a legacy to touch the lives of others even when I myself am suffering.

As a mother of three, what do you think is the greatest gift a woman can give her children?

The gift of faith. My mother and my mother-in-law prayed me into the Kingdom. It is the one gift all my children MUST have before I leave this earth, so help me God.

Lastly, what is your life mantra?

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Log on to http://acleanbreast.wordpress.com/ to read Theresa Tan’s blog.

The launch of the President’s Challenge 2012 saw the introduction of two new elements in this annual fund-raising event: volunteerism and social entrepreneurship.

By Yong Yung Shin

Kenny Low, O School's founder and principal, hosting President Tony Tan and Acting Minister for MCYS Chan Chun Sing. CN PHOTOS: Michael Chan.

Doing good works does not have to be limited to giving money or even one’s time or effort. Sometimes, an opportunity is all that’s needed to give somebody a hand up; hence the promotion of social enterprise as one of the two new elements in the President’s Challenge 2012.

Launched at *SCAPE on March 27, President’s Challenge 2012 will include a President’s Challenge Social Enterprise Award, which aims to recognize outstanding social enterprises which have made significant and sustained contributions to the disadvantaged in society.

Already, Singapore boasts a growing number of social enterprises. For the launch, Adrenalin Events, which trains and employs disadvantaged youths and persons with physical disabilities, was engaged to provide event management services.

The food served during the reception was catered from Laksania, a social enterprise that trains and employs individuals who have received help from the Institute of Mental Health.

The President unveils the new President’s Challenge logo.

Those in attendance, including guest-of-honor President Tony Tan Keng Yam, Minister for Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports Mr Chan Chun Sing and Minister of State for MCYS, Madam Halimah Yacob, plus PC beneficiaries, were treated to an edgy dance performance by dancers from O School, yet another social enterprise that channels its earnings from dance classes and concerts towards financing the education of low-income Singaporean youth.

At the same time, volunteering one’s time and talents should be encouraged among the Singaporean public, hence the introduction of the second new initiative—the President’s Challenge Volunteer Drive, an awareness campaign to promote volunteerism as a way of life. That said, fund-raising will continue to be the focus of President’s Challenge 2012.

Nor Jumanese, 33, a student from Dignity Kitchen, a food court management school focusing on training the physically-challenged and the disadvantaged to be food stall operators.

“We will expand the volunteering element in the President’s Challenge. Volunteerism should be universal and inclusive. Anyone, regardless of occupation, education or income, can make a difference by contributing their time, energy and ability for the good of their communities,” said the President. Currently, a little more than one-fifth of Singaporeans volunteer.

The launch also saw the unveiling of the new President’s Challenge logo, comprising four quadrants of a heart in four colors, each one representing giving in a different form: fundraising, volunteering, the encouragement of social enterprises and the giving of one’s self for a good cause.

Since it was founded in 2000 by former President S R Nathan, the President’s Challenge has successfully raised more than S$110 million for approximately 500 beneficiaries. In line with the growing demands on the social service sector, 55 social service organizations will benefit from the funds raised this year, up from 39 organizations last year.

Revivalist and senior pastor of Bethel Church Bill Johnson puts signs and wonders in perspective for both cynics and over-enthusiasts.

By Yong Yung Shin

CN PHOTOS: Michael Chan.

Signs and wonders—in our contemporary society today, these are, at best, seen as divine displays of miracles for the “entertainment” of the saints, and at worst, works of the devil. But what many miss is that signs and wonders are not ends in themselves, but rather indications that point to the reality of God’s raw power.

In his message to students from the School Of Theology at CHC’s Jurong West premises on March 20, senior pastor of Bethel Church in Redding, California, Bill Johnson, put the subject of miracles in the perspective of God’s will of salvation for all mankind, that “none should perish but have everlasting life.”

Miracles are meant to tutor us to renew our minds in order that we may see things from God’s perspective. In Mark 8, Jesus asked the disciples why they still reasoned among themselves about not having any bread on the boat when they had witnessed twice the multiplication of the loaves and fish.

“A move of God is sustained by the renewing of the mind and not by the demonstration of miracles itself,”—which explains why many revivals tend to last between two to four years only. “The renewed mind that is able to see the unseen is able to display or prove the will of God on earth as it is in heaven,” said Johnson, hence Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

“The mind is renewed when the impossible looks logical,” he added, using Jesus and the miracles He worked as an example of the life that could be for the person who has no sin and is empowered by the Spirit—in other words, every believer who has received the salvation of Christ and who is baptized in the Holy Spirit.

City News caught Bill Johnson for a quick chat after the session.

You were one of the speakers at the recently concluded School of Healing and Impartation 2012 – Kingdom Invasion conference from March 14 to 17 at the Singapore Expo. Tell us more about it.

