GIVING THANKS FOR 2014...DEC 19-21, 2014 3 CHURCH & MISSIONS congregation. Over 1,570 men of CHC...

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DEC 19-21, 2014HowToHear

FromGodAffiliatePastors

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ItmighthavebeenoneofCityHarvestChurch’smostchallengingyears,but2014hasalsobeenayearofgreatsignificanceforthechurch.ByDAWN SEOW

GIVINGTHANKSFOR2014“IfwecannotbelieveGodwhencircumstancesseemtobeagainstus, we do not believe Him at all,” preached the British pastorCharlesSpurgeon. Indeed, circumstances have seemed to be against CityHarvestChurchthesepastfouryears,andthisyearinparticularhasbroughtthechurchanditsleadersthroughgreatchallenges.Despitetheongoingtrialagainstthechurch’skeyleadersanditsimpactonthecongregation,CHChasclungontotheGodwhostartedthechurch,believinginHispromisesandinthehopeandfutureHehasforit. PH

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C H U R C H & M I S S I O N S

Recently, acell group lead-er asked BobbyChaw, missionsdirector of CityHarvest Church,what he saw inthe future of thechurch. “Ourfuture is brightbecause the GodI read about inthe Bible is aGod of hope,” hetells City News Weekly.“Wecan-notlosehopebe-causefaithistheevidenceofthingshopedfor;whenwelosehope,wees-sentiallyloseourfuture. “Romans 15:13 says, ‘Now maytheGodofhopefillyouwithall joyandpeaceinbelieving,thatyoumayaboundinhopebythepoweroftheHoly Spirit.’ God is a God of hope,our job is to keep believing in HimandHisjobistobringusthere.” Throughout 2014 and its lowpoints,thechurchhasmaintainedastrongspiritualatmosphereof faithand purity at the worship servicesweekend after weekend. The cellgroups, the ministries, the prayermeetings have continued withoutmissing a beat. The good works ofthe church and its affiliates—help-ing communities in Singapore andoverseas—havenotstopped.Inthesetroubled times, the strength of theChurchandthegoodnessofGodhasbeen even more evident and moredeeplycherished. “I’m thankful for the cell groupleaders and connect group lead-ers that serve tirelessly,” says AriesZulkarnain, CHC’s executive pas-tor. “I’m thankful because they arestill faithfully serving the people,because the Church is all about itspeople. The zone and cell groupleadershavebeenagreatsupporttousinbuildingtheatmosphereintheservicesandbuildingupthepeople.Theyarereallyadedicatedbunch.” SunHo,co-founderofthechurch,reflectsZulkarnain’sthoughts:“Iam

ever thankful forthestrengthandre-silience of our CityHarvestleadersandmembers. Theiramazing ability tofacetheunexpectedand overcome ev-

ery obstaclewith faithand Christ-l i k e n e s scontinues toinspire meevery day inmyownwalkwithGod.”

25 YEARS OF CHC, 20 YEARS OF SOTChawwasgratefultoseetheprom-ises of God coming to pass duringthe School Of Theology Homecom-ingservicethisyear.SOTcelebratedits 20th anniversary with a reunionservice for the SOT alumni. Heldon Aug 24 and 25, the anniversaryevent,titled“Homecoming:Gather-ingOfHearts”sawmore300gradu-atesflyinginfromaroundtheworldtoattendthemeeting.Manyforeigngraduates returned to their almamater with exciting testimonies toshare.Somehavecreatedsuccessfulsocialprograms tohelp thepoor intheir community, others have builtchurchesandintroducedChristintotheircities. “TheonethingIwasthankfulforthisyearistoseehowGodhadraisedtheSOTgraduatesuptobepastors,workers and churches all over theworld,especiallyinAsia,”Chawsaid.“Throughtheirministries,Isawthepromises of God coming to pass;theseedsthatwehadsownarenowflourishing.” On the weekend after SOT

celebratedits20thanniversary,CHCcommemoratedits25thanniversary.The silver anniversary was a timeof reminiscing and thanksgivingfor those in the church—particu-larly those who were in the fledg-linggroupofyouthwhostartedthechurchwithfounderKongHee.

Itwas25yearsagothatKongtookthestepofobediencetotheLordtobuildachurchofyoungpeoplewhowouldtakeAsiabystormforChrist.To illustrate the fruit of Kong’s la-bor,themembersmountedatributeto him, titled “Masterpiece”, whichtraced the history of CHC throughavideoandthroughheartfelt,oftentearytestimoniesfrompioneersandlongtimemembersofthechurch,aswell as pastors of affiliate churcheswhohadstartedachurchorturnedtheir church around with Kong’shelp. Each shared their personalstory of how Kong had preacheda sermon, gave advice or taught a

principle that has helped them liveouttheircallinginJesusChrist. But the anniversary’s main cel-ebrationwasofitspeople.Withthetheme of “Because Of You”, everymember’ssacrificeandlovethatwasput into building the church wasrecognized and appreciated. Every

CHC member—young, old, man,woman, child, native, foreign—wasupheld.

ALL ABOUT THE PEOPLEThepurposeofachurchisnotonlyto bring new people to Christ, buttosupporteveryChristian inhisorher development: spiritually andmentally(andsometimesphysicallyas well). Given the aims of helpingmembers navigate through differ-entstagesinlife,empoweringthemwith life skills and strengtheningtheir spiritual walk with God, CHCorganizedaseriesofeventsthisyearforthedifferentdemographicsinits

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congregation. Over 1,570 men of CHC gath-ered for the first Men’s Meeting ofthe year on May 9. Pastor Tan YePeng taught at a men-only gather-ingaboutthefourfactorsoflife,andthefourthingsmenshouldfocusonovercoming temptations. The sec-

ond men’s meet-ing in June tooka break fromthe cerebral toaddress the physi-cal. Attendeeswere decked outin football jerseys,in tribute to theWorld Cup sea-son at the time.Thenightwasspentdrinking(root)beerandlisteningtothreeofCHC’spastors in a no-holds-barredquestion-and-answer session. Pas-tors Zulkarnain, Chaw and Wu YuZhuangansweredquestionsfromthe

audiencerevolvingaroundtopicsofmarriageand itschallenges, father-hoodandsinglehood.Chawpreachedthe message for that night on thetopic of holiness, encouraging themenofCHCtoriseupandtakere-sponsibilitytoleadtheirhouseholdsinholiness.

“THE BEST EMERGE BY FAR”Declared by senior pastor Kong tobe “the best Emerge meeting” thatthechurchhas seen inall itsyears,thisyear’sEmergeconferencefortheyouth was loud and bold. Emergebeganasayouthconferencein2003and has today evolved into a youthmovement. Through the years,Emerge has provided the platform

for youths aged 13 to 25 to realizetheirtalentsandtocatchthefiretoserve God in their generation. Fea-turingforthefirsttimeinthehisto-ryofCHC’sworshipservice,amoshpit, the nightly sessions of Emerge

Week 2014 saw never-before-wit-nessed sights such as youth leadersdivingoffstageintothearmsoftheCHCyouthastheCityRadiodeejayscrankeduptheChristiandancepopandrock. “When itcomes to thesepresentyouths, you can see obviously thatthey are very post-modern in theirmindset,”saidKonginaninterviewwithCity News Weekly.“Infact,theyarewillingtotrythingsthat[would

force even me] to come out of thecomfortzone.ThebeautifulthingisthatI’mveryimpactedbythemevenas they are blessed by my ministry.I’mimpactedbythembecauseIcansee their love forGod, theirhungerfor God. And they really have thepassion to do God’s will for theirgeneration.Forme,thatisthemostpreciousthing,aboveandbeyondalltheoutwardtrappings.” What happens when Emerge

“OurfutureisbrightbecausetheGodIreadaboutintheBibleisaGodofhope.Wecannotlosehopebecausefaithistheevidenceofthingshopefor;whenwelose

hope,weessentiallyloseourfuture.~ Bobby Chaw

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youth grow up? This year, for thefirsttime,“Emergealumni”enjoyedtheir own “grown up event” at theinauguralHigherConference.High-erConferenceismeantforworkingadultsaged25andabove.Thecon-ference aims to inspire and equipthe adults for life—for work, homelife and their walk with God. Thethree-day conference kick-startedwith an Encounter Night whereall distractions were set aside for atimeofdeepworship.Onapracticallevel,attendeesgot toengageKongandhiswifeSunonthetopicof"Re-lationship Excellence" as marriedcouples, as parents and as singles,throughaseriesofworkshops.CHC’S SUNTEC STAKE RISES IN VALUEJust as the church entered into its

new season of building fund—theArise & Build campaign—goodnewscame. The Straits Times reported onOct 30, 2014 that the investmentthatCHCmadeintotheSuntecSin-gapore Convention and ExhibitionHallhasincreasedinvalue.There-port read: “CityHarvesthas rackedupapaperprofitofabout$162mil-lionoverfiveyears,accordingtocal-culationsbyThe Straits Times.Theoverall value of Suntec has surgedfrom $235 million as at the incep-tion of the ARA Harmony Fund onSept 30, 2009, to an average valu-ation of $663.25 million as at Sept30thisyear,fundmanagerARAsaidlast week. That represented a jumpofabout182percentoverfiveyears.” CHC has invested into a 49 percentstakeinaconsortiumofprivate

investors, which holds 80 per centof the fund. Hence CHC’s effectiveindirect stake in the fund is about39.2 per cent. The S$97.75 mil-lion the church invested into theconsortium has grown a worth ofabout S$260 million. It is, indeed,encouraging news for the churchanditsmembers.

