Vol 117 No 7 • JUL 2015
inside
this issue...
ISSN 0129-6868 MCI (P) 079/03/2015
Book Review What Pastors Want Christians to Understand page 4
ACS Oldham Hall The story behind the boarding house pages 12-13
ALDERSGATE SG 2015 Thank you for attending
By the MCS Communications Team
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his year, Aldersgate SG 2015 was themed “Seeking the Welfare of the City”, based on Jeremiah 29:7. The Convention was held at Faith Methodist Church and Queenstown Chinese Methodist Church, where three invited speakers – Bishop Emeritus Dr Robert Solomon from Singapore, the Rev Asisri Priyalal Perera from Sri Lanka, and Mr Anthony Row from Malaysia – expounded on their countries’ perspectives, the challenges they faced in building the welfare of their nations, as well as the call for Methodists to be motivated to contribute to nation-building. In the May 2015 issue of Methodist Message as well as his Aldersgate Sermon Video on 24 May, Bishop Dr Wee Boon Hup explained that in
this year’s Aldersgate SG event, our focus was on how Methodists could explore ways of building our nation’s welfare in this year of Singapore’s Jubilee. You may ask: “Why should we be concerned about our nation’s welfare?” The answer is simply: “We seek the welfare of the city because this is where our future lies.” This year’s Aldersgate SG Convention allowed Methodists a fuller perspective, drawing inspiration from two other nations – Sri Lanka and Malaysia – in two out of the three lectures and a panel discussion. While Sri Lanka and Malaysia may
be different (in their cultural makeup as well as population numbers), Wesleyan emphases on social justice and action prevail in both these nations which are generationally much older than Singapore. We thank everyone who attended Aldersgate SG 2015 this year and our speakers who made this year’s Aldersgate a thought-provoking event. For those who missed this year’s lectures and panel discussion, turn to P19 for a recap of the salient points captured during Thursday 21 May – Saturday 23 May. Continued on page 19...
The worship team leading the congregation at the start of the first Aldersgate Lecture.
‘METHODISTS IN ACTION’ – JULY In February’s Methodist Message centrespread, we debuted a calendar that included monthly ‘Methodists in Action’ suggestions – a small action that you can take to bless those around you. Here’s this month’s suggestion!
Prayer and Intercession:
– Pray for our nation, someone in need, or pre-believers This month marks the Jubilee Day of Prayer, which hopes to gather 50,000 believers in one combined prayer event. Choose to attend the event, or pray in small groups or on your own: intercede for our nation, for someone in need, or for pre-believers.
COMING UP
See the Bible come alive “This was the disciple-making programme I had been looking for – and little did I know that it was but the beginning of a lifelong entrustment from the Lord for me to take it on since then!”
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alling pastors and full-time ministry workers: Desire to equip your church members with a deeper understanding of God’s Word? Been refreshed by and want to guide your church members in tackling the Bible from cover to cover together with their fellow brothers and sisters-inChrist? Sign up for the DISCIPLE Leaders’ Training Seminar held between 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on 8 to 9 September, if you have been recommended by your pastor to be equipped to lead the DISCIPLE Bible Study series in your church. The DISCIPLE Bible Study programme originated from the United Methodist Church and comprises four modules. “Becoming Disciples through Bible Study” (DISCIPLE 1) serves as the foundation and pre-requisite for “Into the Word and into the World” (DISCIPLE 2), “Remember Who You Are” (DISCIPLE 3) and “Under the Tree of Life” (DISCIPLE 4). Over the course of 34 weeks, DISCIPLE covers the entire Bible chronologically, following the biblical story from Creation to the New Jerusalem. Started in Flower Mound, Texas, DISCIPLE Bible study came to Singapore in 1990 when the Rev Lily Castor conducted the first DISCIPLE Leaders’ Training for a group of Methodist pastors, one of whom was the Rev Dr Niam Kai Huey. Now the Director of DISCIPLE Agency, the Rev Dr Niam said: “This was the disciple-making programme I had been looking for – and little did I know that it was but the beginning of a lifelong entrustment from the Lord for me to take it on since then!” Register before 4 August for an early-bird rate of $180 for DISCIPLE 1. The closing date for registration is 25 August, at regular rates of $200 for DISCIPLE 1 and $140 each for DISCIPLE 2, 3 and 4. Visit disciple.methodist.org.sg or email disciple@methodist.org.sg for more information. n
Pictures courtesy of DISCIPLE Agency
methodist message
The official monthly publication of The Methodist Church in Singapore. Published material does not necessarily reflect the official view of The Methodist Church. All Scripture quoted is based on the New International Version, unless otherwise stated. Our address
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BISHOP’S MESSAGE
The secret of facing plenty and lack Bishop Dr Wee Boon Hup was elected Bishop of The Methodist Church in Singapore in 2012. He has been a Methodist pastor for 30 years.
“I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.” Philippians 4:12, ESV
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t seems odd that the apostle Paul should speak about the secret to facing plenty. We know the necessity of facing the challenges of hunger and lack. But why is there a need here to talk about facing abundance? Should it not be something we just receive and enjoy? Seasons of prosperity can insidiously lead us to slide downwards. Paul was aware of this. Abundance has a way of making us believe that it has come to us because of our own efforts. It will not be long before our efforts and the wealth they produce become what we trust in, moving God out of the picture. However, these high moments do not last. Like the financial and property markets have shown in the last couple of decades, bubbles will burst. Hence the counsel Paul gives Timothy: “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.” (1 Timothy 6:17, ESV) Then Paul gives the secret to facing plenty: “[The rich] are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future,
so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.” (1 Timothy 6:18-19, ESV) What we need to do in times of abundance is to look out for others: to extend acts of kindness towards them, to give and to share with them what we have received. Scripture presents two angles to these actions. First, these acts are like investments: they are storing up treasures for the future. Second, when the rich live like this, then they have really grasped what life is all about. God intends us to live lives that are other-centred. But what about the secret to facing hunger and need? Paul did face deprivation and lack. He did not always have what he needed. The apostle experienced what it meant to live as one of the “have-nots”. Yet he declared that he had learned the art of facing such situations. To live through such tough times when we have nothing much requires a particular mindset. First, “my God will supply all [my] needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19, NASB). Second, “I did not burden anyone” (2 Corinthians 11:9, ESV). With such an attitude, Paul then went on to declare, “we worked night and day (as tentmakers), that we might not be a burden to any of you” (1 Thessalonians 2:9, ESV). In other words, there is no excuse for hard work and endurance. Even though he knew that the support God would provide from elsewhere would see him through, he continued to work to earn a living as well. Ups and downs are part and parcel of life. Some of those downs may come with times of not having enough to survive. While we may have faith in God, Scripture also tells us that “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:17). We find ways to keep going, knowing that God will supply. Oftentimes, this happens through the generosity of those who have been blessed and are moved by God to act. Hence the need for those of us in times of plenty to give and to share. n
Picture by oleandra/Bigstock.com METHODIST MESSAGE • JUL 2015
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BOOK REVIEW
Andrea Low works in communications and loves writing, watercolour painting and road trips.
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hat Pastors Want Christians to Understand features 21 sermonettes written by pastors from different churches all over Singapore, with two questions posed: “What would you preach if given only one opportunity to do so? What is your most important message to fellow Singaporeans?” Drawing reference to Singapore’s Jubilee year and the anticipation of moving into the future with the Lord’s favour, the book is a collection of what’s in the hearts of pastors in Singapore – presented in ways that are biblical, relatable and heartfelt. One of the rare treats this book offers is the opportunity to hear from speakers and writers that you might never have had the chance to before. The 21 contributions are by pastors hailing from Anglican, Assemblies of God, Baptist, Bible-Presbyterian, Brethren, Evangelical Free, Methodist, Presbyterian, and independent churches. Yet one message rings loud and clear – the importance of living and loving well for our Lord, being responsible Christians, aware of our God-given roles and purposeful identity in Him.
