Christmas is here again. Amid the frantic buzz of late night shopping and the beautiful lights of Orchard Road, I cannot help but wonder how many people really understand what it is they are celebrating. Another holiday and reason to eat, drink and be merry? A time to spend with family and friends exchanging gifts?
I am so encouraged to see what some of our members are doing this Christmas; we have not one but two teams out on missions during this special season. One team is visiting Cat and Brooks in East Asia, and another (albeit much smaller) team comprising of Moo Theng and Tim are doing an exploratory trip to Morocco with a view to seeing what are the possibilities of doing it long term. The EA team is back the day after Christmas, while Tim and Moo Theng are only back in mid-January. What a meaningful way to spend Christmas, bringing the Gospel to those who have yet to hear of the saving grace of our Lord!
Closer to home, as we run up to the Christmas service, it is also very exciting to see the bumper crop of baptismal candidates who have taken the step of faith to get baptised. This year we are looking at 15 (yes, that's right FIFTEEN!) people getting baptised, including an entire family (Philip, Angie, Felicia and Susan; Cedric was baptised two years ago). We also have several new members being baptised, after having been in our midst for a year or so. How wonderful it is to see God working in our church!
I have again been given the privilege of leading worship this coming Sunday, and approach it as usual with fear and trembling. We remember you fondly, all our dear brothers and sisters who are far away from us this Christmastime but always near in our hearts. May the Lord bless you with the joy of His presence in your midst as we rejoice at His birth.
Blessed Christmas one and all!
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Sadness in the midst of celebration
Traditionally December is a time of celebration, as we prepare for Christmas and the coming of our Lord. However, this week has been a particularly hard week for some of our church members, as two of our members mourn the passing of loved ones in the space of two days.
On Saturday night, John Oh's mother passed away after a mercifully short battle with cancer. She had been suffering from cancer for the last few months, and she was warded within the last two weeks, after the doctors discovered that she had a fractured hip bone. They had been intending to operate on her to help ease the pain, but unfortunately, complications arose, and they could not go ahead with the operation. On Saturday morning, her blood pressure fell, and her temperature went up to 40 degrees. She passed away peacefully on Saturday evening. Thankfully, John and his siblings were all around to see her. John and Jenny had already decided to withdraw from the mission trip leaving to East Asia this coming Friday night, due to his mum's condition. Thank God also that Auntie had received Christ when she was much younger.
On Sunday evening, we also received news that Johnson Tan's grandfather had passed away. He had been warded in hospital for breathing difficulties. Johnson Tan was close to his grandfather, and is deeply saddened by his passing. Thank God however that his grandfather was able to witness his wedding to Yock Chin in July this year.
Even from far away, your prayers for the family of our grieving members are much appreciated. If you would like to send your condolences to the families, please drop me a note and I will pass on your words of comfort and encouragement. This is a constant reminder to me of the urgency of sharing the gospel with our parents, family and loved ones, as we know that they will not always be with us.
On Saturday night, John Oh's mother passed away after a mercifully short battle with cancer. She had been suffering from cancer for the last few months, and she was warded within the last two weeks, after the doctors discovered that she had a fractured hip bone. They had been intending to operate on her to help ease the pain, but unfortunately, complications arose, and they could not go ahead with the operation. On Saturday morning, her blood pressure fell, and her temperature went up to 40 degrees. She passed away peacefully on Saturday evening. Thankfully, John and his siblings were all around to see her. John and Jenny had already decided to withdraw from the mission trip leaving to East Asia this coming Friday night, due to his mum's condition. Thank God also that Auntie had received Christ when she was much younger.
On Sunday evening, we also received news that Johnson Tan's grandfather had passed away. He had been warded in hospital for breathing difficulties. Johnson Tan was close to his grandfather, and is deeply saddened by his passing. Thank God however that his grandfather was able to witness his wedding to Yock Chin in July this year.
Even from far away, your prayers for the family of our grieving members are much appreciated. If you would like to send your condolences to the families, please drop me a note and I will pass on your words of comfort and encouragement. This is a constant reminder to me of the urgency of sharing the gospel with our parents, family and loved ones, as we know that they will not always be with us.
Monday, November 28, 2005
A cool COOL meeting
Our CG was asked a couple of months ago to lead this month's COOL meeting. COOL stands for Christ Our Only Love, and it is our Youth Ministry (ie the ministry that God has put in my charge!). So it was quite a challenge to think up a programme that would be fun, and entertaining for the youth. I was a little apprehensive initially, but when I saw how enthusiastically our CG reacted, I was really very encouraged.
Icebreakers were originally meant to be led by Elaine, but unfortunately she came down with something at the last minute, and so Yock Chin took over. Playing the egg to angel game was really fun, and the youth seemed to have a good time! Sandra did a good job with worship, and then Ernest took over with Word, speaking on the Helmet of Salvation, in line with the theme of the YM this year, the armour of God. His introduction was certainly something, playing the clip from Gladiator! His sharing was succint and to the point, and was a good balance between having enough substance, and not being too long, that the youth would have something to take from it.
The highlight of the event was games led by Francis. It was a variation of the passing the message, with Francis having choreographed short skits to be acted out (in time to music!) to each individual member of the team, and them passing the message, until the last person had to guess what the skit was about. It was certainly a hidden talent that Francis had, which we'd never been aware of! Jaws has never been so entertaining!!!
The whole meeting ended with refreshments prepared by Elena, and it was very much enjoyed by all who took part. I think we have really discovered the youth in us, and also realised that this is certainly an area in which we can serve. This is an encouragement especially for me, as I am still a little apprehensive about going into the Youth Ministry. Perhaps this is God's way of telling me that it is not as scary as I think it is....
Icebreakers were originally meant to be led by Elaine, but unfortunately she came down with something at the last minute, and so Yock Chin took over. Playing the egg to angel game was really fun, and the youth seemed to have a good time! Sandra did a good job with worship, and then Ernest took over with Word, speaking on the Helmet of Salvation, in line with the theme of the YM this year, the armour of God. His introduction was certainly something, playing the clip from Gladiator! His sharing was succint and to the point, and was a good balance between having enough substance, and not being too long, that the youth would have something to take from it.
The highlight of the event was games led by Francis. It was a variation of the passing the message, with Francis having choreographed short skits to be acted out (in time to music!) to each individual member of the team, and them passing the message, until the last person had to guess what the skit was about. It was certainly a hidden talent that Francis had, which we'd never been aware of! Jaws has never been so entertaining!!!
The whole meeting ended with refreshments prepared by Elena, and it was very much enjoyed by all who took part. I think we have really discovered the youth in us, and also realised that this is certainly an area in which we can serve. This is an encouragement especially for me, as I am still a little apprehensive about going into the Youth Ministry. Perhaps this is God's way of telling me that it is not as scary as I think it is....
Monday, September 26, 2005
Post from Zurich
Writing this at the end of a workday in Zurich while on a business trip brings back to mind how blessed I am in this job. I remember when I was first deciding to take this job, I told God that I wouldn't mind travelling, but not too much, and as a figure, I just threw out, "well, maybe once a quarter". True enough, this year has been exactly spot on target; I've been to HK twice this year on very productive work trips, and today after spending a day at the Zurich office, it has been great so far. Tomorrow I am still here in Zurich for another day of meetings, and on Wed I fly to Geneva for more meetings, but essentially I have been very blessed to have had a fairly realxing trip. The whole purpose of this trip has been to meet my counterparts in the Swiss offices, and to get to know them better, as well as to share some ideas with them how we work in Singapore, and it has gone down very well so far.
Sitting here, looking out the window at Lake Zurich with the sun shining outside makes me realise how good God has been to me, and how much I have to give thanks for. Have you given thanks to God today for what he has done in your life?
Sitting here, looking out the window at Lake Zurich with the sun shining outside makes me realise how good God has been to me, and how much I have to give thanks for. Have you given thanks to God today for what he has done in your life?
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
14 years of growth and harvest
I must apologise that this is a little late, as I was meaning to post this shortly after the 14th Anniversary celebrations which were held on 7 August. However, its been a busy month (that's usually my excuse!), so I suppose better late than never.
We celebrated our 14th anniversary in PHS on 7 August, and I think it is truly a sign of God's grace upon us that for a church that is currently without a lead pastor, we had not one, not even two, but FOUR pastors in attendance at our anniversary service. It was particularly special for several reasons, because we had two of our founding pastors back from Canada and the US (both Ps Chee Hian and Ps Maggie were back!), and in addition, we had two of our NEW pastors, who have been long serving members of our congregation, Ps Srimal and Ps Veron. Ps Maggie delivered the message, and it was such a joy to see and hear her familiar sermon from behind the pulpit; it was certainly a sight that we have long missed.
