Annual Report
2023

Lead Pastor’s Address

Dear Church,

If there is a word to sum up 2023, it would be "transition."

Many of us experienced transitions in our lives: moving homes, relocating abroad, changing jobs, getting married, becoming parents for the first time, welcoming new additions to our families, or even losing loved ones. Our church also underwent major transitions. Some of our staff and pastors moved on to new seasons, new staff joined us, old leaders stepped down, new ones stepped up, and of course, we changed our location.

Our church has settled well into our new home at Nexus, with service attendance increasing by 22% from 2023 to 2024. We continue to welcome a steady stream of visitors and newcomers, and integrating them into our community remains a priority. Financially, we have stabilised through the Build This City campaign, and regular tithes and offerings. Giving is on the rise, and we are projected to end the year with a reasonable surplus. This reduction in financial pressure is encouraging, but we must remain cautious and prudent in our planning.

The Bible has much to say about transitions. Throughout scripture, we see God guiding His people through significant changes: Abraham's call to a new land, the Israelites' exodus from Egypt, David's anointing as king, and the early church's expansion to the Gentiles. In each of these transitions, one thing remains constant: the call to reflect on, remember, and speak of the goodness of God.

Psalm 77:11-12 reminds us, "I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.” In the midst of life's challenges, it is easy to overlook the goodness of God. Our current culture is filled with cynicism and negativity. Celebration is a powerful antidote to cynicism.

However, as I consider the future of our church, I am consistently drawn to the words of Isaiah the prophet in Isaiah 43, "Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."

These verses leapt off the page for me. It may be the only place where God commands Israel not to remember His saving work in the Exodus. Everywhere else, God calls Israel to remember so they would not prove unfaithful. Here, though, God says that being too fixated on the past caused them to be unfaithful. Trying to recapture a glorious past put them in danger of missing the new thing He was doing.

We must be cautious of nostalgia, as it can blind us to the new work God is bringing about. As Jesus taught, new wine requires new wineskins. Clinging too tightly to the old risks missing the new opportunities and directions God is leading us toward. In this season of transition and growth, we may need to step out of our usual comforts, be open to innovating, and remain adaptable and nimble as the Spirit leads.

Our future is glorious, not because we have overcome our challenges and can now coast — it will certainly not be so. We will face new challenges to overcome. Our future is glorious because Christ builds His church, God's presence is with us, and He is bringing about a new work in us. As the Apostle Paul offered these words to a church in the midst of growth and challenge, I offer the same words to you: "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

Grace & Peace,

Andre Tan

In Our City
As It Is In Heaven

Seek First 2-Day Prayer Charge & Anointing Service

We start each year by calling the church to a 2-Day Prayer Charge, seeking and pursuing God’s intent for our family, our church, our nation, and the nations.

This year, our prayer themes follow the emphases laid out in our Vision Series: (1) The Pursuit Of Whole-Heartedness, (2) The Altar Of The Home, and (3) The Church As A House Of Prayer. These themes were prayed for in 2 cycles over the 2-day period.

A Group Prayer Guide was made available to lead us through the hour of prayer, and a Family Teaching Tool to engage children and for us to respond as a family.

The end of the Prayer Charge also coincided with the Anointing Service where the whole church entered into a time of consecration before the Lord, and were anointed with oil by the pastors and leaders.

Community Life

Water Baptism

of the church took the step of obedience to follow Jesus in water baptism during our services on Resurrection Sunday on 09 April and on 26 November.

14 Members

Child Dedication

were dedicated unto the Lord on 26 March. The church family also committed to support and care for the parents as they seek to train up their children with God’s wisdom and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

7 Children

LifeGroups

A LifeGroup is a small group of people who get together to explore faith in community and encourage each other in the way of Jesus.

When our LifeGroups gather, God’s presence and God’s Word is the mainstay of our time together.

We meet to encourage, eat, praise, sing, study scripture, share, and pray. We steward God’s grace in its various forms and we experience real transformation.

