Methodist Message: June 2022

THE METHODIST CHURCH IN SINGAPORE

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

Vo l 1 2 4 N o 6 J U N E 2 0 2 2

How are we doing as

God’s gardeners?

Contents 1

Bishop’s Message

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Events—Coming Up

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News—Aldersgate SG 2022

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News—Re-telling Bible stories in Teochew

6

News—MSM 25th Anniversary

8

Church Life—CAC Highlights

10

Feature—Look, it’s a pangolin! On attentiveness and wonder for creation

13

Feature—Bringing Creation Care closer to the churches

16

Feature—At Toh Yi, composting is a neighbourhood affair

18

People—Paul Khoo

20

Books—Autobiography of Ng Fook Kah

22

THINK—Social egg freezing

25

Opinion—Soundings

27

Reach Out—Missions

29

Reach Out—Welfare Services

30

Relationships—You & Your Family

33

What does being a Methodist mean to you?

34

Looking Ahead Cover art:

The Garden of Eden Blooms Again A dark and gloomy forest symbolises our less-than-praiseworthy efforts in caring for the environment. There is an air of decay and neglect, reinforced by the deliberate use of grey tones and falling foliage. An ideal picture of when we are good stewards of God’s creation is depicted in the glass dome.

About the artist: Caitlin Low is a self-taught artist and an intern with MCS Comms.

EDITORIAL BOARD

The official monthly publication of

Adviser and Publisher

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

Dr Anthony Goh - Chairperson Council on Communications

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

Managing Editor Alvin Tay

Editor

The Methodist Church in Singapore .

70 Barker Road #06- 04 Singapore 309936 6478-4793 | 6478-4763 message.methodist.org.sg | www.methodist.org.sg

Lianne Ong

newmm@methodist.org.sg

Sub-editors

fb.com/Methodist.SG

Lucy Cheng Janice Khoo Tan Chiu Ai

@methodist.sg @methodistsg

Proofreaders Christabel Tan Kenneth Lee

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

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

Bishop’s Message Bishop Dr Gordon Wong was elected Bishop of The Methodist Church in Singapore in 2020.

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

Creation Care in Psalm 104

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salm 104 is one of the most extended meditations

lovingly concerned for all creation, and humanity should

on Creation Care in the Bible. The Psalmist praises

not lord herself over her fellow created beings. (The list in

God for both creating and caring for the many,

Psalm 104 puts both inanimate and animate beings alike

many different created beings in our world. The long

under the care of the one God who created us all.) Indeed,

list includes the heavens, the clouds, wind, lightning,

the mandate to humanity in Genesis 1:28 “have dominion

the earth, the seas, the mountains (verses 2-9), valleys,

over” other created beings would seem to lay the lion’s

springs, wild animals, donkeys, grass, plants, humans,

share of responsibility upon humans to help God—in whose

trees, birds, storks (verses 10 -17), goats, badgers, the

image humanity is made—to express care for all God’s

moon and sun, lions, big fish, small fish, and even

creation. This mandate probably lies behind the sudden and

monster fish (verses 18-26). All of these are created by

unexplained anger with which the Psalmist ends:

God and depend on God’s hands, face and breath to be sustained (verses 27-30). By using the same Hebrew word in verses 11 and 13, there is a playful implication that even the mountains, just like the animals, need God to provide them water to drink!

May sinners vanish from the earth and the wicked be no more!

Psalm 104:35

In such a long list of created beings, one writer

Was the Psalmist angry at the way humans in his or her

comments that “humanity has only a bit part”. This is an

time were abusing God’s creation rather than caring for

exaggeration (humanity is named three times, although

it? We cannot be certain, but we can certainly do our

the mountains take pride of place with six references).

part to care for all of God’s creation. May all who abuse

But the writer’s point is that the God of Psalm 104 is

God’s creation be no more!

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Events ¢ Coming Up

“Behold, I will do a new thing” Isaiah 43:19

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Fee: $10 per pax

(includes morning tea) PayNow to UEN: S90CC0754D (indicate T51) Or bank transfer to: DBS AC No: 072-524519-2 (indicate T51)

Hannah Chun Dust to Diamond

Janette Chong

Raising An Expected Gift Every child is a gift from God even when one son has ADHD and another, ADD and Asperger’s Syndrome.

Restored from a life entrapped by alcohol, drugs, mental imprisonment and unhealthy relationships.

Rev Irene Thung

Ha Poretz: Breakthrough (Micah 2:13)

Grace Lim

Saved From Death By An Unstoppable God A near death experience brought a breakthrough to serve beyond borders in an unexpected way.

Learn the keys to breakthrough in your relationships, relational hardships, health, grief, loss, life transitions, restoration and redemption.

Register online by 15 June 2022

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METHODIST MESSAGE June 2022

News ¢ Lianne Ong is the editor of Methodist Message. / Photos by Daniel Lie and Lianne Ong

Aldersgate SG 2022

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or the first time after two years of pandemic restrictions, the Aldersgate SG Celebration Service was conducted in-person at Ang Mo Kio Methodist

Church on 21 May 2022, with over 400 members of the Methodist community in attendance. The service was also live-streamed.

Aldersgate SG is the annual keynote event of The Methodist Church in Singapore to celebrate our Wesleyan heritage—an annual commemoration of the day John Wesley experienced assurance of his salvation and felt his heart “strangely warmed”.

The theme this year is Love God by Loving Our Enemy.

With reference to the story of The Good Samaritan, Bishop Dr Gordon Wong spoke about an earlier story of two neighbours that became enemies—Israel and Judah.

Sharing from 2 Chronicles 28:8-15, Bishop Dr Wong challenged the congregation to consider our neighbours that Jesus would want us to show love to.

If you missed the Aldersgate Celebration Service, watch the re-play of the livestream here

https://aldersgate.methodist.org. sg/livestream

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News ¢ Kate Lim worships at Aldersgate Methodist Church and is a volunteer writer with Methodist Message. / Illustrations courtesy of Wycliffe Singapore

Re-telling Bible stories in

Teochew

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nimated banter in Mandarin and Teochew, punctuated with laughter while someone searches for the most appropriate dialect word as a Bible story is re-told from memory—this is a common scene when two full-time workers at Wycliffe Singapore, Beatrice Wong and Grace Lim (not their real names*), collaborate with a team of volunteer translators from Paya Lebar Chinese Methodist Church (PLCMC) to re-tell Bible stories in Teochew.

A demand for Bible stories in Chinese dialects Are you able to tell Bible stories about Jesus’ ministry in a Chinese dialect, such as Teochew? Not many people will be able to answer in the affirmative.

And yet, there are still dialect-speakers in Singapore who have yet to hear the gospel, due to illiteracy, language barriers, or a lack of resources in their dialect.

Wycliffe Singapore, an organisation known for its Bible translation work and Bible literacy programmes, embarked on a Teochew translation project, starting with classic Bible stories. “We want to improve each person’s access to God’s word in his or her ‘heart language’,” Beatrice said, referring to the native tongues of the dialect-speaking communities.

Wycliffe Singapore ran a series of training workshops with speakers from various dialect groups (Hokkien, Hainanese, Teochew) in late 2020 and early 2021 because it saw the need to develop oral Bible stories to reach out to the dialect speakers. A project involving the telling and recording of Bible stories in Teochew, a commonly-spoken Chinese dialect in Singapore, came about when a group of Teochew-speaking participants was interested and committed to do more oral Bible stories in Teochew after the workshops.

Currently, a group comprising 4 Teochew-speaking translators form the core team for the project. These volunteer translators, led by Mr Tay LM, are senior citizens with ages ranging from the 60s to the 80s, and attend PLCMC’s Teochew service. The team is also supported by some overseas translation consultants and facilitators.

The story crafting process The translation of the Bible stories into Teochew is more than a literal exercise.

It involves a painstaking process of choosing the story, story crafting, and several rounds of testing and revision. Bible stories about Jesus healing the sick, exorcism and wealth are chosen because of the “cultural bridges” that help to connect with the Teochew audience, according to Beatrice.

Story crafting—the process which involves multiple group discussions around the key themes, words and concepts for each Bible story—forms the bulk of the work. The team members also have to grapple with different worldviews between themselves and the target audience, and select the most appropriate phrasing to use in the translation.

Storyboarding is part of the story crafting process

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“We put in considerable effort to prepare for each discussion.

We try to read many different versions of the Chinese Bible and anticipate as many potential discussion points as possible with the translators,” Beatrice said.

After several test runs with Teochew-speaking prebelievers, and overseas translation consultants, the stories are then revised.

Being part of the Great Commission The team of translators are guided through the processes of reflection and internalisation of the selected Bible passage. They are asked to listen to, re-tell, reflect on and discuss the chosen Bible passage.

“The process of reflection and internalisation includes exegesis, understanding the key Biblical concepts and jargon, the key themes and the historical-cultural background of the passage,” Grace, an intern at Wycliffe Singapore, explained.

The translators and facilitators also create storyboards which help the translators visualise the events and remember the details of each Bible story.

Being personally engaged with the story helps the translators to retell the story from memory, expressing it naturally and fluently in colloquial Teochew.

Ann Goh, a translator in her 70s, said, “Through the exploration of the key points of the Bible stories and my own reflection, I developed a deeper understanding of the Biblical truths. Sometimes, I also discover something about a Bible story that I had known for years. These all help me to tell the Bible story without a script.”

Another translator, David, who in his 60s and a relatively new believer, said, “The whole story crafting process is helpful for my own discipleship.”

Translation nuances and cultural sensitivities “We need to be mindful that the target audience for the oral Bible stories are pre-believers. Deciding on appropriate and culturally sensitive points to bring across through the stories becomes important in order to help them encounter God,” Grace said.

