Faithlink (July 2021) by faithmc

THE MAGAZINE OF FAITH METHODIST CHURCH | JULY 2021

MCI (P) 046/02/2021

ANNIVERSARY GREETINGS

GOD’S SAVING GRACE

CARED FOR, TO CARE MORE

FAITH TURNS

Faith Methodist Church is a church of Small Groups! Small Groups are the key to experiencing church life. It is more than a Bible study or fellowship group; it is the primary place of care and ministry, where group members experience community and love, build one another up, and are equipped to serve others.

Why not join a Small Group today? Visit faithmc.sg/small-groups or call our church office during office hours.

Find FAITH at 6471-9420

mail@faithmc.sg

faithmc.sg

faithmethodistchurch

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CONTENTS THE MAGAZINE OF FAITH METHODIST CHURCH

JULY 2021

03 04

Editor’s Note Pastor’s Letter

DEEPER IN CHRIST

06 08

Building Others Up Through Appreciation Trusting God’s Faithfulness Through It All

SPECIAL FEATURE

11 55 Years Of Faith Methodist Church 21 55th Anniversary Greetings 31 “Know Your Church” 55 Quiz

HEARTBEAT 32 34 36 38 40 42 46 48

Love In Action Kairos @ Faith Matters Of The Heart Serving God’s Purpose For My Life Every Season Counts Joining Hands In Spiritual Growth Dear God… Caring @ Faith: Cared For To Care

PEOPLE OF FAITH

51 52 54

Happy Earth Day, Everyday! Faith Methodist Preschool Happenings Light Of The City

MARKETPLACE 57

Evangelism In The Marketplace

EDITORIAL Pastor-in-Charge Rev Reuben Ng Editors Glynisia Yeo Audrey Mok Sub-Editor Rachel Tham Contributing Pastors Rev Peter Koh Rev Chan Mei Ming (Shannon)

Writers & Contributors Allan Poh Alison Lim Claire Bang Jean Hong John Woon Larry Lai

Loo Bee Eng Serene Koh Shi Yu Susan Lai Tammy Ang Wilson Woon

Photographers Joash Lee Jowell Chee Richmond Tan Yeh Thiam Pieng

For contributions, please send them to faithlink@faithmc.sg. Faithlink is published three times a year by Faith Methodist Church (Singapore) for internal circulation to the congregation of Faith Methodist Church and their friends. Views expressed in Faithlink are the contributors’ and do not necessarily reflect those of the Church and the Editorial Board. Copyright © 2021 by Faith Methodist Church All right reserved. This magazine or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Check out our spiritual resources online to equip yourself and learn how to reach out to others during this challenging season.

T O P ICS

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Family Life Small Groups Prayer Spiritual Disciplines Emotional & Mental Well-Being • One Mission Opportunities

EDITOR’S NOTE

JESUS, OUR ANCHOR IN UNCERTAIN TIMES Hebrews 6:19 (AMP) This hope [this confident assurance] we have as an anchor of the soul [it cannot slip and it cannot break down under whatever pressure bears upon it] – a safe and steadfast hope that enters within the veil [of the heavenly temple, that most Holy Place in which the very presence of God dwells] … A friend of mine is into extreme sports; the kind that requires you to jump out of a plane or leap off a tall building. Out of curiosity, I asked him how he mustered the courage to take the plunge, and he replied that it was just deciding to do it and knowing what to expect; that uncertainty is what causes fear. I thought those words were profound. How many times have we hesitated or delayed a decision due to the unknown? And isn’t it true that we become more fearless when we know Who holds the outcome? As followers of Christ, we are not spared from uncertainties in life. However, Hebrews 6:19 points us to a hope that is an anchor of the soul: Jesus Christ. We can expect His good outcome for our life because He is a good God. It is when we decide to anchor our lives on Him, that we can expect a hope-filled future! So even in the raging storm, we can have a confident assurance in Him. Faith Family, as we commemorate the 55th year of God’s goodness in our church, let us remember Hebrews 6:19 and look to Jesus—the Anchor of our Lives. In Christ,

Glynisia Yeo Editor

@FaithMethodistChurch

@faithmcsg

FaithMC News

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PASTOR’S LETTER

WILL WE BE MISSED? By Rev Reuben Ng

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Happy 55th Anniversary Faith Methodist Church! Fifty-five years of experiencing God’s faithfulness, providence, patience and grace. Truly much to be thankful for. Anniversaries however, are not just occasions to be thankful for; they are also occasions where reflections are in order. And reflections do call for questions that we ought to ask ourselves. So here is one. Would we (Faith) be missed if we were to somehow disappear tomorrow? Here is why I feel that may be a pertinent question. Matthew 5:13 tells us that we, Christ’s disciples, are the “salt of the earth”. Matthew 5:14 adds on to that by stating that we are also the “light of the world”. We don’t need to be a world class chef to taste when a dish is missing salt — it’s obvious. Similarly, we don’t need to be a lights specialist

to know when a place has a total absence of light — it is equally, if not more, obvious. Going by the metaphors Jesus used, it would be reasonable to conclude that in like manner, it must be obvious whenever the followers of Christ are present in a place or among a group of people. Which brings us back to our anniversary. Fifty-five years ago, God in His divine plan, willed that a congregation called Faith Methodist Church, would be birthed in a specific location in Singapore along Commonwealth Drive. Going by Matthew 5:13 and 14, the reason why God did that was so we would be the salt and light in this neighbourhood and with the people around us.

And so the question: Would we (Faith) be missed if we were to somehow disappear tomorrow? In other words, would it be as obvious as “missing salt” and “absent light” if Faith were not around tomorrow? Or would life merely go on with nary a difference? And so, we thank God once again for all that He has done these 55 years. And we thank God that we have this opportunity to reflect and ensure that we stay on the trajectory that He has set us on.

Rev Reuben Ng Pastor-in-Charge

Bible Translation: New English Translation

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DEEPER IN CHRIST

BUILDING OTHERS UP THROUGH APPRECIATION By Rev Peter Koh

“Life is not made up of minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, or years, but of moments. You must experience each one before you can appreciate it.” ~ Sarah Breathnach Celebrating the 55th anniversary of our church is one such moment in the life of Faith Methodist Church! Even in the midst of the pandemic, let us thank God and show Him our appreciation for His faithfulness and love all these years!

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As we move into the next season of our journey and aspire to build one another up in the faith, more challenges are expected. One of the most common challenges which is often ignored is that we tend to take each other for granted as we get more familiar with each other, like any family unit over the years. For example, many of us forget to appreciate and thank the worship team, ushers, AV crew, caretakers, cleaners, Small Group leaders, etc. who have been serving week after week. We forget the long hours of preparation and the sacrifices that were made by these people, especially during the pandemic, just so that we as worshippers and other people in need, can be ministered to. Instead of thanking them and giving encouragement, some of us may give comments that are critical or cynical.

Be A Community Of Love The question we need to ask is this: How can we be a true community of love? Here let us take the counsel of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:29: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what

is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” The first counsel is “not to let any unwholesome talk come out of my mouth”. We should stop being critical and cynical. The second is to “build others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” A person’s worth defines his or her identity and often determines their passion in how he or she lives their life. Therefore, to build a person up, we are to increase one’s self-worth.

Build Others Up Let me elaborate. When we build others up in the way of the Lord, we are: • Building up their confidence in God that there is love and acceptance from our Heavenly Father • Countering what others say about them critically or cynically • Valuing them for who they are in Christ How do we build people up? Below are some ways: • Specifically: What they do well in

• Personally: For who they are, not just what they do • Sincerely: Show them how God thinks of them • Generously: Maximise the goodness of God for them Brothers and Sisters inChrist, if we can understand what appreciation does to a person, i.e., building up their confidence in God, countering what others say about them, and valuing them for who they are, we will be more able to build them up correctly. Then Christ’s work on the Cross will not be in vain.

A careless word may kindle strife, A cruel word may wreck a life; A timely word may lessen stress, A loving word may heal and bless. ~ Anon. Blessed Anniversary!

Rev Peter Koh oversees the Care Pillar at Faith, which includes Counseling, Cradle Ministry, Cancer Support, Hospitalisation, Homebound, Bereavement, FaithCare, and Member Care. He enjoys spending time with his wife, Jenny, and their two children.

FAITHLINK . JULY 2021

DEEPER IN CHRIST

TRUSTING GOD’S FAITHFULNESS THROUGH IT ALL By Rev Shannon Chan Mei Ming

In the shifting sands of time, a quite timeless classic song of worship that uplifts me is, “The Steadfast Love of the Lord Never Ceases”. Here is the thing though, the sense of these words was not recorded in the sparkling high notes of life. In reality, these words flowed from a crushed soul – a broken man who had witnessed the utter devastation of the nation he loved – whose eyes had seen solid buildings and strong walls toppled and scattered like toy blocks, who had witnessed mangled bodies lie under the sun’s pitiless heat, whose pain had welled up inside of him, breaking forth in uncontrollable sobs. All that is precious to him was gone.

Jeremiah’s Example If you listen carefully to the words in Jeremiah’s

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story – here is a man deeply disillusioned with God, who thinks God is against him, God has hurt him, God has betrayed him, and there is nothing left on which to hang his hopes for a different future. (See Lamentations 3:1-20). Have you ever felt that low before? When desolation, loss and shock conspire to carry off your hope that things will get better? Perhaps as you read these words, you are thinking: I can relate. I’ve been depressed like that before. I feel like my face is being rubbed in it. I know the taste of bitterness and ashes, the feelings of emptiness, and I’m wondering if God has abandoned me. Maybe that’s how you have been feeling these many months as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to tear at us and wear us down.

As the Creator, God has all power to carry out His perfect plan for your life and to accomplish His perfect purposes through your suffering. Don’t Lose Sight of God In Jeremiah’s time, here is what kept him through it all – he never lost sight of this one thing about God. He raised a weapon of truth against the despair and the sadness that feel so much sometimes like it’s terminal. After pouring out all his anger, sorrow, and shock, Jeremiah adds this in his letter to the survivors: “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!” (Lamentations 3:21-23). How can you, like Jeremiah, appropriate this one great doctrine of God’s faithfulness so you experience consolation and contentment in the difficult seasons? Listen to what Peter suggests: “Therefore, let those also who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.” (1 Peter 4:19).

