PHOTOS: Daniel Poh
More than 7,400 children and parents packed the halls of Expo and Jurong West Street 91 to celebrate Children’s Day with City Harvest Church.
As part of a wide effort to reach out to the young and their parents, the Children’s Church lined up a variety of exciting programs for the Children’s Day celebration service.
The show kicked off with a high-octane song and a dance segment by popular children’s singing group, J7, which got the crowd all warmed up and energized.
Renowned illusionist, Jeremy Pei, mesmerized them with his unique brand of sleight-of-hand that wove in elements of storytelling, leaving the crowd in awe.
But it was probably Pepper Zero who brought the house down with his hilarious and engaging antics. The Japanese clown had the crowd roaring with laughter as he juggled hats, apples and other objects, while sneaking in a clever joke or two in between acts.
J7 took the stage again and led the crowd in a time of praise and worship. It was heartwarming to see children of all ages lifting up little hands to heaven, praising and worshiping Jesus. Once the praise and worship ended, the children settled into their seats to listen to the Children’s Church teachers tell a story about the wonderful nature of God and His love.
The service hit its climax as Pastor Eileen Toh went up on stage and gave the altar call. All over the hall, many children came forward to the altar area and received Christ into their lives.
As the service ended with a resounding cheer of praise to God, a loud crack rang across the hall as streamers went off, signaling the end of the event. Helpers and teachers distributed presents to all the children. It was a great time of fun and a real encounter with the presence of God.
Nine-year-old Cheryl Chua said, “I really enjoyed the magic show and the stories about God.”
Parent Scenthil, who brought his son Sendep to the event, was very impressed. “The show was really good and very well-organized. We had a great time learning more about God as well.” For the teachers and helpers, all the hard work was worth it.
Song leader, Veroy Chua, said, “When I heard the children sing the song ‘Sweet Jesus,’ it really touched my heart that even the youngest of children can experience the presence of God.”
He added, “It’s truly as God says, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.’”
Teacher Lingual Tan said, “As a team, everyone prepared for the event and prayed over it. Even though there were so many things to do, there was a sense of ease because all of us were led by the Holy Spirit.”
She added,”We invited a lot of organizations like after-school care centers and we spoke to a lot of parents. To see them here today was very rewarding. God is putting us in a strategic place to impact not just children, but entire families as well.”