In the afternoon, we had games which were organised by Simon and his committee; there was a volleyball tournament, and also captains ball for the ladies. There was also an impromptu football game set up on the basketball court. The games were followed by a sumptous dinner spread catered to allow everyone to enjoy, relax and just soak up the atmosphere.
In the midst of the celebration, it was a good time to remember how we have grown as a church over the last 14 years, and I think for me particularly, the most encouraging sign of our mission here is to see members of our pioneer batch of PHS students stepping up into leadership in the church, with one pastor (Ps Srimal) and one deacon (Dn Nai De). To me, they embody the promise that God has made to us in this ministry that He will not allow our message to fall on barren ground. Also encouraging to me is that I can no longer say that I know everyone in the congregation by name; every week we see new faces who come and visit, and stay. Truly, God is bringing people hungry for the word into our midst. As one of my cell members so aptly put it, "God does not build a big church to leave it empty".
Here's to another blessed 14 years and more in this ministry that God has called us to.
We celebrated our 14th anniversary in PHS on 7 August, and I think it is truly a sign of God's grace upon us that for a church that is currently without a lead pastor, we had not one, not even two, but FOUR pastors in attendance at our anniversary service. It was particularly special for several reasons, because we had two of our founding pastors back from Canada and the US (both Ps Chee Hian and Ps Maggie were back!), and in addition, we had two of our NEW pastors, who have been long serving members of our congregation, Ps Srimal and Ps Veron. Ps Maggie delivered the message, and it was such a joy to see and hear her familiar sermon from behind the pulpit; it was certainly a sight that we have long missed.
In the afternoon, we had games which were organised by Simon and his committee; there was a volleyball tournament, and also captains ball for the ladies. There was also an impromptu football game set up on the basketball court. The games were followed by a sumptous dinner spread catered to allow everyone to enjoy, relax and just soak up the atmosphere.
In the midst of the celebration, it was a good time to remember how we have grown as a church over the last 14 years, and I think for me particularly, the most encouraging sign of our mission here is to see members of our pioneer batch of PHS students stepping up into leadership in the church, with one pastor (Ps Srimal) and one deacon (Dn Nai De). To me, they embody the promise that God has made to us in this ministry that He will not allow our message to fall on barren ground. Also encouraging to me is that I can no longer say that I know everyone in the congregation by name; every week we see new faces who come and visit, and stay. Truly, God is bringing people hungry for the word into our midst. As one of my cell members so aptly put it, "God does not build a big church to leave it empty".
Here's to another blessed 14 years and more in this ministry that God has called us to.
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
EDC Installation Service
Last Sunday the new Elders and Deacons Courts committee was installed during the Sunday service. The service was conducted by Rev Keith Lai, and it was a fitting gesture as well, because he was able to share personally about how he had been encouraged by the newly elected Elders, and how they had been faithfully serving since he had known them.
For the rest of us, it was an eye-opener as well, because there were vows that we had to make to be accountable to the church, and also vows that the church had to make to support us! So now they can't run away from hard decisions that we may have to make.... *grin*
Now would probably be a good time to also address the question that Ashley raised the last time, about the difference in roles between Elders and Deacons. I think the best answer is that as supplied by the bible, in 1 Tim 3:1-13, which by the way refers to Elders as overseers. Essentially, the difference is that Elders are sort of like the senior leaders who oversee the running of the church and in their wisdom set church policy and vision, and the deacons are the ones who actually carry out the execution of the vision of the church, by heading the ministries and spearheading the work. This will become clearer later when I share the roles and responsibilities of the individuals in the EDC below.
The EDC's duties have been divided as follows:
Chairman: Eld Danny
Admin Portfolios
Personnel: Eld Soh Keng
Chapel Building: Eld David
Treasurer: Eld Lester
Asst Treasurer: Dn Michael
Ministry Portfolios
Worship: Dn Nai De )Elder Danny
Welcome: Dn Simon )
Mission: Eld Lester )Eld Lester
Adult CG: Eld Lester )
Youth: Dn Michael ) Eld David
Family: Dn Vincent )
Children: Dn Melvin )
The names on the right denote the Elders in charge, for example, Eld Danny is overseeing Worship and Welcome, etc. (Hope I have not left out anyone!), but of course, we will all be working together as a committee to support one another as and when needs arise. There is a long story as to how I ended up as the Deacon heading the Youth Ministry, but that's for another post. Suffice to say that I have learnt that where God says to go, I will go.
I am excited (and apprehensive) about working with the Youth and the Youth leaders as this is not an area that I expected to be involved in. I have however been encouraged by many people who have affirmed me in this area, and I am also very mindful of the fact that when God calls me out of my comfort zone, He has never failed to provide me with grace, wisdom and a healthy dose of reliance on Him to see me through whatever challenges I face. So, in faith I have jumped into the Youth Ministry and I am looking forward to seeing how God can work in me and through me to touch lives, and in the process make me grow in faith as well.
Your prayers are important to us as a committee as we are in the run up to planning for next year, both at ministry level as well as at EDC level, and we covet your prayer support and encouragement. May you be blessed as richly as I have been with God's presence.
For the rest of us, it was an eye-opener as well, because there were vows that we had to make to be accountable to the church, and also vows that the church had to make to support us! So now they can't run away from hard decisions that we may have to make.... *grin*
Now would probably be a good time to also address the question that Ashley raised the last time, about the difference in roles between Elders and Deacons. I think the best answer is that as supplied by the bible, in 1 Tim 3:1-13, which by the way refers to Elders as overseers. Essentially, the difference is that Elders are sort of like the senior leaders who oversee the running of the church and in their wisdom set church policy and vision, and the deacons are the ones who actually carry out the execution of the vision of the church, by heading the ministries and spearheading the work. This will become clearer later when I share the roles and responsibilities of the individuals in the EDC below.
The EDC's duties have been divided as follows:
Chairman: Eld Danny
Admin Portfolios
Personnel: Eld Soh Keng
Chapel Building: Eld David
Treasurer: Eld Lester
Asst Treasurer: Dn Michael
Ministry Portfolios
Worship: Dn Nai De )Elder Danny
Welcome: Dn Simon )
Mission: Eld Lester )Eld Lester
Adult CG: Eld Lester )
Youth: Dn Michael ) Eld David
Family: Dn Vincent )
Children: Dn Melvin )
The names on the right denote the Elders in charge, for example, Eld Danny is overseeing Worship and Welcome, etc. (Hope I have not left out anyone!), but of course, we will all be working together as a committee to support one another as and when needs arise. There is a long story as to how I ended up as the Deacon heading the Youth Ministry, but that's for another post. Suffice to say that I have learnt that where God says to go, I will go.
I am excited (and apprehensive) about working with the Youth and the Youth leaders as this is not an area that I expected to be involved in. I have however been encouraged by many people who have affirmed me in this area, and I am also very mindful of the fact that when God calls me out of my comfort zone, He has never failed to provide me with grace, wisdom and a healthy dose of reliance on Him to see me through whatever challenges I face. So, in faith I have jumped into the Youth Ministry and I am looking forward to seeing how God can work in me and through me to touch lives, and in the process make me grow in faith as well.
Your prayers are important to us as a committee as we are in the run up to planning for next year, both at ministry level as well as at EDC level, and we covet your prayer support and encouragement. May you be blessed as richly as I have been with God's presence.
Monday, July 25, 2005
Wedding Bells
Last Saturday was the long awaited wedding of Johnson and Yock Chin. Thank God that everything turned out well, in the midst of the logistical nightmare that surrounded the wedding. It was also the PHS Carnival on the same day (so there were thousands of people in school, both students and guests), and at night, their dinner was held at the Grand Plaza Hotel, which is near Funan Centre. Unfortunately it was also the day of the full dress rehearsal for the National Day Parade held at the Padang, so most of the surrounding roads were closed. Despite these obstacles, most of the guests managed to turn up on time for both church wedding as well as the dinner.
I started the day with Johnson at 7am, as the best man-cum-designated driver. It was a long tiring day, but it was a great joy to be part of the celebration, and I was privileged to be able to be by their side most of the day, as they went through the various ceremonies. The church was beautifully decorated, thanks to the hard work of Elena and team, who had spent most of Friday afternoon and evening turning our already beautiful sanctuary into a garden of hanging vines, candlelit pathways and lovely flowers.
