Methodist Message: April 2022

THE METHODIST CHURCH IN SINGAPORE Vo l 1 2 4 N o 4 A P R I L 2 0 2 2

ISSN 0129-6868 MCI (P) 044/11/2021

INCLUSIVE DANCE: DANCERS WITH DISABILITIES WELCOMED HERE HOW CAN ONLINE WORSHIP BE MEANINGFUL?

Contents 1

Bishop’s Message

2

Events—Coming Up

3

From the Editors

4

Church Life—ETAC Highlights

5

Church Life—ETAC Highlights

6

News—What do I do if I’m Covid Positive?

7

News—Building OneMCS

7

News—Global church communions gather to pray for Ukraine on Ash Wednesday

8

Opinion—THINK

10

News—Changing of the guard at six Methodist Schools

14

News—Online worship: Technology and the arts

16

People—Marcus See

17

People—Rev Saravana Kumar

18

People—Sharon Liew

22

Books—Making missions a vision for children

24

Opinion—Soundings

26

Reach Out—Missions

28

Reach Out—Welfare Services

31

Relationships—You & Your family

32

Hymns & Songs

33

What does being a Methodist mean to you?

34

Events—Looking Ahead

EDITORIAL BOARD

The official monthly publication of The Methodist Church in Singapore.

Adviser and Publisher

Published material does not necessarily reflect the official view of The Methodist Church.

Dr Anthony Goh - Chairperson Council on Communications

All Scripture quoted is based on the English Standard Version unless otherwise stated.

Managing Editor

70 Barker Road #06-04 Singapore 309936

Alvin Tay

6478-4793 | 6478-4763

Editor Lianne Ong

message.methodist.org.sg | www.methodist.org.sg

Sub-editors

newmm@methodist.org.sg

Lucy Cheng Janice Khoo Tan Chiu Ai

fb.com/Methodist.SG

Communications Executive

@methodistsg

Jason Woo

Proofreaders Kenneth Lee Christabel Tan

@methodist.sg

Design & Production by Londonbob Design Printed by Adred Creation Print Pte Ltd

Have something to say or share? Email us at newmm@methodist.org.sg

BISHOP’S MESSAGE Bishop Dr Gordon Wong was elected Bishop of The Methodist Church in Singapore in 2020.

He served as President of the Trinity Annual Conference from 2013–2020.

Good is better than Great!

“And we know that in all things God works together with those who love him to bring about what is good—with those who have been called according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:28 (NIV)1

“Don’t have a good day—have a great day!”

This is how the lead character in the 2021 movie Free Guy greets his colleagues and customers each morning. It is his catchy way of wishing everyone a positive start to their day.

I affirm his enthusiasm but propose another rhetorical twist: “Don’t have a great day—have a good day!”

The apostle Paul in the Scripture verse above tells us that God wants to work together with us “to bring about what is good”.

There is a lot that is not good in our world today. As I write, the Russia-Ukraine war has brought much suffering, death and fear. Covid-19 continues to afflict everyone. More common but no less crippling are the challenges caused by disease and dementia, floods and fires. But in all these things, the apostle Paul tells us that God wants to work together with those who love him to bring about whatever good we can. Or in another memorable phrase which Paul writes in the same letter, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).

This paraphrase of John Wesley’s words gives a similar exhortation: Do all the good you can by all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.

So don’t worry about trying to win great and mighty victories for God. Just work together with God to bring about a little bit of good to all neighbours in our troubled world.

Don’t have a great day—have a good day!

The more well-known translation of this same verse makes a different point: God works for the good of those who love him. But since the Greek verb (lit. “to synergise”) normally implies working or synergising with something rather than for something, it is more likely that the NIV footnoted translation cited above is closer to what the apostle Paul intended.

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METHODIST MESSAGE April 2022

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Events ¢ Coming Up

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METHODIST MESSAGE April 2022

From the Editors ¢

“Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!”

Psalm 34:3

I

n the world of authors, our storytelling prowess is based on how well we entertain, tickle the imaginations of the reader and bring them on an emotional journey. Our duty is to use fiction to tell a truth. I come from such a world.

INTRODUCING OUR

NEW EDITORS

However, when we are telling God’s stories, it is no longer fiction. And in fact, the storyteller is not us, but God himself. The protagonists in the stories are you and me. He is the author of our lives, and the perfecter of our faith.

This age-old publication we call Methodist Message has been the collective voice of the Methodists in Singapore (and for a time, Malaya) for more than a century. What a precious heritage and what a serious responsibility we have in putting out God’s stories to inspire, edify and affirm.

Going forward, we would like to position Methodist Message as the ‘go-to’ publication of The Methodist Church in Singapore, reaching out to all Methodists and reflecting God’s heartbeat not only in the General Conference, but also the three Annual Conferences and our 46 churches. Church communications, we feel, is not a function but a ministry. Through our coverage, we hope to share God’s love and amazing grace for all, and point readers to God. In this issue, Victorious, we have stories of Methodists who have struggled against the norm, and overcame hurdles that were so overwhelming, only because God was there. Every victory that we reap in Jesus’ name should be shouted out from the mountain top, and I’m glad they did.

There are plans to take Methodist Message to greater heights, starting with a major website revamp and refreshed print newsletter. But a new website or stylish newsletter will only garner repeated visits and grow in readership when we are able to keep our content fresh—and for that, we need your support.

The Methodist Message team—led by Alvin Tay, the Managing Editor and myself—wants to help you tell God’s stories that are happening in your churches, and in your lives. If you have good stories to share, write to us at newmm@methodist.org.sg .

Or better still, join our team as a volunteer writer, reporter, copy editor, proofreader, photographer, or videographer.

So come, magnify the Lord with us. Let us exalt his name together!

Lianne Ong

Lianne Ong | Editor Lianne is an award-winning children’s author, and has published 16 children’s books.

As a freelance writer, her work ranged from writing human interest stories and video script-writing for clients such as Singapore Kindness Movement and Singapore Chinese Orchestra. In her free time, she conducts school visits and writing workshops. She and her husband worship at Kampong Kapor Methodist Church, and have two children, age 15 and 10. Lianne actively serves in the choir and until recently, served in the Media & Communications Ministry as editor.

Alvin Tay | Managing Editor Alvin Tay was previously the Editor of The Business Times and then Managing Editor of the English/Malay/Tamil Media Group at Singapore Press Holdings. He retired in 2018 following a silent retreat at Seven Fountains in Chiangmai where he discerned God’s call to leave the corporate world and focus on voluntary church and charity work.

He and his wife, Wendy, worship at Wesley Methodist Church, and have two sons, age 32 and 29. Alvin is currently Wesley MC’s Associate Lay Leader for Communications and Missions, and is volunteering as Managing Editor of Methodist Message.

Editor

METHODIST MESSAGE April 2022

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Church Life ¢ ETAC Highlights Benita Vincent is the Coordinator of Archives & Communications at Jurong Tamil Methodist Church. / Photos courtesy of Benita Vincent

Worship service in Jurong Christian Church (Old Building)

Sowing in love 45th Anniversary Service - Bishop Rev Dr Gordon Wong, Rev Philip Abraham & Pastor Charles

J

urong Tamil Methodist Church (JTMC) celebrated her 45th Anniversary on 27 February 2022. It was a celebration of God’s faithfulness and guidance towards His church, especially during these recent years of pandemic. We were not able

to sing His praises but every heart in the sanctuary was filled with gratitude and awe at how far God had led us.

JTMC was one of the daughter churches of Tamil Methodist Church (Short Street), planted in the Jurong residential area. The church, under the faithful care of Mr & Mrs JCD Pandian, started with weekly worship services and prayer meetings held at their residence. Over the years, we moved to various locations and each time, God added to our numbers!

During the Anniversary Service, Bishop Dr Gordon Wong preached on how Jesus’ food was to do the will of the Father and how we, as believers, ought to do the same, to reach the lost and hurting through God’s love! This has been the heartbeat of our church. Through Project Care, an initiative by the Outreach and Social Concerns Committee and our partnership with Lakeside Family Services, we have been able to reach out to those in need, especially those from the Tamil speaking community.

God has strategically placed us where we are to fill a need, to reach out and to sow His seeds of love.

Christmas Hybrid Celebration - A Gracious Christmas

“One sows and another reaps.” This is especially true when we look back at our church history. Much of what the church is now reaping is because of the generous sowing of the pioneers who went before us. Many men and women tirelessly shared the gospel with those around the Taman Jurong area, where we are still located today. May our generation continue to sow in love so that in the years to come, we may reap a great harvest.

Christmas Outreach Discussion with Lakeside Family Services

May these lyrics, from the song that was composed and written for our 45th anniversary, be the prayer and the hope for the coming years.

Through faith, let hope arise Spreading His love throughout the nation May we sow love by the word of His testimony With one heart and one mind, Let us build His Kingdom.

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METHODIST MESSAGE April 2022 METHODIST MESSAGE April 2022

Church Life ¢ ETAC Highlights Rev Vijay Joseph is the Pastor-in-Charge of Tamil Methodist Church (Short Street). / Photos courtesy of IFF, Tamil Methodist Church (Short Street) (TMCSS)

Migrant workers ministry Fellowship becomes friendship even after workers return home

T

he Indian Friends Fellowship (IFF) of Tamil

In addition, Bible studies and cell group meetings

Methodist Church (Short Street) (TMCSS) spent the

are held every week. Prayer, medical and counselling

first day of the Lunar New Year (1 February 2022)

support have been provided. Basic computer classes,

at JTC Space@Tuas, a dormitory for migrant workers.

