15 Nov 2024
Joshua and Pei Zoe chose Ecclesiastes 3 as their main text to convey a clear message to the audience: A life lived apart from God is not true life, and it will never be able to satisfy. With this understanding, the couple decided to commit all aspects of their lives in service to God, including committing to one another in marriage for more effective ministry.
CERC celebrates yet another momentous occasion as the church witnessed the union of members Joshua Tay and Gan Pei Zoe on 29 June 2024! There were close to 500 invited guests, along with CERC members and candidates in attendance at the wedding ceremony, making it one of the largest CERC weddings to date.
Weddings are often celebrated as a joyous expression of love, focusing on the couple who have chosen to commit their lives to one another – but that was not the case for Joshua and Pei Zoe’s wedding.
Understanding God’s good design for marriage, Joshua and Pei Zoe knew that marriage also is a life lived under God for greater service to Him, and a marriage lived otherwise is not true life, as it chases after the fleeting pleasures in life, that will soon come to pass. This understanding shaped every part of the ceremony, centring it entirely on God—from the decorations to the music, the sermon, and the solemnization of their vows.
The main highlight of the day was the sermon delivered by Joel Lee, a member of CERC’s Council of Elders. He preached from the book of Ecclesiastes, which focuses on Qoheleth, or “The Preacher.” Despite his wisdom, wealth, and reign, Qoheleth found his achievements futile, as they did not bring lasting happiness.
The couple echoed similar sentiments to Qoheleth. They too, once pursued many hobbies – Joshua once aspired to become a politician and enjoyed traveling the world, while Pei Zoe was passionate about dancing. Though their pursuits brought momentary satisfaction, the question of life’s ultimate purpose remained unanswered. It was only when the couple gradually learnt and realised that all of life is governed by God for His purposes, that they found meaning in their seemingly mundane daily living. This realisation was what convicted them to commit their lives in service to God.
The couple’s commitment to serving God can further be seen in their active involvement in church and university ministries. Joshua is a committed member of CERC who is currently leading one of the church’s Growth Groups and formerly spearheaded the church’s Fundraising department. Currently, Joshua is still actively coming up with innovative ideas to raise funds for the church while being actively involved in other ministries, such as being part of the River Safety Team for White Water Summer Camp (WWSC). Pei Zoe on the other hand, swore in as a member of the church just one day after the wedding along with 21 other brothers and sisters in Christ, joining Joshua and the rest of the church members in service to God and one another. Pei Zoe is currently part of the church’s Basic Ministry Training (BMT) programme and was formerly a student leader at Sunway SOLIDD (Serving Our Lord In Dutiful Delight), one of CERC’s university ministry efforts.
For Joshua and Pei Zoe, the answer to life’s purpose was clearly spelt out in the Bible for them, that is to glorify God with all their lives. Knowing this, the couple utilised their wedding as a platform to tell their loved ones the gospel, so that they too could know what true life is about.
