Singapore churches – Page 22

Category: Singapore churches

City Harvest Church trials: heartbreaking and heartwarming

2 September 2013 blogpastor 19 Comments

It is both heartbreaking and heartwarming to read about what has been dubbed the City Harvest Church trials.

A government minister had said, Its not about the church. It’s about the 6 church leaders. However, the Straits Times(ST) headlines screamed City Harvest Church trials. Not even City Harvest Church leaders’ trials. We live in a digital age and to catch eyeballs we have to have the right titles: the one that people are likely to use when they google for news. Looks like what the minister has separated, the ST have joined together, and so they will be. Anyway, in the minds of many, the trial of the church leaders is the trial of the church. Not only City Harvest Church, but all who worship under the Cross of Christ.

I find it heartbreaking because we are talking about people who went about doing good and with good intentions. These people have mothers and fathers, uncles and cousins. They have spouses and children. They are people who are faithful and loving in their relationships and inspiring to the faith of many. Though imperfect, they have found forgiveness in Jesus Christ and experienced a life transforming change in their lives that they are eager for many to experience as well. Though transformed, they are still flawed. If we had a chance to know them personally, and even to hear about how their lives are like, or how they had impacted others, we would have seen how they are like many good Christians who sit in the pews of our churches, or like the pastors who preach in our pulpits. Except for these issues that the trials will examine. How it will all pan out will be seen in this run of trials and the next run in the first quarter of 2014. How stressful all this must be for all concerned, especially the 6 leaders and their families and the City Harvest Church. Wear their skins for just a day. And don’t say I want Serina Wee’s skin.

That is why I am perturbed that the online buzz is about superficial mudslinging of Ho Yeow Sun and the $$$$ poured into catapulting her into fame for the sake of Christ and winning souls, and the sensationalizing of the looks and the style of Serina Wee. There are even salacious comments that compare the two of them. Haven’t the cyber piranhas had their fill of blood and flesh of these our sisters in Christ? Why don’t they stick to the issues that arise in the trials or think more deeply, perhaps about the church’s underlying philosophy, organizational culture, or theology (or lack of it) that fueled these issues in the first place?

It’s also very heartbreaking to read the expositions of the prosecution.

On the other hand, my heart has been warmed by some audacious show of support by a church. Surprisingly a Presbyterian church – Bethany Presbyterian Church. Now if you know about churches: the Presbyterians and the Pentecostals are as alike in relations as the Samaritans and the Jews(some would reverse the order) in Jesus’ time . They have some points of disagreements in doctrine and practice. Yet this particular church put up a huge sign that read: “Bethany Presbyterian Church is upholding City Harvest Church, Rev Kong Hee & the leaders in prayer”. When I first heard this from one of our church’s leaders, I cried out in disbelief, Cannot be lah! But now that I have googled and seen the photo, I am amazed at this church along Upper Paya Lebar Road. When my website is fully repaired, I will be able to upload the picture. Until then please click HERE. May this church be blessed.

Of course we Christians do not support what is illegal or wrong. The verdict has not been given out yet, and even if these 6 leaders were found to be guilty, can we not still pray for them? Wouldn’t we pray for our loved ones if they had to go to court for something they have been accused of? Those who do not know God think that when Christians pray in such circumstances, they are always praying for miraculous acquittal or a suspension of justice. That may be so. However Jesus taught us to pray, Father, May Your name be glorified and hallowed. May Your kingdom come. May Your will be done. Amen. And this is how we too should pray throughout this trial.

Preaching at Care Community Church camp

25 June 2013 blogpastor 2 Comments

Care Community Church camp at Pulai Springs, Johor

Pulai Springs, Johor is a good resort for church camps. We arrived there from Singapore within two hours or less. We had ice breakers and orientation and settled into our rooms. The haze however spoiled what would otherwise have been an ideal place for relaxation, seminars and meditation. The food was excellent and the rooms were above average. So was the service.

The Care Community Church is a warm and loving family church. Their welcome quickly put us at ease with them. Meals were pleasant as we got to know different members of the church. As they responded to us warmly, we in turn enjoyed a growing rapport with them. When I am relaxed and feel at home with an audience, I find I can preach and teach more effectively. I found the church to be friendly, unique, and blessed with many talented and faithful people. You could tell they have been cared for and loved.

Small group discussions increases learning

Pastor Amos Yap has been their pastor for more than a decade. I got to know his family better: Juliet, his wife who gives tuition with a twist – counseling and guidance! and his son and daughter. They are a lovely family and all are serving the Lord. The theme was about personal renewal and rebuilding the church. I dealt with the common symptoms of an unhealthy spirituality.

Pulai Springs, Johor is a lovely hotel with good service and food. I adapted some ideas I got from Peter Scazzero’s “Emotionally Healthy Spirituality” and filtered them through my experience, and shared 8 symptoms with them over two nights. Detecting some of these symptoms will help people unlock some of the hindrances to the Christ life in them. I also did two morning workshops on the spiritual disciplines of the “Examen” and “Lectio Divina” – fancy Latin names for a review of the day and devotional reading. Short explanations and 25 minutes of actual prayer, followed by 20 minutes of group sharing and prayer. I kept the practices brief and manageable so that the young people can enjoy a taste of these spiritual practices. These are disciplines that will position them to receive and experience more of God’s grace and love on a regular basis. On the last night we had a wonderful ministry time praying for the sick, prophesying and blessing people in the name of the Lord. The presence of the Lord was among us.

There was more hunger and faith among them than I had assumed from the first session. In the final morning session, I encouraged them to rebuild the church together, doing a bare bones expository message of Haggai’s second prophecy.

Euclid Tan was my room mate, a young man who had been in Bill Johnson’s school of the supernatural in the US. He was a great help. He gave me input on the messages, helping me to angle it to young people and contributing stories as well as trimming off unnecessary fats. May the Lord raise a new generation of ministers who will excel in faith, hope and love.

Pardon my rambling all over the place. This is a symptom that I need to slow down, slow down.

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.