We embody Christ’s presence in our world wherever we go, so that others too can encounter God through us and with us.

230+ Members in 16 LifeGroups

TeamCity

Our volunteers are affectionately called TeamCity. They pour "heart" work and hard work in making The City a home for many.

You can play a part in building the house too! Check out the ministries’ profiles here!

110+ volunteers serving God and the house with their time, talent and heart

Parents For Life

set aside every Wednesday night to come together for a 12-week parenting course. They shared and discussed their own growing up years, learned biblical principles and tools to nurture their children, opened up about their failures, and celebrated parenting wins.

It takes a whole community to raise a child, and a parent. What a blessing it is to have many like-minded and like-hearted fellow parents to journey along.

12 Couples

Love After Marriage

learned how to develop and build deeper intimacy with each other through this 9-week marriage workshop.

They practiced implementing tools and inviting God to play an active role in their relationship. Couples also gained insight on how to protect their connection and grow closer emotionally, sexually, and spiritually.

9 Couples

Alpha

Alpha is a series of sessions exploring life’s questions through the context of the Christian faith.

Each talk looks at a different question around faith and is designed to facilitate deep and honest conversation. Usually done around a table with food and people, anyone is welcome to the Alpha course regardless of worldview, background or opinion.

This year’s Alpha Run was from 23 August till 27 September.

11 Guests

consistently attended the weekly sessions to explore the Christian faith, ask questions, and share their point of view.

Newcomers

We welcomed more than

75 Newcomers*

through our doors, with many now actively plugged in LifeGroups and being a part of TeamCity.

* Connect Card and email entries only.

Not Just A Service We Attend
But A Family We Belong To

GUSH Kids

Let me share a vision that came to me from God back in 2020, right in the midst of COVID. It happened during one of the church’s Zoom prayer sessions for the next generation. I distinctly heard God whisper, "From acorns to oaks." during the prayer time and He reminded me of Isaiah 61:3.

"That they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified."

Coincidentally, just a day or two later, I stumbled upon a book “The Oak Inside The Acorn” by Max Lucado tucked away on our family bookshelf — a total surprise! Despite not being a tree expert, I delved into it and discovered the incredible resilience of oak trees. I learned that oaks stand as some of the most robust and enduring trees in this world. They withstand the test of time, weather fierce storms, and even survive forest fires, all starting from a humble acorn.

This revelation painted a vivid picture in my mind — a vision for the children in our church. Even though they may seem small and delicate like acorns now, I truly believe that with our collective love and nurturing, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, they will grow into mighty oaks of righteousness in the Lord. Rooted firmly in Him, they will remain steadfast and faithful until the very end, bringing glory to God.

In conclusion, the adage "It takes a village to raise a child." rings true. The City is our village, and collectively, we bear the privilege and responsibility of nurturing these children. The children are not the future of the church; they are part of the church now. Remember, just as Jesus holds the little children, so should we. It is a communal effort to shower them with love, prayer, encouragement, and guidance. Together, let us empower them to step into the divine destiny that awaits, becoming oaks of righteousness for His glory.

Phoebe Wu
Children’s Director

Legacy Youth

Our youth ministry exists to help young people from 13-17 be with Jesus, become like Jesus and do the works of Jesus in their schools, homes and through the phase of life that is adolescence. It is a challenging period marked by rapid changes, discovery and exploration.

Our vision for youth ministry is one of deep discipleship that comes through deep relationships; and our passion is for every young person to find an older mentor they can look to as an example, a voice of wisdom and an encouragement.

We believe young people are not too young to have an intimate relationship with God, discover who God made them to be, and to be used radically and joyfully for their generation by Him. Legacy Youth Ministry commits to holistically teach, equip, empower and love these young people so they can live out their God-given purposes.

Timothy Seow
Youth Director

Family Life Ministry

The City’s Family Life Ministry (FLM) was launched on 26 February with a full service dedicated to it.