God’s Plan For Your Life As the Creator, God has all power to carry out His perfect plan for your life and to accomplish His perfect purposes through your suffering. Therefore you can choose to entrust yourself to His care and safekeeping, believing that He will do what He knows is best for you. Question is: Dare you have faith in the faithfulness of God? Will you stay faithful to Him by trusting in His faithfulness? Dare you … Will you … through it all! Rev Shannon Chan Mei Ming is Assistant Pastor at Faith, overseeing the Enlarge Pillar comprising our Missions, Witness & Evangelism, Outreach & Social Concerns, and Chaplaincy Ministries. She is committed to solitude and silence and daily Fitbit-ing.

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BAPTISM & MEMBERSHIP We would like to rejoice with our brothers and sisters who were baptized and/or received into the membership of Faith on 26 June 2021! May the Lord Jesus continue to strengthen your faith as you grow in your walk with Him. We also pray for these children, that they will grow to become faithful disciples of Christ. INFANT/CHILD BAPTISM

ADULT BAPTISM

1. Abigail Dorcas Tan D/O Tan Jit Hao Andy & Sandra Esther Tang 2. Leanne Tan Le En D/O Tan Seh Yii Lance & Chan Cailing Joy 3. Zevan Tan Ze Wan S/O Tan Seh Yii Lance & Chan Cailing Joy 4. Lee Ray Hern Ryan S/O Lee Hung Young Mark & Ong Siew Lian Alicia 5. Lee Ray En Angeline D/O Lee Hung Young Mark & Ong Siew Lian Alicia

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

TRANSFER FROM OTHER CHURCHES

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

1. Edwin Tan Woo Chye Church of Our Saviour 2. Foo Yi Nei Janice Church of Singapore (Marine Parade) 3. Lim Shi Ying Shynn Faith Community Baptist Church 4. Yeo Juin Russell Shalom Bible-Presbyterian Church 5. Yeo Chyi Faith Shalom Bible-Presbyterian Church TRANSFER FROM OTHER METHODIST CHURCHES 1. Galvin Lim Tsin Ther Wesley Methodist Church 2. Cecilia Aw Shu King Wesley Methodist Church 3. Yong Sile Seng Queenstown Chinese Methodist Church

Lim Chang Jun Andrew Wendy Ong Bee Ling Loon Sow Kuen Chin Sut Yee Diana Sim Ong Siew Lian Alicia Lim Ewe Beng Siew Moey Chee (Mandarin)

ADULT BAPTISM AND MEMBERSHIP Mildred Tan Mei Juan Tan Zi Wen Jessica Ong Hui Shi Chang Sze-Ying Clementine Ng Song Peng Matthew Seah Cheng Xuan Glenn Lin Songling Shuai Shiyu

CONFIRMATION AND MEMBERSHIP 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Elaine Khaw Wei Yu Eunice Koh Ya Jing Charmaine Lim Brandon Khaw Wei Jie Gregory Ethan Yeo Zhen

MEMBERSHIP 1. Pamela Ng Shu Qin

Y E A R S

O F

FAITH METHODIST CHURCH

FAITH 55TH ANNIVERSARY

18 APR First open-air service (Easter Sunday) held in a shed at 400 Commonwealth Drive.

1965

1966

PASTOR-IN-CHARGE: REV HO CHEE SIN 1977 - 1983

Unified Small Groups Ministry started.

1980

1977 Methodist Young Adult Fellowship (MYAF) was officially formed to develop young adults spiritually, physically, mentally and socially in accordance with Luke 2:52. The first MYAF Camp was held in 1980.

Faith’s membership grows to 1,072 members; the church supports 19 missionaries and two bible college students.

1984 PASTOR-IN-CHARGE: REV DR CLARENCE LIM 1984 - 1989

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FAITH 55TH ANNIVERSARY

17 JUL Faith Methodist Church was constituted as a local conference. Shown here is the Certificate of Organization, signed by Bishop R.F. Lundy.

PASTOR-IN-CHARGE: REV T.C. NGA 1966 - 1977

Handwritten Church Membership Register.

1967

Church extension, Renovation and repairs project completed.

1975 25 JUN Excerpt from the newspaper The Eastern Sun: “from its start in 1965, the church has served to bring the Word of God to large numbers of Christians and non-Christians living in nearby districts particularly Queenstown, Alexandra and Tiong Bahru ... Youth groups like the Sunday School, Boys’ Brigade, Bible Knowledge Classes... (Attract) large numbers of youths and children to its various activities.” Faith adopts a mission field in Sabah, Tagaroh on 26 January, taking its first step in cross cultural mission work.

1986 Church development fund set up for further renovation works. Fiveyear partnership with Sidjang Injil Borneo (SIB - Borneo Evangelical Church) established.

Faith’s 20th Anniversary held at ACJC.

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FAITH 55TH ANNIVERSARY

PASTOR-IN-CHARGE: REV DR ISAAC LIM 1990 - 1992

1990

1991

A new service was held at ACJC from February to cater to the increasing number of worshippers.

Lakeside Family Centre was set up to reach out to the community around Lakeside area in Jurong. Known as Lakeside Family Services today, its commitment is to serve the community and to expand services that are needed for the last, the least and the lost in society.

1998

1997 PASTOR-IN-CHARGE: REV DR DONALD CHIA 1997 - 2001 (Jul)

Faith website was established to communicate with members of the church

29 JAN Corporate Prayer Meeting was launched for leaders and members to pray as one body in Christ.

1999 The Archives Ministry was formed following a TRAC conference Directive in 1998. It seeks to preserve the church’s oral and written history for the present and future generations through fact-digging and material preservation.

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FAITH 55TH ANNIVERSARY

PASTOR-IN-CHARGE: REV MALCOLM TAN 1993 - 1996

1993

Jurong Preaching Point was established.

1994

Communications Ministry was set up. Its aim is to share Christ and inform, engage and inspire the church congregation and community through creative arts.

1996 Faith celebrated its 30th Anniversary with a commemorative publication titled, One Faith, One Mission, One Hope.

PASTOR-IN-CHARGE: REV DR KOW SHIH MING 2001 (Aug) - 2012

1995 Unified Small Groups ministry is renamed Pastoral Care Ministry (PCM). Small Groups are central to the life of the church, following the example of Jesus and the early church in Acts 2, as well as the example set by John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. Life change occurs best in small groups where there is care, encouragement and accountability. This was the last service held at the old church building. The turnout was so large that the social hall had to be used.

2001 The 26th session of the Trinity Annual Conference (TRAC) was held at our church premises from 19 to 22 November 2001. During the session, the President of TRAC, Rev. Dr Isaac Lim reiterated, among other things, the need to continually seek the presence of God, the need for evangelism and the need to continue building a movement of prayer. FAITHLINK . JULY 2021

FAITH 55TH ANNIVERSARY

In addition to pledges and contributions from the congregation, a series of fundraising activities were organised for the new church building. The Women Society for Christian Service (WSCS) started weekly breakfast sales in January 2002 while a bowling tournament was held on 14 July.

2002 The community outreach programme was launched to spread the Word of God to our neighbouring community. Since renamed the Adopt-A-Block (AAB) Outreach Ministry, it covers blocks in the Tanglin Halt and Commonwealth areas.

Our community service agency FaithActs was started. FaithActs provides programmes and services to meet community needs and alleviate social problems regardless of ethnic, social economic and religious backgrounds. A consecration service was held on 15 August 2004.

2004

The 29th Trinity Annual Conference (TRAC) session was held at our church from 23 to 25 November 2004. During this session, Rev Dr Wee Boon Hup, was elected as the new President of TRAC.

2005

4 DEC Jurong Preaching Point became a local conference under TRAC — The Agape Methodist Church.

2006

Faith celebrates her 40th Anniversary. The congregation came together to celebrate through a series of activities including a golf tournament, fishing tournament, bowling tournament and the 40th Anniversary service. JULY 2021 . FAITHLINK

FAITH 55TH ANNIVERSARY

To raise funds for the new church building, the Faith Walkathon was held on 15 May 2003. 200 members from Faith and QCMC walked from Fairfield Methodist Secondary to our church building and raised a total of $50,000.

2003 Bishop Robert Solomon, accompanied by TRAC and CAC representatives, officiated the ground breaking for the new church building on 9 March 2002.

July 2003 saw the rebranding of the Youth Ministry as The Tacklebox. 206 youths turned up to commit to living a life of Christ, be alive for Christ and to observe the core values of T.A.C.K.L.E.: Touch lives, Adore God, Catch seekers, Kneel in prayer, Love one another and Etch hearts.

14 DEC After months of construction, the new church building was completed! The building was formally handed back on 1 December 2003 and we held our first service on 14 December 2003.

As part of the 40th Anniversary celebrations, we buried our very own Faith time capsule. Filled with silica gel and nitrogen gas, the stainless steel capsule houses more than 100 carefully selected artefacts. We look forward to opening the capsule and seeing these items from the past in 2046!

2007

1,100 Faith church members and friends gathered at Berjaya Square, Kuala Lumpur for our church camp over four day. The campers shared and learnt about renewing their minds, transforming their hearts, standing firm with God and changing the world.

2008 To cater to those whose first language is Mandarin, we formed our first Chinese Small Group.

2009

2010

4 JUL More than 60 people attended the pre-launch of our Mandarin Celebration Service at ACJC. The service was started to reach out to our Mandarin-speaking members as well as the Tanglin Halt and Commonwealth communities.

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FAITH 55TH ANNIVERSARY

Our inaugural Small Group Conference was held on 26 January 2013. This conference’s aim is to recognise the leadership roles of our small group leaders and to impart the skills to lead and move the small groups to the next stage. Since then, we have been organising Small Group Conferences regularly

Our 45th Anniversary saw us launching our new church logo and new vision of “Transforming Lives, Changing The World.” We also held a grand 45th Anniversary celebration service and dinner.

2011

2013 PASTOR-IN-CHARGE: REV PAUL NGA 2013

2017 Addition & Alteration Works at 400 Commonwealth Drive The project focused on 3 key areas: Lift upgrading, restructuring of Levels 4 and 5, and the construction of a covered linkway. The project took almost a year to complete.

