Last year, FCBC made the unprecedented move to light up Marine Parade, and in doing so, became the first neighbourhood in Singapore to stage a Christmas light-up of that magnitude.
Following the positive response we received from the merchants and residents of Marine Parade, on December 6, 2013, FCBC held an official light-up ceremony at the steps of TOUCHCENTRE. The ceremony drew a crowd of close to 800 attendees, made up of FCBC members and Marine Parade residents, both young and old.
The ceremony officially started at 6.30pm and was officiated by Senior Pastors Lawrence and Nina Khong, as well as Guest-of-Honour, Associate Professor Fatimah Lateef, Member of Parliament for Marine Parade GRC.
Attendees were asked to cradle an electronic candle and gather round an unconventional Christmas tree that stands at 12-metres high, adorned with merry messages with words like “Love”, “Joy” and “Peace”. At 8.00pm, attendees participated in a significant moment of igniting the candles together. This cohesive act sparked the lighting up of towering tree-like structures decked along the roads of Marine Parade Central, and with that, kick started a month-long ‘Christmas ‘round the Corner’ celebration.
Other highlights of the ceremony include Christmas carols by children from GKidz and performances by youg local YouTube artiste, Joie Tan, and Soul Percussion from ITE College East. World-renowned Elite Diamond Merlin Award magician, Priscilla Khong, also performed mesmerising illusions, the last of which brought ‘snow’ to the heartland of Marine Parade in tropical Singapore.
In addition to the lighting up of Marine Parade Central, the ceremony also launched the 17-feet by 6-feet community charity mural called “Paint For Joy” sponsored by Nippon Paint. The mural holds onto 13,872 square grids constructed in the hope to raise $50,000 for four beneficiaries, namely Marine Parade Family Services Centre, Yellow Ribbon Fund, Pertapis and TOUCH Community Services. Senior Pastors Lawrence and Nina, together with Guest-of-Honour Associate Professor Fatimah Lateef and Mr Tan Ai Koong, Chairman of the Marine Parade Merchants’ Association, inaugurated the “Paint For Joy” project by painting the first grid, symbolising the beginning of a heartwarming and wholesome Christmas season that will indeed light up your hearts.