BY KELLY LIM AND PATRICK KOH
李苏薇 & 许宝庆
As COR celebrates her 40th Anniversary this year, we deviated from the usual, tried and tested camp locations within Malaysia into uncharted waters - we set sail on a cruise ship bound for Penang!
Royal Caribbean International’s Voyager of the Seas took us on a 4-day journey from Singapore to Penang from 7 to 10 June 2019. The 15-deck luxury cruise ship offered a myriad of activities and entertainment for everyone. It was funny to bump into each other on the stairs, confused by the sheer size of the ship and its different parts. We feasted on a smorgasbord of sumptuous cuisines at every meal. Water activities provided thrills for the young and old, and the well-choreographed musical shows played to packed audiences every night. Fine dining was a lavish experience and getting off at Penang for a few hours
gave many of us the opportunity to shop and indulge in authentic Penang delicacies.
This year’s camp programme was unusual. For the first time, combined dialogue sessions involving 228 campers from 5 congregations (Sunday Worship Service, Saturday Praise Service, Mustard Seed Service, Mandarin Service, New Life Service) were organised. The purpose was to trace the unique history of COR over the past 40 years and to identify COR’s core strengths and giftings. We were divided into small groups that were inter-generational and inter-congregational, and we certainly got to know one another better! Led by Noel Tan, a COR member and consultant/facilitator by profession, we shared our faith journeys and it was exciting to see God start ‘a good work’ in COR.
我们乘上皇家加勒比国际游轮海洋航行者号，从2019年6月7-10日，展开为期4天新加坡-槟城之旅。15层楼高的豪华游轮为每个人带来一连串精彩的活动与娱乐节目。游轮非常大，但我们经常会在船上某个角落碰面，非常好玩。我们每一餐都享用丰盛的美食。船上的水上活动是老少咸宜，每个晚上的歌舞表演更是高朋满座。精致晚餐带来奢华的经验，在槟城数小时让我们除了购物也享用了当地的美食。今年营会的节目也有别于往年。有史以来，我们办了一个来自5个堂会 (英文部周六，周日聚会，芥菜种聚会，华文聚会，广华聚会，新生命聚会)，共228人的联合对话项目。其目的包括追溯复活堂过去40年的独特历史，和辨识复活堂主要强项与恩赐。我们被分成跨年龄层和跨堂会的小组，透过彼此的分享，增进了彼此的感情。负责带领这次的对话是复活堂的会友，Noel Tan, 他本身是从事咨询顾问工作。在他的协调促进之下，我们分享了各自的信仰之旅，看到上帝如何在复活堂所开始的善工，我们深感兴奋。
COR Our Stories 1 - A Summary Of The Camp Dialogues On the first evening of camp, the first session introduced us to the art of engaging with each other through dialogue. We had been asked to bring an ‘Artefact of Faith’ to camp and at this session, we used our individual artefacts to share how they represented a significant moment in our faith journeys with our fellow group members. How fascinating and inspiring were the stories! This exercise gave us the opportunity to practise active listening and to create focus in our own narratives. At the next session, on Day 2, we were invited to place significant personal milestones on our faith journeys onto a common 'Wall of History'. As we did this, we began to see how our respective faith journeys moved alongside COR’s journey over the past 40 years; connecting our individual experience to the church community’s development.
We formed pairs and took turns to interview each other about the high points and turning points in our COR experience. Remaining in pairs, we then connected with 2 other pairs to
identify what we felt were the core strengths of COR and the gifts of our members.
When these were identified across the room, the core strengths and individual gifts were collected and sorted into themes. Everyone witnessed this important phase and the stage was then set for further conversation - moving from a review of the past to focus on the future.
The final session of the camp dialogues got the groups to imagine what COR would be like in 5 years' time based on the core strengths and individual gifts that had been identified. The focal question was “What would COR be like if these gifts and strengths were fully manifested every time we gathered together?” In groups, these pictures of a future COR were created and explained.
