To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven – Eccl 3:1

JSM-Singapore Christmas Service 2019 (25 Dec 2019)

(Reported by Bro. Tan Kian Lee) More than 300 JSMers and invited guests gathered at the SingPost Auditorium on 25 December to celebrate the first coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Bro. Jonathan chaired the service in bilingual and led the congregation in the singing of carols (assisted by the pianist, Sis Elizabeth) and in worshipping the Lord.

After months of practising, the Choir and instrumentalists/pianist performed beautifully and joyfully unto the Lord. Rev Gerard Lim preached (and Rev Matthew Koo interpreted) from 2 Cor 4:7-12. He reminded believers that we have been transformed by the power of God, and that the Holy Spirit dwells in us. He challenged us, through examples of our Lord and godly man of faith, to die to self, and to live a life that will reveal Christ that others may see the good works in us. May God help us!

We thank God for the many brethren who have contributed to this event. The invitation flyer was designed by Sis Kim Kee. Sis Li Mei kindly prepared the power point slides. Bro Beng Kuan and his team of ushers welcomed visitors with their warm smiles, and did an excellent job in handling the crowd. Bro Henry’s live video streaming of the Christmas Service saved the day for those who were unable to be seated in the auditorium. Bro Samuel and his team took care of the buffet and ensured the venue was cleared and tidied up at the end of the event.

JSM Choir Performance at Christmas 2019

(Recorded by Bro. Jerry) A beautiful pairing of a traditional English Carol, The First Noel, and German composer Johann Pachelbel’s Canon in D. It has that soothing and angelic vibe. This version sung by the JSM Choir under the baton of its conductor Cheng Hong Siang is a first-rate masterpiece. You could hear a good balance of male and female voices intertwining with the string instruments. Take a listen and enjoy!

JSM Family Camp at Pulai Springs Resort (16-19 Dec 2019)

(Reported by Bro. Ng Cheng Jin) JSM Family Camp is one of the highlights of the church’s activities for the year. This year, the church Family Camp was held at Pulai Springs Resort from Dec 16 to 19. The theme for the camp was on “Our Lifelong Pursuit of Jesus Christ” with the Camp Theme Song “To Live or Die”. Our Thematic Speaker was Pastor Nick Mauer, a Pastor of Outreach and Discipleship from Calvary Baptist Church, USA. Senior Pastor Rev Tang and the other Pastors were also scheduled to preach God’s Word during the camp.

Praise and thank God for answered prayers for we have exceeded our target and hit 219 campers (full-timers and part-timers). The number of representatives from the various stations in Malaysia was increased and we were glad to see the old and young ones joining us. It was a wonderful reunion for the church.

On the first day of the camp, the bus which took the campers from Kranji MRT station was delayed due to a disruption of the MRT train system. Thank God, they arrived safely and we could begin our lunch in an award-winning Chinese restaurant though late. Senior Pastor Rev Tang kick-started the camp with the opening message on prayer. Through prayers, God’s people acknowledged their dependence on Him and He granted us a united spirit. Those who were assigned duties gladly accepted their tasks. A trip was planned for campers to track up Mt. Pulai on one of our free afternoons. Some 50 enthusiastic campers responded despite the unfavourable weather.

Pastor Nick preached a series of 8 messages in the camp. He began firstly on the need to be saved and thus to become Christ’s disciple. Christ is our Perfect Pattern. He calls us to follow Him. He also promises us grace and strength to endure the process of discipleship. As disciples of Christ, we are to make disciples of Christ. If we are to be His followers, we must deny ourselves and take up our crosses daily. The question is: Are we prepared to do so? Our love towards Him is demonstrated by our responses to His calling. Each one of us has to personally search our own hearts. May God so help us, His spirit to convict us of our sins to repentance and humble us to acknowledge Him as our Lord. Our prayer is: Revive us, O Lord! 

Luke 9:23 – And he said to them all, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

JSM-Singapore Vacation Bible School (VBS) – ‘Celebrate Life (II)’

(Reported by Sis. Deborah How & Soh Chi Chan) For this December’s VBS, the children hopped onto the “Celebrate Life” time machine to be at Cana of Galilee to celebrate a wedding with Jesus in which He performed His first miracle on earth. The love and joy inherent in a wedding ceremony bear characteristic of the ministry of Christ, who came into this world because of love, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) and brought joy to all who believe, “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10, 11). On the second day, we celebrated the return of the prodigal son to his earthly father which is a type of our Heavenly Father who gladly forgives us when we repent and turn back to him.

