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
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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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METHODIST MESSAGE June 2022
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.”
