Methodist Message: July 2022

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

Vol 124 No 7 JULY 2022

Why aren’t our youth studying the Bible like they study for exams?

Youth Ministry: What the pandemic taught us

Former gaming addicts now game for good

What parents need to know about gaming

Contents Editorial Board Adviser and Publisher Dr Anthony Goh Chairperson Council on Communications

Communications Manager Lynn Tan

Managing Editor Alvin Tay

Editor Lianne Ong

/ Bishop’s

Message /

/ News / 3 LEGO pilot programme at Bedok Methodist Preschool 4 1st Session of the Mission Conference of Mettakij Christian Association 5 Rev Anil Samuel bids farewell to Telugu Methodist Church 9 Pasir Panjang TMC celebrates her 95th Anniversary 10 TRAC WSCS Sayang Sayang 2022

Sub-editors Lucy Cheng Janice Khoo Tan Chiu Ai

Proofreaders Kenneth Lee Christabel Tan

/ People / 12 MGS 135 Anniversary Profiles 37 Deveraj Daniel

/ Features / 16 God and gaming 18 Former gaming addicts tell their stories 21 Youth ministry leaders: What the pandemic taught us

The official monthly publication of The Methodist Church in Singapore. Published material does not necessarily reflect the official view of The Methodist Church. All Scripture quoted is

/ Opinion / 25 Young Voices: Why aren’t our youth studying the Bible

like they study for exams?

27 Soundings: On nurturing the young

based on the English Standard Version unless otherwise stated.

70 Barker Road #06-04 Singapore 309936

/ Outreach / 29 Raising the next generation of the Church in Nepal 31 Moving beyond trauma

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communications@methodist.org.sg Design & Production by Londonbob Design Printed by Adred Creation Print Pte Ltd

/ Relationships / 33 You and Your Family: Beware the desire to return to the past

/ Worship / 35 Are worship songs of the youth too emo?

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.

In the days of

youth and vigour

Singapore celebrates Youth Day every July!

So appreciate your vigour in the days of your youth.

The Bible in Ecclesiastes 12:1 (NIV) addresses our youth. "Remember your Creator in the days of

Instead of restricting himself to just one of

your youth, before the days of trouble come

four possible nuances of this single Hebrew

and the years approach when you will say, ‘I

word, a famous Jewish rabbi, Rabbi Akiba ben

find no pleasure in them’."

Josef (d.135 AD), included three meanings in one sentence!

I recently shared two points about this Bible verse to the youth in our Methodist schools.

“In the days of your youth, remember from where you came (your source), to where you are

Firstly, part of what the Bible says is similar to

going (your grave) and before Whom you are

a saying often attributed to George Bernard

destined to give an accounting (your Creator).”

Shaw: “Youth is a wonderful thing. What a pity that it is wasted on the Young!”

Here’s my own playful attempt to squeeze all four possible nuances:

Youth is a wonderful thing. Don’t waste it.

Use the time and energy of youthful days to

In the days of your youth, remember your ends

establish an important connection which will

(your start and finish), and your Creator who is

long outlast your youth. Establish a connection

your strength (vigour) from end to end.

with God your Creator.

Heavenly Father, please bless our youth from Secondly, the Hebrew word which the Bible

beginning to end. Amen.

writer has used for “Creator” is an interesting one. Most languages have words which can be understood in more than one way. (Compare in English how the bark of a dog or the bark of a tree requires very different words when translated into another language.)

Most of our English Bible translations use the word “Creator” in Ecclesiastes 12:1, and that makes good sense. But another word which is chosen by a modern Jewish translation (Tanakh) also makes good sense.

July 2022 Methodist Message 1

Coming up

2 Methodist Message

July 2022

News

By Methodist Preschool Services Communications Team

Bedok Methodist Preschoolers

‘Build the Change’ with LEGO M

ethodist Preschools collaborated with the LEGO Group (Singapore) to run

the international ‘Build the Change’ pilot programme with the theme: Biodiversity and Climate Change at Bedok Methodist Preschool in May 2022. The pilot programme is the first of its kind for preschools in Singapore.

Mrs Patsy Wee, Principal of Bedok Methodist Preschool said, “One of our core values is to nurture our children to have caring hearts.

Caring for our environment has always been a part of our curriculum. When the LEGO

Champions of the LEGO Build the Change programme

pilot programme was mooted to us, we felt it

Mrs Wee shared that the collaboration with

resonated with our core value.”

LEGO added a different dimension to the children’s learning. It allowed them to delve

Twenty children were invited to create

a little deeper and broader into caring for our

solutions to minimise the effects of climate

environment and to be the change agent.

change using LEGO bricks. They enjoyed an

While their solutions may not be fanciful or

enriching and exciting 11-day programme

even workable, being able to represent their

with lessons on various animals and insects,

thoughts and solutions in concrete structures

their habitats and how they are threatened

is a huge achievement for them.

by climate change. They were inspired to put on their thinking caps to come up with

Riley Beth Su Qin En, a K1 student, said, “I like

imaginative solutions to environmental

LEGO because I love to build. I learnt to build

challenges and express their ideas through

something comfortable and protective for

creative builds using LEGO bricks.

both animals and people, because what affects them will affect us.”

The programme’s grand finale involved the young innovators building their LEGO solutions

The ‘Build the Change’ programme is LEGO’s

in response to the challenge question: Create

global initiative for children to use their

an idea to help minimise climate change that

imagination to express their hopes and dreams

affects all species. During the show-and-tell

for the future with LEGO bricks and other

session, the preschoolers presented their

creative materials through a learning-through-

creation and answered questions from an

play approach. After the success of the pilot

audience of peers, teachers and facilitators. The

programme at Bedok, it will be progressively

young builders of change were duly honoured

rolled out to other Methodist Preschools' K1 and

with a personalised certificate of completion.

K2 children with a six-hour programme.

July 2022 Methodist Message 3

Jeremy Choo is the Personnel & Missionary Care Executive, Country Coordinating Officer (Thailand) at the Methodist Missions Society. / Photo courtesy of Jeremy Choo

News

Serving the Lord in Thailand 1st Session of the Mission Conference of Mettakij Christian Association

T

he work in Thailand began in December

We were encouraged by the faith and love

1992 with a visit by the then Council on

demonstrated by the Church through the

Missions Chairman, Rev Dr Clarence Lim, Rev

reports that they gave at the meeting. Despite

Khoo Cheng Hoot, Mr Lim Chong Heng and

the challenges presented by the pandemic, the

Mrs Pearlie Lim. This is recorded in the Thai

Church has persevered and grown, with much

Provisional Book of Discipline.

prayer and through the sharing of resources.

New preaching points were planted and new

On 19 March 2005, the Wesley Methodist

leaders raised. Today, MCA has 17 churches, 10

Church in Thailand (WMCT) was formally

preaching points, two schools, two nurseries

constituted by The Methodist Church in

and two hostels.

Singapore, the founding Conference. Bishop Dr Robert Solomon was its presiding Bishop.

At the closing service, new Deacons were

WMCT was later renamed the Mettakij

ordained, together with Deacons-elect, Elders

Christian Association (MCA).

and Elders-elect. There are now 19 Elders and four Deacons in MCA.

On 15 March 2022, after two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, MCA pastors, leaders and

The meeting marked the retirement of three

members gathered together physically for

Pastors and Mrs Sungwan Yeo, the Principal of

the First Session of the Mission Conference, at

Vineyard Methodist School. Thank God for their

Shineforth Methodist Church, Chiangmai. By

long years of faithful service.

God’s grace, travel restrictions had eased and our delegation from Singapore was able to

We returned from the conference with much

attend the meeting.

joy and thanksgiving, with a renewed hope to see MCA a Provisional Annual Conference.

The day began with a service, where Bishop Dr Gordon Wong shared a message on

We are grateful for the faithful and

contentment from Philippians 4:11-13, and

longstanding support of our partner churches

encouraged the church to continue to rejoice

in Singapore, and continue to welcome more

in the Lord whether in lack or in abundance.

churches to join us in this work.

Attendees celebrated Holy Communion and the first session of the Mission Conference was declared open.

4 Methodist Message

July 2022

To God be the glory!

Rev Anil K. Samuel Reddipogu served with Emmanuel Tamil Annual Conference for nearly 20 years and has recently returned home to India. / Photos courtesy of Rev Anil Samuel Reddipogu

News

Serving the Telugu-speaking Indian community in Singapore

Rev Anil Samuel conducting a service at Telugu Methodist Church

M

y journey from India to Singapore to

Every Sunday, I would visit my Telugu friends

serve the Telugu-speaking community in

at Short Street and at their dormitories during

Singapore has been an exciting and enriching

weekends for Cell Group prayers. Seated on

journey of faith.

the pavement under the streetlights, I would listen to their stories and encourage them

In 2001, Mr John B. Samuel introduced me to

with the Word. That has been my greatest joy.

the Telugu ministry at Tamil Methodist Church (TMC) Short Street, where Telugu Fellowship

Many a time God stopped the rain when

was in its infancy. I had discussions with both

we prayed. When God allowed the rain

him and Rev Ranganathan Prabhu on serving

to continue, the floor mats became our

the Telugu people in Singapore. My parents

makeshift tents, and sometimes lorries by the

and siblings prayed as a family, seeking God’s

roadside were our shelter for prayer fellowship

will and direction.

and Bible study. In all this, our hearts were filled with awe to see God open hearts to the

Soon, Rev Dr Vinson Samuel informed me of

gospel of Christ.

