Alpha Buzz 2016, Issue 04

ALPHA BUZZ

WELCOME

Foreword - 01

Vision & Mission - 03

What is Alpha - 04

Talks on Alpha - 06

STORIES

Essays to Evangelist - 08

From Monk to Ministry - 12

New Beginnings/ 新的开始 - 18

Designer God - 24

A Beautiful Season - 28

A New Direction - 35

Liberated - 38

Musings of a Musician - 46

Cascading Dominoes - 51

Youth with a Vision - 54

Love + Treasure - 56

Free Indeed - 60

The Father’s Heart - 64

An Intern-view with Jacob - 70

Oikouménē - 72

ABOUT US

Meet the Team - 76

Foreword

Dear Alpha Partners and Friends,

Greetings from Alpha Singapore!

I write this as I sit in my hospital bed on 31st October 2016 waiting for a lung biopsy to be performed this same morning. A non-specific interstitial lung disease requires lung tissue to be removed by keyhole surgery for diagnosis.

I was not worried in spite of some risks involved. My confidence is in God and a word shared from Psalm 27 by a brother who was among the many who prayed for me, rang loudly in my ears; For indeed the Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?

I opened the bible that morning and was guided by the reading from Our Daily Bread quoting 1 Peter 1:3-9 which reads:

“

He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”

At Alpha, we want to bring this hope to the many who do not know Jesus. We have collected a series of testimonies of lives changed and transformed by Jesus. As the passage in 1 Peter 1 points out, the many troubles, pains, illnesses, oppositions to our faith are but trials to refine our faith. We hope you will be touched and share them with others.

I want to thank the Lord for members of the Board of Alpha Singapore, who so wisely and generously guided us through the year; my team who so passionately work to fulfill the vision and mission, friends and supporters of Alpha – churches and individuals who on many occasions join us to make the “salvation of souls” the primary goal of their faith.

All praise, glory and honour to Jesus Christ and God the Father!

God bless,

John Lee National Director

Chief Designer:

Mitzi Carthigasu

Art Directors:

Hannah Oh

Lynette Lim

Chief Editor:

John Lee Kah Wah

Editors:

Lynette Lim

Hannah Oh

Contributors:

Amos Tan

Chelsea Yan

Elijah Wong

Glenn Tan

Hannah Goh

Jacob Wee

Jae Jin

James Huang

Kelvin Sng

Lynette Lim

Pek Han Bin

Tan Hsueh Mei

Wong You Yi

Zara

Photography:

Alpha International

Anthony Photo Design

Darren & Jade Photography

Hannah Oh

Kelvin Sng Productions

Lynette Lim

Michelle John

Mitzi Carthigasu

Rudy Taslim

Tan Hsueh Mei

Illustrations:

Alpha Asia Pacific

Joseph Isaac De Guzman

Cover Image:

Darren & Jade Photography

Newsletter Publisher: Alpha Singapore

2 Kallang Avenue, CT Hub #03-16, Singapore 339407 [UEN No: T03SS0059A]

Alpha Buzz MCI (P) is published annually by Alpha Singapore MCI (P) 134/09/2016

Printer: Hock Cheong Printing Pte. Ltd. [License No: L017/03/2016]

All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without express written permission is prohibited. Opinions and views expressed do not necessarily constitute the official stand of the organisation.

Vision

To play our part in the evangelisation of the nations and the transformation of society.

Mission

To provide every person - regardless of age, background or circumstance, of all denominations inside and outside the church - the opportunity to attend Alpha near where they live, work or study.

WHAT IS ALPHA?

Alpha is an opportunity for anyone, anywhere, to freely explore their unique questions about life, faith and God.

Alpha is a series of interactive sessions exploring the Christian faith, typically run over eleven weeks. Each session includes food, a short talk looking at a different question of faith and a small group discussion.

Alpha is run all around the globe, and transcends social, geographical and denominational borders. It can run almost anywhere - in cafés, churches, schools, universities, homes, bars and prisons.

TODAY, MORE THAN 29,000,000

PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED ALPHA IN 169 COUNTRIES AND IT HAS BEEN TRANSLATED INTO 112 LANGUAGES

TALKS ON ALPHA

Week 3: How can I have faith?

Week 2: Why did Jesus die?

Week 4: Why and how do I pray?

Week 5: Why and how do I read the Bible?

Week 6: How does God guide Us?

Weekend Talk 1: Who is the Holy Spirit?

Week 1: Who is Jesus?

Introduction: Is there more to life than this?

Weekend Talk 2: What does the Holy Spirit do?

Week 8: Why and how should I tell others?

Week 9: Does God heal today? Week 10: What about the Church?

Week 7: How can I resist evil?

Weekend Talk 4: How can I make the most of the rest of my life?

Weekend Talk 3: How can I be filled with the Holy Spirit?

Essays to Evangelist

Words CHELSEA YAN Photography LYNETTE LIM

A former free-thinker from an elite school; addicted to selfharm, blossoms to become a person who has a heart for the lost, prioritising God above all else. Chelsea tells us about her journey, and how she was healed.

What circumstances led to your addiction?

Growing up in a family of free-thinkers, I did not believe in or entertain the existence of a god. I was not seeking to find out otherwise. However, in secondary school, I was struggling under the stress of my studies and was uncertain about the future. To cope, when I was sixteen, I began making cuts on my arms. This became an avenue for me to release the stress. It soon became a habit, and no matter how much will power I used, I could not stop myself.

After completing the ‘O’ level examinations, I was accepted into a junior college. I thought that this would be an opportunity for a fresh start and that I should begin with a clean slate and with good habits. This junior college was a reputable one, and the environment was very competitive. We were often reminded to study hard so that we would do well and be accepted into a good university, which was the assurance of a good future.

Due to the pressure of the school environment, I was constantly comparing myself with other students. I often felt that I did not match up to them and would then feel a sense of being unworthy and inferior to everyone else. It was a difficult time for me, and I did not have an outlet or a trusted person to talk to about the pressures I was facing.

Even though I had endeavoured to quit the habit of cutting myself, the stress I was facing during this period brought it on in an increasingly destructive way. Soon, what had been an occasional habit became a daily affair, and even on days that I was not feeling any stress, I would still use the blade to hurt myself. I always knew that it wasn’t right but I was too deeply addicted to stop or to get help.

What happened next?

A classmate in my junior college invited me along with some friends to meet and study together. We met regularly as a group at a location beside his church. One day, he asked if I would like to attend a church service with him.

Prior to this, I had the impression that the only people who went to church were those who were very traditional, with conservative, outdated ways of thinking – and that I would not be able to relate to them in any way.

However, I decided to take up my friend’s offer, and during the sermon, I was surprised to hear the message about God being a personal god, one who was also a Father to us. Until then, no one had ever shared the gospel with me – and I somehow had a belief that if there was a god, it would merely be an impersonal spirit being. I returned home that day, thinking that this new impression of God was a good concept, although I was not entirely convinced.

Around that time, the ‘A’ Level examinations were drawing near. Adding to the immense stress I was already facing, I received some bad results - I had failed a test. As usual, I went to my bedroom, took out my scissors and prepared to cut myself. But as I was about to do it, I thought to myself, “I have to stop doing this!”. Not knowing what else to do, I knelt on the floor and prayed, “God if you are real and if you hear me, please help me…because I cannot help myself.”

It felt like I was talking to the wall! I did not believe in miracles until that point, but somehow after praying, I felt a kind of peace deep within my heart. Before this, the only “peace” I had experienced was after an extensive period of revision for my examinations.

This peace however felt different, and it gave me an assurance that I did not need to worry about my future; that I would be ok! I started to wonder, “If the message about God that I heard at church was really true, then there must be more that I need to hear!”

I decided to go back to church and after a month, I was convinced that the god they kept talking about was real – and that the Gospel message was true! I remember during a time of worship, the Lord revealed to me that this newfound peace and hope was from Him. He had been pursuing me! I decided to surrender my life to Him.

I now had a strong resolve to stop my addiction. Some church members had noticed my scars and that I looked sad on many occasions. What really impacted me was that they were very loving and caring towards me. I never felt judged because of my scars or outward appearance.

One day, a pastoral staff came up to me and invited me out for a meal. She said, “I don’t know you personally, but I know Jesus, and Jesus loves you!” That touched me deeply -- that someone would bother to check on me, to ask if I was fine, and spend time with me, even in the midst of their busyness.

I had discovered a safe community and a place of refuge. This began my journey of healing, and with the prayers and support of my new friends at church, I was soon freed from my addiction.

After enrolling in university, I began to search for a Christian community, and soon joined Campus Crusade for Christ - now known as Cru. Throughout the course of my studies, I was actively involved with their ministry. Despite a sometimes heavy school work load, ministering to others brought me a joy that I had never experienced. The students at Cru had such a passion to reach out to others on campus with the news of Jesus’ love - and it was so contagious! Having received so much myself, I wanted to share that love with others as well. This desire soon led me to attend an Alpha session that was being run close to my university campus. The sessions were held every Thursday lunchtime at a room in St. Joseph’s church, with attending guests who were from different walks of life –working adults, senior citizens and students, like myself. I wanted to find out more about Alpha so that I would be able to run it with my Cru friends in our campus.

What was your experience running Alpha at SMU?

At Cru, we do a lot of campus evangelism by approaching students in the school to share the gospel with them. Although I see God doing His work in the hearts of students, I felt like those who were interested were few and far between because we did not have a relationship with them. That semester we began trying to evangelise, not just in an intentional way but also by being relational, so that people could have a better understanding of God by looking at the way we live.

Alpha is a programme that introduces Christianity to people who are new or have questions about the faith. Running it over several weeks enabled us to bond with the participants and get to know them and their concerns. By nurturing friendships, the participants felt safe to ask any questions they had.

I was rather sceptical at first, wondering who would actually sign up for Alpha, but we simply sent out invitations in faith. I was prepared to host a very small group of students. To my amazement, we had more than twenty participants who were seeking to know more about Christianity. More importantly, the guests came back repeatedly, despite the demands of a hectic, academic term. This experience was really affirming. To know that God is at work even in ‘desolate’ places, and that it is He who draws people to Himself. We should never put God in a box!

Any memorable experiences ?

I got to know someone who was keen on exploring Christianity. Due to scheduling conflicts, we had to meet up one-to-one outside of the Alpha sessions to cover the topics. I found that Alpha helped me understand the foundations of my faith and thus equipped me to share the Gospel with her. She was inquisitive and challenged me on some grounds, but as a facilitator, I learned not to be afraid of difficult questions and that it was perfectly fine to ask her for time to think things through and pray. In fact, it made me rely more on God; not just on my head knowledge. A week before the talks on the Holy Spirit, she came to me with news that she had accepted Christ!

Having a Christian community helped me tremendously when I first came to know God. I wanted to emulate the same kind of warmth and love for others who did not yet know Him, so that they may see how the gospel shapes our relationships with one another. I think community involvement at Alpha is very important – whether it is in facilitating or praying for the participants, there can be a role for anyone. A community that is rooted in God’s love is like a city on a hill! It attracts people to look inside.

What is your greatest takeaway?

Firstly, I have come to realise that being a Christian does not mean your life is full of successes, nor does it mean that you have finally ‘got things all together’. I surely haven’t. Being a Christian means recognising that I am a sinner with no other way of going to God unless He first cleanses me of my sins. As my understanding of God deepens, I have greater clarity of my flaws and wrongdoings. However, this has also helped me to appreciate the greatness of God’s love for me.

Having experienced God’s goodness and faithfulness, I can trust Him and am no longer anxious about what the future holds. I know that although life may not be a bed of roses, God always provides. He has the ability to make everything, even seemingly bad circumstances, turn into something for our good and for His glory.

“What really impacted me was that they were very loving and caring towards me. I never felt judged because of my scars or outward appearance.”

From Monk to Ministry

Words AMOS TAN

Photography DARREN & JADE PHOTOGRAPHY & RUDY TASLIM

In his search for the meaning of life, Amos embarked on a journey that was fraught with pain, confusion and near-death experiences. Through a divine twist of circumstances, he encountered God. He believes that Alpha is relevant in this time where rational enquiry is the norm.

The first ten years of my schooling life was spent in a mission school, surrounded by caring teachers and pleasant classmates in a nurturing environment. I remember God as a name in our school diary as part of a prayer to be recited each morning.

