Cornerstone Herald I Nov 2016 by Cornerstone Herald

NOV ISSUE 2016

A PUBLICATION OF CORNERSTONE COMMUNITY CHURCH, NOVEMBER 2016, MCI(P) 073/02/2016

ENLARGE THE PLACE OF YOUR TENT

KYLO

“It’s about loving on purpose.”

Natural Evangelism

Men’s Convocation A night of dedication

for God to consecrate the men.

Contents Natural Evangelism with Rev. J.John

In the House

Generations

By Carol Foo

09-11

4 Passover to Liberty

Cell Explosion

Leadersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Summit

Camp Mobilize 2016

Standing with Israel

Thank you for believing in the 41 Next Generation

From Glory to Glory

Generations Album Launch

By Alicia Chua

By Daphne Lee

By Julie Samuel By Isabella Ow

In the House KYLO 30

By Caleb Ang

By Rebecca Goh

By Joanne Heng By Lo Lai Yi

Feast of Tabernacle 27

By Chan Siew Fong

Children Camp Reflection

By Yeo Sook Kuan

Pull-Out Special Kindgom Invasion 2017 23-26

By Dennis Chew

Feature

Trailblazers By Dutch Sheets 2

PRINTER Stenprint (S) Pte Ltd (License no. L022/11/2015) 7 Kaki Bukit Road 1 #04-04 Eunos Technolink S 415937

Let the Children Come

Kith & Kin- Big Day Out 38 By Juliet Chia

Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Convocation 32

All images are provided by our resident photographers, members of Cornerstone Community Church & purchases from iStockphoto.com. We reserve the rights to all articles and images. Should you need to reproduce any articles or images from this publication or past publications, please send your request to obtain written permission from Cornerstone Community Church. OR Email us at mail@cscc.org.sg All rights reserved @ Cornerstone Community Church Designed by Sampan Ideation

Lord, give me an enlarged heart!

Editor’s Note

By Pastor Daphne Yang

he word “ENLARGE” coveys the picture of a wide space. The definition is to increase in extent, quantity or bulk; it also has the idea of a holding capacity, the scope of expansion and to make larger. As the Lord promised to the children of Israel that He would “enlarge their borders”, God would give them more than sufficient, an abundant space that they should not be confined to a narrow space, for in His promise to Abraham, his descendants will be as the stars of heaven and the sand of the sea shore. Their population will increase and shall exceed its limits. He would so extend their boundary as to give them ample width for their increasing numbers! Thus the word conveys the idea of an expansion, a removal of all that is narrowed up and contracted by giving a wider coast and a more expansive border. By looking at the word “HEART” in the Scriptures, this word can mean more than one thing. The Holy Spirit has revealed that the heart from a fallen progenitor is corrupt in its nature, having a depraved principle which we derive from Adam. In the passage in Jer 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” God saw “that every imagination of the thoughts of man’s heart was only evil, continually.” (Ge 6:5) and King Solomon wrote of “A heart that devises wicked imaginations.” (Pr 6:18) All these expression of the “heart” reveals that corrupt nature. There is another interpretation which the Holy Spirit has for the same word, which means “the inner workings of the soul or feelings Godwards.” This can be paralleled with the word at times read as “understanding”, as we read when God gave Solomon “largeness of heart, as the sand upon the sea shore.” (1 Kings 4:29) Here it means wisdom and exceedingly great understanding. At other times it means affections, the tender affections of the soul where David speaks of his heart “inditing a good matter,” which is overflowing and bursting at its banks with goodness. In other parts he is “panting after the Lord, rejoicing in his salvation,” And sometimes, it speaks of conscience, as where God said of Josiah, “Because your heart was tender.” (2Ki 22:19) No one except the Lord can enlarge our heart, and give us what Jabez prayed for “Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border”. (1 Chron 4:10) Only God alone can grant and expand our heart God-wards, removing the constrictions, narrowness and contractedness in the things pertaining to Him, and carrying the burden without the pain.

The heart is also seen as, and to be described as the seat of life. It is at this place that we are to ask for strength, such strength to run in the way of truth because of the weakness that is found in us. For “I will run the course of Your commandments, For You shall enlarge my heart. (Ps 119:32) What if we can see the difference in the vain things the world goes after, and the true delight that is in the way of God’s commandments, with this false mask of the world and the allure of pleasures compared to the excellency of God, His greatness and goodness. To have an enlarged heart is to see how just and reasonable, how pleasant and amiable He is. Without the enlargement of our hearts, we are occupying a poor and deprived position in the church of God. No doubt we trust the Lord for eternal life and He shall not disappoint but this narrow view of the privileges which allows us to sit, walk or stand must propel us to run. We cannot be shut up in self. Running requires energy and this exercise needs a sound heart as it is a strong and healthy action of the body. Unless God imparts to us, we are unable to run. There are many walking and sitting Christians, and probably a lot standing around too, but there are very few running Christians. They are so uncommon because often they are thought to be mad! There needs to be room in our soul for a largeness of faith and expectation. The rich man in Luke 12 had thoughts of building larger barns, should we not stretch out the curtains of Christ’s tent and habitation? To go beyond the limits, to contain great and generous thoughts where the affections are voluntary and inspired by love? It is then no more bound by rules, and better still, rises above them. God wants us to trust Him even though we do not understand the operation, and our cooperation helps Him to enlarge our hearts. God wants the double-hearted man to be single-minded for his glory and honour. ( James 1:6-8) Our hearts can be enlarged and we can do this through daily growth in the necessary practise of prayer, the Word of God and the right choices in the midst of temptation and testing. There is much light we need to see and come into, a clearer light needs to arise that we are able to discern spiritual things in a more spiritual manner. “For the Lord does not delight in the strength of the horse; He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man. The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His mercy.” (Ps 147:10-11)

Herald | November 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

Feature

(An excerpt from the Chapter 7 from the book, “The Pioneer Spirit” by Dutch Sheets)

he fifth characteristic of a pioneer is that they must be willing to traverse into new and unchartered territory. God asked Abraham to relocate, “not knowing where he was going” (Hebrew 11:8). Pioneers can’t be those who need the security of the familiar. The very nature of being forerunner is finding and then blazing a trail for others to follow. A blaze is a light-coloured mark cut or chipped into a tree to denote a trail for those following, thus the term “trailblazer.” They run ahead of others, not with the goal to arrive first, but to find a path for those coming behind them. They’re “pathfinders”.

New: Unfamiliar; having no previous example, precedent Unchartered: (of unknown regions) Not yet surveyed or investigated.

he concept depicted in all of these words is that of exploration. An explorer charts a course; they don’t follow one. This means they will make mistakes, run into dead ends, find themselves at impassable points on mountains ranges or arrive at locations of streams or river that can’t be forded. In other words, they will have to explore, which will include backing up and starting again until they find the pass, the way, the crossing. They must accept mistakes, not failures, but as part of the process. The journey can be long, lonely, risky and costly. The calling of a pioneer is only romantic in movies or books, not in reality! I have often been criticized, especially when I was pastoring, for changing things too often. “People want continuity,” I was told. I agree, especially settlers. But in former days, when a settlement was in a poor place- perhaps where a winter could not be survived or in a settling that could be defended- someone had to find a better location. If those who had been commissioned as forerunners or pioneers lost heart and chose to end the quest, settling in inappropriate places, it could cause great risk to those behind them. We in Church were called to be pioneers, taking territory and leading people to a better way. We were never intended by Christ to have a settler mindset. He said, “Go…” From that moment, we were called to move forward, take territory, expand. When this ceases, something is broken and must be fixed. The alternative to fixing it is denial, a redefining of our calling and purpose, and a redefining of success. We have done all of these things. The transference of sheep has been accepted as success and progress, and maintaining the health of those sheep has been accepted as our primary calling. The result has been a settler mindset and a welfare mentality in the Church. “Someone take care of me. Make things as easy as possible for me.”

