Dear AMKMC Family,
It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closure of Friends@HUB ministry (and, by extension – Buddies@HUB for the children). Our final Sunday at AMK HUB Cathay Cinema will be on 23 July 2023. This decision marks the end of 20 years of using cinema halls as our church’s extension service. 20 years ago, we faced limited seating capacity in the main church building and so we started using Bishan J8 cinema halls as an additional service. During our church’s reconstruction, we were thankful we had AMK HUB cinema halls to house us. After the reconstruction, we continued using AMK HUB as a convenient location as an extension service. These locations have indeed served us well over the years.
Then the Covid-19 pandemic hit, and we stopped our simulcast services. As the Covid-19 situation stabilized from April 2022 onwards, we re-launched our ministry at AMK HUB but with a completely different approach – outreach would be our main emphasis. Friends@HUB was birthed by God as a simple way to reach new friends primarily through seeking God’s presence, testimonies, healing, prayer, and intimate conversations.
In May 2023, a long prayer meeting was held whereby the pastors, church leaders and staff came together to seek God’s direction. It was a time of deep reflection and listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Remarkably, all who attended the prayer meeting unanimously agreed that Friends@HUB should cease its operations. The way God led took us all by surprise as – humanly speaking – we were prepared to invest more resources into this ministry. This recommendation was then brought before the Local Church Executive Committee (LCEC), who carefully considered, and ultimately supported the decision.
While it is undoubtedly a challenging and unpopular decision, we want to assure you that this difficult decision was reached only after much prayer, discussion, and seeking God’s guidance.
In light of this decision, we extend an invitation to all of you to join us for the last four Friends@HUB & Buddies@HUB services which will be held on 2nd, 9th, 16th, and 23rd July 2023 at 10am at AMK Hub (Cathay Cineplex Hall 5). Let us come together as a community to celebrate the memories, friendships, and spiritual growth that have been nurtured within the walls of AMK HUB Cathay cinema halls. It will be a time of reflection and gratitude as we look back with joy and thanksgiving.
As we navigate this final season together, let us hold onto the faith and trust in God’s perfect timing and plan. We believe that He will continue to lead us into new and exciting opportunities for outreach.
To be clear, the establishment of Friends@HUB was not a mistake or a misunderstanding God’s will. Rather, from its very onset, we knew this ministry merely served as a signpost of God’s call upon our church to reach out to the AMK community-at-large. In other words, the use of the cinema hall was never intended to be an end in itself. Through Friends@HUB, our church was galvanized in our efforts to reach out to the AMK community. Our recently concluded Church Camp 2023 has further confirmed how outreach is not primarily through a program but through each one of us living a missional lifestyle.
Just as Jesus’ death was the prelude to His glorious resurrection, we believe the end of our ministry at AMK HUB is merely a transition point to God’s new plans and directions for our church. We strongly believe that He will continue to guide us as we bring our worship and outreach to the streets somehow.
Despite its brevity, we are thankful for the impact of this ministry as a few people came to believe in God and/or encountered God through Friends@HUB and Buddies@HUB. We are also very thankful for those who demonstrated unwavering support, love, and commitment to these extension services all these 15 years.
Therefore, we also want to provide an opportunity for you to share your testimonies and memories of Friends@HUB and/or how you have been blessed by God beginning from the time we used Bishan J8 all the way until AMK HUB (i.e. any time within the past 20 years). We invite you to fill out the online form below, where you can express your thoughts, share stories of impact, and reminisce about the special moments you experienced God. We are eternally grateful for the impact it has made in our lives and the community.
May God bless you abundantly as we journey forward with hope and anticipation for what lies ahead.
With deep appreciation to God and all of you,
Rev Anthony Lee