YAMJAM
On 22 March 2025, the Young Adult Ministry (YAM) hosted its first-ever YAMJAM, an event that undoubtedly left a lasting impression on all attendees. Held at 4A Bury Road, the venue itself was a refreshing departure from the event spaces we usually have our church events in. The house, with its aesthetics and cozy ambiance, set the perfect stage for an evening of fellowship, fun, and meaningful conversations.
Stepping into the venue, we were immediately greeted by familiar faces from JCC, along with new ones—friends who had been invited to join us for the evening. The welcoming atmosphere was enhanced by the aroma of satay on the grill, roti prata and freshly popped popcorn. The perfectly curated selection of F&B vendors catered to everyone’s tastebud and was such a gastronomical delight.
Beyond the food, the house was packed with engaging games and activities for us to choose from; e.g., a karaoke room, pool table, Nintendo Switch setup. We hopped from room to room, playing games with different people, and cheers and laughter filled the house. We also had a time for everyone to gather around for games/quizzes like “Don’t Forget the Lyrics,” with attractive prizes to be won. I believe seeing the prizes ignited the competitive spirit in everyone, but we were all too “paiseh” and instead played it cool to give everyone, especially invited friends, a chance to win them.
As we were mingling over food, a magician roved from group to group and captivated both young and old with his repertoire of tricks. Having never been personally involved in a magic trick performed by a professional (cell kids do not count as professional magicians), I was excited, enthralled and still puzzled by how he did the trick as of the time I am writing this article.
Amidst all the fun, YAMJAM also provided a meaningful space for deeper conversations. I had the opportunity to converse with members of the Bethel Cell Group—mostly people who have watched me grow up since birth. What made this interaction particularly special was how our conversations had evolved; no longer was I speaking to them as a child to an adult, but as a young adult to a more senior adult. I believe that these conversations, made possible by the intentional structure of YAMJAM, was something that quite a number of us likely wouldn’t have initiated on our own in a typical church Sunday setting. Their reflections and insights also gave me much to ponder, leaving me with much food for thought, in addition to the food I already had too much of.
Beyond reconnecting with familiar faces, I also had the chance to engage with a young man who had been invited to the event. Listening to his perspectives and worldviews which were vastly different from mine was a refreshing experience. I am glad that YAMJAM provided a comfortable space for us to foster new connections, hearing from one another, especially pre-believers.
None of this would have been possible without the excellent planning and execution by Tsu Ern, Min Hui, Hui Ling and their dedicated team. Their hard work put into this YAMJAM certainly exceeded all our expectations of how we thought this event would look like, and set an incredibly high bar for whoever takes on the challenge of organising the next one.
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