Pickleball Mania At CCMC
What do Grandpa and Grandma usually play? Peek-a-boo with their grandchildren!
Contrary to what we might assume about seniors, at CCMC, pickleball has become more than a game. It has grown into a lively community where seniors, young adults and children gather for fellowship, fitness, and outreach on Thursday evenings.
About 40 seniors typically turn up ready to play, laugh, and stay active together. Anyone who assumes pickleball is a gentle pastime for seniors may be surprised by the speed, skill, and teamwork on display, proving that age is truly just a number. And if you think you can outplay them simply because you are younger, be prepared to be thoroughly thrashed! Pickleball is one of those wonderful sports where men and women, regardless of age can compete on equal footing.
As part of our ministry activities of the church, Pickleball began with the Glowing Years Ministry (GYM) and was later adopted by the Witness and Evangelism Ministry (W&E) at the end of 2025 as an outreach platform with GYM session running from 6pm to 8pm, and the W&E session continuing from 7.30pm to about 9.30pm.
A Court for Everyone
What I particularly like about CCMC Pickleball is its culture of sharing. Everyone gets a chance to play, and no one hogs the court relentlessly. The fair practice is for each game to be played to either 15 or 21 points, after which the players will rotate out and allow other enthusiasts to have their turn. While everyone else in Singapore is scrambling to book a court to play — “Some more, very expensive” — here at the GYM and W&E Pickleball sessions, everyone gets an equal opportunity to play without camping overnight to secure a booking!
One of our congregants, Raymond Poh, first learned the game by joining our sessions. He has been a regular for two to three years. He believes that pickleball promotes team bonding and friendship, and that, “you never know just how good you can be”.
He explained that we may not be able to excel on our own, but when partnered with someone else, the sky is the limit.That is a wonderful lesson for life too as Proverbs 27:17 reminds us: “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
How Did It All Start?
It all began with an interest poll conducted in July 2023 to find out what activities the CCMC staff team might enjoy doing together. Among the suggestions, hotpot meals received the greatest interest, followed closely by pickleball, a game that was going viral in Singapore and around the world at that time.
The final decision? If we had to choose between staying fit or fat, pickleball offered a healthy and enjoyable way for the team to bond, especially as our former pastors Rev David Gwee and Rev Rufus Chan were fairly new to CCMC at that time.
Aileen Wong from Church Finance and I helmed the inaugural session on 1 August 2023, which began as a fortnightly Tuesday activity. Benson Fong, a regular pickleball player, was invited to give us our first lesson. After a few sessions, Eddie Koh, our former LCEC Chairperson, was invited to join us, after having heard that he had dropped out of his regular tennis sessions. He was quickly converted — not to a new faith, but to a new devotion to pickleball!
As ministry staff for GYM, I then encouraged the GYM committee to adopt pickleball as an activity for seniors and Eddie naturally stepped forward to lead it.
The first GYM session was held on Thursday, 14 December 2023, with 22 participants turning up to pick balls more than rallying or volleying. Yes, that was the skill level when we first started! By late January 2024, pickleball had become a weekly activity attracting 20–30 people each time.
We are deeply grateful to MGS for providing us with the use of all eight courts, without which none of these would have been possible.
Our pickleball sessions today: From left: Participants gather for a pre-session prayer; our oldest player on the court, who inspires many; and all smiles at another enjoyable pickleball session!
From a Small Spark to a Growing Community
Aileen reflected: “What began with a few colleagues playing together has grown into a welcoming community for young and old alike — for those who already love Pickleball and for those who simply want to learn. Perhaps that is the beauty of how God works. He can take something as simple as a conversation, a new idea or a willingness to say, ‘Why not?’ and use it to create something far beyond what we imagined. The story of Pickleball at CCMC reminds me that ministry does not always begin with grand plans. Sometimes, all it takes is a small spark to get the fire going, a few willing people and an open heart. We never know when God may choose to use us — or where that small spark might lead.”
A Community in Motion
In a nutshell, this is how CCMC Pickleball was born: a simple idea among colleagues that has grown into a lively Thursday evening community of 40 – 60 enthusiasts.
If you pass by the courts and hear laughter, lively rallies, and the familiar pop-pop-tok-tok, you are hearing more than a game. You are hearing a community in motion - grandpa and grandma, and friends coming together for fellowship, fitness, and a “pickle-you-pickle-me” jolly good time.
(Photos by Elaine Tan & Joseph Lim)
Interested to join us for Pickleball? Come by every Thursday, from 7.30pm @ MGS Sports Hall, Level 1! For more information, email us at admin@ccmc.org.sg
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