CONNECT Issue 16 (March 2014)

“Being a Christian is less about cautiously avoiding sin than about courageously and actively doing God’s will.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

W I T H

G O D

W I T H

O N E

A N O T H E R

The Newsletter of Covenant Evangelical Free Church JANUARY – MARCH 2014 ISSUE NUMBER 16 MICA (P) 147/09/2013

A Life-On-Life Investment The first Alpha course was launched in Covenant EFC with more than 110 pre-believers at the Introductory Dinner in September 2013. Over a two-month period from October, 11 groups met to discuss questions on Christianity. Katie Chung finds out more. >>

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Ps Yam Keng Mun

Contents Alpha Course

A Life-On-Life Investment

1

Inspiring ONE80 Change All Around Us

3

Gallery

Christmas Outreach 2013

4

Close Up

Recalibrating His Golden Years

6

upcoming events

8

God At Work

Dollars and Sense 8

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Alpha Course

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entrally located in YMCA at Dhoby Ghaut, each Alpha session began with a scrumptious buffet dinner, followed by a video of Nicky Gumbel and a group discussion. Safety is paramount in a setting like this, and so, to ensure that guests felt welcomed enough to ask tough questions, every Alpha group was kept small – a facilitator, a helper, three to four Alpha guests and their inviters. Guests could even choose to end the six sessions with a weekend getaway finale, to round up the Alpha experience on a spirited note!

And God, in His faithfulness, was busy changing people’s lives. RS was a free thinker brought up in a Taoist family.

Like many Alpha guests, she was curious to find out more about Christianity.

Encouraged by her friends and the facilitators in her group, she came to Alpha to learn more about the One who loves her with an everlasting love. The six sessions proved invaluable as the friends she made helped her, as a young believer, anchor herself in a church.

“Nicky Gumbel’s videos were intriguing and thought provoking,” she shared, “He doesn’t just try to convince prebelievers through emotions, which can be unsustainable once we step out from Alpha, but successfully connects with us on the rational and intellectual level.”

As a first-time Alpha facilitator, Boo Hong Kwen found the content of

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All the volunteers experienced God afresh through being part of Alpha together as kindred spirits, serving as one in the body of Christ. Joyce, an on-site intercessor, felt that praying together with other intercessors was like being “warriors on a battlefield”, and it was a wonderful experience in the unity of the Spirit.

As facilitators, Hong Kwen and Philip counted it a privilege and a rewarding experience to lead someone to Christ.

Many were awed to see the Lord deliver the unexpected. Even prior to the start of Alpha, someone who was invited to attend Alpha accepted Christ!

Post-Alpha, someone in Philip’s group accepted Christ, showing that God still works in the lives of our guests even when the “official programme” is over.

Alpha illustrates that evangelism is not necessarily a one-off outreach event but a life-on-life investment, with returns that are “out of this world”. It is intentional disciple-making put into practice. All that is needed is a willing heart. Is your heart willing?

the videos “well-structured and wellpresented, with impactful examples and analogies”. The guests also had a comfortable environment to ask difficult and personal questions relating to Christianity. A happy problem that she faced as a facilitator was not having enough time to discuss questions raised by the Alpha guests in her group!

Hong Kwen was encouraged by her CG leaders to attend the facilitators’ training. “The experience was very uplifting,” Hong Kwen shared. She added, “Alpha has increased my faith in God and has drawn not only me closer to Him but also my family. It kept me and my family praying practically everyday for the Alpha guests as well as for the Alpha team.” Her CG also came together to pray for her group.

Likewise, another first-time facilitator, Philip Ee, thought he “might as well pick up a new skill set” even though his friends eventually declined his invitation to Alpha. As Philip shared in his interview, “Exchange rate: 2 hours a week for 8 weeks = a life saved!”

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Alpha illustrates that evangelism is a life-on-life investment, with returns that are “out of this world”.

ONE80

Inspiring ONE80 Change All Around Us Would you hike a whopping 50 km across Singapore for Christ? 85 youths from Covenant did just that – and more. Alythea Ho chats with ONE80 graduates to get an idea of what it means to change lives 180 degrees for Jesus.

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or many youths, deciding to join ONE80 wasn’t easy.

Sacrifice five precious weeks of December school holidays to attend some church stuff?

Should I really do that?

“My family thought ONE80 was a more practical way to spend my holidays,” says 13-year-old Kelly Sng, with a shy giggle. “Otherwise I’d be watching anime instead.”

Kelly is a ONE80 graduate, one of 85 youths who completed the programme.

Held from November to December last year, ONE80 is specially designed to help 13 to 17-year-olds develop godly character and Christian life skills for an increasingly complex world.

