FOOCHOW METHODIST CHURCH VISION
ONE F A M ILY IN C HRIST
GROWING IN CHRIST | GLOWING IN LOVE FOR OTHERS | GOING OUT TO MAKE DISCIPLES FOR CHRIST
WELCOME
We warmly welcome you to worship with us today. May the Lord minister to your heart and spirit as we gather in His Presence! If you are new, please do scan the QR code and leave us a message! We would love to connect with you!
PRAYER MEETINGS EVERY WEDNESDAY @ 8:00PM
• 1st week – Onsite (Room 401) + Zoom Hybrid
• The rest of the month – On Zoom https://tinyurl.com/fmc-english-prayer-meeting
• Meeting ID: 852 8365 7963
• Password: fmc12345
* Please note there is no Prayer Meeting on the last week of the month and in the month of December. Prayer meeting will resume on 8 Jan 2025.
PRAYER CARE MINISTRY
If you would like someone to pray with you, our prayer ministers will be available at the front of the sanctuary after the service.
• After 8:00am service - 9:15 - 9:35 am
• After 9:45am service – 11:00 - 11:30 am
BREAKFAST CORNER
Breakfast will be served today. No breakfast will be served in church for rest of the December weeks.
OFFICE CLOSED FOR
CHRISTMAS
EVE AND NEW YEAR EVE
We would like to remind you that the church office will be closed at 1pm on 24 and 31 December 2024, for pastoral needs, please contact the pastoral team.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
LIST OF BAPTISM, CONFIRMATION AND TRANSFER CANDIDATES
ADULT BAPTISM CANDIDATES
• Alfred Lim (Immersion)
INFANT/CHILD BAPTISM CANDIDATES
• Janice Wong Pei Wen (Sprinkling)
• Luke Wong Guang Rui (Sprinkling)
• Shannon Chong Xuan Ning (Immersion)
• Samuel Chew Yong En (Immersion)
• Daniel Lin Zi Feng (Immersion)
• Ethan Koh (Immersion)
CONFIRMATION CANDIDATES
• Tracy Teo
• Javier Wong
• Ashton Tan
MEMBERSHIP
• Charles Zhang Zong Yang
MEMBERSHIP TRANSFER
• Chin Li Nah
• James Lau
ALFRED LIM JEW FOOK
Jesus has always been familiar to me. I believed that God existed but have always been procrastinating to declare my faith in Jesus Christ. I didn’t expect my relationship with God to change much until last September.
In July, I was diagnosed with a large tumour in my brain and needed urgent surgery to stop further deterioration caused by the tumour. I was told that existing damages were irreversible. Despite the initial shock, I was able to cope with the situation calmly. It was like my stress and anxiety glands were not in existence. This was not me. It was God at work.
It was a different situation for my immediate and extended families. The emotions they were going through were probably like a roller coaster ride. Thanks to God, they were able to seek comfort from the Lord, members of their cell groups and churches. They, their cell groups and churches were also all praying for me. God heard their prayers and answered.
The calling for me came in September. I went into surgery and woke up 9 hours later with no post-surgery effects, no requirement for post-surgery medications and miraculous of all, all damages pre-surgery which were diagnosed as permanent were fully restored. All critical organs were preserved. I was informed that the surgeons encountered complications when they accessed the tumour, and it took twice the expected time for the surgery with assistance from additional surgeons called into the operating theatre. The outcome was no coincidence that can be orchestrated by human. IT WAS A MIRACLE AND THE GRACE OF GOD.
Since then, I have been experiencing deep sense of joy and strength in me. With each passing day, God continued to speak to me. The messages continued. The signs got clearer, and I could no longer push them aside as coincidences. I realised that God has always been in my life, working His miracles even though I have never acknowledged His work until now. God knows what is best and has it all planned out. From there on, I decided to publicly declare my faith in Christ and begin a new life dedicated to God.