When God led the early pilgrims to this landyes, I believe He was leading them – they came with the hearts of God-sent pioneers. Along with other purposes, a part of their stated cause was, “For the Glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith…” This must change. Thankfully, I believe it is changing. I’m convinced there is a generation arising in America – both believers and pre-believers- who are realizing we have lost our way, the old road. These trailblazers are ready to find it, even it involves risk and a journey into the unknown. God told Joshua the way to the Promised Land was a way they had never gone before (See Joshua 3:4). A non-advancing church in America has turned to routine, living in the safe and familiar, building buildings and feeding its own. Our leader of network of churches I’m familiar with recently told his pastors: “Don’t try new ideas or embrace new messages emerging in the Body of Christ. Let others take the risk. Wait until they try them and then if they work, implement them.” Pretty good advice- if all you’re trying to do is build and survive, that is. Not exactly the mindset of a pioneer, however. Those are gazelle Christians. The African gazelle can jump fairly high and up to 30 feet in distance! However, they can be confined

Herald | November 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

‘A blaze is a light-coloured mark cut or chipped into a tree to denote a trail for those following, thus the term “trailblazer.” They run ahead of others, not with the goal to arrive first, but to find a path for those coming behind them. They’re “pathfinders”.’ in zoos with only a 3-foot high wall. The reason: gazelles won’t jump if they can’t see where they will land. We will never escape our man-made walls and religious enclosures with this mindset. Jump! Leave the familiar! Find old road of radical Christianity- total commitment, signs and wonders, penetrating new regions, infecting the culture and discipling nations, turning our world upside down. That is our calling! When God led the early pilgrims to this landyes, I believe He was leading them – they came with the hearts of God-sent pioneers. Along with other purposes, a part of their stated cause was, “For the Glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith…” The stories and pictures of these pilgrims usually depict happy, well-fed individuals sitting around Thanksgiving tables filled with turkey, corn, pumpkins and other bountiful foods. This eventually occurred, but not initially. The pilgrims arrived on a cramped and dirt ship. After spending many days huddled below deck to endure a raging storm, they found themselves in sloshing water filled with human waste and vomit. Holding their frightened and sick children, they prayed for God’s intervention and a safe arrival, which eventually occurred. But they were ill prepared for the trials of this new land, including a brutal winter, and more than half of them would perish before the end of the first summer. These pilgrims weren’t failures, however. They planted a cross on the beach where they landed and dedicated the new land to God. He still 6

“We will never escape our manmade walls and religious enclosures with this mindset. Jump! Leave the familiar! Find old road of radical Christianity- total commitment, signs and wonders, penetrating new regions, infecting the culture and discipling nations, turning our world upside down. That is our calling!”

honours what they did. Buried in the soil of freedom, they became a vital part of the heritage we now enjoy. Pioneers, their legacy lives. And the price they paid has created for us a debt to freedom. History will record whether or not we pay this debt and answer the call to our own pioneer path. The destiny of a nation hangs in the balance. If we do answer the call, the trail we blaze today will be the path our children walk tomorrow. None of us choose our time in history. Scripture makes clear, though, that we do not live in this season by accident. David said, “My times are in Thy hand” (Psalm 31:5). Paul declared that God determined the time and place we would live (see Acts 17:26). Each of us must ask ourselves why he chose this period in history for our personal assignment. I believe the very fact we’re alive today means we are called to help turn America back to God. To do so, however, will require a strong faith in God’s providential hand and a willingness to blaze a trail back to an old road. This road is narrow and, at this time, overgrown with weeds, bushes, and thickets. But do not despair. If we look closely, there are still signs- old and faded, yes, but still there- pointing the way. Some of them contain scriptures, others the names of former pioneers. Some have quotes from founding fathers and others the words of songs. They point the way back to God’s dream for America- to greatness, honour, humility and righteousness. I believe the road ends where it began: on a beach, beach where an old cross is planted…

In the House

By Alicia Chua

Passover to Liberty

ince Cornerstone began celebrating the Jewish feasts, our annual Passover celebration has become one of the most highly-anticipated events in the church calendar. The theme for this year’s celebration was “Passover to liberty”. It is a timely reminder of the freedom we are able to enjoy because of our Saviour’s sacrifice for us at Calvary. As one of my cell mates aptly puts it, the celebration was “an awesome way to remember God’s sacrifice for us and to look forward to what is ahead of us with joy and hope”. The start of the evening was marked with the blowing of the shofars, followed by a time of praise and worship. It was heart-warming to see everyone worshipping God together as one congregation and the auditorium was full of the spirit of joy. As the offering for the night was taken up, a video from our recent event ‘A Night to Honour Israel’ was shown. The video described the growing Jewish community in Singapore and highlighted significant Jews who have played key roles in Singapore’s history, as well as their contributions to our nation.

To share the message, we had Pastor Gilbert, the founder of One New Man Asia. He shared on the significance of ‘The Four Cups of Passover’, and explained how they correspond to the promises of God. The message covered aspects of the Passover that are not often explored and gave a deeper understanding of the significance of the Jewish fast and its relevance to us. Lastly, he encouraged those present to stand strong as they renew their hope in the promises of God. As we brought the night to a close, several of our pastors came up to pray for Israel, as well as for our Prime Minister, Mr Lee Hsien Loong, who was in Israel at the time. The church came together as one congregation to pray for the leaders of both nations and for continued good relations between both Singapore and Israel. No celebration is complete without a feast, what more the feast of the Passover! This year we had lamb kebabs and ice cream, both of which were crowd-pleasers as evident from the queue that lasted over an hour. All in all, we had a great time celebrating the Lord’s feast!

Herald | November 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

In the House

By Daphne Lee

Leadersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Summit

2016

ost people know the 1st of May as Labour Day. But this year, the leaders in Cornerstone celebrated their labour of love by assembling on this day at the annual Leadersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Summit. Being a leader is not an easy job, and oftentimes, we need a refreshing of vision and a time of recharging to continue leading our people. And that is exactly what happened at the Summit, held at Changi Cove.

Our Senior Pastor shared with us some directional plans for the second half of 2016 and 2017. We immersed in times of worship, and had the chance to ask the leadership panel some questions when they took the stage for a time of open questions. With plenty of fellowship in between meals & tea breaks, we instantly

felt connected to one another, and I am sure many meaningful & uplifting conversations were held. I personally enjoyed speaking with people I do not always get to meet. Labouring together for the kingdom of God provided instant connections and edification. Some special highlights were during the 2nd afternoon when we broke into our clusters, and had the chance to plan together. It

helped that the facilities provided a comfortable and conducive place for these discussions to take place. Of course, our leaders are funloving people, and we also had a time of team-bonding, where we were tasked to build a model of how our ideal church looks like. The youths came up tops with their creativity! Although short in duration, the Summit was a fruitful time for the leaders to convene, and we look forward to the years ahead with fresh vision!

In the House By Carol Foo

Natural R. Lim “J John is a Godsend, a wonderful teacher who can reach out to all with clarity, love and compassion.”

Grace Seah Ai Ping “J John can turn something very ordinary into something very interesting. I feel very encouraged and motivated to spread the Gospel to people around me. I lost hope previously but now I’m motivated to start my day by praying for the salvation of my family members. I will also tell them how I am different and how I’ve changed since coming to God, how He has turned my life around.”

Herald | November 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

right time, citing 2 Corinthians 9:6 - “A farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.”

