As Poor As A Church Mouse

I think people need to seriously consider revising this phrase after they read the article below.

SINGAPORE (AFP) – - A Singapore-based church paid one of its leaders more than 500,000 dollars (329,000 US) in its last financial year, a report said Monday.

The New Creation Church, which raised 19 million Singapore dollars in just one day in February for the construction of its new premises, paid one employee between 500,001 and 550,000 dollars in the financial year ended March 31, 2008, the Straits Times said.

It said the church did not confirm if the money was paid to its leader, Senior Pastor Joseph Prince.

But New Creation’s honorary secretary, Deacon Matthew Kang, was quoted by the newspaper as saying it was the church’s policy to “recognise and reward key contributors… and Senior Pastor Prince is the main pillar of our church’s growth and revenue.”

Kang also described Prince as “the key man responsible for bringing in about 95 percent of our church’s income,” and added “he has enriched the church and not the other way around.”

Two other employees of the church were paid between 150,001 and 200,000 dollars, but no names were given, the report said.

One of Singapore’s fastest growing churches, New Creation had an income of 55.4 million dollars and net assets of 143.36 million dollars in its last financial year, according to its website.

Full Reply By New Creation Church To The Straits Times Query On Staff Remuneration

New Creation Church (NCC) is not a public charity organisation. Therefore, we donot raise donations or funds from the general public. In October 2007, NCC was reviewed by the Commissioner of Charities (CoC) and we passed the review.Additionally, we have submitted the online governance evaluation checklist and complied fully with the requirements of the Code of Governance for charities to disclose the salary bands of our top three executives in our annual report as well as to our members at our Annual General Meeting.

NCC has a remuneration committee (RC) chaired by independent Church Council members who are not staff of NCC. The RC reviews the remuneration terms and conditions of the church’s senior management and also has the discretion to review the remuneration package of all levels of staff. In addition, the RC reviews and approves the annual staff salary adjustment and staff bonus payments.

As the RC believes in attracting and retaining strong, able leaders with the right values and passion for the church, staff members who perform well are rewarded and paid competitive salaries. This remuneration approach is in line with the principle found in the Bible in the Book of First Timothy chapter five verse 17, which in Greek (the original language that the New Testament was written in) says, “Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double wages, especially those who labour in word and doctrine.”

In March 2006, our Senior Pastor, Joseph Prince, informed the church that he approached the Church Council to consider his request to go on a no-pay scheme. On 16 April 2006, Deacon Matthew Kang, Honorary Secretary and Lead Independent Council Member of NCC, announced at all four services of the church that the Church Council unanimously decided to turn down Senior Pastor Prince’s request after much deliberation.

Deacon Matthew Kang explains, “It is the RC’s policy to recognise and reward key contributors to the church, and Senior Pastor Prince is the main pillar for our church’s growth and revenue. Senior Pastor Prince is the keyman responsible for bringing in about 95% of our church’s income. I must concede that Senior Pastor Prince has enriched the church and not the other way round. Above all, through Senior Pastor Prince’s ministry, many people have experienced the grace and love of our Lord Jesus for themselves, and seen how their lives have been transformed and marriages restored.”

About more than a month ago, Senior Pastor Prince raised his request to go on a no-pay scheme with the Council again. The Council has yet to give him a reply.

Heard from a friend from NCC that besides his monthly salary, members also blessed Pastor Prince monetarily. Also, being the writer of Destined To Reign which is such a successful publication, I believe the remuneration is also quite significant. And all those overseas conferences and assignments. So all these simply adds up to more S$500K PER MONTH!

Maybe I can consider taking up a pastoral degree too if i can’t find a job after graduation. Okay, don’t stone me, i am just kidding.

Jokes aside, could it be that ST is trying to sensationalize this whole matter? After all, the church is so big. The pastors basically draw their salary from the tithes given freely by the members. So logically there ain’t anything wrong with it. Maybe, maybe not?

