CONNECT Issue 10 (Jul 2012) by Covenant EFC

“Our deeds are seeds of fate, sown here on earth, but bringing forth their harvest in eternity.” George Dana Boardman

W I T H

G O D

W I T H

O N E

A N O T H E R

The Newsletter of Covenant Evangelical Free Church July 2012 ISSUE NUMBER 10

Camp Covenant, Camp Revival!

MICA 214/07/2010

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Times of refreshing through deep reflection and relentless fun afforded the campers of Camp Covenant 2012 a renewed spirit and commitment to God. Caroline Sin gives us a ecial Re Sp reflective account of the camp. camp c ovenan t 2012 Up close and personal with Ps William Wong

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Contents special report

Camp Covenant, Camp Revival

Encountering God

“What Are You Investing In?”

Marriage Matters

Lanterns, Mooncakes And Live Performances!

Close Up

A Legacy For God

upcoming events

God At Work

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LEFT Meeting with the Lord at Dawn Prayer OPPOSITE PAGE FROM TOP LEFT The youths in their exciting game of “Capture the Flag”; a time of great fun and bonding at our InterDistrict games

f there were a single verse that could meaningfully encapsulate the essence of Camp Covenant 2012, it would be Acts 1:8—“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” More than 1,500 campers, hungry for a new word and a fresh touch from God, made their way to IOI Marriott Hotel at Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, where Ps Benny Ho, Senior Pastor of Faith Community Church in Perth, Western Australia, was the camp speaker. It was during the four days of the camp that we, as God’s people, were instilled with the pivotal truth that the very presence of the Holy Spirit empowers us in all our spiritual endeavours, and not our personal strength, even if this strength stems from the best human intentions. As the theme of the camp was Revive Us, Lord, Ps Benny urged us to give up the trappings of spirituality and personal striving to fully embrace the presence and the power of God. He memorably defined “revival” as a return to one’s original destiny—what God has called us individually and collectively as a church CONNECT JULY 2012 • 2

to be. One of the key traits of revival is a restoration of God’s Word, for it is in reading and understanding God’s Word that the conviction of God falls upon His children, and real spiritual hunger will ferment, bringing along with it a radical commitment to God and His divine purposes. An engaging and personable preacher with a gift for simplifying complicated things, Ps Benny adroitly wove commonly understood analogies into his sermons to unpack spiritual truths. He compared the Word to a spiritual spa, and lovers of the Word bathed in it in such a way that they received a deep cleansing of their souls, while those ungrounded in the Word experienced merely trickles out of an unceasing fountain of Living Water, drawing amused laughs, yet also moments of deep reflection from the congregation. He pointed out to campers that revival ultimately flowed from the heart of a compassionate God, who revives His people so that we can join Him in engaging a lost and needy world, etching into our hearts the need to live for a cause that is infinitely larger than our own lives.

At the Covenant Young Adult Network (CYAN) Session on Day 2 of the camp, our own beloved Ps Ed (also known as Rev Edmund Chan) echoed a similar message about the grace and power of God that enables us to do far more than what we are capable of in our own strength. He shared with touching candour his struggles in sharing the gospel as a young student at Singapore Bible College, until God surprised him with a divine encounter when he shared the gospel to a middle-aged Mandarinspeaking lady. What Ps Ed considered to be halting Mandarin and human impossibility in those early days turned out to be a marvellous display of the divine possibility that exists only with God as the lady expressed her desire to receive Christ as her personal Lord and

Saviour, much to his delight and surprise. The young adults listened intently to Ps Ed’s sharing, greatly humbled by the workings of a great God in the lives of weak human vessels, mere jars of clay, feeling more inspired thereafter to leave a legacy worthy of His name. While there were many opportunities to seek the face of God during dawn prayers and interact with old friends and new faces during break-out sessions and mealtimes, Camp Covenant 2012 was not without its moments of unadulterated fun and bonding. On the Inter-District evening, campers from all seven districts came together to play a wildly spontaneous game called “Butt Off,” designed by Covenanter Joseph Giri, which saw children and adults of all ages scrambling over chairs and playing “Scissors-Paper-Stone” with uninhibited gusto in order to be crowned the overall champion. Members of the various districts broke into reverberating cheers, spurring their own district representatives on, reflecting the inherent ability of every Covenanter to have unbridled fun. As Camp Covenant 2012 drew to a close, the entire congregation of campers expressed their gratitude