ENCOURAGERS ABOUNDTrue friends of CHC have come tothechurchthisyear,bringingwordsof affirmation and prophecies of apowerful future. Taken collectively,these messages reveal clearly thatGodhasawordfortheChurch. Right from the get-go, in Janu-ary 2014, CHC’s advisory chairmanbegan to prepare the hearts of themembers with powerful words ofencouragement. Dr AR Bernard,

the founder and CEO of ChristianCultural Center in Brooklyn, NewYork, declared to the members atCHC that they are “blessed andhighlyfavored.” CHC’sadvisorypastor,PhilPrin-gle told the church the followingweek that “you are unshakeable,in Jesus’ name.” Pringle is thefounderandpresidentofC3GlobalNetwork of 200 churches world-wide, and the senior pastor of C3Church in Oxford Falls in Sydney,Australia. He taught the memberstodigdeepintotheirowncharactersothat“thefoundationisstrongandourhousewillbestrongerwhentheearthquakecomesin.” Both Bernard and Pringle en-couragedthechurchtostayfocusedonthevisionsGodgavethemandtonot be distracted by the waves and

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storms around them. This proved tobeapieceofadvicetoclingtothisyear,as the church rode through a fiercestorm of negative publicity and criti-cism when the leaders of the churchtookthestandasdefensewitnessesattheongoingtrial. In March, guest speakers PaulScanlon and Dominic Yeo, both feltthe need to remind the church thatGod ismovingevenwhen thepeoplecannotseeit.FounderofLifeChurchinBradford,UK,ScanlongaveatimelyreminderthatallthingsworktogetherforgoodforthosewholoveGod. “Godisdoingfarmorebehindyourbackthaninfrontofyoureyes!”hede-clared.“ThewaywetraceGodinourlivesisthroughthethingsweperceivetobeHim.Eventually,westarttobaseour faith on our ability to track andtraceGodinourlives. “ButthekeyisourabilitytotrustinGodevenwhenwecannottraceHim.There are, right now, a lot of thingsthat are working together for goodinyourlife.Godisusingthingsfromyour friends, and your enemies too,things that are visible and invisible,tangible and intangible, things youremember and have forgotten, gooddecisionsandbaddecisions—alltheseare listed under the ‘all things’ thatGod can bring together and weavetogetherforyourgoodasHispeople.

Nothingiswasted!” The senior pastor of TrinityChristianCentre,Yeo,gaveasimi-larword.Readingfrom1Kings17,YeoremindedCHCthatChristianswalkintheblessingsofGodeveryday, and he encouraged the con-gregationtokeeptrustinginGod,evenwhenthe“brookdriesup”justasprophetElijahexperienced.Yeoexplained, “If God has been goodtoyouinthepast,Hewilldoevenbetterinthefuture!God’spastre-cord isan indicationofwhereHewilltakehispeopleinthefuture.” In August, Bernard returned,bringing a vision-casting mes-sage for CHC as it marked its

25th year of existence. He taughtthe congregation about how Goduses the institutions and leadersof the world—who are not neces-sary believers, but are willing andavailabletoforwardthepurposesofGod.Oneexample in theBiblewasCyrus the Persian, whom God evencalled “anointed”. It was a deep,powerful and uplifting messagethat planted a seed for CHC’s next25years,aglimpse into thegreaterwork that the Cultural Mandate isdestinedtobecome. That same month, as if to gird

thechurchforthewordBernardhadspoken, Phil Pringle returned witha word that sparked off a series ofmessages highlighting the need forthechurchtostayoncourseamidstdifficult times. He spoke to theChurch on the power of happiness.“As Christians, we cannot excuseourselves from happiness becauseofourcircumstances.TheBiblehasan ‘inspiteof ’clausethatdemandsustoliveahappylifeinallcircum-stances.AlotofChristianscoulddowithbeingalothappier,andnotbe-ing so seriousandrigidabout their

“IfGodhasbeengoodtoyouinthepast,He

willdoevenbetterinthefuture!God’s

pastrecordisanindicationofwhere

Hewilltakehispeopleinthefuture.”

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life,”saidPringle, Scanlon returned to CHC thefollowing weekandencouraged thechurchtostaystronginthedifficultdays of small beginnings. He saidthatthedeviltriestobringtempta-tionsandstrugglesintheearlydaysbecauseheknowsthatifhecangeta person to quit while he is at thebeginning, the person will neverreachtheendthatGodhaspreparedforhim. “God is committed to small be-

ginnings,” Scanlon encouraged thecongregation. “In the small begin-

nings,Godisbuildingthingsinyourlife that He can’t build later. Don’t

despise this time thatyouhaveanddon’tgiveup,orthethingsthatGodhas written in the future will nevercometopass.” A friend of the church, CaseyTreat, the founder and pastor ofChristian Faith Center in Seattle,came in September to encourage theChurchtokeepfightinginspiteofdif-ficult circumstances. It was as if hismessagebuiltuponScanlon’s.Sharingfrom John 10:10 and Proverbs 6:31,Treat said, “If you and I would stay

(From left) AR Bernard, Phil Pringle, Casey Treat, Paul Scanlon, Dominic Yeo, John Avanzini and Mary Hudson.

“God...hasaplanwhereyouwillmakeadifferenceinthisworld.Someonewillbe

saved,helpedandhealed.Liveswillbeaffectedbecauseofwhatyoudo,whereyouwork,how

yougive,howyoupray.Godisusingyou!”~ Casey Treat

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#1EMERGEMOSHPITFinger light rings? Check. Non-stop jumping? Double check. Headbanging? Triple check! The 11th edition of the annual Emerge conference for youths this past June featured the first-ever CHC mosh pit. At each night session, regardless of school or house, CHC youths dashed to the front of the stage to praise and worship exuberantly, literally turning the area into "God’s Great Dance Floor"! The youth anthem of 2014? “Wake” by Hillsong Young And Free.

#2HIGHERCONFERENCECHC started as a church of youth but those youth are now young adults. To meet the dif-ferent needs of the adults in the congregation, CHC organized the inaugural Higher Confer-ence this past October, a three-day conference of nightly messages and daytime workshops on singlehood, marriage and parenthood. The highlight (and sold-out event) was the TGIF Din-ner held at the church’s worship venue in Sun-tec. Co-founders Kong Hee and Sun Ho took to the stage to answer hot-button questions in a live session of the popular City Radio program “Coffee With Kong”.

#3ISRAELHOUGHTON&NEWBREED

In October, Grammy Award-winning Christian singer Israel Houghton and his band New Breed visited CHC and filmed a live worship recording session in CHC’s Suntec Singapore auditorium as part the band’s Alive In Asia tour, which will be released on DVD. Beyond the glitzy graphics, lighting and top-notch sound tech-nology, the power of the session was the tangible pres-ence of God as the band led the congregation deep into worship, invoking an atmosphere of consecration to God. Houghton told CHC: “I am here not in spite of what you are going through. I am here be-cause of what you are going through.”

FIRSTSIN2014CHCbrokegroundwithanumberofnewthingsthisyear.ByMICHELLE HENG

#4FIRSTTIMEGUESTSPEAKERSINCHC

CHC enjoyed the messages shared by many respected ministers and first-time speakers in

the church such as Dick Bernal, founder and se-nior pastor of Jubilee Christian Center, as well as Marcus and Joni Lamb, founders of the Daystar Television Network, which owns and operates TV stations across America and the world.

#5SOTHOMECOMINGFor the first time in two decades, City Harvest’s School of Theology held a reunion themed “Homecoming: Gathering Of Hearts” on Aug 24 and 25 at CHC’s Jurong West premises. Alumni were seen exchanging hugs, engaging in long and deep conversations, and taking selfies. For many overseas alumni—300 flew in from all over the world for this reunion—this was the first time they returned since graduation.

#6BABYDEDICATIONCLASS

In May, CHC launched Baby Dedication Classes to help parents with young babies understand the significance of dedicating their newborn to the Lord. At the same time, they hear from expe-rienced parents who are lead-ers in the church on the joys and challenges of parenting. These classes are held prior to the bien-nial Baby Dedi-cation services.

oncoursebybeingthepeopleGodcreatedustobe,thenwhatevertheenemybringstokill,stealandde-stroywillbereturnedtohimsevenfold!”hesaid. “Don’tlettheworldmakeyoufeelinferiororin-secure,”Treat toldthepeople. “GodknewyouandHe called you by name, and He has a plan whereyouwillmakeadifferenceinthisworld.Someonewill be saved, helped and healed. Lives will be af-fectedbecauseofwhatyoudo,whereyouwork,howyou give, how you pray. In so many ways, God isusingyou!” The messages grew from rousing encourage-menttosoaringprophecies.MaryHudson,wifeofKeithHudsonandmotherofKatyPerryprayedforCHContheweekendofNov22.Sheprayed,“Lord,wethankyouthattonightwillbecalledthetippingpointofCHC.Ithankyourightnowthattheglorywillarise,and favorwillarise, the favorwillcomeuponthemandsurroundthemasashield,Father.” Hudson also prophesied that God would useCHCasacityofrefugeforpeoplewhodonotknowwhere to go; He would use their gifting and tal-ents,Hewouldputtheminthemostunusualplac-es.“Theyear2015,”shecontinued,“willbeayearwherelightswillbeturnedon,thingswillstarttohappen … the crowd will start to cheer for themevenonthatday.” ThelastguestspeakeroftheyearwasDrJohnAvanzini.ArenownedspeakeronBiblicaleconom-icsandapreacherwhohasprovidedspiritualcover-ingforthechurchsinceitsbeginning,Avanzini,78,isaffectionatelyknownasthe“grandfatherofCHC”.WhenhepreachedintheserviceovertheweekendofDec6and7,hedeclared,“itwasgoodtobehome”. “I go around the world and I always say CityHarvestismychurch.Iamasonofthishouse,”hedeclaredasthecongregationcheered. In a perfect message for the end of the year,Avanzini also declared that the turning point hascomeforCHC.Hesaidthatitisatimetosetnewgoalsandenternewdimensions;atimeforthepeo-pletoseekGodanddaretostepouttodothethingsthatGodhasspokentothem. Sun Ho, in looking back on this past year, ex-presseshersentimentswithapoem,“StillIRise”bythelateMayaAngelou,adaptingitforthechurch:

Justlikemoons&likesuns, Withthecertaintyoftides, Justlikehopesspringinghigh, Still,we’llrise.



