October is Pastor Appreciation Month! We asked cell group leaders to reveal little known secrets about these three pastors.
Pastor Kenneth Sim has been winning hearts for as many decades as he has been winning souls for Jesus Christ. Pastor Tan Yah Lan is the calm and gently leader that always goes the extra mile. And Pastor Yi Lun may look like an outgoing youth pastor but she is really an introvert!
We invited their cell group leaders to tell us what they are each really like, and their answers surprise and move us!
PASTOR KENNETH SIM, AS DESCRIBED BY HELEN GIANCHAND
The most sacrificial thing my Pastor has done… I have witnessed too many sacrifices he has done! My very first mission trip with Pastor Kenneth was to Iloilo in 2012, to help the church of a School of Theology alumnus. Throughout the trip, Pastor Ken displayed sincere service and care for the people, serving and refusing to be served. The church members offered him food, but he would first look around to make sure everyone else had their portion before he took his. One time we were meeting some pastors at a Starbucks. The minute they arrived, he immediately offered to order coffee. I offered to queue up because there was a long line but he insisted on queuing. When we finally got the coffee, he served each of the pastors. He did the same thing at dinner. I was like, can I eat now or do I wait for Pastor Ken to finish serving everyone? (laughs) I was amazed by him! Pastor Ken demonstrated that he came as a humble servant of the Lord. From that time, I told myself, I will follow this man, I want to be mentored and discipled by him.
When Pastor Kenneth welcomed his firstborn after 10 years of waiting, I thought he would stop doing disaster missions, but he didn’t. He left to help earthquake victims while his baby was just a few months old. Sacrifices involve changing our schedule, giving up our comfort, our safety, our security and being away from loved ones. As leaders, we cannot avoid being occasionally disappointed and frustrated with members. One time I asked him how he could be so patient with everyone and Pastor Ken told me that it is not a sacrifice to lead members because he does it willingly and it is his joy to serve God’s people. Pastor Ken taught me how to persevere in the ministry and to always have the right heart in serving. He sees my shortcomings yet he loves me anyway. He has taught me to become more accepting of others and to invest into people lives. I have grown so much as a leader because of him.
If my Pastor was a superhero he/she would be… Iron Man! Tony Stark can build anything out of almost nothing—the ultimate visionary! Pastor Ken is just like him. He’s a man with a vision and the will to make it happen. When he sets his mind to it, he can champion and pull off even the most amazing projects. While his plans change over time, he sets his goals and sees them through to the end, he’s committed to success even if that means making sacrifices. There were missions where we had limited resources, but Pastor Ken always made things happen. His top motivation is to win the lost for Jesus.
My Pastor would scream if… I ask him to eat Balut (a fertilized developing chicken still inside an eggshell, which is boiled)! Haha!
PASTOR TAN YAH LAN, AS DESCRIBED BY MICHELLE HENG
If my Pastor was a superhero, she would be… Jean Grey! She’s a gentle lady who has love and compassion, and when it comes to spiritual warfare, she draws from deep within (like the Phoenix within Jean) and she exhibits strong prayer and intercession powers! She discerns really well too, making you feel she might be as psychic as Jean Grey!
The most sacrificial thing my Pastor has done…Pastor Yah Lan has been my shepherd for many years, since I became a Christian! She’s really humble and she might not agree with me here, but I’ve always felt the most sacrificial thing she’s done is to continue to shepherd and love us, even as she herself was going through a season of grief and restoration. Some may think that it’s “expected” of a pastor, but I think it takes someone with a heart as big as Pastor Yah Lan to keep on thinking and caring about those under her care in spite of what she’s going through. I love you, Pastor!
What drink or food never to order for my Pastor: anything with too much sugar! Pastor Yah Lan loves the natural flavour of food and beverages. One cuisine that’s sure to win her heart is Indian food!
PASTOR LEE YI LUN, AS DESCRIBED BY JASMINE KON
I will always be grateful to my Pastor for… being so supportive, patient and gracious to me even when I cause much inconvenience and headaches and all the times I have been a “see gee nah”!
The most misunderstood thing about my Pastor is… that she is an extrovert. And that she is very gracious to others when it comes to games or sports. No! That is far from the truth! Pastor Yi Lun is an introvert. She loves a good book and her me-time is time with Jesus. But when it comes to games and sports, she is very competitive! She shows no mercy!
My Pastor would scream if… we blindfold her to surprise her again. We did it twice a number of years ago. Once we blindfolded her and brought her to Clarke Quay, where we got her to sit the G-Max reverse bungy! It was a huge scare—definitely a ride to remember!