Emmanuel Tamil Annual Conference (ETAC)'s invitation to lead the Telugu Fellowship at TMC

As more families joined the Telugu Fellowship,

Short Street. At the same time, ETAC arranged

the leadership of the TMC, Telugu Fellowship

for me to pursue a Master of Ministry at Trinity

and ETAC came together to pray and discuss

Theological College.

the formation of a new church. In July 2008, the Telugu Methodist Church (Singapore) was

On 18 January 2004, TMC Short Street gave me

established, based at the same premises as

a warm welcome when I attended the Telugu

TMC Short Street. Since then, many ministers

Fellowship in the evening at 7 p.m. It was a

have supported the church’s work, and many

great joy to see my Telugu people worshipping

disciples have been groomed to be leaders to

the Lord. Most of them were young and filled

serve the Lord. Praise be to the Lord, for he has

with energy, their faces lit up with big smiles.

continued to bless our ministry.

Many of them came to attend the service even after a long day’s work on Sundays.

July 2022 Methodist Message 5

Serving the Telugu-speaking Indian community in Singapore

Highlights of the

Telugu Ministry 

On 27 July 2008, Telugu Methodist Church (Singapore) was established under the leadership of Rev James Nagulan, with the blessings of Bishop Emeritus Dr Robert Solomon, Rev Ranganathan Prabhu and other ETAC and TMC leaders.



Disciples Bible Training classes have been conducted every September and October since 2009. Many graduates now serve in the Telugu states in India, and even further afield like Qatar and New Zealand.



Maids Prayer Fellowship was started in March 2011.



Women’s Society for Christian Service (WSCS) was formed in October 2013 at TMC Short Street to empower and encourage women to serve Christ.



In November 2014, we started SEVA, a dormitory-based ministry to counsel workers and provide computer and English skills.



Migrant Workers Welfare Forum was initiated in 2015 to provide counsel to the migrant brethren.



During the pandemic, daily prayers and regular Bible study sessions were conducted virtually to encourage brethren to cling on to Christ.



Sunday services are held at 7 p.m. every Sunday at TMC, Short Street. Concurrently, Sunday school ministry brings God’s Word to our children.



Annual Chinese New Year Holiday Revival Meetings graced by specially-invited speakers.



Evangelistic Outings with fun-filled games and entertainment at public venues to share Christ’s love with pre-believers.



Annual Blood Donation Drive in conjunction with ETAC to encourage people to give back to society.



All-Night Prayers bringing members together to pray.



Mission trips to Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Koya Field in Telangana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh in India.



Solemnisation of our church members’ weddings in their villages, which were sometimes the first Christian wedding held there.

6 Methodist Message

July 2022

Even as I served, our ministry had its challenges,

With God’s help, I pray that the bonds of

such as keeping in touch with members who

friendship will continue to grow beyond

returned home—some to reunite with their

the shores of Singapore. God has given us a

families, and others due to changes in work

large extended family in ETAC. Working with

policies. However, I am indebted to so many for

different ministers has been an enriching

making the work possible.

experience. I am thankful to Rev Philip Abraham, ETAC President, my fellow pastors

It has been a pleasure to work with fellow

and ETAC leaders for their prayers and support.

pastors and leaders at TMC Short Street for nearly 20 years. I was privileged to be involved

In this journey, God has blessed me with

in various ETAC Boards and ministries,

a loving and understanding wife, Dr Ruth

including ETAC camps and men’s retreats.

Anil. Her leadership has been a great blessing

I made many good friends. Representing

especially in WSCS and children’s ministry. Our

ETAC at General Conference level has been

children Asheera and Arman are a great joy.

a pleasure albeit with a steep learning curve.

Through its churches, ETAC nurtures and

God worked in wondrous ways to accomplish

encourages its young leaders to become

his purposes. I thank God for using me as

faithful stewards and shepherds to serve the

his instrument in pastoral ministry for nearly

almighty God.

two decades in Singapore. "Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for

Telugu Methodist Church (Singapore), though

his compassions never fail. They are new

a young church, has a special place in ETAC.

every morning; great is your faithfulness."

It has won the hearts of many sister churches

(Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV). As a family

in The Methodist Church in Singapore. In the

we praise God for his faithfulness and the

midst of challenging times, the avid prayers

opportunity to serve him in this part of the

and the constant support of the Conference

world through ETAC, and we will cherish these

has enabled the church to grow and achieve

moments always.

its vision of ‘reaching every Telugu-speaking person in Singapore for Christ’. My special

To God be the glory.

thanks to the leaders and the congregation of Telugu Methodist Church (Singapore) for their unconditional love and support.

July 2022 Methodist Message 7

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.

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

Mrs Gnanamany Philip worships at Pasir Panjang Tamil Methodist Church (PPTMC) and is married to Rev Philip Abraham. / Photos courtesy of PPTMC

News

Pasir Panjang TMC celebrates her

95th Anniversary

I

t is wonderful to be 95 years old and still be

To this day, he strongly maintains that

full of life! On 12 June 2022, Pasir Panjang

mentoring and discipling the young is the

Tamil Methodist Church celebrated her 95 years

key for the future of the Church. The Church,

with Bishop Dr Gordon Wong, who reminded

he says, must find ways to encourage and

us through his inspiring sermon, “Love God

strengthen the spiritual life of our youth,

By Loving Our Neighbour Today & Together”,

building their stamina to love God by serving

that the purpose of our living is to fulfil the two

their neighbours.

greatest commandments of all.

Mrs Mary Daniel keeps a precious memory of

We also celebrated by tapping the fond

her father, Mr A. Samuel, from the early fifties

reminiscences of the wise elderly among us

when they would be the first ones to arrive

who remember our church at a very different

at church, which was then a small wooden

time in history.

building along Pasir Panjang Road. There they

Mr T. Jeevanantham, 85, started his ministry with the church when he arrived in Singapore at the age of 16. He remembers how he found his calling to serve God when he was asked by the Rev J. Daniel to speak at a mid-week church gathering. Full of zeal after that, he attended

would kneel and pray while waiting for the rest of the congregation. The Christmas service used to start at 4.30 a.m. and she still remembers the feeling of walking up the candle-lit pathway leading to the church in the quiet of that predawn hour. “It felt awesome,” she said.

many leadership training conferences and

She supported her husband, Rev J. Daniel, in

camps organised by Wesley Methodist Church

his ministry and also held roles in the Sunday

and the Singapore Malaysia Youth Annual

School, Women's Society of Christian Service

Conference to better equip himself to serve.

and the Choir Ministry of the church. Her

The church’s Sunday School, Youth Ministry, Men’s Fellowship, Choir Ministry—Mr T.

knowledge in music was particularly useful in the latter.

Jeevanantham found joy in his service within

When asked how we can love our neighbours,

all of them. His involvement in these areas not

she replied thoughtfully, “Psalm 136:23 says that

only enriched his own spiritual life, but it can be

God remembered us in our lowly state, so we

said to have been instrumental to the growth

too must remember—by helping and serving—

of our church in her early years. Under his

our neighbours who are in need. Also, we

leadership, the church choir even performed

should never forget Ephesians 1:4, that God has

regularly over Radio Singapore (Tamil Section)

chosen us in him before the foundation of the

at festivals like Christmas and Easter.

world to be holy and blameless in his presence.”

In addition, he and other church leaders banded

Long may our church continue to endeavour to

together to start tuition classes, particularly for

“love God by loving our neighbours today and

the children of lower-income families in the

together”, in gratitude to him whose goodness,

neighbourhood of Pasir Panjang who struggled

grace and mercy have carried us through the

with subjects such as Math and English.

past 95 years!

July 2022 Methodist Message 9

Angeline Boden Cheang is a member of the TRAC WSCS ExCo. / Photos courtesy of TRAC WSCS

News

A Yam-my way to sayang our pastors and their families

F

ood plays an important part in the lives of many of us in Singapore and is often used to express love and care. The

ladies from the Women’s Society of Christian Service (WSCS) of Trinity Annual Conference (TRAC) did just that with Sayang Sayang 2022, where WSCS members from across Singapore came together to produce 96 yam cakes with which to sayang (meaning ‘love’ in Malay) our pastors and their families. Sayang Sayang 2022 formed a part of TRAC WSCS Day 2022 celebrations.

With the easing of Covid-19 Safe Management Measures, WSCS members were able to gather to bond and be purposefully engaged in making yam cakes for their recipients. They volunteered for 4-hour shifts in the morning (8 a.m. – 12 p.m.) and/ or afternoon (1 p.m. – 5 p.m.) during which they would prepare the yam cakes, and package and deliver them to the recipients.

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Fifty WSCS sisters wielded their knives to clean, peel, slice and dice yam, sausages, mushrooms, onions, chilli and all manner of ingredients for making yam cake.