The word was shared with us by Pastor Maggie, who very creatively wove into the message both the colour theme of the wedding (green) and the important message of how our God draws us near to him in his love. Pastor Maggie had stepped in at the last minute after we had found out that Elder Paul would not be around for the wedding.
This wedding was special because there was not one but TWO special items. First, in church there was a video clip shown where Micky and Sandra had gotten many of our church members to hum love tunes to wish the couple well. It was wonderfully received and brought tears to the eyes of the couple. And then during the dinner, some of us managed to surprise the couple by putting up an a capella song item by Micky, Joe, Clement and myself.
To Mr and Mrs Johnson Tan, our blessings and wishes that God will continue to hold them in the palm of his hand as they begin their married life together. Photos will no doubt be out soon, and I will endeavour to post them on this blog for all of you. The couple will leave for their honeymoon in NZ for 11 days next week.
I started the day with Johnson at 7am, as the best man-cum-designated driver. It was a long tiring day, but it was a great joy to be part of the celebration, and I was privileged to be able to be by their side most of the day, as they went through the various ceremonies. The church was beautifully decorated, thanks to the hard work of Elena and team, who had spent most of Friday afternoon and evening turning our already beautiful sanctuary into a garden of hanging vines, candlelit pathways and lovely flowers.
The word was shared with us by Pastor Maggie, who very creatively wove into the message both the colour theme of the wedding (green) and the important message of how our God draws us near to him in his love. Pastor Maggie had stepped in at the last minute after we had found out that Elder Paul would not be around for the wedding.
This wedding was special because there was not one but TWO special items. First, in church there was a video clip shown where Micky and Sandra had gotten many of our church members to hum love tunes to wish the couple well. It was wonderfully received and brought tears to the eyes of the couple. And then during the dinner, some of us managed to surprise the couple by putting up an a capella song item by Micky, Joe, Clement and myself.
To Mr and Mrs Johnson Tan, our blessings and wishes that God will continue to hold them in the palm of his hand as they begin their married life together. Photos will no doubt be out soon, and I will endeavour to post them on this blog for all of you. The couple will leave for their honeymoon in NZ for 11 days next week.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
TRi Photos
The photos for the triathlon are out. Naturally this year as part of my training routine, I have also practiced posing for photos knowing full well from last year that they would catch me in all sorts of grotesque facial contortions as I huffed and puffed my way through it, so I must say I'm quite pleased with some of the photos. As you can see, the cool, practised thumbs up has paid dividends, even though I was on the verge of collapse....
Follow this link, and key in my competitor number, which is 1361, and you can see all the photos.
www.sportsphotox.com
Follow this link, and key in my competitor number, which is 1361, and you can see all the photos.
www.sportsphotox.com
Sunday, July 03, 2005
TRI'd it again
I must be getting mad as I grow older, as I signed up once again for the OSIM Triathlon which was just held over the previous weekend. This time round, I signed up for the Sprint event, which is a half distance triathlon, comprising a 750m swim, 20km cycle and 5km run. Sounds mad I know, but my wife has always said that there is a masochistic streak in me, and truth to tell, I do realise that myself.
Honestly, I have since my NUS days wanted to take part and complete a proper triathlon and in many ways it was a dream come true for me to do this. I have been training for the event for about three months, and it felt so good to cross the finish line on Saturday after all that intense preparation. I had set myself a target of between 1hr 50 mins and 2 hours, and I came in at 1 hr 56mins, based on official timing, which is perfect. I had to make some adjustments for a last minute change in bike, (see below), but in any case, it was within my target. I am quite happy with myself, and its an achievement for me. Perhaps I will do it again next year, and improve on my timing.
What I enjoy most about the triathlon is that it is a multi-disciplinary race. Those of you who know me will know that I am someone who likes to dabble in different things and have a short attention span for any one particular subject (I know, I used to drive my teachers crazy!) because I would pick up something very quickly, become competent (but never excellent) at it, and find something else to do. Examples...I can play the drums, the guitar and the piano, but none particularly well. I can play tennis, badminton, squash, bowl, football, hockey....but none particularly well....you get the drift? So, the triathlon is an ideal sport for me, because it forces me to be competent enough in each sport to survive a gruelling trial. Take it from me, its no joke to swim 750m in the sea and then get on a bike and pedal 20km, and THEN run 5km....
I must also thank God for His wonderful timing as usual. I'd borrowed a racing bike from my friend in preparation for the race, and as I was making final equipment checks on Friday night, I'd realised that I had a flat tire on the bike! This was almost 11pm, and naturally I was panicking and trying to figure out what to do, as I would have been really dissappointed if I'd had to miss the race. I ended up calling around, but to no avail, until finally in the morning at 7.30 I got in touch with Jeffrey Chua from our church who was also doing the triathlon but the mini event. I would have been able to take the bike from him after he'd finished, but it would be a rental bike and a mountain bike at that, which would have meant much heavier than the racer I'd been planning to use. Over 20km, this can be a substantial difference in timing. And it would also have been cutting it very very fine, as Jeff's event probably ended about 10.15, and mine would have started at 10.30.
Thank God, at 8.15, as we were getting into the car to go, my friend called, and upon hearing my plight, immediately offered to lend me his $1,000 mountain bike! Although not ideal, it was still much better than a rental bike, and it was much lighter too. So I picked it up, and zoomed off down to the triathlon at East Coast. It was really in the nick of time.
Anyway, I'm toying with the idea of doing this again next year but in a faster time (I can hear Elena going "I knew it!"). Immediately after the event, I promised myself I wouldn't do this again ever...she said, give it six months and you'll have forgotten the pain. See, she knows me better than I know myself....but next event on the horizon is the Standard Chartered Marathon at the end of the year, for which we are running the 10km. That's where all the training is going....
Honestly, I have since my NUS days wanted to take part and complete a proper triathlon and in many ways it was a dream come true for me to do this. I have been training for the event for about three months, and it felt so good to cross the finish line on Saturday after all that intense preparation. I had set myself a target of between 1hr 50 mins and 2 hours, and I came in at 1 hr 56mins, based on official timing, which is perfect. I had to make some adjustments for a last minute change in bike, (see below), but in any case, it was within my target. I am quite happy with myself, and its an achievement for me. Perhaps I will do it again next year, and improve on my timing.
What I enjoy most about the triathlon is that it is a multi-disciplinary race. Those of you who know me will know that I am someone who likes to dabble in different things and have a short attention span for any one particular subject (I know, I used to drive my teachers crazy!) because I would pick up something very quickly, become competent (but never excellent) at it, and find something else to do. Examples...I can play the drums, the guitar and the piano, but none particularly well. I can play tennis, badminton, squash, bowl, football, hockey....but none particularly well....you get the drift? So, the triathlon is an ideal sport for me, because it forces me to be competent enough in each sport to survive a gruelling trial. Take it from me, its no joke to swim 750m in the sea and then get on a bike and pedal 20km, and THEN run 5km....
I must also thank God for His wonderful timing as usual. I'd borrowed a racing bike from my friend in preparation for the race, and as I was making final equipment checks on Friday night, I'd realised that I had a flat tire on the bike! This was almost 11pm, and naturally I was panicking and trying to figure out what to do, as I would have been really dissappointed if I'd had to miss the race. I ended up calling around, but to no avail, until finally in the morning at 7.30 I got in touch with Jeffrey Chua from our church who was also doing the triathlon but the mini event. I would have been able to take the bike from him after he'd finished, but it would be a rental bike and a mountain bike at that, which would have meant much heavier than the racer I'd been planning to use. Over 20km, this can be a substantial difference in timing. And it would also have been cutting it very very fine, as Jeff's event probably ended about 10.15, and mine would have started at 10.30.
Thank God, at 8.15, as we were getting into the car to go, my friend called, and upon hearing my plight, immediately offered to lend me his $1,000 mountain bike! Although not ideal, it was still much better than a rental bike, and it was much lighter too. So I picked it up, and zoomed off down to the triathlon at East Coast. It was really in the nick of time.
Anyway, I'm toying with the idea of doing this again next year but in a faster time (I can hear Elena going "I knew it!"). Immediately after the event, I promised myself I wouldn't do this again ever...she said, give it six months and you'll have forgotten the pain. See, she knows me better than I know myself....but next event on the horizon is the Standard Chartered Marathon at the end of the year, for which we are running the 10km. That's where all the training is going....