2018 PASTOR-IN-CHARGE: REV RAYMOND FONG 2017 (Aug) - 2020

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FAITH 55TH ANNIVERSARY

PASTOR-IN-CHARGE: REV EDWIN WONG 2014 - 2017 (Jul)

To celebrate our jubilee year, the church initiated a series of seven One-day Membership Conferences (ODMC). Under this programme, members attended a full day of worship and learning to gain formal membership into Faith. The inaugural ODMC was held on 8 November 2014 and with the new members, Faith saw our total membership exceed 2,000 members for the first time.

Faith celebrates her Jubilee year! A record number of 1,500 people attended the Jubilee Camp at Sunway Resort/ Pyramid Hotel from 17 to 20 June. The Jubilee Anniversary service was held at Suntec Convention Hall on 17 July, with an attendance of more than 2,600 worshippers. A Jubilee Community Day was held on 17 December to bless pre-believers and the community.

Faith hosted the 41st Trinity Annual Conference (TRAC) session on our premises from 21 to 24 November as part of the church’s 50th Jubilee celebrations. Over the four days, staff and leaders of the church stepped up to take care of the needs of the TRAC visitors through various acts of service.

2016

2014

In conjunction with the community carnival and to further expand our community outreach initiative, the church presented “The Greatest Gift of All”, a Faith Christmas production. Members took this opportunity to share the love of God by inviting their pre-believing friends and loved ones to church.

Faith Community Carnival was the landmark event of the year that was jointly organised by Faith Methodist Church together with FaithActs and held over the Christmas season. A total of 4,700 visitors participated in the myriad of activities that were offered, and another 1,600 church volunteers were mobilised to support its operations.

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FAITH 55TH ANNIVERSARY

Over 1,300 church members gathered at the Singapore Zoological Gardens for a day of fun and adventure! The Family Day at the Zoo event was organised as part of the church’s “One Family” initiative and it was a joy to see both young and old coming together to relax and enjoy one another’s fellowship.

2019

HOLY LAND PILGRIMAGE 2019 There were 84 pilgrims from Faith who embarked on a special pilgrimage to Israel and Jordan over 10 days. It was like a time travel for many of these pilgrims as the Bible came alive for them. Special memories and spiritual encounters were definitely recorded!

2020 As the world grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic and our church had to shut down for a few months, the need to minister to the congregation was foremost on the minds of the leadership. Steps were taken to ensure that weekly sermons were recorded and accessible online, albeit with safety measures in place.

Blessed 55th Anniversary Faith Methodist Church!

2021 PASTOR-IN-CHARGE: REV REUBEN NG 2021 - present

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With the onset of COVID-19, the world pivoted to focus on bridging closer connections online. At Faith, the need to livestream our weekly services gave birth to the creation of the new media room (formerly the Agape Room), which enables church life to continue.

FAITH 55TH ANNIVERSARY

FAITH’S 55TH ANNIVERSARY GREETINGS Rev Dr Gordon Wong Bishop of The Methodist Church in Singapore (MCS) God’s mercies are new every morning, and great is His faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22-23). You have experienced God’s mercies and faithfulness for 55 years. Praise the Lord! There must have been trying days. Days when Faith may have wondered if God’s mercies had dried up. Days when Faith may have thought there was no point in carrying on. But somehow God’s Love carried you through the dark valley. And the next one. And the next. And today, Faith looks back, and it has been 55 years. A time to rejoice. A time to give thanks. A time to renew Faith in the faithfulness of God. Today MCS joins you in praising the Lord and renewing your Faith in the promise that “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

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FAITH 55TH ANNIVERSARY

Rev Stanley Chua TRAC President Let me start this greeting by wishing all of you at Faith Methodist Church, a blessed 55th anniversary! For the past one and a half years, our whole world has been on tenterhooks as a result of this COVID-19 pandemic that has affected and disrupted every sphere of our lives. Almost no country has been spared. Amid the gloom and doom, where can we find hope? Where can we find the anchor for our souls to go on in life amid these challenging and trying times? I believe the hope and anchor of our souls can be found in our Almighty God who declares to us that He is a faithful God. His faithfulness is expressed in his unchanging nature where Scripture declares to us in Hebrews 13:8 that He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is today what He was for our fathers and mothers— and what He was for Paul and Mary and Joseph and David, indeed for all the patriarchs of the faith back then and including our first parents. Moreover, He can be counted on to remain as He has been. Charles Spurgeon, a preacher of old once said, “As our fathers found him faithful, so will our sons and their seed forever.” So my fellow brothers and sisters-in-Christ at the Faith Methodist Church community, I know that all of you have somehow been affected by this COVID-19 pandemic but my prayer is that you will continue to remember the faithfulness of God in your lives and in particular, how God has raised your Church and sustained her for the last 55 years. As you celebrate your 55th Church anniversary, remember if God has been faithful to all of you in the past, then you and I can be sure that He will continue to be faithful to us in the present as well as our future. Finally, remember the words of God when He said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Heb. 13:5; cf. Deut. 31:6). Jesus told his disciples, “Surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). To God be the glory!

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Rev Dr Edwin Wong District Superintendent for District 4 Greetings, Faith Methodist Church. Wishing you God’s blessings and favour as you celebrate your 55th Anniversary. As you enter your new season, I pray for the circumcision of hearts so that a new wineskin will be in place for the new wine to come. May godly wisdom and discernment guide you in finding the needed balance between understanding His Word and moving in His Holy Spirit. May prayer and love be your breath of life in all that you do. And may your vision and mission remain clear, Transforming Lives, Changing the World, as God’s light and salt wherever you are.

FAITH 55TH ANNIVERSARY

A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE Mrs Koh Jeffry Nee Ang Ley Keow: The Easter Sacrificial Meal Age: 71 Attending Faith since 1968

Years ago, the ladies of the church, young and old, would gather in their homes and church kitchen to prepare for the Easter sacrificial meal. This was our first attempt to raise funds for our mission fields. It was very encouraging for me to see our ladies exercising their faith to cook big portions and giving of their best in the dishes they prepared, including local delicacies such as mee siam, laksa, popiah, soya bean drinks, nasi lemak, desserts and other delicious food. Families were involved, especially husbands and boyfriends, in the heavy chores. Church members contributed by buying the food and clearing up after the event. The community of Faith women sharing their thoughts and wisdom as they worked together day and night in the kitchen, is a sight that is unforgettable!

Edmund E: Our Tanglin Halt Neighbourhood Age: 66 Attending Faith since 1967 When Faith Methodist Church was built in 1967, the outreach team was very good as they went around the Tanglin Halt blocks to invite everyone to the church programmes. By God’s grace, my family was also invited and in subsequent years, we each came to know Christ and were all baptised in Faith. I have many wonderful memories during my time in the 25th Boys’ Brigade as well as serving in the Sunday School and Youth Ministry then. My most memorable moment was to see the birth of a new church building in 2004. Thousands of people have passed through our doors and truly as we celebrate our 55th Anniversary, may we continue to transform lives in the neighbourhood around Faith!

Gerald Liew Fook Yan (Or Affectionately Known As “Uncle Gerald” To Our Members): Church Planting In Queenstown Age: 93 Attending Faith since 1966 My most memorable moment was being a part of the pioneer team tasked to set up a church, Faith Methodist Church, in the Queenstown area. Right from the start, I could see God’s hand working through us and in us in the planning process, in His provision, in the building and eventual completion of the church. God’s vision and timing, His continued blessings upon Faith, has enabled her to bless the community for the last 55 years. I pray that Faith Methodist Church will continue to be the hands and feet for Christ as she carries on her work in Queenstown and beyond.

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FAITH 55TH ANNIVERSARY

rk done on the Demolition wo ly ¼ of the old sanctuary. On aining. entire length rem

The gable end wall with the steeple remaining (outside view)

Frank Yee: The New Church Building Age: 70 Attending Faith since 1976 Member of building committee (2001 to 2004) and project manager of the redevelopment work One of my most memorable moments at Faith was in April 2002 when demolition works began at 400 Commonwealth Drive. It was a painful experience to see the dear old sanctuary being torn down bit by bit. At the same time, thanks be to God for making it possible for the church to realise the long-awaited dream of a bigger building and sanctuary. Below are the photos of the final moments of the old sanctuary.

d steeple, The gable an ally viewed intern

A heap of dust from the crumbling of the gable and steeple

View from the same spot, a month later

Charlie Chia: Outreach Evangelistic Rallies Age: 74 Attending Faith since 1968 My fondest memory at Faith was at her first evangelistic rally in 1966 when I participated as a member of a youth singing group from Kampong Kapor Methodist Church that firmed my decision to join the church. What is unforgettable was the rally went on even though there was a blackout that evening. I remember the passion the church members had in evangelism. There was also a Christmas outreach rally entitled “A Gift for You!”, where many people from the community had the opportunity to receive the “gift” of salvation in Christ Jesus. As a youth in Faith, my most memorable experiences have been the teamwork, the passion and the focus in those early years, using creative ways to reach out to the community based on Paul’s desire to “by all means save some” (1Corinthians 9:22).

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Some memorable approaches we Lead Youth Camp for used for sharing Outreach 1972 (Kampon g Tengah) the gospel • Evangelistic rallies • Screening evangelistic gospel film shows in the public square • Distributing Christian tracts • Encountering: Going out in pairs to share the gospel on the street • Telephone evangelism: “I Found It” campaign • We even set up a stall at the pasar malam at Tanglin Halt Road every Saturday to give out Christian literature, and went out in pairs once a week to knock on doors from house to house to survey the needs of the community and create the opportunity to share Christ

FAITH 55TH ANNIVERSARY

SUN JAM :

CHILDREN AND TEACHERS

My most memorable moment at Faith was my Confirmation and Membership, making that decision to step up and also acknowledging my faith in Christ. Growing up in Faith has taught me so much about who God is to me. My wish is for Faith to be a special place in the hearts of the residents in Commonwealth, for the community around us to know our loving Saviour! Wishing Faith a blessed anniversary!

