FES 65th AGM 25 March 2023 | 51 Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts – LASALLE College of the Arts Christian Fellowship (NAFA-LASALLE CF) Currently, we have 2 members who are meet- is hard to find people to commit to something ing regularly. they wouldn’t even benefit CCA points from. Having workshops on using our art to worship One unexplored area that could offer a good and praise God was beneficial to us. Due to growth opportunity for the ministry is to our school’s liberal approach, there are not slowly start having meetups on campus. As many ways believers are taught how to use everyone is on campus most of the time, we our talents for God. As for scaling up, I think can find an empty classroom or location for a if we are able to get a few more members we meet-up. However, a bright spot in my school can do an art project or piece for a ministry or environment is that because it is so liberal, event. many people have an open mind to learn about religious things. Basically from what I Member attendance and gathering of new have seen, students here are very spiritually members is a critical area that prevents the CF hungry and they look towards many other from growing. There aren’t many ways to get things to sate it. new members. One of the obstacles is the heavy workload of students such that not Abigail Nixon many even engage in CCAs in the school. So it Chairperson Singapore Polytechnic Christian Fellowship (SP CF) SP CF has English and Chinese ministries, namely SP ECF and SP CCF respectively. SP ECF SP ECF has an official membership of 33 peo- talking to one another. This allowed the CFers ple and a regular attendance of around 20 to 25 to strengthen our relationships with one an- people at our weekly sessions. other and grow as a community and ministry. This year was the first time that SP ECF went SP ECFers at a Dinner & Chill session back to having Face-to-Face (F2F) sessions. Wanting to experiment with carrying out dif- ferent types of sessions, the leaders organised a Dinner & Chill session, where members just ate dinner and had a time of fellowship to- gether. This was a good break from all the Bible study and topical discussions that we were having, and since this dinner session took place around two weeks before examina- tions, it was nice to see members relaxing and
52 | Annual Report 2022 Running F2F sessions is extremely different Moving forward, I hope the CF will have from having online sessions on Zoom. From more fellowship with SP CCF as I believe that the flow of CF sessions to the type of activities by focusing on strengthening the bonds and organised, changes must be made to fit the having fellowship with our own CF members needs of the CF. With a lack of experience in first, the opportunities to grow our ministry planning physical sessions, the leaders had to will come naturally. overcome a steep learning curve, along with changing the way the weekly sessions were Chloe Chung carried out. These struggles limited the poten- Chairperson tial of the CF in engaging members and hav- ing meaningful discussions. SP CCFers at their termly prayer meeting which was also the last meeting for the academic year SP CCF One area the ministry can explore is dis- SP CCF has 11 official members and around 8 cussing some issues related to school and so- of them attend our weekly sessions regularly. ciety that we might not talk about often. This can help the ministry to be more integrated As CF is a student-led ministry, I think it is im- with our lives and act as a preparation to portant that we take the initiative to lead the equip us for the challenges we will face in the fellowship. In previous years, Bible studies future. have always been prepared by our staff work- ers and they will guide us through the studies, John Low Ming Joong but this year, we tried to do it ourselves. We Chairperson wanted to use this as a platform to train our- selves so that the leaders can be better pre- pared to lead Bible studies in the CF or their church. I think one of the challenges faced by our min- istry is that the members do not see the fel- lowship as important as it should be. One of the biggest obstacles is the heavy school workload which prevents them from commit- ting to CF. It is often difficult to encourage members to attend our weekly devotions and termly prayer meetings especially when it is near the exam period.