It was wonderful. It was my first time ministering in Singapore. I love doing anything with Randy Clark, he’s a dear friend who’s been used so powerfully by God to ignite the fires of revival all over the world. There was such an impartation for miracles, not only did we see so many healings at the conference but people left with the desire to pray for the sick; when people take that anointing outside the conference and start praying for people in their cities and their churches—that’s what I’m excited about.

The thrust of your leadership at Bethel Church has always been revival, and for a good number of years the church has seen many miracle healings and wondrous moves of the Holy Spirit. Tell us what went through your mind when the glory cloud first appeared in the church beginning October 2011.

We didn’t know what to do. I’ve been expecting it for many years but I didn’t know what would happen—there was both joy; the children just ran to it, with their hands up and their mouths open like they could taste it. It was awe-inspiring; you can’t figure it out, it’s not confusing, that would be a wrong word but it’s a mystery and you just sit there staring at it. You lose control of the meeting at that point, and everything just stops. Spontaneously, the whole church began to sing together but not from the pulpit but the congregation—that was amazing.

But the Bible does say in 1 Corinthians 14:40 that everything should be done in order. How does a person in a church leadership position reconcile this verse with the desire for revival and the possibility that when God manifests His glory, there will be no “control” as you mention?

We need to cultivate a value for God’s presence. You do need wisdom on what to do and how to communicate best; when we have a revival meeting it doesn’t mean it’s out of control—we’re just doing what He wants us to do. Sometimes it looks to people like we let anything happen, but we don’t. We are very empowering in how we do things but if we had people run up and dance across the stage halfway through, we bring them down immediately. There is a director to the choir, so to speak; there is somebody working hard to listen to what God is doing and then direct the flow of things.

We’ve been experiencing this for 16 years but we’re still learning the same lessons on how to give Him first place and how to make the Holy Spirit the chief guest of the house. In Luke 5:17, it says that the power of the Lord was present to heal, so that means He was there with a specific purpose in mind. My job is to find out what He wants to do when He comes. It may or may not be what I had planned—I never assume I know what He wants.

In your teachings about creating a kingdom culture here on earth, why the emphasis on honor instead of just love? After all, the Bible states that if we have love for one another, the world will know that we are Jesus’ disciples.

Honor is an expression of love, but what happens is that love doesn’t always translate into giving honor to somebody. By emphasizing honor, we’re able to develop a “skill” in conveying our love for another person that wasn’t developed previously. But it only works if you have a culture that confronts people. For example, if you said something that hurt my feelings, then I should probably talk to you about it; I don’t pretend everything’s ok when it’s not.

One of my staff was teaching something and made a huge mistake. He showed a movie clip to illustrate a point but he missed something in the clip and people got offended by it. When I heard about it, I just asked him to speak again instead of punishing him by not letting him speak for six months. He’s a great man, and I don’t need to make him feel worse than he already feels. The point is, in honor, you celebrate who a person is without stumbling over who they’re not.

Lastly, as an apostolic leader, how do you form partnerships with leaders from other churches?

Friendship. For me, friendship is everything. I have wonderful friends who I minister with throughout the year. What’s effective for me is when I find that we have the same heart, and as we constantly find each other at the same kinds of events, I become interested in the anointing that you carry and in this friendship we start seeing God move powerfully and that’s what I look for. I don’t want to create a new denomination or a big organization, I don’t want everything to rotate around our organization; I want the health of the whole Body to be good.

Spizza opens up its fourth dining outlet at East Coast Road, with new dishes to boot.

By Yong Yung Shin

Rebecca Pizza. PHOTOS COURTESY OF SPIZZA.

Somewhere down the line, pizza (along with pasta) has managed to elbow its way into the local palate as comfort food. After all, we never go very long without hearing about a new pizza place popping up. Rolling out its fourth outlet along East Coast Road, Spizza has departed from its signature rustic decor in favor of a more modern vibe, complete with full length glass walls and white-washed brick walls.

Its menu has also been spruced up: its signature thin crust pizzas now come in gondola shapes, perfect for those who like their crusts fluffy and chewy (S$19). Our Gondola Isabella (with tomatoes, mozzarella, parma ham, rucola salad) was very good, but for a stronger flavor, we’d definitely recommend the new Rebecca (S$18), a white pizza with Mozzarella cheese, Gorgonzola, cooked ham, rucola and sun-dried tomatoes—the pungency of the cheese, the saltiness of the ham, and the signature smokiness derived from its built-in wood-fired oven will put one in the mood for some Italian opera.

Isabella in Gondola Shape

Spizza also prides itself on pasta that is made in-house—those who really know their pasta will be able to appreciate its fresh, subtly eggy taste and a bouncier texture, as compared to the dried version. For March, try its flavored pasta of the month, Homemade Spinach Fettucine (S$17).

