Joyce Tham - Eternal Life Assembly

Honouring Our Pastors – Lives of Faith & Obedience

Joyce Tham — Sat, 26 Sep 2026 08:44:38 +0000

The Call to Abandon My Nets

God’s calling came when I was 20 years old and still studying in Polytechnic.

After winning the top prize in an international competition, I was offered promising career opportunities that could offer a significant career edge – the temptation was real!

Yet through Scripture and worship songs, God kept drawing my heart back to His call upon my life.

Like the disciples leaving their nets to follow Jesus, I learned that obedience sometimes involves sacrifice.

With no ministry blueprint, I declined all the opportunities. I wanted to obey God.

Front-row Seat to the Supernatural

Long before my ministry calling, I had front-row seats to the supernatural.

Growing up, my dad regularly opened our home to church members seeking prayer for healing and deliverance. Some would begin manifesting the moment they saw him and had to be carried into our house. They would take them into a room for prayer and deliverance.

Meanwhile, I would be in the next room trying to do my homework. All efforts to soundproof my room failed – I could hear everything.

Whenever my dad returned from his overseas crusade ministry trips, he would constantly show me videos and testimonies of healing.

Looking back, I realise those were formative years when God was exposing me to a world of ministry that would become a significant part of my calling.

In time, I, too, began witnessing healings for the people I had prayed for!

The Lonely Road of Obedience

Calling can be exciting. Obedience can be lonely.

In my 20s, while many conversations with friends revolved around careers, relationships, and starting families, I found myself returning from missions trips talking about healings, bombings, and moments of God’s protection from danger. I often felt like the oddball, unable to fit in and relate well with my peers.

After graduating from Bible school, I joined a church as a full-time staff and thought, “Finally! I’m stepping into everything that God has been calling me to!”

Instead, the first four years became my most difficult years in ministry.

I was moved from one department to another, struggling to find my main area of ministry. I felt unwanted and wondered whether there was really a place for me.

The future was a blur. The wait felt like forever.

But one thing remained clear: God had called me.

So I stayed. I served. And I kept obedient.

Into Deeper Waters

A significant turning point came when some church members and I accompanied my dad on his overseas healing ministry trips.

What we witnessed changed us.

We saw many people encountering God through healing and giving their lives to Jesus! We were so inspired that we wanted to begin a similar ministry in Singapore. That was the birth of Healing Room!

Initially based in my previous church, the ministry grew steadily and expanded to two locations!

Then, another unexpected call of obedience came.

I sensed God leading me out of the security of full-time church employment to serve the wider Body of Christ.

It was frightening.

Leaving church employment meant giving up my stable salary and stepping into a ministry that would need to raise its financial support.

Still, I trusted God. I resigned. And Jesus Heal Me was formed.

Stepping Out in Faith

In the early days of the ministry, I began writing to churches and organisations, sharing the vision and inviting people to partner with us.

God surprised me! Within the first month, enough funds came in to cover an entire year’s salary, including surplus!

God is faithful to provide where He leads.

What began as a mustard seed faith has grown beyond what I could have envisioned. Today, Jesus Heal Me serves churches across denominations and nations through healing services, gospel crusades, ministry training, and equipping believers to pray for the sick. All glory to God!

Multiplication

Yet, what gives me the greatest joy is not ministry growth but the multiplication of impact.

My heart leaps whenever those whom I have coached begin praying for the sick themselves and return with testimonies of healing. Some have gone on to equip their own church members and mission teams.

Equipped Jesus Heal Me team members praying and ministering to others

Ministry is no longer one person’s impact but multiplied through equipping. It is my greatest privilege to play a part in multiplying Kingdom impact!

When Healing Doesn’t Happen

Healing ministry also means learning to live with unanswered questions.

While we celebrate every testimony, there are also those who experience the pain of unanswered healing.

One lady on our team was known for praying for cancer patients—even while battling cancer herself. People she prayed for subsequently reported improvements in their cancer markers, and some reported that their tumours had disappeared.

Yet her own healing did not come. After three years of battling cancer, she went home to be with the Lord.