What Pastors Want Christians to Understand: The Singapore Jubilee Edition Advisor: The Rev Dr Wee Boon Hup, Bishop of The Methodist Church in Singapore Published by Genesis Books, an imprint of Armour Publishing, 216 pages Get a special 15% discount when you order from Armour Publishing’s online store at www.armourpublishing.com Also available at Armour Publishing’s showroom (1003 Bukit Merah Central #02-07 S159836, opening hours from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.), and at major Christian bookstores such as Wesley Methodist Church’s BookNook, SKS Books Warehouse and The Bible Society of Singapore’s Bible Resource Centres. Retails at $24 before GST.
Here are my three takeaways from the book: ★ In the article ‘War and Peace’, the Rev Christopher Chia shares: “As Christians, we have to be vigilant not just against the God-forsaking self-sufficiency of our nation and world, but of our churches. We face four enemies within Christian Circles: Traditionalism, Emotionalism, Activism and Biblicism. ” This came as a timely reminder not to get caught up with the “how-to” of being a Christian, but to focus firstly on the “why” – Jesus Christ, on whom our foundation of faith must be built. ★ In ‘Run the Race Marked for You’, the Rev Daniel Foo shares: “Jesus tells us to take up our own cross… It represents crucifixion and death – that is, the crucifixion and death of the sinful nature and self-life… if we deny our self-life, we will grow in spiritual maturity, and move towards a state of being unoffendable. That is what God calls us to be… we will be overcomers, victorious over the sinful nature. There is nothing to prove; there is nothing to lose… We’ll be calm, cool, collected, composed and centred in Christ.” The point is to focus less on oneself but to turn our focus fully upon Jesus. In the words of the song, ‘When I look into Your holiness’, indeed things of the earth grow strangely dim when we fix our eyes upon Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. ★ The Rev Dr Gordon Wong noted in ‘The Most Important Thing’: “The most important thing is to make the most important thing the most important thing.” Jesus, too, was asked what the most important thing is, in Matthew 22:35-40. “One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ Jesus replied: ‘‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” So the answer is simple – “Jesus says that to love God by loving your neighbour is the most important thing.” This excerpt reminded me that the call to love is a daily mission, not just during a nation’s Jubilee year but one that should be lived out and fulfilled year after year. It’s not seasonal, it’s timeless, and is the mark of being a true Christian. What Pastors Want Christians to Understand includes a foreword by the Rev Dr Wee Boon Hup, Bishop of The Methodist Church in Singapore, as Advisor of the project. The articles in this collection of intimate sharing provide good fodder for reflection and self-examination as we consider our role as a Christ-follower in modern-day Singapore, or for overseas readers, the role of a citizen in their place of dwelling. n
“Jesus says that to love God by loving your neighbour is the most important thing.” Book cover graphic courtesy of Armour Publishing
SAYS THE TRAC PRESIDENT
Who’s muttering against us? The Rev Dr Gordon Wong was elected President of Trinity Annual Conference (TRAC) in 2012 for the quadrennium. He has been a Methodist pastor for 29 years, and was a lecturer at Trinity Theological College since 1995.
“Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’ ” Luke 15:1-2
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s anyone “muttering” against or criticising the Church? And if so, for what are we being muttered against? The Scriptures tell us that Jesus was muttered against or criticised by respected and revered persons in 1st century Jerusalem. They were shocked that Jesus would seem to welcome table fellowship with people who were regarded by the majority in society as immoral or unethical. Is anyone muttering against the church of Jesus today for being too welcoming towards those who society regards as immoral and unethical? Or are we more likely to be muttered against by those who feel we are too condemning? Would Jesus be muttered against today?
Some years back, there was a clever video advertisement of a well-known luxury hotel chain that showed a traveller trudging through the snow in a forest, all alone. He feels lost and increasingly tired as he tries to navigate to a safe haven. With ominous music in the background, we see a pack of wolves, hidden by the forest, looking at this stranger, slowly closing in on him. The inevitable happens. The man collapses in exhaustion onto the snow-covered ground. He passes out as the wolves move ominously towards him. The sombre music slowly fades and in its place comes soothing, welcoming music as the camera zooms onto the man dying in the snow. The man’s eyes open slowly. He is still alive. He hasn’t frozen to death or been torn apart by the wolves. Instead, he has been saved by the wolves. They have surrounded his body, keeping him from freezing with the warmth of their own fur-covered bodies. Then the clever tag line of this hotel chain appears as the ad concludes: “To embrace a stranger as one’s own – it’s in our nature.” (https://youtu.be/ wZeS0Un3jwk) Wolves welcoming and embracing human beings? Not what we usually think is possible or natural. Humans and wolves in the wild are, by nature, not only strangers to one another, but enemies. But wouldn’t it be nice if our understanding of what is “natural” was wrong? Maybe then we might be a bit more willing to embrace a stranger as one’s own. People muttered and criticised Jesus for going against nature by welcoming the stranger and enemy. One does not, by nature, welcome or love one’s enemies. But Jesus did, and mainstream society muttered against him. Is anyone muttering against the Church of Jesus Christ today? And if so, for what are we being muttered against? n
Picture by stuartmiles/Bigstock.com METHODIST MESSAGE • JUL 2015
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YOU & YOUR FAMILY
The journey of a thousand steps 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 in 2011 and is a member of Kampong Kapor Methodist Church.
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hat is your reaction when a wedding invitation arrives in your mailbox? Some see it as a chore to have to dress up to the nines or to give ‘ang pows’ that draw various hues of responses – red faces from the disappointed wedding couple when the “token” amount is just too little, or blue from guests who find it hard to keep up with the inflated “going rates” of these gifts. Others may find the event altogether amusing when they see videos and hear stories of how the couple met and how they pursued each other. Weddings these days have evolved to be glamourous events of epic proportions. The wedding couple and their families are usually determined to make the affair memorable for their guests as well as themselves. An entourage of video crew and make-up artists follow them throughout the entire day documenting each detail as if it was an episode of the famous reality show Keeping Up with the Kardashians. The attention to detail for the wedding day is understandable. After all, it is their big day, and happens but once in their lives. It is a public declaration of devotion as the pair pledge their undying love to each other. And yet, it seems disproportionate in comparison to the amount of attention and resources the couple spend on preparing for the rest of their lives together. Most couples prepare for their wedding but how many prepare for their marriage – their lives together as husband and wife? This is not to say that a good wedding does not help launch a good marriage. There are troubled couples
I have seen who claim the roots of their marital conflict began during their wedding event, even stemming from the words said back then. However, a good launch to one’s married life does not necessarily mean a happy ending. As I write this, I am helping to conduct premarital preparation classes. More couples are choosing to go for such classes, possibly because some churches require couples wishing to be wed in their venues to attend such sessions. Research from the USA offers some evidence to support the value of attending such classes. Yet I notice my “students” are often too busy gazing into each other’s eyes, and I wonder how much of what I am saying gets heard. Unlike in the USA, where pre-marital preparation involves confirming one’s choice of a life partner, in Singapore, by the time some couples attend the sessions, they have already committed to marriage. With down-payments placed on a HDB flat, a hotel reserved for the wedding banquet, invitations to more than a hundred guests mailed out and professionally-done wedding shots in exotic locations, the wedding is already a ‘done deal’. My view is that for such sessions to be effective in preparing a couple for marriage, it either has to be done much earlier or even months after the wedding. Without the distraction of hectic wedding preparations, the couple can give their full attention to the building of their marriage.