I had a comfortable and happy childhood, growing up in a middle-class family with my parents and two younger siblings. When I was 19, my family met with financial difficulties due to the Asian financial crisis, and we were left homeless. The five of us ended up living together in just one room of a cousin’s HDB flat. I lost interest in studying; not knowing how to accept these painful changes in my life and coped by spending time away from home with a new crowd of friends, picking up smoking and drug experimentation.

I dropped out of my building management course at Ngee Ann Polytechnic and worked part-time in various odd jobs before enlisting into National Service. The military structure and discipline, coupled with food, lodging and a small allowance, afforded me some sense and stability in a chaotic year. Being part of a newly formed army unit; the Medical Response Force, also imbued in me a sense of purpose for the next two years.

Upon leaving the army, I was once again left with a sense of emptiness. My friends enrolled in university, while I secured work as a building contractor’s assistant. In the months to come, a chain of events led me to further question the meaning of my life.

The first was when I saved a friend’s life. In his druginduced state at a party, he almost fell off his balcony and would surely have plunged to his death, had I not caught him in time. Questions followed – what is our purpose during our time on earth? On deeper introspection, my childhood memories surfaced; recollections of my father’s heavy drinking, wifebeating and stories of extra-marital affairs.

It was during this period that I decided to live my life differently and began a journey in search of the truth – to discover the meaning of life and a way out of my pain and suffering.

In November 2002, I started reading books about Buddhism. The writings gave me a rational peace, although it did not calm the storms in my heart. I then began a steady practice of meditation and chanting. Practicing faithfully, the numbers exponentially increased, culminating in me completing a 3-million repetition mantra chant. It was meant to be the antidote to the woes of life; to purify bad karma and to develop compassion and wisdom.

Friday evenings would be spent at home-based Buddhist chanting sessions, and at one of these sessions, I was encouraged by a friend to find out more about Buddhism by visiting a monastery in Kathmandu. In August 2003, I made my way to Nepal. On my third day at the monastery, the Rinpoche asked if I would like to be a monk. I said yes without hesitation, thinking it was a noble thing to do – and after all, I had nothing to lose.

During the first two years of monkhood, I travelled with my teachers to different parts of Asia, to spread Buddhist teachings and make new disciples.

It was now time to begin the next step in my journey toward enlightenment - and so I began the first of four foundations – a 108,000 prostration retreat in winter which would last about four months. The intensity of the prostrations, the cold and lack of nutrition made me very weak and ill. I began losing weight and there were times that I would lie helpless in bed, with no energy to complete the various motions required. As the months went by, I grew increasingly weaker. At certain moments, my limbs became cold and I felt like my consciousness was dissolving away –like I was dying.

Observing my condition, a senior nun approached me and said that in one of my previous lives, I had a ‘wife’. She claimed that I might die before reaching the age of twenty-five and to save myself, I had to now reunite with this ‘wife’. Soon after, a group of Malaysian pilgrims visited the monastery and the nun identified a lady from this group as the ‘wife’ from my previous life.

Finishing the retreat, I contacted this lady, explaining to her my predicament. My teacher had also prompted me to visit Malaysia; which I took as a sign to take this next step. Upon meeting her and explaining the predicament I was in, I was surprised that she was receptive to helping me and invited me to attend a prayer ceremony with her family.

The lady began to confide in me about her personal issues, including marriage problems and that divorce plans were imminent. Upon hearing this, I felt like a third party in what seemed like an increasingly worsening predicament. Several weeks passed and she decided to consult her teacher in Bhutan for advice. After performing divination, her teacher confirmed that there was no past-life karmic connection and this lady and I should not be together. I was alarmed upon hearing this and apologised for intruding into her life, promising I would never see her again.

I left Malaysia and returned to Singapore, disillusioned because I had trusted what the nun had said. More disturbingly, I felt that I had committed ‘adultery’, as I had become one of the push factors for the lady to divorce her husband and break up her family. In my conscience, I felt I had done something gravely wrong. To make matters worse, I remained gravely ill and my mind was in a state of cognitive dissonance. I then decided to disrobe; leaving the monastic order so that I could clear my mind and the guilt in my heart.

During my time away, my family had moved into a flat in Bishan, aided by financial help from relatives. I now had a room to share with my younger brother, Gideon. Concerned at my abrupt return to Singapore, he asked what had happened. He listened intently while I spoke of my disappointment towards my teachers. Upon finishing my story, Gideon said simply – “Why don’t you try Jesus? Doesn’t Buddhism teach about searching for the truth from different teachers?” My heart was still searching for answers and when I heard this, I thought – maybe I should be open to searching in other ways.

A few days after this conversation, I was struck by words on a poster in front of a bookstore. It was titled ‘Footprints in the sand’. As I read the words of the poem in my heart, I was moved to tears.

I had never considered the idea of a god who could be so personal and loving. Embarrassed by my crying in a public place, I rushed home, keen to find out more about Jesus. I went to my brother’s bookshelf and found a book with a prayer. It was May 2005, and alone in my room, I read the prayer on the last page of that book, a prayer to receive Jesus into my life.

After sharing with my brother what had happened, he brought his youth pastor to pray with me, and I began attending church at Light of Christ. In the early weeks after receiving Jesus, I had supernatural encounters – God’s presence would fall upon me, usually when I was alone and I would not be able to move or talk. But I was never afraid, and felt a supernatural peace come over me each time. Soon, the storms in my head began to dissipate. Two months after receiving Jesus, I embarked on my first mission trip to Pakistan with Crisis Relief Singapore - a Christian NGO that sends medical teams to disaster-affected nations, helping out victims affected by the 2005 Kashmir earthquake.

In August that same year, I attended the Festival of Praise gathering at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. In the midst of deep praise and worship, I experienced a physical sensation of pain and weakness leaving my body. It was also a session filled with much emotion – of tears and repentance, as God’s love filled the painful holes that I had buried deep in my heart. I now know it was then that I received true healing and deliverance from my past.

In October 2005, I turned twenty-five. I realised then, I was not going to die, as the Buddhist nun had once prophesied. I was baptised on 31st December that year.

Since then, I have had a multitude of different experiences. I began studying again, gaining a diploma in culinary skills at SHATEC (School of Hotel and Tourism Education Centre) and worked as a chef for a few years before deciding to pursue missionary discipleship training at Youth with a Mission (YWAM) in Toronto. The last phase of this training program was reaching out and connecting with communities in Lahore, Pakistan. Following my return home, I was offered a job with Crisis Relief Singapore and concurrently began my studies part-time at Edith Cowan University, graduating in 2012 with a degree in Psychology. My interest in writing also led me to positions as an editorial writer and an advertising copywriter from 2013 – 2015.

In 2010, my father suddenly became very ill and within a few short weeks of his diagnosis, passed away from cancer. With the help of one of my pastors at Light of Christ, he received Christ on his deathbed. His passing and bed-side salvation was a reminder that God’s grace and love extends to everyone.

Unknowingly, my father’s death did affect me for many years - even though I did not think so at the time. There was still unforgiveness in my heart because of the pain he had caused my family. Coupled with his death, disillusionment from a failed relationship and subsequent loss of an HDB flat, I stagnated in my Christian walk. It was only at the end of 2014, after an accumulation of many disappointments did I realise that I had become too focused on trying to build my life Singaporean-style. I had been working towards gathering things that would bring me the stability I had lost as a teenager. My time had been spent accumulating assets and planning for marriage, while keeping God and the church as a ‘Sunday thing’.

The realisation that I had been relying on myself and had been dependent on worldly things for my selfworth hit me. I needed to turn back to God for answers and restoration.

Yet again, God came through for me and in the last year and a half, He has once again revealed His kindness and graciousness. I have experienced much love serving in the worship team and being involved with the community at my church, Petra.

I was also introduced to Alpha at The Book Café and experienced a different type of family; one where I was encouraged to ask questions and express my thoughts while learning, once again, about the meaning of life. At Alpha, I’ve discovered authentic friendships nurtured in an honest and safe environment.

I have come to realise that the real treasures are not in material possessions or the accumulation of accolades that I once held so dear. Instead, I have found it in the people whom God has surrounded me with and these are the things that will last for eternity. I now have peace, not having to “keep up with the Joneses”, knowing that as I find my identity in Him, He will direct my paths.

“I will give you treasures, secrets hidden in dark places, so that you may know that I am The Lord your God, who summons you by name”- Isaiah 45:3.

Amos is now enjoying a new season as a newly-wed. He married his worship teammate and friend, Hannah after a year and a half of dating and returned to using his culinary skills, as co-manager and chef at a vibrant city café.

“... Real treasures are not in material possessions or the accumulation of accolades..

Instead, I have found it in the people whom God has surrounded me with and these are the things that will last for eternity.”

New Beginnings

Words JAMES HUANG

Photography LYNETTE LIM

An uninterested, non-believing church goer accompanies a friend to Alpha and ends up experiencing a series of life-changing events.

Growing up, I had many experiences going to church, attending cell groups and evangelistic events. However, I remained uninterested in pursuing the faith. Many years later, I met Esther and we started dating. She was from a Christian family and regularly attended church. She soon invited me to attend services with her and I followed, just to accompany her.

In 2012, I was invited by a friend to attend Alpha at Leng Kwang Baptist Church. I asked Esther, who was now my wife to come along as well for the sessions and she agreed. When I first heard the name “Alpha”, I would laugh because I thought it was a comical name. In the army, we commonly used the words Alpha, Bravo, Charlie as military alphabet codes, and so I jokingly referred to Alpha as the Alpha Bravo Charlie course.

I attended the first few weeks of Alpha, and after the Weekend Away in 2012, my wife and I were invited to join a cell group that was led by some of the Alpha facilitators. We then started meeting with this group regularly.

The following year, the church ran Alpha again and we decided to help out as befrienders, inviting people and building friendship with them. Around the same time however, Esther developed rheumatoid arthritis and had difficulty walking and sometimes even standing up.

Even though I was not a Christian then, I had been exposed to the concept of prayer through Alpha, and I started to pray for my wife’s recovery. When there were no signs of improvement, I began to scold God, and questioned why He did not want to heal her. One day, I decided to barter with God, promising Him: “If you make her well, I will believe in You.”

That year, we went to the Lotus Desaru Resort in Malaysia for the Alpha Weekend Away. During a time of ministry, we were prayed over by the ministers and then decided to leave early to rest. Before we could leave, one of the pastors, Pastor Jeff called us back. He asked us to hold hands and prayed for us, saying that he sensed someone needed healing but only God knew who that person was. He continued, saying that someone had made a barter pact with God in order to receive healing.

Immediately, a chill ran down my spine. I had not told anyone about my bargain with God! How did he know? That was when I decided to receive Christ. I prayed silently in my heart for God to forgive me for ‘scolding’ Him as well as for the barter trade.

When we returned to the room, I decided to tell my wife what I had done; that I had been bargaining with God. I told her, “I need to be baptised.” On the 1st of December 2013, I was baptised. Esther’s condition improved radically from that point, and she was even able to exercise again.

By then, we had been married for a few years but were unable to have children as a result of several medical issues that my wife had. In December 2014, she was required to undergo a number of operations. The attending gynaecologist advised 70-80% removal of her right ovary. After this operation, I thought to myself “perhaps it would be okay not to have any children”, thinking that there was little hope of conceiving anyway.

In 2015, a friend of mine challenged me to pray for three things throughout that year. At the time, our cell group was talking about the idea of fostering children, and so we began thinking about the possibility of becoming foster parents. Although we were content, we thought it would be good to seek God for direction.

The time for another Alpha Weekend Away came in May 2015. During the time of ministry on the first evening, Pastor Jeff asked us to hold hands and prayed for us once again.

A month later, on the 11th of June 2015, my wife found out that she was pregnant. We were overjoyed! On one of our early visits to our gynaecologist, my wife shared that she felt pain in the right side of her womb. The doctor explained that the reason for this could be that the egg which had been fertilised had come from Esther’s right ovary. We informed the doctor that Esther previously had 80% of her right ovary removed, so how could it still have been able to produce any eggs? The doctor, a Christian, replied, “What is impossible to man is possible to God!” I was left speechless.

Chloe was born on the 2nd of February 2016. Her name means “green shoots” representing a fresh beginning, just like how God has given us a new journey in Him. Chloe’s arrival has filled us with joy and thanksgiving. Even though our roles as new parents have been tiring, it has all been worth it. “The nights are long, but the years are short.” This is something we are keenly aware of and thank God every day for blessing us with this child.

At the start of 2016, it was time for another “prayer challenge”. My request for the year was for my parents to receive Christ. My mother had been brought up in a devout Taoist family and my paternal grandfather and grandaunt had been mediums. Even though I had always been close to my parents, I had never talked to them about religion and did not know where to begin.