Similar to June, the children were divided into three teams namely, Brachiosaurus, Stegosaurus and Tyrannosaurus. During the science lesson, they were taught how creative our God is when He created the different dinosaurs with unique features to help them survive. They also watched two videos on Corrie ten Boom and Robert Jermain Thomas. Corrie ten Boom was a Dutch watchmaker who worked with her father and sister to help many Jews escape the Nazi Holocaust during World War II by hiding them in their home. They were arrested and the sisters were sent to a concentration camp. Only Corrie survived to tell their stories and God’s preservation. We learned, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (1 Thess 5:18) and ‘even for the fleas’ in our lives which were used by God to keep the guards away from the ten-Booms’ barrack so that they could continue to read the small Bible they hid and shared to others. Next, we were transported to the mid-19th century when the hermit kingdom of Korea would do anything to keep foreigners and Christianity out. However, Robert Jermain Thomas risked everything, including his life to smuggle bibles into the country. Though he lived only 27 years on earth, we rejoiced over the works done which led to many turning to the Lord. On top of all these valuable lessons, the children had a great time, learning to be Jesus’ Story-keepers, making the Christmas wreath, participating in ‘Finding the Dino Race’ and earning the VBS dollars which they used to exchange for goods at the Jumble Sale and to play games at the fun-fair.

All the teachers and youth helpers are thankful to ‘Celebrate Life’ with all the children and we pray that God’s Word will take root and grow in their hearts and save them one day in which we will celebrate in great joy. “There is even rejoicing in heaven I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.” Luke 15:7.

‘Journey to the South’ – Southern Island Tour and Outreach (9 Nov 2019)

(Report by Po Poh and Jenny) The combined Mothers’ & Fathers’ Day outreach scheduled for June was morphed into an outreach tour of the Southern Islands of Singapore.  Initially planned as an outreach for unsaved elderly relatives, the net is cast wider this time and we thank God for the good turnout of both young and old.

A 148-pax ferry was chartered and we are thankful to the shipping company for upgrading us to a bigger and newer vessel at no extra charge. About 145 people came; out of which 15 were non-Christians.

While onboard the ferry to the islands, a video was shown of 2 ex-convicts whose lives God has changed, followed by their personal testimonies and a Gospel message by Bro Nehemiah Leong.

Bro Jerry Teng wrote: “The highlight of the tour was the sharing by Joseph Tan and Miki Lim. As they stood facing the audience, they looked ordinarily average. Then their dark story was revealed of teenage love, school dropouts, drug-filled gangster lives with frequent going in and out of prison and a broken family. Such was the case of their existence. Who would show mercy to such sinners?  God did. They found God separately and at about the same time while in prison all broken and contrite. As I listened, I could hear the enduring line in Psalm 136 crying repeatedly, “His mercy endureth forever”.  Joseph and Miki enthralled us by their changed lives that had a touching effect on every listening heart.”

Following the Gospel message, we landed on the bigger of the two Sisters’ Island and took a leisurely stroll around the island.  The next island was St John’s and on the way there, sis Eunice Lim gave running commentaries on the surrounding islands, including Kusu Island. While on St John’s, the ‘free n easy’ programme gave us lots of opportunities to mingle with and get to know our invited guests.

JSM 55^th Anniversary Thanksgiving Service (8 Aug 2019)

(Report by Elder Cheong Keng Hoong) Thank God for preserving JSM all these years as we commemorate our 55^th Anniversary at PPCC on the evening of 8^th August 2019. This year marks the first time the Church celebrated her anniversary without her Founding Pastor. As we move forward, we pray that the Lord will continue to keep JSMers faithful and steadfast. But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil. 2 Thess 3:3.

Elder (Dr) Fong exhorted the Word of God from Jeremiah 29: 1-14. As children of the living God, we thank Him for the blessed assurance – “To Give You an Expected End”. When there’s a future, there’s hope. When there’s hope, there’s direction.   

