Feeding friendships

"How many children do you have? Eight?! Wow!"

That was a slice of a conversation between Bishop Dr Gordon Wong and an 87-yearold client at MWS Senior Care Centre –Eunos. It was a balmy Tuesday afternoon, when Bishop Dr Wong joined 10 volunteers from CMC WSCS (Christ Methodist Church Women's Society of Christian Service) for a luncheon with 22 clients of the Centre.

Over the course of an hour, chitter-chatter about everything from eating styles to family history were exchanged over bento box lunches and silky soya beancurd.

The luncheon was hosted and sponsored by CMC WSCS as part of "Eat Share Connect", the 2023 theme for The Giving Methodist (TGM), a community outreach initiative galvanising Methodists to perform acts of love during the season of Lent. Based on Jesus’ example of table fellowship and unconditional love, volunteers host a meal for socially isolated seniors or low-income families at their home, church or an MWS Centre. It is hoped that the bonds built through the breaking of bread will help to build a more inclusive community.

"When Jesus walked on earth, he often just sat down to eat with people. It’s a way of expressing friendship and care, and symbolises God’s desire to fellowship with us," said Bishop Dr Wong. "Especially during Lent, the Methodist Church wants to remind our members to show friendship and care to everybody, and coming together to eat is a great way to do that."

Besides sponsoring the meals, the volunteers engaged the seniors in conversation. Bishop Dr Wong said, "It was good to be able to spend time with the seniors here. Most of them don’t hear so well, or are unable to speak very much, but I think they enjoy seeing new faces and having someone to eat with them, and that little bit of change in routine."

Ms Tina Neoh, who led the initiative by CMC WSCS, said, "Food is the simplest Asian means of connecting, and we can also use food to express love. The seniors shared that they genuinely appreciate the food and company. It’s important that we, as Methodist church members, are able to bless the older people in our community and to exhibit God’s unconditional love."

This, however, was no one-off gesture. The CMC WSCS volunteers are looking to build long-term relationships with the seniors, and they have been making fortnightly visits to the seniors since January 2023, engaging them in craftwork, games and sing-along sessions.

"Many of them are now able to recognise us, even if they may not know our names," beamed Tina. "They are just as important in God’s eyes as anyone else, even if they don’t know the Lord yet. We are not going to evangelise to them by talking about Jesus, but it is our hope and long-term goal that they may come to know the Lord through our care and love."

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