In June 2016, I discussed with Esther, the possibility of inviting my parents to Alpha. She agreed that we should invite them and so I sent a simple message to my mother, inviting her to Alpha, saying it was an open platform to help people know more about Christianity. After just a few minutes she replied, “Okay.”

My wife and I were surprised by her quick reply. Thinking that we should provide her with more details, we sent her the topics that would be discussed at Alpha. This time, she took a longer time to reply and texted, “don’t expect us to change our religion immediately.” I replied that, of course, I would not force them to change but just wanted to give them a better understanding of why I chose Christianity.

That run of Alpha began at the end of July. It was a Chinese Alpha run, and as the weeks went by, my parents began to ask more questions.

The Alpha Weekend Away was on the 10th of September, and I accompanied my parents to the retreat. To my delight, during the time of ministry, both my parents said the sinner’s prayer. I was moved to tears. After they were ministered to, I had a long conversation with my parents and my mother confidently exclaimed, “Yes, I did say the sinner’s prayer!”.

She then revealed something that I had not previously known; in her youth, she was an avid reader, and after seeing someone reading a bible, decided to read it as well. However, she was caught by my grandfather, the medium. He was furious, reprimanding her and as a punishment, made her kneel in front of the altar of the gods to repent and seek forgiveness from them. This incident scarred her so much that she had vowed to never have anything to do with religion. The only reason that our family had idol statues at home was because these were gifts from my grandfather; my mother had never been a devout Taoist.

After Alpha, my mother confided in me that after she had said the sinner’s prayer, she felt liberated. Previously, she would have dizzy spells, headaches and feelings of oppression when she went to temples. Because of this, she hardly visited these places. She added that it was a totally different experience during her visit to church – she felt peace and comfort! I was very encouraged hearing that. After this conversation with my mother, my father asked a friend to help remove the idol statues from their home, and a few days later, I asked Pastor Jeff and his team to help remove the ancestral tablets. My mother commented that she is now at ease, knowing that her “old life” was now behind her!

For the first time, my parents described feelings of liberation and being worry-free. My mother is more easy going and my father has become calmer and more positive. My parents are filled with so much joy and they love to pray! As a family, we pray before our meals. My parents’ motto is just keep praying!

Esther and I have continued serving at Alpha because we want to do more for our Lord. We have been blessed with so much and want to continue to do what we can to bring people closer to God through Alpha.

新的开始

一个对宗教不感兴趣，也不相信，只是偶尔参与教会活动的人， 跟随朋友参加了启发课程，最终经历了一系列生命的改变。

成长过程中，我曾偶尔参与教会的团契小组和福音布道 活动。但是，青少年时期，我就是对信仰这宗教不太感 兴趣。当我二十多岁时，我遇见了Esther，并和她开始 约会。Esther是来自一个基督家庭，有按时去教会做礼 拜。不久，她就邀请我一起去教会，为了陪她，我就答 应了。

在2012年，我应朋友邀请参加了由灵光浸信教会主办的 启发课程。我问现在已是我妻子的Esther是否可以跟 我一起参加这课程，她同意了。当我第一次听到“Alpha”这个很有趣的名词时,　我都觉得　很好笑。因为 在当兵时, 我们常用Alpha, Bravo, Charlie来代表军用 英文字母，而我开玩笑地说，这个“Alpha”应该不是 讨论Alpha, Bravo, Charlie 字母的课程吧？

参加了前几堂启发课程和一个周末营后，我和妻子被邀 请参与由一些启发协调员带领的团契小组。之后，我们 与这小组的组员们一直保持着密切的联系。

第二年，灵光教堂再次主办启发课程，我与Esther 决定 参与其中担任协助员，并邀约友人与他们建立友情。然 而就在那时，Esther 患上了严重的风湿性关节炎，行走 困难，有时甚至站着也会疼痛。

即使那时我还不是基督徒，但在启发课程中，我已了解 了经常祷告的重要性，所以我就开始为我妻子病情的恢 复祷告。当她的病情不见好转，甚至更疼痛时，我开始 责问上帝，有时还用粗俗的秽语责问祂为什么不要医治 我的妻子？有一天，我决定跟上帝讨价还价，对祂许诺 说：“如果您能让我的妻子康复，我就相信你！”

那年，我们就去了在马来西亚的迪沙鲁度假村举行的启 发周末营。在其中一堂聚会中，祷告组长为我和妻子祷 告后，我们正要离开准备回房休息时，启发的一位带领 者——郑牧师叫住了我们。他让我们与他手牵手一起祷 告，并对我们说，他感觉到有人需要医治，而有时是先 要灵里得医治，肉体才能得医治。有的人为了领受医 治，还与上帝讨价还价。

刹那间，一阵寒意沿着我的脊椎往下涌。我从未对任何 人谈过我与上帝讨价还价的事，为何郑牧师会晓得呢？

于是在那刻，我决定接受耶稣基督。我心中向上帝默 祷，请求祂宽恕我向祂责骂、和祂讨价还价等无知的行 为。

当我们回到房间，我决定将我与上帝谈交易的事告诉我 的妻子。我告诉她：“我必须受洗！”终于我在2013年 12月1日接受洗礼。从那以后Esther 的病情逐渐康复， 不久后，她甚至可以做一些运动了。

那时我们已结婚多年，但由于我的妻子有一些生理疾 病，所以一直都没有孩子。在2014年底，Esther必须 进行多项手术。妇产科医生告诉她需要切除70％－80％ 的右边卵巢。切除手术后，我想：“这样一来没孩子也 没关系！”也没抱很大的希望能再生育。

2015年，有位朋友挑战我；在这一年内向上帝祈求三件 事。当时我们团契小组的组员们正谈论有关领养孩子的 话题，而我们也思考过是否要当养父母。虽然，我们很 满足目前的生活，还是决定向上帝寻求接下来应走的方 向。

2015年5月的启发周末营，在第一晚的聚会后，郑牧师 再次让我们手牵手为我们俩祷告。

一个月后，在2015年6月11日，我的妻子发现她怀孕 了。我们欣喜若狂。在初孕期给妇产科医生检查时，我 妻子告诉医生，她感到右边子宫会有阵痛。医生觉得， 其中一个原因就是受精卵是从右边的卵巢排出的。我 们就问医生，为何之前Esther已切除了80％的右边卵 巢，而现在怎么还可能有卵子排出？医生是基督徒，她 说：“许多人认为不可能的事，但在上帝是可能的！” 我无言以对。

就在今年2月2日，Chloe诞生了！这是希伯来语，意思 是：“绿色芽”，代表一个新的开始，就像上帝给我们 的新的季节。Chloe 诞生给了我们喜悦与感恩。虽然， 这新的生活让我们有时感到很疲累，但这是值得的。 “虽夜晚很长，但年复一年是很短暂的。”我们每天都 感恩，上帝把这孩子赐给我们！

2016年开始，又有另一个具有“挑战性的祷告”。我的祷 告就是希望我父母接受基督。母亲是在一个虔诚的道教家庭 长大的，而外公和姑婆都是神媒（乩童）。即使我和父母很 亲近，但我从来都没有跟他们谈论过宗教，也不知从何谈 起。

就在6月份，我和妻子商量是否有可能邀请父母参加启发课 程。她认为我们应该邀请他们。于是，我给母亲发了简讯， 邀请她参加启发课程，告诉她这是一个开放的平台，让人更 了解基督教。几分钟后，母亲回复：“好的！”

我和妻子都很惊讶母亲这么快的回应。我们一致认为应该让 她多了解一些启发课程，就给她发了有关的资料。这次，她 用了相当长的时间来发短讯回复我：“不要希望我们即刻改 变我们的宗教信仰”。我的回复就是，当然不会勉强他们改 变，只是为了让他们更了解为何我选择了基督教信仰。

今年的启发课程在7月底开始，是用华文教课。上了几堂课 后，我父母开始陆续提出了许多问题。

在9月10 日，我们就陪同父母一起参加启发周末营。令我欣 喜的是，父母都祷告接受了主！我感动得流下了热泪。祷告 之后，我与他们长谈，母亲很自信地大声说：“是的，我已 接受主了！”

过后，她透露一些我从未知道的。在年轻时，她是个书迷， 当她看到别人阅读圣经，她也跟着去阅读。可是，却被当乩 童的外公发现。他非常愤怒，责骂了她，并罚她跪在神像前 请求原谅。这件事在母亲心中留下了阴影，她发誓从此不再 与任何宗教有瓜葛。其实家里的每一尊神像，都是外公所给 她的礼物，但她本身并不是虔诚的道教徒。

启发课程完成后，母亲告诉我，当她接受主后，她整个人感 觉得释放了。过去当她去庙宇时，总会感到晕眩、头痛也有 压迫感。因此，她不常去那些地方。母亲还告诉我，去了教 会是完全不同的感觉；她觉得整个人很平和也很舒适。我听 了受到很大的鼓舞。

不久后，我父亲请他的朋友到家里把神像移走。几天后，郑 牧师和他的团队到我们家把祖先牌位移走。我母亲说，她现 在感到很放松自在，过往的一切已过去。

我父母第一次感到精神已被释放也没有忧虑了。我母亲变得 很随和，而父亲也变得更平静、更积极。我父母充满了喜悦 也爱祷告！我们一家在用餐前前都会祷告。如今，我父母的 新座右铭就是―不住祷告！

因为我和Esther要为主做得更多，所以，我们继续待在启 发课程帮忙。我们很蒙福也要继续祷告，带领更多人通过启 发来亲近上帝。

“如果您 能让我的 妻子康复, 我就相信 你！”

Designer GOD

Words HAN BIN

Photography LYNETTE LIM

A scientist who believed in aliens, nanobots and facts gleaned from research, Han Bin walked into The Book Café one day to attend Alpha. Months after, he chooses to believe that there is One greater than science -- the intelligent designer God, who has always been looking out for him.

Tell us about your religious influences growing up?

I came from a Taoist background and was exposed to its practices from a young age. I witnessed things like spirit invitations to possess Taoist mediums, who would then provide advice to my family. My parents and relatives were members of the temple association and twice a year, ceremonies would be held to celebrate a deity’s birthday. My grandmother’s home also had altars, where they invited spirits during the various ceremonies. Despite my family’s devout faith, I was never forced to participate in any of the rituals.

These activities were prevalent throughout my childhood, but I never gave them much thought. I was more concerned about my studies and getting good grades. Even after graduation, when I entered the workforce, I rarely spoke about religion with any of my colleagues, deeming such topics as unprofessional.

How did you find out about Alpha?

My journey to discover who God was began only a few years ago when I started dating Chuu Ling. She was a Christian and asked if I was open to exploring Christianity. I was introduced to The Book Café where Alpha was running, in 2015. We could not make it for the first session, and on the day of the second session, we were in Tiong Bahru getting a quick bite before heading to the café - when a violent fight broke out in front of us. There were chairs being flung around, and blood from one of the victims of the fight was splattered on both of us, and in our drinks as well. Feeling quite shaken from what we had witnessed, I thought of giving the Alpha session a miss. However, Chuu Ling suggested that we should still attend the session.

What was it like at Alpha?

Looking back, I’m thankful she persisted. Christianity did not make sense to me in the beginning as I felt that if science could explain most things, then a god-like being was not necessary. With these views, I was initially rather hostile towards the teachings of Christianity. However at Alpha, I was, for the first time, exposed to new perspectives about Christianity. After several weeks of interaction with the other guests at the cafe, I began to appreciate the open platform for different people to share their viewpoints.

During one session, I shared about a quote from an author, Arthur C. Clarke – “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” The miracles that Jesus did must have seemed like magic. My guess then was that he must be someone with a high level of technology, and the nanobots, I felt, were a plausible explanation for his resurrection.

At Alpha, people listened with interest to each person’s perspective, and I felt encouraged by how receptive they were to my views about Christianity, even though they were different from everyone else’s. I began to enjoy these times of discussion. Additionally, what made the Alpha sessions attractive to me was the sumptuous dinner spread every week!

I am in the field of science and research, and we are trained to believe that there is a reason for everything – and that cause will always precede effect. It is a rather ‘cold’ environment, with the primary belief that we are just beings caught up in a current – and we are simply carried along, unable to do anything about it. Christianity however, offers comfort and assurance to know that there is a God who is with us and who is looking out for us.

