See Page 4

The Methodist Church in Singapore

Vol 115 no 5 May 2013 iSSn 0129-6868 MCi (P) 172/02/2013 www.methodistmessage.com

As founder of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation set up in 2008, the former British prime minister said: “I am a Christian and will remain so. This means that there are certain beliefs that I hold dear. But I can, without reducing my Christian commitment, surely accept that someone else, brought up in a different tradition, holds a different set of beliefs, holds them as strongly as I hold mine, and I can respect that person and his/her right to believe as he/she does.”

And as Mr Blair has aptly put it – the struggle in the world of Faith is often a struggle between the open-minded and the close-minded. Here in Singapore, initiatives like the Building Bridges Programme which was launched in 2012, are being rolled out towards building greater interfaith understanding and strengthening social cohesion.

As Christians, we must seek the welfare of our city (Jeremiah 29:7) and our fellow sojourners in the journey of life. We recognise that building interfaith bridges is essential to the well-being and stability of Singapore. We are living in a vulnerable world where religious bigotry, strife and conflicts are often manifested in violence. Irrational fear and prejudice are often created by ignorance because we fear the unknown.

I was blessed to have had the opportunity to attend the recent Building Bridges seminar organised by the Harmony Centre, the inter-faith arm of the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) and the National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS) held at the Singapore Islamic Hub on April 6, 2013.

The theme for this inaugural Seminar was “Religious Tradition and Authority in a Post-Modern World”. The outcomes from three

Inaugural Building Bridges Seminar 2013

Cross the road to be better neighbours

By Gabriel Liew

Picture by Brian Jackson/Bigstock.com.

Inside this issue:

2 Aldersgate Hymn Festival

Calling all Methodists to join in an evening of music and spiritual truths

6 Citizens, Permanent Residents and pilgrims

Has your heart changed its citizenship?

8 Business as Missions A role for business people

in fulfilling the Great Commission

10 Face to face with Nicky Gumbel

In conversation with the man behind The Alpha Course

12 Sengkang Methodist Church

From an underground “seed” to a tree of outreach

15 Page from the Past Can English-speaking

members start a successful Mandarin ministry?

17 From Easter to Pentecost

The season of Eastertide and the significance of Pentecost

19 MAY is the month for…

A bumper crop of upcoming events for your participation

“We become neighbours when we are willing to cross the road

for one another. There is so much separation and segregation: between

black people and white people… between Muslims and Christians, Protestants and Catholics… There is a lot of road-crossing to do. We

are all very busy in our own circles. We have our own people to go to

and our own affairs to take care of. But if we could cross the road once

in a while and pay attention to what is happening on the other side, we

might indeed become neighbours.” – Henri Nouwen

CROSS THE ROAD

METHODIST MESSAGE, MAY 2013

2COMinG UP

May 24, 2013 marks the 275th anniversary of Aldersgate and John Wesley’s heart-warming experience. Wesley Day is being observed in the UK through special programmes. In addition, World Methodist Evangelism, a division of the World Methodist Council, is conducting a nine-day pilgrimage to trace John Wesley’s steps to Aldersgate.

Picture painted by Robert Hunter, 1765.

275TH Anniversary of Aldersgate

Pray as one global Body in Christ on Pentecost Sunday as we unite in repentant and transformational prayer on May 19, 2013, the Global Day of Prayer (GDOP).

In Singapore, 17 host churches will gather to pray in seven different languages. They include:

Pentecost Methodist Church (English) 4.30 pmToa Payoh Methodist Church (English) 4.30 pmwith concurrent Children’s GDOPFairfield Methodist Church (Mandarin) 7.14 pm

www.gdop.sg/2013www.globaldayofprayer.com

Join Our MM Volunteer Team!• Writers • Photo Buffs • Sub-Editors • Reporters

• Plus other opportunities

You will be assigned events to cover. You may be asked to interview someone interesting. You can re-shape an article and make it tighter and more engaging.

Join our Methodist Message Team where you can make a real difference to our Church’s national newsletter.

Call Grace Toh at 6478 4793 or email her at grace.toh@methodist.org.sg

Ms Judith Mosomos directing both choir and congregation during the 2011 Aldersgate Hymn Festival.

– Methodist Message picture.

‘Called together’ to the Aldersgate Hymn Festival

An Evening of Music and Spiritual TruthsJoin us in a joyous celebration of a shared musical tradition and heritage as all persons called Methodists come together to remember the supernatural touch of the Holy Spirit on John Wesley’s life, and his subsequent spiritual transformation and passion for reaching the poor and the lost.

SUNDAY May 26, 2013 at 7.30 pmPaya Lebar Methodist ChurchTheme: Called Together By His Grace

Raise your voices with us as we sing well-loved hymns, as well as praise songs, supported by a contemporary band and even handbells.

We celebrate our rich hymn legacy as Methodists, in particular the works of John and Charles Wesley who were moved by the same Holy Spirit who today calls us to translate the unchangeable truths about God into the language and music of our times.

See you there!

METHODIST MESSAGE, MAY 2013

3BiShOP’S MESSAGE

IT IS A SUBJECT that has been raised countless times. Why do followers of Christ find it hard to talk about Him and share the Gospel?

It is basically a matter of fear. Like in many areas of life, fear

operates where in reality the perceived grounds for it to rear its ugly head are actually non-existent. I remember when I first learned this lesson in personal evangelism.

My team leader in the campus ministry noticed that I had not actually shared the Gospel much with

Too scared to share the

Gospel?

TheBishopWrites

DR wEE BOOn hUP

BiShOP

other unbelieving students. So he gave me an assignment: share the Gospel with at least one student every day for one week.

That was what I did. I found out that my classmates whom I had pre-judged to be critical of Christianity were actually open in my conversation with them, patiently listening as I drew the illustration to share the Gospel. There was this one student who was a philosophy major, one that I had thought would give me the toughest time. But as I shared with him, he was polite even as he declined to make a decision to believe in Christ.

The fears that make us hesitate about opening our mouths to talk about Jesus are mostly groundless. And we can only realise they are untrue after we have gone ahead to share in spite of them. I would go so far as to say that these kinds of fears are actually thoughts sown in our minds by the

enemy (a.k.a. Satan, the deceiver, the liar) to prevent us from taking the first step.

We should not allow fears to occupy us so much whenever we are prompted by the Holy Spirit to share the Gospel, because fears make us focus on ourselves instead of God Himself. Paul says in Romans 1:16 – “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” Note: the Gospel itself is the power. So rather than focusing on our fears, we should

put it this way: “The love of Christ controls us” (2 Cor 5:14, ESV); “Christ’s love has moved me to such extremes.

just let the Gospel do its own work as we share it. Here the power is not in the messenger, but in the message itself. Can we understand now why our enemy wants to stop us even before we can say the first word?

But we cannot place the blame entirely on the enemy. The fear about possible negative responses by those we want to reach may be groundless. However, that we should even believe such lies is a true reflection of what is in our hearts. 1 John 4:18 says: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear… The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” Our reluctance to broach the Gospel simply means that our fear of being reproached or rejected by a person is greater than our love for God.

What would “perfect love” in this aspect look like? Paul, the great evangelist and pioneer church-planter,

His love has the first and last word in everything we do.” (2 Cor 5:14, The Message).

While we are moving towards perfection in that direction, we cannot

simply pass up opportunities that present themselves before

us. Seize them. Talk about the Gospel.

When, and if, we face

rejection and reproach in the process, we will find the love of God more than sufficient in those situations. It is in those very experiences that we are being perfected in love. If we do not act, we may also pass up opportunities for God to do His work of love in our own hearts.

