At 9.00 am, Sunday, the 19th of September 2004, an Open House was organised by the Toa Payoh Ward as a public affairs and missionary project. The concept was to share with visitors, an experience of formal worship, and acquainting them with Church doctrines and communal culture.

We felt that the theme 'Family can be Forever' which the Primary children had prepared for their annual event, would best support the spirit of the Open House. This would link the children, youth, and adults together as a family and church unit and draw in the less active members. The teaching moments, scriptures, and primary songs fielded by teachers, were charmingly presented by the children and were very well received by visitors.

The Bishop used a power point presentation to introduce the Church Organization in a combined Priesthood and Relief Society meeting during the second hour. This was wisely kept concise and short so that visitors remained fresh and eager to proceed in a seamless transition to the Cultural Hall.

The youth choir of the ward was assembled at the far end of the hall. They performed renditions from: "For the Strength of Youth” and "Ye are the Children of God," a musical (2002) written by Janice Kapp Perry. The performance was electrifying. One visitor remarked, "The youth of the church look so clean and immaculate in their Sunday best suit - this should be the way!" (source: Dr Felix Lim, a psychologist by profession).

The Primary children sang with voices of angels and we are sure that they were inspired, if not helped, by their presence. Initially there was a concern that they did not make up sufficient numbers necessary to give the production but the final performance proved otherwise.



The visitors were then encouraged to visit the displays, mounted by adapting and enlarging the church exhibition kit called "Family Display Units" (FDU). This was flown in from Bangalore, India for the occasion; and, is 'first' of its kind installed in the Singapore Stake.

A noteworthy addition is a freestanding panorama on youth, titled "The Youth of the Church." Visitors here, literally feasted upon every facet of youth activities, and felt their celebration for life.




The main body of the exhibition is L-shaped which straddles zig-zag the length of Cultural Hall. Main emphasis was placed on 'Temple and Genealogy Work". Other displays, included the Relief Society, Food Storage, Primary Association, Nursery, CES, and last but not least, Missionary Work. These were represented amidst the recurrent theme "The Family, Family Home Evening and Society." A special sample full-sized quilt, work of the Singapore Stake for presentation to a Muslim Orphanage Society, was given special attention.



In keeping up with the elegance and dignity of the place, special 'finger foods' were served by the sisters of the Relief Society. A total of five hundred invitation cards were prepared and distributed three weeks before the occasion. The occasion was generally received with heart-felt satisfaction. A recommendation would be for a combined effort between wards or branch units to take up this challenge.