I am still searching for answers and to this day, I do struggle with some questions, that even as a scientist, I cannot explain. For example, if God is really god, why did He do things that do not seem to make sense? Why do some animals have certain body parts that are useless? We are taught that evolution does not have a specific aim in mind, and that random mutations give rise to new attributes. Whether these new attributes persist depends on how useful they are. Intelligent design by God, however, has its own, sometimes mysterious reasons for each creation. A question that I keep coming back to is - Why does God do the things He does?

While I ask myself such questions, I realise there may be no easy answer, if at all. However, I’ve learnt to accept that there is a purpose for the way God intends for the world to be. I can choose to either doubt or accept it, and I am still working on accepting that all things – whether good or bad, are part of His perfect plan.

The Book Café sessions helped me to realise that Christianity isn’t a cult, or a community where people gather and talk to each other, just to make themselves feel better. While seeking, I realised how God wants to walk with us in our daily lives, and yearns for a relationship with us. When I look back on my past, I realise God was and has always been in the background, orchestrating events that ultimately draw me closer to Him. He is also a God who is relatable, reaching out to me in ways I am most comfortable with. Some people hear God in a voice, but if I heard a voice, I would have thought I was going crazy! And so instead, He has gently placed people in my path whom I am able to relate with, and discover who God is through conversations with them.

In November 2015, a few months after Alpha, I made the decision to be baptised at Wesley Methodist Church. I began to spend more time with my small group, while still keeping in close contact with the original group of friends I had made at The Book Café. I realise how important community is to me. Chuu Ling, now my fiancée was also extremely patient with me, right from the beginning. When she did not know how to answer my ‘difficult’ questions, she was always willing to find out. Being in a small group has also been instrumental in my growth. Even though we do not always have the perfect answers to all the questions, being able to search and discuss scriptures together has been very helpful.

With God now in the centre of our relationship, Chu Ling and I have also been on a journey to discover Him together, deepening our faith as we study the Bible and have discussions about what we read. When we share, support and encourage each other and pray together, we grow closer. I know that we are building a strong foundation for our upcoming marriage in May 2017!

What would you say to others who are exploring the meaning of life and faith?

I would say: Keep an open mind. In the past, I was closed to the idea of a God because I felt that we were just temporary beings in the ongoing life of this universe, and that even though there were a lot of things that could not be explained – scientists were making new discoveries every day. I refused to consider God because everything I had learned gave reason for His inexistence. However, I discovered that when we shut ourselves to learning, we are only limiting ourselves –And so, we must all keep searching!

WHAT THE CHURCH is than what D I V I D E S US

NICKY GUMBEL

FOR I KNOW the Plans

A Beautiful Season

Words ZARA

Photography HANNAH OH

Growing up without any knowledge of Christianity, Zara left the comforts of home in Japan to move to Singapore. A series of events after her arrival left her defeated and contemplating suicide. She bravely shares her story for the first time.

On December 22nd, 2014, I landed at Changi Airport, full of hope and one suitcase in my hand. I had left Japan where I had lived my entire life - more than twenty years, to start a new life in lovely Singapore, and was looking forward to a happy marriage and starting a family. After five years of ups and downs in a long distance relationship, my Singaporean partner and I decided to take the next step, with me moving to Singapore and into his house, in preparation for another chapter of our lives together.

My life had been good in Japan - I always had good grades in school, which led to a very successful career with an unusually high salary after graduation. I grew up in a Japanese family who was not open to any religion, and I had never felt a need for believing in a god, as I had everything that I wanted.

It was not easy leaving the comforts of Tokyo, family and friends and my well-paying job in a prestigious company. However, I still decided it was worth giving it all up for my boyfriend; in my mind he was the best partner I could ever ask for - someone who would help to fulfill a dream that I had since I was young, to build my own happy family.

Shortly after moving to Singapore, my life was turned upside down. One day, my partner suddenly said he had something to tell me. I always had absolute trust in him and I was confident that there were no secrets between us. However, I was taken aback by what he confessed: he had committed multiple criminal offenses and was soon to be sentenced to prison.

I was devastated; he had betrayed me as well as caused harm to others. A rush of emotions overcame me – a mixture of anger, shame, loss as well as many other bad feelings. I told him my honest thoughts, and how I could not go through with the marriage. His reply was that I was overreacting and he could not understand why I blamed him for his ‘only one’ wrongdoing, while forgetting all the good things he had done over the past five years. And so, only a few months after arriving in Singapore, I left his house, along with my luggage and the little money I had on me.

I concluded that I could not return to Japan. After all, I had left my job and it would be difficult to re-enter the Japanese workforce, with potential employers knowing I had given up a position in one of the best companies in Japan. Fortunately, I soon managed to rent a room and after a few weeks of searching, was offered a junior role in a financial institution. The salary I was drawing was very small despite the long hours of overtime work, and there was little leftover after paying rent. I had not been prepared to live alone in a foreign country, and so, I started cutting costs wherever I could. I began skipping one meal a day, which over time, increased to skipping two meals. On most days, I survived on a single piece of kaya toast. One day however, a severe pain in my abdomen landed me in hospital, where the doctors discovered a hole in my stomach. All the savings I had scraped together were now gone after this episode in the hospital.

I felt miserable, thinking about my past achievements in Japan and the big dreams I used to have; I once had everything, but now, I was left with nothing. By this time, near the end of 2015, I felt entirely defeated, consumed by a stronghold of one emotion above all else -- unforgiveness toward my ex-partner.

In the depths of my soul, I wanted to forgive him for what he had done to me, but I could not bring myself to do it; the situation I had been thrown into, was beyond my understanding. Day after day, I contemplated ending my life as I had nothing left to hold on to or hope for.

Around this time, I went out for lunch with one of my colleagues. He was being transferred to work in the U.S and I wanted to buy him a farewell meal. Out of the blue, this colleague mentioned that I should check out a “casual gathering” to find out more about Christianity. I soon found out that this gathering was called “Alpha.”

Growing up in a non-religious home and in a country where many people are atheists, I had already built up a belief in my mind: that all religions are most likely cult activities, and religious meetings were something I should never be involved with. This “gathering” that my colleague mentioned sounded like something that was against all my principles, and I was about to politely turn down his offer.

However, he mentioned one more special thing about Alpha: there would be free food! I was always hungry due to my financial situation, so I decided that I would go, but only for the food. My colleague immediately got in touch with a friend at Alpha Singapore and my first visit was swiftly arranged.

On my first Alpha session in January 2016, I met about 20 people, most of whom were Christian. We watched Nicky Gumbel’s talk, followed by a time of discussionwhere I was overwhelmed by many people talking about God so naturally - as if they could really see and hear Him. A voice in my heart cried out, “I do not believe this! If you claim that there is a God, can you show me now - with scientific evidence?” I was even more convinced that this was not a healthy gathering, and decided to never come back again.

At the end of the session, the host asked me if I was alright. I was not and shared my misgivings with him. He then said, “Take your time and you will gradually understand.” His words did not have any impact on me.

The host then changed the topic, asking where I had learned English. I replied that I had lived in Canada where I had attended university six years ago, mentioning the name of the university. He continued his questioning, wanting to know where I lived while I was there, and I answered that I had stayed on campus. He persisted, asking the name of my dormitory, and I replied accordingly. I was very puzzled as to why he was so curious. Surprisingly, the host revealed that he studied in the same university and lived in exactly the same dormitory as I had, for four years. What kind of coincidence was that?

When I first heard about Alpha from my colleague, it actually brought to mind a memory: a roommate from my dormitory in Canada. She was one of the nicest girls that I had ever met in my life, but there was one thing I could not quite understand about her. She regularly held gatherings with Christian students in our flat, which I later realised was a cell group. I sometimes overheard their conversations about God while cooking in the kitchen, and I had questioned my roommate many times about why she believed in something she could not see or prove the existence of.

I told the host about this recollection and he said, “This is not a coincidence, this is God’s plan. Please convey this message from me to your roommate, ‘thank you for planting a seed in Zara.’ God has waited six years for you. You are now a small seed, and will soon grow to become a big tree.” Because of this conversation, I had a 180-degree change in mindset and decided to continue attending the subsequent Alpha sessions. However, I continued to hold on to the unresolved unforgiveness in my heart.

“You are now a small seed, and will soon grow to become a big Tree.”

The Alpha Weekend Away soon arrived in February 2016. I had dinner with one of the Alpha members the night before, and she gave me a verse which came to her mind: Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” I did not know how to respond as the unforgiveness in my heart seemed to have blocked out any hope for my future. I simply thanked her. The next day at the Alpha Weekend session, another member shared her testimony with us, ending with a quote from Jeremiah 29:11. Subsequently, when we watched Nicky Gumbel’s sermon, he quoted the same verse, Jeremiah 29:11!

During lunchtime, I talked with one of the participants. I told her I was not a Christian. She said, “This word popped up in my mind, and I feel it is for you – “Winter is over and the season of cherry blossoms has come for you. You will become a big tree of cherry blossoms for Him, in a beautiful season.” This particular message was especially meaningful to me, as the cherry blossom is the national flower of Japan and unbeknownst to this lady, my Japanese name literally means “beautiful season”.

In the afternoon, two of the other leaders prayed for me. It was my first time meeting them and they had no idea about my background. However, they gave me three verses from Scripture: Romans 8:15, Ecclesiastes 3:1-11, and AGAIN, Jeremiah 29:11. One leader said, “I don’t know why you came to Singapore and how you got here. But God wants to heal you from the inside. You are a bird that was born to fly, not to walk on the ground. Plans that you had made for yourself were harmful, but God’s plan for you is good. Your own bad plan will turn into God’s good plan. There is a time for everything, God is in control of the time and seasons. Plant good things and uproot bad things in this season. Remember, God loves you.”

Suddenly, I was filled with a realisation that the reason I came to Singapore was to encounter God and meet these sisters and brothers in Christ, not to be married to my ex-partner. If so, my purpose for being here had been fulfilled and I had nothing left to struggle with. My ex-partner had to answer to God for his actions, and ultimately justice and forgiveness was in God’s hands.

This was the first time that I was able to let go of the unforgiveness towards him. I knew I had been touched by the Holy Spirit, and I accepted Christ that very day. On the 23rd of April 2016, I was baptised and embarked on a beautiful new season.

A person’s life can change in a very short time after one encounter with God, and I am a living testimony. When I came to Singapore, I was just a vain girl, full of pride, with my worth tied only to material things and superficial matters. Now I know that my true value is known only by my Creator, our Father. I had not known this truth in any way until six months ago.

On this new journey, there are still challenges that remain; all of us have wounds that we carry, and a smile often hides the pain we might feel inside. People are sent to prison for the wrongs they have done, but others are also imprisoned - in their own minds because of the wrong that has been done towards them. However, I have experienced how God uses the hurts that I have experienced to help me grow stronger, and to learn to forgive and love others. More importantly, my new life with God is intriguing, and much more beautiful than I could have ever expected.

His blessings can be found in our lowest times. To me, it is like walking indoors on a sunny day into a dark room. At first, the darkness may be overwhelming, but after awhile, your eyes adjust and it becomes easier to see and find your way around. The shock of the darkness caused by pain in our lives may be alarming at first, but I have seen that God’s blessings glow even more in these dark times, and His light reveals things that are precious; and what we have taken for granted. Now the first thing I do every morning, and the last thing I say at night is “thank you Father for my life today.”

I hope that anyone who reads this –especially those in the midst of struggling and are uncertain if they have the strength to continue - remember this: You are precious no matter what you have done or are going through. If I am His precious child, so are you! Every life He has created is so precious, and we are always loved by Him, whether we feel it or not!

Christianity is a journey. We do not have to force ourselves to believe it all at once, because trust and faith are in fact, gifts from Him as well. God is with us in every season of our journey. I pray that as He continues to set free each heart that is facing difficulties, we will all be able to live each day as a beautiful gift from Him.

“God is in control of the time and seasons.”

ALPHA FILM SERIES

200 CONTRIBUTORS

38 INTERVIEWS

12 COUNTRIES

3 PRESENTERS

1 NEW GLOBAL PRODUCT

The Alpha Film Series (AFS) is a major part of our strategy to engage the next generation with the good news of Jesus Christ. It covers the whole Alpha content in an interactive, innovative and engaging format, comprising a 16-session series of fifteen 30-minute episodes and one 10-minute introduction to the weekend, as well as two 30-minute training sessions. Nicky Gumbel, Gemma Hunt and Toby Flint are the three presenters of AFS.

