In search of meaning in life, a lonely teen stepped into church and found it so familiar he stayed and became a youth worker

Just before the interview with Salt&Light, Alvin Kang preached his first sermon at the Chinese Youth Service at his church, Church of Our Saviour (COOS).

It was the culmination of a nearly decade-long journey for the newly minted youth worker who first stepped into COOS as a lost and lonely 17-year-old.

Today, Alvin, 25, serves in the Light of Life (LOL) Chinese Youth Service on Saturdays, running activities, leading cell groups and preaching, as well as teaches Primary Sunday School on Sundays as part of his duties in the Next Gen department of COOS.

Though being a full-time worker in church was never on the cards, he realised that God had been pursuing him since he was a child.

God reaching out all along

Alvin grew up in a family where a different faith was practiced. Because his parents prayed openly and often at home, he “knew there was a higher being” early in his life.

“They brought me to Haw Par Villa so I also had a concept of hell which was meant to deter me from doing bad things.”

But Alvin had also been exposed to the Christian faith at a young age

Though he grew up in a different faith, Alvin was exposed to Christianity from a young age.

“Seeds were planted long ago.”

As a child, he would have sleepovers at his aunt’s. In that household, his cousins and aunt would hold hands and pray.

Because his aunt prayed in Bahasa Indonesia, Alvin had to ask them what they were praying about. But he knew they were Christians because they constantly said “Amen” in their prayers. The practice made a deep impression on him.

“I was like, ‘Wow, praying and asking for peace, holding hands, that was quite nice.’ I felt a sense of peace and warmth.”

Alvin also had an older sister, Cindy who was a believer. She would often talk to him about the Christian faith.

“She gave me Christian children’s story books to read and got me to help colour the shepherd and his sheep when she was preparing for church activities.”

When Alvin was about 10, he went to buy something at a shop beneath his HDB flat. A woman stopped him and shared the Gospel with him.

Alvin at 10.

“I stayed and listened because I didn’t know how to say ‘no’. She shared how God and us had a relationship till we sinned. She even drew a diagram to show me this. I was quite intrigued.”

Alvin returned to quiz his older sister more about Christianity.

“At the end of the conversation, while she was washing the dishes, I asked her, ‘So how do I become a Christian?’”

She told him the ABCs – Admit that he was a sinner, Believe that Jesus died for his sins and Confess Jesus as his Lord and Saviour. After he did that, he asked her if he was now a Christian.

“She said, ‘Yes.’ I was so happy. I called my friends and told them about it.”

Alvin admitted that the joy he felt was “just me trying to be included somewhere”.

“I thought it was like one of the achievement badges you get as a kid. It was a good title and my sister was quite happy in her Christian life. So why not?”

But Alvin had no intention of going any further because he had seen how angry his parents had been when Cindy became a Christian.

“Prepare for a culture shock”

It was only when Alvin was in polytechnic that he felt a need to reach out to God. He had recently suffered a heartache, experienced broken friendships and was feeling alone.

One night, he talked to his sister even though they had drifted apart by then.

(Left to right) Alvin and Cindy, his big sister who shared the Gospel with him.

“We spent four hours talking about the meaning of life.”

Then she invited him to her church, Church of Our Saviour (COOS). Before he went, his cousin who was also in the same church, warned him to “be prepared for a culture shock” since he had never been to church before, much less one that had exuberant worship.

“But when I went there, I felt this sense of peace and this sense of familiarity. In my whole life, I felt I had an inner conscious speaking to me.

“When I went there, I felt this God had the same voice as that inner conscience. Now we know it is the Holy Spirit, but at that time, I didn’t know. I just felt this could be something.”

The next week, without telling anyone, he returned. At the end of the sermon, there was an altar call and Alvin responded.

“That was how I came to believe. The more I learned about Christianity, the more it made sense.

Alvin when he accepted Christ.

“I mean, if I create something, wouldn’t I love it as well? So God’s love was something that was not hard for me to understand.”

By then, his older sister had been praying for his salvation for seven years.

The desire to go full-time

Quite soon after, Alvin and a church friend started a spiritual friendship group where they read Christian books together, learnt together and questioned each other because they had a “thirst and hunger for God”.

Alvin being baptised in April 2018.

It was during this season that he got “quite salty” about setbacks in life.

“Then I had this thought: What if God allowed me to go through this so I can help the youths out? What if I can inspire the youths with my story?”

Alvin as a teen in church.

That became the starting point of his desire to serve in the youth ministry. In 2023, he became a youth cell group leader.

(Standing, far right) Alvin with the cell group he led.

Meanwhile, he graduated from polytechnic, went through National Service and became a barista. Working for the church was not on his agenda.

At the end of 2023, Alvin was at a leaders’ retreat when the vicar of COOS Rev Christopher Ho chatted with him. Their conversation triggered a distant memory.

“When I first came to the church, I had this vision where I saw all the preachers preaching  and thought that one day I would like to be like them to speak up there. I shared it with my vicar.

“He told me, ‘I encourage you to explore this vision. Maybe God is inviting you. Do you want to spend your life making coffee or serving God?’

“I was quite challenged by the statement.”

Shortly after, at the first prayer meeting of 2024, Alvin “felt like God was going to challenge me greatly in 2024”. This coincided with a chapter in the book Experiencing God by Henry T Blackaby that spoke to Alvin.

“He talked about the seven realities and one of them was God inviting us to join Him in His work and that brings us to a crisis of belief.

“I thought: I need to make a stand, If Jesus is really God who came to die for our sins and be resurrected, what am I doing with my life?”

As the year progressed, Alvin realised that working in F&B took up much of his weekends and nights, making it difficult for him to serve in church. The desire to go full-time became stronger.

“I felt I had to make major adjustments to follow Christ and serve Him.”

At the end of the year, Alvin signed on to do a one-year internship with COOS in preparation for being a full-time youth worker the following year.

S$2.50 meals

His year as an intern opened Alvin to a world beyond preaching and teaching.

“I thought I am a good talker, gift of speaking, not a afraid of the stage. But in this job there is also organising, co-ordinating, admin – so much revolving around church work.

“So it’s been tough because I don’t think I have that kind of brain capacity.”

(Left) Alvin during his internship in church.

There was also the significant pay cut although Alvin stands firm on the belief that “if you want to serve God, don’t think about the money, God will provide for you”.

Indeed, God has provided. Though there have been days when his bank account was down to just a two-figure sum, Alvin never had to skip a meal.

There would be surprise treats from friends, staff lunches and extra food from members blessing the church staff. He also discovered a budget meal for S$2.50 near the church which became his go-to lunch choice.

“My parents would ask me, ‘Do you have enough money to eat?’ But I have never gone hungry. In fact, I had gained weight by the end of the year.”

Of eternal worth has been his work in the Chinese ministry. Alvin enjoys building relationships with the youths and creating a safe space for them.

He told Salt&Light: “Knowing Mandarin helps you to be able to pray for a wider sector of people because the Chinese community is quite large.”

It has been just seven years since Alvin became a Christian. But looking back, he realised that God had had a hand in his life long before then.

“I feel loved to be known by an almighty God. To be chosen and used by Him to serve Him and His people with all my life is my honour.”

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