“I believe in the sun even if it isn’t shining. I believe in love even when I am alone. I believe in God even when He is silent.” anon
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 november 2010 ISSUE NUMBER 3
The ETC Journey Khoo Wei Lii discovers that ETC is a year spent becoming Real ... before God, and before man. “What is REAL?” asked the Velveteen Rabbit one day.
“It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse.
“Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.”
“You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in your joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”
“Does it hurt?” asked the Rabbit. “Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.” “Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,” he asked, “or bit by bit?”
MICA 214/07/2010
page
10
from The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
Contents
ETC interns praying for their mission field.
The ETC Journey
1
Building Bridges With The Next Generation
4
Missions: What’s Next?
6
At Our Core
8
Wide Angle
The Heart Of Christmas
9
Close-Up
My Life Is Not My Own ...
10
recent & upcoming events
12
God At Work
Encountering God At Work 1
12
Cover Story
Spirited singing as they minister to the locals.
O
n paper, the Evangelical Training Centre (ETC) is a one-year, rigorous internship programme that combines classroom study with practical experience in ministry, projects and service duties. ETC is intellectually enriching, yet it is also spiritually transforming. In ETC, God takes away “activity” from our lives, and subjects us to His “scrutiny”. God used ETC as a workshop and training ground for my heart — to cultivate my inner life. There, I learnt to trust Him, submit to His moulding and yield to His will. I was reminded of God’s compelling love, which guides my response to die to self and live for Him. Oswald Chambers said it aptly when he wrote: “God is at work bending, breaking, moulding, and doing exactly
as He chooses. And why is He doing it? He is doing it for only one purpose — that He may be able to say, ‘This is My man, and this is My woman.’” Three “W”s capture the ETC experience succinctly: WORD, WALK and WORK. WORD In ETC, we were thoroughly immersed in the Word. We learnt principles and tools to interpret the Bible contextually. We then applied these principles and tools in biblical book studies, and in the preparation of Bible studies, devotions and sermons. Apart from Bible study, we also learnt about God’s character, and His covenant faithfulness through a survey of the Bible. In addition, the study of church history and spiritual disciplines broadened our spiritual perspectives. Further, we acquired ministry and
2
leadership skills in modules on counselling, mentoring, leadership, and learning methods. We also learnt how to communicate our faith in evangelism, missions and apologetics classes, and gained a deeper insight into cults and other religions. All this gave us a holistic understanding of God’s Word and His mandate, and equipped us with skills to be more effective in serving the Master. “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” (2 Tim 2:15, NIV) WALK Apart from being trained in the Word, ETC was a time of tremendous personal growth in our spiritual lives and from our shared experiences as interns.
A myriad of backgrounds and personalities but united as one heart.
“ETC has been an amazing journey for me. The learning curve was steep. God often showed up unexpectedly, and dealt with areas in me which I never knew I had issues in.” The rigours of ETC strengthened our spiritual disciplines and developed good habits — be it in maintaining our daily quiet time and journaling, or in fasting, sharing the faith, prayer and worship. Our walk with God was enriched, as many of us learnt to sit again at the feet of the Father and seek Him. Through studying together, working on projects, praying, playing, seeking God, going on mission trips and retreats, we learnt to work together and trust one another. The trust built up within the group eventually enabled us to speak into one another’s lives in love. We affirmed each other, shared our joys and sorrows, hopes and dreams, and lovingly pointed out areas which required refinement. In the process of sharpening one another, we also understood ourselves better.
“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” (Prov 27:17, NIV) WORK We were taken under the wing of the ministry staff and assigned ministries, projects and Sunday duties to serve in. Through serving together, we followed the example of these godly people, and discovered much from seeing God’s work of grace, growth and godliness lived out in them. In serving, we were stretched beyond our comfort zone — be it in leading worship, sharing devotions or planning camps, conferences and projects. We learnt not just practical skills but much about ourselves in the process. We were grateful to find ourselves in a community of brokenness, where failure was not fatal but, covered with love.
It was a tremendous platform for growth. As we learnt to trust God in the midst of busyness, our capacity to serve increased. In our weakness, we experienced the reality that God’s grace is truly sufficient for us. “... ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (2 Cor 12:9, NIV) ETC has been an amazing journey for me. The learning curve was steep. God often showed up unexpectedly, and dealt with areas in me which I never knew I had issues in. One by one, insecurities surfaced and the Lord led me to surrender these to Him. ETC gave me the opportunity to know Him more and be changed by Him. My life will never be the same again. I see this year as a milestone in my life where I can look back and smile, and know that the Lord has been faithful to me and my family. To God be the glory, great things He has done!