What about the years to come? When we purchase a home, no matter how perfect it may have been, few buyers would argue the need to do home improvements or renovations after some time. In fact, because it is your home, you would want it to be maintained and even improved for your family to enjoy. How about your marriage? Should it not be given a sprucing-up regularly, and even a makeover now and then? Going for vacations has become the Singaporean family’s way of rewarding ourselves for a year’s hard work. Such trips are usually centred on the enjoyment of individuals – the children who like the sun and the surf, the adults who love to chill out, ambling aimlessly, or simply eat and shop. What about taking some time for a ‘marital spa’? Spending some time away as a married couple to do a ‘marital health check’ and maybe even work on toning up the ‘muscles’ of the relationship can help strengthen it. It can be an activity to detoxify the relationship from the years of cumulative emotional aches and pains. Marriage is a journey. For some, it is an adventure and a discovery. For many, I fear, it quickly settles to become a long and humdrum ride. There are even a few for whom it resembles a death march. If we take some care with each step, be it in planning for the wedding, preparing for the marriage or having regular tuning-up spas, then it is a journey of a thousand steps that can be truly appreciated. n
Picture by monkeybusinessimages/Bigstock.com
YOUTH IN FOCUS
Teens and their faith
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s a parent, you’ve invested your life in your child. You brought them to church, taught them everything you know about the Bible, and prayed with them at night. You wanted nothing but God’s absolute best for their life. Then, almost before you knew it, your son or daughter morphed into a teenager and dropped a startling confession on you, “I’m not interested in going to church and I’m not sure if I believe that the Bible is true. I don’t know if God is real, or why I should believe in Him.” Every situation is unique, but the gist of the scenario is the same: your child is wrestling with their faith. Seeing your teenage son or daughter give up on the church and their faith is tough – there’s no easy way around it. And there’s no easy way to fix it. But there are a few things to consider as you walk this journey with your child. Lean in Embrace your child. Rather than seeing their questions and challenges as a divisive threat, model God’s love, patience and grace both verbally and non-verbally. Be a parent who sticks with your son or daughter no matter what they’re going through. Remind them that you love him or her regardless of whether things are good or bad. It would be helpful to figure out why your teen is grappling with their faith. In the book Why Christian Kids Rebel, author Dr Tim Kimmel suggests that your child’s rebellion
Be a parent who sticks with your son or daughter no matter what they’re going through. Remind them that you love him or her regardless of whether things are good or bad. may not be an isolated problem, but a symptom of something else that’s going on. Is your teen struggling with rejection from peers or your church family? Has something else happened that sent your teen into a tailspin? Keep your eyes and ears open for what the deeper issues might be. When (and if) your teen opens up to you about what they’re feeling, make sure to give them your full attention. Listen to them with empathy, validate their fears, and reassure them of your love. Remind them that your home is a safe place where they will always belong. Being a teen is tumultuous. It’s scary for parents, but it’s likely more unnerving for your son or daughter to feel like they’re walking through it alone. Turn to the Word Is your teen bombarding you with deep theological questions that leave you stumped? Be honest. Tell them that you don’t have all the answers, but suggest that you two could search for them together.
Growing together with your children can be the most effective form of spiritual training. You could dig deeper into God’s Word on your own or take a theological class together. Turn to your pastor or a friend for book recommendations that could spark conversations and improve understanding. Watch TrueU or The Truth Project and spend time talking about what you’re learning. Trust Him It’s important to trust that God is working in your teen’s heart, mind and life – just like He did with you. If you’re feeling inadequate, then you’re exactly where you need to be for Him to work through you (Philippians 4:13). Continue to cover your child with a heaping helping of prayer as they wrestle through questions about their faith and world view. It’s possible that some of your teen’s rebellion may be a necessary step in establishing an authentic and personal relationship with God. By grappling with their faith, teens are trying to determine whether their faith is something personal, or something canned that they adopted from church, school or you. Everyone’s situation is unique. These suggestions don’t guarantee that your child will return to the Lord, but they could go a long way to preserve your relationship through this challenging time. When your child wrestles with their belief in God, it’s not a sign that all hope is lost. It’s an opportunity for you to lean in and love your teen through the journey, no matter what the end result may be. n
Used by permission of Focus on the Family Singapore (www. family.org.sg), a local charity dedicated to helping families thrive through differentiated programmes, trusted resources and family counselling. © 2015 Focus on the Family. All rights reserved. International copyright secured.
Whole-Life Discipleship Symposium Sexuality | Identity | Relationships | Faith | Values Learn how these pillars can enhance your congregation’s discipleship process, and discover how you can get a snapshot of the pulse of your church through the Family Needs Survey. The Rev Mark Holmen, founder of the Faith@ Home movement, will also be joining us at this Symposium. 11 and 12 Sept 2015 | More information at wholelife.org.sg Picture by khunaspix/Bigstock.com METHODIST MESSAGE • JUL 2015
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MISSIONS
Student Sponsorship Scheme – Raising Hope despite Rising Prices The Rev Teresa Wilborn is a missionary from Aldersgate Methodist Church and the Assistant Director of Community Development in the Methodist Missions Society.
generous support of donors within the Methodist community in Singapore. For orphans or children from broken homes, SSS provides food, clothing, shelter, physical and spiritual care, as well as access to education. Unlike other sponsorship programmes, 100 per cent of all donations goes directly towards the support of the children; MMS does not apply a single cent of SSS contributions towards administrative purposes. By God’s grace and with your continued support, SSS will soon be expanded to help poor children in two of our newest mission fields: TimorLeste and Laos. If you have any questions about SSS or the increases to be implemented in August, please contact the Rev Teresa Wilborn at teresa.wilborn@ gmail.com or call 6478-4797. n
SPONSOR a child – visit u www.mms.org.sg/sss u www.facebook.com/mms.org.sg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_ MRT_%28Singapore%29#2002_to_2009 2 https://www.cdgtaxi.com.sg/ mediaviewer;jsessionid=pSnXzIcjzl4ihqBB94QXA**?mediaid=396 1
Answers to quiz:
Costs are rising to support children like these kindergarteners in the Methodist School of Cambodia.
Help is sought to continue sponsoring children like these at COSI, so they can attend school.
Year 2000 Year 2015 Inflation (S$ average) (S$ average) Rate 0.50 1.00 100% 2.00 3.50 75% 1.20 2.20 83% 0.40 0.80 100% 2.40 3.50 46%
Whether or not we know the exact answers, we would surely know the costs for these and for many other goods and services have increased exponentially over the past years. We also know inflation has had and continues to have a particularly devastating impact on developing countries, with families living below the poverty line suffering the most. In 2000, the Methodist Missions Society (MMS) established the Student Sponsorship Scheme (SSS) to provide care and access to education for desperately poor children. This programme has a two-fold purpose: to share the love of Christ and to help break the vicious cycle of poverty.
Monthly contribution rates for SSS have remained unchanged since the programme was created, yet costs have continued to rise. For example, the actual cost per month at the Methodist School in Cambodia now ranges from S$38 for kindergarten children up to S$61 for high school students. The actual monthly cost to support a child at COSI is S$134. In order to provide adequate care and continued access to education, MMS will adjust the monthly sponsorship rates with effect from 1 Aug 2015. For non-residential students, the contribution level will increase from S$30 to S$45, and for residential students from S$90 to S$110. For sponsors who have already made advance payments for periods extending beyond August, the increase will take effect only upon the renewal date of their sponsorship. For sponsors who pay on a monthly basis, the increase will take effect from 1 August. MMS has been sending out letters to each donor over these few months to ensure their understanding and to seek their continued support. Over the past 15 years, SSS has provided educational opportunities to more than 1,200 children and youths! Coming from the poorest families in Cambodia, Thailand and Nepal, these boys and girls would never have been able to attend school without the
Coffee Chicken rice Loaf of bread MRT ride1 Taxi ride2
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ow good is your memory? Take this test and find out. (Answers are provided below, but don’t cheat!) Fifteen years ago, what was the cost for these items? • A cup of coffee • A plate of chicken rice • A loaf of bread • The starting fare for an MRT ride • The starting fare for a taxi ride
Photos courtesy of Methodist Missions Society
WELFARE SERVICES
Does our education system help the poor? Chuang Bing Han is Web Editor (Communications and Fundraising) at Methodist Welfare Services.
