A Vibrant Serving Family
Claudia and I spent our weekend at the Sofitel in Johor Bahru for our Family Camp.
When we came back to Singapore at just before midnight yesterday, we were both really exhausted on the outside but yet refreshed on the inside.
For this year’s camp, we are very privileged to have Pastor Denis and Hai Eng to be our guest speakers. Besides pastoring a growing church in Kuching, they also oversee various ministries at the Movement level.
Pastor Denis (in white) & Hai Eng (in blue)
When I first joined the family group activities a few years ago, I was not used to the numerous distractions that came from the children. Although the parents did their best to ensure minimal distractions, some of them were really unavoidable.
However, over the years, I have gotten used to this sort of environment. In the midst of some of these distractions, we were still able to focus on the teachings and praise & worship.
One of the many things that Pastor Denis shared that hit me was the disproportionate emphasis on the academic sides of education over the character building of our children. He said that we had hardly seen any parent disciplining their children when they do badly for their moral education but we had definitely seen many parents getting upset when their kids do badly for their Mathematics or Science or languages.
Our character in Christ last forever. We need to ensure that the character building side of things get the emphasis that it deserves.
Besides the teachings and the workshops, there were also many other recreational activities. The families went searching for good eating places all over the Senai area in Johor. One great disappointment was that it was not during the durian season and no good crop of the king of fruits was in sight.
There was also the Telematch. Many of them were really quite competitive and losing did not seem like an acceptable option for them at all! It was good holistic fun all the way!
When we left the Sofitel for Singapore, my heart was filled with such a great sense of hope and joy that we have such families in our church. Families that care for each other and families that desire to make a difference in their spheres of influence.
In a world where many families are crumbling, our Hope families remain strong beacons of light to direct people to the true light of Jesus. Thank you Jesus for our family group!
Me speaking to our people
P&W
Wan Leng (our family group leader) getting a well deserved massage!
Families at play
When we came back to Singapore at just before midnight yesterday, we were both really exhausted on the outside but yet refreshed on the inside.
For this year’s camp, we are very privileged to have Pastor Denis and Hai Eng to be our guest speakers. Besides pastoring a growing church in Kuching, they also oversee various ministries at the Movement level.
Pastor Denis (in white) & Hai Eng (in blue)
When I first joined the family group activities a few years ago, I was not used to the numerous distractions that came from the children. Although the parents did their best to ensure minimal distractions, some of them were really unavoidable.
However, over the years, I have gotten used to this sort of environment. In the midst of some of these distractions, we were still able to focus on the teachings and praise & worship.
One of the many things that Pastor Denis shared that hit me was the disproportionate emphasis on the academic sides of education over the character building of our children. He said that we had hardly seen any parent disciplining their children when they do badly for their moral education but we had definitely seen many parents getting upset when their kids do badly for their Mathematics or Science or languages.
Our character in Christ last forever. We need to ensure that the character building side of things get the emphasis that it deserves.
Besides the teachings and the workshops, there were also many other recreational activities. The families went searching for good eating places all over the Senai area in Johor. One great disappointment was that it was not during the durian season and no good crop of the king of fruits was in sight.
There was also the Telematch. Many of them were really quite competitive and losing did not seem like an acceptable option for them at all! It was good holistic fun all the way!
When we left the Sofitel for Singapore, my heart was filled with such a great sense of hope and joy that we have such families in our church. Families that care for each other and families that desire to make a difference in their spheres of influence.
In a world where many families are crumbling, our Hope families remain strong beacons of light to direct people to the true light of Jesus. Thank you Jesus for our family group!
Me speaking to our people
P&W
Wan Leng (our family group leader) getting a well deserved massage!
Families at play
posted by Jeff Chong at 1:58 pm
7 Comments:
hi Ps Jeff,
thank you for your blog. it always encourage me.i think one of the greatest gift in my life is this Hope family.
Hey longyao, I could not agree with you more! It has really changed by life!
Hi Ps Jeff!
It's really great reading ya blog! I'll often go "wow.. That's cool" or laugh at the things you write!
And many a times, I'm encouraged by the many happenings and experiences you pen down on.
My mum was greatly blessed by this recent family camp! Praise God!
haaha.. and she commented to me that you've gain weight!
well, believe you've been feeding yourself much not only spiritually, but also physically.. i guess?
heys.. Thank God for you Ps Jeff!! (:
Joy
Hi Joy, it was really great to have met your mum and spoke to her during the family camp.
I am also glad that you enjoy reading this blog. I do my best to share my life in hope that it will make certain impact for the Kingdom.
Thanks also for sharing the fact that I have put on weight to the world! It is supposed to be the best-kept sercet of Hope!
Hi Ps Jeff, wow! =) I always enjoy reading your blog which enlightens.
I agree with what u wrote.. that Pastor Denis from Sarawak shared about the disproportionate emphasis on the academic sides of education over the character building of our children.
It worries me that as a teacher I see parents who are ineffectual in disciplining their kids.
They think that they love their kids, but this is not tough love.
Children must be disciplined from the start, right from when they were still very young.
Even Christian & church-serving parents that I have met in school sometimes fare miserably in disciplining their kids & are overprotective / give in to their children.
I pray for the parents and kids in our church, that they must not be overprotective or make excuses for their children's poor behaviour.
It is fundamental for tough love to rule when the kid is still young... Parents must be exposed to Parenting Courses (something like a marriage preparation course, just that this is to prepare parents for specific different stages of children's growth when the children are growing from babies into toddlers).
The courses can be conducted by straight-thinking adults who do not overindulge young children or allow them to be spoilt....
becos that is the time when children learn to be secure in rightful boundaries set for them by loving rightful adults & that will put them in good stead as adults or ... they learn that boundaries set by parents/teachers/God can be pushed if they sulk/threaten/withdraw and that the concept of authority is a joke.
Preach It MJ!
I agree with you 110%
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