“How else but through a broken heart may Lord Christ enter in.” Oscar Wilde
3
Sunbeam Ministry “Parent Helper” Simon Seow prays for a boy under his care.
Lynette Kuang voluntee rs at the Sunbeam camp booth on her “off ” day.
Building Bridges With The Next Generation Dedication, conviction and calling — these words speak of the teachers in our Sunbeam Ministry. Adrian Lim finds out more about the hearts behind the hands at work in the background every Sunday.
S
unday, 23 October. Serene Low packed her three children off to Sunbeam and headed for the 8.30am service at Bukit Panjang. As the service closed, Serene rushed down to Sunbeam where in 90 minutes, she prayed for her teachers, supervised a Bible study, helped in Scripture memory, and led worship for more than 30 children — all before she collected her kids and headed home, and she was not even on duty that day. “Commitment to God is important,” Serene added with a smile. “As teacher and coordinator, I want to hang around to help even on my ‘off’ days; to observe and see how to improve the ministry.” Over at Woodlands Centre, Lynette Kuang was donned in her Sunkist-orange
Sunbeam shirt, volunteering at Sunbeam’s camp registration booth. Her commitment to God’s calling is also what led her to serve on Sunbeam. Like Serene, Lynette was also not on duty today. “I really enjoy working with kids. I feel like God has given me a heart, a passion, and energy to serve.” Serene and Lynette represent the many Sunbeam teachers who work tirelessly while parents concentrate fully on worship and God’s Word. Yes, it is easy to think of Sunbeam as a child-minding service. “Sunbeam teachers are not babysitters,” said Serene. “We are here to impart biblical knowledge and teach children to worship the Lord.” Serene added that Sunbeam emphasises “experiential learning.” For example, imparting God’s love involves
4
encouraging children to hug and shake hands — to experience love and practise such love. A few months ago, Christopher Fonseca decided to put into practice what he learnt from Covenant’s Intentional Discipleship Training (IDT) — he heeded God’s call and became a Sunbeam teacher. “IDT encouraged me to serve, to know my purpose. Somehow there was a calling.” Having served for three months now, Christopher will be the first to admit it was not easy initially. “I didn’t know how to initiate contact with my kids. But thankfully, Sunbeam provided training. Eventually it is God who leads.” Serene agrees. “When you serve, it is the Lord who equips. You learn on the job; plus there is training.”
One of the ways to equip parents and expose them to the work of Sunbeam is through the “Parent Helper” programme. Introduced this year, parents sign up as helpers to assist a class once a quarter. “Parents watch their children interact, pick up some of the techniques used in engaging with their children and then use it during the week at home. This is also an excellent opportunity for the child see the parent take an active interest in what they are doing,” explained Sunbeam Ministry Staff Paul Samuel. “Besides being acquainted with the challenges that Sunbeam teachers face, parents also realise the benefit of picking up where the teachers have left off to follow-up with their children back home,” said Lynette.
“When you serve, it is the Lord who equips. You learn on the job; plus there is training.” Partnering with teachers is what Sunbeam hopes for every parent. And this partnership brings with it tangible benefits. Christopher witnessed the transformation in some students; from rowdy kids to highly-attentive children in class. Paul Samuel agrees. “We have seen the children’s behaviour change positively when they see their parents in the classroom. We have seen in some cases, a wonderful change in the children as the parents actively stepped up when they are on duty and the feedback is that the experience is great. We hope and pray that more parents will see this as an opportunity to connect with their children.” As Covenant grows, Sunbeam continues to need more teachers to help build “bridges” with their children. Lynette advised: “Pray about it. Better still, come and see what it’s like. We’re looking for long-term servers. Just as long as you’re willing, God can use you.”
“We are taught that with whatever the Lord has deposited in us, we will be able to make a difference to someone.” Paul Samuel CONNECT catches up with Sunbeam ministry staff Paul Samuel for an update on the Sunbeam ministry.
