Reactions to New Creation Church record $21 million fund raising

Joy Fang of My Paper reported today that New Creation Church collected $21 million in less than 24 hours!

In fewer than 24 hours last Sunday, members of the megachurch donated an impressive $21.1 million towards its multimillion-dollar building fund over four services held at Suntec City and Golden Village Marina. The sum breaks the church’s record of over $18.8 million raised last February, and $18 million raised in April 2008. In comparison, last year’s President’s Challenge raised a total of about $10 million for 37 beneficiaries. When “My Paper” broke the news last year that the church raised about $19 million in a day with about 21,300 people in attendance – what the church said was a “new record attendance and collection done during a worldwide recession” – it caused an uproar among netizens in online forums. This year, a record number of over 22,000 people attended the special service last Sunday,
called Miracle Seed Sunday. Church members donated money to help fund the construction of the Integrated Hub complex. Located at Vista Xchange at one-north in Buona Vista, the civic and cultural complex will house a 5,000-seat auditorium when it is completed in 2012. It is being co-developed by Rock Productions, the commercial- development arm of New Creation Church, andmall developer CapitaMalls Asia. New Creation Church will be the auditorium’s anchor tenant and hire the venue for its services on Sundays. With this new amount, the total sum raised so far by the church for the project stands at about $259 million, or more than half the $500 million needed.

There will be a wide range of responses from different people. Blogpastor imagines some:

Governance regulators: “Let’s keep a close eye on them!”

Politicians: “How can we get our party members to donate that much in such a short time?”

Finance/Marketeers: “It must be an investment scam!”

Organizers of President’s Challenge: “How can we harness religion for fund-raising?”

Christian idealists: “Why don’t they do the same for the poor?”

Secularist: “Churches should be taxed!”

Other megachurches: “Will we be able to match that?”

Small churches: “Can we have the crumbs that fall off the table of plenty?”

Parachurch organizations: “With that money, we can send 21,000 workers into the harvest fields”.

Fundamentalist: “20,000 deceived by prosperity doctrine in less than 24 hours!”

Roman Catholics: “How come our folks do not give as much?”

Gambler who lost $26 million at the casino recently: ” If only…….”

Unsaved dad: “I told you the church is filthy rich. Stop giving your salary to them!”

Arsenal fan: “We could get Shay Given with that amount!”

Blogpastor: “Hallelujah! Praise the Lord.”

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Comments

  • lol first to respond! can’t believe nobody has commented anything on it yet especially when i know quite a few NCC pple are following ur blog haha.

    Praise the Lord that Christians are indeed blessed to give such a large sum of money. But on a separate note, I think the new proposed auditorium that seats 5000 is a tad too small for NCC which has a congregation of 22000. I would have imagined them to aim bigger like say 7-8000, especially on a budget of 1billion dollars.

    Also, I think one good lesson we must learn from NCC is that they actually started building the One North without securing the money. That to me is a great deal of faith. We should all aim to be like that. (hmm that kinda reminds me of our own church situation eh? with our 2EC venue haha)

  • And all I want is a reliable car.

    “If you build it, he will come.” (Field of Dreams)

    Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord guards the city, the guard keeps watch in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for [God] gives sleep to [God’s] beloved.

    – Psalm 127:1-2

    Let it be as the Lord leads.

  • PTL for the generosity of the christian in S’pore and also the wealth the christian have. If NCC can raise the same amount or more for the poor and needy, I think the non-christian will be touched and less gossip and negatives comments will be post in the blogs. Hope this can happen to prove the Christian can do it.

  • There will be those who will respond the way Judas did: “Why this waste?! The money should have been given to the poor!”

  • The church required a building because NCC has none. Here are the facts the outsider don’t know about NCC:-

    1) NCC volunteers have to wake up as early as 4:30am on every Sun to move equipments to as many as 4 to 5 venues every Sun
    2) Currently the church has to activate hundreds hundreds of volunteers to stations at (Do u know how taxing to co-ordinate just the volunteers not the members)
    3) Do you know how expensive to rent so many venues every Sun for as many as 4 services 9am, 11:30am, 2:30pm and 5pm. The volunteers have to work through so many sessions.
    4) Here are the venues, only Rock Auditorium is live, the others are on Satelite Video.
    a) Rock Auditorium
    b) Suntec level 4
    c) Suntec level 6
    d) Eng Wah Cinema
    e) GV marina at Marina Square
    f) Suntec Convention Gallery West
    We are not talking about managing 1 or 2 locations. There are many dudes!