“I feel blessed and motivated by this mission of improving access to Scripture in a language that is not commonly used in Bible translations,” Grace said.

“I am thankful that each working day is spent discussing the Word of God to devise more ways of sharing the Gospel,” Beatrice told Methodist Message.

Ann said, “After all these years of reading the Bible in its printed form, I am not used to telling the stories from memory. That was something very new to me. I felt inadequate and was not keen to participate in the storying project initially. I am glad that I picked up a new skill and grew in my walk with God. It has also been fulfilling to contribute this way to the Great Commission.”

More workers needed ahead There are seven more oral Bible story projects in the pipeline that are now in the process of being checked and revised, with plans to work on the Creation and Easter stories.

The team members hope that more Teochew-speaking members from various churches will join them. This will contribute to a richer discussion of the Bible stories to meet the increasingly diversified needs of the target audience.

“We hope to see more people join us!” Mr Tay said.

If you know someone with whom you want to share the gospel in Teochew, please share the video link and QR code, https://wycliffe.sg/blog/first-fruits-teochewstorying-project

For example, the team deliberated over the translation of “Holy Spirit” to ensure that the chosen translation of the word in the story helps “to match the biblical truth with the worldview of the Teochew listeners”.

“When we first rendered the Holy Spirit as上帝的灵 (shang di de ling) the Spirit of God”, it sounded negative to non-Christian Teochew testers, as if someone was possessed by evil spirits. We eventually decided on using 圣灵 (shen ling) “Holy Spirit”, because 圣 (holy) has positive connotations of something divine, and this is more acceptable to our target audience,” Grace explained.

If you are interested in joining this project, admin@wycliffe.sg please contact *Beatrice and Grace are protecting their identities as they prepare for future postings as missionaries.

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News ¢ Dr Evelyn Lim is the Director of Music & Organ Instructor at Methodist School of Music (MSM). She has served at MSM since 1997, and is a member of Wesley Methodist Church. / Photos courtesy of MSM

Nurturing the field in faith Methodist School of Music turns 25

Methodist Festival Choir, Advent (2019)

“To serve the present age, my calling to fulfill: Oh, may it all my pow’rs engage to do my Master’s will!”

Charles Wesley

A charge to keep

small group of part-time teachers, the training aspect

In January 1997, convicted with a charge to train, equip and

of the mission began, with just 18 music students.

edify God’s servants in worship and music, the Methodist

Through collaborations with churches, sacred music

School of Music (MSM) began operations and in a blink of

festivals, choral presentations, classes in worship

an eye, it celebrated its 25th anniversary on 29 April 2022.

leading skills, in addition to music lessons, were organised. The MSM Choir, conducted by Ms Gan, paved

The idea for MSM budded from discussions in the 1980s

the way for the full-fledged Methodist Festival Choir

to mid-1990s about improving the worship and musical

which would be formed later.

life of the local church. Aside from theological seminaries, there were limited avenues where lay persons could

In 2001, as the government gave notice for the land

access worship training. The vision was to establish a

at Mount Sophia to be returned, MSM moved to new

self-sustaining, sacred music cum educational institution

premises at Upper Bukit Timah Road together with TTC

within The Methodist Church in Singapore (MCS). By

and St Francis Methodist School. As this was before

offering quality music education, worship servants would

the construction of Hillview MRT, the area seemed

have good grounding upon which to serve effectively, with

remote, away from the buzz of the city. However, new

the hope that its impact would spill over beyond MCS,

possibilities abounded. A number of teaching and

and reach the local and perhaps, even the international

ministry staff joined the ranks, enabling MSM to expand

community. As a music school, MSM would offer music

its offerings and incorporate its main charge—to equip

training to the public; as a Methodist agency and sacred

and edify God’s servants in worship and music. The

music institution, training and platforms for church music

biennial International Worship Symposium—a gathering

and worship would be provided.

of clergy, specialists and lecturers in worship and music— now in its 9th season, credits its roots to these formative

Hilltop ministries

years. It also became evident by then that there was

From its founding to 2000, MSM operated from the

an unaddressed need—the training of organists for

re-purposed

Methodist

traditional worship and liturgy. MSM plugged the gap

Girls’ School at Mount Sophia, co-locating with Trinity

with the training of organists of various denominations,

Theological College (TTC) and the headquarters of MCS.

participating in educational outreach, and working with

Together with Founding Principal, Ms Mary Gan, and a

organists within the community.

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METHODIST MESSAGE June 2022

of

the

former

With the arrival of Dr Judith Laoyan-Mosomos in 2006

regional identity, an Asian hymnal featuring Asian

(who currently heads the department of Worship and

composers—Let the Asian Church Rejoice—a joint project

Church Music), the ministry arm of MSM flourished. There

with TTC was also published in 2013.

was a brief collaboration with TTC in administering a Master of Theological Studies degree (2006-2011), the

The Covid-19 pandemic caused another flurry of anxiety,

Visiting Professor programme which connected MSM with

as traditional modes of teaching and ministry were

international lecturers, and the Certificate in Christian

threatened. It was timely that younger, tech-savvy

Worship (CCW) which offers modular weekend classes in

ministry staff had now joined the ranks, helping to secure

worship skills and liturgy.

our lifeline through webinars and other media platforms in cyberspace. As hybrid forms became part of the new

Refining fires

normal, it propelled MSM to roll out new programmes,

Following the retirement of the Founding Principal in 2009,

deepening and enriching the knowledge and experience

MSM underwent leadership transitions, and another round

of local and international congregants. “The Faith We

of testing of faith and vision. In retrospect, we underwent

Sing”, “Shepherding Souls in Worship”, “Conversations”

a refining period, re-evaluating our identity, vision and

are among the newer programmes in place.

purpose. God provided a host of volunteers who believed in the vision and took on some of the load. God saw to it

Nurturing the field in faith

that his work was unthwarted—community engagement

Twenty-five years ago, MSM’s founders stepped out into

increased as we established the Methodist Festival Choir

unchartered territory and planted in faith. MSM continues

(directed by Mrs Wong Lai Foon) and Methodist Festival

to exchange resources with local and international

Orchestra (directed by Ms Samantha Chong). We conducted

friends and institutions, and is in continual engagement

memorial services at the Garden of Remembrance, and

with the community and the church. We continue to

started work with Methodist pre-schools. Addressing

press on and walk with God on this incredible journey.

Methodist Festival Choir (2019)

Celebration Service (staff and faculty)

MSM Student Recital (2015)

Please visit https://youtu.be/uXsDgtkzDRg or scan the QR code to listen to the song. https://issuu.com/methodistschoolofmusic/docs/msm_25th_ anniversary_commemorative_ebook or scan the QR code to download our 25th anniversary commemorative e-book.

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Church Life ¢ CAC Highlights Stephen Yeo is the former LCEC chairperson of Bukit Panjang Methodist Church. / Photos courtesy of Bukit Panjang Methodist Church

M A K I N G D I S C I P L E S AT B P M C

in community building

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isciple-making in Bukit Panjang Methodist Church (BPMC) started when our two English pastors, Rev Lek Yong Teck and Rev Erick Tan, were posted to the church in 2017. In essence, disciple-making in BPMC is intended to develop and grow a Christian community that contributes to fulfilling the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Nature of the community

BPMC strives to become a dynamic disciple-making community described in Hebrews 10:24-25, not as an aggregation of individuals like a bag of marbles but as a congregation like a cluster of grapes. Of course, we’re not fully there yet, but we’re clear about our direction and we exercise patience in depending on God to do the work of spiritual growth in our community.

Studying the Word with one another The first foundational principle in our disciple-making is that it must be scriptural. All our disciple-making leaders are actively seeking to help their members ponder and reflect on how they are going to apply the truths of scripture into their lives and learn to live as Jesus lived.

We also dig into the Bible to identify and follow Christ’s model, methods and messages on making disciples.

In a world influenced by western individualism, we want to grow a community that is irreplaceable by any other in our culture—one that is always “meeting together” and touching all aspects of our members’ lives. We would like our community to worship together, pray together, learn together, eat together, cry together, rejoice together and above all, be together. Like all other churches, we hold congregational worship as a large group, but additionally, we also operate mid-size and small groups where the life-on-life touch points for disciple-making and spiritual growth mostly take place.

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Our disciple-making community is one characterised by numerous “one another” activities taking place all across the church. We don’t go to church just to be ministered to but also to teach one another, confess our sins to one another, bear the burdens of one another and pray for one another.

Spur one another To spur means to point people to answer our Lord’s call to deny ourselves, carry our cross and follow him. Spurring is not so much about running spiritual formation programmes with pre-determined start and end points. Rather it is to recognise that we are all at uniquely different stages in our spiritual journey with Christ , and then structuring the learning opportunities to take us from where we currently are and bring us to the next deeper level of walking with God. Hence, the

second foundational principle in our disciple-making is that it must be sequential. For this reason, we structure all our mid-size and small groups according to the 4-Chair discipling system developed by Dann Spader: For the spiritually lost (Come and See), for believers (Follow Me), for workers (Become A Fisher of Men) and for disciple-makers (Go and Bear Fruit).

People can then join the appropriate group and grow from there.

Encourage one another To encourage means to come alongside the people we disciple and help them to deal with the multitude of challenges that come with following Christ.

This requires both modelling by the discipler and holding the ones we disciple accountable for their lives. Obviously, this is only possible after we have developed deep relationships with the people we are discipling. Therefore, the third foundational principle in our disciple-making is that it must be relational.

To do this, all our leaders are assigned with specially appointed mentors. Additionally, those that enter into our disciple training automatically have a lifelong mentoring relationship with their leaders.

Work with one another The fourth foundational principle in our disciple-making is that it must be reproducible, not just in reproducing more love and good works in our community but reproducible, more and more people who have learned to do this as a lifestyle.

