Games and fun are part and parcel of youth ministry. I hope that I could help your church in this area by sharing about the making of "WWCD (What Would Calvin Do)" and "Who is Johnny C?".
I was given the project of handling 2 games in the Synod Youth Leadership Camp 2007. Here are some key concerns.
1. Objective - This is always the primary concern. In last year's camp, the objective is interaction between different participants of the different churches, hence a puzzle-solving game design. This year, the objective is knowledge-acquiring and interest-building in the subject matter (John Calvin). Hence, it was determined that it would be a trivia game.
2. Quality of the Participants - Quality of participants means the type of players we have. Since they are youth leaders, it is possible and necessary to have a more complex rule-set. Else, they will be bored by simplistic objectives and a "been-there, done-that" feeling. However, since it is a Calvin-trivia, and not a pop culture trivia, (it is not a game among Presbyterian pastors), a high degree of randomness is essential. This means that the game design should not be highly dependent on an extensive knowledge of Calvin. Instead, the participants just have to be good enough to make intelligent guesses. Take special note that pure randomness (like snakes and ladders) in a game is to be avoided at all cost, because participants need to feel involved, like their decisions matter. Hence the key idea: a game design that allows for good guesses.
3. Quantity of Participants - This means the number of players we have. The ideal game situation for a strategy game is 2-6 players. The higher the number of players, the higher the amount of decision-making situations needed so that all players will feel involved. In a situation of 100 players, it is necessary to form teams (unless you are playing games like Bingo). I decided on 10 teams of 10 members. 10 teams would mean that the situation will not be overly chaotic (more teams=more chaos, more chaos=strategy more meaningless). 10 members per team means every member can still be reasonably involved (more members = less responsibility, less responsibility = less involvement). It is not the ideal situation for a trivia guessing game, but it is the best that I can make do.
Until next time, I will share the Part Two of The Making of WWCD and Who is Johnny C? where I will share about the strength and weaknesses of the two games.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Saturday, March 24, 2007
The Prayer of Ezra
My dear friend, Wilson Tan, finally becomes a father. he named his son, "Ezra". A powerful and godly person in the OT. Congrats to you =)
"Ezra" reminds me of a sermon i preached in the church and i would like to share with you:
The Scripture tells us that Ezra was a priest and he was a learned man in matters concerning the commands and decrees of the Lord for Israel (Ezra 7:11) He proclaimed praying and fasting just before going to Jerusalem (Ezra 8). Once, they reached Jerusalem and completed their given tasks and then sacrificed burnt offerings to God, the leaders came to Ezra with bad news. By now, the temple had already rebuilt but there was a problem. The problem was that people are not going to the temple to worship God (Ezra 9).The people of Israel have not separated themselves from the neighbouring people. He was told that the leaders including priests and Levites had broken a command of God by intermarrying with women from the neighbouring people. (9:1-2)(read) As a result, the verse says that they have mingled the holy race with the people around them. There is a decline in true religion because of intermarriage, the people of Israel have adopt their wife/husbands’ religion. Their hearts have turned cold and they have compromised their faith. They became indifferent towards worship of the True and Living God.
What did Ezra do after hearing this? Look at Ezra 9:3.That was really a usual behaviour that Ezra had demonstrated. Why behave like that? Ezra’s heart was immediately gripped by a deep concern for the people. Scripture actually says that he was utterly shocked, and horrified at the terrible sins of the people. This was indicated by his tearing his clothing and pulling his hair and beard. It was the custom of that day to express one’s grief in this way. Ezra’s heart was filled with sorrow, sadness, and depressed. Apparently Ezra had gone to the temple to express his grief and to seek the LORD. Naturally, the worshippers wanted to know what was troubling him so deeply. Soon all the faithful believers, those who feared God and trembled at His Word, joined Ezra in mourning over the sins of the people. In utter dismay, Ezra sat there in the temple until the evening sacrifice.
When it was time for the evening sacrifice, Ezra offered up his prayer of confession (9:5-15). He rose from where he had been sitting, fell to his knees, then lifted up his hands to the LORD in prayer and intercession for the people. What did he prayed about? Firstly, he recognize how far Israel had fallen by confessing their sins (2) he recognize God’s goodness and grace towards Israel (3) he recognize the need for repentant.