Ps Benny pointed out to campers that revival ultimately flowed from the heart of a compassionate God. in thunderous applause to the Camp Committee, headed by Camp Commandant Ps Edmund Wong, for all their tireless efforts in creating a platform for us to encounter God. God, as vividly characterised in the last sermon by Ps Benny, is a God who loves so extravagantly that the very comprehension of this love would expunge the three deadly “Cs” in our lives—being calculative in our sacrifice towards God, competitive towards others in our service, and conceited in our Godgiven abilities. We headed home refreshed, inspired, and challenged, vessels teeming with fresh oil, bearing with us the image of an extravagantly loving God and His call to take His message to the world, backed by His grace and power.

“Sainthood lies in the habit of referring the smallest actions to God.” C. S. Lewis

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LEFT Meeting with the Lord at Dawn Prayer OPPOSITE PAGE FROM TOP LEFT The youths in their exciting game of “Capture the Flag”; a time of great fun and bonding at our InterDistrict games

“Sainthood lies in the habit of referring the smallest actions to God.” C. S. Lewis

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TNG: Double Firsts! At the same time of that magnificent outpouring at the main camp, God was working His magic in the hearts of The Next Generation. Ran largely by our Covenant youths in their late teens and early twenties, the success of the camps affirmed the immense potential of our next generation. Zephy Wong and Kezia Soh, our ALTUS interns, share about the WEB and VOICES camp. WEB Camp This was our very first WEB Camp organised as part of the bi-annual Camp Covenant. The name of the camp? Relentless—an allusion to the unfaltering, wildly persistent love of God that pursues us and refuses to give up on us. An amazingly fun-filled time, the WEBs were able to enjoy interacting and playing games with those from different groups, ages, and centres. The guest speaker for the camp was Ps Christopher Long. With his extraordinary sense of humor and his engagement with the youths, Ps Chris’ radical messages resonated with the WEBs. Speaking on the theme of life choices, he challenged us to say yes to God and to be a “history-maker” for Christ. He also spoke about how to pursue Jesus and to own the abundant life that can be found only in Him. Stirred by his sharing, many of the WEBs responded to God’s Word, dedicating their lives to Him. Exercising their leadership and creativity during various group activities, the WEBs showed such energy and potential for things of God, CONNECT JULY 2012 • 4

in wait to be harnessed by loving mentors and role models. VOICES Camp VOICES Camp 2012: “The Silver Screen: The World’s His Stage”, held at Palm Gardens, was the first church camp for the ministry! We had the privilege of having Ps Jeremy Seward as speaker for the camp. Not only were we captivated by his entertaining stories, we were inspired by God’s message to us about saying yes to His holy calling for us in missions, be it in our homes, schools or overseas. The camp was a great time of bonding! From activities such as an inspiring hike at Bukit Gasing, to an exciting game of water bomb “Capture the Flag”, the VOICES had a delightful time throughout the camp, connecting with different Districts, DGs and bonding with the WEBs through an unforgettable night walk. Through this camp, we saw the possibilities of a strong Godly community being raised up amongst the youths. It was truly a beautiful glimpse of what God has in store for the VOICES ministry!

Camp Covenant 2012 Testimonies It was a blessed time of reconnecting with God and people around me. I was thankful that I could catch up with people I usually would not have the opportunity to! More importantly, I’m reminded that as empowered Christians, we are called to our various stations to be disciple-makers. I’m convicted that my station is with The Next Generation (TNG) and that God will grant me the strength necessary to serve well there.

Galvin Sng, WDL Centre

We saw the possibilities of a strong Godly community being raised up amongst the youths.”

I saw the church camp as a breather from work, but I found myself waking up everyday for dawn prayer and staying up until 2 am sharing and praying with my roommate about what we were going through. Through the prayers, reflections, sermons and fellowship, my heart slowly broke again as I encountered God. I did not have an epiphany, but I was called to a closer communion with Him. Even as I return to the busy pace of life again, I committed my life once more to Him, and I am blessed to have friends to help keep me accountable in my spiritual pilgrimage.