Youth Retreat of JSM-Singapore (16-18 June 2019)

(Report by Bro. Wee Ren Chang) We thank God for blessing the YF Retreat which took place from 18 to 20 June at Pasir Villa. A total of about 6 youths and 7 young adults attended. The youths were treated to a buffet of spiritual food and fellowship during the three days of messages and activities. The messages were delivered by Dr Tan Kian Lee, who gave an insightful analysis of the Sermon on the Mount (from Matthew 5-7). His three sermons focused on the Beatitudes (Matt. 5:3-11), the Lord’s Prayer (Matt. 6:9-15), and the Golden Rule (Matt. 7:12). The youths participated in Bible-related activities such as thought-provoking quizzes, indoor and outdoor games, and enjoyed the facilities at the resort, such as the foosball table and the spacious area for bonding activities. We also thank God for Uncle Mun Wah for his cheerful service as the chaperone and chef during the camp as well as the other adults who came to support. The YF ministry is greatly encouraged by the support of adults and youths alike. Pray that more youths will be able to attend YF activities and that they may remember what they have learnt and apply God’s Word in their life journey.

JSM Singapore Bible Conference (12-14 June 2019)

(Report by Bro. Julian Leong) This year, our speaker for the conference was Dr Victor Ho, who flew all the way from Hong Kong to be with us. The theme of the conference was “Ministering to One Another“. About 80 JSMers gathered each night in this little corner of the world to listen attentively to the blessed preaching of Dr Victor Ho. On the first night of the conference, Dr. Ho spoke on the theme, “Ministering to One Another”. He taught that all Christians should be ministers, not just our pastors and that we should be humble, always looking out for the interests of others. On the second night, we were taught to regard others more important than self: Unity in Church. On the last night, Dr Victor preached that we should bear one another’s burden. We were to gently restore one another in a manner of gentleness and meekness, bearing our brethren’s burdens according to Gal 6:10 – “Let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith”. We should pray for one another, serve one another with our spiritual gifts, glorify God and edify men. The JSM choir sang Psalm 133 to a much enlightened congregation on the last night of the conference. Let us pray that JSMers can care and cherish each other as we sojourn in this temporal world, serving and doing the work of our Lord Jesus Christ as shining testimonies for others to know Christ. Amen.

JSM-Singapore VBS – “Celebrate Life” (Jun 2019)

(Report by Sis. Deborah How & Soh Chi Chan) For this June’s VBS, the children hopped onto the “Celebrate Life” voyage with ‘Mr Noah and the Ark’ and learned that “All things were made by him: and without him was not any thing made that was made.” John 1:3 and also on how God always provides a way for us to begin again with him. The children were divided into three teams namely, Brachiosaurus, Stegosaurus and Tyrannosaurus. During the science lesson, they were taught that God created dinosaurs which existed during Noah’s time which is different from what they learned in the theory of evolution. They also watched a video on missionary Jim Elliot and a sombre mood descended when he and his four friends were killed while evangelizing to the Auca people of Ecuador. Jim Elliot’s journal entry for October 28, 1949, expresses his belief that work dedicated to Jesus was more important than his life. He wrote, “he is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose” which is reflected in Luke 9:24. “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.” And what probably was most unexpected and touched the hearts of the audience was when the family members of the martyrs including Jim Elliot’s wife Elisabeth Elliot, forgave the murderers and continued to witness to the Auca people which eventually led to their conversion to Christianity. On top of all these valuable lessons, the children had a great time participating in ‘Finding the Dino Race’ and earning the VBS dollars which they used to exchange for goods at the Jumble Sale and to play games at the fun-fair. All the teachers and youth helpers are grateful to God to serve him in this ministry because “Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 19:14 Amen.

JSM-Philippines Youth Gospel Camp (22-23 May 2019)

(Reported by Rev Dr Tang Ah Chang) This Summer, we held our Youth Gospel Camp at the International School of Missions, Cebu from May 22 to May 23, 2019. Our theme was “Redeeming the Time” (Ephesians 5:16). The Theme Song was “Will Jesus Find us Watching?” About 47 young people attended in this camp. They came from Labangon, Pardo, Talisay, Mambaling and Dalaguet JSMs. We thank God for the generosity of Singapore JSM to support us for this Youth Gospel Camp. The Lord had touched our JSM Pastors, Bible women and teachers to volunteer themselves as Camp personnel such as our Camp Master (Pastor Bernabe Puerto), Camp Mistress (Ms. Vanessa Ambayan) and various JSM speakers (Pastor Benjamin Salado, Pastor Ricky Geromo, Pastor Joanthony Bohol, Rev. David Ang, Pastor Ansgario Francisco, Pastor Bernabe Puerto and Rev. Tang Ah Chang) to preach the gospel to all campers and challenge the young people to consecrate their lives to serve God.