I also wish to thank my lovely family, Tracy, Benjamin and Claydon, who patiently waited for me to get to know God, and above all, I thank God for calling and choosing me. God has shown to me that I do not need to earn His love. He died on the cross for my sins out of His unconditional love for me. Thank you, Jesus!
TRACY TEO SIEW FOONG
I thank the Lord for His grace, mercy and bountiful blessings He has provided my family with. The last few years have been immensely difficult, fraught with many disappointments and challenges and my lack of faith in God. Our Heavenly Father has carried us through, and I see not my works at all but His Merciful hands that change our life completely. Our Lord has healed my husband miraculously and has given me an amazing opportunity to work in church. The Lord has blessed us with wonderful Christian friends, my cell group brothers and sisters and pastors who constantly prayed for us. I would like to re-dedicate my life to God on this day.
ASHTON TAN JUN WEI
Christianity was introduced to me at a very young age. The moment I was born, I was exposed to Christianity in my home and church. When I was younger, however, I didn't really have that much faith and put little attention to Christianity. Over the years I’ve grown to believe and embrace Christianity. Christianity became real and apparent to me when I was in primary 6. It was a very stressful time of my life as I was sitting for PSLE. I placed a great importance on doing well during PSLE and worked extremely hard. This took a toll on me, and I started to burn out, slowly giving up. I was lost and did not know what to do. This was when my parents suggested to turn to God. I didn't believe it'll work at first, but after much prayer, I started to have faith. I felt better every day, and slowly I regained the motivation to study. I believe it was God who gave me the strength to continue. He believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. From that day on, God's presence in my life became more apparent to me, which in turn allowed my faith to grow stronger. I have decided to be confirmed as I feel that confirmation will bring me one step closer to God. Preparing for confirmation and attending all the classes have been a crucial part of my spiritual journey, strengthening my connection with God and deepening my understanding of Christ.
JAVIER WONG JIA JUN
I have been on a 16-year journey of faith, one that started with my baptism as a baby when I was three and has grown into something personal and real. For a long time, being a Christian was something I took for granted, it was part of my family and my routine. But as I grew older, especially in the last few years, I began to ask deeper questions: Who is God to me? What does faith mean in my daily life?
For many years I have let Jesus out of my sight, not appreciating what he has done. I did not attend much church due to CCA which further distanced me from God. After some convincing from my mother, I went back to church more often which opened my eyes to the love God has given to me. Since then, I’ve been trying to strengthen my relationship with Jesus, going to church more often, sharing my struggles through prayer, and starting to commit to reading the Bible more. Being confirmed is my way of saying, “This faith is mine.” I want to live for Christ, not just because I was raised this way, but because I have experienced his truth for myself.
CHARLES ZHANG ZONG YANG
When I was young growing up, my paternal grandmother’s side was mainly Buddhists, whereas my maternal grandmother’s side was mainly Christians. I often went to both the temple and the church because of their beliefs. I remember I often wondered: if human can be gods, why do people pray and always asking Buddha or Chinese gods for fortune and blessings? Why do some religions have gods with many heads and hands? However, being in ACS, a Christian school, I got to see some of my Christian school mates being different and really nice. I also got to know Jesus through Christian stories and songs shared by the Chaplain. I loved it, and compared to other religions, Christianity made sense to me in the sense that we could have a relationship with God. I learned that He loves me for who I am, so during one the chapel services in primary school, I decided to accept Christ in my heart. God is good!
JAMES LAU TZE JIAN
I grew up in Bethesda Katong Church (Brethren church) since I was born and knew how to say the right templated answers and prayers in Sunday school; however, I did not know God personally. I came to know Jesus personally when I was 16, after thinking a lot about the futility of life. God filled that void, enabling me to experience the fullness of joy, peace and satisfaction in Him. Over the years, I have also come to appreciate what Christianity is about: the gospel of Jesus Christ. I’ve come to treasure the gospel increasingly, as I came to see my helpless sinful state and my need for a Saviour. The gospel changes everything, providing hope, joy, satisfaction, and I am convinced to live a life worthy of the manner of the gospel (Phil 1:27). After I got married in March 2021, I moved over to Foochow Methodist Church. I appreciate the community of believers who want to follow Jesus seriously and have challenged me to continue to live out Phil 1:27 both in the church and outside the church. I am grateful to God for the smooth assimilation to FMC and pray that He’ll continue to work in me to will and act according to His good purpose as I continue to work out my salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12-13).