Monday, June 27, 2005
Coming of Age
Sunday 26 June 2005 was a very special day in our calendar in AMKPC. It was our inaugural AGM and elections, after having been part of Covenant's AGM for the last 13 years. It was held in the seminar room in PHS, and was well attended by our members. We achieved a quorum of over 80%, and most of those who could not attend made their apologies well in advance.
As expected the voting took place without any great fanfare, and I am pleased to announce that each and every one of the nominees were elected into office with votes far exceeding the required quota of 2/3 for the elders and 50% for the deacons. As such, the new Elders and Deacons Committee now comprises:
1. Elder Mary Ng Soh Kheng
2. Elder Danny Teo
3. Elder Lester Ting
4. Elder David Tan
5. Deacon Vincent Goh
6. Deacon Simon Yip
7. Deacon Alan Tham Nai De
8. Deacon Melvin Chan
9.Deacon Michael Low
Honestly for me, it is a very humbling experience to be entrusted with the shepherding of God's people, and I am thankful for the opportunity to serve in this capacity. I am also very thankful that it seems that in many ways, God has been preparing me and equipping me to serve in this ministry. I hope and pray that I will be able to meet all that is expected of me from God, and from the congregation.
Thank God for blessing this church with an abundance of talent and Godly leaders. It is my privilege to be able to work with them. Your prayers are very much appreciated for us to be able to work well together, to discern God's direction for this church, and for the wisdom to carry out God's plans to fruition.
As expected the voting took place without any great fanfare, and I am pleased to announce that each and every one of the nominees were elected into office with votes far exceeding the required quota of 2/3 for the elders and 50% for the deacons. As such, the new Elders and Deacons Committee now comprises:
1. Elder Mary Ng Soh Kheng
2. Elder Danny Teo
3. Elder Lester Ting
4. Elder David Tan
5. Deacon Vincent Goh
6. Deacon Simon Yip
7. Deacon Alan Tham Nai De
8. Deacon Melvin Chan
9.Deacon Michael Low
Honestly for me, it is a very humbling experience to be entrusted with the shepherding of God's people, and I am thankful for the opportunity to serve in this capacity. I am also very thankful that it seems that in many ways, God has been preparing me and equipping me to serve in this ministry. I hope and pray that I will be able to meet all that is expected of me from God, and from the congregation.
Thank God for blessing this church with an abundance of talent and Godly leaders. It is my privilege to be able to work with them. Your prayers are very much appreciated for us to be able to work well together, to discern God's direction for this church, and for the wisdom to carry out God's plans to fruition.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
The secret to youthfulness....acting like one
I think we've discovered the secret to youthfulness....acting like one. Alternatively, if you want a reminder of how old you are, that works too...running around with youth half our age is certainly one way to feel younger (or older, depending on your perspective).
We spent last weekend from Friday afternoon to Sunday night at Youth Camp with the Youth Ministry. It was a great time of fun, fellowship and getting to know our youth better. The camp theme was "Transformer", and honestly, it has been such a long time since I've been to a youth camp, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. One of my major fears was that I would not be able to connect with the youth, but I think on hindsight, thanks be to God, that was not the case. We had great fun with the youth, the campsite was nice (we were in 4 chalets at Aloha Changi), and the speaker was excellent.
Thanks to the Chew sisters Stephanie and Sharon, they managed to secure Mr Lim Chien Chong, National Director of Singapore Youth For Christ to be our camp speaker. Over the two days that he spoke to us, I think many of us, young and old obtained new insights into the word of God. The theme verse of the camp was 1 John 4:19 "We love because He first loved us", and I think he did an excellent job of driving home this message. He spoke about what is God's definition of love, and more importantly, how to live it out in our daily lives.
Naturally being a youth camp, the worship sessions were definitely enjoyable, and the games were very well planned and run. We had a large turnout of adult helpers this time round, as some of us felt that we needed to build bridges with the youth, so we actually had enough adult helpers to spread out at least one to a group, and most groups had two. Adults who turned up were Micky, Sandra, Ming Tze, Beng Li, Pauline, CK, Eld Paul, Jerry, Elena and myself.
The games were really fun too and I think we all had a great time. One of the highlights of the camp was the "Amazing Race" that was held around Changi Village all the way back to camp. Some of the things we were required to do was to greet 10 foreigners as a group with the message, "Hello, God Bless You". My group was very amused when we ran up to this group of Australians, and before we could get a word in, we were greeted with loud cheerful "Hello, God bless you!" Another highlight (if it can be called that!) was when my group was scared off by a huge UNLEASHED German Shepherd bounding up the slope towards us barking for all it was worth. It was certainly an exciting game....
We finally got home on Sunday night at 12.45pm, tired, but certainly having had a great weekend with the young members of our church. I definitely feel too old for this, but would I do it again? I'll let you know in about a year.....after I've recovered. Thanks certainly must go to Clement, William and their committee for putting in so much hard work to plan and run this camp. Join us next year!
We spent last weekend from Friday afternoon to Sunday night at Youth Camp with the Youth Ministry. It was a great time of fun, fellowship and getting to know our youth better. The camp theme was "Transformer", and honestly, it has been such a long time since I've been to a youth camp, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. One of my major fears was that I would not be able to connect with the youth, but I think on hindsight, thanks be to God, that was not the case. We had great fun with the youth, the campsite was nice (we were in 4 chalets at Aloha Changi), and the speaker was excellent.
Thanks to the Chew sisters Stephanie and Sharon, they managed to secure Mr Lim Chien Chong, National Director of Singapore Youth For Christ to be our camp speaker. Over the two days that he spoke to us, I think many of us, young and old obtained new insights into the word of God. The theme verse of the camp was 1 John 4:19 "We love because He first loved us", and I think he did an excellent job of driving home this message. He spoke about what is God's definition of love, and more importantly, how to live it out in our daily lives.
Naturally being a youth camp, the worship sessions were definitely enjoyable, and the games were very well planned and run. We had a large turnout of adult helpers this time round, as some of us felt that we needed to build bridges with the youth, so we actually had enough adult helpers to spread out at least one to a group, and most groups had two. Adults who turned up were Micky, Sandra, Ming Tze, Beng Li, Pauline, CK, Eld Paul, Jerry, Elena and myself.
The games were really fun too and I think we all had a great time. One of the highlights of the camp was the "Amazing Race" that was held around Changi Village all the way back to camp. Some of the things we were required to do was to greet 10 foreigners as a group with the message, "Hello, God Bless You". My group was very amused when we ran up to this group of Australians, and before we could get a word in, we were greeted with loud cheerful "Hello, God bless you!" Another highlight (if it can be called that!) was when my group was scared off by a huge UNLEASHED German Shepherd bounding up the slope towards us barking for all it was worth. It was certainly an exciting game....
We finally got home on Sunday night at 12.45pm, tired, but certainly having had a great weekend with the young members of our church. I definitely feel too old for this, but would I do it again? I'll let you know in about a year.....after I've recovered. Thanks certainly must go to Clement, William and their committee for putting in so much hard work to plan and run this camp. Join us next year!
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
With fear and trembling...
The new deacon-elects and elder-elects were introduced in church on Sunday. I'm sure many of you already can guess who they are, but just to confirm it:
Elders: Danny, David and Lester
Deacons: Melvin, Naide and myself
Jeffrey has asked to step down, as he is in the midst of making a major decision regarding work and family. Simon has agreed to stand for election again for a 2nd term, and Vincent's term has not ended yet. I am looking forward to working with all these steadfast men of God, and I hope to learn much from them as we work together in servanthood.
I titled this posting the way it is because I've really come to realise that this calling is a great responsibility to shepherd God's people and to serve them, and that constantly reminds me of who I am accountable to. I guess for me, it was a realisation that started when I was shepherding a cell group, and now it has grown even bigger. Its fitting that this week, I've spent preparing a lesson on John 3 verse 22 onwards, where John the Baptist talks about Jesus' ministry for tonight's cell group. The verse that struck home as I was preparing was John 3: 30 "He must become greater, I must become less".
It is a reminder to me that as God calls me to more areas of service, more and more I should fade into the background for His glory to be seen. Hence my approach to this new area of service with fear and trembling.
More sad news, is that Elder Paul will be taking a leave of absence for a period of 2 to 3 years, as he has been asked to relocate to Taiwan with his whole family for work. As such, we will certainly miss his insight and direction in leading the committee together with Eld Soh Keng. He of course remains an Elder (which is a life appointment), and once he is back, will be back in the thick of things again.
Please pray along with us as a whole committee as we work together, especially in the absence of a pastor, for unity and accountability, and humility as we serve the church.
