Singapore Adventure 2011
Singapore was more than I could ever have imagined or dreamed of! At Durban’s King Shaka Airport, just before we embarked on the most incredible journey, Steve Wheeler (our senior pastor) said that he believed God had a few surprises in store for us along the way. He was right!
We went to Singapore to visit New Creation Church, led by Joseph Prince, and primarily see how they apply this Glorious Gospel to their context of 1600 youth! While it is not numbers that determine success, how those numbers are managed are more important. And that’s why we were there.
In all honesty, the youth services aren’t anything remarkably out of the ordinary. Certainly, they have utilized a lot of technology & media to remain relevant, but it is clear that these are not the reason for the numbers.
What is the reason is The Message. God is doing something radical at New Creation Church, and it is this Fire we want to catch for back home!
Let me give you a brief summary of what each day entailed. That may be an easier way to recount all the excitement!
Friday 7 January: Arrive in Singapore. Get acquainted with funky hostel. Eat really good local food!
Saturday 8 Jan: Visit the 3 New Creation Church Youth Services, “The Zone” (name of youth ministry) at their main auditorium at “The Rock” theatre-style auditorium in the middle of a shopping mall! 2pm for the 13-16yrs drew 600 youth. 4:30pm for 17-23yrs drew another 600! 7pm for 23-29yrs young adults drew 450. Each service was very similar to the last, with Youth Pastor Benjamin preaching the same 45-min sermon tweaked for each age group. Very powerful preaching!
Wrapped up by dinner with our host, assistant Youth Pastor Joe Purcell and a few of his team.
Sunday 9 January: Half the team visit first New Creation Church service at the main auditorium at 8am and other half at 11am, where Joseph Prince preached for well over an hour. So powerful and gripping it felt like 30 mins. His message for the year based on Psalm 65:11 was emphasised, but was primarily about the importance of hearing the Word of God’s Goodness over and over again. It is that that will produce faith. Not one Word, or good sermon. THE Word being preached to our hearts regularly.
After the services we met with Joseph Prince’s assistant pastor, and a number of his staff, where we were warmly welcomed. Spoke much about The Gospel!
The afternoon was spent resting back at base.
Monday 10 January: Visited Universal Studios, Singapore. Amazing day filled with lots of fun and action, but one major disappointment was the tallest racing rollercoaster in the world had been closed for a year due to a cart coming off during a test run in 2010!
Tuesday 11 January: Toured Marina Bay Sands, a massive 50-something-storey tall building with a huge boat-shaped cantilever balancing atop 3 huge separate towers. Atop there is a viewing deck, the world’s longest infinity pool, a bar, a restaurant and jacuzzis. Fuzion got kicked out of the jacuzzi because it is for hotel guests only!
That night experienced great local dinner at Newton Circus with assistant Youth Pastor Joseph Purcell and a few friends.
Wednesday 12 January: Visited the amazing Sentosa Island, where there are a number of fun attractions. That afternoon met up with a young man, Jonathan Koh, who runs popular Christian website www.stillhaventfound.org in Singapore where he writes alot about healing and God’s Power and Kingdom. Had an amazing time of fellowship and worship with him & his team that went late into the night. Lots of lives touched and impacted by the relationships created!
Thursday 13 January: Visited one of the world’s most beautiful Zoos, Singapore Zoo in the morning. In the afternoon/evening, went to a “red-light district” of Singapore to minister the Gospel with Jonathan Koh and a few of his team. Saw some amazing things as God showed His Love by healing a number of people, including a Chinese Physician and Masseuse, who both accepted Christ as their Saviour!
Friday 14 January: Had amazing meeting with all of New Creation Church youth leadership team. Assistant Youth Pastor Joseph Purcell gave us a presentation of how they run youth. Very valuable for us as a team going forward. Again had amazing time of fellowship, took photos together, and also filmed testimony videos for the New Creation Church Youth and leaders to encourage them that Jesus is doing big things in Singapore!
