City Harvest – Bringing the Cross-Over

After my last post, I was really pretty blown away by the response both online and offline. Friends and acquaintances told me how blessed they were to read our story (even though, on hindsight, I could have done better. But blogging away at the wee hours of the night diminishes my English prowess, apparently.) So maybe I can do a better post on that. To do Nic’s story more justice. Haha!

And I am also so proud to read other bloggers who are also members of City Harvest Church, and teared reading some of their stories. People like Edmund, Daphne, Klessis, Isaiah, Wendy, Yang, and many, many others who posted their stories on their blogs, and making waves on Facebook and Twitter et al. And we all have tried, in each our own way, to express and put the love we have for God, for the church and for our pastors in words.

I’ve heard people speak of City Harvest members as “worshipping” Pastor Kong and Sun, and that cannot be further from the truth. We worship God and God alone. But we love our church and we love our pastors, and we are a family. And what is a family but one that sticks with each other through thick and thin? We aren’t perfect. But we are a family. And when one is hurting, we all rally together. The Bible says that we should rejoice with those who are rejoicing and mourn with those who are mourning (Romans 12:15-16). In our successes and highs, we rejoice together; and now as we are facing a tough challenge, we stick and comfort each other.

But I do see that there is a gap. Between what we in CHC know as the "Crossover” and what the general public sees as monies spent on a single girl’s singing career. I was already in CHC when this project first began, and I remember how the entire church rallied behind the vision of literally bring the Cross… Over to the world, people who’d ordinarily not step into a church service, but wouldn’t mind attending a pop concert. So the Crossover is more than just a single lady “crossing” from singing church worship songs to now singing pop tunes, it is about bringing the Cross of Jesus and the love of God over as well.

Who benefitted? Quite literally hundreds of thousands through the concerts,

This is the City Harvest story.

Many detractors may not understand, but what we’re asking is that you also spare a thought for us when you make snide or rude or vulgar remarks about the people we love. If someone were to speak ill of your family member, I’m sure you’d be up in arms too. Well, this is just a larger family. ;) As a church, we have been taught to “choose love” – and sometimes choosing love means keeping our peace. But sometimes loving means also standing by the ones you love. And that is what I am doing.

The church has made its stand, and it is heartening for me to read the many Facebook posts and tweets from members, but perhaps more heartening for me to hear from my Pastor over the weekend, standing strong, maintaining his integrity.

Innocent till proven guilty.

Proven in the court of law. Not through certain speculative and sensationalistic media articles. Not through bloggers or individuals who, under the veil of anonymity, make suggestive statements. Not through coffeeshop talk.

But hey, it’s really fine for all this to continue. I just think it smacks of double standards when CHC supporters are asked to keep silent. :)

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What CHC has done for me

I am a member of City Harvest Church.

Have been since I was fresh out of my Junior College days. Now I am happily married, with two kids, and my whole family is happily rooted in church and church life is ... Well, a part of our lives, really.

And so much has been splashed over the latest development of the case... I must say I thought about blogging this for a while. Should I? Shouldn't I? But I figured, this is my blog and my personal space to voice out as well. SO much has been said over the blogs and forums by people who are not even members of the church, I figure that the voice of one who has been a church member for the past 10-over years should also be heard over the frenzied cries.

But today (or tonight, more accurately), I want to share about what God, and City Harvest Church has done for me and my family.

I was invited to CHC by a colleague when I was working part-time after my A Levels. I was a happy-go-lucky gal, and the flightiest girl you'd probably have the (mis)fortune of knowing. Then day I stepped into e then-Hollywood theatre, I knew my life would be irrevocably changed... For the better!

It was in CHC that I met my hubby, and through the training I received, I learnt and grew and became who I am today. Of our 7 years of courtship, my then-boyfriend-now-husband spent 2.5 years in the army, and then 4.5 years in Sydney pursuing his social work degree. Yeap, you counted right. We had a long-distance relationship almost the whole time (even in NS, he could only book out weekends. Talk about an absentee boyfriend!)