I would really love to hear your valued views on this matter. So guys, drop me a comment while refrain from spamming me with unconstructive junks ya. Thanks and loves

Speed Of Light- Alphawezen

Touch me
I am losing shape
Look I am invisible
Can you say my name

If there’s a perfect sky that we came from
We’ll be like stars forever shining on

Catch me
I am almost there
How can I be near
I am highspeed
I am everywhere

I couldn’t catch your smile
You are blinded by another side
I couldn’t say goodbye
You are traveling at the speed of light

You and me
We never cross the boundary
That’s how I know you
I can hear you say

You and me
We never unweil mysteries
Once you are shining
We never tried again

You and me
We never cross the boundary
That’s how I know you
I can hear you say

You and me
Always traveling separately
When I try to reach you
You are miles away

You and me
We never unweil mysteries

Touch me
I am losing shape
Look I am invisible
Can you say my name

If there’s a perfect sky that we came from
We’ll be like stars forever shining on

Catch me
I am almost there
How can I be near
I am highspeed
I am everywhere

You couldn’t read my mind
How I wanted you to hold me tight
I couldn’t save that night
I was passing by at the speed of light

You and me
We never cross the boundary
That’s how I know you
I can hear you say

You and me
We never unweil mysteries
Once you are shining
We never tried again

We are flesh and we are free
Wa are drift wood in the sea
From the distance we are stars
Like there is a face on Mars

Wa are lost and we are one
We are neighbours to the Sun
Slowly drifting out of sight
Traveling at the speed of light

With Open Window

Don’t Stall On Me

 Spa Party ‘09

With my ever lovely Laurel

Love these curls that Daphne did for me. Hmm the next time i shall attempt curls should be Aggie’s wedding then!

PopArt!

All my motivation for studying seems to be stalling on me. The past one week is utterly fruitless and frustrating. The fact that i know i have tonnes to complete yet not being driven to do so is enough to make me wanna throw in the towel. If i have simply done so, then it might well be the end of me. Sigh… Mugging like this can be likened to running a marathon. It demands so much stamina and motivation from within. I can’t see how one can stay focus for so long when the finishing line is nowhere, NOWHERE in sight. Yet, in the midst of all these, i still have coax and psycho myself to the greener pasture at the end of this race. No wonder students are going berserk these days. Alright that’s basically to rant about my boring life right now.

DELAYED GRATIFICATION. My greener pasture jolly well be worthwhile. =P

What Goes Thru Your Mind When Someone Said, “Let’s Go For A Drink”

Only the English could have invented this language

We’ll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,
But the plural of ox becomes oxen, not oxes.
One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice,
Yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.

If the plural of man is always called men,
Then shouldn’t the plural of pan be called pen?
If I speak of my foot and show you my feet,
And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,
Why shouldn’t the plural of booth be called beeth?

Then one may be that, and three would be those,
Yet hat in the plural would never be hose,
And the plural of cat is cats, not cose.
We speak of a brother and also of brethren,
But though we say mother, we never say methren.
Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,
But imagine the feminine: she, shis and shim!

Let’s face it – English is a crazy language.
There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger;
neither apple nor pine in pineapple.
English muffins weren’t invented in England .
We take English for granted, but if we explore its paradoxes,
we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square,
and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don’t fing,
grocers don’t groce and hammers don’t ham?
Doesn’t it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend.
If you have a bunch of o! dds and ends
and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn’t preachers praught?
If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
Sometimes I think all the folks who grew up speaking English
should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.
In what other language do people recite at a play and play at a recital?
We ship by truck but send cargo by ship.

We have noses that run and feet that smell.
We park in a driveway and drive in a parkway.
And how can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same,
while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language
in which your house can burn up as it burns
down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out,
and in which an alarm goes off by going on.

And, in closing, if Father is Pop,  how come Mother’s not Mop?

AND IF PEOPLE FROM POLAND ARE CALLED POLES THEN PEOPLE FROM HOLLAND SHOULD BE HOLES AND THE GERMANS, GERMS

Eric Liddell

Eric Liddell—Scotland, 1924 Olympic gold metal in the 400-metre dash

With the Olympic Games taking place in China, the name of Eric Liddell comes to mind. Eric was, of course, the runner who took gold in the 1924 Olympics before devoting his life to teaching and mission work in China, where he had been born of Scottish missionary parents. His story was made into a film, “Chariots of fire.”

