And here's the full story. Though not really on FCBC, but you can read for leisure! :)Expo, the way to go
Centre making a name as a church hub
Monday • January 14, 2008
Alicia Wong
alicia@mediacorp.com.sg
IT HAS always been a venue for conventions and exhibitions, one of the top in the region. But strange as it may seem at first glance, this same site looks to be
Whether attending youth rallies, outreaches or weekend services, a sizeable number of church-goers have religiously flocked to one of the few places that can accommodate their numbers — the Singapore Expo.
Which says as much for the Expo as it is a sign of the growing numbers attracted to churches in
It is "one of the busiest and most popular venues for church events," said a spokesperson.
Each weekend, as many as 27,000 church-goers head for the Expo, and could contribute to as many as 90 per cent of its visitors on a non-event weekend.
From 2005, three of its 10 multi-purpose halls have been leased to two churches every weekend.
The City Harvest Church (CHC) holds three services on Saturdays and Sundays at hall 8 for its 17,000-strong congregation. The Faith Community Baptist Church (FCBC) rents the Max Pavilion and hall 9, drawing about 10,000 attendees over the weekend.
When Today visited FCBC's youth service, parked cars lined the roads leading to the Max Pavilion. The auditorium was about half-filled but the remaining seats, yet to be filled, were reserved.
CHC's executive pastor Reverend Derek Dunn said his church chose the Expo for its large hall size and long-term availability. "There isn't another venue with more than 10,000 sq m of floor area that could offer that to us," he said.
CHC had "maximised" usage of its Jurong West building and needed more space for its English-language service.
Expo officials would not reveal lease or rental costs but a regular user of the centre told Today the daily cost for the use of an empty 10,000-sq-m hall could start from about $50,000.
A hefty sum to pay to worship in airconditioned comfort?
Perhaps, but the tithe and donations from worshippers undoubtedly help foot the bill.
The CEO of a medium-sized company told Today she contributes 10 per cent of her monthly salary — about $1,000 — every month.
Mr David Chew, 56, who attends FCBC with his wife and three children, said the move to Expo was "practical". FCBC has held many smaller services at Marine Parade in the past.
FCBC provides shuttle buses from Simei MRT startion, he added, to make it easier to travel to the Expo.
Mr Jonah Wang, 26, an FCBC member who spends about an hour travelling to the Expo from Yishun, said the distance was "not an issue".
"My spiritual family is here," he said referring to his church at the Expo.
According to the Expo spokesperson, CHC and FCBC each hold about five additional annual events annual and other churches, including New Creation, hold a total of about 15 events at the Expo.
The Catholic Archdiocese Youth Centre (CAYC) held its youth rally at the Expo last year.
Citing economical pricing as one reason, CAYC's youth coordinator Edwyn De Souza, said CAYC also chose the Expo because of its big bus bay.
Members of the various congregations also liked the Expo's relatively isolated location as it reduced distraction and the halls being on "ground-level made it safe and convenient for the elderly, the handicapped and children", the Expo spokesperson said.
Church-goers, by their sheer numbers, also served as a draw for event organisers planning to use the Expo to stage exhibitions, she said.
Miss Ng Xuehua, 19, told Today she would visit exhibitions at the Expo after attending FCBC's Mandarin service, "especially if it was an IT fair", while Mr Calvin Hue, 53, said car exhibitions and computer fairs attracted him.
The Expo plays host to about 700,000 to 800,000 visitors on a weekend when events are held.
Can Singaporeans expect more churches to hold their services at the Expo?
A church official said: "As it is, there is a shortage of medium to large facilities in
One mega-church,
Now holding its Sunday services at Suntec City's the Rock Auditorium, it attracts a congregation of over 15,000 and many members have to be "directed to our overflow rooms where they can follow and participate in the service via simultaneous telecast on projection screens", a church official said.