As they worked, the ladies exchanged introductions, anecdotes, testimonies and culinary tips, and plenty of smiles. All this took place at the kitchen facilities of TRAC WSCS Advisor Choo Lai Eng’s F&B business.

Here are some heart-warming responses

from our recipients Wow, what a logistical and loving effort.

God bless everyone for their work in the planning, arrangements, purchasing of ingredients, preparatory work, cooking, containing, washing up, packing, distribution and every other task! We are all spoilt.

All the food preparation was completed ahead of schedule and the ladies went on to prepare the labels and packaging for the yam cakes. The label with the Chinese character, 爱 (meaning ‘love’ in Chinese), was designed by Lai Eng’s daughter, Joy.

Thank you to all the lovely WSCS ladies and their supportive families.

Jacqueline Huang Wife of Rev Kenneth Huang Kampong Kapor Methodist Church

The yam cakes were prepared following

Being a pastor’s wife is a calling I believe

a recipe from Wendy Goh of Paya Lebar

all pastors’ wives go into with keen and

Methodist Church. This recipe was included in the cookbook, Tribute to Heritage – Generation to Generation by Paya Lebar Methodist Church, and all helpers at Sayang Sayang 2022 were gifted a copy of this book, allowing them to replicate the yam cake in their own homes.

The ladies worked so efficiently that, by the time the afternoon shift arrived, most of the work had been completed. The day ended with delivery rounds, and messages and photographs from the happy recipients started coming in, expressing their appreciation for the thoughtfulness and love behind the blessing of yam cake.

growing awareness of the challenges and responsibilities that come with. In my short journey so far, there are times that it can be challenging but many more times, rewarding to see the part that we can play as wives to our husbands, and in extension, to the church as well. The WSCS’ encouragement spurs me on in this journey. Thank you, WSCS, for the love, care and support! May God enrich WSCS in your many ministries and may you continue to shine for Jesus.

Kelly Lee Wife of Rev Allan Lee Methodist Church of the Incarnation

Pastor Gilbert and I are thankful to all the ladies who lovingly planned, cooked and delivered this ‘Sayang Sayang’ gift.

We are touched that you sacrificed your public holiday to send us love in this way.

May God continue to bless the good work of TRAC WSCS. Grace Lok Wife of Ps Gilbert Lok Barker Road Methodist Church

July 2022 Methodist Message 11

Content and photos by the Methodist Girls’ School Communications Team

Here, for a

Purpose

MGS CELEBRATES 135 YEARS

M

ethodist Girls’ School celebrates her 135th anniversary this year. Commemorating

Founder’s Day on 25 July, the school gives glory to God for his abundant love, grace and faithfulness over the years, which have empowered generations of girls to embrace and live out the school motto—To Master, To

Grow, To Serve.

The school’s theme for 2022—‘Here, For a Purpose’—brings the MGS community together to reflect on her shared ethos and values that have enabled the school to continue realising the vision and mission of founder Miss Sophia Blackmore, who,

We speak with three alumnae of the school

among her many areas of service, dedicated a

who have each found their purpose in the

significant part of her life to education for girls.

work they do, and are drawing strength from

In the same spirit, the school has launched

God to serve and enrich the lives of others.

MGServes, a movement to bless others

They reflect on their faith and beliefs shaped

through acts of service. MGServes carries the

by the education at MGS, which anchors

torch of Miss Sophia Blackmore, reflecting her

them in a life of giving and service across

drive and zeal to contribute positively to the

diverse sectors, contributing meaningfully to

community.

Singapore and beyond.

12 Methodist Message

July 2022

Making student well-being a

priority

school every day, feeling happy and secure in the knowledge that there is a trustworthy adult here whom they can turn to, for this will contribute positively to their academic learning. It is heartening to see the children beam when I can identify them by name, or remember them from a previous encounter.

Mrs Brenda Ow Year Head (Middle Primary) Methodist Girls’ School MGS Class of 1995

I

Our theme verse Romans 8:28 tells us that God has a plan for each of us and we will not understand how everything that we go through adds on to the puzzle that God has created. With each challenge that we face, it

accepted Christ in Secondary 1 as a student

may not make sense or seem really daunting

in MGS. Through chapel and daily devotions,

when we are going through it, but each of

and the testimonies of teachers and friends, I

these challenges has a purpose, whether it is

grew in my faith. MGS is like a second family

to draw us closer to God, shape our character,

to me, providing a safe environment where we

or to acquire skills that will prepare us for other

are valued for who we are.

things God has planned for us.

As a teacher in MGS, the well-being of every

This belief in a bigger purpose gives me the

child in the school is important to me, as is

strength to do the work that I do, especially

their acquisition of life-skills. It matters to me

when fatigue sets in or challenges are met.

that a child should look forward to coming to

July 2022 Methodist Message 13

Here, for a Purpose

Shaping special lives for

significance that each of them is created by him and he makes no mistakes. Therefore, to love them as he does will give them hope. My prayer is that by providing them a glimpse of this hope through the school, they will desire for the greater hope that is found in knowing Christ.

Most days I look at the awesome responsibility that I have and it overwhelms me. Many

Ms Esther Kwan Principal of Grace Orchard School MGS Class of 1996

A

stories of grace have helped me to rejoice even through the tough days and rough seasons. But seeing the students blossom (the sparkle in the eyes when they do something

lthough I had a brother with special needs,

independently for the first time; doing things

working in special education was farthest

confidently that they never thought possible

from my mind. I did not choose to embark on

before) and grow (making good choices;

this path, but God placed me here.

holding jobs that they are proud to be doing; raising families) keeps me going.

At Grace Orchard School—a special education school that serves students aged 7-18 years old

The important phrase in our theme verse

with mild intellectual disability, including those

Romans 8:28 is “those who love God”—a

with autism—I have been able to invest in lives

relationship with Christ gives one a very

for over 16 years in various capacities. We desire

different worldview. It allows one to live with

for those with disabilities to have access to life’s

uncertainty, ambiguity, and trials, because

opportunities. Our aim, enshrined in our school

of the confidence that “suffering produces

mission statement is to shape special lives for

endurance, and endurance produces

significance where they are rooted in values,

character, and character produces hope,

prepared for life and empowered to make a

and hope does not put us to shame, because

difference.

God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given

Students, parents, and caregivers who step

to us” (Romans 5:3-5). There have been many

through our school doors come very broken,

challenges along the way, yet in each of them, I

both physically as well as mentally. Some have

have tasted his goodness and faithfulness and

been through challenges that I cannot even

that gives me the confidence to say that “all

fathom, others are just so beaten down from

things will work together for good”, the good

all the grieving and hurt, yet God reminds me

that God desires and God knows.

14 Methodist Message

July 2022

Rebuilding communities affected by war Working in war-afflicted places has allowed me to witness God’s movement amid suffering. How he is close to the brokenhearted, binding wounds, restoring hearts, and providing for the destitute. Many people ask how I can still be joyful after working years in these “hard places”, but what I’ve seen gives me great hope in life. I have seen time and

Ms Jemima Ooi Missionary to East Africa MGS Class of 2003

I

time again, the majesty of our Good Shepherd, attuned to the cries of his sheep, gently leading them back to life.

have worked as a missionary for 10 years

Romans 8:28 is a powerful verse. Instead

in East Africa (Congo, Rwanda, Kenya and

of retreating into cocoons, wary of things

Uganda), rebuilding communities affected by

beyond our control, this verse allows us to

war. My ministry focuses on refugees, genocide

live fully for God.

survivors, and families living in active conflictzones. Through close partnership with local

Jesus said, “my food is to do the will of my

leaders, we create access to education, food

father”. Knowing that I’m doing what he’s

security, agriculture, housing for refugees,

asking of me at every juncture, is deeply

small businesses and micro-financing.

nourishing to my heart. I may not be the most ambitious, but I do know that I serve a big

I became a missionary because God shared his

God who does unimaginable feats, and he

heart for the broken and forsaken with me. His

has dreams enough for the both of us! That

love makes me whole, and I knew it could do

has become my simple purpose in life, to walk

the same for others. It’s beautiful beholding

with God every day of my life. I believe that if

our refugees coming alive in the deep-seated

we walk with our Maker, we won’t miss the

knowledge that they are loved and seen by

purposes he has created us for.

God. This brings my heart great joy.

July 2022 Methodist Message 15

Feature

God and

gaming

Pauline Phoon is the founder of COMEBACK and SOOS OIO, both organisations that deal with gaming dependency. She conducts Game Addiction talks at schools, and coaches parents and educators on managing game dependency in young people. Pauline has been at the forefront of youth culture for more than a decade, being part of the team that introduced the YouTube wave to the Asia Pacific, working with first generation Asian American YouTubers. With the increasing popularity of gaming among youth in the past five years, she has spent a considerable amount of time understanding games and the motivations of gamers. Through the process, she developed programmes and activities to harness the positive benefits of gaming. She worships at Cornerstone Community Church.

What parents need to know

K

ids game, while parents frown. There is a gap between these diametric responses of parent and child to gaming. Our end objective in mitigating this gap is not to swing to one or the other side but to meet in the gap, where the focus is no longer on games but on each other.