Elders: Danny, David and Lester
Deacons: Melvin, Naide and myself
Jeffrey has asked to step down, as he is in the midst of making a major decision regarding work and family. Simon has agreed to stand for election again for a 2nd term, and Vincent's term has not ended yet. I am looking forward to working with all these steadfast men of God, and I hope to learn much from them as we work together in servanthood.
I titled this posting the way it is because I've really come to realise that this calling is a great responsibility to shepherd God's people and to serve them, and that constantly reminds me of who I am accountable to. I guess for me, it was a realisation that started when I was shepherding a cell group, and now it has grown even bigger. Its fitting that this week, I've spent preparing a lesson on John 3 verse 22 onwards, where John the Baptist talks about Jesus' ministry for tonight's cell group. The verse that struck home as I was preparing was John 3: 30 "He must become greater, I must become less".
It is a reminder to me that as God calls me to more areas of service, more and more I should fade into the background for His glory to be seen. Hence my approach to this new area of service with fear and trembling.
More sad news, is that Elder Paul will be taking a leave of absence for a period of 2 to 3 years, as he has been asked to relocate to Taiwan with his whole family for work. As such, we will certainly miss his insight and direction in leading the committee together with Eld Soh Keng. He of course remains an Elder (which is a life appointment), and once he is back, will be back in the thick of things again.
Please pray along with us as a whole committee as we work together, especially in the absence of a pastor, for unity and accountability, and humility as we serve the church.
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Called Home-Christopher Tan
Our dear friend and brother Christopher Tan was called home to be with the Lord at 5.25am on Tues, 17 May 2005, after battling with leukaemia for the last year. How he lived his life was reflected in the way that he was sent off. I have never seen so many people at a funeral wake before, and I have no doubt that each and every one of the friends and relatives who turned up were touched in some way, big or small by this incredible young man.
How does one remember a life that was so vibrant, so full of zest and truly larger than life? As I write this, my mind is filled with snippets of Chris in action, running the church watchnight, escorting the BB colours down the aisle, preparing to go overseas on his mission trips.
I remember when he first shared with Elena and myself his intention to go on staff with Crusade. Being former Crusaders ourselves, we were overjoyed to see this dynamic young man laying down his life for God, and we truly believed that God would use him to do mighty things.
I remember when he organised and ran the church watchnight service that we had one year, where there was karaoke in the canteen, and he was so enthusiastic and so proud to introduce Winnie to us.
I remember a conversation I had with him, which left a very deep impact in my mind, where he shared with me that he would not give to God something that would cost him nothing. As I remember him now in life, I realise how much he lived by this creed. He never did anything in half measure, and in everything that he did, he would pour his heart and soul into it. As I watched the video of him, nowhere was it more evident that even in his illness, he would seek to glorify God.
One of my last conversations with him earlier this year was when we were discussing the triathlon, and we were talking about doing it together next year when he got better. Those of us who knew Chris would know that he loved doing these things, from biathlons to runs and other such gruelling events. He loved challenging himself. I may not get to do the triathlon with him, but I know that he has run a far more significant race, and run it exceedingly well, that God is well pleased with him.
This year, as I do the triathlon, I will be thinking of Chris, and I know that he will be with me in spirit. Meet me at the finishing line, brother.
To Auntie Doreen, Uncle Desmond, Frederick and Winnie, we share your grief at Chris' departure, but we rejoice knowing that we will meet him again in the company of angels. You should be very proud of him for the way that he lived his life, and for the lives that he touched. We will certainly miss him too, for he was such a big part of our lives in church, but we know that he lives on in each one of us.
How does one remember a life that was so vibrant, so full of zest and truly larger than life? As I write this, my mind is filled with snippets of Chris in action, running the church watchnight, escorting the BB colours down the aisle, preparing to go overseas on his mission trips.
I remember when he first shared with Elena and myself his intention to go on staff with Crusade. Being former Crusaders ourselves, we were overjoyed to see this dynamic young man laying down his life for God, and we truly believed that God would use him to do mighty things.
I remember when he organised and ran the church watchnight service that we had one year, where there was karaoke in the canteen, and he was so enthusiastic and so proud to introduce Winnie to us.
I remember a conversation I had with him, which left a very deep impact in my mind, where he shared with me that he would not give to God something that would cost him nothing. As I remember him now in life, I realise how much he lived by this creed. He never did anything in half measure, and in everything that he did, he would pour his heart and soul into it. As I watched the video of him, nowhere was it more evident that even in his illness, he would seek to glorify God.
One of my last conversations with him earlier this year was when we were discussing the triathlon, and we were talking about doing it together next year when he got better. Those of us who knew Chris would know that he loved doing these things, from biathlons to runs and other such gruelling events. He loved challenging himself. I may not get to do the triathlon with him, but I know that he has run a far more significant race, and run it exceedingly well, that God is well pleased with him.
This year, as I do the triathlon, I will be thinking of Chris, and I know that he will be with me in spirit. Meet me at the finishing line, brother.
To Auntie Doreen, Uncle Desmond, Frederick and Winnie, we share your grief at Chris' departure, but we rejoice knowing that we will meet him again in the company of angels. You should be very proud of him for the way that he lived his life, and for the lives that he touched. We will certainly miss him too, for he was such a big part of our lives in church, but we know that he lives on in each one of us.
Thursday, May 12, 2005
The Mad Month of May
As usual, my apologies for the lack of updates, but so far its been a fairly crazy few weeks. Enrolment service was on 27 April, and it was very well attended; we managed to fill the church to the brim with parents and members of the Boys and Girl's Brigade. We estimate that we had about 400 guests on that day, not including the BB/GB members. Sandra and Nai De did a good job of being MCs and Rev Keith's sermon was well received. Service was followed by parade where awards were presented, and then lunch which was catered.
The following week, being Labour day weekend, my cell group was away for our CG retreat; we were in JB, in this fantastic big house with 5 bedrooms and huge living rooms. It was a good time of enjoying time with each other and spending time with God as well; some of the highlights of the retreat were the daily QT and devotionals, our own CG prayer meeting where we prayed for ourselves as individuals, as a Cell Group and also the church. Of course, there was also the standard water bomb fights (how can we have a retreat without this....), except that this time round it was even better. The house came with a pool, so we were just sitting on opposite sides of the pool tying water bombs and flinging them at each other! In the midst of that, Elena and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary...how time flies!
Last weekend was the Mother's Day celebration dinner, which was very well attended. We had 32 tables in total, and it was held at Noble House Restaurant. The kids and the youth each put up entertaining items, but the highlight of the night was surely the sharing and testimonies by the various members of Breakthrough ministries. Breakthrough are a group of rehabilitated drug addicts whose mission it is now to share the good news, and they were truly anointed as they shared their testimonies. Every eye in the restaurant was riveted to the speaker as one of them shared, and another testimony was shared by one of their mothers, and last but certainly not least, when Pastor Simon Neo shared a short exhortation too, to cap a meaningful night. First feedback is that 5 people prayed to receive Christ, and another 12 indicated that they would like to find out more. Thank you for praying for this event with us!
Finally, AGM has been postponed to last weekend of June, and there will be the election of three new deacons and also three more elders from the current church committee. The three new deacons standing for election are Melvin, Nai De and myself. After much prayer and seeking God, Elena and I felt that God was prompting us to step up in areas of service, and so we agreed to running for election. I saw we, because as with all things that we approach, it is a joint ministry, because everything that I am involved in takes time away from Elena, and so it is a decision that we have to make jointly. Likewise in my new role as deacon, there are also expectations of her in her role as a deacon's wife. So, yes, it was a decision that we made jointly.
Please pray for us, and the church committee as a whole as we work together in serving the church and shepherding God's people in a way that pleases Him. Do let us know how you guys are doing too!
The following week, being Labour day weekend, my cell group was away for our CG retreat; we were in JB, in this fantastic big house with 5 bedrooms and huge living rooms. It was a good time of enjoying time with each other and spending time with God as well; some of the highlights of the retreat were the daily QT and devotionals, our own CG prayer meeting where we prayed for ourselves as individuals, as a Cell Group and also the church. Of course, there was also the standard water bomb fights (how can we have a retreat without this....), except that this time round it was even better. The house came with a pool, so we were just sitting on opposite sides of the pool tying water bombs and flinging them at each other! In the midst of that, Elena and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary...how time flies!