Inthisseasonofremembrance,City News WeeklyaskspastorsofCityHarvestChurch’saffiliateandassociatechurcheswhattheyarethankfulforin2014.ByDAWN SEOW

ATimeOfThanksgiving

Sophie Hsiung Pastor of Passion 99 Harvest Church, Taipei

In Nov 2013, the Lord gave our Church a clear vision to start doingmore charity work—to reach the poor, the orphaned and the needyoutsidethefourwallsofthechurch.Hence,wesetupHarvestChar-acter Improvement Association and sent a memo to all the primaryand secondary schools in Taipei, asking teachers to connect us withneedystudentsfromlow-income,dysfunctional,single-parentfamiliesor students who had lost bothparents.ByGod’s grace, many repliescamein.Westarteddoinghomevisitsandthechildrenstartedcom-ingtochurcheverySaturdayforafulldayoftuition,moraleducationatourChildren’sChurchandotherenrichmentclasses. Wealsoprovidedthemwithfreemeals.Inthebeginning,becausethese children often went without food, they would stuff themselveswiththefreefood,afraidthattherewillnotbeanextmeal.Inaddition,becauseoftheirbackground,thechildrenwerenotverywellbehaved.WesharedwiththemtheloveofGodanddemonstrateditwithourac-tions;wecontinuallyletthetruthstrengthentheirhearts.WealsosawthespiritofGodministeringtothemthroughinnerhealingsessions. Praise God! The children were touched by the love of God andgrew frombeingcold, spitefulandsuspicious tobeinggentle, fulloflove and faith. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, anddonot forbid them; forof such is thekingdomofheaven” (Matthew19:14). Through this program, which we call “Grow With Them”, wealso shepherd the children’s family members with Bible study everyTuesdayandThursday.ManyofthefamiliesalsocametoknowGod. We also set up a film production company and made a film, byGod’sgrace.Throughthis,theLordledustosharetheGospelinover300screeningsatlocalschools—50,000studentsgavetheirheartsto

Jesus. The biggest challenge that our Church faces today is how todisciplethemembersquicklyandtoraisemorefundssothatwecancontinuesowingseedsintothischaritablework. I thank Pastor Kong and Sun for encouraging us through theCulturalMandateand for theirdemonstrationof faith in the faceofchallengesandadversity.IthankourAlmightyGodforbeingfaithfulinHisprovisionforalltheneedsoftheChurch.Inthepathoffollow-ingGod,buildingthechurchandexpandingtheKingdomofGod,wemustknowthat“WeareHiswork.HehasmadeustobelongtoChristJesus so we can work for Him. He planned that we should do this.”(Eph2:10.NLV)

Kevin Loo Senior Pastor of City Harvest Church, Kuala Lumpur

TheonethingIamthankfulforthisyearisourAriseandBuildCampaign.Godgavemeavisionwhereeveryoneofusisapartofabigpicture.Itookit literally,painteda 120-footpainting,divided it into 1,800piecesand

gaveapiecetoeachofourchurchmem-berswhopledgedtothe building fund.The whole atmo-sphere on that daywas electrifying.Seeing the wholechurch come to-gether as one wastrulybeyondwords.Iamthankful.

Garrick LiPastor of Christ Harvest Church, BanqiaoWearethankfultoGodforHisgraceandopeningdoorsforustoopenanoutreachcenterinthedowntownareaofourcity.Dubbed “TheHub”, theoutreachcenteris located in the city of Banqiao. Apartfrom weekly Bible study and prayermeetings,thecenterfunctionsasaplaceforyoungpeopletohangout,meetnewfriends, learn to play musical instru-mentsandstudyafterschool.Thisplaceenablesustoreachouttonewfriendsinthe weekdays and better connect withourcommunity.

Albert V Jebanayagam Founder of Canaan Fellowship International Church, Sri LankaWepraiseGodthatthisyear,theLordJesusenabledustobuildaCharismaticPrayerAuditoriuminspiteofinsurmountableoppositioninacitytotallygivenovertoidolworshipandwitchcraft.TheHindusinthecityhadinformedthepolicethattheywerecon-cernedthatwearesubversivesandouractivitieswill

cause civil riots. The local government had refused to give us permits tocompletetheconstructionandourleaderswereconstantlycalledupforin-terrogation. Even I was called by the special crimes branch of the policeforce.Weprayedcontinually foroneyearuntil thechurchhallwascom-pleted.NowweareplanningtohaveaChristmasServiceinitthismonth!



Derek Dunn Pastor of City Harvest Church US, Orange CountyWe celebrated Thanksgivinga few weeks ago here in USand as I was preparing to en-courage the Church along thistopic,Ibegantointernalizemyown thoughts on the subject.There have been many chal-lenges this year and as I looktowards 2015, I can already

see the some of the battles thatlie ahead. In the midst of pursu-ing the vision and dreams thatGod has put in my heart, I tendtolooktowardsthefuture.Itendnottocelebrateorbethankfulfortheprogress,butinsteadItendtolook at what is lacking and whatneeds to be done. However, as IbegantocomebeforetheLord,Iwas convicted of my need to en-courage myself in God’s faithful-nessinthepastandpresent. My list of things to be thank-ful for would include the major

Jeremy Yeo Pastor of City Harvest Church, BruneiI am thankful that in spite of all the obvi-ous challenges, we still see Pastor Kong andSun serving God wholeheartedly and lovingpeople fervently. They are still making animpact in lives all across the globe. Becauseof their example, City Harvest Brunei is stillseeing people say yes to Jesus despite thechallengeswehavegonethroughthisyear.

Wayne Chang Pastor of Hsin Tien Covenant Church, TaipeiIamverythankfulthatthisyearourchurchbecame a church without walls. In thesefew months, we have had more than 300volunteergroupsgoouttoraisemoneyforthe poor and needy. We also met our tar-get of holding more than 120 evangelisticmeetings.Iamthankfulforhavingachurchthatdoesmorethancomingtochurchandpassivelylistening.

things: life, health, family,friends, and the nation I livein,despiteallitsflaws.Beyondthat, I’m thankful for my sal-vation, for our church familythroughouttheworld,forthosewho have sowed into my life,and for the mercy and gracethat God showers upon meeach day—with Jesus, there issomuchtobethankfulfor! One thing I can say is thatGodhasbeenfaithfulandthatwehavetheassurancethatHewillcontinuetobefaithful!


MakingOfACHCChristmasDramaCity News Weeklygoesbehindthescenestofindouttheintricateoff-stageelementsthatgointoputtingupasuccessfulliveproduction.ByPAUL FOO CHAY YEOW

Every year end, City Harvest Churchmemberslookforwardtothevisualspec-tacle that is the Christmas drama, puttogether by the Drama Ministry (DM)whichinvolvessome100volunteers. Inpastproductions,beitforChrist-mas or Easter weekend, the audiencehas been treated to “stunts” such asmagictricks(involvingfireandsmoke),angelsonflyingfoxes,Jesus“ascendinginto heaven” and once, a special guestappearancebyaboaconstrictor. However, the heart of each produc-tion remains the script. While inspira-tion is sometimes derived from con-temporary works—2011’s Home For Christmas,forexample,wasinspiredbythe musical A Toymaker’s Dream and2012’sBecause It’s Christmas (2012)bythemovieLove Actually—CHC’sdramasare original works that seek to tell thestoryofChristmasinawaythatidenti-fieswiththeyearnings,conundrumsandpressuresofthemodern-dayurbanite. Inorder tocater toawide-reachingdemographic comprising both churchmembers and first-time visitors, thescriptwriter thus has a tall order. Thestorylineneedstoweaveintheoverarch-ingthemeofChristmas—hope,faithandreconciliationthroughthebirthofJesusChrist,whileprovidingstrongentertain-mentvalues,straddlingbothhumorousandheart-warming. This year’s Christmas productionseestheadditionoflong-timeDMmem-ber Lingual Tan to the director’s chair,alongsidefulltimedramadirectorsSan-dyYeoandJaslynnKhoo,whohavebeenheading the Ministry for the past 10years. Whiletheteamistight-lippedaboutdetailsof theChristmasdramayouareabouttowatchthisweekend,thismuchisknown:theprotagonist,Samantha,isabeautiful,highlydriven,go-gettertypewhose faith is firmly rooted in herself;thingsstarttoget interestingwhenshe

loses control of her life. What happenswhenourownabilitiesfailus? Tan is also the scriptwriter for thisyear’sshow.The Night I Met The Watch-makermarksTan’sfirstforayintoscript-writing and co-directing for the Eng-lish service; she has previously writtenscripts for HarvestKidz, CHC’s Chil-dren’sChurchservice.Infleshingoutthecharacters,Tan,whoworksasabusinessdevelopment manager at a digital filmlaboratory during the day, conductedintensive research on screen charactersandarchetypes. Inbetweenthe initialconceptualiza-tionandfinalizationof thestorylinearemonths of brainstorming, constructivediscussionsandreachingaconsensusonplotdevelopment.“Ithastobeentertain-ing, heart-warming and family-friendly,withthatmagicaltouchtogivea‘feeloftheseason’,”saysKhoo.Thehardestpartofbeingdramadirectors?“Outdoingour-selveseveryyear,”quipsYeo.

THE NUTS AND BOLTS Narrative coherence aside, the processof preparing for the production is notwithout technical challenges. Lack-ing components that exist in a normalperforming arts theater such as wings,fly bars, a side-stage and stage light-ing,CHC’smainworshipauditoriumatSuntecSingaporeisnottailoredforthe-aterproductions. Withcreativityandnosmallamountof innovation, set designer NicholasGoh and his team try to infuse moredramatic effect into the show throughmulti-media elements or real-life con-structs. Because It’s Christmas featureda whole hotel set constructed fromscratch;platformsforthestagehadtobereconfiguredandartificialwallserectedtoprovidethepartitionsseparatingthedifferent rooms and scenes. In 2010’sHeroes Of Faith Academy, Goh and histeamriggedframesandlightsinmid-air

forthesceneofthegreathall—reminis-centoftheHarry Pottermovies—whichrenderedanenchanting,memorableset.Whileaestheticvalue is important,onekeyfactorGohhastotakeintoconsider-ationisthe“feasibilityandease”forac-torstomoveinandoutofascene. CHC’s larger-than-life LED screen,on the other hand, is the turf of theVisual Communications team. On atypical weekend, the screen serves to“communicate visuals or multimediaelementstocomplementthepraiseandworshipaswellas thepreachingof thesermon,” explains visual effects editorJeffreyChoong. Come Christmas weekend, the LEDscreenaddsanadditional touchofdra-ma by juxtaposing “mood boards” withthe scene unfolding on stage. The cre-ation of these digital boards starts witha brief from the directors, followed bythe selection of themes and images tocomplement each scene. One stunningexamplewasa3DrecreationofPontiusPilate’s palace in the Easter drama The Third Day earlier this year. While thescreen—andespeciallyoneofthissize—issomewhatuncharacteristicofatheatreproduction,ithasproventobeahighlyusefuladditiontothesetdesign.“Com-pared to a still frame, the LED helpsto create a more immersive, visuallystimulatingexperiencefortheaudience,”addsChoong. Takingcareoftheaurallandscapeislocal film composer and CHC memberAlex Oh, who has scored 16 features todate, includinglocalmoviessuchasthe2005hollowflickThe MaidandSinga-porean-Australian shark thriller Bait 3D.AccordingtoOh,writingascorefora stage drama poses a different kind ofchallenge,giventhelivecomponent. Whilethescriptdoesnotchangeun-less the actor chooses to improvise onthespot,thetimingwilloftenvaryfromshow to show—a scene may be slightly

longer or shorter eachtime it is performed.The score, therefore,has to be written notin a linear manner butin layers, to accommo-datetimingchanges.Inlinewiththefantasticalsetting of The Night I Met The Watchmaker,this year’s music scoretakesaleafoutofmov-iesincludingtheHarry Potter instalments andCharlie And The Choco-late Factory.

