Trinitarian Issue 22 - Sep 10 - Vision

People Features Happenings

4 1970 –2010

YEARS

www.trinity.net

Issue 3/2010

Happy Birthday Trinity!

Row Out, Reach Out Cell-ebrating Carecells Real Life Miracle: Walking on Faith’s Edge

Trinity Christian Centre CELEBRATION SERVICES

FEATURES 26

Trinity@Adam 21 Adam Road

Row Out, Reach Out Go from Rescued to Rescuer

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ENGLISH SERVICES Adult Services, Nursery & DiscoveryLand* Sat 5pm Sun 8.30am & 11am

Hope in Hopelessness Trusting in God’s promises

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Survive the Cold, Grow the Soul Winter revelations

Pre-teens Services (ages 10-12) Sat 5pm Sun 8.30am

PEOPLE

IGNYTE Services (ages 13-19) Sat 5pm Sun 11am

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CHINESE SERVICES Sun 8.30am & 11am

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Up Close and Personal Interview with the General Superintendent

Walking on Faith’s Edge A real life miracle

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Trinity@Paya Lebar 247 Paya Lebar Road

Journey into Faith and Love Walking hand-in-hand with God

ENGLISH SERVICES Adult Services, Nursery & DiscoveryLand* Sat 5pm Sun 10am Pre-teens Services (ages 10-12) Sat 5pm Sun 10am IGNYTE Services (ages 13-19) Sat 5pm Sun 10am CHINESE SERVICES Sat 5pm Sun 10am** FILIPINO SERVICE Sun 10am INDONESIAN SERVICE Sun 10am THAI SERVICE Sun 6.30pm

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TRINITY!

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* Nursery (birth to age 4) & DiscoveryLand (ages 4 -12) ** With Cantonese interpretation through earphones.

Information is correct at time of printing, and is subject to change.

RADIO MINISTRY Thought for the Day BE107 - Mon to Fri 7.40am & 10.30pm (repeat broadcast)

TRINITY CHRISTIAN CENTRE Tel: 6468 4444 • Fax: 6467 6005 Email: admin@trinity.org.sg Website: www.trinity.net Trinity@Adam 21 Adam Road Trinity@Paya Lebar 247 Paya Lebar Road

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26 ROW OUT, REACH OUT

40TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL SNAPSHOTS 8

Our Family, His Story

Happy Birthday Trinity!

32

Singapore’s biggest birthday card

14

Congratulatory messages from friends Greetings of love

20

Top 5 moments

86

40

43

Our Journey, His Leading 44

Build a Lasting Legacy!

A new look at our vision

Oh, Happy Day! Unfettered, Joyous, Inspirational

51

A Trinitarian Tradition Sowing deep

54

A Walk to Remember Heritage Walk Quiz

Concert of Hope Our Accolades, His Glory

Watoto Children’s Choir

108

Guess Who? Recognise your pastors?

Blessing Our Parents

Harlem Gospel Choir

105

5 FAQs on Hosting Carecell

Kisses from Heaven

Basking in the mood of celebrations

104

Trinity’s Unsung Heroes

Your home can be a blessing

CCSS Charity Golf

With gifts, song and prayer

103

Cell-ebrating Family Through carecells

Reflections of Life Conference

102

Carecell Myths – Busted!

The truth about carecell

42

Raising funds, touching lives

98

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Carecell hosts

Missions Overview from Jan to Jun 2010

92

Four individuals share

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Thanksgiving and Dedication Service

Cared and Connected!

Cup of Celebration The Trinity Cup returns

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Trinitarians, History-makers Entering the Singapore Book of Records

44

BUILD A LASTING LEGACY

38

CELL-EBRATING FAMILY

68

WALKING ON FAITH’S EDGE 5

V I S I O N

We see our worship services, prayer meetings and carecells as places where people hunger for the presence of God and where God delights to inhabit and dwell. In a vibrant atmosphere of worship, prayer and discipleship, we see people encountering God and the manifestation of signs, wonders and miracles.

Vibrant

O U R

Atmosphere We see Trinity Christian Centre as a church living together in covenantal relationships; where carecells, ministries, families and individuals are flowing in corporate unity to fulfil God’s purpose and plan for the church for that hour.

Incredible

Unity

We see a people consumed with a vision to touch the world for Jesus Christ and to see His glory displayed throughout the world. We see a church with a passionate heartbeat to fulfil God’s global agenda through sending men and women of faith to equip and empower churches and the body of Christ.

Passionate

Heartbeat

We see the church as a place for the empowerment and development of Spirit-filled leaders who will be strategically positioned and deployed within the Body of Christ. Every Trinitarian a leader with a ministry.

Strategic

Leadership

Editor Tan Rou’en Editorial Team Chia Ban Seng Ivan Koh Kevin Kwang Carol Lim Diana Lim

Sharon Lim Moo Yubin Quek Yan Ying Jonathan Tan

Contributing Writers Rev. Alton Garrison Rev. David Doery Rev. Danny Leong Pastor Tammy Goetz

Pastor Benjamin Wong Victoria Goetz Vince Yip

Contributing Photographers Aaron Char Pufferfish Studio Twenty4Frames Contributing Designer Faith Koh Photos Credit Ong Ser Ling Phua Lay Hoon Pauline Se Editorial Support Sarah Lau Veronica Teo Woo May Yin Advertising Sales & Admin Sarah Lau For ad sales enquiries, Tel: 6307 7718 Email: admin@trinity.org.sg Mailing Address Singapore Post Centre Post Office PO Box 616 Singapore 914021 Email admin@trinity.org.sg ISSUE 3/2010 The Trinitarian is published quarterly

by Trinity Christian Centre.

Company registration number 197802911H MICA (P) 060/03/2010

O U R C O R E VA L U E S

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Chief Editor Pastor Janice Chng

Passionate Honour

Audacious Fervour

Passion to love and honour God

Boldness and zeal to believe and ask largely for the impossible

Relentless Belief

Contagious Faith

Unwavering belief in people and their God-given destiny

Authentic and infectious faith that reaches out to the lost

Printed in Singapore by Print & Print Pte Ltd License number L028/01/2010 All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without express written permission is prohibited. Opinions, views and advertisements do not necessarily constitute the official stand of the church.

Happy Birthday Trinity

cord for the re e th t se y it Trin re rd in Singapo a c y a d th ir b biggest oyer adorned the F h ic h w , e n Ju in eek bar. Here’s a p e L a y a P @ y it of Trin itted! entries subm e th f o e m so at

t s .. . l u d A e h t From

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From f a m i l i e s .. .

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Happy Birthday Trinity

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From our

s .. . young one

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From our language ministrie s ..

12

.

e l l s .. . c e r a c r u o From

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Congratulations, trinity

At the Thanksgiving and Dedication Service, the congregation was abuzz with excitement when the following friends of the church gave their greetings, blessed us with their prayers and spoke prophetic words into the life of the church.

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Rev. Eu Yat Wan

Rev. Robert Lum

Former Pastor of Trinity Christian Centre (1985 – 2002)

Asst. General Superintendent, Assemblies of God, Singapore

Senior Pastor, New Life City Church, Perth, Australia I bring you greetings from New Life City Church. We know that God is going to raise up this church, Trinity Christian Centre, for greater things. I had the privilege to serve with Apostle Naomi Dowdy and with Pastor Dominic. God has given you the best pastors in the world.

I believe that God wants to raise Trinity Christian Centre as a church of integrity and divine purpose. Continue to walk in the things of God and He will raise you up. God will give you great arenas to conquer for nothing is impossible with Him. Press in, be faithful, pray for your pastors, support your leadership, and God is going to bring you to greater things for His glory.

Senior Pastor, Eternal Life Assembly, Singapore What an awesome service. On behalf of the General Council and the Executive Committee of the Assemblies of God, Singapore I would like to congratulate Rev. Dominic Yeo and the pastors, leaders and members of Trinity Christian Centre.

We rejoice over God’s incredible blessings upon you that overflow to so many people. Each of your founding fathers has blessed the Assemblies of God, Singapore. I remember that when I went for an interview to attain my credentials, Apostle Naomi was my interviewer. She didn’t give me a hard time; she just wanted to get to know me better. Thank you so much for your blessings toward us and your firm support towards the Assemblies of God. I believe it is significant that on your 40th year, your Senior Pastor, Rev. Dominic Yeo has been elected the General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, Singapore. It’s not just manpower, finance and facilities that you have loaned to us, but today you have given us your ultimate contribution – sharing your leader with the rest of this national movement. Thank you Pastor Dominic. We look forward to your leadership and the contribution of all of you at Trinity Christian Centre. We pray that as the Lord has given you much that you will make a great impact in our nation. May the Lord increase His blessings and multiply your influence for His Kingdom. God bless and thank you.

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Rev. Lawrence Khong Senior Pastor, Faith Community Baptist Church Chairman, Love Singapore My friendship with Trinity Christian Centre began in the 1990s because of my friendship and partnership with Apostle Naomi Dowdy and Pastor Dominic in the Love Singapore vision. They have brought tremendous insight and support to the movement and have really displayed a spirit of spirituality, humility and generosity to the Body of Christ. I believe that this spirit represents the spirit of the whole church and I want to thank you on behalf of the churches blessed.

I remember Pastor Dowdy sharing with the team in Love Singapore that we will have spiritual breakthroughs and construct highways for the people of God. As a result of that, other people will be able to go on the highway and find victory and success.

I want to affirm Trinity Christian Centre that in the last 40 years, you have become builders of spiritual highways for the churches in Singapore, the nation and the nations of the world. You are the first megachurch in Singapore and that gave us the faith to believe for the multitude. You are one of the main drivers of the cell group ministry and you gave us space for the rest of the movement of God to grow in this area. Trinity Christian Centre was the first church who did the Singing Christmas Tree in Orchard Road. This complex is the first in Singapore that displays the glory and the faithfulness of God. Thank you for being such a great blessing and example for all of us. I sense prophetically that this church will continue to be a builder of spiritual highways for the people of God. I declare by faith that there will be many, many, many firsts in the decades to come for this church. There may be many churches that have surpassed you in size because of the highways you have given to us. May you arise to build even better and bigger highways and grow from strength to strength and from glory to glory as the zeal of the Lord accomplishes this.

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Congratulations, trinity

Rev. Ong Sek Leang General Superintendent, Assemblies of God, Malaysia Senior Pastor, Metro Tabernacle, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia When God was leading His people to the Promised Land, one of the things He gave to them was an instruction to celebrate the feasts. Tonight is one of those feasts. There are three reasons why God told his people to celebrate them: 1) To help them remember where they came from We have honoured Apostle Naomi Dowdy, honoured the founders and we have seen pictures of those yesteryears and recalled the great things that God has done. Israel was brought to remember where they came from.

2) To rejoice at what they are today Your beautiful Sanctuary speaks of an excellent church, an excellent leadership. You sit in a service that is not only manned by men and women who have excellent organisational skills, but you sit in a congregation full of people who are the custodians of God’s presence. This is what the celebration is all about. Trinity Christian Centre, God has been with you, God is still with you and God will always be with you.

3) To know there is a greater day ahead for them Trinity Christian Centre, I want you to know, in today’s service you have just turned a corner. You have been known as a church of great excellence. You have been known as a church that has shared with ministers and pastors around the world the ways, the will and the agenda of God. But tonight in this prophetic event, you are turning a corner and from now onwards, God is going to entrust you His power like never before. You are entering into a supernatural dimension of your church and ministry. You will no longer only be known as a people who think ahead, as a people who know how to strategise, as a people who know how to raise leaders, as a people who have appreciation, who have the ability to introduce systems of growth. You will also be known, from tonight onwards, as a people who have the power of God, who will manifest the supernatural power of God. Trinity has been blessed with very strong foundations. Ever since Pastor Dominic took over five years ago, Trinity has experienced an exponential growth in practically every dimension of church life. Pastor Dominic, thank you for sharing not only your anointing, your church and your pastors with us and many churches in Malaysia. Most of all, thank you for sharing with us all your resources. You have been a great blessing to Metro Tabernacle.

God bless the leadership that He has given to you and God bless all of you at Trinity Christian Centre.

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Rev. Indrijati Gautama

Rev. Koji Hayashi

Senior Pastor, Apostolic Generation Church, Jakarta, Indonesia

Senior Pastor,

When I first came to Trinity, I heard from the Lord that you are

Tokyo Metro Church, Japan Home Missions Director, Assemblies of God, Japan

“founded” in this place – this church has a very strong and sound foundation. We are growing very tremendously because of what

I’m so impressed and privileged to be

Trinity Christian Centre has deposited in Indonesia.

here with you to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Trinity Christian Centre.

Our church in Indonesia would not have grown from seven to

The atmosphere and the love of God

1,800 people if not for your pastors. I ‘borrowed’ Trinity’s pastors to

in this place is great.

Indonesia because we were transiting, and the church in Indonesia needed leadership.

I bring greetings on behalf of Pastor Makoto Hosoi, the General

We thank you for not just being a local church in Singapore, but for

Superintendent of the Assemblies

also being a global church. Your impact is tremendous internationally,

of God, Japan:

and all my leaders have been impacted by the young Senior Pastor Dominic. Your words always resonate – “don’t stop at the potential, be

Dear Rev. Dominic Yeo,

the fulfilment of the potential that God has given you”; and we are.

it is my pleasure to greet you in the name of the Lord on your 40th

We are proud of you and so proud to be divinely connected with

anniversary celebrations. I know

you. We don’t just see you as Singaporean – people who like to eat

that God has already done some

chicken rice and nasi lemak – that is the wrong image for Singapore!

wonderful things for you. Please know that I join you in prayer for the

Trinity has set a standard and you have crossed over. The first time

continuation of God’s perfect will for

you came, when we were not even a church, you prophesied that

your church. May the Lord continue

we would be the generation who would “carry Indonesia to cross

to grant you wisdom and strength for

over”. We have crossed over to become the new breed of leaders in

this hour.

our country because of what you have invested: your pastors, your money, energy and time in Indonesia. We believe that your church will multiply and reach the next milestone.

Congratulations and happy anniversary. This wonderful building is just a manifestation of the excellent spirit that you have in this place.

God bless you.

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Congratulations, trinity

Rev. David Doery

Rev. Les Bowling

Victorian State Executive Member, Australian Christian Churches, Australia

Founder and President of Eagle Rock Ministries, USA

Senior Pastor, Bridge Church, Melbourne, Australia

Apostle, Eagle Rock Covenant Network, USA

I bring you greetings from Bridge Church, greetings

This is a special honour and a privilege for me.

from the Australian Assemblies of God and greetings

I was able to be a part of the Change of Command

from your children who are studying in Melbourne

Ceremony and now my wife and I are here for this 40th

and worshipping with us.

anniversary celebration. Apostle Naomi, I don’t know what it’s cost you to be you, but I know the price has

I think when God wrapped me together in my

been high and I want to say thank you for paying the

mother’s womb, He put a little bit of Trinitarian DNA

price. What a worthy investment of your life and look

in me because I have loved your church from our

what God has done. You’ve been so kind to me and

first friendship. I love your leadership, your heart of

embraced me as a son. You’ve spoken to me, corrected

leadership, your heart for team.

me, loved me and been kind to me.

I have loved the strength of your culture. I learnt

Pastor Dominic Yeo, you are one of the most cutting-

a new term when I came – ‘We are Trinitarians!’

edge leaders in our era. It is a privilege to be your

I love your heart for missions – to serve the local

friend. What God has done here in Singapore echoes

community, to take the gospels literally to the four

throughout the nations – impacting, encouraging,

corners of the earth. There are so many aspects of

edifying, equipping, training and lifting up. Only

your church that I love, but the greatest aspect is

eternity will be able to tell the full measure of the

your heart for Jesus Christ. You’re a church who

impact you’ve had on ministries all over the world.

loves to worship and you’re a church that is obedient to the call of God. We celebrate with you, we

One thing is for certain – you’ve taken ministry to a

congratulate you, and we look back over 40 years

whole new level. You have encouraged the rest of us to

and we thank God for His grace and His anointing

be what we can become and you are a great example

upon you.

to the Body of Christ. It is a great honour to know you and to your friend. I just want to end by saying with

We look forward to the next 40 years because

conviction that ‘I am a Trinitarian’. God bless you.

we know that God will continue to increase your influence. We will be cheering you on from deep Down Under; privileged to be called friends. Thank you so much, congratulations.