Last weekend was the Mother's Day celebration dinner, which was very well attended. We had 32 tables in total, and it was held at Noble House Restaurant. The kids and the youth each put up entertaining items, but the highlight of the night was surely the sharing and testimonies by the various members of Breakthrough ministries. Breakthrough are a group of rehabilitated drug addicts whose mission it is now to share the good news, and they were truly anointed as they shared their testimonies. Every eye in the restaurant was riveted to the speaker as one of them shared, and another testimony was shared by one of their mothers, and last but certainly not least, when Pastor Simon Neo shared a short exhortation too, to cap a meaningful night. First feedback is that 5 people prayed to receive Christ, and another 12 indicated that they would like to find out more. Thank you for praying for this event with us!
Finally, AGM has been postponed to last weekend of June, and there will be the election of three new deacons and also three more elders from the current church committee. The three new deacons standing for election are Melvin, Nai De and myself. After much prayer and seeking God, Elena and I felt that God was prompting us to step up in areas of service, and so we agreed to running for election. I saw we, because as with all things that we approach, it is a joint ministry, because everything that I am involved in takes time away from Elena, and so it is a decision that we have to make jointly. Likewise in my new role as deacon, there are also expectations of her in her role as a deacon's wife. So, yes, it was a decision that we made jointly.
Please pray for us, and the church committee as a whole as we work together in serving the church and shepherding God's people in a way that pleases Him. Do let us know how you guys are doing too!
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
I must admit I have been less than diligent in keeping this blog up to date, for which I apologise profusely. It has so far been a busy month in the church calendar.
We had our first large scale church gathering at our house for the Worship Ministry retreat (ie excuse to feast!) on 2 April. It was a great turnout, and at full strength, we must have had 25 people, 5 kids and 3 dogs in the house! But, it was a good time of gathering and fellowshipping together as a ministry, and the word shared by Danny was very appropriate, reminding us of our first love for God. The other highlight of the evening was watching the oldest member of the Youth Minstry (Steven Loh) take on the oldest member of the Worship Ministry (Danny) at Twister. A close fight, but experience triumped over age (ie Danny won...). I promise to upload photos once I've figured up how to host them on this site.
We have also been having follow up training in church conducted by Ps Bess over the last two Sundays so far, with one more to come this week. This is as a continuation of the evangelistic training that was started around CNY. So far the sessions have been very interesting (as always is with Bess) and certainly useful.
Next week is BB/GB Enrolment and Dedication Service. We are expecting the biggest turnout ever, as we finally have enough space to house everyone. Invitations have been sent to parents of ALL members of both companies (usually its only parents of sec ones), so we are really hosting a big service this time round. Rev Keith will be preaching an evangelistic sermon, so we have all been praying for openness for the parents who are coming. On a personal note, I will be glad when this service is over, as Elena has been in charge of this event, and as usual, we come as a package....
Finally, preparations for Mother's Day evangelistic outreach are coming to a head. Registrations are open for the dinner on 8 May, to be held at Noble House restaurant. The programme looks really interesting because we have invited members from Breakthrough ministries to share their testimonies. More exciting is the fact that we have also invited one of their member's mothers to share her testimony about how she saw the change that God made in her son's life and thereafter decided to accept Christ. We are really looking forward to this event, and hope and pray that it will reap a mighty harvest!
Your prayers for these events are coveted even from afar, and we hope that you will continue to be in partnership with us in AMK. Feel free to post your comments to this blog, to let all of us know how you are doing!
We had our first large scale church gathering at our house for the Worship Ministry retreat (ie excuse to feast!) on 2 April. It was a great turnout, and at full strength, we must have had 25 people, 5 kids and 3 dogs in the house! But, it was a good time of gathering and fellowshipping together as a ministry, and the word shared by Danny was very appropriate, reminding us of our first love for God. The other highlight of the evening was watching the oldest member of the Youth Minstry (Steven Loh) take on the oldest member of the Worship Ministry (Danny) at Twister. A close fight, but experience triumped over age (ie Danny won...). I promise to upload photos once I've figured up how to host them on this site.
We have also been having follow up training in church conducted by Ps Bess over the last two Sundays so far, with one more to come this week. This is as a continuation of the evangelistic training that was started around CNY. So far the sessions have been very interesting (as always is with Bess) and certainly useful.
Next week is BB/GB Enrolment and Dedication Service. We are expecting the biggest turnout ever, as we finally have enough space to house everyone. Invitations have been sent to parents of ALL members of both companies (usually its only parents of sec ones), so we are really hosting a big service this time round. Rev Keith will be preaching an evangelistic sermon, so we have all been praying for openness for the parents who are coming. On a personal note, I will be glad when this service is over, as Elena has been in charge of this event, and as usual, we come as a package....
Finally, preparations for Mother's Day evangelistic outreach are coming to a head. Registrations are open for the dinner on 8 May, to be held at Noble House restaurant. The programme looks really interesting because we have invited members from Breakthrough ministries to share their testimonies. More exciting is the fact that we have also invited one of their member's mothers to share her testimony about how she saw the change that God made in her son's life and thereafter decided to accept Christ. We are really looking forward to this event, and hope and pray that it will reap a mighty harvest!
Your prayers for these events are coveted even from afar, and we hope that you will continue to be in partnership with us in AMK. Feel free to post your comments to this blog, to let all of us know how you are doing!
Sunday, March 27, 2005
The Ultimate Sacrifice
John 15:13- "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lays down his life for his friends."
What constantly amazes me every year about Easter Sunday is the memory that Christ died on the cross for ME! Even before he knew me, and even before I committed my first sin, He came and hung on the cross for ME!?
The scripture says that He laid down His life for His friends, but what "friend" would mock an innocent man with taunts and cruel words? What "friend" would nail an innocent man to the cross to die in painful agony? What "friend" would laugh and shout encouragement as they watched each cut of the whip bite into the bare flesh of His back? And yet, have we not done all these things? Do we not continue to sin in our words, deeds and actions? As much as the Roman soldiers drove the nails into our Lord's hands, we were behind every hammer blow....and yet, He died and paid for our sins that we might have eternal life. What an awesome God we worship!
Yesterday we saw several infant baptisms, and one adult baptism. The children who were baptised were Bin Boon and Kat's two kids, Reuben and Renee, and Kah Keong and Janice's Lisa Emmanuelle. Khoon Sheng was also baptised, and he also shared his testimony with us. It is indeed a joy to welcome these brothers and sisters no matter what their age, into the family of God officially! Rev Eng Kiat conducted the baptism as well as shared the message.
Good Friday service was held at Raffles City, and the ballroom as usual was packed to capacity. The message was really good, delivered by Rev Dr Michael Raiter. He drove home some very insightful and meaningful points; interestingly, he chose to speak from Zec 12:1-13:1, but the message was very powerful. What really spoke to me about the message was how often we take God for granted, and forget what he has done for us. What better time to remember this than at Good Friday, when we recall his ultimate sacrifice for us!
Good Friday has always had special meaning to me, because it was 18 years ago, as a 15 year old that I rededicated my life to Him on Good Friday, 17 April 1987. It has been an incredible journey of faith since then, of course with its ups and downs, but always with one goal in mind for me, that at the end of this journey in God's timing, I will stand before Him and hear the words "Well done, good and faithful servant". May this be the prayer of all our hearts this Easter, and always.
What constantly amazes me every year about Easter Sunday is the memory that Christ died on the cross for ME! Even before he knew me, and even before I committed my first sin, He came and hung on the cross for ME!?
The scripture says that He laid down His life for His friends, but what "friend" would mock an innocent man with taunts and cruel words? What "friend" would nail an innocent man to the cross to die in painful agony? What "friend" would laugh and shout encouragement as they watched each cut of the whip bite into the bare flesh of His back? And yet, have we not done all these things? Do we not continue to sin in our words, deeds and actions? As much as the Roman soldiers drove the nails into our Lord's hands, we were behind every hammer blow....and yet, He died and paid for our sins that we might have eternal life. What an awesome God we worship!
Yesterday we saw several infant baptisms, and one adult baptism. The children who were baptised were Bin Boon and Kat's two kids, Reuben and Renee, and Kah Keong and Janice's Lisa Emmanuelle. Khoon Sheng was also baptised, and he also shared his testimony with us. It is indeed a joy to welcome these brothers and sisters no matter what their age, into the family of God officially! Rev Eng Kiat conducted the baptism as well as shared the message.
Good Friday service was held at Raffles City, and the ballroom as usual was packed to capacity. The message was really good, delivered by Rev Dr Michael Raiter. He drove home some very insightful and meaningful points; interestingly, he chose to speak from Zec 12:1-13:1, but the message was very powerful. What really spoke to me about the message was how often we take God for granted, and forget what he has done for us. What better time to remember this than at Good Friday, when we recall his ultimate sacrifice for us!