Eric was a world-class sprinter who was being talked of as a potential gold medallist in the 100-metre dash in the 1924 Olympics. But when the schedule for the Olympics was announced, the heats were set for a Sunday. Eric decided that as a Christian who honoured “the Sabbath,” he would not run in the 100.

In “Chariots of fire” Eric is portrayed as only finding out on the boat to France that the event was scheduled for Sunday and being pressured by the Prince of Wales to sacrifice his principles rather than let his country down. Dramatic theatre, but not factual! Eric knew months previously and geared his training towards the 200 and 400 metres in which he was also an excellent runner. In fact, the British Olympic Association tried to get the 100 switched from Sunday.

He took bronze in that 1924 Olympic 200-metres final and then went on not only to win gold in the 400 but also to set a new world record of 47.6 in the process. His decision to go to China meant that 1925 was his last season in competitive athletics. While in China he did no formal training but continued to run when the opportunity offered itself.

In 1925 he set off to China where he served with the London Missionary Society initially as a teacher and subsequently as a traveling evangelist. He remained—but for two periods of leave—in China until his death in a Japanese internment camp in Weishien, China in 1945.

Having been born in China of parents who gave their lives to mission work in China, it was natural that Eric would feel a strong call to that country. However, it appears that he was initially a somewhat reluctant missionary, unsure if he could handle the task.

Eric Liddell competed only in one Olympics—and that 74 years ago—and won only one gold medal. Yet he is better known than many Olympians who have achieved more. What is so compelling about Eric Liddell that his life has been recorded in a dozen biographies, a film and at least two TV documentaries?

The answer seems to be because he refused to run on a Sunday. He captured the imagination of millions by tossing away his chance of a gold medal in the 100—the race he was favorite to win—because a principle of his Christian faith mattered more. Again he gave up a comfortable life in Scotland and the chance to defend his Olympic title to help boys in China get a better education.

While in the Japanese prison camp, he lived for others. One of his roles was to organize sports for the kids. When a group of teenagers wanted to play hockey one Sunday, Eric said that they could have the equipment but he would not be there to umpire. They decided to organise a hockey game by themselves despite him—boys against girls. It ended in a fight because there was no umpire. On the following Sunday, Eric turned out on that field to act as umpire.

This incident speaks volumes about Eric. As Sally Magnusson put it in her book, The Flying Scotsman, “He would not run on a Sunday for an Olympic gold medal in the 100 meters and all the glory in the world; but he refereed a game on Sunday, he broke his unbreakable principle, just to keep a handful of imprisoned youngsters at peace with each other.” There will be many great champions in the 2008 Olympics, but will there be any of the integrity and character of Eric Liddell?

This story was contributed by Stuart Weir, executive director of the international sports ministry, Verité Sport, based in Oxford, England

Play Some More

Yesterday was an utterly fruitless day. Yeah, had a good swim and guess that is probably the most worth it thing to do. Bumped into my aunt by the pool and her friend commented that i had the mixed-blood look. i smiled politely at her while deep inside i wanna tell her so bad that i am a PURE Chinese! Get that right!

Lunch was ordinary with someone not so ordinary. It’s pretty amazing that i landed myself in a date with someone who’s perpetually busy. After which we went to do something so outta the world which i promised to keep it a secret. Yeah you bet it was an eye-opener. So cool, that it keeps me thinking about it.

The aftermath of such a wonderful day, no motivation to study the day after. hahaha i wanna play some more!

See The Morning

A Strong Woman VS A Woman of Strength

A strong woman works out every day to keep her body in shape…
but a woman of strength kneels in prayer to keep her soul in shape…

A strong woman isn’t afraid of anything…
but a woman of strength shows courage in the midst of her fear…

A strong woman won’t let anyone get the best of her…
but a woman of strength gives the best of her to everyone…

A strong woman walks sure footedly…
but a woman of strength knows God will catch her if she falls…

A strong woman wears the look of confidence on her face…
but a woman of strength wears grace…

A strong woman has faith that she is strong enough for the journey…
but a woman of strength has faith that it is in the journey that she will become strong…