 |
Fashion entrepreneurs James
and Brigid Chong live, work and go
on Missions Impact Trips together. They tell Trinitarian
magazine how God has weaved synergy into their marriage,
and faith into their business enterprise. God’s
divine handiwork has turned out as exquisite as the
embroidered cheongsams they sell.
Brigid Pang was all of 18 when a friend invited her
to Trinity Christian Centre. “I wasn’t good
in my studies, and I remember asking God to guide me
in my career. I had no idea what I was good at. I told
Him that I would follow whatever direction He gave me.”
Her prayer was soon answered. She discovered that she
loved fabrics and was captivated by them. A few years
later, she started her own business, a small boutique
in an old suburban
|
mall. But as the business got underway, she got busy and stopped
coming to church. “I knew God was with me all along,”
she says. “But I was handling the business my own way,
without biblical principles to guide me.” Things continued
this way for 10 years until she came back to Trinity in 1998.
“God was
blessing my business, even though I wasn’t walking with
Him. I could only imagine what would happen if I walked Him.
Surely the blessing would be multiplied!” True enough,
business got even better. Hers was the smallest shop in the
old building, yet she did a roaring trade. That first taste
of God-given success got her ‘hooked’. “I
realised that my own efforts could only achieve so much. I
stopped working 24/7. Going to church became my way of taking
a break; in fact, it was even better than going for a holiday!
Being in God’s presence refreshed me and gave me ‘fuel’
for the week. Once I had a taste of it, I became very hungry
for the Lord.”
So hungry was she for more of God that she promptly called
Trinity’s church office to find the carecell nearest
her home. Through the carecell, she grew in her relationship
with God, and became a spiritual parent. Sometime later, she
was asked to be a carecell leader. At that point, she asked
God to show her that He was real. “I told God, ‘God,
I will serve you but I need you to do something for my husband.’”
Her husband James had come to church with her a couple of
times, just to please her. He sometimes slipped out of the
service midway. “There was once when he left the service
half-way, and I later found him at the Turf Club!” she
recalls, shaking her head at the recollection.
Surprise, surprise
But God kept His side of the bargain. James remembers that
particular Sunday vividly. “We were at a Trinity celebration
service, and something in the message touched my heart. I
didn’t know what made me go to the altar, but I did.
Only later did I realise that it was an altar call for salvation!”
Then came her birthday. The carecell asked him to show up
in carecell as her birthday surprise. It turned out to be
a wonderful surprise for Brigid. “They told me that
they had a surprise for me. When I turned around, there he
was!”
The collaboration broke the ice between James and the carecell.
He began to join them for tennis games and other fun activities,
and later, for church camp. “At the church camp,
I was astounded by the incredible unity that I saw among the
carecell. I told my wife, I have never seen this
kind of bonding and care, not even among family members!”
James gave his life to God fully. By God’s grace, he
walked away from his gambling and smoking habits with nary
a struggle.
More changes were afoot. Career-wise, Brigid felt the need
for an extreme makeover. “My little boutique in an old
mall had become my world. It was an oldeconomy shop, and I
felt like I was stuck in the past. I knew I had to step out
of my comfort zone and get into the “new economy”,
but I didn’t know how. So I asked God to help me break
out of it.”
Extreme makeover
Her breakthrough came during a district camp in Trinity. She
received a prophetic word that she would do things that had
never been done before, and that she would go where
no one had gone before. It definitely spoke of a ‘new
beginning’ for her.
Upon returning from the camp, she decided that they needed
to make a trip to China. Her youngest sister and her husband
were based in Shanghai and had repeatedly invited them to
visit. “This time, I just knew that it was the thing
to do. We just had to make the trip.” On that trip,
they stepped into a wholesale centre selling clothes and fabrics.
The moment they stepped into the wholesale centre, she sensed
that “there was something about that place”. Then
her sister chanced upon an Oriental-style jacket, and insisted
that Brigid put it on. “I wasn’t very keen, but
the moment I put on that jacket, I felt very good
about it. I don’t know how else to describe it…
it just felt right! There and then, I had a flashback
of the prophetic word given to me, and I knew God was directing
me and giving me His confirmation.”
