A YAMmer's reflections on the YAM welcome dinner

As promised, a sharing by one of our yammers about how he felt, bringing friends to our YAM event :) To Zhi Yang, many thanks for sharing this with us!!!

The recent YAM event at Temasek Club was a great success! It was a great place and atmosphere and of course, GREAT FOOD! As some of you all might know, I brought 3 exchange students from the Octopus ministry and I really thank God for the timing of this event. The previous week was the first Octopus meeting and I advertised  the YAM event then. During the week, one of the exchange students, Gosia, emailed me to let me know she was coming and was bringing 2 friends! So Praise God! 

Overall, the feedback I got from the exchange students was very positive. When I drove one of them back, I asked him what he thought of the event. He said that he really enjoyed himself and he was really surprised how friendly everyone was. His previous experience of church was just a normal Sunday service, “come, listen, go” and there was never an opportunity to interact with the Christians around. So I think this event really helped to change his perspective on church. Besides that, he is also interested in coming for future events.

So I want to say Thank you to everyone who made the effort to reach out and be friendly to these people! I guess we (myself included) sometimes underestimate the importance of these pre-evangelistic events. Sometimes, non-christians have a perception that church is just a building that people come on Sunday to worship and that’s it! But I guess events like these really show that the body of Christ is ultimately made up of people and it is the love for God and the love for people that ultimately defines Christianity.

So I would like to encourage everyone to bring your friends and more importantly to engage your CGs in helping to make your friends feel welcome. What I did before the event was to let my CG know that I was bringing 3 newcomers and ask for their help in “taking care” of these people. So that way, you do not have to worry about your friends feeling left out!

Britt Nicole - Walk on the Water

Hello everyone!!

Just want to share a song I found on one of our yammers' facebook post. This song was written to encourage all of us to step out of our comfort zone (by faith) to do the work that God has placed in our hearts to do. I thought that it is very apt for me to post this song today, since it's Dedication Sunday and I hope that through this song, more of us will be encouraged to take the step of faith to serve God despite our busy schedules :) So here's the song, do enjoy and let the words speak to you..

Online Resources for CGs

In YAM, our CGs are all about young adults living life together. It's a great blessing to have brothers and sisters who're at the same stage in life to learn from, share with and grow alongside. Other times though, it can feel like we're all no more clued in than the next person as to how to run the CG, how to resolve conflict in groups, how to decide who should lead bible studies and so on.

Here are just a couple of resources that we think *might* help. Nothing beats continually praying, being guided by the Holy Spirit and learning as we go along of course, but these offer ways to think through things + tips/ideas that might help. So here goes!

1. SmallGroups.com

What this is: Run by the inter-denominational Christianity Today International, this site pulls together tons of resources for small groups. Start here to find out more about their free training materials, assessments, leadership tips, tools to help plan CG meetings, and a regularly updated blog on small group dynamics.

Check out: Loads of potentially useful stuff, but here's a free-for-now e-training module on starting a small group (may be especially useful for BOND cg!)

2. Threads

What this is: Run by Lifeway Christian Resources, Threads calls itself "a community of young adults - people whose lives are marked by our passion for community, connection, responsibility and depth." Such a community, rooted in Christ - that's what we want YAM to be! Anyway, beyond material on leading a CG, this site also has a blog with articles and devotions targeted at young adults in their 20s and 30s.

Check out: Just as a taster, here's an article on connecting in between CG meetings and another devotional on living for Christ - part of a series Downhere (excellent band if you're not already acquainted with them btw!) wrote for Threads.

We've got more to share another time, but if you've any you've been using regularly do share them in the comments or email us.

Also, save the date!! 20 MARCH 2010, SUNDAY AFTERNOON, in CBC

This will be the first in a series of workshops to equip anyone interested in helping to build up their CGs. See you there!

