Salt & Pepper Youth Ministry

YOUTHBEAT

2010-10-31T02:40:00.002+08:00

Ahwooo!!!!!!!!! It's halloween!!! Youthbeat was so fun and funny and tasty!!!! I LOVE THE TOFFEE APPLE!!! Must do it again for my birthday!!!!

In this youthbeat, we talked about FEAR! We talked about the different things we fear, like ghosts, "ka jua" - cockroaches, frogs, death.... and we also shared that the reason why we fear is becasue we are not in control! We do not know what, when, how the things we fear of is going to take us on? After all we fear because the one who is in control is not on our side!

This really causes the youth to think about fear in the context of not having God on their side and have to face uncertainty and insecurity in life and the life after. We pray also that as Christian we can have the confident to be fearless cos we have God to protect and provide for us in this life and the life after and eternity!!! SO let us go forth and live with no fear for He is with us!

Youthbeat 24/5/10 - Stresssssss

2010-05-02T00:23:00.009+08:00

The moment Sarah asked me to be the OIC for this month’s Youthbeat along with Zhixi, I went ‘You’re kidding, right?’ Indeed it was a challenging task to plan an event, but with the help of God, Zhixi and everyone else who helped, it was a success!

Youthbeat started off with Nicholas leading everyone in a wacky game which was a combination of Musical Chairs and Blow Wind Blow.

First, everyone had to walk around the circle while the music played, and when it stopped, Nick would declare a certain condition (‘All who wear spectacles’, for example) and these lucky (or unlucky) souls had to give up their seats and find another space instead. Obviously, the one who was left standing after each round was eliminated.

It was a blessing for all those people with slow reaction (such as yours truly) but no doubt a challenge for those who matched the condition for each round of BWB.

After warming up to each other through the game, Sarah brought everyone to the MD Room for a session of songs and praise followed by Eirene who spoke about stress. Everyone, to a certain extent, faces stress, but what exactly is stress? According to our dear Miss Lee, stress is a condition that the body expresses when faced with danger. It is normal to have a little stress, but definitely not okay to have too much of it! During a little sharing session, we broke into groups and shared with one another about what causes stress and how we deal with stress.

It was rather interesting to find out that one of the boys found computer games stressful, and yet play even more of it to de-stress! Talk about a vicious cycle! Eirene taught us the ways to deal with stress (such as having good friends who will share the burden with you) and reminded us that stress is one of the ways God uses to mould us into who He wants us to be.

Thus, all of you, don’t be too stressed when faced with exams/ relationship/ whatsoever problems, because it’s all part of God’s perfect plan for you!

A delicious dinner was served soon after!

Dear Charis bought an insane amount of cup noodles nicely complemented with egg, luncheon meat, veggies and a cup of ice cold milo for all of us to enjoy. It was indeed a good meal that ended the event nicely (:

Although there were many challenges in the midst of planning the event (such as the change in venue, change in speakers and change in timing), I thank God that everything went smoothly in the end. I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve God alongside with my brothers and sisters in Christ, and I trust that He will always look after this church, our cell groups and each and every one of us (: So, don’t be stressed, friends, because God is here to stay!

Luv,

kaiying

Our Motive? - 10/3/10 CG

2010-04-13T22:37:00.003+08:00

The week before Saturday’s CG, I was preparing to lead songs.

Ranald not only taught me how to lead songs but he also taught me very important words about my Christian life. One very important thing is that we must constantly spend time with God so that we won’t deceive ourselves and live life according to our own terms. Spending time constantly does not mean once a week but it means spending time with God everyday.

Another important thing Ranald said to me is that when I lead songs, the motive I have is it for God or for Man-praise? I really have benefited a lot from this CG and what I would like to share with everyone is that do we come to CG and church and treat it like we are meeting our friends and spending time with them having fun OR is our main reason to come and worship God? Sometimes, we do come for God but do we worship with our Heart? Is our Heart with God or are our minds on other distractions? If your purpose of coming to church and CG is not for God but for the people around you and your heart is not with God, we should confess and start to repent.

Many youths nowadays have attitudes like one example:" You dont like me? i dont care as long as I’m happy." As Christians if our attitudes are not acceptable we should repent and let God change our heart fully and not ignore and continue living your life as though it is okay. Sometimes if we realise our life and attitudes are the same as a non-christian, something is wrong with our Christian Life.

Love,
SHAUNiwawa :)

Reflection CG 6.02.10

2010-02-09T19:29:00.002+08:00

This week was reflection week where we had to reflect on what happened during the past month.

For games we had to think of questions to ask each other and some of them got crazy as crazy can be. And after we thought of the questions, we had to play this game where we were all broken up into groups of 5. We were told to number ourselves from 1-6 after we had done that, Ben put this small cone in the middle. The rule of the game was that we had to run anti-clockwise around all of the groups until we reach our groups and then we must crawl under all our group members legs and grab the cone, and that will depend on how many questions we get to ask.

Well, after the game we had of course MAKAN TIME!!! Which was char siew rice,chicken rice and some other kinds of food.

Then after the delicious dinner, we had sharing, which was led by romans, but firstly he taught us how to write a reflection letter, and a reflection letter consists of the major events that happened that month, what God has taught me through those events, how i expressed my thankgiving, what are some things that burdens me and what are some things i look forward to for the next month.

After which, he asked us how did we know Christ was really there, and the answer is we will know Christ is there because we have Christ in our hearts and we are focused in Christ. How can we be focused on Christ when we are using our phones and not paying attention, he also told us that we should also be prepared for worship and that way we wont be distracted and we will be able to focus on Christ.

So all in all i learnt that we should learn to be prepared for worship even though it’s a small thing where we just come togother to pray we should still have God in our hearts and mind and that’s when we will know he is there.

Love,
Faith BIG Eyes

FIRST YOUTHBEAT OF THE YEAR

2010-01-29T23:08:00.004+08:00

starting with the man in the mirror

2010-01-10T17:45:00.006+08:00

Its officially 2010, but not before SNP set our hearts and minds right for the New Year during the SNP Retreat☺

We studied on the book of Ecclesiastes.

SNP Retreat 2009

I do not know what others took away from the book, but the lesson where we visited Chua Chu Kang Cemetery was a much-needed wake-up call for me. The graves there consisted of people of different ages, and all of them had no control over when they will died. Many graves had fondly remembered by their loved ones engraved on them. How true is that? Is it true for those untended graves, left for weeds to start covering them?

Both Jolene and I got a chance to lead songs during retreat. I remember her sharing how scary it is if God does not recognize us at the time of judgment. The bible tells us:

Ecclesiastes 12:1

1Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, "I have no delight in them";

Matthew 6:19-20

19Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20"But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;

Ecclesiastes 12: 13-14

13The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and (keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.
14For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.

Life truly is meaningless if it is not centred and relied on God, who is the Beginning and the End, and will bring everything into judgement.

The retreat reminded me that in the New Year, I wanted to be more serious in living my faith with conviction and strengthen my desire to pursue God. We often think we have time, but truly who can be certain of Christ’s return to judge mankind? The bible says He will come like a theft in the night. So lets rejoice and look forward to that as we work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

Of course apart from the serious stuff, we had a lot of fun too. This retreat saw Nic and I being game leaders for the first time in SNP Retreat History☺ I am sure everyone had fun☺ I especially loved the lipstick game, where Davidson and Peng wore Lipstick☺

The last night had the sabo of many people such as myself, which I really enjoyed this year☺ (Even though Nic is like very innocent…haha)

Yes, the retreat has been fun and refreshing and I hope we are all looking forward to the next one. More importantly, let’s look forward to another year of faithful service, humble obedience and trust in God☺

-written by your favourite game master ;)
PUNG CHANG XIANG!!!!!

S&P Retreat '09

2010-01-10T17:08:00.006+08:00

“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Everything is meaningless!”
Yup you guessed it! We did the book of Ecclesiastes. What a depressing way to start the retreat right? But this really opened our eyes to how truly meaningless life was. Things that you have worked so hard to achieve in this life do reap their rewards but what happens when you die? You can’t take them to the grave with you. And that’s the bitter reality of it all. But as Christians, we are reassured in the fact that God uses our work for His purposes.

Our retreat this year was spent at Singapore Vision Farm – a really really nice, quiet place.

It was a great time spent away from our hectic lives just reflecting upon the year’s happenings and our personal relationship with God. Thank God for this time He has given us! This time has really enabled me to know much more about people in SNP whom I don’t usually talk to and I feel encouraged by the things people have to share in sessions.

I also want to thank God for the game leaders (Ben, CX, Nic) for putting in so much effort into coming up with the games we played. We all had an awesome time evident from these photos! And also thank you leaders for the games played with us before each session. I think the games really helped us understand each lesson better because not only were we able to relate the lesson to the experiences playing the games, we really had a fun time playing it.

And, no retreat is complete without SABO NITE!!! The theme this year was Oldies Night so yep the place was packed with old people. No juicy scandals revealed this year but crazy sabos which included Nicholas proposing to Ashley, Nicholas serenading Amaryllis! woo~ I believe we all had a blast and really would like to thank all the people who made it possible. And a BIG thanks to Eirene and Charis from the girls for all the ahma clothes :D

Lastly, my prayer is that we will all keep to our resolutions made this year and walk even more closely with God! I pray also that we will be more prayerful in the midst of struggles and set aside time for God regardless of how busy we may be.

-Jolene out! :)

Christmasing-celebrating Christmas the way it should be

2010-01-08T14:45:00.005+08:00

“Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock. Jingle bells swing…or is it chime?”
“Hey Nic! Which leg out first? The right or the left?”

Forgotten lyrics and confused dance steps. These were just two of the many problems I faced during earlier Christmasing practices. Dancing and memorizing lyrics just didn’t come natural to me, so I had to practise, practise, practise. However, despite all these, I still looked forward to every Christmasing practice. Why? Because we had FUN! Sure, practice was tiring, but it was always filled with happiness and laughter. And that’s something I really thank God for.

As Christmasing progressed, we all had to sacrifice time to come down to church on weekdays for extra practices, that sometimes went on till 10pm or even later. During this time, it was a joy to see members constantly encouraging each other and reminding themselves to always give their best because whether singing, dancing, acting or doing props, everything that we did, we did it for the glory of our Lord.

Time definitely wasn’t on our side. That was one thing we all knew. With our performances just around the corner, everyone had to work doubly hard to polish up dance moves, make sure we knew our medley lyrics and actions, finish up the props etc. It was noticeable that lots of us were feeling the strain with our own busy schedules and responsibilities, especially the leaders and OICs. Prayer was essentially essential and so was keeping our focus on God.

Soon, there we were, standing nervously on the stage in front of Takashimaya, spotlight shining on us, audience gathered below with eager faces, waiting for us to do our thing. So we performed and performed and performed with all the energy we had, always carrying smiles on our faces. Whether at Paragon, Christmas Banquet or Eastpoint, I think everyone did an AWESOME job. PRAISE GOD!

Looking back on it all, I feel that Christmasing provided yet another great opportunity for me to walk with the Lord. I really thank Him for His faithfulness in guiding me through those two months, and for making me understand the kind of peace that will give us stability and certainty in life and the life to come.

It was a busy Christmas season, but I enjoyed it thoroughly; so much that when the time came for me to leave for India, I was awfully sad, because I had to skip the last performance at Eastpoint. Still, I had a memorable Christmas and I’m sure everyone else did too=)

-Rebecca

Everybody just freak, go a little crazy

2010-01-04T22:42:00.004+08:00

Being able to perform in such event like Christmasing is what I like to do and what I prefer to do to share the God’s love. So, being able to perform in Christmasing is a privilege.

This year, when I was appointed as the dance I/C, I was actually quite annoyed by it. Because I don’t really like to take up such roles which carry heavy responsibilities. I don’t like the burden and all. And I didn’t understand why Romans appointed me as the dance I/C.

After hearing what Daryl said, this being the last Christmasing, I finally understood why he appointed me and also it’s also because I was the assistant dance I/C the previous year.

Coming up with this year’s Christmasing dance was quite difficult. Why? This is because the dance that people are more used to is not my type of dance. I had to go through and remember what Romans choreographed and learn from there.

There are 2 parts to the dance, the 1st part of the dance is totally different style. The style of it actually suits me more and easier more me to come up with moves. But I had to hold back because not everyone is able to do what I can.

As for the 2nd part of the dance, it may be more of Romans’ style of dance but it’s still quite difficult because of the speed, how fast they had to move. I had some help from Romans, he helped me by choreographing some steps and taught me that I had to be more specific in my steps rather than being uncertain about them.

The next step is teaching the dancers. It’s sort of tedious because not all of them are cooperative but I had to persevere and complete what God has asked me to do. I thank God for people like Eirene, Ivy and Daryl for helping me keep the others quiet and asking them to concentrate.

Time wasn’t exactly on my side but I placed my trust in God, hoping that He’ll help me in allowing the dancers to memorise their steps and are able to learn more steps quickly.

All of the dancers had to sacrifice some time to come down to church and learn more steps

And He did it! I was very happy! And when I watched them perform on stage, I may not like the dance but I was really amazed that they can perform and pull it off!

-Nick :)

Mission Trippers

2009-12-06T00:47:00.002+08:00

HAY all you SnP people that are in Singapore!

Just 5 more days to the return of the THAILAND MISSION TRIP TEAM!(11th dec)
Remember that YOU guys are the prayer warriors so let us constantly keep them in prayer!

Some of the things YOU can pray for:
1. Safety
2. Good health
3. Creativity
4. Strength
5. Good rest

Of course also remember to pray that they will remember whatever they're doing, they're doing it for THE LORD!

So put on all your armour prayer warriors, and take a knee for our fellow members in Thailand:D

Christmasing 141109

2009-11-15T03:51:00.010+08:00

Really want to thank God for His faithfulness, in guiding us in our practices and our preparation for Christmas thus far. Things are progressing steadily with much fun and laughter, the meaning of peace has been talk about, and we continue to pray that at the end of Christmasing each one of us who involve in one way or another will understand the kind of peace that will give us stability and certainty in life and the life to come. We also pray that our service to the Lord will be our expression of our devotion to Him as we reflect and give our best, even though it can be really hard when it dosen't come natural for some of us to dance, sing or act, doing props etc... however it is an opportunity for us to walk with Jesus and look back when it's all over, with much thankfulness that He walked with us through it all! :)

Christabel in the house, yo!