Consequently, we are beginning to witness more and more people participating in our 2 ongoing social concerns efforts: •

“Warm nights”—provision of 2 rooms in our church premises to cater for (homeless) rough sleepers, in conjunction with the Ministry of Culture, Community & Youth.

•

“Reach-a-family”—delivering groceries to needy families, in conjunction with Fei Yue Family Service Centre.

The outworking of this principle is that all of those who enter into disciple-making will be helped to continue living as disciples of Christ thereafter, and some will graduate to become disciple-makers.

Challenges to community formation Once the decision is taken to become a disciplemaking church, this effort can no longer be driven

by just one department (i.e. Disciple & Nurture Committee). Disciple-making is our church strategy and all the various ministries have to ask themselves this question, How will my ministry contribute towards disciple-making in my church?

The greatest challenge to forming such a community in a Methodist church is that we are not starting from a clean slate. Many of the existing role-based committee systems and leadership structure can still run but need to be realigned to the overall pathway and system of a disciple-making church.

Another challenge is that our church programmes are usually multifarious and developed from the bottomup. Hence church priorities have to be aligned to strike a balance in winning the lost, building up believers, equipping workers for the harvest and investing in a few to make more disciples.

Yet another challenge is our itinerant pastoral system— what if an incoming pastor does not prioritise disciplemaking? Will all the efforts of the previous pastor go down the drain? For this reason, the Chinese Annual Conference (CAC) has decided to become a ‘DiscipleMaking Annual Conference’ driven by a Disciple-Making Taskforce personally led by our President to steer the disciple-making efforts of the local churches. At the local church level, the Pastors have to take the lead and mobilise the laity to ensure continuity of the process over time.

The most frequently asked question is, Does becoming a disciple-making church really grow the church significantly? As disciple-making is a long-term investment, it is difficult for BPMC to show definitive results after just four years into this journey. However, we have noticed more workers participating in prayer, evangelism, follow-up and social concerns in our church, and the signs of growth look promising.

Future outlook We have decided to become a disciple-making church by learning from those that have gone before us, applying the principles to our own local church context and evolving our pathway as we grow and as we understand more of what is involved. The CAC’s guidance and support will surely increase the sustainability of our disciple-making church system, and we look forward with anticipation for God to do a great work in and through BPMC to help fulfil his Great Commission.

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Feature ¢ Prarthini Selveindran is a volunteer with A Rocha International, an international network of environmental organizations with Christian ethos and co-editor of the book God’s Gardeners: Creation Care Stories from Singapore and Malaysia, published as part of her work with Friends of A Rocha in Singapore. She currently serves with the Fellowship of Evangelical Students (FES) Singapore, and worships at Charis Methodist Church. / Photos courtesy of Prarthini Selveindran and Mary-Ruth Low

! n i l o g n a p a ation e r c Look , it ’s r o f r e d n o w and s s e n e iv t n e t t a On

in Prarthini Selve

dran

T

he two times I encountered a pangolin in the wild, I was certainly in wonder. Now, the pangolin is a shy nocturnal animal rarely encountered outside of forest reserves, so to see one in our urban setting was quite unexpected.

On the first occasion it ran away from us and scrambled up a very tall tree.

Both encounters were certainly wonder-full! I like to think that this orientation of wonder is something akin to the Psalmist’s posture in Psalm 104.

Psalm 104 has informed a significant portion of my biblical reflection and imagination in relating to God’s good Earth. Why? In Psalm 104, we are invited to pay attention to creation through the posture and orientation of the Psalmist. The great diversity of landscape and creatures around him propel him to marvel at what he sees: wild donkeys, birds nesting in trees like the stork in the junipers, high mountains with wild goats or ibexes and rock badgers, the cedars of Lebanon, the lions, the seas teeming with wildlife… even a Leviathan!

The second time I spotted a pangolin, my companions and I were able to get a little closer, because there were no tall trees around.

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The Psalmist speaks not only of the various kinds of animals but also their homes in the wild and their relationship to one another and to God. Interdependence and interconnectedness are underlying themes in Psalm 104. The psalm underscores how all creation is dependent upon God—that his Spirit sustains them and provides for them. God values and provides for His

creation, fundamentally affirming creation’s worth and right of existence. The overflowing love of God is that which makes the world hum in being sustained.

The Psalmist, full of wonder at the grandeur of creation that has captivated his vision, breaks out in praise:

What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at your side, made earth overflow with your

as a response of worship of the Creator. Paying loving attention to the way we live and the manner in which we relate to God’s created community demonstrates our worshipful obedience to God. Many years after Psalm 104 was written, we hear from Jesus on how to live well and wisely on earth as he draws his disciples’ attention to the natural world—most notably, to the birds of the air and lilies of the field (Matthew 6:26-29). Jesus calls on them to open their eyes and shed any anxiety when they see how God’s resources are sufficient for all of his creation.

wonderful creations.

(Psalm 104: 24, MSG) When I give Creation Care talks, I typically begin by playing a recording of birdsong taken outside my window, before asking my audience to identify our feathered friends.

Following that, I show a picture of a stream, and ask them to spot a (camouflaged) horned frog.

The aim is for my audience to pause and pay attention to God’s creation around them, an attempt at renewing their relationship with the rest of the created community. These days, I attempt to move away from presenting Creation Care as one in a long list of to-do’s in Christian living, or as a ‘priority’ on a church’s mission agenda. Instead, I want to begin from a posture of wonder and attentiveness moving to a reorienting of our position in relation to our Creator and his created community. Doing so enables our movement beyond a guarded apathy or paralysing guilt that denies or resists action. In this, I hope to reframe the way we approach Creation Care—not out of fear (of the consequences of inaction), but freely, At a recent BioBlitz in April 2022 held by Friends of A Rocha, environmental educator James Khoo explains how a biological census is done

John Wesley understood the profound interconnectedness of creation. In the preface of his book A Survey of the Wisdom of God in the Creation, he wrote, “By acquainting ourselves with sub jects in natural philosophy, we enter into a kind of association with nature’s works, and unite in the general concert of her extensive choir. By thus acquainting ourselves with the works of nature, we become as it were a member of her family, a participant in her felicities.”

In another sermon, he spoke of new creation in terms of uninterrupted communion with the Father, Son, and Spirit , a “…continual en joyment of the Three One God, and of all creatures in him!” (emphasis mine). He held the view that the whole of the created community participates in God’s work of restoration and redemption. Later in life, he speaks of a life of holiness as a life by which humanity would delight in and en joy creation all the more.

Yet, for all his delighted attention and expressed wonder, the Psalmist remains grounded and conscious of the realities of brokenness. A dissonant note creeps into this symphony of beauty when the Psalmist exhorts God to vanquish the wicked. His petition is a reminder that man is fully capable of wreaking havoc on the created order. To me, this carries echoes of Jeremiah in Jeremiah 12:4, “How long will the land mourn and the grass of every field wither? For the evil of those who dwell in it the beasts and the birds are swept away”; and Hosea 4:3, “Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it languish, and also the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens, and even the fish of the sea are taken away”. We need to ponder deeply the consequences if we are lax in our task as stewards and carers of God’s marvellous earth.

Doubtless, we live in a world of wounds, but it is possible to live in loving attention and wonder. Let us join the Psalmist as well as the whole chorus of creation in singing hallelujah to our great God—to be lost (and found!) in wonder, love, and praise.

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

61 Jalan Hitam Manis, Singapore 278475

Building Through Belief, this school of choice provides

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

Achievements include

Mr Gavin Kinch Principal

Mrs Tan Siew Hoon Vice-Principal

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

What the parents say…

Mr Christopher Hayward Vice-Principal

Dr Kristopher Achter Vice-Principal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

News ¢ Jason Woo is Communications Executive at MCS Comms. / Photos courtesy of Dennis Tan

Bringing

Creation Care

closer to the churches

W

ith a growing recognition of the causes and impact of climate change and governments’ attempts to step up action to address the climate crisis, the Church is also seeing a role for itself in the global effort.

Some young believers in Singapore have chosen to take up the challenge to spread the message of being good stewards and caring for God’s creation and natural resources.

Dennis Tan Wei Jie is one of them.

The third-year environmental studies undergraduate at National University of Singapore and research assistant, is working on solutions to mitigate carbon emissions in urban areas. Deeply interested in marrying his Christian faith with Creation Care and environmental protection advocacy, the 24-year-old who attends Sengkang Methodist Church co-founded Creation Care SG (CCSG), a local, volunteer-run group with likeminded people, and heads the Projects and Partnerships teams.

Dennis counts the guided reflective walks in Dairy Farm Nature Park, one of CCSG’s current programmes, as his most notable achievement yet.

“I’m really proud of our guided reflective walks at Dairy Farm Nature Park. It took months of preparation, recces and test runs to get the product that you see today. We wanted to create an experience that would inspire people to reflect on their relationship with our Creator and the rest of creation, and we wanted to allow people to be able to experience it beyond Creation Care SG,” explained Dennis.

“We [also] launched an audio-guided version on Spotify and Soundcloud that (top) Signages abound detailing the times when the park was a dairy farm.

allows people to do these walks on their own. This is also our most successful project, having reached 381 online plays and 50 guided walk participants!”

(bottom) Hiking down a muddy trail while being immersed in the thick embrace of nature.

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Bringing Creation Care closer to the churches

A new guided walk with Wesley Methodist Church that will see participants traversing Fort Canning is also in the works.

In September, CCSG has bigger plans to push the message of being good stewards of God’s creation to the wider Christian community by hosting the inaugural Creation Care Conference on 9-10 September 2022. Themed around the Garden of Eden, Dennis hopes that it will help move churches in Singapore towards better care for God’s creation. A new publication produced by CCSG, Guide to Creation Care for the Church in Singapore, will be launched during the conference.