THE WATCHMAKER AWAITSRehearsalsstartuptotwomonthsbeforetheperformanceweekend;mostsessionsareheldintheevenings(whichrunlateintothenight)toaccommodatethework-ing schedules of the cast members, whoarealmostallvolunteers.Beingfirmbe-lievers of the notion that “90 percent ofdirectingisdoneinthecasting”,YeoandKhooareadamantthattheactorsselect-edareabletocarrytheweightofthechar-acter; in addition to a strong script, theability to elicit a high level of emotionalinvestment from the audience—feelingandrootingfortheprotagonist—isakeyfactorforsuccess. Getting everybody together on thesame page is the stage manager Eliza-bethWong,whohastheunenviabletaskof “show-calling”—ensuring the smoothexecution of the production, from thetiming technical aspects such as light-ingandsoundtocallingtheentriesandexits of all backstage crew. In order toavoidmissingasinglecue—whichcouldspelldisasterforaliveshow—Wonghasto know the whole production like thebackofherhand. “As the show unfolds, my thoughtsarebothonwhat’shappeningonstageand the next cues I need to call. As astagemanager,Ineedtobeafewscenesahead of what’s happening at the mo-ment.”Inordertodothis,Wongattendsevery rehearsal after work, trouble-shootingissuestogetherwiththedirec-torsthroughmultiplediscussions,evenintotheweehoursofthenight. So what can audiences expect fromThe Night I Met The Watchmaker?“Pre-paretobedrawnintoawholenewworld,whereyouwillexperienceanemotionalroller-coaster taking you through themany human struggles we face in ourdailylives.Ihopethatthroughthedra-mayouwillfindrenewedhope,andper-haps get to meet the Watchmaker too,”saysTan.


PHOTOS: CHC

(From left) Because It's Christmas (2012), Home For Christmas (2011) and Heroes Of Faith Academy (2010).



MaryHudson:PropheticMinister,PopStar’sMomMaryHudsontalksabouthowshegotintothepropheticministry,drawingclosertoGod,andhowshetakescriticismaboutherdaughter,singerKatyPerry.ByYONG YUNG SHIN

SavedinLasVegasinthelate‘70swhenshe was a radio news director, MaryHudson nee Perry and her husband,Keith Hudson started a church. At aconferencesomeyearslater,theyfelttheleadingofGodtogointopropheticmin-isteringfortherestoftheirlives.InNo-vember,shevisitedCityHarvestChurchforthefirsttime.

What was it like for you when you first started out in the prophetic ministry?Iwouldstandinfrontofsomebodyandsomethingaboutthemwouldbesoobvi-oustome,IwouldgetimpressionsfromtheLord.Iwasveryshyatthattime,butyoubuildupyourmostholyfaith,pray-ing in the Holy Ghost (Jude 1:20) andwhenyouprayintheSpirit(Acts19),itopensthegatewaytotheprophetic. So as we prayed and interceded foreach other at church, God would giveme impressions as I stood in front ofsomebody. And because it was so obvi-oustome,alotoftimesIdidn’topenmymouth. Later on, I found out that no-body else knew this, and that the Lordwasdownloadingthistome,andIneed-ed to start ministering to that person.Becausewhenyou’reoutonthestreets,andGodshowsyousomebodythat’slostorunsaved,andyoustarttalkingtothemaboutit,itshocksthem,andtheyrealizethere’sthissupernatural“Guy”outthereWho knows their business and Wholovesthem.

How do we become more sensitive to the voice and presence of God?SpendmoretimewithHim.

TheBiblesaysinthebookofDanielthatthepeoplethatdoknowtheirGodshallbestrong,anddomightyexploits.And also in Isaiah 43: “they shall riseuponwingsofeagles.”Butwhenyou’rewaitingupontheLord,you’renotwait-ingfortheLordtodosomethinginyoursituation, becausethat’s in the OldTestament. We livein the New Testa-ment age, and theLord has done ev-erything that Hewas going to do.HesentJesustobeyour Jehovah Ra-pha,JehovahJireh,tobeeverythingforyou. So what youhave todo is to re-ceiveitbyfaith,andwalk in it by thegrace and favor ofGod. So, when youwait on somebody,think about whata waiter does—hecomes, takes your orders, fills up yourglassandbringsyourplateoffood.He’swatching you, attentive to your needs.That’s how you are to be attentive towhattheHolySpiritissayingtoyouintheWord—averse,aphrasethatjumpsoutatyou. Ilikenittoaneonsignthatisblink-ing at you—“call that person”, “do thisthing”,“makethatcontract”, “writethatbook”—God’s trying to talk to you ev-

erysingletimeyouopenHisWord.It’sthe mouthpiece of God. That’s what arhemawordis,that’swhatasmartbombis.Onesmartbombwilltakeoutwhatahundred dumb bombs tries to take outinaplacelikeIraq. So,readtheWord,prayintheSpirit,

listen to worshipmusic. Sometimes,I’mattheofficeandwe come across anaughty problem,and I’ll go to therestroom and takethe handicappedcubicle, raise myhandsandprayandworship Him: “Fa-therIworshipYou,I thank You, Lordthat You have theanswer,IthankYoufor downloading toustheanswerrightnow.”AndHedoes,everytime! In Luke 17:6,Jesus says, “If youhave faith as small

as a mustard seed, you can say to thismulberrytree,‘Beuprootedandplantedinthesea,’anditwillobeyyou.”

Talk to us about having faith as big as a mustard seed—how can we pray with more faith? Faithcomesbyhearing,andhearingbythewordofGod(Romans10:17).SoyougottagetinHispresencemore,waitonHim,waitforHimtospeaktoyourheart.

Pastor Bill Johnson of Bethel Church,Redding,saysthathejustkeepsreadingthe New Testament till God speaks tohim,chaptersandchapters,untilhegetstothe“a-ha”moment:“Ihaveminedthegold nugget!” So you hear somethingfromtheLord. IhaveajournalthatIwriteineveryday—a word, or a phrase—when I amreallyfocusingonsomething,Iwanttohear something directly and God says,“lookhere”or“lookthere”.Justtheotherday,Godansweredmerightaway,itwassoclear. Sowhenyouprayforasituationoraperson,it’snotuptoyoutoworkitout,theHolySpiritworksitoutforyou,butHeneedsyourvoiceonearth.YourvoiceisyouraddressintheSpirit.

How do you describe your relation-ship with God?Oh,it’sgreat!I’malwayslearningmoreaboutHim,Imean,we’regonnalearnforeternity.Iwasreadingabooktheotherday,itwasbyaministerfromColorado,itchangedmythinking.TheHolySpiritwants to tweak you, change you everysingle day from your stinkin’ thinkin’.Like this issue I had when my daugh-ter sang that song (“I Kissed A Girl”).I could have stayed depressed but in-steadItooktheversefromPsalms113:9and reminded myself, a barren womanshould be a joyful mother. The joy oftheLordismystrength.AndGodsitsintheheavensandlaughs.TheLordholdstheminderision,becauseHeknowstheendresult.HeknowsHewinsthebattle,andwehavetoknowit,too.

How do you handle criticism about what Katy sings—in fact, how does any parent handle criticism, be it from others or from themselves—when their child seems to veer off the right path? Youknow,whenachildisover21,that’swhenyourrealministryof intercessionbegins!Becausethey’renowadults,andtheymaketheirownchoices.Afriendofmine—apastor’swife—hasawonderfulministry she calls “Fasting Friday” forherkids,basedonthetwinpowertoolsofprayerandfasting.Shehasgroupsofpeopleprayandfastfrom8amto5pm.She had a son who served the Lordwith thembutalla suddenstarteddo-ing drugs—methamphetamine. Theythought his brain had turned to dustandhedidn’thaveanypowerleftinhislife,butshestartedfastingeveryFriday,andshesawhimcomebacktotheLord,andhe’snowtheassociatepastorofthechurch.Andhisbrainwasnotdestroyed.

PHOTOS: MICHAEL CHAN & SHUTTERSTOCK

Mary Hudson giving a word of encouragement to CHC (left); Hudson with her husband, Keith and daughter Katy Perry in 2012.

“Butwhenyou’rewait-ingupontheLord,

you’renotwaitingfortheLordtodosome-

thinginyoursituation,becausethat’sinthe

OldTestament.WeliveintheNewTestament

age,andtheLord’sdoneeverythingthat

He’sgoingtodo."~ Mary Hudson


C O M M U N I T Y

AMarathonOfCareReachinghundredsofbeneficiariesfromdifferentorganizations,CityCare’sServathon2014builtonitsprevioussuccessesinitsdrivetopromotevolunteerism.ByINESSABELLE LEE AND EUGENE TEH

PHOTOS: JASON LEE

Volunteers from Safra Radio partnered with CityCare for Fam-tastic Challenge.

Thedownpourwasmercilessbutitdidnotdampen the high spirits of this group ofpeople.Servathonvolunteersandbeneficia-riesgatheredasplannedonDec6at10amfortheFam-tasticChallenge.ThiswasoneoftheeventsinCityCare’sannualmarathonto do good—one that matched volunteersfromSafraRadiowithlow-incomefamilies. Despite the wet weather, the 18 fami-lies—beneficiariesof@27FSCandSeran-goonMoralFamilyServiceCenter—partici-patinginthechallengewerevisiblyexcited.Theyweretoteamupwith30volunteers,half of whom were employees from SafraRadio’stwostations88.3JIAFMandPOW-ER98FM,tocompeteinaraceinvolvingsixdifferent games on Siloso Beach, Sentosa.Using games designed with values-basedobjectives to encourage teamwork, theFam-tasticChallengeaimedtofosterfam-ily bonding for single-parent low-incomehouseholds inSingapore.Thegameswerealsodesignedtohelpsingleparentsrelievestressandencouragetheirchildrentodealwiththechallengesathome. Among the games was “Sticky Clean”taught teamwork as two blindfolded teammembers followed verbal instructionsgiven to them to eat a chocolate sundae.Therestoftheteamwatchedon,collapsinginto a heap of laughter and anticipation,as the blindfolded participants inadver-tentlysmearedicecreamallovertheirfaceandshirts. Throughout the games, the volunteersservedasencouragingfacilitators.MichaelTan,31,adeejayfromPower98FM,noted,“The activities are geared towards familybonding and teamwork and cooperation.These are essential values that every fam-ilyneeds.Inmyday-to-daylife,Idon’tgetachancetocrosspathswithspecialfamiliesbutIgottodothattoday.Tome,this isameaningfulexperience.”