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hoebe has big dreams. Since she saw a lawyer at work when she was 18 years old, she knew she wanted to be one. But she has huge obstacles in her way: Phoebe comes from a low-income family. Experts say Phoebe’s chances of realising her dreams of entering law school are very slim – less than half the average Singaporean student’s chances, in fact.
Parents’ educational level a determining factor for kids? The educational level of fathers seems to be an important factor in determining whether their children graduate with a degree. A study by an NUS sociologist, Associate Professor Tan Ern Ser, revealed that fathers with primary school or lower education are five times less likely than universityeducated fathers to see their children enter university. Another factor that affects the academic success of a child is the family income. The route to university is challenging. On average, only one in four students makes it. But it is even more challenging for students from lowincome families, making their dropout rate higher. Just 13 per cent of students from one- to threeroom flats made it to university.
The difference between the paths of students from lower- and higher-income families lies in the amount of resources that their parents have to invest in their education. Parents would invest in their children’s academic success through means such as gaining entry into better – and in many cases, more expensive – schools, extra tuition, branded enrichment classes and social network groups that enhance status, says Associate Professor Irene Ng, from NUS’ Department of Social Work. These depend strongly on the family’s income. It is still possible for low-income families to get ahead, says Prof Tan. But “possibility is not the same as probability”, he said. Students from low-income families are likely to fall behind because of the lack of family resources to invest in them. However, Prof Tan noted that there are ways to help students from low-income families, such as financial support, and equipping them with soft skills like networking, cultural sensitivity, emotional intelligence and providing them with mentors. These help to level the playing field for them, to give them a greater chance of achieving academic success. Financial support Recognising the need for financial support for students from lowincome families, Methodist Welfare Services (MWS) launched its Bursary Programme in 1986 to support students from Primary to Junior College and Polytechnic levels. For the school year 2015, MWS gave out bursaries totalling $300,700 to 860 students. Levelling the playing field MWS also provides enrichment programmes to help level the playing field for students from low-income families. The MWS Tutoring Programme helps disadvantaged students to keep up in class, by providing them with individualised tuition once to twice a week. The MWS Children in Performing Arts Programme also complements students’ academic learning with dance, drama and theatre classes to help them pick up important soft skills such as teamwork and self-discipline. n
GIVE u towards helping students from disadvantaged backgrounds improve their circumstances through education, by donating at www.mws.org.sg/donate
Picture by by Prasit Rodphan/Bigstock.com METHODIST MESSAGE • JUL 2015
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CHURCH PROFILE
AMKMC:
Growing and serving in Ang Mo Kio Irene Tay is a Pastoral Team Member in Ang Mo Kio Methodist Church and the Editor of their newsletter, The Journey, which is published three times a year.
Saying the Filipino pledge together during International Day Celebration.
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rom a rented semi-detached house at Mayflower Rise and an average attendance of 35 persons in 1977, Ang Mo Kio Methodist Church (AMKMC) has come a long way as the first church building project undertaken by the General Conference of The Methodist Church in Singapore. Our first Sunday Worship Service in our first sanctuary was held on Easter Sunday, 5 April 1981. Today, more than a thousand of us worship in a newly-built, triConference church completed in 2012, shared by Trinity Annual Conference, Chinese Annual Conference and Emmanuel Tamil Annual Conference. Back in 2008, God had moved our hearts towards rebuilding the church and through the faith, sacrifice and generosity of our members and friends, we thank God that the beautiful church building was completed and is fully paid for. Our current church vision is “To Be a Methodist Family after God’s Heart”, and we pray that we will be humble and obedient to His commandments and Great Commission. This year’s theme is “The Family That Prays Together”. Missions at our doorstep The Witness and Evangelism Ministry and Church Cell Ministries have worked together to help establish Filipino and Indonesian cell groups
so that our overseas friends can hear the gospel, be cared for, established in the faith and also be integrated into the church. Since 2013, International Day Celebration has been held annually in August to bless our foreign friends for their contributions to our families and country and to show God’s love to them. There is a time of singing the different national anthems, enjoying the cultural songs or dances, delicious food, fun games and gifts. Employers are also invited to attend this festive event. Apologetics Forum 1 Peter 3:15 tells us, “Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.” (NLT) The Apologetics Forum was started in 2014 and is held twice a year to buttress and support believers in their faith. We not only want believers to know what and why they believe in Jesus Christ and the Christian faith, but also to be able to answer queries from their pre-believing families and friends. We have covered the topics of: “Can the Bible be trusted?” (March 2014 by the Rev Anthony Lee) “Can we lose our salvation?” (August 2014 by the Rev Melvin Huang) “The Problem of Evil & Suffering in the world” (February 2015 by Dr Leow Theng Huat) “Does science disprove the existence of God?” (Upcoming in August 2015 by the Rev Chiang Ming Shun) We have seen how God has brought us through – with good leadership, hardworking volunteers in our various ministries, and generous member support – to extend His Kingdom here in Ang Mo Kio and beyond. What is more satisfying than the physical building or numerical growth is seeing the people whom God has called and is calling into the ministry and mission field. We are supporting three overseas missionaries in Philippines, Japan and Cambodia, and three local ones working in parachurch organisations. God has also answered our prayers to be a mission-conscious church as some are enrolling at Trinity Theological College and other schools to be better-informed believers, to serve and also to enter full-time ministry. n
Ang Mo Kio Methodist Church (Trinity Annual Conference) 1 Ang Mo Kio Street 21, S(569383) Sunday Service: 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. (English, traditional); 10.30 a.m. (English, contemporary, at main church and AMK Hub) Contact: 6705-6170 or visit www.amkmc.org.sg
We continue our series of profiling local churches from our three Annual Conferences of The Methodist Church in Singapore. As we come to have a better understanding of each other’s history and ministry, we may discover more opportunities to forge cross-church partnerships and collaborations.
PRAY u Each conference church has its own sanctuary with shared usage of classrooms and conference rooms based on timing and need. Pray to build on our unity in Christ as we face challenges in space constraints and different working styles. u We need to be faithful to teach the Scriptures and the whole counsel of God; to disciple and to care for our sheep as Jesus instructed. We need wisdom to help our people face challenges in their families and work, and to stand strong in challenges to their faith.
Photos courtesy of Ang Mo Kio Methodist Church
SAYSSOUNDINGS THE PRESIDENT
The myth of secular neutrality Dr Roland Chia is Chew Hock Hin Professor of Christian Doctrine at Trinity Theological College and Theological and Research Advisor of the Ethos Institute for Public Christianity (http://ethosinstitute.sg/).