And if you'd ask me, I would have NEVER imagined myself to be the "long-distance" type. But yet somehow, without Skype or FaceTime we still managed to make it work.

And then kids. Oh my gosh. Sometimes I am amazed I have two. And my two boys are such awesome boys. Granted, they have a definite cheeky side, but the church has armed us with enough Bible knowledge and wisdom to know how to firmly love and lovingly discipline the kiddos. How to raise them up to love God. And it bursts my heart to hear Jay proclaim that he loves to attend children's church!

And my hubby's testimony is even more amazing. He graduated at the top of his Singapore Poly class... In engineering. And while serving in church, he felt God tell him to do something that will bless people. And he decided to make the switch to social work. For a top engineering student (who incidentally got E8 for English at O Levels)... He was rejected by NUS twice cos they felt his level of English is not proficient enough for the rigour of the social work course.

But when a door is closed... God made another opening. And he managed to get a scholarship to study at the University of New South Wales. And the option to choose whichever course tickled his fancy. And so he opted for a degree in social work. And after toiling for 4.5 years, he graduated at the top of his Uni cohort. And currently has a spot to do a direct PhD in social work back in Sydney.

His family background could not ordinarily afford to send him, even with the full scholarship by the university, and we will always remember the love gift the church leaders gave to Nic to pursue his dreams. Not only that, upon hearing his outstanding graduation results, our church leaders came to know that he was not intending to fly back for the graduation ceremony due to financial constraint... And the church generously sponsored him, his sister and his parents' airfare and accommodation... Just so (and I can almost remember the pastor's exact words as he passed us the cheque) "His parents can be proud of what Nic achieved."

The generosity of the church till today has made an indelible print in our hearts.

The lives lived out by our church leaders, their genuine love and care for us and our family... I don't really know where or what I would be if not for CHC. Maybe I would turn out to be another materialistic, burnt-out auditor, living from party to party. But most certainly, I am who I am because of CHC. And for that, I am forever grateful. We are but one family that the church and Pastors have touched. There are thousands more stories like ours.

My church... My life...

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Out of my hands

I love this rendition of Out of my hands by Alison.

Simple tune. Simple lyrics. And with the presence of God. :)

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Introduction to Charities 101

I am really not a scholar. I have left my books back at university years ago. Nic is the smart one, with the near-perfect scores in his thesis and other written assignments and his super-logical analysis of the situation. Me? Not nearly so. 

But one area of, how shall we call it, public education that is quite lacking in Singapore is the area of charities. What are charities? What is the difference between a charity and an IPC (institute of public character)? Should charities be tax-exempt? I have read many articles on this matter with each giving his or her own well-thought-through but yet still erroneous analysis.

I tried to explain this in my usual rambling roundabout way before. I see now it is a bit TOO rambling. So let me try to break it down for you. :)

What is a charity?

First, you must understand that charity is a noun, but there are several meanings to it. Dictionary.com defines this word as:

1) generous actions or donations to aid the poor, ill, or helpless, 

2) something given to a person or persons in need, 

3) a charitable act or work, 

4) a charitable fund, foundation, or institution, 

5) benevolent feeling, esp. toward those in need or in disfavor, 

6) leniency in judging others; forbearance, 

7) Christian love; agape.

So first off, there is a distinction. Charity is not just doing good works, it also means a charitable organization. And therein lies the difference. 

What is a charitable organization?

According to the wiki, a charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). The term is relatively general and can technically refer to a public charity (also called "charitable foundation," "public foundation" or simply "foundation") or a private foundation. It differs from other types of NPOs in that its focus is centered around goals of a general philanthropic nature (e.g. charitable, educational, religious, or other activities serving the public interest or common good).

The Charities Unit in Singapore also specifies the kinds of specific charitable objects, and they are in line with those listed above.

So should a religious organization (such as a church, a temple or a mosque) be considered a charitable organization? The answer is an OBVIOUS YES! And all around the world, this is the commonly and generally accepted norm and practice. Such religious organizations, being set up for the purpose of religion, would naturally be expected to spend most of its income on the religion, be it rental of halls for its worship services, winning the lost or other such expenses. 