A New Direction

Words KELVIN SNG

Photography KELVIN SNG

PRODUCTIONS

I was from a Buddhist background, but after getting married I followed my wife Anna, who is Catholic to her church - St Theresa’s. On one occasion, I saw an Alpha poster outside the church. I was then at a point in my life where a lot of things were happening; I was trying to make my first feature film and in the process, was encountering many difficulties.

During this period, I had friends who were ministering to me – like my ex-colleagues who reached out to support my family and I, emotionally as well as financially. At the time, my wife was seven months pregnant with our second son.

Even though I believed in God, I was still searching for more answers. In the midst of searching for peace and direction, the Alpha tagline: “Is there more to life?” really stood out for me. Alpha was free which appealed to me at the time - as I was also quite broke and a free dinner was another reason to go as well!

However, at the introduction session, I found out that the speaker was not ‘live’ – which I had been expecting; instead it was just a video playing and I felt a bit cheated. I also had a very inquisitive spirit, and at the first session I felt irritated as the facilitator did not seem to want to answer any of my questions – instead asking “what do you think?”. At the time I was filled with pride, thinking that I knew more than the leaders there.

Despite these factors, something inside me told me to continue with the rest of the sessions. As Alpha progressed, aside from learning about the foundations of the faith, I saw the humility of the people there. I started to build friendships and soon began to realise that we were all the same. None of us had all the answers. We were all there to learn and we all needed God. We needed a Saviour.

“A church is not a museum for saints, but a hospital for sinners”

Looking back, I realise that Alpha impacted me in a way that I did not expect. The faith and the people grew on me – as we had discussions, God spoke to me through those times of fellowship. For me, Alpha is really about the little things. My journey towards building a relationship with God was gradual – the love from the people at Alpha, their humility and friendship impacted me and produced a gradual change over time. For me, receiving Jesus was a slow and steady process, and Alpha was crucial in helping me understand who He is.

One friendship in particular, with a helper named Ian led to something bigger. I had been inspired by a local bestseller on the life of a taxi driver, and through Ian, who was a taxi driver at the time, I learned about all the details of what this profession entailed. This friendship with someone who was so humble, with nothing to gain from me but who was willing to spend time, money and effort to help me with my project, touched me in a deep way. Our conversations gave me enough insights and material to write a script that was eventually made into a movie - my first feature film, “Taxi! Taxi!”, starring Gurmit Singh and Mark Lee. I was thankful that because Gurmit was also a Christian, we were able to bond and fellowship on set because of our shared faith.

All this happened shortly after my Alpha experience and during the filming and production of this movie I could see God’s hand on it in many ways. I will always remember one scene in particular. It was one of the final scenes of the movie; a scene involving Gurmit Singh. In the editing room, I noticed a detail that had not been obvious during filming. Gurmit’s final line to one of the other actors was “All you have to do is believe”, and at that same moment, the camera had captured behind him, a tall building with a large blue cross. I knew that God was, in that moment, speaking to me and affirming that this project was part of His plan for my life and that He was the true director of this movie! I realised that He had been, and would continue to direct my life and my paths as well.

Shortly after the film was released, I decided to start an Alpha run of my own to reach out to people in the media industry. Gurmit came to share his testimony during the introduction session. Ian, and another friend whom I had met at my first Alpha run, Leticia, also came alongside to help. Along with a few other friends, we served together. I felt like I had come full circle - having once been an Alpha guest to now being an Alpha facilitator!

I now know that Alpha is not a ‘one-off’ experience – to attend or to run; we are all on a journey and we have an ongoing role to play in reaching out to the people around us. I once read “A church is not a museum for saints, but a hospital for sinners” – a phrase that impacted me deeply. It made me realise that we all have a lifelong calling to reach out to those who are lost, as I once was.

Kelvin’s debut feature film “Taxi! Taxi!” starring comedians Mark Lee and Gurmit Singh and inspired by the local best seller “Diary of a Taxi Driver”, was released theatrically in both Singapore and Malaysia in January 2013. Besides being a box office success, “Taxi! Taxi!” was also the first official entry from Singapore at the ASEAN International Film Festival and Awards 2013 held in Sarawak, where it also won the Special Jury Award. Kelvin and his wife, Anna are proud parents to five children, four boys and a girl.

Liberated

Words HANNAH GOH

Photography LYNETTE LIM

After enduring a number of traumatic experiences as a child, Hannah turned to drugs, alcohol and smoking. After encountering Jesus, she began a new chapter and now serves God, both in Singapore and East Timor.

At the age of seven, my parents filed for divorce. I had little parental guidance and preferred being in the company of friends at HDB void decks instead of attending school. My father had primary custody of me, but he was mostly focused on work to earn a living; because of this, my grandmother was left to look after me.

When I was ten years old, my father discovered I had been stealing money from his wallet. I had also been skipping school, and as a result of these incidents, he decided to send me back to my mother’s home. My mother took me in but even though she was stricter than my father, I found ways to continue stealing money and skipped school to hang out with my friends.

A major change happened in my life a year later when my mother decided to re-marry. My stepfather treated the both of us very well and I was happy with the new life that we had in what began as a loving, close-knit family. A few months after the marriage, my stepfather started picking me up from school and it was then that he began molesting me. I did not stop him, thinking that if I did, I would get into trouble and no longer be allowed to be a part of this family. So, I allowed the torment to continue. At eleven years old, I did not know what was ‘wrong’ but these incidents made me feel very uncomfortable. I was in a dilemma, thinking that if I told my mother, I would lose everything. Soon, he began raping me.

At thirteen, my mother became pregnant with his child. I wondered if I might be treated badly or be asked to leave once the baby was born. Secondary school brought on a new set of problems. I went out with a bad crowd, got tattoos, smoked and took drugs. I was longing for acceptance from these friends as I felt I was no longer loved by my family. My mother had a new daughter to care for, and she would threaten to send me back to my father whenever I misbehaved. The abuse by my stepfather, by now had been going on for three years. I hated the idea of returning home after school each day.

Christmas Eve arrived - a time when most families would spend quality time together. That day, my stepfather attempted to abuse me again but I locked myself in my room, staying up all night, wondering why there were families enjoying this day together while I was left crying alone, in pain. Eventually, I decided to call a friend and told her the entire story. She conveyed this to my mother - but my mother did not believe me. I was speechless. It hurt to think that she was in love with a man who could harm her daughter, and even more so, that she doubted me.

Eventually, she realised I was telling the truth. My mother, sister and I moved back to live with my grandparents. However, I decided to run away from home soon after as my family began to blame me; they said I had become too close to my stepfather. Hearing these things made me feel that I had indeed destroyed my mother’s new family unit. Under the weight of all these burdens, drugs were the only things that helped to ease the pain.

By the following year, in secondary two, I was deemed beyond control and sent to a remand home for girls. Although I made many friends there, I did not have any freedom. I was determined to do well to get an early release. While I was in remand, my grandfather became seriously ill and I was not given a chance to see him before he passed away. His death gave me a new perspective to life – I realised how important my family was, and all they wanted was to see me live a purposeful life.

After leaving the Girls’ home, I had to serve 18 months of home probation. During the first six months, I returned to school, did well and although I continued smoking, all drug use ceased. I felt that a change of environment would be good for me and asked my mother if I could go and live with my father. He had remarried and his new home environment seemed better than before. My stepmother was a divorcee with two children, a son who was a year older than me and daughter who was two years my junior. My new home life was good until I suffered yet another trauma, when I was molested by my stepbrother.

Once more, I felt like a failure for not standing up for myself. I ran away from home, resumed taking drugs and eventually stopped attending school.

One day, my godparents contacted me to find out how I was. I told them what had happened and asked if I could live with them. I then lodged a police report against my stepbrother, and he was convicted and sent to a Boys’ home. However, my father caught me taking drugs and reported this to the probation officer. I was sent to the hostel of my choice, one whose mission was to “love the unloved”, the Andrew and Grace home.

This home was a comfortable place to live in. Pastor Andrew and Grace treated all the girls very well. We called them Ah Pa and Mummy Grace, and I felt like I had an extended family I could rely on. We had daily devotions and chapel once a week. Pastor Andrew was a strict but loving father; he would discipline us when needed but we knew that he loved us and wanted us to learn from our mistakes.

Despite the positive environment, I still carried emotional wounds, and began to cut my wrist as I did not know any other way to express the pain in my heart. Each time I was angry or feeling emotional I would cut myself. Eventually I decided to run away from the home, lying to Pastor Andrew on the phone that I was going back to look for my mother. He replied that if I returned, he would give me another chance. When I returned, late that night he was at the front reception, waiting for me, and instead of reprimanding me, he said, “no matter how painful this journey is, you will always have a father waiting for you.“ He accepted me back home.

I returned to school, feeling that I had been given another chance to do things right this time around. I promised myself that I would make the best of it. I studied hard so I would not disappoint Pastor Andrew. None of my teachers thought I would do well but I proved them wrong, completing my ‘O’ levels, and even scoring an ‘A’ grade for Principles of Accounting.

“YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE A FATHER WAITING FOR YOU.”

At the Andrew and Grace home chapel, different Christian groups would come in to share with us from the Bible. After six months I started questioning, “Could this good news be true? Is there really a God who heals?”. During the various chapel sessions, there were opportunities to respond and receive Jesus into my heart, but I found it very difficult. I thought if I raised my hand to say yes, the other girls would think that I was a weakling. One day, I prayed, “God, you must do something to change my life if you are real.”

Around this time, a group of people had come to run Alpha for us, and I found the time of small group discussions very interesting. A lady, Auntie Jolene was our mentor, and her patience and love created trust amongst us. While I initially resisted, I was eventually able to share my feelings with the group and each week, I learned something new about Christianity.

We went to the Salvation Army for the ‘Alpha encounter weekend’, and this was when I had an encounter with God. During one of the sessions, our small group leader prayed for us. I sat, listening silently with my eyes closed. Suddenly, I felt a warmth come over me and saw an image of Jesus walking towards me. He lifted me up and embraced me. It was an embrace of a father that I always longed for but had never experienced. I finally said to God, “Okay, I believe you.”

In the following years, I experienced a mixture of ups and downs, but finally, in 2013, I knelt at the altar and cried -- the first in a long time. The last time I cried was when my mother had doubted me. This time, I cried out to God and said, “I’m sorry I took You for granted.” Once again, I encountered God and was now willing to let go of everything to follow Him. At Covenant Presbyterian Church, I found a family, God’s family.

In 2014, I felt the Lord calling me to East Timor. Before this trip, I was serving at the Andrew and Grace home with “Beautiful People”—a group that reaches out to youths, teaching them important life skills. I had found my calling – I knew that I wanted to be a social worker, helping people to find a better path for themselves. While I was preparing to go to East Timor, I surrendered myself to God, asking Him to make me an ambassador for Christ.

I now serve in the East Timor community as a cell group leader, teach in schools and serve with the village ministry. Whenever I am back in Singapore, I work in Grace Mission, helping youths with autism and special needs. Our work is in the production and distribution of hydroponic organic vegetables. I am thankful that God has healed me of the pain from my past, and directed a clear path for me. I used to be afraid of men after the trauma caused by them. However, the Lord has healed me of that fear, and I now have healthy friendships with the brothers in my community. I am finally able to live a life that I had always longed for, but feared I would never have. With God, I now know that all things are possible.

WORSHIP. WORD. MINISTRY. MASTERCLASSES.

Words HANNAH OH

Photography MICHELLE JOHN

Worship Central is a movement of worshippers who want to see the worship of Jesus Christ made central throughout our communities, local churches and the world.

The Worship Central Course is a seven session course that looks at some of the big theological and practical issues around leading worship in the 21st Century. It aims to inspire and empower followers of Christ to go deeper in their worship expression, to make the presence of God their daily pursuit, and to see the Body of Christ revived and refreshed through Christ-centered, Spirit-led worship and messages.

“God can anoint us but only we can do the hard graft of learning and growing. Worship Central is the place to be if you want to learn more about the craft of songwriting and worship leading.”

-MARTIN SMITH Lead singer ‘Delirious?’

Worship Central Singapore hosted two events this year for a time of worship, teaching and practical breakout sessions. The first, in January was a Worship Central Gathering at Hope Church with Luke & Anna Hellebronth, and in July, a Worship Central Training Day at Riverlife Church, led by Pastor Andrew Yeo and the Worship Central team.

Check out worshipcentral.org for more information and free resources. Visit worshipcentralsg.com for all the latest local news and events.

Musings of a Musician

A two-time survivor of cancer, Jae overcame all odds, left medical school and now travels the world to share his music. He stopped by our little island recently and shared his story.