S
ecularists have long ridiculed religion by portraying it as dangerous and divisive. Secularism, they insist, is not only objective since it is based on the natural sciences and empirical rationalism; it is also more tolerant and neutral, and therefore the best guarantor of social peace. Secular neutrality has been brandished about as if secularism is the ultimate solution to maintaining equity and peace in a plural and diverse society where different religions, moralities and ideologies are competing for attention and assent. In the realm of politics, the secular state alone is said to be the best arbiter of conflicting commitments and visions. According to them, the public square must be secular if the debates are to be fair and rational. Religious voices must be either excluded altogether or effectively muted if society is to achieve a ‘reasonable’ consensus on the most complex issues and challenges it faces. But the secular neutrality championed by the most fervent evangelists of secularism is nothing but a myth. Secular neutrality does not exist because secularism is a philosophy of life, an ideology, and, as some would even argue, a religion of sorts. That secularism is a philosophy of life, a worldview, is evident in the fact that one has to embrace a number of metaphysical ideas to be a secularist. An orthodox secularist must believe that the material world is all that there is, and that all talk about God and the afterlife is, in the final analysis, irrational. He must believe that human beings are the source of all meaning and value. And if like most secularists he is also one who believes in physicalism, he must believe that we are hardwired (neurologically and genetically) by evolution to make sense of our world in this way. Secularism also promotes a certain moral vision. Many secularists favour the way of understanding moral responsibility that philosophers call utilitarianism. That is why the philosopher Robert C. Solomon could describe secularist morality as a form of “naturalised spirituality”. If worldview is defined as a set of life-regulating beliefs, secularism certainly satisfies this definition. But secularism is also a religion of sorts because
its key beliefs are embraced by faith, despite its claims that they are grounded in science and reason. Furthermore, secularism also has its rituals and its priests like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens who promote its worldview. Secularism therefore has a missionary thrust; it is a proselytising ‘religion’.
“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.
If what I’ve argued thus far is sound, if secularism is a worldview or a philosophy of life, then it cannot be neutral. Thus, by privileging secularism we are in fact saying that this worldview, this way of looking at reality, is superior to other accounts. The myth of secular neutrality therefore allows a certain metanarrative to hold sway. And this has given rise to a new hegemony, a kind of ideological and cultural imperialism.
The myth subtly but powerfully presents secularism as the default position of rational people of goodwill by portraying secularism to be what it is not. And once secularism achieves its hegemonic aspirations, it accords itself with the power to define the role of religion in politics and in the public square. The myth of secular neutrality is therefore democracy’s worse enemy. By pretending to be a friend of democracy, the myth in fact renders modern secular societies undemocratic by shutting down alternative voices. As Hunter Baker has perceptively argued, “Secularism acts politically against its competitors and defines them as what it is not”. The myth of secular neutrality is therefore chiefly responsible for the tyranny of secularism. By portraying secularism to be what it is not, the myth presents religion as the problem and secularism as the impeccable solution. The refrain that many secularists often sing is “religion is dangerous and divisive, but secularism is tolerant, fair and neutral”. This assertion is either naïve, delusional or deceptive because any belief system can be said to be dangerous if its advocates are prepared to coerce others by law or by force to practice that belief. Insofar as secularism is a philosophy of life (and I have established that it is), it also can be dangerous. Are secularists guilty of such coercion? Secularism, asserts Robert Kraynak, “is highly intrusive in the imposition of secular liberal values”. It is not difficult to find evidence for this, especially in the West. We see it in how schools systematically indoctrinate young people in secular humanism, free expression of religion is prohibited, and sexuality and the family are redefined. Secular neutrality is a dangerous myth. It promotes intolerance and disrespect. n Picture by violetkaipa/Bigstock.com METHODIST MESSAGE • JUL 2015
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ACS OLDHAM HALL
The story behind the boarding hou Susan Ding is the Editor of Methodist Message. She put this article together with valuable input from Mr Terrence Chee, Executive Director of ACS Oldham Hall, and Ms Amanda Lee, Marketing Communications Executive.
Guest-of-honour Mr Lui Chong Chee arriving at Oldham Hall's Thanks Giving Dinner in 2014.
I
magine, at a young age, leaving your friends, family and country – all that is familiar to you – to go to a foreign land to study. What could help you stave off loneliness and homesickness as you grapple with a new culture, new school environment, and possibly new language of instruction? ACS Oldham Hall, one of two boarding houses in the Methodist family of schools, aims to fill this need and more – it hopes to provide a family atmosphere that nurtures all boarders and staff in their stay here. Humble beginnings Did you know that the Anglo-Chinese School (ACS), set up by the Rev William Fitzjames Oldham and his wife on 1 March 1886, was originally a school by day and a boarding school by night for students who needed boarding and lodging facilities? The Rev Oldham (a gifted teacher) had landed in Singapore on 7 Feb 1885 to establish a Methodist Mission, but immediately saw the need for a young society to be educated and determined to set up a Methodist school instead. A year later, he saw sufficient funds raised to set up ACS in a shop house along Amoy Street. The ACS school building continued to house missionaries and young boarders until 1888, when boarders were relocated to a separate boarding house in Oldham Lane known as Bellevue, located near to the present Plaza Singapura off Orchard Road.
A performance by students during the Hall's Thanks Giving Dinner in 2014.
In 1896, the boarding house was demolished and rebuilt in 1897. In 1902, the boarding house was renamed Oldham Hall in honour of Bishop Oldham. The following excerpt from an advertisement that appeared in the November 1891 issue of the Malaysia Message sums up ACS and the boarding philosophy of the time: “The Boarding school is located at Bellevue, in a large and commodious house with extensive grounds, and is under the personal superintendence of the Principal and his wife. Great attention is paid to the morals and the manners of the boys. “To English lads a home is offered, and to Chinese lads an opportunity to learn a correct accent and facility in expressing themselves in the English language.” In a book titled The ACS Story edited by Earnest Lau and Peter Teo, the wives of the early missionaries who also stayed in Belluvue all played their part in ensuring that the boarders lived in a “home” that was safe, well-managed and wholesome. On 14 Dec 1926, Oldham Hall moved to Dunearn House at Barker Road. Since then, it has been rebuilt twice, once in 1985 and most recently in 2001, together with the redevelopment of the ACS (Barker Road) campus. After the redevelopment, the current Oldham Hall reopened at the end of 2002 as a co-educational boarding house for students from ACS as well as other nearby schools. Oldham Hall also accepts international and foreign students studying in other local schools and international schools. It enjoys close proximity and spiritual affinity with ACS (Barker Road) and Barker Road Methodist Church. In the same way as it was then and is now, the boarding house ministry is driven by commitment to the vision and mission of
ACS Oldham Hall... hopes to provide a family atmosphere that nurtures all boarders and staff in their stay here.
use ACS Oldham Hall 80 Barker Road, Singapore 309937 Tel: (+65) 6252-8513 Web: www.oldhamhall.org Email: enquiries@oldhamhall.org Cheering on teammates from different teams in the 2015 Orientation Games.
Winners of talent competition Unleashed 2015 with a judge, Chairman Mr Hugh Yii.
Bishop Oldham in taking care of students who come from countries around the region, providing them with a Christian home environment.
experience fulfilment as they provide pastoral care to the students and in the process share the word of God with them.
The back-bone of the boarding ministry Our four-fold mission is to: u Provide a family atmosphere that nurtures all boarders and staff. v Create a secure and supportive environment so as to facilitate the holistic development of boarders into mature and caring young people who can contribute meaningfully to the local and international community. w Affirm all boarders as valued persons with potential in the eyes of God and to care for their well-being in order to support their growth as well-rounded individuals. x Impart Christian values and encourage the spiritual growth of all members of the Hall.