Newman Cheng, BPJ Centre

I rediscovered the Father’s love for me and basked in the fellowship of His people. God touched my heart deeply during the sermons. I committed to not be calculative with the Lord, and surrendered my time, money and talents to Him. It was liberating! Immediately after this, I ran into three individuals who prayed over me and they prayed the same prayer— for healing and faith in my heart to arise. I broke down in tears as I knew I was standing on holy ground. My God sought after me. He, who is the most High, yearns for me. This breakthrough in my life caused my spirit to be revived!

Jessica Yim, WDL Centre

God assured me during the camp that it is through the power of the cross and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that I can experience victory over sin. As I ask God to empower me in my weakness, I also believe that God’s strength is made perfect in me. During one of the worship sessions, I was ministered to by a powerful song. What can wash away my sins? Truly, it is “nothing but the blood of Jesus”.

Ho Yee Lean, WDL Centre

Don’t Camp miss our Cov Pull-o enant Centr ut efold !

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Galvin Sng, WDL Centre

We saw the possibilities of a strong Godly community being raised up amongst the youths.”

Newman Cheng, BPJ Centre

Jessica Yim, WDL Centre

Ho Yee Lean, WDL Centre

Don’t Camp miss our Cov Pull-o enant Centr ut efold !

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ACK Conference 2012 opportunity to grow in our intimacy with God, an opportunity to learn how to stay faithful in tough times, and to allow God to use our lives as witnesses to others. The next morning, we returned with a greater appetite for God’s Word. We were not disappointed. Over the next two plenary sessions, Ps Ed stressed to us that we need to know God’s will and, more importantly, to do God’s will. Though mentally exhausted after the morning sessions ended, we felt spiritually renewed as we eagerly headed for lunch. Rows and rows of white chairs welcomed us when we stepped into the basement carpark, now converted into a large noisy “cookhouse” packed with hungry delegates. Despite the din, it was a great time catching up and fellowshipping with one another. After lunch, we had a choice of attending one of three workshops. The workshop on “The Will of God in Your

A lively skit by our beloved SPO team

Encountering God Covenant had its second in-house “A Certain Kind” Conference in April, and many Covenanters turned up to hear Rev Edmund Chan expound on the topic “Knowing God’s Will”. Randy Choo reports on the event.

Fellowshipping over lunch

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long queue meandered towards seven busy registration counters. It was an ordinary Thursday evening, but for Covenanters, it was an evening filled with anticipation for an extraordinary encounter with God. Over three days, delegates of the 2012 ACK Conference would hear Leadership Mentor Rev Edmund Chan (more affectionately known as Ps Ed) and his team expound on the theme “Knowing God’s Will”. With our workbooks in hand, we proceeded to the second floor sanctuary. The lights dimmed, and we were treated to an entertaining skit from the SPO team that was put together by SP Kay Kiong, SP Tony, Ps Chung Kai and Ps Barney in tribute to Ps Ed’s 25 years of faithful ministry and to thank him for his mentorship.

After everyone’s laughter subsided, Ps Ed kicked off the conference with an exercise that would be repeated throughout the conference. Using exaggerated hand gestures, Ps Ed led us in memorising the motto for this year’s conference: God’s Will is Totally Sovereign, Gloriously Redemptive, Sometimes Puzzling But Always Perfect. Satisfied that the motto had been embedded in our heads, Ps Ed began the first plenary session by speaking about suffering. Just as rain falls on both Christians and non-Christians, he reminded us that Christians are not immune to suffering. When we encounter suffering, we are to count our blessings and entrust not just our situation but our very souls as well to God. Suffering is an

Ps Ed unfolded before us a truth which few realised—Calvary was born in Gethsemane when Jesus made the difficult choice to do the Father’s will.