2009-10-29T20:29:00.000+08:00

A note from Christabel, whom we miss dearly.. Awww.

A write-up on me☺

After leaving BLC, I went to New Creation Church. The change is a very big. There are many people and they are all strangers to me. The service is also much longer. There are four services too. I get tired waiting to go in for service. There are many people so you will sweat easily. Since I am getting used to the church where there are lots of changes, I have not gone to join the youth yet… I go for service and sometimes because of the waiting, I get tired and sometimes fall sleep during the message. Shh… So pray that I will be able to stay awake during service.

Also my school life, I am getting busier and busier because of the streaming and next year will be tougher… I just finished my exam and had a hard time thinking of what subjects to take, whether to take higher art or not; whether to take physics or bio or triple science; whether to take history or geography☹. Pray for me about the choosing of subjects too. Besides studies, I also find it hard to live with classmates around me. They are always comparing things and do not think of one another. That really gives me headache and stress. I become tired more easily no matter how much laughter there is.

Lastly, I missed you all! Sometimes on the MRT train, I will mistake people for some of you but I knew that Bedok is too far from my place so it can’t possibly be anyone of you then I will start thinking of you all. Even though I am not with you all, but I will still pray too☺. Continuing praying for me too☺

Love,
Christabel, the soft spoken girl :)

Christmasing begin!

2009-10-25T23:45:00.009+08:00

OK, for those who missed the audition for Christmasing, these are some picture the Photography team took, not bad right? looking forward to next week to take more cool and fun pictures to show you guys, however we are starting our practices from next week onwards, so let's jiayou and have as much fun as we can! The t shirt is on it's way!!!!! Woohoo!

SMILEZ, Exams are not the End!

2009-10-11T23:24:00.002+08:00

HAY ALL YOU PEOPLE! Most of you should be in the midst of preparing for or sitting for exams now, well I'm here to remind you of a few things:)

Sure, exams are definitely a period of stress, hair-tearing, cramming, turning into a nerd etc. BUT don't let this stress get to you, instead make sure you're ready physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually to take those exams.

PRAY! God is in every aspect of your life and he definitely wants you to succeed in your exams. Personally, praying brings me closer to God and makes me feel a little stronger and relaxed. It can work for YOU too!

GET YOUR REST! Sleep is one of the most important tools you have in studying for exams. You may feel stressed and like you don't know everything you need to know, but a good night sleep can help relieve that stress. A lack of sleep can end up clouding your judgement or increase your number of mistakes. Make your pillow your best friend:)

HAVE SOME FUN! Devoting yourself to studying is important, but taking an hour or two to get away from the stress is a good thing. It will make your head a bit clearer when you back to studying and you will feel re-energized.

Lastly, try your best not to forget God in the midst of all your busy-ness. Go to Him for rest when you're tired, and let Him refresh your mind. You might want to remember the following verse to brighten you up when you get tired:)

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light - Matthew 11:28-30

That's all from me for now...Study HARD and study SMART everyone!

Love,
Your friendly neighbourhood curly haired mascot, BECKY:)

Seriously... Get SeRiOus with God! - SPY CG Meeting on 10 Oct =)

2009-10-11T23:05:00.000+08:00

We had Cell Group at RomVee's place on 10/10/09. Ranald led us in a session to see other Christians in other parts of the world are living their lives for God =)

One example that was given was the Christians in China. They had no freedom in their country and was being captured and totured brutally in jails by the soldiers. Some even had to dug deep underground for secret caves in order to learn the Lord's word. Imagine learning the Lord's word in a dusty and stuffy atmosphere. But the thing that really encourges me that the Christians in China do not mind about the pain they faced while serving the Lord. They knew that no matter how much they suffer it still could not be compared to Jesus suffering that died on the cross for our sins. They also knew that they had the strength with Jesus when they were suffering.

I think that one important lesson to be learnt is that we should be encouraged by the Chritstian in China to take our relationship with God seriously, and not for granted. It is very very easy to take God for granted. I think that because we are living in a very safe country with nothing to worry about getting to suffer while serving the Lord. Especially for me whereby I tend to take God seriously only when I am struggling with certain things in my life. I pray that everyone including me will always be faithful to the Lord at all times knowing that the Lord will always love us unconditionally.

Dean Ong :)

Christmasing

2009-10-06T10:21:00.004+08:00

SNPians! Let's start praying for this Christmas, We have Christmasing, Christmas Banquet, Mission trip, MIMBY and SNP Annual Retreat. Let's commit those who are planning these events in our prayers, pray for creativity, wisdom and good health to carry them out. Not forgetting those who are taking O levels, pray that they will have good time management and discipline to revise and study and memorize! So let's keep it up for the glory of our Lord!!! Jia you everyone, let's close this year with fruitfulness in dependence in the Lord through these events.

Coping With Failure And Disappointment: Hope Or Despair?

2009-09-28T23:47:00.006+08:00

“Hope: a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.

Despair: the complete loss or absence of hope.”

Hooray for YouthBeat—Updated Edition! Besides the violent chair-soccer and the funny action songs, it really felt cosier and more relaxed in the M&M room. It’s also not as nerve wracking to teach there compared to the chapel. :p

During my preparation, one of the first things I thought about that was related to the word ‘despair’ was the ending of the movie “Silent Hill”. (I wont spoil it by telling the ending) It sent shivers down my spine! Similarly with most horror and action films, the themes of hope and despair are present in the movie as the characters try to escape whatever monster/bad guy is pursuing them. It is in the hope of escaping the desperate situation that the people push onward!

The main point of the lesson was, in a situation of failure or disappointment, will I react with hope or despair?

Reflecting on this theme, I found many occasions where I easily gave in to my own failure and disappointment, and let myself slide downhill with bad situations.
Like during secondary school, when I was quite bad at Chinese Language (actually, this is still true! Ha ha!) I didn’t really bother to study hard, since I thought it was too difficult for me, and I wouldn’t get an A anyway. Of course, I didn’t improve.
I also asked myself, when facing difficult assignments and I don’t know where to start, do I tend to procrastinate, or give up and stone until the last minute instead of persevering?

Now, what if are I am caught in situations where everything that could possibly be done has failed, and I reach the stage of “no hope” or despair? What if, like Job, I lost everything I worked for? What if I got an incurable cancer or got hit by a car and was paralyzed? Am I still able to hope and not despair?

As we learned from Job we can trust fully in God’s purpose for our entire lives, no matter the pain, and whether we understand or not.

Think about it!

Romans 5:3-5 (New Living Translation) We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Further reading: False hope—Teen medium made suicide pact with friends

CHristmasing 09

2009-09-18T13:58:00.002+08:00

Hey!!!!! Christmasing is coming again!!!! Guys let's start telling our friends about it!!! Calling to those who are interested in Singing, Dancing and Acting to be in the performance, and those who want to be part of the production team, Our forever cute and well received Mascot!! Logistic helpers Photographers and Media team. Come and have an unforgettable Christmas ever!!! IT IS COMING!

Serving the Lord through MIMBY =)

2009-09-10T12:56:00.001+08:00

We praise the Lord for an ABSOLUTELY EXCITING night spent on the 5th Sept! After months of hardwork, practices and preparation, seeing the fruits of our labour had been a rewarding experience. MIMBY has found its relevance and place in the hearts of many young adults today with its excellent music, food and ambience. The setting provides the optimal platform for us to invite our friends and catch up with them. The joy and success of MIMBY given by the Lord are not only measured by how smooth the event went but also witnessing the openness of our friends to the gospel and willingness to engage in discussing about life. THANK GOD INDEED!

One of the highlights of MIMBY this time was our collaboration with the Chinese Congregation Youths! This was a fulfillment to a promise made (by Romans at the outdoor stage) after our Church 30th Anniversary celebration where we pulled together an amazing and impactful skit for our church. MIMBY was an EYE-OPENING experience for the chinese congregration Youths as they witnessed how SnP carries out evangelism and ESPECIALLY EXCITING as they participated in the whole experience. Below is a reflection by Joseph, one of the four MIMBY singers ^_^

"I wanna thank God for giving me a chance to work with the english youths to share the gospel with our friends through mimby. It was a fun, enjoyable, and meaningful event, meeting new people, making new friends, getting to know each other better, discovering more about God, and most importantly working together to share the gospel.

This is my very first ever mimby and I really learnt a lot from it. I remember we started practices twice a week during my exam periods, schedules were tight, but God guided me through. Praise the Lord! I could not have managed without him (bout the exam? Confident!!! =) hehe). With mimby coming close, practices became thrice a week, but still we managed to come back for practices together. Looking back into the last few weeks, I realised that God granted us with good health, strength, and time management for preperation towards mimby. And on the actual event, many of our friends came and we had a great time. Nothing could have been done without God!

Throughout the many practices and rehearsals, I faced many challenges and difficulties hitting high notes for some of the songs, and because of this I wanna thank God for Romance Handsome Wong and Jean Shen for their patience in guiding and helping me. They were great mentors and fun people to be with, and I really wanna thank them again.

Through mimby, I also learnt the importance in having a relationship with God, because only knowing Him better will we be able to share our experiences with Him to our fellow mates.

This experience in mimby is something money cannot buy, for the only purpose in doing this is to glorify God's name."

by Joseph ^_^

Life is beautiful indeed because of our Lord. We look forward to the many exciting events coming up this year-end. CHRISTMASING, Thailand Mission Trip, BANQUET and not forgetting our favourite SnP Retreat! =) Till then, study hard for your exams! =)

Facing The Giants!

2009-09-03T23:30:00.005+08:00

Movie-time! That was the highlight of last Saturday’s YouthBeat where we watched the motivational movie “Facing The Giants” in the chapel – YAY, got cold air-con and big screen! Before the movie started Ben explained to us some basic knowledge about American Football, as the game is a big part of the movie’s storyline. (My biggest shock was realizing American Football and Rugby are two different sports!) Then we went on to watch the first half of the show, which, thankfully, had subtitles because there were technical difficulties so everyone in the movie sounded like they were speaking underwater. Despite the muffled voices, the character’s troubled situation was clearly portrayed so the atmosphere at the end of the first half was pretty solemn.

But of course everyone cheered up instantly when we were told it was time for dinner! We were broken into smaller groups to discuss a question over dinner – how did you feel at times when life was difficult (like what the movie’s character was facing) and who or what did you turn to for help? We were grouped according to our “monetary value” as stated by Teacher Peng (I can’t believed I laughed so loud at the BB boys being “worth” 50 cents when I ended up being only worth 10 cents!!) then we all headed downstairs for our food and ribena lemon that awaited us. It was really interesting to share and hear each others’ difficult times in life especially since some of us didn’t know each other very well, but since we were all students before we could relate to the studies-related issues that was brought up often.

The second half of the movie was longer but somehow more satisfying, it seemed when the focus just shifted from finding a solution to the attitude which the character approached the problem, everything just fell into place – like a puzzle or a math question! Even though the movie was obviously directed at an American audience, Peng Siang pointed out something that we could all relate to in the movie, that God cares about our life! He didn’t just mean God is concerned just about the “religious” part of our life like praying or going to church, but even our studies, our relationships (with our parents, for example) and our attitude! It was somewhat reassuring to know that God cares about all these which are part of our daily life and close to our heart, because it meant that God is near to us too, not a far away or distant person. What we took home that night was not merely the movie’s inspirational feeling but the message to “seek God because He cares for you”.

Well if you missed this YouthBeat don’t worry because from the next YouthBeat we will be bringing to you a WHOLE NEW EXPERIENCE of fun and games! You must come and see for yourself! For now I’ll leave you with pictures of our poor forfeited friends during the crazy games earlier…

Cheers!
-Eirene

God cares… about your whole life, your relationships, attitude, behaviour
Seek God because He cares for you!

My reflection

2009-08-29T23:51:00.010+08:00

I want to thank God that I am able to serve Him through MIMBY (admin role) and Sunday Service (training to become a sound engineer in the near future). I want to also want to thank Him for the good health that I have enjoyed over the past few months. I did not even once fall sick. I think it is because of the weekly badminton games I had with my friends in the first half of this year. That has helped me to remain fit and be able to build teamwork and friendship.

Serving God through MIMBYis a very valuable experience for it prepares me as an administrator for the coming ChristmaSing. I will know my mistakes and where I have to be detailed in even in the small things. For example creating a table in MS Word for MIMBY minutes facilitates easier reading and noting of deadlines. I realized small details are important as they contribute to the smooth running of pre-event matters. And when things flowed the way they should, God is glorified.

It is challenging to handle admin matters, sound engineering and to cope with my studies at the same time but as I placed my trust in God, He helped me to manage both well. I thank God for Gwenda; for guiding me. With her help I am not so blur. I also learnt as I understudy the way she handled admin matters.

I hope to grow on my skills as I do sound engineering for Youth Beat, so that I can serve God on a greater capacity (eg being sound engineer for service). Pray that I will be faithful in this area of service and that God will guide me through, and that I will not just do it for the sake of doing but because I have a relationship with God. I also want to glorify God and seeking out the lost by sharing the Gospel.

Something that I have learnt from Bible study in July was on facing desperate moments in my life. I know I will probably have many desperate moments in the coming months but I must thank God for them; for they will help me learn something new and cause me to seek Him as my only hope. I think it is really important that I not only seek Him or pray to Him in desperate moments, but I must also continue to grow in my relationship with Him everyday. This is what God really wants. It is also evidence that my faith is genuine.

Thus in the next 2 months as I prepare for my ‘O’ level math and science subjects, I have to persevere on and placed my hope in God that I can do well. Isaiah 40:28-31 “³¹ but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagle they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Pray that I will watch my walk with the Lord and put my trust in Him even though it is difficult especially in desperate moments.

Through bible study, I also learnt about Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians. He prayed that the Ephesians will be strengthen with power through the Holy Spirit to be for Christ-Like and to suffer hardship for Him that is faith with unconditional and sacrificial love. From this I pray that as I walk daily with God, I will be more and more convicted of Christ’s love. When I suffer hardship, I will see it as an opportunity to show my faith. I know the Holy Spirit will enable me to do so.