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Thanksgiving and Dedication ication Service: Serv

Top op 5 Mome M Moments o

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4

YEARS

We laughed, we cried and we were kept on the edge of our seats as the church celebrated another milestone. We revisit the highlights of this unforgettable occasion.

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4

YEARS

1

Thanksgiving and Dedication Service:

worship from the heart The voices of thousands echoed across the sanctuary as Trinitarians worshipped God in one accord. With each song, the Holy Spirit stirred a fresh desire in the congregation to worship Him with greater passion.

It was rousing to see the congregation pointing to heaven in unison every time the chorus of ‘Counting on God’ was sung. This was a prophetic act that signified their absolute trust in God in all circumstances.

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The final chorus, ‘Great Is Thy Faithfulness’, led by Creative Ministry vocalist, Jennifer Gan, was a fitting declaration and tribute to our faithful God. Few would have noticed that Jennifer began to tear during the song. The reason behind those tears? Two decades ago, Jennifer’s father was supposed to sing the same song at Trinity’s 20th Anniversary service but suffered a heart attack and passed away that very morning; the opportunity to continue where her father had ‘left off ’ some twenty years later was certainly evidence of an awesome God at work.

Top op 5 M Moments

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celebration of heritage

The Thanksgiving and Dedication Service would not be complete without appreciating Trinity’s founders. Trinity was honoured to have Darla Stafford, the daughter of our founders Rev. and Mrs Glenn Stafford grace the occasion. Missionaries from the Assemblies of God, America, Trinity had its humble beginnings in their personal residence 40 years ago.

In addition, through a specially-prepared video, homage was paid to the woman who firmly established Trinity Christian Centre. Then, as she took to the stage, Rev. Naomi Dowdy was met with a resounding ovation. Together with Darla Stafford, the two were presented with a bouquet of flowers and a special hard-cover edition of the Trinitarian.

Pastor Dominic was also honoured during this time.

Two of his spiritual sons, Pastor Darick and Pastor Peter, along with their children, presented him with a miniature replica of a panel from the Heritage Walk. Entitled ‘Our Family’, the gift was a fitting acknowledgement of the spiritual father of this house.

The walk down memory lane left an indelible mark in the hearts of Trinitarians young and old.

An adult leader from IGNYTE, our youth ministry commented it was ‘good for youths to understand the humble origins of the church, lest we cannot fully comprehend the magnitude of God’s faithfulness in Trinity.’

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Thanksgiving and Dedication Service:

Top 5 Moments

3 dedication of trinity @paya lebar Trinity@Paya Lebar was dedicated to the glory of God as Pastor Dominic read out statements declaring God’s faithfulness through the completion of the new complex, with the congregation responding in affirmation. There was a sense of awe as these words – words declaring the fulfillment of God’s plans and purposes, through the complex – were prophetically spoken into the church.

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The second portion of the dedication segment of the service saw ministers representing the offices of the fivefold ministry praying over the house. Pastors Wilson, Larry, Sabrina, Gerald and Dowdy represented the teachers, pastors, evangelists, prophets and apostles respectively in praying for God’s power to be manifested in these specific areas. In response, the congregation affirmed their prayers as one.

1-church, 2-centres, 3-nitarians – Trinitarians, let us look forward to all that God is going to do in and through this church!

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5

people with passion

electrifying atmosphere

Trinitarians too, had their moment in the spotlight through a video showcasing Trinity’s mission expressions and community outreach programmes.

Rounding off our list is the overall air of excitement and anticipation that was evident throughout the evening’s celebrations.

From their involvement in various Mission Impact Teams (MITs) to supporting Trinity’s social services arm, Care Community Services Society (CCSS), Trinitarians have sowed into the Kingdom both locally and globally, to bring hope to the lost, hurting and needy.

As one Trinitarian commented, ’It was heartwarming to see Trinity Christian Centre providing hope for communities both locally and globally. I’m heartened to see my faith promise impacting the lives of those in need and I feel challenged to do more for God’s Kingdom.’

Trinity Christian Centre has been blessed, and in turn we have been a blessing to many. May God increase our influence in the days ahead as we continue to build His house.

Even the power outage that occurred during the service did not dampen the mood. While power to the stage was being restored, Trinitarians were treated to an impromptu piano performance by Rev. Alton Garrison, who mesmerised the crowd with his fascinating rendition of ‘I’m so glad Jesus lifted me’. As the sound came back on, Pastor Dominic quipped, ’God changes order so that we can continue to praise Him!’ The atmosphere in the sanctuary reached a climax when the songs ‘To God be the Glory’ and ‘How Great is our God’ were sung. As Trinitarians worshipped, balloons and confetti descended from the ceiling, much to the surprise and delight of many. An enormous birthday cake was also brought onto stage, and cut. Some Trinitarians even lingered after the service to play with the balloons and confetti!

For Trinitarians, the Thanksgiving and Dedication Service was an unforgettable event marking 40 years of God’s faithfulness. As a church, we thank God for what He has done in the past, and we look forward to all that He is going to accomplish in and through Trinity Christian Centre. All Glory to our great God!

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Row out,

Are you merely rescued or have you gone from being rescued to being a rescuer of others?

Rev. David Doery shares how we can move from being blessed to being a blessing.

When king David encountered a cripple, he didn’t walk away or despise him. Instead, he extended his hand of grace to him. Similarly, God is asking us to do the same to those around us.

David’s amazing generosity is spelled out in 2 Samuel 9:1-11. While he used to look after sheep in the paddock, he now rules in his palace. He sits on the top of the social rung. Things are going well for him.

While David is a picture of comfort and wealth, Mephibosheth, on the other hand, stands in stark contrast. Orphaned and crippled, he comes from the disgraced family of Saul, the flawed king. He now resides in a place called ‘Lo Debar’, which literally means ‘not having’ or ‘pasture-less’. Mephibosheth is at the bottom of the social ladder.

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Reach Out

Yet David, in an act of extravagant grace and generosity,

below our potential. We are born again by the grace of

reaches down to Mephibosheth, placing him to dine

God. Nevertheless, it’s easy for us to lose the wonder of

even at his own table.

our salvation.

I believe we can identify with Mephibosheth to a certain

Are you in autopilot?

extent, for just as how he was saved and transformed

Allow me to illustrate. Despite taking a seven hour flight

in just one moment, God did the same for us when we

to Singapore, I never lost the wonder of flying. I would

received Him into our hearts.

look out of the window and be awed at how a machine that weights tons could be in flight. However, I believe

Our lives parallel Mephibosheth’s in this: he had huge

most people just go into autopilot mode. Even the pilot

limitations he could not overcome on his own. Likewise,

is on autopilot – once the plane takes off, he just presses

without Christ and the grace of God in our lives, we live

the button.

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This is exactly what we should be wary of: if we are not

The spirit of a rescuer

careful, we can end up doing

Here are some

the same with God; we can

principles we can

come to church and ‘press

learn from David that

autopilot’. Slowly, we lose the

demonstrates the

wonder of being born again.

spirit of a rescuer:

On the contrary, we need to take every opportunity to be transformed, just like how

1) We must first have a revelation

Mephibosheth was.

To become rescuers,

We need to take every opportunity to be transformed.

we must first have a revelation in our own hearts. The spirit of a rescuer is a revelation that only God can bring to the heart of a

It is easy to identify with

man or woman.

Mephibosheth. Perhaps the bigger question is this: can

You might wonder

you identify with David in

why David would

this story?

want to bless a man whose grandfather

In this story, David

had turned against

understood that he was taken

him and hunted him like an animal. After all, David had done everything that

by God from the pasture and

God and the people required of him – he slew Goliath, led the army to countless

placed in the palace. As a

victories, spared Saul’s life, and brought the Ark of the Covenant back into

result he had an incredible

Jerusalem. David was a great king who had already proven himself.

responsibility and passion

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to reach out to others. David

I believe that David had a revelation. He was no longer content with what he had

made a decision to be a

seen, nor content with his life of blessing. He had gone from a place of praying,

rescuer of others.

‘God bless me’ to ‘God use me.’ He went from being rescued to becoming a rescuer.

The story of the Titanic

the sinking ship. This left many screaming and

brilliantly illustrates

crying out, because those in the lifeboats would

the need for

not rescue them and simply rowed away.

rescuers, and to

There were 472 empty seats in the life

be one:

boats. There were arguments in the lifeboats that if they returned,

On April 10 on 1912,

they would be swamped by

the Titanic sailed from

the survivors and turned

Southampton with

over, resulting in all

2,200 passengers and crew

of them perishing

on board. Built at a cost of US7.5

as well.

million dollars, it was the largest and most luxurious vessel afloat in its day: it took

Later, just two

3,000 men a total of two years constantly working

lifeboats went

on the ship. A first class ticket on that maiden voyage

back to search

cost an equivalent of 50,000 dollars today. It was boasted

for survivors, but

at the time that because of its unique design and its size,

they had held back so long that there were now only six

the Titanic was unsinkable. One of the designers was even

survivors in the freezing waters. The reality is that those

quoted saying, ‘Not even God can sink the Titanic.’

1,500 people who perished simply died waiting for the rescuers that came too late.

But it didn’t take God to sink the Titanic – four days into the maiden voyage, it took just an iceberg to sink it. Of the

Similarly, the local church is a lifeboat, and we are in

2,200 who sailed, only 700 survived.

Nevertheless, the greatest tragedy about this story is not that 1500 people perished, it was how they perished. You may assume that all of them drowned, but that was not the case:

danger of neglecting and abandoning

When we understand our purpose, all we’ll care about is filling the empty seat beside us.

our purpose. When we understand our purpose, all we’ll care about is filling the empty seat beside us.

We are called to be actively rescuing others; it’s our greatest and highest call.

Out of all the life boats available, only 20 lifeboats were

When the spirit of a rescuer rises up in your heart, you

deployed that night in the icy waters. As soon as a few

live life differently – you will spend more time praying

people got onboard those lifeboats, they immediately

for others than yourself; you spend less time judging the

started to row away from the ship. They knew that if

lost and more time reaching out and addressing their

they stayed too close, they could be sucked down with

hurts and pains.

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2) We need to engage beyond the palace

3) We must live generous lives

Mephibosheth M hib h h could ld never have

David was someone who was always

made his way into the palace, it was

willing to sow into someone else’s

David who invited and embraced

life, even if he who could never repay

Mephibosheth.

him. He just poured out his generosity. David gave Mephibosheth everything that

Here’s the principle: you can never reach the lost

belonged to Saul and his family: land, servants, and the

people if you merely ‘hang around church’. Our

invitation to dine with him everyday.

greatest responsibility is not just to come to church; it is to be the church. While David could have limited himself

This is evidence of the power of a generous life. When

to the palace; he reached out beyond the palace.

we understand that our highest responsibility is to rescue others, we start relating to others in a totally

Luke 4:18-19 depicts Jesus announcing the purpose of

different way. The reality is that when we step into

his ministry:

generosity, powerful things

The Spirit of the Lord is on Me,

start to happen. People

because he has anointed Me

respond to generosity.

to preach good news to the poor.

Two passages in Proverbs

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

illustrate this point:

When we step into generosity, powerful things start to happen.

and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed,

Proverbs 11:25 – A generous man will prosper; he

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.

who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

Jesus was anointed so that He could preach the good news. He didn’t come to hang around the righteous or hold religious meetings. He came to reach the lost; it was all for the people. We must understand that our blessing is an

Proverbs 18:1 – An unfriendly

Our blessing is an opportunity to bless and that our abundance is our opportunity to influence.

opportunity to bless and that our abundance is our opportunity to influence.

30

man pursues selfish ends; he defies all sound judgment.

We have to make a choice whether we sow into other people’s lives or if we live selfish lives. A spirit of a rescuer prompts us to live generous lives. Some may think that being generous to

1

uer 10 c s e R

others is like tithing – they think that if they give a tenth, they will end up with nine. However, the

You can have the spirit of a Rescuer; here are three simple ways how:

Bible states that if you give that tenth, God can multiply it and you can end up with more than ten.

Look for opportunities to be nice to people

It’s the same in our generous lives. When we are generous and

Simply be nice to people who are total strangers,

kind to others, we don’t lose –

or people who don’t deserve it. When you are nice to

we gain.

people, God can turn conversations around and give you opportunities to engage with the people who desperately need

Where is your rescue boat

rescuing.

today? Is it neatly holed up in harbour or rowed out to high

2

seas, rescuing the shipwrecked?

Do you see empty seats in your

See others as bigger than they see themselves

rescue boat? Row out and reach

David spoke greatness and the promises of God

out! Fill the empty seats in your

into Mephibosheth’s life, and Mephibosheth responded. There

rescue boat – it is what you have

are people waiting in your world to hear the promises of God so

been made for.

that they know He has a purpose for their lives. Speak words of greatness, and watch the transformation in their lives.

Rev. David Doery is the senior pastor of Bridge Church, Melbourne, Australia and serves as a Victoria State executive member of the Australian Christian Churches.

Were you blessed by this article? Tell us about it! SMS “Trinity <space>your comments” to 79777 or email testimonies@trinity.org.sg

3

Give expecting nothing in return Display unconditional and extravagant grace and generosity.

Jesus put it this way: when you give a banquet, invite the poor, www.

trinity.net

crippled, lame and blind. In other words, be generous to those who cannot repay your generosity. We should never be content to be the fellowship of the rescued, let’s go on a mission to be rescuers of those around us!

This sermon can be heard online at www.trinity.net/sermons.htm

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Carecell – where needs are met, lives are set free, and broken hearts are healed. Nine Trinitarians share their ‘Trinitarian experience’.

Cared and Connected

≠ d n r ie F a g n i d Br n e i r F e h t t c Conne One day, Ryan and Michelle from Cavendish Park carecell invited me to a carecell meeting. While I was an unwilling visitor, I encountered God’s strong presence in the room and felt a deep peace in my heart. That very evening, I made Jesus my Lord and Saviour.

Since then, my life has never been the same.

B

God delivered me from gambling and I have efore I came to know God, I thought that I could

experienced God’s provision in my life. As I started to

attain success in my life through divination.

tithe, I was so amazed to experience God’s blessings in

I consulted many divination masters on

unexpected ways. My wife and I are now proud parents

matters such as my finances, human relations and even

of a baby girl. We have dedicated her to the Lord and as

family planning. As a result, I was coaxed into giving

a family we look forward to living out our faith in God.

offerings to various idols. Nevertheless, I never got any

32

satisfaction in life from doing so. In fact, I was so stressed

Wong Chee Keong, SAF regular

that my wife and I had problems conceiving a child.

West, Trinity@Adam

Our Family, His Story

D

espite being born into a Christian family, I went to church simply because I felt obligated to. I would leave after attending service and frequently skipped carecell meetings. When I was

in secondary four, my friend invited me to an IGNYTE Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day event. During the altar call, I felt the assurance of Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s love and rededicated my life to Christ. Since then, I have made many friends in Trinity and under the guidance and mentoring of my leaders and SPs, I have grown tremendously. To God be the glory!

Noelle Lim, undergraduate IGNYTE, Trinity@Paya Lebar

33

≠ d n e i r F a g n i d Br n e i r F e h Connect t

Cared and Connected

I

n 2009, I faced the most difficult time of my life. Suffice to say, my studies were affected, I was constantly unhappy and those around me saw a change. I have

great friends who always lent me a listening ear, but they became tired from seeing me being unhappy despite their many attempts at sounding me out.

Christ. This same friend also connected me to a carecell.

I began to fall into an endless cycle of negative

of people I did not know, but felt like family to me.

thoughts, constantly blaming myself for my inability to

Needless to say, carecell was where my journey

control my emotions. I tried to carry this burden alone

with Christ began. I accepted Christ at my first carecell

but it was simply too heavy to carry. I began to use

meeting.

My first time there was unforgettable: here was a group

other means such as smoking in a desperate attempt to keep my life going. I was broken.

I stand here now, comforted. This journey was not easy but I got through it. Not by my willpower, but by the

I started attending Trinity as a pre-believer on the

grace of our lord Jesus Christ. I no longer smoke, my

invitation of my secondary school friend. Somehow,

grades improved, and most of all through this episode,

there was a profound calmness found when I attended

I began to understand myself more.

service for the first time. Week after week, I was

34

comforted through the preaching of the Word. Still, I

Today, that journey has ended but I will embark on a

constantly turned down the notion of accepting Christ

fresh one, one which is filled with love, peace and joy

as I claimed I was ‘waiting for the Lord to call me to Him’.

and most importantly, God.