1. What is Sunbeam’s mission and vision? Sunbeam’s mission is to partner with parents to disciple the next generation. Our vision is, “Every Child a Disciple of God!” 2. What are the challenges that Sunbeam face? One of the biggest challenges is the lack of people serving. While we are in the midst of revamping our curriculum to improve the delivery mechanisms and impact, we do not have enough teachers who can walk with and disciple the children. The current team is dedicated, but there are just not enough of us. This is an area in which we especially seek prayer for. 3. Tell us about the new initiative of involving parent helpers. The objective of this programme is to help parents build bridges with their children. We hope that they see this as an opportunity to observe their children’s interactions. As they pick up a few techniques during class to engage with their children, they can then translate it to the home environment. This shared experience also provides a basis for the parent to interact with the child, “build bridges”, to talk about what they enjoyed and
learned. It is also very encouraging for the child when they see their parents taking an active interest in this aspect of their lives. One real benefit is that we have seen the children’s behaviour change positively as a result of seeing their parents, in action, in the classroom. We have received some feedback that the experience for both parent and child has been great.
4. Tell us about the current manpower situation in Sunbeam. While we have an excellent group of dedicated teachers, we are still in need of people at both Centres. We hope that with the emphasis on the 4/14 window (4 to 14 years old), more people will step up to positively impact the next generation by serving. We would like to encourage more people who have a heart for children to come forward to serve in Sunbeam. We will provide the training. 5. Describe the qualities required of a Sunbeam teacher. A Sunbeam teacher is one who has a heart to reach out to children. We are looking for people who are disciples — prepared to answer the call of God on their lives and serve, so that the next generation will know who God is. — Adrian Lim
Leading the adults into worship on Children’s Sunday.
5
Missions Looking to the day when we worship the Lord as a multitude from every tribe and every tongue.
Missions: What’s Next? To heed God’s call in missions often takes time. It involves a process of hearing, praying and training. Ms S, a missions worker in East Asia, shares with us her missions journey and the lessons she learned along the way.
A
fter an inspiring Missions Week (2–10 October), many were touched by the Lord. Some of us have indicated our interest in praying, in financial support or in giving our lives to serve God in missions. So what does it mean to be involved in missions? How do we keep the fire burning? Did it just end with the Missions Week or is this just the beginning of what God wants to do in and through our lives?
where people had not heard His name. In the same year, I attended a youth camp and learnt about the Khmer people in Cambodia. I started to pray for them regularly. Subsequently, when I had a slight inkling of where God was sending me, I got hold of the prayer calendars of this people group and prayed for them for six years before eventually moving to work amongst them! Praying for the nations helped me to focus my eyes on God and understand His heart for the nations.
Be Involved In Prayer At the tender age of 14, after reading Hudson Taylor’s biography, the Lord gave me a desire to serve in places
Be Mentored In Missions It is no coincidence that my mentors were all missionaries. Their lives and passion for God have helped me grow.
6
Even when I was still too young to be sent out, I would hear stories about their short-term mission trips. I also had the privilege of being mentored by veteran missionaries whom I met while studying overseas. Hearing about their lives and work in the mission field inspired me more to follow God’s call in my life. Biographies of faithful ones like Jim Elliot, James O. Fraser, Amy Carmichael and others were also tremendous sources of “mentoring” as I saw how God used them in the mission field. Knowing people who were involved in missions awakened me to God’s compassion for the lost and His mighty power in drawing people to Himself through His servants.
Be Trained In Missions Missions conferences, missions training courses, Covenant’s very own Evangelical Training Centre (ETC) … the list is endless! I found that constantly hearing and learning about missions helped me keep the fire going. The Lord is doing new and greater things around the world all the time! Unless we are proactive in learning more about missions, the desire to be involved in missions will slowly be doused by the mundane things in life. Part of the training is also serving and growing in the Lord. I realised that if I was not sharing Christ with others when I was in Singapore, how would I know how to share Christ when I went overseas? If I wasn’t serving in church in Singapore, I probably wouldn’t know what to do when I went to the mission field! As the Lord led, I got involved in different ministries in and outside the church.
“Knowing people who were involved in missions awakened me to God’s compassion for the lost and His mighty power in drawing people to Himself through His servants.” When I first arrived on the field, it took me less than a month to realise that I needed to just simply live my life for the Lord amongst people who had not heard His name. It was not jam-packed with programmes and activities like the shortterm trips. Whether they see the reality of Jesus depends on whether I live in Jesus. I found that my life in Jesus is far more
convincing than the words I can say about Him. Growing in intimacy was and is the key thing for me to grow more in missions. Therefore, I encourage all of you who are keen to know about and grow more in missions to start praying, learning and serving in missions. Do not let the fire die because God is doing a wonderful and exciting work in your life. Don’t miss it!