One way would be to show my diligence, studying Sunday school or Bible Study passages before hand, understand it so that during the actual lesson, I can appreciate His word more. This will give me better ideas on how to apply the truths I learnt.

Lastly, pray that I will apply God’s word and that I will continue to grow as I walk my walk with God daily especially through my ‘O’ level preparations. Pray also for diligence in my studies.

Love,

Michael J

Rambling about National Day =p

2009-08-17T21:08:00.006+08:00

“Dig! Dig! Dig! Amaryllis can you please hold that bag up properly!” *the sound of the wheels of the recycling bin rattling up the road to the back of the church* “Phew, what’s that smell – it smells like… like… pee! No wait…more like cow dung!

“Shoot! Pass! It’s in! Eh run for the ball la! Power la Sarah! Whoa! Becky that’s it girl, tackle your brother! Eh Jacob, don’t lazy can?!”

“This is home, truly! What do you ‘seee’? Ah hah! Found you! Eh faster chase him! I found him, he was hiding in the toilet! Eh policeman, don’t make life so difficult for your prisoners; can? How come he got away?! Who’s the undercover on my team?! Reveal yourself!”

What is your ideal National Day? Staying at home, watching the NDP Parade, shouting forth the pledge amongst the countless songs sung for your country and ending the day feeling entertained by the parade?

The scene @ BLC was more happening than that! Well yes, we did watch the NDP Parade and do some of the above-mentioned patriotic deeds! But, digging up fertiliser and transferring them into trash bags to be thrown away. Now who would have ever imagined that we have to do such a laborious feat on a sunny National Day afternoon?

Yes we dug up fertiliser on Sunday. Thanks to the many who helped and those who came to offer their help after we had finished digging. No sarcasm intended here of course... I just want to brag how we just did it pretty quickly as a team that we finished much faster than expected!

Anyway after our ‘very-practical-introduction-to-the-labours-of-gardening” session some of us proceeded to hit the floorball court (yea right, like we really have a floorball court) to have a good two to three of hours of floorball! To those who don’t play, get those heavy legs of yours into the court and start whacking some balls around! It helps you lose weight, I promise! And build some muscle too if I may add.

The evening was ushered in by the sounds of sizzle from the pits and big stages and sound equipment being lugged down the stairs to the backyard as we set up for the National Day BBQ! Oh the highlight of the day indeed!

Food was awesome (as always). Though I certainly wishes there had been more fried rice. The Boys Brigade boys from 32^nd Coy and some friends too, joined us to celebrate our nation’s birthday. Guess what - we even saw one of the BB boys broadcast on nationwide TV as part of the NDP! This year, as part of our programme, we had a batch of fresh-faced singers lead us in a live “KTV” style singing time of NDP songs; I say fresh-faced because they’re all below 18! A bit ‘shy’ they were, I reckon but kudos people! There’s next year again *winks*. And as usual, what would our National Day BBQ be without our annual ‘Hide & Seek’ in the dark! Split into two teams – BB Boys vs The Rest, the teams set out to do what they had to do; which is to hide or catch la! Eventual result – The Rest won! To the chagrin of this much maligned writer (yours truly), I was first accused of being a spy for the other team! And in the next round he then got found because people used lights! Now when did we start using lights? Even my “natural-camouflaging-skin-colour couldn’t escape the bright lights!

I think the time spent together and the joys of the night were definitely memorable for many of us. Thank the Lord for granting us the opportunities like these to continue meeting up and spending time with each other as a whole.

There’s mention of next year’s National Day BBQ already… Too bad National Day only happens once a year… =p

- Ranald Joseph

*photos will be uploaded soon =)

shh! you prisoner!

*Standing at ATTENTION singing our national anthem =)

Our Song Leaders!~ Cheerios for them!

Our amazing "Satay Man" was is super pro at setting up BBQ fire =)

Having fun while moving fertilizer #1

Having fun while moving fertilizer #2

So happy =) Doing all things unto the Lord with a smile in our hearts!

UP

2009-08-02T22:41:00.003+08:00

Come 8 August 2009...
We have no CG!!!!

What shall we do?

Let's have a S&P movie outing!!

NOW SHOWING: Up
TIME: 7.45pm
WHERE: Downtown East GV

Please confirm your attendance with your leaders by Tuesday, 5pm ok :)

"The Power of Words"

2009-08-02T00:14:00.009+08:00

We have all heard the Power of Your Love , Power rangers!
but The Power of Words?
THat was the theme of Youthbeat! This time, we had the opportunity to invite not just the BB boys but our own friends as well!

Romans started us off with an ice breaker that saw our guests doing

Jeanshen led us in some songs, and it was the first time that Amaryllis and Shaun are back up singing. Good job guys!!

SO what is the Power of Words?? Ivy spent sometime teaching us how important are the words that we use. Through the various activites that we went through, it was interesting to see that we had difficulty saying encouraging words to one another. (had first hand experience when playing warp speed. My group kept repeating the same encouraging words to one another!) On the contrary, when we listed out hurting words that we have said to others and vice versa. We had no problems with it.
It could be that we don't usually give much thought to what we say OR it could be as this verse says

"The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks."

(Luke 6:45)

it could be the condition of our hearts?

Let us cautious of what we say to one another even if its for fun.

If you've missed youthbeat last week, don't scared!
because Youthbeat is happening again at the end of August woohoo!
We will be watching a movie called "Facing The Giants"

Watch this Space for more updates!

Questions on being a Christian Student - Part 1

2009-08-01T10:15:00.001+08:00

Why should a Christian student be different from other students?

The bible tells us to love the Lord with all that we are (Mark 12:30) and that whatever we do, we work at it with all our heart as working for the Lord (Col 3:23). Because we are living for God and not ourselves, our attitude towards studies should be guided by what we know about God rather than what we hear from others.

Is God concerned about how I study?

Yes! If we call Jesus to be the Lord of every area of our lives, it will include our studies as well. Our attitude towards studying is a reflection of what we know about God. This will be explained in the subsequent questions to come =)

What does it mean to “study for God”?

When you say that you want to study for God, it implies that you are not studying for yourself, for your parents, for a good career*, for a good salary**. This must be clear. So when you study for God, you seek after what God wants for you rather than what you want.

Examples of what you want: Good grades for you to boast and be proud of, a good JC or a good course in poly, to prove yourself that you are not stupid.

Examples of what God want: A closer relationship with you, become more like Christ, be humble, showing God’s love and care to others, be a light for Him, trust Him as you study, depend on Him as you study, thank Him as you study.

Good Career* - In the eyes of God, all honest careers are good and equal. The road sweeper is no lesser than the lawyer or doctor. It is our society that creates the divide.

Good Salary** - God is our provider and He will give according to what we need. People tend to seek after high-salary jobs because of their love for money.

---

Found this article helpful? Look out for Part 2! Questions like "How should I look at studying, exams and grades?" and "Is it alright to skip cell group to study?" will be answered =)

*This is an article written by SnP for SnP members. No citation is required =p All comments and theological corrections are welcomed!

Reminder

2009-07-27T21:15:00.002+08:00

Hey guys, just a reminder! Always come into the house of God prepared and ready. I thought last sunday you guys did a great job in keeping the reverence there! Jia you and keep up the good work, so that others may see and follow too. Glory to our GOD on high!

All the Julyian babes and hunks say yay! While we say Happy Birthday!

2009-07-21T20:16:00.010+08:00

What a bash it was that day! Everyone had a blast during the julyians birthday bash though many appearred half dead after that.XD

WHY?! we had tonnes of old school games like ice and water. We also had eirene and daryl to teach us the mass dance - thriller! Jeanshen was the best at it. He looked most like a zombie

The sweetest moment of that night was definitely when the SNP members put up a performance for the July babies - from singing and poems to the craziest of dramas (samsui people). As usual, the performances were high quality! Both funny and moving, the julyians were very touched as we performed.we had to thank God for the Good Weather and a great place to hold the julyian birthday bash.^.^

Leading Others to Christ!

2009-07-21T19:00:00.007+08:00

Ohay everyone! I came across this while doing my QT, so just thought that I'd share one part of it:) It's quite simple, and can be very useful in our daily lives, while sharing the Gospel with others!

Knowing The Basics

If you want to have the joy of leading a person to faith in Christ, you need to know a few basic truths - and you need to know them well. These truths can be stated in different ways, but they boil down to the following four points:

1. Every person is by nature a sinner who stands guilty and condemned before God.

2. Every person is helpless to save himself by his own effort.

3. In love, God provided salvation for sinners through Jesus Christ, who became a member of the human family, lived sinlessly, and then died on the cross to pay for our sins.

4. Salvation is an individual matter and requires a personal response on the part of anyone who wants to be saved. Because God accepted Jesus' sacrifice by raising Him from death, all who acknowledge their sin and place their trust in Christ are adopted as God's children.

Cool right...these are just the basics, of course you also need to be flexible in your approach and be prepared for the fact that some people won't believe in Jesus Christ no matter what you say. So let us grab those opportunities to share the Good News with others around us! JIAYOU EVERYONE!

Loves Beckyyyyy

An evening well spent

2009-07-12T09:44:00.009+08:00

What a great time we had yesterday! Check out the yummy-licious chicken!

Yesterday's CG was held at none other than guess who....Amaryllis' house!

We started off with games as usual, which were organised by Jacobsen. It was a creative mix between Captain's Ball and Tennis Balls. Through that game, we discovered that Punggol HDBs have very nice rooftop gardens(which was not on the roof but on the 6th floor. Ironic eh). Good job Jacob:D Gotta love those tennis balls!

After all that fun, we headed down to the house and continued our CG with songs, lead by Davidson with guitarist Peng Siang! Songs we sang included Amazing Grace, Be Thou My Vision and I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever.

Then...wait for it...QT SHARING BY AARON! He shared about how he used to condemn and stereotype others according to their behaviour (eg. sissies and people who make sick jokes) and try to avoid them. However, he realised that everytime he avoided a person, he would miss just another opportunity to share the gospel and the love of God. I think this applies to all of us. Sometimes, we might be giving up an excellent opportunity to share the gospel with a person, which means that we might be missing an excellent opportunity to bring a non-believer to Christ! So, grab that opportunity today!:D(I sound like an advertiser)

Moving on, our consolidation for sermon was held by Eeeeeeirene. (Guess who forgot to bring her notebook:p). For those of you who have no idea what consolidation is about..it's where we come together and consolidate our sermon notes for the previous week's sermon. In this case, the preacher was Mr. Christopher Tan, who gave a meaningful and interesting sermon, that focused on both parents and their children. I found it quite impactful, as he mentioned things that really took me by surprise.

Next, CHOW TIMEEEEEE! Thanks Jeannie(never call her Aunty or she will ban you from her house) and Augustine(never call him Uncle either) for the awesome KFC dinner!!!! Filled our very hungry tummies:D KFC=finger-licking good^_^

Well, that's all from me for now. BYE!

PENG! hurry up and post the pics on facebook!!!

This is Becky, signing off from her home studio saying goodnight and goodbye.

A SnP Outing To Macritchie Reservoir

2009-06-27T10:49:00.003+08:00

Everyone gathered at Burger King at Novena Square and head off to Macritchie Carpark by taxi. We did some hilarious looking stretching exercises but also effective... the hike was enjoyable... Peng started to sing some of the songs... actually.... throughout the whole hike some of us kept singing and singing and singing ^_^... Alex was trying to listen to his MP3 but his earpiece spoiled! he tried many ways to listen to his music and even put his phone by his ear... haha our singing must have scared him ^_^ ..During the hike, there were many monkey encounters.. they are so adorable but viscious... heheh..at the HSBC tree-top walk, there is a splendid view of the canopy of trees! it is like a blanket of greenery split by a reseivoir.. the clouds were very puffy on that day... as though the day couldn't get any better...Thank God for the wonderful weather ^_^!! Although we have overcome many scary steep staircases, we pulled through!!! =D thanks to encouraging friends! Thanks to Romans and Ivy for the great outing! after the whole hike, we went to a cafeteria... everyone looks so worn and hungry hahah! I am thankful for outings like this that bonds us closer and closer ^_^!!! and thank God for another great and wonderful day that He has made ^_^

- Shaun Chua ^_^

The young ladies of SNP

2009-05-14T16:50:00.004+08:00

Exams are OVERRRRRR!!!(At least for some of us *gloat* :) )

I was planning to clear all my sleep debts today after 4 months of little sleep, but oh no!!! A simple hello to Becky over MSN became an impromptu cycling trip to East Coast Park.

Mind you, it was mid noon and the sun was shining with its UV rays penetrating through our skin. I am very certain I am two shades darker now.

It was a pleasant cycling trip with hardly anyone so we could ride leisurely and talk about our wonderful secondary school, the craziest teachers that taught me and are currently teaching Becky, our varied interests and most excitingly, we talked about our walk with God.

One thing that she shared with me is that recently, she have been thinking about various aspects of her life through the study of 1 Tim during Sunday school. She shared about something, which impacted her greatly, something to do with the way she have been behaving in school. If you want to know the details, go and ask her and then pray for her ok! Haha. I was very encouraged through her sharing because it is SO EASY to make going for cg, sunday school, BS with your leaders, prayer meetings, and even service a routine the moment we stray away from God. As we spend time doing these activities, let us also thank the Lord for His word that He has given us; that we are able to learn how we ought to live, and the reason why we try to behave in a way that would please Him. :)

I thank God for placing her in my life, along with the other girls. At times, they exasperate, bully me and treat me like a rag doll, but I got to admit they bring me much joy. ;)

My prayer for these mon... i mean, young ladies, and the other youths in SNP is that we will continue to seek the Lord and desire to live a life just like how He called us to as we study His word with much earnest!!

Cheers

MIMBY Love Actually

2009-04-20T00:05:00.018+08:00

THE POST ALL OF YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR.

THE POST THAT CAUSED THIS BLOG TO APPEAR ON YOUR IE BROWSER HISTORY SO MANY TIMES/DAY ----> MIMBY 2009!