J. C. Ryle said, “Christ is never fully valued, until sin is clearly seen” Thus our first reaction to sin must be to see it clearly from Scriptures. Then, realizing that it put our Savior on the cross, we should mourn over it. Finally, we should confess it without excuse to the God of mercy, appropriating His cleansing for our consciences, that we might be renewed to serve Him in purity.
As we grow in godliness, like Ezra, we will react more strongly to our own sins and to the sins of God’s people. We will dwell more consistently at the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ, where God’s mercy flows to repentant sinners.
So when I confess my sins to God, I will
- Acknowledge the severity of my sins so that I will not take my sins lightly.
I will
- Remember God’s grace and goodness towards me so that I will be honestly ashamed that I have sinned against my Gracious God.
I will
- Express my repentance so that I will resolved to turn from my sinful ways.
I trust that this is simple enough for us to remember how we can confess our sins and also simple enough for those of us who are parents to explain to children how they can confess their sins.
"Ezra" reminds me of a sermon i preached in the church and i would like to share with you:
The Scripture tells us that Ezra was a priest and he was a learned man in matters concerning the commands and decrees of the Lord for Israel (Ezra 7:11) He proclaimed praying and fasting just before going to Jerusalem (Ezra 8). Once, they reached Jerusalem and completed their given tasks and then sacrificed burnt offerings to God, the leaders came to Ezra with bad news. By now, the temple had already rebuilt but there was a problem. The problem was that people are not going to the temple to worship God (Ezra 9).The people of Israel have not separated themselves from the neighbouring people. He was told that the leaders including priests and Levites had broken a command of God by intermarrying with women from the neighbouring people. (9:1-2)(read) As a result, the verse says that they have mingled the holy race with the people around them. There is a decline in true religion because of intermarriage, the people of Israel have adopt their wife/husbands’ religion. Their hearts have turned cold and they have compromised their faith. They became indifferent towards worship of the True and Living God.
What did Ezra do after hearing this? Look at Ezra 9:3.That was really a usual behaviour that Ezra had demonstrated. Why behave like that? Ezra’s heart was immediately gripped by a deep concern for the people. Scripture actually says that he was utterly shocked, and horrified at the terrible sins of the people. This was indicated by his tearing his clothing and pulling his hair and beard. It was the custom of that day to express one’s grief in this way. Ezra’s heart was filled with sorrow, sadness, and depressed. Apparently Ezra had gone to the temple to express his grief and to seek the LORD. Naturally, the worshippers wanted to know what was troubling him so deeply. Soon all the faithful believers, those who feared God and trembled at His Word, joined Ezra in mourning over the sins of the people. In utter dismay, Ezra sat there in the temple until the evening sacrifice.
When it was time for the evening sacrifice, Ezra offered up his prayer of confession (9:5-15). He rose from where he had been sitting, fell to his knees, then lifted up his hands to the LORD in prayer and intercession for the people. What did he prayed about? Firstly, he recognize how far Israel had fallen by confessing their sins (2) he recognize God’s goodness and grace towards Israel (3) he recognize the need for repentant.
J. C. Ryle said, “Christ is never fully valued, until sin is clearly seen” Thus our first reaction to sin must be to see it clearly from Scriptures. Then, realizing that it put our Savior on the cross, we should mourn over it. Finally, we should confess it without excuse to the God of mercy, appropriating His cleansing for our consciences, that we might be renewed to serve Him in purity.
As we grow in godliness, like Ezra, we will react more strongly to our own sins and to the sins of God’s people. We will dwell more consistently at the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ, where God’s mercy flows to repentant sinners.
So when I confess my sins to God, I will
- Acknowledge the severity of my sins so that I will not take my sins lightly.
I will
- Remember God’s grace and goodness towards me so that I will be honestly ashamed that I have sinned against my Gracious God.
I will
- Express my repentance so that I will resolved to turn from my sinful ways.
I trust that this is simple enough for us to remember how we can confess our sins and also simple enough for those of us who are parents to explain to children how they can confess their sins.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
"Reflection on Presbyterian Synod Youth Leadership Camp" by Jonathan Giang (Jubilee Church)
The 2nd Annual Presbyterian Synod Youth Ministry Leadership Camp was held on the 26th to 27th January, 2007, at Bethel Presbyterian Church. It was a significant event which brought together youth leaders from various Presbyterian churches. This year, youth leaders from 13 different Presbyterian churches participated in the event.
