In Review 2021: The Jubilee Year Edition

The Jubilee Year Edition

2021

IN REVIEW

maturity

Taking stock, looking ahead

ministry

Hands on the plough

mission

Working in fields ripe for harvest

FOREWORD With the end-2019/early 2020 onset of the COVID-19 pandemic bringing most of our planned activities to a halt, sending us headfirst into the digital sphere with very little preparation and a whole lot of improvisation, it is perhaps unsurprising that a 2019/2020 issue of In Review did not materialise.

Serendipitously, this bumper Jubilee Year Edition (2021 being SJSM’s Jubilee Year) is perfectly poised to document the fascinating two-year storm/medial period from mid-2019 to mid-2021, which bridges the “old normal” (pre-COVID-19) and the “new normal” (COVID-19 transitioning from ‘pandemic’ to ‘endemic’). Most notably for us, this period sees the completion of Project SpringWinter and the birth of SJSM Village, and the handing over of the Vicarship from Revd Dr Joshua Sudharman to Revd Alvin Toh. In Review: The Jubilee Year Edition opens with a final word from Ps Joshua, and closes with a liminal address from Ps Alvin. Its contents remind us of God’s faithfulness, document the individual journeys of several of our ministries as we navigated through this period, share personal insights and reflections from various members of our community, and invite us to close ranks as we proceed into a new chapter of the SJSM story.

Cover The Church Annexe and Nursing Home building are the newest landmarks of the SJSM campus, which has undergone several transformations over the years. Through these extensions, we look forward to doing more to fulfil our calling “to be a light for the nations”.

May you be blessed by the stories and articles within these pages!

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ST. JOHN'S ST. MARGARET'S CHURCH

IN REVIEW: The Jubilee Year Edition

Editor-in-Chief Revd Alvin Toh Adviser Revd Dr Joshua Sudharman Editorial team Annabelle Bok (Editor), Nigel Sim, Yeo Han Hwee Contributors Kerine Au, Victor Cheong, Gavin Chew, Trixie Chin, Megan Ching, Juanita Dicen, Brenda Goh, Sally Ho, How Kim Chin, Richard Kwan, Richard Lau, Ds Bessie Lee, Lee Chee Sheong, Cindy Lee, Leo June Kit, Allen Lim, Connie Lim, Prof John Lim, Joycelyn Lim, Kiff Loh, Julia Loy, Vernon Martin, Pauline Myat, Shinta Sariwati Natha, Daren Ng, Gerry Ong, Ong Kung Yew, Ong Pei Chi, Revd Andrew Raman, SJSM Tamil Congregation, John Suan, Alvina Tan, Ashley Tan, Michael Tan, Revd Dino Thangamany, Amy Van, Wong Kin Nyen, Michael Wong, Victoria Yap, Calvin Yeo, Dawn Yip Designer Mossy Chew Printer APP Content & Concepts Pte Ltd / The Print Lodge Pte. Ltd. All scripture quotations used are taken from the English Standard Version (ESV) unless otherwise stated.

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CONTENTS Outgoing Vicar’s Address 4

MILESTONES Photojournal: June 2019–June 2021

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MATURITY Voices from the Frontline

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Building a Fellowship of Disciples

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MINISTRY Serving in the Midst of a Pandemic

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Entering Uncharted Waters 21 Inspiring Evangelism 22

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He Has Been, and Is, Faithful

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A Missional Outlook

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Holding Fast to Hope

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Adapting and Growing

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Embracing Change

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Negotiating Change

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Perspective is Everything

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MISSION

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When ‘Going’ Can Mean ‘Staying’

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Our Conscience, Hands, and Feet

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MUSINGS

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Playing God’s Long Game

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Milestones of a Different Kind

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Sharing Our Shared History

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Pressing In

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The Only Mark of a Disciple

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The Last Word

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Directory 52 3

Outgoing

VICAR’S ADDRESS WORDS REVD JOSHUA SHAAM SUDHARMAN

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y dear SJSM Family, by the time you read this, SJSM would already have undergone a transition of Vicars. Nevertheless, the editorial team and Ps Alvin felt that it would be good for me to write this piece, because the period under review in this publication (2019 to 2021) was within my tenure. I count it a privilege to have this opportunity to share some thoughts with you that may help frame all that you will read in the following pages. These are organised within three timeframes: past, present, and future.

PAST Two years ago in mid-2019, we informally began a one-year countdown to the completion of Project Spring-Winter and the launch of SJSM Village. Our fundraising had done scintillatingly well in the initial years (2015–2017), but donation fatigue seemed to be setting in, and momentum was slowing. We launched a concerted push to complete fundraising by end-2019, using the slogan Operation Home Stretch. The “business end” of this coincided with

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the period that I was away on sabbatical and Ps Alvin was Acting Vicar. How grateful we were that the SJSM Family rallied, and by God’s grace we reached the fundraising target we set by December 2019 — not a month too soon!