Before she passed away, I asked her if she was ever angry with God. Her answer stayed with me:

“When they are happy, I am happy.”

Those words taught me something profound about ministry.

We do not serve God to earn “healing merits” or be guaranteed a problem-free life.

We serve Him simply because we love Him, and it is our privilege to participate in His work.

I still struggle with unanswered questions, but they do not dismiss the testimonies of God’s power. I will continue walking with people through the miracles and the mysteries.

Finding Our Spiritual Family

As the ministry grew, my wife, Serene, and I discovered that God was restoring our need for belonging.

My frequent travels made it difficult for me to remain rooted in a small group, while Serene yearned for a community where she could simply be herself. That often came with the unspoken expectations of being “the pastor’s wife.”

Things worsened when the pandemic hit. We both longed for a church where we could serve, worship, build friendships, and simply belong.

After leaving my previous church, we found our spiritual home at Eternal Life Assembly.

There, Serene and I found genuine friendships. Serene also serves joyfully on the Missions Committee.

Ps Matthew and his wife, Serene, with friends made in Eternal Life Assembly

Knowing that Serene is loved, supported, and thriving brings me tremendous peace, especially as ministry continues to take me to different churches and nations.

God has faithfully met our needs as we remained obedient to Him.

One ‘Yes’ At a Time

Looking back, I realise that God’s calling was never about chasing extraordinary moments, but about consistently saying “yes” to Him, one step of obedience at a time.

I used to think calling was primarily about discovering what God wanted me to do. Over the years, I have learnt that

calling is just as much about who God is shaping us to be as it is about obeying Him.

Perhaps, the greatest lesson this journey has taught me is this: we rarely receive the whole roadmap when God calls. Usually, His call is an invitation to respond in trust and obedience — an ongoing relationship!

I have never regretted saying “yes” to God. Two decades since the Lord called me, I am still learning to respond the same way.

One “yes” at a time.

October is pastors’ appreciation month! As we honour our pastors, remember that behind every sermon preached, every prayer offered, and every life impacted are many unseen moments of obedience.

Let’s take a moment to thank our pastors for their dedication and faithful service to God and to us. What are some ways you can express your appreciation to them?
Is God calling you into an area of work or ministry? Who is He shaping you to be? Pray and speak to trusted believers or church leaders for guidance and accountability.

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Eternal Life (EL) Assembly – Advance to Take Hold of All that God has for EL 2025

Joyce Tham — Sat, 29 Nov 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Philippians 3:12 “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”

Declaring Philippians 3:12 over the church on the first Sunday of 2025, Ps Bob boldly announced this year’s theme — to ADVANCE AND TAKE HOLD of all that God has for us individually and corporately.

It’s more than God’s promises. They include His plans, purposes and promises.

After 3 years of going deeper and reaching higher, EL emerged renewed in prayer and our relationship with God. Things could not stop there!

Unrelenting, our former Senior Pastor, Ps Bob Lum, sought the Lord and came across Philippians 3:12, giving rise to this year’s theme.

Advancing to take hold consists of 3 parts:

Acknowledging that we are not there yet;
Forgetting the past; and
Advancing boldly

Looking back at 2025, our church has advanced and taken hold of God’s plans, purposes and promises in many ways! This is all God’s doing; nothing about our doing!

A Growing Church Family

Many young families and seniors experienced the warm embrace and connection in the English congregation, making EL their home church.

Kickstarting the Newcomers fellowship, the Chinese congregation extended the warm love of Christ to visitors.

Many new and lonely visitors to the Filipino congregation experienced genuine love and care by members, assimilating comfortably into the community.

Our senior members in the Cantonese congregation turned up at weekly services faithfully despite their health and mobility issues; many stayed back for prayer meetings.

A Spiritually Vibrant Church Family

Leaders in the English and Filipino congregations grew in spiritual maturity, boldness and dedication. Amongst the Filipino members, a deeper hunger for the Word and to grow in faith took root. Once quiet or hesitant, members are more alive, prayerful, united and confident in God’s love.