Milton Lai SUN JAM Teacher, 36 Attending Faith since birth

My most memorable moment at Faith was singing in the SUN JAM Kids’ choir during the Christmas Pageant in 2019 because all children across our three SUN JAM@ 9am, 10.30am and 11am came together for this event. My wish for Faith is for her to grow in numbers by bringing more non-Christians to know Christ and hopefully they will accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. Happy 55th Anniversary to all of us at Faith!

Sarah Ng, P5 @SJ9

I like SUN JAM/church because I get to meet my friends and teachers and get to learn more about Jesus. My wish for Faith is for the COVID-19 pandemic to get better so that everyone, especially me, can go back to church and have fellowship with one another face-to-face. Happy Anniversary to Faith!

Lois Pwee, P3 @SJ1030

My most memorable moment at Faith was the day we had the fun-filled Children’s Day carnival at ACJC in 2017 for all SUN JAM kids. My wish for Faith is for her to grow in God’s way for the many years to come and not be shaken when facing tough trials. Blessed 55th Anniversary to Faith Methodist Church!

Nathan Isaiah Tang, P6 @SJ11

My most memorable moment at Faith Methodist Church was the children’s camp that I attended in 2019. However, due to COVID-19, this year’s church camp has been postponed. Thus, I wish for the pandemic to be over so that everyone can come back to church! Happy Anniversary to Faith Methodist Church!

Je t’aime Kwek, P6 @SJ10.30

The stuff I love most about SUN JAM are talking to my friends and teachers and the questions during the SUN JAM activities. My one wish for Faith Methodist Church is for COVID-19 to be gone so that all of us can go back to SUNJAM! I wish Faith a Happy Anniversary!

Dylan Huang, P2 @SJ11 I love to be chosen to say the prayer at the end of SUN JAM Zoom class. I wish that we can be together with our SUN JAM friends again soon. I wish Faith Methodist Church a happy 55th anniversary!

Clara Seo, P2 @SJ9

FAITHLINK . JULY 2021

FAITH 55TH ANNIVERSARY

TTB YOUTH “My most memorable moment was attending one of the church camps organised when I was in Primary 5-6. The camp was full of fun games and we could interact with one another. The food was amazing too! I wish for more fellowship time with my cellmates at Faith. Blessed Birthday Faith!”

Zachary Lim, 15 Attending Faith since 2016 “My most memorable moment would be attending Tacklebox online. My youth leaders would always make the lessons fun and interesting for us since we’re unable to meet physically during the pandemic. I hope that everyone will continue to grow in their walk with God and build bonds with each other.”

Lauren Lee, 14 Attending Faith since 2012 “My most memorable moment in Faith was during the camp in P5. I made a lot of friends during that camp and we had a lot of fun together. Happy Birthday to FMC! I hope that many youths will continue to grow together with friends.”

Hannah Soo, 15 Attending Faith since 2006 “My most memorable moment at Faith was attending the Tacklecamp in 2019. It was a meaningful experience that helped me to grow closer to both God and the other youths. May Faith continue to build a community of believers, young and old, to journey together.”

Daniel Wee Teck Jin, 16 Attending Faith since 2005

“My most memorable moment was during our level retreat camp in 2019 when we had a meaningful time of fellowship and worship. I hope for Faith to continue being a community of love and blessing, Blessed Birthday Faith!”

Krystal Lim, 16 Attending Faith since 2013 “My most memorable moment was when I invited a friend to Tacklecamp in 2019, which was a great platform for fellowship. I wish for the Faith family to continue to be a Christ-like and close community, Happy Birthday Faith!”

Kieran Lim, 14 Attending Faith since 2013 “My most memorable moment was when my grandfather accepted Christ into his life and the church was there every step of the way to help him have a relationship with Christ. One wish that I have for the church is for it to continue welcoming others and serving as many people as possible and showing God’s love to others.”

John Wong, 21 Attending Faith since 2000 “My most memorable moment at Faith has to be my water baptism in 2016! As a first generation Christian, it was a significant day for me as my mum and grandma both got to witness my baptism. Blessed Birthday Faith, may our love increase and abound for one another and the community!”

Celestine Chen, 24 Attending Faith since 2013

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FAITH 55TH ANNIVERSARY

My most memorable time was at Mandarin Ministry Johor Bahru Retreat in 2018. I had a great time learning the Word and fellowship with one another. Blessed Birthday FMC! 思珍堂，生日蒙恩! May you continue to be a blessing to the community and mission fields! Charles Cheok, 49 Attending Faith since 2009 2018年，华语事工在柔佛举办的退修营最令我难忘。我非常喜欢学习上帝的话语及彼此团契的时光。思珍堂生日快乐，生日蒙恩！愿你继续成为社区和宣教领域的祝福！

石文基，49岁 2009年加入思珍堂

My most memorable moment was the church camp in Kuala Lumpur. Our church travelled, worked and acted together as one to make the church camp meaningful and fruitful. There were different programs for different age groups so that all the family members were able to attend different workshops at the same time in a safe environment. The spirit of Oneness for our Lord Jesus Christ moved everyone’s heart. I wish to see this spirit of Oneness continue in our church. Peilu Lee Attending Faith since 2015 在吉隆坡的教会营是我最难忘的时刻。我们的教会一起旅游、做事和活动，使教会营变得有意义及富有成效。不同年龄层有不同的节目，让全家人能够在安全的环境中同时参加不同的工作坊。为主耶稣基督而合一的精神感动了每个人的心。我希望这合一的精神在我们的教会中继续存在。

李佩茹

2015年加入思珍堂

MANDARIN MINISTRY My most memorable moment was our church camp at Sunway Lagoon in 2016. My family enjoyed travelling and worshipping together with the church. 祝思珍堂生日快乐! May our church continue to be a channel of blessings to welcome many more new believers. Vincent Lim Attending Faith since 2013 2016 年, 在双威主题乐园举行的教会营是我最难忘的活动。我的家人喜欢和教会一起旅游和敬拜。祝思珍堂生日快乐！愿我们的教会继续成为祝福的渠道，欢迎更多的新信徒加入教会。

林志宏

2013年加入思珍堂 In 2018, our family joined Faith Methodist Church and going for the Shanghai mission trip together with our small group was the most memorable event. Through the trip, we got to know our brothers- and sisters-inChrist better and saw God’s love being manifested in their actions and their care for one another in humility. I was thankful that we could learn from them and grow in faith. Happy Birthday Faith Methodist Church! May the Church, under the leadership of God, raise more soldiers who love the Lord and fight that good fight for the Lord. May we be a church that will continue to bless our community and our country. Joseph Yang, 46 Joined Faith Methodist in 2018 2018年我们一家人刚来到思珍堂，和小组一同参与了教会的外宣是我最难忘的事。在那次的行程当中，我们更加深入的认识了弟兄姐妹, 并从他们的身上看到了神的爱和上帝仆人应有的谦卑柔和。感谢主我们可以在思珍堂学习成长。祝思珍堂生日快乐！愿思珍堂在神的带领下, 培养出更多爱主的精兵, 为主打那美好的仗。继续祝福我们的社区，祝福我们的国家。

杨建龙，46岁 2018年加入思珍堂 FAITHLINK . JULY 2021

FAITH 55TH ANNIVERSARY

LANGUAGE MINISTRIES FILIPINO AND INDONE

SIAN FELLOWSHIPS

My most memorable moment was when I joined the Faith Conference in 2017. I learnt how to become a good leader to serve the Indonesian girls in church. Blessed Birthday Faith! May you become a channel of blessing for everyone!

Juliana Punusingon, 45 Attending Faith since 2013 My most memorable moment was when I joined the Faith 50th Anniversary Celebration in Suntec City. Faith Indonesian Ministry has helped me to grow to become more caring to people around me and has made me a better person. Blessed Birthday Faith! May you become a channel of blessing to many people through prayer and good deeds!

Paulina Lado, 41 Attending Faith since 2015 My most memorable moment was when a Faith member approached me and my employer, and introduced me to the Indonesian Ministry in Faith Methodist Church. Since then, I have been regularly attending the fellowship and have grown a lot in God. Happy anniversary, Faith! May more and more people be saved through the ministry of the church!

Irma Siregar, 33 Attending Faith since 2011 My most memorable moment was when I became an associate member of Faith in 2015. I was so happy and delighted to share this good news to my family in the Philippines. Happy 55th Birthday Faith. May you continue doing in touching people lives.

Pinky Sumayo, 45 Attending Faith since 2008

JULY 2021 . FAITHLINK

My most memorable moment was when we were given the opportunity to be an associate member of the church and we remembered our baptism in May 2017 through immersion, together with other Indonesian sisters. I was so happy that I was renewed and part of the Faith family. Happy Birthday and thank you Faith! May you continue to bless and support us in the language ministry. Mabuhay!

Elvira Viloria Rivad, 46 Attending Faith since Dec 2007 I have many memorable moments at Faith, one of which was when I attended the Filipino Fellowship. This is the place where I discovered my talents, and when I first attend the service together with my employer. Happy Anniversary Faith! May the Lord continue to pour His Blessings on you abundantly!

Marilyn Baquiran, 53 My happiest moment is when we celebrate Christmas every year at the Filipino Service. I feel so happy to remember the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ together with my friends. Happy 55th Anniversary Faith! More years to come, and more power of God to transform us to become His faithful servants.

Madel Fronda, 47 Attending Faith since 2013 My most memorable moment is my water immersion baptism in 2017. I was so happy to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour with my employer Sir and Mam Phyllis Tan. It was a special moment with my employer! Blessed Birthday Faith! May you continue to be a blessing to the community!

Joena Ponce, 42 Attending Faith since 2010

FAITH 55TH ANNIVERSARY

Nothing, not even COVID-19 will hinder us from bringing you our heartfelt messages! Dear Faith Methodist Church, thank you for your selfless work in Jesus Christ!

FAITH METHODIST PRESCHOOL

Congratulations on your 55th Anniversary! God Bless You All.

On this anniversary day, we thank you for being the glue that brings our faith community together. While this building ng Quality may only be bricks and stone, the community it houses makes it shine like st Education a house of gold! Let’s continue to work together to bless the children and families! Good Character who is an

or and an Entrepreneur May God continue to bless you in your

SSION Open

work and ministry!

With love from the Team at Faith Methodist Preschool.