J John exhorted: ‘If we’re always taking in and not giving out, we’ll have constipation. Many Christians are like, “I want more, I want more!”

J John reminds us to imitate Jesus who walked into Samaria instead of going around it like other Jews who hated the Samaritans, and had an encounter with the Samaritan Woman. In doing so, Jesus broke longstanding traditions. There were four barriers between Him and the woman who went to the well where He sat. There was a moral barrier – He’s the High Priest, she’s living in adultery, the social barrier in their culture – He’s a man, she’s a woman,

mpactful and witty as always, evangelist J John spent the May Day weekend with Cornerstone conducting a Natural Evangelism Course and an Evangelistic Outreach. His challenge and message to us is to not allow anything to prevent us from getting people to Jesus. Like the four men who carried and lowered their disabled friend to Jesus through an opening in the roof, we should pray, “Lord, help us to remove the roof of our thinking so that we can get people to Jesus.”

who are unforgiveable?” The story of Jonah is about the heart of God – one that loves each and every one of us. In contrast, Jonah’s heart was wrong. When your heart is wrong, nothing else can be right. Jonah finally obeyed God’s call and the fruit of his labour has proven to be lasting. J John shared this fascinating nugget: Two years ago, in Ninevah in Northern Iraq, there were 800,000 Assyrian Christians! And they have an annual Jonah Day where they thank God for sending Jonah! Finally, J John reminds us, “Don’t worry about what you don’t know; just do what you do know. Ask God to give you a passion and a compas-

Evangelism and God is saying, “Give some away!” When you give it away, the Lord will give you more. Unless we do what God has instructed us, we cannot expect further instructions. There are many people today who are constantly asking God to show them His will. And God replies (in J John’s words), “Shut up! I’ve already told you what to do!”

He also shared about the concept of Friend-gelism. We must always be prepared to tell people our story. We can ask a friend to check out our testimony and simplify it for our audience. If you’re waiting to share only after attaining some measure of success in the eyes of those you hope to witness to, J John offers a different perspective. He encourages us to start in the place of our greatest failure. The main reason the Holy Spirit came was to empower us to be witnesses, and to start first in Jerusalem where Jesus was denied by his disciples. Our Jerusalem is family, friends, neighbours, colleagues. We’re going to reach the world by reaching our world, by reaching our Jerusalem. The first thing we’ve got to do is to cultivate a web of relationships that we have already got. The evangelist also emphasised on timing and patience, “We’ve got to be looking and listening. The job of a Christian is to go into God’s orchards and we check the fruit. If the fruit is ripe for picking, you pick it. If you don’t pick fruit that’s ripe for picking, others will pick it.” Using an analogy, J John said we won’t tell a woman who’s just six months pregnant to “Push it out!” Yet sometimes, when people are not ready, Christians can be what he calls, “Pushy, pushy.” So he exhorts us - Sow seeds, and wait, and pray, and care, and wait for the 10

“‘Are we slightly prejudiced, maybe even slightly racist, against a particular people group? Do we think there are some people who are unforgiveable?’ The story of Jonah is about the heart of God - one that loves each and every one of us. In contrast, Jonah’s heart was wrong. ...”

the racial barrier – He’s Jewish, she’s Samaritan, and the religious barrier – He’s Jewish, she’s Samaritan. Despite these barriers, in His wisdom, Jesus didn’t start with the differences; He focuses on what they had in common-water. And then, as they talked about water, Jesus told her there’s another Water. J John encourages us to do the same with those on our prayer list. He revealed that, just as Jesus practised prophetic evangelism by speaking into the life of the woman, in his own conversations sometimes, he would also be speaking to somebody and be saying, ‘Lord, give me something to accelerate this.’ We have to start tuning in more to God, so that we can have revelation into people’s lives and situations. J John posed a searching question to ask ourselves, “Are we slightly prejudiced, maybe even slightly racist, against a particular people group? Do we think there are some people

sion… Start praying for those who don’t yet know Jesus. Where you can show tangible care, show tangible care. Where you can share, share… Some people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. If they think you don’t care, whatever you share will not make a difference.”

Herald | November 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

In the House

By Julie Samuel

Standing With Israel

“I

will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3)

“More than Messianic worship and flags, Israelis need us to stand with them against anti-Semitism.” That was the essence of the message Tomas Sandell, Founding Director of the European Coalition for Israel (ECI), brought to Singapore on 13 May 2016. In early 2004, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Elie Wiesel was invited to a crisis summit in Brussels, hosted by the European Commission, to speak about the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe. In his speech, he explained how disappointed and helpless he felt as nobody, except the Jewish communities, seemed to be reacting to the rise of anti-Semitism. “Where are all the others?” he asked. In response, the ECI was formally launched in Brussels later that year as “a coalition of all the others”, meaning nonJews who felt it was their moral obligation to stand up for the Jewish people and the State of Israel in a time of threat. To this end, the ECI mobilises Christian organisations, churches and grassroots activists from different backgrounds in order to: address issues of growing anti-Semitism in Europe; argue for a more balanced perspective on the various Israel-related issues; present the historical and legal rights of the modern State of Israel based on international law and treaties, starting with the San Remo resolution of 1920; acknowledge and promote the important contributions of the Jewish people, their culture, and values to mankind; support peaceful co-existence between Jews and Arabs in Israel and the Middle East. During his visit, Mr. Sandell listed some of the ways ECI has been accomplishing these aims, including two and a half years of active cam-

paigning by the Israeli Permanent Mission to the United Nations and the ECI to successfully recognise Yom Kippur as an official UN holiday from 2015 onwards. Another recent milestone to honour the Jewish people and their invaluable contribution to world culture and peace was the celebration of the Passover Seder in 2016 co-hosted through ECI’s Forum for Cultural Diplomacy and the Permanent Mission of Israel to the UN. UN ambassadors from about 30 nations came together for this celebration which is believed to be the first official Passover Seder inside the UN headquarters in New York. Referring to Acts 9:15, “But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel,’” Mr. Sandell said many of us, especially those who are lawyers, politicians, writers and speakers, may be called into this arena, where the Lord can and will use us to speak to kings and queens. He suggested that the anti-Christ wants to change the times and seasons but we can turn things around in the UN and align them to God’s timing instead. Eleven days after this meeting, Tom Hess, founder and director of the Jerusalem House of Prayer For All Nations, came to challenge us to engage in the spiritual restoration of the Tabernacle of David through 24/7 prayer houses – in order to unlock heaven on earth. He gave us pointers on how to pray for Israel including asking for the Isaiah 19 highway to be fulfilled, for aliyah ( Jewish immigration to Israel) based on Hosea 11:1011 and for Jerusalem to remain the capital of Israel. In response, will we consider standing with Israel not only in prayer but also in practical ways? Perhaps even consider initiating an Asian Coalition for Israel or a 24/7 house of prayer at the Marina Bay Sands area? Or just purchasing fruits imported from Israel from our local supermarket and praying daily for the peace of Jerusalem? How shall we respond to Elie Wiesel’s cry, “Where are all the others?”