AutoCAD and English classes are also conducted. Due

Games and motivational talks were organised for the

to the Covid-19 pandemic, these classes are now

brothers from India as well as those from Bangladesh

taking place via Zoom, which has allowed the brothers

and Myanmar. Everyone received a door gift and got to

to attend from their dormitories. At the end of each

take part in lucky draws.

course, the participants receive certificates, helping some of them to get promotions at work.

On 26 February, IFF, in collaboration with The Salvation Army, organised a river cruise for 150 migrant workers.

Along

This was a programme initiated by the Ministry of

IFF organises May Day, Easter and Christmas Day

Manpower (MOM) for workers living in dormitories.

programmes as well as a Graduation Day for those who

with

Chinese

New

Year

Day

programme,

complete the computer and English classes every year.

Since it was started in September 1992, the IFF

IFF and TMCSS have been recognised for their work

ministry has been conducting Tamil worship services

among migrant workers by MOM with a Certificate of

every Sunday evening. Packed dinners are distributed

Appreciation on Migrant Workers Day.

after the evening service, giving IFF members the opportunity to get to know the migrant workers better

As it approaches its 30th anniversary, IFF is thankful

over a shared meal. IFF members regularly keep in

to God as well as TMCSS leaders and members, and all

touch with these brothers, even after they return to

other supporters who have helped with their precious

their home countries.

time, talent and treasure.

METHODIST MESSAGE April 2022

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News ¢ By the MCS Communications Team. / Image courtesy of Emily Lim

As a follow-up to I Can Recover at Home, an e-book that was produced last year to explain Ministry of Health (MOH) Home Recovery Programme to kids and families, Emily Lim, together with illustrator, Josef Lee, have once again teamed up to publish What Do I Do If I’m Covid Positive? The e-book was released on 20 February and is free.

This second e-book aims to let families know that their children can be cared for by family doctors and neighbourhood clinics for mild Covid-19 symptoms. Its contents are now updated with the inclusion of the latest medical input and health protocols from the MOH as well as having a paediatrician’s perspective provided by Dr Darryl Lim, who also worked on I Can Recover at Home.

What do I do if I’m Covid Positive?

Emily Lim tells you in a second Covid-19 children’s book

“Josef and I were happy to produce both e-books as our voluntary initiative for our community and we are so encouraged to see God’s invisible hand move this in a big way after we played our small part,” said Emily, who told Methodist Message that What Do I Do If I’m Covid Positive? was downloaded over 20,000 times from her blogsite at mummumstheword.wordpress.com within two days of the book’s low-key release.

Emily, Josef and Darryl are Methodists; they worship at Barker Road MC, Foochow MC and Wesley MC respectively.

Scan this QR code to download What do I do if I’m Covid Positive? >>

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+65 8321 3355 TOLL-FREE

1800-777-2422 “Serving families for a decade and more...”

www.AmazingGraceFunerals.com

Amazing Grace has prepared these few measures to allow families to have a meaningful and dignified farewell for their loved ones: A. Online Ticketing

Complimentary online ticketing system to allow visitors to reserve a visiting time slot and plan their visits, allowing families to keep within the regulated maximum number of persons at any one time with minimal coordination.

B. Online Memorial

allows friends to find updated information and offer their sympathies to bereaved families

C. Live Streaming

this option is available to enable friends and families to participate in the wake/vigil and funeral services online

D. Donations

families may appoint a PayNow account of a family member to receive donations. This will be posted on the online memorial.

Christian Funeral Packages • International Repatriation • Pre-Planning Seminars

News ¢ Henry Tan is the Conference Lay Leader of TRAC. / Photos courtesy of Henry Tan

Building

By the MCS Communications Team

OneMCS

Global church communions gather to pray for

Church leaders meet to brainstorm collaboration ideas It all begins with conversation.

Over two Saturdays in February, 71 Lay Leaders

Ukraine

and Local Church Executive Committee Chairpersons across the three Annual Conferences got together for worship, prayer, fellowship and conversation. At the

on Ash Wednesday

Methodist Centre Sophia Blackmore Hall, they formed groups of five—based on proximity of their church locations—to brainstorm ways and areas of working together under OneMCS, much like what the local

More

church pastors have been doing.

able to speak their native languages. Another group suggested producing a musical together to bless Another

thought

Christians

around

the

world

24-HR HOTLINES the ongoing Russian-Ukraine war. The global prayer

was reaching out to migrant workers by churches

neighbours.

3,000

Ukrainian churches and pray for peace to prevail in

It was a fruitful time. Among the ideas put forth

their

than

gathered online to rally in solidarity with the

of

providing

tuition in different languages for students in their “Serving families for a decade and more...” neighbourhoods. Others suggested a dedicated

O

PAUL & DANIEL

event took place on +65 8321 3355

Ash Wednesday (2 March 2022,

TOLL-FREE 1700hrs CET), and was jointly organised by nine

1800-777-2422 global Christian communions,

www.AmazingGraceFunerals.com

nly one life, a few brief and years, OneMCS microsite for information about events

including the World

Methodist Council, Anglican Communion, Baptist World Alliance and Lutheran World Federation. The

ecumenical service included prayers for peace, with its burdens, hopes, and fears; programmes across all 46Each Methodist churches. recorded songs, Lenten reflections and personal

Each with its days, I must fulfill, livingfrom for self in His will; testimonies from the various Christian bodies.

The February sessions followed the or inaugural Only one life, ‘twill soon be past, one in 2021 when the Lay Leaders met on Zoom to Only what’s done for Christ Revwill Dr last.

Hanns Lessing , the Acting General Secretary get to know one another and pray together. It was such an encouragement that they decided to include LCEC chairpersons for subsequent meetings.

C.T. Studd of -the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC), reflected on Micah 4:3, saying peacemaking is “hard work” but all churches are called to this

Moving forward, the hope is now that the conversations

task today.

are off to a good start, the groups of five will keep them going.

The highlight of the event was the “Voices of Ukraine” segment, where the gathering Zoomed to

O nly one life, a few brief years, six different cities in Ukraine, including the capital

Each with its burdens, hopes, Kyiv,and andfears; heard from one Christian leader in each city, Each with its days, I must fulfill, either in a pre-recorded video or live. They shared living for self or in His will; details on what was happening on the ground and Only one life, ‘twill soon be past, Only what’s done forprayer Christ requests, will last. with many thankful for the help - C.T. Studd from various Christian organisations. Taras Dyatlik from the World Evangelical Alliance said that God is “building the church even in times of trial”, and gave thanks for the spiritual gifts required to mobilise the evacuations.

METHODIST MESSAGE April 2022

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Opinion ¢ THINK Alvin Tay is the Managing Editor of Methodist Message and a member of Wesley Methodist Church. / Photos courtesy of Goh Cheng Joo for Wesley TIDINGS, Wesley Methodist Church

Sermon on the Mount

Intentional discipleship at its best!

Rev Stanley Chua preaching at Wesley Methodist Church at their 137th Anniversary Worship Service

A

ny pursuit of happiness that focuses on material possessions is bound to disappoint because these things simply don’t last.

Returning to preach at the 137th Anniversary Worship Services at Wesley Methodist Church, where he was Pastor-in-charge before becoming President of the Trinity Annual Conference, Rev Stanley Chua preached Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and what it means to be a truly happy disciple of Christ.

The Sermon on the Mount is regarded by most Bible commentators to contain the central tenets of Christian discipleship and essential principles for living a genuine Christian life. It’s intentional discipleship at its best! Setting the context, Rev Chua said, “Jesus declared and proclaimed ‘the kingdom of heaven is at hand’ in Matthew 4:17. In the Sermon on the Mount that follows (Matthew 5 to 7), Jesus made clear how all who belong to his kingdom should live and conduct themselves as his subjects.”

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METHODIST MESSAGE April 2022

Best-known of Jesus’ teachings but least obeyed But how do subjects of a kingdom align themselves to the kingdom’s principles?

Rev Chua said he is keenly aware of the challenges and difficulties that most Christians have in understanding and obeying the teachings found in the Sermon on the Mount. He agreed with what the late Dr John Stott observed in his commentary: “The Sermon on the Mount is probably the best-known part of the teaching of Jesus, though arguably it is the least understood, and certainly it is the least obeyed.”

“One common challenge that most Christians have is that they find the values and demands of the Sermon on the Mount out of the world as it completely reverses the values of what our world teaches,” said Rev Chua.

For example, in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12), Jesus gives happiness a new definition. He includes within

its boundaries experiences such as mourning, suffering and persecution, elements that ordinarily we would never consider as happiness but as curses in life.

silent retreats or in holy isolation. On the contrary, Jesus expects all his disciples to live out his Kingdom’s values and ethical teachings here on earth,” Rev Chua said.

How can this be? “… Jesus promises that even our mourning, suffering and persecution have power to lead us to true happiness and experience the blessed life if we believe and live out what he has taught us.”

It is only in this way, we can be the salt and light so that when others look at us, they may glorify God and believe in him.

Not poor evangelism but poor discipleship Jesus challenges our narrow understanding of the laws and conduct and broadens their applications; it is truly confronting as we surrender our daily worries and things that we hold dear.

“The daily issues that drive us to worry become quite trivial in Jesus’ teachings.

“The excuses with which we always justify our conduct, Jesus uncovers them, and he reveals how shallow our thinking and conduct are.”

Another common challenge that many Christians have is that they perceive the Sermon on the Mount to be impractical and irrelevant as it is an impossible ideal to achieve and obey.

While we may not be able to “perfectly live out the values and ethical teachings of the Sermon on the Mount”, Rev Chua challenged us to think of its relevance and consider why Jesus would teach it in the first place.

Indeed, over the last 2,000 years of Church history, there have been men and women who have shown to us that it is not an impossible reality to live out the life and ethical demands that Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount.