CHIN LI NAH
I was adopted as a toddler and raised by a non-Christian foster family, but by the grace of God, I was exposed to Christian teachings at a very young age as I was put in mission schools since kindergarten. I went on to a mission primary school and it was during one of the chapel sessions that I was moved to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. However, my Christian life journey did not start out smoothly as my acceptance of Christ resulted in fervent rejection and abuse from my foster parents who were superstitious and staunch Buddhists. I was subsequently disowned and returned to my biological parents who were very poor but fortunately they were God-fearing Christians. It was during this period of time that I was able to attend Church and become immersed in the Christian teachings. Reflecting on my past life experience and my walk with God to where I am today, God has truly been faithful to me, although at times I may lose sight of God’s faithfulness and His unchanging love for me. I could not understand why God had put me through those difficult and tumultuous childhood years. Nevertheless, I praise God for his providence have always been sufficient for me and I give thanks for His persevering love for me.
Receipt Issuance
As part of the efforts to go Green, except for "Sunday offerings", e-receipts would be sent to your email or mobile phone registered with our church unless otherwise advised. No receipt would be issued for offerings indicated as "Sunday offerings" or collections that have no specific indication.
e-Receipts will be sent to you via the Church WhatsApp number. We assure members that such e-receipts are NOT sent as broadcast messages to the whole church.
信息笔记
SERMON NOTES
经文 Scripture: Jonah 4; John 3:16-17
Discussion Questions
1. Jonah was angry at God, not because he lacked understanding of God’s grace and mercy, but because God didn’t respond in the way Jonah wanted. Has there ever been a time when you became angry with God because He didn’t answer your prayers, the way you wanted Him to?
2. Jonah’s heart was so hardened toward the Ninevites that he couldn’t see the irony of his situation, having received grace but angered at others receiving that same grace. Read Matt 7:1-5. Why do you think it is so easy to see the sin of others and yet remain blind to our own sin?
教牧同工
Pastoral Team & Staff
主理 PASTOR-IN-CHARGE
刘昌耀牧师
Rev Lau Chong Yaw 9145 7511
协理 ASSOCIATE PASTOR
崔平和牧师
Rev Peace Choi Pyong Hwa 8388 3464
曾国华牧师
Rev Patrick Chen 9456 7196
年会传道 CONFERENCE PREACHER
谭永正传道
Pr Tham Yong Zheng 97972763
事工同工 MINISTRY STAFF
多马传道
Ps Raja Thomas 9483 7725
李文花传道
Ps Lee Boon Hwa 9637 3677
曾秀霞传道
Ps Ruth Zeng 9835 3097
王裕凯传道
Ps Alvin Ong 9325 3189
熊志辉传道
Ps Alex Yong 84316960
3. Read John 3:16-17. How does God see the world? What can we do to intentionally see the world the way God sees it? Allow God to speak to you about any persons in your life whom you may have failed to show love to as God has loved us.
事工助理 MINISTRY ASSISTANT
杨静霞姐妹
Ms Jaffrine Yeo 8128 0051
行政经理 ADMIN MANAGER
洪敏珠姐妹
Ms Wendy Hoon 9092 2902
行政同工 ADMIN STAFF
刘雪梅姐妹
Ms Rachel Law 8437 5297
刘民忠弟兄
Mr Lau Meng Choong 8876 2275
陈伟敏姐妹
Ms Evon Tan 9072 0515
部分时间Part-time