This process of perfection is not only regarding God’s love for us. It is also about our love towards those we talk to, respecting their views, and continuing to be their friends even if they decline to believe. In this way, we can keep the conversation on the Gospel as an on-going affair.

Picture by Balazs Toth/Bigstock.com

METHODIST MESSAGE, MAY 2013

4 hOME

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Getting it rightIN THE MEDIA, they call it a “blooper”, and we’re sorry to say that the unthinkable happened in our last issue. We got the colours in our Methodist Church logo wrong - the blue was swopped with the red!

In case you didn’t notice, here’s how it should be:The cross of Calvary is in blue, and the flames should be in

red. The cross represents the love and care of our Lord, and the flames represent the Holy Spirit or “tongues of fire”, and within this image is the letter “M” for Methodist.

We’re sorry and we’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again!– The Editor

From Page One

engagement sessions held last year were presented at the Seminar. Representatives from the Muslim and Christian faith groups

had met at these engagement sessions to analyse the impact of modernity on their respective faith communities, and the corresponding role and response of religion in the context of an advanced industrial society.

The themes of these engagement sessions were: “Religious Tradition and Authority in Islam and Christianity”; “Religious Tradition and Authority and the Challenge of Post-Modernity”; and “Educating Youth about Religious Tradition and Authority in the Post-Modern World”.

We were enlightened and enriched by the depth of research, thinking and wisdom in all the presentations. We were inspired by the sincerity, honesty, graciousness and respect among the diverse faith and non-faith communities. We were touched by the gracious hospitality of our beloved Muslim friends.

The panel of distinguished speakers comprised Ustaz Alfian Yasrif Kuchit (President of the Syariah Court), Ustaz Mohd Hannan bin Hassan (Vice Dean of Islamic Learning and Development at Muis Academy), Ustaz Mohd Murat Bin Aris (Executive Director of Madrasah Aljunied Al-Islamiah), Dr Leow Theng Huat (Lecturer at Trinity Theological College), the Rev Dr Andrew Peh (Dean of Students at TTC) and the Rev Malcolm Tan (Pastor-in-Charge of Barker Road Methodist Church).

The session was skilfully moderated by Mr Mohamed Imran

Bin Md Taib, the Programme Consultant at Muis Academy, with Dr Hoon Chang Yau, Assistant Professor of Asian Studies at the Singapore Management University, as the insightful commentator.

Guest-of-Honour at the seminar was Mr Lawrence Wong, the Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY). About 300 people, including leaders from 10 religions and members of the public, attended the seminar. The proceedings of the seminar will be published and made available for wider distribution.

Building interfaith bridges with integrity does not mean we are compromising our faith. We recognise and respect our mutual similarities and uniqueness in our theologies and beliefs. As Christians we worship God, only through the Christian way and there is no fear of syncretism with the other religions.

We do not mix our religions into a common melting pot. Instead, each religion maintains its own distinctive way of practicing its faith according to its respective faith traditions.

Interfaith dialogues enable us to understand, appreciate and respect one another. Christians should be bridge-builders and not wall-makers. As such, we can respond to the recurrent call by our nation’s leaders to build trust and friendship with people of other faiths. In this day and age, we can ill afford to huddle in our holy ghettos and be insulated and isolated from our pluralistic society and the world.

Together with other faith communities, we seek to live out our universal spiritual and human values of neighbourly love, compassion, justice, tolerance and peace. For we are all members of the same human family and we are all created in God’s image.

Jesus Christ said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9) Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with us.

Rev Gabriel Liew is a pastor of Kampong Kapor Methodist Church.

Cross the road to be better neighbours

4

PRAY n for opportunities to make friends

from other faiths n for sensitivity and wisdom in building inter-faith bridges

METHODIST MESSAGE, MAY 2013

55PRESiDEnt’S MESSAGE

PRAYER IS THE MOST IMPORTANT component of a believer’s spiritual life, and it has to be practiced continually for us to attain spiritual growth. Prayer is also the incisive weapon of defence against Satan’s schemes. Jesus told His disciples that some evil spirits could only be driven out by prayer (Mark 9:29). Paul urged the churches repeatedly to pray, especially for opportunities to spread the gospel.

Paul prayed continually for the dispersed believers, and even when he was in jail the prison walls could not muzzle Paul’s prayers for them. In his letter to the church in 1 Timothy 2, Paul urged first of all that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority. This was an astonishing request as the reigning emperor at that time was the tyrant Nero and those in authority were imposing emperor-worship and heathen religious

Why pray for rulers of nations?“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people.”

1 Timothy 2:1

practices on the people. But it is expressly for the reason that decisions and actions of rulers have a far-reaching impact on those they govern, that prayers for leaders are necessary.

We live in a globalised world and the international community has become closely-knit, but the church has to continue praying for the world’s nations. We are invariably affected by political, social or economic turbulence in surrounding nations and those in the region. Hence, we pray for nations

Says The CAC

PresidentChOnG Chin ChUnG

REV DRnear and far so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity (1 Timothy 2:2).

Quoting from Isaiah, Jesus Christ declared that the Lord’s temple would be a house of prayer. So is the church. Let us remember to pray for the nations whenever we gather to pray.

The Methodist Church has a worthy tradition of holding its prayer meetings on weekdays to pray for believers and nations. It is lamentable that many of these are poorly-attended and some churches have even made changes to hold prayer meetings either before or after the Sunday worship service. Believers’ prayers are the gauge of a vibrant church, and I believe a church’s revival hinges on vitalising its zeal for prayer.

The Rev Dr Chong Chin Chung is the President of the Chinese Annual Conference.

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6 YOU & YOUR FAMiLY

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Founded in 1997 as an agency of the Methodist Church in Singapore

I HAVE A CONFESSION to make. Although I carry a pink Identity Card and have completed all my National Service liabilities, I am not a citizen by birth. I was born in the town of Kuching, in the state of Sarawak, in East Malaysia.

This fact has not escaped the keen eyes of many Immigration Officers who have thought that my application to enter their country deserves a little closer scrutiny. I suspect that it is because of this fact that I have been asked a few more questions and even had my bags searched at times. You could say that I was a victim of Ethnic Profiling. Apart from this, I seldom give my heritage a second thought. I regard myself as a rightful citizen of this tiny red dot.

It is for this reason that I am both perplexed and disturbed when I read in various media forms how strongly people feel the need to distinguish ourselves as citizens, Permanent Residents, or visitors. With competition for employment, fewer available seats in the food courts and MRT, and even rising property prices, we have become more conscious of who has a greater right to be here. Though we are happy for tourists to visit and spend their money here, we have become less welcoming of those who settle a little longer.

This less-than-charitable spirit is not the affliction of Singaporeans alone. When economies are buoyant and there are

Citizens, Permanent Residents and pilgrims

By Benny Bong

plenty of resources to go around, people tend to be more generous. The reverse becomes true when there is scarcity, be it perceived or real. We tend to be more territorial. Having said this, I must add that local incidents of overt expressed prejudice against another ethnic group are rare and when they do occur, they are kept in check by the authorities.

Still, some might ask, is there any harm in being a little more nationalistic? After all, should not citizens have some special rights and privileges over non-citizens? Citizens pay tax and serve their nation in various forms, so does it not count for something?

I am all for having a sense of national pride. Having lived here almost all my life, I feel that we have much to be proud of by way of our nation’s almost miraculous success. Our history of harmonious inter-ethnic existence stands in direct contrast to nations that are split apart by racial tension and strife. In addition, it is also because of our history that we have to learn to be more inclusive and accepting of other cultures.