Two good examples are Damien de Veuster, a Catholic Priest who served the lepers of the Hawaiian Islands in the 19th Century for 16 years; and Maximilian Kolbe, who is probably best known as the Catholic priest who gave his life for another man in Auschwitz in an act of ultimate self-sacrifice. Other well-known examples are Mother Teresa and Francis of Assisi.

Rev Chua said the greatest failure of the church is not our poor evangelism but our poor discipleship. “You see, when Christians fail to be true disciples of Christ, they become just like the world, behaving and living their lives that are no different from unbelievers.

“And in so doing, they become indistinguishable from unbelievers as they have lost their light and saltiness and become poor witnesses to those around them.

“And in the worst-case scenario, they stumble others and prevent them from knowing God.” Rev Chua cited Mahatma Gandhi, the great Indian civil rights leader, to bring home this point. It was reported that Gandhi greatly prized the spiritual and ethical ideal presented in the Sermon on the Mount and he held it in great esteem. And he considered Jesus as one of the greatest among the teachers of humanity and an excellent example of the perfect man.

But in spite of his deep admiration and high regard for Christ, Gandhi never became a Christian. Why? This was what Gandhi said, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

“Think about the millions of people in the world who, like Gandhi, have rejected the Christian faith because they have been stumbled by Christians who bear no evidence of any Christ-likeness to those who know them. We might know some of them personally.

So we need to be fully present and cognisant that this is meant to be applied in the here and now.

“So let me underscore again, if Christians were to live out their discipleship values and ethical teachings in the Sermon on the Mount more demonstrably different from our daily culture, perhaps much of evangelism would happen through the attractiveness people would find in our lives instead of just our words,” said Rev Chua.

“The Sermon on the Mount is not to be discussed to death in learned assemblies nor is it to be pursued in

“To put it another way, the world is not going to see Jesus unless they first see him in our lives.”

METHODIST MESSAGE April 2022

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News ¢ By the MCS Communications Team

new principals in leadership. We ask the ge an ch a d ha ve ha ls oo ation behind it.

This year, six Methodist sch year and the Biblical inspir w ne e th for n tio ec dir l’s about their schoo

“Love one another deeply.

Honour others more than yourselves.”

Build to Last

W

e hope to develop each boy into a young gentleman of character, ready for the future, to lead and to serve. It is our wish that the theme for 2022 will guide our boys in the day-to-day activities they participate in and the interactions they have with one another.

Every learning experience, every shared moment they have with their peers, and every obstacle they face in learning or working together, is a building block which helps them to become the persons they are called to be. Every skill they master, every piece of knowledge they acquire, and every value they learn to demonstrate, helps to strengthen the foundation upon which they will build enduring traits that will aid them as they progress through the six years in primary school and beyond.

With the support of the Anglo-Chinese School (ACS) family, we are committed to helping our boys build strong relationships in their primary school years. We appreciate that each child is different and can contribute to his community by harnessing his own strengths and being a loving and loyal friend to his peers. As our boys manage change and embrace new challenges together, they learn to build one another up and forge relationships that last.

As our school is being rebuilt, we are reminded that we are God’s workmanship, created for good works to give him glory. We have the assurance that God’s grace is sufficient to help us in every situation and to surmount even the most difficult circumstances. As a community of God’s people, we build each other up by being inclusive and encouraging one another, trusting that God will empower and equip us for the works of service that will last.

Romans 12:10 (NIRV)

W

hat will set us apart as a ‘good school’ and bring glory to God is if we obey Jesus’ commandment to love one another just as he has loved us. ACS already has a reputation for excellence, and my prayer is that our excellence will go beyond academic results and Co-curricular Activities (CCA) achievements to “excelling” in loving the people around us and the wider community, because “by this all people will know that we are his disciples, if we have love for one another” (John 13:35 NIV).

In these Covid times, I also desire for our school to be a place of rest and a haven for strong relationships with teachers and peers. Regardless of any pandemic or storms in life, we pray that our boys will be rested and resilient for the road ahead. Our boys must rest secure in the fact that they are loved and accepted by God, their parents and teachers for who they are. Their identity and worth as a person does not depend on their academic performance, Direct School Admission (DSA) outcome or CCA achievement, but simply because they are a child of God. We need to help them understand that in the process of learning, they do not have to be afraid of making mistakes, because it is through mistakes that we grow. There may be ongoing efforts

by MOE to de-emphasise academic results, but it would be mission schools like ACS where biblical truths about our identity in Christ put us in a strong position to lead the way in how we educate and raise our children.

“Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty.”

Zechariah 4:6 (NIV)

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Miss Cheryl Chee

Mrs Leong-Ho Hil May

Principal Anglo-Chinese School (Junior)

Principal Anglo-Chinese School (Primary)

METHODIST MESSAGE April 2022

Enriched to face life’s greatest call

S

To Grow in Friendship, Body and Mind

chool leadership is a privilege to learn and serve.

I thank God for the learning and growth in my last

school as Principal at Greendale Secondary. I trust and seek God’s purpose for this renewed privilege to serve in his school, Paya Lebar Methodist Girls’ School (Secondary) (PLMGSS). It is a school with a long history, strong heritage and traditions, one that has been abundantly blessed by the Lord. I am humbled to learn from its past leaders, staff and key stakeholders. With

I

studied in ACS for 10 years and my first stint as a principal was at Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary) from 2007 to 2014 for 7 years.

So, I am glad to return and to serve God in the Methodist community where I have received so many blessings.

their support and understanding, I will have courage to seek God’s purpose and will for the school and our students in this new chapter of our school’s history.

Unlike my previous school, PLMGSS is an all-girls, government-aided school. The role of girls and women has evolved and will continue to evolve. To ensure that our girls are future-ready, we will continue to uphold our H.E.A.R.T. values—Honour God, pursue Excellence, be Adaptable, Respect one another, and be filled with Thankfulness always. I am excited to lead and journey

At Geylang Methodist School (Secondary), we affectionately refer to our students as GEMS (which is the acronym for our school values of Godliness, Excellence, Mastery and Service). This resonates deeply with my personal belief that every child is precious and a gift from God to be treasured. As a leader, my key guiding principles include, firstly, being student-centred in our school programmes and decisions and secondly, developing our staff while providing a caring work environment.

with the entire PLMGSS family to nurture the desired school culture of care, innovation and excellence with the H.E.A.R.T. values demonstrated. With this in place, and with the support of our key stakeholders, our girls will be ready for the future as “a Confident PL-Lite, Passionate Learner, Active Citizen and Inspiring Leader”.

“Be strong and courageous.

Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

My belief is that each school is unique and the starting point must be to appreciate its origins, its journey and the people that make up the school and the community it serves. It is only through grace that we can humbly serve God by loving the staff and students that he has placed in our schools and help them to grow.

“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men.”

Luke 2:52 (NIV)

Miss Amy Ng

Mr Victor Owyong

Principal Paya Lebar Methodist Girls’ School (Secondary)

Principal Geylang Methodist School (Secondary)

METHODIST MESSAGE April 2022

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Stronger as ONE Fairfield

H

aving being a student at Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary) (FMSS) and also having started my teaching career here at FMSS, I am excited for this God-given opportunity to be back in FMS(S) to lead and serve the Fairfield community.

I can see how the caring culture and the Christian ethos of the school continues to be evident and flourishing in FMSS. The learning environment and possibilities have naturally evolved with the times and I am excited that our Fairsians now have access to a wide range of learning opportunities that did not exist in the past. That said, the same spirit of innovation and enterprise is evident amongst the staff community and there is a sense of humble confidence amongst the student leaders as I interacted with them in the past few months.

A good school is one where there is a strong culture of care, where staff and students are challenged and supported to be the best versions of themselves. As a mission school, that culture of care has as its source the great care of God himself—loving each one of us and filling us up with his grace and presence so that we can pour out into the lives of one another.

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”

Hebrews 10:24 (NIV)

Here, for a Purpose I believe God calls us to serve him in his time and place, according to his plan, and for his purpose. To be able to serve Methodist Girls’ School (MGS) is truly a joy and privilege—MGS has been instrumental in growing and shaping me in the most formative years of my education and teaching career, and I feel humbled and blessed for this opportunity to give back and to pay it forward.

MGS turns 135 this year, a long time by any measure. I thank God for his faithfulness and goodness to MGS. It is by his grace and to his glory that MGS has continued to grow and to develop our girls, providing quality holistic education in a Christian environment that prepares them for their future of leadership and service.

However, in response to the needs of students of today, who live in a much more connected, complex and ever-changing world, education has evolved significantly. Through the emphasis on the development of 21st century competencies, there is greater intentionality in preparing our students to be future-ready. There is a move away from an over-emphasis on academic grades towards a sharper focus on promoting lifelong learning.

For such a time as this, it is important that all of us find and stay anchored on a larger, enduring purpose that empowers us to stay the course and to be able to face challenges with hope, faith and confidence. The pursuit of purpose provides youths with meaningfulness that is much more sustaining for lifelong learning and service. Enduring purpose drives a person to work towards something over a longer term that is not only meaningful to self, but also leads to engagement that benefits the wider world beyond self.

In finding their purpose, we also challenge our girls to be fully “here”—wholly present in body, mind and spirit—ready to listen to others and themselves, and ready to offer and seek support in timely ways that build a stronger, more loving and caring community.

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

Mr Wee Tat Chuen Principal Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary)

Mrs Valarie Wilson Principal Methodist Girls’ School

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News ¢ A medical doctor, Dr Low Wye Mun serves with the Worship & Music team at Holland Village Methodist Church.