PRE-NURSERY TEAM

KINDERGARTEN 1 TEAM

Faith Methodist Preschool 64795409

NURSERY TEAM enquiry.fmp@methodistpreschools.org 400 Commonwealth Drive, Level 2, Singapore 149604

Sengkang Methodist Preschool 63853041 enquiry.skmp@methodistpreschools.org 31 Anchorvale Road, Singapore 545056

Bedok Methodist Preschool 64458048

enquiry.bmp@methodistpreschools.org 86 Bedok Road, Singapore 469371

KINDERGARTEN 2 TEAM

FAITHLINK . JULY 2021

FAITH 55TH ANNIVERSARY

FaithActs We rejoice that Faith Methodist Church is celebrating her 55th Anniversary. FaithActs is thankful for the support and partnership in reaching out to the community. We look forward to more collaborations and may we experience grace abound all the more in the journey ahead. One of the most memorable collaborations we had with Faith is the Faith Community Carnival that was held in December 2018 during Christmas. Together with our 100-strong “WOW” Workout seniors, beneficiaries, volunteers and staff, FaithActs had the opportunity to partner Faith in serving the residents and also participated in the meaningful and fun-filled activities. The free hair-cutting service received overwhelming response! While it was extremely tiring, the team of dedicated volunteer barbers and befrienders proactively served beyond their call of duty. We also witnessed the joy of many pre-believers who enjoyed themselves tremendously through the live events. Congratulations Faith, on the fruit of your hard work for our Lord, Jesus Christ!

JULY 2021 . FAITHLINK

KNOW YOUR CHURCH

55 QUIZ Take this special historical quiz designed by our Archives & History Committee to commemorate Faith’s 55th Anniversary this year! Top 3 entries with the most correct answers will each receive a special prize worth $100.

Next 52 entries received with the most correct answers will each receive a $20 voucher.

ALL quiz participants who submit completed entries will each receive a special 55th Anniversary souvenir!

This Quiz runs from 27 June - 31 July 2021, and is open to everyone (young and old, pastors, staff, leaders, church members) except members of the Archives & History Committee. To participate, go to faithmc.sg/55quiz and answer all the questions.

HEARTBEAT : DISCIPLESHIP & NURTURE

LOVE IN ACTION The DISCIPLE classes at Faith is more than just a Bible study fellowship; it’s a community of love. By Tammy Ang

The DISCIPLE programme at Faith Methodist Church is more than just a Bible study programme. Participants of this class not only receive information and head knowledge; they also participate actively in the learning process. At each session, they are challenged by God’s Word to apply what they have learnt. More importantly, part of the beauty of the 30-week plus study is the strong bonding and community that continues long after the course is completed. I have had the privilege to facilitate several classes by now and one area that heartens me is how each

class has its own unique “character”. The people who sign up for DISCIPLE comprise many different “layers” of the church, many of whom are strangers even though we belong in the same church family. Some classes may have individuals who are seemingly “different”, which is a very subjective idea. Our human condition informs us that we don’t like “different” and as humans, we sometimes treat “different” unkindly.

A Searching Soul Someone said that “the people who need love the most will always ask for it in the most unloving ways”.

A special episode took place this year when one cohort decided to put their love into action. When *Jane signed up for DISCIPLE, she was someone who was not easily content with the standard or “cliched” answers that were given. Instead, she would ask several challenging questions, and even held many strong personal opinions about the nature of God. While some might have found this situation difficult to handle, it was not so. In reality, *Jane was searching for answers, and most of all, she was searching for God. The class was now challenged to put what they have been learning to *Pseudonym is used

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practice. How should they respond? Would they apply the teachings of Jesus on that unique individual? I was heartened to observe that by the time Singapore reached the Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) period, fellow participants had privately reached out to *Jane and had also invited her to their home to complete the last two sessions of the course (which were held over Zoom).

Love In Action Towards the end of the course, *Jane shared how their actions touched her very much. In the 34 weeks, she had found what she

was looking for – God’s love and acceptance through God’s Word and through the acceptance and love from the class. The power of God’s Word and their love for God ultimately won! Sometimes, all an individual needs, is a safe space in which they feel accepted for where they are in that season without being judged. We are encouraged to love those who are different from us. Proverbs 27:17 tells us, “iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” (ESV). DISCIPLE is not about head knowledge; it challenges us to look beyond ourselves and

re-examine what we know about Christianity and our identity as disciples of Christ. In such cases, it challenges us to put into practice what we have learnt. This is real-life discipleship, isn’t it? Tammy Ang is a Pastoral Team Member of the Small Groups Ministry. She is passionate about discipleship and feels most alive facilitating such classes. She has a love for cats and is always tempted to be out in the rain when possible.

FAITHLINK . JULY 2021

HEARTBEAT : MISSIONS

KAIROS @ FAITH Let’s hear the experiences of our participants!

A Blessed Experience The Kairos: God, the Church and the World Course was introduced to me by my Small Group leader in March 2021. To my surprise, I signed up for the course without much thought as I felt there was a need to understand more about missions. I attended the course by faith, in accordance to 2 Corinthians 5:7, for we walk by faith, not by sight. My journey on the Kairos course was very interesting. It allowed me to understand the needs, demands and scope of missions. I now understand that God has a purpose for each one of us as messengers to fulfill God’s mission. There is an urgency to reach out to the least reached people,

be it locally or internationally. The importance of prayer and team work, including working with the church to reach God’s mission, were also emphasized. We also discovered that we will face challenges as there are crosscultural considerations to

observe and adapt when we approach people. This course has been a great eye-opener and indeed has deepened my knowledge on the meaning of missions as we work hand-in-hand with the Church to reach the world. I would definitely encourage anyone interested in missions work or missions in general, to take up the course. The experience for me was rewarding and God has led me to this course for a reason. I am thankful to Faith Methodist Church for organizing the course and all the course facilitators for their guidance and support. It was truly a blessed experience! May Ang (VOF2 Small Group)

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Missions Is For Everyone My coincidental participation in the Kairos course ignited frequent thoughts of “Why this course?”, “Why me?” and “Why now?” Prior to attending Kairos, I had been praying to learn about God and to know Him more, above and beyond attending Small Group; and also about how I could contribute to His kingdom. And this was His answer to me.

Kairos revealed a complete picture to me as a Christian with regards to God’s blessings to us and for us to share His blessings to others through us. Missions is not only for the missionaries but for every one of us to share the gospel as our humble way of loving both the unreached and reached people groups. Charlene Ong (Faith & Grace Small Group)

An Eye-opening Experience I signed up for the Kairos Course conducted by Faith to learn more about missions. The course itself was informative, well-structured and interesting. I have learnt a lot from the course and in fact, I realized that I previously did not know much about missions at all. The course has been very useful for me and hopefully I will be able to put what I have learnt into practice. I am also thankful to all the trainers, organisers and facilitators, for being approachable and ready to help answer any of my questions willingly and promptly. Jeff Tan (Kingsmen Small Group)

FAITHLINK . JULY 2021

HEARTBEAT : MISSIONS

for the pandemic forcing us to come home earlier than planned, I would not have had my heart check-up.

MATTERS OF THE HEART A testimony of the Lord’s saving grace. By Larry and Susan Lai

Larry’s Side Of The Story

couple of weeks earlier in December 2020 instead.

For many of us, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a major disruption to our daily lives. We mostly have negative experiences from the pandemic. But for me, I have at least one reason to be thankful for the pandemic.

Since we had some “extra” weeks in Singapore, I reached out to Professor Christie Tan, one of our church members, to seek his advice regarding the tightness around my chest which I started to experience since October 2020. Prof Tan suggested that I go in to see him to have my heart checked. It turned out that I had several major blockages in both of the arteries.

Susan and I were originally planning to return to Singapore in January 2021 for a short two to three-week stay to do our annual health check. However, due to sudden changes in quarantine guidelines by the Singapore authorities, we returned a

JULY 2021 . FAITHLINK

The doctors recommended immediate surgery and within two weeks, they performed a triple bypass on me. If not

Before the operation, the surgeon gave our family a very detailed description of the operation and all the possible risk factors. It was pretty scary and the fear of dying from the operation did trouble me for a couple of days. However, with so many people praying for me, the fear gradually subsided and we were able to commit everything to God and faced the operation calmly. In His time, everything aligned perfectly. As soon as the last scheduled tests were completed, (even before some of the results were returned), we were told that a possible slot might be available in three days. Sure enough, three days later, the operation was successfully carried out and six days later I was discharged. God is good! My post-op recovery was also very smooth. Two months later on 28 April 2021, I was cleared by the surgeon for travel and we returned to Japan shortly after. Looking back, it was somewhat of a rollercoaster ride. From the sudden diagnosis of major heart failure, to the fear of death, and then a quick and successful operation in a matter of weeks.

Looking back on how God protected us and watched over us during our three years in Japan, His timing is always perfect.

God sent many fellow believers to come around us. Some are people we know like Prof Tan, others were complete strangers. All prayed for us, some visited us, some gave wise words of advice, some offered practical assistance. All showed their love and we feel so blessed. It came suddenly and was over quickly but the love experienced and the blessing received will remain for a lifetime.

Susan’s Side Of The Story When Larry’s heart scan showed that there were some blockages, we thought ballooning or stenting would be enough. But during the angiogram procedure, the doctors found the blockages too severe for ballooning or stenting. The doctors recommended bypass surgery and requested to meet the whole family where he explained the whole procedure step-by-step and the 15 possible risks that could happen during surgery.

As we listened to his explanation, my mind began to be filled with many questions and worst-case scenarios.

began. He was given an operation slot and there was also the availability of the ICU. God is so good!

“Why God, did you let this happen to Larry?”

Larry’s surgery lasted about six hours and it went well. On the first day after the surgery, he was still drowsy. On the second day, he could sit up and have his meal. I am so thankful that God journeyed with us throughout this period.