I have seen some people shake their heads and wag that proverbial finger at the fact that City Harvest Church spends “only” S$2.9 million in their last financial year on local and community charity work, not realizing that #1, this is probably more spending that a lot of MNCs, #2, as a religious charity, they have no obligation to spend anything on other charities. Of course, most large religious charities have an outlet to bless the community outside the four walls of their church or temple, but why the tsk-tsking over S$2.9 million? Sure, some say this is a small figure compared to the church income of more than $40 million over the same financial period. But please. Give me a break. If I earn say $40,000 a year, and I give $2,900 to charity, that to me is a pretty significant sum (about 7% of income)! Would you scoff at me? Would you ask me why only $2,900? Would you tell me to cut back on my shopping or eating out to give more? If you did, I would probably ask you to take a long hike. Hahaha! 

Please don’t make the mistake of looking at how much a charitable organization GIVES to judge whether or not it should be a charity. Charitable status is dependent upon the purpose of that organization. A sports association is also considered a charity. Take any sports association in Singapore (the Netball Association, the Badminton Association) – most are charitable organizations, and if you check their accounts, I am pretty sure that the majority of their expenses are for the purposes of the sport. Not to donate to any other charity. Not to give to the poor. But does that make them non-charities? OF COURSE NOT. The fact that they spend their income on the purposes for which they are set up proves that they are charities.

Should a religious charity be tax-exempt?

This is a much-maligned whipping horse. Let me help to set the record straight.

A charity is tax-exempt. That means it need not pay taxes on the donations received.

A charity is not an IPC (institute of public character). A charity is an organization set up for a charitable object (as mentioned above, religion being one acceptable such object).

According to the Charities Portal, “For an institution/fund to be an IPC, its activities must be beneficial to the community in Singapore as a whole, and not confined to sectional interests or group of persons based on race, creed, belief or religion, unless otherwise approved by the Minister.”

So most religious organizations can not be an IPC, for the simple fact that its activities are mainly confined to its members and congregations, and therefore does not meet the above requirement.

But see, that is okay. A charity need not be an IPC. It does not impact the charity much. The ones impacted are the donors. Donations to IPCs are tax-deductible, donations to charities are not.

So if a charity is tax-exempt, there is no reason to exclude religious charities from this. Why is there a need to do so anyway? The advancement of religion is an accepted charitable object.

How should charities spend their money?

Or in other words… are commercial ventures by charities allowed?

This is a pretty sticky area. Just my two cents. If the commercial venture is in line with the charity’s vision and purpose, and the profits earned are channelled back to the charity for its use… what is the issue here?

A key word bandied around of late is the term “social enterprises.” More and more, people are recognizing that while the purpose of that organization remains for the public good, it uses and applies market-based strategies and business models for self-funding. Nothing wrong with that. In fact, if anything, it is a wise use of the organization’s finances, because a continual income stream assures of longevity in their business of doing good.

Ok, end of my long verbal outburst. I hope this has helped you to understand the matter of charities a bit more! ;)

Oh, and borrowing a line from a well-versed friend of mine…

“Opinions expressed here are my own and do not reflect the views of any organisation I may represent inadvertently.”

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Hilarious search results!

I am a faithful fan of Nuffnang, and one of the features of this blog advertising network is that it would list the keywords that people would visit my blog on.

A common search phrase is “Kong Hee & Sun Ho Divorce.”

I addressed this rumour here.

In case you didn’t get it.

It. Is. Just. A. Rumour.

Spread by bored tabloidists, fueled by nothing less than an active imagination. This rumour was started some time back, in the wake of the recent City Harvest saga, it seems to be dug up by some tabloids.

Oh, but apart from this that draws traffic to my blog, another keyword that popped up today made me laugh. Out loud.

“Kong Hee drives a Porsche”

Oh my goodness.

In the words of my sister… Epic fail. Haha! Just in case you happened to chance upon this blog on this keyword search. Let me assure you once again.