At the age of seventeen, I was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Five years later, I had a relapse, but miraculously survived a second time. Due to the various experimental drugs that I was given to cure my illness, doctors advised that these might lead to complications - which could potentially cause my heart to fail, lowering my life expectancy.

While pondering this situation, I realised that Jesus started his ministry when he was only thirty years old and left this world at the age of 33. This, coupled with my faith in God – that He is in control of my life and is the only One who knows when my time on earth will be up, has helped me to live a life that is fully focused on serving Him in obedience, using the gifts that He has given me, and loving the people He continues to place around me.

Tell us more about your background

I was raised by a single mother, who migrated to the United States from South Korea when I was just a baby. Her strength of character, tenacity and desire to provide the best possible life for me, taught me the skills I would need to face the challenges that I would encounter. Halfway through my life, when I was fifteen, my mother married my stepfather, whose character and unconditional love continued to hone who I was to become.

Despite a loving upbringing in the Christian faith, I decided to leave the church during my second year of college. Up to that point, my idea of faith had become a legalistic one – and I felt that I was walking along the Christian path blindly. I began studying different faiths in my pursuit of the truth, eventually reaching a conclusion that every major world religion centered around works – and I could only conclude that no one could enter heaven if this was based upon living a perfect life or accomplishing enough good deeds.

In my search, I finally realised the freedom in the foundational concept of grace that Christianity offered, which entailed getting something none of us deserved. Shortly after this, I suffered a relapse and entered chemotherapy for a second time. However, instead of becoming disillusioned, it was during this period that I gained a deeper understanding of who Christ was. This gave me a supernatural peace and joy amidst my pain.

The experiences I have gone through have enabled me to live out my life in a unique way. I have walked away from a stable, welldefined career path in the fields of medicine and business, realising that the ‘wealth’ that the world offers no longer appeals to me in the same manner as before.

What has life been like on the road?

Over the past two years, living out of just two suitcases; which contain all my worldly possessions, I have been traveling the world, sharing my music and story. As I travel, I have found that there is a common and frequent dissatisfaction, as well as a false sense of identity in the people that cross my path. Some are struggling to find their identity or simply trying to find purpose and meaning in their lives.

Many of them find it compelling that I could walk away from the comforts I once had. However, this was not a path that I had planned; I did not set out to live radically. Instead, I just wanted to be obedient to the calling on my life. I realised early on in this journey that having a sense of identity was one of the most important things I needed. I would have never gotten into music and the entertainment industry if my identity was not already rooted in Christ – it is an industry that too often, robs those who pursue a career in it of their sense of selfworth.

I feel that my foundation in Christ is so important because I am not trying to find my identity in this industry as the best singer or songwriter. I simply feel a continued call from God to create and to sing and write. I know that as I continue to step out in faith, He will continue to empower me, as He has done on so many occasions.

One time, I was attending a church service during my travels, when the pastor suddenly asked me to sing for the congregation at the end of the sermon. I was taken aback but agreed to go up and sing a song. After the service was over, many people came to share how they had been touched during worship. It’s instances like these where I am reminded that by simply being obedient, He will manifest His strength.

I wanted to highlight this process of discovering who I was in Christ, by making it one of the themes in my first album. I recently had the revelation that God has created all things in a way that, aside from Him, nothing on this earth will truly satisfy. And so, my hope is that my music will challenge and inspire people to question what their identity is found in and how the Creator plays into this

I believe that one of the greatest privileges while living on this earth is to create in His image. I desire to steward this gift carefully, knowing that God has called each of us to excellence in all that we do. Recently, God opened up a new avenue for me – I was offered a lead role in a short film and I hope that I will be able to reach others through this art form as well. As I pray for greater platforms to share my story, I sense that God will increase my borders in His timing, as I keep learning and growing.

One of my goals, as I interact with the people God continues to bring into my life, is to attempt to leave people in a better place spiritually than where I found them - as the Holy Spirit leads me to minister to them. My intent is not simply to inspire people through my story, but to challenge people’s view on suffering and encourage them to take a leap of faith to explore life from a different perspective. I feel that through my own suffering, God has allowed me to have more compassion and empathy for each person I encounter.

What do you have to say to people who are going through difficult times?

I would say: speak to someone about it. There is power in communion with others. During my recent trip to Singapore, I attended several Alpha sessions, held at a café. I saw how through Alpha, communities are formed. These avenues can offer people who are searching for both meaning as well as answers to difficult questions, a safe place to express themselves and to feel genuine love and concern. What I found meaningful was that while Alpha equips people with knowledge of the Christian faith, it is through genuine community –that God comes to meet us at our level. The church is wherever His people are gathered and where people find a place that they are loved.

God’s presence matters more than God’s plan for us. Often, we are overly focused on His plan for us instead of His relationship with us. For me, not having a permanent home or many possessions, relationships have taken precedence in my life, and I am grateful to have found family in various forms in my travels – both in and outside the church.

I am taking one step at a time – and have seen how His mercies are new every morning, especially when the journey gets tough. Knowing that our time on earth here is short, I often ask myself, and others “how would you live each day very intentionally?”. And so, that is what I have been trying to do – to live intentionally – from the simplicity of my daily tasks, like enjoying my morning cup of coffee – to my calling to spread God’s message of love and hope wherever I go.

Interview conducted at The InterContinental Club lounge, courtesy of Tim Youn. Visit www.jaejinmusic.com

Cascading Dominoes

Words and Photography GLENN TAN

I was a sickly child, my health wreaked by chronic asthma. My mother was at her wits end when she first brought me to an evangelistic rally. As my family had never attended church before, this was our first encounter with the Gospel and thereafter, we started to attend church regularly.

Despite being healed from asthma over time, church to me was never the most interesting thing in my life. I went through school with excellent grades despite being a delinquent student who often skipped classes. I was filled with pride, feeling that all my accomplishments were my own, and upon entering junior college, relishing in my newfound freedom, I started hanging out with a ‘cool crowd’ of friends who smoked.

During National Service, my social life overtook the time spent with my family. Church was not a priority, especially after a night out, filled with alcohol and cigarettes. My parents’ pleas for me to return to church fell on deaf ears and my younger brother began to distance himself from me. Friends became my new family.

A decade later, I informed my family that I would be marrying my girlfriend, Lina, a non-Christian at the time; this news was met with obvious displeasure. Little did I know that God would use her to reel me back to Him and start the healing process in my life and within my family.

Lina and I had decided that we would not be coerced to go to church on Sundays after we got married. However, she was curious as to why my parents were serving when they had little time, and giving when they were not well-to-do. We went to church one Sunday after our marriage registration and to my surprise, even though Lina did not understand the sermon at all, she found the worship meaningful and moving. When she heard that the church would be starting a run of Alpha, she immediately expressed interest in attending.

Glenn, a delinquent in his youth, encountered God. He experienced healing and reconciliation with his family, and now serves as a pastor at Yishun Methodist Mission.

When I heard this, my first thought was: “It’s ten weeks long, boring and irrelevant!”. I had been to Alpha once before, brought by my mother who had thought that it would bring her delinquent son back to church.

I said to Lina, “Are you sure?” We had just been married for about a month, I was a ‘back-slidden’ Christian who had only recently begun accompanying Lina to church, and she was still a Buddhist. She was sure, and we started attending Alpha. Surprisingly, my second experience with Alpha was very different from the first; I found the talks by Nicky Gumbel entertaining and refreshing.

I wasn’t sure why it felt different this time around. Was it because I was older? Less distracted? Or maybe because I was helping to explain parts of the content to Lina? This was the beginning of a slow but irrevocable change in me.

I had stopped drinking and clubbing before my marriage but smoking was proving a more challenging addiction to give up than I had thought. Over the years, I must have tried to quit at least ten times, using various methods but it was too easy to keep falling back into the habit.

“God, make me hate cigarettes, the way that You would hate it!”, I prayed after one session of Alpha. Surprisingly, the next day, the smell and taste of cigarettes seemed different - detestable and no longer calming to my nerves, and I felt sick after smoking. A week later, I could no longer be around smokers, let alone light up one myself. I felt that this miracle was of God, and that all my past ‘achievements’ may not have been possible by my own efforts.

“Glenn, would you like to help out as a facilitator for our group?” I was surprised. I did not think I was up to it.

However, facilitating turned out to be a refreshing experience for me. I had never thought that I could play a useful role in church, as I knew so little about Christianity. I found myself preparing before each session with a newfound enthusiasm.

“I think I want to believe in Jesus”, Lina told me one evening after returning from Alpha. I was amazed; I had never thought that she would embrace Christianity and yet, God surprised the both of us by being so real.

So that night, we prayed the sinner’s prayer together, similar to the one that Nicky had prayed during one of the sessions. At the next Alpha discussion, Lina, filled with the love of Christ, asked another small group member, “What is stopping you from believing in Him?”. It was just the prompting he needed, and that night he gave his life to Christ.

Following Alpha, two more members of the small group and three of Lina’s sisters came to Christ. My motherin-law has also accepted Jesus as her Saviour and asked our Senior Pastor to assist in removing the idols from her house in Indonesia.

Lina and I started a small group after that run of Alpha and have been blessed with the love and fellowship of community week after week. As we have been transformed, our family members have also become closer and more loving, even holidaying in Europe with my mother and younger brother, who volunteered to be our tour guide!

At the 2007 New Year’s Watch-night service at church, my father gave thanks for the year that had passed, he testified of how God had brought his ‘prodigal son’ back into the family. I know that all this would not have been possible without God’s timely intervention, the support of our church and the experiences we had at Alpha.

May we continue to give God the glory, for the great things He has done!

”A week later, I could no longer be around smokers, let alone light up one myself.”

Youth with a Vision

Words ELIJAH WONG

Photography LYNETTE LIM

Thirteen year old Elijah shares his recent experience of attending his first run of Alpha with his friends!

What is Alpha to you and why did your group start meeting?

It’s about exploring the meaning of life with my friends!

One of the girls in the group wanted to watch the Alpha Youth Film Series. Her parents were running Alpha in their small group, but she wanted to start Alpha with her friends instead of attending it with her parents. The sessions were run in her family home and some aunties and uncles helped with the sessions – providing food and facilitating.

I invited my friends to come and check out Alpha and we spent ten Friday evenings hanging out together. We would gather to eat and play some fun games. Afterwards we would watch the video in our friend’s home theatre and chat about it.

How is it different from Sunday school?

It’s more interesting because we spend a lot of time interacting and playing games. Also, people are more willing to speak as we hold our Alpha sessions in a home –so it’s much more comfortable and relaxing!

Usually, if we feel that we are being forced to answer a question, or are judged by our answers, we will find it more difficult to air our views. But at Alpha, we come together as friends and everyone is able to discuss things openly because we have a platform to share and ask questions. The aunties and uncles help keep the discussion going by asking interesting questions to guide us, as well as just listening and encouraging us during the sessions.

Because Alpha was fun, my friends and I looked forward to each session and we always had a good turnout –around ten of us each week!

Did you want to share your faith with them before this?

Yes I did, but always found it difficult. Some of them go to church but don’t really know much about their faith. Normally, it would be awkward speaking about Christianity with them, but with Alpha, it was easy because it was just about inviting them to spend time together on a Friday night, to play and then watch a video together.

It was easy and natural to share about our faith during the chat afterwards! My friends who invited guests also agreed that the environment made it much easier to share about Jesus.

You recently had a combined

Weekend Away with some adults who were running Alpha. Tell us what it was like.

The Weekend Away at Changi Cove was fun! We had discussions in our regular Friday group, but combined with the adults for the video talks, meals, worship and prayer. Even though the talks we watched were different – as they were from the Alpha Film Series, we enjoyed them too!

In the evening, there was a time to be prayed for and a number of my friends shared that they felt peace, and some of us even received words of knowledge. Some of us experienced this for the first time and it was quite amazing!

I really enjoyed all the free time we had as well. My friends and I went cycling around Changi Village in the afternoon and spent time playing games and talking until really late at night after the evening session was over. Some of us even met early for breakfast on Sunday morning before the final session, despite little sleep! A total of twelve of us attended the weekend away, and I felt that our friendships were really deepened then. Many of us are looking forward to inviting more friends for our next Alpha run!

Are

you still in touch with everyone?

The school holidays have begun, and because we are a lot closer now, we decided to keep meeting regularly, to have meals or to watch movies as a group. One of the things we have also decided to do together is to meet for Bible study. I am sure that God will continue to strengthen our faith!