International Ministries

By Priscilla Liu

ucked away in the rows of houses among the community of Loughor, Wales, lies a small and unassuming chapel, Pisgah. Evan Roberts, the famous Welsh revivalist, was tasked with the responsibility of overseeing the construction of this very chapel in 1895. At the tender age of 16, and working as a coal miner in Broadoak Colliery, Roberts was actively serving in the Sunday School of Moriah Chapel. The owner of the coal mine, Sam Thomas, donated a piece of land to build Pisgah Chapel in order to accommodate the large numbers of children who were attending church. He also thought it befitting that Roberts should take charge, and it was there in Pisgah Chapel where Roberts birthed forth his ministry of prayer and intercession. In the peak of the 1904 Welsh revival, Pisgah witnessed countless conversions and repen-

tance from sins, and it was always packed with throngs of people wanting to join the meetings. Sadly, the work at Pisgah came to a standstill some years after the flames of the 1904 revival died down. The building aged and the chapel soon fell into disrepair. In 2013, the plot of land was put up for sale and authorities wanted to demolish it. Yet against all odds, the hand of God was at work, and the bleak situation was reversed. The building that was once falling into pieces and overgrown with weeds has now been restored because of men and women who committed themselves to prayer and sacrificial giving to preserve this piece of Christian heritage. Beyond just a plot of land, many recognised its spiritual significance â&#x20AC;&#x201C; if God moved in this house in the past, surely He could do it again, and on the 21st of May, 2016, Pisgah

Chapel was rededicated to the Lord. The guest list included pastors from different parts of the United Kingdom, with the Guest-of-Honour being Darren Millar, an eminent Assembly Member of Wales. Students from the Bible College of Wales were also present and the entire service was full of the tangible presence of the Holy Spirit. Though it was drizzling with overcast skies, the chapel rang sonorously with voices in one accord as people gave thanks and glory to God. Pastor Yang gave the opening address and spoke about how Evan Roberts was mightily used as a conduit in the 1904 revival to usher in thousands into the kingdom of God. Next, Darren Millar AM, in his opening address, further supplemented and traced the journey of Pisgah Chapel. It was no coincidence that he himself became intricately connected to the place when he discovered that the chapel was going to be sold in October 2012. He immediately offered to buy the building so that it would once more be used as an extension of God’s kingdom. In his words, Pisgah was a place where

“...Pisgah was a place where “pews were filled with people who came in sinners, and went out saved”

“pews were filled with people who came in sinners, and went out saved”, and he caught the vision. He got connected to Senior Pastor Yang Tuck Yoong, and the rest, they say, is history.

ended with Pastor Roy Godwin, director of Ffald-y-Brenin, giving the benediction and blessing the nation of Wales. With that, the guests headed to the back lawn where a delectable lunch reception awaited them.

After which, world-renowned opera singer, Huw Priday, together with his wife, Elizabeth, sang “The Lord’s Prayer” over Pisgah. Though a simple song, its meaningful words had guests echoing for His Kingdom to come and His will be done. The meeting then

Though the day passed in a flurry, the work of the Spirit in Pisgah has only just restarted. Where intercessors come to drink from the well and receive the oil of the Holy Spirit at weekly prayer meetings, it is here that God seeks to reinstate His throne room and reconnect with His people. Just as Moses stood on the top of Pisgah and saw the Promised Land, may people walk into Pisgah Chapel and see the inheritance that the Lord has given to them, and enter into the fullness of their calling as they acquaint now themselves with Him.

In the House

By Isabella Ow

From Glory to Glory:

Cornerstonians Gather to Enlarge their Tents C ornerstone’s annual family camp took place from 13 to 16 June 2016, with Cornerstonians gathering over the thousand in Malacca’s Equatorial Hotel. The speakers for this year’s camp were Pastor Ken Gott, Pastor John Andrews, Pastor Nicky Raiborde and our beloved Pastor Yang.

The speakers encouraged us in aligning to a season of acceleration and expansion in His purposes; to move beyond our fields of comfort, enlarging our tents and readying ourselves to be utilised in greater measure by our Abba Father. Right from Ken Gott’s opening session, we were spurred on to stretch ourselves in vision and spirit. This year’s theme was based on the scriptural verse from Isaiah 54:2, in which the Lord speaks to the barren woman: “Enlarge the place of your tent, And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; Lengthen your cords, And strengthen your stakes.” The barren woman is commanded by the Lord to enlarge her tent in anticipation of His promises of offspring, and commentaries allude to this biblical scripture as a commandment to the church to expand its reach for more inhabitants and participants. The disciples are called to reach out to the multitudes all across the world and enlarge the interest of Christ, to ‘multiply the people of thy camp, and strengthen the governors.’

en Gott opened the session by encouraging campers’ to prioritise the preparation of our hearts for all that was to burst forth; the importance of preparation and availability, that we would not be passed over for other candidates in God’s assignments. Our hearts were encouraged to seek after the purposes of God. The session ended on a high point with the gems of insight, God is looking for availability and it is better for us to be anointed amateurs rather than una nointed professionals. In a latter session, Ken Gott reminded us on our crucial role in the partnership with the Lord, and how He refuses to do more without us. In Exodus 3:1 when the Lord commands Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’

PA S TO R YA N G

N IC K Y R A I BO R D E /

JOHN ANDREW /

K E N G OT T /

T H E S PE A K E R S:

Each of the visiting speakers had insights for us to mull upon.

K E N G OT T: T H E I N C R E A S E O F H IS I N DW E L LI N G PR E S E N C E A N D D E PA RTI N G I N S E A RC H FO R G R E AT E R G LO RY

The Lord wishes for us to leave the comfort of our fields, our comfort zones, in exchange for the expansion of our capacities for His indwelling presence and purposes.

J O H N A N D R E W S: SINGING INTO OUR DESTINIES A S G O D’S B R I D E

ohn Andrews’ call was for us to sing God’s promises into fruition, with his messages surrounding the theme of worship. In his personal and engaging style with real-world examples, he inspired us to sing God’s promises and revelation into completion, for when we sing faith into our circumstances, the promise of future callings and destinies for our lives is brought nearer and within reach. This singing requires the sharpening of supernatural sight, not modified behaviour, and a sincere appetite for revelation, not just information. His messages focused on Isaiah 54:2 with great intensity and with that intensity brought forth clarity for individuals within the congregation. Encouragement was echoed as he reiterated God’s desire for His children to succeed in the original calling He has for us.

NICKY RAIBORDE : STRETCHING FOR OTHERS AND INTO PERSONAL SIGNIFICANCE

astor Nicky related his preaching to the innermost desires within each human being, of the 6 S’es factors that give one significance: Security, Sustenance, Satisfaction, Social companionship, Supernatural and Success. It was shared that all of these ‘S’es and contributions to personal significance could only be made complete with a healthy relationship with God. While man may mentor, Pastor Nicky

Herald | November 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

reminded that it is God who matures. This maturity comes from a combination of being dependent on God, not man; and charting personal growths through a collection of breakthroughs. In relating to the story of the barren woman and her tent, he advised that stretching our tents should not be avoided, for the prize would be bigger than the price that is paid. In closing, he reminded us that our stretching also affects others. If it were a change in company that we needed, then we should do so and by refusing to stretch, we could block others from growing as well. Furthermore, our stretching time defines and makes us who we are.

PA S T O R YA N G : GLORIFYING THE LORD IN FAITHFUL STEWARDSHIP AND STRONG COMPLETION

n John 17, Jesus prays to the Father and asks Him to glorify the Son that the Son may glorify the Father. The glorification of the Father is a constant theme throughout John 17, and this glorification is in relation to all that had been accomplished through Jesus’ life on earth and the provision of the cross. In the first portion of his prayer, Jesus concludes in verse 5 with: ‘And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.’ In direct correlation with the camp’s theme, Pastor Yang tied our glorification of our Father through our stewardship with all He had given us, namely in glorifying the earth, completing all that He has tasked us to do and manifesting His name through all of the world. As the closing message for the camp, John 17 served as a powerful prayer and reminder in our need to finish strong on this earth in light of eternity, and to give a fruitful report to the angels

we meet in heaven. In a long enduring marathon to run, Pastor Yang encouraged us to cast out strongholds and put on the full armour of God that we can grow in authority for God’s assignments.

