[TorryJens]

Why I stay in City Harvest Church

by Nanz Chong-Komo
inSing.com - 6 July 2012 4:09 PM | Updated 7 July 2012 12:12 PM

(Photo / File)
I have shared my testimony with thousands of people at live events over the past 10 years: I had a successful 10-year career as a model in Asia. I was also the TV host for the 1988 Korean Olympics for Hong Kong's ATV.

I became an entrepreneur at age 24, and I founded ONE.99shop when I was 29. I came to City Harvest Church in March 2000, at the peak of my business which was turning over $14 million a year.

It was a divine appointment: I had accepted an invitation from my ex-staff at ONE.99shop and that day changed my life forever.

The moment I entered City Harvest Church, I immediately sensed love and sincerity in the community, and the atmosphere was filled with a tangible feeling of freedom, love and peace.

I was not looking for religion. I had gone to church to oblige my staff member. As a business owner, I was definitely not naïve; I was very wary that the people in church might want something from me since I was the Nanz Chong who had started those stores they all loved.

You bet all my defensive mechanisms were on full alert!

But since the day that I instinctively made City Harvest my home church, I have never sensed an ounce of "bluff" in the place.

Twelve years later, I am still here. I have grown in Biblical principles, grown in character, become a person of purpose, been cleared of bankruptcy, bounced back from my setback and I am now actively serving my business cell group, as well as society – I am a Councillor in North East CDC.

On a weekly basis, I help many suicidal and depressed people to bravely walk through what I went through. If it was not for City Harvest Church, I would probably be drinking at the bar every night, and my only hope would be that I don’t get in trouble with the law.

People may have read about my success and failure in business, the growth of my family (I have three awesome kids), the launch of my books, my speaking at events and organisations such as the APEC Women Entrepreneur Summit, the Supreme Court, CPF Board, etc… but not many members of the public really know how my church leaders have walked me through the darkest moments of life.

Managing the loss of a high-profile multi-million dollar business is not easy, trust me. I have talked to numerous people and most are clueless and helpless themselves! (Which provides a great platform for me to help them).

Personally, when my business went into receivership, I was clueless too, but I was blessed with daily help that saved me what would have been thousands of dollars on psychiatric help.

Pastor Kong Hee said to me on the first days of my suffering: "What have you learned? Write it down!” I was expecting some TLC and gentle counselling, but his wisdom, which I now realise was directed by God, led to me write down the lessons I had learned from my failure.

As I penned it all down, the process became immensely therapeutic and I was healed. All my writings led to the publication of my first best-selling book ‘One Business 99 Lessons’ (2006). Thousands of people have told me that that book saved their mental health and transformed the way they run their businesses.

Pastor Kong's weekly messages have been practical, uncompromising to the whole truth of the Gospel. They have taught me to think, to give and to sacrifice to others first.

I put all his teachings into practice and that's how I bounced back and can do what I do today. Yes, I’ve heard consistent messages from the man for most of the past 636 weeks in CHC!

I know Pastor Kong and his wife Sun personally as friends, not from a distance. I have always seen them living their lives in private as they do on stage. Mine is not the only testimony – there are many more of testimonies online from others.

My cell group leader Chew Eng Han, one of the five in question, came to my ONE.99shop office every other day to offer practical advice on what steps to take next in my ailing business.

He gave his time, expertise and support by rallying to get all his contacts to buy from ONE.99shop, increasing the cash flow that we so needed then. In the midst of my business storms, Eng Han would come to my office every week with his guitar to worship God with me and my team, keeping us calm, uplifted and focused.

How often in today’s busy world would friends walk side-by-side with you day-by-day in the midst of your worst moments?

As a member of the church, I have naturally become an extension of City Harvest Church.

The Biblical command to "love your neighbour as yourselves” is real in CHC: I have participated in giving of finance and time to the works that have made a difference to the world, such as bringing aid to victims of the Haiti earthquake (2010), the Sichuan earthquake (2008), the Aceh tsunami (2004), among other disaster relief efforts.

I have personally gone, together with my church mates to help build schools in China for their poorest. I have become a broken-but-healed business woman, now purpose-driven, thanks to my family at City Harvest Church.

Newspapers have written headlines about me such as, “She's No Failure”, “She’s All Smiles”, "Comeback Queen”, etc…

Indeed, I claimed all the credit in these headlines, but truly, without my friends Pastor Kong Hee and Chew Eng Han, there would be no Nanz Chong, no such headlines, no bouncing back and no capacity at all to contribute to others.