UPDATE: "Undying Love" V-day event

Hello everyone!! One week has almost gone by. How has God blessed you this week? Well, God has blessed our ministry in one way this past week. Remember I mentioned that YAM and NEXUS are co-organizing our Valentine's Day event? Well, we've received feedback from you that the prices were too high ($15 for students/NSFs; $25 for working adults). The committee was worried that this would deter people from coming for the event, yet at the same time, we were tight on our budget and didn't really know if reducing the cost was the way to go. But thank God that He provided a way out of this problem for us, and now the prices for the event are reduced to the following: $10 for students/NSFs and $20 for working adults!!

We really hope that as many of you will come and join us (we understand that some of you are helping our with the youths' Valentines' Day event as well). Do invite your friends along too, so they can be blessed through the message and our fellowship :) More details of the event are as follows:

Date: 12th Feb

Time: 7:00pm - 10:00pm

Venue: Singapore Polytechnic Graduates' Guild
1010 Dover Road, Singapore (139658)


Registration has been open this week and will continue till next Sunday. Please register either at the registration booth after service, through your CGLs or through our facebook page. Join us to find out more about this love we all can enjoy, whether single, attached or married :)

New Year's Dinner + Events to Come

Hello everyone!!

Yesterday the yammers had our first welcome dinner of the year! Thank God for providing us with a place with a cozy atmosphere and for the good turn-out. About 55 of us turned up at the Outpost@ Temasek Club and we had a good time mingling, enjoying the good food and getting to know the new friends. We had about 7 newcomers yesterday, do continue to bring your friends for all our activities! For some reflections from the yammers who brought their friends, stay tuned for the upcoming entries :)

During the night, representatives from each YAM CG (care group) shared about how their CGs got their names, the meaning behind the names, the age range of their members and what they do. Each of the CGs have very meaningful names, like D'Vine (which means disciples of the Vine), BOND (which means Band of New Disciples), etc. The YAM committee head, Evan, also introduced the YAM committee (Shi Ning, Sarah, You Kai, Sharmaine, Natalia, Ting Yun and Rebecca), their roles (YAM social events: Shi Ning, Sarah, You Kai; YAM CG support: Sharmaine, Natalia, Ting Yun; YAM collaborations: Rebecca and Ps Dixon) and what we've got planned for the year.

Our next event on the calendar is a partnership with the Nexus committee: YAM-Nexus Valentines' Day (Again, more in the posts to come!). Rebecca also shared with everyone present about the YAM blog (the one that you're reading now) and the new YAM facebook page. Both are to provide interactive avenues for you to obtain information regarding upcoming events AND the chance to voice your opinions and raise suggestions. We'll be checking regularly and listening carefully!! The blog also has links to other resources -- for bible study, devotionals for your quiet time, etc.

Just 2 more things:
1. If you are not in any CG and would like to join one, please drop us an email at mountcarmel.yam@gmail.com and we will try and find a suitable CG for you :)

2. We want your suggestions on:
(a) songs for a playlist in our blog,
(b) what to do for our social events in April, May & July (Click here to take survey).

Do send in your suggestions (via facebook page, the blog or email), we'll make sure they're heard!
Have a wonderful week ahead :)

Heyhey, do you have a christian song that you love to listen to over and over again? Share with us so we can include it in a playlist for the YAM blog :)

Update on YAM welcome dinner

Hey all!!

Hope the week that has almost past has been wonderful thus far :) Just a reminder to everyone that our YAM welcome dinner Feast of New & Rediscovered Blessings is this coming Sat!! For all those who are coming, if you do not know by now, we do have a dress code: smart causal. This means that no shorts, bermudas, nor slippers are allowed. Please do dress nicely since we'll be going to Temasek Club :) For those who are travelling by the chartered bus, please be in church punctually by 6pm, so that we can start the programme on time. For those who are coming by your own, please arrive punctually too, by 6.30pm. The event will end at 10.30pm, but we also welcome you to stay back and mingle with the rest if you're not in a rush to get home.