He was the moderator of Episode 2 of Conversations. / Illustration by Lau Peng Leong

Online worship Technology and the arts

W

hen attending an online church service at home in front of your laptop, TV or tablet on a Sunday morning, have you been “sitting around in your singlet, with one leg up and coffee in hand”?

Dr Mark Chan may have painted an extreme picture but his joke encapsulated the purpose of Conversations Episode 2: Technology & the Arts, a session hosted by Methodist School of Music (MSM). It was a rich and lively discussion, focused on music and language in the context of the televisual platform, and how these might be harnessed to: • enhance worship in a deeper and more meaningful way • bring about a more cohesive worship experience.

The panel speakers were: Dr Mark Chan, Ernest Lau Professor of systematic theology at Trinity Theological College. He teaches hermeneutics, homiletics and intersection of theology and contemporary thought. He worships at Covenant Community Methodist Church.

Rev Raymond Fong, Pastor-in-charge of Wesley Methodist Church. He has more than 25 years of involvement in church worship as leader and musician. In the 2020 MSM Certificate of Christian Worship, he encouraged all to “do less, and go deep”.

Ms Shirley Bong, head of the Media Communications & Youth department at the Chapel of the Resurrection. Her MLitt studies in Theology & the Arts focused on the place of emotions in Christian contemporary worship.

The basis for our online church worship Following Conversations Episode 1: Insights & Reflections on online worship (Methodist Message, November 2021), Episode 2 explored the relationship between worship and technology and the arts in the ‘digital sacred space’ that the pandemic has compelled us to embrace.

Indisputably, the online worship (OW) space allows inclusiveness and outreach access when we are unable to attend on-site church services. Whatever the form of the OW service, the speakers agreed it must be underscored by two things: • the common purpose of worshipping and glorifying God • the desire to gather as the people of God in worship.

A deeper and more meaningful worship Stressing the importance of ensuring a firm theological foundation for online worship, Dr Mark Chan shared OW experiences that impacted him. Those experiences were “personal, moving, spiritually enriching, I felt I was seated in the sanctuary, a part of the corporate worship… the worship was not a performance for me, I was a part of the worship.” The recordings were simply made with just a camera, but they embodied the ideal that “worship is the people of God gathered to perform for an audience of One.” He raised the matter of arts in worship as being part of a larger issue of arts in Christianity. In this, Dr Chan questioned whether churches were giving enough attention to the aesthetics of the worship space, and if they could do more with the digital tools available to creating meaningful OW. Suggesting that orchestrating an OW is a “production” just as much as “preaching is a performance”, he stated that technology has its own language and it is not neutral. If we are conditioned to appreciate high quality videos, but the church has a very different (lower) standard, it can detract from the worship experience.

We must always remember the “God-ward dimension” of true worship. To prevent the danger of OW becoming merely the consumption of a religious programme rather than participative worship, it is better to present a de-centred but synchronised worship where congregants gather at the same time instead of viewing a pre-recorded service.

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Still, in putting together an OW service, there is value in not having a fully-live service but also to integrate pre-recorded segments. The other speakers showed and shared examples of how dance, dramatised readings of Scripture and painting captured on video can engage gathered worshippers in a creative way.

Ms Shirley Bong responded enthusiastically to the discussion on creative thinking in developing OW. Of central importance to worship is a sense of community and coming together as a worshipful body of Christ; thus the church must adopt the liturgy and form that is most appropriate and effective in bringing this about in different age groups.

For example, congregants like the elderly were drawn to OW when they saw the familiar faces of friends although the productions were kept simple due to resource constraints. Whereas the virtual connections for younger worshippers were better achieved through Zoom where the ability to interact was maximised with animated activity that held onto shorter attention spans.

The speakers also addressed the importance of posture.

Besides the choice and delivery of words spoken, another aspect of posture is the physical expression (“body language”) of the worship team. To improve on the posture of the worship leaders and team seen online, pre-viewing and post-service reviewing of live-streamed and recorded worship sessions were resoundingly affirmed.

In conclusion, while OW could be seen as a “tele-visual art ,” there is the danger of such church service offerings being treated as spectator events. Acknowledging that congregants are accustomed to “consuming” webbased music and messages of significant professional, technological and artistic levels, the speakers had important messages to share: •

Knowing and addressing the worship needs of specific groups of congregants is more important than delivering what may be seen as a high-end OW product

In a unique bridging of worship groups divided by age, Ms Bong recalled an event when the church youth recorded songs to bless their parents and grandparents. It substituted for the temporary physical separation caused

by Singapore’s earlier circuit breaker period.

•

Having OW services shown at times synchronous with the on-site church service creates an intentional, planned sense of communal gathering on the part of those worshipping from the digital sacred spaces of their homes

Towards a more cohesive worship experience

•

Congregants who join the OW service should be asked to prepare themselves spiritually, adopt a respectful posture in keeping with the church service, and participate alongside congregants onsite when invited to stand, sing, clap, raise hands and simply praise God.

Reiterating the fundamental need for robust theology as the basis of all OW services, Rev Raymond Fong shared his personal experience and guiding principles.

When his church settled on the hybrid mode of both on-site and online services, they had to address the question of connectivity—should the OW be pre-recorded or streamed live? Then, resource allocation had to be considered.

Ultimately, the church’s purpose and vision must be wellarticulated and shared by the OW teams, to establish the best connectivity and to engage worshippers, drawing them in to “join the liturgy to offer praises to God”.

A key practical point he made was to “watch your transitions”. Small breaks in the on-site service (movement of worship leaders, changing positions) could be distracting and reduce the engagement of the online congregant. Thus, besides planning the service, production planning is equally important to bring about a cohesive OW service. Harnessing basic technical steps (video cameras, text or lyrics slides) will help with seamless transitions.

From the ideas aired we look forward to further exciting explorations of the arts, technology and church worship services in both the physical and digital realms.

The full recording of this session is available on YouTube on the Methodist School of Music channel at

https://tinyurl.com/MSMconvo2

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People ¢ Marcus See is married to Ru-Tian and they are devoted parents to four children. Marcus serves in two ministries—Worship & Music, and Cell, at Ang Mo Kio Methodist Church. / Photos courtesy of Marcus See

More than burnt offerings

W

Marcus See

hen I joined the Ang Mo Kio Methodist Church

and started to refresh and acquire various hardware and

(AMKMC) family in 2006, I took six months to get

software. I was even able to carve out a space at home,

to know the people in church before plunging

which enabled me to contribute to the music recordings for

into its Worship & Music Ministry. I was warmly welcomed

online service on Sundays. Only God could have made all

from the start and over the years, I have been privileged

these elements come together at the right time.

to serve as Music Director and in the Core Team since 2016.

Of course, we did not start off as experts able to leap Whenever I look back at my life in Christ, I feel deeply

over the digital hurdle effortlessly. We had to learn

thankful for God’s gift of music, a gift which had not been

how to make recordings of songs and videos. However,

apparent to me in my early youth. But in God’s perfect

it was heartening that many stepped forward without

plan, he sent people to nurture me over the years: some

fully knowing what to expect. It was wonderful to

“planted”, others “sowed”, and I am grateful to “reap” the

hear of volunteers who responded because they were

blessing. It has been 25 years of service in all and I am still

emboldened by the testimonies of others who had come

serving God and learning new things at AMKMC.

forward to serve. A couple of churches in the UK and US chanced upon one of our online worship videos and used

A Music Director supports the team by working with the

it at their own services. We had never dreamed that we

Worship Leader to plan the music for Praise & Worship,

could bless the body of Christ beyond our shores.

and to guide the band during practice and live worship.

In the Core Team, we pray and plan for the ministry’s

Life has taught me, so far, that while we are weak, God

direction and initiatives.

is always strong. He patiently loves us and bestows on us gifts and talents to do his Kingdom work.

When Covid-19 struck in late 2019, the resultant multitude of restrictions made it impossible to conduct regular

Pray and see what God can do through you to bless the

Sunday services on the church premises. It seemed as if

Church which is the body of Christ, for it is never too early

a mountain had risen up overnight between us and the

or too ate, and you are never too old or too young!

church. But, like the words of the children’s song—“My God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there’s nothing my God cannot do”—we saw that God had already prepared us in advance.

“… I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing...”

To conduct Sunday Services online, a call was put out for

2 Samuel 24:24

members with the necessary skillsets to support the various functions. I can only attribute it to divine inspiration that in 2019 I felt an urge to revisit my hobbyist MIDI days 16

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METHODIST MESSAGE April 2022

*This story was first published on Ang Mo Kio MC’s website and reproduced with permission.

People ¢ Rev Saravana Kumar is a pastor at Sembawang Tamil Methodist Church. / Photo courtesy of Rev Saravana Kumar

Encounter with the True God

It was during this time that a friend’s grandmother, who was my neighbour, shared Jesus with me. She shared about Jesus’ great love and his sacrifice for mankind. Initially, I argued with her but she did not give up and invited me to attend her church. She had poor eyesight so she would ask me to read the Bible to her. Out of respect, I would do it, but it invariably led to more questions and arguments.

One day, while I was debating with her, she suggested that I ask the “True God” to reveal himself to me. I took her suggestion as a challenge. Every day I sincerely desired for an encounter with this “True God”. As the days went by, my yearning to know God grew.

Later, as I was sharing about my restlessness with my friend’s grandmother, she assured me that I would find peace and purpose when I received Christ. As usual, I ignored her.

While walking home, I heard a voice

saying clearly in my ears, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” I rushed back to tell her about it. She took out her Bible and showed me the exact verse from John 14:6. I was amazed!

“He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap.”

