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How to preach at church camps

25 June 2013 blogpastor 2 Comments

Sought after church camp speaker

One of the most popular speakers for church camps must be Pastor Benny Ho. He took our camp at Batam this year and mentioned that he had six camps to do during the June holidays. The theme he spoke to us was “Life on the Top” – a series of four messages that speaks to life issues. He also gave the young people an informal workshop on dating and courtship. We were blessed. I was curious about what he thought about speaking at church camps and how it was different from church service sermons and what speakers needed to take note.

Things to note

One of the important things is to be aware of is the physical and mental state of people during a camp. The ups and downs of energy and interest levels have to be observed and given attention to. He found that using humor is a help as it catches and maintains attention levels when campers get tired. Camp talks have to facilitate an encounter with God, as that is what people are positioned for and need during a camp. People have taken time out of busy studies or work, and they are more ready to hear God and experience him. The concentrated time allows for a theme to be fully developed and expanded. It would also be good for the camp speaker to work closely with the pastor and help the church rally together and work in unity for the common good. This would entail mixing around with the people and getting to know them too, especially during meal times.

Some personal observations

His preaching was well-received by the campers. I observed his preaching during the camp and here are some things I noted down. Trust this might be helpful when you get invited to do a church camp somewhere:

Topical (more accessible, I suppose) though two years ago he did an expository series on Joel with us
Clear, coherent and easy to follow outline
Pithy quotations from well-known writers and preachers or anonymous sources.
Apt use of words and synonyms and a sprinkling of original Greek or Hebrew
Stories: here is where humor is most evident
Backed up points with Scripture texts
Use of some facts, statistics and research
Put notes in people’s hands

From Xperia to Nokia Lumia 920

13 June 2013 blogpastor Leave a comment

Nokia Lumia 920

The paint was wearing off my Sony Ericsson Xperia, thanks to keeping it in my pocket with car key and coins. It is almost two years old. Its still running, but slowing down. As the date got close when my contract was due for renewal, I decided to look for a new smartphone. It has to be a smartphone as I cannot see myself going without some basic things. High on my list of essentials is a good camera. So I consulted a talented professional photographer Eirik. Which smartphone has the best camera? His opinion was clear. No1 is HTC One. No 2 is Nokia Lumia 920. The rest, including iPhone 5, comes third. I suppose most smartphone cameras are good with regards to bright light photography. Its in the low light category where the smartphone cameras that are outstanding have to fight it out. I bought my Xperia because of its slim body, clean lines and its low-light capabilities. The downside of buying HTC One is its price. It costs $270 more than Lumia 920 (S$199) under the same plan. But Lumia is a Windows Phone with a small store of apps. In addition I will have to learn new smartphone ways unless I buy an Android. So after doing the due diligence and watching many phone fights on YouTube, I was no closer to making a decision. However on Monday, I kept thinking of Lumia 920 while half asleep in bed at dawn. Must be all the videos I watched the night before. Since this is not a life and death decision, and since my left brain could not make a decision, I let the more intuitive right brain take over. I bought the Lumia 920 on Monday afternoon. I surprised myself at my willingness to risk crossing the line from Android to Windows. There are less apps but I do not need that much apps and never liked playing games. The basic functions of a phone, the camera, notes, calender-planner, timer, music, Bible and some surfing are what I use the smartphone for on most days. I must say that so far I do like the Windows Phone and the Nokia Lumia 920 experience.

Raphael Samuel: Singapore missionary becomes the Bishop of the Anglican Church in Bolivia

3 June 2013 blogpastor 4 Comments

Good friend

The Bishop of the Anglican Church in Bolivia is a good friend of mine! We did theology together in Trinity Theological College. As a student he was a sharp and creative thinker, good at thinking provocative abstract ideas that stretch your theological world to the edge. Together with Rev Benedict Muthusamy, we were pals who had long teh tarik sessions about theology, society, politics and …..our lecturers. The charismatic movement was very strong in some of the Anglican churches and for field education he served in Church of our Savior.

I was his bestman when he married Michelle at a wedding at Church of our Savior. Rev Derek Hong was one of his heroes and the officiating minister, and I distinctly remembered how the reverend wore hip jeans and moccasins under the Anglican whites and how the wedding was saturated with worship and prophecies. The venue was the old chapel at Prince Charles Crescent.

Missionary call

After our graduation we met regularly to encourage each other and share about our respective ministry and struggles. When our seminary classmates were in town I made arrangements for class meetings. I remembered it was a big decision when Raphael and his wife Michelle decided to answer the call to Bolivia. The prayers, the deliberations, the anxieties about adaptation and their son, Elijah. I thought they displayed courage that could only come from receiving God’s call and promises. You can read the whole story of the process of answering the call in “Going to Bolivia” in his blog.

When he came back for furlough we always meet for fellowship and it was an opportunity to bring back as many of the classmates as we can together.

Proud of him

I feel so proud, so pleased for him that he has become the bishop. It is not the prestige or status that it confers on him. Nor is it the often unnoticed fact that the Diocese of Singapore has produced two minority race Indian bishops in a Chinese dominated clergy – a credit to the diocese. I feel that with his knowledge and experience and intelligent reflection from years of parish work both in Bolivia and Singapore, he will certainly do a good job of it. He has a clear idea of what needs to be done and he has the passion and contextualization skills and competencies to succeed. The Bolivian diocese and the wider church there will only benefit from his being in this leadership position at this juncture. Glory to God!

TTC alumni news update

Here is an extract from the Trinity Theological College alumni news update:

Our congratulations to Rev Raphael Samuel (BTh 1985) and his wife, Michelle Lee Hock Sim (BD 1984) on Raphael’s election as the Bishop of the Anglican Church in Bolivia, South America. The consecration will be held on 12 May 2013 in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

The Bishop Elect of the diocese of Bolivia, Ven. Raphael Samuel, is a Singapore clergyman sent by the Diocese of Singapore to serve in Bolivia. He and his wife, Michelle are the longest-serving missionaries in the Bolivian Anglican Church.

Raphael, a Singaporean Tamil, was born in January 16th 1957. He was raised in a traditional Anglican parish and received Christ when he was a teenager. He hails from several generations of Anglicans and was educated in a Methodist school. After formal studies, he joined the Singapore Navy in 1974, after which he responded to the Lord’s call to serve in the Anglican Church in 1980. At this juncture, a life-changing experience of the Holy Spirit, left a deep and lasting impression on his life. As part of his preparation for full-time ministry, he studied theology for 4 years at Trinity Theological College, where he and Michelle met. The communal setting at St Peter’s Hall, an Anglican institute for ministerial training in the campus at Trinity, served as an integral part of his formation as a priest in the Anglican Church.

The Straits Times reported his consecration HERE.