“We have been working for nearly a year now to interview pastors and church leaders to develop a resource that will help [groups who are interested in this topic] take action. We will be conducting fundraising efforts from June to August for the conference, such as terrarium workshops and selling the works of Christian artists,” said Dennis. He also shared plans to work with students from Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary), St John’s-St Margaret’s Nursing Home (SJSMNH) and National Parks Board (NParks) to kickstart a therapeutic horticulture programme for the elderly SJSMNH residents.

Despite the success of CCSG’s programmes, Dennis is mindful that the future holds many challenges.

He said, “Many of us [in CCSG] are graduating next year and

W a l khienagr t into the e of n a t u r

Creation Care SG organises guided walks through nature parks to immerse believers in the tranquility of the island’s green pockets and prompt them to contemplate the awesomeness of God’s creation, his ever-present providence of natural resources and humanity’s neglect of our collective duty to be good stewards of his creation.

things will be quite different then, although I definitely hope to continue growing our community in the long-term. Honestly, I still don’t know where God is bringing us, but I hope that we will continue to be faithful no matter where he leads.”

A typical venue for the contemplative walk is Dairy Farm Nature Park at Upper Bukit Timah, which gets its name from the fact that the 75-hectare park used to be grazing pastures for more than 800 cows providing milk for the colonial residents in Singapore.

Over two hours, the walk took participants through eight different stations where the guide posed questions to spark discussion.

These stations included a pile of logs (bringing to mind rampant deforestation) and flowering shrubs (leading to conversations about the importance of honey bees and other pollinators in nature, without which entire crops may be threatened).

Reflecting on the implications of global deforestation

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Issues like humane animal husbandry and thoughtless food wastage were also raised to drive home the message that creation care covers a spectrum where everyone can do their part.

Through the various discussion topics, participants were encouraged to view climate change and environmental destruction through Christian lenses. The emphasis was on the important role the Church can play in championing the cause of caring for and protecting God’s creation.

Sophie Gan, 28, a new volunteer guide, sees her role as one of sharing the message of Creation Care with Christians who may not have grasped the gravity of various environmental issues.

“I think the walks are important for Christians to be able to take time and reflect about their role as stewards of God’s creation. This is not something that usually comes to our mind while living in an urbanised city like Singapore. I hope that these walks will provide Christians with an opportunity to think about how their actions in daily life affect the environment, and what they can do to minimise the impact,” explained Sophie.

Taking part in his first contemplative nature walk together with his friend, Stephen, was Swee Kong, 63, who worships at Bartley Christian Church. A fervent spokesperson among his peers on the importance of Creation Care, Swee Kong was delighted to be a part of the trek.

“God has called us to be stewards of his creation.

The earth we live in belongs to God. Our sin has environmental consequences. Our greed has caused more land to be cleared for our use, seas to be over-fished, leading to huge loss of habitats of other creatures,” lamented Swee Kong.

Beach clean up

Creation Care SG conducted a beach clean-up with Church of Singapore (Marine Parade) at Area C East Coast Parks and its surrounds on 23 April, as part of their Earth Day commemoration activities. More than 20 participants signed up for the event; some were from other faiths.

Several bags of trash were collected between the groups, and the trash was categorised and logged into an app for beach clean-ups.

“Picking up trash that other people have left is what good citizens are taught to do. But this exercise did give me pause as it made the connection between faith and the physical surroundings. ‘Am I leaving behind more waste than I should, in inconsiderate ways? Is the waste I am leaving behind harmful to marine life?’”

- Shane Seah, 32, Kampong Kapor Methodist Church

If you would like to

volunteer

with Creation Care SG,

you may sign up directly at bit.ly/joinccsg drop an email to creationcare.sg@outlook.com or message the group on Facebook (@creationcare.sg) or Instagram (@creationcare.sg).

“If the Church does not speak up, we risk becoming irrelevant as climate change has become such a global topic. We also risk being seen as culpable.

Critics of the Church will point out, ‘Does not the Bible clearly state that we have to care for the earth? Yet you have been silent.’”

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Feature ¢ Janice Khoo serves in the Choir and Media & Comms Ministry at Kampong Kapor Methodist Church. / Photos courtesy of Amelia Hang

At Toh Yi,

composting is a

neighbourhood affair

H

ave you ever finished meal preparation and found yourself with a pile of fruit and vegetable peels that cannot be consumed? For many of us, this

kitchen waste goes straight into the bin. Amelia Hang, 36, who attends Cairnhill Methodist Church, found a way to turn this waste into something useful. She turned to

“It is about stewardship and looking after this world for

composting, which is a process in which plant and food

the generations beyond us,” says Amelia, whose children

waste is decomposed and recycled into nutrient-rich

Katelyn and Nathaniel are 8 and 6, respectively. “I tell my

matter that can be used to enrich soil.

children that what we do is about looking after what God has given us first, for the sake of them and their children.”

It all began when Amelia, a stay-at-home-mum and a part-time tutor, needed somewhere to bury partially

Rina shares another perspective, “It’s Creation Care.

decomposed kitchen waste, also called pre-compost,

Whatever God has given us has a good purpose. If we do

to complete the composting process using the bokashi

not make good use of it, such as through growing plants

method. This involves a two-step process in which food

and recycling, or in our case, composting, we are creating

waste is mixed with bran and first fermented in a sealed

a problem for the earth.” She adds, “I want people to see

bucket before it is buried in soil to complete the process

how we can take care of the world God has given us.”

for making compost. She chanced upon a YouTube video about composting and contacted the creator of the video,

Together, they decided to start a community composting

Rina Lai, who coincidentally lived in the same estate and

initiative with the goal of using the mature compost

was part of a group that had started a community garden

as nutrients for the community garden.

in the Toh Yi neighbourhood.

Community Compost group was formed in 2021 and

The Toh Yi

about 20 households from the estate contribute actively “I contacted Rina and asked to join the community garden

to it. This includes six children who join their parents in

where I could also contribute my pre-compost,” says Amelia.

this green community exercise.

Once she got the greenlight from Rina to bury her pre-compost in the community garden, Amelia took the first step towards

With funding support from the SG Eco Fund (a fund

composting vegetable and fruit scraps in her flat.

launched by the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment to support the co-creation of solutions for

Rina, 50, who works as a Community Services Manager

a sustainable Singapore), Amelia and Rina purchased

at Mount Carmel Bible-Presbyterian Church, welcomed

composting bins into which they layer the components for

Amelia to the community garden.

making compost. “For one hour every Saturday morning from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., and every Tuesday evening from

The two ladies found that they were likeminded in their

7 p.m. to 8 p.m. residents drop off vegetable peels, coffee

views about waste reduction, inspired by a common

grounds, tea leaves and egg shells at our compost bins.

understanding that they were to be stewards of what God

Volunteers help to supervise the bringing in of this form

had entrusted them with.

of kitchen waste, which is also known as green waste.”

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Further involvement of the community comes from contributions by the estate cleaners, who help by collecting dried leaves, which are then shredded. Other volunteers approach vegetable sellers from the nearby wet markets for sawdust used as packing material, which they would have otherwise thrown away. The leaves are shredded and mixed with sawdust to form brown waste, which is layered with green waste in the compost bins. This traditional method of making compost differs from the bokashi method which Amelia used at first in that it is a one-step process and can accommodate larger quantities of waste.

Plant and vegetable waste on the way to becoming compost

Rina (left) and Amelia (right) turning the compost mixture in the bin

Amelia told Methodist Message, “We have been very blessed in that

If you would like to try your hand at

composting : 1.

Find a bin that can be tightly sealed (look out for recycled bins!).

2.

Drill holes in the top and bottom of the bin to allow oxygen to enter and for liquid to drain.

3.

Place one layer of brown waste (e.g. shredded dried leaves and sawdust) at the bottom of the bin.

4.

Place one layer of green waste (e.g. fruit and vegetable peels, coffee grounds, tea leaves and egg shells).

5.

Alternate layers of brown and green waste until the bin is filled. Place one layer of brown waste as the top layer.

6.

Add some water to help with the decomposition process.

7.

Cover the bin and leave it for 2 weeks.

8.

After 2 weeks, use a stick to stir the contents of the bin and introduce oxygen to the mixture.

9.

Wait for 1 week and stir the contents again. Repeat this weekly for 2 months.

we have had no push back from the town council or the residents.

They see the benefits of the project—it doesn’t just reduce waste, it also creates community. People in the estate recognise each other from the composting initiative and they can say hi to each other because of that connection.”

“Some of the residents bring their children with them when they drop off the waste, and the children play with Amelia’s children who will be helping her,” Rina lets on with a smile. “The aunties and uncles who exercise come by to offer to help and they also bring their fruit and vegetable peels to add to the compost heap.”

Even though Amelia loves growing plants, she ruefully acknowledges that she is better at composting than she is at gardening. She says with a laugh, “It is like the body of Christ. We are all good at different things. Some people are good at growing things; I am good at decomposing things!” With this contribution of different abilities to the Toh Yi Community Compost, an effort to be good stewards of God’s gifts has also brought about unity in the community.

Children from the estate play while their parents drop off vegetable waste at the compost bins

Green waste that has been cut into small pieces and layered into the compost bin

10. Be prepared for fruit flies and expect that juice from the decomposition will leak from the bin! The result is nutrientrich compost which can be mixed into soil to help plants grow.

