by Yap Kai Herng
What is Love?
To be honest, the theme of Church Camp 2026, “As Jesus Loves”, didn’t sound all that catchy to me. But that did nothing to dampen the excitement for this year’s church camp since Pastor Benny Ho was returning as the camp speaker.
More than 600 gathered with anticipation at Sheraton Imperial Hotel in Kuala Lumpur from 8-11 June 2026 and over three sessions, Ps Benny Ho unpacked the theme with his characteristic style of humour, illuminating clarity, spiritual insights and powerful stories, all of which left many of us wishing there were more.
Jesus Loves You
Jesus loves you freely. He desires good for you, and He takes delight in you. Chances are, if you’ve sat through enough services, or attended enough church camps, you’d have heard these three points—made in the first half of the first session—before. Point is, it is easy to know or be told that Jesus loves you.
But it was in the next part of the session where Ps Benny put forward a challenge: to not just know that Jesus loves you, but to rely on it.
My discussion group—a blend of the young and the young once—spent a good chunk of our time trying to unpack what this meant. I chose to be comforted by the fact that grappling with God’s love appeared to be a lifelong endeavour.
Ps Benny revealed there is only one way to rely on God’s love: rely on God’s love for us, not on our love for God. Our love for God is human: frail, feeble, and fickle. But God, whose nature is Love, loves us for who we are, in spite of what we’ve done, regardless of what we’ve achieved.
Love His People
I love a good hotel buffet. And the buffet at Sheraton Imperial was excellent. It wasn’t just the food, it was the company.
There is something special about mingling with aunties and uncles that watched you grow up in the buffet line, or joining your zone pastor for a meal, or even catching up with a childhood friend and his wife.
The point is, there is something wonderful about the love between God’s people.
But in his second session, Ps Benny reminded us that the Chrisitan community wasn’t all just sunshine and rainbows. For the Church to grow in Christ, there must be accountability, and not just the kind that ensures no cutsies in the buffet line.
Restorative Accountability is a huge mouthful. But just like a good hotel buffet, accountability is meant to be restorative, not punitive. There is right and wrong, and there is also love. To love as Jesus loves, we must love others, love truth and love in truth. Truth without Love is legalism; Love without Truth is lawlessness.
We are called to restore the person overtaken by sin, share the burden of someone overwhelmed by life, but still carry our own load, to the best of our ability. Restorative grace is the greatest gift one Christian can offer to another. To love as Jesus loves, restore His people.
But watch yourself, that you too do not fall into sin. As we are called to show restorative grace, we are also called to subject ourselves to restorative accountability. The Law of Christ is the Law of Love. Love is the fulfillment of the Law, so let not pride despoil this wonderful Love. Do not judge others in need of help; do not be too proud to ask for help.
Restorative Accountability is the way to love His people as Jesus loves.
Love In Action
Ps Benny started the third session with an observation—rather than saying our walk with God is “up and down”, Christians should say that it is “in and out”. We do not work for our salvation, but we must work it out to full completion in Christ Jesus. That means, becoming more like Jesus in conduct, becoming who He wants us to be, and doing what He wants us to do.
We as Christians, are tools for God’s purpose. God works through us, with us, but we are not God, and the design, ultimately, is His. We are signposts pointing towards God, leading those around us to salvation. But in the end, only God can save.
That night, the camp committee organised a “Sarong Fun Night” for campers. Using the sarongs we received as door gifts, campers were asked to use them in a competition for “Most Creative Use of Sarong”.
Some turned their sarongs into impressive costumes of ancient world leaders, others turned them into a giant hammock. The winning team crafted the full Armour of God with their sarongs. Did I remember what colour their sarongs were? No. I just remember how impressed I was that they combined a backpack with a sarong to form a shield.
Likewise, we as the individual “sarongs” in God’s “creative design” for salvation, we are not the focus of the work, but together, we work to demonstrate God’s glory. Too often, we are caught up in fear of rejection, or fear that our prayers go unanswered. But Ps Benny reminded us that God doesn’t need us to defend Him. His work will speak for itself.
Instead, offer not sermons, but prayer. Present their felt needs to God. Pray faithfully, connect relationally, love practically, and when God opens the door, share boldly.
We are to go out and point the world to God. To be a clear signpost for God, we must love others as Jesus loves.
Show me how to love like You have loved me
Break my heart for what breaks Yours
– Hosanna, Hillsong United
Someone remarked at the close of the camp that we sang Hosanna at every session. This wasn’t just because it was a good, powerful song; it was also the camp theme song. An apt choice indeed, to remind us that to love as Jesus loves, is to love to the point of heartbreak, with all its joys and pains.
For more pictures and video clips from camp, click here.