Slowly, I realised that the sermons preached week after

Justyn Koh, national serviceman

week seemed to be paving the way for me to accept

West, Trinity@Paya Lebar

Our Family, His Story

I

received Christ when I was 13 years old in another

awesomely far away

church and became heavily involved in the youth

from where I live. In

ministry. However, my bubble burst following the

the carecell, I found

devastating loss of my youth pastor. His departure left

companionship; the members from my carecell

a gaping hole in the ministry.

are terribly funny and truly care. I thank God for wonderful carecell members and I stand in full gratitude

Disillusioned, I ‘church-hopped’ and ‘cell-hopped’ for

of a God who has brought me through the storms of life.

four years. I came to Trinity in 2009 after an invitation to carecell by a hall mate. I had never heard of Trinity,

Amelia Tan, undergraduate

much less imagined that I would attend a church so

South, Trinity@Adam

35

Carecell Myths – A carecell is just a social gathering.

A carecell is a spiritual family where we encourage, serve and grow in God through covenantal relationships

2

with one another.

Attending church service is sufficient; carecells take up unnecessary time.

It really depends what you define as boring,

God has so much in store for us – it is

real life applications from the word of God and

never enough. Carecells are the pulse

fellowship, you probably won’t be disappointed.

and life of the church and create an avenue for you to be encouraged in your faith by fellow believers. Carecells give the opportunity to develop strong relationships on a smaller platform. There, you can also discuss God’s Word and how to live out your faith in the midst of challenges.

Remember, God does not want you to be alone; He has other Christians ready to come alongside you!

36

Carecell meetings are boring. but if you are looking for a good time of fun, learning

4

Carecells are only for new Christians.

Carecells are for everyone! Those who are

spiritually-mature can help newer Christians grow in the Lord. And it doesn’t matter if you are seven or 70, English or Chinesespeaking; there is certainly a carecell for you.

! d e t Bus

Our Family, His Story

tionship with la re r u o y g in In develop ths and halfy m , y il m fa l a ay your spiritu me of them m o s d n a – d n e truths abou periencing th x e m o fr u o y . be keeping ips you need h s n o ti la re l covenanta

8

I don’t drive, and carecells are located so far away.

I’m an introvert; I don’t like meeting new people.

All relationships take time to grow – so give it a try!

People in carecells are generally friendly and willing to take time to get to know you. You probably have more in common than you think.

6

With hundreds of carecells located across Singapore, there certainly is a carecell located near your school,

9

workplace and home.

Friday marks the end of the week and the last

thing I want to do is coop myself up in someone’s home.

Carecells require regular attendance and I don’t like making commitments.

There are carecells that meet on Tuesdays too. Or,

You are not obliged to attend a carecell after you’ve

if you are only available on other days, let us know.

attended one meeting. Take time to find a carecell that

We will be glad to help you find one.

suits you. You will naturally want to be committed to the spiritual family you decide to settle down in!

I need to take care of my children and don’t have time to attend carecell.

10

Okay, I’m convinced.

How do I be involved in a carecell?

We’re glad you asked. Just leave your details at the Level 2 Information Counter at either centre

Bring them along – we have family carecells where

and we’ll connect you to a carecell shortly.

children are a part of carecell life. The facilitators

Alternatively, call us at 6468 4444 or email us at

conducting the lessons in family carecells are equipped

carecell@trinity.org.sg, or approach any of our

through our TENet courses. It’s a great time for the whole

pastors at our weekend services.

family to grow together.

37

g n i t a r b e CellFamily July 1990 marked a distinct shift in the course of Trinity Christian

Pastor Danny Leong, an executive pastor in Trinity shares his carecell story.

Centre with the birth of the Carecell. While its predecessor, the homecell, focused on fellowship, Christian living and cultivating a sense of belonging, the carecell provided a revised and enhanced platform

Trinity has been my church since 1982. As I look back over the past 28 years, one thing stands out that defines Trinity – it is the carecell. In my journey from being a leader in 1990 to assuming the role of a bi-vocational Zone Pastor in 2001, the carecells that I have been involved in have left an indelible mark on my life. We came together in carecells to give of ourselves to prayer, serve, evangelise and fellowship.

that would accommodate the church’s growth.

As a beacon of light in the community, we saturated our community in prayer and blessed them with our gifts of love. We were engaged in God’s

With its motto of ‘Caring to send and sending to care’, carecells took people beyond having a sense of belonging, spurring them into action through the

agenda for Singapore. In those days, national evangelistic events were our concerns; we planned, prayed and bussed people to the National Stadium to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and to be healed. I remember the heavy down-pour that soaked us as we commandeered buses that ferried the elderly and handicapped to the stadium.

three prongs of Evangelism, Nurture and Discipleship (END).

For us, Easter meant a time of harvest. We invited our oikos (family and friends) to encounter Jesus through the excellent ministry of songs and

Along with the element of Contacting And Relating to Everyone (CARE), it was a ministry which distinctly focused on spiritual parenting, leadership development and pastoral care. It provided the necessary impetus for the church to grow

music at Trinity. Christmas too was a time of great expectation for yet another harvest. We practiced and prayed hard for our Christmas parties.

Talents were discovered as members stepped out in faith to sing, act, share and SALT (introduce Jesus). God granted us great favour with the community who gave us permission to hold our evangelistic Christmas parties in the Community Club. Our faith rose as we, as a carecell sent out invitations to our oikos and saw many come and experience the tangible love of God and give their lives to Jesus.

exponentially in both depth and numbers.

Through carecell meetings, we learnt that ‘to love God is to serve Him’.

Each week, regardless of our statuses, we served as Celebration Hosts,

38

Our Family, His Story

I mid 1990, Trinity embarked on a bold In new move that changed the course of its history. n Read to find out why carecells have and will R always be an integral part of the life of Trinity. a

Traffic Marshals, DiscoveryLand Helpers and Nursery Workers.

We discovered the joy of serving and never looked back. Just like a family would, carecell members supported and cared for one another in authentic love. We

IGNYTE and the

rejoiced when broken lives were

Young Adults’ Ministry.

at Newton Food Centre, drove up to Malacca in a convoy, went for

mended and broken relationships It was hard work but it was all

church camps, walked together in

worth it. Someone once asked me,

the LOVE Singapore Big Walk and

The harvest field was also

‘Is it worth it spending so much

did many other things that would

transformed into a harvest force

money and effort to ferry so few

take many more pages to recount.

through carecell. We saw new

people to the National Stadium for

members nurtured and discipled

an evangelistic rally?’ I replied, ’It

This is my carecell story and this

to various levels of leadership

is worth it even if just one person

story is continuing today in the

from Spiritual Parents all the way

receives Christ.’ And God has been

lives of thousands of Trinitarians

to Zone Pastors. We raised mighty

faithful; we have seen many people

who belong to carecells across

warriors who knew their God and

come to know and give their lives

the island of Singapore. They are

did great exploits for Him. Our

back to Him.

praying, serving, evangelising and

restored.

fellowshipping with great zeal and

children grew up under the cloud of witnesses in the carecells

While we worked hard to

the Lord continues to add to their

who showed them how to love

build the Kingdom of God, we

number.

God wholeheartedly and serve

also played hard. Together we

Him only. Today, many of them

celebrated birthdays, climbed Bukit

Be involved in carecell and write

continue to serve God as leaders in

Timah Hill, broke fast at midnight

your own story!

39

e l b u o AD n o i t r Po Some people think that hosting one carecell is tough enough, but what about hosting two?

Meet Sally Lim from the Chinese Ministry. The single mother of three holds a full-time job and hosts carecell in her home twice each week.

By Quek Yan Ying Sally Lim used to live with her mother-in-law. Attending carecell meetings in other member’s homes, she always longed to own a home of her own.

A time came when she decided to buy her own flat.

Before house hunting, she prayed, ‘Lord, may the flat that my children and I like be the one that You want to give to us.’ That very day, she found a flat that the entire family unanimously adored. She knew it was the flat God wanted to give to them.

40

about the carecell activities disrupting her son’s exam revision.

The first time that the young people’s carecell met in Sally’s home, one of the carecell members happened to ask Sally about her son. Upon hearing that he was preparing for a Maths exam he was sitting for the next day, the carecell member, who was a maths teacher, asked if he could visit his room and prayed for him.

Sally’s son later told her that he had been unable to concentrate on his revision, but felt a peace in his heart after he was prayed for. This demonstrated God’s hand upon her family as she served Him as a carecell host.

Acknowledging God’s provision, Sally said to God, ‘I’m willing to host a carecell in this flat You’ve given me.’

Soon after, Sally started to host and lead a carecell in her new home on Friday evenings.

Sally feels that hosting two carecells does not inconvenience her. In fact, she sees the carecell members in the young adult carecell like her own children.

Moreover, the carecell that Sally leads has also multiplied.

A few months later, Sally’s zone pastor asked if she could host a second cell group for young adults on Tuesday evenings. Sally agreed. Nevertheless, she was concerned

Talking to Sally, one gets the impression that the inconveniences of hosting two carecells are overshadowed by the joy she has in serving God.

Our Family, His Story

e l t t i L A g n i Go r e h t r Fu How far would you go to host a carecell in your home?

For Colin Wu and Goh Chin Chin, inconveniencing themselves is a privileged part of being a carecell host. By Quek Yan Ying

Every Thursday, Colin and Chin Chin move all the furniture out of their study room before moving it back the following night. The reason? To make room for a children’s carecell on Friday evenings. Colin and Chin Chin host a family cell in their apartment, where children attend carecell together with their parents.

A source of satisfaction that comes from being family carecell hosts, Colin says, is that their children’s carecell serves as ’a platform for the children to step up into IGNYTE and find their own feet at church and in ministry.’ As Carecell Leaders, Colin and Chin Chin help to facilitate this transition process.

For example, a couple attending their carecell had a daughter in Primary Six who was attending church irregularly. They were worried for her. Soon, it was arranged that all the children in the carecell would attend an IGNYTE camp, and that was when God touched the girl. ‘Today, she’s fervently attending IGNYTE,’ says Colin with a smile.

The couple decided to use their home to bless others because God had given them this apartment in the first place – in a matter of 24 hours after they committed their desire to Him. The couple had liked the apartment from their first viewing. However, the initial asking price was beyond their budget. Regretfully, they decided to look at other apartments, but could not find a suitable one. The couple decided to pray and surrendered their need to God. The next day, Colin received a call from a housing agent saying the price of the apartment they were interested in had been lowered; it was now within their budget. By evening, the papers were signed and the apartment was theirs.

In blessing others, Colin feels that they too are blessed.

‘Yes, we sleep late after cell because we have to clean up, but our reward is that we see lives touched and changed when God’s presence ministers to the carecell members. We feel joy because it’s happening in our own home.’

41

Proverbs 11:25 says ’those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.’ Read on to find out how your home can be a blessing.

1

5

on Hosting Carecell

commitment. What if I want

4

to go on a holiday?

Dialogue with your pastor or carecell

For the period that you’re on

leader and seek an understanding

holiday, the carecell could meet

regarding this matter. As good

somewhere else. Just remember

stewards of our resources, the

to inform your Carecell Leader

carecell would not mind

early enough so that necessary

a little bonding over

arrangements can be made.

cleaning up together.

2

I would like to open my home for carecell, but I’m afraid of the

3

helper; cleaning up after the carecell meeting will

I’ve family members who are not Christians.

to the idea, there’s nothing

5

stopping you from doing

in 3-room HDB flats. Yours will

so. Moreover, this can be an

definitely be a blessing to us. It

opportunity for the carecell

doesn’t matter how big your home

to be a blessing to them.

is, God sees your heart!

Can I still open up my

house for carecell?

I heard of carecells with a spread of food

refreshments for the carecell each week?

Carecell members take turns to bring refreshments during the cell. Your

As long as your family is open

hospitality lity is more than enough!

n Your home ca

I don’t have a domestic

be difficult.

every week. Do I have to provide

be a blessing

interest at the Indicate your r, ation Counte Level 2 Inform 4444 call us at 6468 g @trinity.org.s or email COD

42

FAQs

!

I live in a HDB flat. Is it big enough for a carecell meeting?

Many of our carecells are held

): ANSWERS (from top, L-R cilla Leong tor Larry Lee; Pastor Pris Pastor David Chng; Pas Wendy Kwok tor Dominic Yeo; Pastor Pastor Danny Leong; Pas ricia Boo tor Kelvin Teo; Pastor Pat Pastor Edward Lim; Pas liam Toh Gwen Zhou; Pastor Wil Pastor Alan See; Pastor

?

43

Our Family, His Story

S S U E G WHO

Can you recognise otos your pastors from ph a go at of yesteryear? Have ition! part two of Trinityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ed

OUR FAMILY, HIS STORY

OUR JOURNEY, HIS LEADING

1.

4.

In April 1970, Trinity Christian Centre was founded. Who was the pioneering pastor? a) b) c) d)

2.

Prior to being appointed the Resident Apostle of Trinity Christian Centre, Rev. Naomi Dowdy was the Senior Pastor of the church. When did she assume this position? a) b) c) d)

3.

a) b) c) d) 5.

1970 1974 1976 1977

There are three icons that describe our Senior Pastor, Rev. Dominic Yeo. What are they? a) b) c) d)

44

Glenn Stafford Stamford Raffles Alex Ferguson Naomi Dowdy

The trumpet, the leopard and the turkey The eagle, the lion and the harp The trumpet, the ox and the eagle The ox, the turkey and the harp

Trinity currently holds services at both Trinity@ Adam and Trinity@Paya Lebar. However, where was its first Sunday service held?

Trinity Christian Centre has been blessed with three centres. They are: Trinity@Adam, Trinity@ Paya Lebar and Trinity@________. a) b) c) d)

6.

2 Hillcrest Road 4355 Wisteria Lane 10 Downing Street 247 Paya Lebar Road

Ang Mo Kio Jurong Lavender Orchard

Trinitarians have given extravagantly to build Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house. Which of the following is not one of the four Tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that Trinitarians have sowed? a) b) c) d) e)

Time Talents Testimonies Tiramisu Treasures

Our Journey, His L eading We call ourselves Trinitarians, but how well do we know our roots? Visit the Heritage Walk at Trinity@Paya Lebar to find out the answers to this quiz!

OUR ACCOLADES, HIS GLORY

a) b) c) d) 8.

Throughout the years, Trinitarians have embarked on numerous productions to allow others to experience the love of God. Which of the following productions is not by Trinity? a) b) c) d)

9.

1993 2001 1996 1998

The King and I Red Brick Road Heaven’s Gates, Hell’s Flames A Pastor’s Journal

Over the past 40 years, Trinity has reached and impacted churches and communities in over 44 nations and six continents. Which of the following lists contains a country that is not part of the 44 nations? a) b) c) d)

Hungary, Zambia, Indonesia and Taiwan China, Korea, Bulgaria and Columbia Nigeria, Bermuda, Denmark and Argentina Malaysia, Australia, Mongolia and Thailand

score board 0-3

Nice try! Pay the Heritage Walk a visit!

3-5 5

Not too bad! You are on your way to knowing about Trinity’s heritage!

6-8

Good job! You’ve got a firm grasp of Trinity’s history!

Why not discover more?

9

Well done! You’ve already visited the Heritage Walk already, haven’t you?

Tell us what you think about the Heritage Walk!

Email admin@trinity.org.sg

Answers: Qn 1 – (a); Qn 2 – (c); Qn 3 – (b); Qn 4 – (a);

Care Community Services Society, the social services arm of Trinity was founded to touch and transform lives in the community. When was it founded?

Qn 5 – (c); Qn 6 – (d); Qn 7 – (c); Qn 8 – (d); Qn 9 – (d)

7.

45

We see our worship services, prayer meetings and carecells as places where people hunger for the presence of God and where God delights to inhabit and dwell. In a vibrant atmosphere of worship, prayer and discipleship, we see people encountering God and the manifestation of signs, wonders and miracles.

46

We see Trinity Christian Centre as a church living together in covenantal relationships; where carecells, ministries, families and individuals are flowing in corporate unity to fulfil Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s purpose and plan for the church for that hour.