"And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.” Malachi 4:6 ESV.

Trends

The draw of games

In 2020, our COMEBACK team’s survey of about 2,700 Secondary School students found that roughly 1 in 5 of them exhibited some level of game dependency.[i] At SOOS OIO and COMEBACK, we prefer the term “game dependency” rather than “game addiction” as it is a more accurate description of the underlying psychological states driving gaming behaviour. “Dependent” means reliant for support and implies that there are underlying conditions which lead to the need for such support. To understand game dependency, we need to examine the motivations of gamers. At COMEBACK, we differentiate the four gamerplayer types to break down the motivations namely: Achievers, Gurus, Explorers and Socialisers.[ii] I will not go into the details of the types of gamers here but look instead at the relationship between the parent and the child who games.

What makes games so attractive to gamers?

Accessibility, multiplayer interactions, pulsating action, appealing aesthetics, rewards, and many more factors combine to form an almost irresistible presence that has invaded our youth culture. While the razzle-dazzle of games is fascinating, their power to dominate draws from the needs of the gamers. Great entertainment and a place to hang out with friends—at its core, a game is akin to a playground.

16 Methodist Message

July 2022

But danger lurks in a playground, even as it offers fun and excitement. There are possibilities of falling and getting hurt, encountering dubious strangers, and bullying. Yet, families and children still swarm playgrounds because the dangers can be managed and mitigated. The most common challenge for parents at the playground is not the dangers, but getting the child to end the

session, especially when they are having a great time. By the same token, the most common struggle for parents about video gaming is getting the children to put down their devices.

So, the problem is not the games per se but the transition out of enjoyment that parents need to address. The immersive nature of video games does make some parents feel that they are battling with the games over their child.

However, while games may seem to be the enemy, the real issue can be as basic as the exercise of self-control, which most children need to learn, and work to strengthen over time.

If the parent-child relationship is healthy and tight, getting the child to transit out of their gaming may be challenging, but not impossible. But if the rope that links parent and child is thin and weak, a strong tug to pull the child up or out of a situation might snap the rope. This is the scenario we want to avoid.

It might be helpful to recall our own teenage years when we struggled to obey our parents.

The emotional turmoil within a young person can be very intense, and sometimes explosive.

A strong parent-child bond coupled with a firm and sensitive approach is needed to navigate through the gap I alluded to above.

The push factors

Parents: Remember, your fight is not against

games.

What can parents do?

Introduce video games to your young children the same way you would introduce them to a physical playground. You spot potential hazards, and caution your child. You hold their hands or even carry them away from danger if necessary. From you, your child learns how to play safely in the playground. Note that the emphasis is not on setting a time limit for play, but on the presence of the parent to provide guidance and safety. Finally, your child follows as you transit together out of the game.

As your child learns to assess the dangers and how to take care of themselves in gaming, allow them to play more independently. This is where setting boundaries is important, so that they play within a safe and reasonable space. The child applies on their own what they have learnt from you on transiting out, with some reminders.

The assumption that gaming is the only factor pulling our child away from reality is what often creates a wall between the parent and child. In fact, there are also many possible push factors that drive them towards gaming.

Gaming is used as a mechanism to cope with the pressures of life and psychological distresses such as anxiety, fears, hurt and sadness, just as a painkiller provides a short relief for physical pain. Parents need to be discerning and not add on to these push factors, or even become one of the push factors themselves. As difficult and personal as it can be, parents must constantly self-evaluate as their child’s needs change with their different seasons of growth.

A strong relationship enables the parent to address unseen psychological push factors like anxiety, fears and stress, to name just a few. When the push factors are dealt with, it is easier for the child to break free from the pull of gaming.

The parents’ fight Parents: Remember, your fight is not against games. Your fight is for your child. Fight to get past the surface behaviours to help them through their inner struggles, which sometimes they themselves are not yet able to identify and articulate. No matter what, love them unconditionally, as God loves you.

Look beyond the games to find your child in the gap. Persist in your prayers. If you feel overwhelmed, reach out to parent support groups, seek pastoral care or even professional help if necessary.

[i] https://www.comeback.world/category/reports/. Read more at https://www.comeback.world/2022/05/14/what-is-gaming-addiction/ [ii] https://www.comeback.world/2020/05/14/gaming-or-studies-motivations-of-an-achiever/ and https://www.comeback.world/2020/11/06/ conversations-with-the-four-player-types/ July 2022 Methodist Message 17

God and

gaming

She was a gaming addict,

As my brothers strategised ways to complete

now she games for good

comment. Once my parents played against

the stages, my parents would watch and each other in a game called Marvel vs Capcom, and we had lots of fun watching them fumble with the controls. I think my mum won.

But after every game, each one would disperse to do their own thing. Left behind, I remember feeling bereft.

I started buying games and consoles to relieve my loneliness, playing games to the point that I could no longer distinguish night from day.

Ruth Lim studied Game Development and Computing Science and works as an Esports Coach at SOOS OIO. A competitive gamer, she has won many titles and represented Singapore in gaming tournaments. She attends Cornerstone Community Church.

Knowing that my parents would scold me for staying up late even on school nights, I would pretend to sleep before sneaking into the computer room to play. This meant getting only about 4-5 hours of sleep daily, even on tiring days with badminton CCA and school work.

I

am Ruth, better known as potatofluff to

In class, I had trouble concentrating, either

gamers.

falling half-asleep or day-dreaming about how I could advance in the game and how to

I am super-passionate about gaming and

strengthen my game-characters.

I have a Diploma in Game Development. I conduct DOTA 2 workshops at the Esports

My grades slowly dropped. I only started to

Academy, and have coached and managed

care about them just before my GCE O-Levels

DOTA and FIFA Online 3 teams that

when I had already played most of the games

represented Singapore. Does this mean

available, and the new ones were not as

anything to you? How about if I told you I had

appealing.

played 200 game titles by the time I graduated from University?

But my efforts to pay attention to my studies were too little, too late. Math was my strongest

So why did I play so much, or get into games in

subject, but I blanked out during my E-Math

the first place?

paper and did not complete the last page of my A-Math paper.

My earliest memory of gaming was when I was three. My brothers would play on the

It was excruciating taking the exams knowing

Super Nintendo console while I sat between

that I would not do well and waiting three

them. Sometimes my parents would join us.

months for the results. I remember wanting

I remember vividly that these were the only

to give up on the papers and retake them the

times my family would be together.

following year. One night, while I was sleeping,

18 Methodist Message

July 2022

I heard a low, unique yet familiar voice saying

satisfied my curiosity and reduced my

“Jeremiah 29:11”. I awoke in shock to find out it

obsession with the game. Nothing beats the

was morning and there was no one there.

fun of playing, but I had to compromise.

With the encouragement from my lecturer and

Opening the Bible, I read the verse, “For I know

friends, I managed to overcome my addiction.

the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,

Now I use my experiences, knowledge and

“plans to prosper you and not to harm you,

skills to coach youths, teaching them skills

plans to give you a hope and a future.” As I

such as teamwork and communication to help

read this, I heard the same voice say “Temasek”!

them achieve their goals through esports.

I figured it must be God speaking to me.

And so I ended up studying Game Development in Temasek Polytechnic. I thought I might go crazy binge-playing, with so much exposure to games. On the contrary, the more I learned, the less I played.

Understanding the psychology behind gaming and what made it addictive demystified gaming and empowered me.

The journey was not smooth-sailing. In between, there were moments when I could not control my gaming habits. It was during my final year, when I volunteered at a Game Addiction Centre, that it suddenly hit me—I was a gaming addict.

He craved recognition from his peers

I had always been in denial. There is stigma associated with being an add, and although my close friends and family could tell that I was one, it was hard to talk about it as many could only make unhelpful or exasperated comments like “just stop playing” or “see lah, play some more, carry on! Now got problem, then start crying!”

Finally, I confided in a trusted lecturer, with whose help I started to be accountable for my playing times and, most importantly, to be conscious of the games I chose to play. This was important because I found some types of games difficult to end. While some gamers are attracted to sandbox games like Minecraft and Roblox, my weakness was for games with storylines and turn-based battles.

Poh Xing Yong is an Associate Psychologist at COMEBACK, a game dependency intervention service for gamers, by gamers. He attends City Harvest Church.

M

y family first got a computer when I was in primary school. Whenever possible, I

would game from morning till past midnight, school holidays or not. On school days, I often slept in class, or played truant using

To curb my addiction, I would read up on

forged parents’ letters or medical certificates

the plot and watch YouTube videos, which

I bought. I even ran away from home once

July 2022 Methodist Message 19

God and gaming

during my Polytechnic years when my father hid the modem to prevent me from gaming.

My parents were busy working to clear a heavy debt. My father worked full-time in the day and took on odd jobs at night. On nights while I was playing, I would hear him preparing to go to work. I would stop my game, pretending that I was awoken by the sounds,

time, there were classmates who applauded

but really because I wanted to spend time

my courage to stand up to the bullies and

with him. We would go to eat bak chor mee

these classmates became my friends. It was

at Bedok 85, then I would wait for him while

also at this point, in Secondary 2, that a friend

he drove a busload of foreign workers to their

invited me to church. When I eventually gave

destinations. I treasured those moments, for

my life to Jesus and began attending a cell

otherwise, I was pretty much on my own. It got

group regularly I finally felt like I had a place in

worse when my father had to work overseas

the real world.

in China for many years, leaving my mum to handle both her own job and the household.