Almost all of us are of migrant stock. Many of us have come directly from Malaysia, China, India, and Ceylon. If we are not direct immigrants, then perhaps our parents or their parents were. The only persons who can truly claim the right to be here are perhaps the descendents of the 150 or so “Orang Laut”, whom our history books tell us were the original settlers when Sir Stamford Raffles first arrived.

Is there a biblical perspective to this topic of citizenship? I can think of one oblique reference in the New Testament. Jesus reminded His disciples in Matthew 22:21 to “give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s”. It would appear that the focus is not on our rights as citizens but on our responsibilities to the rulers that be. Indeed we may not always agree with them and in the case of the Israelites, being an occupied people, they had more reasons to disagree with their Roman rulers. Nevertheless, Christians are to be good law-abiding citizens. We are to do our lawful duty as citizens.

In this day and age of greater political awareness and empowerment, this seemingly subservient stance might appear out of place. What makes it possible for the Christian to be so dutiful is the fact that we are only pilgrims on our journey to our final destination. In today’s terminology, all Christians are Permanent Residents here on earth and this status is valid as long as we inhabit this earthly form. After which, we join others ahead of us in our citizenship of Heaven.

With this mind-set, we are asked to lay up for ourselves treasures in Heaven where neither moth nor rust can consume (Matthew 6:20-21). This also means that our focus is not on the appreciation or depreciation of our worldly assets or quality of life, as these are but momentary given the eternal span of time.

If we are getting more upset with what we have to share with our new residents, perhaps we are becoming a little too attached to our earthly treasures and this may be an indicator of our heart’s changing citizenship.

METHODIST MESSAGE, MAY 2013

7YOUth

Lessons from a Nepal missionBy Benjamin Lau and Nicholas Hui

AS PART OF TRACKERS, a three-month discipleship course organised by Truthmin (Trinity Annual Conference Youth Ministries), our team comprising seven participants and two group mentors embarked on a mission trip to Nepal from February 18th to March 1st this year.

Below are some of the reflections from our final debrief at Nargarkot, Nepal. Highlights

Experiencing the majesty of God’s creation through the snow-capped Himalayan ranges and the plummeting valleys found in Nepal brought new perspective to Romans 1:20. “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”

God showed us a beautiful rainbow as we approached the bottom of the hill in Phulbari – He had a purpose for the rain!

The importance of being effective, versus being efficient. We learnt this in our interaction with different pastors and missionaries as they shared with us the struggles they faced, alongside juggling responsibilities as God’s servants and parents.

The unity of our team, although many of us come from different churches, and had different working styles, personalities and spiritual gifts. We were very encouraged by Pastor Saba, one of the District Superintendents, who affirmed our unity of spirit.

A constant awareness of God’s presence, through consciously doing daily devotions and debriefings at night. Biggest take-away

Better understanding of the challenges that the missionaries and local pastors in Nepal face. The time we spent with these missionaries and local pastors, as well as their families, allowed our team to

This article was jointly submitted by Benjamin Lau, a Youth Worker in Wesley Methodist Church, and Nicholas Hui, a member of Barker Road Methodist Church.

see how they lived out their faith in a country like Nepal, where the political atmosphere is unstable and poverty is pervasive.

Our plan to travel to Phulbari on the second day of the mission trip was disrupted by a strike that very morning. All shops in Kathmandu were closed and hardly any vehicles were on the road. However, we took this change of plans as an opportunity to observe Nepali life by going for a prayer walk through the streets.

What we learnt from our mission tripBetter understanding of what missions means and the role of

our missionaries in Nepal, as we observed them serving the Lord and acting as catalysts for God’s work there.

Greater awareness of how culture affects church practices. For example, Holy Communion was administered only to those who have been baptised even though Methodists usually practise

the open table. Instead of greeting with the word “Namaste”

which means “greeting the god in you” in Nepali, Nepali Christians say “Jaya Masi”which means

“Victory in the Lord”. In this way, we would immediately know that the person is a

fellow believer.

A memorable experience

We can confidently say that each of us in the

team has learnt much from this trip. We will remember experiences such as helping

to lay the foundation for the church annex in Phulbari for

the first week. We also prepared an evangelistic event reaching out

to the Nepali youths through songs and games in the second week, where 30 out of the 70 youths that attended were pre-believers.

Now that we are back in Singapore, we hope that God will continue to do His will and work in the lives of the pastors, missionaries and locals in Nepal. “Jaya Masi!”

n for God to stir the hearts of Phulbari church members to

fulfil the Great Commission in Kavre n for God’s favour on the children’s ministry as they use the new church annex at Phulbari for their programmes n for God to grant strength and wisdom for our missionaries in Nepal, and that His love and grace will be reflected through their lives and ministry

METHODIST MESSAGE, MAY 2013

8 MiSSiOnS8

HAVE YOU WONDERED if there is a role for business people in fulfilling the Great Commission? What is God’s purpose for work and business? What is the role of business in the mission of the church? What does this term “BAM” that we keep hearing about really mean?

Under the auspices of the Lausanne Conference, a forum Business As Missions (BAM) Issue Group was formed to explore these questions. More than 70 people, including theologians, business people, church and missions workers from all continents, worked together for over a year gathering research, examining case studies, and engaging in prayerful dialogue.

An excerpt from their work published in 2004 states the following: BAM is about business with a Kingdom of God perspective, purpose, and impact. We recognise there is a need for job creation and for multiplication of businesses all over the world, aiming at the quadruple bottom line: spiritual, economic, social,

and environmental transformation. We recognise the fact that the church has a huge and largely untapped resource in the Christian business community to meet the needs of the world – in and through business – and bring glory to God in the marketplace and beyond.

BAM has since crystallised into a movement among Christians around the world.

In 2011, a BAM Taskforce was established to determine how business as missions could support the vision and objectives of the Methodist Missions Society (MMS). This Taskforce, chaired by Mr Han Hai Kwang, is composed of 12 clergy and business people representing 10 local Methodist churches in Singapore.

In January 2013, the MMS Executive Committee endorsed the Taskforce’s recommendation to establish a separate company with limited guarantee to serve as an investment channel for business as missions in designated countries. The proposal will be submitted to the General

Conference of The Methodist Church in Singapore for final approval.

The vision of this entity is to reveal Christ and continue His work on earth through business development, expansion, and multiplication. Its mission is to use the talents and resources God has given us to help others build viable and profitable businesses so as to sustain and support ministries that will glorify God. Christians with a heart for missions, especially those from business and professional sectors throughout Singapore, are invited to join as founding or general members.

If the Lord is calling you to support business as missions or if you simply have questions about BAM, please contact the Rev Teresa Wilborn, MMS Assistant Director of Community Development, at teresa.wilborn@gmail.com for more information.

The Rev Teresa Wilborn is the Assistant Director of Community Development of the Methodist Missions Society.

What’s business got to do with it?By Teresa Wilborn

METHODIST MESSAGE, MAY 2013

99wELFARE SERViCES

WHEN AGAPE METHODIST HOSPICE (AMH) HOMECARE started in 1990, it focused on hospice volunteers, training and developing them for the hospice ministry in Methodist churches. It was only later that it gradually grew and expanded its services to having a full-fledged medical team that cares for those with advanced illnesses in their homes.

However, AMH Homecare has not forgotten those who were instrumental to its early ministry. Volunteers, also known as befrienders, continue to form an integral part of the service, as they provide emotional and social support to the patients and their families.

An integral part of AMH Homecare’s holistic care

While the doctors and nurses visit the patients regularly for medical treatments, the befrienders are like their companions who would offer a listening ear or run errands for them like accompanying them to medical appointments.