“Didn’t we obey and go to Japan according to your calling?” “So what now with this health issue?” I felt devastated. That was followed by many sleepless nights. Some nights I would go down on my knees and pray asking God for forgiveness and to have mercy and help us to go through this difficult trial. I could feel God telling me to just trust Him… that He is in control of the situation; He would take care of everything. I updated my Small Group and friends to stand in the gap to pray for Larry. Eventually, I saw how God answered our prayers oneby-one. Within the first week of his stay in the hospital, all his tests were done and preparation for the operation

Looking back on how God protected us and watched over us during our three years in Japan, His timing is always perfect. The surgeon was puzzled how Larry could have survived with such severe blockages. But I believe God was protecting him, and He knows best. He kept Larry alive for the surgery to be performed in Singapore. What good timing and how amazing that God made all these arrangements. All glory and honour to Him alone! Larry and Susan are Faith’s overseas mission workers based in Shiga, Japan. They partner with the local churches to reach out to and disciple the local communities.

FAITHLINK . JULY 2021

HEARTBEAT : FAMILY LIFE

SERVING GOD’S PURPOSE FOR MY LIFE By Alison Lim

At around 10am on 1 March 2017, I was conducting a training programme when I felt tightness in my chest and felt extremely tired. I thought this was caused by my late nights from preparing my training materials. I just tolerated the discomfort until work ended at 5.30pm.

The medical leave was a good pause for me. I spent much time reflecting on how I had been living my life and was grateful. I was thankful for the rest. I was thankful that my heart was not damaged from the heart attack. I was thankful that my high cholesterol level was addressed.

It was only until my husband, Albert, drove me to the hospital when I was told that I had a heart attack. They quickly rushed me to the Singapore General Hospital.

I began asking myself how I should be living my life with this second chance and purposed in my heart that I would be more intentional in how I live my life and how I serve Him. I decided that I wanted to focus more on things that matter to God.

Inside the ambulance, I was praying unceasingly as I had difficulty breathing throughout the whole journey. Many others were praying with and for me. One of them was my former Small Group leader’s wife.

In His Hands She later shared that she was led to pray for me that morning around 10am and God gave her a word that I would have a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26). When I heard that, a deep sense of peace came over me. My fears dissipated, knowing that my Abba Father was fully in control of my situation.

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prioritise me, while he felt that I did not respect him. Through our experience attending these courses, we learnt to do marriage in God’s way. Here was a deep transformation in our relationship as we began to walk with younger couples teaching them what we had learnt. We had a desire to protect and strengthen the institution of marriage and family; and were led to serve God as volunteers in various community efforts centred on the family. Albert is in the Families for Life Council and I am in the Mums for Life Core Team. When I was asked to step up as the Chairperson of Family Life Ministry, it was already aligned with what God had since placed in my heart.

Growing In Our Marriage During this period, Albert and I attended the “Supernatural Marriage” course held on a cruise ship. The event was conducted by Pastor Craig Hill from the Family Foundations International. The teachings and prayer restored and healed a lot of brokenness in our relationship. We had to deal with the many conflicts that had taken place between us because I had felt that Albert did not

At the marriage cruise by Family Foundations International (2018)

HEARTBEAT : FAMILY LIFE

Family Life Ministry At Faith We hope that Family Life can help to shape a culture of blessing in our families at Faith. We see blessings as God’s favour and protection. Couples should bless each other daily. Parents should bless their children regularly. Last year, we encouraged the families to bless mothers on Mother’s Day and bless fathers on Father’s Day to honour them. How about making it a practice to bless your family member on their birthdays? We have also been sourcing for courses to equip members to raise godly families. For fathers, we have started the programme on The World Needs a Father (TWNAF). This initiative seeks to disciple fathers to bring heaven home and also addresses the issue of fatherlessness in our society today. Deep dive sessions are planned for fathers to discuss personal issues and struggles in breakout groups.

Supporting Our Mothers We will launch a programme for mothers called, “Heart of a Mother’s Experience” which aims to build safe spaces for mothers to come together to share their joys and struggles, to seek healing, wholeness, and fulfillment. This is a journey to speak to the hearts of mothers and bring out the best in them and their families.

Under HOME, mothers will affirm and empower other mums through the W.I.S.D.O.M Approach. The W.I.S.D.O.M Approach covers the following: 1. Module A: The Worthy Mum 2. Module B: The Intimate Mum 3. Module C: The Supportive Mum 4. Module D: The Developer Mum 5. Module E: The Organising Mum & Meet the mums

Strengthening Marriages We conducted a pilot run of The Alpha Marriage last year. The video-based programme teaches couples how to strengthen their marriage. It touches on the key concerns between couples and provides practical handles. Pre-believers can join this programme, which we plan to launch during our One Mission Church Camp 2021. As a follow-up to the Marriage Covenant seminar held in 2019, we will be encouraging members to attend the Marriage Breakthrough Encounter by Pastor Craig Hill from 4 to 6 November 2021.

Other than learning the keys to great marriages, couples will also be invited to receive counsel and be prayed for.

Grandparents and Young Adults Grandparents are also included! We have scheduled a “Joy of Grandparenting (JOG)” tea session where one of our long-time church members, Ang Ley Keow, will facilitate a discussion on godly grandparenting with a small group of grandparents. For the young adults, they are facing changing perceptions of parenting and family life. We are planning to highlight how Christians can handle these changes and aim to discuss related topics with them. We will continue to develop our line-up of courses to prepare church members to fulfil their roles in their families. Alison is the Chairperson for the Family Life Ministry at Faith.

If you feel led to join us in our planning or the community space or if you would like to have details on the courses, please do contact me at 9797-3937.

FAITHLINK . JULY 2021

HEARTBEAT : FAMILY LIFE

EVERY SEASON COUNTS Building a community of like-minded fathers at Faith. By John Woon

Family Life sees the need to build a community of like-minded fathers in Faith Methodist Church, a community that is committed to bringing heaven home. Today, many marriages are in crisis, spouses living under one roof but leading separate lives. Many families are under tension and children are having strained relationships with their fathers. We need to stop the devil insidiously destroying, stealing, robbing the joy and peace of our sacred marriage and family relationships.

JULY 2021 . FAITHLINK

Dealing With Fatherlessness On 29 May 2021, Family Life organised a session entitled, “Every Season Counts” for fathers, with guest speaker, Wee Boon Choon, from “The World Needs a Father” movement. He is a gifted trainer and counsellor who holds a Master of Social Science and has a certification in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. During the session, 35 fathers and fathers-to-be learnt about

the different seasons in our children’s lives and how to address them. The key message was that when a father is absent, perhaps away pursuing his career, Satan will take over and father the “fatherless” child. Fatherlessness is one of the biggest ills in our society today.

Strengthening Fathers One of the most common weapon Satan uses against our children is pornography. Not only will pornography affect the brains of our children, it will also damage relationships.

HEARTBEAT : FAMILY LIFE

Many families are under tension and children are having strained relationships with their fathers. We need to stop the devil insidiously destroying, stealing, robbing the joy and peace of our sacred marriage and family relationships. Many cases of divorce are linked to the porn pandemic. Fathers need to claim our God-given authority over our children and not allow Satan to father them. Another key takeaway from the session is that affirmation is a more effective approach to manage children than punishment. The speaker also stressed the importance of community support and fostering open communication between parents to raise godly children. This is the very purpose why

Family Life decided to build a community of fathers to support each other in bringing heaven into our homes. John serves as Treasurer for the Family Life Ministry Committee at Faith.

UPCOMING FAMILY LIFE SESSIONS Please contact our team for more details on these upcoming sessions, or email wendyvoon@faithmc.sg. The Power of Restoration 14 Aug, 9am to 12pm

Identity in Christ 9 Oct, 9am to 12pm

Moral Authority 11 Sep, 9am to 12pm

Affirmation 13 Nov, 9am to 12pm

FAITHLINK . JULY 2021

HEARTBEAT: MANDARIN MINISTRY

JOINING HANDS IN

Spiritual Growth Outreach does not stop when a pre-believer receives Christ. Follow up and pastoral care are important in ensuring that these new “sheep” are nurtured in the faith. By Serene Koh, Loo Bee Eng & Shi Yu

Serene Koh of Eshcol Small Group (SG) at Faith met a lady named Shi Yu during an “Adopt-A-Block” (AAB) outreach activity. The Small Group invited Shi Yu to worship at our Mandarin Service and subsequently she accepted Jesus as her Lord. After accepting the Lord, one of our Mandarin befrienders, Loo Bee Eng, began to follow up with Shi Yu to help her know more about Jesus.

Connecting with Faith Claire: How did you get to know about Faith Methodist Church? Shi Yu: I always knew that there is a church near my home but I was not aware that it was Faith Methodist Church until my mother asked me to find out. Claire: Can you share how you came to accept Jesus? Shi Yu: I knew about Jesus but I did not believe in Him.

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But whenever I encounter difficulties, my mother would pray for me earnestly and each time, I could ride out the difficulties safely. Slowly I began to believe in the existence of Jesus. Once, the Small Group was distributing Chinese New Year gifts at our HDB block and I met Serene. When I made up my mind to know God, I took the initiative to contact her. Her Small Group then brought me to Faith Methodist Church and I accepted Jesus at the Mandarin Service. Claire: Serene, why did you distribute gifts at the HDB block during Chinese New Year? Serene: “Adopt-A-Block” is one of our church’s outreach activities. Through this activity, we befriend residents and introduce our church to them. Claire: How did your Small Group connect Shi Yu to the church?

Shi Yu at the Mandarin Service

Serene: I have been in touch with Shi Yu and sent her some videos of Pastors in Wuhan (China) helping the community during the pandemic. Wuhan is Shi Yu’s hometown. In August 2020, Shi Yu surprised us by indicating that she wanted to learn more about Christianity and join our worship service. We brought her to our Mandarin Service. Claire: Shi Yu, how did the church follow up with you after you accepted Jesus as your Saviour? Shi Yu: Two members from the Mandarin Ministry, Ee Hoon and Bee Eng, followed up with me.

My motivation comes from Jesus’ command to feed His sheep and see life changes through spiritual growth. Ee Hoon’s Small Group members reached out to Shi Yu

The Importance of Follow-Up Claire: Bee Eng, what do you usually do during follow-up? Bee Eng: The main purpose for follow-up is to affirm new believers that they are born again and saved. Jesus is their Saviour and Lord of their life. We remind them to communicate with our Heavenly Father through prayer and Bible reading, the importance of fellowship in the Lord, and participation in the church body.