MIMBY stands for Music in My Backyard, SNP's very own take on the popular Timbre concept. This year, many friends joined us in live music appreciation, chomped on great cheap eats and reveled in awesome company. More importantly, it was a night where we rejoiced because some of our friends, did not only accept the MIMBY invitation, but also the invitation from God to believe and accept Him as their personal Lord and Saviour!

This time round, MIMBY revolved around the theme - Love Actually. There were 4 segments and through a different mix of songs, we discussed and shared our thoughts on what Love actually is. Silly? Hurtful? Joyful? Imperfect? It was rather interesting especially when some audience members got interviewed on the 'crazy little things' they have done in their pursuit of love! For privacy purposes, I cannot disclose the identities of the 'crazy interviewees'. I leave it to your imagination.

You must be wondering who the interviewers were. By God's grace, He brought to us Andre, Gab, Jo, Jac, Elisha, Amos (and _____, just in case I hv forgotten someone!) who are Eirene's SERVE buddies. Oh many thanks to our very own Doug too. We decided to outsource this time so as to inject freshness into the whole MIMBY concept and also allow our ever-talented musicians more time with their friends. Needless to say, this adhoc acoustic band performed well; the audience members' positive feedback are testament to that!

Now for our Dont forget the Song game! (We Singaporeans have nv been very creative when thinking of gameshow names so please don't smirk hahahaha). Nick Loe spinned sth cool then 3-4 audience members rushed to the stage, copied an embarrassing pose from Romans and, whilst remaining in that pose, gave the song title and singer/s. It was absolutely hilarious! Kudos to our guests who made were so sporting, modelling the poses with gusto. Special mention for Marcus, who was clearly the most gung-ho gameshow participant that night. Either that, or he's a huge fan of Starbucks. Twas' a pity that no ladies went up though! Perhaps the poses were too intimidatingly embarrassing. I vote that both Ivy and Romans should pose next time. That way, all can share in the embarrassment.

And what's MIMBY without food man? Choon Kiat and team did an amazing job in cooking and serving! I was very impressed by the efficiency our waitresses' displayed as well! By the way, did yall know that the pizza was handmade by our chefs?! I was shocked upon finding out! Self-made food is always the best no? Totally warmed the cockles of my carbohydrate-laden heart that night.

I remember constantly scanning the room at regular intervals, and each time I would notice something different. I saw friends feeding each other chicken salad and then laughing as the receiver somehow not manage to get the chicken into her mouth (hint); I saw people bonding over a common interest in a particular song (1,2,3,4 was a hit!); I saw old friends catching up; I saw new friendships being made; I saw people in deep discussion over what Love means to them; I saw love.

MIMBY Love Actually may not have been perfect - but I think that it was a really excellent effort and execution by Gloria and team! The entire event was a success doncha think? :) Just as we congregated to pray for MIMBY prior to its opening, let us keep the next MIMBY in mind and commit it to prayer as well. It was fab that SNP and Desire worked together seamlessly both pre and actual MIMBY itself! All deserve a pat on the back! If you can't, pat your shoulder lovingly.

MIMBY __________ - what will our next one be?

Love always, Dazzlyn

Combine CG meeting - OBEDIENCE

2009-04-08T14:25:00.002+08:00

Hey all, this is my first time blogging on the fabulous SNP blog:) Remember the CG on obedience last Saturday at East Point Green Condominium? Thanks Sarah and Sherm for having us.

Anyways, we had games. The guys played against the girls. But let me clear the air, we let them win ok? I mean what can you say? They are girls! Haha kidding, kidding. PS: Love the part where Faith jumped over Kaiying and laded smack!

Now to the serious stuff, we had singspiration. I shared about how it should be every Christian’s aim to glorify God its implications with obedience. Ivy’s taught us how being spiritually stable will lead to obedience. We sang the song the Servant king twice that night which was sobering. Phi 2:3-11 So let us truly, obey and submit to glorify our Lord- having to live a life of true servanthood.

We have a Master to obey,
Chang Xiang

YOUTHBEAT - Do you know your learning style?

2009-04-02T15:54:00.005+08:00

Do you know your learning style?
No? That’s because you missed Youthbeat last Saturday!!

We answered a series of questions that helped us determine how we responded in different situations and from there, the results were keyed into a system that identified what our learning styles and patterns were.

After taking the test, I found out that I am a very Visual Learner.
That would mean that I learn best by looking at the facial expression and body language of the teacher, map charts and diagrams would be good for my learning as well!
However, a down side of being a visual learner would be that i am easily distracted.

I also discovered that I need to learn in a linear fashion, so please give me step by step information if not you will see my confused face.

To make it simple, the big picture is… (Coz i learn best at looking at a big picture haha...) It is a matter of taking the information that is needed and changing it into a way that you are able to understand and absorb! No wonder I didn’t get straight A’s, because nobody taught me that when I was in school! Haha.. (excuses..)

That wasn’t the end!
Thereafter, we had a heart pumping session of floorball and a fantastic meal of hotdogs covered in wholesome mushroom sauce made by Ivy!

Wish you were there right…..
Come on down to the next YouthBeat would be on the last Saturday of April!!

See ya!

PS: Ivy I want the mushroom recipe please.. :):)

Girls' PJ CG

2009-03-29T16:51:00.004+08:00

Belated All Girls' PJ CG at Vee's while the boys were on their bikes and being kissed by the sun :)

Crazy hair + crazy people= crazy night!!! For our first all-girls cg for the year, we gathered at Ivy’s place and had a pyjama party! Every one of us had to put on pyjamas for the night and it sure was fun! Just in case you’re all wondering why our hair looks…extraordinary, it’s actually a game that we played, which resulted in all of us tying our hair up with rubber bands. Painful for some, but entertaining for all! Through this game, we also learnt that for certain girls, no matter how much you twist and turn their hair to try and make it look hair-larious and ugly, they still look pretty sane.

Right after the games, we had lesson on humility, which was taught by the one and only Ms. Small Ey…oops, I mean Gloooria! We split into groups and had to come up with a short skit, and one thing is for sure - SNP girls are some of the most entertaining actors that you can find. Then, Gloria went into greater detail about what humility is. I’m sure all of us could relate very well to the lesson, as it could be applied in our daily lives.

Then, CHOW TIME!!!! Yummy sausages with cheese dipping, healthy and fresh grapes, and much more delicious food. After dinner, we just sat around chatting and taking time to digest our food. As it was getting late into the night, we decided to head home, and get a good rest.

On that day, we all took home a meaningful lesson on humility and tummies filled with finger-licking good food. Pyjama Parties rock!

-Becky with a hanbaobao

The Return of MIMBY in 2009-

2009-03-25T17:15:00.004+08:00

Have you heard of it? Were you thinking it? Yes!! MIMBY's back and this time we've put together a whole new band of singers and musicians that will bring you great music and songs for the night!

This year's theme for MIMBY is " Love Actually"~not only will you have an outdoor chilling experience with your friends under the stars..we'll also be exploring the different definitions of love through songs...even our food will revolve around the theme of Love! Sounds interesting? Then you've got to bring your friends down to check it out!

The musicians and singers have been working hard at their songs-meeting up twice a week for practices,the food and decor commitee have also cracked their brains in coming up with a great menu and creating the best atmosphere for the night respectively and there are also other commitees working hard on their roles! So pray for us and also join us in our goal of bringing the good news to our friends through MIMBY! Afterall, it is all for the glory of His =)

In His Service

Shermaine

Contact Work at East Coast Park! (8th March 2009)

2009-03-21T11:09:00.006+08:00

Hi all! It’s kaiying here to blog about Sunday’s contact work! (:

K so SnP headed down to East Coast Park after Sunday School to meet new friends! Left our bags under a big tree, briefed, prayed & went off to scout for people. It was quite difficult to approach people initially, but praise God we managed to find some friendly people & got down their contacts. I think we made over 40 contacts in the end and quite a few of them expressed enthusiasm for Console & MIMBY! I'm sure everyone felt really tired but even more satisfied!

It was quite great experience for me, since it’s the first time I (or a few of us I believe) ventured out to greet strangers and talk to them, and it was actually quite fun! Realized that most people are actually quite friendly and nice. Let’s not forget to pray for the great contacts we made & hope they will continue to open up to us! (:

Kaiying

CG with The New Dawn Team! (7th March 2009)

2009-03-19T13:40:00.006+08:00

The New Dawn team comprising of John , Julia , Sarah , Jacquelyn and Kristine spent 4 hours with us leading us in songs with fun filled actions in which I found myself jumping and punching my fists in the air !

Despite having travelled around since August, they were visibly tired, but when it came to leading us in songs and talking to us, their faces immediately lit up with enthusiasm. We were also encouraged by Julia who spoke about how she grew from being a nominal Christian who hated listening to sermons to someone passionately loving and living for Christ!

The new dawn team joined us in our session on “LOVE” taught by our very own Charis Lee! We started out having each group act out a skit on the right kind and wrong kind of love. The one I liked best was when Chang Xiang got caught up in his own acting and Aaron said “That is not in the script la!” Charis then went on to teach us about Love from a biblical perspective.

During supper, when I spoke with Jacquelyn about how she found the session, she told me honestly that half of the time she couldn’t understand what we were talking about because of our accent! I wouldn’t have noticed if she hadn’t said it as all of them were so involved throughout the whole session.

5 Young people give 1 year of their lives to ministering in various churches in Southeast Asia despite the cultural and language differences. Will I be able to do that , I wonder….

Having been overseas for a while, i can testify to the difficulty of being away from home for an extended period of time but travelling every few weeks to a new place is a whole different story.

We thank them for ministering to us and may the Lord continue to bless their ministry J

Sarah Ang Moo Moo

Console Mania!

2009-03-14T01:34:00.011+08:00

Hear ye! Hear ye!

Lads & Lassies! (guys & girls :P)

Next Saturday, 21 March @ 3pm. We are going to gather and compete with one another in console video games such as FIFA '09! Little Big Planet! & Wii Tennis! Open to all who just want to have a blast of a time playing video games. Even those who don't play but want to learn or explore this "new" area... are welcome! Add to the games on PS3 & Wii, we've also got a delicious spread for all you gamers who wanna come. Icy drinks, really tasty and classy snacks and a buffet dinner to top the night off! Top Food! A whole load of wacky fun at games?! Prizes to be won! What more?! It's cheap!!! $7/- only per person. And hey...that's pretty cheap considering how much it covers!

Most of us have probably heard of FIFA '09 or Wii Tennis? I mean who doesn't know FIFA '09?! Ronaldo, Rooney, Messi... all controlled at your fingertips - an opportunity to test yourself against other players and teams. Manage your own team all the way to the top! Wii Tennis?! Who doesn't know how real Wii Tennis is?! At least as far as to the point where it makes you break sweat!

But what's this new game called Little Big Planet? Many of us have probably been asking this question? Well in this game... you take the role of this character called Sackboy, or Sackgirl for that matter. You explore different worlds in Little Big PLanet , with some locations being just amazing! There are challenges to complete and points to be taken before you are considered successful in a certain world. If you think it's easy, think again. Some levels will just have you throwing the controller down in frustration or just sigh-ing away again and again. Oh, did i mention that you get to punch characters around you just for the laughs? :p It's a really cute yet highly entertaining game that definitely tests your skills as a gamer! And even if you're not a "gamer", you'll enjoy it!

So if you just wanna have a highly entertaining, adrenaline rushing and fun time, do join us! 3pm @ BLC!Wanna find out more, need more info? Call 94579575. Look for Ronald :)

The start of a great Reach-Out during Bike-Out!

2009-03-09T14:51:00.009+08:00

I believe that Bike-Out, held on the 21st of February, was a success because everyone that came thought that the program was fun and exciting! On top of that, the games taught us how to work as a team. In two teams, we were to cycle almost the whole length of East Coast Park and compete with each other in games at various checkpoints. In the middle of the race, we were given a surprise! We were to ride on Tandem Bicycles for the second half of Bike-Out! Tandem Bicycles are bicycles made to be ridden by more than one person. Thankfully, we were given the ones that were suppose to be ridden by just two people because it was scary! Can't imagine how terrifying it will be if we were given Tandem Bicycles that were designed for 5 or even 10 people (refer to the picture on the right)! Bike-Out ended with very nice BBQ food! Thank God for keeping the weather clear for us so that we could enjoy the whole program throughout that fun-filled Saturday! But most importantly, we really want to thank God for the 12 guests that came for Bike-Out! During the BBQ, it was obvious that there was a great bond between the guests and us as everyone was able to mingle openly even with people they have just met that day. We pray that this relationship will continue to grow and that they would continue to join us for more events! We look forward to our upcoming event Console Mania! 21st March 2009!

By Davidson

Let's go out! Reach out

2009-02-26T11:06:00.003+08:00

To all SNPians! We are all going out together to seek the lost! For this is what the Lord has called us to do. We are going to do CONTACT WORK! at East Coast Park McDonald's after Sunday School! Let's go and make as many friends as we can, for future events or personal evangelism. As for now, we hope to meet some who can join us for our March holidays event - Console Game Day! and also for MIMBY! So let us pray and go and be ambassadors for Christ!

Matt 28"19-20
19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Dressing for Worship

2009-02-24T18:06:00.003+08:00

Here's a poster I came across while at Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer last Saturday.. It's interesting how it coincided with what we learned in 1 Tim 2:9-10.. Hope it's a good reminder for everyone =)

Hot Babes Say About Hot Bake

2009-02-18T17:02:00.001+08:00

Coming to you live from Becky’s home studio

Chocolate! Chocolate! Chocolate! What a great chocolatey and fun-filled event! Firstly, job well done goes to Zhixi, our OIC ☺, and all the girls who helped out with the event.

Want to know what we did during the event? First up, we welcomed all our guests and started to mingle around with them. Then, Amy our wonderful teacher instructed all of us on how to bake a Chocolate Molten Cake, as we gathered around. After receiving the instructions, we set out to our workstations, raring to go. Trying hard to remember what we had just learnt, we started measuring out the ingredients. Measure, pour, mix. Measure, pour, mix some more, spill. Measure, pour, mix a bit more, spill a lot more. We made 3 cakes each and placed them into the ovens to bake. While waiting, we had yummy sandwiches and fondue! We also took a short personality quiz, which we got quite a laugh out of. “Ding” went the oven, and we rushed over, eager to see if our cakes turned out to be a success!