Good Friday has always had special meaning to me, because it was 18 years ago, as a 15 year old that I rededicated my life to Him on Good Friday, 17 April 1987. It has been an incredible journey of faith since then, of course with its ups and downs, but always with one goal in mind for me, that at the end of this journey in God's timing, I will stand before Him and hear the words "Well done, good and faithful servant". May this be the prayer of all our hearts this Easter, and always.
Monday, March 07, 2005
Off on holiday!
Hi all,
sorry have been a little lax in updating this page. I've also realised that it seems to have turned into a personal diary rather than an update of church events. The reason for that is that it is very difficult to actually keep the narrative to strictly church events, without giving some perspective on my part, so I won't make any apologies for that. After all, I hope you guys want to know what my thoughts and feelings are, rather than just narrating church events to you right?
We have had mass evangelistic training over the last three weeks after service, which have actually been very good. Yesterday's session was the final one, which showcased several methods of sharing the gospel. The session yesterday was taken by a few different presenters. Last week's was by Lester and Srimal, and covered a good background of how to deal with likely questions which you might face when sharing the gospel.
The purpose of this training was to equip the church with skills to share the gospel in preparation for some of the evangelistic events coming up, such as Mother's Day, and some of the youth programmes as well. Gospel camp is in fact coming up this weekend, but unfortunately for the first time in 5 years, Elena and I will not be around, as we are going to Phuket! We'd booked the trip back in October, so even after the tsunami, we decided to go ahead with it and at least try and do our little part in rebuilding the tourist economy. We will be on a boat for 4 days (dive dive dive.....) and then in Phuket for another 3; leaving tomorrow and back next Tues. Looking forward to it.
Other happenings in church; AGM coming in May. Our first AGM as an independent congregation, and approaches have already been made to some people to run for deaconship, and of course, other people have been asked to step up to be elders. Watch this space for more updates, but many are said to be considering the nominations.....
Hope you all liked the photos of the new house, and do drop me a line to share your thoughts. Let us know how we can be praying for you guys too!
sorry have been a little lax in updating this page. I've also realised that it seems to have turned into a personal diary rather than an update of church events. The reason for that is that it is very difficult to actually keep the narrative to strictly church events, without giving some perspective on my part, so I won't make any apologies for that. After all, I hope you guys want to know what my thoughts and feelings are, rather than just narrating church events to you right?
We have had mass evangelistic training over the last three weeks after service, which have actually been very good. Yesterday's session was the final one, which showcased several methods of sharing the gospel. The session yesterday was taken by a few different presenters. Last week's was by Lester and Srimal, and covered a good background of how to deal with likely questions which you might face when sharing the gospel.
The purpose of this training was to equip the church with skills to share the gospel in preparation for some of the evangelistic events coming up, such as Mother's Day, and some of the youth programmes as well. Gospel camp is in fact coming up this weekend, but unfortunately for the first time in 5 years, Elena and I will not be around, as we are going to Phuket! We'd booked the trip back in October, so even after the tsunami, we decided to go ahead with it and at least try and do our little part in rebuilding the tourist economy. We will be on a boat for 4 days (dive dive dive.....) and then in Phuket for another 3; leaving tomorrow and back next Tues. Looking forward to it.
Other happenings in church; AGM coming in May. Our first AGM as an independent congregation, and approaches have already been made to some people to run for deaconship, and of course, other people have been asked to step up to be elders. Watch this space for more updates, but many are said to be considering the nominations.....
Hope you all liked the photos of the new house, and do drop me a line to share your thoughts. Let us know how we can be praying for you guys too!
Monday, February 07, 2005
New Year, new house....new ministry?
With much thanksgiving and no little relief, Elena and I have moved into our dream home after two months of living out of boxes at my mum's old house at Loyang. For those of you who haven't heard the story, we sold our place at AMK, and we had to vacate it because the buyers needed to take possession of the house early. In the meantime, we bought our new place at Bishan Park, and needing to do major renovations, we had to move into my parent's old place at Loyang for two months. Because it was such a relatively short time, we were of course quite adverse to unpacking too much, so that we would not have to pack all over again. As such, we literally lived out of boxes for two months!
Anyway, we have now moved, as of last weekend, and we love the new place. It has a fantastic view over Peirce Reservoir and the golf course at Singapore Island Country Club, so much so that when one of our friends came by to visit, his first remark was "Wah...what country is this man?" I love waking up in the morning to the view outside my window. I know, I know...photos....promise will have them as soon as I have managed to set up my PC properly. For those of you who are interested in the details, or you would like to send us something by snail mail, the new address is 24 Sin Ming Walk, #10-02, Bishan Park Condominium, Singapore 575572. Its at the Thomson Road end of Bishan Park, near to Thomson Plaza.
We have actually done a fairly good job of unpacking, given our previous experience over the last two months. Within a week, we have more or less unpacked about 80% of our boxes. Now we are into the various groups of housewarming with family and friends. In fact, our cell group is coming over tomorrow night (after our respective reunion dinners) for the usual laze around, play cards etc.
We really thank God for the provision of the new place, and how He has blessed us with his grace and favour. We are thankful that the place was completed in time for us to move in before CNY, and the whole process was fairly painless as renovations go. We are especially thankful for a good job by the contractor, who was efficient and accomodating. He is Lawrence, who is actually a member of CK's cell group, but seldom seen in church. We also thank God that we managed to stay within budget (more or less!), and yet have everything we wanted in the house, so that it is now really our dream home. Eevn our two dogs seem to be very happy in this house, especially Cookie who loves looking out windows....she now has a full length picture window to look out of!
As always, all of you are most welcome to visit when you are next back in Singapore. We are at the moment praying and seeking God to see where he would like us to go in using the house as a ministry. We appreciate your praying with us too. God bless you all, have a blessed Chinese New Year!
Anyway, we have now moved, as of last weekend, and we love the new place. It has a fantastic view over Peirce Reservoir and the golf course at Singapore Island Country Club, so much so that when one of our friends came by to visit, his first remark was "Wah...what country is this man?" I love waking up in the morning to the view outside my window. I know, I know...photos....promise will have them as soon as I have managed to set up my PC properly. For those of you who are interested in the details, or you would like to send us something by snail mail, the new address is 24 Sin Ming Walk, #10-02, Bishan Park Condominium, Singapore 575572. Its at the Thomson Road end of Bishan Park, near to Thomson Plaza.
We have actually done a fairly good job of unpacking, given our previous experience over the last two months. Within a week, we have more or less unpacked about 80% of our boxes. Now we are into the various groups of housewarming with family and friends. In fact, our cell group is coming over tomorrow night (after our respective reunion dinners) for the usual laze around, play cards etc.
We really thank God for the provision of the new place, and how He has blessed us with his grace and favour. We are thankful that the place was completed in time for us to move in before CNY, and the whole process was fairly painless as renovations go. We are especially thankful for a good job by the contractor, who was efficient and accomodating. He is Lawrence, who is actually a member of CK's cell group, but seldom seen in church. We also thank God that we managed to stay within budget (more or less!), and yet have everything we wanted in the house, so that it is now really our dream home. Eevn our two dogs seem to be very happy in this house, especially Cookie who loves looking out windows....she now has a full length picture window to look out of!
As always, all of you are most welcome to visit when you are next back in Singapore. We are at the moment praying and seeking God to see where he would like us to go in using the house as a ministry. We appreciate your praying with us too. God bless you all, have a blessed Chinese New Year!
Sunday, January 16, 2005
Inaugural Service
Last Saturday was the inaugural service of Ang Mo Kio Presbyterian Church. It marked the coming of age of AMKPC as a full congregation, after 13 years and 4 months (almost to the day!)as a part of Covenant Presbyterian Church. It was a great event, which we had started planning and preparing for well before the end of last year.In fact, even the sending out of invitations was a big event where all church members, both youth and adult stayed back after service one Sunday and cut, pasted, wrote and sent out 700 invitation cards to all the churches in the English Presbytery. (fortunately we did not need to lick 700 envelopes....)
Saturday saw the church packed almost to full capacity, with members of the EP Session turning out in their full robed splendour. I honestly have never seen so many ordained ministers in our church before, and we welcomed back many who have preached in our church regularly before, such as Rev Henry Hong and others, as well as others who have had closer connection with AMKPC, such as Rev Keith Lai and Rev Tan Cheng Huat.