The camp kick started with a welcome speech from Pr. Wilson Tan and a worship session led by Chen Li Presbyterian Church worship team. It was a great sight to behold, seeing youths of all ages from different churches worshipping God together in the cosy hall. This was just a prelude to the high levels of learning and fun we experienced during the camp.
The speaker for this year’s Synod Youth Ministry Leadership Camp was Rev. Jimmy Tan Boon Chai from Bethel Presbyterian Church. The main focus of his sermons was on “The Calling of a Spiritual Leader”. The sermons were split into 3 sessions. And through these sessions, we, the youths would learn about the Christian Perspective on Leadership. We learnt that to be a Christian leader, there is a need for a calling by God, character after God followed by competencies enabled by God. Rev. Tan told us that God’s calling may be come as an internal or external calling that we as youths will experience and that we must possess Christ-like character such as humility and love. We also got to know that the virtues of Christ can be developed over time by God. Lastly, Rev. Tan also shared that we must possess competency to be able to serve with God. Through these sermons, we have a clearer picture of the requirements and functions of a youth leader, which may act as a guide to our journey as a Presbyterian youth leader. Hence, this enhances our understanding and knowledge as Christians.
Simultaneously, we also experienced fun and interaction during the course of the two-day camp from games organized by Rev. Wong Siow Hwee. Trivia games such as “Who is Johnny C?” and “WWCD?” which tested our wits and anticipation as each group racked their brains to outsmart the others. Everyone experienced much fun and laughter during the course of the games. However, most importantly, is that through these games, all of us were able to learn more about the 16th century theologian John Calvin (founder of the Presbyterian or Reformed Church) as well as his influence and ideas which are important to the modern day churches.
Last but not least, the camp wrapped up with the Grand Finale, which consisted of 5 stations of Tug of War games. Each station required all of us to display our physical prowess as well as our teamwork and support for our peers. This enabled our teams to bond together. Finally, the Grand Finale ended with a final Tug of War which pitted the boys against the girls. Subsequently, the girls won the Tug of War, landing the boys in defeat. However, the main focus is that we all managed to have fun and gel together through the games.
The 2nd Annual Presbyterian Synod Youth Ministry Leadership Camp may have just been a two-day camp. However, we have definitely benefited much through these two days as we all grew spiritually as fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and gained much knowledge in the aspects of service to the church. Not to forget, barriers have been broken and new bonds have been built between youths of different churches. As a result, we have made buddies from other churches, enabling all of us to spread the love and concern for one another from one church to the other. Hopefully this camp will not only gel the youths from different churches, but will also foster closer togetherness between adjacent Presbyterian churches and act as a steeping stone for greater unity in the Singapore Presbyterian community.
- Jonathan Giang
The camp kick started with a welcome speech from Pr. Wilson Tan and a worship session led by Chen Li Presbyterian Church worship team. It was a great sight to behold, seeing youths of all ages from different churches worshipping God together in the cosy hall. This was just a prelude to the high levels of learning and fun we experienced during the camp.
The speaker for this year’s Synod Youth Ministry Leadership Camp was Rev. Jimmy Tan Boon Chai from Bethel Presbyterian Church. The main focus of his sermons was on “The Calling of a Spiritual Leader”. The sermons were split into 3 sessions. And through these sessions, we, the youths would learn about the Christian Perspective on Leadership. We learnt that to be a Christian leader, there is a need for a calling by God, character after God followed by competencies enabled by God. Rev. Tan told us that God’s calling may be come as an internal or external calling that we as youths will experience and that we must possess Christ-like character such as humility and love. We also got to know that the virtues of Christ can be developed over time by God. Lastly, Rev. Tan also shared that we must possess competency to be able to serve with God. Through these sermons, we have a clearer picture of the requirements and functions of a youth leader, which may act as a guide to our journey as a Presbyterian youth leader. Hence, this enhances our understanding and knowledge as Christians.
Simultaneously, we also experienced fun and interaction during the course of the two-day camp from games organized by Rev. Wong Siow Hwee. Trivia games such as “Who is Johnny C?” and “WWCD?” which tested our wits and anticipation as each group racked their brains to outsmart the others. Everyone experienced much fun and laughter during the course of the games. However, most importantly, is that through these games, all of us were able to learn more about the 16th century theologian John Calvin (founder of the Presbyterian or Reformed Church) as well as his influence and ideas which are important to the modern day churches.