“There’s always something to do every day,” says Joell Tee, 16. “I saw how much fun my Momentum juniors had in ONE80 2012, so I decided to sign up for 2013’s session.”

Think X-pedition: a three-day 50 km urban trek in Singapore which even had ‘Fellowship of the Ring’ elements thrown in at some points – teams had to protect their ‘ring-bearer’ from paintball attacks.

“I love X-pedition. On the last day my friend and I fell behind. But when my team found out they came back to help us,” says Kelly. “I was really touched as it was the most concern I’ve ever received from friends.”

But ONE80 wasn’t all about fun and games. Apart from devotionals, talks, and sermons, the youths learned Christian life skills from their mentors in the safety of a small group environment.

“I learned that when you have a problem you have to ask for help. You can’t expect people to observe and help you, because they can’t read your mind,” says Gloria Chan, 13.

Each ONE80 group was also assigned to a specific organisation. “Some youths helped pack clothes for women and children in Sarawak. Others put on skits

and interacted with the people we were reaching out to,” adds Gloria.

For Joell, her group went knocking door-to-door in old rented flats to see how the residents were doing. “We saw many old people who lived alone.

Like this old lady with stage four cancer and was grappling with the loss of her husband. It was a real eye-opener, and

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Change doesn’t start from going overseas or doing something radical, but begins from being someone instrumental at home.”

also, quite heartbreaking,” she says.

Matthias Soh reveals how the ONE80 Breakthrough Weekend made a great impact on him. “Our parents were asked to secretly write letters to us. I cried when I received mine, because it was then I realised how much they loved me.”

Today, Joell volunteers for Beyond Social Services as part of her school’s external activity. “Ever since ONE80, I know that change doesn’t start from going overseas or doing something radical, but begins from being someone instrumental at home.”

Kelly agrees, “I used to disrespect my parents and pick fights with my sister.

But now I learned that even though we sometimes don’t feel like honouring our parents, we must still honour God.” With the next ONE80 still several months away, Gloria believes everyone should be encouraged to participate.

“It’s a very different experience from what you get in school. It’s a safe environment. It doesn’t matter if you’re the average kid in school. When you’re there, everyone accepts you,” says Gloria, smiling.

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Gallery

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Glory to God for the many people whose hearts found their true home!

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Christmas Outreach 2013 “Home for Christmas” was staged over three days at our Woodlands Centre, and saw 4,181 attending the musical. 20 prayed to receive Christ and 22 rededicated their lives to the Lord.

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Close Up

Recalibrating His Golden Years Passionate and purposeful about making a difference in the lives of others, Ps Keng Mun, who turned 60 last year, shares with Chan Sue Ming about his life and ministry, and his desire to make a difference in the lives of others.

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rmed with just $20 and a burning desire to see the world, 17-year-old Yam Keng Mun took a train from Teluk Intan, a small town in Perak, Malaysia to Singapore, checked into a hotel in New Bridge Road, then walked more than 5km to the Central Manpower Base (CMPB) for his interview to join the Navy. The fresh ‘O’ levels graduate was back in his hometown in Malaysia the next day.

When he was offered the job to do radio communications in the Navy, he bade farewell to his parents and seven siblings, and relocated here where he has been living since. He was later commissioned as a Naval Officer. Ps Keng Mun’s Navy service highlights include a six-month stint with the French Navy and two years in command of a patrol craft.

His 17 years in the Navy were marked by important milestones: It was there that he heard about Jesus, when a CONNECT JANUARY – MARCH 2014 • 6

fellow naval officer shared Christ with him aboard a ship. He became a Christian at the age of 18, and went on to serve in the youth ministry and the Boys Brigade in his church.

Church was also where he found Rebecca, the mother of his two children Ethan, 21, and Alethea, 18. At the time, Rebecca was serving with OMF, and he was interested in missions. That shared passion for the same ministry and the world at large led his church friends to introduce them.

After dating for six months, he admits that he “chickened out” as he felt their relationship was going too fast. But a few years later, prompted by God, he reconnected with Rebecca, who was in her first year of studies at Moody Bible Institute (MBI) in the United States. They married in 1988, shortly before leaving for MBI together to pursue their studies.

Ps Keng Mun wanted to study at MBI because he wanted to create teaching materials for the boys in Boys Brigade,

and felt that the only way he could do this was by learning how to write a curriculum. While majoring in theology and youth leadership, he realised that being there did not actually equip him to write a curriculum, still, the stint got him very interested in a Bible-based education.

Those who saw his installation as full-time pastor last November may not know that he was already a Covenant EFC pastor in the 1990s, serving alongside Ps Ed, Ps Kay Kiong and Ps Glen Westwood (our pastor missionary to Thailand).