The FLM team shared the vision and framework of the ministry, detailing the care and support structures for members at different life stages. We also heard from different panels made up of participants and leaders from the various courses under the FLM umbrella.

There was also a time of testimonies and conversations, celebrating what God has done in marriages, children and families!

You can check out upcoming courses here!

Special Sundays

Mother’s Day

We got the husbands to prepare some kueh pie tees and popiahs for the mothers in our community. A pop-up coffee bar was also open to provide some much needed boost for all.

Father’s Day

The City’s longstanding tradition of serving all dads a KFC 3pc Meal was received with loud cheers and applause. It is no surprise though, that the dads ended up sharing most of their food with their kids.

Sermon Series

Be With Jesus
Become Like Jesus
Do The Works Of Jesus In Our City

Seven Last Words

In the final week of Lent, we opened up a space for people to meditate on the seven last words of Jesus.

The seven last words of Jesus, also known as the sayings of Jesus on the cross, are commonly used in churches around the world during Lent, specifically on Good Friday.

People were guided through seven immersive Stations, each with a keyword, scripture reading and art illustration. At certain points, there were also prayers or interactive elements that they could engage in.

Camp Assemble

After a 3-year hiatus due to Covid, The City family camp was back on in June. Drawing the camp theme from chapter 8 of the book of Nehemiah which documented a precious time in the story of the children of Israel. After uniting their households to labour sacrificially for God’s house, they now “gathered together as one” to hear the Law of God and bow before Him in worship. What proceeded were days marked by feasting, celebrating, and dedication to God once again.

In similar pattern, we assembled for 4 days 3 nights at camp to dedicate ourselves to the Lord again. To gather our households as one, worship on our faces, to hear the Scriptures daily, and be in joyful celebration with each other. Close to half of those in attendance was in a The City church camp for the first time.

Despite a gruelling start for campers who were stuck at the immigration customs for more than 10 hours, everyone felt a brewing excitement for all that will unfold in the days to come.

Ps. Andrew Gardener from The Vine, Hong Kong, returned to be the camp speaker for the main church, along with Ps. Sharon Chong from GENBRAVE who ministered to the GUSH Kids with her team.

Ps. Andrew led us through teachings and lessons from the book of Exodus and gave the clarion call for The City to step out with courage into this new season, and to dream again with emboldened faith.

We closed off the last night of camp with a Gala Awards Night, filling the stage, and our hearts, with much laughter from all the creative and very out-of-the-box skits and performances.

Big shout-out to the camp committee for their months of planning and preparation, and for being stellar organisers during the camp so that we can all be poised to encounter God and community during Camp Assemble.

Jesus:
In Scripture & Song

We gathered on Christmas Eve to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus in Scripture and Song. With the masterful help of Illuminate Productions, we harnessed light effects, stage design and music to bring the church into an immersive walk-through of the Christmas story: Jesus, the light of the world came down into our darkness, to make a way for us to to know Him now and forever.

The service was organised into five “Acts”: There was “Light”, “Darkness”, “Promise”, “A Way”, and “A Day”. It was an experiential journey exploring creation, fall, redemption and renewal in God’s Story. The service was punctuated with the public reading of Scripture and songs of worship. Congregants passed candlelight from member to member to illustrate the hope and light of the Gospel, now living and active in each of us, for the sake of the world around us.

This celebration marked the last time we would gather as a community in TPI Building. Though it was an end to one chapter, a new one for us — The City, has just begun.

We said goodbye to 8 beautiful years at TPI Building.

What an immense privilege to steward Level 5 and Level 6 right in the heart of the CBD during our time here. We experienced many significant milestones together: Ps. Andre’s commissioning, the launch of our logo, adapting to Covid measures, returning to in-person services, baptisms, Christmas celebrations, and more. We also watched God move mightily amongst us in this place we called home.

God continues to write His story in our church as we settle into our new home. May we be in tandem with God’s heart that He may accomplish all that He is desiring to do in and through The City.