In the English congregation, prayer meetings are filling up, especially with more youths joining. During church camp, members joyfully guided our first-time campers from the Gospel Mission for the Blind around the campsite, hosted them during meals and led them to the altar call for prayer. Love wasn’t just preached, it was beautifully lived out!

An Outward-Looking Church Family

During the Alpha programme this year, many participants experienced life-changing moments and insightful conversations, leading them deeper in their understanding of the faith and closer to Jesus.

At a house visitation to an elderly lady with terminal sickness, Ps Winnie, along with another Cantonese congregation leader, led the lady to receive Christ and get baptised on the same day! Just nice – it happened before her condition deteriorated rapidly, where she could no longer receive visitors.

Besides reaching out to pre-believers, church members saw beyond their needs and initiated creative activities for the seniors in the Chinese and Cantonese congregations. The seniors enjoyed the fellowship; one of them broke out into songs while arranging flowers!

Advancing God’s Kingdom Through Missions

Besides advancing God’s kingdom through our congregational outreaches, EL Missions saw a remarkable expansion in both local and overseas missions!

Locally, various Life Groups organised fun and engaging activities for New Hope Community residents and 200 guest workers under the Alliance of Guest Workers Outreach at Tuas Recreation Center.

Each resident received a beautiful handicraft and the message that they are loved and uniquely created by the Creator. Several migrant brothers testified of physical healing as our youths stepped up boldly to pray for them.

Overseas, more ELites joined mission trips with Cebu and Zambales teams being our largest yet! The Hi-kids ministry and the Cantonese congregation leaders embarked on their first mission trips as a ministry to EL@TanjungPinang and ELEC* in Cambodia respectively.

EL Missions supported EL Shaddai Church in Perawang in hosting their first Women’s Conference, while EL Soccer Team organised a soccer tournament at EL@Cambodia for the first time, ministering to the youths and seeing 3 new salvations!

Advancement in Church Leadership

The greatest milestone for our church has got to be the successful transition of EL’s top leadership! At our 58th Anniversary celebration service, the auditorium roared with loud applause and cheers by members, honouring the faithful years of service by our former Senior Pastor, Ps Bob Lum.

He was all smiles seeing his daughters and their families emerged from backstage — having flown into Singapore from different parts of the world unbeknownst to him — embracing him and joining to witness this momentous event together. The church presented a heartfelt video of tributes.

Ps Bob officially handed over the baton to the Lead-Pastors Team (LP Team). Ps Gary, Ps Daphne and Ps Lim Ping, each with their unique giftings and strengths, received their new appointments and roles with grace and sure commitment.

What a historic moment for our church – adopting a team leadership style, including a female representation, for the first time ever! The church blessed and prayed over our new leaders as the LP Team expressed confidence and hope in advancing the church towards the next chapter!

Advancing Forward in 2026

With God’s stirring in their hearts, the LP Team envisions EL as a family church, growing spiritually healthy, remaining deeply rooted in God’s Word, and living an outward-looking, Kingdom-minded faith that impacts Singapore and the nations.

Over recent years, God has spoken promises and similar prophecies through various pastors. Praise God! We have witnessed greater signs of our church moving towards His direction this year. And we are not done yet!

Unity and consistency remain key to experience God’s love and power, being the salt and light in our generation. We must continue to advance God’s kingdom in and through our church for His glory! As our church steps into 2026, the Lord is calling us into a season of purpose and destiny!

With great passion and joy, our Lead Pastor, Ps Gary, proclaims, “Let’s move forward with anticipation, excitement and faith, knowing that God is shaping each one of us — and His church, our family — for a glorious destiny!”

*ELEC refers to Eternal Life Enrichment Centre, a mission work planted by EL in Ang Roka, Cambodia.

Take a moment and look back at 2025. In what ways have you witnessed the church advancing to take hold of God’s plans, purposes and promises? How has he led you to advance and take hold of all He has for you this year?

Give thanks to God for all that He has led the church and led you to advance and take hold of!
Continue to seek and trust God to reveal His plans, with patience.
Do not limit yourself! Take bold steps of faith to do what God is calling you to do.