Youth leading in bilingual worship at the Family Missions Evening

Career” proved most popular, where Ps Chung Kai and Ps Barney shared their personal journey transiting from secular careers to full time ministry. Perhaps the most challenging lesson many delegates learnt that day was the Gethsemane Principle. In the last plenary session, Ps Ed unfolded before us a truth which few realised until then—Calvary was born in Gethsemane when Jesus made the difficult choice to do the Father’s will. On the third and final day of the conference, Ps Matthew began the sessions with an exercise to review and memorise the Four Theological Statements we learnt the day before— Am I in a place of SANCTIFICATION? Am I in a place of WITNESS? Am I in a place of TRUST? Am I in a place of RESTEDNESS? We also listened to Peter

Staff from New Life joyfully serving at the conference

Yan and Hsun Cheng sing a beautiful song of praise that they composed the night before. That morning, Ps Ed taught us about decision-making and coping with God’s occasional silence. However, he shared an interesting twist in the final plenary session for the day—God doesn’t want us to include Him in our plans. Instead, He wants us to be included in His plan. As the conference drew to a close, Ps Ed led us to make a personal pact with God to do His will “Anything, Anywhere, Anytime.” To those who feared such a leap of faith, he gently reminded that God’s will is totally sovereign and always perfect. Without a doubt, every Covenanter had encountered God in a very intimate way during those three days. 7 • CONNECT JULY 2012

A lively skit by our beloved SPO team

Fellowshipping over lunch

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Ps Ed unfolded before us a truth which few realised—Calvary was born in Gethsemane when Jesus made the difficult choice to do the Father’s will.

Youth leading in bilingual worship at the Family Missions Evening

Staff from New Life joyfully serving at the conference

Camp Covenant 2012

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Revive Us, Lord!

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Camp Covenant 2012

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Revive Us, Lord!

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TNG Sunday time of exuberant praise and heartfelt worship, testament to the grace and gift of music that God has poured into the lives of the team, both onstage and offstage. Even as we paused in a time of Holy Communion led by Ps Kay Kiong, Hazel Tan blessed us with the song “Lead Me to the Cross”, aptly testifying of our own deep need for salvation and fellowship with God, found only in Jesus’ death and resurrection! It was also the cry of a young lady wanting to know Him more, and wanting to live for the eternal. But perhaps the most compelling call to investment in God’s purposes came from Katherine Chan, overall-incharge for WEB. Speaking from Luke 13:22–14:35, she started by asking, “Why do we invest, and why do we disciple?” The answer was in Jesus’ attitude, for He wanted to see all men “strive to enter through the narrow door” by immediately pulling them out from the

I remember many adults investing much time and energy in my life.” trapping of sin. Salvation is not an end in itself, as we on earth need to walk the narrow road of knowing God now before reaching heaven. Katherine further challenged us when she played several videos featuring young adults giving back much time and energy in their ministries. One interview with Hazel ended with her statement, “I’ve been blessed to bless others.” That statement struck a deep chord within me as I remember many adults investing much time and energy in my life. Moving away from my “childhood church”, the transition wasn’t that jarring because there were people in the then WEB ministry (not to be confused with

WEBs at Woodlands Centre’s entrance

today’s WEB ministry) who saw the value in reaching out. In particular, I give thanks for Galvin Sng, for initiating me in a WEB Group, and in the following years pouring his heart and soul to somehow tame a couple of feisty teenage boys. Fast forward to this day, it is only by His grace and the guidance of various ones that we are who we are. I am thankful that a number stepped forward during response time to sign up as Sunbeam volunteers! May God continue to use us as disciples, to invest in His eternal Kingdom, and as disciple-makers, by investing in the next generation!

WEBs at Bukit Panjang Centre

“What Are You Investing In?” As Covenant celebrates our annual TNG Sunday, Jonathan Lee from VOICES reports on the event from BPJ Centre, and starts recalling how he came to be a part of this ministry.

Priscilla Samuel leading worship at Bukit Panjang Centre

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leary eyes betrayed the fact that most youths simply do not wake up early on a Sunday morning. But this TNG Sunday, that weariness was set aside for more important tasks. Many who arrived to serve at the first service prayed earnestly for the Lord to be their strength and joy, and for the adults to be blessed by the Lord. This TNG Sunday was also special, because the WEBs and VOICES would be serving together. From the youngest at the cusp of teenage-hood to the older few in their early 20s, it was heartening to see each at his station faithfully doing his part!