Psalms 113:7

I

I

started

to

read

different

kinds

of

Christian

literature—newsletters and magazines, testimonies of healings and miracles, biographies and lifechanging experiences of servants of God. My friend’s grandmother introduced me to her pastor and he shared more about Christ and salvation with me. At the age of 21, I finally accepted Christ wholeheartedly and was baptised.

praise and thank the Lord for his abundant grace in my life. It is a joy to be part of the family of The

My family initially opposed my attending church but

Methodist Church in Singapore, and I am grateful for

gradually accepted it. God blessed me with a good

this opportunity to share my testimony for his glory.

job in Singapore and a fine Christian woman to be my wife. In the 23 years since my conversion, all

I was born into an orthodox Hindu family and my

my family members have received salvation and are

forefathers were priests in the temple. From a young

faithful to God. Great is his faithfulness!

age, I worshipped the family deities. I was very pious and performed all the rituals daily. My father’s

I responded to God’s call to ministry in 2010 and God

alcoholism brought much suffering on the family. As the

opened doors for me to study at Trinity Theological

only son with three older sisters, responsibility for the

College. I graduated in 2014 and now serve as a

family fell on me at the age of 19. It was overwhelming

pastor with Emmanuel Tamil Annual Conference. All

and I prayed fervently to the Hindu gods to help me.

glory to God!

But things remained the same.

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People ¢ Lianne Ong is the Editor of Methodist Message. / Photos courtesy of Sharon Liew with studio photos by Bernard Teo

Sharon Liew

Meet Sharon Liew, who runs an inclusive dance school

W

hen Sharon Liew embarked on a career in dance in the 1990s, inclusive dance—that is, persons with disabilities (PWDs) dancing alongside persons without disabilities—was unheard of.

First steps in teaching children with disabilities

Into her third decade of teaching community dance classes, and running a private dance school that supports inclusive dance, she credits her victories in the dance industry, in particular in inclusive dance, to God. “My dance journey is God-led. I wouldn’t say I was or am the best dancer. But God gave me a purpose in life with dance,” Sharon, a member of Wesley Methodist Church, says.

The fund-raising concert introduced her to a community of parents with autistic children. Soon, Sharon found herself volunteering at ARC, teaching dance to a select group of students in an after-school programme, so that these students could improve in their physical coordination and artistic expression.

Sharon, 51, studied dance in the UK at the London College of Dance/ University of Buckingham, supported by a scholarship from the National Arts Council, Lee Foundation and Shaw Foundation after her A-levels.

Upon returning to Singapore, she landed a job with the People’s Association where she brought dance education to the heartlands, a role she still plays today.

At the same time, she started a dance school company, Dance Spectrum International (DSI) so that her dancers could take on private performance engagements.

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In 2003, DSI held a fund-raising concert in support of the Autism Resource Centre (ARC), the pre-cursor of Pathlight School and the first autism-focused school in Singapore.

Pathlight School officially began in 2004, and DSI and Pathlight worked towards its first collaborative performance in 2006. This was a milestone for DSI in inclusive dance.

After volunteering and then working as the dance instructor for Pathlight’s Dance Talent CCA for 10 years, Sharon tendered her resignation to focus on DSI. Several students from Pathlight continued to take lessons at her school.

One such student is Alief Fiqhry Ayob, 23, who has danced with DSI since 2017. Alief, who works full time at Professor Brawn Cafe as service staff, says dancing with DSI “feels like a family with all my friends”.

Alief (left) and Nathan (right), in black

Nathan Tan, 16, another dance student who has autism, says, “It takes a lot of hard work and many hours of practice to achieve a beautiful and flawless performance.

But performing well gives me joy and satisfaction.”

One of the younger dance students is 9 -year-old Gideon Kwek , who learns tap, jazz and ballet at DSI. Gideon, who is autistic, is following the footsteps of his three older siblings, who are also on the autism spectrum and have been students at DSI at various stages of their schooling life.

Their mother, Michelle Kwek, says, “Dance is like therapy for them.”

“Most children on the autism spectrum struggle with movement and coordination. Poor posture and muscle tone are often the reasons behind the clumsy gait and tendency to fall or trip over things. Dancing helps to improve the core muscles and train coordination of movement with rhythm of music. The rigours of dance training also help develop executive functioning—a set of mental skills that include working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control,” adds Michelle, who heard about DSI through word of mouth.

Another dancer, Luo Mang, 16, is a ballet dancer with DSI. Although she is for the most part non-verbal, her expression in dance is “exceptional” according to Sharon.

Luo Mang’s mother, Xu Zeying, told Methodist Message, “Luo Mang was diagnosed with autism when she was four. We tried many different therapies and classes to encourage as normal a lifestyle as possible but had little success except for dance and music. She started dancing at the age of 8 and loves performing.”

It was after watching DSI perform at the Purple Parade for many years, that Xu decided to send Luo Mang to Sharon’s school in 2019. “I saw Sharon work with autistic children and was impressed with the high standard of dance they brought to the stage.

The performances included children of all abilities and provided the opportunity to demonstrate what they are capable of and show the world that they are more than their diagnosis. This brings dignity to every single performer.”

DSI currently has eight students who have disabilities enrolled, four of whom have been diagnosed to be on

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2022 Admissions Now Open ACS (International) Singapore is a distinctive international secondary school open to all Singaporeans & other nationalities, offering an all-round English-based education for students aged 12 to 18 years leading to the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP).

61 Jalan Hitam Manis, Singapore 278475

Building Through Belief, this school of choice provides

• Exceptional examination results, very strong value-added achievement and an allround holistic education • 50:50 mix of local and international teachers who uphold the dual Methodist ethos and ACS heritage • Small class sizes with overall student-teacher ratio of 8.7 : 1 • 40 different CCAs – 16 Sporting, 12 Visual and Performing Arts, 12 Special Interest Groups • Over 25 overseas trips per year • Over 200 formal student leadership positions • Scholarships for 4 Singaporeans to undertake the IBDP

Achievements include

Mr Gavin Kinch Principal

Mrs Tan Siew Hoon Vice-Principal

• Students with perfect score of 45 points in IBDP • 20 “Top in the World” awards in IGCSE examinations over each of the past nine years • Students accepted to Oxford and Cambridge universities for the past eight years • Admissions to top universities in the UK, the US, Australia and Singapore • PSLE and Singapore GCE ‘O’ Level students achieve outstanding value-added examination results for the IBDP with improved pathways to good universities • Successes at national level in Athletics, Touch Rugby, Debating, Orchestra, Volleyball, Taekwondo, Ice Hockey, Fencing, Swimming, Artistic Swimming, Rhythmic Gymnastics and Wushu.

What the parents say…

Mr Christopher Hayward Vice-Principal

Dr Kristopher Achter Vice-Principal

For more information Please contact Joseph Ng or Serene Lim at +65 6472 1477 or admissions@acsinternational.edu.sg

“ACS (International) ignites students' passion to learn through building strong relationships with deeply devoted and highly experienced teachers and excellent pedagogic and sporting infrastructure. The school has achieved a fine blend of academic rigour and holistic learning.

The emphasis on CCAs and community service as well as the ample opportunities for student leadership makes ACS (International) a 'cut above' and the preferred choice for our children.”

Larisa and Shivinder Singh “Sending our daughter to ACS (International) was the best decision we made. She used to be shy and introverted and has now become a confident, caring and motivated student leader.”

Debra and Samuel Koh “We deeply appreciate the contribution ACS (International) has made towards making our son confident, capable and thoughtful. The school has provided an environment of personal care, support and encouragement to nurture him into a compassionate young man.

We are also very proud of his academic, leadership, co-curricular and public speaking skill development.”

Anju Uppal “We like the holistic learning environment of ACS (International). Apart from academics, the school gives the students plenty of learning opportunities outside the walls of the classroom through service trips in continents as far as Africa, school projects and events, CCAs, student leadership roles and more.

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Our children thoroughly enjoy the IB programme, the holistic environment of the school, and are very proud to be students of ACS (International). The school has helped our children to grow and mature in so many ways, whilst equipping them with the necessary skills needed for their university studies and future endeavours. We are very glad to have sent both of our children to ACS (International).”

Steven and Pau Kim Kan

Meet Sharon Liew, who runs an inclusive dance school

Luo Mang

the autism spectrum. The school has consistently taken part in Purple Parade, Singapore’s largest movement to support inclusion and celebrate abilities of persons with disabilities.

After a performance

Sharon, who is an alum of Methodist Girls’ School, says, “In a way, I do see that God has allowed me to live out my school motto, ‘To Master, To Grow, To Serve’, as a dance teacher. To Master my craft, to Grow in love for others, and to Serve the community.”

Inclusivity takes a village But what makes ‘inclusive dance’ work? Sharon says that building an inclusive culture in DSI was made possible because of the support from her non-disabled dancers and their parents.

“It is their willingness to embrace dancers with disabilities that makes this work,” says Sharon.

Ruth Leong, whose children, Elyse, age 10, and Evan, age 8, are learning to dance at DSI, said, “Dancing alongside peers with special needs has enriched my children’s learning experience. It has helped them appreciate that everyone learns differently, and has taught them to cheer their peers on and celebrate their progress. I’m grateful that both my children have had this opportunity through their classes with Dance Spectrum International.”

But running the dance school has been challenging at times. Despite this, Sharon says God is always there guiding her. “God’s word keeps me grounded, and helps me to persevere. One of my favourite verses is Isaiah 40:31, “They shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Sharon wants to continue creating awareness for inclusive dance outside their immediate community. Her dream? “I want to grow the next generation of dancers who have worked with people with disabilities and build a deeper understanding between them,” Sharon said.