Only a “resurrected” person can help others. The dead cannot.

The fee for this article was donated to Mongolia Summer Camp, an initiative to care and educate needy children founded by Stephanie Seow, one of Nanz's Mentees.

(Nanz Chong-Komo is the former founder of ONE.99shop, Overall Winner of Entrepreneur of the Year 2000, author, business coach and speaker. Read more here: www.NanzChongKomo.com)

(The views and opinions expressed by the author and those providing comments are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of insing.com and SingTel Digital Media Ptd Ltd.)

[Beerinkol]

Nanz chong, please let the public how CHC rented a Serangoon gardens house for you to stay when you were bankrupt.

And whose money paid the rent?

[Fegasderty]

she is misleading. She is cooking up any excuses that believe in CHC you will suceed than depending on your determination and hard work.
pui.

your 199 close shop could be one of the reasons you have donated too much to CHC.

[Lillie_Steins]

your 199 close shop could be one of the reasons you have donated too much to CHC.

No. The unholy alliance happened after her cheapo goods retail empire failed. It was just a bad business model.

[TorryJens]

No. The unholy alliance happened after her cheapo goods retail empire failed. It was just a bad business model.

oh ic.
then maybe she did not blame herself for the wrong business model but Satan and so she went into CHC hoping on chase away the Satan.

[TorryJens]

Kong Hee Fatt Choy may have helped and supported both financially and spiritually.

But that does not mean that Kong Hee Fatt Choy did not makan God's money!!

[Beerinkol]

Miss Dense Gone Domo arigato for your testimony. I am sure the Court will take that into consideration during the sentencing of the City Harvest Scammers.

[MannoFr]

...

iz juz like ... stil got 60% daft sinkies say ah loon n his jin gang is goot ...

[NeroASERCH]

This woman is a conwoman who is yet to pay her debtors. Many of whom had extended substantial credit because they thought she was a determined underdog who was prepared to try. She continues to grace the lecture circuit and imparting her wisdom.

[9mm_fan]

If it was not for City Harvest Church, I would probably be drinking at the bar every night, and my only hope would be that I don’t get in trouble with the law.

Mwahahahhahahaha!!!!!!
There are millions of people who are not members of CHC and they don't spend every night drinking at the bar and getting in trouble with the law, lady.

[softy54534]

If the church was good, they would have loaned her money to tide her over her difficulties. But as usual, they want you to fail to 'learn'. Now i see why her business failed. She is just plain old stupid.

[NeroASERCH]

This woman is a conwoman who is yet to pay her debtors. Many of whom had extended substantial credit because they thought she was a determined underdog who was prepared to try. She continues to grace the lecture circuit and imparting her wisdom.

Well said. She has a super rich Korean hunk, she wrote about $1.99 books - both should be enough plus her lectures as you said, how to sell $1.99 still be a millionhair - these should get her to make amends.

[LottiFurmann]

She even published a book teaching people how to be an entrepreneur, my God!

[Lillie_Steins]

She reminds me of Lee Kong Chian's youngest daughter and former NMP Dr Geh Min's mother, Lee Siok Tin. A nice lady and well known socialite who used to be patron of so many chairites. She cannot hold money. Her brothers and family have saved her so many times that they have given up on her. Other local bankers tend to write off her loans out of respect to the family.

I think they had to take her overseas.

[brraverishhh]

Yesh bro, and people buy.

She even published a book teaching people how to be an entrepreneur, my God!

[NeroASERCH]

Not sure whether she is for real but she advocates that Christians should enter business with Christians. Because of that, I have only one conclusion, she better not make any cents from non Christians.

[HedgeYourBets]

Nanz chong, please let the public how CHC rented a Serangoon gardens house for you to stay when you were bankrupt. And whose money paid the rent?

And the membership paymts plus spending in sgoon country club for you to live it up as though it was business as usual

[Slonopotam845]

Nehs Chong,

You support Con Hee and Shitty Harvest cos your personal interet is at stake if shit hits the fan.

Just say so lah.

[NeroASERCH]

No matter what 'good' one has done, does it justify him breaking the law and helping himself to the piggy bank?

[Ifroham4]

nice lady, knew her when she still had some sense