Last but not least, the camp wrapped up with the Grand Finale, which consisted of 5 stations of Tug of War games. Each station required all of us to display our physical prowess as well as our teamwork and support for our peers. This enabled our teams to bond together. Finally, the Grand Finale ended with a final Tug of War which pitted the boys against the girls. Subsequently, the girls won the Tug of War, landing the boys in defeat. However, the main focus is that we all managed to have fun and gel together through the games.
The 2nd Annual Presbyterian Synod Youth Ministry Leadership Camp may have just been a two-day camp. However, we have definitely benefited much through these two days as we all grew spiritually as fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and gained much knowledge in the aspects of service to the church. Not to forget, barriers have been broken and new bonds have been built between youths of different churches. As a result, we have made buddies from other churches, enabling all of us to spread the love and concern for one another from one church to the other. Hopefully this camp will not only gel the youths from different churches, but will also foster closer togetherness between adjacent Presbyterian churches and act as a steeping stone for greater unity in the Singapore Presbyterian community.
- Jonathan Giang
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Synod Youth Ministry Leadership Camp 26-27 Jan 2007 @ Bethel PC
It's finally up! check out the rest of the photos (right)! You will need a yahoo account.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Friday, December 22, 2006
聘请青年传道之计划书 Employment of a Pastor/Pastoral Worker for Holy Grace Presbyterian Church Chinese Christian Youth Ministry
We are looking for a full-time pastor or pastoral worker who has the vision to serve the Lord in the Youth Ministry. The applicant should be degree qualified in Theology or equivalent, recognized by the Presbytery and Synod. He/she should be fluent in speaking and writing Chinese and English. The successful applicant's main duties are to preach the Gospel and to exercise pastoral care to the youth of the Youth Christian Fellowship.
- Provide counselling & follow up for youth, parents & teachers, and make necessary referral when needed.
- Network and establish rapport with parents to encourage strong parental support and involvement in the emotional and spiritual care of the youth.
- Work closely with the Church Reverend, Pastors, Elders Deacons Court, church co-workers.
- Work under the supervision & direction of the Reverend and report to the Reverend.
2． 工作要求：(Job Requirements)
I. 学历：至少拥有长老宗受承认之神学院毕业证书
Qualification: Should be degree qualified in Theology or equivalent, recognized by the Presbytery and Synod.
II. 年龄：介于21岁至35岁之间
Age: Between 21 to 35 years old.
III. 具备基本的电脑知识，通晓中英文（口头与书写）；对青少年事工具有强烈的委身与热忱更佳。 Possess Computer Skills in MS, bilingual (written and spoken). We require someone who has the calling and passion for youth's work.
3． 薪金与福利：(Salary and Benefits)
I． 依据长老大会2006年议会所修正的教牧薪酬标准（参阅附件）。
Salary and Benefits is based on the Presbytery and Synod Revised Salary Scales and Benefits for Pastoral Staff 2006.
If you are interested, please apply with resume to:
Holy Grace Presbyterian Church
408B Upper East Coast Road
Singapore 466484
Tel: 6241-1154, Fax: 6443-0102
Email: hgpcs@singnet.com.sg
Thursday, December 14, 2006
第二届大会青年领袖营 - 2nd Synod Youth Ministry Leadership Camp 2007
Registration Form can be downloaded from the sidebar at the right ===>
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
joke...
A certain someone goes to the post office to buy stamps for her Christmas cards.
She says to the clerk, "May I have 50 Christmas stamps?"
The clerk says, "What denomination?"
She says, "God help us, Has it come to this? Give me 6 Catholic, 12 Presbyterian, 10 Lutheran and 22 Baptists."
Thursday, October 05, 2006
The Problem of Evil
Premise 1: If God exist, then he would eradicate evil.
Premise 2: Homework is evil.
Premise 3: I have to do homework, hence evil exist.
Conclusion: God does not exist.
If you are a reader of this blog, please send in at least 1 comment on the above argument. We look forward to an interesting discussion.
Premise 2: Homework is evil.
Premise 3: I have to do homework, hence evil exist.
Conclusion: God does not exist.
If you are a reader of this blog, please send in at least 1 comment on the above argument. We look forward to an interesting discussion.