GALA DINNER : ‘T H E N OISE’ HIT S T H E ROO F

he church camp committee outdid themselves at the Gala dinner, which modeled after the famed reality television series, The Voice. With Pastor Lip, Pastor Sharon and Deacon Boaz serving as the counterparts for famous judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson respectively, there was no short of humour when it came to interaction with the contestants and audience. With performances from Gateway Church Ministry, Cornerstone’s own children’s church, the team of worship leaders, pastors and Generations, the evening went from peak to peak in rousing the audience’s spirits through quality performances and games. The highlight of the evening had to be the children’s performance where painstakingly through Gateway’s guidance and children ministry teachers, the children put up such a polished and adorable dance item. The LED dance performance by Generations too exemplified the spirit of excellence in the undertakings of our youth, a second impressive showcase following the recent magnificent launch of the generations album, Breakthroughs. The judges were exceedingly sporting in playing their celebrity roles, and disturbing one another in jest. It was however Pastor Sharon’s sincerity and gift of the gab that really won the hearts of the participants.

C A M P E R S’ S E N T I M E N T S

“This year’s camp had a different atmosphere, from the outset it felt better and amazing. In particular, one could detect how the speakers really invested their hearts into what they spoke about. There was great earnestness and credibility in what they were sharing, which made them identifiable. Each of the speakers presented us with something different, and I was really fed by all 4 spiritually.” • Aunty Jane

“I looked forward to church camp as a time of being refreshed and drawing closer to God, and drinking deep of God’s goodness - so it was! I received confirmation of certain decisions made, and was especially encouraged by John Andrew’s call to ‘Sing, O barren one’, which gave me strength to face the day ahead with courage, gladness and renewed strength to continue to sing to the Lord in the year ahead! Let’s go from glory to glory as one!”

• Michelle Tan, C12.14

“The family camp for me personally is a very special annual event. This will be my 8th camp and I enjoyed every moment of it! This year’s camp speakers were awesome! We are really privileged to have such amazing speakers every year. I was deeply impacted by Pastor Ken Gott. His zeal for revival was so infectious and his sharing stirred my heart for more of God. More, Lord!” • Daniel Tang, C31.22

“Church camp was indeed a time set aside to seek the Lord and bond with the family of God. This year’s sessions opened my eyes to simple truths that are impactful to my spiritual walk. I was moved by the revelation of the heart of the Lord for His people - the church and the pre-believers. God is indeed calling us to a deeper level of intimacy with Him and like what Pastor Ken Gott says, “We cannot take His presence for granted!”

• Jaquelyn Elizabeth Ng, C11.14

From Glory to Glory:

Cornerstonians Gather to Enlarge their Tents

Herald | November 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

Join us!

Church Camp 2016

! y l i m a F r u o e g r a l And En

p m a C h c r Chu 2017

check out this place ->

venue:

date:

KSL RESORT,

05 - 08

JOHOR BAHRU

JUNE

MALAYSIA

2017 Herald | November 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

International Ministries

Cornerstone Global Network Summit 2016 01 to 04 August C O M M E N T S

PA STOR K ATHERINE CUESON, PHILIPPINES I always look forward to our CGN Summit. It always refreshes me and a time for recalibration. This is my NETWORK, my CHURCH and my FAMILY. PA STOR JOSEPH SAN MIN, MYANMAR CGN unites us as one strong family where we can be refreshed and empowered by our brothers and sisters whose hearts are wholly after God for the aggressive invasion of heaven on earth! PA STOR TIM O’CONNELL, SINGAPORE I was impressed by the interaction and contributions amongst the delegates; the family atmosphere and unmistakeable level of bonding for those gathered bodes well for the future of the CGN.

F R O M

PA STOR MARIO STE YN, SOUTH AFRIC A I can’t explain what I had experienced in just a few words. I felt the love, compassion and unity of the Body of Christ across nations. A Growing church is not a divided church but an extended church and CGN has achieved thatGLORY TO GOD! PA STOR SABRINA LOW, MIRI E A ST MAL AYSIA It was a refreshing time away from the busyness where vision was realigned, hearts re-energized and relationships across the nations strengthened. It saw a convergence of nations and generations working together for a single pursuit of advancing His kingdom. I’m already looking forward to the next CGN!

ur global network of pastors met from 1 to 4 August in Johor Bahru for our Annual Summit. This is a time when all our key pastors from the nations come together for a time of recalibration, refreshing and fellowship. All in all, we had 65 pastors coming together from 16 nations. It was amazing to hear the stories and testimonies from different pastors, and to realise the impact we are making as a network of churches, in reaching the lost, feeding the poor, setting captives free, and also discipling and releasing believers into the nations.

O U R

P A S T O R S :

PA STOR DIAN BOTHA SINGAPORE This CGN was one of the best. I felt the Lord gave me the word “recalibrate”, and I believe that’s what happened. Through all the input and teachings that were presented many of us made the appropriate adjustments. Therefore we will rightly represent The Kingdom and the vision and values of Cornerstone. PA STOR SHUAN KOCH, SRI L ANK A 2016 CGN was a life transforming experience! There was so much fun and laughter and great fellowship with amazing men and women of God and above all life changing spiritual insights from Pastor Yang. I am truly blessed to be a part of the CGN family.

PA STOR STE VE L AM, MAURITIUS Praise The Lord! We have been regenerated, renewed and impacted to continue what God has called us to do through the teachings, sharing, prayers and impartations at the CGN Summit .Thanks again Pastors Yang and Daphne! JEREMY & PRISCILL A WALES We were encouraged and inspired hearing our senior pastor’s heart and also how the various networks and churches are taking more ground. The CGN has expanded our vision for His kingdom!

PA STOR R ACHEL KEDUNG BUL AN, MIRI E A ST MAL AYSIA As ONE-there was a great sense of synergy among the pastors. I felt right at home though this was my first time attending. We went past surface conversations and connected instantly with one another. 21

Generations By Caleb Ang

Cell Explosion C

ell explosion was an idea conceived in early July when Ivan, our youth director, wanted us to realize that evangelism is neither difficult nor constrained to an event, but it was something anyone could do. We dedicated a whole Saturday to it - instead of having youth service inside the church, we took the church outside and saw 164 newcomers altogether! Below is a recount by Caleb Ang, 15, on his combined cell group’s experience. Cell explosion was indeed something that led me to new experiences in my walk with God. When I first heard of our cell doing an inter-zone cell explosion, I was actually quite nervous. As an introvert, I was not confident working with people I was unfamiliar with. Besides, both our cells had not organised such an event before and admittedly, I was doubtful that we could come up with something appealing to my peers.

During the process of planning, we were inspired by many ideas however we had to constantly remind ourselves of the purpose of the event. It was to show God’s love. Thus, we finally decided to base our event on ‘Fear Factor’, an American stunt/dare reality gameshow. The days that were spent planning this event were very fruitful. I would say the team managed to gel together pretty quickly and were always entertained throughout the planning process by the occasional jokes and words of encouragement shared. It was nerve-wrecking for me when it was time to invite my friends to the event. Being the only one from Cornerstone in my school, it was even more challenging as I did not have peer support. But, praise the Lord! It was truly God’s grace that I was able to bring 3 friends to the event!