It. Is. STILL. Just. A. Rumour.

The thing about juicy gossip is that it is juicy, and such fodder for office watercooler talk or coffeeship chatter. But a falsehood is still a falsehood is a falsehood. :)

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That’s why he’s my pastor…

I’ve recently been thinking about the phrase “Courage under fire.”

So much has been said about the entire City Harvest investigation, and late last night, Pastor Kong put up his new blog post entitled rather aptly, “Reflections.”

In it, Pastor wrote: “My relationship with God is and always has been at the centre of my life. During times of adversity, I have always taken comfort in one thing that I know to be true: I have honestly served God and shepherded His people to the best of my abilities. It matters most to me that my account to God is absolute and I can say without hesitation that I have done my best to glorify His name and build His church. Loving God is my deepest passion and it is my greatest privilege to serve Him with all I have.”

I am proud to be a member of this great church, and proud to have such a man as my pastor. He is someone who didn’t just preach an inspiring message. He is someone that has lived an inspiring life. His deep love for God is so evident, it inspires us all to love God more and serve Him more. I remember the last session that Pastor preached during the Asia Conference, he said something like “maybe I don’t say it enough, but as your pastor, I really love all of you.” I think this is probably best said flipped.We don’t say it enough. As members of this church, we really love Pastor Kong. For his leadership. His guidance. His love for God.

Maybe it is the way we run our services, with bright lights and loud music and the contemporary way we dress, that gives a lot of people the impression that as a church we aren’t very “deep.” Sure, there aren’t any organs or harps in our church services. We dress sharply, each to our best ability (and budget). The term “Sunday best” was first coined to refer to dressing up for church, remember? So sometimes our spiritual depth as a church may be overlooked or even misunderstood.

When Pastor Phil came last weekend to encourage the church, he said that whenever there is a shaking (or a trial), whatever can be shaken away will be shaken but that which remains will be strengthened. Personally, while this may be an emotionally trying period (it sure doesn’t feel good to see so much slurs against your pastor), but yet it is also a time for us to seek after the Lord all the more.

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A “Despite Of” Love

Love is something that is at once the easiest thing in the world to do.

And at the same time the hardest.

From the time of the “I Do” at the wedding aisle, a man and a woman commits to each other. For better or worse. For richer or poorer. In sickness and in health. It is a “despite of” kind of love and commitment.

Despite of my own feelings, whether I feel like it or not, love means sticking to my commitment.

Despite of the circumstances, love means continually believing and continually praying.

Love never fails.

Even when you don’t know what to do or how to react, but as the decision is made to love… things will fall into place.

So much has been written about the CHC saga. And I know many questions are raised. Half of which we will not know the answers to. While this may perplex many, answers aren’t needed in my commitment to my church. I don’t need to know everything now. I don’t need to have all the answers now. I don’t need to have the explanations now. I don’t need to figure it all out now. I don’t need to point fingers now. I don’t.

Some time back, I went through quite an emotional period. Not knowing why the matter happened. Not understanding why it had to happen to me. Even now, thinking about it literally takes my breath away in sadness.

So you see, when things don’t go well in your loved one’s life, you don’t need to know or understand everything all at once. You just need to love. Be around. Be supportive. Show your solidarity. Be the friend you should be.

In this time of my church’s life, I want to do that too. Stand. Pray. Believe. And most importantly, LOVE.

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Our Show of Love

We are all hardly youths. Inching towards 30 years of age. (Most of us, anyhow…)

But we were (mostly) youths when we first entered the doors of City Harvest Church. Togged in our secondary or junior college uniforms, having the nerdiest of hairstyles, though our pimply adolescence… this has been our literal home away from home. Where we found our spouse, our loves, our life’s purpose, and most importantly, the place where we encountered God.

In this time in our church history, we just wanted to show our love for this house. More than just being physically present in the service, one member proposed doing up placards. And so we did. We wanted something simple yet loud. Each placard was lovingly hand-coloured with black markers (cos we were concerned the paint wouldn’t dry in time).