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People ¢ Jason Woo is the Communications Executive at MCS Comms. / Photos courtesy of Paul Khoo

Father’s Day musings Striking a balance between work, ministry and fathering

Family on the Galilee Worship Boat with Worship Leader Joshua Aaron on an Elijah7000 Israel Trip 2018

Family in a field of sunflowers in Taiwan 2018

P

aul Khoo, 45, is a familiar figure in Christian fathering circles. He is one of many key volunteers with Elijah7000, a movement that takes inspiration from Malachi 4:5- 6 and seeks to “turn the hearts of all fathers towards their children”. As the co-founder of a media company, Raison Media, his work has also led him to work closely with organisations to create campaigns to build godly families. These include the Dads for Life national movement, and The Bible Society of Singapore’s global DECLARE event which aims to guide families back to the Word of God. “Part of my goal was to reclaim the media space for God so that the platform can be used to disciple future generations,” explained Paul, a former Raffles Junior College teacher, who started his company in 2009.

In addition, he is an active member in the worship ministry of Paya Lebar Methodist Church (PLMC). As a father of three children, Mikayla, 16, Matthew, 14, and Mark, 11, how does he see his role as a father? How does he juggle work, church ministry responsibilities and fathering?

Being present as a father When Raison Media was started, his first two children were under the age of five. His third child was born when Raison Media was just in its second year of operation.

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It was no easy feat to care for young children while growing the business, but Paul managed to keep things together through his faith in God that influenced how he prioritised his various responsibilities.

“Unlike most other children who were able to sleep through the night, mine consistently could not and part of my job was to tend to night feeds. Cumulatively, I think I did night feeds for more than a decade,” laughed Paul.

“There is need for a lot of patience when one is a parent.

When things get tough with the kids, it is always good that we remind ourselves that we have to first look out for the causes of the difficulties,” Paul told Methodist Message.

Paul surmises that the Asian fathering model is sometimes at odds with the Biblical model, with its emphasis on being the financial provider for the family, often at the expense of being the spiritual head of the family.

Mindful of this, Paul said, “During the early years, I would make it a point to prioritise my family and the kids over my work. I would carve out set times to interact with them and made sure I was available. For instance, I would engage them in conversations before bedtime and that would serve as a round-up of the day. It functioned as an emotional reset for them and me.”

The Covid-19 pandemic, which has blurred the lines between work and home, has had an impact on how to set aside time for the family. “Hybrid or work-fromhome arrangements make it more crucial for us to organise our working hours to be outcome-oriented rather than being task-oriented,” said Paul. Paul also does not hesitate to keep his schedule fluid by shifting his work hours to the evenings after the kids go to bed just to ensure quality family time.

opportunities you have to address these things, the easier it will be to address the anxieties without the surprise of a blow-up,” Paul said.

It is the conscious identifying of where their hearts are oriented—which he discovers when they pray—and practicing affirmation. Does that include academic achievements, as most Singaporean parents are inclined to do? “I do affirm it, but I focus on personal and spiritual growth.”

Challenges facing modern fathering Parenting in the 21st century certainly comes with its set of perils, and in the cacophony of voices that try to influence parenting styles, Paul identifies one critical area that he feels all parents have to contend with—the excessive media influence that children are exposed to.

As the kids grow and become more independent, does Paul see his role as father diminishing?

“The fathering role doesn’t end, it just changes. When the children are young, you parent as a leader. But when they’re older, you parent as a peer, walking alongside them, like a coach.”

“The sheer amount of media influence that our children are exposed to potentially creates a slew of very difficult conversations that parents may not be ready to engage in,” explained Paul. But Paul contends that parents cannot shy away from having those difficult conversations as eventually children will figure it out for themselves, and it may not be with the benefit of wise counsel from parents.

The management of the level of usage of devices in the family tends to be the bugbear between parents and their children. His children regulate their usage via methods such as a logbook (for Mark) or the checking in and out of the devices at specific timings (for Mikayla and Matthew), which he admits is a different practice for many families.

Adopting different parenting styles with gender and age Paul has also discovered that parenting girls and boys has required different responses from him. With the boys, he has found that their sense of worth is uplifted with simple affirmation. With his daughter, Paul said, “It’s more about ‘How do I help her discover who she is?’”

He is also mindful that as a father, his words can have more impact than he intends. “I don’t realise that the words I say can go beyond the truth value of a statement.

I need to be more conscious and gentler in how I say things, how I address issues,” Paul said.

Now that two of his older children are teens, he is conscious that contact time with them (scheduled or otherwise) has to be used to help them “release steam”, as one would do so with a pressure cooker. “The more

Family with the PLMC team at a Dad & Sons Interchurch Futsal Competition with Jason Wong 2019

Paul and Mark on a trip to Israel with a prophetic worship group 2017

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Books ¢ Corinne Tan worships at Kampong Kapor Methodist Church. / Photos from the book, Journeys of an Octogenarian, are reproduced with permission.

Tales of a Chinatown boy

N

g Fook Kah is a well-loved member of Kampong Kapor Methodist Church. In his autobiography, “Journeys of an Octogenarian”, 89-year old Ng writes of the people and events that have shaped his life.

“Journeys” is written with candour, describing people and experiences with touching honesty. Calling it a “people story”, Ng (known as ‘Papa’ to many) plays storyteller to his family and friends as he weaves their stories into his own.

A youth spent in hardship and turmoil Ng was born in 1932, in Chinatown’s infamous Sago Lane, known for its “death houses”. As a young boy, he lived among coffin makers and undertakers, rickshaw pullers, lion dancers and Chinese opera troupes. The sights and sounds of funeral processions and Chinese rituals were familiar to the Chinatown “street urchin” who lived just four doors from these death houses. Grandma was a “sew-sew woman” who fixed buttons for a living; grandpa was kepala (chief) in the Carpentry Section of the Singapore Municipality, while father was a plain-clothes mata gelab (detective).

Ng lived through some of Singapore’s most tumultuous times—the Japanese Occupation, British colonial rule and Singapore’s transition to independence.

During the Japanese Occupation, Ng worked as an apprentice blacksmith in a Japanese factory, “pushing bellows day in and day out” at a furnace, till he almost went “berserk”. Events in later years left a deep impression on Ng, including the fire at Bukit Ho Swee in 1961, which destroyed lives and homes, but miraculously, left him and his home unscathed.

A student in Raffles Institution (RI) (Class of 1950), he was a determined young man who joined the RI Cadet Corps, trying hard to “come alongside the elite class of 1947”. He later graduated from New Zealand’s Otago University Dunedin as a Colombo Plan Scholar, and was awarded a Fulbright Visiting Scholarship. In recognition of his service to Singapore, he was later conferred the Public Administration Medal, Silver (1975), Public Service Medal (1982), and Public Service Star (1989) by the Presidents of the Republic of Singapore. In addition, as a grassroots leader in Ulu Pandan Constit­u ency, he was awarded the Long Service Medals (Bronze and Silver).

Ng also recalls happy times like watching his first English movie “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves” at Roxy Cinema with a Magnolia ice-cream, owning his first car and meeting his sweetheart Anne Wong, who was a teacher like him.

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Ng’s father had high hopes for his son to be a “modernised undertaker entrepreneur” in the lucrative undertaker industry in 1948. Unmoved by the prospects of success and wealth, Ng chose a career in education instead. This was a decision that led him to people who impacted his life greatly.

God’s connections Anne was a student at Fairfield Methodist Girls’ School.

It was through Anne’s classmate, Daisy Yim, that Ng and Anne were introduced to KKMC in 1952. With deep gratitude, he recalls what he considers “divine appointment”, when Daisy’s father, the late Yip Weng Fatt, led them to worship at KKMC. It is here that the “Chinatown lad and lassie” first ‘met’ God and were baptised on Palm Sunday in 1955.

As young Christians, Ng and Anne experienced the “turning point” in their lives, when they joined the Tiong Bahru LifeGroup. Here, they were “shaped, piloted and anchored by the Word of God”. He recalls that his life had been given “a new lease in the tapestry of love”. The love they felt from the LifeGroup was the catalyst to a vibrant life of service for God. Ng and Anne also cherished the loving and warm fellowship in their Adult Sunday School Group, one of the earliest LifeGroups at KKMC. He has fond memories of him and his family traveling to KKMC with fellow church members, in a private bus specially chartered for Tiong Bahru residents. Three years after joining KKMC, Ng was baptised. Ng and Anne married in 1961, and in 2011, they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Rev E.S. Lau (father of Earnest Lau) is fondly remembered for officiating two momentous events in Ng’s life in KKMC: his baptism and marriage. The couple were blessed with three lovely and God-loving daughters—Rebecca, Gracia and Rosita, of whom he is extremely proud.

Following in their parents’ footsteps, Rebecca and Gracia pursued successful careers in the education service.

Ng’s eldest daughter Rebecca is a school principal, and conductor of KKMC’s children’s choir, while her husband, Andrew Chew, was also a leading figure in the education service. Gracia is now in a mission field in Southeast Asia.

His third daughter, Rosita, is a lawyer who is active in the arts.

Not all was rosy in Ng’s life, however. He recalls, with profound sadness, the death of his mother after giving birth to his youngest brother, and his being away at university in New Zealand when his father passed away in 1957. Perhaps his most painful moment was the

passing of his beloved Anne. In his eulogy at Anne’s wake, Ng shared that he asked for God to grant him three wishes before Anne died—for her to have her favourite chilli crabs, celebrate his 80th birthday and their 60th wedding anniversary. Unfazed when none of his wishes were granted, Ng used this opportunity to glorify God who told him that, “Your way is not my way”, and that “(your) citizenship is in heaven”. Such was the faith of this man, who continued to love and serve God fervently.

Ng served in many ministries at KKMC, including the Mandarin Ministry, the Seniors Ministry and LifeGroup Ministry. He was a local preacher and was also a member of the TRAC Board of Seniors Ministry. He was among the pioneering leaders in The Boys Brigade, teaching bible study in Raffles Institution. In a moving message to The Boys’ Brigade 60th Company in 2013, he urged the boys to “stand in stark contrast to all in Singapore as righteous persons”.