In addition, it is the community of praying parents and the close-knit ties that have helped the school thrive.

“It’s about showing love to them. These kids [with disabilities] would not come back and dance if they didn’t like the environment,” Sharon said.

Praising Him with dance Sharon, who is a member of Wesley Methodist Church, became a Christian at age 13.

“Sometimes it is a Bible verse or a song that inspires me, and that translates into choreography and performance.

I’ve tried to rely on God to lead me in directing the school.”

Sharon Liew

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Books ¢ Jason Woo is Communications Executive at MCS Comms. / Artworks courtesy of Singapore Centre for Global Missions

Making missions a vision for children Daniel could not wait to tell the story of his recovery to others.

As he shared his story, some who had knowledge of sorcery told him, “Even if you had died after two weeks, your God is still a great God, because this type of sorcery is so powerful that the day it hits you, you will die!

- Clean Hands, Pure Hearts and Beautiful Feet, p69

The team that produced Clean Hands, Pure Hearts and Beautiful Feet

Planting the seeds of The Great Commission

example, a troubled man who was rescued from a suicide

When Joseph Schooling won Singapore’s first Olympic

attempt, to a life and death battle with indigenous

gold medal in swimming in 2016, it set off more than just

occultic practices. In all these stories, the overarching

a wave of euphoria in the country. The young swimmer’s

theme is God’s love and ability to save.

life story and how he managed to make his personal childhood dream of being an Olympian a reality also

Lawrence hopes that through the book and its stories,

caught the imagination of Bishop Kuan Kim Seng of The

children and even adults in local churches would

Diocese of Singapore.

appreciate that there are many Singaporean missionaries who are no less on fire for the Lord than their foreign

Bishop Kuan made a phone call to Lawrence Ko, the National

counterparts who often headline Christian news from the

Director of the Singapore Centre for Global Missions

mission field.

(SCGM), who was quickly convinced of the need to instil God’s vision for missions in the minds of young children—

Hands to write and illustrate the stories

to create the same kind of drive in them to spread the

When Lawrence embarked on this idea to publish a

Gospel as the one Schooling had with his Olympic pursuits.

children’s book about missions, the first task was to find a writer. SCGM had not published such a book before.

That is how the idea of publishing a children’s book with true stories from the mission field was conceived.

Flora had served for a year as part of a missionary team on board a ship with OM Ships International (a maritime

First published in 2017, Clean Hands, Pure Hearts and

outreach organisation). When she returned to Singapore

Beautiful Feet features 10 stories in a 120-page hardcover

in 2016, Lawrence happened to be preaching at her home

book. It contains the accounts of 10 Singaporean

church at Bedok Lutheran Church. Their chance meeting

missionaries serving God and spreading the gospel in a

kickstarted the project, which became the 34-year-old’s

plethora of mission fields from the Amazon jungles in

first foray into writing for a young audience.

Bolivia to familiar countries like Hong Kong and Japan.

It proved to be quite a challenge but the process of The stories are about the experiences that the missionaries

recording the stories and meeting with the missionaries

have encountered in their respective fields, experiences

were memorable experiences for her.

that children in Singapore would seldom encounter. For

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A resource for parents and Sunday Schools Lawrence hopes that the book will serve as a valuable learning resource in the various children’s ministries and Sunday schools in churches islandwide. “Parents can also use the book as devotional material with their children,” said Lawrence. He also hopes that the book can be adapted into other forms, saying that SCGM is greatly keen to work with local churches and other Christian organisations on this.

Among the 10 stories that were captured in the book , Flora recalled the experiences of the missionary couple,

“I would love to adapt the book in its current form into

Daniel Jesudason and Wei Lei, who served in the remote

one that is suitable for pre-schoolers. I see the book

areas of Papua New Guinea. Another highlight was

being able to be presented in a smaller-sized format for

the account of Mei Ching who stood up to soldiers at

little hands, in simple sentences,” added Flora who is

gunpoint in the course of her dental ministry amongst

also a mother to a young child.

war refugees in South Asia.

“Daniel and Wei Lei’s story is just amazing not for the fact that they chose to live amongst an unreached community in an extremely remote location, but that Daniel actually helped developed the indigenous community’s language into a system of alphabets and then proceeded to teach the villagers their own language so that they can read the version of the Bible that was written in their own tongue!”

“As for Mei Ching, if you have met her in person, you would have never guessed that this pint-sized, fraillooking woman… would fearlessly confront Taliban soldiers in order to protect her neighbours during her ministry in Afghanistan,” added Flora.

Flora was soon joined by another writer, Emily Soh and illustrator Jearn Ko. Together the trio would complete the book in just 13 months from conceptualisation to print— which included interviewing, writing, illustrating and editing.

“Jearn really went the extra mile in creating the beautiful illustrations you see in the book ,” Lawrence told Methodist Message. “He researched the varied locales that the missionaries served in and then translated the vibrant colours, context and cultures into his drawings.”

Clean Hands, Pure Hearts and Beautiful Feet Written by Flora Man & Emily Soh Illustrated by Jearn Ko Published by Singapore Centre for Global Missions Clean Hands, Pure Hearts and Beautiful Feet was produced as a follow-up from the 2016 National Christian Children Ministry conference organised

by SCGM in partnership with the 4/14 Window movement, TRAC Board of Children Ministry and The Diocese of Singapore. https://www.scgm.org.sg/shop/ $20

METHODIST MESSAGE April 2022

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Opinion ¢ Soundings Dr Roland Chia is Chew Hock Hin Professor of Christian Doctrine at Trinity Theological College and Theological and Research Advisor at the Ethos Institute for Public Christianity (http://ethosinstitute.sg).

Just a hallucination?

“Soundings” is a series of essays that, like the waves of a sonogram, explore issues in society, culture and the church in light of the Gospel and Christian understanding.

I

n the fifteenth chapter of Paul’s first letter to the Christians at Corinth, we find the earliest and most extensive discussion on the resurrection in the New Testament.

The integrity of the Christian faith, the apostle insists, hinges on the facticity of the resurrection of Christ.

“If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain… And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are all people most to be pitied.” 1 Corinthians 15:14, 17-19 (NIV) Throughout the history of the Church, various attempts have been made to show that the resurrection of Christ

did not occur and that the disciples had either fabricated it or that they were simply hallucinating.

In recent decades, there appears to be a revival of the latter theory. While sceptical scholars now seem more inclined to believe that Jesus’ disciples really ‘saw’ what they believed to be their resurrected Master, this concession must conform to a naturalistic worldview, where the supernatural is ruled out as impossible.

For example, in 2000, American Broadcasting Company aired a documentary called The Search for Jesus in which a number of scholars of early Christianity commented on what can be known about Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.

The New Testament scholar, Paula Fredriksen, who is not a Christian, opined that historical evidence showed that the disciples were convinced that they saw their Master, who had died three days before, appear to them.

In fact, the disciples of Jesus experienced the very opposite emotions—they were gripped with fear, disillusionment and depression as the whirlwind of events unfolded in the days leading up to the crucifixion and death of their Master. Even on the day of Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples were hiding behind locked doors in fear (John 20:19).

The disciples were therefore not waiting expectantly for their Master to return from the grave. In fact, when the risen Jesus appeared to them, they “were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost” (Luke 24:37 NIV).

Some disciples such as Thomas did not believe, despite witnessing the appearance of the resurrected Jesus. So, Jesus had to say to him: “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” (John 20:27).

“I know in their own terms what they saw was the raised Jesus,” Fredriksen said in the documentary.

Finally, we have the experience of Paul on the road to Damascus. Paul was a sceptic par excellence. He was on a campaign to persecute Christians when he dramatically encountered the risen Christ (Acts 9) and became a believer and apostle.

“That’s what they say, and then all the historic evidence we have afterwards attest to their conviction that that’s what they saw. I’m not saying that they really did see the raised Jesus. I wasn’t there. I don’t know what they saw. But I do know that as a historian that they must have seen something.”

Other scholars who have presented versions of the hallucination theory include Gerd Lüdemann, Jack Kent and Michael Goulder. According to these scholars, this theory should be favoured because it takes the claims of the disciples and the historical evidence seriously, but without ever conceding that Jesus’ resurrection was a real supernatural event.

The hallucination theory, however, fails to convince for a number of reasons.

According to psychologists Leonard Zusne and Warren Jones, the prerequisites for such group experiences are ‘expectation’ and ‘emotional excitement’. But these necessary elements of “collective hallucinations” were completely absent from the psychological state of the early witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection appearances.

The frequency and extent of the appearances of the resurrected Christ must also be taken into consideration.

According to the Gospels and Acts, the risen Christ appeared to many different people, at different times and contexts: Mary Magdalene (John 20:13-17) and two or more other women (Matthew 28:9), Peter (Luke 24:34), the disciples journeying to Emmaus (Luke 24:13), the ten disciples (John 20:19), Paul (Acts 9:39), and those who witnessed his ascension (Acts 1:10).

In addition, Paul tells us that the resurrected Jesus appeared to 500 brethren at once (1 Corinthians 15:6) and also to James (1 Corinthians 15:7).

These facts must also be considered alongside other important pieces of evidence of the resurrection of Jesus Christ such as the empty tomb and the remarkable transformation of the early disciples into bold witnesses.

Taken together, they conclusively show that hallucination theory is untenable and totally false.

1 Justin Bass, ‘What Skeptical Scholars Admit about the Resurrection Appearances of Jesus’, Christianity Today, April 13, 2020. https://www. christianitytoday.com/ct/2020/april-web-only/justin-bass-bedrock-christianity-resurrection-appearances.html (accessed 6 December 2021).

2 Gerd Lüdemann, The Resurrection of Jesus: History, Experience, Theology, trans. John Bowden (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1994).