Well of course some cakes did not turn out exactly great, but still, we learn through our mistakes. All in all, we built good rapport with our guests, and got to know some of them really well. A few even agreed to come for future events! Woo! Some of the girls even went on chocolate rampages;) Can’t wait for the next event!

This is Becky signing off and saying: Let’s do it again sometime!

Hot Bake Day!!!

2009-02-02T23:31:00.004+08:00

Holla! Calling out to all GIRLS ages 13-18!!! We are having our first all girls event for the year!!! It’s called HOT BAKE DAY!!!
HOT BAKE DAY
You’ve heard it right.. We’re going to have lots of fun learning how to bake molten chocolate cake with the most delightful, entertaining and warm people. So expect to be spiced up during our first ever baking event!

What’s that? Why are we learning how to bake? Cause Valentine’s day is in a week’s time. Since we’re one of the most sincere people around, we decided that this valentine’s day, we’d like to bake something yummylicious for our loved ones.

Who’s invited? You, you, you, you, you and you. SPY and SPI girls, what are you waiting for? Drop your classmates, schoomates, bus friends, church friends, old friends, new friends, best friends an sms, or give them a call NOW.

When is it? This coming Saturday, 7th February 2009! It will be held in BLC.
Cost price: $5/- The cheapest place in Singapore to learn how to make this chocolate molten cake for your loved ones this coming Valentine’s day. And that’s all you have to pay for all the glorious food and ingredients!

If you find yourself in any of the category, sign up with any of us NOW!!!!
1. starting to drool

2. have a desire to bake something nice for your love this vday

3. have nothing on this Saturday from 2-4.30pm

4. like the friend who thought of you and invited you for this event

5. enjoy the company of fun outgoing people

6. love food such as

a. Sausage with Hormel meat sauce topped with crushed cashews n watercress - all in a bun!

b.Italian cheseyshrooms melt sandwich

c.Seafood salad sandwich

d.Fondue with assortment of fruits

We’re waiting for YOUR reply and YOUR presence ☺

P.S :Starhub people we know that you have unlimited sms so start smsing us!!! Woooo!!

Cheers,
Zhixi, the jumper.

2009's here!

2009-02-01T23:09:00.000+08:00

A well-known preacher, Henry Ward Beecher, once said, “We have passed through one more year. One more long stage in the journey of life, with its ascents and descents and dust and mud and rocks and thorns and burdens that wear the shoulders, is done. The old year is dead. Roll it away. Let it go. God, in His providence, has brought us out of it. It is gone; …its evil is gone; its good remains. The evil has perished, and the good survives.” So, let us welcome the new year with thanksgiving and joyful open hearts!

We also welcome 2 new members into our midst: Audrey and Nicole! We are all looking forward to spending this year, and hopefully the following years too, growing and walking with them through life with the Lord’s guidance.
As the year goes on, we’ll be holding tons of new events and not forgetting the highlight of the year: Amazing Race! Each event is gonna be carefully planned and specialized in its own way, so that you can take away valuable lessons every time, and of course have lots of fun! Girls, make sure you don’t miss the upcoming Hot Bake Day! Yum Yum Chocolate Cake!

So now, we can leave the sins and failures of last year behind us, accept His forgiveness, and press on to higher ground. As far as our shortcomings are concerned, we can make the beginning of our new year a time to forget.

Cheers,
Rebecca, the girl with the big hair ;)

Bike-out for guys and only the guys!

2009-01-22T18:22:00.006+08:00

Hey guys! Our very first event of the year!!!! It's an afternoon BIKE-OUT! Let's start praying for ourselves that the Lord will enable us to bring friends for this event and that our friends will be open to come and share with us their life's experiences through this event. Let's reach out and be a friend to them. Let's have fun and rough it out together like a man! Of course we will end with MAKAN!!! Let's have MEAT and only MEAT!!!! and Coke Zero also..... However! let's make this event a successful one for the Lord and also for yourselves. Let's be encouraging, bring someone!

2008-11-28T15:57:00.005+08:00

Hey! calling out to all that want to stay up late on Christmas eve Night! We are having our Music In My Back Yard Christmas Countdown! We are going to have loads and loads of live singing by the Earthen Vessels - a group of music lovers who came together to make music. They are going to sing for us many familiar love songs LIVE! From cool English songs to emo Mandarin songs and of course meaningful songs that will touch your hearts! So come and sign up with any of the SNP members. BE ready to make this Christmas an unforgettable one! See you there!

A Call to Prayer

2008-11-23T22:32:00.003+08:00

Hey all! Guess what? We are having the MOST HAPPENING DECEMBER in SnP history! Take a look at the list of things happening below and you will see why,

Youth Thailand Mission Trip
Dec 1 - 14

ChristmaSING Performance Date
Dec 20 Sat @BLC
Dec 21 Sun @ Orchard Road
Dec 22 Mon - 24 Wed @ Northpoint

Christmas Banquet
Dec 20 Sat

Christmas MIMBY Countdown
Dec 24 Wed

SnP Annual Retreat
Dec 28 - 31

Thanksgiving Service
Dec 31 Wed

Many of us are busy serving our Lord in one way or another. We really want to give thanks for these things that the Lord has entrusted to us!

However, it is noticeable that most of us are feeling the strain with the heavy responsibilities in our own areas, especially the leaders (I can't speak for myself cos I'm busy with exams). Many things are happening and we don't want to be found getting through this period with our own strength. I urge everyone to be setting aside time to be praying. If we understand that prayer is essential and understand that 'unless the Lord builds the house, we will labour in vain', then all the more we should be praying in this busy period.

Pray for

1) Ourselves.
that we keep our focus on God through our service and never serve with hidden agendas
that we are sensitive and humble enough to be taught by God through this period
that we mature in the Lord through these experiences
THAT WE CONTINUE TO BE PRAYING! =)

2) Leaders/OICs
that they may have the wisdom to manage their time and look into every necessary detail
that they may also grow in the Lord's wisdom and grace through their service to God

3) Our Non-Christian Friends
that God may prepare their hearts to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ
Pray for the many non-Christian parents that are coming for the Banquet
pray for the friends coming for MIMBY countdown
pray for the friends coming for ChristmaSING and those who see our performance

4) Our mission team
pray for the 15 of them who are going, both physical & spiritual health (aka their walk with God)
pray that as they seek to be witnesses for God through their visits to schools and churches, God may use their testimonies, skit and songs to reach the hearts of the Thai people.
pray for unity, like-mindedness and a submissive heart to each other as if to the Lord.

Long post? Congratulations for reading until here. Now start praying!

PSP HUB?

2008-11-05T11:28:00.004+08:00

PSP gang! Davidson, the one with specs! started this PSP gang thingi, He brought His friends almost every week to Church in the excuse of Badminton, but actually spend most of the time playing PSP. However, it became another opportunity for us to make friends with them. Through this, Weihan and Zitao came to know us better. We hope to get to know them better and to bless them in every way. So if you are interested to join this PSP gang, please call 1800-PSP-GANG to register. Thanks

Our new brother in Christ - Dean

2008-11-05T11:14:00.004+08:00

Hey, this is Dean! our Pro in badminton. We started a regular badminton session since July this year. It is to encourage our members to bring friends who are interested in badminton and wanted to exercise to join us one a weekly basis. So Michael brought this pro friend to play with us. After a while dean became very open and familiar with us, and on some occasions he also ask questions regarding Christianity, and Ben follow up with that and PRAISE GOD! Dean accepted Christ on the 29 Oct 2008 4:20pm! Please continue to pray for Dean that he will grow in his faith and understanding in the word of the Lord. Pray also for Ben as he continue to disciple him. May we (Salt&Pepper) continue to be faithful in doing His work as we live in His grace.

YouthBeat - Love

2008-10-26T23:13:00.003+08:00

Some Comments: I dun have Romans' beautiful bulletin cover picture so uploaded this pic instead. Someone who has finished exams pls bug Ranald and get the photos then upload and post here =)

If you still rem the lesson, 3 aspects of love is covered:
1) Love is an intelligent choice
2) Love is being genuinely concerned
3) Love involves effort & sacrifice

I hope you can rem the various passages that showed God's love in these 3 aspects and how I ended by saying love like God did. Here's where we continue.

I'm sure you realise by now the greatest commandments for us is to LOVE GOD and LOVE OUR NEIGHBOUR. So this topic more applicable than you think...

Here are the questions.

With regards to loving God:
1) Intelligent Choice
Is our love for God dependent on our feelings or situation? (i'm sure you hear this b4 but it's worth to re-examine our hearts. Can we learn to love God even when we don't feel like it? This is in acknowledgment that God first loved us and gave us the ability/willingness to love Him.)

2) Genuinely Concerned
Are we concerned about what God is concerned about? (Sometimes we are so focused with our own lives, our own problems that we do not see how God is also concerned with the problems, the pains, the need for salvation of others around us.)

3) Effort & Sacrifice
We always talk about how God sacrificed for us. How much effort are we willing to put into loving God? or is it just a Love-God-when-it-is-easy relationship?

With regards to loving people:
1) Intelligent Choice
Are we choosing to love those around us? (outcasts in our classrooms, our parents & siblings)

2) Genuinely Concerned
Sometimes we hang around with our friends mainly for their company. How interested are we in the lives of our friends around us, what about our family? I've learnt that it begins with asking how they are but it extents so much more beyond that...

3) Effort & Sacrifice
Sometimes the toughest part to love is to put aside our pride. It takes effort to be humble and initiate reconciliations. It takes effort to talk to your sibling/parents which you had been ignoring or simply refusing to talk to for the past few months. It takes effort to always voice out your apprieciation for the other person, etc...

Just some questions to keep in mind since we are on this impt topic called love. Hope you would find it helpful...

Don't forget 1 John 4:8
The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

Disclaimer: By asking these questions doesn't mean I am good enough to be asking them but that I see it as a way to spur each other towards love and good deeds =)

It's ALIVE!!!! Because it's YEAR END!!!

2008-10-11T02:06:00.003+08:00

Hey! Sorry, I was really busy and is getting worse, but I am joyful because things are getting more and more exciting! CHRISTMASING is coming AGAIN!!!! Still remember Last year's CHRISTMAS? ok visit our Chirstmasing blog and recall by watching the pictures all over again http://christmasing.blogspot.com/ This year is even more Excitng! New Dance, New Programme and New people! SO go and share with your friends, and get them to join us.

This year, we are going to Orchard Road again, but we are going to perform at a few different location all at one night! Northpoint shopping mall has agreed to have us performing at their mall too! We are going to also perform at our very own Church CHristmas outreach - CHRISTMAS BANQUET. So guys look forward to the practices in November! It's coming real soon! Watch out!

SPi - Salt&Pepper in-dependence

2008-07-29T14:26:00.007+08:00

OKOK!!! To all Young people out there from 17 - 20 studying in ITE, JC and Poly. We are the SPi!! WOOHOO!!!! Come join us, if want to have fun, growth in the Lord, want to serve the Lord and encourage fellow Christian, this is the place for you!!!!!! We are cute, funny, pretty, "hamsome" and biteless!!!!! So if you are interested please tag us and or call this number 64495344 to find out more ok? Come...now is the time to join.......SPi.....

YOUTHBEAT - 1st Celebration

2008-07-25T09:38:00.004+08:00

WOOHOO!!!! Tomorrow is our very first Youthbeat celebration! Let us keep praying and asking God to guide us in celebration among youths. Pray that everything will go on smoothly and that the message will be relevant to all both Christian and non Christian. Pray that the BB boys will find it enjoyable and meaningful too. May the name of our Lord be glorified. Pray also for yourselves (SPies) that you will be prepared and be open to talk to new people and to make new friends. Let's look forward to this with one heart, one spirit and one mind! See you there! SO EXCITING!

A gentle reminder

2008-07-16T15:15:00.004+08:00

Hey to all, just a gentle reminder to all of us, that in our daily living, do not forget that God is with us. Let us be mindful of His presence so that we can testify His goodness through every experiences we encounter everyday. It is so easy for us to live day by day without God, what we need to do is to drown ourselves in the matters that bother us so much or just be indifferent. But rather, let us set our heart on the right place, on the word of God and in prayers. Let me encourage you to keep you quiet time regular, because it is through those times that we find strength and comfort to live daily with joy. So brothers and sisters, keep walking in the spirit and grow.

Gal. 5:25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Let's be an encouragement to one another through what the Lord is doing in our lives everyday. Jia you.

Salt&PepperYouth

2008-07-04T13:17:00.003+08:00

Hey the younger ones are also moving forward too! We are going to discover what does it mean to be a worshiper of God? We seek and aim to worship God in every aspect of our lives. In good times and also in "bad" times. I think it's easy to just not think about our worship to God and just live day by day dwelling in activities that eventually don't mean much. We hope to testify God in every experiences we are going through and give him glory and thanksgiving. We also want to find joy in our suffering as we journey alongside with Him. What do we have to offer as worshiper of God? this is the question we need to ask ourselves. So keep praying for us ok? We will be putting testimonies of God's greatness and goodness throughout the next 6 months, so let's look forward with great anticipation of what the spirit of God is doing in our lives. All glory to His name!

Salt&PepperYouth in dependence

2008-07-04T01:27:00.003+08:00

Hey everybody, SPi is all gear up for the next 6 months of growing in the Lord and serving him. Please pray for us, that we will be willing and teachable, learning from the word of God and exercising our faith. We seek to live for Jesus in every aspect of our lives, it's not gonna be easy, but we learn to trust the Lord for strength and Joy in the process. May the Lord be with us, as we fix our eyes on Him. Especially for those who are taking A level this year, pray that they can be diligent both in their study and their walk with the Lord. above all, pray for the leaders too, that we can be forth coming and effective in our service as leaders to our members and unto our GOD. May the Lord keep us and grant us all that we need to be His Chosen people to do His work. Thanks!

Col. 1:10 so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God...