Ng recalls the miraculous beginnings of the KKMC Mandarin Ministry in 1985. As new residents settled in the Little India neighbourhood, Ng and fellow church leaders prayed for opportunities to reach out to them.

With God’s help, they made the bold decision to start a Mandarin ministry, even though there were no Mandarinspeaking leaders then! Today, KKMC’s vibrant Mandarin Ministry is a testament to God’s love and providence.

A record of God’s handiwork As the chapters draw to a close, we see a bigger picture beyond Ng’s life story. “Journeys of an Octogenarian” is a record of God’s handiwork , a time capsule of his miracles and lessons, to be remembered and applied even to our own lives.

The last page is read, but Papa Fook Kah continues to thank and praise God for each day of his “sweet, sweet, life”. This book of life’s lessons is an inspiration for us, to live for God and keep the fire going for future generations. May God’s unfailing love be proclaimed in our lives, as “One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts” (Psalm 145:4).

If you would like a copy of the e-book , please write to Ng Fook Kah and his family to request for a copy at

ngfookkah89@gmail.com

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

Social Egg Freezing: An Ethical and Social Quagmire

PREFACE

I

t should not come as a surprise when a Methodist asks point-blank, “What’s our church’s stand on social egg freezing?”

We can point to the three general rules formulated in the 18th century by the first Methodist societies: first, do no harm. Second, do good. Third, to attend to all the ordinances of God. But how do these rules play out for 21st century issues such as the use of social egg freezing (SEF)? The Methodist Social Principles (MSP), outlined in The Book of Discipline of The Methodist Church in Singapore, are one attempt to articulate what doing good and doing no harm look like in the present day. They set out the church’s views on contemporary issues such as abortion, homosexuality and surrogacy. Understandably, the MSP make no mention of SEF as it is a fairly new issue to Singapore. The nearest they come to it is in a broadly stated principle that “married couples who are burdened with the problem of infertility should prayerfully examine their motives for wanting a child and consider and understand the medical, spiritual, moral and legal implications of assisted reproductive procedures”.

arising from non-medical use of medical technology, safety concerns, disingenuous communication of success rates, and the wider social implications of using SEF for deferring procreation, all correspond to the MSP concerns within the spheres of science and technology, community life, family, and social well-being, to name some examples. It stands to reason that our commitment to the rights of women cannot be held separate from the rights of children, families, society, and the common good.

Dr Chia reminds us that SEF has the grave potential to do harm, both in calculable and incalculable ways. This is inordinately damaging to women, not to mention the detrimental effects on children and society at large as well. His article is thus both an example and a summons to, in the words of our MSP, “cultivate and practise the virtues of the Christian life… and manifest them in the way we think and the way we live”.

May the Holy Spirit grant us all the virtue of prudence in a fast-advancing world of scientific discoveries and novel applications.

Dr Roland Chia’s article on SEF spotlights how the legalisation of this practice of SEF comes loaded with ethical and moral implications. These implications throw into relief the rules of doing good and doing no harm. The potential risks

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Rev Dr Nathanael Goh

Assistant Pastor, Sengkang Methodist Church

O

n 5 April 2022, the Singapore Parliament gave its unanimous support for the 25 action plans proposed in the White Paper on Singapore Women’s Development (released on 28 March), after a nine-hour debate. One of these action plans is the legalisation of social egg freezing (SEF). 1

More specifically, Parliament accepted the White Paper’s recommendation that women between the ages of 21 and 35 be allowed to freeze their eggs, regardless of marital status. However, only married women will be allowed to use their frozen eggs.

SEF must be distinguished from medical egg freezing.

Medical egg freezing is a method used to preserve eggs so that young women undergoing medical treatment (e.g. chemotherapy) would have a chance to conceive biological children in the future. SEF, however, refers to healthy women who wish to use this technology for non-medical reasons, such as the desire to postpone childbearing while focussing on career advancement.

Unlike medical egg freezing, SEF raises serious ethical and social concerns. However, most articles on this topic published in our local media fail to address the ethical quagmire associated with this procedure.

They focus instead on its current low success rate and its high financial cost (average cost of one cycle in Singapore is $10,000).

In this article we examine, albeit briefly, the fundamental ethical and social concerns surrounding SEF.

Non-medical use of medical technology The key ethical issue related to SEF has to do with its use for non-medical reasons. The technology is not used to treat an illness, but to address a non-medical issue—natural ageing—or to support and promote a lifestyle option or preference.

We should exercise exceptional caution here because the use of medical procedures on healthy people is not only an ethically problematic practice, but also one with serious social consequences.

As Angel Petropanagos et al put it: Social egg freezing uses medical technology

Safety concerns SEF poses some risks to women that should not be taken lightly.

The most important medical risks associated with egg freezing are those that result from ovarian stimulation.

As Petropanagos et al report, mild-to-moderate ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome could result in fatigue, nausea, headaches, abdominal pains, breast tenderness and irritability.

However, severe hyperstimulation could cause blood clots, shortness of breath, abdominal pain, dehydration and vomiting that require admission to hospital. In rare cases, it can even result in death.3 Women who attempt to have a child by using their frozen-thawed eggs will also be vulnerable to the risks of IVF such as multiple pregnancy, pregnancyrelated hypertension, premature delivery and infants with low birth-weight.

It must be reiterated that these risks are borne by women who have elected to undergo this procedure not because of medical reasons, such as preserving fertility ahead of cancer treatment. They have elected to do so for “social” reasons, such as career considerations or because they have not met the right partner.

Furthermore, in choosing to take this route, these women are also exposing their future offspring to considerable risks. These include congenital structural abnormalities, structural cardiac anomalies, and possible risk of cancer.4

Success rate Media hype about SEF tends to send the wrong message by presenting it as a panacea which guarantees that women can have a family later in life.

In its 2020 paper on SEF in the UK, the Nuffield Council on Bioethics notes that “Concerns have been expressed about the trivialisation of SEF in media coverage.”5 Clinics that advertise the procedure have also fuelled public misconceptions about the success of this procedure. “Some clinics’ advertising”, observes the Nuffield paper, “lacks clarity on success rates, costs and risks”. “Some clinics have been criticised for irresponsible marketing strategies...,” it adds.

to respond to a nonmedical problem—natural ageing. Physicians should therefore move beyond a discussion of the potential benefits, risks and financial costs to address societal implications.2

Perhaps the legalisation of SEF in the UK in 2000 has given the media and fertility clinics more latitude to misrepresent the success of the procedure.

METHODIST MESSAGE June 2022

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Social Egg Freezing

In reality, the success of SEF depends on many factors, including the age of the woman when the eggs were frozen and when they are used, the number of eggs procured, etc. A BBC article which discusses the success rate of SEF reports that according to the 2015 data in the UK, only “2% of all thawed eggs ended up as pregnancies and 0.7% as live births”. 6

SEF may also put a heavy and unnecessary burden on the next generation. As NCCS explains in its statement: … women in their 40s and even 50s who use this technique often place on their children the heavy burden of having to take care of their geriatric parents (often burdened with chronic health conditions) when they are just about to start out in life as working adults, amidst all the attendant responsibilities and

Given the current success rates, the National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS) warns, in its 2019 statement on SEF, that to portray egg freezing as “fertility insurance” is to fabricate a false hope. 7

Social issues There are also a number of social issues surrounding the practice of SEF. Once SEF is legalised and becomes mainstream, women may be subjected to subtle pressures—which can come in various forms—to make use of the medical technology. For example, in October 2014, Apple and Facebook announced that they will pay their female employees to freeze their eggs so that they can concentrate on their careers and delay having children. 8 Pro-SEF social media influencers and algorithms that target women with SEF adverts can also influence women to take this option. Even physicians and family members can coerce women to take advantage of this medical technology so that they can “avoid future regret”.

This in turn may change women’s and society’s mindsets about career, marriage, and family. As Petropanagos et al put it: Women are encouraged to freeze their eggs as a way to ‘have it all’ (that is, to have both a family and career), implying that for those women who want both these things, egg freezing makes this possible.9

challenges associated with people at this stage of life (marriage, career, mortgage, starting a family, etc).10 And this will no doubt have wider ramifications for society.

Conclusion There are many more ethical issues surrounding SEF that we are unable to discuss in this article, such as the commodification of women’s bodies and the medicalisation of childbearing.

But the issues that we have highlighted and briefly addressed should give all of us—especially Christians— pause about using this medical technology for nonmedical reasons.

1 White Paper on Singapore Women’s Development: Towards a Fairer and More Inclusive Society, 66. https://www.scwo.org.sg/ wp-content/uploads/2022/03/White-Paper-on-Singapore-WomensDevelopment.pdf.

2 Angel Petropanagos, Alana Cattapan, Françoise Baylis and Arthur Leader, “Social egg freezing: risk, benefits and other considerations”, Canadian Medical Association Journal, June 6, 2015, 187(9), 666-669. https://www.cmaj.ca/content/187/9/666.

3

Ibid.

Okun N. Sierra S. “SOGC Clinical Guidelines: Pregnancy Outcomes After Assisted Reproduction”, Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada, 2014, 36:64-83.

4

Nuffield Council on Bioethics, Bioethics Briefing Note. Egg Freezing in the UK., 3. https://www.nuffieldbioethics.org/assets/pdfs/Eggfreezing-in-the-UK.pdf.

5

BBC, “Egg-freezing: What’s the Success Rate?’ 17 February 2020. https://www.bbc.com/news/health-51463488.