3 Jack Kent, The Psychological Origins of the Resurrection Myth (London: Open Gate, 1999).

4 Michael Goulder, ‘The Baseless Fabric of a Vision’ in Gavin D’Costa (ed)., Resurrection Reconsidered (Oxford: One World, 1996), 48-61.

5 Leonard Zusne and Warren Jones, Anomalistic Psychology: A Study of Extraordinary Phenomena of Behaviour and Experience (Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, 1982), 135.

METHODIST MESSAGE April 2022

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Reach Out ¢ Missions Col (Ret) Quek Koh Eng is the Field and Church Engagement Director of the Methodist Missions Society (MMS). He also served as the MMS Area Director of Nepal from 2008 to 2019. / Photos courtesy of MMS

Col (Ret) Quek Koh Eng

>> Annual Meeting and Ordination in 2010

One moment in time

A

lthough there have been many significant events during my long years of ministry with MMS, I can only describe them as “one moment in

time”. Humbly, I acknowledge the hand of God working to shape my ministry as I have been privileged to work together with groups of faithful men and women who have committed their lives to serving our Lord. These were indeed journeys of extraordinary, supernatural experiences and close encounters with God. The ancient Greek word for such a defining moment is kairos, meaning the opportune or critical moment. In the

Ca Students from

leb Bible Institu

te in 2017

New Testament, kairos is used to describe the appointed time or the God-ordained time.

Looking back at the years I served in MMS’ mission fields, I especially remember the initial years of establishing

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still

our Nepal ministry, and seeing it grow from strength

powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” Romans 5:6 (NIV)

to strength. These were 13 years of great personal experiences and defining moments.

“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” Mark 1:15

Our Nepal ministry started when Rev Erick Tan and his

(NIV)

wife Shanti heeded God’s call to be missionaries in Nepal after graduating from Trinity Theological College. By faith,

Indeed, there are God-given times such as when Jesus

they ventured into East Nepal and struggled for three

walked this earth. For many Christians, the moment

years before starting their first ministry in Kathmandu.

when we confessed Jesus as our Saviour and Lord and

God provided two anointed servants (a pastor from India

received salvation will always be significant. We need

and a Nepali Campus Crusade for Christ-trained pastor

to recognise these God-appointed times when his times

from East Nepal) to work with MMS. After three barren

intersect with ours.

years, the ministry of Nepal was birthed.

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METHODIST MESSAGE April 2022

My first trip to Nepal in 2006 was very significant.

I was fortunate to work with a very dedicated and

Together with MMS leadership, Rev Dr Norman Wong

committed team of missionaries in Nepal who contributed

and Andrew Tay, we visited East Nepal, Kathmandu,

immensely to the growth and development of MCN.

and Phulbari in Kavre District. Seeing the needs for

Together with them, we experienced faith, perseverance,

our ministry, we purchased the land next to Mahimit

and providence. Today, MCN has seven churches, five

Methodist Church where a temporary bamboo shed was

preaching points, and eight outreach points, including CBI

used as a Bible school. Later on, a new building was

and Sophia’s Home ministry.

built for Caleb Bible Institute (CBI). Over the years, CBI has trained and graduated over 150 pastors and local

But MCN’s ministry has had to go through periods of

church leaders for the Methodist Church in Nepal (MCN)

national crises. The devastating earthquake in 2015

and other Nepali churches.

resulted in the loss of more than 8,000 lives and massive destruction of homes and property. Together with MCN,

Whilst worshipping in a mud house church in Phulbari with

MMS responded and provided funds to rebuild the homes

a group of 15 believers, God released a word to my inner

of our members and the community, and to repair our

spirit that he would build his church at this exact site.

churches and Sophia’s Home. Food and other essentials

Immediately after the service, Andrew announced that

were also provided to affected families. In early 2020,

his church would sponsor the building of Phulbari church.

disaster struck again with the worldwide Covid-19

Later, the church was rebuilt as the 2015 earthquake

pandemic. Again, we were able to respond promptly by

affected the building. The steadfast love of God never

providing relief packages to 372 families and sharing

ceases as Phulbari Methodist Church has grown in maturity

God’s love with the community. By God’s grace and

and strength. Today, it has over 80 regular worshippers. To

providence, MCN will tide over this pandemic and any

God be the glory.

other crisis. Our Lord assures us:

We then focused on training our pastors and church

“For I know the plans I have for you. They are plans for

planters

good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

to

grow

multiplying

and

disciple-making

churches. We prepared our national pastors and leaders

Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

through discipleship and equipping training, including Growing Healthy Church (GHC), Equipping The Saints (ETS),

I am glad to have had this special “one moment in time”

and T-NET. These training programmes provided a strong

experience in my ministry with MCN. It was a God-given

foundation, aligning Methodist teachings and disciplines

privilege to work with the national pastors, leaders, and

with the Church Planting (CP) movement. Today, CP has

missionaries. It was a humbling and learning journey to

matured with the increasing participation of youth and

witness God’s faithfulness to MCN and her leaders. I am

women. With the foundation established, our Nepal

confident that they too will experience their “one moment

ministry was officially recognised as the Nepal Annual

in time” personal encounters with God. I firmly believe

Meeting of the Mission in 2008.

that with a strong spiritual foundation, MCN leaders are not only people of hope but of victorious faith. I pray that as Methodists in Nepal, they will show perseverance, faithfulness, and tenacity in their journey towards redeeming Nepal for Christ. *This article was first published in Harvest Force 2022 Issue 1.

Phulb The new

odist ari Meth

Church b

uilding >> Food relief aid for the 2015 earthquake victims

METHODIST MESSAGE April 2022

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Reach Out ¢ Welfare Services By the Methodist Welfare Services (MWS) Communications Team / Photos and visuals courtesy of MWS

Serving in obedience

A

s a newly wed doctor and a very young Christian back in 1991, Dr Peter Ng had the misconception that a person had to be ‘good’ before they could

be a serious Christian. Christians are supposed to uphold high moral standards, Dr Ng thought, and he did not feel exceptional enough. However, a faithful encounter with a patient changed his mind.

“Haven’t you heard of the prodigal son? You don’t have to be perfect to be God’s child, you simply need to believe,” the patient told him. Encouraged by his patient’s sharing, Dr Ng got baptised and eventually put his medical skills into good use by volunteering at MWS Christalite Methodist Home. “But I had thought then that volunteering and doing ‘good works’ would

Dr Peter Ng

make me a better Christian.”

Over the years, God would continue to expand Dr Ng’s

The testing of his faith and skills as a general practitioner

heart for those in need through overseas mission trips,

over the years also allowed Dr Ng to provide sound

serving in the local church and the community. Through

advice as a member of the medical sub-committee of

these experiences, Dr Ng came to realise that deeds

MWS Christalite Methodist Home. While there will still

born out of faith would not earn him salvation. Instead,

be new challenges and possibly even rougher seas in the

service had a new dimension—“It is where Jesus’

days ahead, Dr Ng is confident that God will always be

teachings come to life!”

with him and not let any trial or experience go to waste.

“All this time as a doctor, it did not occur to me that there was another way I could contribute to those in need. Just as Jesus had taught his disciples to help the poor and heal the sick , I now find that there is purpose for me to give back in this manner.”

Dr Ng went on several mission trips with his home church, Christ Methodist Church, in his younger days, and served as a team doctor ministering to Karen people in Chiangmai. (Both photos from WITNESS, Jun-Jul 1998 issue).

Step out of the boat —Join The Giving Methodist “I have witnessed how God uses all of my experiences to teach me to serve and love people better. Nothing is gone to waste each time I choose to heed the call

Stormy seas While certainly fruitful, the journey was not always smooth sailing. There were times when Dr Ng faced rough seas in his career, personal life, and faith. One such instance was when Covid-19 first hit Singapore. As

to step out and serve. We need not be afraid. I believe that as a body of Christ, we are all placed in strategic positions with unique gifts to bless others,” Dr Ng said.

“Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

Matthew 14:27b (NIV)

a general practitioner in private practice, Dr Ng struggled to keep up with the volume of Covid-positive patients coming to his clinic. His stress was further compounded by the administrative work he had to attend to. At his lowest points, Dr Ng struggled with loneliness, fatigue

Lent

left. But I held on because I believe God has a purpose

This , would you choose to recognise your God-given position and unique gifts by stepping out to serve just like Dr Ng and many others?

Find out how you can be The Giving Methodist by visiting

for me. I turned to God each time and felt him prompting

https://thegivingmethodist.sg

me that I do not have to be perfect, but simply to do my

or scan the QR code >>

best. Doing this kept me from giving it all up totally.”

Do email tgm@mws.sg if you have any questions.

and thoughts of giving up.

Witnessing several of his colleagues burn out and leave the profession, he recalled, “The work load was so bad that in my heart I could understand why my colleagues

METHODIST MESSAGE April 2022

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14

METHODIST MESSAGE, JULY 2013

Relationships ¢ You & your family Benny Bong has been a family and marital therapist for more than 30 years, and is a certified work-life consultant. He was the first recipient of the AWARE Hero Award, received in 2011, and is a member of Kampong Kapor Methodist Church.

I p i c ke

d a bo

ne

“I picked a bone,” my client admitted with some hesitation.

We had been talking and trying to understand a recent argument with his wife. My work with him focused on helping him manage his propensity to escalate from irritation to anger and then rage.

That morning, he could not find something he wanted.