And so here we are. All grown up. With our own families, kids, careers, life.

But not forgetting from where we came from, and who helped us each step of the way.

No one knows what the next few months will hold, nor do we know what the final verdict will be. But a family sticks together and prays through it all regardless.

City Harvest is our family. :)

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How Much Would U Give?

Recently, RazorTV took to the streets and interviewed members of the public, asking them questions about giving to the house of the Lord.

It’s like asking a non-animal lover how they would feel at the passing of their beloved pooch. If you asked me, I would try my best to muster up all my emotions on how I might feel and give a lame “Well, I would really be sad. It’s like… a tragedy, you know.”

Or asking someone how they would spend a million dollars.

Or asking a single what it is like to be married.

To someone who has zero personal experience, all they are bringing across is their own personal opinions, with a healthy dose of imagination.

Which is fine. Except when you ask questions like “Would you downgrade your home to give to the Lord?” and given that this was taken out of context of one of Pastor’s sermons.

The couple who did so, did so as they heard from the Lord and they felt the peace to do so. But there are also many others who didn’t downgrade their homes and yet still gave their best to God during the Building Fund period.

Someone answered: “Donations are all about giving what you can, not going above your means… It doesn’t mean you have to downgrade or to do something to give more. Just give what you can.”

I agree. But the context is Pastor Kong wasn’t trying to solicit donations from the public. It is within the four walls of the church, asking members to pool together their finances for the work of God. Yes, it is considered a donation, but also much more than merely that. It differs from, say, me giving $0.20 to someone selling flags for donations on the street-side.

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A Fish Is Not A Chicken

A fish is a fish.

A chicken is a chicken.

Sure, there may be some similarities, but baring the obvious ones (i.e. both are living beings, both are food for humans), they remain separate beings.

You can’t judge a fish by a chicken’s standard, nor put a chicken in the environment of the fish.

If God meant for both to be treated the same, they wouldn’t be different in the first place.

Similarly…

A charity is a charity.

An Institute of Public Character (IPC) is an IPC.

An IPC may be a charity, but a charity is not necessarily an IPC.

Sure there may be similarities, but baring the obvious ones (i.e. both are charitable organizations, both exist for the general good of society), they remain separate beings.

You can’t judge a charity by an IPC’s standard, not should an IPC be treated as merely a charity.

If the government meant for both to be treated the same,  there won’t a distinction in the first place.

…

According to the Charities Portal, charities are organizations set up for a specified charitable object, advancement of religion being one such acceptable object.

An IPC, on the other hand, has the added advantage of receiving tax-deductible receipts, and an IPC’s “activities must be beneficial to the community in Singapore as a whole, and not confined to sectional interests or group of persons based on race, creed, belief or religion.”

Hence, churches fall under the category of a charity, but would not be considered an IPC. Both a charity and IPC are subject to its own set of laws and regulations, with greater emphasis being placed on IPCs due to the tax-deductible donations.

…

Much has been said about the recent probe into City Harvest. While no one really knows the direction this will be headed, one thing is for sure – it will be a long journey as we wait out CAD to complete their investigations. I don’t know about you, but as for me and my house, we are keeping the church and its leaders in prayer.

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Dear Anonymous Commenter…

In my recent blog entry, you made the following observation, as I am sure you are lounging on your chair and sipping that cuppa as you judge the world from your couch seat...

(Photo credit: Flickr)

Anonymous said... “too many things to say but i will say one thing, a pastor makes much more by taking no salary but gives to one another in the circuit talks. It is under the radar and attracts no taxes.”

Well, Anonymous, thanks firstly for taking the time to comment on my blog. It does bring a smile to my face knowing people read and take the time to comment.

While you are entitled to your opinions, this is also my blog, so here’re my opinions.

With regards to “taking no salary”, I take it as a non-too-subtle jibe at Pastor Kong being off salary since 2005. If earning money was Pastor’s primary motivation, then if you think about it, there’s really NO reason for him to go off payroll. I mean, no other pastor in Singapore has done it. It will probably attract derisive remarks as you have so kindly demonstrated. If he remained on the staff payroll, then all things being equal, you would expect that he would be one of the best-paid pastors in this land, given the City Harvest has one of the biggest congregations around. Isn’t the more (money) the merrier?