The WEBs (youths aged 11–14) gave an excellent primer on the theme of this TNG Sunday: “Investment”. Stationed on the first floor, they got into various characters to remind us of some investments we actively pursue, and of others we neglect. Although some of the re-enactments seemed ridiculous, the message sent was clear: What investments have you made lately, and what more should you make? Upstairs and decked out in cobalt blue, the VOICES (aged 15–23) SST greeted one and all with a warm smile, and directed everyone with utmost courtesy. I can only give thanks for their dedication and commitment! Priscilla Samuel and team then led us into a

Katherine Chan and the Sunbeam team

Hazel Tan singing “Lead Me to the Cross” during Holy Communion

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WEBs at Woodlands Centre’s entrance

WEBs at Bukit Panjang Centre

Priscilla Samuel leading worship at Bukit Panjang Centre

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Katherine Chan and the Sunbeam team

Hazel Tan singing “Lead Me to the Cross” during Holy Communion

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WiC Reach

Anita Fam emphasising the importance of God being in the centre of a marriage

Wide Angle: MD Ministry

Marriage Matters

Lanterns, Mooncakes and Live Performances!

Serene Koh attended Women-in-Covenant’s Connect event and shares with us how God encouraged many women one Saturday afternoon.

Ps Patrick Chiow, head of the Mandarin and Cantonese Ministries, Ps Gilbert Sng, head of the Hokkien Ministry, and Rev Jerry Goh, our new pastor serving in the Hokkien Ministry, join forces to share with us more about Covenant’s Mandarin and Dialect (MD) Ministry.

Our very own Covenanter sharing about dealing with crises in marriage

ore than 255 women turned up for Women-in-Covenant’s Connect event and listened attentively as two speakers spoke on a topic close to many women’s hearts—marriage. Anita Fam, Chairperson of Marriage Central (a division of the National Family Council), passionately shared that God must be at the centre of a marriage for He is the glue that holds it together. The second speaker, Seah Kheng Yeow, fellow Covenanter and Head of Family Development and Senior Social Worker with Promoting Alternatives to Violence, spoke about dealing with crises in a marriage. Women from all walks of life, prebelievers and believers alike, came together to gain valuable insights into building stronger and happier marriages. Invaluable lessons were gleaned even from the sharing over the tea break. The intimate fellowship engendered a sense of renewed commitment and courage to cling to God’s promise that even the most broken marriage can be saved. “This is such a good reminder that God needs to be in the equation of marriage. I am encouraged to press on,” said Annie Chin, who felt deeply blessed from the session. Amy Wong benefitted immensely too and shared, “I learnt that praying together daily is vital. It opens the door

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to communicating with each other and with God.” Excited at what she had learnt, she shared with her fiance the importance of praying together that very evening! Two Covenanters stood up courageously to share their inspiring testimonies, where they surrendered to God their broken lives, plagued with spousal infidelity and gambling, emerging as victors in Christ. It was a powerful testament of God’s power and grace to overcome life’s tribulations. Through their sharing, Alice Tan saw “how God strengthens us in trials and crises”. Janet Khoo echoed the same sentiment when she said, “They have shown me what it means to persevere in faith.” With spirits uplifted and hope re-ignited, the session concluded with words of encouragement from Ps Valerie Chan and a song of praise unto our Almighty God, who alone is our hope and helper.

This is such a good reminder that God needs to be in the equation of marriage.” Ice-breaker

he Mandarin and Dialect (MD) Ministry comprises the Mandarin, Cantonese and Hokkien ministries, serving and reaching out to people who are more comfortable in these languages. With a weekly attendance averaging 500 persons, it serves as a platform for Chinese-speaking family and friends of the English congregation to come and know the Lord through its various outreach programmes, and to grow in the Lord with its weekly worship services and discipleship courses. But more than that, it also seeks to reach out to and serve the Chinese-speaking community at large, both pre-believers and believers, in line with Covenant’s call of being an intentional disciple-making church of “a certain kind”. Every year, the MD ministry organises various outreach programmes, and come September, we will be having two outreach events and celebrating a very important festival in the Chinese

calendar—the Mid-Autumn Festival! The Hokkien ministry will be celebrating its 10th anniversay and MidAutumn Festival on 29th September. Various artistes will be staging a special show as part of the evening’s festive celebrations, with Rev Oh Beng Khee as our invited speaker who will be delivering an evangelistic message. On the next day, on 30th September, the Mandarin and Cantonese Ministries will be continuing the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations. Collaborating with Zhenghua grassroot leaders and New Strings Ministry, it promises to be a night of fun and gaiety with games, songs aplenty and a “talk show”. Of course, no Mid-Autumn Festival celebration is complete without the lighting of lanterns and feasting on mooncakes and tea! With this exciting line-up of programmes, do invite your Mandarin-, Cantonese- and Hokkien-speaking friends and relatives to join us in these festive celebrations!

