A memorable Easter evening for the elderly in CHC’s Dialect Church.
Contributed by Joyce Tan Hui Mien
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| CN PHOTO: Tan Song Kow |
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The atmosphere was buzzing with excitement at CHC’s Jurong West premises. In the main hall, over 700 elderly were seated, all ready for the start of the Dialect Church’s annual Easter celebration. This year’s Easter service took a different route from the usual drama production depicting Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. Instead, the special weekend was dedicated to celebrating the different talents of the elderly members.
Maria Tok, zone supervisor, explains, “Our theme for this year’s Easter is ‘A New Beginning.’ Besides helping to build up their self-esteem, we also want the members to experience firsthand that with God, all things are possible.”
For over an hour, the enthusiastic crowd waved light sticks, clapped and sang along with the various performances. There was Francis Yu and Justinn Li who displayed their skills in Chinese martial arts, keeping everyone on the edge of their seats. A pageant themed “Dashing Dad, Gorgeous Mum” was the highlight of the evening.
Contestants had to do the customary catwalk and share with the crowd about the blessings of God in their lives. Thereafter, the talent segment of the pageant saw some finalists presenting intricate self-made crafts such as patchwork quilts, lanterns and flower arrangements, while other contestants chose to impress with songs of their choice. The atmosphere hit an all-time high as Law Mo Kwan performed a technically demanding Chinese orchestral piece on the suona, a traditional Chinese trumpet.
Amongst the enthralled crowd was Low Ai Choo, who thoroughly enjoyed herself at the service. “I traveled all the way [to Jurong] from Pasir Ris because I did not want to miss today’s service.”
The sermon encouraged many in the congregation as they heard the message preached from John 20 in the Bible, touching on issues such as depression and hopelessness; and how Jesus can turn impossible situations around. When the altar call was given, many came forward and committed their lives to Jesus, the resurrected Savior.
The event ended with the crowning of Chua Wek Hong as winner of the pageant. She shared, “I joined this competition because two of the Dialect Church volunteers made a great difference in my life when I was suffering from depression.
“When I saw everyone waving their hands and singing along with me, all my fear disappeared and I felt a sense of belonging in this great family.”