Claire: This ministry is meaningful but not easy. What is your motivation? Bee Eng: My motivation comes from Jesus’ command to feed His sheep and see life changes through spiritual growth. Claire: What do you gain from the follow-up processes? Bee Eng: My spiritual life has grown during the follow-up process. When teaching and reminding others, I am also reminding myself to read and pray and to build on my relationship with God.

Claire: Shi Yu, what did you gain from the follow-up process? Shi Yu: Ee Hoon and Bee Eng followed up with me for almost two months. We studied the Bible together through online video conferencing. Studying online together gave me a deeper understanding of God, taught me how to pray, and I learnt more about what fellowship is about. After the sessions, they would ask me about my life and work, pray for me and even share scriptures and worship songs. I am very grateful to them!

We urgently need befrienders who are fluent in speaking Mandarin. If you would like to serve with us, please contact Claire Yeh at clairebang@faithmc.sg. If your Small Group would like to get involved in our Adopt-a-Block initiative, please contact Wilson Woon via wilsonwoon@faithmc.sg.

FAITHLINK . JULY 2021

HEARTBEAT: MANDARIN MINISTRY

齐心协力，助长灵命供稿人：许桂蓉, 卢美英 & 施宇

今天我们要分享各事工如何联手促进初信者的属灵成长。Eshcol 小组的桂蓉姐妹在认领组屋的外展活动中，联系上施宇。在小组的带领下, 施宇参加了我们的华语崇拜并接受耶稣为主。在接受主后，我们的栽培员美英姐妹开始与施宇跟进，帮助她更认识耶稣。清颜：施宇，您是如何认识思珍堂的？施宇：其实我一直知道家附近有一间教堂但不知道名字。直到妈妈要我帮忙打听，我才知道原来这教堂叫思珍堂。清颜：分享您接受耶稣的过程吧！施宇：我一直知道耶稣，但是没有相信。不过每当我遇到困难的时候，妈妈都会帮我诚心祷告。每次我都能度过难关，化险为夷。慢慢的我开始相信耶稣的存在。有一次思珍堂在组屋派送农历新年礼物，我认识了桂蓉。当我决心认识上帝的时候，我主动联系她。她们带我去思珍堂，我在华语崇拜中接受了耶稣。

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施宇参加华语崇拜。

清颜：桂蓉, 为什么会在农历新年期间去组屋派送礼物呢？桂蓉：「认领组屋」是教会的外展活动之一。通过此活动，我们与居民联系并将我们的教会介绍给他们。清颜：您的小组是如何将施宇与教会联系起来的？桂蓉：我一直与施宇联系，发送了有关武汉牧师在疫情期间帮助社区的视频，因为武汉是施宇的故乡。令我们惊讶的是，施宇在2020 年 8 月说她想了解更多

关于基督教的信息，并想参加我们的崇拜。我们就把她带到我们的华语崇拜。清颜：施宇，接受耶稣为您的救主后，教会有跟进吗？施宇：有，宜芬和美英跟进。清颜：美英，您一般在跟进中做些什么？美英：在跟进中, 主要帮助初信者清楚知道他们已经重生得救。耶稣是他们的救主和生命的主。通过祷告和读经与天父沟

桂蓉的小组与施宇分享福音。

我的推动力是来自耶稣吩咐要喂养祂的羊和看见属灵成长所带来的生命改变。

通，以及主内团契和参加教会肢体的重要。

对方时，也是在提醒自己要读经祷告，跟进与上帝的关系。

清颜：这事工富有意义但也不容易，您的推动力是什么？美英：我的推动力是来自耶稣吩咐要喂养祂的羊和看见属灵成长所带来的生命改变。

清颜：施宇，跟进过程给予您什么？施宇：她们跟进了差不多两个月，我们通过视频一起查经。一起网上查经学习，教我更深的认识上帝，教我如何祷告，什么是团契等等。之后还会简讯问我生活和工作情况，为我祷告，还分享经文及赞美上帝的敬拜歌。我很感激她们！

清颜：跟进过程给予您什么？美英：在跟进过程中，我的灵命也得到帮助。在教导和提醒

我们急需华语栽培员。如果您想与我们一起事奉，请电邮clairebang@faithmc. sg与清颜接洽。如果您的小组想认领组屋，请电邮 wilsonwoon@faithmc.sg 与Wilson Woon接洽。

FAITHLINK . JULY 2021

ONE JAM CHILDREN’S MINISTRY

DEAR GOD … Prayers of our SUN JAM kids during this pandemic.

P5 Jenson Foo (11 years old):

Dear God, I pray that the people who were infected will recover swiftly and safely , I also pray that our frontline workers will be safe. Amen.

P4 Naethan Lim (10 years old): Dear God, I pray that this Covid-19 situation will end soon so we can go back to school to see our friends and classmates. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

JULY 2021 . FAITHLINK

P6 Je t’aime Kwek (12 years old): Dear God, I pray that the frontline workers will be safe from COVID-19 and be healthy. Amen.

P4 Raine Li (10 years old): Dear God, I pray that you will protect me and everyone and hope that COVID-19 will end soon. I want everybody to be safe. Amen.

P5 Angel Shery (11 years old):

P3 Alyssa Kok (9 years old): Dear God, I pray that COVID-19 will all be gone.

P1 Anderson Neo (7 years old): Dear God, I want you to overcome our fears.

P1 Titus Feng (7 years old): Dear Lord, please help us beat the virus in only ways you can do. Help the families who are suffering and be with them.

Dear Lord, I pray that cases do not spread more so we can go out again. Amen P3 Jeremiah Chan (9 years old): Dear God, I pray that the COVID-19 cases will decrease and stop.

P2 Clarissa Liew (8 years old):

Dear God, we pray for everyone in the world against COVID-19.

P6 Claire Chan (12 years old):

Dear God, I pray that the COVID-19 pandemic would stop and we would go back to normal life.

P2 Matthias Goh (8 years old):

Dear God, help the people in the hospital to stay healthy and stand strong. FAITHLINK . JULY 2021

HEARTBEAT : FAITHCARE

CARING@FAITH: CARED FOR TO CARE Caring@Faith is a practical response to fulfill part of Faith’s vision of “Transforming Lives. Changing The World.” By The CARE Pillar of Faith Methodist Church

FaithCARE is an integral part of Faith Methodist Church and this is our mission statement: To be a faith community where every member and worshipper is cared for and equipped to care.

Care is NOT a transaction to us; it is a divine appointment by God between us and the people whom we reach out to and care for.

drive” to reach out and assist the seniors (age 60 and above) in our church, especially those who were not in Small Groups and who were living alone.

Caring For Our Seniors

“I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” ~ Matthew 25:40

At the beginning of the Circuit Breaker period in April 2020, the Faith pastors and the pastoral team members engaged in a “pastoral care

We connected with 529 seniors in the first round. To ensure that the rest of our seniors were covered, we extended our reach to an additional 634 worshippers in the second round by

JULY 2021 . FAITHLINK

At Faith, we believe that God has called us to care for one another; that He has brought us altogether to care for one another. searching beyond the official database records. In total, we reached out to 1,163 worshippers during that period.

COVID-19 Care Package In August 2020, Faith released the COVID-19 Care Package (CCP) for Faith members and worshippers whose personal or family member’s income was impacted due to COVID-19. This meant that eligible individuals who were retrenched or had suffered a pay reduction or income loss (for the self-employed) of more than 20 percent, could receive some financial assistance*. The CCP is just an example of one of the CARE endeavours that were facilitated during the pandemic. However, even before the covid pandemic, there are other platforms of

CARE that have been going on and are being facilitated to benefit our church worshippers at any time.

Be Part Of A Small Group! At Faith, we believe that God has called us to care for one another; that He has brought us altogether to care for one another. There are more than 2,500 worshippers in this spiritual family, of whom 80 percent are already connected to a Small Group and have been, in some ways, receiving care for one another. However, there is still 20 percent of our church worshippers who may not have the opportunity to receive such care. Small Groups is still our first-base of pastoral care and support, and we encourage you to join a Small Group.

*Please visit www.faithmc.sg/ccp for details on the COVID-19 Care Package.

To find out more about our Small Group ministry, do contact us at this link: https://www.faithmc.sg/small-groups/.

FAITHLINK . JULY 2021

PEOPLE OF FAITH : FAITH METHODIST PRESCHOOL

Providing Quality Methodist Education Every child a person of Good Character who is an Explorer, an Innovator and an Entrepreneur

2022 ADMISSION Open Pre-Nursery

- Children born in 2019

Nursery - Children born in 2018 Kindergarten One - Children born in 2017 Kindergarten One - Children born in 2016 Foochow Methodist Preschool

64795409 enquiry.fmp@methodistpreschools.org 400 Commonwealth Drive, Level 2, Singapore 149604

Sengkang Methodist Preschool

62942516

63853041

enquiry.fcmp@methodistpreschools.org

enquiry.skmp@methodistpreschools.org

90, Race Course Road, Singapore 218577

31 Anchorvale Road, Singapore 545056

Toa Payoh Methodist Preschool

JULY 2021 . FAITHLINK

Faith Methodist Preschool

Bedok Methodist Preschool

63532651

64458048

enquiry.tpmp@methodistpreschools.org

enquiry.bmp@methodistpreschools.org

480 Lorong 2 Toa Payoh, Singapore 319641

86 Bedok Road, Singapore 469371

PEOPLE OF FAITH : FAITH METHODIST PRESCHOOL

HAPPY EARTH DAY, EVERY DAY! Celebrating God’s Creation

At Faith Methodist Preschool, practising the 3 Rs – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, plays a significant part in our learning. This year, we embarked on an additional learning experience with the Happy Earth Day Every Day project. It is an initiative organised by Christian Preschool Alliance to celebrate God’s creation on Earth Day and teach children about the biblical worldview of Earth Day.

On Earth Day, our children shared with their teachers what they love about God’s creation. Children learnt through stories and songs that God made Earth good and beautiful for all to enjoy. The children brainstormed for ideas on how they can honour God and His Creation by taking good care of it so that they can enjoy it every day. ting God Apprecia

ure

given nat

EARTH DAY Singing and learning about ways to take care of our Earth

Children-created recyling bins

Recyclable Sushi Craft

Using recyclables to make Mother’s Day storage containers

Walking the talk! Listening intently to Here We Are Notes for Living on Planet Earth by Jeffer Olivers

FAITHLINK . JULY 2021

PEOPLE OF FAITH : FAITH METHODIST PRESCHOOL

FAITH MPS HAPPENINGS

EMMA

(JAN TO MAY 2021)

Learning is FUN and ENGAGING at Faith Methodist Preschool, the right environment for growing! Be a part of our enriching experiences!