It seeks to reach out to and serve the Chinese-speaking community in line with Covenant’s call of being an intentional disciplemaking church of “a certain kind”.

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WiC Reach

Anita Fam emphasising the importance of God being in the centre of a marriage

Wide Angle: MD Ministry

Marriage Matters

Lanterns, Mooncakes and Live Performances!

Serene Koh attended Women-in-Covenant’s Connect event and shares with us how God encouraged many women one Saturday afternoon.

Our very own Covenanter sharing about dealing with crises in marriage

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This is such a good reminder that God needs to be in the equation of marriage.” Ice-breaker

It seeks to reach out to and serve the Chinese-speaking community in line with Covenant’s call of being an intentional disciplemaking church of “a certain kind”.

Please Put caption here

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Close Up

Leading his polytechn ic classmates in crowd -breakers

His passion is to leave a legacy by sharing his insights, to empower and inspire those who desire to do well in ministry.

Zebedee, Zephy and Zechy (from left to right)

Ps William with his lovely wife, Ser Lian

A Legacy For God Adeline Koh has a chat with Rev William Wong and finds herself infected by his warm and exuberant enthusiasm for life!

e in Looking suav ys! his military da

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magine ducking headfirst into a vast expanse of sea despite not being able to swim well! Or secretly skulking out the family kitchen for a feast of char siew! Such mischievous exploits are nothing less than what you’d expect after a chat with Ps William, a fun-loving pastor whose warm laughter and inviting posture is a burst of sunshine! The eldest of six children of a zi char stall towkay, Ps William’s childhood romps in Siglap were carefree adventures, interrupted only by the requisite report book checks. Having received Christ at the age of 14, Ps William became a student leader in Singapore Youth For Christ (SYFC) and eventually took on the role of

area coordinator. After graduating with a Diploma in Electrical Engineering and serving out his national service, he responded to God’s call into full-time ministry with SYFC. Despite limited finances, SYFC firmly believed in empowering and investing into the lives of their leaders. As such, they supported him and other staff members into furthering their studies. The door to pursuing a graduate degree—which had previously been closed in light of family finances—had now been re-opened by God’s grace. Ps William completed his Diploma in Adult Education at the University of British Columbia, and a Masters in Arts in Education, Training and Development at the University of Hull in 1993.

SYFC then was the cutting edge leadership on youth discipleship and as the Training Manager, Ps William frequently met with other churches to support and empower them with ideas to grow their youth ministry. His experience in SYFC overflowed into the churches he attended, Toa Payoh Methodist and Bethel Presbyterian, where he taught Sunday School, mentoring the youths and planning creative outings and equipping programmes. Some of the youths who were under his wing are now pastors and church leaders! Passionate about education and training, Ps William contemplated leaving SYFC in 1994 to teach in a local polytechnic. But God had other plans for Him! He responded to the request to help stand in the gap when Bethel Presbyterian Church was looking for a new pastor. Ps William was subsequently approached by Bethel’s Senior Pastor and offered a full scholarship to pursue theological studies, as a way to explore if pastoral ministry was something he was open to. Fuelled by a desire to handle and preach God’s Word well, he enrolled in Singapore