第二天的第二堂聚会，我们每个人按照自己各人信仰之旅重要的里程碑记录在一个共同的“历史墙垣”。当我们完成这活动，就发现我们各自的信仰之旅如何与复活堂过去40年并行，我们各自的经历和教会群体的发展紧紧相扣。
过后，我们分成二人一组，轮流访问对方关于他们在复活堂高峰的经历和转捩点。我们二人组又与另外二人组结合，一起讨论什么是我们认为是复活堂的主要强项和会友所展现的恩赐才干。
当所有的小组完成这活动后，我们就集合这些不同的主要强项和各人的恩赐才干的资料，然后把它们归类。在场每一个人都目睹这重要的阶段，为下一个对话活动设下另一个焦点 - 从重温过去到展望未来。
营会最后一堂聚会的对话活动就是让各小组想像五年后的复活堂在已有的主要强项和各人恩赐才干的基础上，会怎样演变和成长。针对主要的问题 “复活堂若是在每一次聚集时，都能够全面发挥这些恩赐与强项，教会将会是怎样的呢?” 在每一小组里，大家以创意和想像力画出复活堂的未来，并且解释图画的意义。 Stories, old and current, have always been fascinating to KELLY; so being a part of the dialogues team has been fun and a privilege. When stressed, she unwinds by nagging her plants (since kids are already in bed).
故事，无论是以往或是现在，都一直让苏薇着迷，因此能够成为对话筹委会的一份子，
是一件有趣又荣幸的事。当面对压力时，她会向她的盆栽发唠叨来舒解压力 (因为孩子都
睡觉了)。
Personal Insights Of This Year's Camp Committee Chairman, Patrick Koh I accepted the call to serve because I just wanted to be a ‘good soldier’ and take on any assignment from my leader, and to remain submissive and teachable even after walking with the Lord for 20 years.
Sometimes, we think we are giving to God as we serve Him, but through working on this camp, I learnt that we can actually be receiving from God and His people as we give. I had the opportunity to work with a one group of people from across the various congregations that made up the Camp Committee. I did not know many of them and had not worked with them before, and so I am thankful for their support and the new friendships made.
I think it is never easy to move out of one's comfort zone. In this case, we were sailing into uncharted waters with no benchmark and taking a risk by going on a cruise and having
dialogue sessions for a church camp. But I was reminded of this verse from Deuteronomy:
The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. (Deuteronomy 31:8)
今年营长，许宝庆对营会的反思
我接受这呼召来服事因为我想做一个 “好精兵”, 对我的领袖所托付的职责抱着顺服与受教的心态，即便我已经跟随主20年载。
有时候，我们以为服事上帝是仅仅地付出，但在统筹这次营会的过程中，我学习到当我们付出时，同时我们也从上帝和祂子民中获益不浅。我有机会与一群来自不同堂会的代表，组成一支极棒的营会筹委会。 在这营会之前，我跟他们交情不深，也未曾和他们合作过，所以我非常感谢他们的支持，还有我们共同建立的新的友谊。
我觉得要走出我们的舒适地带是件不容易的事。这一次当我们策划在游轮上组办生活营和对话活动，这犹如在未曾踏足过，没有基准点的海域里冒险。但我想到申命记31:8的经文说道：
耶和华必在你前面行；他必与你同在，必不撇下你，也不丢弃你。不要惧怕，也不要惊惶。
我要感谢牧正和英文部的执事会给予这次营会筹委会的信任，允许我们今年可以前所未有，扩张境界去发掘新的领域。我希望我们在这次的经历中更多地发觉自己。让我们不惧怕未曾踏足过的新境界，在主的引导与同在里，扩张我们的帐幕。 Patrick likes to daydream in a cafe while sipping his hot latte. He would sacrifice sleep for Netflix and to catch up on Hong Kong TVB dramas.
宝庆喜欢在咖啡厅里一边享受一杯热乎乎的拉铁，一边发白日梦。他会牺牲他的睡眠时
间，为了要在 Netflix 上追看港剧。
This article first appeared in Issue 20, December 2019 CHORUS Magazine.