And then, there was a turning point in my studies. I scored well for my English and

Academically, my report card would be filled

Humanities subjects. When my English

with red ink except for English, which I barely

teacher read out my compositions in class I

passed. The worst part of primary school

felt extremely proud. Such affirmation drove

was that I had very few friends. I was socially

my desire to score top place for those two

awkward and a loner, so I was bullied by three

subjects. I was willing to set aside gaming to

classmates while in upper primary school.

complete my homework, which had never happened before.

I did not have friends to help me and I was afraid to tell my family for fear of burdening

Well, I did manage to achieve the top score

them; at the same time, I felt ashamed,

for each of those subjects in my N-levels in

thinking the bullying was somehow my fault. It

Secondary 4. Not only that, my overall score

escalated over time, getting so bad until there

made me the top student in the cohort.

were days when I persuaded my mother to let

Everyone was shocked.

me bring an umbrella to school on the pretext that I feared it might rain, but really to use as a

My story had many more ups and downs, but

weapon to defend myself. I was very distressed

two things are apparent. Firstly, my gaming

for most of my upper primary school years due

behaviour was rooted in a desire to gain

to the incessant bullying and so I coped by

recognition among my peers. Secondly, when

skipping school and gaming.

I was consumed by gaming, studies and faith could not seem to coexist with it. They were

The gaming world was a place where I felt

very much separate worlds, and I could only

capable, acknowledged, and accepted—the

inhabit one or the other—or so I thought.

opposite of my real life.

God has a mysterious way of working, as my With my poor PSLE scores, I ended up in a

gaming struggles and psychology background

school well-known for delinquents and bullies.

have led me to this job where I help young

I became even more socially withdrawn: it was

gamers struggling with gaming dependency.

the perfect recipe for being bullied again, and I

Games, which used to affect me negatively, are

retaliated aggressively as before. However, this

now my language to connect with others.

20 Methodist Message

July 2022

Feature Youth Ministry:

What the pandemic taught us Youth Ministry leaders share about the challenges they went through during the last two years when physical meet-ups were curbed, and how they plan to move forward now that safe distancing measures have relaxed.

Focus on hearts, not programmes

with our friends to look forward to, without the exciting activities of the Youth Ministry in church, we could see into our hearts more clearly than ever.

I have a feeling that those whose hearts were warm with the presence of Christ would

Abraham Sui is the Chairperson of Youthphoria, the Youth Ministry of Aldersgate Methodist Church.

I

come from a church named after the famous place of John Wesley’s heartwarming

encounter—Aldersgate Methodist Church.

The pandemic was a unique opportunity for us young people to examine our hearts in the way that Paul urged the Corinthian believers (2 Corinthians 13:5). Without any opportunity for our parents to nag us to go to church (for some, to be literally dragged), without time

have seen the pandemic as but a minor interference to our faith. What is a pandemic when neither height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation can separate us from God's love? (Romans 8:39) The pandemic was like the rain described in Matthew 7 that destroyed the fool’s house but left unscathed the wise man’s abode.

During the pandemic, some used the extra time on their hands to participate in a monthlong Youth Discipleship Programme, meeting online twice daily for fellowship, prayer and

July 2022 Methodist Message 21

What the pandemic taught us

learning the Word. The pandemic was a lifechanging period of blessing for them. But for many others, the pandemic was a period of languishing and resultant guilt.

Through the pandemic, God led our youth leaders to recognise that what matters is not our methods or programmes but the hearts of our youths. It is of utmost importance that they should personally encounter and enjoy the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the spiritual vaccination that we need against mediocrity, worldliness and sin that will leave our hearts

This highlighted the importance of the

strangely warmed.

support structure and care for our leaders.

We relied on them to be in contact with the youths. However, the lack of touch points and

The pandemic was God’s way of refining our Youth Ministry

in-person interactions with the youths made discipleship difficult. This led to leaders feeling burnt out.

As for our online services, we had to try different methods of engaging youths; sustaining their attention was one challenge, and re-creating a spiritual atmosphere over a screen was difficult.

Maverick Leong is the Lay Pastoral Staff (Youth Ministry) at Aldersgate Methodist Church.

I

think God used this crisis to refine our Youth Ministry, to bring us back to our true

purpose.

to overcome the limitations of the equipment available to us but it only added to the feeling of disconnect. We tried calling watch parties for services in Cell Groups but that didn’t succeed as well as we had hoped.

Now that we are re-gathering physically, we

Our leaders had many questions: can we still disciple our youths without meeting in-person or in large groups? How can we still be a church and a community?

At Youthphoria, we concentrated our efforts in two areas—our Cell Groups and weekly Youth Online Services. We tried to be as consistent as possible in the face of the changing pandemic restrictions, but it was truly stressful for our cell group leaders during this time.

22 Methodist Message

Segments of the service were pre-recorded

July 2022

realise that the pandemic has conditioned us to isolate ourselves from others, not just physically but relationally as well. Therefore, we must now intentionally work to foster real lifeon-life discipleship.

Even though not all the lessons are new, the pandemic has shown up the core principles of Youth Ministry more clearly. We pray that God continues to help us to refine our ministry, for the ultimate purpose of making our youths true disciples of Christ.

We gave our best by persevering, being intentional and creative

have fun in the midst of it all, to trust, and surrender our youths to his loving hands.

With all the time spent “alone”, some youths grew closer to God. A few found it less intimidating and eased into the group more easily behind a screen. Ironically, those usually busy with many other commitments could make time for online meetings! God even pointed us to opportunities to serve locally despite cancelled plans for overseas mission trips.

Tiffany Wong is a Youth Leader at the Youth Ministry (The TackleBox) of Faith Methodist Church.

T

he pandemic was uncharted waters for everyone. We could not do things the

same way anymore. Zoom fatigue was real, dynamic communication was harder than before, and technical difficulties did not help.

All this caused a strain on relationship building.

My fellow youth leaders and I felt helpless, and we were worried that our youths would find it difficult to bond with one another. Yet, despite our concerns and struggles with the

Going through a period of not being able to physically meet definitely taught us to treasure the times that we could. We have relearnt the significance of communal worship, and the need to reconnect with the larger church community. We know now the importance of being flexible, to continue assessing the real needs of our youths and adapt accordingly. We gained a confidence to be bolder in thinking out of the box, to allow God to speak and work in new ways in our ministry. In losing some of the limiters we placed on God, we gained a renewed heart to walk and serve in his ways.

lack of control, uncertainty and absenteeism, God was good—he reminded us that anything was possible, as long as we were willing to partner him and each other, and to change our perspective.

So we evaluated our old methodologies. We were challenged to be more intentional and creative in engaging our youths, facilitating online discussions, and simply persevering despite the tough times. A typical conference call was not engaging enough, and many of the experiential games we had used as hooks had to be adapted. God was faithful and provided ideas and resources. We employed more visual cues through slides, spent time and effort to curate interactive activities with virtual spaces like gather.town for special occasions, utilised online-friendly platforms for quizzes, fellowship and games, produced homemade videos to celebrate significant moments. We learned to give our best and

July 2022 Methodist Message 23

What the pandemic taught us

Good shepherding is the key

Rev Adrian Ng is the Youth Ministry pastor at Wesley Methodist Church.

W

available to their youths are more likely to retain them. We ran online lessons on

hen authorities began announcing safe

relationships and apologetics, encouraged

management measures in 2020, we had

short mid-week prayer meetings, had online

over 300 youths in the middle of an awesome

meals together and even converted some

Youth Alpha campaign, who were looking

services to online gaming sessions. Not

forward to a 3D2N overseas camp as the

everything worked, but youths appreciated

highlight. Staff and volunteers also scrambled

the prizes and rewards (bubble tea!) we sent

to livestream services and the learning curve

their way. The leader's consistent presence

was steep for everyone. Even as an IT-savvy

with them signalled that they mattered and

pastor, no words could adequately express my

were valued. It is this consistency, combined

discouragement as precious youths (and their

with personal touch, that brought back many

parents and leaders) slipped away despite our

lost sheep that were temporarily displaced.

best efforts. What did we learn? Here are my pastoral reflections based on John 10.

Be an actively engaged shepherd—Listen, Learn & Love (v14)

Be a shepherd that is genuine (v11)

Good shepherds seek to know and engage

View the pandemic like a wolf that catches

their sheep. We trained ourselves to harness

sheep and scatters them. But shepherds are

online engagement tools. Instead of recorded

God's solution to the wolves. Shepherds take

teachings, we opted for Zoom with real-time

personal responsibility for the relationships of

service and created segments for youths

the entire church. Shepherds will not give up

to share their struggles, testimonies and

in connecting with their sheep. People can

empowered them to pray for each other.

tell the difference between a shepherd and a

Sermons included quizzes, polls, and word-

hireling who drops out when the going gets

clouds that allowed everyone to participate.

tough. Shepherds inspire others through their

We listened discerningly to their responses,

love, care and personal sacrifice. The resolve to

learned about their struggles and prayed for

be a shepherd is a necessary conviction from

the concerns they raised. We milked every

the start (v18).

possible way to keep the community engaged in real-time to preserve relational authenticity.