On the spot, her brother-in-law casually
remarked, “Why don’t you start a niche shop
selling Oriental jackets and cheongsam?” Things
fell into place very quickly upon their return to Singapore.
Without much ado, they went to Holland Village to scout
around for available retail space. All the shops at
The Windmill mall were occupied, but they chanced upon
a shop which was closed. “This shop will be ours!”
Brigid declared in a burst of audacious fervour. They
checked with the management and true enough, the shop
lease had run out and that the tenant was vacating the
shop very soon.
Within three months of their China trip, everything
was sealed. “Things happened so quickly, it had
to be God! The most scary part was when we signed the
two-year lease. That was the point of no return,”
James recalls. “Prior to signing the lease, we
prayed, and our carecell prayed along with us too. We
|
|
didn’t hear anything specific from the Lord, but something
within just told us that we had to walk in faith. So we decided
to trust God and go for it.” Two
to tango
Until that time, James had been working as a regional manager
for an American company for 11 years. Then the company in
the States wound up, and he found himself without a job. He
drifted along for a few months before deciding that he was
interested in retail management, and that he would join Brigid
to run the business. But neither had reckoned that
working together as husband-and-wife would be so challenging.
“I was very lost at first. I was new to the business
and had no idea how I could be of help to Brigid,” says
James.
The first two years were tough. I knew that God wanted James
in charge of the business, but I was so used to running the
show. What was worse, he had zero experience in retail! I
could not see how he could be in charge. So I struggled to
let go. Those two years were full of frustration for both
of us,” recalls Brigid.
Even a simple feedback from a customer would bring out their
differences to the fore. “We had very different styles
and our own way of doing things. We didn’t know that
we could not relate to each other as husband and wife in the
business. It was only later that we realised that we had to
be partners at work, and craft out our roles accordingly.”
Today, after a good five years in the business, teamwork
comes naturally. It is a partnership and a synergy forged
in the crucible of conflict. They have reached a place of
appreciating and maximising each other’s strengths.
James liaises with suppliers and vendors, freeing Brigid to
concentrate on what she does best – fashion design and
customer service. Brigid explains, “James brings stability,
integrity and structure to the business. That is his strength.
My strength is in the more creative things, so that’s
whatm I focus on. I leave everything else to him!”
 |
The couple, who have been married for 12 years, also share
a passion for touching lives through Missions Impact Trips.
Their most recent trip further strengthened their synergy
and partnership. Brigid saw James in action, and what she
saw caused her to see him in a different light. “Going
on this trip with my husband opened my eyes to a side of him
that I had not seen before. He was like a fish released into
the sea! I witnessed how he carried the heart of Christ for
ministry, how he flowed in receiving God’s revelation,
and how God used him to impact the men in the churches there.
Now I see him through new eyes, and have a deeper
respect for him,” admits Brigid.
Journey mercies
Personally, she benefited tremendously from the Missions Impact
Trip. As the missions impact team learnt to exercise their
spiritual authority in Christ through prayerwalking and spiritual
mapping, Brigid gained confi dence in her spiritual authority
as a child of God. “I used to have a fear of flying,
panic attacks, night terror and other types of fears. But
on this trip, I saw how the pastors and my fellow team members
rebuke the spirit of fear. I took authority over my own fears
and intimidating thoughts, and they disappeared! Going to
bed at night, sleeping and waking up is no longer a battle.
Praise the Lord!”
She also experienced a greater intimacy with God. “This
trip was very unique. I felt the Lord drawing me to Himself
in a gentle yet powerful way. As a result, life hasn’t
quite been the same since! My Time Alone with God is now deeper
and more focused. Walking with the Lord has become
my first priority and lifestyle. I have become quieter,
more confident, emotionally whole, and fi lled with His love
and peace.”
James enthuses, “It is in our heart to go for a Missions
Impact Trip at least once a year. We feel this is what the
Lord wants us to do, and it is an exciting adventure with
the Lord. Going on a Missions Impact Trip is just
like living in the days of the Book of Acts!”