6

National Council of Churches of Singapore, “Social Egg Freezing: Ethical and Social Issues”, 3. https://nccs.org.sg/wp-content/ uploads/2019/03/NCCS-Social-Egg-Freezing.pdf.

7

8 Mark Tran, “Apple and Facebook offer to freeze eggs for female employees”, The Guardian, 15 October 2014. https://www. theguardian.com/technology/2014/oct/15/apple-facebook-offerfreeze-eggs-female-employees.

9

Petropanagos et al, “Social Egg Freezing”.

National Council of Churches of Singapore, “Social Egg Freezing: Ethical and Social Issues”, 3. https://nccs.org.sg/wp-content/ uploads/2019/03/NCCS-Social-Egg-Freezing.pdf.

10

24

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METHODIST MESSAGE June 2022

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

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

Virtuous Living and Creation Care

T

he question that is receiving some attention among politicians, policy-makers and stakeholders is whether individuals or institutions should bear the greatest responsibility for solving the current climate crisis.

According to an article published by The Guardian, “the responsibility for solving major societal problems is increasingly being shifted to the individual”. This view is being contested by others, who opine that such problems can only be solved by institutions. “Personal sacrifice alone cannot be the solution to tackling the climate crisis… It can be achieved only by real structural change; by a new industrial revolution.”1

While it is obviously true that without the concerted efforts of governments and industry players, individuals are unable to solve the ecological problem, the latter can nonetheless play a significant role.

In recent years, theologians such as Jame Schaefer have been reflecting on how the cardinal virtues developed by medieval theologians—especially Thomas Aquinas (12251274)—can help us to live responsibly amidst the current crisis. 2 The four cardinal virtues are prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance. The reason why these virtues are described as “cardinal” (Latin cardo, meaning “hinge”) is because all the other virtues are either grouped under them or are hinged (attached) to them.

These four virtues are explicitly listed in chapter 8 of the deuterocanonical book, Wisdom of Solomon: “[Wisdom] teaches self-control and prudence, justice and courage; nothing in life is more profitable for men than these (v 7).”

According to Aquinas, “Prudence counsels us well about what pertains to the whole life of a human and to the ultimate end of human life.”3 This means that a prudent

person is never short-sighted, and always orders his actions in accordance with the ultimate purpose or telos of life.

In addition, prudence requires foresight, circumspection and caution. In relation to his responsibilities to the created order of which he is a part, a prudent person will with foresight consider the future consequences of his present habits.

Circumspection and caution will guide the choices he makes.

Justice takes into consideration the welfare and common good of the whole human community. However, one cannot speak of the common good of the human race without according significance to its natural habitat, the entire biosphere upon which human life depends.

As Schaefer puts it: … because the common good of the human community would be jeopardised by the degradation of the air, land, and water, the accelerated rate of species extinction, the destruction of habitats, and damage to the biosphere, the virtue of justice could be construed today as inclining humans individually and collectively to relate to other abiota in ways that do not jeopardise the functioning of natural systems in the interests of human communities near and far, now and in the future.4

The third virtue, fortitude, enables a person to stand firm in the face of challenges.

Fortitude also strengthens the individual’s resolve to resist the temptations to yield to certain appetites, and to make sacrifices for that which is good. In this way, fortitude reinforces justice because it inclines individuals as well as communities to seek the common good both now and for the future.

Fortitude also reinforces prudence because it supplies the necessary resolve to the intention of relating responsibly to all living and non-living entities that make up our planet.

“Fortitude,” writes Schaefer, “can be appropriated today as the virtue that will strengthen the faithful to persist in using

METHODIST MESSAGE June 2022

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Virtuous Living and Creation Care

the goods of Earth minimally with the aim of ensuring the internal stability of the ecosystems and the biosphere.”5 This brings us to the fourth and final virtue: temperance.

For Aquinas, temperance denotes a restrained desire for physical gratification, a disciplining of our passions. 6 This includes good and necessary physical pleasures such as eating, drinking and sex.7 The sub-virtues of temperance—continence and humility— also have much significance to the environmental problems we face today. Continence has to do with moderating our desires, especially our seemingly insatiable need to acquire goods in a consumerist culture.

Humility is related to continence because, as Schaefer explains, it can restrain the inordinate desire to acquire non-necessities of life and positively condition human

attitudes toward other-than-human creatures when informed by scientific findings about their interrelationship and interdependency”. 8 While the virtues are traditionally associated with the individual in Christian literature on spirituality, their relevance to societies, industry players and governments must not be missed. For the virtues have to do with the cultivation of certain habits based on proper attitudes towards others, including the created order.

That is why some moral theologians have maintained, correctly, that the doctrine of virtue is in a profound sense the doctrine of obligation. As individuals, communities, societies, corporations, governments and states, we have the obligation to conduct ourselves with prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance—for the common good, and the flourishing of our planet.

Anders Levermann, ‘Individuals can’t solve the climate crisis. Governments need to step up’, The Guardian 10 July 2019. https://www.theguardian.com/ commentisfree/2019/jul/10/individuals-climate-crisis-government-planet-priority. / 2 Jame Schaefer, Theological Foundations for Environmental Ethics.

Reconstructing Patristic & Medieval Concepts (Washington D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 2009). / 3 Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, 57.4 ad 3. / 4 Schaefer, 232. / 5 Schaefer, 235. / 6 Summa Theologica, 141.2, 3. / 7 Summa Theologica, 141.4. / 8 Schaefer, 233 1

Reach Out ¢ Missions Rev Dr Andrew Peh is a lecturer in missions and world religions at Trinity Theological College.

Y

ou may have read that the world is teetering on

There are evangelicals in the United States who contest the

the edge of certain extinction and that we are now

view that global warming and climate change is a direct

one minute from midnight on the Doomsday Clock.

consequence of human action. Environmental degradation

While the Covid-19 pandemic may have paused most human

and climate change are seen as the earth’s natural response

activity and provided a brief respite for the earth, the beauty

rather than a result of human consumerism and greed.

of a world where the peak of Everest is visible in Delhi, or the flourishing of some animal species and the lowering of air pollution all across the world are very quickly forgotten as we return to a post-pandemic (endemic) “normality”.

Furthermore, the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine will likely further exacerbate the climate crisis.

It may well be that amidst the gloom and doom, accompanied by a growing deficit of courage and fortitude among the world leaders to act decisively, the younger generation is seeing the need to rise up and challenge the

Evangelicals were generally tacit in their views and were complicit in discounting numerous efforts to begin to make conscious efforts in addressing and arresting the speed of global warming. Sadly, environmental ethics and caring for creation do not seem to have significance among Protestants. In our churches, there are many members who think that the bottom line is that we need only bother with saving souls and everything else is secondary, perhaps even unnecessary. It may well be that that “saving souls” is the chief end of the mission of the Church. But is that the chief end of the mission of God?

norms and hopefully bring about real change in responding to the climate crisis. I am increasingly convinced that

As I began researching on this particular area through a

evangelical Christianity is complicit in this apathy towards

survey of the Scriptures, I found that God’s word is replete

environmental stewardship.

with all these references where we cannot ignore creation simply because Christ’s work on the cross redeems not

For too long, evangelical Christianity has adopted a “default

only humanity but creation itself. We need to reread the

setting”, where it is all about us! We are at the centre of it

creation mandate in Genesis 1; to respond to the Psalmists

all, where the creation mandate is given for humanity to

call for creation (yes, in all of God’s splendid creativity) to

subdue and have dominion, and therefore gives us licence

praise the Lord; to recount as in Jonah 3 that God’s grace

to use (and abuse) all God has created. We believe that at

is extended impartially to the Ninevites as well as to the

the end of time, this “world will melt like snow” and will

animals, contrary to Jonah’s personal preconceptions. We

be no more and hence we should rightly be concerned only

cannot ignore passages in Romans 8, where Paul wrote that

with saving souls instead of saving whales or planting trees.

“in hope, that all creation, now groaning, will be liberated

METHODIST MESSAGE June 2022

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The greening of missions

from its bondage to decay” and also in Colossians 1, that

There is a growing consensus among missiologists that

God, through Christ, will “reconcile to himself all things”

stewardship and care of creation is an increasingly urgent

This is well encapsulated in The Cape Town Commitment

aspect of missions that the Church cannot be nonchalant

(the roadmap of the Lausanne Movement):

about. Integral missions involve taking seriously both the Great Commandment as well as the Great Commission;

The earth is created, sustained and redeemed by Christ.

it is ministering to meet spiritual as well as existential

We cannot claim to love God while abusing what belongs

needs. The importance of ecology and environmental

to Christ by right of creation, redemption and inheritance.

stewardship in missions must help recalibrate how

We care for the earth and responsibly use its abundant

mission organisations and churches think about missions

resources, not according to the rationale of the secular

and how they conduct missionary activities in a manner

world, but for the Lord’s sake. If Jesus is Lord of all the

that is biblically informed and ecologically responsible.

earth, we cannot separate our relationship to Christ from

Ecological concerns (for example, carbon footprints)

how we act in relation to the earth. For to proclaim the

should be another factor of consideration before churches

gospel that says ‘Jesus is Lord’ is to proclaim the gospel

feverishly return to the norm of sending people on short-

that includes the earth, since Christ’s Lordship is over all

term trips.

creation. Creation care is thus a gospel issue within the Lordship of Christ.

While the biblical accounts are inordinately partial to human salvation—the work of saving people from sin and

Such love for God’s creation demands that we repent of

judgement, which is indeed an important focus of our

our part in the destruction, waste and pollution of the

partnership with God in his mission—that, however is not

earth’s resources and our collusion in the toxic idolatry

the whole story of God’s mission and therefore, that should

of consumerism. Instead, we commit ourselves to urgent

not be the whole story in our mission emphases as well.

and prophetic ecological responsibility.1

If God is concerned about creation, should we not also be similarly concerned?