Many wonderful words were said, and many kind and encouraging thoughts expressed. Some of the things which struck me most:
Rev Henry Hong's short exhortation where he said that he sensed that the people of AMK needed comforting, even in these tough times without a lead pastor. He made the point that often we think of how churches commission missionaries and other full time workers, but he suggested that AMK was a church that commissioned pastors. It was an interesting point, because he went back over the history of our pastors, and as I listened to him, I realised that we had indeed made an impact in our former pastors' lives, just as they had made an impact in ours. Paster Chee Hian is now pastoring in Canada, Pastor Maggie is in the US equipping herself to groom a whole new generation of pastors to be, Pastor Andrew has found for himself a wonderful ministry that reaches out to young girls who are abused. These are the people that we at AMK have had the privilege of crossing paths with, and hopefully we have helped them to grow as they have helped us to grow. He encouraged us at AMK to take comfort from this fact, that just as we serve in a school ministry, no one stays in school forever. They have to graduate at some point, and in the same way, our pastors have "graduated" from AMKPC to move on to where God has called them.
One of the other messages that struck me was also the one delivered by Rev David Ng, who was representing the Chinese Presbytery. The message was delivered in Mandarin, so please forgive me if the translation is not the best...
He shared that he had actually been baptised in Jubilee, our original "grandmother" church, and he witnessed Covenant being sent out to form a new congregation. He was very glad and proud to be able to witness how Covenenant had sent AMK out, and especially to witness AMK become a full congregation, and he referred to us as the "grandaughter" generation (sun zi tang hui). What he shared that touched me most was when he said that he looked forward to seeing AMK commission another congregation, which would be the "great-grandaughter" generation. As he shared that, I too thought that, yes, we have come a long way to becoming a full congregation, but that should be our next focus, on nurturing and growing the next generation.
We had many others who shared wonderful words, especially Rev Keith who expressed sadness and gladness that we had "grown up". He did clarify that it was more sadness than gladness, in case you were wondering!
After the service, everyone adjourned to the canteen for dinner. The canteen was transformed into a beautiful restaurant like-setting, with soft yellow lighting, pink and white tablecloths and buffet lines. You would not imagine that the canteen could be changed so drastically, but all credit to Ada, Ming Tze and the logistics and decor team for doing a great job.
I know, I know, you all want photos, but I'm waiting for the photographers to pass me the CDs and I will upload them as soon as I can. In the meantime, welcome all of you to the new full congregation of Ang Mo Kio Presbyterian Church! In case you have not sent back your membership transfer forms, please do so as soon as possible....
Saturday saw the church packed almost to full capacity, with members of the EP Session turning out in their full robed splendour. I honestly have never seen so many ordained ministers in our church before, and we welcomed back many who have preached in our church regularly before, such as Rev Henry Hong and others, as well as others who have had closer connection with AMKPC, such as Rev Keith Lai and Rev Tan Cheng Huat.
Many wonderful words were said, and many kind and encouraging thoughts expressed. Some of the things which struck me most:
Rev Henry Hong's short exhortation where he said that he sensed that the people of AMK needed comforting, even in these tough times without a lead pastor. He made the point that often we think of how churches commission missionaries and other full time workers, but he suggested that AMK was a church that commissioned pastors. It was an interesting point, because he went back over the history of our pastors, and as I listened to him, I realised that we had indeed made an impact in our former pastors' lives, just as they had made an impact in ours. Paster Chee Hian is now pastoring in Canada, Pastor Maggie is in the US equipping herself to groom a whole new generation of pastors to be, Pastor Andrew has found for himself a wonderful ministry that reaches out to young girls who are abused. These are the people that we at AMK have had the privilege of crossing paths with, and hopefully we have helped them to grow as they have helped us to grow. He encouraged us at AMK to take comfort from this fact, that just as we serve in a school ministry, no one stays in school forever. They have to graduate at some point, and in the same way, our pastors have "graduated" from AMKPC to move on to where God has called them.
One of the other messages that struck me was also the one delivered by Rev David Ng, who was representing the Chinese Presbytery. The message was delivered in Mandarin, so please forgive me if the translation is not the best...
He shared that he had actually been baptised in Jubilee, our original "grandmother" church, and he witnessed Covenant being sent out to form a new congregation. He was very glad and proud to be able to witness how Covenenant had sent AMK out, and especially to witness AMK become a full congregation, and he referred to us as the "grandaughter" generation (sun zi tang hui). What he shared that touched me most was when he said that he looked forward to seeing AMK commission another congregation, which would be the "great-grandaughter" generation. As he shared that, I too thought that, yes, we have come a long way to becoming a full congregation, but that should be our next focus, on nurturing and growing the next generation.
We had many others who shared wonderful words, especially Rev Keith who expressed sadness and gladness that we had "grown up". He did clarify that it was more sadness than gladness, in case you were wondering!
After the service, everyone adjourned to the canteen for dinner. The canteen was transformed into a beautiful restaurant like-setting, with soft yellow lighting, pink and white tablecloths and buffet lines. You would not imagine that the canteen could be changed so drastically, but all credit to Ada, Ming Tze and the logistics and decor team for doing a great job.
I know, I know, you all want photos, but I'm waiting for the photographers to pass me the CDs and I will upload them as soon as I can. In the meantime, welcome all of you to the new full congregation of Ang Mo Kio Presbyterian Church! In case you have not sent back your membership transfer forms, please do so as soon as possible....
Friday, January 07, 2005
Welcome to AMKPC blog online!
Hello hello!!
How are all of you doing? Happy New Year! Hope that 2005 will be a year of joy and peace for you, and a year of abundant blessings. It gives me great pleasure to bring you this blog to keep you up to date with things in church while you are all away. I would like to dedicate this to all you guys who are far away from home, and keeping us in your thoughts. I will try and post an entry at least once a week, or failing that once a fortnight, depending on how things go, but I would also like to encourage all of you to post your comments and thoughts on the happenings as well. This is your page, and I will do my best to also communicate your thoughts to the relevant parties in church.
Some news from home in case you haven't heard:
1. Pastor Colin has resigned over his health concerns. His blood pressure had reached very high levels (160/140 as opposed to normal 120/80), and he was beginning to suffer from blackouts and very severe migraine. Effectively immediately he has stopped work in church, and he is now continuing with his studies and also resting and taking a break.
2. Beng Kwee has given birth to baby Alethia Lim yesterday. Both mother and daughter are healthy. Initial reports confirm that baby looks very much like daddy....
3. Wei Wei has also given birth last week to little baby Cayley. Both are also well, although Cayley had to be re-admitted for a couple of days due to escalated jaundice. She has since been discharged and is now at home.
4. Last Sunday we moved into the new church building and held our first meeting there since the completion of the building. It is a very nice building, and we have finally gotten round the problem of poor acoustics through a fairly simple solution; the floor is carpeted. Makes a big world of difference.
5. Inaugural service is on 15 Jan, and we have invited something like 700 guests. Big logistics operation as you can imagine. The whole church has been activated to help out, and we are also hosting a dinner after the service. Will let you guys know more after the event.
How are all of you doing? Happy New Year! Hope that 2005 will be a year of joy and peace for you, and a year of abundant blessings. It gives me great pleasure to bring you this blog to keep you up to date with things in church while you are all away. I would like to dedicate this to all you guys who are far away from home, and keeping us in your thoughts. I will try and post an entry at least once a week, or failing that once a fortnight, depending on how things go, but I would also like to encourage all of you to post your comments and thoughts on the happenings as well. This is your page, and I will do my best to also communicate your thoughts to the relevant parties in church.
Some news from home in case you haven't heard:
1. Pastor Colin has resigned over his health concerns. His blood pressure had reached very high levels (160/140 as opposed to normal 120/80), and he was beginning to suffer from blackouts and very severe migraine. Effectively immediately he has stopped work in church, and he is now continuing with his studies and also resting and taking a break.
2. Beng Kwee has given birth to baby Alethia Lim yesterday. Both mother and daughter are healthy. Initial reports confirm that baby looks very much like daddy....
3. Wei Wei has also given birth last week to little baby Cayley. Both are also well, although Cayley had to be re-admitted for a couple of days due to escalated jaundice. She has since been discharged and is now at home.
4. Last Sunday we moved into the new church building and held our first meeting there since the completion of the building. It is a very nice building, and we have finally gotten round the problem of poor acoustics through a fairly simple solution; the floor is carpeted. Makes a big world of difference.
5. Inaugural service is on 15 Jan, and we have invited something like 700 guests. Big logistics operation as you can imagine. The whole church has been activated to help out, and we are also hosting a dinner after the service. Will let you guys know more after the event.
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