Tanalsoencouragedotherstobemoreinvolved in voluntary work, “Each one ofushasadutyasahumanbeing,toputourordinarylifeaside,andrealizeourpurposehereistogiveback.Youareherenotjusttoserveyourownneedsbuttheneedsofotherpeopleaswell.Onceyou’vebeenapartofit,itmotivatesandinspiresyoutocontinuedoingit.” “From start to finish, you can see thechangesyou’vemadeinpeople’slives,”saidstudentvolunteerMi-chael Ong, 25. “See-ing the beneficiaries’smiles is very satisfy-ing. Servathon hashelped me to see thebigger picture of wecan help Singaporesociety!” After games, thefamilieswentSkylineLugeridesbeforeen-joyingalunchbuffet.Thebeneficiarieshada great time bond-ing with their familymembers, as well aswith the other fami-lies and the volun-teers. N Kumaresan,the Deputy GeneralManagerofSafraRadiogaveoutthepriz-estothewinningteamstomarktheendagreatdayout.

SERVATHON 2014: A RACE FOR CHANGEFam-tasticChallengewasjustoneinase-riesofracesandeventsthatmakeupSer-vathon, a 21-hour charity marathon, nowinto its thirdyear.Servathonchampionsapurposefulchangeinboththebeneficiariesandthevolunteers.

Organized by CityCare, a social enter-prisededicatedtopromotingvolunteerisminSingapore,Servathontargetsvolunteersofallagegroupsandsimultaneouslycreatesawarenessofvariousneeds insociety.Theevent,whichtookthreemonthstoplan,wasanchoredbytheCaretalystClubsofthefourlocal universities, namely Singapore Insti-tuteofManagement,NationalUniversityofSingapore,SingaporeManagementUniver-sity,andNanyangTechnologicalUniversity.

Thefirstof thefive races started onDec5:160volunteersembarkedonanover-night cycling missiondubbed “Love Inva-sion Race”. At 10pm,the troop set off ontheir bicycles fromEast Coast Park, “in-vading” the city withhopes to make a dif-ference in the neigh-borhoods by deliver-ing gifts to 10,000households. As the daybroke, another groupof people gathered atthe Singapore SportsHub for Sports-on-

Wheels. Able-bodied volunteers came to-gether with beneficiaries from HandicapsWelfare Association, Singapore DisabilitySportsCouncil,andtheWheelchairBasket-ballAssociationtoplaysportsinspecializedwheelchairs. However,theyweremetwithastormydownpour. But the project leaders simplyset plan B into motion with a hands-ontutorial for the volunteers by a physically-challengedcoachwhotaughtthemhowtomaneuvertheirwheelchairs.

The volunteers gradually adjusted tothemovementsofawheelchairandstartedto experience first-hand the mobility ofthe physically challenged; it is more thanpossibletokeepanactive lifestyledespiteone’sdisability. Volunteer Chung Soo Ji, 15, a Koreanstudent from International SingaporeSchool,said,“Sports-on-Wheelswassofun.Igottocareforthephysically-challenged,learn how it is like to move around on awheelchair,andplaygameswiththem.I’mreallygladIcame.” HappeningconcurrentlywastheFam-tasticRaceatSentosaandInsta-Race.Dee-jayBenLeewasstillgoingstrongatSen-tosa’sFam-tasticdespitebeing“deadtired”fromhisparticipationintheall-nightLoveInvasionjusthoursbefore. Volunteers from Insta-Race broughtintellectually-challenged beneficiaries onan adventurous photo trail around Sin-gapore, capturing all sorts of sights andpostingthemonInstagram.TheiraimwastowinthemostnumberofLikesoneachInsta-worthy post they put up. The mostvaluable lesson in this race for thevolun-teerswasbefriendingthebeneficiariesandteachingthemtousethepublictransportsystem. “Through this experience, I learnedabout the daily life of an intellectually-challenged person and most important-ly, God’s overflowing love and mercy forthem,”saidNUSstudentKenGideonLee,25.“IfeltIlearnedmorefromthemthanIcouldteachthem:lifeissimpleandeasywhen you are joyful and thankful for thelittlethingsinlife!” The final race of Servathon was TheSilent Race. Volunteers teamed up withthe hearing-impaired members of theDeaf Dragons—one of two dragon boatteamsinSingaporewithhearing-impairedmembers. Dragon boaters rely heavily on drum-beat and vocal commands for coordi-nation—it thus seemed like a counter-intuitive choice of sport for the hearing-impaired. The Silent Race showedServathonvolunteershowtheDeafDrag-onssurmountthisobstaclewithhandges-turesandsignlanguage.Itisnomeanfeatforthisteamwhichcompetesatevents. Seasoned dragon boaters patientlyshowedthevolunteerstheropeswhentheystruggledtogetintorhythm,theirpaddlesflailing about helplessly. The race begansoon after the participants gained somesemblance of momentum. It was a chal-lenge to coordinate as a team with handgesturesinsteadoftheusualauditorycues. In closing Servathon 2014, volunteersgatheredatNewCharisMissionforanap-preciationdinner.Thespiritofthevolun-teersreflectedServathontaglinethisyear:“RaceforChange”.VolunteerEricLim,24,a learning and development consultant,said,“It’shumblingtoseesomanyvolun-teers who are willing to take time out toparticipateandserve thedifferentgroupsofpeople.Servathonhasshownusthatwedon’tneedtohavemuchtoblessothers.”

“It’shumblingtoseesomanyvolunteerswhoarewillingtotaketimeoutto

participateandservethedifferentgroupsofpeople.Servathonhasshownusthatwe

don’tneedtohavemuchtoblessothers.”

~ Volunteer Eric Lim


C O M M U N I T Y

SpotTheRedNoseIn2015RedNoseisallreadyfor2015witheventslaidouttogetpeopleto“SlowDown.LoveMore.LaughEveryDay”.BySANDY POON

To make the world a better place withloveandlaughter—thisiswhattheRedNose Movement continues to aim forcome2015. TheRedNosemovementisaninitia-

tiveofCityHarvestCommunityServiceAssociation and is supported by Singa-pore Kindness Movement. Its aim is toinspirethecommunityto“live,loveandlaugh”moreeveryday.

To date, Red Nose has launched 55initiatives, including highlight eventssuchasRedNoseTheatreandRedNoseDaythisyear. “Werealizedthatitwasonethingtogetpeopletocomeoutoftheirshellforadayoracoupleofhoursandanotherto get them to consider experiencing adifferent lifestyle,” said Darryl Loh, ex-ecutivedirectorofCHCSA.“Toachievethat, we focus on ‘Converse, Connect,Create’ with the individuals we areworking with. This result in strongerconnections,andoutoftheconnections,weco-createsomethingofvalue.”

MOVING FORWARDCome 2015, Red Nose Movement pur-poses to engage the tech-savvy genera-tion with the message of “Slow Down.Love More. Laugh Every Day”, encour-aging them to engage in face-to-face,attentiveconnectionswiththosearoundthem. “In2015,wewillcontinueinthedi-rectionthatwestartedlastyearatPOD,

PHOTO: DANIEL POH

Come 2015, Red Nose Movement purposes to engage the tech-savvy generation, encouraging them to make meaningful connection with those around them.

ourcommunityspaceandcaféatTamp-ines,” Loh told City News Weekly. “Tocontinuebuildingaspacewherepeoplecan be accepted for who they are andenjoythecompanyofbothnewandoldfriends.Wewould liketoachievegenu-ine connections within the communityandbuildanecosysteminlinewiththephilosophyoftheRedNoseMovement.” RedNoseisbringingbackRedNoseTheatre with a twist. An artist-in-resi-denceprogramwillbeheld inconjunc-tion with Red Nose Theatre for ninedayswhereparticipantswillgettoworkwith award-winning physical theaterartisteKennyAherntocreatea70-min-uteshow.TheshowwillbestagedinthetheatreonMar21,2015.RedNoseandAhernwillalsobebringingthepopular30-minute interactive show “To LaughIsToLive”toparticipatingprimaryandsecondary schools, as well as differentcommunities,fromMar9to27. “Individual and corporate sponsorscancomeforwardtosponsorticketsforour beneficiaries or to sponsor schoolandcommunityshows,”Lohsaid. On top of Red Nose Theatre, thewell-received Red Nose Day will alsobemakingacomeback in themonthofJune,bringingawholeseriesofjoyandfun with coffee, craft market, cyclingandacomedyperformanceat theReadBridgeatClarkeQuay,rightintheheartofSingapore.

JoinInRedNose’sEventsCONNECT OVER COFFEEIn a tech-savvy world where con-nections mostly happen online

thesedays,RedNosewantstocre-ateaspacewherepeoplecaninten-tionally slow down and reconnectphysically. To encourage Singapor-eans to “Converse, Connect andCreate”, a coffee space will be setup during the event for people togather and connect over a cuppajoe. The idea is for people to haveface-to-faceconversations,tolaughandlistentoeachother.

FUND-RAISINGIn2015,RedNoseDaywillberais-ingfundsfortheelderlyinHouseof

Joy,acentrefortheelderlylocatedat Pine Close, through pledges fora round-the-clock and round-the-

islandrideby200volun-teer cyclists. Each cyclistwould cover between 88to128kilometerstoraiseat least S$250. In total,RedNoseaimstoraiseatleastS$120,000formorethan 2,000 elderly per-sons.

LAUGHING ALL THE WAYWith24showsperformedovertwodaysbysixstreet

performers from Japan, get readytogigglealltheway.Insteadoftheusual stage performances, thesefunnymen will bring the perfor-mance close to the audience withengagingactsandinteractions.The30-minute comedy features jug-gling,mime,musicandlotsoffun.