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From Endless Striving to Purposeful Living

Joyce Tham — Sat, 31 May 2025 04:06:02 +0000

I had attended church since young, but God was someone demanding and distant to me. The idea of having a personal relationship with Him seemed foreign.

Going to church felt like an obligation.

Eventually, I pursued things I could control: grades, sports, and friendships. These pursuits became sources of my self-worth and identity.

In school, I chased academic success, thinking good grades would bring recognition and make me feel significant. They did, but only temporarily. The moment my results dipped, my self-worth dropped too.

Outside the classroom, I threw myself into sports, especially rugby. Every win filled me with a sense of worth, while every loss plunged me into despair.

My self-esteem teetered on the edge, wavering with each match. I trained relentlessly, hoping that the next victory would finally satisfy the void inside.

Among friends, I don a mask, bending and shaping myself to be accepted. I laughed at inappropriate jokes, swore when it felt wrong, and shifted my personality to fit in.

In the process, I became a stranger to myself. Who am I beneath this mask?

My identity became shackled to my performance. Life had become a relentless cycle of temporary thrills and gnawing emptiness.

Each time I hoped to feel fulfilled, only to find that nothing truly satisfied, leaving me exhausted, anxious, and empty.

Entering Polytechnic, church felt irrelevant. I drifted and eventually became lost in a self-made world that seemed more fulfilling. Then, things took a turn for the worse.

In my first year of Polytechnic, I suffered my first major knee injury. My world came falling apart. It dawned upon me that everything I had been pursuing was fleeting and fragile.

Amidst the crisis, an unexpected invitation came. Brother Jireh, my youth minister, asked me to join youth camp. I didn’t really want to go, why would I? But I had no excuse, so I reluctantly said yes.

I was a last-minute addition and ended up rooming with another latecomer. To my surprise, he too felt far from God.

With our common struggle, we opened up, shared, and prayed together. It felt like a divine intervention; God was showing me that I wasn’t alone.

During one of the altar calls at youth camp, I experienced a quiet but piercing whisper in my spirit:

“Draw near. I am waiting for you, my child.”

In that moment, I broke down. For the first time in years, I felt God’s presence so close. With tears streaming down my face, I realised He had never left me. His love was so overwhelming. It had always been there.

After camp, I returned to church but staying committed was hard. Then came my scheduled knee surgery, which sidelined me for two months. With rugby stripped away, I hit rock bottom.

But even in that dark valley, God’s light broke through. My life group rallied around me. They practised “Jesus time”, spending time alone with God in parks or quiet places.

Since I couldn’t walk, my leader drove to pick me up and brought me along. My life group texted me, checked in, and prayed for me.

They brought the church to me even while my faith was wavering. Through them, I experienced a love that wasn’t based on performance, but a love that was real and present.

Not long after, a close friend passed away. He was only 20 years old. It shattered my heart to know that my friend had passed away without the chance to know God. In my grief, I realised I had taken our time together for granted.

To say there was certainly a tomorrow was not my privilege.

Tomorrow was never a guarantee, and I had been lost in the pursuit of fleeting pleasures while neglecting the eternal.

That loss ignited a fire in me — an urgency to love deeply, and to reflect Jesus to those around me before it was too late. I resolved not to stay passive any longer. I wanted my life to count for something eternal.

Each part of the journey, the injury, the camp, the surgery, and the loss, was God’s gentle call for my return to Him. Even when my faith faltered, He pursued me relentlessly.

The greatest transformation in my life wasn’t external, but internal: my worth is not based on my successes nor people’s approval; it is based on His love and truth — I am already loved, already known, already His.

I am already loved, already known, already His.

It is this truth that gives a deep satisfying joy and fulfilment that endures! My identity and self-worth rest firmly and securely in Christ. I yearn to share this love and joy with others, so they may experience it for themselves too.

I used to strive for success and recognition. Now, I live with purpose, anchored upon the love of God who never gave up on me.

My greatest reward isn’t applause but knowing Christ and making Him known.

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