Friday, September 29, 2006
CWM News: My career - a lesson in God's care (Eld Richard Chong)
CWM deputy moderator and administrative secretary for the Presbyterian Church in Singapore Richard Chong looks back on a career in which God's grace has always been a step ahead.While in the Singaporean army on national service, I joined an Institute of Biblical Study course conducted by the Campus Crusade for Christ. Confronted with my helplessness, my depravity and the wonderful grace of Jesus Christ, I needed no further prompting to bend my knees to ask him come into my life.
I found inexpressible joy in reaching out to the recruits at evangelistic meetings and learning from the witness of my Bible study group on weekends.
When I left the army, God used me to set up bible study groups in and outside my workplaces. I decided that there could be nothing more fulfilling in life than to serve God in the ministry of evangelising, training, and equipping people to spread the gospel. God had other plans!
I slowly learned there is a difference between being driven and being called
For 11 years, I worked in the printing industry, working hard to bring up a young family, and manage priorities at workplaces and in church. My work involved reviving a loss-making company of 50 staff and building it up to an international and profitable corporation of 300 employees.
Pride
I began to believe that there was nothing I could not achieve with commitment. I left the company to partner with a friend in a completely new business. But we soon faced setbacks after my friend had to pull a big part of his capital from the business.
So I started again with a completely new business. Again lack of capital was a constraint.
With depleted savings I went back to the printing firm I had left feeling beaten and discouraged. God revealed to me how dependant I am and how fragile and transient these businesses are!
It was also during this time that I took up eldership in the church with the view to help the church serve effectively. I was humbled at the attempt. I slowly learned there is a difference between being driven and being called; that people are more important and enduring than structures and methods.
Knowing that I needed to reflect and live my life meaningfully, I sought God for relief. I took the step of faith to invest my time in the church's service as administrative secretary for the Presbyterian Church in Singapore.
I have never been happier in my work and walk with God. He provided me the opportunity to put my administrative gifting to work with our church leaders; expanded my worldview through engagement with world mission bodies and missionaries; challenged me to take bold steps into new missions and entrepreneurial initiatives through prayer and faith.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Free visualisers!!!
Dear Pastors/Church Managers/Admin Support
A Home for the Aged in East Coast has 7 visualisers (used) to give away. Anyone interested please contact Br Ricky Seah at HP no: 97439717.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
CWM News: Good shepherds to Zambian youth
Delinquency and poverty are major issues for Zambian youth found returning missionary Rev Fereti Tutuila. The church can provide direction and care for them.
Flowers laid on gravestones don't last long in Lusaka. Children scour cemeteries for flowers hoping to resell them. Others roam around looking for a chance to steal.
Day by day children are on the streets begging. They accompany blind people asking for help, getting their meals from trash bins, sleeping by the roadside with plastic bags tied round them for warmth.
Young people are in a critical state in terms of moral values. Debate is raging as to why this is so and who is responsible.
Church youth are addressing the problems their generation faces
The youth are also crying out for the kind of equality where anyone's problem is everyone's problem and where nobody is marginalised.
As CWM missionary Rev Fereti Tutuila ministered at St Andrew's Church in Lusaka he noted that elders and clergy are only minimally involved with the youth. "With our 100 per cent involvement we will know them and they will follow our direction because they recognise our voice," he says.
St Andrew's Church youth department comprises of Sunday school, youth fellowship and a Boys' Brigade and Girls' Brigade. Church youth are addressing the problems their generation faces by getting involved in a wide range of church activities such as small projects, fundraising, visitations and counselling.
Tutuila says: "Although HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria and high poverty levels are hitting them, their faith is firmly anchored onto the Lord, leading to growing in mission."
Tutuila helped respond to youth problems by putting in place a social welfare committee to give whatever the church could manage to homeless children, and creating youth projects, such as a brick-making scheme.
He tried to be with families grieving over sick children, and constituted an HIV/AIDS committee to work with the church marriage guidance committee.
"I still have a passion to go back to the ministry in Africa," he says.
Rev Fereti and Sosefina Tutuila from the Congregational Christian Church in Samoa served the United Church of Zambia at St Andrew's Church in Lusaka for five years.
Flowers laid on gravestones don't last long in Lusaka. Children scour cemeteries for flowers hoping to resell them. Others roam around looking for a chance to steal.
Day by day children are on the streets begging. They accompany blind people asking for help, getting their meals from trash bins, sleeping by the roadside with plastic bags tied round them for warmth.
Young people are in a critical state in terms of moral values. Debate is raging as to why this is so and who is responsible.