That night we split up and visited the youth caregroups (home cells) where everyone came back with so much testimony of how God moved among them & everyone connected! Again, significant KIngdom relationships built!
(New Creation Church Youth, “The Zone”, have youth meetings on a bi-weekly cycle. One week is caregroups, the other youth services)
Saturday 15 January: Visited the 13-16yrs caregroups with Hee Juhn. Lots of fun with the energy-filled kids. (The other 2 age groups meet on the Friday nights).
That night went to Sentosa Island to celebrate an amazing trip and were treated to our own jacuzzi on the beach and own private beach party with DJ and everything! The only drink going around was The New Wine of Jesus! God really blessed us here!
Sunday 16 January: Visited the first service (8am) at New Creation Church, where Joseph Prince preached one of the best messages I have ever heard him preach! It was based on the fact that we can ask God to bless us. The most successful people in Scripture asked God to bless them and their lives and careers, and God continued to do so. Rich in revelation! Always blessed to be a blessing!
We then all said our goodbyes to many new friends, and made our way to the airport that night after hanging around at the hostel most of the afternoon passing the time.
-------------
What God did on this trip cannot be valued. God ordained this trip in every way. Everything about it had His fingerprint on it, from the fun touring activities, to the meeting of new people. God was in it all. No one got sick, lost, left behind, injured or robbed. And everyone’s luggage made it all the way through. That is nothing short of a miracle considering it was 20 young people!
What we have now is a fire burning in us, ready to be released in our areas of influence in Durban and South Africa! We want to work with like-minded people who God sets us up with to see this Glorious Gospel impact millions of lives around this beautiful country that we can disciple a nation into its best years yet! God is good! He is SO good! And this trip has emphasized the fact that we can’t hold That Truth back!
Thank you to everyone who supported us in this remarkable journey. Each and every one of you have been such a blessing I cannot put into words on a page. Just know that we are so deeply thankful for whatever it was that you did in helping this be such a huge success. Know that your support has gone to a cause of Kingdom proportions!
This was only the beginning.
We went to Singapore to visit New Creation Church, led by Joseph Prince, and primarily see how they apply this Glorious Gospel to their context of 1600 youth! While it is not numbers that determine success, how those numbers are managed are more important. And that’s why we were there.
In all honesty, the youth services aren’t anything remarkably out of the ordinary. Certainly, they have utilized a lot of technology & media to remain relevant, but it is clear that these are not the reason for the numbers.
What is the reason is The Message. God is doing something radical at New Creation Church, and it is this Fire we want to catch for back home!
Let me give you a brief summary of what each day entailed. That may be an easier way to recount all the excitement!
Friday 7 January: Arrive in Singapore. Get acquainted with funky hostel. Eat really good local food!
Saturday 8 Jan: Visit the 3 New Creation Church Youth Services, “The Zone” (name of youth ministry) at their main auditorium at “The Rock” theatre-style auditorium in the middle of a shopping mall! 2pm for the 13-16yrs drew 600 youth. 4:30pm for 17-23yrs drew another 600! 7pm for 23-29yrs young adults drew 450. Each service was very similar to the last, with Youth Pastor Benjamin preaching the same 45-min sermon tweaked for each age group. Very powerful preaching!
Wrapped up by dinner with our host, assistant Youth Pastor Joe Purcell and a few of his team.
Sunday 9 January: Half the team visit first New Creation Church service at the main auditorium at 8am and other half at 11am, where Joseph Prince preached for well over an hour. So powerful and gripping it felt like 30 mins. His message for the year based on Psalm 65:11 was emphasised, but was primarily about the importance of hearing the Word of God’s Goodness over and over again. It is that that will produce faith. Not one Word, or good sermon. THE Word being preached to our hearts regularly.
After the services we met with Joseph Prince’s assistant pastor, and a number of his staff, where we were warmly welcomed. Spoke much about The Gospel!