FES 65th AGM 25 March 2023 | 53 Ngee Ann Polytechnic Christian Fellowship (NP CF) NP CF has English and Chinese ministries, namely NP ECF and NP CCF respectively. NP ECF NP ECF has 19 official members and a regular attendance of 8 to 14 at our meetings. How- ever, this is a small fraction of the 77 people in our Telegram group chat. This academic year, as we transitioned to face- NP ECFers at their CF meeting on 26 July 2022 to-face sessions, the committee sought to take advantage of the avenue for experimentation. ber is of great concern, especially in relation Worship had primarily been done through to the wellbeing of our CFers and the ministry. song, so a greater effort was made to try dif- Nevertheless, we continue to thank God for ferent forms of worship. We explored liturgi- those He brought us, and for watching over cal reading, responsive reading, and reflec- our small community. tion. This allowed CFers to reflect on their un- derstanding of worship and expose them to Moving forward, NP ECF will be led by a chair- other forms of worship practised. As we con- person and vice-chairperson, replacing the tinue to regularly explore different ways of five-person committee, alongside the relaxing worship, CFers will gain a deeper insight into of regulations. With this, I hope that fresh ap- what worship is at its core, and grow their re- proaches to leadership will be uncovered, and lationship with God in the long run. new ways to engage our CFers as well as those around us can be initiated to spread the love When we transitioned to onsite meetings, we of Christ. saw a drastic drop in attendance, from having 20 to 25 members to as low as 8, inclusive of Lois Pang Sze Yan the committee members. Attempts to collect Chairperson feedback from CFers through various means yielded little results; bonding sessions were challenging to initiate due to a lack of re- sponse or availability. Although our focus should not be on numbers, this drop in num- NP CCF NP CCF has 10 official members with about 6 to 7 joining our meetings regularly. One initiative that worked well last year was CCFers with the applications learned from a talk to ‘Wave 1’. We created 30 care packs to welcome address the reason why they feel tired and lethargic the freshmen to Ngee Ann Polytechnic. In the care packs, there were snacks and a small card This initiative could become a long-term with a QR code that links to a Google Doc con- project that we can do every year. With this taining some tips to help freshmen adapt to comes the need to be reminded of the objec- the new and unfamiliar environment. This project helped us learn to be more outspoken and love the community that we are in.
54 | Annual Report 2022 tives of this project and the reason why we are of sense of belonging to the CF. Also, serving giving out these care packs: to love others as together becomes more of a chore than a joy. God loved us and to be welcoming of those who are considered foreigners. Perhaps the ministry could focus slightly more on building interpersonal relationships The workload from school and the transition within the fellowship. We could look at having back to physical sessions have made everyone a balance of taking care of one another in the feel more tired and lethargic. It is challenging fellowship while also loving the community for us to build relationships outside of fellow- that we are in. ship time. This has resulted in a more distant fellowship amongst the members and a lack Ruth Wong Zhen Ting Chairperson Nanyang Polytechnic-Temasek Polytechnic Christian Fellowship (NYP-TP CF) NYP-TP CF has around 8 members – 3 from In this event where we invited our non-Chris- NYP and 5 from TP. We meet on Thursday tian friends, members had the opportunity to nights in the FES conference room. take initiative to reach out with love to our friends from campus. This builds their leader- This year, our aim for the members is to chal- ship skills and involvement in their respective lenge the typical Christian worldview, not so campuses. Following our Game Night, our much to change their views, but rather to de- members continued inviting their friends to velop their critical thinking and recognise the join us. While this is encouraging growth, I be- lenses we have to better understand our faith. lieve that beyond our friends, other Christian Through Bible studies and theme sessions, we and non-Christian students are parts of our saw how some of our assumptions and deep- campus that we should reach out to as well. rooted beliefs were called into question and upon discussion, were strengthened or In my opinion, being more involved in our changed. campuses is something our ministry needs to work on. We need to reflect on what our min- In response to one of our Bible studies about istry is to our campus and how we can fulfill hospitality, we (the leaders) led our members the mission God has given us in placing us on in planning a Game Night to welcome unfa- our campuses. For our regular members, the miliar people into our space. Perhaps due to CF is a safe space, a comfort zone that some our structure of being a combined CF from may be unwilling to step out of. As a result, we two different campuses, we tend to see our face some inertia in trying to welcome new community separate from our identities as members, especially the more introverted students. We may find difficulty in becoming ones. I hope that as CF welcomes a new gener- an incarnational witness on our campus. ation of leaders and members, God will trans- form and empower us to make a difference on our campuses. Tiu Shin Chairperson Game Night turnout!