At the back of his mind, he knew that his spouse had probably put it away when tidying the home. Knowing this was, however, not enough to stem his rising annoyance. As they looked for the item, my client acknowledged that he started bringing up other things that annoyed him—recent points of conflict as well as things from long ago. While recounting their argument, “I picked a bone” came up.

feels unworthy and this can image and their capacity to They adopt a “I am not OK them) are OK” perspective of

in turn impact their selfform close relationships. but you (persons around self and others.

For those who “pick a bone”, their interpretation of the world and of themselves is largely negative. It involves a “I am not OK and you are also not OK” position.

It begins with thinking that the world is unfair or downright hateful to them. “Picking a bone” is their attempt to confirm their negative assumptions and the subsequent anger outburst is their “protest” against such treatment. Unfortunately, after repeated rounds of such angry escalations, the negative self-perception of both others and self gets entrenched.

What is the alternative to such a destructive cycle?

When we experience an unpleasant exchange, we should first pause and examine what happened. Could there be some misunderstanding? Is what I thought the other person may have said or done out of character or is there a repeated pattern? Before responding, I might look for more evidence of any ill intent on the part of the other person.

If the unpleasant encounter is indeed part of a pattern, we may choose to clarify and check if the hurt we felt was intentionally inflicted. The hope is that the conversation may lead to an apology or some clarification. We may do this with relationships that matter to us and when we do not want to let the hurt we feel spoil a good relationship.

This account may sound familiar to some of us.

When unhappy with someone or something, instead of picking ourselves up and moving on, we seem to wallow in that emotional state. We let our disgruntled or unsettled emotions gnaw at us. Like a hungry dog with his bone, we keep chewing and chewing on it.

In the process, our emotional state spirals downwards.

Another option is to drop it and not pursue trying to get an apology or redress. This may be in situations where previous attempts have failed or the other stubbornly holds their ground. Choosing to let the matter drop does not equate to surrender. We recognise the fact of unjust treatment, but just because there is no apology, it does not mean that we do not heal from the hurt. We take such a position because we treasure and want to preserve our emotional and mental health.

Why we do it may be hard to understand. It could be that our hurt feelings resonate with our particular way of seeing the world, of thinking about another and of viewing ourselves. We may often have experienced being hurt unjustly, perhaps even by family members or close friends we trust. We then try to make sense of it, even if it means assuming that we somehow deserve such hurtful treatment. When this happens, the individual

To those who make it a habit of “picking bones”, is it time to stop doing it? Instead of being a rag and bone person, a collector of hurts and disappointment, start collecting good memories and experiences. Recall Philippians 4:8 and “...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

METHODIST MESSAGE April 2022

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Hymns & Songs ¢ Amelia Leo is a programmes executive at the Methodist School of Music, Worship & Church Music Department.

The Methodist School of Music (MSM) equips and edifies both the individual and the church through music and the performing arts.

Find out more at msmusic.edu.sg.

Our victory belongs to God

V

ictory is a sought-after but elusive commodity. People are quick to claim it, only to realise that it is still out of their reach. In recent times, countries were quick to claim victory

in the battle against Covid-19, only to discover that yet another variant was about to hit them. In the past century, catastrophic wars were fought more than once to gain uneasy victories over enemy states. Around the world, political parties pour much

Living Hope Verse 1

How great the chasm that lay between us How high the mountain I could not climb In desperation, I turned to heaven And I spoke Your name into the night

money and effort into claiming victory at the polls, only to be

Verse 2

voted out a few years later. Victory, even when it is attained in

Then through the darkness Your lovingkindness Tore through the shadows of my soul The work is finished, the end is written Jesus Christ, my living hope

this world, seems transient, insecure, and finite.

Christians are not spared from this experience with victory.

Each day, we strive to overcome temptation, only to yield to our impatience, anger, greed, and apathy. As a church, we strive to be obedient to God’s commands, but fail on many occasions. Victory over sin is sought after, but appears to elude us individually and collectively.

But is this the end of the Christian’s experience? Surely not! The Bible assures us that true victory is available for all who trust in Jesus Christ (1 Cor 15:57). And, as the apostle Paul describes in 1 Cor 15:50-57, this victory is eternal, secure, and imperishable —even overcoming death itself.

Verse 3

Who could imagine so great a mercy What heart could fathom such boundless grace The God of ages stepped down from glory To wear my sin and bear my shame Verse 4

The cross has spoken, I am forgiven The King of kings calls me His own Beautiful Saviour, I’m Yours forever Jesus Christ, my living hope

Our victory in Christ is the theme of the song “Living Hope”.

Verse 1 encapsulates our experience here on earth, where our

Chorus

striving fails to amount to anything. The remaining verses then

Hallelujah, praise the One who set me free Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me You have broken every chain There’s salvation in Your Name Jesus Christ, my living hope

remind us that “the work is finished” because of what Jesus has done in bearing our sin and overcoming death. The chorus erupts in praise to the One who has “broken every chain”.

As we face the trials and temptations of this life, there will definitely be times of weariness and doubt. In such times, let us remember the living hope that we have. And may this hope spur us to “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in

Verse 5

Then came the morning that sealed the promise Your buried body began to breathe Out of the silence, the roaring lion Declared the grave has no claim on me

vain.” (1 Cor 15:58).

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METHODIST MESSAGE April 2022

Words & Music: Brian Johnson, Phil Wickham; © 2017 Bethel Music Publishing (ASCAP) / Phil Wickham Music (BMI) / Simply Global Songs (BMI) / Sing My Songs (BMI). Scan the QR code to listen >>

People ¢ Sabina Molly Ismail is a member of Tamil Methodist Church (Short Street). She serves as the Secretary in the Local Church Executive Committee and Chairperson of the Outreach & Social Concerns ministry. / Photos courtesy of Sabina Molly Ismail

What does being a Methodist mean to you?

“But you, O Lord, reign forever; your throne endures to all generations.”

Lamentations 5:19

M

y Methodist lineage is one that transcends generations.

My great-grandparents began serving and worshipping in Tamil Methodist Church (Short Street) (TMCSS) in

the early 1930s. My great-grandfather also served in the Evelyn Seminary. I was raised by my maternal grandaunts and uncles. I am the fourth generation of Methodists in our family that have been baptised and confirmed in TMCSS.

cond from Sabina (se r family he d n a left)

Being a Methodist to me means being the “voice” of my Lord everywhere I go. I journeyed through Sunday School, followed

by Methodist Youth Fellowship (MYF) and now I am fortunate that the Lord has enabled me to serve actively, together with my family, in TMCSS. The enthusiasm to always exemplify God’s hand throughout my life encourages me to reach out and serve people who are in need and in search of Christ. Thus, whatever situation I am in, even if it means having to step out of my comfort zone, I will make every action count in the name of the Lord.

Sabina w worship ith her gran da ped at TMC in unts who the 19 30s

Our church is like a family, a home that connects us, and fills the missing gaps. I am blessed and grateful to be part of this rich Methodist heritage and I will pass the baton on to my daughters, Ynez and Zeta, to continue this journey. To God be the Glory!

Kopi kakis

by Kopikaki team

April

Looking Ahead ¢

Scan to see events online!

METHODIST SCHOOL OF MUSIC LENTEN SERVICE: INTO YOUR HANDS 8 Apr 2022, Friday, 8.00 p.m.

Ang Mo Kio Methodist Church (Live streaming via Zoom will be available) Register at https://tinyurl.com/4mfwu22t Admission is free.

This Lent, let us learn to say to God two things: “I am sorry” and “I entrust myself to you, O Lord”. Come and join the Methodist Festival Choir as they lead us in a service that observes the season of Lent through the practices of confession and trusting the Lord.

April

Organised by Methodist School of Music

METHODIST GIRLS’ SCHOOL (MGS) OPEN HOUSE 2022 30 Apr 2022, Saturday, 9.00 a.m. to 12 p.m. www.mgsopenhouse.com Admission is free.

If you are a P6 girl planning for 2023 Secondary One admission, MGS invites you to its Open House to learn more about the MGS brand of education and its special programmes to develop “every girl in a Christian environment in order that she may Master, Grow and Serve in every phase of her life.”

Meet the MGS family in the “live” sessions online, Get inspired by the staff and students, and Soar with them to discover new possibilities at MGS Open House! You may also take a virtual tour around the campus.

Registration is not required for this virtual visit. Admission to the Zoom webinar is on a first-come-first-served basis and will close once all the places are taken up.

May

Organised by Methodist Girls’ School

TRAINING THE YOUNG BRAIN 21 May 2022, Saturday, 1.00 p.m. to 3.30 p.m.

Online via Zoom.

Register at https://fathers.com.sg/programs/youngbrain/#register $50 per head. / Minimum 10 participants to start.

Call/Whatsapp 6769 1238 for more information

This is a workshop for parents of children from one to five years of age. Participants can expect to learn what are the essential skills and the different ways you can develop them in your child, delve into the importance of play, types of play and how to play well with your child. Decipher the difference between reading to your child and reading with your child.

Parents can also find out if your child should be reading from a book, an e-book, or an animated video.

April to December

Organised by Centre for Fathering

THE GIVING METHODIST 2022: STEP OUT OF THE BOAT Give Donation, Give Voice and Give Time campaigns — now till Dec 2022 thegivingmethodist.sg tgm@mws.sg

Spearheaded by The Methodist Church in Singapore (MCS) and Methodist Welfare Services (MWS), The Giving Methodist takes place each year to galvanise Methodists to show acts of kindness and love to those in need. With the Covid-19 pandemic raging on, let us take courage to step out of our boat and uplift those who need help to ride out this storm.

You can join in by “Giving Time” through volunteering with MWS or a Methodist church’s social concerns ministry, “Giving A Donation”, or “Giving Voice” to the disadvantaged and distressed by spreading the word about this campaign.

Organised by Methodist Welfare Services