Bible College and completed his Masters in Divinity. He then embarked upon his life’s call, serving as a pastor at Bethel Presbyterian and subsequently Singapore Life Church. In 2005, after two years of prayerful deliberation and dialoguing with Rev Edmund Chan, Ps William came on staff in Covenant EFC! Attending the prayer summit in his first year at Covenant, he happily recounts how the English pastoral team ran across the road from where the summit was held to catch Kungfu Hustle in Cantonese, no less! Watching this boisterous band of brothers, he knew without a doubt that this was a team he could enjoy serving with! Now the Head of the Equipping Pillar in Covenant, Ps William’s vision is to map out a 10-year Equip Road Map for the church to train and empower Covenanters to grow as authentic disciples. Having been exposed to radical Christian ministry in SYFC, education training in his graduate studies and theological education at Singapore Bible College, his passion is to leave a legacy by sharing his insights, to empower and inspire those who desire to do well in ministry. A greater legacy apparent in his life is his family. Describing his wife, Ser Lian, as “the best gift God has given”, an easy smile comes to his face when he speaks about their courting days and the three boys that have come from their union. As parents, husband and wife prayed over their new-born boys and consecrated and dedicated them to the Lord, promising that if He called the boys to serve Him, they would release their boys for His Kingdom’s work. Such is the heart cry of one touched by God and who, minute by minute, lives with such joy and exuberance for His glory!

Did You Know? 1. Ps William was given the nickname “William Black” because he was very tanned! Once, a bus conductor even mistakenly spoke to him in Malay! 2. Quite the athlete in his growing up years, he emerged as the ‘A’ Division javelin champ in his secondary school. 3. A Tolkien fan, he has watched the entire series of Lord of The Rings SIX times! 4. He is the proud father of three boys, Zechy, 25, Zephy, 22, and Zebedee, 20. 5. A voracious reader with a diverse interest, his reading list includes leadership and discipleship journals, current affairs magazines, and even MacWorld!

“Faith expects from God what is beyond all expectation.” Andrew Murray 15 • CONNECT JULY 2012

Close Up

Leading his polytechn ic classmates in crowd -breakers

His passion is to leave a legacy by sharing his insights, to empower and inspire those who desire to do well in ministry.

Zebedee, Zephy and Zechy (from left to right)

Ps William with his lovely wife, Ser Lian

A Legacy For God Adeline Koh has a chat with Rev William Wong and finds herself infected by his warm and exuberant enthusiasm for life!

e in Looking suav ys! his military da

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“Faith expects from God what is beyond all expectation.” Andrew Murray 15 • CONNECT JULY 2012

Upcoming Events

Date

Event

Venue

30 Jul–2 Aug

Dawn Prayer

BPJ

3 Aug Day with Jesus

Aloha Changi/ BB & GB Campsite

5 Aug

Step Up Sunday

BPJ & WDL

11 Aug–15 Sep

Hokkien Harvest Singapore 30-Day Fasting and Prayer

BPJ

31 Aug

Prayer and Praise

BPJ

God At Work

Credits executive Editor Adeline Koh MANAGING Editor Chan Sue Ming COPY editors Alythea Ho, Samuel Chia, Silas Wee writers Caroline Sin, Zephy Wong, Kezia Soh, Randy Choo, Jonathan Lee, Serene Koh, Ps Patrick Chiow, Ps Gilbert Sng, Rev Jerry Goh, Adeline Koh, Linda Chew PHOTOGRAPHERS Adeline Koh, Brian Dalby, Cheong Yian Ling, Edwin Khoo, Erika Yap, Jason Bok, Paul Liew ART DIRECTION & DESIGN Christian Subrata CONTACT US publications@cefc.org.sg our office 167 Jalan Bukit Merah Tower 5, #17-10 Singapore 150167 T. +65 6892 6811 F. +65 6892 1502 www.cefc.org.sg

By Linda Chew In May, Ps Kay Kiong led 13 of us to climb Mount Kinabalu, the highest mountain in Southeast Asia! We brought with us a small rock from Bukit Timah Hill with the signatures of all the climbers and placed it in the cleft of a rock at the peak of Mount Kinabalu. It is a faith symbol of our heart’s prayer that God will use Covenant EFC to be a

PRINTER Yung Shung Printrade Pte Ltd CONNECT is a bi-monthly newsletter of Covenant Evangelical Free Church. We welcome advertisers in CONNECT. However, advertising in our publication does not necessarily imply editorial endorsement of either the advertiser or contents of the advertisement. Unless otherwise specified, Scriptural references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).

Covenant is now on Facebook!

significant influence in Southeast Asia and beyond. As we stood praying on the mountain peak, a beautiful sight unfolded before us! Arms outstretched, a shadow in the distant horizon encased within a rainbow shone radiantly, a symbolic reminder of God and His Covenant promise.

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Look out for our next issue in Oct 2012!