Christian Booth at Harmony Fest (July 2026)

Jul 23
3 min read

Updated: Aug 4

First Christian collaboration at national racial and religious event

AIRDECS and NCCS members at the Harmony Fest! 2026 Christian booth. From left: Mr Eden Liew, Mr Kelvin Seah, Rev Gabriel Liew, Friar Justin Lim OFM, Methodist Bishop and NCCS President Philip Lim, Fr Joseph Zhang CDD, and Mr Gerald Kong. Photo: AIRDECS

For the first time since its launch in 2023, the annual Harmony Fest!, held on July 4 at *Scape, featured a joint Christian booth, the result of ecumenical dialogue between the Archdiocesan Interreligious Dialogue and Ecumenism Centre of Singapore (AIRDECS) and the National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS).

Held by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth to kick off Racial and Religious Harmony Month each July, the event featured exhibits and artefacts from 10 faiths in Singapore.

For this year’s festival, themed “Interweaving: SG in Harmony”, AIRDECS and NCCS collaborated to set up a single booth to showcase Christianity.

They were supported by the Archdiocesan Catholic Council for Ecumenical Dialogue (ACCED) and the Archdiocesan Catholic Council for Interreligious Dialogue (ACCIRD).

Christianity was not featured in the 2023 and 2024 editions of the event, and in 2025, only Catholics were represented.

Fr Joseph Zhang (R) and Mr Gerald Kong (3R) interacting with visitors to the booth.

The central panel at the booth carried a statement expressing the core beliefs of the Christian faith, highlighting the Holy Trinity and the Apostles’ Creed, and was supplemented by detailed explanations at the sides.

While NCCS displayed various versions of the Bible, a cross, and a hymnal, AIRDECS displayed a Catholic Bible, a crucifix, sacramentals, statues, saint cards and icons.

Catholic and Protestant youth were invited to staff the booth and engage members of the public who came by.

The booth also offered interactive activities for visitors, including an online quiz on the Catholic faith and a “draw yourself” activity on a flip chart featuring Proverbs 15:13: “A happy heart makes a cheerful face”, which many visitors enjoyed.

Volunteer Joshua Tan of the Church of Saint Francis Xavier, a full-time national serviceman, appreciated the collaboration with the brothers and sisters of other ecclesial communities, whom he said “displayed great friendliness”.

AIRDECS member Gerald Kong (2L) and ACCED member Gabrielle Low (3R) with Catholic youth (from left) Jerome Lee, Richmond Sng, Joshua Tan, Gabriel Koh, and Brian Theng. Photos: AIRDECS

“I also enjoyed conversing with curious passers-by, many of whom asked thoughtful questions about the Catholic faith,” he remarked.

The programme that morning began with an opening ceremony at which President Tharman Shanmugaratnam was the guest of honour.

It included an interfaith silent prayer segment, during which each of the 10 faiths had two representatives onstage – a senior and a young person.

ACCIRD member Mr Brian Theng was paired with a senior lay Methodist to represent Christianity during the prayer, and said he found the experience meaningful.

“It enabled me to express both Christian unity and interfaith harmony, as I joined others in prayer for Singapore’s continued peace and social cohesion,” he said.

A Muslim member of the public drawing on the activity board.

Final-year undergraduate Richmond Sng, 24, of the Church of the Holy Spirit, said he found it an honour to volunteer at the Christian booth representing not only the Catholic community but also the wider Christian faith, and a journey of discovery being immersed in the rich histories and core tenets of the various religions in Singapore.

“I’m continually grateful for the opportunities to bring our wider community in Singapore closer together – whether by exploring our diverse religious sites or forging deep friendships that transcend race and religion,” he said.

Written by Gerald Kong, Executive Secretary of AIRDECS

Photo Gallery (from AIRDECS & NCCS):