Ms Sally Kong, who has been a befriender with AMH Homecare for more than a year, has been working in the healthcare industry for years and is comfortable with the topic of death. Hence, when she was searching for areas to volunteer in and was referred to AMH Homecare, she readily grasped the opportunity.

In addition, as a trained counsellor, she had a good idea of what patients with advanced illnesses required from befrienders. “They just need a friend. I keep them company and talk to them about general things like food and their family,” she said.

However, those with no palliative care experience can volunteer too. Often, AMH Homecare nurses would provide befrienders with simple training like using selected home medical equipment or proper methods of moving bedbound patients.

Ms Moira Tan, AMH Homecare’s Nurse Manager, said: “We’ll also give new volunteers a detailed handbook which provides all the information they need to know about palliative care and

Volunteers crucial for hospice careBy Michelle Tan

befriending patients with advanced illnesses.”

Presently, the homecare hospice service has 30 registered volunteers, with almost half of them actively befriending patients. There is also a group of senior volunteers from a local Methodist church that will buy food regularly for patients who reside in Queenstown. Ms Tan added: “Some of our dying patients request to eat certain foods, and the volunteers will search for the food and buy it for them.”

Volunteers still hard to come byDespite the training provided, it

is a challenge recruiting volunteers. Ms Kong, also a zone leader for the West region, faces difficulties matching patients with available volunteers. Very often, the volunteers are only available during the weekends as many are working professionals. However, most AMH Homecare’s patients prefer that befrienders visit on weekdays.

Ms Tan explained: “Their medical appointments usually fall on weekdays

so they’ll require transport to and from hospitals. They’re also more likely to be alone on weekdays since their family members will be working.”

In addition, there are many who are already volunteering elsewhere. Ms Tan added that some who have signed up only did so after they had personal experiences with palliative care.

However, Ms Kong believes that being a befriender is not difficult. “Their situations are serious and depressing enough, so our role is to break that monotony and make their last days as pleasant as possible, for example, by creating more light-hearted conversations.”

Being a volunteer at AMH Homecare is certainly not a glamorous task. However, it is more than sufficient reward to be able to bring some peace and companionship to the patients and journey with them until the end.

Michelle Tan is a Freelance Writer with Methodist Welfare Services, writing for Agape Methodist Hospice.

A training session for volunteers conducted by staff from Agape Methodist Hospice Homecare. – AMH Homecare picture.

VOLUNTEER n to befriend those with advanced illnesses. If you have a passion to help,

please call 6478-4766 or email admin@amh.mws.org.sg

1010 11METHODIST MESSAGE MAY 2013

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• Youth Alpha: for 11-18 year-olds. Excellent resources like guides, slides and books for leaders, and engaging materials for older and younger youths.

• Student Alpha: for tertiary students. Seven-session course, with excellent resources like video talks, admin notes, host and guest notes, launch invitations etc.

• Alpha for Prisons: 10-week course but can also be presented over a shorter period. In Singapore, the first Alpha for Prisons was conducted at Changi Women’s Prison and Kaki Bukit Centre in 2001. Since then, it has grown to include halfway houses and rehabilitation centres. A great way to extend and expand your church’s prison ministry.

• Relationship Central: Excellent courses developed by Nicky and Sila Lee on marriage preparation and marriage – a must for those about to get married, and those already married – happily or otherwise. The Parenting Course was launched in Singapore in 2011 and is helpful for any parents (regardless of faith or belief ) who desire to build strong foundations for their families.

• Worship Central: resource-rich site for worship leaders and musicians, including a Worship Central Course that aims to Encounter, Equip and Empower worship leaders. Full downloadable materials and information at www.worshipcentral.org.

In conversation with the man behind The Alpha Course

Face to face with Nicky GumbelThe Rev Nicky Gumbel turned the Alpha Course around after he took charge of it in 1990. Alpha was meant for new believers, but he realised that it could also appeal to non-churchgoers. Methodist Message caught up with Nicky in an interview facilitated by Alpha Singapore, and also sat in at the Breakfast with Nicky Gumbel dialogue held at Wesley Methodist Church a day later for church leaders and pastors from across Singapore. Below are excerpts of what he shared.

WE HAVE BEEN ASTONISHED at the growth of Alpha. I think of Luke 5:4-6 – the disciples cast their nets into the deep, and caught so many fish that the nets began to break. We have been astonished about the individual lives that have encountered Jesus and have been transformed.

The Holy Spirit has made this possible. It has spread from church to church. 169 countries, 65,000 churches, 20 million people. Last year, we saw a 29 per cent increase over the previous. We watch in astonishment as Jesus transformed lives.

Personally I’m a shy and introverted person. I did not have great testimonies. I was never good at sharing the Gospel. But Alpha offers a natural, unforced and unpressurised way to do it. Having a meal together, sitting around and chatting with friends – it was the way Jesus did it, in an incarnational way. That’s why for me, Alpha works. It’s about being authentic, real, being ourselves and being honest about our struggles.

Alpha’s not the only way, and it’s not necessarily the best way. If we find a better way, or if God withdraws His hand, we’ll stop Alpha. I am interested only in people coming to know Jesus.

We have to be united if the world is to believe. All the way around the world, there are countries divided, families divided, divisions in politics, the workplace, homes and the only way for these divisions to be healed, is for the church to be united. We are meant to be an example to the world – let’s not criticise it, let’s get our own house in order. The Holy Spirit is bringing around a new unity in the Kingdom of Christ – barriers are coming down.

Alpha works. I’ve watched it every time. In business terms, we’ve been through the research and development phase. This May, my wife Pippa and I will be attending our 69th Alpha small group in our church. We listen, and we help out in it. We love to watch people’s lives being changed. It has worked in every culture.

In Latin America, where there’s strong growth in the Catholic Church; in India, where just five years ago, we had 500 churches running it, now we have 23,000 churches doing it. People from mainland China – we don’t know of any group that’s more responsive to Jesus. But if you think of the size of India, China, there are still many who have not heard the Good News of Jesus Christ.

@nickygumbel: Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Myanmar and now off to India. The Church in Asia is vibrant, growing and inspiring. Jesus lives! (tweeted April 20)

Alpha is not about conversion. It’s about the transformation of society. Just as we’ve seen it work everywhere – in schools, universities, the workplace and the prisons. 85 per cent of prisons in the UK run Alpha.

In Singapore, we’ve been to Changi Prison, and in Malaysia, the prison in Bentong. The work has been amazing. I find there’s no greater blessing.

Consider running an ex-offender programme. If you run Alpha for prisons, you’re making a connection. The moment the person leaves prison, one of two things will happen. One of his old friends may turn up, and say to him – let’s go and do the things we did. Or, if your church is present – you can help him get a job, find somewhere to live.

At Holy Trinity Brompton church (HTB), we have 40 ex-offenders and they have grown a lot. Over the past 15 years, only two have re-offended, and that’s the lowest rate in the UK. The Government has seen that this is the most effective form of rehabilitation.

But there’re still new things I’ve discovered about Alpha. It is the way people experience faith. I thought you had to persuade people’s minds. It doesn’t work like this. When you do Alpha, you give people an experience of church.

Over the last 20-odd years, we’ve been changing the course. When we first started, the order of the talks started with the Bible, and then prayer. People found it easier to talk about the Bible, and prayer was more boring. But now people are more receptive to prayer, while the Bible is perceived to be too difficult. So we make 10 to 20 tiny changes with every course.