The greater challenge for me was to advertise our cell explosion event to complete strangers. I was concerned about how people would judge me. I remembered how nervous I was when I had to give out the flyers to students from my school. Many of them were seniors whom I did not know. Upon seeing the flyer, they immediately turned me down before I could even speak. Despite that, the experience itself was a breakthrough for me. I was able to step out of my comfort zone to approach some people to tell them about the upcoming event. I really feel that such events have helped to strengthen the bond among the zones in Generations. Family is one of the values Generations wishes to inculcate in the youths, so that we view one another as brothers and sisters without awkwardness and we will be as one for His kingdom.

ingdom Invasion is not a conference for better methods, but for MORE OF GOD. It’s a time where we experience a change of “mind-skins” by letting God clothe us with a heavenly mind-set that attracts and brings His kingdom reality into our daily experiences. Over the years, we’ve seen scores of people saved, amazing testimonies of healing miracles, and many others receive an impartation to move in the supernatural through the conferences. Encouraging reports of delegates returning to their communities, cities and nations, being activated with a fresh mandate and filled with a renewed passion for Jesus. Movements and kingdom initiatives being birthed to activate others.

Kingdom Invasion has become an annual highlight in the Christian calendar for Singapore and the region. Now into our fifth year, we’re thrilled to announce that KI will be back again in March 2017. Speakers include our all-time favourites – Bill Johnson, Heidi Baker and the efficacious Lou Engle. Also joining the stellar speaker lineup for the very first time will be spiritual giants – Dr. Ed Silvoso and Shawn Bolz! Dr. Ed is truly one of the leading voices in the Christian world with regard to the modern transformation movement. He was instrumentally used in the Argentine Revival in the 1980s, which saw hundreds of thousands come into the Kingdom of God. With close to 50 years of

experience in citywide evangelism and transformation, he brings with him an essential and strategic message to us to see our cities and communities reached for Christ. Shawn served for many years in iHOP Kansas City, before planting a church in California which focuses on reaching those in the entertainment industry and the arts. Shawn functions with an amazing prophetic gift and lives a life replete with incredible, supernatural encounters with God. This is not another conference. This is your time for God’s kingdom to invade your world for a difference!

Herald | November 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

Rates / Registration Day Meetings SIN GLE

SGD $220 / 180*

GROUP

SGD $190 / 150*

ST UDE NT

SGD $100

*Early bird rate ends on 31 Jan 2017.

Night Meetings

Conference Speakers Bill Johnson Senior Pastor / Bethel Church

Heidi Baker Co-founder / IRIS Ministries

Free Admission. Night meetings will be in English and Mandarin.

How to Register

Lou Engle Co-founder / TheCall

Conference Office Cornerstone Community Church 11 East Coast Road #02-10 The Odeon Katong Singapore 428722 Office hours: Tuesday to Friday 10am to 5pm Tel: +65 6344 4733 Fax: +65 6344 3877 info@kingdominvasion.sg

Shawn Bolz Founder / Expression58

Ed Silvoso Founder / Transform Our World

THE WORD In The House

By Chan Siew Fong

Expect the Unprecedented Feast of Tabernacles 2016

It was an annual sacred appointment not to be missed - the Feast of Tabernacles on Friday 21st October. This year’s celebration was exceptional in the Word, the worship and the world-sized prayers.

The organising committee wanted no other speaker but Pastor Yang. For that, we got the best sermon I have ever heard on the Feast of Tabernacles. Based on 1 Peter 1: 3- 5 about a great “salvation to be revealed in the last time”, Pastor Yang expounded on God’s roadmap revealed in the Feasts of Israel. An overview of these Feasts and their fulfilment historically, prophetically and personally, set us to look ahead to the fulfilment of the Feast of Tabernacles in our day. It will be the greatest harvest of souls yet to be seen in the world, the outpouring and manifestation of the Holy Spirit in unprecedented magnitude and a church full of the glory of God! The countdown to the coming of the Messiah will begin with the laying of the foundation of the Temple to be rebuilt in Jerusalem. Look up, our redemption is near! The King is returning!

THE WORSHIP First, the “Sh’ma Yisrael” (Deuteronomy 6:4), followed by the blasts of shofars and then the whole auditorium burst into joyous praises, clapping, dancing, and waving of palm leaves and a colourful array of banners. Song after song, moving with the pulsating music, young and old offered resounding praises in delight! After the video, message, communion and prayers, there was another round of jubilant worship - ‘stirring up deep, deep waters ....jump in the river” in an electrifying current of gladness!

in the heart of all that God is doing in the world, be full of His glory and revelations, and be where the Word of God is alive and 24/7 worship and prayer a common thing, with every single one of us a harvester! In all, about 800 came for the evening service while in the afternoon, 17 were at the prayer session in T1 and 22 others at the Bible reading in the main auditorium. After the service, it was photo-taking time at our very own “sukkah” (hebrew for ‘booth’) and a supper of chicken curry, churros and bread, and chit chat. “It is like we are celebrating in Jerusalem...”, “....it had an Israel-like kind of atmosphere”, “the decoration of harvest, the door gift of bread in the shape of the star of David, the menorah on the stage, the songs, the preaching and prayers by pastors - all very good..”, “Very overwhelmed in the most wonderful way”, “Wish every service is like that..”, “Wonderful celebration!”, “Just not enough space to dance”, “more shofar blowing!” “linger a little longer in worship with more Jewish songs..”, “The churros was divine..”, “The food was good but how about middle-eastern food?” At the close of the event, I went to collect our flags from the pews. I noticed a toddler waving my small gold-coloured flag. She held it tight, refusing to let it go. What a delightful picture of the young never letting go of their glorious inheritance of salvation from our God!

THE WORLDSIZED PRAYERS FOR NATIONS Pastor Daphne, Pastor Dian Botha and Pastor Timothy Chong led us to cry for the billions of souls in many nations yet to come into the Kingdom; their prayers underscored the urgency of the hour for harvesters and the need for empowering by the Holy Spirit to demolish strongholds before we could complete the task of bringing in the harvest. Pastor Yang prayed for Cornerstone to be right Herald | November 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

photos by

Immanuel Roszini & Raymond Ching

KYLO In The House

“It’s about Loving On Purpose”

The month of September was intentionally dedicated to building one of the values that Cornerstone upholdsFAMILY. It started with the cell group teaching series based on Pastor Danny Silk’s book, “Keeping Your Love On” (KYLO), to hearing from the man himself through two evening meetings on 23 and 24 September with Pastor Danny Silk. The teaching on Family ended on 9 October through a celebration with our kith and kin at the Fort Canning Park.

Herald | November 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

In The House

By Dennis Chew The Men’s Convocations in 2016 were highly anticipated events which many men from Cornerstone had marked in their calendars at the start of the year. On the evening of 20th April, many men turned up at the Odeon-Katong Auditorium for the year’s first Convocation – “The Holy Man-Date: Expectation, Encounter and Expansion” and the auditorium was al-

photos by

Alvin Tan & Raymond Ching

Men’s 32

most filled to its maximum capacity of about 860 people. There was such a collective expectancy of God’s presence, and the moment worship started, it was as though God was pouring out His Spirit and blessing the time to come together corporately as men of Cornerstone, and to gather before Him to honour His appointed feasts! Pastor Yang, Pastor Lip Yong and Pastor Dian spoke on the different aspects of Jesus, the perfect Man – Prophet, Priest and King. The pastors shared on the role model of Jesus and He being the perfect Prophet – having the vision and understanding of the seasons; the Priest – being an intermediary and interceding for people and events in His sphere of influence; and lastly the King – bearing an uncommon humil-