Red Nose Day requires 200 cyclists, 500 youths and many other participants to support Red Nose Movement through their events. If you are interested in mak-ing a difference, log on to rednose.sg.


M A R K E T P L A C E

SoMuchMoreThanAGoodCuppaCoffee:NowhereownerWelsonAngbalancestheartofdoinggoodwithsustainabilitywithhisconceptcafébusiness.ByANNE TAN

While terms like CSR (corporate socialresponsibility) and social enterprises areloosely bandied about today, doing goodthroughbusinessremainsanidealisticcon-ceptthatiseasiersaidthandone. For Coffee:Nowhere’s CEO WelsonAng, it’s a balancing act between benevo-lence and bottom line. “As a ‘community-based’café,wehaveavisionof impactingthecommunity.Butofcourse,wehave tobe sustainable before we can do so,” saysAng, a long-time entrepreneur who alsorunsmorethan30businessregionally. InDec2013,thefirstCoffee:Nowhere(pronounced “Coffee Now Here”) outletwas opened in Johor Bahru, Malaysiathroughajointventureasaflagshipcon-cept café serving not just specialty cof-feeand foodbutalso sells coffeebeans,apparatus and gears, as well as providebaristatraining. Within six months, the coffee chainexpanded to Singapore, Indonesia andVietnam;inthepipelinearenewoutletsinThailand,CambodiaandBrunei.Itsgoal—toopen50Coffee:Nowherecafesby2017,with the help of its own coffee learningacademy,Barista:Nowherewhichservesasalearningandcommunicationplatformforinterestedfranchisees.Recently,itwonthePromisingFranchisoroftheYearaward. Behinditsstrongstartisadedicationtoqualityandexcellence—hence the tagline,“Journey of Excellence”. Explaining thenamebehindthebrand,Ang,whoalsorunsaprintingbusiness,says,“Itdepictstwoex-tremeends—youcanreadit ‘nowhere’or‘now here’. It describes a journey, and wearealwaysgoingforajourneytowardbet-ter things, not destruction. So from pointzero,'nowhere'totheendpoint,'nowhere',weconstantlyaimforbetterthingswiththeendgoalofachievingthebestinmind.”

In March this year,Coffee:Nowhere par-ticipated intheMalaysiaInternational Tea andCoffee2014aswellastheMalaysia’s Brewer’s CupChampionship 2014, forwhich Coffee:Nowherewasalsothegoldsponsor. Speaking of excel-lence, many of the café’sspecialitybrewsaredou-bleshots,whichexplainsthenamesofsomeofthedrinks—Faith to Faith,StrengthtoStrengthandGlory to Glory. “Again,thenameexpoundonourconceptof‘journeyofex-cellence,’astheygivetheimpressionofjourneyingfromoneplacetoanoth-er,”explainsAng.

There are two branches in Singapore:oneanopen-aircaféatRochesterParkandtheotheratWestCoastPlaza.Amongthemust-triesaretheclassiccupcoffee,Faithto Faith (S$4.50), a double espresso witha roasted aroma that permeates the airbefore reaching your table, and the Cupof Love (S$6.50), compris-ing espresso, milk and wetfoam.Thereisalsoarangeofcaffeine-freeoptionsfornon-coffeedrinkers. Coffee:Nowhere roastsits own coffee at its roasterin Johor Bahru, allowing itto better control cost andquality. It uses 100 percentspecialty grade Arabicabeans, following a standardmethodology and recipesto ensure consistency andfreshnessofitsbrews.

ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY In its very first week ofopening, Coffee:Nowhere

thecommunityandtoevangelize. Out of this, Coffee:Nowhere’s CSRinitiative, Love:Nowhere, was launchednationwideinApril2014.Itsfirstproject,I-Believeservedabandoned,neglectedandabused children at the Berkat Children’sHomeinJohorBahru. “Apart from raising funds and aware-ness on our end, we also involved ourcustomers in thismeaningfulproject,”ex-plained Ang. Every customer who dinedinCoffeeNowherewasgivenanI-Believecard to pen words of encouragement andblessingstotherecipientsatthehome.Theprojectlastedforthreemonths. Butthecafé’sCSRscopeisnotlimitedto serving the poor and in need. Earlierthisyear,Angdecidedtopulloffasimpleyetnovelconcept.Stepone:invitepatronsto sign up for a crash course in coffee-brewing under the tutelage of the café’sbaristas—atabrewbarlocatedinthecafe,complete with various contraptions. Steptwo: come Mother’s and Father’s Day,these newly trained baristas-for-the-daywould personally hand-brew a cuppa fortheirbelovedparents. Both events witnessed tender mo-ments of filial piety shared betweenchild and parent; some parents even

eschewed their typical sugar and milkcombination in their drinks, in orderto better savor the handcrafted brewsmadebytheiroffspring. DuringChristmaslastyearatitsbranchinJohorBahru,Coffee:Nowhereorganizeda “Candlelight Experience” in December,modeledafterCHC’sowncandlelightser-vice. Supporting the event were membersfromalocalchurch,whoperformedChrist-mas carols for a record 1,500 customersoversixdays. “Wehadperformances,gamesandevenasharingsessionabouttheChristmasstory.Itwaslikeacasualsharing.Manyenjoyedtheexperience,”recalledAng.Forsome,itwas the first time they learned about themeaningofChristmas. “Our aim for now is to build relation-ships with people, before reaching out toshareaboutJesus.Infact,atourVietnamoutlet, we are already starting to reachouttopeople.Ourfoundationalvaluesforthe café is that we must be able to touchthe community; there must be an avenueto preach the gospel and yet the businessmustbesustainable,”explainsAng. Headds, “It isnothowyoustart, it ishowyouend.Along thewayyoumayseepeoplefall,butyouhavetojustmoveon."

PHOTO: MICHAEL CHAN

Coffee:Nowhere founder Welson Ang demonstrating one of the brewing methods at the brew bar.

PHOTOS: WELSON ANG

(From left) Happy faces abound at the Berkat Children's Home during a visit by Coffee:Nowhere staff and volunteers; candlelight service at the Johor branch during the Christmas season last year.

embarked on its very firstcommunity project by do-nating its revenue from sixdays of business to supportdisaster relief works in thewake of typhoon Haiyan inthePhilippines. Ang believes that busi-nessesshouldnotonlybethevehiclestoearnincome,cre-atingopportunitiesandbuildacommunity,butalsobethesaltandlighttobringlovetothosearoundthem.ThethreeobjectivesofCoffee:Nowhereare tobeprofitable, to serve

GIVE “BAG” BY BUYING A DRINKIn collaboration with City Harvest Community Services Association (CHCSA), Coffee: No-where aims to donate 120 “Back to School” packs to children in need. First, purchase a Red Nose Drink in two flavors—Berry Breeze or Iced Pinky Latte at S$8. Of this, S$5 will go toward sponsorship of one pack (containing a school bag, a water bottle and vouchers for school shoes, stationery and books) and S$3 will be gifted back to you in the form of a S$3 Coffee:Nowhere dining voucher. Available till Dec 31, 2014.

Coffee:Nowhere154 West Coast Road#B1-06/07Singapore 127371

44 Rochester Park Singapore, 139248 Singapore+65 6100 3353


AYoungManOfVisionHowayoungsocialentrepreneurischangingthelivesofchildrenmanymilesaway.ByJOELLE PANG

PHOTO: ELIJAH NG

Elijah Ng (centre in white) with his beneficiaries.

E Y E O N S O C I E T Y

ElijahTedNgmaybejust18,butheisnostranger to the social entrepreneurshipscene in Singapore. Five years ago, the

enterprisingyoungmanstartedthefirstof a number of businesses—Art With AHeART,apushcartbusinesswhichoper-

ates twice a monthinVivoCity.Custom-ers can buy his art-work, or purchase acanvas and art sup-pliestopainton-siteorathome. Ng initially in-tended for his busi-ness to be a way forhim to earn his ownkeep and fund histuition fees, but asbusiness grew andNgunderstoodmoreabout his potentialto make a differenceinthelivesofothers,Art With A HeARTevolved. His vision toimpact the lives ofu n d e r - p r i v i l e g e dchildren was birthedwhen he was just 10

years old. On a learning mission trip toJakarta organized by City Harvest Chil-dren’sChurch(nowHarvestKidz),hesawchildrendwellingindilapidatedslumsandwasmovedbytheirpoorlivingconditions.Herealizedthenjusthowveryfortunatehewas,andhisheartwasmovedtosomethingaboutwhathesaw. Thatthingwas“ProjectVision2011—Vision With A HeART”, a five-year planaimed at providing proper eye-care tounder-privileged children. Seizing everyopportunity to further his cause, Ng cre-ativelytransformedhis15thbirthdaypartyintoanartfair. Throughsalesrevenuefromthepaint-ings he sold (priced between S$100 andS$500)tofriendsandfamilymembers,hewasabletoraise fundsforProjectVision.Thisprovidedthespringboard forProjectVision’s first program: Love The Student,in2011;childrenwithmyopia(near-sight-edness)wouldbefittedwithproper spec-taclessothattheycouldseeclearlyinclassandwouldnotbedisadvantagedatschool. Toachievethis,NgtraveledtoMedan,Indonesiawithhisparentstocarryouttheproject.Onthistrip,197childreninMedanreceivedafreeeyeexaminationandapairofprescribedspectaclesoftheirchoice;atthesametime,theinitiativeprovidedeco-nomicsupporttolocalopticalbusinesses. ThatfirsteventwasreportedinthelocalnewspaperinMedan.Thesecretaryofthesub-districtheadofMedanwasimpressedbyNg’senthusiasmtohelpthechildrenofIndonesia. Taking inspiration from Proverbs29:18,“Wherethereisnovision,thepeo-pleperish,”Ngfirmlybelievesthateachofthe beneficiaries his project serve have a