The afternoon was spent resting back at base.
Monday 10 January: Visited Universal Studios, Singapore. Amazing day filled with lots of fun and action, but one major disappointment was the tallest racing rollercoaster in the world had been closed for a year due to a cart coming off during a test run in 2010!
Tuesday 11 January: Toured Marina Bay Sands, a massive 50-something-storey tall building with a huge boat-shaped cantilever balancing atop 3 huge separate towers. Atop there is a viewing deck, the world’s longest infinity pool, a bar, a restaurant and jacuzzis. Fuzion got kicked out of the jacuzzi because it is for hotel guests only!
That night experienced great local dinner at Newton Circus with assistant Youth Pastor Joseph Purcell and a few friends.
Wednesday 12 January: Visited the amazing Sentosa Island, where there are a number of fun attractions. That afternoon met up with a young man, Jonathan Koh, who runs popular Christian website www.stillhaventfound.org in Singapore where he writes alot about healing and God’s Power and Kingdom. Had an amazing time of fellowship and worship with him & his team that went late into the night. Lots of lives touched and impacted by the relationships created!Thursday 13 January: Visited one of the world’s most beautiful Zoos, Singapore Zoo in the morning. In the afternoon/evening, went to a “red-light district” of Singapore to minister the Gospel with Jonathan Koh and a few of his team. Saw some amazing things as God showed His Love by healing a number of people, including a Chinese Physician and Masseuse, who both accepted Christ as their Saviour!
Friday 14 January: Had amazing meeting with all of New Creation Church youth leadership team. Assistant Youth Pastor Joseph Purcell gave us a presentation of how they run youth. Very valuable for us as a team going forward. Again had amazing time of fellowship, took photos together, and also filmed testimony videos for the New Creation Church Youth and leaders to encourage them that Jesus is doing big things in Singapore!
That night we split up and visited the youth caregroups (home cells) where everyone came back with so much testimony of how God moved among them & everyone connected! Again, significant KIngdom relationships built!
(New Creation Church Youth, “The Zone”, have youth meetings on a bi-weekly cycle. One week is caregroups, the other youth services)
Saturday 15 January: Visited the 13-16yrs caregroups with Hee Juhn. Lots of fun with the energy-filled kids. (The other 2 age groups meet on the Friday nights).
That night went to Sentosa Island to celebrate an amazing trip and were treated to our own jacuzzi on the beach and own private beach party with DJ and everything! The only drink going around was The New Wine of Jesus! God really blessed us here!
Sunday 16 January: Visited the first service (8am) at New Creation Church, where Joseph Prince preached one of the best messages I have ever heard him preach! It was based on the fact that we can ask God to bless us. The most successful people in Scripture asked God to bless them and their lives and careers, and God continued to do so. Rich in revelation! Always blessed to be a blessing!
We then all said our goodbyes to many new friends, and made our way to the airport that night after hanging around at the hostel most of the afternoon passing the time.
-------------
What God did on this trip cannot be valued. God ordained this trip in every way. Everything about it had His fingerprint on it, from the fun touring activities, to the meeting of new people. God was in it all. No one got sick, lost, left behind, injured or robbed. And everyone’s luggage made it all the way through. That is nothing short of a miracle considering it was 20 young people!
What we have now is a fire burning in us, ready to be released in our areas of influence in Durban and South Africa! We want to work with like-minded people who God sets us up with to see this Glorious Gospel impact millions of lives around this beautiful country that we can disciple a nation into its best years yet! God is good! He is SO good! And this trip has emphasized the fact that we can’t hold That Truth back!
Thank you to everyone who supported us in this remarkable journey. Each and every one of you have been such a blessing I cannot put into words on a page. Just know that we are so deeply thankful for whatever it was that you did in helping this be such a huge success. Know that your support has gone to a cause of Kingdom proportions!
This was only the beginning.