Conv

ity and being yielded to the Father in an intimate relationship, and being granted authority through the intimacy with His Father. It was an impactful evening, and many responded to the altar call and prayed for God to show us His heart and to work in our lives to model after Jesus in His ways. On 29th June, the men of Cornerstone gathered once again for the 2nd Men’s Convocation to hear the pastors – Pastor Yang, Pastor Lip Yong and Pastor Tim O’Connell, share on the Spirit of the Lord and what it meant to be a Spirit-filled man, in line with the theme “The Holy Man-Date: Spirit Man – Men of Cornerstone: Full of the Spirit”. The pastors expounded on the different aspects of being Spirit-filled, Spirit-led and Spir-

it-anointed, and shared from Isaiah 11:2 “The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord.” It was an amazing time, and God manifested His Presence amongst the men as we gathered again corporately to seek an outpouring of His Holy Spirit in our lives and hearts, and to be entirely possessed by His Spirit to do His work. God spoke to me personally and invited me to know His heart, His ways, and to understand that my strength was in acknowledging a greater need and dependency on Him. Out of this intimacy will I recognise my identity and authority in Him so that I will be more effective and fruitful. It was also coming to the understanding of being perpetually Spirit-dependent in that I do, and to learn to be always sensitive to His promptings and leading, while having the courage to always look inwards at my heart and to die to all motivations and intentions of the heart which are carnal and are not birthed from the Spirit. These were really wonderful revelations I received from the convocations. The final Convocation was held on 17 October with Pastor Larry Stockstill as the speaker. Pastor Larry addressed the men’s gathering on

the subject of the Model Man. How does one define a Model Man? He opened the meeting by emphasising “character” while quoting from Titus 2:7. He went on to add that a Model Man is one who allows God to work in the little areas of one’s life. How is this achieved? God who established boundaries and borders for Israel as a nation (Exo 19:12) did the same for man. Have you ever thought about the borders God has set concerning our bodies? This is expressed by setting a watch upon our mouth and the things we say, the eyes and the things we gaze upon, our hearts as it effects our relationships, and our minds concerning the things we meditate on. Finally, Pastor Larry placed emphasis on ensuring proper borders in time spent with God and family. The Model Man is a product of practical daily disciplines. Pastor Larry lives the life of what he teaches and his message resonated with all who attended.

vocations Herald | November 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Convocations

Herald | November 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

In The House By Juliet Chia

Big Day Out

magine waking up on a Sunday and as you stretch yourself and try to get out of bed, you hear the praises of God â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not coming from your music player but echoing and reverberating all around you and the city you live in. In this brand new world you are living in, the church is no longer just contained in the four walls of the sanctuary. You see people having church services in their apartments, on their lawns, and in Parks, praising and worshipping God openly among the skyscrapers and HDB flats unreservedly. That was what it felt like as we praised God at the Fort Canning on a Sunday, facing part of the Singapore skyline, under open heavens. This was Cornerstoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Big Day Out where we celebrated and declared the importance of families and relationships in our lives and church. The day started out with dark clouds threatening the horizon which triggered a wave of WhatsApp messages and facebook postings from Cornerstonians to pray and ask God to hold back the rain. The weather forecast for the day was thundery showers from 9-12pm across the island. But is there anything too difficult for the God who created the heavens with a word? And true enough, the rain clouds were held back, and the sun broke through near the end of the event. But that was not the only miracle of the day. Throughout the Big Day Out event, the miracle of the saints breaking bread (with some over a bowl of curry) with one another, and sharing what they had with others (shout-outs to the Indonesians congregation for their cold brew coffee!) were taking place. Testimonies of Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s love and faithfulness in different families were shared and thanksgiving, praise and worship filled the air. To crown the event with His goodness, Pastor Yang gave a stirring word that families are the key to Reformation as strong families centred upon Christ are the incubators of the next generation, imparting values and building kingdom culture in their communities and nation. The event ended on a high note with the sun shining brightly and also with the promise that we will be back. And who knows, when we return we will be with all of our family members and loved ones, praising and worshipping God in this brand new country, renewed and reformed in the image of Christ.

Herald | November 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

Generations By Rebecca Goh

Camp Mobilize 2016 “And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.”

cts 4:31 was the verse that inspired this year’s youth camp, Camp Mobilize. With this in mind, the committee members worked to gear the games and messages towards the aim of the camp: coming together as a ministry to be empowered so as to be sent out by God to do the works of His Kingdom. This three-day two-night camp was headed by Camp Commander Koh Yao Yi (Agent YY) and Assistant Camp Commander Regena Tan (Agent GG). We were also honoured to have pastors Sabrina Low, Rachel Bulan and Josh Yeoh, who flew down from Malaysia specially for our camp, as our guest speakers. Both the morning and the night sessions deposited facets of God’s heart and keys to His Kingdom. We were also privileged to have a guy’s session, led by Josh Yeoh, and a girl’s session, led by Pastor Rachel, for an amazing time of ministry and empowerment. The great move of God in each session was extremely inspiring and empowering. It was soul-stirring to see youths run to the altar with such passion and willingness as they cried out to be used and sent out by God. On the second day of the camp, the campers were recruited into the Salvation Army (also known as Secret Academy) Camp as Agentsto-be. They were placed in 4 Espionages, namely, Defenders of Peace, Guardians of Purity, Possessors of Faith and Defenders of Truth. The games played were to train and equip them for the final mission so that they could be commissioned as agents at the end of the camp.

On the last mission, the Agents-to-be were called out of the Secret Academy to report to Cornerstone Secret Command Centre Headquarters (CSCC HQ), where they were informed that an undercover spy had infiltrated their base. They had to go about completing tasks to win hints and come together to eventually uncover who the spy was. To end off the camp, we had a session in which campers could go onstage to testify on how God had encountered them. Initially, only a handful of campers plucked up the courage to step forward. But as more and more campers spoke, the queue to speak grew longer as more wanted to glorify God with their testimonies. It was heartwarming to hear how each one of them was moved, encouraged, strengthened and healed by God. As part of the Camp Committee, it was encouraging for me to hear that the campers thoroughly enjoyed themselves. through the stimulating games, confortable camp conditions and increased time for fellowship and rest. I personally found this camp a success and am very grateful for the opportunity to be a part of it. Camp Mobilize would not have been possible if not for the support of our leaders, our youth director, Ivan Tan, as well as the generous financial support from the main congregation, which allowed our youths to attend both the youth and church camps this year. Last but not least, we are ever so thankful to our Heavenly Father who brought us all together, provided for and orchestrated the whole camp. It was truly a camp to remember and an empowering camp!

Generations By Joanne Heng

Thank you for believing in the next generation I

t all started rather ordinarily. I signed up with Cornerstone Couriers for a trip to Sri Lanka in 2014. I applied for financial subsidy because I was an A-Level student intending to pay for the trip myself. Not long after, the Missions department informed me that the application went through and there would be more details coming. Little did I know that it was the start of something beyond my expectations! Out of many applications from the Generations, a handful of us were ‘adopted’ by various adult cell groups from Zone 1 of Cluster 3. This meant that our subsidies were provided directly by their members’ contributions, rather than the general pool of funds. Still, I didn’t give much thought to it until a meeting was called for us to touch base. It involved the Cluster Leaders (Pastor Kevin & Aileen), the respective cell groups, Generation youths and their cell shepherds. This started to sound overwhelming for me as I barely had any contact with the adults in church then, and suddenly there were so many people that I needed to get to know!

fully with the youths in Generations. What’s more, I was privileged to be part of this grand vision. Aileen brought home the point when she said something to this effect, “We are investing in you today for a greater purpose. That’s because, in the future, your generation would be investing in our children.” Subsequently, I had more opportunities to know the cell group (led by Karen Lee) who sponsored me and 2 other Generation youths. We shared briefly on our expectations of the trip and they too shared on their previous experiences, struggles and joy in obeying God’s leading to the nations. It was a very genuine moment and an eye-opening experience, as things they shared such as applying for leave, arranging childcare or elderly parent’s care, never crossed our minds at all. I realised that there were so many responsibilities that adults have, more than just for themselves… Yet, they still love the Great Commission and made time for it! It provoked me to think – how would I want to be in 10 or 20 years? Would the passion still blaze aflame? Would there be more? At one of the final meetings, the adults prayed for us individually. Some began to prophesy. Their impassioned prayers left such an indelible mark on me till today. This unique opportunity heightened my expectations about the trip. I was assured that there was a family in church supporting me in prayer and sending me out in faith. When I was in Sri Lanka, God gelled the team so well as we developed friendships with the orphanage homeowners and the resident children. God also spoke to me very personally as this was my first trip! I couldn’t wait to share all these experiences with Karen’s cell group upon returning. The giving works both ways; this was their reward as well! There was something I could share with the adults in reciprocation of their love and efforts, and perhaps even inspire them to sign up for a trip. I’d like to thank the zone and cell group members for such an exciting journey of partnership! I hope to see more of this; the generations growing closer with each other through missions! As one!