A group of young people run Project Alpha Innovation to evolve Alpha. Right now they are running 37 projects. Our aim is to get our updated materials to the churches. Some may still be using the materials we developed 10, 15 years ago. We want to get the “summer 2013” model to churches so that they can watch live talks streamed from HTB, and get all the updates on how things are run differently today.

It is our long-term vision to have a speaker for each version – someone who can talk to people in their language. It hasn’t been easy. Our videos are now dubbed in over 100 languages. But this is only a temporary solution. In France, we tried three times unsuccessfully. On the fourth attempt, it worked. Marc de Leyritz took 100 hours to study and replicate the exact same talk on each of our videos, in French, and today he heads up

Alpha France. It will be a slow process, and right now, France is the only country that is doing this.

Churches need new people, otherwise they become like the Dead Sea – very salty! We run Alpha three times a year, and that means there’re a lot of new people coming in to HTB. They come to faith at Alpha, and they become part of the church. And to have a healthy church, just as we have water coming in, we need to have water going out.

So we plant churches. There was a cathedral in Brighton, and they were going to close it, because they had just six people left. They boarded it up, as they couldn’t sell it because it was a listed building. One of our archdeacons said – an empty church building is like an empty palace of a long-forgotten king – people walk past and think that the king is dead. So we asked them to give it to us. We sent out 50 people, together with a clergyman, as well as my son, who went as an assistant, three years ago. They started services, and new people began to join. They now run Alpha, marriage and parenting courses, as well as a shelter for the homeless. Today, we have over 700 coming in for Sunday services – it is the largest church in the region.

@nickygumbel : Church is often like a football match: 22 people needing a rest, watched by lots of people needing exercise. (tweeted April 16)

Leaders? I don’t like the word. In the King James Version of the Bible, the word “leader” was used four times. The word “servant” – 900 times. I am reluctant to use the word, but it’s a fact that Jesus raised up leaders, and he was the greatest leader that ever lived. The word “leader”, used with the right meaning, is not a bad word. For the past four years, Alpha has been running leadership conferences – the first year, we had 850; this year, we expect more than 6,000 people at our May conference in the UK.

We have a leadership college for young people to attend between school and university, or after they finish their studies. It provides theological and leadership training. For international students, we offer a six-month course, starting in January 2014.

@nickygumbel : Be generous with encouragement. It is verbal sunshine. It costs nothing, it warms hearts and enriches lives. (tweeted April 20)

Nicky Gumbel is Vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton, a vibrant Anglican church in the centre of London and the “home’’ of Alpha.

METHODIST MESSAGE, MAY 2013

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Workers from Oikos.Community@Sengkang, the church’s community

outreach agency.

12hOME

SKMC’s Mid-Autumn Festival in 2012, reminiscent of their early outreach activities.

We begin a new series to profile 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,

there may be opportunity too to forge cross-church partnerships and collaborations.

From an ‘underground’ seed to a tree of outreachBy Lek Yong Teck n Pictures by Sengkang Methodist Church

ONE COULD SAY THAT it was God’s hand which sowed the seeds of ministry that would later become Sengkang Methodist Church (SKMC). How else can we explain why He gave the same vision to three Methodist churches to begin ministries in the emerging housing estate of Sengkang in the 1990s?

Gloria Methodist Church, as it was then known, became like a kernel of wheat which “dies” so that it may “produce many seeds” (John 12:24), as it approved the transfer of all its active members into the new church, SKMC, alongside members from Hakka Methodist Church and Paya Lebar Chinese Methodist Church. SKMC was constituted as a local conference of the Chinese Annual Conference on Sept 10, 2000.

Members of the new church worshipped in the Emmanuel Hall at Paya Lebar Methodist Girls’ School for two years while their church building at 31 Anchorvale Road was under construction. The hall, situated in the basement of the school, was converted from a former air-rifle range. At that time, the church’s office was situated in a bomb shelter in nearby Hougang. SKMC therefore became affectionately known to some as “the underground church”.

Inspired by two Bible verses, the Great Commandment in Luke 10:27 and the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-19, our mission is: To Seek and bring the lost and bring them into the Kingdom of God and Make them into fully devoted disciples who will continue the mission of Christ. The acronym for our Church, SKMC, is encapsulated in our mission.

Accordingly, outreach work in Sengkang began even before the church moved into its constructed premises. From 2000 to 2002, SKMC organised more than 20 community events such as Christmas celebrations and mooncake festivals to draw and attract residents from Sengkang.

As they conducted prayer walks, members also heard God’s voice to serve with nearby schools and community centres. Befriending work in neighbouring schools started, together with

the setting up of the Sengkang Methodist Children Centre (SKMCC) and Oikos.

Community@Sengkang (Oikos), SKMC’s community outreach arm.

Started in 2003, the Children Centre’s aims to serve the

Sengkang Methodist Church (Chinese Annual Conference)31 Anchorvale RoadSunday services: 9 am (English) and 11 am (Mandarin)Contact: 6385-9455 or office@skmc.org.sg

community through providing quality pre-school education. Today, it has become the preferred pre-school provider within the area, with parents queuing overnight in order to register their children.

Oikos, which means “family” or “household” in Greek”, is a family-centred social service agency located in the Sengkang estate to serve the local community. It aims to bring “Hope to Individuals, Unity to Families, and Harmony to Society through Life-Transforming Experiences”. It does so by providing family life education, youth and children programmes, and counselling services to the local community.

All these outreach efforts were built on the pioneering spirit and strong desire among SKMC’s members to reach out to the pre-believers in Sengkang.

As of April 2013, SKMC has a total membership of about 700 – a far cry from the 150 who first moved into the current Anchorvale premises. Ministries for different age groups are available, such as the Compass Ministry (children), D’Anchor ministry (youth), the Adult Bible Fellowship and the Evergreen Ministry (senior citizens).

In the coming years, SKMC aims to continue in its vision of “being a Disciple-Making Church”. To achieve this vision, SKMC strives to develop disciple-makers who will impact individuals, families, the church and community, and extend God’s kingdom.

From inception, God’s mandate to serve the Sengkang community was deeply impressed on the hearts and minds of all the leaders and members of SKMC. Like the mustard seed in Mark 4:31-32 which grows into a large plant that shelters birds in its branches, the church has grown to become a blessing to its community.

As we look back and recount all of God’s blessings upon SKMC and Sengkang, we can only marvel at the grace of God. From the winning of the tender to starting a church in Sengkang, to the construction of the church premises and growing from a congregation of 150 to a sizeable 700 worshippers, it is clear to us that the loving and mighty hands of God are upon SKMC.

The Rev Lek Yong Teck is the Pastor-in-Charge of Sengkang Methodist Church. He was one of its founding pastors.

131313LEARninG FROM thE hEREtiCS

Dr Roland Chia is Chew Hock Hin Professor of

Christian Doctrine at Trinity Theological College.

He worships at the Fairfield Preaching Point in Woodlands.

MEthODiSt MESSAGE, MAY 2013

THIS MONTH WE BEGIN a new series with a rather provocative title: “Learning from the Heretics”.

What is heresy? Heresy may be defined as the distortion of Christian belief that could ultimately subvert, destabilise and even destroy the core of the Christian faith. As theologian Alister McGrath puts it poignantly: “Heresy lies in the show lands of faith, a failed attempt at orthodoxy whose intentions are likely to have been honourable but whose outcomes were eventually discovered to be as corrosive as Nikolaos Balanos’ iron clamps.”

According to this definition, heresy is an evaluative notion. It is the Church’s judgement on a set of ideas based on what she believes to be true. The fathers of the early church have always regarded the internal threat of heresy as more dangerous than the external threat of persecution.