Hence we cannot ignore God’s other creation!

1 Lausanne Movement, The Cape Town Commitment, https://lausanne. org/content/ctc/ctcommitment#p1-7

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

Senior volunteerism

Making the most of one’s golden years

Leong Imm said that serving the needs of the community through volunteering is not only fulfilling God’s calling Seniors are mobilised as community befrienders to conduct home visits and provide psychosocial support for vulnerable older adults

W

in her life, but is also a meaningful way to spend her golden years.

Her outreach efforts are part of the Community Befriending Service run by MWS, which connects volunteer befrienders with vulnerable seniors. Besides befriending, senior volunteers with MWS also serve in other ways such as tutoring disadvantaged children hen

67-year-old

Loo

Leong

Imm

started

volunteering as a befriender with Methodist

and leading recreational activities to increase social engagement and promote active aging.

Welfare Services (MWS) in 2017, she faced

rejection from one of the elderly beneficiaries.

MWS believes that every person—including our seniors— possess innate strengths and treasured abilities, and can

“I was paired with Mdm Tan, who has dementia and

be empowered to make a positive difference.

is battling depression. She speaks Hokkien, so I tried conversing with her in broken Hokkien. Initially, she refused

Volunteers are trained to fulfil their given roles, with

to talk to me as she thought that I was after her money,”

guidance on understanding seniors and identifying their

recounted Leong Imm. “But after several visits, she came to

unmet needs for follow-up care. To support volunteers,

realise that that wasn’t the case, and she began to warm

MWS periodically hosts thematic webinars such as

up to me.”

‘Understanding Dementia’, ‘Diabetes’ and ‘How to be Equipped as Befrienders’. It also launched the MWS

Leong Imm continued to visit Mdm Tan every week over 3

Befriender’s Toolkit to guide volunteers in reaching out to

years, engaging her in conversations and exercising with

different befriendee profiles.

her at home. Often, Mdm Tan would experience mood swings, and Leong Imm would lend her an empathetic ear and try to calm her down.

Be the light of the world During the Covid-19 pandemic, when home visits were

Jesus told his followers to “let your light shine

halted, Mdm Tan’s dementia deteriorated to the extent that

before others” (Matthew 5:16), calling us to

when Leong Imm resumed visiting her, the senior could

live out our faith. One way of doing so is by

no longer recognise her. Still, Leong Imm kept visiting the

being generous with our time and serving the

senior every week, and became a steadfast pillar of support

needs of the community through volunteering.

to one of Mdm Tan’s sons, her main caregiver.

The Bible says in 1 Peter 4:10, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve another, as

To alleviate his stress, Leong Imm allowed him to vent

good stewards of God’s varied grace.” Even

his feelings freely. “He was stressed from taking care of

small acts of love can make a big difference to

his mother. As I was once a caregiver to my mother-in-

the lives of our beneficiaries.

law who had dementia, I was able to relate and share with him my own experiences of caring for someone with

To sign up as a volunteer or befriender,

dementia,” she shared. “This helped him to cope better

email volunteer@mws.sg

with his caregiving duties. I’m glad that my volunteering

or visit mws.sg/volunteer

has benefitted this family in some way.”

METHODIST MESSAGE June 2022

| 29

Relationships ¢ You & Your Family Benny Bong has been a family and marital therapist for more than 30 years, and is a certified work-life consultant.

He was the first recipient of the AWARE Hero Award, received in 2011, and is a member of Kampong Kapor Methodist Church.

?

I m a o h W M

any of us go through life not giving much thought to the question of “Who am I?”

Identity documents such as our identity card or passport are commonly taken as proof of who we say we are, but they carry only a small bit of information about us. They do not tell who we really are.

One important aspect of who we are is the roles we play in close and enduring relationships, e.g. between spouses or among family members.

24-HR HOTLINES PAUL & DANIEL

+65 8321 3355 TOLL-FREE

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

www.AmazingGraceFunerals.com

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

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

B. Online Memorial

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

C. Live Streaming

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

D. Donations

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

Christian Funeral Packages • International Repatriation • Pre-Planning Seminars

Take for instance a client who came to see me about managing his anger.

His violent disposition had led to his living apart for the past five years from his wife of 20 years and their three children. After an especially violent altercation with his elder daughter, he had been asked to move out. Living apart had its advantages—when things in the home got too tense, he could leave and the family was shielded from his aggression.

However, it also meant that he did not have to work at managing his temper; his identity as a violent man became entrenched.

Recently, his wife raised the question of whether he had plans to move home as she felt she was in limbo—married yet living apart. Though not living together, he has been visiting almost every day and running errands like ferrying the children to school and tuition classes. He and his wife frequently went on dates and they continued to be physically intimate. All this suggests a close, functioning relationship. Yet, both seem to fear that his moving back may jeopardise the status quo.

In examining the triggers that set off his temper, one 24-HR is hisHOTLINES frustration when trying to get close to his family.

PAUL & DANIEL

efforts +65When 8321his3355

are rebuffed, either because his

TOLL-FREE impatience is evident or they recall his past aggression,

1800-777-2422 he feels like his identity

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as a violent man is hard to

shake off.

O nly one life, a fewThisbrief years, led us to talk about the role he wants to play and what he is allowed

Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears; to assume. He wants to be a spouse and co-parent. But past hurts and Each with its days, I must fulfill, make living for selfdistrust or in His will;his family limit his role to being a companion to his wife, financial provider and family chauffeur, which falls short of what he wants.

Only one life, ‘twill soon be past, Only what’s done for will last.

However, as Christ I explained to him, wanting to play a role is only half the - C.T. Studd

formula as the desired role must be welcomed by others. This mutuality of playing the part that others want or allow is especially important in the case of my client, who had long been domineering and controlling of others. The hope is that, with his newfound willingness to respect the family’s wishes, they will grow more confident in allowing him to be more involved in their lives.

O nly one life, What a fewroles briefare years, you playing? How do they match with the roles you wish Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears; to play? Are the roles expected of you causing you strain? Are they too Each with its days, I must fulfill, forinyou cope with? Are certain roles expected of you in conflict living formany self or Histowill; with each other (like wife whose husband expects her to support him in Only one life, ‘twill soon beapast, Only what’s done but for Christ last. by the negative impact on his health)? his ambitions who is will concerned - C.T. Studd If some of these situations ring true for you, it might perhaps account for your wondering, “Who am I really?”

METHODIST MESSAGE June 2022

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14

METHODIST MESSAGE, JULY 2013

People ¢ Richard Tan is the Lay Leader and Local Preacher of Grace Methodist Church. / Photo courtesy of Richard Tan

What does being a Methodist mean to you?

A

s Methodists we are inspired by Wesley’s advocacy to be an “altogether” Christian and his model for small groups, or cell groups. This model

was one of John Wesley’s most successful ministries in meeting the needs of members and coaching them to grow in “holiness of heart and life”.

At Grace Methodist Church, we put this into practice through the partnership of ordained pastors and laity, by reaching out to the underprivileged and forming Connect Groups (CGs). The leaders and facilitators were trained by the pastors and conduct weekly or fortnightly group meetings, where we worship, give thanks to the Lord, study God’s word, pray and fellowship, and seek improvement of social conditions through the formation of small groups for encouragement and edification.

Through this framework, we see that members are encouraged and edified, and this is where love and affection surfaces. In 1 John 4:10-11, the key to knowing love is not found in our love for God, but rather in his love for us. He sacrificed his son Jesus to die for our sins. Hence if God so loved us, we ought to love one another. If I fail to show love to a CG member, I seek God’s forgiveness and ask him to help me show to others the kind of love he showed me.

I encourage you to connect with people around you. Love for Jesus and love for others always go together.

Kopi kakis

by Kopikaki team

JULY

Looking Ahead ¢

Scan to see events online!

PARENTING: THE TEEN YEARS 16 July 2022 (Saturday), 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

1 Woodlands Road #04-03 The Tennery, Singapore 677899 Register at https://fathers.com.sg/programs/teen/ Free (Valued at $80 per pair of parents / $70 per parent)

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. Minimum 10 pax to start.

JULY

Organised by Centre for Fathering

D6 FAMILY CONFERENCE 2022: RECALIBRATE 29 and 30 July 2022 (Friday and Saturday), 9.30 a.m. to 3.00 p.m.

Online via Zoom Register at d6family.sg (Closes on 17 July 2022) Early bird price at $50 until 13 June 2022; thereafter $60

Join this year’s line-up of speakers as they share D6 principles, strategies and best practices on generational discipleship and Family Ministry. Embark on a journey where you will learn to identify and establish healthy practices, and to honour God in the way you lead the families in your church.

JULY TO AUGUST

Organised by SOWER Institute for Biblical Discipleship

CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME 18, 25 July, 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 August 2022 (Mondays), 7.30 to 9.30 p.m.

Wesley Methodist Church or via Zoom (TBC) https://ttc.edu.sg/english/study-at-ttc/equip-registration/ $100 (Free for TTC Alumni and TTC Matriculated Students - Registration required)

This course explores a topic of current interest in the area of mission studies: creation care as an integral part of the mission of God (Missio Dei). It will provide a brief survey of the current context: climate change and the ecological concerns, and will also examine theologically God’s purpose(s) for creation and the role of humanity in the stewardship of the created order. Speaker: Rev Dr Andrew Peh. Dr Peh lectures in the area of mission and mission history at Trinity Theological College. His interests are in the history of Christianity in Asia and mission trends in the 21st century. He also serves in the Chinese Annual Conference of the Methodist Church in Singapore as a diaconal minister appointed to Charis Methodist Church.

JUNE TO DECEMBER

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