Church youth are addressing the problems their generation faces
The youth are also crying out for the kind of equality where anyone's problem is everyone's problem and where nobody is marginalised.
As CWM missionary Rev Fereti Tutuila ministered at St Andrew's Church in Lusaka he noted that elders and clergy are only minimally involved with the youth. "With our 100 per cent involvement we will know them and they will follow our direction because they recognise our voice," he says.
St Andrew's Church youth department comprises of Sunday school, youth fellowship and a Boys' Brigade and Girls' Brigade. Church youth are addressing the problems their generation faces by getting involved in a wide range of church activities such as small projects, fundraising, visitations and counselling.
Tutuila says: "Although HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria and high poverty levels are hitting them, their faith is firmly anchored onto the Lord, leading to growing in mission."
Tutuila helped respond to youth problems by putting in place a social welfare committee to give whatever the church could manage to homeless children, and creating youth projects, such as a brick-making scheme.
He tried to be with families grieving over sick children, and constituted an HIV/AIDS committee to work with the church marriage guidance committee.
"I still have a passion to go back to the ministry in Africa," he says.
Rev Fereti and Sosefina Tutuila from the Congregational Christian Church in Samoa served the United Church of Zambia at St Andrew's Church in Lusaka for five years.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Worship Symposium 2006
Friends, not sure how manyof you have already signed up for this, but for those who hasn't, I would really encourage any worship leaders and musicians to attend this Worship Symposium. Many youth ministries struggle with balancing between using hymns and contemporary music in our worship. Struggle no more, as Graham Kendrick and his worship team will be sharing with us what blended worship is all about, and leading the various musical clinics and the worship concerts in the evening. For those who does not know who he is, you can find out more about him and his music here.
Date: 3-5 September 2006 (Registration on 3 Sep, Sunday, at 1-2pm)
Main Venue: Church of the Resurrection, St. Andrew's Village, Pontong Pasir
Worship Undivided --- that is the theme of a specially organised worship symposium. The symposium hopes to bring worship teams from various churches to together to have a shared and deeper understanding of worship.
Who should attend:
Experienced and budding worship leaders, musicians, vocalists and support teams
For more information about the symposium, please visit Worship Undivided or call Priscilla on Tel: 6337 3222 ext 26 or email: bem@bible.org.sg
Graham Kendrick, the son of a Baptist pastor, was born in Northamptonshire in 1950. He trained as a teacher but launched out as a singer/songwriter in 1972. His songs and hymns are sung by millions of people in numerous languages around the world.
The song Shine Jesus Shine has been the UK's most popular contemporary worship song and is frequently featured in the BBC's Songs of Praise programme. He is married with four daughters and lives in South London. Graham received a Dove Award in 1995 for his international work and is listed in Who's Who. In 2000 he received an honorary doctorate in divinity from Brunel University in recognition of his contribution to the worship life of the church.
Graham is a co-founder of March for Jesus. This prayer, praise and proclamation event became global on June 25th 1994, with over 12 million people from 177 nations taking to the streets to proclaim their faith in Jesus Christ. His recent album What Grace
was the UK's number 1 best selling praise and worship album of 2001.
Simply put, he is a very well-known contemporary Christian music and song composer and worship leader. For those who cannot come for the entire symposium, i strongly encourage you to at least come for the night worship concert, which is free for all. (Sunday: 5:30-7:30pm, Monday and Tuesday: 7:30-9:30pm) Graham Kendrick will be incorporating the elements of blended worship during his Monday night worship; while on Tuesday, he will be speaking on the Prophetic aspect of worship.
Date: 3-5 September 2006 (Registration on 3 Sep, Sunday, at 1-2pm)
Main Venue: Church of the Resurrection, St. Andrew's Village, Pontong Pasir
Worship Undivided --- that is the theme of a specially organised worship symposium. The symposium hopes to bring worship teams from various churches to together to have a shared and deeper understanding of worship.
Who should attend:
Experienced and budding worship leaders, musicians, vocalists and support teams
For more information about the symposium, please visit Worship Undivided or call Priscilla on Tel: 6337 3222 ext 26 or email: bem@bible.org.sg
Friday, August 25, 2006
Testimony
A university undergraduate in Swansea, Wales, who fought with a sense of being unwanted came to faith in July, rejoices CWM missionary Molly Chua.