He left full-time service then to pursue further studies in psychology, earning his Masters, and setting up his clinical psychology practice, before rejoining Covenant EFC as a part-time pastor in 2011. He came on board full-time from November 2013. He is the present District Mentor to both Westside and BPJ Field districts at Bukit Panjang Centre.

Clockwise from opposite page far left: With wife, Rebecca, and their two children, Ethan and Alythea; at Tacloban, Philippines, on a humanitarian aid trip; packing relief aid for Typhoon Haiyan victims; wedding day; visiting one of the CGs; precious words from Ps Ed

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We just need to take baby steps to do what is pleasing to God” Ps Keng Mun is passionate about helping lay people be disciples and disciple-makers of the Lord wherever the Lord places them, be it at home, work or school. He becomes more excited and animated as he talks about helping people develop a boldness to trust God and walk by faith, journeying from “I’m not sure where I am going” to “Yes, Lord, send me!”.

Despite his boyhood wish to see the world, he believes that “Send me!” is less about a change in geographical location (like missions), than living out your faith in your own “Jerusalem.”

He acknowledges it is not easy as relationships may be difficult, and the work can be tedious and monotonous, but, “We just need to take baby steps to do what is pleasing to God.” For Ps Keng Mun, these steps include doing simple yet “difficult” things on a regular basis like vacuuming and mopping – something he dislikes – to serve his family.

Ps Keng Mun’s Favourite Things

Guided by Psalm 92 that talks about the godly growing like palm trees, he desires to spend his golden years devoted to God’s purposes. May God continue to use Ps Keng Mun to help people live out their faith more authentically and shine righteously wherever they may be!

Food masala chicken, nasi lemak, char kway teow, durians Book “A Certain Kind”

by Rev Edmund Chan Hobbies cycling, badminton, surfing the internet Movie local productions like Jack Neo’s films Music instrumental, lounge music

“Faith does not eliminate questions. But faith knows where to take them.”

Elizabeth Elliot

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Upcoming Events

Date

EVENT

Venue

5 April

Alpha Weekend

TBC

6 April

Annual General Meeting

BPJ

14-17 April Dawn Prayer Kum Yan

Methodist Church

18 April Good Friday Service WDL 11 May

Mother’s Day Service

BPJ & WDL

Credits executive Editor Joice Toh MANAGING Editor Chan Sue Ming COPY editors Alythea Ho, Robin Yee, Silas Wee writers Alythea Ho, Chan Sue Ming, Katie Chung PHOTOGRAPHERS Almeo Tan, Ian Tan, Kevin Kwok ART DIRECTION & DESIGN Christian Subrata

God At Work

Dollars and Sense CONNECT catches up with Teo Kong Yeow, Covenant’s Finance and HR director, former Vice President of Finance for the Asia-Pacific region at an MNC. He came on board in May 2011 and serves as a mentor in Covenant’s Young Adults Ministry (CYAN). By Chan Sue Ming Connect: What made you decide to leave your lucrative job in the marketplace and join the Covenant staff team?

Kong Yeow: I’ve always wanted to study in a seminary. After having worked in the marketplace for 35 years, I thought perhaps it was time to take a break from the corporate world to pursue it. I sought counsel with a church leader as to which theological school I should attend. Instead, he asked if I could work for Covenant first and put this on hold. I said yes without hesitation.

C: I gather it was not a difficult decision for you?

KY: No, as I was ready to leave what I was doing.

C: What is one thing you are learning as you work in Covenant?

KY: In the marketplace, the mission is to pursue profits. In church, we do not deal with numbers, but with people’s lives. What I used to measure success previously (profits and losses) is no CONNECT JANUARY – MARCH 2014 • 8

longer applicable. How do you put a price on a person’s soul? So I am now learning to balance financial stewardship with spiritual returns.

C: Come May 2014, you would have been working in Covenant for three years. How would you describe your time being on staff?

KY: I’m enjoying myself very much.

CONTACT US publications@cefc.org.sg our office 167 Jalan Bukit Merah Tower 5, #17-10 Singapore 150167 T. +65 6892 6811 F. +65 6892 1502 www.cefc.org.sg PRINTER Yung Shung Printrade Pte Ltd Cover Image: ©iStock.com/eyetoeyePIX CONNECT is the quarterly newsletter of Covenant Evangelical Free Church. Scriptural references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).

© 2014 Covenant Evangelical Free Church

Covenant is now on Facebook!

C: Do you still wish to study in a seminary?

KY: Yes, it’s still on my bucket list. But my work in Covenant is not yet done. I will stay on until it’s finished.

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I am learning to balance financial stewardship with spiritual returns.

Look out for our next issue in June!