Be a consistent voice (v16) When wolves appear (and they will), sheep

No attack lasts forever. Shepherds know

scatter as the environment becomes

the importance of trusted relationships

unpredictable. A clear and consistent voice

while battling wolves. A shepherd's faithful

helps lost sheep orientate themselves. Leaders

commitment to the flock will ultimately pay

need to find spaces to make themselves

off as surviving lost sheep find their way home.

known and heard. From carefully curated

Don't wait for the next attack to build trust.

teaching content to mid-week social

Start today to be a shepherd who is genuine,

engagements, leaders who make themselves

consistent, and engaged.

24 Methodist Message

July 2022

Dylan Kwok is a 22-year-old video game designer studying at Nanyang Technological University. He has been teaching Sunday school at Kampong Kapor Methodist Church to Upper Primary students for the last three years. / Illustration by Caitlin Low

Young Voices

Why aren’t our youth studying

the Bible like they study for exams?

What I find curious, then, is that when it comes to spiritual training, some churchgoers do an about-face. Parents driven to get their children into top schools seem unconcerned about what their kids learn about the Bible.

And youth driven to study esoteric topics like medieval Asian history and quantum mechanics so that they can secure places in prestigious tertiary institutions begin to question why they should study parts of the Bible they deem irrelevant to their daily lives, like the Old Testament kings and prophets.

Why the stark contrast? I wonder if it is because churchgoers prioritise secular training and education over biblical training.

I

If so, this begs the question: why is this so? n spending part of my growing up years in

Why don’t we give biblical training the time

church in Singapore, and now as a university

and seriousness it deserves? After all, we are

student and Sunday school teacher, I’ve

talking about the Book that instructs us about

observed something curious.

the eternal consequences of our life choices.

At age three, Singaporean children start

From my observations, I believe there are two

learning two languages. At seven, they

main factors: the first seems to be a tendency

spend 30 hours a week in school, with tuition

to avoid teaching advanced biblical truths to

classes and CCAs pushing this nearer to 40.

the youth. Fearing perhaps that their charges

At age 12, they take a national exam that will

will not understand and thus lose interest, or

determine their future for at least the next

that they are already bogged down with school

four years. By age 16, they will have learnt

work, the youth are taught stripped down Bible

rocket science.

stories, with shortened narratives and simplistic lesson points.

While a lot of ink has been spilt over whether the student workload in Singapore is too heavy,

If we taught children math and science in the

rarely does the public debate the difficulty of

same way, they would never get past fractions.

the material itself. We seldom hear, “Is calculus too difficult for teenagers to learn?”

However, because this meagre spiritual training creates little impact in the lives of the youth,

Instead, there is a presumption that given

many end up perceiving biblical training as

enough time, students will master it.

being ineffective.

July 2022 Methodist Message 25

Why aren’t our youth studying the Bible like they study for exams?

From my experience of teaching Bible studies

are trained in first aid, but rarely will they have to

and Sunday school, I believe this conclusion is

perform CPR even once.

incorrect. Rather than simplifying content, I feel we can teach biblical truths with all their complexities

The Bible is bigger than that. Yes, there are points in

and nuances. Children are far brighter than we

the Bible that are easily understood. But there are

give them credit for. Are they forgetful? Probably.

also points that take time, patience, prayer and the

Unintelligent? No. In fact, I suspect one main

Holy Spirit’s guidance to learn. If we as Singaporeans

reason children lose interest in any subject is

understand that to be really good at calculus, ballet,

because they think they already know all there is to

piano or a second language, we need to put in

know. If we challenged them with higher levels of

hours of training, then perhaps we should be more

biblical truth, I wonder if they would not become

patient with our study—and teaching—of Scripture.

more engaged and more impacted by God’s Word.

We need to realise that it also takes a significant chunk of time to study the Bible to the point where,

The second observation is that some churchgoers

guided by the Holy Spirit, the biblical worldview

somehow expect biblical content to be

becomes our worldview and we live and act in the

immediately relevant and applicable in their lives.

way God intends for his people.

They expect to be able to walk into church on any given Sunday, hear one message, and be able to

As I observe many of my Christian peers studying

apply its key points to their daily lives immediately.

hard and achieving their dreams in secular life

And if that does not happen, they conclude that

(school, career, and more) but yet stagnating in

biblical training is ineffective.

their faith—or worse, losing their faith entirely—I wonder if one of the root causes is this unfortunate

However, I believe this expectation is unrealistic in

gap between what they’ve invested in their earthly

three ways. First, it suggests biblical content should

lives versus their spiritual lives.

be digestible in one sitting. This is not true for most areas in life. Most curricula require extensive

As we think about our approach to biblical and

background knowledge to make sense of any

secular education, my prayer is that more of us

statement. Even the “simple” statement, “Jesus

churchgoers would honestly reflect on where our

forgives all your sins”, requires at least four pieces

focus and attention has been.

of information: What is sin? Why does it need to be forgiven? Who is Jesus? And finally, why can he

What is our attitude towards spiritual training?

forgive sin?

What would it take to produce Christ-loving, gospel-minded, neighbour-loving Christians who

The second issue is about what information is

will honour God with their lives?

“relevant”. It seems to me that many feel, especially when it comes to the Bible, that it is possible to

Living only by training in secular skills but not in

learn practical applications without first learning the

spiritual life results in Christians unprepared for

principles. They believe it is possible to love and obey

the hard knocks of life and what it truly means

God with only a vague understanding of who he is.

to live out the Bible’s words, “to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). Worse still, such

I’m sure none of us would like our pilots to only have

Christians are not prepared to give an account

a vague understanding of aviation when they fly.

of their lives when they see God face to face (2 Corinthians 5:10).

The final issue—that every Bible passage has application for our daily lives—is also problematic.

There are eternal consequences at stake, and I pray

Yes, there are passages like that, but there are also

that as we reflect, we will encourage one another

passages specific to certain situations. Many people

to invest more in our eternal lives.

26 Methodist Message

July 2022

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. / Illustration by Caitlin Low

On nurturing the

young

A

n article published on the CNA website

This trend is not unique to Singapore. In

in 2021 states that according to the

the United States of America, for example,

Singapore Census 2020, “20 per cent of

millennials are leaving the Church at an

Singapore residents had no religious

alarming rate.

affiliation in 2020”. This group, which forms a fifth of the population, is now the second-

Reporting the findings of a study conducted

largest group after the Buddhists (31.1 per

by the Pew Research Centre in 2019, The

cent). The third largest group, at 18.9 per cent,

Washington Post states that:

comprises Christians. … America’s religious landscape found that although religious beliefs and practice have been declining at a rapid pace for people of all ages, the drop-off has been most pronounced among people ages 23 to 38. In 2019, roughly two-thirds attend worship services “a few times a year” or less, and 4 in 10 say they seldom or never go. A decade ago, it was more than half and only 3 in 10, respectively.[3]

There are many reasons behind this trend.

Some young people are so overwhelmed by the Worryingly, the census also showed that

commitments and responsibilities that come

younger people are more likely to have no

at this stage of their lives that religion is not

religious affiliation, as compared to older

given priority. Others are so influenced by the

adults. “In 2020, 24.2 per cent of those aged

prevailing secular culture that religion seems

15 to 24 years old reported having no religion,

to have lost its relevance. Still others are so

which was higher than the 15.2 per cent

disappointed with organised religion that they

for residents aged 55 years and above”, the

decide to sever ties with their churches.

article reports.[1] Whatever the reason, parents, guardians and According to Dr Mathew Mathews, Principal

pastors must be aware of these trends, and

Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy

nurture the young people in their care with

Studies (IPS), this is “an expected trajectory”.

extreme attentiveness and vigilance. This

“Religion as an institution is no longer playing a

effort must be intentional for the spiritual

major role in one’s life and so fewer people will

maturity of our children and youth cannot be

pass faith down to their children”.

left to chance.

[2]

July 2022 Methodist Message 27

On nurturing the young

In an interesting blog published on the Biola

Myth #3: It’s not worth the effort

University website, Dave Keehn highlights

Some parents think that their children are

three myths we must recognise and reject if we are to disciple the next generation in a responsible manner.[4] Myth #1: The spiritual nurture of our children happens by osmosis As Keehn explains, this refers to the misguided

merely undergoing a season in their lives as they make the transition into independence.

Thus, it may be better to just leave them alone—they will come round once they outgrow this phase of their lives. However, Keehn warns of the “long-term impact of allowing a spiritual vacuum to exist”.

notion that “our children will catch our spiritual values by simply being around the parents and

The danger of this has become all too evident

the Church”.

in the trend involving millennials in the US. Once they have left the organised religion

There is, of course, some truth in this­—values

of their childhood and early youth, they are

are more often caught than taught. However,

unlikely to return.

the fact remains that if children are not given proper instruction, they may not receive the

The Bible anticipates these modern myths

encouragement and guidance they need to let

surrounding the nurturing of children and

the Word of God shape their lives.

young people, and gives this counsel to parents, pastors and Sunday school teachers,

Furthermore, Keehn offers the sobering reminder that “our children don’t always see our best side; they may catch the wrong values, displayed in our moments of weakness”.

