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It's another multi-million- dollar fund-raising effort for New Creation Church: In just three months, members of the 24,000-strong church donated some $35.2 million towards its building fund.
This takes the total amount raised so far to $383.2 million.
New Creation had raised $21.1 million in one day in August 2010.
This broke the record $18.8 million raised in February 2009 and the $18 million in April 2008, both of which were also raised in one day.
Addressing the congregation yesterday, Deacon Matthew Kang, who is chairman of New Creation's council, said the church had raised $383.2 million as of Sept 16. The last reported amount listed on its website was $348 million, as of July.
"We just have 23 per cent more (to go towards) our target of $500 million," he said yesterday.
The church recently held collection drives, termed "Miracle Seed Sunday", on Aug 19, Aug 26 and Sept 2. Four services were held on each of those days at various locations, such as Suntec City Mall's Rock Auditorium and Marina Bay Sands' ballrooms.
Mr Kang did not reveal the amounts raised from the three collection drives.
In contrast to New Creation's collection drives, each of which can raise tens of millions, the National Kidney Foundation's first public fund-raiser since 2005 garnered about $400,000 on Sept 16, with the charity raising a total of $1.1 million since January.
The President's Challenge has raised about $8.8 million - after 257 days - for its 55 beneficiaries so far, according to its website.
The money raised by New Creation is to help fund its new $500-million performing-arts facility, which is located in one-north. The facility is owned by Rock Productions, the business arm of the church.
Called The Star Performing Arts Centre, or The Star Pac, it features a 5,000-seat auditorium and 300-seat outdoor amphitheatre.
It is built within The Star Vista, a shopping mall owned and managed by CapitaMalls Asia. The mall operator will foot $476 million separately for the retail portion of the mall, which opened on Sept 17.
The Star Pac takes up the third to 11th floors, and will be officially opened next month. Churchgoers will get to attend services at the auditorium, easing the current congestion. New Creation is not the only church that holds fund-raisers.
City Harvest Church, which had about 23,000 members as of last year, has collected about $22.7 million for its building fund, according to executive pastor Aries Zulkarnain in July.
The fund will help to pay for a $310-million investment by the church in Suntec Singapore.
The Church of St Alphonsus, also known as Novena Church, was reported in September last year to have about $3 million in its building fund.
The church is raising $45 million to fund the redevelopment of its premises.
When contacted, Mr Kang declined to comment on his announcement, and said the information shared at the service "was for its churchgoers only".
Ms K. T. Koh, who has been a New Creation member for seven years, said of the fund-raiser: "No one put a gun to our heads and told us we had to give.
It was all a matter of free will, and if you feel you are blessed and want to give back to the church."
The marketing-communications manager, 27, and her husband gave nearly $2,000 at one Sunday collection drive.
Full-time national serviceman Shaun Tan, who goes to another church, said he is agreeable to such fund-raisers as long as the process is transparent.
"Accountability to all donors and church members is the most important thing, to avoid any miscommunication."
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