Did you know that you can support Oldham Hall’s ministry? Oldham Hall needs volunteers who are committed and dedicated to share God’s word with the students. u Befrienders help new boarders adjust to the Singapore culture and assist them during the transition from their home country to multiracial Singapore by bringing them out, having meals together and ensuring that they feel like they belong. v Assistant House Masters/ Mistresses (AHMs) assist the House Mistress and Deputy House Mistress in managing and caring for the boarders in the evenings. Lodging and meals will be provided by the Hall for volunteers that become AHMs. Depending on the number of boarders admitted to Oldham Hall, the Hall can accommodate up to 20 plus AHMs to assist in taking care of our boarders’ physical and spiritual well-being. w Readers who know of students from other countries studying in Singapore or students coming from abroad to study in Singapore and who need a safe and secure environment can introduce them to Oldham Hall.
Who are our boarders? Our boarders come from China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, India, Korea, Papua New Guinea, and Australia. All here for education either in government or international schools, they need a “home away from home” – a safe and secure environment so they can focus on their education. Additionally, Hall-wide events and activities are organised to help students make friends, develop their leadership skills, and learn character traits and values that will stand them in good stead. Volunteer Assistant House Masters and Mistresses (AHMs) who serve in Oldham Hall
Together, we can provide a warm and welcoming family environment to those who have left their homes at an early age to seek education in our land. n Photos courtesy of ACS Oldham Hall
We are conveniently located in the central part of Singapore, with easy access to convenience stores, a clinic, a supermarket and eateries nearby. Newton MRT is around 10 minutes away by bus and 15 minutes by foot. ACS Oldham Hall provides excellent boarding facilities to enable all boarders to live in a conducive environment where they can study and have recreational activities. The Hall has: ▶ 2-, 3-, 4- and 6-bedded rooms which are fully air-conditioned and come with a study desk, a single bed, book shelf and a wardrobe Community spaces include: ▶ A common room for indoor recreational purposes and where boarders can read their daily English newspapers ▶ A study room where boarders go at night for compulsory study time ▶ Pantries equipped with refrigerators, microwave ovens, and hot and cold water dispensers ▶ A Dining Hall, where daily meals are cooked and served. It is furnished with unique round tables encouraging boarders to interact better over meal times ▶ Professional laundry service (with ironing of uniforms) and self-laundry facilities to meet boarders’ needs ▶ Much greenery and many quiet areas for outdoor study as well as reflection Sports facilities: ▶ A gym within the Hall itself, a table-tennis area and a courtyard where boarders can play a game of badminton or organise a barbecue ▶ The Sports Hall where boarders can play basketball, badminton, Captain’s ball, etc. ▶ Outdoor facilities such as tennis courts, a futsal (street soccer) court and a swimming pool For more information on boarding or how to contribute as a volunteer, call (+65) 6252-8513 or email enquiries@oldhamhall.org METHODIST MESSAGE • JUL 2015
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METHODIST MESSAGE • JUL 2015
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HYMNS & SONGS
Remembering what God has done Count Your Blessings (Baptist Hymnal 1991, #644) When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed, When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, Count your many blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done. Refrain: Count your blessings, name them one by one; Count your blessings, see what God hath done; Count your blessings, name them one by one; Count your many blessings, see what God hath done. Are you ever burdened with a load of care? Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear? Count your many blessings, ev’ry doubt will fly, And you will be singing as the days go by. [Refrain] When you look at others with their lands and gold, Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold; Count your many blessings, money cannot buy Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high. [Refrain] So, amid the conflict, whether great or small, Do not be discouraged, God is over all; Count your many blessings, angels will attend, Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end. [Refrain]
Dr Yeo Teck Beng is Principal of the Methodist School of Music, and a member of Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church.
T
he period after the Lent-Easter cycle or more specifically after Pentecost Sunday, is designated as “Ordinary Time” in the liturgical calendar. Spanning some 33 or 34 weeks, Ordinary Time begins with Pentecost Sunday and continues until the beginning of Advent. For the first half of the year, the Church remembers and celebrates the salvific work of God through the great historic events from Advent to Pentecost. For the rest of the year, however, the saving, rescuing activities of God and his continuing presence among his people is no less dramatic or evident as it was in the Advent-Christmas or the Lent-Easter cycles. When the Christmas carols have died down together with the dismantling of the Christmas decorations, and when the Easter eggs have all been distributed, worship on the Lord’s Day carries on unfettered by the passing of the feast days. “Each Sunday is a feast, a little Easter, in its own right,” said Sister Joan Chittister of the Order of Saint Benedict1. In Sunday worship, the church still remembers God’s saving action in history; it experiences God’s presence, and anticipates the consummation of God’s works in the new heavens and new earth2. And what better way to remember what God has done than singing the hymn ‘Count Your Blessings’. The hymn text was written by a mercantile businessman-cum-Methodist-laypreacher named Johnson Oatman, Jr. (1856-1922), who was acquainted with the hymns of the church at a very young age by his father. Oatman went on to write over 5,000 hymn texts3. In the first two stanzas, Oatman seems to suggest that counting our blessings is the cure for life’s discouragements. Remembering the blessings that God has showered upon our lives seems to put our worldly troubles and cares in the proper perspective with the view of the eternal reward that awaits us (stanza 3). But the biggest blessing of all is the assurance that we will have God’s help and comfort till the end of our earthly lives (stanza 4). These simple and yet profound truths expressed in this hymn will indeed spare us much despair and inner tension in our daily living. n J oan Chittister, The Liturgical Year (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2009), 185. 2 Robert Webber, Ancient-Future Time: Forming Spirituality Through the Christian Year (Grand Rapids, Mich: Baker Books, 2004), 169. 3 Kenneth W. Osbeck, 101 Hymn Stories: The Inspiring True Stories Behind 101 Favorite Hymns (Carol Stream, Ill.: Oasis Audio, 2010), 55. 1
Picture by Maridav/Bigstock.com METHODIST MESSAGE • JUL 2015
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ALDERSGATE SG 2015 Highlights from ... continued from page 1
CONVENTION
Staff from The Methodist Church in Singapore with Mr Anthony Row, one of the three invited speakers.
The call to nation-building relates to Wesleyan convictions and expresses the motivation that in building the welfare of one’s nation, one also builds one’s welfare. Here are some interesting points from our guest speakers who shared their views from their different backgrounds during the three lecture sessions and a panel discussion. The first Aldersgate SG 2015 lecture was helmed by Bishop Emeritus Dr Robert Solomon, who was Bishop of The Methodist Church of Singapore from 2000–2012. His lecture referenced “social holiness” as a concept that is characteristic of Wesleyan thought and practice. Dr Solomon shared: “All holiness is social in nature. Simply put, all holiness is relational in nature.” Methodist theologian Randy Maddox has shown that Wesley saw the crucial connection between helping the poor and Christian sanctification. The early Methodists cared for the underprivileged and marginalised and started schools for poor children, orphanages and clinics. While all this is still being done today in Singapore, the challenges that Methodists face today include inequality of income and wealth distribution, issues within the migrant worker community, and fragmentation and social pathology within families. Dr Solomon concluded: “What the church is called to be is what you are called to be. What is your transforming influence? Are you called to make a difference in the world?” The second night was led by the Rev Asiri Priyalal Perera, who will take the office of the President of the Methodist Conference of Sri Lanka from August 2015. His lecture touched upon the heart-warming journey of the Sri Lankans from the early days of the Methodists who came, dislodged the caste system deeply ingrained in the history of Sri Lanka, and nurtured an education system that enlightened hearts and minds through the setting up of Methodist schools. Through evangelism and education, the church in Sri Lanka has mobilised youth to seek ethnic harmony and provided opportunities in understanding the divide between ethnic groups during the nation’s 30-year ethnic conflict. The Rev Perera called for the need for “sensitive evangelism in Sri Lanka” as they work through the many facets of the challenges they have in their country.