Myth #2: The job of nurturing can be left to the professionals This is quite a common mistake. Instead of taking up the responsibility of nurturing their

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6

children, some parents prefer to rely on the Sunday school teacher or youth pastor.

This, of course, does not suggest that pastors, Sunday school teachers, Christian counsellors, mentors, and small group leaders should not play their part. Just as it takes a village to raise a child, so it takes the entire church to nurture a child to become a man or a woman of God.

Above all, we need to pray unceasingly for our children to stay firm in the faith. As we nurture our young people, we ought to follow John Wesley’s exhortation to his co-labourers—to “work and preach as if everything depended on [us], but pray as if everything depended on God”.[5]

[1] Chew Hui Min, “No Religion: Why more in Singapore are turning away from traditional faiths”, CNA, Jun 29, 2021. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/ singapore/no-religion-humanist-society-singapore-census-2003576.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Christine Emba, “Why millennials are skipping church and not going back”, The Washington Post, October 27, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost. com/opinions/why-millennials-are-skipping-church-and-not-going-back/2019/10/27/0d35b972-f777-11e9-8cf0-4cc99f74d127_story.html.

[4] Dave Keehn, “Passing On Our Faith – One Generation to Another”, September 10, 2014. https://www.biola.edu/blogs/good-book-blog/2014/passingon-our-faith-one-generation-to-another.

[5] Quote attributed to John Wesley in ‘A Few Things About Preaching and Prayer’ in The Evangelical Repository Vo. IV, 277.

28 Methodist Message

July 2022

Outreach

Noel Tam is the Area Director (Nepal) at the Methodist Missions Society.

He worships at Pentecost Methodist Church. / Photo courtesy of Noel Tam

I

t is a great privilege to be a part of the ministry in Nepal during this critical phase of the development of the Methodist Church

in Nepal (MCN). Over the last three years, the emphasis has been on preparing our leaders, encouraging and leading them, as we empower them with greater responsibilities. One key aspect of our ministry is developing the youth in MCN as part of the leadership development strategy. It is encouraging to witness the enthusiasm of our youth in leadership and ministry. God is raising up a younger generation to gather in the harvest in the nation of Nepal!

On a recent visit to Nepal in March 2022, I had the privilege of speaking to the youth through an online Youth Fellowship Service. It was a divine appointment with these 100 youths from our MCN churches and preaching points. The message for them was clear: there will be challenges in the real world and it is important for them to be equipped to manage these challenges in a manner that will be pleasing to God. They need not feel daunted for they will not be alone.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 12:1-2

The youth in MCN are slowly but surely finding themselves in the real world. Some of them, having completed their basic education, are pursuing tertiary courses in the universities, while others have taken up jobs to help support their families. They find themselves in the company of friends and colleagues who are pre-believers and have different values and beliefs. Our youth will have to cope with social pressures that they have never experienced before. These include “free and easy” lifestyles and

July 2022 Methodist Message 29

Raising the next generation of the Church in Nepal

influences propagated by the social media that

where there are pre-believers. The spiritual

they are increasingly exposed to, desiring to be

legacy of our families and our church belongs

accepted according to new social norms and

to them. As leaders and parents, we have an

craving for wealth and success to the extent of

important role to play. We need to recognise

compromising the Christian values that they

their potential and prepare them for their roles

had learnt.

as the next generation of leaders of MCN.

MCN has a responsibility to guide our

There is an encouraging trend among the youth,

youth to “flee youthful passions and pursue

not only in Nepal but also in the other Methodist

righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with

Missions Society (MMS) mission fields. They are

those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”

receptive and hungry for the Word and are keen

(2 Timothy 2:22) We need to walk with them, to

to serve the Lord. The youth meet regularly for

encourage, to strengthen the foundation that

prayer and worship in their local churches and as

we have built in them since childhood, and not

a community of young believers at the Annual

to condemn them or condone their behaviour

MCN Youth Seminars. Their Youth Fellowship

whenever they make wrong decisions. We need

Meetings are characterised by fervent worship

to intercede for them with our prayers, to help

and prayer, worshipping in spirit and in truth.

see them through the challenges of being in a

They are the core of the worship teams in our

real world, and to be guided by spiritual truths.

churches. There is so much passion and love for

We need to be understanding and reassure

Christ as they praise, worship, and pray!

them that when they feel down and out, that they are not alone, and they can turn to

Our youth represent the future of our ministry

Scripture and to the leaders for support. They

in Nepal. They will grow in strength and

need to realise that God has a plan for each of

spiritual maturity and as they choose the path

them. Our youth leaders must note the words

of righteousness, they have His promise to

from 1 Timothy 4:12, “Let no one despise you for

hold on to.

your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”

As we support and pray for our youth, what can we learn from them? They are the face of Jesus—in their homes and the community

30 Methodist Message

July 2022

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11

F

amily conflict and divorce can be damaging

Like the other residents, Emma was given

to children. Studies have shown that

an individualised care plan with targeted

children with divorced parents are more likely to

interventions, overseen by her counsellor

engage in risky behaviour like alcohol and drug

Belinda Tan.

abuse, and suffer from mental health issues, than their peers from intact families.

With empowerment being one of the five guiding principles of TIC—alongside safety,

In the case of 17-year-old Emma*, growing up

choice, collaboration and trustworthiness—MWS

in a broken home took a major psychological

GR put Emma in the driver’s seat of her own

toll on her. As a child, Emma witnessed

trauma recovery process.

domestic violence and was exposed to abuse and neglect, including having her parents

For instance, Emma was taught to manage

burden her with their adult and marital

trauma symptoms associated with her ACEs to

problems. She also often found herself caught

regain control of her life. Expressive therapies

in the crossfire between her warring parents,

like sandplay and art therapy, as well as

and torn by divided loyalties. Her parents’

bodywork sessions which married movement

eventual separation brought her feelings of

and mindfulness, helped her to reduce anxiety

grief and loss.

and stress. Emma also acquired healthy coping skills to manage emotional overwhelm when

By the time Emma was 14, she was diagnosed

they occur, as well as strategies to break her

with major depression and also exhibited

negative thought patterns.

symptoms of social anxiety. To cope with her feelings, she resorted to chain smoking, drug

Empowered to drive positive change

use and self-harm. She also played truant due

In addition, narrative therapy was used to help

to anxiety, and struggled with negative thought

Emma tap into her strengths and resilience to

patterns and attachment issues.

resolve difficulties in her life. This type of therapy encourages one to reframe their life stories

A turning point

in a way that is healing and externalises their

In February 2021, Emma was referred to MWS

problems so they can address them in a more

Girls’ Residence (GR), a rehabilitative haven for

productive way.

troubled and at-risk girls aged between 15 and 21 years old. Through a holistic programme

By becoming aware of how her life experiences

built around Trauma-Informed Care (TIC), MWS

have impacted her, Emma started to set healthy

GR aims to improve the overall well-being

boundaries with her parents and learnt to listen

of residents who have all suffered Adverse

to herself and make her own choices. Gradually,

Childhood Experiences (ACEs).

she was also able to heal from the pain of her parents’ divorce.

July 2022 Methodist Message 31

Moving beyond trauma

“Emma was able to let her parents know that she didn’t want to get involved in their adult problems. She asked them to communicate with each another directly, instead of relying on her to be their messenger or mediator,” explained Belinda.

MWS GR also worked with school professionals to facilitate Emma’s resumption of studies. Due to her social anxiety, Emma had individual lessons with teachers until her N-Level exams, which she passed.

Seven months after joining MWS GR, Emma reported that she no longer felt depressed, and discontinued antidepressants and psychotherapy sessions at a medical clinic. “Emma is now able to regulate her anxiety and low moods such that she can function normally on a daily basis. She can now stand up for herself and is not afraid to express her own needs,” shared Belinda.

Today, Emma works as a service crew at an F&B outlet. She is happier, healthier, and faces the future with a newfound resilience. She says, “I feel more confident and better prepared now to overcome challenges in life.” * Not her real name

Help young trauma

survivors like Emma to build a better tomorrow.

As we celebrate Youth Day, stories like Emma’s shed light on the plight of youths in Singapore who are working to reclaim their lives in the wake of childhood trauma. Support troubled and at-risk youths at MWS GR to chart a new course for their lives through your generous giving.

Your donations go towards creating a safe environment and funding rehabilitation programmes for at-risk girls like Emma with emotionally impoverished upbringings. MWS GR’s work is part of MWS’ broader purpose to help alleviate poverty in all its forms beyond material lack, so that our beneficiaries may be empowered to have life to the full.

 To donate, visit

mws.sg/give

You and 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.

Beware the desire to return to the past

I

t has been a few months since Singapore

The first group, which I am guessing is small

shifted to “living with Covid” and treating it as

in number, comprises those who are fearful

endemic. Most restrictions for gatherings and

that the virus is still lurking as a health threat.

dining have been lifted and more workers have

Indeed, their belief is not irrational—in late May,

returned to their workplaces.

as I write this, reported infections in Singapore hovered around 2,500 daily.