    The poor thing is those Hokkien and Mandarin uncle and aunty, each Sunday there are moving from Hotel to Hotel.

    Did you guys also know that the church donated few millions to the charity each year? The church never publish to u.

    Do you also know it is not easy to hold a congregation of 20,000 over thousands on every Sunday?? I think ONE event of 20,000 make your hair stand and turn your black hair to white hair.

    NCC co-joint build a building with Capitaland is not wholly for church purposes. The church wants to build a sustainable system so that even if the church members do not donate a single cents, the church is self sustained.

    The church is just like a home, if you do not have a home, how could you start expanding your family? Even if you could temporarily rent a home, you are bound to fluctuation of rental. If your rental increase from used to be $1,500 to $3,000. You jolly well purchase your own home and get a 5room HDB flat. If your mortgage is only $2100, with the extra $900, u can allow your daughter to join swimming class or even donate to the needy rather than give to the Landlord.

    The church members jointly donated a large sums of money is because we in need a building to house these BIG FAMILY.

      • When church was impressed to tender for this project at 2007, there haven’t any 20,000 members. At that time, Pastor Prince even hope to preach lesser services.

        However, ever since City Harvest Church problem and what not, suddenly membership shot up so many. Now, I even have to go church early to secure a seat. Previously I could go there 5mins before service start or right on time!!!

    • I’m in the States and I LOVE Joseph Prince. His ministry has changed my life. I rejoice greatly in this marvelous building that is being built for NCC. ONWARD and UPWARD Joseph. The Lord is using you to change lives around the globe!

  • Shalom. I rejoice greatly that God is prospering believers to
    give with a purpose. The world won’t understand this stuff.

    It takes revelation on giving for a believer.
    You may read Exodus 35:4-29 on the children of Israel’s giving to build the tabernacle. To set the record straight, Ps Prince never forced any one to give to this building, he said it clearly before the miracle seed giving on Sunday.

  • This arsenal fan says:”Shay Given … no way …. Arsene Wenger is too ‘prune’ … oops sorry ….. prudent to spend that amount.”

    If God is honored I am happy.

  • Seriously, nobody cares about your family so long as you keep giving away your money.

    Similarly for the casino. Initially, people think is a great evil to the community. But our government seems to be in control so more begin to accept the presence of the casino.

    Put it this way, so long as you know the government is boss and you are serving their interests(and ours), you are allowed to operate in this land.

    But I doubt you are serving god because you missed the whole point of the gospel.

    So yes, we delight that “your family” is giving away money, time and sweat.

    Your loss, our gain.

    • The gospel based on Joseph Prince and other prosperity gospel preachers is on those who tithe and donate, God will prosper.

      • @Shalom,…”Gospel based on Joseph Prince and other…………”

        In my limited knowledge was under the impression there were only 4 accepted Gospels in main stream Xtian beliefs – maybe another 150 others if nostics, jewish, russian, copthic, mormons etc are included…..is the “Prince Gospel” a uniquely NCC experience?

        A formal prosperity gospel is something new to me ……pray enlighten how this came into being…the naming of a gospel after Joseph Prince et.al…..is there a formal official process like the catholic beatification and canonization process?

  • Mr. A gives everything away to the poor after spending the bare minimum for his own survival. He lives frugally and does not invest a single cent or spend a single cent for self-improvement and self-enrichment.

    Ms. B tithes 10% of her income to her church, gives 10% to her parents, contributes 5% to charitable cause, saves 20%, invests 15%, and spends the remaining 40% on the needs and wants of herself (including continuing education, skills upgrading self-improvement, and self-pampering), as well as on her family members and friends. Every once in a while, Ms. B would give a portion of her accumulated savings to certain causes she believes in. e.g. recently, she just gave $1,000 to her church in support of its building project.