Any student of Christianity would know that the history of Christian orthodoxy is often accompanied by the shadowy history of heresy. The plight of the pilgrim church was reflected in Samuel John Stone’s sobering hymn written in 1866, The Church’s One Foundation: “By schisms rent asunder / By heresies distressed”.

One of the earliest heresies to emerge from Christian soil is Ebionitism. Our knowledge of this early sect comes mainly from the translations of the Old Testament by the Ebionite Symmachus, and portions of the Pseudo-Clementine literature.

The Ebionites sought to promote a distinctive form of Jewish Christianity. Confusing Jewish and Christian elements, and heavily influenced by the Essene monks, they held fast to the validity of the Law of Moses. So uncompromising was their commitment to the Mosaic Law that the Ebionites regarded Paul as the true enemy of Jewish Christianity.

It was Paul who opposed the reintroduction of circumcision (Gal 5). And it was Paul who taught that righteousness is to be found in faith in Jesus Christ, and not by simply obeying the Law. To the Ebionites, Paul became the first antinomian who rejected God’s law, and an apostate from the true faith when he elevated Christ above the divine Law.

Consequently, it was the Ebionites’ Christology – their

understanding of the person and work of Christ – that ultimately situated them beyond the boundaries of orthodoxy. For them, Jesus Christ was the true prophet of God, the new Moses, who alone was able to unite Judaism and Christianity. Thus, for the Ebionites, Christ was never divine, but merely “a man born of men”.

The Ebionites therefore rejected the doctrine of the pre-existence of Christ, the virgin birth and the incarnation. Furthermore, Jesus Christ was not always the son of God. He was adopted by God and anointed by God’s Spirit at a certain point in his life. Some Ebionites believed that this took place at Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist at the Jordan, while others (a minority) taught that Jesus became God’s adopted son at his resurrection.

As God’s adopted son and anointed prophet, Jesus was given a mission to announce the coming of the kingdom of God. The divine Spirit that descended upon him as he emerged from the waters of the Jordan empowered him for his mission and ministry.

The Ebionites taught that as God’s anointed prophet, Jesus came to fulfil the Law, not to abolish it. But according to them, Jesus fulfilled the Law by becoming its most perfect embodiment and by encouraging Jews and Christians to follow his impeccable example. There is no place in Ebionite Christology for the concept of Christ’s death as sacrifice and atonement. For them, the cross is unimportant and has no significance for salvation at all. What is important is the perfect obedience that Jesus exemplified throughout his life.

The Ebionites suffered from a particular impairment in their theological judgement that distorted their vision of Christ. They failed to grasp who Jesus Christ really was, the incarnated Son of God, who came to inaugurate a new covenant. They instead reduced him to a mere prophet who was different in degree but not in kind from the prophets of old. Although Ebionitism disappeared in the third century, other versions of Jewish Christianity have appeared in the history of the Church. Like their ancient predecessor, many of these later versions also fail to understand that “the law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves”. (Heb 10:1)

EbionitismBy Roland Chia

METHODIST MESSAGE, MAY 2013

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METHODIST MESSAGE, MAY 2013

PAGE FROM thE PASt

We invite dynamic & motivated individualsto join us as:

(1) AV & IT EXECUTIVE

ResponsibilitiesSupport, administer and oversee the IT & AV, sound and lightings of the Church’s events, meetings, training and worship servicesOperate and maintain audio-visual and IT equipment and softwareManage video-recordings of eventsManage & maintain inventory of AV & IT assetsConduct training for AV crew

RequirementsDiploma in IT, Audio-visual Technology, Digital Media or related technical fieldsITE graduates in similar fields are also encouraged to applyProficient in integrating computers with audio-visual and multi-media systemsGood knowledge of PC and Macintosh Has initiative, integrity and maturity Able to multi-task and perform under tight deadlines Ability to work independently and a good team player Required to work on evenings and weekends

(2) ADMINISTRATIVE EXECUTIVE

Responsibilities Provide secretarial and administrative support to the Pastors’ Office Provide administrative support to assigned ministries of the Church Assist in the organization of events and courses

Requirements GCE ‘O’ levels (with a good pass in English) or GCE ‘A’ levels Proficient in MS Office applications Good written and oral communication skills Has initiative, integrity and maturity Possess good organizational skills with ability to multi-task Ability to work independently and a good team playerAble to work on evenings and weekends when required

Please email your detailed resume to hr@tpmc.org.sgClosing Date: 15 June 2013

We regret that only shortlisted applicants will be notified. Successful candidates will be offered a 2-year contract with opportunity to renew with longer tenure contracts thereafter.

BARONESS MARGARET THATCHER died April 8, 2013. She was Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1979 to 1990, and daughter of Methodist lay preacher Alfred Roberts. Her political views were shaped considerably by her religious beliefs. We quote from her 1988 speech to the Church of Scotland: “We must not profess the Christian faith and go to Church simply because we want social reforms and benefits or a better standard of behaviour; but because we accept the sanctity of life, the responsibility that comes with freedom and the supreme sacrifice of Christ.”

By Chris Collins of the Margaret Thatcher Foundation,

CC BY-SA 3.0, http://ow.ly/jR9GL

This month’s “Page From The Past” reminds us that following God’s call can lead to fruitful and lasting ministry, even if we have to step out of our comfort zones. A language-based ministry started by non-native speakers 28 years ago is still going strong even today. This article, edited to provide context, was originally printed in

the Oct 1988 issue of Methodist Message.

A ministry that grew against all oddsEdited by Grace Toh

15tRAnSitiOnS

HOW FAR DO YOU THINK a Mandarin-speaking worship service can go when it has only a few English-speaking members to start with? Most people would say that the answer is: “Not very far.”

Eight members of Kampong Kapor Methodist Church (KKMC) did not accept that conclusion. They responded to a call initiated by the pastors to start the first Mandarin-speaking worship service in the history of KKMC.

The first session kicked off on August 15, 1985. Equipped with a mouthful of “broken Mandarin”, a guitar, and the pioneering eight, KKMC launched this ministry with the aim of reaching Chinese-speaking working-class people in Singapore.

Ms Sally Ng, one of the pioneering eight members, said: “We literally spent the first few months learning to read and converse in Mandarin.” She later became a full-time staff ministering in the Mandarin-speaking ministry. She added: “Much of our Mandarin was learned through singing Chinese songs.”

The first year was tough going. Besides coping with the language problem, many found that they also had to make significant adjustments in their lifestyle to reach out to a totally different group of people. The working-class people began to filter in but the church still had not created the right ambience for them to stay.

Much time and effort was invested in pre-evangelism work without reaping any immediate results. At times it seemed the ministry was not making any headway. Mr Victor Ng, another one of the pioneering eight, confessed: “There were times I just felt like quitting.” He continued: “The turning point for me came after the conversion of my mother at a gospel camp.”

During the second year, things began to pick up. The ministry started growing with many Mandarin-speaking members added to the congregation.

There was much to be thankful for as some 200 people came to celebrate the Mandarin-speaking ministry’s third Anniversary on August 28, 1988. With

an attendance of about 100 each week, the Mandarin-speaking worship service had truly come of age. Besides the regular 4 pm worship service every Sunday, there were also a host of support activities like weekday cell meetings, Sunday School for both children and adults and evangelistic meetings.

Clearly, the pioneering days were over. What was in store for the future? Mr Ng Fook Kah, Chairman of the Mandarin-speaking ministry working committee, stated: “1989 will be a year of consolidation as the whole church moves back into the new church building.” The church had been worshipping at the Anglo-Chinese Primary School at Coleman Street for two years while their Kampong Kapor building was redeveloped and the sanctuary renovated.