FES 65th AGM 25 March 2023 | 55 Alumni Stories When students graduate, besides encouraging them to be more inte- grated with their local churches, we continue to support them as they make the transition to working life. Some of our graduates have joined the programmes of the Graduates’ Christian Fellowship (GCF) while others have joined existing alumni groups or serve in the sectional working com- mittees. Here are some stories from a few of our alumni. C2C your life. It’s easy to forget who we are, espe- cially since we are so tuned in to the world, so Classmates to Colleagues (C2C) Circles is an much so that there can be times we forget we FES-GCF ministry that serves young gradu- are in the world but not of it. The temptation ates by sharing wisdom and vision, listening to be of the world is very real and it’s very con- to joys and heartaches, and being a timely stant. The fact that other individuals are also friend and community. Monthly workshop going through this current stage in life makes sessions are conducted on topics like steward- me feel less nervous because I have people ship (work, money, time) and community who understand what I’m going through and (friends, romance, church, family). Around 5 to who I can relate with and share similar strug- 10 of us have been meeting regularly for these gles with, be it about work-life issues or faith sessions. issues that might plague a Singaporean Chris- I think it can be rather scary once you gradu- tian graduate who is joining the rat race. ate and go out into the real world to begin working and likely working for the rest of The most important thing that C2C was able to provide was some semblance of the com- Tini (second from right) with fellow C2C members at munity that I had when I was in NUS VCF, and one of their informal small group meetings. that this community is still able to function as a source of support for me. I feel like this was and is still especially relevant for me as some- one coming from a small church with no peers. Hence, I am appreciative of the oppor- tunity for me to continue to meet and fellow- ship with like-minded individuals who can journey with me at this stage of life. Tini Ang Yi-Ting Tini graduated from NUS in 2021.
56 | Annual Report 2022 and provided opportunities for me to serve. However, over the past year, some members ICare chose to leave due to differences in life. De- spite this setback, the remaining members ICare is a fellowship of polytechnic graduates meet regularly and serve one another with a (English Section). Around 10 of us (out of a hungry love for God and our neighbours. We group of 26) meet either physically or via continue to bless ministers and ministries fi- Zoom on the second and fourth Mondays of nancially, invite new friends who have be- the month (except June and December). come regular members, and look forward to Being part of the ICare group has been a cru- what God has in store for our community. It cial part of my life for the past 12 years. This has also been heartening to witness many of community has helped me grow spiritually our members grow and thrive in their lives, and some have also started families of their At one of the ICare group gatherings own. I am grateful for the relationships and spiritual growth that have come from being part of the ICare alumni group. Dorcas Liu Dorcas graduated from Ngee Ann Polytechnic in 2011. Nanyang University Graduates’ Christian Fellowship (NUGCF) NUGCF comprises alumni who have gradu- I have been part of the Exco for the past 10 to ated from the Chinese-speaking CFs of the 15 years since I graduated. Serving alongside former Nanyang University, Nanyang Techno- the senior alumni (most of them are elderly) logical Institute, and Nanyang Technological has opened my eyes to grasp what it means to University. Around 35 to 40 of us meet once ev- persevere in all difficulties and have passion ery two months for meetings such as welcome for the Lord always. It has been inspiring to tea, mid-autumn festival, and year-end dinner. witness God’s Word being lived out in their Apart from that, we also connect with the stu- lives. dents in the campus fellowship by visiting them during their exam period and on Alumni My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the Day. strength of my heart and my portion forever. – Psalm 73:26 There is a Chinese saying that goes like this: When you drink from the stream, you remem- ber the source. 饮水思源 I was blessed by the FES ministry back in my university days and it’s my responsibility to give back so that fu- ture generations of students can continue to learn and grow through the FES ministry and serve the Lord on the campus. NUGCFers at their New Year gathering on 1 January 2023. Tam Horng Jyh Horng Jyh graduated from NTU in 2007.
