Of Camp and Pentecost Sunday

We are now about three weeks away from our bi-annual Camp at Bintan.

Church Camps are often highlights in the life of a church.

The term “camp” comes from an earlier era when Christian groups literally

went camping or stayed in very simple dormitory-style retreat grounds, often

with large open spaces for games, fellowship, and community life. Here

in Singapore, however, churches frequently use hotel resorts in nearby regions

as Camp venues.

This may be due to the lack of simpler retreat facilities, the affluence of our

society, or perhaps the practical ease of such resorts for young families and

seniors. In our daughter church, Chapel of Christ our Hope, for example, the

needs of children with autism mean that their Camp has to be held in a hotel

with a single building layout. Thankfully, our Bintan resort is blessed with

generous space, and we should make good use of it.

In saying this, I hope that Campers will give worship and community top

priority. Individual or private activities such as spa visits can easily be enjoyed

during personal holidays. But during Camp, let us make the best use of the

time to deepen spiritual friendships and strengthen the ministry of the Body of

Christ. We look forward especially to the ministry of Revd Victor Teo, the group

sharing sessions, and times of prayer ministry. A Camp is a precious

opportunity to refresh our walk with the Lord and with one another.

Today is Pentecost Sunday. Traditionally — especially within our Diocese —

we often look back on the charismatic renewal and our experiences of the Holy

Spirit. Typically, we pray for a “refilling” of the Spirit, and rightly so. Yet

Pentecost Sunday is also a reminder of how the Church began, what she looked

like in the Book of Acts, and how deeply we still need the Holy Spirit to guide

and build the Church.

During my recent trip to Isle of Iona, my reading and reflections brought me

back to some of the basics of what it means to be a Christian community. I

found myself remembering my student days — beginning from Primary One

after my conversion, through my years in campus student ministry. That

season stretched across more than a decade. There was a certain simplicity

and purposefulness in Christian fellowship during those years. After that came

the demands of pastoral ministry, parish leadership, and eventually the

responsibilities of being a Vicar.

In Singapore, there is often an endless expectation regarding success and

growth. We may use different language to describe it, but many church leaders

and members alike naturally long to see flourishing and growth in our parishes.

Yet beneath this is also a deeper and healthier longing — a longing for

authentic Christian community and for lives lived with spiritual purpose. This is

a longing we must continue to nurture as we reflect on and plan for MPCC’s

future and her “10-year direction.”

Pentecost reminds us that the Church did not begin in a boardroom. It began

as a powerful work of the Holy Spirit, where human agency was anchored in

prayer, worship, and dependence upon God. We see this clearly in Acts 2, even

though leadership structures and wise administration soon became necessary

in the later chapters of Acts.

But at no point should the Church cease praying and seeking the Lord for His

guidance and renewal.

What will MPCC look like in 2036? What will churches in Singapore look like by

then? We do not really know. But we continue to pray, labour, and trust —

knowing that Christ Himself will build His Church. ✨