Last month, Zumba proved to be a universal language for the members of Jesus for All Minds (JAMs).
CN PHOTOS: Terry Tan
For JAMs (Jesus for All Minds) Church member, Sharon Pan, Zumba is one of the activities that she has been wanting to try for many years but she never had an opportunity to. So when she found out that the church was collaborating with an external training provider to bring the dance workout to JAMs members, Pan could not be more happy.
After the class, the 25-year-old told City News, “I enjoyed myself very much. I like to shake to the music and it was a lot of fun.”
JAMs Church is City Harvest Church’s service for the intellectually disabled. Started with only four members in 1996 as an outreach to vulnerable segments of society, JAMs Church today has 400 members. Led by Lily Yong, a CHC pastor, JAMs Church members meet for service once a fortnight for services where they praise and worship God and listen to the preaching of God’s word.
The Zumba class we attended today was part of JAMs Church’s initiative to introduce its members to new activities to encourage them to step out of their comfort zone. Held over three Thursdays from June 4 to 18, the weekly sessions saw over 20 attendees grooving to invigorating Latin dance rhythms and Top 40s pop music.
Santhi Singararam, a ministry worker who has been serving in JAMs Church for almost two decades explained the idea behind these classes. “The JAMs Church is looking to organise a range of different activities which members can sign up for if they are interested. These activities are not compulsory, but we hope to encourage members to be more proactive and take greater ownership over their lives.”
Faith Tan, a volunteer who served during the Zumba class said, “Like some of the members, this is my first time trying out Zumba. It was really fun but what made me happier was seeing the smiles on the faces of JAMs members as they exercised. I’ve been serving in this ministry for two years and the joy and fulfillment I receive from serving is more than what I put in.”
To find out more about CHC’s JAMs Church, click here.
