Increasing Faith in Jesus, Establishing Hope in God
As the year begins to wind down, it was an opportune time for members of the CCMC Local Church Executive Committee (LCEC) to reflect on this year and prepare for the new season ahead.
On 3 October 2026, Pastor-in-Charge (PIC) Rev Kenneth Huang, together with LCEC Chairperson BG (Ret) Chia Choon Hoong, and Lay Leader Mr Leslie Wong, led the annual CCMC LCEC retreat, which was attended by the church leaders and pastoral team members.
The retreat opened with a time of Worship and Devotions based on Deuteronomy 31:7-8 (NIV):
“Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.””
Based on these verses, PIC Kenneth shared a devotion that reminded us that God Himself will lead CCMC to accomplish the work He has entrusted to us to do for His glory. And God will do this by doing what only He can – be in front of us to lead us forward and at the same time, be at our side walking with us. He also promises never to leave us or forsake us, that is, to abandon us or expect us to carry out His work on our own strength. In response to these truths, our “job” is to faithfully follow after Him and listen to Him as He encourages us along the way.
After a time of personal reflection and prayer in small groups, the team reviewed this year’s theme of "Faith in Jesus", especially in the areas of Fellowship and Discipleship in and about our church.
As we did so, PIC Kenneth encouraged the team: “We should never be professional Christians, but be professing Christians”, where we really live out our faith in Jesus and we share the Good News with others.
The church leadership deliberated on these questions:
Do you think our church as a whole has experienced a growing confidence in our faith in Jesus, especially in the ministry areas of Fellowship and Discipleship? If so, how has this been seen? If not, what more should be done?
In our Committees/Ministries, have we witnessed a growing confidence in our faith in Jesus amongst our members regarding the work we produced? Were the work (programmes/meetings/events) we organised produced out of faith (and prayer) or out of routine?
Share one or two things we set out to do in our Committees/Ministries during the year and what was achieved well and what problems were encountered in implementing the Theme for 2026?
Church leaders gave thanks for the strengthening of the church community as evidenced by active participation in post-service fellowship, discipleship and growth groups. We are however mindful that our mission must continue to be highlighted more clearly and stronger across all ministries and the wider body. As the various ministries continue to grow, more members step up to lead, and there is a good routine and roster of events, communications and projects, the church must continue to keep Jesus at the centre of all that we do and that all acts or works that we do are to be produced out of faith, not routine.
LCEC Vice-Chairperson Ms April Lee shared: “Looking back on this year, there has been more intentional fellowship, events and buzz. However, we will need to continue to reach out more, nudge more to spread His word, keep our members close and invite more into His church.”
Church leaders further discussed preparing for 2027 based on the theme of "Hope in God", especially in the areas of Prayer & Evangelism out and around our neighbourhood.
In line with the theme, the church will look at outreach into new developments in our area, as well as:
encourage our members to develop a committed or enduring Hope in God as we go through the various challenges of life through Prayer.
encourage them to share the Hope that they have in God with others who are also going through challenges in life and who have yet to hear the Gospel of Jesus through Evangelism.
Plans will include a Prayer Conference on 20 March 2027, where we will learn the theology and practice of prayer for ourselves and others.
The church camp in June 2027 will focus on Evangelism and Bringing Hope in God to Others.
Associate Lay Leader Mr Galen Tan said he was feeling encouraged: “We are sowing seeds through different ministries eg. football, basketball and pickleball. We are engaging with youths – international and local, as well as from different schools and polytechnics. While the fruits may not be immediately visible, we trust that God will bring growth in His perfect timing.”
Lay Leader Mr Leslie Wong encouraged all church leaders to imagine and pray: “This is our potential harvest field. Let's "shape-shift" and be ready to serve, for the range of generations that find their way to us. In new ways, and on top of ways that are already good. Go deep so as to be able to go wide.”
He added in his prayer: "Dear Father. You are everywhere and You are among us. Thank you for preparing the way ahead for us and thank you for journeying with us along the way. And also when we lag behind, thank you for being there to catch us and leading us onward. In Jesus's name we give thanks and pray. Amen."
LCEC Chairperson BG (Ret) Chia Choon Hoong prayed: “Dear Heavenly Father. We want to give you thanks for the opportunity this afternoon for the leaders of the church to be able to gather together at this LCEC retreat, not only to discuss the plans for the year ahead, but also to spend some time to reflect on the year that has passed. Lord, 2026 has indeed been a year guided by the theme of Faith, which has given us, and each and every ministry, the focus to plan our programmes and activities. All of us affirm that we have increased confidence in faith, and in particular, these efforts have led to not only many new faces in church, but also familiar faces returning to church after a long absence. Lord, even as we move into 2027, guided by the theme of Hope, we pray that we will continue the good work that you have started.
“For our plans in 2027, Father, we ask for your wisdom and guidance. Help us to take back the discussions we have today to our respective ministries and committees to help us to consider thoughtfully your plans for us. Help us to think about how to incorporate Hope, Prayer and Evangelism into our plans, and also how we can reach out and serve our neighbourhood. We pray that even as we formulate these plans for 2027 and beyond, that we will not be constrained by our own mindsets, or by our own limitations, but instead be fully aware that we are serving you, a God with unlimited resources, unlimited abilities.
“Father, as we bring this prayer to a close, we ask for your blessings on this leadership. We ask that not only will we stay cohesive and committed, but most of all, for us to be filled with the boldness to move ahead in furtherance of your kingdom. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.”
Do join the church leaders and pastoral team in prayers for our church, for renewed strength and hope as we prepare to move into 2027.
Alicia Tan, together with her husband Jonas and their daughters Annette and Amelia, has been worshipping at CCMC since 2002. She currently chairs CCMC’s Communications Ministry.
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