“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the LORD …” Jeremiah 29:11–14, NIV
A heart for the nations.
A heart for missions can be kindled at a tender age.
7
At Our Core: Covenant’s Values At A Glance
“A certain kind” is someone with specific characteristics that are different from the rest — one who is set apart from the values of the world. Amy Chew
Those who have truly given up living for themselves and live their lives in total surrender to Christ. Yvonne Cheong
To me, “a certain kind” is what the French call a person with “je ne sais quoi” - a special quality that people are attracted to. Danesh Daryanani
In this issue, we asked Covenanters to tell us what being “a certain kind” means to them:
“A certain kind” is a genuine disciple of Christ on the inside and the outside.
Esther MacLeod
Jonathan Chan
A person who knows his
One who knows God, obeys and moves as He burdens but ultimately realises it’s all about Him, far beyond our
in his station — while managing his struggles as he follows Jesus. Paul Ong
Evi Syariffudin
In his book Mentoring Paradigms, Senior Pastor Edmund Chan shared about “a certain kind”. It is about a person of depth in four fundamental arenas of life and ministry. Depth in: • Posture — of meekness and brokenness in our heart condition • Perspective — of depth in wisdom and principle-centred living based on a growing grasp of Scripture • Pragmatics — with an ability to minister effectively through constant growth and learning • Power — to be Spirit-filled and empowered of the Spirit.
It is not a boring kind. It stands out through a daily living of worship in Spirit and in truth.
season and is faithful
“A certain kind” alludes to the desire for deep foundations, for a maturity in faith that avails one to God’s whole revelation of Himself, His heart for mankind and the nations, as well as His works to accomplish His purposes.
ministry here.
“A certain kind” means to be uniquely different. In the Bible, there are people and then there are people of “a certain kind”. Those who are uniquely different have set their lives apart for God and have blazed a trail for us to follow. Christopher Ho
Andrew Koh
8
Wide Angle
The Heart Of Christmas by Pastor Edmund Wong, Outreach Pillar
What does it take for Christmas to happen in your heart?
“Christmas isn’t Christmas Till it happens in your heart Somewhere deep inside you Is where Christmas really starts So give your heart to Jesus You’ll discover when you do Then is Christmas Really Christmas for you”
I
n a few weeks’ time, our nation will begin the year-end festivities. The happy mood will be in the air. Christmas trees and other decorations will deck the malls. Cash registers will be ringing as Singaporeans take advantage of major discounts. Different parts of the island will be brightly and colourfully lit up. Cameras will be flashing. Carols will be heard. Some roads will even be jammed with traffic. But most significantly, Singaporeans will be celebrating Christmas — regardless of race, language or religion! But what does it take for Christmas to really happen in our hearts? The original Christmas rush happened in the Bible after the shepherds heard the angel announce the birth of the Lord Jesus in Bethlehem. “They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.” (Lk 2:15, emphasis mine) Christmas happened to the shepherds when they were least expecting it. They were busy minding their own business, tending their sheep when the angel of the Lord appeared.
The muddy fields became holy ground. Out of that divine appointment, they sought the King and found Him and spread the message about Him everywhere. We have another reason for the Christmas rush today. We are living in the end times and we can see for ourselves that Jesus’ predictions about the world are coming true. Nations rising against other nations. Wars, earthquakes and famines in various places. (Matt 24:7). The King has come, and is coming again soon. We are living in the inbetween. It is an urgent time for us to tell others, so that we might save some! Covenant has lined up a series of events this Christmas so that we can tell our pre-believing loved ones about Jesus: Christmas Carnival@WDL Sat, 18 Dec, 6.30pm Hokkien Evangelistic Outreach@WDL Sat, 18 Dec, 7.30pm Mandarin Evangelistic Outreach@WDL Sun, 19 Dec, 7.30pm “BAG-TERIA”: A Christmas Multi-Media Play@WDL Thu–Sat, 23–25 Dec, 7.45pm
9
“The King has come, and is coming again soon. We are living in the in-between. It is an urgent time for us to tell others, so that we might save some!” My prayer is that in the midst of the busyness of life, you will encounter King Jesus, especially through our year-long pulpit series on the book of Revelation. Out of which, may you give your heart to Jesus all over again. Because He is the worthy King, seated on the throne and worshipped by all of creation. And may you tell people everywhere that this King is alive and coming again. May Christmas really happen in your heart!