    I deeply respect Mr. A. But I also don’t think that everyone can be or should be like him.

    I prefer Ms. B’s approach to personal financial management/stewardship. I think it is more sustainable. And in the longer run, even though I may not become the next Tan Kah Kee or Bill Gates, I believe I would be able to help the poor and needy much more by adopting Ms. B’s approach than if I were to adopt Mr. A’s.

    There is nothing wrong with Mr. A’s approach. Those who want to emulate him, I take my hats off to you. 🙂

  • “To set the record straight, Ps Prince never forced any one to give to this building, he said it clearly before the miracle seed giving on Sunday.”

    You need to know a bit about psychology and how it works. There is no need to force. There are enough sermons rained on the congregation to ‘move’ even the thomases to part with his denture.

    • True , he never forced anyone but he used an analogy this year by saying that “if a nursing mother stops feeding the baby, the milk stops,” so you members should continue to feed the church with funds???

  • To nertizen22,

    Good insights into personal management. Look like it can also apply to church setting. Some churches may not even have much left over to do budgeting, they are living by faith from day one, expecting miracles to come their way. Anyway, history has proven that. Any things that did in God’s way will not lack God’s supply.

  • ” Any things that did in God’s way will not lack God’s supply.”

    There are plenty of supply in cult churches in the US. Does that mean god is behind their operation?

    It is this kind of disease and irrational mindset, and spreading fast too, that’s destroying society we are worried about.

    • I agree solely with your comments. Good speakers do not mean they practice what they preach

  • @skyrocker

    yeah I sincerely believe that NCC needs a much bigger space to suit her purpose, but I’m quite surprised that nobody even question why only stop at 5000 size auditorium when your congregation is actually much more than that.

    On current level, a 5000 seating auditorium will require u guys to have multiple venues PER service which is exactly what you guys are doing now so I dun see how that will help improve anything. 2ndly, you say you build 1 North in view of future expansion. How does a 5000 seating auditorium suit this purpose?

  • @Emmanuel,
    It’s a good problem to have, isn’t it? I guess the leadership’s faith level wasn’t high enough when they planned one-north 😉 I don’t think they expected the church to grow at such a fast pace.

    When Ps Prince announced to the congregation in Sep 2007 that NCC’s tender for one-north project was successful, NCC’s average attendance then was less than 18,000. If you take into account the lead time required to plan for and submit the tender, the average attendance during that planning period would have been even lower. Praise God for bringing people to NCC and the congregation has grown by more than 20% in 3 years.

    Ps Prince has mentioned before that in planning and submitting the tender for one-north, the church appointed professional market researchers who found that the Singapore concert scene lacks a medium-sized venue of about 5,000 capacity (which is in between the size of the Singapore Indoor Stadium and the Esplanade) and that was one of the key selling points for the tender.

    I speculate that when one-north is finally completed in 2012, NCC may have grown to about 24,000. I guess maybe NCC can accommodate that number by scheduling five services instead of the present four. It should be no extra hardship for Ps Prince as the present arrangement of him preaching live for the first two services and video for the other services can continue.

  • @Hey Mr Istillhaven’tfound. are you a U2 Fan? (iam) haha!

    @Rocker- steady la dude, i am from NCC as well. take it easy, remember what PP always say? water off a duck’s back? you sound like a Royal steward member la. I used to served (10 years ago)hahaha…so i know the waking up early part.

    But Praise God la, initially I was also not so keen on “contributing” though i pay my tithes monthly, but recently? just felt led to “give” also, not for the blessing part hor, alot of tesimonies said who and who gave and what happened thereafter blah blah blah (good things).

    But give out of what you have rather than what you do not have….that’s most important, Yahweh sees our hearts la….so ai zhai man…

    Shalom! 🙂

  • @ Emmanuel

    Currently the church is having their 4 services (9am, 1130am, 2:30pm and 5pm) at 6 different locations every Sun. After the completion of One North, the church will still be having 4 services. Each services take in 5000 and there is going to be satelite location (not confirmed yet).