48

We see a people consumed with a vision to touch the world for Jesus Christ and to see His glory displayed throughout the world. We see a church with a passionate heartbeat to fulfil Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s global agenda through sending men and women of faith to equip and empower churches and the body of Christ.

50

We see the church as a place for the empowerment and development of Spirit-filled leaders who will be strategically positioned and deployed within the body of Christ. Every Trinitarian a leader with a ministry.

52

Abundantly Give, Abundantly Receive Trinitarian Chen Chee Keong shares how a step of faith unleashes Heavenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s overwhelming supply.

When I was a young Christian, I was taught to tithe and

Faith Promises. It was a struggle. Nevertheless, both

return my offerings to the Lord. So, it was not hard for me

times I wrote a figure, trusting God to provide. I made

to do so. Over the years, I witnessed the provision of God

a determined commitment that if provision did not

in my life, such as being blessed with the financial means

come in beyond my regular income, I would dip into

to complete my post graduate education, being led into

my savings to give.

the career of my dreams, protection over health, seeing the salvation of my parents and sisters, and having all

The struggle of whether I would have to give sacrificially

my needs met. There was a time when my family went

or by faith wrestled within me for a year. In the second

through financial lack but God faithfully provided just

half of 2009, the Holy Spirit prompted me many times

enough for us to tide through that difficult period before

during worship services and my time alone with God, to

we begun to experience His blessings in abundance. It

exercise my faith by dipping into my savings. However,

was His way of teaching me about faith and to trust Him.

I did not do so until early February this year as the prompting increased. Finally, I determined to give out of

However, making a Faith Promise had always been

obedience as my expression of thanks to Him.

challenging for me, as it never fails to stretch my faith and emotion. Ten years ago, I was challenged to give

To my amazement, about two and half months later, God

a substantial amount. My faith was stretched; I had to

provided through a very generous reward at work, and

exercise great faith to give. But God was faithful and

the amount was more than the amount I had pledged.

He blessed me multiple-fold through financial

Again, I was reminded that God wants to bless my

rewards in my career.

family, but before He can do so, I have to take a step of faith. I did not merit it; it is just the nature of our

54

In 2009, I was challenged by the Holy Spirit to again give

Heavenly Father to bless us because we are His children.

a substantial amount in both the Missions and Vision

Praises be to our faithful God.

Tradition A Faith Promise Making a Faith Promise is a wonderful adventure of faith, and an amazing experience of seeing God’s provision poured out upon you and through you.

we are Abraham’s spiritual descendants, and a Missions Faith

How is a Faith Promise made?

Promise is a practical and tangible

In Trinity, we have two

way for us to be a blessing to the

opportunities every year to make a

nations.

Faith Promise – during our Missions

Our Journey, His L eading

A T R I N I TA R I A N

Convention in March and during The central idea here is that of

our Vision Rally in September. While

being a conduit or channel of

the first faith promise goes towards

blessing. The provision is not for

missions, the latter goes toward the

you alone; rather, it is channelled

building fund.

through you for the extension of

What is a Faith Promise?

His Kingdom. One definition of

Trinitarians young and old

A Faith Promise is a faith

faith promise giving is ‘money that

participate; many are often

commitment between you and

God will give through you that He

prompted by God to pledge

God, where you ask the Lord

might never give to you if He saw

amounts by faith, believing that He

how much He wants you to give

He could not trust you to pass it on

will provide the finances to fulfil

towards His Kingdom in the coming

to others.’

the faith promise. Those witnessing

year, and then trust Him for it throughout the year until it comes.

The faith promise is not based on money that you already have on hand. Rather, it is made by faith, believing that God will somehow provide the amount through you.

In His covenant with Abraham, God said that through Abraham’s descendants, ‘all peoples of the

A Faith Promise is a partnership between you and God.

earth would be blessed’ (Genesis 12:3). As believers in Jesus Christ,

55

this tradition for the first time – visitors, friends of Trinity

‘Lord, I want to be Your channel of blessing. You can

and our conference delegates from overseas – are

entrust Your provision to me. You can count on me to

especially impacted.

sow it into the Kingdom!’

If this is your first time participating in a financial miracle in this House, here’s what you need to know:

• A Faith Promise is an opportunity for God to provide through you.

God’s provision is proportionate to – and greater

• A Faith Promise is not a tithe.

than – our giving to Him. Luke 6:38 tells us, ‘Give and

A Faith Promise is made

it will be given to you. A

over and above your tithe

good measure, pressed

and offerings. In tithing,

down, shaken together and

we acknowledge God’s

running over, will be poured

ownership over us and

into your lap. For with the

everything we have, and

measure you use, it will be

return to him the tithe

measured to you.’

in obedience. In a Faith Promise, we promise to

There are many ways in

give over and above our

which God will provide.

tithe, stepping out in faith

God may increase your

and trusting God to make it

income, decrease your

possible for us to fulfil our

expenses, or He may

commitment.

lead you to make certain sacrifices so that you may

• A Faith Promise is not a pledge.

fulfil your Faith Promise.

you and God. No one will

Embark on a Spiritled adventure!

ask you for it. The church

Our giving demonstrates

A Faith Promise is between

56

You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.

will never send you a bill. It is not a pledge for which

our love for God and for His Kingdom. Someone once

you are responsible to pay. A Faith Promise is a

said, ‘You can give without loving, but you cannot

partnership between you and God. As God blesses

love without giving.’ A Faith Promise makes your giving

you, you promise to release and direct the funds

strategic rather than sporadic, and catapults you into the

towards His Kingdom purposes.

realm of Spirit-led faith and adventure.

However, we indicate our name and particulars to

It is exciting to be God’s channel of provision. Many

show that we are serious about our commitment. It is

Trinitarians have experienced God’s remarkable provision

an opportunity to express your faith and say to Him,

in miraculous and unexpected ways. You can too!

ak er s Tr in it ar ia ns , H is to ry -m

Tr in it arr ia ns ,

The Biggest Birthday Card The church celebrated its 40th birthday in a big way – literally – through Trinitarians sending in card entries of their best wishes, which were then pasted onto a 20X2-metre card structure. The history-making feat earned the church a place in the Singapore Book of Records.

Jonathan Tan reports.

Friday, June 18 was an eventful day highlighted by

single note was a personalised

Life Conference and the Thanksgiving and Dedication

congratulatory message.

Service. Nevertheless, it was also a day where Trinity entered the Singapore Book of Records.

Some individuals, carecells and families even

Chances are that if you’ve walked past the foyer at

went a step further

Trinity@Paya Lebar over the past couple of months,

and created their

you would have noticed an enormous card filled with

own custom-made

post-it-like notes that stretched across the foyer. With

cards that depicted

dimensions of 20m by 2m, the card was officially

f Trinity. why they thanked God for

inaugurated into the Singapore Book of Records as the

As a Trinitarian, it was truly heart

Biggest Birthday Card at 5.45pm. Setting a new record

warming to see fellow Trinitarians taking time out to

was a fitting prelude to the Thanksgiving and Dedication

celebrate 40 years of God’s faithfulness in this church.

Service that was scheduled later that evening.

One cannot help but feel blessed to be part of Trinity after reading the different messages.

However, if you had taken a closer look at the hand-

58

written notes strewn across the card, you would have

Here’s to another 40 good years of God’s faithfulness in

noticed that each one carried a special message. Every

Trinity Christian Centre!

Our Accolades, His G lory

H is to ry -m ak er s

ak er s Tr in it ar i an s, H is to ry -m

Tr in it ar ia n

The Most Number of People Reading A Book Simultaneously

1726 Trinitarians gathered in one heart to read from the book of 1 John in Trinity’s second record-breaking event. The record was set and a total of $75,708 for Care Community Services Society (CCSS) was raised. We also prayed for Singapore in various dimensions. Trinitarians tell Chia Ban Seng their reflections on of the August 8 event.

I had a glimpse of heaven that day seeing God’s people

I was very encouraged by

united for a common cause – mind-blowing!

Trinitarians’ unity to set

Emil Kuah, multimedia designer

this record! The reading convicted me to honour,

There is no better way to celebrate National Day than this

love and share God’s word.

– raising funds for the community and praying for the

Wendy Ong, clinical research associate

country!

Alana Mah, human resources regional director

I felt ministered reading 1John, especially the first three chapters. It was very meaningful. It was also an honour

It was very meaningful reading the Bible together with

to pray for Singapore.

thousands of other Trinitarians. This is especially so as I

Pauline Se, administrative staff

come from the Chinese Ministry; I felt the event bonded us all as one body in Christ.

It was awesome to see so many people reading the Bible

Yan Lai Ling, customer service officer

in unison of heart and spirit.

Kevin Liew, systems analyst

I sensed the unity of seeing so many people reading the Bible together. I’m proud that Trinity Christian Centre has

Reading aloud and proclaiming God’s promises in unison

a place in the Singapore Book of Records!

gave me a sense of victory and triumph.

Chong Fwee Lin, engineer

Tabitha Ko, student 59

Up Close and Personal The election came to you as a surprise. What were your initial thoughts and feelings?

Trinitarian gets up close and

Pastor Larry, Pastor Melvin and I were having a

personal with Senior Pastor

debrief of the dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ministry in Los Angeles when I began receiving congratulatory text messages on my new appointment,. I was filled with a sense of fear and trembling. This fear wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t one that was

Dominic Yeo, who was appointed General Superintendant of the

negative; rather it was borne out of an awesome

Assemblies of God,

sense of knowing that stepping into the role of General Superintendent was an appointment by God.

Singapore in April

Nevertheless, I felt inadequate with regards to the task at hand, and deeply humbled by the knowledge

this year.

of what was expected of me. After all, my predecessor, Pastor Lau had done a tremendous job serving as General Superintendent for the past 35 years.

I remember how, in Watchnight Service last

revealed to me that the historic meeting in 1914 was

December, God spoke to me that Trinity is blessed

the birthing of a Spirit-led movement. Immediately,

to be a blessing. I believe that this is an opportune

I was awakened to the understanding of three very

time, and a privilege for Trinity to be a blessing to

significant things; three very distinct expressions of the

this nation. We will be availing our resources to equip

AG movement.

and empower pastors and their churches.

Firstly, it is a movement of the Spirit of Togetherness.

60

Moving forward, what do you have in mind for the AG?

In a practical sense, the Arkansas gathering came

As I was praying, I felt the Holy Spirit directing me to

left their denominational affiliations, came together

the history of the Assemblies of God in the USA, in

empowered by the Spirit. Other unchurched believers

particular to that first historic meeting at Hot Springs

who experienced the move of the Spirit were also led to

Arkansas in 1914. I was prompted by the Holy Spirit

this new-found movement. Whatever the circumstances,

that this was the place to begin with. As I sought

the Spirit of Togetherness brought about a unity among

Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heart and mind for the AG, the spirit of God

Spirit-led believers.

about because some individuals and ministers, having

Left to Right: Reverends Sophia Tan, Alfred Yeo, Lawrence Koo, Robert Lum, Timothy Poon, Dominic Yeo, Loh Hung Chey, Anthony Phua, Simon Ang

Secondly, a movement of the Spirit of Transformation

AG churches in Singapore.

is also evidently seen through missions. Since its inception in 1914, the AG was already a missional

Reflecting on these three expressions, I am inclined

organisation desiring to see God bring both local and

to re-dig the wells of revival and further these three

global transformation. Missions is the bedrock of the

expressions of the Spirit. Thus, moving forward, as

AG. Thus, Singapore has been transformed from being

General Superintendent I would advocate a movement

a recipient of missionaries to an active missionary-

of Togetherness, Transformation and Training for our

sending nation.

churches in the Assemblies of God. I pray that the churches in the AG will collaborate to see the surge of

The third movement is a Spirit of Training. History

a powerful movement that will make a great impact

gives evidence of spiritual training and many other

both locally and globally in the years ahead.

remarkable training programmes in the early movement of the Assemblies of God. The different churches in

I appreciate the prayers of all Trinitarians over the

Singapore conducting both local and global training

AG leadership as we firm up this new movement of

programmes speak of how this DNA has permeated

Togetherness, Transformation and Training.

61

in Hopelessness

62

Whatever your situation is, there is hope for you, because God can make the impossible happen. By Rev. Alton Garrison Do you just react to what you see? Do you doubt God’s promise when things don’t go your way? Or do you intervene and decide to take matters into your hands? Let me tell you three reasons why you should not.

1) When you react only to what you see Sometimes, it is human to deny the reality of a situation in order to be unaffected by its outcome. From scripture, we discover that Abraham did not deny how old both he and Sarah were: Romans 4:19 – He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead, or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb.

Hopefulness in a hopeless situation is all a matter of focus. It was this same focus that enabled Caleb and Joshua to come back from Canaan with a positive report, believing that with God they were able to possess the land. Rather than being ‘giant conscious’, they were ‘grape conscious’.

Hopefulness in a hopeless situation is all a matter of focus.

Having the right focus is not about positive thinking.

Abraham understood that God was his Jehovah Jireh. It was apparent to Abraham that if God had promised him a son, he would find a way for Sarah to conceive.

63

Allow me to tell you a story about my father. He lived an interesting life.

2) When you start doubting God’s promise

Up until his mid-30s, he was firmly addicted to alcohol.

It had been 25 years since Abraham had heard the

It seemed that no matter how hard he tried, he could not

promise. Two things could have resulted in doubt: the

deliver himself from this addiction. In fact, he was known

lack of fulfilment and impatience.

to spend entire pay cheques in a single night of drinking.

Needless to say, everyone had given up hope on him.

The problem is we are ‘microwave Christians’ but we have a ‘crock-pot God’. The Bible says to tarry…until

Fortunately, God had other plans. One day, while I was

you are imbued with power from on high (Luke 24:49),

still in my mother’s womb, my father was driving home

and that they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their

with her, and he began to suffer a heart attack. In that

strength (Isaiah 40:31).

moment of desperation, he muttered under his breath, We need to have the patience to tarry and wait for ‘God I don’t know how to pray, but my mother used to

God to fulfil His promises.

pray and if you heard her prayer, maybe you will hear mine. Please, spare my life to see that child. Save me.’

When I was about eight or nine, Dad took us horseback riding. As he turned to take the horse back to the barn, it

Then he made the unlikeliest of deals with God: ‘If I ever take another drop of alcohol as long as

diagnosis was bleak; his spine

I live, I want you to poison me. Let me

was pulled to the consistency

drop dead.’ At that very instant, Jesus healed him, saved him and delivered him from alcoholism.

This is the miracle – when I was born, I never saw my father take a drink.

While some areas of your life seem

64

bucked, fell and rolled over him, breaking his neck. The

While some areas of your life seem hopeless, don’t lose heart! You serve a God who is Jehovah Jireh.

of a silk thread, never to regenerate. My father was completely paralysed from the neck down and he lay that way for three months.

Then one day, Jesus quietly walked in, touched the broken

hopeless, don’t lose heart! You serve a

vertebrae and healed him. As

God who is Jehovah Jireh. Start looking

a minister, I understood the

at the victory instead of the defeat; look at the promise

miraculous power of God because I saw it in my parents’

instead of the problem.

lives. God fulfilled his promise by healing dad.

3) When you think it’s up to you to bring forth the promise

position on the bed. His six foot frame was a mere 87 pounds.

Abraham was 75 years old when God promised that he

In that moment, I began thinking, ‘How can you preach

would be the father of many nations, his descendents as

faith and tell people God is good when your dad has

numerous as the stars. Yet, 25 years on, there was still no

dedicated his life to ministry, sacrificed and trusted God

fulfilment of the promise. After years of waiting, Sarah

and look how he’s ended up?’ I was discouraged.

probably said something along these lines to Abraham, So I did the only thing I knew – quote scripture. I would ‘I don’t think I’m going to be able to produce children

do that and feel better, only to be weighed down again

for you. However, I’ve got my handmaid Haggai, so

as reality crept back into my mind. I was riding an

I’m going to send her in.’ When that happened, they

emotional roller coaster.

produced Ishmael.

Finally, reading a passage from 2 Corinthians 5:1 (ESV) When you do things without relying on God, you end up

encouraged me: For we know that if the tent that is our

with unintended and, if I daresay, dire consequences. We

earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a

must learn to trust God, for He has the power to do the

house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. If my

supernatural.

dad died, I knew he would be with Jesus.