I have never blogged about Pastor being off-salary, but I respect him all the more for it. It is something to be celebrated, not scoffed or sneered at. And certainly not something to be dismissed as merely a “ploy” or a “stunt”.

As for “circuit talks”, I suppose you mean pastors ministering in another church. Well I suppose in the Christian world globally, it is a common practice to give a token amount for guest speakers to cover their travelling expenses.

But the thing is, it isn’t even a “Christian” phenomenon.

With all due respect to the following persons, they too primarily make their living off the “circuit talk track”:

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair, for instance. Reports state he earns £100,000 per talking engagement.

Back in 2007, Forbes stated Anthony Robbins earns up to US$300,000 per speaking engagement.

Even Sarah Palin reportedly earns an average of US$100,000 per speaking engagement as well.

Of course I could go on, but you see my point. In no way am I saying Christian ministers get paid this kind of astronomical figures, but the truth remains that there is nothing “strange” or “fishy” about this practice.

As for “tax avoidance”, that is a pretty heavy accusation. Unless you have some solid insider proof that somehow Pastor Kong (or any other pastor in the land) is purposefully avoiding and under-declaring their revenue, I’d avoid this route, if I were you.

Just my two cents. :)

(Ok, maybe it’s more like fifty cents, given the length of my retort, but you get the idea.)

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“City Harvest Church Members Rally”

I wanted to get a copy of The Straits Times this morning, after sending Jay off to school. Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t find a single copy. Well, scandal does sell newspapers, I guess… Thank goodness for the online version, then! Haha!

I was encouraged to read the headlines “Followers Rally Around City Harvest Leaders”. The report gave various quotes on members expressing their support of Pastor Kong and the church. One member whose twitter account I follow even commented on her tweet that reporters trying to get quotes from CHC members would do well to read our tweets!

And apparently the reporters do do so.

The article quoted a tweet by Pastor Aries, as he thanked the members for the support and prayers.

The scary thing? This next line of the article: “The founding member of the church was not at home when The Straits Times tried to visit him twice yesterday.”

W-WHAT???!???!??

Ok wait. Maybe I was over-reacting.

But I read the line a few times. And I am still taken aback. “The founding member of the church was not at home when The Straits Times tried to visit him twice yesterday.”

So the reporter didn’t just go to the church office or the church premises but to his HOME? And not just once but twice? Wherever did they get his home address from? It’s pretty chilling, if you ask me. Don’t tell me this isn’t paparazzi-like behaviour. Are there no boundaries in your so-called pursuit of a story?

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City Harvest Church

It all started with this…

A simple notice of our office closure for the week after Asia Conference. The Straits Times described it as a “massive five-day seminar involving 30,000 people, foreign evangelists among them…”

I think this is a case of underreporting. Haha! “Massive” doesn’t quite cut it. Our staff and team of hardworking volunteers toiled HARD. Pastor is also super gracious towards us, and decided to give  the staff a week off, and the cell leaders two weeks off from leading their cell meetings. That was how intense the 5 days were.

But yet, in the hands of the media, this is played up to be something it TOTALLY is not.

They reckon the off was given after the news broke out.

Nah, it was already determined way before that, and announced on Sunday, May 30.

Of course, I was also looking through some of the reports and paranoid ramblings on the forums, as well as some rather skewed reporting.

A “breaking news” report by Straits Times said that 
"Seven individuals were detained in a raid at 6.30am on Monday by the CAD. During the raid at their offices, the CAD secured records and accounts as part of the investigation.”

Well, I guess the reporter tried to be “flamboyant” with the usage of words, cos the actual police statement issued said “CAD officers visited the offices of the individuals and the companies under investigation this morning and have secured records and accounts for the purpose of the investigations.”

A visit is pretty different from a raid, if you ask me.