    The difference is at least 20,000 members able to enjoy Live sermons sitting at the same theaters. Lesser involvement of volunteers, lesser burden for volunteers. It will be much more controlled environment.

    The reason why NCC required to be located at the shopping mall for its 20,000 over strong. It is for the conveniency for the family members, as they can do their grocery shopping and meals at the same location. Can you imagine each sessions 5,000 members all rushing to leave One North to Holland Village food court or kopitiam nearby for lunch or dinner. There will be TRAFFIC jam at the car park.

    Mananging 20,000 over thousands members is different from managing 1,000 members. Having invite friends, ralatives to wedding dinner of 50 tables is different from organising a birthday party.

  • When the world look at 21 million raised, they only look at what the church did -“Pastor Prince must have manipulated blah blah, the believers should have give to the poor instead etc.”, it’s sad they never see what God did – Jesus must be involved, this is no small amount!!!

  • Yes, I agree with kit. It is definitely GOD behind this, it is no small amount. Pastor Prince is only man. If GOD doesn’t touch our hearts we will not be moved to give. Anyway, if what Ps Prince preaches bring people to God then he must be doing something good. And yes, I also agree that he puts across the bible in simple terms, in words that simple folks can understand. And yes also, you should listen to his sermons for yourselves. For those who need it, you come out of thinking negatively and to think more postively and that there is a God interested in you and loving you. That God is faithful and will help you in your times of need at the right time. You become more confident that by God’s grace you will come out of your times of trouble and trial.

  • Anyway, Pastor only give 1 week notice. Nothing much he can do to manipulate 20,000++ in 1 week? to convince 1 person to buy insurance or 1 to 1 takes several hours.

    I strongly believe God is involve. Our God is the provider.

  • We love Jesus more than we love Joseph Prince! That should be the take! Yet most of the congregation attends New Creation only when JP is preaching. When other pastors are there, the attendance drops. So that speaks volume about such a church where there is idol worship. You cannot stop the people but when the Council of Churches asked NCC about succession, there was no answer? Why?

    Recently Ps Prince said: a building is not a church! Then why is he and the rest of New Creation asks for miracle sundays to get building funds for the STAR at One North? The STAR is a building upon which a place is built to let members worship and listen to ONLY JOSEPH PRINCE!

    Then why do New Creation members pay for a place which Joseph Prince now says: a church is NOT a building!

    I have nothing against this gentleman but when things spoken contradict early reasoning, we doubt. The STAR is now being used for secular music shows and not for sermons and preachings alone and congregation pays for a building not solely used for God’s purpose.
    How would Jesus say just like Jesus did to the temple where secular deeds were done there?

    • Succession, Lord Jesus and God the Father is in there. Who He wants to put at leadership, He will find. It’s not up to man to decide. Even Ps Prince was called and taught by HS. If Lord could rise him, He could rise another one when needed, no worries!

      Even though we, the member body is church, we do need a place to gather, you read it in the bible too. Anyway, this One North is Lord’s leading. And I happened to know of 1 of the group of Christians that prayed to Lord to bring a church there due to the strong demonic activities there.

      The 20+yrs in Christ sister, was sent to lead me in my initial years. She worked in one of the office there. She said there was strong demonic presents and when they formed a Christian group to pray for that place, devil attacked such of their families with serious sickness that many Christian brothers and sisters left that group. The last I know was 2 were left. Then my friend got attacked in her work place, Sr Manager but her subordinates aborted her and went to the other Sr Manager.

      Many things happened that eventually, my friend also left that company. I heard about the story in 2006. In 2007, Lord led NCC to tender for One North and everything went smoothly for them. This is Lord’s Answer to this group of Christian brothers and sisters prayer!!! I happen to know this side of the story by the Grace of Jesus!

    • Shalom,

      How then do you expect NCC to hold services then? Do you actually think its wise for 20k members wonder around Singapore perpetually?

      Look at St Andrew’s, St ignatius, Presbyterian, Methodist church….. they all have their own building & investments…. what would Jesus say if through a larger facility, more get to know Him??

      Why so negative, shalom?

      I hope you dont make such negative words to your family!

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