goodfuture. Threeandahalfyearslater,inSeptem-ber 2014, Ng revisited Medan with ElimChew, a fellow social entrepreneur andfounder of the 77th Street fashion brand.On this second visit, Ng helped another152 underprivileged children through theprogram.Asaforeignerinadifferentland,there were communication barriers, butthroughtheconnectionsNg’schurch,CityHarvestChurch,hadwiththechurchesinIndonesia,Ngwasable toworkalongsideinterpreterstobridgethelanguagegap. One of the encounters seared into hismemorywasthatofmeetingabadlyabusedyounggirl.WhenNgfirstmetherbackin2011,shewas6.“Shewassobadlyabusedthathereyeswerenotevenparalleltoeachother,herheadwasmisshapedandhernosewascrookedtotheextentthatitcouldnotsupportapairofspectacles.Ontopofthat,shewasgoingblindandtherewasnothingwecoulddobackthen,”Ngrecalls. OnthistripbacktoMedanthreeyearslater,Ngmetupwithheragain.Nowaged9,shehasalreadygoneblindinoneeye,butwithNg’shelp,shewasfittedwithapairofspectaclesandcouldnowseemoreclearlyvisionwithherothereye. ThetripnotonlyreceivedcoverageonChannelNewsAsia’sweeklyRed Dotpro-gramme, but was broadcasted on the In-donesiannewsnetwork.Thereporterevenquoted Proverbs 29:18 on national televi-sion. To Ng, this was a form of “crossingover”, as he and his partners were recog-nizedassaltandlight inthemarketplace,onasecularplatform. Going forward, Ng is determined tocontinue his work in Medan and otherparts of Indonesia. He does not discountthe opportunity to expand the project toothercountries. InthemidstofjugglingProjectVision,hisundergraduatestudiesinbusinessman-agement,andwritinghisfirstbookVision: Driven By Passion (published last year),Ng managed to find time to embark on anew business, MyBox, a retail platform at*SCAPEwhichrentsoutboxspacestoas-piringyoungentrepreneursandstart-ups. As with his other ventures, Ng viewsMyBoxasa“businesswithacause”,whichaimstoinspireyouthinSingaporetopur-sue their passion for entrepreneurship.Whereverpossible,healsobuildsrelation-shipswithhiscustomersandmentorsthemoutofhisownexperiences. “Iwanttochangethecommonmindsetthatittakesalotofcapitaltostartabusi-ness. I started Art With A HeART withonlyS$500.MyBoxhas122 lockerspacesforrent;Iseethatas122opportunitiesforyoung,aspiringentrepreneurswhojust need a platform to pursue theirdreams,”saysNg.Injustoneyear,My-Boxhasexpandedfrom200to350sqftofretailspace. Ngwasrecentlyenlisted intoNationalService and will be serving the nation forthe next two years. But given his history,onecanonlyexpectgreaterthingstocomefromthisyoungman.


HowToEnjoyChristmasWithoutTurningIntoSantaInthistongue-in-cheek(buttruth-laden)guestcontribution,healthcoachandBodyInc.founderJacelynTaycluesreadersinonthethreecommonstrategiesChristmasrevelersusetopreservetheirwaistlines.ByJACELYN TAY

So you enjoy your puddings, pies and roast, but donotwishtoshareSanta’swardrobe?Thetruthis,onecannot serve twogods.Cakeorweight?Youhave tochoose! Realistically, only three types of people willsurvive(andenjoy)thisChristmaswithoutwakingupin2015withSanta’sbulge.Heretheyare:THE WISE CHAMPIONS These are humble people who know their limit.The female of this species limits herself to a dailyintake of not more than 1,500 calories and themale, 2,000 calories. No matter how tempted theyare,theywillcountthecaloriesandstopeatingwhenlimit is reached. They are courageous because theydare to politely refuse that second slice of log cakefromtheirhost. Theyarehighlyfocusedastheyseeonlycalories,notturkeys.Theytalkmoreandeatlessduringparties.They always serve food to people so that they avoideating the food themselves. They also have the wis-domtoknowthatpatienceinchewingtheirfoodpro-motesgooddigestion.Theyaretheslow-and-steady-wins-the-race champions. (I belong to this type!)

THE OVERCOMERS Theyfallintotemptationagainandagain,buteachtimetheywillovercomeandriseup!Overcomersmayover-eatonDec23,butonDec24theywillcutdownonallsug-ars,fatsandrefinedcarbohydrateslikebread,biscuitsandflourproductswhilegoingforlotsoffruits,vegetablesandsomemeatforprotein. Onthisdayof“atoning”theOvercomeronlyeats1,000to1,200caloriethewholeday,andworkoutbyrunningfortwohoursorrunningupanddownthestairsforanhourtoburnoff1,000calories.Theymanagetopurgenaturallybymovingtheirbowelsonceortwiceonthisday,andhencesucceedinlosingthatonetotwokilogramstheyputonthedaybefore. However, come Dec 25 they may forget yesterday’spainandfallintotemptationagain.AndthenonDec26,theylosealltheweightagainandenjoytheneteffectofnoweightgainafterChristmas. Note: Overcomers are NOT bulimic. They use healthy methods such as exercise and eating low-calorie, high-nu-trient foods to lose weight.

THE PROPHETSTheyknowthat theywilleat.Theycaneven foresee

the number of kilograms they are going to put onduringChristmas.Hence,theywillplantheircalorieintakeintheprecedingweekstolosethatamountofweight prior to all the parties! Example: eating lessthan 1,200 calories a day, eating mainly vegetables,fruitsandsomemeat.Theywillcutoutallsugarsandoilyfoodbecausetheyknowthattheywillbeconsum-ingthesewithabandoncomeChristmasseason. With the one to two kilograms they would havelost, they have room to tuck in at the dinner tablewithoutgoingupadresssizebythetimetheyneedtoslipintotheirNewYear’spartyclothes.

PHOTO: DANIEL POH

The author at one of her classes on weight manage-ment.

L I F E S T Y L E


LetTheFeastBeginChristmasistheperfectseasontowhipoutthoseculinaryskillsthatgetburiedduringthebusyyear!City News WeeklyservesupfourChristmasrecipestriedandtestedbyfourhomechefs.ByDAWN SEOW

L I F E S T Y L E

ROASTED VEGETABLESBy Michael Chan

If roasting a turkey is too much of a hassle and way too big for your family of four, go for a roasted rosemary chicken. The perks: perfectly crisp skin and moist meat, thanks to the butter; plus the aroma of roasted rosemary lingering in your kitchen the whole night.

Preparation: 15 mins Cooking time: About 40 minutes (depending on the size of your chicken)

INSTRUCTIONS• Preheat oven to 220 degree Celsius on fan-assisted baking setting.• Mix softened butter, olive oil, diced rosemary, minced garlic and lemon zest in a bowl. Set aside.• Season cavity of the chicken with salt and pepper; stuff cavity with lemon, garlic onion and rosemary.• Rub chicken with salt, pepper generously, and brush the butter mixture to cover the whole chicken. • Pour the lemon juice over the chicken.• Tie legs together and place chicken breast-side up on the baking pan. If you’d like to roast some vegetables, add them to the pan and place the chicken on top

INGREDIENTSA whole chicken of about 1kg, cleaned and patted dry1 tablespoon olive oil¼ cup butter, room temperature1 large springs fresh rosemary, finely diced2 garlic cloves, mincedZest from 2 lemonsSalt and pepperJuice from 1 lemonLemon, a quarter of an onion, garlic cloves, a sprig of rosemary for stuffing

ROASTED ROSEMARY CHICKENBy Dawn Seow

Preparation time: 15 minutes • Cooking time: 20-30 minutes

INGREDIENTS1 bell pepper, wedged1 onion, wedged1 eggplant, sliced4 large Portobello mushrooms, thickly sliced4 cloves garlic, whole1½ teaspoons Italian seasoningSea salt and pepper to taste2 tablespoons olive oil2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS • Preheat oven to 180 degree Celsius. Lightly oil baking tray or sheet.• Place vegetables in a large bowl and add olive oil and Italian seasoning, together with salt and pepper to taste. Gently toss to combine.• Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes, remove from oven and toss gently.• Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes or until tender. • If you are adding root vegetables, bake them for 10 minutes before adding the rest of the vegetables to bake for another 15 to 20 minutes.• Serve immediately.

When it comes to roasted vegetables, there are no rules. Follow this recipe as a guide and throw in your favorite vegetables. Just make sure that the ones that take a longer time to cook through, like the roots.

of the vegetables. • Cook for 25 minutes, remove and baste the chicken quickly.• Return to oven and cook for another 15 minutes or until golden brown. Lightly tent with foil if chicken is browning too quickly.• Let chicken cool for 15 minutes before carving.


L I F E S T Y L E

CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKEBy Theresa Tan

EARL GREY MOJITO By Joanna Yap

Too late for coffee? Serve up a tall glass of refreshing Mojito after that Christmas meal as you chat the night away. The plus point of this minty tipple is the fact that you can make it without alcohol—your pregnant friends and the little children will thank you. Or you can add in some rum and make it a real Mojito! Make a jug and let it sit in the fridge just before the party starts.

Makes 2.5 litres • Preparation: 15 mins

The aroma of a fruitcake baking in the oven is what Christmas should always smell like—heady and sweet with a hint of spice. Grab some dried fruits of your choice, a bottle of brandy and create some Yuletide magic. (Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook)

Soaking time: 3-6 weeks • Preparation: 20 minutes • Cooking time: 2-2 ½ hours

SOAKING FRUITS: INGREDIENTS 1 kg of dried fruit of your choice (raisins, currants, prunes, apricots, dates, cherries, cranberries etc)1 cup of Cognac or your favourite brandy (liqueur like Cointreau can be used too)¾ cup honeyOptional: 1 ½ teaspoon of cinnamon or a cracked cinnamon stick if you like the fruit scented

SOAKING FRUITS: INSTRUCTIONS• In a large glass jar (lidded or airtight), combine fruit, cognac and honey. You may wish to cut the larger fruit into half-inch pieces.• Set aside in a cool place to soak, turning the jar once a dry to coat all the fruit.• The fruit will taste bests if soaked for 3-6 weeks, but if you are short of time you can soak the fruit for 24 hours.

FRUIT CAKE: INGREDIENTS2 ½ cups plain flour1 ½ cups unsalted butter 7 eggs1 tablespoon salt1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon1 ½ teaspoon ground ginger1 teaspoon ground cloves (or you can use 3 teaspoonfuls of Allspice to replace the cinnamon, ginger and cloves)1 teaspoon ground nutmeg1 ¼ cups sugar1 ½ cup of roasted walnuts (broken into half-inch pieces)For glazing:1 ½ cups of apricot jam ½ cup water

FRUIT CAKE: INSTRUCTIONS• Preheat oven to 135 degrees Celsius.• Butter 2 eight-inch round tins and flour the inside of the tin. Tap out any excess flour.• In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, salt, spices (ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg or Allspice) and add walnuts.