On the third day, Mr Anthony Row, the General Conference Secretary of the Methodist Church in Malaysia, addressed an audience piqued with interest on the affairs of a country rich in resources, Malaysia. Mr Row light-heartedly touched upon the things that irked both Singapore and Malaysia – having shared common roots of independence 50 years ago. He noted that the current state of Malaysia’s Christian community calls for a transformational change within the Methodist community. The many challenges faced in the nation include political factors along the sensitive lines of religion and racial tensions.
From left: Bishop Emeritus Dr Robert Solomon, Mr Anthony Row, the Rev Asiri Priyalal Perera and panel facilitator the Rev Chiang Ming Shun chatting with Bishop Dr Wee Boon Hup and the Rev Ivan Tan after the panel discussion on 23 May.
The Rev Dr Gordon Wong (far right), President of Trinity Annual Conference, attending the third lecture with leaders from his conference.
Thoughts from attendees at Aldersgate SG 2015: Mr Kong Peng Sun, Toa Payoh Methodist Church: “This is my first time attending the Aldersgate events. It is meaningful knowing how brothers and sisters in other countries are faring as we are not aware of their challenges. Being from Ipoh, Malaysia, I also wanted to catch up on what is happening there and hear more about the Malaysian perspective that is not found in the newspapers.” Ms Monica, Sembawang Tamil Methodist Church: “My church has missionaries that travel to visit people in Sri Lanka, so I can relate to what the Rev Asiri Priyalal Perera shared as I found his lecture relevant to the work our missionaries do abroad.” Mr John Chen, 76, a fourth-generation Methodist from Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church: “I found the first night’s talk very interesting. Our founder (John Wesley) emphasised a two-pronged approach: social gospel and salvation. Faith without works is dead, so we must also practice social righteousness to help the poor and needy. “Why do I come every year? I come to remember our founder John Wesley’s heart-warming experience, listen to various speakers, and see old friends from different churches. Being a Methodist, I’ve to support the Methodist Church.” Do join us for next year’s Aldersgate SG events. It will be a heart-warming experience like no other. n
“All holiness is social in nature. Simply put, all holiness is relational in nature.”
METHODIST MESSAGE • JUL 2015
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UNITY IN SPIRIT
Charity, Compassion and C Eunice Goh is Programme Manager of Children Services at Calvary Community Care.
Children at last year's Camp GROW.
“I am very glad that Celina can have an earlier start than my son. The programme is a great help to my children as I am unable to help them with English.”
Photos courtesy of Calvary Community Care
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hinese language preschool teacher Mdm Lu Xiaoyan was relieved and thrilled when her daughter, Celina, finally could register for GROW (Gain Reading, Oral and Writing skills), a literacy support programme developed by Calvary Community Care (C3) in 2010. Registered in March 2010, C3 is a not-for-profit voluntary welfare organisation that seeks to meet the social needs in the community regardless of race, age, gender or religion. C3’s main focus as a broadbased charity is on the elderly, youths and children through differentiated programmes such as GROW, ENCORE, Story L.A.B, ACE, and MACE. Mdm Lu had heard about the GROW programme from her colleague whose son had started in the programme without a mastery of the alphabet, yet developed reading skills after a year of lessons. The GROW curriculum was specially put together to address the needs of Kindergarten 2 (K2) and Primary 1 children who struggle to acquire reading proficiency in English. This year, the programme has been extended to K1 children. Mdm Lu said: “I am very glad that Celina can have an earlier start than my son. The programme is a great help to my children as I am unable
to help them with English.” She had seen how her son, Calvin, developed reading skills after he started attending the weekly lessons in K2 last year. “In particular, the graded readers that he brings home each week provide him with the opportunity to learn word recognition, progressing gradually from the basic level. This has helped him gain much confidence as well as motivation to read on his own,” she said. Mrs Eunice Goh, Programme Manager of Children Services at C3, said: “Many children from low-income or non-Englishspeaking families often lack the readiness to acquire literacy skills, but reading proficiency in English is a fundamental requirement for success in the formal school system. If they do not receive intervention that addresses their issues in reading readiness and support for their reading needs as they proceed to formal school education, their problems get compounded.” Another literacy support programme that C3 has developed is ENCORE (ENgagement and COmprehension in REading), where students are taught reading comprehension strategies. Mrs Goh explains, “Children with a poor literacy foundation often fail to be engaged in their reading. Their reading experience may involve no more than decoding words and they do not naturally make connections with the text.”
Children listening to a story read aloud at Story L.A.B
In addition, C3 runs Story L.A.B. (Literacy Awareness Builders), where a read-aloud story session provides children aged nine and below with the “bedtime story experience”. This is especially beneficial for children from non-English-speaking homes.
The GROW curriculum was specially put together to address the needs of Kindergarten 2 (K2) and Primary 1 children who struggle to acquire reading proficiency in English.
Care at the heart of our services
Youths in the ACE programme on a workplace visit to Dignity Kitchen, a social enterprise food court.
Story L.A.B provides children with the "bedtime story experience".
C3 also reaches out to youths through ACE (Active Community Engagement), a year-long enhancement programme run in neighbourhood schools for students in the Normal (Academic) and Normal (Technical) classes that focuses on life skills and character building.
ACE* (STAR: Strength, Tenacity, Active and Resilience) is a recovery programme established in 2013 for youths identified with emotional and/ or psychological issues. Our trained counsellors work in partnership with them and their families to empower them to achieve their goals and live in a safe, caring and inclusive community.
MACE (MOE.ACE) and PACE (PA.ACE) Youth Activity Centres are run in schools and community centres. These after-school activity centres promote social interaction and participation in activities in a safe and comfortable environment as well as provide avenues for youths to seek assistance and counselling. Programmes for the elderly run by C3 include Meals on Wheels (MOW) in collaboration and partnership with Touch Community Services and the Befrienders programme that reaches out to the lonely elderly in the Potong Pasir constituency. n
C3 is looking for opportunities to collaborate with partner organisations to run our literacy support programmes for the children in the community. Contact us at care@calvary.org.sg or call 6289-3900 for more information about our programmes.
HOME
SFMS students cultivate a spirit of serving and sharing Lim Yu-Jin oversaw the charity food sale and concert by students from St. Francis Methodist School.
M
artin Luther King Jr. once said: “Intelligence plus character, this is the goal of true education.” St. Francis Methodist School (SFMS) believes firmly in character education, evidenced in big bold letters at the entrance to the school: “Guide a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. – Proverbs 22:6”. SFMS believes that an essential part of character education is to show care and concern to our society. To this end, we bring our students to interact with the less
fortunate in our society – the elderly or people who are ill. Students are tasked to think of ways they can do their part to make the world a better place for these people. And the results? This year, SFMS students engaged in social entrepreneurship to raise funds for charity. Over $1,000 was raised by selling various food items, including sushi, muffins, tarts and apple pies, to their fellow students and teachers in the school canteen during break time. A portion of the funds raised was used to purchase food and gifts for residents of Bethany Methodist Nursing Home (BMNH), which were distributed via a fun “sure-win” Bingo game. The students also surprised and delighted the BMNH residents with a musical concert, belting out old
tunes that some residents sang along with. And at the end of day, the remaining $600 from the funds raised was donated to Methodist Welfare Services to help the needy. We thank God for giving us the opportunity to serve and to share. n
Photo courtesy of St. Francis Methodist School METHODIST MESSAGE • JUL 2015
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POEMS
The Son of Solomon Dr Oliver Seet is a member of Wesley Methodist Church and a Board Director of the Metropolitan YMCA.
I do not grieve for the father I never really knew, I, Prince Rehoboam, his only acknowledged son, his seed, his progeny; he had no time for me, no time to tutor me in the subtleties of statecraft and diplomacy, in wealth and people management, in conquest.
