People ¢ Text and photos courtesy of The Methodist Fathers Movement
The Methodist
Fathers Movement W
hat started as a fathers’ webinar event on the 17 Oct 2020 (as part of the celebrations for the 135th anniversary of The Methodist Church in Singapore, or MCS135) has evolved into the Methodist Fathers Movement (MFM), a deliberate sounding of the trumpet to the fathers in the Methodist family. We are thankful especially for the support from the Structural Review Task Force, Chan Fook Kay, Kwok Wan Yee, Henry Tan and Richard Jeremiah, who have been instrumental in the formation of MFM. This June, the month of Father’s Day, some of the core team members of MFM share life lessons from their fatherhood journeys.
We invite all fathers and men to our weekly online gathering on Tuesday nights from 8.45 to 10 p.m. where Methodist fathers meet for worship, teaching and prayers over Zoom. Go to https://tinyurl.com/y9vuuewn, scan the QR code or contact David Ang (Chairman, MFM) at Methodist.Fathers@outlook.com
Fathering and parenting are the greatest privileges one can have, as it gives one the ability to shape a child’s life. It is a responsibility that I take on with much seriousness and also joy. My best fathering moments are mostly centred on long and deep talks with each of my children, especially when they were older and during our one-on-one overseas trips. As a father, I have few regrets but that I could have been gentler and more nurturing in my words and teaching towards them.
David Ang
My prayer for Methodist fathers is that they will put their families first (after God), and witness the glorious legacy of what that will bring.
Kum Yan Methodist Church
In my early years as a father, it was financially challenging to obey God’s call to give up a promising career in order to bring up four young children. One day, I was in the car with my children when they mentioned that their church friend was going to study Medicine in England, which would cost $600,000 in fees in living expenses, that her parents would sponsor. Hearing this challenged my self-worth, that my children were paying the price for my decision—no overseas university studies for them.
Benjamin Chan Fairfield Methodist Church
Their response was priceless! I was touched when they told me that they had never felt “disadvantaged” when they realised some of their friends didn’t have to share bedrooms, went on expensive family holidays, or studied overseas. Instead, my children enjoyed family bonding as they had to share rooms, or making do with simple holiday plans—our MPV became our best platform for “family conferences”, and brought us all over Malaysia. METHODIST MESSAGE June 2021
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