• In another mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, around 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating 3 to 5 minutes after every one. Remove from mixer.• Fold in the flour mixture until completely incorporated. • Drain the soaked fruit and stir into the cake mixture just until incorporated and fruit is evenly mixed in.• Pour batter into the 2 prepared tins and bake for about 2 to 2 hours 15 minutes. Test with a skewer—it should come out with just a few crumbs on it. Do not overbake or your fruitcake will be hard and dry.• Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before you invert the cakes.• In a saucepan, combine apricot jam and water over a low heat till completely melted and stir to mix. Brush the mixture over your cakes while it is still hot. Garnish with any slices of dried fruit, nuts or ornaments that you like, and top with one more layer of hot jam.

INGREDIENTSJuice and zest of 4 lemons and 4 lime, cut the juiced lemons and limes into wedges 3 packets of mint leaves (150g)Earl Grey tea (10 bags infused in 2 cups of hot water)1 cup raw sugar (or more to taste)4 cups ice1.5 liters cold water2 cans soda waterRum (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS• Dissolve sugar into Earl Grey tea. • Add mint leaves, lemon lime juice, lemon lime zest and wedges into a jar. • Use the handle of a wooden spoon, or a muddler, to crush the ingredients together 5-6 times to release the juices of the mint and lime. • Add the rum (or not).• Add crushed ice and then pour in ice water and soda water.

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L I F E S T Y L E

MyFavoriteChristmasCarol

While many Singaporeans have nev-er experienced chestnuts roastingon an open fire or Jack Frost nip-ping at their noses (unless you countthe seemingly sub-zero tempera-tures at some shopping malls all yearround), they will be able to sing (orhum) a Christmas carol—be it themajestic “Joy To The World,” the ir-resistibly catchy “I Wanna Wish YouA Merry Christmas,” the jazzy “TheChristmasSong”ortheexuberant“Jin-gleBellRock.”

NothingushersinthemagicoftheChristmasseasonlikeaclassiccarol.TheCityWorshipbandmemberssharetheirfavoriteChristmastuneandwhatitmeanstothem.ByANNIE WONG

I wish that for my family and friendswhom I love. Kelly Clarkson’s versionof this song—from the musical ar-rangementtothevocals—reallybringsoutthebeautyofthissong.

Daniel Chew (drummer)AlthoughIhavenofavoriteChristmassong, “White Christmas” or “SleighRide” always come to mind when IthinkofChristmascarols—jazzy,beau-tifullywrittenandsofullofjoyousmel-odies.ThesesongsreallybringoutthewarmthandloveofChristmas,perfect-lyrepresentingtheChristJesuswhoisthe reason for the season. WheneverI drum to these songs, I always hopethatmyaudiencewillseesnowfalling,familydinnerswithhoneybakedhamand turkey, kids with loads of pres-ents under the Christmas tree. Yes, Ialsohopetheywillseerealcardsbeinghandwrittenandsentbysnailmailin-stead of the ever popular e-cards. Nomatterwhatthey’vehadtogothroughin2014,mywishisthattheywouldseelight,faithandhopefor2015.

Teo Poh Heng (worship leader/gui-tarist)OneofmyfavoriteChristmassongsisalsothefirstChristmassongIlearnedto play on the guitar: “Joy To TheWorld.” It makes me happy wheneverIsingit!Jesusistheabsolute,perfectjoythatonecaneverreceive,andgiveto others. Another one that holds aspecialplaceinmyheartwouldbe“Si-lentNight.”ThissongalwaysremindsmeofGod’sunfailingloveandtremen-dous peace in my life. Even thoughsometimes life can be very challeng-ing,throughJesus,wecanexperiencepeaceandrestforevermore.

Mervyn Lim (bassist)I especially love “O Holy Night”. Thelyrics in the chorus really touch medeeply, especially the line: “Fall onyour knees/Oh hear the angels’ voic-es…”Tome,thatsongpaintsapictureof worship, where everything and ev-eryone focuses on our Savior, exactlylike the beautiful image of our entirechurchholdingupthecandlesduringtheCandlelightservice.Theviewfromstageisamazing!Ihopethattheaudi-ence felt the significance of the lyricsandsymbolismofourCandlelightser-vice, which always features this song.May they remember that the birth ofJesusisthelightthatcomestobright-enupthedarknessofthisworld.

City News Weekly speaks to theCity Worship team members to findoutwhattheirfavoritetunesofthesea-sonare,andwhy.

Annabel Soh (worship leader)“MyGrownUpChristmasList” isoneofmyfavorites.Ittalksabouttheheal-ingofthehumansoulandhownationsareatpeace fromwar—that’s thebestChristmaswishforanyonewhoissuf-feringduringthemostwonderfultimeof the year. And that is exactly what

(From left) Annabel Soh and Daniel Chew, Teo Poh Heng, Mervyn Lim.


中文报道

开心屋里乐为义工City News Weekly记者到访开心屋乐龄中心，了解了当义工的意义。任小虎报导

因为丈夫和孩子每天都出外工作，自己行动也不方便，多年来，吴老太太平日白天总是一个人在家，也不跟外面的人接触交谈，日子久了心里就开始忧郁，思想也变得越来越消极。但那一天，大家看到了笑容满面的吴太太。11月29日，记者和开心屋乐龄中心的何爱玲与义工叶秀红一起来到吴太太家探访她。 “我们刚开始接触她时，她很是抵触，所说的话也非常负面，脸上一丁点儿笑容也没有。经过我们多次探访和陪谈，现在才渐渐有好转，她也愿意跟我们谈心，聊起她的家人。”叶秀红跟记者聊起吴太太时这么说道。吴太太看到叶秀红一行义工到来十分开心，尽管行动不便，但还是走到门口迎接。整个探访过程中，吴太太总是眉开眼笑，敞开地分享，叶秀红则全神贯注地陪她聊天，嘘寒问暖，问她是否需要什么帮助，并鼓励她有空要到组屋楼下的开心屋坐坐，和那里的义工聊天，也告诉她如果行动不便，开心屋的义工可以用轮椅接她下楼，吴太太很高兴的答应了。临走时，吴太太还坚持要送大家到门外。

义工的故事他们需要付出的不仅仅是时间，更需要献出爱心、耐心和关心。开心屋乐龄中心的义工就是凭着这几颗“心”，向孤独的年长者伸出援手，给予帮助。由城市丰收社会关怀服务社开办的开心屋乐龄中心是一间致力于帮助年长者的非营利机构。中心的主要目的即为年长者设计和提供各样活动，帮助他们学习新的生活技能，好让他

们更贴近社会脉动；同时，也帮助他们拥有更高的生活品质。乐龄中心的义工因此经常探望一些没有儿女或儿女不在身边的老人，陪他们聊天，在他们有需要的方面给予协助，甚至帮助老人们解决家庭矛盾，让他们能再次感受到家的温暖。采访中，叶秀红与记者分享她当义工的经验。

记者：你可以解释下，你们在开心屋的志愿职务吗？叶秀红：我们的责任是每个星期去探访有需要的乐龄人士，主要是陪他们聊天，有时也安排他们去郊外游玩。他们若有额外需要，我们也会进一步协助。比如他们生病没有人照顾，或需要填写一些申请表格，我们总会按照他们的需求来提供援助。

记者：那你为什么要参加这支愿工作？叶秀红：其实源于自己曾经不愉快的经历。那时我总是认为自己的孩子长大了，不可能一直陪在我身边，因此心里很难过，也认为没人了解我，在这忧伤的情绪中无法自拔。那时，一位教会朋友，也是开心屋义工之一，她不断地鼓励我，后来她带我到开心屋，让我有机会当义工。那时的我心想，像我这样的人也能帮助别人吗？她却说：“不要紧，你先走一步算一步，慢慢的你就会学习很多东西。”的确，当我开始试着与开心屋这个团队一同帮助他人，自己内心也逐渐明白，这个世界比我想象的更大。我渐渐从那个经历走出来，自信也渐渐增加。

记者：你能分享一下做义工中发生的故事吗？

叶秀红：我服事乐龄人士前后已快9年，其中有好多故事，有件事给了我很大的鼓舞。一天我偶然得知一位阿婆没人照顾，在家中跌倒了。我一听到这消息，就想我该怎样去帮助她，她现在需要什么？那天并不是我负责探访的日子，但我还是买了些小点心去看望那位阿婆。阿婆看到我的时候很开心，我也陪她聊了很多。在那之后，阿婆为了感谢我，亲手做了一份小

礼物给我。虽然阿婆的礼物不是非常值钱的东西，但她把这份礼物交到我手上时，我内心有说不出的激动和温暖。作为义工，我们并不要求任何回报，但阿婆的小礼物对我而言，是一

个极大的鼓励。开心屋乐龄中心的负责人何爱玲告诉记者，开心屋非常需要义工的帮忙，尤其需要一些拥有特别技能或手艺的义工把他们的本领传授给乐龄人士，比如厨艺，健身技巧。“开心屋开办了一些课程，好像针织和英文课程，目的是要改变乐龄人士的思想。不管他们是否能学成，只要有一点点进步，我们都要不断鼓励他们，让他们心里觉得，总是有人在关心他们。我们刚接触乐龄人士时，不是每个人都愿意向我们敞开。但随着时间过去，只要我们有耐心，等到他们对我们更熟悉后，就会接受我们，愿意和我们分享他们的心事。” 开心屋每个星期都有义工服务活动，周一至周五的义工服务时间是早上10点至下午1点，实际开放时间是早上10点到下午6点。我们会在每天下午时间开办一些课程给乐龄人士学习，除周二之外。而星期六的服务时间则是11点到4点，星期天是休息日；希望大家踊跃参与我们的义工服务！” 何爱玲叶说开心屋对义工并无特别要求，只要会说华语或本地方言就可以，最重要的是对乐龄人士要有爱心和耐心。有兴趣参与开心屋乐龄中心义工服务的朋友可以致电＋6598509030寻问详情。

照片:詹前富

开心屋乐龄中心的义工就是凭着爱心、耐心和关心，向孤独的年长者伸出援手，给予帮助。

GIVING THANKS FOR 2014...DEC 19-21, 2014 3 CHURCH & MISSIONS congregation. Over 1,570 men of CHC...

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Transcript of GIVING THANKS FOR 2014...DEC 19-21, 2014 3 CHURCH & MISSIONS congregation. Over 1,570 men of CHC...