THEOSEBASE - True worshipper of God

2008-06-24T00:58:00.008+08:00

Hey, we are going to have our very own youth celebration! It's starting the 26th 07 2008. There will be live band, cool Christian songs, The word of God, sharing, prayers and FOOD! So please pass this around and invite your friends to join us for a time of meaningful gathering. We are going to have talks on issues young people face nowadays. It will be relevant to all youths. we are launching this on Youth Sunday 6th 07 2008. So keep a look out for it! We are inviting the BB boys to join us too! May the Lord be please to use this to help many youth and bring Joy into their lives! Pray
- The preparation will go on smoothly
- The publicity will excite more young people to join us
- The actual day to be fun, Cool, exciting and meaningful
- everyone to bring friends
- the band to be prepared
- worship leader to have good voice to sing

All glory be to God, and may we be faithful and share in His Glory.

MIMBY menu

2008-06-18T11:51:00.002+08:00

Hey guys!

Just to whet your appetites for the upcoming MIMBY this saturday...this will be the mouth-watering-delicious-food we will be offering on our menu!

Starter/ appetiser:

1)Mediterranean Salad

2)Italian garden saladwith sliced roast beef

Mains:

1) Bacon Wrapped fish cooked over open fire

2)Smoked Chicken with Tomatoes and herbs

3) Pasta with Salmon and Mushroom White Wine Sauce

Dessert:

Assorted berries & Fruits with cream and chocolate Sauce

A set will cost $6 and it will consist of --> 1 Starter + 1 main + Dessert

Starters and Dessert will cost $2 each and a main $3 if they are ordered individually =)

See you this sat!

MIMBY

2008-06-17T12:17:00.003+08:00

Hey, SPi is running their all time favlab event...MIMBY. Calling those who are in the Polys, JCs and ITEs who are interested in nice music and great food. There will be songs like - No air, love song, JJ Lin Junjie's songs, Jason Mraz latest song - Make it mine....woohoo! so many nice songs. Food will be prepared by our in-house chef(Nicholas) Italian style.
So wait for what? Quick...drag a friend to this event. Have a great time chilling and chatting, most of all sharing of good things together. This event is not free one hor? you have to pay for what you order, but very cheap one la, not more then 10 dollars, you'll get great Italian food and really nice songs. Where to find in Singapore? HERE LOR! At Bedok south ave 2 Bedok Lutheran Church. 6pm @the Backyard/music room.
See you there this sat!

Hold on to JESUS

2008-05-28T09:42:00.003+08:00

To all SNPians, Let's dedicate the youth day to the Lord, let's put up a song during the youth day service. I thought of this song and find it very meaningful to young people today. Chasing after after many things in their lives that will give them temporal satisfaction, my prayer for you is that you guys will find that holding on to JESUS is still the "bestest" thing in your life. The treasure that you will not exchange for something less.

"Hold On To Jesus"
Steven Curtis Chapman

I have come to this ocean
And the waves of fear are starting to grow
The doubts and questions are rising with the tide
So I'm clinging to the one sure thing I know

I will hold on to the hand of my Savior
And I will hold on with all my might
I will hold loosely to things that are fleeting
And hold on to Jesus
I will hold on to Jesus for life

I've tried to hold many treasures
They just keep slipping through my fingers like sand
But there's one treasure that means more than breath itself
So I'm clinging to it with everything I am

Like a child holding on to a promise
I will cling to His word and believe
As I press on to take hold of that
for which Christ Jesus took hold of me

picsss

2008-05-19T01:53:00.003+08:00

Hello all! DeathNote has ended successfully! Rmb tt evaluation will b held next sunday after service. Haha here are the pics from all the sessions compiled nicely into one album. Link below:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=112804&l=1eafe&id=672445166

there are some nice new pics...here's a sample!

b sure to check them out! and for those who dont have a facebook account, CREATE ONE NOW! :)

Catch yall this sat at ECP!

DeathNote Finale - Have you invited your friends?

2008-05-14T16:54:00.007+08:00

Everything that has a beginning has an end...

Or does it?

We all know about the Reality of Death, but what about the Eternal Life that Christians often talk about?

If given a choice, will you want a life that's perfect and eternal?

Join us this Sat 17th May and find out if you have the guts to make the Most Important Decision in your life!

Be There or Be Square! =)

CCFD!

2008-04-29T22:48:00.005+08:00

Hey people!! SPI's upcoming opening event for Crash Course for Dummies(CCFD) will be held this saturday 3 May, starting at 6pm at the Music Room~ Besides the singing that you're going to hear from the lovely voices of Romans, Jean Shen and Val, there will be a photo booth set up for you and friends to take pictures~ What's more you can even use the photoshop software found in the laptops to decorate your photos (Yes! It works almost like a neoprint machine). The printing of each photo will only cost you $1.

The next thing you can draw your friends to this event is the great food that we're going to have!

Here's the menu for the event. ..

Starter/ appetiser:

Mediterranean Salad / Italian garden saladwith sliced roast beef

Mains:

1)Baked cottage chicken

2)Bacon Wrapped fish cooked over open fire

3)Fennel Seed Pork chop

4)Barbequed Squid

with

Aglio Olio Penne

HErbal Mashed Potatoes

Dessert:

Mango Sorbet with Orange Sauce

ahhhhh!! My stomach's growling really badly now! Each set meal will cost $5 and it will include 1 starter + 1 main + dessert. Isn't it really worth it?

So invite your friends right now and register with Grace Ng!

See you then.

Sharing & Prayer

2008-04-29T14:18:00.002+08:00

Hey Just want to post about last week session on sharing and prayer. I thought it was a good session for us to open up and share with one another, to build and to strengthen our relationship with each other. It's a good culture to have, to have the initiative to ask "How are you doing" and constantly showing care to one another.

My prayer for SNP is that we can sincerely, honestly and openly share and pray with one another, so that we can continue to be an encouraging and supportive youth ministry.

May God grant us faithfulness and sincerity as we grow in His love with each other.

My Friend

2008-04-11T00:08:00.001+08:00

hey, i came across this poem at a friend's blog and would like to share with you. It's entitled 'My Friend'. Hope the poem gets you thinking and acting.

My Friend

My friend, I stand in judgment now,
And feel that you’re to blame somehow
On earth I walked with you day by day,
And never did you point the way.

You knew the Lord in truth and glory,
But never did you tell the story,
My knowledge then was very dim;
You could have led me safe to him.

Though we lived together here on earth,
You never told me of the second birth,
And now I stand this day condemned,
Because you failed to mention him.

You taught me many things that’s true;
I called you friend and trusted you,
But I learn now, that it’s too late,
And you could have helped me from this fate.

We walked by day, and talked by night,
And yet you showed me not the light;
You let me live and love and die,
You knew I’d never live on high.

Yes I called you “friend” in life,
And trusted you through fun and strife.
And yet, on coming to this dreadful end,
I cannot, now, call you “my friend.”

-Author unknown

Death Note #3

2008-04-07T12:42:00.003+08:00

Get the pics from http://picasaweb.google.com/dazzkoh/DeathNote3

What's in for next session's dress code? CHECK BACK SOON FOR MORE INFO!

It's dress-up time!

2008-04-02T12:47:00.007+08:00

Hey all! If you have any accessories, clothes, hair gel, fake tattoos etc that are related to this Saturday's theme, please bring it on the day itself ok! We'll all start doin dressing up n makeup after setting up/praying. Thanks!

Dress-up Ideas!
Neighbourhood ah beng/lian - just go out there and observe.

Motorcycle mobster - leather jacket is a must. that odd pair of bike goggles. scruffy jeans. boots with scary sharp shiny lethal looking things. shirt with harley davidson logo emblazoned proudly in front.

Mafia member - black white sophisticated.

Punk/rock - Simple Plan, Good charlotte, avril lavigne

Emo - skinnies, too small shirts, striped pullovers, sneakers, straggly hair, minimal accessories

Gangster - more suitable for guys: tie-dyed tight teeshirts and horrendous gelled crewcuts.

Big Boss - fake big jade ring, fake heavy gold chain, dress shirt with collar buttons open at the neck and lots of fake chest hair. Visual aid below.

BE DARING. AND HAVE FUN!

Pictures!

2008-03-31T13:15:00.002+08:00

DEATH NOTE

Here's the link to get the pics! http://picasaweb.google.com/dazzkoh/DeathNote21Mar08

THE VIGIL

Here's the link to get the pics! http://picasaweb.google.com/dazzkoh/TheVigil

Highlights from The Vigil

2008-03-31T10:25:00.003+08:00

Here's a clip from the 3rd set of The Vigil. Jeanshen and our guest singer Rachel singing Paint It Golden by Jason Reeves & Colbie Caillat.

the Harbinger

2008-03-25T16:05:00.002+08:00

Yo, this was the newsletter printed for your friends given in the files during DeathNote. Done by Jean Le... Enjoy!
*note: the newsletter is done from scratch!

The Vigil

2008-03-24T22:36:00.000+08:00

Food. Music. Friends. A small yet cozy dim orange light with “candle” lit dinner. Providence from God came when we all did not bring friends along- came 14 friends at a go from Dazz. Even though rain came when we wanted to shift it to outside due to the overwhelming response, we managed to squeeze in about 36 people in the music room! It was a day after Good Friday and the night before Easter Sunday, in between Jesus’ death and resurrection. That’s why the event was called The Vigil, to keep awake and anticipate His resurrection.

While waiting for the friends to arrive, we were served bread and a cool orange + sprite drink. Then there was delay cuz a lot of the friends were late. And so the bored waiters tended to us very well. Bread, more bread, and more bread. AND MORE BREAD! I think our group had eaten at least 7 bowls of 5 bread, which would be about 7 breads each. Well Done bread makers! The first part of the performance was a few latest pop songs, like Chay Jou’s Cai Hong. Then it was dinner. The chicken bryani-like thing which I can’t really tell wads the ingredients haha. Then it was the gospel songs, which were very impactful and caught the people’s attention with the lyrics up. “Why must Jesus die?”-“she is why You must die”.

Romans said that even if the song is very impactful, the event is very well done, if it were only sang to us Christians, what meaning would that be? This is a good learning point for us that the successfulness of the event is based on how many friends we bring, and how many would then hear the gospel. Pray that God will work in the guests and that we will have more guests next time!

-aik-

DeathNote

2008-03-24T21:08:00.008+08:00

"Ladies n gentlemen, my beloved bothers n sisters, thank you for coming this evening. As we commemorate our dear friend by observing 60 seconds of silence...."

To many it was just a long weekend break from school or work. A day for Christians to remember the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. But God made it a lot more special for SnP...

Planning of DeathNote begun slightly less than a month ago by a group of dedicated evangelistic events veterans. The Lord brought together a variety of expertise in specialised fields. Fueled by their desire to bring the reality of love and hope of Jesus Christ, they placed their heart into the work. The meaning of faithfulness no longer needs to be verbally explained but can be visually recognised. We acknowledge these people so that we too may be encouraged to press on, but all glory, success and faithfulness came from and belonged to God.

Prayer had been a big part of the whole process. The Lord taught us to depend on Him as we remember His sovereignty over the event and salvation of our friends. It was through prayer SPY was constantly reminded and unified in their mission statement of Reaching Out in Love. The members met much barriers when trying to ask their friends to come. Many turned down the invitation, causing much discouragement. But on the event day, the Lord brought 4 non-Christian friends Xin Yi, Chang Hong, Ben, Janine, Shirlyn, Cherlyn and Yi Wen!

Everyone had a part to play during the event, even me. At first I thought to myself, I should only need to worry about overseeing the program flow and managing people. Then came Ivy's cousin Yi Wen who filled my Good Friday night with so much colour and joy! Despite being only sec 1, there was never a dull moment with him. I made myself too witty for him in our speeches and he was determined to prove otherwise. During the program, I was amazed and thankful how I was able to help him relate to the reality of death and made simple comments on how "I'm not worried I'm going to die because I can go heaven."

"You see, you’ll never think of dying tomorrow right? I mean you’re probably thinking of what you’re going to do tomorrow, or the day after, or the next week. I mean why would you think whether you’re going to die right?"

These words did not leave my mind even after 3 days. I asked myself if I had been taking my life for granted lately and I realised I did. What has been occupying my mind was my schoolwork, my next day's timetable, or how I can enjoy myself. There's a saying "Live as if today's your last" While I find this rather impractical, it does cause me to take life seriously. The lyrics of the song Teenager came to mind - "For each hour you waste away, you will answer it someday"

In the Japanese anime "DeathNote", whoever's name is written in it shall die at the stated time and method of death. Do you think that book exist? I believe that God has already appointed the timings for everyone. But there's another book called "The Book of Life" (Rev 20:15). Is your name inside?

DeathNote has only begun. 5 Sessions. 1 target audience. 1 saving hope. Jia You ppl!

Peng
OIC of DeathNote (Youth Alpha 2008)

GIRLS MARCHILORIAN!

2008-03-22T12:06:00.007+08:00

Get the pics from http://picasaweb.google.com/dazzkoh/Marchilorian

Every student looks forward to holidays with much anticipation and joy and our SPY girls were not an exception. To heighten their excitement as well as to break their mundane March “holidays” of doing homework and having extra classes, we decided to have an exclusive all-girls Marchilorian! Why is it an exclusive all-girls event? Reason being, it included teaching the girls a DIY facial mask that would enable them to have a prolonged youthful skin, a session on make-up, so that they could doll up for any special occasion, as well as how to do a manicure. All these are just a few of the many interests that our members and their friends have. Prior to the event, our youths went on the streets to build up their network of contacts so that they could invite them. Of course, our girls extended their invitation to the many familiar faces that they often see in school.

Onething that really encouraged me through the 3 weeks of inviting friends for Marchilorian was how every member persistently pressed on in persuading their friends to come for the event. For some of them, inviting friends meant stepping out of their comfort zone, plucking up courage to interest their friends in the activities they are involved in and eventually to share the gospel with them. Praise the Lord that He allowed us to be His instruments for Marchilorian when Zhi Xi’s friend, Xin Yi, came for the event. She was very open and friendly with us that we gelled so well that without a moment of hesitation, she agreed to come for our Alpha Launch-Death Note! God is good!