The end of my father’s ministry was not as miraculous as

I had won this first battle, but what was to come would

the beginning. He contracted Alzheimer’s, a disease that

severely challenge my faith.

starts out with memory loss and ends with total mental incapacitation.

Developing Hope: Mum’s Story

One day, my brother-in-law called me to get to the

My mother was a very introverted, godly woman. All

hospital as my dad probably had only 24 hours left.

of my grown up years, I would approach her if I needed

I met the doctor and he reiterated my father’s condition.

someone to pray for me. She would pray and stuff

He added, ‘It’s not your dad I’m worried about. It’s your

would happen.

mother. She’s emotionally and physically depleted and you better do something.’ I would soon realise the

Yet now, when I told her I was in the room praying with

weightiness of his statement.

dad, she ranted, ‘Why? It won’t do any good. We’ve been praying for him all these years and he keeps getting

Entering the room, I found my dad lying in a foetal

worse. There’s no dignity left in that room. I can’t

65

communicate with him. I pray for him to get healed but

God is so powerfully real that He has an essence about

he won’t get healed. I pray for him to die and he won’t

Him. It’s called Shekinah – the anointing, the essence of

die. It’s a joke. When you need God the most He will turn

God.

His back on you.’

She thought, ‘That can’t happen. He hasn’t spoken a I could never have anticipated what she was about to do

word in over three months, and before that nothing he

– she pointed her finger to my face and said, ‘Don’t you

spoke was intelligible. I desire to talk to him and for him

ever pray in my presence again.’

to talk to me.’

It was frightening. I didn’t have anything to say in

At first, she believed that this was some cruel joke her

response. Quoting scripture to her would have been

mind was playing on her. But the anointing kept getting

useless; she knew more scripture than I did. I turned

stronger and that voice more intense. Hope began to

and walked away. It was scary. I thought she had lost

arise – a happy anticipation of a good thing about to

her faith.

happen. She began to dream again that God could do

Looking back, I don’t think it was her faith that she lost; it was her hope.

Four days after she had said, ‘Don’t ever pray

God is so powerfully real that He has an essence about Him. It’s called Shekinah – the anointing, the essence of God.

something.

My mother slid a chair around and sat there, transfixed at my father. The anointing just got stronger and stronger.

She looked into my father’s

in my presence again’,

eyes and, the glassiness in

she encountered the

his clearing up, and his eyes

presence of God. She was still lonely and angry, and

became increasingly intense as he looked at her.

this encounter was not something she had asked for or anticipated.

All of a sudden, the Holy Spirit took control of a brain that had not sent a signal to a vocal chord in over

66

As she walked into my father’s ward, she sensed a

three months. My father turned to Mum and said in a

wonderful, tingling presence of God, and these words

strong voice, ‘Honey, you know what? God still answers

came to her: Get ready! Your husband is going to talk to

prayers.’ At that instance, her hope tank went from

you today.

empty to full.

and

After saying that, my father lay there and spoke in his prayer language, in tongues. After 10 minutes, he lapsed back into a coma and never spoke another word until he passed away four months later.

While it might seem faith and hope refer to the same thing, they are actually two different entities.

The miracle is simply this: Nobody could have spoken those words to my mum and meant anything except my

What is faith? The Bible says that when we

father. God let him preach one more sermon and it restored

are saved, we are given a measure of faith

her hope.

and we can grow our faith. One of the ways

Remember, God can make alive that which was dead! He is the source of hope. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Read the Old Testament – His past performance is an accurate predictor of his future behaviour.

His past performance is an accurate predictor of his future behaviour.

we can grow our faith is through scripture: Romans 10:17 – So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ.

Hence, faith is about education. To grow it, meditate and reflect upon the Word of God. Hope, on the other hand, is emotional. While

Have hope in the God who keeps His promises, knows your

faith is related to miracles, hope is related

every need and has power for the supernatural. If He’s done

to morale. The dictionary defines hope as

the impossible once, He can do it again.

that ‘happy anticipation of something that is about to transpire that is joyful or positive’.

Rev. Alton Garrison is the assistant General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, USA and the Executive Director of the Division of Church Ministries and Discipleship. He has served as Executive Director of U.S. Missions, overseeing missionaries and chaplains across the United States and around the world.

Were you blessed by this article? Tell us about it!

SMS “Trinity <space>your comments” to 79777 or email testimonies@trinity.org.sg This sermon can be heard online at www.trinity.net/sermons.htm

www.

trinity.net

Mark 5 describes the story of the lady with the issue of blood. She touched the hem of Jesus’ garment and was healed. While it was faith that got her the miracle, it was hope that put her on that roadside.

If faith is the dynamite, then hope is the fuse. Without the fuse, the dynamite is worthless.

67

Walking on Faithâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Edge

68

When Lisa Chan was in hospital delivering her second child, survival was the last thing on her mind. She shares how, as her life hung on a thread, God performed the delicate miracle of making the impossible possible – thrice.

I was due to give birth in late November 2005. When my

happened on Friday, so I was disappointed, but

due date was very near, I went to my gynaecologist for a

I continued to pray. On Saturday morning, right after

check-up. That was on a Thursday. He told me then that

breakfast, I felt that I was going to give birth. ‘Thank

he was going on a holiday that weekend. He said that

You, God! You answered my prayer!’

his colleague, another gynaecologist, would help me to deliver my baby if anything should happen, but looking

My needs, He meets

at my situation, I should be able to hold for about

I quickly called the clinic at Thomson Medical Centre. It

another week.

was around 12 noon then. The clinic was still open – it would only be opened for half a day

My first baby was premature – my

on Saturdays. When they checked

elder son had come early – so the

me, they told me that I was ready

gynaecologist who helped me to

to give birth. I was elated to have

deliver my baby was not the one

caught my gynaecologist just in

that I had chosen. I didn’t like the

time before he was due to leave the

idea of this happening again.

next day, Sunday.

I kept praying: ‘God, can You please

My labour was short. I was healthy

let me deliver my baby now, like tomorrow, so that I will

throughout this whole second pregnancy – I didn’t have

be in time for my ‘gynae’ to do the delivery?’ Nothing

high blood pressure or any other medical complications.

69

After Afte Af t r my baby was deli delivered ive vere r d an re and nd th the e st stitching tit itch chin ch hin ing g done, my my

that tthis that th his hospit hospital ittal al h has a this me as medication. e I’m going to u use se

gyna n ec ecologist left. Right Righ ghtt af gh aft ter my d o to oc torr walked walkked wa ed o out ut, th ut tthe e gynaecologist after doctor out,

itt to o see see whether se whet wh e her it will help the blood to clot.’ I was to et

m idw wif ife e noticed no oti ticed tice ce ed that t at m th loo ood d pr pre essu es ssu ure h had ad d ro opp pped ed midwife myy b blood pressure dropped

disc di scoverr that sc sco tha hat ha at he was also one of the few docto torss who to who o discover doctors

si ign nificcantly. antl tly. tl ly Wh When en n she he lifted lif ifte fte ted d th the e bl blan anke an ket, ke ket, t sshe he reali ised signifi blanket, realised

wa attio on. wass proficientt in administering such medicat medication.

that I w th as b leedin ing ng non-stop. nonn-st n-st stop op. op was bleeding By this thiis time, I had lost five litres of blood. Nurses and She Sh e immediately imme im medi me diat dia di atel ely ca ely call lled tthe lled ll he g ynae yn aeco ae co ologist, who rush hed called gynaecologist, rushed

doctors poked needles into my body in a bid to stop the

back. There Ther Th ere er e was was a lo lott of commotion – people were

bleeding with the help of the medication. If my blood

running in and out of the labour room. Although I didn’t

still would not clot, the doctors would have to resort to

know what exactly was happening, I knew something

removing my uterus. I dreaded the thought, but knew

bad must have taken place. I lay there, he elp lple less, le e and helpless,

it was a trade-off between that and my life. I told the

allowed them to do whatever was needed ed. ed needed.

doctor that he could do anything he deemed necessary to save me.

My gynaecologist wasn’t equipped to deal with this situation so an emergency doctor was quickly called to

As a result of the massive loss of blood, the emergency

the scene. According to this doctor, my case was unique

doctor had to request for blood from Tan Tock Seng

because I hadn’t given birth by caesarean section, thus

Hospital for my blood transfusion. Upon receiving the call,

my bleeding was not caused

a whole carton of fresh blood was immediately delivered.

by surgery. I was bleeding

My doctor had never experienced such an easy time

because chemically,

requesting for blood. Often, he would have to fight

something went wrong

for blood to be sent to him because this was a private

in my body. My blood

hospital. Moreover, it was fresh blood–ideal, because it

couldn’t clot so it just kept

meant it had not gone through too much processing.

flowing out.

After many hours, they managed To stop the bleeding, they were going to

large volume of blood transfused

use a special form of

into my body, blood tests were

medication on me. The

conducted to ensure that I wasn’t

medication was rare

suffering from kidney failure or any

and not many hospitals

other ailments. Upon ascertaining that my condition was

had a readily available

stabilised, the emergency doctor left; it was 11pm. While

stock of it. In fact, I recall

the bleeding had stopped, I was advised to remain in the

him saying, ‘You are lucky

70

to stop the bleeding. Due to the

intensive care ward for observation.

Upon realising the gravity of my m situation, my husband

I said: ’God, I know I will walk out of here safe. I know

immediately called Thomas an and Rosie, the only

You won’t let go of me.’ I kept repeating these two

Trinitarians we knew at the tim time. We had been in Trinity

sentences over and over again. I didn’t ask, I just said

for just two months when this happened. Thomas and

‘I know‘, and trusted Him.

Rosie were quick to shower their th care and concern and pray alongside our family as we went through the

Looking back, I marvel at how everything was in

ordeal. We

place for me. It could only have been God at work.

were blessed

Throughout the episode, I was calm, neither struggling

by their acts

nor crying. I don’t know how I managed to stay so.

of love and support.

It was remarkable that throughout the four or five hours that they were trying to save my life, I didn’t go into a coma, which was the norm for someone in my situation. I was not even drowsy. In fact, I was wide awake and knew exactly that was going on.

The doctor had a nurse come and care for me. Then, another amazing thing happened: this particular nurse was the same one who had nursed my son when he was previously admitted for pneumonia. She had

I saw a vision of Jesus standing next to my husband at the doorway to assure me that He was with me.

been very nice and we liked her very much. I thought she worked in the children’s wards, so it was a surprise meeting her. It was comforting to see a familiar face, moreover one we really liked. I knew that I was in good

Perfect peace

hands.

While I was still warded, the hospital placed a sofa for my husband near the doorway of my room so that he could

Back then, I didn’t know how to say long prayers or

rest while being with me. I remember late one night, I

speak in tongues. All I did was to keep talking to God,

saw a vision of Jesus standing next to my husband at

just like how I would talk to any other person.

the doorway. He was smiling at me. It felt like He was

71

making a happy visit after everything was over, to assure

to proceed without him. As a result, the whole hospital

me that He was with me. At first, I thought that

came to know about my case, and many came to visit and send their regards.

I was hallucinating. However, I was pretty sure that I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t because I was wide awake. It was so real.

Partially due to the rarity of my condition and how I almost lost my life, I became a mini-celebrity in the hospital. Moreover, my gynaecologist happened to be

72

I had survived postpartum haemorrhage, a condition which is the leading cause of maternal mortality and which posts a 50 percent survival rate.

According to my gynaecologist, I was very fortunate; I had survived postpartum haemorrhage, a condition which is the leading cause of maternal mortality and which posts a 50 percent survival rate. He was personally shocked that I had contracted this

the son of a reputed gynaecologist that co-owned

ailment since I had been healthy throughout my

Thomson Medical Centre. I had inadvertently caused

entire pregnancy. Later, his father also visited me

my gynaecologist to delay his holiday for a day because

and reiterated that I was very fortunate to have good

he wanted to ensure that I was alright. His family had

medication and a good doctor attending to me.

Favour in the marketplace

the hospital bill, this offer was very attractive. I decided

Prior to the incident, my husband and I had opted for

to accept it.

a nicer room since the delivery would be considerably affordable. However, with the sudden turn of events,

Not long

we immediately downgraded to the cheapest room

after, news

in hope of reducing costs. Nevertheless, because the

reached

special medication used was very costly, the bill came

that I might

to a five-figure sum. Paying it off took a huge chunk

have been

of our savings.

retrenched or made to

Despite being entitled to three months of maternity

take a pay

leave, I went back to work after two months due to

cut if I had

the hectic nature of my work. Two or three days after

stayed at my

returning, a head-hunter called me. She said that she

former job.

had been actively searching for me. At that time,

It was God’s

I was working as a brand manager for luxury brands.

providence

This head-hunter was representing a foreign, mid-end

t that provided

beachwear brand to look

t this new job at

for a brand manager.

I had previously turned other head-hunters down because after 13 years, I had grown comfortable in

It was God’s providence that provided this new job at the right time.

my company. Furthermore,

t right time. the B Before my postpartum haemorrhage, I didn’t have any personal encounter with God. This incident marked a turning point in my relationship with God. It revealed to me that if God

the job offers were often not suitable for me. However,

could keep me alive in the most dire of situations,

this time I thought that I would give it a shot. I prayed,

then there truly isn’t anything that God could not do.

‘God, I don’t surf, nor am I a beach person, but if it’s for

I will always remember what I went through because

me then I’ll get it; if it’s not for me, then I won’t.’

it reminds me that nothing is impossible with God.

I went with an open mind and didn’t prepare much for

Share with us what God has done for you! We know that

the interview. To my surprise, they liked me and offered

God has been at work in your life! Let others be encouraged

me a salary 40 percent higher than what I was currently

by what you have experienced of God. And let’s shout His

earning. Having depleted most of my savings paying

fame together! Email testimonies@trinity.org.sg

73

For people in sunny, and oftentimes rainy, Singapore,

Rather than shun experiencing a ‘winter season’ in your personal walk of faith, recognise the timeliness and realise God’s intention to bring you into your fullest potential of fruitfulness. By Rev. Alton Garrison 74

the thought of living in a climate with four seasons is possibly a constant yearning. Winter, especially, conjures up a sense of purity, cleanliness and hope renewed. You get to finally flaunt your winter wear too!

While that may be the general perception of seasonal change here, God has a different perspective on seasons In Genesis 8:21-22, the Bible says: seasons.

The Lord smelt the soothing aroma, and the Lord said to imse ‘I will never again curse the ground on account Himself,

Survive the Cold

Grow the Soul of Man, for the intent of Man’s heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done.

While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, / And cold and heat, / And summer and winter, / And day and night / Shall not cease’.

God’s will is to bless you to be a blessing, and as a Trinitarian, you must first understand that God has blessed you so you can be fruitful.

order out of what appeared to be chaos and He established seasons.

Furthermore, in the following verse – Genesis 9:1 – God did something else: He not only blessed Noah and his sons but He wanted them to be fruitful, multiply and to fill the earth.

So when God talks about season, what exactly was He

God’s will is to bless you to be a blessing, and as a

saying? I believe that He was illustrating that out of

Trinitarian, you must first understand that God has

sacrifice can come revelation. God was establishing

blessed you so you can be fruitful.

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You must also understand the ebb and flow of seasons and how to move in them. These seasons are not as we understand them, such as the ‘earning season’, ‘retirement season’ or ‘parenting season’.

Instead, God’s perspective of what seasons are can be further gleaned through Ecclesiastes 3:1-8:

There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven – A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and time to uproot what is planted.

A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up.

A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance.

A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.

A time to search and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep and a time to throw away.

A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak.

A time to love and a time to hate; A time for war and a time for peace.

In the Hebrew Bible, there are characteristics of these seasons that were illustrated, but I’m going to focus on just one: the ‘winter season’.

Just what is this winter season? There are three characteristics to identify it:

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Walking with God in Winter In your winter season, know that you are not alone. Go through it with God, with whom you are in covenant relationship with.

In Exodus 12, the Israelites

An abundance of rain

were going to be released

Given that the Bible passage was

from 430 years of Egyptian captivity

written in the Middle East, ‘winter

and were celebrating the Passover. There are

season’ probably ushered in rain and not snow. This unceasing rain often

actually two words in Hebrew for ‘Passover’. The first

led to dreariness as a result of the

is pesach, which refers to the Passover experience, time and

constant flooding.

season. The other is abar, which means ‘to pass through’ or ‘pass over’.

