For his 20th birthday, Chua Seng Lee ran 20km to Changi Airport.  

For his 40th, he led 40 youths up Mount Kinabalu, the highest peak in Southeast Asia at more than 4,000m.

For his 60th, Pastor Seng Lee, now the Senior Pastor of Bethesda Bedok Tampines Church (BBTC), will mark the milestone by leaving the mark of a cross with a 40km walk across Singapore.

Ps Chua Seng Lee aims to leave the mark of the cross on his 60th birthday.

In his personal capacity, Ps Seng Lee aims to raise S$60,000 for the Thirst Collective – the charity organisation behind Salt&Light and its sister platforms Thir.st, Storiesofhope.sg, and 还好吗hhm.sg.

“This walk is my act of faith and my birthday gift to the Kingdom,” Ps Seng Lee said.

A heart goal

Ps Seng Lee’s target distance reflects the 40th anniversary of BBTC, but his fundraising goal of S$60,000 reflects a personal desire to shine his 60th birthday spotlight on a ministry that has “discipled generations”.

Thirst Collective’s mission to disciple those in the digital arena with biblical truth and stories of faith resonated with Ps Seng Lee. “There is so much noise and nonsense in the digital space, and that is exactly where the light of Christ needs to be showcased,” he said. 

“In the last 10 years, I have enjoyed reading the testimonies and articles on these websites,” Ps Seng Lee continued. “They have been a great resource for me to share the works of God in our time.”

The Senior Pastor sees his birthday as the start of a season for empowering, encouraging and building the right foundation for the next generation. Supporting the Thirst Collective is reflective of this new season, he said, as doing so will help to equip believers to share their faith and pre-believers to encounter the truth.

At a recent Alpha Leadership Conference in London, Ps Seng Lee noticed the impact of Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB), an Anglican church which has just 4,500 members but is impacting 2.8 million people worldwide with the Gospel.

He thought: “What could be a possible equivalent for any of the churches in Singapore, some of whom are of equal size as HTB?”

He concluded that one way churches in Singapore can touch millions is through sharing their stories through Thirst Collective’s four websites.

The funds raised from the walk would allow the ministry to reach more people, while honouring the often unseen sacrifices of those serving on the ground, he said.

Worn knees on a long journey

Ps Seng Lee is embarking on this fundraising walk with full dependence on God as he is awaiting knee replacement surgery. His doctor, with great reluctance, has given him the green light to proceed with the walk.

Ps Seng Lee is preparing for his walk with the support of kinesthetic tape as he awaits knee replacement surgery.

The 40km walk will span two days, starting from his home in Aljunied and ending at his spiritual home, BBTC, on his birthday on June 12.

To prepare for the journey, Ps Seng Lee has completed a full recce of the 40km route as a safety measure. He trains daily – sometimes with his family – walking at least an hour every day in the lead-up to the fundraising walk.

His commitment extends to family holidays – Ps Seng Lee took a long walk on a recent trip with his wife to prepare for this birthday challenge.

Ps Seng Lee plans to use walking sticks for safety. His family will also have a wheelchair on standby, in case his knee cannot take the strain.

Regardless of how far he goes, Ps Seng Lee believes this walk will be an act of faith and dependence on God.

“I am entering the final season of my life, and my deepest desire is to finish strong for Jesus,” he told Salt&Light. “My prayer is that everything about my life, up to my eventual death, would point all people to Jesus.

“The walk takes the shape of the cross so that in life and in death, may God be glorified.”

At the time of writing, Ps Seng Lee has hit more than half of his fundraising target of S$60,000.

Now in the final stretch, he is appealing to all to join him: “Please consider supporting – no amount is too small or too big.”

Follow Ps Seng Lee on his Facebook page for daily updates of his personal fundraising campaign. To support Ps Seng Lee’s fundraising efforts, you may scan the QR code below with your banking app. Fundraising will continue until June 19.

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