Undergraduate Cathleen Zhang is the only child of a well-to-do family, but she grew up feeling very rejected and unloved by her paternal grandmother especially, who was hoping for a grandson to carry on the family line.
Her grandma even suggested having someone else care for her in the countryside, thus not recognising her existence, so that her parents could try again to have a baby boy.
As I was praying I felt the pain and anguish in her heart
When she came to Swansea she came to know my husband Charles and I as a Christian family and later the Welsh church family. She felt very loved and that people do sincerely care for her. She talked to her mum about us and the happenings in Swansea almost every day. Even her non-Christian mother asked her: "When are you going to become a Christian?"
She faithfully went to church, the English corner language lessons and weekly Bible study. But all that time I sensed there was a mental block.
We continued to reach out to her with God's love and help her when she faced difficulties.
Invitation
One Sunday in July as usual she came over to my house for lunch after church. Later she asked to talk to me in private and unveiled her story.
She had come to me that Sunday because she could not carry the burdens of her heart any longer and was looking for help. She knew the Bible teachings were good for her, but felt helpless because she was not able to follow them.
We prayed together and as I was praying I felt the pain and anguish in her heart and we both wept. It was through the release of the pain in her heart that the Lord brought about healing, peace and rest. She left my house a very happy and peaceful person.
Rev Charles and Molly Chua from the Presbyterian Church in Singapore are mission enablers to the Presbyterian Church of Wales. Among their activities are Bible studies for people who are interested in Christianity, many of them students from China.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Adventure Race - 19 Aug 2006
Adventure Race - 19 Aug 2006
Originally uploaded by silverthorn11.
Praise God for another wonderful Presbyterian Youth event! From this race, we managed to raise $14,000.00 for PCS. Everyone who participated really enjoyed themselves.There was much interaction among the 11 churches who came. Thank you to all who helped raised the funds, and also for the organising comm.. and pastoral advisors. You know who you are.
To see the rest of the photos, click here. You may need a yahoo account to sign in.You can download the photos individually, but if you want to download the entire set of photos from flickr.com, you would need to download and install FlickrDown 2.30 from here. It's fantastic!
You would need Microsoft .NET 2.0, which you can download here.
Monday, August 21, 2006
The Earliest Church in Singapore
For an amazing article on the history of early Singapore chuches, please visit verbum dei. It is still work in progress, but the section on the Presbyterian Church in Singapore is well-worthed reading as it is.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Part 2 to the "Simple Story"
Anyway, the moral of the story about the boy and girl being separated at the cinema is this: Are you living your life having 2nd-hand relationship with God?
I mean if we just listen to people teach us about God (sermons / B.S. / etc.) on Sunday, it is like having relationship with God with someone in between...
Why not build up the habit of having Quiet Time daily? You'll find yourself very intimate with God... Ha ha, that simple. All the best.
I mean if we just listen to people teach us about God (sermons / B.S. / etc.) on Sunday, it is like having relationship with God with someone in between...
Why not build up the habit of having Quiet Time daily? You'll find yourself very intimate with God... Ha ha, that simple. All the best.
Monday, August 07, 2006
AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION - ABOUT GOD
An atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class
on the problem science has with God, The Almighty. He
asks one of his new students to stand and.....
Prof: So you believe in God?
Student: Absolutely, sir.
Prof: Is God good?
Student: Sure.
Prof: Is God all-powerful?
Student: Yes.
Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed
to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help
others who are ill. But God didn't. How is this God
good then? Hmm?
(Student is silent.)
Prof: You can't answer, can you? Let's start again,
young fellow. Is God good?
Student: Yes.
Prof: Is Satan good?
Student: No.
Prof: Where does Satan come from?
Student: From... God...
Prof: That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this
world?
Student: Yes.
Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make
everything. Correct?
Student: Yes.
Prof: So who created evil?
Student does not answer.
Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness?
All these terrible things exist in the world, don't
they?
Student: Yes, sir.
Prof: So, who created them?
Student has no answer.
Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to
identify and observe the world around you. Tell me,
son... Have you ever seen God?
Student: No, sir.
Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?
Student: No, sir.
Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God,
smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory
perception of God for that matter?
Student: No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.
Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?
Student: Yes.
Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable
protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do
you say to that, son?
Student: Nothing. I only have my faith.
Prof: Yes. Faith. And that is the problem science has.
Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat?