What

do you want to tell other youth about Alpha?

It’s fun, it’s interesting - so just #TryAlpha!

Love + Treasure

Words LYNETTE LIM Photography DARREN & JADE PHOTOGRAPHY

Growing up in a Taoist family, Lynette was sent to a Methodist school where she learned about God. It was only after attending Alpha that she discovered the real treasures of life and what genuine love really meant.

What was your childhood like?

The majority of my family members were devout Taoists, and the various rituals were a common part of my life growing up. I distinctly remember instances where I was asked to drink “special water”, where burnt pieces of yellow paper were mixed with water –from which I had to take three sips, in order to help me achieve good grades. Additionally, I had to pray to the gods and my ancestors with joss sticks and burn joss paper as signs of respect. I always did as instructed, and never felt that I was being forced. Moreover, I was intrigued by the temple mediums’ abilities, as they seemed to have supernatural powers and knowledge.

Despite this background, my parents decided to send me to a Methodist school, following in their footsteps - as both of them had attended mission schools throughout their primary and secondary school years.

Prior to this, I had attended St. Hilda’s kindergarten, but had no exposure to Sunday school – and so I really enjoyed the weekly chapel services at primary school where we would sing simple worship songs and listen to interesting sermons. In secondary school, I joined the Girls’ Brigade, which gave me a stronger sense of community and Christian values, as the activities were always centered on God. I was eventually promoted to the rank of squad leader, where I gained valuable leadership skills, learning to take charge of and care for people.

A few of my school friends were attending Wesley Methodist Church, and I began following them to Sunday services. I felt it was a chance to spend time with my friends on the weekend, and I enjoyed the teaching and the worship there. I even attended services on my own at times.

My parents never objected to me going to church, as they were participating in temple ceremonies as well as attending services at Novena Church. They didn’t seem to feel that there was any conflict in doing this, as visiting the temple was out of a sense of tradition, and going to church had been a good concept as taught during their school years. Over time, after the passing of my grandmother who was a devout buddhist, my parents began to rethink their faith and subsequently decided to be baptised into the Catholic Church.

How did you hear about Alpha?

One Sunday, I saw an advertisement in the weekly church bulletin on “exploring the questions of life”. The topics listed attracted me because I realised I could not answer those questions myself -- “Who is Jesus? Why did Jesus die? Why and how do I pray?”. I wanted to understand the fundamentals of Christianity and signed up for it.

How did your life change?

To say it was a life changing decision would be an understatement!

I enjoyed the Alpha talks and discussions – they fed my mind; and at the same time, I discovered a genuine, loving community. Before Alpha, I enjoyed Sunday services but had not yet discovered a personal relationship with Christ or think that it was important to serve in church.

During the Alpha Weekend Away, I was given a word of knowledge that greatly encouraged me. It showed me, for the first time how personal God really was –and revealed to me that Christianity was not simply a religion but a personal relationship with our Father.

Soon after the Alpha run, I made the decision to be baptised. I also felt the desire to begin serving in church, and an opportunity to help with the team at the Ministry of Hearing Impaired (MHI) soon crossed my path.

It was a volunteer position teaching Mathematics to a hearing impaired student. While I had prior experience with tutoring, I had no experience with sign language. I enjoyed the time spent with my student, but struggled to communicate with her. However, she was always patient with me, first communicating through writing, and then showing me how to sign words and sentences whenever I asked. Our friendship increased my desire to want to communicate more effectively with the hearing impaired community. I enrolled in a Worship and Sign Language course offered by MHI, and through many hours of interaction with my new friends, my sign language skills improved as the months went by.

After about two years of tutoring, I began serving as a worship interpreter at church services – which really expedited my learning curve. One has to be extremely careful when interpreting during a live service, as words can be easily mixed up, causing confusion. And so - having to sign makes me so much more alert and attentive in church than I ever was!

Since my first involvement in the ministry, I’ve also had opportunities to serve on mission trips to countries like Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. Although each country has its own unique language, I’ve learned that above all, it is the language of love that ultimately serves to overcome any cultural barriers.

You now work with Alpha Singapore! How did that happen?

As I became more involved with Kingdom work, I felt a call to commit more time to serve the Lord. I contemplated my next move for two years before making the final decision to move out of the Insurance industry, where I had been working for more than a decade. Alpha was one of my options because it was something that had greatly impacted my life.

God expedited the process and opened a door for me – after three months of waiting, I was offered a role at Alpha; in Communications - an area that I had no prior experience in! After accepting the role, I had to constantly learn on the job. However, I soon discovered that as each person is obedient to God’s call, He equips and empowers us! After a year at Alpha, I was offered a position as Ministry Coordinator for Youth and Campus - and two years in, it is a role that continues to inspire, challenge and energise me. I have found that all the skills that I have learned over the years – right from my days in the Girls’ Brigade are now being put to use!

You faced some challenges recently, tell us more.

Despite the many good changes since I encountered God, life has not always been a bed of roses. The last few years saw one of the toughest moments in my life; most recently the passing of my mum after a battle with cancer. On reflection, if my understanding of Christianity had not been strengthened during my time at Alpha, I would have still had a very simplistic understanding of Christianity – and the difficult times in my life would have really shaken my faith.

Through Alpha, I discovered the importance of community to walk with me through both the good and bad times. I also learned to turn to the word of God whenever I need answers and with the power of the Holy Spirit, am able to step out of my comfort zones to serve in the communities He has placed me in. These are the essential ingredients that have helped to broaden my perspective about the meaning of life; remembering also that Jesus Himself went through much suffering. I am always encouraged when I remember how He persevered, and constantly looked to the Father to see him through.

Recently, during one of our staff devotions, someone shared that life is just a dash, ‘--’ simply one line on a tombstone between the year we are born and the year our life ends. But hurrying through it only makes life shorter, and I am beginning to understand the importance of finding joy in the good days, and then to look up and ahead in the bad times, remembering not to dash through life but make the most of it.

My Chinese name is 爱珍 (Ai Zhen), meaning love and treasure. I’ve only come to understand as I walk this journey with God - the significance of this name my parents gave me. This life is a journey to be treasured, and one of the most important things I have learned is to allow myself to be constantly transformed by Him, all through my ups and downs – that it may eventually become a testimony of His glory and goodness.

“..it is a role that continues to inspire, challenge and energise me.”

Free Indeed

Words YOU YI

Photography MITZI CARTHIGASU

You Yi spent much of his youth behind bars. His purpose then was to live a day at a time, waiting to be released from prison, but he now lives each day with excitement - to serve God and His people!

I was raised by my grandmother until I was eleven years old. After I returned to live with my parents and siblings, I had more freedom - and it was then that I began to pick up bad habits such as smoking, from the neighbourhood boys. At the same time, some other boys began to bully me. After being a target of this bullying for a few months, I finally decided that I should not be a victim any longer. And so, my next step was to join a secret society. This group offered me protection and this was the beginning of my downward spiral of depravity, which eventually led me to becoming a drug addict.

At thirteen years old, I was arrested and charged as an armed robber, ending up at a boys’ home. This meant that while I was given the freedom to continue my studies, I was also under the strict supervision of the hostel guardians. Instead of becoming a better person from the discipline enforced, the home became a haven where vices abounded. I learnt about other criminal activities from the boys there and got myself into more trouble as I sought to follow in the footsteps of my peers.

When I was released from the hostel, I began experimenting with more varieties of drugs until I was eighteen years old, when it was time for me to be enlisted into National Service. However, army life did not change me - I continued using drugs, and would often be absent without official leave (AWOL). Consequently, I was sentenced to the Detention Barracks four times – and took a total of four years to finish my National Service.

I continued committing various offences even after I entered the workforce, and I was charged for causing hurt, drug possession and cheating. I also began taking “hard” drugs, some of which were life threatening - two of my friends even had fingers and legs amputated because of the effects of these drugs. I was dealt several prison sentences, and each time I went in, I simply lived a day at a time, until my release.

During one of my prison sentences in 2006, I met a fellow prisoner whom I had once sold drugs to. Due to the consumption of these drugs and side effects, his leg had to be amputated. Despite this, he did not blame me but instead, passed me a small bible which contained the four Gospels. He then invited me to join the group he was meeting with for fellowship and weekend chapel services. I agreed, mainly because it was much more enjoyable meeting other people than being confined to my cell. Another reason I often joke about was that we never saw any women in prison, and there were actually women to be seen in the Alpha videos!

During the first session, I felt strangely moved during the time of worship. I continued to attend the chapel services and as time went on, began to be more open and share my thoughts and feelings with the group. At Alpha, we also learned how to pray. While I was not entirely convinced that this “worked”, I was surprised that some of my prayers were actually answered.

I once got into an argument with a senior inmate with whom I was working in the kitchen. While we did not get into a physical fight, I was fearful of what might happen the next day. I wondered if he would attack and possibly kill me with a kitchen knife. That night, unable to sleep, I prayed, “God please turn things around. I don’t want to be killed, and I don’t want to continue being in here because of another offence committed while in prison.”.

The next day, I was working in the kitchen with this man, but strangely, he did not attack me! Instead, he talked to me in a very gentle, patient way. I thought, “This is impossible!”. Right then, I remembered my prayer – it must have been answered – and this must indeed be a real God!

While I slowly began to believe in God, I remained a self-centred person. After my release from prison, I secured a job and did well, eventually receiving a promotion and began to manage a small team. I would spend time talking with my staff, and also bring them out for drinks. However, my old vices, one by onebegan to return. One day, while out with my colleagues, I started a fight that left me unconscious and landed me in hospital. When I next opened my eyes, I was on a hospital bed, with wounds inflicted by glass bottles. My brother was by my bedside, but informed me that my parents were too disappointed with me to visit. The doctor gave me painkillers to cope with the pain, but once I was discharged from the hospital, continued taking drugs. Eventually I overdosed, collapsing at work. As I recovered I asked myself, “Why have I gone down this same path, yet again?”.

That was my first struggle and first fall after accepting Jesus into my life. The difference this time was that in the past, I used to fear nothing except death, I now feared nothing except God. This fear struck my conscience, and I was driven to tears. Prior to this, I had only cried in my younger years when my grandmother scolded me, or when I experienced a break up with a girlfriend.

However this time, God’s love melted away the deep pain in my heart and I broke down, resolving to recommit my life to God.

I had been sentenced to prison again because of the fight, but decided that I would use my time there to share the gospel with the friends I had met during my previous incarcerations. I requested prayer from my Christian friends and continued going to chapel, keeping my focus on God and praying every night, asking Him to help me not to revert to my “old self”. This time, although I was behind bars yet again, I felt a freedom that I had not experienced previously

After my release from prison, I told my parents that a halfway house would be a better place for me to live, in order to bring some discipline to my life. During my time at Breakthrough Missions, I joined an Alpha group and once again experienced peace and joy as I spent time with the Christian community there.

Since completing the rehabilitation program at the halfway house, I have re-entered the workforce, and was offered a new job in a managerial position. In my personal life, I enjoy learning and recently completed a one year Bible Study Programme. Currently, I am attending the Bible study Foundations course (BSF). In order to “give back” to the people who once helped me, I began volunteering at Breakthrough Missions, helping to run Alpha. While I am still a work in progress, I believe that God is constantly moulding me to be a better man each new day. I do continue to face struggles at work and in ministry, but in times of difficulties I know that my God is always with me - and I pray that He will continue to use me for His purposes!

“I used to fear nothing except death, I now feared nothing except God.”

The Father’s Heart

Words and Photography TAN HSUEH MEI

Hsueh Mei attended the Alpha Parenting Course, first at her workplace and then at church. She shares with us her journey of how she returned to church after an absence of fifteen years and how her children were instrumental in helping her understand God’s love in a deeper way.

Tell us how you first came to know about The Parenting Course and what happened at the sessions?

The fellowship group at my workplace - Standard Chartered Bank (SCB), had run Alpha during lunchtime and subsequently decided to host a few sessions of The Parenting Course for our colleagues before the next run of Alpha. Desiree from Alpha Singapore helped to facilitate this, giving us “speed sessions” over two lunch hours.

I felt encouraged when I attended the short parenting course at my workplace, as colleagues from all different ethnicities and faith backgrounds signed up for it. We were all able to learn from each other despite our differences, and some even went on to attend Alpha!

Shortly after these sessions, I saw an announcement in my church bulletin about the Family Ministry running the Parenting for Teenagers course. I have three teenage daughters and a ten-year-old son, and felt it would be relevant and helpful for me. I signed up with a colleague who had attended The Parenting Course, followed by Alpha at our workplace - where she had accepted Christ.