He continued: “We are looking forward to see the Mandarin-speaking ministry becoming even more dynamic and potent in her outreach to working-class people in Singapore.”

The vision remained unchanged. What started as a vision for a few will now continue to spearhead the ministry into greater things for the Lord.

Original article was first published in Methodist Message October 1988, with no author attribution. KKMC’s Mandarin Ministry is still going and growing strong.

METHODIST MESSAGE, MAY 2013

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METHODIST MESSAGE, MAY 2013

17hYMnS & SOnGS

ON MAY 19 THIS YEAR, the Church will celebrate Pentecost Sunday. (Pentecost means “fiftieth” in Greek.) Pentecost Sunday is celebrated fifty days after Easter Sunday, and marks the end of the Easter Season. It also marks the beginning of the “new community (the church)” of God.

Acts 2:1-21 narrates the story: The Jews were celebrating when suddenly a violent wind filled the house (Acts 2:1-2).

The people saw “tongues of fire” and they were filled by the Holy Spirit and they began to speak in other tongues. (Acts 2:3-4)

From this passage, we learn about an older festival, the Festival of Weeks (established in Leviticus 23:15-21) that takes on a fresh meaning: the coming of the Holy Spirit on the believers of Christ.

So how can we celebrate this occasion and make it distinct from the other

A hymn for PentecostBy Judith Mosomos

festivals we celebrate, for example Christmas or Easter?

The colour for Pentecost is red, from the image of fire. Fire also symbolises the Holy Spirit. These images may be used creatively during worship, for example as background for PowerPoint slides (if used), church bulletins or other creative ways.

Another example would be the speaking of tongues. This can be symbolised in the reading of scriptures. Three or four persons may read the passage simultaneously, or in different languages. These are just ideas but the worship committee can be more creative with their worship design.

On the other hand, music offers a variety of songs, hymns and choral anthems for Pentecost.

Here is a suggestion. Using the Welsh tune AR HYD Y NOS (UMH 688), sing “Gift of Christ from God our Father” in different places in the order of worship. The first stanza can be sung as an “Invocation” just before the “Call to Worship”. The second stanza may be used as the “Prayer for Illumination”; the third as prayer before the “Prayers of the People” and the fourth stanza as the “Closing Prayer”.

Singing “Come Holy Spirit!” repeatedly provides a sense of unity, signifying the work of the Holy Spirit throughout the worship service.

Gift of Christ from God our Father

Text: David Mowbray (b.1938)Music: AR HYD Y NOS, Welsh melody (see UMH 688)

Gift of Christ from God our Father,Come, Spirit, come!Well of life and generous giver,Come, Spirit, come!With Your light our minds enlighten,With Your grace our talents heighten,With Your joy our worship brighten,Come, Spirit, come!

Gift of Christ to guide and teach us,Come, Spirit, come!Counselor so swift to reach us,Come, Spirit, come!Christ is Lord, so may we name Him, Never fearfully disclaim Him,But to all the world proclaim Him.Come, Spirit, come!

Gift of Christ to help us praying,Come, Spirit, come!Advocate beside us staying,Come, Spirit, come!In the work of intercession,In the healing of confession,In success and in depression,Come, Spirit, come!

Gift of Christ for our salvation,Come, Spirit, come!Bring to birth Your new creation,Come, Spirit, come!All the devil’s work undoing,Christ’s own ministry pursuing,Glory in the Church renewing!Come, Spirit, come!

EASTER• Began on Easter Sunday and continues for 50 days until

Pentecost Sunday, which falls on May 19 this year

• When the disciples waited in Jerusalem for power from the Holy Spirit, they had time to pray and study, and to marvel at the miracle of the resurrection.

• It is a time of joy and reflection, as the disciples made room in their hearts for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit

• Liturgical colours are white and gold, to signify the hope and light of Easter

PENTECOST• Starts on Pentecost Sunday and continues until the last

Sunday of August, when the season of Kingdomtide begins.• This season reveals God’s answer to the problem of

communication• The Holy Spirit was poured out on the disciples on that

first Pentecost, and brought people together in spite of different languages and cultures.

• Some churches in ancient times baptised their converts on Pentecost. Converts wore white robes, and hence Pentecost Sunday was also referred to as Whitsunday.

• Liturgical colour is red, to signify the fire of the Holy Spirit

Liturgical Seasons

METHODIST MESSAGE, MAY 2013

POEMS

MM QUiZ18

BIBLE QUIZ NO. 164Name: _______________________________________________ Age: _________Address: ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Tel: (Residence) ____________________Church ____________________________________________________________

Five of these questions test your reading of this issue’s articles, and the other five are based on Bible knowledge. Happy reading!

MM QUIZ No.164

Cartoonist: Joseph Farris

CHRISTIANITY TODAY INTERNATIONAL. Used with permission.

Paul of TarsusBy Oliver Seet

DRIVEN BY APPETENCE and biletowards Jesusand all who followed Him- Saul, hell-bentwent on that highway to Damascus,blinded by rageagainst delinquent Jews,resolute to slayall who professed faith in Jesus.

And then transcendent holy light- creative radiancefrom the Heavenly Throne,suffused his sightand filled his understandingof the man he loathedso blindly, so deludedly.

And in that dazzling holy light,transforming, recreating light,he stood before the very source of being- this Nazarene,God robed in fleshwho spoke as no man ever spoke:

Incisive words that cutbetween the sinewsof the soul and spirit;

Transfiguring lightthat makes infant new,the gnarled, disfigured man within;

Life-bestowing holy lightthat altersboth nature and name.

Two millennia have passedand here we stand this dayas Paul once stoodat the Grand Theatre at Ephesus,filled with Holy Fireshaking the gentile worldwith the Living Word of God.

Here we standdistant benefactors of the callof the man from Macedoniathat turned Paul eastward,led by the Holy Ghostto set gentile lands aflamewith the message of the Cross.

Dr Oliver Seet is a member of Wesley Methodist Church and a Board Director of the Metropolitan YMCA. This poem was written on a trip to Turkey.

The MM Quiz is open to those 21 years and under.The first two all-correct entries opened will win a $20 voucher each from Baptist Book Store. The names of the winners and the answers to MM Quiz No. 164 will be published in the next issue of Methodist Message.Entries close on May 10, 2013. Mail us your entries now!

ANSWERS TO MMQUIZ 163: 1. Rugby; 2. Eli; 3. 50; 4. Judges; 5. Every Christian; 6. hidden; 7. everything; 8. righteousness; 9. endures; 10. starting.

THE WINNERSThere was only one winner in last month’s MM Quiz No. 163. She is Cheryl Ng (Bukit Panjang Methodist Church).

1. Which word in Rev Gabriel Liew’s article has a similar meaning to “pilgrims”? _________________.

2. At the time when Paul wrote to Timothy that the believers should pray for kings in authority, did they have a good ruler? _____________.

3. According to Bishop Dr Wee Boon Hup, what is the power of God that brings salvation? ______________.

4. What does “Pentecost” mean in Greek? ___________________.

5. Which alphabet is contained within the logo of The Methodist Church in Singapore? _____________.

6. Paul wrote to the Romans to _ _ _ _ _ _ themselves with the Lord Jesus Christ.

7. The psalmist urged the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ to sing joyfully to the Lord and the upright to praise Him.

8. What did Matthew record Jesus as saying of true or false prophets? “By their _ _ _ _ _ you will recognise them.”

9. Paul encouraged the Philippian believers to let their _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ be evident to all, as the Lord was near.