A decrease in normalcy

Know that even though there is a destructive part to the Passover, there

In your daily life, there is a dormancy of

is also an element of protection and redemption. In verse 23, because of

normal activities. In other words, you are

His covenant relationship with the Israelites, God prevented the destroyer

not as productive as you want to be or

from coming in and taking the life of their firstborn child.

once were.

This is evident in Exodus 12:22, where God says: You shall take a bunch of

A time for pruning

hyssop and dip it in the blood which is in the basin, and apply some of the

I would describe this as a time where

blood that is in the basin to the lintel and the two doorposts; and none of you

things exit your life. Let me elaborate.

shall go outside the door of his house until morning.

Have you ever seen someone excessively

The word ‘basin’ referenced here comes from the Hebrew word saph,

prune a plant to the point where you

which has an alternative translation ‘threshold’. Hence, the blood was not

wonder whether they are destroying the

only put on the door post, but also on the threshold.

plant? Well, the secret lies in the timing.

Only during the winter season can

The ‘threshold covenant’ lends insight into how to get over your winter

plants have their branches pruned, as

season.

the sap within the plant is not flowing.

Being in covenant means we have a shared provision. If you were in Similarly, while we often think that we

covenant with a friend, everything that belongs to him belongs to you;

have destroyed something or have

you can freely access all his resources. We all have many friends, but few

something in our lives destroyed by

covenant partners. However, we all have Jesus as a covenant partner.

external factors, the way to turning

Jesus, in covenantal relationship with the Israelites, provided manna and

defeat into something positive lies

water each day for them as they journeyed through the wilderness.

in a change in our perception of the situation.

We need to learn to come boldly before the throne and we can have anything we need because we are God’s covenant partners!

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Why do we need to endure this winter season, you

it meant to be in control and also for God to give him

might ask. While I hesitate to make this next statement,

counsel.

I do believe that you will probably never come into your fullest potential of fruitfulness if you abscond from your

With the onset of winter season, this made him question

winter season.

the presence of God in his life. In Job 29:2-3, he laments: Oh that I were as in months gone by / As in the days when

A person who has never undergone this winter season

God watched over me. When His lamp shone over my head,

is likely to have an unrealistic perspective on life. This

/ And by His light I walked through darkness.

person might think that a flat tyre when it’s raining is such a season, but the truth is, it’s just a trial.

In fact, the pruning was so deep that Job began thinking that God was no longer with him. In Job 29:5, he says: When the Almighty was

However, I’m not talking just about a trial or discomfort; it’s not so simple. Winter season is a period of time when Satan is trying to take you out. But even while in tribulation, God can use the situation to promote you.

You must go through the winter season with God, whom you have a covenantal relationship with.

yet with me…

Notice that Job repeatedly uses the personal pronouns ‘me’ and ‘mine’. What you must learn here is that you cannot go through winter or try coming out of it on

Let me give you a real-life example: Job. There is no

your own. You must go through the winter season with

better illustration of a winter season than Job’s testimony

God, whom you have a covenantal relationship with.

– a righteous and blessed man that nevertheless entered into his winter season.

In Job 29:4, Job makes a reference to his ‘prime’, but the word ‘prime’ does not refer to time in a chronological understanding. Rather, prime is translated into ‘autumn’ in Hebrew, as it is the time of great harvest and when all

The end of ‘winter season’

the crops were collected and stored in the barn. It refers to a time of abundance and blessing. Hence, when Job made the reference in this verse, he was wishing that he was back in a time of victory and prosperity.

What signals the end of your winter experience? Job Job also experienced the suddenness that characterises

helps us answer the question once more.

the onset of winter season. In Job 1:13, the scripture

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makes reference to ‘a day’, a specific time or moment he

He spends most part of the book questioning God, feeling

realises that ‘autumn’ had changed to winter. It is a time

distant from and forgotten by Him. Yet nearing the end,

when Job was no longer in control of his life. Back then,

in Job 38, God begins to put him back in perspective by

Job was probably a chief magistrate, so he knew what

questioning him, revealing to Job His magnitude.

In Job 40:4, Job finally realised that he is of but small account in God’s

If you would like to come into a

scheme of things and stopped complaining: I am unworthy – how can

covenant relationship with God

I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth.

today, just say this simple prayer:

This prompted him to seek God’s forgiveness and then intercede for his

Dear God, please

friends. Winter stopped soon after.

forgive me of all my sins. Thank

Essentially, there are five things that occur when winter ends:

you for dying on

1. Job forgave those who had hurt him, he quit holding grudges and

the cross for me.

blessed them

Please come into

2. Job praised God

my life to be my Lord and Saviour. In

3. Job received a double portion – God made him prosperous again,

Jesus’ name, Amen.

giving him twice as much as he had before: these blessings include his seven sons and three daughters from God

If you have just said this prayer,

4. Job’s relationships were restored

please tell a Christian friend or call

5. Job received fresh revelation of God.

us at 6468 4444. We would love to meet with you.

The last sign was particularly poignant. Job now not only knew cognitively, he also had revelation of God. He said in Job 42:5: My ears have heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Winter season brings new revelation.

Job’s new revelation Perhaps the best illustration of the depth of Job’s revelation is seen in the names Job gave his daughters. In the Hebrew language, • Jemima: ‘dove’. However, there is also an alternate translation that means ‘day’. Hence every time he spoke her name, he was reminded that night was over and day had come • Kezia: ‘cassia’. It is the chief ingredient of perfume or anointing oil.

The significance of her name? Every time Job called her, he was asking the presence of God to come • Keren-Happuch: ‘black eye shadow’. It is symbolic of fresh revelation – eye shadow accentuates the eyes.

Remember this: God allows you into a winter experience because He knows there is fruitfulness on the other side. And, winter season brings special revelation, which God wants to open your eyes and heart to.

Rev. Alton Garrison is the assistant General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, USA and the Executive Director of the Division of Church Ministries and Discipleship. He has served as Executive Director of U.S. Missions, overseeing missionaries and chaplains across the United States and around the world.

Were you blessed by this article? Tell us about it! SMS “Trinity <space>your comments” to 79777 or email testimonies @trinity.org.sg

www.

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This sermon can be heard online at www.trinity.net/sermons.htm

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journey into Faith and Love through adversity.

Few people get to meet their soul-mate, share a love that can withstand just about anything or find the one person in whom they see a completion in themselves. I found my lover, friend, help-meet and confidante in my wife, Chin. She was the beam of sunshine that broke into my day and the wind beneath my wings.

When we got married, we were cupid’s happiest coupling. It didn’t matter that we were not materially wealthy; what we had, money couldn’t buy. We had dreams, and together we made some of them come true.

We instinctively had each others interests at heart and it was always ‘the other’s’ happiness that we strived for. We encouraged and rooted for each other in almost everything the other aspired. We competed in our affections for each other; whenever my wife told me ‘I love you’, my refrain was always ‘I love you – More’. We were best buddies.

The hallmark of our wo peas in a pod we were, my wife

relationship was one of love,

and I. We loved the same of almost

trust and integrity. We loved

everything: people, food, interests,

loving each other. We never

and the list goes on. Just like two peas in a pod,

ran each other down with

we were inseparable and you wouldn’t see one

any harsh or unkind words.

without the other. Nevertheless, one pea was

Rather, we respected each

always more lustrous; that pea was my wife. Her

others’ opinions even when

name was Siew Chin and it meant ‘beautiful and precious’. Her

we disagreed. We trusted that the other would

loved ones and friends called her ‘Chin’. This is the story of our

always be there regardless of how the course

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of our lives’ journey

allow a godly woman to be inflicted with this deadly

would meander and we

disease. I questioned why it had to be Chin. It was

looked out for each other.

incomprehensible, even absurd. Cancer touched my

Above all, we honored

life and I was consumed by it; it was my nemesis and

and revered each other

I vowed to destroy it.

with integrity – we were honest, candid and hid absolutely nothing from each other. I loved my wife unreservedly. Chin was my bliss.

I will never forget that Saturday afternoon in December 2004 when Chin texted me, ‘Please call me. I need to tell you something.’ It didn’t sound like Chin and I was worried; she was expecting results from her routine medical check-up. My heart skipped a beat. The doctor had reported an abnormal reading in a cancer marker. Nevertheless, her response was, ‘Don’t worry dear, it’s nothing until we know for sure’. Despite her calmness, being the eternal pessimist, I

The weeks and months that followed were synonymous

feared the worse. After all, numbers don’t lie. Soon after,

with operations, chemotherapy regimes, pain killers,

after a series of tests and scans, the doctor confirmed

TCM treatments and attendance in healing services. Our

that there was a malignant spot in her left lung. At that

journey saw us traversing an emotional roller-coaster that

moment, I felt my world cave in. The music suddenly

was inversely related to Chin’s cancer marker reading.

stopped. Up until that point, life had been good to us;

Whilst I tried to brace myself, each doctor’s visit found

now we faced a new reality. Did I ask God ‘WHY?’ Sure

me a nervous wreck: worried, frustrated, aggressive and

I did – I asked if He was doing His job as God, and if

angry. Learning of the latest results often drove me to the

He blinked when it happened. I was angry with God.

extremes of human emotion: delirious or crushed.

Notwithstanding the knowledge that God had allowed it, I needed answers as to why a loving God would

82

For a period I lived from day-to-day, with my whole

being vacillating between a sense of false optimism and premature grief. While I realised I couldn’t let a doctor’s report dictate my state of being, my spiritual, mental and emotional health was being quietly gnawed away at its core. I had shut down, and I wanted

always tell me, ‘If

to shut God out. I was depleted. For a period I had

ve I have no Hope I have

handed cancer victory. After a season of futile striving,

nothing, so let’s just trust Him’ or ‘It’s ok baby, God is in

I quietly surrendered the situation to a Sovereign God.

control’. She was always propping me up instead. She

Nevertheless, it did not ease my burden immediately;

lived a life of unwavering Faith, clinging to the solid rock

I still could not see the ‘silver lining’ behind the storm

that is Christ Jesus. Her Hope and faith were anchored

cloud. I acquiesced in doubt and questioned if God was

on Jesus and her love for people was anchored on

waiting to wieId His hand at a time when it seemed all

God’s love for her. Jesus was her lifeline. It was this same

hope is gone so that He might appear mightier. I had

personal Jesus that soaked her in His Peace, a peace she

judged God’s love based on my circumstance, when I

experienced deeply. Chin was fully aware her God was a

should have looked for Him in the midst of it.

jealous God and she worshipped Him alone. She praised God and trusted in His enduring love right to the end.

Suffice to say, it was a long, lonely and arduous journey.

Even in adversity, Chin would tell me all circumstances

Chin warred valiantly with immense fortitude and an

are temporary. She taught me that while things change,

indomitable spirit. She had undergone two operations,

we need to have faith in God and to trust in Him come

radiation treatments and numerous chemotherapy

what may, simply because He is God and He knows best.

sessions. She emerged from each treatment free from

If Hope is hearing the melody of the future, and Faith is

any severe side effects and with her spirit intact. Cancer

being able to dance to it, Chin certainly did both.

and its requisite palliative treatments did not destroy her because she had faith in a faithful God. She fought

It was through her cancer journey that Chin experienced

quietly but valiantly and held a deep sense of God’s

God’s extravagant love, God’s immense compassion and

supremacy over her life and our future. We prayed HARD.

unfailing grace and her family’s lavish love for her. It was

In turn, God showed up and encapsulated us in His Love.

through her cancer that Chin could experience how loved she was by everyone. It was a happy revelation and it put

Our journey of five years was beyond a battle with

a song in her heart. The glowing eulogies and tributes

cancer. It evolved into a Journey into Faith and Love

delivered during Chin’s wake spoke of her Faith in God and

and through this journey we encountered God. We

her Love for God and people. Chin was able to be who she

couldn’t figure it out, we had to faith it out. Chin would

was not only because she was meticulously designed and

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crafted in the image of her Maker but because she chose to obey God’s commandment to love, having experienced it first hand in the deepest possible way.

God who never fails her. Her journey into Faith and Love Crazy as it sounds, I thank God for this journey that I

will remain a legacy for us all to embrace. In her last days,

undertook with Chin. Without which, I would not have

Chin scribbled (when she could speak no more), ‘Good to

been tested and in the process discovered my capacity

be back with God. He loves me. Either way, it is good

for love. Without which, my life would be poorer. It

for me. I’m Home.’ She knew where she belonged. In the

allowed me to live out our marriage vows in their entirety

final analysis, cancer did not take my wife, her God did.

and intensity: to love and to cherish, in sickness and in

Whilst God may not have healed Chin in the physical on

health till death do us part.

earth, He certainly restored her soul. Finally, Chin’s last SMS to me (which she struggled to text) was ‘I love you –

Cancer gave me an opportunity to love my wife as best as

More’. She had the last word and I am glad she did.

I humanly could; she was never ever a burden but always a joy. I guarded my love for my wife jealously, never

Even as I now mourn the loss of the most beautiful girl

believing anyone other than me could care for her as

in my life, and God’s finest gift to me on earth, I have

well as I did. It was a most honourable privilege for me to

discovered joy in adversity, strength in total surrender

journey so intimately with Chin in the last days of her life

and comfort in total release. Through adversity, I realised

– when she was completely dependent on God for her

how much I needed God. It reminded me of my humanity

soul’s restoration and on me for her physical well-being.

and that I am only a heartbeat from eternity. It refined the integrity of my heart, and through it all God showed

What I had with Chin was precious and priceless. She

me that He is ALWAYS there and shines brightest in our

was a beautiful woman who lived out God’s very own

darkest hour. I am in a place of quiet surrender today

heartbeat. In life Chin inspired me to be the best person

only because of God’s Grace and Strength which He

I could be. In our journey with cancer she inspired me

freely bestowed on me when He knew I needed them

with her unequivocal faith in and love for God. Finally,

most. Adversity may have derailed part of my life’s

in her passing, she has inspired me to live strong as she

journey but I know my God will have me back on track!

did. It was through this journey that I discovered what

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really mattered at the end of the day. Ultimately, as Pastor

While I may never know WHY this happened, I know

Margaret surmised, Chin had Faith in a God who loves

that all that LOVE could do was done. We did it – God,

her, Love for a God who never forsakes her and Hope in a

Chin and I.

Two pastors who ministered to Vince and Siew Chin share how they, in ministering to them, were ministered, too.

I thank God that I have had the

I first came in contact with Vince and Siew Chin in the beginning

privilege of knowing Vince and Siew

of 2005. By then, Siew Chin had been diagnosed with 4th stage

Chin. Though I do not know them

lung cancer. Nevertheless, her sickness did not overcome her

very well, they have amazed me. I

love for God, life and people. Despite Chin’s physical health

remember when I was at the hospital

challenges, she never stopped thanking and loving God. I

with Vince and the family after Chin

remember her telling me these words, ’You know, God is so kind

had been promoted to glory, God

to me! God loves me so much!’ She was very sure of her final

impressed upon me Psalm 116. This

destination and was not afraid of death.

psalm spoke of the life Chin lived, a life characterised by faith in a God

Siew Chin lived her life as normal as her physical body could

who loves her, love for a God who

carry her. She kept on working, attending carecell and services,

never forsakes her and hope in a God

meeting up with loved ones, travelling, exercising and eating

who never fails her.

her favorite food. She would say, ’Cancer can’t rob me of living and having fun!’ Most importantly, she kept loving and caring

After Chin was promoted to glory,

for the people around her. She would ask me to pray for Vince,

I saw a very touching scene: Vince

the salvation of her loved ones, her friends who were stricken by

plugged one of the earpiece from

cancer, and many others. There was never a dull moment talking

his MP3 into Chin’s ear, and one

to her as she would have so much about life to speak about.

into his own and he began to play a song. Vince began to lift his hands

Seeing how Vince and Chin related to each other has impacted

to worship God – it was a song

me the most. They loved and cared for each other in sickness and

of surrender. Though Chin was

in health. They did not allow anything to come between them,

no longer with us in body, I could

not even cancer. They would laugh, joke and poke fun at each

picture Chin probably doing the

other. They treasured every moment to enjoy each other. They

same in heaven, lifting her hands

have shown me what living out the marriage vow is all about.

to worship this God whom she had put her hope in –

The thought of Chin being gone saddens

the God who had

my heart. The thought of Vince being

never failed her.

alone without Chin is difficult to accept.