Rolling out of the Enhanced Methodist Music Ap (EMMA) program preciation Developing our sense of rhythm and beat with the use of percussion instruments

LEARNIN

XPER I GE 3 Bears Workshop by Act3

CES EN

Heroes putting out the fire!

Developing our fine motor skills

Exploring & Observation Mouldy Bread Experiment

Exploring & observing mealworms

Baking cornflake cookies for our families

Who’s been eating my porridge! a 3 Bears Role Play

Learning to buy & waste less growing our own spring onions

Our annual donation to St Luke’s Hospital

I Creating Japanese rice

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balls Exploring about Vietnam

HIP DAY DS

FRIEN T’L N

PEOPLE OF FAITH : FAITH METHODIST PRESCHOOL

thy ing a heal g & plann althy Plate e Discussin H e th g meal usin

Y HEALTH PLATE

OUTDOOR FUN

Healthy bodies,

healthy minds!

Learning about healthy eating using the Healthy Plate way Eating & staying healthy starts from young

Outdoor fun

Watch how high & far my paper aeroplane can fly!

CRAFTS

String painting Creating my own rainbow

rushed Using c print to r e p a newsp

Using crushed newspaper to print

Outdoor fun & games

Learning to balance

FAITHLINK . JULY 2021

PEOPLE OF FAITH : FAITHACTS

OF THE CITY By Jean Hong

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Matthew 5:14

FaithActs celebrates its 17th anniversary this year and we celebrate with many milestones! We are grateful to God as we share some significant moments and remain thankful to our supporters who have joined us to make an impact in our community. Jean is the Corporate Partnership and Marketing Manager at FaithActs.

Strengthening Our Base

2014 ~ We started the Circuit Low Mobility exercises for our frail seniors after FaithActs relocated to Block 50 Commonwealth Drive with the support of (then) Jurong Health – Alexandra Hospital.

2017 ~ Opening of FaithActs Enrichment Centre at Block 118 Commonwealth Crescent.

2019 ~ Our 3rd centre at Block 13 Dover Close East.

Supporting The Community FaithActs provides hair cutting services to our seniors since 2016.

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FaithActs started children services with The Learning Hub in February 2017.

PEOPLE OF FAITH : FAITHACTS Bring Cheers to

420 seniors

We brought our seniors for the pilot vaccination at Tanjong Pagar CC on 28 Jan 2021.

Putting a smile on our seniors’ faces during Circuit Breaker from 7 April to 1 June 2020.

Assisted in registering the residents for COVID-19 vaccination on 13 March 2021.

Honoured to receive the People’s Association Community Spirit Awards 2020 from Ms Rachel Ong, Member of Parliament for West Coast GRC (Telok Blangah) on 5 April 2021. Celebrating Buka Puasa with Tanjong Pagar GRC residents virtually on 26 April 2021.

Memorable Moments

Our President, Mdm Halimah Yacob, visited the FaithActs office to celebrate Christmas on 22 December 2018 with our staff and beneficiaries.

We are blessed to join the President to launch the Istana Lego model on 1 May 2019.

FAITHLINK . JULY 2021

MARKETPLACE

EVANGELISM IN THE MARKETPLACE We are in the world but not of the world. By Allan Poh

There is a Chinese saying that goes “人在江湖，身不由己”, which means that we are compelled to adapt and change ourselves to the world. Do we need to imitate the world and follow the trend or even violate our conscience just to be successful? The teaching of the Bible is contrary to this idea. Although we live in the world, we are not of the world (John 17:14-23). The Bible also teaches us not to love the world or anything in the world because the world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever (1 John 2:15-17).

A Christian In The Marketplace

in my own consulting firm for more than 30 years. I like this job very much because it is challenging, requires creativity, and also provides the opportunity to meet all kinds of people. The only difficulty is the mental pressure and the heavy responsibilities of being a professional consultant. It is challenging to live out the biblical truth as a Christian in the marketplace without being influenced by the temptations of the world. Like this Chinese saying “出污泥而不染” describes, “being out of mud but not stained” is indeed demanding. We must always be alert to the teachings of Jesus, to live out the image of Christ in the

marketplace. Jesus said, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

A Witness For God In the company, whenever we have the opportunity to have a meal with colleagues, we will pray together and share the gospel. We will encourage and invite them to attend our Mandarin Service. We also share with them some of the miracles performed by God in our work or daily life. For example, there were

I am a professional civil engineer and have worked

FAITHLINK . JULY 2021

MARKETPLACE

instances when we managed to complete our projects smoothly in good time, and in less time than expected. Glory to God! More than ten years ago, a senior supervisor who worked with me, shared that he had an incurable cancer. I told him that I had personally experienced God’s healing and I prayed with him to let God heal him. He was moved by God and accepted Jesus as his Saviour. Thank God, he is still alive today. With Jesus, he defeated the power of disease and death. Hallelujah! This year, an employee who just joined our team also accepted Christ several months ago. Thank God! This new employee joins us every Sunday morning in attending the online Mandarin Service of Faith Methodist Church and also attends follow-up sessions for young believers. All glory be to our Lord Jesus Christ!

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SCRIPTURE GUIDES OUR WAY OF LIFE Here are some verses that have encouraged and guided me throughout the years. May you be affirmed as you meditate on these words. Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death. Jehovah allows us to gain wisdom from above, so that we can smoothly survive the worldly storms in life. Proverbs 3:6 In all your ways submit to Him, and he will make your paths straight. This is because everything we have comes from the Lord (Psalm 24:1; 115:16), even our ability and power to gain wealth is from Him (Deuteronomy 8:18). This is my favourite Scripture. Finally, I would like to encourage everyone with this passage: Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Amen.

Allan has been a member of Faith since the 80s. He is currently the Chairman of the Mandarin Ministry, and served as the Property Chairman for 14 years, and the Prayer Chairman for 5 years. He is married to Janice and they have two children.

MARKETPLACE

职场上传福音我们活在这世界，但不属于这世界供稿人：傅子勝

俗语说 “人在江湖，身不由己” 。我们是否需要效法这世界，跟着时尚走，就算是违背良心做个成功人士也在所不惜？圣经的教导与此想法却是对立的。我们虽然活在这世界, 但我们并不属于这世界 (约翰福音 17:14-23) 。圣经也教导我们不要爱这世界和世界上的事，因这世界和其中所有的都要过去，唯独遵行神旨意的，永远常存（约翰一书 2:15-17）。身在职场的基督徒我本人是位专业土木工程师，在自办的顾问事务所任职已超过三十年。我很喜欢这份工作，因它富有挑战性而且必须有独特的创造能力，同时也有机会接触到各种各样的人。

唯有比较艰辛的是精神上的压力和身为专业顾问所要担负的重任；最困难的是, 身为基督徒在职场里要如何活出圣经所教导的真理，又不受这世界所带来的诱惑与试探所影响，所谓的 “出污泥而不染”，的确是不容易。我必须时常警惕自己有关耶稣的教导，在职场上，要活出基督的形象。耶稣说 “你们的光也当这样照在人前，叫他们看见你们的好行为，便将荣耀归给你们在天上的父”(马太福音 5:16) 。为上帝作见证在公司里，只要有机会与同事一起进餐，我们就会一起作谢恩祷告，分享福音，同时也鼓励及邀请他们来参加我们星期天的华语崇拜会。我们也与他们分享一些神在我们的工作或日常生活中所行的

神迹奇事，比如我们所作的一切工程都能顺利的圆满完成，而且还事半功倍。荣耀归于神！还记得在十多年前，有一位与我一起工作的资深督工，与我分享他得了不治的癌症，当时我就与他分享自己亲身经历过神的医治，过后也为他祷告让神来做医治工作。他被神感动，接受了耶稣为救主。感谢主, 他至今还健在。靠着耶稣，他战胜了疾病与死亡的权柄。哈利路亚！最近也有一位刚加入我们工作团队的员工，在两个月前，也信了耶稣。感谢主！这位新员工每一个星期天早上都与我们一起参加思珍堂的线上华语崇拜会以及教会的初信者跟进课程。一切荣耀都归于我们的主耶稣基督！

FAITHLINK . JULY 2021

MARKETPLACE

我必须时常警惕自己有关耶稣的教导，在职场上，要活出基督的形象。耶稣说 “你们的光也当这样照在人前，叫他们看见你们的好行为，便将荣耀归给你们在天上的父”(马太福音 5:16) 。

经文指引人生道路多年来，这些经文一路指引及鼓励我。愿您默想这些话语时得到确认它们是属实的。信赖耶和华乃是智慧的开端，不可倚靠自己的聪明 (参阅箴言 3:5)。因人看以为正的路，至终可能成为死亡之路（参阅箴言 14:12）。耶和华让我们得着从上头来的智慧，让我们能顺利的度过在这世上一个又一个不同的人生风暴。

我们只要在一切所行的事上都要认定祂，祂必指引我们前面的道路 (参阅箴言 3:6)，因我们所拥有的一切都是来自耶和华 (参阅诗篇 24:1；115:16)，甚至是我们得货财的能力与力量也是他给我们的(参阅申命记 8:18)。这是我所喜爱的经文。

CMY

最后以这段经句和大家共勉：罗马书12:2 “不要效法这个世界，只要心意更新而变化，叫你们察验何为神的善良、纯全、可喜悦的旨意。”让我们万事顺神意，阿门。

傅子勝从80年代起成为思珍堂的会友。他曾在思珍堂地方教会执事会中担任了十四年的物业管理主席及五年的祷告事工主席，现任华语事工主席。他与妻子昭娥育有两名孩子。

JULY 2021 . FAITHLINK

FAITH MEDIA

A CHANNEL OF HIS LOVE From “live” camera production, to video editing and photography, join our Faith Media Crew and make an impact in God’s Kingdom today! Chat us up at comms@faithmc.sg!