Straits Times also changed the language use after three hours of posting it online, back to the original, milder meaning.

…

I’ve attended City Harvest for the past 11 years. And this probably will be the greatest test (to date) for us as a church. I am proud of my church, for the past 11 years in the face of different situations and problems, and I do know that genuineness is only tested through fire. My prayer is for the various ones involved, be it the CAD or the COC, to be fair and unbiased. As for the media frenzy, well, in this little small island-state, nothing like a “scandal” to grab the attention of the papers. I expect it would continue (till the next big thing erupts), but I hope that they show grace in their words. We are innocent till proven guilty, ya know. In the media’s eagerness to play up the negative and sensationalize things, a little sensitivity and balanced reporting is probably very much needed.

As for the rest of the church members, I am proud to call myself a CHC member. I love my church and I love my pastor. :) We are not perfect people, and definitely not a perfect church, but as we love and serve Him who is perfect, I have faith in Him. It’s going to be a rocky few months ahead, let us all gird ourselves and prepare for the road ahead!

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This Is My Church

In the aftermath of a media frenzy and in the midst of people baying for blood…

I am so encouraged reading the facebook statuses and tweets from church members who continue to stand strong in their faith and trust for the church and its leadership. Loyalty is a trait that warms the heart and brings a smile to the face.

Remember… innocence till guilt is proven.

Remember… the good we have done.

Remember… the lives we have transformed.

2 Cor 4:8 (NLT) “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don't give up and quit.”

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Asia Conference 2010

Asia Conference 2010 is 7 days away.

“Busy” is an understatement! “AC” is the buzzword around the office. “Starbucks” a close second.

It’s gonna be an awesome Conference! I am so looking forward to it.

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Bad, err I mean, True Romance!

The CHC Easter team really outdid themselves once again. It was an emotionally-charged drama, and both the high and low points were nicely played out!

This is my favourite part of the drama… Jesus is our best Friend! Lady Gaga never sounded so good!

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My “Extended Family”

Working in church is super fun, and when it comes to birthday celebrations, it is a blast as well!

Apart from my HR & Admin colleagues, now I have an “extended” family in the Graphics and Publications people. And gosh, they are one LOUD and fun bunch! Meals with them usually end up with side-splitting giggles and loud gaffaws!

(I have never heard the Happy Birthday song butchered so…)

I thank God for such a great working environment and totally awesome colleagues!

Us April babies :)

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Easter with JAMs

This was a special Easter for Jayvon! Why? Cos he is now old enough to attend service with Daddy. Nah, I am not referring to the usual weekend services, but I brought Jayvon for the JAMs Easter Service earlier.

What does JAMs stand for? It is Jesus for All Minds, City Harvest Church’s outreach to the intellectually challenged. It’s been ages since I’ve stepped into a JAMs service, and I really missed it! Jayvon got just a teensy weensy spooked by a few IDs who were a little effusive with their affection towards him, but it was a good exposure for him. Haha! They were so amused and fascinated by this little fella in their midst, but he didn’t enjoy the attention though! But… the highlight was definitely the praise and worship though, especially getting a kick from seeing his Daddy up on stage, on the big screen.

I forgot to bring my camera, so all shots are from my blackberry only…

The hall was full of IDs, and when it came to praise, they were exuberantly praising and jumping away! It was super fun just watching them!

Jay soon warmed up to the muzos and singers, as he pranced up and down the artiste room having fun with them!

 

Our parting shot in the artiste room…

All in all, it was one super fun morning!  He’s now “concussed” on the bed, we’re getting ready for yet another day out to church – this time to Expo for the main service at 5.30 p.m.!

Easter is a busy time for Mommy and Daddy… so by extension, Jay too! By the time Sunday ends, he would have attended a total of 4 Easter services!

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CHC’s New Building… continued

So much has been said, and so much speculated about our impending move to Suntec Singapore.

Sometimes I wonder… would there be as much commotion, if say we announced that we had bought a stake in Singapore Expo instead? I mean, the model’s the same – ownership & license, such that our rental expenses would be defrayed by the dividends and profits we earned. Both are commercial venues which continue to be well-utilized by other conventions and events and meetings.