Pastor Margaret Tay

Nevertheless, I know I will see Chin again and I know God will carry Vince through.

Pastor Loh Wai Ling

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➥ MISSIONS AT A GLANCE

An over view of the span of Trinity’s Missions from Januar y to June 2010. ➥ GO

4 81 4 3 1,472 43 ➥ GO

Missions Impact Teams (MIT) Evangelistic and Humanitarian Trips Countries Trinitarians Evangelistic MITs Humanitarian MITs Decisions Miraculous healings

Training and Consultation Trips

26

Trips

Countries

86

10

(Australia, China, Colombia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, Poland, Taiwan and USA)

➥ GIVE

4 166 7

Countries assisted in Crisis Relief efforts (China, Haiti, India and Indonesia) Through 6 Relief Organisations

Destitute children in India and Thailand sponsored (6 Ministries and 1 Church Building)

April to June 2010 has been an eventful period for missions. Fortynine Trinitarians went on four Missions Impact Teams (MITs) to China, India, Philippines and Taiwan.

One MIT visited and ministered to the Sichuan community in China two years after the massive earthquake.

Thirteen Training and Consultation trips were deployed to Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.

A few of Trinity’s Sectional Leaders

were involved in these trips for the first time and shared their unique experiences.

Besides ’Going‘, Trinity also responded timely towards crisis relief efforts in China’s Qinghai Earthquake by giving.

We also sponsored the construction of 10 borewells in the Indian state of Kurnool, providing 10 villages with precious, clean drinking water during the dry summer season. We are indeed blessed to be a blessing to the nations.

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Church Development Leadership and Organisational Development

You might have heard about your pastors going on Training and Consultation trips and wondered what such a trip entails. A Sectional Leader who went for a trip shares.

Impacting Them, Impacting Me ker Jasslyne Ng, homema East, Trinity@Adam alia in June 2010 n Trip to Brisbane, Austr Training and Consultatio r Gerald asked me oss my mind when Pasto acr ed rac hts ug tho ny Ma sbane. My immediate Consultation Trip to Bri d an ng ini Tra a on go to stors and not for ‘lay kind of trip meant for pa thought was: isn’t this of this trip was so uipped? As the nature people’ like me? Am I eq for me to step out us MIT to India, it called different from my previo my life to do a deeper work in was ready to allow God I r, ve we Ho . ne zo ort of my comf thing. and to trust Him in every lls, schedule – visiting carece cked with a demanding pa s wa ek we tire en e Th evenings and ining and teaching in the tra rs, sto pa al loc the in consultations with d services. The Church r Wendy) over weeken sto Pa d an d ral Ge r sto a preaching (for Pa ee years and there was cell-based model for thr y’s nit Tri d nte me ple Brisbane had im of their labour. y had not seen the fruits the as nt me ge ura co sense of dis the re was a divine shift as ng and consultation, the ini tra tire en the er aft r, Howeve ing work among d was doing an amaz Go t tha ion vis the ht ug Church once again ca that things would nts, now there is hope me int po ap dis re we them. Where there d Leaders recommit see Spiritual Parents an to ing rm wa art he s turn around. It wa of their church fulfilled. stors, to see the vision Pa ir the e sid ng alo ve themselves to ser of exposed to both forms was very thankful to be I , trip ole wh the on As I reflected hough both trips d Consultation trips. Alt an ng ini Tra d an ms ct Tea ministry: Mission Impa d has called us not tthew 28:19. Indeed, Go Ma of se rpo pu the d lle are different, both fulfi d-given potential and les, developing their Go cip dis ke ma to t bu s to make mere convert ir God-given destiny. releasing them into the d that there are hurting an ation, the fact remains stin de ul cif fan ly ng mi God Despite the see to be obedient to where comes imperative for us be It . ere wh ery ev le d and broken peop ge to serve alongside Go all, it has been a privile in All . ter nis mi to us had called our pastors!

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for sharing yo ur carecell mod el!

Trinity’s carecell model is making waves around the world in churches, communities and in the lives of individuals. Here are some testimonies from Malaysia, Poland and Taiwan.

T

hank you Trinity Christian Centre for introducing us to your carecell model.

Everyone is really excited about carecell and the 5Gs. With this new model, everybody plays an active role in cell. Through the times of Glorify, Gel and by performing care acts, my cell has multiplied during the one year since we have adopted this system. Everyone

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

has been very encouraged and members have a new-found

Thank you Trinity Christian Centre

In the past, I wanted to share the

boldness to pray and gel in cell.

for introducing the carecell church

gospel with others, especially

They now know how to apply

model. It’s been an amazing

unbelievers, but did not know how

God’s word into their own lives.

experience since we adopted the

to go about it. After attending

model. It has allowed us to be flexible

the Spiritual Parenting class, I feel

Moreover, members now find

and purposeful in planning the

bolder. Through practising care

carecells interesting. Instead of

objectives of our meetings. Through

acts, care events and care witness,

being a monologue, there are

our care acts, we are able to reach

I found it much easier to reach

now two-way dialogues during

out intentionally to the people and

out and win souls. Through the

carecell. Therefore, when it’s time

introduce them to our cells. We are

care acts and care events, and

for cell multiplication, we have

able to see potential leaders rise

consistent prayers, three of my

no problem finding spiritual

up and new people have been

cousins have accepted Christ.

parents as they are all ready.

coming almost every week. We

One of them is now reaching out

I am looking forward to more

are really happy to report that our

to her unsaved husband, praise

carecell multiplications.

carecell will be multiplying soon!

the Lord!

A Carecell Leader

An Associate Leader

A Spiritual Parent

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Taichung City, Taiwan

W

e have been blessed to have been given the

Book of Life which was introduced to us by Trinity.

opportunity to learn from Trinity Christian

In fact, using the Book of Life as a tool to reach out to

Centre; it has helped us richly in our ministry.

loved ones and bring them to salvation has become a

In a span for four and a half years, we have grown from

culture in our church.

20 carecells to nearly 60 carecells and the congregation has also grown from 300 plus to nearly 700 people.

We have also placed some focus on nurturing and discipling our members. Through different equipping

Through the training sessions conducted by Trinity,

and training tracks implemented with reference

our members learnt the importance of spending Time

to Trinityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s model, members are equipped to take

Alone with God, and now practice it daily. We have also

on the roles of spiritual parents and cell leaders.

caught the heartbeat of evangelism and every member

Furthermore, our carecells place a high importance on

is committed to reaching out to at least one person every

discipling and encouraging members to take on roles

year. While there used to be

as Spiritual Parents and Carecell Leaders.

60 people who were baptised each year, there were 120

As a church, our goal is

people who were baptised last

to have 1,000 people

year. In the first seven months of

attending our services

this year, 90 people have already

by next year, and to

been baptised. The number of

grow our carecells to

people being baptised this year

reach a hundred. We

is expected to reach 180.

thank Trinity Christian

This phenomenal growth can

our church.

be explained by the emphasis

Senior Pastor

our church places on using the

of a church in Taiwan

Centre for sowing into

90

Krakow, Poland The training provided by

T

he training provided by Trinity helped me

Trinity was invaluable in two aspects:

overcome my barriers and transformed my way of thinking, granting me a

greater focus in reaching out to the unsaved.

This has become a priority in my life.

Firstly, it taught us about managing our priorities and that we don’t have to choose between God, ministry, family and work because all of them are included in God’s plan for our lives.

During the first seminar, I was challenged to take practical steps to reach out to my friends. One of these steps was praying for my friends using the ‘five fingers prayer method’. After a few months of such prayers, the two people who I’ve been praying for gave their lives to God. I was amazed; I saw that prayerr

Secondly, it contained many practical instructions that enabled us to go beyond just learning and gaining knowledge. The seminar urged us to start acting and going out to streets to share the gospel. It was very practical and very helpful. Many persons who I spoke with share the same sentiments.

really works. God is wonderful. Having overcome my

Associate Pastor

fear of evangelism, I now have greater confidence to

of a church in Poland

undertake more of such challenges.

I’ve also seen important changes that have transpired

in the process of evangelism which was emphasised

in our church after the Training and Consultation with

during the training sessions.

Trinity. Firstly, there is a greater sense of responsibility to reach out and preach the gospel to the community.

The challenges you set before us – to pray and reach out

Secondly, the seminars have equipped us with practical

to people without fear – have been invaluable. Thank

skills and tools, increasing our effectiveness in sharing

you Trinity!

the gospel. Lastly, the church now understands the tremendous role of prayer and the working of God

Church Administrator of a church in Poland

91

Close to $210,000 was raised at the recent CCSS Charity Golf 2010 event.

While golf was the main highlight, the testimony of a life CCSS touched stole the show.

Dairy Farm Singapore/ Care Community Services Society Charity Golf 2010 On the 8th of July, 140 golfers converged on the Laguna National Golf and Country Club to raise funds for CCSS in partnership with Dairy Farm Singapore. With cloudy skies above, the weather was just right for a day out on the golf course.

Gracing the event were many of CCSS’ partners and friends, including Rev. Dominic Yeo, the President of CCSS, Mr. Alex Tay, Regional Director of Dairy Farm South Asia and Mr. Michael Palmer, MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC. Also present were Trinitarians from all walks of life who actively partnered with CCSS as corporate and individual sponsors. Among them were two who conducted a music workshop for CareHuts’ children.

CareHuts is one of CCSS’ programmes.

While having a game of golf to raise funds was the main agenda of the event, some of the lives touched by CCSS were in the spotlight as the day concluded over a dinner.

An outstanding percussion performance was given by children from CareHuts, while a senior citizen from CARElderly shared how her outlook of life had changed since joining CCSS’ Seniors Activity Centre (SAC).

92

Here is an excerpt from her sharing:

Said one sponsor, Mr Alex Tay,

My name is Tan Pech Ying. I live alone. When

Regional Director of Dairy Farm

I am at home with nothing to do, I tend to think

South Asia: ‘We are pleased to

a lot. This eventually affected my sleep. I am very

support CCSS in its widespread

thankful to CARElderly Seniors Activity Centre. One

activities which include touching

of the staff there came by my place and asked if

the lives of the elderly, young and

I was interested to join them. I agreed. I am very

even those in prison. Dairy Farm

thankful for the caring volunteers. Once I fell sick,

Singapore has a policy of rotating

and Michael, the Centre Supervisor, came to my house and brought

charities but we are pleased with the efforts by

me to the clinic. I want to thank each of you for contributing to

CCSS and will continue to support it.’

CARElderly. I have no more worries now.

Mr Michael Palmer, MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol At the conclusion of her sharing, she belted out a heart-warming

GRC also had words of praise: ‘I would like to

Mandarin song learnt during one of the karaoke sessions at the

personally encourage CCSS to keep up the

SAC. The words of the song ဿׁ֭߅ seemed to describe her life:

good work. They are actively involved in the

Flowers of the Field

Flowers of the field are dressed in bright array

community, especially with the elderly. In

Birds in the heavens never worry for a day

Singapore where the population is greying, their

Our gracious Father watches over all

efforts will go a long way in helping many.’

He cares so much for us that He will never let us fall All donations will be channelled to bless the All of our needs our Father already knows

community, that people like Madam Tan and

In stress or trials, great mercy He bestows

the children from CareHuts will be restored and

Our gracious Father watches day by day

transformed. Thank you for your partnership!

He is almighty God, believe in Him He’ll show you the way Lyrics by Linda Yeh, Music by Winston Wu Album Title: [ဿׁ֭߅]* by Heavenly Melody Copyright © ORTV. Used by permission.

To find out how you can partner with CCSS to bless the community either as a volunteer or a sponsor, please contact the office at 6304 7604 or email ccss@carecom.org.sg 93

The School of Counselling launches its

Master of Arts Programmes The School of Counselling at TCA launches two new Master of Arts Programmes in 2011: the Masters of Arts in Counselling Programme (MAC) and the Masters of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy Programme (MFT).

What are the MAC and MFT programmes?

The MAC programme is designed to prepare the graduate for the field of professional and/ or pastoral counselling, whereas the MFT is designed to prepare graduates for the field of marriage and family therapy. Both programmes are planned as two year courses. The curriculum will be taught by the faculty at the TCA School of Counselling: Rev. Anita Chia, Dr Danny Goh, Mrs Esther Tzer Wong, and Rev. Sam Kuna, experts in their field of specialty.

The MA programmes are open to both full-time and part-time students. Students who successfully complete the requirements of the first year will be issued with a Post Graduate Diploma in Counselling from the University of Wales.

MAC Programme Course Length: 2 years

MFT Programme

Year 1: Post Graduate Diploma in Counselling (UoW) Year 2: Master of Arts in Counselling (TCA)

Year 2: Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy (TCA)

Year 1: 120 Credits plus 100 hours supervised practicum Academic Requirements

Membership Eligibility Upon Graduation

Curriculum synopsis

94

Year 2: 60 Credits

Year 2: 60 Credits plus 50 hours supervised practicum

Met the criteria for membership with the Singapore Association of Counselling

Met the academic and training criteria for membership with the Association for Marital & Family Therapist Singapore and the Singapore Association of Counselling

Admission ➔ Completion of 5 Pre-requisites ➔ 1st Year Curriculum: Post Graduate in Counselling Diploma from the University of Wales ➔ 2nd Year Curriculum: 2 Tracks – MA in Counselling or MA in Marriage & Family Therapy ➔ Graduation!

The key and unique characteristics of the SOC MA programmes are first, it is faith-

What are my career options upon graduation?

Graduates from either programme will be able to practise

integrated – students benefit

as counsellors in faith-based organisations, institutions and

from engaging discussions on

community organisations or as private practitioners.

spirituality, spiritual direction and similar issues within the counselling practice; secondly, it is skills-focused, where experienced practitionerlecturers pass on valuable

Who Should Apply?

The MAC Programme: ➔ You have the passion to counsel people with emotional and mental-health issues ➔ You want to help people navigate their developmental processes.

insights in counselling through class instruction, role play and direct supervision.

– Sam Kuna, Senior Lecturer

The MFT Programme: ➔ You enjoy working with families and couples in need of counselling ➔ You wish to effect change in the community through the family.

Apply today!

Call the registrar’s office at 6304 7602 or visit ww.tca.edu.sg

95

96

Upcoming seminars

Admiss ion is FRE

E

brought to you by School of Divinity, TCA College

Who’s going to DIE?

Lausanne Global Conversation

ecisions D l a ic h t E g in k a M rld in a Complex Wo 18 Sep 2010, Sat, 1pm – 4pm TCA College To register, please email your full name to admin@tca.edu.sg by 15 Sep 2010.

Here comes a train and it’s out of control Blasting its whistle and belching out coal Up ahead there are five people tied to the track It’s going too fast and there’s no turning back A flick of a switch and the train will divert to a line where the five people will not get hurt But there’s one person already tied to that line So do you flick the switch, or do you decline?* Would you flick the switch? More importantly, how do you make decisions when faced with an ethical dilemma? This seminar will discuss a biblical approach to ethical decision-making and also consider specific issues relevant to our complex world today. *Poem by Ben Motley from the BBC World Service

Dr Richard Goetz is a faculty at TCA College and holds a PhD in Systematic Theology. He was formerly an Adjunct Professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. His extensive ministry experience includes church planting, small group ministry, adult education and discipleship.

Engaging with Cape Town 2010: The Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelisation

30 Oct 2010, Sat, 1pm – 4pm TCA College To register, please email your full name to admin@tca.edu.sg by 27 Oct 2010.

The Third Lausanne Congress will be held from 16 – 25 Oct at Cape Town, South Africa. It will bring together 4,000 leaders from more than 200 countries to confront the critical issues of our time – other world faiths, poverty, HIV/AIDS, persecution, among others – as they relate to the future of the Church and world evangelisation.

What is our role in this endeavour? How should we respond to these critical issues? What part can we play to see the world reached with the gospel?

Come and join us in this global conversation.

Faculty from the School of Divinity (English) will be facilitating the discussion.

