Church in general – Page 23

Category: Church in general

Celebration of Hope tickets going, going, gone.

30 January 2019 blogpastor Leave a comment

The Celebration of Hope evangelistic rallies will be held in the National Stadium from May 17 to 19. The 17th and 19th are for the English speaking, while the 18th (Saturday) is for the Mandarin speakers. The evangelist for the English speaking is J. John a prominent, anointed British evangelist of Indian descent. The evangelist for the Mandarin speaking is Kau Shao En.

We attended a briefing session on the 22nd January last Tuesday. It was well attended and we were given up to date information. With that information we got our COH church timeline done up and started briefing the cell leaders and the congregation.

However today the information we were given about the availability of the COH app and the tickets to the Stadium is outdated. Originally we were told the Apps would be ready the day before. It was late a day, which is okay, but then the apps is available only on Google Play and not on Apple yet. So those with iPhones are stranded and will have to find alternative means. We were also told that the tickets will be available for reservation only a week later but instead they were immediately available on the same date the app was ready for downloads.

The tickets are going fast and we being kiasu Singaporeans fear losing out and are booking tickets beyond what we need….just in case. There will after all be a chance later (in April) to dispose of tickets we will not use so that those on the waiting list can have them. Currently at the time of this writing close to 21% of seats has already been reserved. 20,000 tickets out of 100,000 of the English rally has already been snatched up on the first day.

This is all encouraging and we have to keep praying that there would be a gracious and glorious harvest of souls to make this a memorable nation wide rally since the Billy Graham meetings at the old National Stadium.

To download the COH app, and to reserve tickets go here: https://celebrationof hope.sg/tickets/.

The download button of the COH app is at the bottom of the above link. You need to download that before you can reserve tickets.

Pastors Prayer Summit 2019

28 January 2019 blogpastor Leave a comment

My intention was to introduce new staff members Alvin Lim and Tom Cannon to Love Singapore Pastors’ Prayer Summit 2019. So I was glad that Vincent Hoon was willing to go too as we could room together. We set off in his car and stopped at Yong Peng for simple Hockchiew lunch.

Alvin Lim, Vincent Hoon, myself and Tom Cannon at Bukit Indah for lunch on the way home

I enjoyed this Prayer Summit, more than those I attended in the past. It is partly the program, and partly the people, and partly the fact that I have grown. Let me list some personal highlights of this summit.

It was wonderful to catch up with friends and acquaintances during the several meals and meetings we had together. Catching up and talking shop gives me information, solidarity, and belonging. Meeting Richard Wong and Kenny Fam and Twie Kim was such a joy. And seeing the old stalwarts of Love Singapore puts a smile on my face and encourages me. I wonder if I would attend the summit after my retirement the way these guys did.

Kenny Fam, myself and Vincent Hoon – we met as a faith sharing group for about 18 years

The main speaker, a pastor Yang was dynamite. He is a Mandarin pastor from Taiwan who preached in Mandarin and was interpreted into English – a first for the Pastors’ Summit. A passionate, radical, seeker of lost souls and church transformer he enlightened, encouraged, challenged, cajoled, and awakened us to the condition of the church, the seminaries and us pastors. Culture is a comfortable man-made cocoon and truth can be uncomfortable and disturbing and awakening. In most churches the existing culture does not match up with Scripture. In a nutshell, he shook us all up. We need to make disciples the way Jesus did: more Hebraic practical action and obedience training than Greek conceptualising and grasping of theory. A real preacher: either you love or loathe him; assimilate or resist his ideas. Thank you Rev Yang.

There was an emotional remembrance of apostle Rick Seaward. So poignant, so touching, so piercing. What a great man has left Love Singapore, what a loss. It was good the movement grieved together. Loved Lawrence Khong’s personal reminiscence of his friendship with Rick.

It became clear to me Love Singapore is a movement that resists becoming an institution; like the tribal confederation before they instituted kingship. The Spirit of God anoints and chooses and rules. This is a great strength that will keep the movement resilient, effective and impactful. Register Love Singapore as a registered society and it will start losing its vitality. I love it as it is.

I enjoyed the session where the young leaders that have been added to the leadership team were interviewed with two veterans, creative Eugene Seow and witty Lawrence Chua. I must say I loved what I heard and saw of the younger leadership. I noticed especially the genuineness, the authenticity – something that seems common among spiritual leaders of generation next. There is something precious we can learn from them.

Then there was the initiative for Love Japan. Love Timor continues, but Love Japan has been added. There is a sensing from the LS leadership that this is the kairos moment for Japan. Some Japanese pastors/leaders were present to share about Japan’s need. Very low percentage of about 1% are Christians. Exciting.

The last but not least the Awaken Generation team of musicians and worship leaders were there. These bunch of young, telegenic, talented, anointed, stratospheric worship leaders and musicians were great to have around. They have a special anointing. Next year I hope they come again and I hope they can be given more “space” to lead us into God’s presence.

I came thinking this will be the last time before I retire. I left thinking maybe I should go one last time in 2020. If God so wills.

PRAY SINGAPORE 2018

8 October 2018 blogpastor Leave a comment

Mass events drain me. I am an introvert. So when 7 October 2018 – Pray Singapore was publicised by Love Singapore, I must admit I was hesitant to sign up because after preaching on a Sunday morning, I would not want to spend another three afternoon hours in the National Stadium, fighting heat, tiredness and jostling with crowds of people. However, in the end, I got out of my comfort zone and signed up for prayer with the Body of Christ in Singapore. Here are some of my off the cuff thoughts.

For a start the build up was exciting. Going there early, walking with the lines of people walking from Kallang MRT to the Stadium; and seeing the build up of the people filling the Stadium. It highlighted the great organisational skills needed to get this event on its ground, and the mobilisation grace to fill the Stadium with 40,000 to 50,000 believers. The Love Singapore leaders are great tribal leaders!

The believers from different churches in Singapore came to PRAY SINGAPORE

I liked seeing the people of various age groups. I liked the clever clap-banner they gave everyone. When you used it to clap it amplified the volume 20 times. We should issue these clap banners in every church for use in worship services! I liked the good balance and build up of prayer themes. I liked the variety: different kinds of prayers (set liturgical prayers, spontaneous prayers, group of twos and threes praying, prophetic declarations and acts, everyone praying in unison); different leaders from different denominations both young and old ( besides giving honour where it is due some political correctness was involved here); the use of Mandarin, Tamil besides the main language of English; the different groups (marrieds, families, children, younger pastors, veteran pastors); different prayer themes (Church, Family, Nation, Harvest). I liked the five minute talks giving statistics, telling stories, challenging and inspiring the prayer themes before we prayed.

Gift pack included a clap banner that made a lot of clapping sound, and a lot of sense because it also was usable fan.

Scriptural and prophetic declarations on the clap banner

A lot of time was spent praying for the FAMILY theme so that by the time we reached praying for the HARVEST it was anticlimactic. This goes to show how much urgency ad importance the organisers placed on the foundation and future of our nation: strong families.

On the whole I surprising left the Stadium energised not with physical or emotional energy but a supernatural charge. If they could check the charge it would be like the mobile battery icon fully charged. I was so glad my colleague Tom Cannon mobilised scores of young and older church members to participate in this event.

When I attended Arsenal’s football game recently, I left about 5-10 minutes before the end because I simply hated jostling with the crowds. This time I stayed to the end, and they that endure to the end shall be saved, but caught in a multitude of red shirted people all trying to get into the Stadium MRT.

Nevertheless I rejoiced in God my Saviour.