Maybe it is because I am accounts trained that I find great financial sense in this move? But then again, Nic who is non-accounts trained, can see the logic behind this move the same way I do.

It is a long-term, self-sustaining model. As tenants, we are not subject to the fluctuating building management costs the way an owner would be. And as stakeholders, we are also not committing to be involved in the daily operations, and yet still enjoying the returns on our investment.

We are in this for the long haul.

Paying rental for the next 30, 40 years. Not an amount to be scoffed at. As opposed to finding a solution to stem this expense. Of course, the “traditional” way would be to buy a plot of land and build, but come on, to build a 10-12,000 seater hall? Another mega church in town embarked on a 5,000 seater project, which would cost them $500 million.

Or should we settle for a smaller hall?

Sure. If you are willing to walk a few weekends in our shoes, and in that of our volunteers. At our Jurong West premise, before we moved out we were running 6 English services. SIX. Starting from Friday evenings to Sunday late afternoons. And this is excluding the Children, Chinese, Dialect, JAMs services as well. I am not involved in the running of the services, but as I manage the reception counter, I can tell you… it was a pain. When we had bigger-scale events, services ran up to 9 a weekend! We literally camped at the church! It was super-crazy! Our poor volunteers, who had school or work in the weekdays spent hours and days simply running services all weekend.

So a smaller hall just will not do. Some ask about multiple halls. But this would also burst our constructions costs and manpower, to run and maintain numerous church buildings.

But to me, I think the main bone of contention is the fact that the church signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement, and the fact the entire project would cost us an estimated $310million.

What’s a Non-Disclosure Agreement? Something that is common in the commercial world. Be it for tenders or deals that might prove to be sticky once the details are divulged. Why did we sign the NDA? I think this question should be better posed to Suntec – why did they want us to sign this agreement? Haha! I’ve seen some pretty lame requests on forums, asking that the church rescind on its NDA, or that “certain” details be leaked out, or asking if “so-and-so” and “such-and-such” is covered by the NDA.

Which makes me wonder… Have they read an NDA before? And looked through its clauses? A standard NDA would usually state that confidential information (which should not and cannot be disclosed) is ALL and ANY information with regards to the deal at hand, that the party would not have known if not for the fact it is privy to this deal. It is not a matter of stating what is confidential. It is a catch-all clause. So to me, to ask for details like “How much is CHC’s stake in Suntec?” and “How much rental is CHC paying?” is pretty straightforward. It simply falls under the NDA. But of course this gave rise to conspiracy-theorists.

Nonetheless, I am uber-proud of the church, and of
Pastor Kong and the rest of the pastors. No, not that they are infallible. But that even in their mistakes or weaknesses, they are strong men of God, and never one to shy from their convictions, and people who fear God and not just men’s opinions…

So looking forward to Suntec in March 2011! :) It is a dream we collectively had as a church for the past 5 years… It wasn’t come into abruptly or “unbeknownst” to the members… This is what we’ve been praying for all this time!!!

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City Harvest… In the City!

This was the weekend of THE announcement. When Pastor revealed the new worship location for City Harvest Church.

I think the very moment the members knew where this place would be, there was probably a collective intake of breath!

Suntec Convention Centre

Winner of Best Business Venue Experience award 2009.

Host to APEC leaders and dignitaries…

And from March 2011, CHC will now have its worship services in this gorgeous place.

Till now, the forums and internet are rife with talk about the stake CHC now has in Suntec… It is such a fantastic deal for us… as we are not only able to lease this place for our weekend services, we are now also stakeholders and able to earn dividends whenever the Convention centre is used for external events. This definitely eases our financial burdens.

I am so proud of Pastor, and so glad to be in this great church. After years of enduring travel to Jurong West, it is GREAT to finally be able to have church literally a stone’s throw away! Woohoo!!! It’s gonna be an exciting few months, till the BIG MOVE!

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