byebye Rock

and today marks the final official 'live' service at the Rock Audi. "places will always have meaning" this is a mantra that most geographers would be familiar with. the Rock Audi is such a place to me, and much more. i have had so many life-changing memories, experiences, journeys taken right here. not just the Rock Audi itself but also levels 4 and 6 and the various small meeting rooms where we have had smaller scale events and activities like womens' meetings and way back for Dare services. i have spend the formative years of my teenage life in church right at these venues. im a sentimental person as well so im really sad to see the church moving away from here. i believe the Star will hold even greater untold blessings and awesome experiences for me for the seasons and journeys ahead in my life. but this is my tribute to the Lord and what He has done at this little venue.

this is Level 6 of Suntec tower 4. this had been my preferred venue to attend service for perhaps the past half a year to 8 9 months or so ever since Suntec Convention closed for renovations and was no longer a service venue for us. it just alot easier than going real early to get seats in the Audi. and right here is the spot that my sis and i always sit at. right below the ceiling TV at the end of the row. but this place holds memories for me because i first had my encounter of youth ministry at this venue. youth services used to be here until we moved to the Rock Audi about 4-5 years ago. i was terrified to be here because of the 'crazy' youths at Dare service who were jumping around like mad people. they were super clique-y too and as i was really socially awkward then they scared me out of my wits. it was Xuan who keep dragging me back each time after tuition that they had at that time for O level students, that i relented to go, just for the praise & worship and sermon, not for the 'fellowship' afterward. and soon enough, i became one of those 'crazy' people too! haha. i remember telling the Lord, or at that time, just talking to the 'voice in my head' that i dont feel like jumping and praising You, but because i want to give You more weight than my problems, i want to still praise You even when im down, i just went and praised Him in the midst of my troubles. who knows? it could have been then that my life was set on a glorious destiny forever :)

this was taken during the 'last' zone service at the Rock, though it wasnt really the last as we were to have one more real last Unlimited Praise session here, which i blogged about most recently as marking another special day for me in my walk with the Lord. i was on photog duty for this Arrow service. this spot is special because the Lord showed me right around this place, about the joy and the heart of serving in His house. i started out my journey of serving as a Zone photographer. sounds quite impressive but no, im a so-so (really) amateur. i cant do those tech talk that the photog guys sometimes get into, and i dont have the desire to. i know that serving in this ministry is not so much an expression of my 'talent' of which there isnt much, but as i look back, this is just somewhere where the Lord wants to take me on a journey to learn see and experience the heart and joy of serving. i cant really explain how or why i feel such a real joy when i serve. im not naturally a service person unless necessary like at home, running errands etc. so i know that it is the Lord increasing me when i feel happy to serve. increasing me to not be afraid of people, to not see the 'wood' in people, to learn patience, to learn to step out of my weaknesses and inadequacies to just take my eyes off myself, even a love for the people. as i began to taste the things of God, i knew in my heart that there is no turning back because this is THE LIFE and THE REST that people of the world so desperately wants and needs.

and this is where you will see the all-famous "New Creation Queue"! ahhahaah. this has became a trademark of New Creation Church ever since the Audi became too small to hold all the church members. we are known as "there, the church lor, must queue up to get in one" amongst believers and/or curious by-standers who will go "eh! you see! what they queueing for ah? got free things to take is it?". i had been once part of this special feature when i first attended NCC in 2006. and faithfully attending every service, on Sundays and mid-week services ever since. i still have the super colourful queue tickets that i collected and found in my old notebook while packing my room. you had to queue to get these tickets, which then about 15-20mins before service you will have to queue up again to get into the Audi. it can be super tiring but it was worthed it when we got to walked in with an air of achievement that we beat everyone else to earn that seat in the Audi. haha! but after 1-2 years, things happened and our rountines changed. but no matter who or how, i would always looked forward to just going and sitting in church. i knew that whatever problems issues worries fears challenges assignments that i had, will be overcomed when i hear of His Word for me every week. it didnt matter if the sermon didnt speak to me, or whether i was awake even as Pastor preached (those red chairs are super comfy!), i know that the Word just washed refreshed strengthened and empowered me to walk through whatever demands of me for that week. and that made all the difference.

this was the 2nd last service at the Rock last week. this is also my favouristest spot in the Rock. i like how i can see the stage clearly yet would not be in direct view of the preachers, which can be quite scary sometimes hahaha. this was also where i had sat at in my JC days usually for Arrow services, those dark days studying for A levels hahaha. this spot was also where the Lord revealed and dropped so many dreams/visions/faith pictures in my heart, to give me a hope and a future. some of those precious dreams have already came to pass, some hasnt, all of which im thankful to Jesus for giving to me. i also stood here for the real last Arrow service (below) where Pastor Ben preached to us after a long break (happy!) and where Pastor Dan lead spontaneous worship after service (double happy!) and i got to go up onto the stage to take a beautiful picture with nice lights with my cg (triple happpyy!) :D

 and finally, this was where it all started, and where it would all end. Level 4 Suntec Tower 4. so beautiful right? i didnt realise that unless right now as im typing! this was where i began my journey in the Zone ministry where i attended that tuition thing that i mentioned just now. the ministry very kindly arranged tuition teachers for the O level students for extra tuition in whatever subjects that we needed help in. but it was not the usual tuition as i remember the teacher asking us to write down a grade that we wanted and were believing God for. at that time i hadnt had any experiential encounter with the power of the saving grace that im aware of yet, but i just wrote whatever i wanted. isnt it amazing that i have been to church so many times, but have up till then never experienced the true and living God? you see, going to church doesnt make you a believer. you have to really believe IN the grace of God then you come into contact with the explosion of Life that sets believers apart from non-believers. this, right here, was when i first began to trust believe and rest in Jesus to produce the good that i wanted to see in my life. this was also where i sat with mummy and mei for the last service just now. i purposedly took this photo because my favourite pastor Pastor Dan sang a tribute song for the Audi, it went in the tune of Jacky Cheung song which i forgotten the title of. and so, my journey comes full circle here. :)

it has been nothing sort of amazing. like Pastor said, im not ashamed to talk about my problems/things i have gone through and am still going through and wont go through, because the Lord has already given me grace and the solution to all these challenges. its not believers dont have problems in life. nope. but when we have problems, the difference is that we know, we are not dealing with it by our own meager little hands, nor by our limited knowledge and much less our puny human strength/power. but it is by the power love grace and power of the almighty God, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End, the Prince of Peace, the King of Kings and the Lover of my soul. when it is in His all-powerful and strong Hands, you can rest assured that it will be well. it is a matter of time that i experience the awesome saving power of His grace because He makes everything beautiful in His time. it didnt take me to save me from the pit of hell, and it definitely wont take an ounce of me to bring me to glorious end. i cant believe how happy and satisfied and blessed i feel i am, and i cant believe this keeps increasing every week. this is the "mega-joy" that Pastor Joe talked about. Lord, give me more capacity to receive more. thank You again for saving me, for loving me.

bye bye Rock, onward to the Star!