Elim Family Camp – Loving People Intentionally

From the youngest to the oldest, we had a wonderful time encountering the Lord, receiving the Word and having fun together.

Family camps in Elim are an annual tradition that everyone looks forward to. And so, Elimites were excited when it was announced that after a two-year hiatus, we would be gathering in-person to have a camp on December 6 to 7, 2022 with Ps Kong Hee as our English speaker and Rev Dr Emily Tan as our Chinese speaker. Over the two days, 370 members, including children, made time to hear from God.

In alignment with our church’s direction for 2023 of “Loving People Intentionally”, Ps Kong began the camp sessions with saying that the more we had a revelation of God’s love, the more we would be filled to the fullness of the measure of God. He then went on to highlight characteristics of this love. In the very first session, Ps Kong issued the congregation a bold challenge: to have ‘zero anger’.

Over the next few sessions, he further expounded with scriptures on how as believers, we were to be constantly forgiving and unlimitedly patient. Ps Kong then summed it all up using a triangle to illustrate that God’s love and holiness precedes His signs and wonders. 1 Corinthians 13 does tell us that all things are empty if they lack love and many of us if we search our hearts, can attest to doing things out of a sense of obligation rather than love.

What was especially impactful was how Ps Kong candidly shared about his own personal journey. In the last session, he highlighted how solitude was the furnace of inner transformation and poignantly told his own story of solitude. This personal testimony of his own wrestles with God pierced through the hearts of the congregation who listened in pin-drop silence. At his lowest, he shared that God asked him this: “Is being with me enough of a destiny for you?” It was at that point when I personally felt the gentle and patient nudge of the Holy Spirit.

In a society where we often define ourselves by what we do, the endless striving and toiling, even in godly endeavors, can leave us feeling depleted. However, God’s call is different. It is a call to rest and abide in His love and allow the outflow of that to bless others around. It is a sweet call and not a burdensome one. As the church began to sing “The greatest thing in all my life is loving you” in response, there was no doubt that God was wooing us back to His own side and telling us that only one thing was necessary as He spoke to Martha in Luke 10:42. It was a time of surrender and refreshing as we exchanged one yoke for another.

Besides being nourished by the spiritual food and touch of the Holy Spirit, we were also enthused and energized seeing the younger generations join us. During the praise and worship segments, the young people were a sight to behold as they jumped along to the praise songs. One of the youths shared that it was her first time witnessing the interpretation of a word given in tongues from the Holy Spirit.

Our Chinese congregation were greatly blessed by the ministry of Rev Dr Emily. Our children were also blessed by Elvin and Esther Foong from Treasure Box who taught and ministered to them in creative ways.

95 years is a long time and in a church with such a long history, many have proven faithful. Jesus is however, coming for a bride who is not just steadfast but passionate and burns with her first love. And it is God’s love that will testify that we are His as He said so in John 13:35. We pray that we will grow more in love with Him and more in love with one another so that we can love the world around us.