At times, in my ministry with the girls, we sometimes get discouraged when we get stood up by our friends whom we have invited for events, but we learn to trust His timing, His ways, and at the same time, pray, yearn and desire to be faithful in what He has called us to do. With that, we know there’s really no other way, but through Him.
-Gloooooorrriaaaa-

May we cont' to be humble and thank God for all those who come for our events. Matt 4:19 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." We do not just follow Christ, it is evident from His Word that after making the decision to follow Him, we have to let Him work in us, to transform us to people willing to share the good news with others...to have a genuine desire to reach out to our friends :)

-dazz-
(Death Note publicity below: check it out!)

Death Note Series

2008-03-22T01:53:00.004+08:00

Hey, Come and join the death Note series, and find out more about Life and Death in a fun yet serious note. We have engaging speakers that will bring you thoughts that you'll not have thought of, and interesting games and songs all plan out for you. Most of all FREE dinner will be provided! So come and join in this discovery we have only once in a year. Don't miss it! See you there!

3 more days!!

2008-03-18T18:14:00.002+08:00

Prayer Requests (Tues 18th Mar):
1. Pray for the logistics and décor!
- Pray that we can get the resources to make the coffin for Friday, and that it will be ready on time.
**UPDATE - Uncle KC is helping us to make the coffin! He's only charging for the material cost. Thank God for him! Pray that it will be ready on time. =)

- Pray for Gloria as she completes preparation of the décor this week, for concentration and a steady hand. Pray for innovation as she decides on the set up in the back yard for Friday.
**UPDATE - Gloria's finishing up the decor in Church tmr (wed). Pray for those going down to help her too, that all may have a fun time while preparing the props!

2. Pray for your friends!
- Pray for our friends to be genuinely interested in coming for death note, that they too may excite other people about it. Pray for perseverance for ourselves to continue to persuade more friends to come.

4 days more to DEATH NOTE!

2008-03-17T12:27:00.003+08:00

Prayer Requests (Monday 17th Mar):

1. Pray for the programme people!
Performers: pray for aik siang (playing guitar) and Javier (singing) that they will be able to learn and practice the song well, that they will not forget lyrics/chords and be able to coordinate well. Pray that they will be kept in good health.
Emcees: pray for Ivy and Jean Shen to work out their lines well, and that the audience will respond well to them. Pray for their health, and that they might have the energy to sustain throughout the event.
2. Pray for your friends!
Pray for boldness for ourselves to approach and convince our friends to come for Fri. pray that God might grant each of us the words to speak to excite our friends!

Delayed Report on Friendly Match between SNP Boys against BLC Team

2008-03-12T09:52:00.001+08:00

Having the daunting task of playing under scorching temperatures of 34 degrees and playing on a full sized field- for most, a first; the SNP boys took up the challenge of playing against the BLC Team. What happened thereafter was, well…indescribable.
(Correspondent’s note to reader: Try to read words in BOLD only :p Remember, hear the good stuff only…:p)

The boys played the match of their lives (considering that they probably never had to chase the opponents for the ball 90% of the time ever before), scored 2 wonderful goals (even though the opponents scored 12 more), ran their opponents ragged (truth be told, we were even more ragged at the end), played through the full 90 minutes without making a substitution (showing the fitness of the team), (actually we only had one reserve player & our tongues were sticking out for most of the game – in thirst for water & to get the match over with…) and left the field with their heads held high (probably coz we were so grateful that the weather was much more cool at the end & were enjoying the oh-so-welcome breeze).

Thanks goes to the supporters who turned up - the bespectacled-who-already-knew-we-were-gonna-lose Joshua Thong, the ever interesting Minoru Kawaguchi and the ever supportive but-always-worrying-when-the-opponents-were-going-to-score-the-next-goal Pung Chang Xiang. Thanks!

Special mention too, goes to the two lovely ladies who took the time to come down and cheer the boys on. Thank you. “Next time bring more ok? :p”

The end result was, indeed, a very flattering scoreline. 14 – 2.

Man of the match? For his tireless running & ever determined attitude – Ang Peng Siang

Rinaldi Josphe
Soccer Correspondent

*P.S. The soccer correspondent would like to give thanks to God for a few things.
1. The safety of the boys – nobody was injured (except for a few cramps here and there)
2. The effort the boys put in – this being the first time that most of them were playing a full soccer match on a field against an adult team; playing itself was an achievement; kudos.
3. The chance for the boys to play together as a unit.
4. The gracious attitude of the supporters who looked after our belongings & supplied us with water.
5. Thank God for the weather not being any hotter than it already was!

=)

MARCHilorian! (for the gals)

2008-03-02T01:39:00.004+08:00

Hey! This is the highlight for March school holidays! Join the Marchilorians if you are looking for excitement and crazy fun! For the Gals, we have a full afternoon of getting pretty session! Teching you how to look great! DIY makeover! Moreover, there are great prizes to bring home! Movie and shopping vouchers! So why wait? sign up now with the SALT&PEPPER Youth!

YOUTH ALPHA LAUNCH - WE GET TO DO IT!

2008-02-29T16:54:00.003+08:00

Hi all, by God's grace we have begun planning for our next Youth Alpha! This year the launch is gonna be big... and it's on GOOD FRIDAY! The Committee has been formed and our first meeting will be on this sat (1 Mar). Do pray for us as we go through the program and publicity during this meeting. Here are some details...

Objective:
We seek to share the Gospel through bringing the idea of death that points to the purpose of Life and the hope for future in an impact-ful, relevant and interesting way.

Main Committee
OIC: Peng
2IC/ Creative: Dazz
Program: Ivy [Emcees: JS and Ivy]
Décor: Gloria
Admin/Food/Publicity: Romans
Logistics: Ranald
Details [Table Stuff/Registration]: Jean Le

Supporting Members
Tech man: Jon [Sound/Stage set-up & Video Projection]
Prayer IC: Aik Siang
PV man: David [Photo/ Videoing of Event]
Cast of Creative: To Be Confirmed
Décor: SPY
Details: SPI

SPY 1st Combined CG Meeting (By Ivy)

2008-02-27T13:54:00.003+08:00

“Hi, would the SPY girls wanna join us for CG this Saturday? You see, there’s loads of food and we need a few more stomachs to contain them.” Food, woohoo! The girls jumped at the opportunity, not so much for the food but more so for the lesson on TRUST and the opportunity to interact with our brothers-in-Christ!

As we walk from Simei MRT station to Javier’s place, cheer and youthfulness filled the air. We were talking incessantly and laughing, resembling toddlers on their first outing. So exciting!

A game of competitive riddles led by Aaron got us all thinking real hard, trying to find reasonable answers to the somewhat lame trick questions. It was a battle of wits. Signs of sympathy helped score points as Aaron has a soft heart…haha…much to our delight.

Digging into fabulicious fare was heavenly if you know SnP’s love for good food. Everyone was going gugu gaga over the spread on the table. Thanks to our sponsors uncle Welis and auntie Mandy aka Javier’s papa mama. Seafood stuffed in chicken wings, breaded and deep fried to perfect golden brown. Potato salad, crispy fries, yummy lasagna and soft-shelled crab topped with mango pudding. Don’t you wish your dinner was cool like ours?

We were asked to discuss questions on trust:

1. What does it mean to trust someone?
It means being able to:
Believe who he is
Believe he will be there for you
Be vulnerable and open about sharing opinions and thoughts
To rely on him fully, trust his capabilities and leaving results to him

2. To what extent will you trust someone?
That depends on the situation and what you are trusting him with

3. How easy/ hard is it to trust someone? Why?
It is easier when you grow up with them and really knows them and if they proved to be trustworthy but harder when they break their promises and are not reliable.

As we shared, it kinda dawned upon us that sometimes we do not really trust God as we claim to do so. When I say I trust God, is it because there’s no other way out, because we have no choice, or because of how He has proven Himself and who He is?

We are commanded to trust God with all our hearts (Proverbs 3:5). When we trust God, the focus cannot be on our own gain or ourselves. It must on glorifying God, and getting to see His power and control which is bigger than our problems.

Eg We can trust God for our exams. But is so that we can get good results? Or that we realize that God is the focus, He is in control, He will help you to perform according to His will

A correct and clear understanding of God and His character will aid us in trusting God. Trusting is made easier when we know His character never changes and seeing His faithfulness in our lives. Doubt and distrust usually arises when we do not have a close relationship and do not know God well. When we reflect more, we are more aware of God’s involvement and works in our lives. That will help us to build our trust in God. We need to consider seriously and prepare ourselves so that the next time when a situation arises, we will respond in trust.

We closed in prayer, committing to Him our weaknesses trusting that He who began a good work in us will carry it to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil 1:6)

Ivy

Awareness Ad #2 for SpyGuys 1st Mar CG

2008-02-26T23:29:00.017+08:00

"If you get to choose a superhero power, what will it be?"

STOP TIME - Gloria, Daryl, Minoru
FLY - Charis, Romans
SPEED - Nicholas
TELEPORT - Jacobsen, Michael
INTELLIGENCE/WISDOM - Jean Shen, Deon
POWER PERSUASION - Peng
PHASE THROUGH OBJECTS - Chang Xiang
READ OTHER PPL'S MIND - Ivy
ABILITY TO SING! - Ranald
TELEKINESIS - Jon, Aik, Eirene
TOO GREEDY TO CHOOSE - Wei Jie
TELEPORINVISIBILITY (TOO GREEDY TO CHOOSE #2) - Dazz
ABILITY TO CREATE SUPER ABILITIES (TOO GREEDY TO CHOOSE ULTIMATE) - Joshua

What about you? Tag your answers on the tagboard....

I had this hypothesis that our choice of the abilities is affected by certain longings and certain parts of our personalities... Don't you agree?

Awareness Ad for SpyGuys 1st Mar CG

2008-02-26T08:19:00.001+08:00

"but you will receive power...." (Acts 1:8)

On that day, they received their gifts...

You too have received as they did...

But are you using your gifts?

A Study on Matt 25:14-30

1st Mar 2008...

Be there... Your Destiny awaits...

An awareness advertisement from the directors of SpyGuys©

SPY 1st Combine CG meeting

2008-02-24T01:48:00.005+08:00

Hey it was really fun! We met at Javier's house and had our long waited stuff Chicken Wings! All thanks to Javier's parents. We learn about TRUST! About how we say we trust the Lord, but actually we no choice then trust him, we often trust ourselves more, and when we come to an end of our ability, then we say: "ok la, what to do now? Trust God lor!" So "mian qiang". In my small group, I shared with them about these 2 things,

1. The outcome of TRUST is OBEDIENT. How to know if we have trusted the Lord? It is in our Obedience to Him, and in our OBEDIENCE we find ourselves TRUSTING God even more.

2. We often trust the Lord for what we wanted, like good results, good health, good things....nothing wrong with that, but we must learn to see TRUST in the light of glorifying God, not self gain. We trust the Lord, so that we can glorify him. For example; I trust the Lord to help me to be diligent in staying focus to finish my homework, so that I can be at the CG meeting to encourage others and to testify His goodness in my life. I trust the Lord in putting me here, even if I didn't like it here, so that I can share the Gospel to those around me. I encourage you to trust the Lord in view of His glory, in doing so, you will soon realize that you are living more for Him then for yourself. At the end we prayed for ourselves and TRUST that the Lord will bring our growth a level deeper with Him.

Here ends the sharing.....thanks be to GOD!

I GET TO do it leh!

2008-02-17T20:45:00.007+08:00

Hi People!

To the people who are in Aussieland or are arriving..WELCOME TO THE LAND DOWN UNDER! To those that are still in Singapore..When are you all coming?? haha..

Missing your guys heaps! (ok a bit of Australian lingo..but I’m sure you’ll catch up hehe..)

Just wanted to share a bit about my experiences here in Adelaide and what God has been teaching me through it all 

We recently had a Chinese New Year Gathering where we invited new international students as well as our Aussie friends from church. It wasn’t like an evangelistic event where we shared the gospel at the end; however the aim was to connect with our new friends in hope of one day bringing the gospel to them. We came up with the idea 1 week before and had to invite friends, think of food, think of décor, and do games all within a week! It was quite crazy but Praise God that he sustained us through that gruelling time.

A section view of the house. cramped with near to 40 people

we played berlin wall too!

Su Chuen , Me , Jane , Yiting

Melissa and i with some of our aussie family :)

One thing that God taught me through this busy 1 week was the issue of GET TO vs GOT TO. When doing evangelistic events are something that we often do, it can be sort of a routine. When we’re placed in different roles, we may say “aiyo I doing games again”, or “aiyo I doing food again”. Sometimes we even say, wah must invite friends again. It becomes a tiring and draggy thing.

But let me challenge you to have a GET TO mindset, instead of a GOT TO mindset.
Instead of “I GOT TO invite friends...” “I GOT TO settle décor, games or food”.

In view of what God has done for us through Jesus Lets have a “I GET TO invite my friends”, I GET TO do décor games or food”. Because I get to be part of God’s plan to bring a person a step closer to having a relationship with God. Because I want to share about the relationship that we can have with a God that is living and has a purpose for my life! Love the Lord your God with all your heart your soul you mind and your strength!

Love the Lord with what you are thinking, Love the Lord what you are saying, Love the Lord with what you are doing.

In the next event, let’s have a GET TO mindset.

Journeying together

Sarah

Have we forgotten?

2008-02-14T10:00:00.004+08:00

Dear all SNP members, Just wanted to drop a note to share what the Lord had put upon my heart, that somehow we are too caught up with "our" lives. What I mean is running after what our own desire is pursuing, our studies, our future, our interest. We are so caught up with these things till we are so numb about our involvement in all Christian activities as a Christian. Going to church, prayer meetings, Care group meetings have no much value compared to our "daily activities"

Have we already shifted our purpose in life?

The Lord brought this to my heart to ask me to reflect on my love for him once again.

That's why I have decided to attend the mid week lent service, to realign my heart with the Lord's, remembering as I journey to the cross during this lent season. Remember why I became a Christian, and why I have decided to give "my" life to him as he has given his to me TOTALLY!

May this lent season be a meaningful one to you, as we prepare ourselves for Good Friday (the day Christ died)
.............................................................................................................. to be continued

the Rhythm of a Christian life

2008-02-11T15:08:00.000+08:00

How fast-paced is your life?