Such genius in governance and in meting out justice – divinely bestowed, lost now forever with his passage, for he never had time for me. Given wisdom no man ever had, did he live wisely? He lived not wisely but too well. Alas, he had such inordinate love for women – a thousand foreign-born! His prurience knew no bounds and at the last they governed him, turning his heart and mind away from Adonai to their own gods. He never taught me to harken to wise counsel or to walk the narrow path of righteousness or to worship no other god but Adonai.
Cursed be the day I chose to listen to my friends, spurning the counsel of the greybeards, who had imbibed his wisdom – godly men who loved the Lord. The world fell apart that fateful day I spoke harshly to all Israel with whiplash words my friends had taught me. The uproar of rage and fury from the twelve tribes of Israel tore through my soul and splintered forever the glorious kingdom of my father. O that he had only found time to cultivate in me the proclivity for the path of wisdom! 1 Kings 12
Background picture by tantrik71/Bigstock.com
I do not truly grieve for him, my father, the great King, whom the world revered for his unsurpassed wisdom and untold riches; for his Palace – the House of the Forest of Lebanon with its forty-five pillars of cedar embellished with five hundred gold shields that left visitors breathless with wonder at its opulence; and for the splendour of the Lord’s Temple with its two princely pillars of bronze, fashioned with delicacy by legendary craftsmen.
July REGISTERING FOR THE FIRST ETHOS INSTITUTE BOOK LAUNCH
14 July (Tuesday), 8 p.m. – 9.30 p.m.
St. Andrew's Cathedral, South Transept Hall, 11 St Andrew's Rd Attend ETHOS Institute’s first engagement series book launch titled Education and Society – A Christian vision of public education in Singapore with a talk by the author Dr Phillip A Towndrow. Organised by ETHOS Institute for Public Christianity, Register by 9 July. Free admission.
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For more info, visit http://ethosinstitute.sg/events/education, email info@ethosinstitute.sg or call 6304-3765
SIGNING UP FOR TTC’S TRINITY LECTURES
20-23 July (Monday-Thursday), 8 p.m.
Trinity Theological College, TTC Chapel, 490 Upper Bukit Timah Road Come hear Professor William J. Abraham give four lectures on the theme ‘Intimacy with Death’. Death is an inescapable reality both in the death of loved ones and in the prospects of our own deaths, making it an essential topic for contemporary analysis and exploration. The lecture topics are: 1) On Grief – Its Agony and Apophatic Character 2) On Doubt – Its Content and Resolution in the Face of Death 3) On Assurance – Its Tension with Hope 4) On the Death of Christ – Its Import for Grief and Suffering Organised by Trinity Theological College. Free admission. Register at http://www.ttc.edu.sg/ trinity-lectures-2015/register
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For more info, visit http://www.ttc.edu.sg/trinity-lectures-2015/, email info@ttc.edu.sg, or call 6767-6677.
VISITING COLOURS OF THE BIBLE ART EXHIBITION
29 July (Wednesday) – 10 Aug (Monday), 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Artspace@222, 222 Queen Street, #02-03
View winning artworks from the recent ‘Colours of the Bible’ art exhibition, jointly organised by The Bible Society of Singapore and The Embassy of Israel. Come see how entrants of all ages from both Israel and Singapore interpreted this year’s theme of “Heroes of the Bible” through their creative efforts, and sign up for the special hands-on art workshops held in conjunction with the exhibition. Organised by The Bible Society of Singapore and The Embassy of Israel. Free admission.
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For more info, visit http://colours.bible.org.sg/exhibition
SIGNING UP FOR SING GYM SING
1 Aug (Saturday), 1.30 p.m. – 5.30 p.m. Toa Payoh Methodist Church, 480 Lorong 2, Toa Payoh
Seniors, bring your family, friends and pre-believers to this gathering to sing evergreen pop and gospel songs of yesteryear. All seniors are welcome.
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Organised by Trinity Annual Conference Glowing Years Ministry. Fee: $6 per person, inclusive of tea fellowship; $3 per person for pre-believers. Sign up with your local church coordinators, or contact Ms Tan Chinn Ruey at tanchinnruey@trac-mcs.org.sg
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METHODIST MESSAGE • JUL 2015
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THINK
The problem of evil David Jonathan Graieg is a Masters of Theology graduate from Dallas Theological Seminary (2012). He served as an adjunct lecturer at East Asia School of Theology and attended Wesley Methodist Church from 2013-2015. He currently serves with City Bible Forum in Australia. David is happily married to Grace, and they have three young children: Sophie, Charlotte and Elizabeth.
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ne only has to turn on the news to hear of sad stories of all kinds – a mother killed by a drunk driver, a child dying of cancer, war between nations, earthquakes leaving villages in ruins, not to mention the issues surrounding ISIS. So, does Christianity have an adequate response? Where to begin? Philip Yancey in his book Where is God When it Hurts? states that if he had to give a one-sentence answer to this question he would reply: “Where is the church?” I begin this way because I realise that this is not merely an academic question. Life is full of suffering. As you read this you may be going through difficulties of various kinds, yet as a fellow pilgrim, I want you to know that the Christians of Singapore care and would be honoured to mourn alongside you and try to be the nail-pierced hands and feet of Christ. So please speak to any of us from the Church and allow us to help bear your burden with you.
Nevertheless, in brief, I would say perhaps we are in the position of Job, an innocent sufferer, who suffered because of the evil perpetrated by others. Further, Job was not in a position to know the reasons why God allowed him to go through this, but Job came to see who God is – God is the all-powerful creator, who knows all things – he is a God who can be trusted. God is trustworthy even if we don’t understand why He has called us for such a time as this.2 n
God is the all-powerful creator, who knows all things – he is a God who can be trusted. God is trustworthy even if we don’t understand why He has called us for such a time as this.
The logical problem of evil That being said, there is a time for an intellectual consideration of the matter and to this we shall now turn. The challenge raised against the Christian can be formulated as follows: 1. An all-loving, all-powerful God exists. 2. If God is all-powerful, He can create any world that He wants. 3. If God is all-loving, He prefers a world without suffering. 4. Suffering exists. 5. Therefore, God does not exist. The Christian can respond that premise 2 and 3 are not necessarily true and if that is even possibly the case, then the logical problem is false. Premise 2 is not necessarily true, since if God has given humanity genuine free will, then it is logically impossible for God (or anyone else) to make someone do something freely.1 Also, premise 3 is not necessarily true either. God could have morally sufficient reasons for allowing suffering such as to bring about a greater good, perhaps the existence of free creatures or the formation of character. As long as any of these suggestions are even possibly true, then the logical problem of evil is not successful. But a problem still remains So, while the logical problem may have been answered, the questions still remain: Why me? Why does it hurt so much? Why did I have to go through this particular instance of suffering? In response to these, kindly see my next article on the emotional problem of evil (slated for MM Oct 2015, P24).
Specifically, a Libertarian understanding of free will, namely that determinism and freedom are incompatible and humans are free. For more information, see: Steven B. Cowan, and James S. Spiegel. The Love of Wisdom: A Christian Introduction to Philosophy. Nashville, Tennessee: B&H Publishing, 2009. Section 5.3. Kindly note that this does not mean God is not sovereign – God certainly is. For a defence of this see section 6.2 and section 6.3 for a more detailed defence of the logical problem of evil. 2 For those who would like to hear both sides of the matter I would suggest the debate between William Lane Craig and A.C. Grayling at the Oxford Union in 2005 on: “Belief in God makes sense in light of Tsunamis.” Available at: http://www.premierchristianradio.com/Shows/Saturday/Unbelievable/ Episodes/Unbelievable-5-Jul-2011-William-Lane-Craig-vs-AC-Graylingdebate-on-God-Evil 1
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