Close-Up: Leaders & Staff Behind Covenant
My Life Is Not My Own … Pastor Tan Kay Kiong gets personal, as he shares with us about his early years and answering the call of God on his life. By Yvonne Cheong.
T
he year was 1987. At 23 years old, Pastor Kay Kiong heard the call from the Lord to serve him full-time. “It was a very clear message that the life you have doesn’t belong to you,” he recalled. But what brought home that reality was a helicopter accident at work, which killed all his colleagues onboard. As an aircrew specialist instructor then, Pastor Kay Kiong had to receive the body of his young colleague and friend, sealed up in a tin can. “It was almost as if God was telling me: the life that you have, live it for My glory. If you have to die, die for My glory. Don’t die for earthly pursuits.” Having made that commitment to go full-time, Pastor Kay Kiong naturally thought that God had called him to serve in Youth for Christ (YFC), where he had already been active. But with no suitable job fit, the door closed at YFC and
another opened at Covenant where he was an ETC intern. Family Life Ministry Another significant beginning in his life was his courtship with his wife, Diana. They started out as good friends, writing letters to each other and even coining funny nicknames for themselves. One day, when he was just 18 years old, he finally plucked up the courage to ask her out. In their married life, conflicts arose more frequently in their seventh year due to his misapplication of headship at home. “I thought I must always have the last word or say in the family. As a result I became authoritarian and brash. Through the hard knocks of conflicts and conviction of God, I learned how to balance loving leadership in the marriage.” “Since the eighth year, my marriage satisfaction has been going up,” he enthused, “Sometimes, we feel as
10
His beloved girls, Hilda and Hazel.
With wife and par tnerin-ministry, Diana.
though we are courting still. We hold each other hands tightly and we still like to hang out with each other without the kids.” The couple doesn’t run out of things to say when they go for long walks from Bukit Panjang to Bukit Timah Hill each week. “She can go further and faster than me,” he quipped. Despite greatly enjoying the work, Pastor Kay Kiong recalls one difficult period when he was tempted to throw in the towel. Their second baby girl was suspected to have Hirschsprung’s disease, which caused difficulties in her bowel movement for nine months.
best church in the world — for me,” to much laughter. “You cannot find a better church to serve,” he shared, citing the church’s apolitical climate, clear policies of leadership and the empowerment of the staff to make decisions. When asked what he thought was the greatest challenge of the church today, he replied without hesitation. “We are in serious need of a revival. Covenant looks very respectable from the outside, but that’s because we measure it across the board. But if we measure it according to God’s standards in matters of evangelism zeal, discipleship fervour and compassionate services, we have much to grow in,” he said.
“It was almost as if God was telling me: the life that you have, live it for My glory. If you have to die, die for My glory. Don’t die for earthly pursuits.” He had thought of giving up because he felt guilty at not being able to give as much to the ministry as he wanted to. But God taught him that the family is not a “sidekick”, and it was a lesson that greatly prepared him when he took on the family life ministry the year after. These days, he is more intentional in discipling his two teenage daughters and shared about the satisfaction of building a strong foundation in their lives. Hazel still likes having him pat her to sleep, while Hilda was delighted when daddy recently spent two days to go through the Growing In Christ bible study with her (with shopping and Häagen-Dazs ice cream, of course). “One of the challenges is finding time in the midst of their busy student life. I have to book them in advance!” he lamented. We Need Revival It was evident during this interview that Covenant EFC is Pastor Kay Kiong’s other love. He recounted how, upon returning from a sabbatical in Melbourne in 2007, he told the congregation “Covenant is the
“‘The greatest hindrance to the cause of Christ is the nominal Christian.’ (Stanley Smith). We get too bogged down by the concerns of this world.” Still Growing, Still Learning On his recent trip to the “mountain”(a pastoral retreat to Mesilau with Pastor Tony Yeo), Pastor Kay Kiong revealed that God had spoken about growing into a better communicator. It was one of seven areas he believed God wanted him to grow in. Requesting for prayer, he shared: “The job God has for me over the next five years is too big. I can’t handle it. And unless I grow to put on the spiritual mantle that God has for me, unless I get into that spiritual mantle and God’s authority, Covenant’s destiny will be compromised. As the Lead Pastor of the Church, I have to grow. Our lay leadership has to grow. Every one of us has to grow. The next five years of the Church will be most exciting and I am so glad to be part of it!”