Food outlets and shopping malls are once again abuzz with customers. Traffic congestion

The second group, another silent minority,

and crowded MRT trains are becoming

are those who have caught a glimpse of the

commonplace. What a stark contrast to the

possible benefits of a “new normal”. Many who

empty food outlets and quiet roads during the

had to work from home saw that some tasks

height of the pandemic not so long ago.

could be effectively managed from home, reducing the hassle of commuting to and from

Most appear keen to return to the pre-

work. Others found time to attend to both

pandemic days. There are, however, some

work and home responsibilities. Yet others

reluctant ones. They can be divided into two

found opportunities to get more connected

groups.

with their families.

July 2022 Methodist Message 33

Beware the desire to return to the past

Some of my counselling clients are not at

Without a doubt, we all experienced curbs

all happy about things returning to pre-

to personal liberty during the height of the

pandemic normal. They are concerned that the

pandemic. We had to make changes, adjust

relative calm recently enjoyed in their marital

and adapt.

relationships will be disrupted by their spouses returning to their previous work routines.

Rather than mindlessly returning to the old

Their anxieties come not so much from their

norms, however, let us not forget what we

spouses’ work per se but rather the after-office

saw as qualitative improvements in our lives.

activities like entertaining customers and the

For instance, when going out in big groups

freer intermingling between men and women

was restricted, families learnt to spend time

in the workplace.

meaningfully together doing things like playing board games or baking, or eating

Sadly, all who shared their regret are women.

more meals at home instead of sitting across

One said that with flights resuming, she feared

strangers in food courts. And when stores were

her husband might restart his philandering

shut, evening walks in parks replaced aimless

ways. Another was concerned that with the

wandering around shopping malls.

re-opening of KTVs, her husband might feel the urge to make up for lost time and resume

As we adapt to living with Covid, let us not

coming home in the wee hours. Yet another

be hasty and "throw the baby out with the

was concerned that the lifting of curbs would

bath water”. May we be more intentional in

restart her husband’s propensity to drink

using our precious time and being available

without limits.

to important others. Let it not take another pandemic for us to remember to value what

Talking with some of the husbands, I heard some who felt they lost their independence during the circuit breakers. Some felt forced to spend more time with the family, to slow down from a mad rush of work or to engage in some form of exercise—changes which they admitted to actually experiencing as good.

The sad reality, though, is that many of these changes seem to be only temporary. With the lifting of restrictions, many seem to have returned to their old habits with a vengeance.

34 Methodist Message

July 2022

we have.

Justin Chan is a Programme Executive at Methodist School of Music, Worship & Church Music Department. As a reformed rock musician, he believes hymns and heavy metal can co-exist for the glory of God. / Photo courtesy of Justin Chan

Worship

Are worship songs of the youth

I

too emo?

received Christ when I was 13 years old,

In particular, I commend the theocentricity of

and so my faith was in its infancy during

the lyrics, which is a breath of fresh air from

the tumultuous teenage years. Back then,

the anthropocentric “I-me” in some songs.

doctrinal accuracy of the songs I sang wasn’t

A line in the chorus­—“It’s Your breath in our

as important as how the songs made me feel

lungs”—strongly resonates what Romans 11:36

connected to God.

(NIV) says, “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever.

This is not to downplay the role of doctrine in

Amen.” What a thought, that God even gives

song. Indeed, music and lyrics have been used

us breath to praise, hearts to engage, and

for didactic purposes throughout history, and

hands to raise for his glory! Songs like this

even secularists concede, “let me make the

help lift our youth’s eyes from their focus on

songs of a nation, and I care not who makes

personal problems to see the hope in Jesus,

its laws.” However, it would be foolish of

the true I AM.

[1]

those of us in church leadership to dismiss the emotional power of music and its role in the

So, the next time you hear the youth lead

life of a young believer.

a song with the bridge repeated for the umpteenth time, don’t dismiss them as being

We may be quick to dismiss the songs our

unnecessarily emotional. The song might be

youth enjoy just because we feel the lyrics are

helping them have a personal encounter with

“not deep enough”. However, songs are not

their Saviour.

lectures, and neither are lectures meant to be songs. Each has their place in ministry.

I can still vividly remember those midnight worship sessions as a teen, armed with just an acoustic guitar, pouring my whole heart into worship, and feeling the Father’s smile with each and every song I (badly) played.

Those songs I sang wouldn’t have won prizes at seminaries for their doctrinal content, but they certainly helped me transform my chaotic teenage angst into tempered devotion.

Justin at 16 years of age

One such song is “Great Are You Lord” by All Sons & Daughters. Although the lyrics are relatively few compared to many other worship songs, they are permeated with the truth and hope of God’s word. Its simple vocabulary and accessible musical range make the song easy to pick up even for those less musically inclined.

[1]

Andrew Fletcher, 1653–1716, Scottish writer, politician and patriot, Commissioner of the old Parliament of Scotland, quoted in Donald J. Grout, A History of Western Music, 1973.

July 2022 Methodist Message 35

Are worship songs of the youth too emo?

Great Are You Lord

(CCLI Song # 6460220)

© 2012 Open Hands Music, Sony/ATV Timber Publishing, Integrity’s Praise! Music, and Integrity’s Alleluia! Music Verse:

You give life, You are love You bring light to the darkness You give hope, You restore Every heart that is broken Great are You, Lord

Chorus:

It’s Your breath in our lungs So we pour out our praise We pour out our praise It’s Your breath in our lungs So we pour out our praise to You only

Bridge:

And all the earth will shout Your praise Our hearts will cry, these bones will sing Great are You, Lord

People

Deveraj Daniel worships at Tamil Methodist Church, Short Street and serves in the Pastor Parish Relationship & Staff Committee and the Board of Presidents. / Photo courtesy of Deveraj Daniel

T

hat’s exactly what I have done for the past 40 years.

My journey with the Methodist Church started in 1981,

when my leader in The Navigators (an international, interdenominational Christian group) introduced me to Tamil Methodist Church, Short Street. It was a step of faith for me, being a recent convert from Hinduism. Though the concept of church was new to me, I decided to give it a go. M is for Methodist, but it also means Model my life after Christ.

My journey started with Adult Fellowship. Then I served in Sunday school for several years. Soon God had a surprise for me—I moved on to become the Worship & Evangelism Chairperson. Though I was new and reluctant to take on this role, I soon learned the ropes and reached out to Indian migrant workers. This ministry, which started in 1991 has grown and evolved. Now M means Move on and trust God. Our life today is like living in a maze controlled by many factors and issues. Work, family, church…the list goes on.

Being a Methodist to me is not how we start but how we finish the race living a Meaningful life!

by Kopikaki team

Looking Ahead PARENTING: THE TEEN YEARS 16 July 2022, (Saturday), 1.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m.

1 Woodlands Road #04-03 The Tennery, Singapore 677899 Register at https://fathers.com.sg/programs/teen/ Adolescence should not be a phase that parents merely endure and hope for it to end as soon as possible. It is the Age of Opportunity, according to Laurence Steinberg. Parents have an important role in helping their teenage children grow into successfully independent adults. In this workshop, parents will gain insights into the mind and behaviour of their teens. They will learn about their teen’s cognitive, social and emotional changes and needs. Parents will also learn how to nurture a close and lasting relationship with their teen by acquiring skills in communication, connection and collaboration. While it is a workshop on parenting teens, parents with a 10- or 11-year old can start to attend this workshop to prepare themselves for what is just around the corner.

Organised by the Centre for Fathering

MMS SUMMIT PRAYER SESSIONS 2022 5, 19 July / 2 August, (Tuesdays), 8.00 p.m. to 9.15 p.m. via ZOOM Register at https://tinyurl.com/MMS-SP22 As part of the Methodist Missions Society (MMS) 30th Anniversary celebrations, MMS is holding an MMS Leaders’ Summit in August 2022 to review and renew MMS’s vision and goals. Prior to this summit, three evenings of prayer will be held fortnightly to seek the Lord’s heart and vision for missions. Join us and pray together!

Organised by Methodist Missions Society

INTRODUCING WORLD RELIGIONS 13, 20, 27 July / 3, 10, 17, 24 August, (Wednesdays), 7.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. via Zoom (Maximum Class Size: 100) Register at https://ttc.edu.sg/english/equip-evening-courses/ introducing-world-religions-asian-religions-and-christian-faith/ $100 (Free for TTC Alumni and TTC Matriculated Students—Registration Required) Living in multicultural and multi-religious contexts means that we come into contact with people of different faiths and religious traditions almost every day. In a world rocked by cultural/ethnic insensitivities and torn apart by religious fanaticism, it is important that we have a basic understanding of the nature of the faith of our neighbours. This course seeks to introduce the origin, history, and basic tenets of each of the major religious traditions in the Asian context and explores the implications for mission and evangelism.

Organised by EQUIP

THE GIVING METHODIST 2022: STEP OUT OF THE BOAT Give Donation, Give Voice and Give Time campaigns—now till December 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