In December 2008, more than 2,000 youths gathered in the main auditorium of City Harvest Church’s Jurong West Building for the third installment of EMERGE, City Harvest Church’s very own established brand name that defines a new generation of young and contemporary Christians positioned at the cutting edge of culture.
Entitled ‘The Great Exchange’ in line with the soon approaching Christmas, the meeting was slated to be the biggest year-end event for the youths of the Church, and the sense of expectancy in the air was tangible. Huge numbers turned up in glittery and dazzling Christmas outfits, complete with obligatory Santa hats in an array of colors.
The hall was filled with the sound of excited chatter as the people took their places, and the multiple beams of colored lights and pop music enhanced the mood of the congregation for a night of merriment and gaiety.
The meeting began with rousing and upbeat praise and worship songs from the latest Christian albums, and the crowd was swept away by the intense and deeply personal time spent worshiping God, witnessed by the countless smiles and tears of joy and gratitude for a year of blessing.
The masses were then treated to a series of performances by singers and dancers alike, all of whom had won accolades at their individual zones’ talent competitions. EMERGE’s very own dance crew also took to the stage to deliver an electrifying item that drove the crowd wild. Ian Chin, 16, was certainly impressed by the excellent line-up, and had this to say, “I was totally blown away by all the performers! They truly inspire me to want to use my talents to serve God in a greater way.”
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| PHOTOS: Rayvin Hsu |
Ng Seng Wee, a youth from Audrey Ng’s zone, then shared his personal testimony about how God had changed his life in a dramatic way after he attended church. The 20 year-old was once a member of a secret triad, and engaged in an aimless and fruitless lifestyle. He shared that it was only after he was invited to a service at CHC and accepted Christ that his life took a turn for the better, and he began to find purpose and happiness he never thought were possible.
Wu Yuzhuang, otherwise known affectionately as Zhuang, proceeded to preach a stirring message of the love of God, and His patient and ceaseless voice in constantly drawing the lost and purposeless unto Himself. Zhuang shared that five questions that God asked the characters in the Bible, and he asked those very same questions to the congregation that sat listening intently. The message was closed with an altar call for the lost to accept Jesus as their Savior, and there was an overwhelming response as tens upon tens of youths streamed towards the front of the stage.
Even the members of the church were deeply impacted by the sermon they heard, and Catherine Lee, a Cell Group Leader, shared that “the questions were very relevant to the situations some people are going through in life, and it’s like God’s voice asking each individual on certain issues in his or her life. The presence of God was very tangible, and the Holy Spirit probed each to surrender their lives to Jesus all over again.”
‘The Great Exchange’ was certainly a momentous event for all the participants, and more so a time of transformation for many as they renewed their love for God in the last days of 2008.