Besides the pizzas and pastas, there are a few new items on the menu, including oven-baked offerings such as the Homemade Gnocchi with Gorgonzola cheese, cream and cooked ham (S$17). The potato dumplings were wonderfully chewy, slightly salty and hence surprisingly addictive, even though it is a heavy dish, with the thick cream sauce.

Another interesting new dish is the Portobelllo Al Forno (S$12) starter—two big and juicy Portobello mushrooms slathered with Bolognese sauce and Tallegio cheese; a dash of chilli flakes added a fiery kick to its earthy flavors. We ended our meal with an improvised brownie, the Olive E Vanilla (S$7), made with olive oil instead of butter—the difference is a lighter taste, and definitely less of that all-too-familiar guilt trip we all go on after polishing the last crumbs off our dessert plates.

Spizza
217 East Coast Road
#01-01 Tides
+65 6440 8300

Two members from the sell-out vocal act Libera tell us what it’s like to be part of a traveling boys’ choir.

By Yong Yung Shin

Ralph Skan (back row, far right) and Barney Lindsell (front row, far right) are part of the popular Libera Boys’ Choir. PHOTO: Liberia.

The human voice is indeed the ultimate musical instrument, as the sell-out concerts of the Libera boys choir prove. Originating from the parish choir of St. Philip’s, Norbury, in South London, Libera comprises approximately 40 boys aged between seven and 16. They have performed in the UK, the USA, the Philippines and South Korea, and will be in town for their first performance on Singapore soil. City News speaks to Barney Lindsell, 11 and Ralph Skan, 13, about life with Libera.

How long have you been in the choir and how did you get involved with Libera?

Barney: Two and a bit years.

Ralph: I’ve been in the choir about six and a half years, I think. I came into the choir like most boys do—with an audition, at my teacher’s suggestion.

Who are your favorite singers?

Barney: Adele and Rizzle Kicks.

Ralph: Mumford and Sons—they’re a small English band and they’re quite cool.

So which has been one of your most memorable performances?

Barney: Probably at Arundel Cathedral—it was my first concert and it was me and some other mini boys and it was really good fun.

Ralph: I think that was the Papal Mass at the Yankee Stadium—that was amazing.

What is the toughest thing about being in a traveling choir?

Barney: On my first tour I was a bit unsure about being away from home, but you get used to it and it’s like a sort-of family as we are all friends.

Ralph: The hardest thing when you are traveling with a group is that everything takes so long because we have lots of tickets and passports to get through and things like that. But it’s a great experience and we always fill the time with some jokes or card tricks.

And what do you like best about being in a choir like Libera?

Barney: I get to travel the world—I’ve been to the Philippines, America and Canada, and I’ll be going to Japan and Singapore, which is quite good for one year!

Ralph: The best part of it is in the singing and touring, which may just set you up for life in a musical.

How would you describe the sound of Libera to someone who has never heard you?

Barney: Angelic, as everyone says, but it’s really all about a blend, not just solos. It’s the choir coming together to make one amazing sound.

Ralph: We have a unique sound—kind of a cross between classical and church music, and quite upbeat. We write a lot of it ourselves.

Angel Voices – Libera in Concert performs on April 6 and 7 at the Esplanade Theatre. Tickets at S$48 to S$128 from Sistic.

This is the first in a series of weekly blogs chronicling the seven-month adventure of one student of the School Of Theology 2012 at City Harvest Church. If you’re a former student, you’ll be able identify with the moments both big and small; if you’re yet to be one, perhaps this will inspire you to embark on the same journey!  

By Clinton Dixon

Students waiting to clock in on Day 1 of SOT. CN PHOTO: Yong Yung Shin.

Signs, wonders and miracles?  Catching a 6:45 a.m. MRT ride definitely counts as one! As I inched my way across the humid landscape to City Harvest Church’s Jurong West premises, I realized the west wasn’t so wild after all. On my first day of SOT, smiling faces welcomed me, handshakes abounded, and high fives were in order. (Ok, maybe on Day 2).

When your worldview generally revolves around yourself, it’s great to get a Godly dose of reality. Day 1, however, gave me an overdose of reality—the body of Christ is made up of people who don’t look like me, sound like me, pray like me and eat like me (thankfully) at all. To begin with, my name is just as hard to pronounce for my new friends as theirs were for me to pronounce.

If God was serving up humble pie on day one I think I ended up eating seconds and thirds (bill please). Over the week my Christian mindset was challenged, realigned and set in place anew. We learned a lot about the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the speaking of tongues this first week; while I came from a tongue-speaking church back in Auckland, there were nevertheless a lot of other aspects to it that were new to me, so much so that my new spiritual language all this past week was muttering “new teaching, new teaching, new teaching” to myself.

Clinton is married to Grace, has two young boys and is fast approaching middle age (but don’t tell anyone else).  He hails from the land of the long white cloud—New Zealand—and admits to having very little understanding of The Lord Of The Rings. Through his studies at SOT, he is seeking to find God’s true calling on his life.