Are you overloaded with too much work, running around until you are breathless?

More importantly... Are you keeping in pace with God?

I was reading a few reflection letters and I found out that quite a few of us (Eirene, Porter, Aaron, Javier, even myself) struggled with the same issue during January - being too busy.

I thought I could share a bit since I personally went through the same struggle which in the painful process learn a few valuable lessons. It's amazing how these lessons echoed through the reflection letters I've read.

1. Turning to God
"And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?" Matt 6:27
In the midst of busyness, our tendency is to take control of the situation and worry how we are ever going to survive! The previous Cleansing Stream Seminar reminded me to Commit Everything to God. We must learn to make that conscious choice to hand over certain concerns to God. When we try to do things by our own strength, we get the best of what we can do - usually turns out disastrous. We need to learn to put that trust in God then we will be able to see things from His perspective. Remember, problems are never bigger than God unless you make them so.

2. Priority
Romans recently reminded me how I would lose my focus if my energy and time is divided over too many commitments. God wants us to be faithful in everything He gives us. If we are overstretched and compromise our quality of service, we are being unfaithful to God and to the people we serve.

3. Discipline
I wish to clear this misconception. Discipline is not a character trait. You aren't disciplined or ill-disciplined by nature. It is a "choice-by-choice" event. We need to constantly seek for God's strength to be disciplined and not waste our time away in futile things. Eg Computer Games and watching TV. I sometimes find myself fiddling around my mac without realising I'm wasting time!

4. Keeping in pace with God
I think the most important part is not about getting through the busy periods of your life, but to journey through with the Lord, talking, listening, submitting, arguing, struggling, that at the end of the day, it's more than just a "God, thanks ah!" but treasuring the relationship that was deepened. This simply requires a constant awareness of God. Are you aware of God in your life?

Let's keep each other in prayer that as we learn to handle busyness while we are still youths, we are building a stable foundation to stand on for our adulthood to come =)

SPI 2008-take one.

2008-01-25T23:09:00.000+08:00

A victim from the Berlin Wall Game.

Sorry for this rather long over due post on SPI first cell meeting of 2008.heh. =)

We started out the cell group with a crazy game of "Berlin Wall", where the cell is divided into 2 teams with a blanket held up in between them (to prevent the 2 teams from seeing each other) and each team would have to dress up a representative from the group in order to prevent the representative from the other team to guess who he/she was once the blanket comes down.

The funny thing is the person who had to be dressed up would be a victim of the fashion police as he/she would always be terribly dressed up the rest of the team mates . You end up having someone looking like the person in the picture above (names will not be revealed to prevent any injury to the person's reputation.)

After songs, we handed the time over to Charis where she talked on John 21: 15-17 . This is when Jesus asked Peter "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" (V15, NIV).

She later went on to ask us what are some of the "these" in our lives? What are some of the "these" that were hindering us from loving God and putting Him first in our lives?

Ourselves? The relationships we have with others?

It's sometimes scary to know how we can become attractive to ourselves or how the world can be so attractive to us. For myself, sometimes I find myself being a slave to my studies instead of being a slave for God. How I rather pursue what I like instead of God's righteousness.

It's always these things which may seem small but they're such a big hindrance to our growth in God and His word.

I'm sure every year, most of us make vows to God to stop doing certain things that were hindering us from Him and start looking more to Him. however, Charis mentioned that what God really wants is our hearts and not just our vows. How true.

This year as we start the new year, may we stop giving God empty promises, but hearts that truly yearned to know Him and love Him. =)

Sherm.

Our lovely SPI boys. (What is Aik Siang doing?!)

A secret we never knew-Charis looks cute in tight swimming caps.

Testimony

2008-01-18T14:14:00.000+08:00

(This is a post-CG reflection from one of the SPY Girls, may it be an encouragement to all of us!)

Despite all the times that I have felt God’s loving kindness, the countless number of times He blessed us, remembering the times when I experienced His love, I still often forget that what I want to pursue does not matter. All that matters is where God wants me to go. I learnt that first of all, I must see myself as a Christian, then a student. It makes sense! Cos when I see myself as a true Christian, everything would then fall into place! Not the smooth sailing fall into place but the things that God wants me to do. (cos He’s in charge). That’s where my responsibilities as a student come in. By studying hard and doing my best, I can glorify God in this aspect of my life. So why not!?

During last sat’s CG, when Romans was talking about being convicted and confirmed, the changing of heart, the changing of desire, the redefinition of my joy…I looked back to when I claimed myself as a Christian but was not living the kind of life that God wants me to lead.

Now, however, I begin to see what Romans said was true! (not thatt he tells lies or anything. Just saying thatt I find it true. about me) the stuff that the world offers to me compared to what God offers is really nothing! Nothing at all! I no longer want to be like one of my friends who has like a cool bag or smth cos I now know that it does not matter at all! They are just material possessions which I do not really require to live or anything. Cos God promised us about the treasures in heaven. So nothing in this world really matters. (as long as I try to please God in whatever I do.)

The redefinition of my joy:
Looking back, my definition of joy was to sit back and relax and enjoy whatever I liked. Doing things that I want. That’s just self-fulfillment. It doesn’t last long. But I realized that the joy that the Lord gives lasts for all eternity! That striving to be a true Christian…or who God wants me to be is so much more joyous. What a joyful journey….=)stepping stones makes it even more challenging…and joyful once God has helped you overcome it.

Furthermore, I learnt that I must acknowledge the presence of God. I can’t just do whatever I like. It doesn’t please God. There was a point where I felt that it was really tiring. Frowning and praying to God. But that doesn’t have to be the way! I must give thanks to God in all circumstances for it is His will in Christ Jesus for me :D. I didn’t want to feel accountable to God. But that was wrong. I was too boxed up in my own lil pathetic world to rmb that God was there. Without God yes my world’s pathetic. Ha. Coz it’s my world. Not a place where God is. No place for him.

Moving on to being calm because of being aware of his presence in my life. Now I know the reason why I always am calm when something shocking happens. Cuz at those point of times, I always rmb that God is there! He’s the pilot! He’s in control! How ironic to my earlier reflection where I said I usually forget God…

In conclusion, God’s grace has truly transformed my life. Everyday, there’s always some opportunity out there for me to share the Gospel with my classmates. But because of my carelessness, I miss the opportunity…=(. Pray that they would hear me out and listen to the importance of it.

-Zhi Xi-

SPY GIRLS

2008-01-15T14:52:00.000+08:00

Let us have Ama to take us through Sat’s CG!

"Presenting the most happening & strawberry cutesy cg THE GIRLS CG! ok we have yet to find a better name but but! Yes thank God for this brand new year and a brand new care group ;) it was great to see all the girls of SnP coming together as a cell to fellowship and learn more about God. However this week was special. We had a guest speaker, ROMANS! Nevertheless, I bet he had as much fun as we girls did :D

Gloria opened her house for us that day! Like every other past cg that we had, we opened with a game and some songs. Eirene twisted the ‘duck duck goose’ game. Kena saboed! (with my ahma dance). Ivy, the song leader, made everyone pretty personalised song booklets! And lead a couple of new songs with our one and only guitarist, (wonder who) becky. We had a hilarious time singing “God’s not dead”! Nooooo nononononononono God’s not dead! Haha! I really liked the song “in the image of God”, which is our theme song for the first 3 months of the year. It’s an old old hymn, but the words are still as meaningful (:

It was Luke 19:1-10 for lesson. We studied on how is Jesus real in each and every one of our lives. We started off with both groups presenting a skit each on two topics, longing and rejection. Both groups acted and conveyed the message really well! If you read the passage, it talks about Zacchaeus and his faith. Do you realise when Jesus met him for the very first time, Jesus already knew and called him by his name? Yes, the relationship between us and the Lord is that personal.

These days, many ppl are caught up about worldly issues which distance them away from the awareness of God’s presence Some even choose not to acknowledge the presence of God as they don’t want to feel accountable, even though they do know the truth. As Christians, we are chosen people, children of God. Thus we should aim to glorify God in every way testifying His GREATNESS through His works in you and me.

We can choose to be connected with Christ, but some still wish to connect to the world. With this, we should continue to seek God’s will for us as we fix our eyes upon Him. When we get all these right, we will not fall down nor doubt, even during a trial we stay calm, because we know who our God is and that there is no limit to what wonders and miracles He can do to transform our lives. GOD IS GOOD! =)

The leaders made everyone apple pie, topped with ice cream containing crunchy caramel bits. (yum!)and we did our neoprint stint with dazzle’s cam. The perks of being in a GIRL’S CELL MAN! ;D

Let’s hope every cg will be a fun and enriching experience for all! Thank God for this lovely cell =) Please pray for us as we carry out our very first T.O.N. this Friday. Pray that our neighbours will open their hearts and will come to our very first event of 08! Our fondue party - Do also pray for the preparation and turnout of the event ya (:
Let us all continue to seek God and glorify Him in every way!
Amanda"

Ladies (as ivy wld say), please rmb to answer the questions!
-To be included in your Jan RL: “ In the aspect of studies/school, home/family, work, is your love for God the same wavelength as His such that you’re living a life worthy and in line with His will?”
-To be shared next CG! - Which stage am I at now? Where I desire to be in 1 month’s time? What help will I need?

Dazz.

Contact Work @ Tamp! (SpyGuys)

2008-01-13T17:11:00.001+08:00

Today was my first time doing contact work. I was quite shy and scared but it wasn’t about people turning me down but how to continue the conversation if there is nothing to talk about. Porter did a few before I had the courage to approach. For the first few, I got turned down but I still continue because this is for God and not because I’m forced to and besides Porter had like 3 contacts and I had none.

After a while when I tried approaching, some were willing to help me with the survey. It was a success but only a few of them I’m able to start a proper conversation. The others I had nothing much to talk about. After the whole thing which is about 1 hour, I managed to get 6 contacts with Porter’s help. My contacts are all either in Poly or JC, I guess its going to be hard to talk cause they are able to do more stuff then me.

Thank God for helping me and the guys to get friendly people to talk to and survey them.

- Nicholas (the guy in pink polo-shirt above)

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Contact Work is a session where we go out to the streets to meet young people.

We will ask them to do surveys for us and make friends with them. With the friendship built, we hope to

invite them for our events where we hope to share the gospel to them eventually. While you might think many young people today are not as friendly, you will be surprised at how some youths are comfortable having a conversation with you.

By nature, Contact work is no easy task, especially for some of our members who are not as extrovert as others. Despite being a struggle, it is encouraging how the members step out of their comfort zone and do the contact work faithfully. A big thanks to all who prayed for us and to God for allowing us meet many youths today at Tampines.

Introducing the Spy Guys!!

2008-01-12T21:34:00.000+08:00

Today is the official opening for the Salt & Pepper Youth Guys' CG... the Spy Guys! Things were really cool as we made it a very GUY thing... Here's our CG Logo, designed by Ranald (Agent 00) Cool right?

SpyGuys - We are an elite group handpicked by the Lord Himself before we were even born. Our calling is to serve! Our base for operations = BLC! (Bedok Lutheran Church)

We also designed profiles for every member. Each comes complete with their personal particulars, objectives, missions, and even their own photo!

Their files also include the training schedules and a checklist for contact work =)

Introducing the Directors of this elite force! I like 09 for a reason, not sure about the other 2 =p

Here's the slide where the responsibilities of certain members are made known. The pictures made it so funny.. We have Communications (Contact Work), Administration, Resource, Support, Intelligence.. A well organised group, don't you think so? =p

Our theme verse! As Soliders of Spy Guys, we seek to please our Commanding Officer - Our Lord Jesus Christ!

The room is this dark... but the green words made it look so cool! hehe!

Agent 00 teaching on the verse mentioned earlier

Our members played along.. yes sir!!

"You guys are soliders. You do not sit like babies and do not slouch like potatoes. Sit upright!!"

"Stand up! Sit down! Stand up! Sit down... Awake now?"

Members given time to read their profiles

Daryl (Agent 02) conducting a lesson on Communication (Contact Work Training)

7 Rules of Engagement!

Presenting our disciplined trainees! (act disciplined only)

Their true nature! See what i mean?

Presenting the directors who are crazy enough to dress up for this cg! I had made it a point never to wear my army uniform to church... I succeeded... until now...

We give thanks to God for the ideas and crazyness for today's CG. May the Lord grant us this passion and heartbeat for Him as we continue to serve Him in the months to come!

Pray for us as we move out to tamp for our very 1st mission tmr - Our 1st contact work at Tamp Mrt.. Pray for boldness for our members and friendliness for those we approach..

Serving the same Lord,

Agent 09 (Peng)

Salt & Pepper Blog

2008-01-07T14:24:00.000+08:00

Thank David for setting up this blog. We finally gonna start our SnP blog!! David, Romans and I are currently the ones having admin access to this blog. You can contribute to this blog from your acct by telling us the email you use to log in to blogger.

Before this blog officially starts, there's a few ground rules i wish to lay out so that this blog will be used correctly.

About Salt & Pepper
By God's grace, Salt & Pepper, the youth ministry in Bedok Lutheran Church, has grown much since it officially started in 2005. Salt & Pepper is a place for Christian youths who desire to grow in their relationship with God and provides opportunities for them to express their love for God in service.

The Purpose of this Blog
Walking close to God is a challenging thing to do. Through the authors' testimonies and sharing of experiences of God's goodness in their lives, we hope that members of SnP as well as other Christians will be encouraged to persevere in living for Christ.

Rules for authors to this blog:
Words are powerful. They can encourage and unite people, but they also can tear people apart. Every author is responsible for what they post.
1. Do not post matters that is not related to SnP, fellowship or Christian living. This is not your personal blog.
2. Sensitive or embarrassing issues will not be discussed without the consent of the people involved.
3. God should be glorified

SnP Retreat Pictures!

2008-01-03T22:35:00.000+08:00

Hey everyone!

Here's the pictures from the retreat! If any of you have more you want to put up pass them to me =)

The videos will not be up for now in fear that they might be too embarrasing...hahaha...let me get the peoples' consent first.

david

You can view the pictures @ http://picasaweb.google.com/snpblc/SNPRetreat07