School of Counselling • School of Creative Arts • School of Divinity • School of Leadership 97

Kisses from Heaven Over Ov ver 1 1,60 60 00 peo eople attended th he Life ife Confference rence, an adrena aline-charged two-da ay eve ent of liife-impactting g sermons an nd workkshops. Many mo ore e encountered d God at the Night Re eviva al Meetings. Participan nt Pastor Ta ammy Go oetz, an American passtor and homemaker, reccounts how God met, touched, heale ed and re enew wed many lives during these events, held from June 16 6-1 18.

Life Conference

I love the anticipation and energy that comes with a conference.

Dates: Thursday and Friday, June 17–18

My heart gets excited and starts to dream of what God has

Time: 9am–5.30pm Plenary Session Speakers: Rev. Dominic Yeo, Rev. Alton Garrison, Rev. David Mohan, Rev. Les Bowling, Rev. Ong Sek Leang Other Workshop Speakers: Rev. Naomi Dowdy, Rev. Wilson Teo, Rev. Margaret Tay, Rev. Wendy Kwok, Pastor Dennis Lum, Rev. Sam Kuna, Dr. Danny Goh, Esther Tzer Wong, Dr. Joy Tsai, Rev. Bernard Koh

planned and will do in the hearts of His people. There’s an energy when the body of believers gather for a specific time and purpose. I believe the gates of hell start to tremble when they hear the words, ‘Life Conference’. This was a conference that caused the enemy to run away and hide. God met us, changed us, healed us, unified us and poured a new vision into us.

Pastor Dominic opened the conference with a challenge to encounter God, to re-evaluate our walk of faith and to embrace the dreams and visions that God pours into our life. He stated,

Night Revival Meetings

‘Vision is birthed when we encounter God. Encountering God

Dates: Wednesday and Thursday, June 16–17

gives us a sense of greatness. Humanity was created for growth

Time: 8pm–10pm

and accomplishment’. He encouraged us not to lose our vision

Speakers: Rev. Alton Garrison and Rev. David Mohan

and explained what we needed to do to reclaim and ‘sharpen our axe head’.

At the close of the sermon, the altars were flooded with people falling on their knees and crying out to God. I knelt at the altar and felt the love of God wash away my disappointments and broken dreams. The Holy Spirit took my heart and tenderly put it back together. This was just a taste of what was to come.

98

The afternoons were filled with the hustle and bustle

what was broken is restored, and when what was dry

of workshops... How to turn your Dreams into Reality,

is renewed. Revival prepares us for something new. It

Prophetic Living, Proverbs for Daily Living, Solo

gives renewed hope and unifies the body of believers

Parenting, How to Hear The Voice of God for This

for one purpose and one cause. The Night Revival

Generation – these were just a few of the workshops

Meetings were like a laser pointing towards the

offered. I sat in on Pastor Wilson’s class, Experiencing

church’s vision, confirming Trinity Church’s core beliefs

the Beatitudes. The workshop was practical, heartfelt,

of Vibrant Atmosphere, Incredible Unity, Passionate

informative and challenging. Before I knew it, two hours

Heartbeat and Strategic Leadership. As I worshiped with

had passed and I found myself wishing that we had

fellow believers I saw that Trinity’s vision wasn’t just

another hour.

words on a page. The vision was alive and active, lived out through the leadership and Trinitarians alike.

Life Conference was not only about growing in our relationship with Christ; it was also about reconnecting

As the conference came to an end, I spotted a woman I

with old friends, and meeting new ones. Being new to

had met on the first day. She stood on the other side of

Trinity, I observed the people around me. I watched

the Sanctuary, and when our eyes met she smiled and

them pray for each other, encourage one another,

blew me a kiss. This simple act of love summed up Life

laugh, worship and grow. It dawned upon me that

Conference – God blew kisses into our hearts and

in relationships, we must allow ourselves to be

filled us to over-flowing so that we could in turn go

vulnerable for change to occur. This applies to our

out and blow life into a world that so desperately

relationship with God and with others.

needs Christ.

At the Night Revival Meetings, I learned that revival occurs when what was dead is resurrected, when

99

Life change occurred at Life Conference.

Here are just a few of the kisses that God blew into people’s lives.

I was greatly ministered to, encouraged and mentored through each and every platform. Truths were reinforced and built on while areas of potential personal weaknesses were highlighted – causing me to think

I was blessed by the interesting and relevant topics.

about areas where I need to make adjustments.

The speakers were well-prepared and were even able

Amanda White, corporate trainer

to answer additional questions! This conference was

South, Trinity@Adam

definitely worth our time and money!

Valerene Tan, undegraduate

God showed and reminded me of the purpose of prayer

East, Trinity@Adam

in my life. It is not a religious rite but a love relationship between me and my Maker. To be able to hear God’s

Excellent, I found Biblical encouragement that I can

voice and know His heart gives me hope for each day.

immediately put to use in deciding my career path.

Joyce Ng, manager

Kenny Kan, derivatives sales trader

East, Trinity@Paya Lebar

East, Trinity@Paya Lebar My life and mindset have been re-orientated and

100

The teaching, worship and fellowship during the Life

refreshed. Once again, I have been reminded of my God-

Conference was just what I needed (though at times it

given purpose and destiny. My confidence has also been

was not comfortable!) Thank you all for your openness

boosted. Praise God!

of heart.

Nyon Yit An, undergraduate

Alan Wharton, itinerating minister

West, Trinity@Adam

I’m empowered and inspired to “bring” God to my

God has granted me

workplace.

a new perspective on my

Chow Guo Hao, research and development manager

identity and who I am in Him. He

Creative Ministry, Trinity@Adam

has reassured me of the dreams that I have and that He will cause them to be

I am truly blessed and empowered by the discerning

brought to fulfillment!

messages delivered by God’s gifted speakers and

Eliza Tanzil, undergraduate

servants. They were very timely and encouraging.

IGNYTE, Trinity@Adam

Ken Yeo, senior manager East, Trinity@Adam

I have been really blessed. I learnt the importance of dreaming and finally understood and experienced

The workshops touched on topics that were very relevant

hearing God’s voice. I have grown so much through this

to my life as a young person and gave me breakthrough

conference!

in various areas.

Ho Yi Xin, student

Jonathan Kit, student

IGNYTE, Trinity@ Paya Lebar

IGNYTE, Trinity@Paya Lebar I’ve been encouraged and anointed in my will and spirit.

It has been an extremely refreshing experience. I’ve

The conference has stirred a desire in my heart to do

found a renewed purpose in Christ and have been

great things for God.

equipped to better carry out His work.

Daryl Sung, teacher

Daniel Tan, undergraduate

North, Trinity@Adam

West, Trinity@Paya Lebar 101

Parents’ Day, celebrated on the weekend of June 19 and 20, was a simple but heartfelt affair. By Tammy Goetz and Jonathan Tan

Blessing our PAREN PA RE NTS TS

O

ur children are a special gift given to us for a short

However, the tribute didn’t stop there. Immediately

time. They are on loan to us, entrusted to us by

after the performance, parents were blessed with

God for one purpose: that we would train them up

gifts handed out by enthusiastic youths from IGNYTE,

to be the men and women that God intended them to be.

and treated to a short word of encouragement and exhortation by Pastor Dominic and Pastor Jeffery at

Instead of celebrating Mother’s day and Father’s

Trinity@

day separately, Trinity Christian Centre honours

Paya Lebar

parents on a single occasion – Parents’ Day.

and Trinity@

Parents familiar with this yearly event eagerly

Adam

anticipate a special performance during the

respectively.

celebration services by the young ones from

To top it off,

the Children’s and Youth Ministry.

IGNYTErs

This year was no different. Taking a song

alongside

adapted from Christian author Max Lucado’s

parents to

popular Wemmick Series, the children

pray a prayer

came

tugged at the hearts of the parents with

of blessing

their innocence and sincerity. Some parents

over them.

couldn’t help but tear as they heard the children sing the words,

Parents, thank you for sowing in the

102

“I like you, I love you.

lives of your children.

I want all to see

May you continue

Without you parents there would be no me

to be role models,

I wish I had a symphony

instructing them in

But my simple gift is me.”

the ways of the Lord.

Gourmet coffee, candy floss, popcorn, balloon sculptures, deejays and live music… Things you can find at a theme park? Not quite! Trinitarians basked in the mood of celebrations marked by a slew of activities on the weekend of June 19 and 20.

As part of Trinity’s 40th anniversary celebrations, Trinitarians were treated to a variety of goodies and activities during the Parents’ Day weekend. This was a fitting way to culminate an incredible week of breakthroughs, revivals and thanksgiving.

During this special weekend, Trinitarians were met with the aroma of gourmet coffee and popcorn as they made their way into church. While the adults naturally gravitated towards the coffee, the children and youths headed for the popcorn and cotton candy stations. Many children were also delighted by the balloon sculptures of animals, flowers and other objects. Also contributing to the vibrant atmosphere was the Song Dedication Station, complete with our ‘in-house’ deejays.

Despite the wide range of activities, there was one thing in common among all the stations – the incredibly long queues, reminiscent of the ones at the annual Watchnight Service!

Some Trinitarians waited up to 45 minutes for a cup of coffee!

Trinitarians took to the celebrative events so well that some even said that ‘we should have this every week!’ Others who had missed out on the action on Saturday were heard mentioning that they would ‘come back tomorrow to queue’. Trinitarians thoroughly enjoyed the special treats. Kudos to the organisers!

103

Unfettered, Joyous, Inspirational On May 13, the world-renowned Harlem Gospel Choir graced the stage at Trinity Christian Centre. The most famous gospel choir in America today presents the finest singers and musicians from Harlemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Black Churches and the New York Tri-State region.

104

ords not commonly Aids, orphans, war – w e t all too familiar for th bu e, or ap ng Si in d ar he Children’s Choir. Trinity children of the Watoto m s the team, hailing fro es bl to d ge ile iv pr as w to ng them on an outing Uganda, through taki than Tan reports.

Universal Studios. Jona

Blessing Uganda, One Child at a Time On the 2nd of August, Trinity had the opportunity to bless these children, many orphaned by war or disease, by organising an outing to Universal Studios at Resorts World Sentosa. Despite having to take time out from their individual schedules, a total of 10 Trinitarians readily volunteered to accompany these children.

Many of the children have never been to a theme park, much less a world-renowned one. Naturally, each was amazed when they first arrived at Universal Studios. Even the chaperons accompanying the children slowed in their paces to take in the sights and sounds that the theme park had to offer.

From running up to hug the various mascots to their ecstatic reactions on the Shrek 4D ride, the children definitely had a blast during their visit to the park.

Watoto Choir member, Van Der Van, 13, thoroughly enjoyed the ‘Lights, Camera, Action!’ ride: ‘It was exciting! There was fire, strong winds and when a big ship came close to me, I thought it was coming towards me!’ he said.

105

Blessing Uganda,

e One Child at a Tim Another child was overheard saying, ‘it was the most fun day I have spent in Singapore!’

Nevertheless, it wasn’t just the Watoto Children’s Choir that was blessed by the trip.

Many of the Trinitarians who accompanied the choir for the visit were tremendously impacted interacting with these young ones.

Cynthia Lee, a real estate agent commented, ‘Seeing these children so easily contented with what they have was a timely reminder not to take things for granted and to be contented with all that God has given to me.’

Her viewpoint was shared by Herman Toh, another volunteer: ‘The most memorable moment I experienced with the Watoto

Two days after their visit to Universal Studios, the choir took to the stage at Trinity.

Chia Ban Seng was among the thousands in the audience blessed.

Children’s Choir was when I realised how happy and disciplined the kids were in spite of their

I was among those who packed the Sanctuary and

experiences in life. I’m very impressed by them

experienced more than just a great performance by the

and greatly encouraged to give of my time

Watoto Children’s Choir from Uganda. An opening video

and finances to the Kingdom of God.’

presentation set the tone for the night as we were quickly assimilated to both the harsh reality of Africa’s Aids epidemic

Indeed, Trinitarians

and the bright hope in rebuilding the lives of children

were blessed even

orphaned by Aids.

as they gave of their time and

The themes of hope and life were personified by the choir’s

finances to be

exuberant singing, dancing, smiles and costumes. They

a blessing!

endeared themselves to us with individual testimonies shared slowly but surely in sweet African voices, punctuated by lines such as ‘each of us has a story to tell’, ‘I am not forgotten’ and ‘Because God is our Father’. God was clearly present and glorified through every testimony, video and song that evening.

We fittingly ended the night by praying for these children.

Using Isaiah 61, Pastor Dominic led us in affirming their redemptive destiny in God as future leaders of Uganda.

The most lasting memories I took home were through their song ‘Not Alone’, a reflective piece based on acoustic guitar and distant African drums that evoked feelings of serenity

106

e p o H f o t Concer

and freedom and painted images of golden African grasslands. The lyrics and simple voices conveyed a quiet confidence in God as the Father to the fatherless. Through our subdued applause at the end, I sensed that many in the audience were deeply moved, being sensitised to both the trying journey and the grace of God that these young children had experienced. Let me share this God-moment with you through an extract of the song below.

Through all of my tears, You see my fears I’m not alone, When I need a friend You take my hand, I’m not alone

The Little Worship Leader If the trials come And my worries seem too much to bear Lord You lift me up, And hold me close I’m not alone You’re my friend like no other You’ve become the air I breathe Jesus more than any other thing You are life I hold to me

The exuberant songs of hope left an indelible mark on both young and old alike. Shannon Quek recounts her daughter’s heartening response to the concert.

‘My four-year-old daughter, Estella, enjoyed the performance tremendously! The first thing she did that night when she came home was to take out her toy microphone and start singing!

During some parts, she pretended to speak like how some worship leaders do – pause, talk and pray, then continue to sing.

She really blessed our hearts!’

107

It’s the start of Trinity Christian Centre’s soccer season, and to commemorate our 40th anniversary, we are holding our own competition – the Trinity Cup! With many eager new faces joining the ever-reliable core group of football enthusiasts led by Trinity soccer veterans’ Rev. Dominic Yeo and David Ng. TCC sent out two teams to compete for the Cup. More importantly, the teams set out to be ambassadors of friendship to forge stronger ties with the other participating church teams.

Kicking the competition off, TCC 1, led by Rev. Dominic, took on Living Spring Fellowship on Sunday July 26. And it proved to be an eventful, exciting season opener!

Driven on by the relentless running and energy of Joel, TCC 1 quickly got into the stride of things, pushing their opponents back and creating space for the other attacking players to exploit.

Profiting the most from his efforts was the team’s strike duo, Joshua and Eugene, both of whom dovetailed to devastating

TCC 1 Match Fixtures TCC 1 vs Living Spring Fellowship

6–0

between themselves.

TCC 1 vs Eternal Life Assembly of God

2–1

In the end, while the scoreline read an emphatic 5-0 opening

TCC 1 vs Tabernacle of Holiness Church

3–0

effect. Showing an eye for goal, they plundered three goals

win for TCC 1, the team is not resting on their laurels just yet.

TCC 2’s match against Tabernacle of Holiness Church was equally thrilling, winning by a margin of 2-0. Following a prompting from God to dive to his bottom right, Pastor Victor

TCC 2 Match Fixtures TCC 2 vs Tabernacle of Holiness

2–0

TCC 2 vs Church of Singapore (Bukit Timah) 4 – 0

performed a spectacular save from a penalty kick. The crowd was ecstatic.

Match Fixtures Keep a lookout on the Trinitarian’s ongoing report on both teams’ Trinity Cup experiences.

108

TCC 1 vs TCC 2

2–1

As part of Trinity Christian Centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 40th anniversary celebrations, we organised a football competition to forge stronger relations among our local Christian community. By Kevin Kwang

109

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Published quarterly by Trinity Christian Centre, it has a readership of over 14,000, and reaches the churches in Singapore, the entire congregation of Trinity Christian Centre, and visitors the church.

It is also available online at www.trinity.net Our special package rates will help stretch your advertising dollar.

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Be part of the Celebration!

Fri, Nov 5, 5pm

Combined Thanksgiving Dinner

Trinityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first ever combined Thanksgiving event, featuring a service, a special performance by your pastors and a dinner for all Trinitarians â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all this, under one roof at Trinity@Paya Lebar!

Wed-Fri, Dec 22-24, 8pm

Christmas Cantata

Travel back in time to the place Jesus was born! This is a presentation comprising a choir, symphony and period drama.

Come soak in the splendour and grandeur of a Christmas presentation like never before!