Special thanks to Pastpr Alvin, Paul Ooi, Mag Phua, Amanda low, Joseph Tan & Xunliang(photos) for contributing to this article.
FUSION 2011, is a yearly event where the youth ministries from the TRAC Methodist churches gather for a transforming encounter with God. This year it was held at Paya Lebar Methodist Church (PLMC). It was an amazing weekend for the youths in Wesley YM, with The Desperation Band, from The New Life Church, Colorado Springs, USA. They were here solely to serve our Lord, to minister and bless the youths in their God inspired music and message for us.
Desperation Band
Just abit more about the band. Their worship pastor, Jon Egan has written many songs over the past five years for New Life Church including ‘Endlessly’, ‘Here In Your Presence’, ‘King of All Glory’, ‘My Savior Lives’, ‘Overcome’, 'You Hold It All', 'God Be Praised', and ‘I Am Free' and are songs being played in churches throughout the world and even within our youth ministry.
"The band has always been more of a ministry than a band. Jon and the guys believe that true change comes when people lay aside their agenda’s to encounter the true and living God. They are passionate about the presence of God and they don’t hide it. They are well aware that music will never impact souls…only the power of God. They don’t perform or entertain. They want to join with real people to worship a real God. The Desperation Band exists to advance His Kingdom and to pray as Jesus told us… “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
“The Desperation Band has always been and always will be about the presence of God. We exist to bring Him glory and reveal His truth to a broken world. If we know who His is, we know who we are. If we know who we are, we can live as God meant us to live. Let our worship meet his heart. Let His heart speak his purposes. Let us freely give our lives away to see his purposes known. It’s not a youth movement. It’s not a church movement. It’s a people movement. All are welcome!”
- Jon Egan, Desperation Band
Fusion 2011
(Mercy Ministry Workshop by Jon Egan, this workshop was so timely, as right after our camp comm meeting finalizing on our theme, Jon actually kinda affirmed it from his message. It was quite amazing!)
It was a fun filled exciting Saturday at PLMC, as the event started with a short worship in the early afternoon led by The Desperation Band. This was followed by two workshops running simultaneously by the members of Desperation Band. The two workshops were Mercy Ministry for Youths 101 & Worship Band Dynamics. After the workshops, there were like booths prepared with all kinds of food such as hotdogs, pastas, nacho cheese, mash potatoes, bubble tea and the list goes on! Yummy right?
Adding on to the whole fusion carnival atmosphere, there were performances by musicians from various churches, and they were sure a talented bunch. And then my personal highlights at the carnival was when we actually had the chance to showcase our very own Wesley YM Sec 1-3 camp mass dance to the song “Promises” by Desperation band to the Fusion crowd.
Link to the Promises Mass dance at Fusion!
The night rally started off with some light hearted Desperation band album giveaway before the Desperation Band took on the stage, and led everyone into a really deep time of praise & worship. This year there was something different compared to previous Fusions, as the organizers introduced this initiative called the ”Overflowing Cup project”, below is the background story from Pastor Alvin (Chairman of Fusion 2011) on how it all started.
“When Desperation band confirmed that they were coming, we found out that they were very much into mercy ministry, reaching out to the poor. God also began to impress upon the hearts of the Fusion 2011 team through various incidences that this is the direction that Fusion 2011 would take.
We then explored how we can have our youths grow in their heart for the poor and Rev William Sam,
the chairman of the Board of Christian Outreach and Social Concerns then suggested that the various youth ministries can have a direct impact on the lives of the poorer youths in their communities by giving to the pocket money fund of a school their church have a strategic relationship with.
The pocket money fund of each school seeks to give some pocket every week to their needy students for food. Thus, the youths who have taken the cups will have to save for a month and with that amount, pool their money as a youth ministry and give it away to the school. The intention is that we'll grow in our awareness and be kind and generous.”
Desperation Band in Wesley YM!
(After a special request to play the song "Promises", they certainly did it during worship and Amanda took the initiative running to the front and led the first few rows in doing the Mass dance to the song! It was amazinggggggggggggg!!!!)
We couldn’t have asked for more, as the week ended on Palm Sunday with Desperation Band coming all the way to our home ground at the YWCA
Ballroom! Besides the loud music that flooded the whole building and the really awesome time
of praise and worship. My biggest takeaway for the entire 3 days was in the midst of worship, Jon Egan, the worship leader paused for awhile, and shared his testimony and this heartfelt message for us. He shared how when he was just a 15 year old boy, when he was not strong in his faith then. And then there was this mission trip to Mexico, he just went thinking this would be a fun holiday. But his perception of it all change when he saw the older peers who were talking about Jesus to others there, and there was something different about them as they shared. This was where he saw firsthand the glory of God moving so strongly in their lives. And this actualisation of God’s presence in that mission trip actually convicted his heart. He then went to somewhere alone, and decided to pray and surrender his life to the Lord and from that very day his life was transformed and he was never the same again.
He then shared how God revealed to him this message when he was reading the scriptures of Isaiah
58 one day and how it all suddenly make sense after he went for that mission trip. Here’s an extract of it from Verse 8- 10.
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. Isaiah 58:8-10
He ended off by challenging the youths this. As we are blessed to be a blessing, we should touch the lives of others and we should spend ourselves on behalf of others. We are ready right now to step out. God will show us the way. Just go. Spend yourself, risk it. When God calls you to something and you are uncomfortable with it, run to it. God will meet you there!
Below are some of the thoughts from our very own YM youths & leaders from the Fusion weekend,
"Young Methodists of one faith coming together, declaring the praises of our King, responding to God's call for justice and mercy... a great sight to behold!"- Magdalene Phua, 21
The main message brought across for that night rally made an impact on my heart; we are blessed to be a blessing. That we are such blessed children and this should be a blessing unto those around us. And then there was the overflowing cup project which had a wonderful meaning behind it, which ties down so nicely with Jon Egan’s belief and love for the orphans and the poor. To have our heart for the less fortunate and to turn our beliefs into action, and love others with what God has so graciously blessed us with.”- Amanda Low, 17
“My biggest take away is that we should not just wait, but to step out of our comfort zones and spend ourselves and be a blessings on others.” – Joseph Tan, 28
“For me, FUSION 2011 was a time for me to "receive" from the Lord as I have been rather busy with many activities both outside & within the church - & I indeed received. God spoke to me during the worship sessions when the Desperation Band played over us while we asked God to speak to us, just like in 2 King 3:15, Jon Egan explained. There was indeed FREEDOM in the name of Jesus & worship was filled with much joy & sincerity. What struck me the most was that the Desperation Band members were all very down-to-earth & I had a great time talking to them & getting to know them better as people. FUSION 2011 was definitely an extremely positive experience for me & I learnt a lot as Jon Egan shared about the Desperation Band's heart for missions as well as their attitude towards worship through music. Hallelujah, God be praised!” – Paul Ooi, 20
Raised to Worship. Open to Give. Out to Serve.
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