In A Word Full Name Tan Kay Kiong Birthday 10 Aug 1964 Dialect Group Hokkien marital status Married to Diana on 13 May 1989. children Hilda,17, and Hazel,15 Conversion & Baptism Dates Converted in 1978 Baptised in 1988 Education Bachelor of Theology (SBC) and Diploma in Family Life Education (Edith Cowan University) Current Occupation Lead Pastor, BPJ Centre Most Admired Preacher/ Mentor Dr Ravi Zacharias/ Rev Edmund Chan Most Meaningful Accomplishment Wife calling me her mentor Most Memorable Moment This year when Pastor Tony led the congregation to sing Happy Birthday at the Day of Prayer Motto in Life Into the fire, not into the junk heap Favourite Verse Mat 6:22–23 Favourite Book of the Bible Jeremiah Favourite Book (other than the Bible) Axiom by Bill Hybels Favourite Song Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus (Hymn) Favourite Show Any action movie. Recently Ip Man Favourite Food Bak Kut Teh with all kinds of mixed stuff favourite quote “I can’t but God can!” hobbies Walking with my wife now (Frankly, I enjoy her company more than I enjoy the walk)
“I cannot imagine how the clockwork of the universe can exist without a clockmaker.” voltaire
11
Recent & Upcoming Events Date
Event
Venue
14 Nov
“Life Ablaze” by Heaventunes, a Mandarin Musical Outreach
WDL
14/21 Nov NLCS Sunday
BPJ & WDL
14/21 Nov ETC Graduation
BPJ & WDL
25–27 Nov KidzCamp 2010
WDL
26–28 Nov
Men’s & Marriage Mercure Johor Palm Breakthrough Weekend Resort & Golf Senai
29–30 Nov SPO Retreat Pulai Springs, Johor 2–4 Dec KidzCamp 2010
Women’s Breakthrough Mercure Johor Palm Weekend Resort & Golf Senai
18 Dec
Christmas Carnival Hokkien Christmas Outreach
WDL WDL
19 Dec
Mandarin Christmas Outreach
WDL
23–25 Dec
BAG-TERIA — A Christmas Multi-Media Play
WDL
COPY EDITORS Dennis Cheah, Randy Choo, Katie Chung, Louisa Koh, Thomas Tio writers Yvonne Cheong, Khoo Wei Lii, Walter Lee, Adrian Lim PHOTOGRAPHERS Paul Liew, Adrian Lim, Jonathan Lim, Linus Mak, Tan Eng Keng
CONTACT US publications@cefc.org.sg
Encountering God At Work
our office 167 Jalan Bukit Merah Tower 5, #17-10 Singapore 150167 T. +65 6892 6811 F. +65 6892 1502 www.cefc.org.sg PRINTER Yung Shung Printrade Pte Ltd
Walter Lee, BPJ Centre, BPJ 1 District
A
MANAGING Editor Sandra Chi
ART DIRECTION & DESIGN Christian Subrata
WDL
God At Work: Testimonies
lthough I’ve served in many different roles at Covenant, I had always found it difficult to share about the Lord at my workplace. Work is work, and reconciling work with ministry was a challenge for me. Several years back, I joined an agency at One-North. Two weeks later, my boss called me to his office. He had found out that I was a Christian and to my surprise, he suggested that I start a cell group at the workplace and serve in the workplace Christian fellowship. I was simply overjoyed at the opportunity. Nonetheless, I was a little worried and apprehensive, as I had never experienced any form of involvement with a workplace ministry. I decided to take a step of faith and joined the One-North Christian Fellowship, or OCF for short. I have been serving in
executive Editor Ariel Wee
BPJ
3–5 Dec
26 Dec Tea for Needy Families
Credits
the worship ministry since and am on the leadership team. The OCF has now grown to more than 14 cell groups. More than 100 people gather to meet at least once a fortnight at their workplace to pray and fellowship. It has held three Alpha courses, each seeing more than 130 attendees. At the Alpha course held last year, more than 30 persons made the decision to receive the Lord. Once a month, the OCF conducts a combined worship service. Celebrations are held during Easter and Christmas to reach out to pre-believers, with more than 130 to 150 attending each event. It’s such a blessing to see fellow believers serving the Lord together at the workplace. Indeed, I have seen “God At Work” in every sense of the word! Share your testimonies! Write us at publications@cefc.org.sg
12
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).
© 2010 Covenant Evangelical Free Church
Covenant is now on Facebook!
Look out for our next issue in January 2011!