If you would like to join us or if you know of a friend who wants to join us, but you/they have yet to register, please let us know via email (mountcarmel.yam@gmail.com) or post on our facebook event page (http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=189476554396004&num_event_invites=0) so that we can note your attendance. Also, for those who have not paid, please remember to bring $10 and pay at the registration booth on that day.

We look forward to having a wonderful time of fellowship with one another, a great opportunity to welcome the new yammers, and a chance to update everyone about the YAM ministry, its committee and all the exciting events that you can look forward to in the rest of the year. The CGLs (care group leaders) will also be sharing a little about their groups and how (if you are not in one) you may join the group.

Have a wonderful mid-week and hope to see all of you on Saturday!!

YAM welcome dinner - Feast of New & Rediscovered Blessings

Hi YAMmers!!

Time really flies, doesn’t it? Have you stopped to reflect and count the blessings that God has given you in the past year? We’re now in 2011, everyone has gotten 1 year older and we have new members in YAM from the Youth. As some of you may know, we have completely revamped the structure of YAM and have formed a new YAM committee for the year ahead. So to kick things off with this fresh start, we will be organising a New Year’s Dinner to usher in the new year, new YAM members, and new YAM committee!

We hope you can take some time off to have a nice meal with friends and to give thanks for the things that have happened in the past year. Come and join us for our Feast of New & Rediscovered Blessings as we gather with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to dine, renew old friendships and forge new ones, and re-vitalise our YAM ministry. (There will be a live band playing the whole night, just for you!)

Evan (our committee head) will be sharing all the exciting events that you can look forward to and participate in this new year with you. Also, we want to hear what you expect or would like to see for YAM and this would be a great time to express that. We’d love to have you join us, so sign up at our booth this Sunday either individually or through your CG leaders (if you’re in a CG). You can also sign up through our facebook group or drop us an email at mountcarmel.yam@gmail.com. Hope to hear your replies soon!! Payments to be made on registration. If registering online, payment to be made at the door or to Pastor Dixon.

Details of event:
Place: Temasek Club (The Outpost)
1 Portsdown Road

Date/Time: 22^nd Jan (Sat) 6:30pm-10:30pm

Cost: $10 per person

Transport:
One-way transportation provided – meet at church at 6pm
If you’re coming on your own, take Bus 191 (opp Buona Vista MRT) and alight 5 stops later

Hope to see you there!! :)

Happy New Year!

Hi everyone,

It's a new year!

If you're wondering what's happening with YAM this year... you'll hear more very, very soon about the dinner party we're throwing to welcome the newly-minted young adults coming on board from the Youth side of things, as well as anyone else who's been around church but isn't yet familiar with YAM.

Evan (our new committee head) will tell us more then about what to expect, plus the many opportunities you'll get to step up and serve in YAM. We're also hoping the various young adult care-groups will get to share about what's been happening in their cg-lives.

Anyway, the new year brings a jump-start for this blog!

We hope for it to be a platform not just to keep us all up to speed with what's happening YAM-wise, but also to share resources that'll help us run with perseverance the race marked out for us and keep us looking to Jesus. (Hebrews 12:1-2, otherwise known as what's beneath our church logo.)

New links to resources we think may be helpful have been added (see blog's right side-bar). Do check those out and let us know what you think - good/bad, helpful/not so helpful? And anyone who'd like to write, redesign, spruce up this blog - do get in touch!

Those on Facebook may also have noticed the new Mount Carmel Young Adults' Ministry page - to which all blog posts are automatically linked as "Notes". Again, feedback/suggestions/ideas would be great!

All new plans and pages aside though, Mt Carmel YAM is really about the people isn't it? And we pray we'll be a group of young people truly following Jesus, loving one another. Lyrics from that song "Hosanna" come to mind too: "I see a generation/Rising up to take their place/With selfless faith/With selfless faith..." Let's be that generation, in 2011.