FES 65th AGM 25 March 2023 | 57 FES IM Working Committee In January this year, FES IM organised a fam- The FES IM Family Day organising committee with the ily day where alumni and students gathered “human books” for fellowship together. As an FES IM Working Committee member and serving as co-chair- tending the garden cannot be completed person of the organising committee, I had a alone. How then should we work? Look great time reconnecting with familiar faces. around to your fellow gardeners, who albeit The people singing and serving together with assigned different parts to plough on and me then have carved their own paths profes- have distinct vocations, also have received the sionally and personally. Different back- same mandate from the Lord of the Harvest. grounds serve different stories (the “human May God find us faithful at the end of our gar- books”) of thanksgiving and struggles – de- dening journey. spite them all, it’s evident God is still God and He is sovereign over all. Praise the Lord for Grace Jasmine Kurniawan that! Grace graduated from NTU Graduation perhaps works as an endpoint for in 2019. some in their student ministry journey, and a start to greater participation in the local church. However, I would think the experi- ence of having served together during our stu- dent days has built a venue of camaraderie. The kingdom of God is vast and the work of SIM-SUSS Chinese GCF Our alumni group started in mid-2021 and has work environment. My working life was filled 14 people. An average of 5 to 6 people attend with deadlines and eventually, I found that I our monthly prayer and sharing meetings. had no time to spend with God. Thankfully, FES staff worker, Sook Ching, asked me about When I graduated from SIM and started work, forming a graduate CF. I have learned a lot I went through a period of adapting to my from our alumni and I’m grateful to have this group to walk with God together even after we have graduated. Please continue to pray for our fellowship so that we can encourage one another and be the salt and light in our work- places. Helen Keung Helen graduated from SIM in 2021 Our group was at the FES-GCF Dinner held in September 2022.
58 | Annual Report 2022 Graduates’ Party 2023 Looking Forward This year, we wish to: & Looking Out for • improve the Party for our young FES 2023 graduates in light of how transitions and Here is a quick summary of what you can look work seem to be more challenging for forward to and look out for in FES 2023! them now. • diversify our engagement from wellbeing Leaders’ Party 2023 and mentoring to career development as a Christian in the workplace. In this Party, we wish to: Along with this party is also a fresh graduates • improve the planning, process, and camp in June to help fresh graduates have a meaningful start in their graduate life. participation of student leaders • develop this as a signature platform to IFES World Assembly (W A) cultivate the next generation of Christlike leaders, particularly in 2-10 August 2023, Indonesia formación, engagement, and leading Held every four years, WA gathers IFES change. students, staff, faculty, and board from across Other initiatives include the 4D Youth the globe. Many can attest to its effectiveness Leaders Camp (YLC) and the Polytechnic in inspiring students for global mission. The Ministry Exposure and Leadership Training conference fee for WA is USD$1250 excluding (MELT). travel costs. We wish to send at least five staff and five students as delegates. Do consider GoForth 2023 supporting us to cover the financial costs or sponsor students from other movements for FES is leading one track focused on Youths WA2023. and Young Adults. The team is planning to survey the current understanding and FES-GCF Annual attitudes of youths towards mission, expand Dinner 2023 the understanding of mission through the sharing of stories, and explore modern With the COVID restrictions all but gone, missions in a seminar in September. This is GCF wishes to resume its Annual Dinners meant for national impact so please help to together with FES to remember and publicise it when our plans are ready. celebrate student and graduate ministry impact. This is currently slated for one Christian Fellowship Friday in September at the NUS Kent Ridge and the Church Guild House. The National Student Council (NSC) has FES-GCF Legacy Fund undertaken a national project to: • learn more about the issues that This is a fund to aid in the learning and development of FES and GCF staff workers, churches face in ministering to their and enable a more sustainable career youths. pathway for them. We are currently at the • better communicate the CF as a viable stage of drafting the necessary legal time and ministry to develop youths to documents. We envision this Fund to be serve the church well. ready to receive donations in the coming In so doing, we wish to foster a more trustful months of 2023. relationship between FES, the CFs, and the local churches. If you wish to learn more about, help out, or support a particular programme or project, please get in touch!
60 | Annual Report 2022
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