During the five weeks of The Parenting Course at Barker Road Methodist Church, I enjoyed meeting with the other mothers and being able to learn from everyone’s sharing and experiences. For example, one mother shared the ways in which she was able to allocate quality time with each child –something that was especially relevant since I have four kids! Along those lines, another participant told the group how she organised staycations with each individual child to ensure real quality one-on-one time, something I would like to do in the future as well.

Learning about the Five Languages of Love was also particularly helpful as it helped me become more aware of the needs of each of my children. It was also great fun doing the survey at home as a family and finding out what our ‘love languages’ were! I was comforted to know that other parents had gone through similar issues that I was facing as welleverything from teenage insecurities to hormonal changes - all (we were relieved to learn) eventually come to an end. More importantly, equipped with the right ‘tools’, we can help our teenagers triumph over these difficult times.

The videos were not just insightful but also showed us how the theories worked in practical life. At the end of the day, in recognition that each family is different, parents are encouraged to adapt what they learn for their own families.

Personally, what I found most beneficial was the support we gained from each other as parents. They say it takes a village to raise a child and so what better way than to learn and take comfort in our fellow ‘villagers’! Many of the participants still stay in touch via our Whatsapp group that we formed to share tips, encourage and pray for one another.

Parenting is probably the most important job we as parents are given. On reflection, it is ironic that while we spend years preparing for our careers in the workplace, we somehow think parenting will just come naturally to us. This course has reinforced that we have a responsibility to equip ourselves with parenting techniques so that in turn, we can equip our children to grow strong in Christ and for the journey ahead. The world around us is evolving at super speed and in this Internet Age, we really can’t be laggers!

I’ve recently completed the training sessions for The Parenting Course, and hope that we will run the full five sessions at my workplace sometime in the new year. By running it, I also hope to explore other questions that were not covered, for example, “How can parents keep kids hungry and close to God, especially in their teenage years?”.

What brought you back to church?

We often hear how God always finds the very circumstances in life that speaks most to you, to remind you of how much He loves and cares for you. This was the very thing I experienced a few years ago when my eldest daughter, Megan suddenly asked if we could go to church. This was probably due to the stress and challenges of adapting to secondary school life and competing in various athletic competitions. She had seen how the Christian athletes prayed before each event and appeared to be more centred.

When I was younger, I had actually attended RCIA at a Catholic Church, but until that point had not attended church for fifteen years. In between parenting four young children and working full time, it was all too easy to use the excuse of naptime and cranky kids as a reason to put God second.

I was introduced to Baker Road Methodist Church (BRMC) and soon after, also decided to attend Alpha with my children. During the Alpha weeks, I began to see how real God was.

When I first did Alpha, I just wanted to “hear the voice of God” – so that I would know He was real – but instead, I experienced Him in a very gentle yet personal way. For example, we saw God divinely protect my daughters in an incident that could have potentially been harmful, had He not sent a complete stranger to intervene at our Weekend Away. Incidents like these showed me how God is constantly watching over them – and through His love for them, God also revealed His love for me.

Tell us about the changes you have seen in your family?

An incident that struck me about the power of a praying parent, was when my son developed warts on his foot and asked me to pray for him. At the time, I had only been going to BRMC for a few weeks and so I prayed, though not quite believing - for healing. However, just one week later, all the warts had gone! It showed both my son and I that God is real and all we need is faith the size of a mustard seed! Ryan will now always have this personal encounter with God to remind him how God knows every circumstance in our lives, and is by his side. Our faith was definitely strengthened!

Over the last few years, I have seen a real transformation in my four kids, Megan who is 16, Anna 15, Tessa 13 and Ryan who is 10. They have blossomed beyond my wildest expectations, and I see God working powerfully in their lives to instil them with the confidence that they are fearfully and wonderfully made by our heavenly Father - who is always in control. God reminded me that while I could attempt to be ‘super mum’, my powers and abilities pale in comparison to the true ‘super Dad’.

On this journey, I have seen so many ways in which God has revealed Himself to my family, and I am comforted that He is always watching out for us! It reminds me of the verses in Psalms 8 and Hebrews 2: “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.”

Having experienced God’s love, we, in turn need to share what has been revealed to us with others, to give a reason for the hope that we have! (1 Peter 3:15). As I continue to reach out to friends and colleagues through both Alpha and The Parenting Course, my hope is that they would experience Him in a very real way, just as I have.

THE GLOBAL ALPHA CAMPAIGN

Alpha’s first ever global advertising campaign to invite potential guests to try Alpha was launched in September 2016 across continents, countries, cities, towns and villages around the world. In the campaign, Bear Grylls, a British adventurer, writer and television presenter with over 1.5 billion fans worldwide, tells his story of finding faith and true adventure on Alpha and invites millions to do the same.

61 countries have signed on to participate in the campaign with digital advertising planned across TV, cinema, radio and social media, and physical advertising everywhere.

Bear has extraordinary global reach, particularly among the younger generation - those furthest from the church. He is recognised from New York to New Delhi and his biggest market is now in China, positioning the campaign for huge global success.

The campaign invites a new audience to try Alpha, inspire an invitational culture among churches and leaders, and engage the world in a new conversation about faith.

Provided for free, together with the Alpha Film Series, churches worldwide will be equipped with the most effective set of tools to invite, welcome and share the gospel with this new generation of Alpha guests.

“My simple faith has so often brought light to a dark path, warmth to a cold mountain and strength to a failing body. I remember crawling onto the summit of Everest and clearing the snow from my mask to see the curvature of the Earth at the edges.

But finding a simple faith that empowers my life? To me, that’s been my greatest adventure.”

- Bear Grylls Celebrity Adventurer

An Intern-view with Jacob

Words JACOB WEE

Photography MITZI CARTHIGASU

Meet Jacob, the newest member of our team!

Tell us a bit about your background.

I was born and raised in a Catholic family in Singapore, and most of my immediate and extended family also served in various positions with the Catholic Church. I began singing with my church choir at a young age and in my late teens and early twenties, served as a youth leader. My primary training has been in music and it is one of the passions in my life; I am currently involved in the Charismatic Renewal movement as the head of worship.

Over the years, I have held various jobs as a music producer, street busker, football coach as well as a wedding planner. I have enjoyed the variety of these roles, and the people I get to meet through my work!

How did you find out about Alpha and What was it like working in Alpha Singapore?

My home church, Saint Teresa’s ran Alpha twice in both 2009 and 2010 and I was asked to attend. Those were my first experiences with Alpha.

I had a wonderful time interning for six months at Alpha Singapore! I enjoyed the change of environment, from doing many tasks in the past to focus on building the ministry with the team. I felt my role also helped me to seek the Lord more often as I would connect with Him over the course of my work day.

I was given a big surprise, when, just as my time with Alpha Singapore was coming to an end, I was offered a full-time position as Ministry Coordinator for Alpha in a Catholic context. I thought I was ready to move on, but I discovered that God still has many things for me to do here!

What are your thoughts about Alpha in the Catholic community?

I have found Alpha to be theologically simple to understand and it is really a good tool that the Catholic Church can utilise, not just for evangelisation but also for re-evangelisation purposes, as it provides people a platform where people can encounter Jesus for themselves - through the power of the Holy Spirit. Many of us have so many questions about life and Alpha is a great place for everyone to explore their faith!

Oikouménē

Words & Photography LYNETTE LIM

The word ‘church’ is often perceived as a building, and in land-scarce Singapore, sometimes a unit in an office or industrial building. However, the church in Jesus’ time was not made up of buildings or walls, it was any place by the river banks, on a mountain, by the well, comprising people like you and I. It was not referred to as ‘your’ church or ‘my’ church. The church is the body of Christ gathered, not categorised by denominations, but centred on our Lord, believing in Jesus and guided by the Holy Spirit.

On the 26th of September, we gathered in this ecumenical manner. Prayer ministers, ushers and volunteers from the Catholic Church, Anglican, Methodist and Lutheran congregations extended hands to serve while around 1,200 people assembled for a time of worship together at the beautiful cathedral of St. Andrews. As one congregation, all sang the Lord’s prayer, followed by the Nicene Creed in unison.

For the first time, one of the bishops of the Anglican Church – Bishop Low Jee King was present to read a scripture passage and the Lutheran Bishop, Terry Kee preached. Along with the Roman Catholic Archbishop William Goh and Methodist Bishop, Wee Boon Hup, all four bishops partnered together – in a show of unity, to minister to the sick, accompanied by seventy pairs of prayer ministers from both Roman Catholic and Protestant churches.

Following this, there was a segment where members of the congregation were given an opportunity to turn to and bless their neighbour with a prayer. Catholics joined hands with Methodists and Lutherans with Anglicans; backgrounds ceasing to matter. This 4th Ecumenical Charismatic Healing Service was truly a resounding triumph of unity of the One Church.

The service was jointly organized by Alpha Singapore, the Ad Hoc Committee of Protestants and the Singapore Archdiocesen Catholic Charismatic Renewal (SACCRE).

Thank You

For braving the rain to support us at Alpha’s 7th Annual Golf Fundraising Event on 27th October 2016!

Your kindness and generosity enables us to score some ‘hole-in-ones’ in the work of our ministries!

Publicity Materials

Do you need help publicising your Alpha run?

Alpha has publicity materials such as banners, postcards and posters available for you in a range of different sizes to order.

Banner styles included are:

“Pull Up” banners with mechanism

Horizontal Banners (12x3 ft, 8x4 ft, 6x3 ft and 10x10ft)

Send us the details of your Alpha, together with your church logo, which will appear on a personalised banner or postcard.

Our design files are available for viewing and download on our website at: singapore.alpha.org/printshop

Ministry & Volunteer Opportunities

Come and be a part of Alpha’s global vision to evangelise the nations and transform society. Play an important role as God’s instrument in transforming lives and society, growing and reviving churches and strengthening marriages and families.

If you sense a calling to be part of this vision, we would love to hear from you! Kindly email your CV to hr@alpha.org.sg

Meet The Team

What is your favourite food and pastime?

“Japanese cuisine is my favourite. I am a travel enthusiast.”

John Lee National Director

john.lee@alpha.org

“I enjoy a good steak and like to dance during my free time.”

Andrew

Ministry Coordinator | Prisons & Halfway Houses andrew.foong@alpha.org

“As long as it’s edible, I’ll eat it. I love people watching...”

Rev Jeffrey Tay Ministry Coordinator | Local Church jeffrey.tay@alpha.org

“Chicken rice with awesome chilli sauce. I love to travel and cycle.”

Lynette Lim Ministry Coordinator | Youth & Campus lynette.lim@alpha.org

“Durian! I love reading and baking.”

Wendy Goh Administration Coordinator wendy.goh@alpha.org

“You can never go wrong with prata! I enjoy makeup artistry and playing the electric guitar.”

Hannah Oh Ministry

Coordinator | Workplace

hannah.oh@alpha.org

Foong

“I love having stewed pork knuckle (daoyu terka) and reading.” “My favourite food is beef rendang. I like going camping and cycling.”

Rev (Dr) Then Chee Min

Ministry Coordinator | The Marriage Courses cheemin.then@alpha.org.sg

Sai Kim

Ministry Coordinator | The Marriage Courses saikhim.tng@alpha.org.sg

“I love Dim Sum and I enjoy brisk walking. ”

Kerri Wai

Resource Executive kerri.wai@alpha.org

“I have the biggest sweet tooth for all things chocolate and I love to sing! ”

Mitzi Carthigasu

Communications Executive mitzi.carthigasu@alpha.org

“I enjoy good Lor Mee. I love to travel, shop and eat!”

Joseph Chia

Ministry Coordinator | Chinese Church & Accounts Manager joseph.chia@alpha.org

“I love dry Mee Pok. I enjoy playing football and busking! ”

Jacob Wee

Ministry Coordinator | Catholic Alpha jacob.wee@alpha.org.sg

“I love a great beef stew. Whenever I can, I love to travel and play tennis.”

Desiree Tan

Ministry Coordinator | The Parenting Courses desiree.tan@alpha.org

GIVE

We are thankful to all our Alpha friends and supporters who have given so generously to the work of Alpha Singapore.

Your generosity has enabled us to support Alpha in Churches and various contexts through the years.

Help us continue to bring Alpha to many others in our nation and extend the Lord’s Kingdom.

We are always grateful for any and every gift we receive.

To give, please visit: singapore.alpha.org/giving