Faith venture
Their entire business venture has been a faith adventure with
God. It has been a journey of trusting God to provide for
them as they honour Him.
During the early days of the business, James felt like he
was on an emotional rollercoaster. His moods followed the
sales performance of the day – happy when business was
good, and down when business dipped. Then one day, he just
had this thought: “I must understand the provision
of God. The provision of God is not measured by the sales
figures of the day. Even when the sales are low,
I can still give thanks to God. I will never have the joy
of God until I capture the truth of Habakkuk 3:17-18: “Even
when there are no sheep in the field, and no cattle in the
stalls … I will still be joyful in God my Saviour.”
At a Trinity worship service, Pastor Dominic quoted the exact
same verse, and James felt that God was speaking to him and
confi rming His word.
Trusting God as their Provider enabled them to do
the ‘unthinkable’, like closing the shop on Friday
nights – a prime time slot for shopping –
just so that they could be at carecell. “At first, we
thought we could just employ someone to man the shop during
the times when we had to be in church or carecell. But we
were not able to fi nd a staff! So we simply closed the shop
on Friday nights. Our hearts just wanted to honour God. Later,
we were able to employ someone and were able to keep the shop
open on Friday nights.”
 |
It is evident that above their passion
for fashion and retail management, the couple carry
a Passionate Honour for God. “We take pleasure
in honouring God. When we honour God, He never fails
to honour us,” says James matter-of-factly. Brigid
chips in, “Matthew 6:33 is very clear –
we definitely won’t lose out if we put God first.
The Lord will build our house and our business.”
Their faith was tested – and rewarded –
recently just before they took off for their Missions
Impact Trip to Cochin and Trivandrum, India. Just prior
to the trip,
|
some stock discrepancies cropped up, and they had to close the
shop for four days. “By faith, we decided to go for the
mission trip anyway. We left for the trip with the assurance
that the Lord will pay us back many-fold what we ‘lose’
for His Kingdom’s sake.” The ‘returns’
were immediate. While they were away on the trip, a shopping
mall manager came by. This shopping mall manager was different
from the others they had met. She wanted to hand-pick her
tenants, and saw potential in their niche business. “She
was captivated by our products, and wanted to help us build
our business. She offered us an excellent location
for our new shop – in a megamall, just beside a hypermart!”
Brigid exclaims.
It was a breakthrough they had been praying for. For two
years, they had bid for shop space but to no avail. “We
have been looking around and applying for shop space, but
without success. Now, while we were away doing the
Lord’s business, God has opened a door for us –
without any effort on our part. God is truly faithful
and His timing is perfect!”
Brisk and bright
These days, business is brisk, and with the upcoming expansion,
the future looks bright. Their arduous uphill journey may
be likened to seeing the underside of a tapestry – a
random mess of threads and knots. Now that the tapestry
is being turned over, they are catching a glimpse of the embroidery
for the first time, and it is nothing short of stunning.
Every intricate detail has been painstakingly planned and
weaved in by the Master Weaver. It is only on hindsight that
they realise how God has positioned them to ride the wave
of a new lifestyle trend, way before they could perceive it.
Brigid admits, “At first, I questioned
the concept of a niche shop. I felt that we were too
specialised, too niche and too limited. It was only
later that I realised that God has led us to ride a
new wave in fashion. ‘Oriental chic’ is
a whole new lifestyle trend, and a totally new market.
We followed God’s direction, and we are
now reaping the benefits of it.”
The couple attest that being in Trinity has
helped them walk in their destiny as entrepreneurs and
as a couple. Brigid says, “I really want
to thank the pastors and sectional leaders in Trinity
for
|
|
believing in us, and walking with us in this journey of faith.
We couldn’t have done this on our own. It has been a real
blessing to be part of the Trinity family!”
James sums it up well: “We have learn a lot of truth from the preaching,
the teaching, and the pastors in Trinity. All this has given
us insight, a godly perspective, and a deeper understanding
of the heart of God. Trinity has helped us align our lives
to God’s will, and positioned us to experience the success
of God.”
|
|