The initial meeting turned out to be an awe-inspiring, hair-raising and bone-chilling one (no exaggeration). Aileen shared about the church’s direction towards an inter-generational church and how she yearned for a platform for this to materialise. Recalling the difficulty funding her first trip as a youngster, this idea of connecting adults and youth through missions was birthed. As she spoke zealously, I remembered inching closer and closer to the edge of the chair. I never knew there was so much desire in the main congregation to engage meaningHerald | November 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

Generations Album Launch

he Generations album initiative was birthed from a casual conversation in 2014 between our former youth pastor, Pastor Paul, and Austin Loh as a dream for Generations Worship Ministry to take Generations Worship into a deeper level of intimacy with God through our musicial abilities. From that genesis, we began to form a core committee of singers, budding song writers and track mixers, and started collecting songs for our album. “Breakthroughs” was officially launched in May 2016. “Breakthroughs” is a significant venture for our ministry as it represents the gifts and work of a new committee, following in the footsteps of the preceding generation of leaders and Geners who had released an earlier album, “LoveSong”. With a fresh new committee, it was a completely new experience for most of us. The album production journey was an adventure into the unknown and we had countless things to learn. We are thoroughly grateful to have Pastor Andrew Yeo’s support in this initiative. With his belief and confidence in Generations Youth Ministry, he devoted much of his time and effort to guiding us in our recordings and mentoring us throughout the production process. I was humbled by the experience and the exposure that I gained in the course of the album production. In the midst of the preparation for the album launch, we had the honour and privilege of presenting To See Your Mercy at the Max Pavilion. The entire performance, from the writing of the song to the lyrics video, was produced by

Generations By Lo Lay Yi

the youths in Generations! We had never imagined a day like this and to this day, I am still in awe just thinking about it. I was also bewildered and grateful to God for the response we received after that debut performance, about how it had blessed and impacted different people. It made me realise that God always has a bigger plan and that I should never get in the way, but rather inquire of God and pursue it for His glory, no matter how impossible or absurd it seems. We spent a good year and a half working on this record; however, the reality that we were actually going to release a record only sank in about two weeks before the launch. A few weeks prior to that, as we gathered for our weekly prayer meetings, we were still expressing how surreal the process of the album production felt. The launch on the 28 of May was magnificent and I was very proud of the ministry and everyone who was involved in this project. There were barely any slip-ups and we felt that we did not just deliver the album, but displayed the beauty of God’s presence in every song and every part of the launch. This experience reminded us that every ounce of effort put into this album was worth it. Our vision for “Breakthroughs” is not just to impact the Generations ministry, but also to bless Cornerstone and the youth ministries in Singapore. This project has also inspired a dream to create a song-writing culture in Generations, that we may continue to release impactful songs that would bless this nation and beyond.

Herald | November 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

Let The Children Come

Children’s Camp

y first encounter with the Children’s Ministry was through the Cornerstone Internship Programme. I was attached to the ministry for a short duration of two months. What was meant to be temporary eventually proved to be a series of life changing moments that encouraged me to stay on as a volunteer. One of the greatest take-away for me was through the Children’s Camp, held in conjunction with Cornerstone Family Camp 2016. There was such a sweet scent of joy in the atmosphere, as every volunteer sought to serve wholeheartedly and joyfully to make an impact in the lives of our young. It was a privilege and joy that through this camp, we were acquainted with the team from Gateway Church. What caught my attention was not the skills and abilities they possessed, but the heart and passion they carried as they served. I was deeply encouraged by the children who saw value within themselves, that indeed as the camp was aptly named ‘Amazing Camp’, that they are indeed amazing children who are fearfully and wonderfully made by the Father. During the camp, the children also learnt a dance, which became one of the highlights of the Gala Night Performance of the Family Camp. The children danced exuberantly to the music (‘Heartbeat’ by Gateway Kids) before a huge audience, and the loudest cheers and applause that evening was lavished on them. As I reflected on my experiences from this camp, I felt as if God was revealing a small glimpse of His glorious plans. Thus, I affirmed my decision to stay on to serve in the ministry, beyond my internship period. What a blessing this camp has been!

• Gary Daniel Low 44

Let The Children Come

y first encounter with Gateway was during their ministry time with our children’s ministry team at Cornerstone a few days before the Church Camp. Pastor Mary Jackson from Gateway Amazing Kids shared that “Kids are all about fun. It’s their occupation in life. Our goal at Gateway Church is to have fun while learning about God. This is at the core of everything that we do in Gateway Kids.” This simple yet powerful ethos reminded me not to set goals for children based on our level of understanding but to guide them to fulfil what God has designed for them at their age. Oftentimes, as adults, we impose our expectations on children to fulfil our goals but little do we know, the expectations we have on children may also be the deterrent for children to move closer to God. When this revelatory insight eventually clicked within me, I started receiving fresh downloads from God in relation to Children’s Ministry and this is so exciting!

Children Camp Reflections

During the Amazing Camp, in addition to witnessing how Gateway team managed our children, my biggest take away was their total dependency on God throughout the camp. I was reminded of Ecclesiastes 5:1, “walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear”. Committing the day to the Lord TOGETHER would not only shift the spiritual atmosphere but it also brought unity in the spirit. We all bore witness to the spirit of unity, love and connectedness among those who volunteered during the Amazing Camp. God has called those who serve in the Children’s Ministry to be the custodians of the next generation because we are directly involved in shaping them to the destiny and purposes of God. My first experience with Gateway as a full time staff has reminded me to be serious with my attitude of service towards God and His little children. I can’t thank Him enough for giving me this opportunity to be part of this amazing team!

• Yeo Sook Kuan Herald | November 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church

Cornerstone Internship Programme Right side up again.

Turning the upside down world....

Cornerstone Internship Programme is an initiative taken by Cornerstone Community Church to provide a dynamic and vibrant programme to develop the next generation of Christian leaders. It is a mentoring and experiential learning journey focused on understanding the Bible and Bible-based ministry skills. Interns will spend 2 months from May to July in Cornerstone. In this programme, they will be: • Taught on the fundamental values necessary in a local church. • Personally mentored by pastors and leaders of Cornerstone. • Gaining working and ministerial experience in various departments within the Cornerstone office and ministries, on-the-job training and apprenticeship.

Join us

as we journey together with the right programmes that point towards the Biblical way of raising leadership that leads to Biblical Transformation.

• • •

Contributing to significant projects and events. Reviewing and reflecting on ministerial experiences, on-thejob training and apprenticeship. Having a presbytery session with Cornerstone pastors and Christian ministers.

Visit our website at www.cscc.org.sg for more information or email us at internship@cscc.org.sg

Herald | November 2016 | Cornerstone Community Church