The Objectives:  To plan effectively so that youths will understand both the short and long term objectives of the Youth Camp.

A.   Short Term Objectives: (1) Make the youth camp a joyful, exciting and life-changing experience to the youths. (2) Help the youths experience a godly Christian friendship, ever growing faith and renewal in Christ. (3) Expose the participants to other youths who find joy and fulfilment in serving the Lord and serving one another at all times.

B. Long Term objectives: (1) Make the youth camp the start of a life-long process of conversion and transformation in the lives of the youths so that they can develop the friendship that were established during the camp. (2) To enlighten our youths the calling of God to consecrate their lives to God and to create desire in them to serve the Lord.

Conclusion: We were very glad to see young people enlightened by the gospel and challenged to consecrate their lives to serve God. Finally, we want to thank many prayer warriors in Singapore who prayed for us to make the two-day Youth Gospel Camp a successful gathering!

Family Outing (20 May 2019)

(Report by bro. Chan Kok Tong) A group of 79 JSMers and family members set off on Monday (20 May) morning to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. We were blessed with balmy sunshine as we soaked in the sights and smells of this reserve. Some saw spiders with their immense network of webs, fishes, mudskippers, birds and the occasional monitor lizard. Before lunch at the restaurant, Rev Tang gave a gospel message and exhorted us to watch and pray. We then proceeded to Qian Hu Fish Farm where we admired ornamental fishes, and the children tried catching “longkang” fishes. Our last stop was at Jurong Frog Farm. While some looked at mature bull-frogs, others traced the life-cycle from tadpole to full-grown frogs ready for the dinner table. Thank God for the wonderful time of fellowship, physical and spiritual feeding, fine weather and safe journey.

Appreciation Service for the retired fulltime staff (1 May 2019)

The church took this opportunity to express her deepest thanks and gratitude to them for their many years of faithful and fruitful service in their respective appointments among the people of God and also to the lost. They took turn to share with the brethren concerning the goodness and faithfulness of God in their lives and their services for Him. We trust and pray that the Lord will continue to lead them as they continue to serve in the ministry of prayer and the preaching of the gospel according to grace, wisdom and strength bestowed continually upon them. There was an exhortation given to remind all that we should follow the example of Joshua of Old Testament who proclaimed thus in his old age having served God faithfully from his youth onwards, “but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” He was resolved even in his old age that he and his house would serve the LORD continually. May we resolve by the grace of God to serve God with our house to the end. We also thank God for a sweet time of fellowship over a buffet lunch.

Good Friday 2019 (19 April 2019)

(Report by Andrew Zhang) “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Isa 53:2. We remember on this day what Jesus Christ had done for us, that we have now access to God. A relationship between God and man was mended; there is now forgiveness of sins in the richness of God’s grace (Eph 1:7). We can now be assured of eternal relationship with Jesus and life forever more, singing the due praises unto our God. All these are possible because of the suffering, crucifixion and obedience till death on the cross by Christ as preached by our Senior Pastor Rev Dr Tang TK. May we continue to be bold in telling others about Jesus.  We also thank God for the 5 candidates that took the step of obedience that day. Pray for Benjamin Yeo, Hannah Tang, Andrea Khor, Stefanie Yap and Mrs. Tiffany Saravanan as they continue to grow in faith and knowledge of our Lord Jesus. “..there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth” Luke 15:10b.

Sunday School Training Class for Young Adults (13 April 2019)

(Report by Henry Ong) On the Saturday afternoon of 13 April 2019, 13 young adult participants sat through the Sunday School Teachers’ Training class conducted by Senior Pastor Rev Dr Tang Tuck Keong and the team of Sunday School teachers. The objective is to prepare and help the young adults who may be interested in teaching the Bible to take up leadership in the church ministry and to understand and know how to conduct Bible classes. The topics covered included the methods of teaching, the preparation phase, the teaching phase, knowing the needs of the students and how to manage the Sunday School classes. It is a great joy and thank the Lord that we can conduct this training class with good turnout of interested young adults going through the lessons and ready for His ministry. Pray that God will continue to nurture, encourage, preserve and call such ones to serve Him, for the continuation of the ministry in the next generation for the Church. Joshua 1:8, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”

Past events: 2018