10. Proverbs 17 states that a dry crust with _ _ _ _ _ is better than a house full of feasting and strife.

MAY is the month for ...Signing up for the Worship SymposiumJune 3-5 (Monday-Wednesday), 8 am to 5.30 pmMethodist School of Music and Trinity Theological CollegeRegister by May 28 for this Symposium. Pastors, worship leaders, musicians and the laity from various denominations, backgrounds and traditions in Southeast Asia will gather to discuss and share their resources in the areas of church music and creative arts in worship. Workshops in specific topics and skills are also available.

Organised by the Methodist School of Music. Register at http://www.msmusic.edu.sg/events/event/59-worship-symposium-2013

Early-bird registration: Pete and Geri Scazzero Singapore SeminarsJuly 24 (Wednesday), 9.30 am to 5.30 pmPentecost Methodist ChurchRegister by May 31 for a 40 per cent discount. Groups of three or more get a further discount. Seminars are to equip pastors, leaders and church members in a new leadership and discipleship paradigm that integrates emotional health and contemplative spiritual growth. Two seminars are held concurrently - choose either the Emotionally Healthy Spirituality seminar by Pete Scazzero or the “I Quit” seminar by Geri Scazzero.

Organised by the Eagles Leadership Insitute. Sign up now at http://www.leadership.org.sg/scazzero2013/registration/or call 6419-5257.

Josh McDowell’s seminar on “Love, Sex and Relationship” May 21 (Tuesday), 9 am to 5 pmTrinity Christian Centre, Chapel, Level 2Sign up by May 13 to hear Josh McDowell deliver the bare facts – frank and intimate answers to top questions about sex, love and relationships. He believes that no question is off-limits and that knowledge, not ignorance, is the key to purity and a fulfilling marriage and family.

Organised by Cru Singapore. Details at www.media.cru.org.sg/lsr

Alpha Conference: A Training ExperienceMay 31 (Friday), 12.30 pm - 9 pmJune 1 (Saturday), 8.30 am - 5 pmSt James’ Church, 1 Leedon RoadRegister by May 21. Sixth person in a group of five attends free. The Alpha Conference is designed to

equip new team members and to refresh experienced leaders in the running of Alpha and Relationship Central courses. Four tracks have been tailored to suit your needs: 1. Find out the ABCs of running an Alpha Course 2. Accelerate 2.0 is for those who have done at least one Alpha Course. 3. Find out about Youth Alpha 4. The Parenting Track in Relationship Central will introduce you to

two new courses - Parenting Children and Parenting Teenagers, and the Marriage Track will equip you to run The Marriage Course.

Organised by Alpha Singapore. Call 6469-5085 or register at http://www.alpha.org.sg/friends/news/alpha-conference-2013

Participating in Fairfield Methodist Schools’ 125th Anniversary• Fairfield ChapelthonMay 23 (Thursday), 7.30 pm Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary), Chen Su Lan HallA night of musical praise and worship, uniting Fairsians (past and present) in praise of God who has blessed our school tremendously over the past 125 years.

• Evening of Songs, Music and PraiseMay 25 (Saturday), 7.30 pmAldersgate Methodist Church (AMC), Sanctuary A fund-raising project in aid of Fairfield Methodist School (Primary), featuring the National University of Singapore Society Choir and various choral groups, an organ recital and a bagpipes performance; donations will be collected during the concert.Call AMC office at 6773-1964 for tickets. Or email Mr Lim Hock Kheng at afsco@singnet.com.sg

• Fairfield Methodist School (Primary) Golf Fundraising Tournament 2013

May 31 (Friday), 11.30 am to 7.15 pmLaguna National, Masters Course Organised by AMC in aid of the One Fairfield School Building Fund. Contact: Ms Christina Tan at 6773-1964 or christinatan@aldersgate.sg

Let us

have your

vieWS

Have something to say or share? Email us at newmm@methodist.org.sg and there’s a chance we could publish it in the next issue of Methodist Message. By May 15, 2013 please.

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Methodist Message is 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.

Editorial BoardAdviser and Publisher: Bishop Dr Wee Boon Hup, Chairman, Council on Communications: Editor: Ms Christina Stanley Assistant Editor: Ms Grace Toh

Our address: Methodist Message • 70 Barker Road Singapore 309936 • Tel: 6478-4786 • Fax: 6478-4794 • Email: newmm@methodist.org.sgMM website: www.methodistmessage.com • Church Website: www.methodist.org.sg

METHODIST MESSAGE, MAY 2013

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THE FRENCH PHILOSOPHER DESCARTES said: “I think, therefore I am.” For many Singaporeans, though, the saying “I have, therefore I am” is perhaps more accurate.

Many of us, consciously or unconsciously, measure our success and worth by what we have: our homes, our cars, our investment portfolio, our fashionable clothes, the label on the bags we carry and the shoes we wear. We ascribe value to these possessions and these values are reinforced by the media, with media reports on people’s designer homes with walk-in wardrobes and state-of-the-art kitchens, and advertisements touting the most exquisite luxury products.

These messages are both pervasive and persuasive. And we start to believe that such material things are necessary, and will help us to be more fulfilled and beautiful, and happier. As a result, we are quick to judge others by their clothes (“domestic helper”), accent (“China national”) and possessions (“low class”).

How then can we live out our Christian values when we subscribe to these other beliefs?

I suggest three foundational values which we must cling on to in order to counter these biases which can burrow deep into our consciousness.

First, we are all created in the image of God and our worth and dignity comes from that. From this foundational principle, we derive such values as the dignity of every person regardless of their socio-economic status or skin colour. Yet we often use all the accoutrements of possessions and status to assign value to, and the worth of another person, because our starting premise is “I have, therefore I am” rather than “fearfully and wonderfully made” in God’s image.

To the one with fine clothes, we say “Here’s a good seat for you”. To the one who is poorly or humbly attired, we say “You stand there” (cf. James 2:2-4). Are we not judging?

To our friends, family, colleague, peers, and even strangers – we seek to look good, we desire admiration and respect. We

post on our Facebook page the exotic places we visit, and the cool restaurants we dine at.

You may ask, “What’s wrong with that? I can afford it and I want to give my children a good life and a wide variety of experiences.” That is so, and no one begrudges it of you.

But consider this second foundational value – the virtues of giving and generosity which are not exclusive to our faith, but are clear Biblical commands.

God’s word exhorts us to give generously to others (cf. Deut 15:10; Ps 112:5; Prov 11:25; Luke 11:41). In his generosity, God has already given to us the greatest gift of all, eternal life through the death and resurrection of His only Son Jesus Christ. As believers we have also received bountiful spiritual gifts, peace

beyond understanding and unspeakable joy.

Can we share what we have in abundance with those who have less? Not just money or possessions but our time, effort and energy as well to reflect God’s character, and to acknowledge His over-flowing generosity.

Herein lies a third value. I am not just a person going on my own merry way to heaven, but a Christian who is part of a church. Christians have a duty of care that extends beyond our personal selves towards others. Within our churches are a wide variety of people, with different incomes, occupations and abilities.

Sharing our resources and spending time with others is part of being in

community. As Christians who are privileged with education and material wealth, and called to be salt and light, we have responsibilities to live out God’s values (Matthew 5 – 7) serving our society so that it is more like the Kingdom of God.

Hence, since I am not my possessions, and you do not need things to define and shape your worth, we are all free as children of God, a community of God’s people, to be generous with all that we have.Kwa Kiem Kiok is a local preacher at Trinity Methodist Church and teaches missions-related subjects at East Asia School of Theology.

Me and my possessionsBy Kwa Kiem Kiok