Prof: Yes.
Student: And is there such a thing as cold?
Prof: Yes.
Student: No sir. There isn't.
(The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn
of events.)
Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more
heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat
or no heat. But we don't have anything called cold. We
can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but
we can't go any further after that. There is no such
thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe
the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is
energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just
the absence of it.
(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)
Student: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such
a thing as darkness?
Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?
Student: You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the
absence of something. You can have low light, normal
light, bright light, flashing light.... But if you have
no light constantly, you have nothing and it's called
darkness, isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't. If it
were you would be able to make darkness darker,
wouldn't you?
Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?
Student: Sir, my point is your philosophical premise
is flawed.
Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?
Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of
duality. You argue there is life and then there is
death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the
concept of God as something finite, something we can
measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It
uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen,
much less fully understood either one. To view death
as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact
that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death
is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it.
Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students
that they evolved from a monkey?
Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary
process, yes, of course, I do.
Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your
own eyes, sir? (The Professor shakes his head with a
smile, beginning to realize where the argument is
going.)
Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of
evolution at work and cannot even prove that this
process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching
your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a
preacher? (The class is in uproar.)
Student: Is there anyone in the class who has ever
seen the Professor's brain?
(The class breaks out into laughter.)
Student: Is there anyone here who has ever heard the
Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No
one appears to have done so. So, according to the
established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable
protocol, science says that you have no brain, sir.
With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your
lectures, sir?
(The room is silent. The professor stares at the
student, his face unfathomable.)
Prof: I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.
Student: That is it sir... The link between man & God
is FAITH. That is all that keeps things moving &
alive.
on the problem science has with God, The Almighty. He
asks one of his new students to stand and.....
Prof: So you believe in God?
Student: Absolutely, sir.
Prof: Is God good?
Student: Sure.
Prof: Is God all-powerful?
Student: Yes.
Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed
to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help
others who are ill. But God didn't. How is this God
good then? Hmm?
(Student is silent.)
Prof: You can't answer, can you? Let's start again,
young fellow. Is God good?
Student: Yes.
Prof: Is Satan good?
Student: No.
Prof: Where does Satan come from?
Student: From... God...
Prof: That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this
world?
Student: Yes.
Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make
everything. Correct?
Student: Yes.
Prof: So who created evil?
Student does not answer.
Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness?
All these terrible things exist in the world, don't
they?
Student: Yes, sir.
Prof: So, who created them?
Student has no answer.
Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to
identify and observe the world around you. Tell me,
son... Have you ever seen God?
Student: No, sir.
Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?
Student: No, sir.
Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God,
smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory
perception of God for that matter?
Student: No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.
Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?
Student: Yes.
Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable
protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do
you say to that, son?
Student: Nothing. I only have my faith.
Prof: Yes. Faith. And that is the problem science has.
Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat?
Prof: Yes.
Student: And is there such a thing as cold?
Prof: Yes.
Student: No sir. There isn't.
(The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn
of events.)
Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more
heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat
or no heat. But we don't have anything called cold. We
can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but
we can't go any further after that. There is no such
thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe
the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is
energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just
the absence of it.
(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)
Student: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such
a thing as darkness?
Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?
Student: You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the
absence of something. You can have low light, normal
light, bright light, flashing light.... But if you have
no light constantly, you have nothing and it's called
darkness, isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't. If it
were you would be able to make darkness darker,
wouldn't you?
Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?
Student: Sir, my point is your philosophical premise
is flawed.
Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?
Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of
duality. You argue there is life and then there is
death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the
concept of God as something finite, something we can
measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It
uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen,
much less fully understood either one. To view death
as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact
that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death
is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it.
Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students
that they evolved from a monkey?
Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary
process, yes, of course, I do.
Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your
own eyes, sir? (The Professor shakes his head with a
smile, beginning to realize where the argument is
going.)
Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of
evolution at work and cannot even prove that this
process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching
your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a
preacher? (The class is in uproar.)
Student: Is there anyone in the class who has ever
seen the Professor's brain?
(The class breaks out into laughter.)
Student: Is there anyone here who has ever heard the
Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No
one appears to have done so. So, according to the
established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable
protocol, science says that you have no brain, sir.
With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your
lectures, sir?
(The room is silent. The professor stares at the
student, his face unfathomable.)
Prof: I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.
Student: That is it sir... The link between man & God
is FAITH. That is all that keeps things moving &
alive.
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