The very next month, COVID-19 suddenly came on the scene, and all progress on construction ground to a halt. The economy tanked, and with it, our financial outlook dimmed. Our countdown was halted until we could see through the pandemicinduced fog and work out a new timeline. Attention shifted from completing the work to caring for the welfare of our expat brothers working on our site and elsewhere in Singapore, as the virus spread like wildfire through their dormitories. Gradually, as the authorities gained a measure of control over the spread, the fog began to lift and forward planning once again became possible. We then realised that our project would likely be completed in mid-2021, smack in the middle of our Jubilee Year. We also realised that the delay in the preparation of the Village’s hardware meant we had a little more time to prepare the software, i.e. our hearts and minds.

PRESENT SJSM’s Jubilee Year began in Advent 2020. Affter months of the majority attending online services and only small numbers attending onsite, the Christmas long weekend saw us gathering the majority of SJSMers onsite, over six Holy Communion services!

It was a renewal of sorts — recovering some of the sense of togetherness that we had lost — a hopeful sign for the rest of the Jubilee Year.

The year 2021 began with a recap of the Jubilee Vision and its two parts — the collective and the individual: SJSM to be transformed (metamorphousthe!) into a thriving discipleship ecosystem that manifests itself through: • annual growth of one newly believing member for every 10 existing members (one for every 10) • seamless integration with an excellent nursing home and childcare centre in which we exercise discipleship in a missional and intergenerational way (PSW) • becoming a welcoming family for all ages and abilities, with a culture of discipling the next generation (inclusiveness) Every SJSMer to be transformed (metamorphousthe!) into a fruitful tree that, through abiding and pruning, bears the fruit of maturity (Christlikeness of character and intimacy with God), ministry (loving others by serving them with our gifts), and mission (reaching the lost and integrating them in discipling communities).

SJSM is currently in the middle of a yearlong reflection on the rich meaning and spiritual significance of the Jubilee. Jubilee encapsulates many powerful themes such as Rest, Release, Righteousness, Reliance, and Rejoicing. It is much more than just a nice round number of 50! It is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to glimpse God’s plan for our flourishing, and the power of God to mitigate and heal the destructive effects of a fallen world. Jubilee is an opportune moment to look back in wonder and amazement at God’s faithfulness over our 50-year journey as a church, through many highs and lows, and to worship. And it is a time to resolve to embrace the “new thing” God is doing in our midst (Isaiah 43:18—19), as much adjustment as that may require of us.

FUTURE As we cast our eyes forward to the “new thing” and what the future holds for SJSM, we would do well to humbly acknowledge there is much we cannot now know. But as Larry Ford, the hymn writer, wrote, this much we know, and it is enough: Many things about tomorrow I don’t seem to understand, But I know Who holds tomorrow, and I know Who holds my hand.

During the interview for the SJSM Village Virtual Open House, I expressed my thoughts about the future of SJSM in this way: “I’m really excited for SJSM. This is the Jubilee Year for the church and that already signals something like a fresh start. I think God is bringing SJSM into a whole new season, a whole new era of ministry, a whole new level of impact, a whole new level of intimacy with Him, by giving of ourselves sacrificially, getting down on our knees, as it were, to wash the feet of those whom God brings to us. And as we do that, we discover something about Him, we worship Him at a depth we’ve never worshipped before. So, I really think this (PSW and SJSM Village) is a gift. It will demand quite a lot from SJSM. It will stretch us and challenge us, but I think it is a gift to us that we are being led into this.

My prayer is that SJSM will become all that God intends for her to be. She is poised to be a beacon to the community.”

May this publication serve to help us lift up our eyes to the hills to see where our help comes from (Psalm 121:1). May it direct our gaze God-ward “with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord... being transformed... from one degree of glory to another” (2 Corinthians 3:18). And may the various perspectives and pictures contained herein reinforce SJSM’s enduring calling as a church: “To be a witnessing community of praying and caring worshippers who base their lives on Scripture and move in the power of the Holy Spirit to reach a world in need of Christ”. May God bless SJSM, and under the leadership of Ps Alvin Toh, may SJSM prosper and thrive with God’s abundant favour and blessing! Amen!

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MILESTONES

LOOKING BACK AND GIVING THANKS An overview of PSW’s major milestones from start to end, and major SJSM happenings from June 2019-June 2021.

2015

23 May Signing of MOU with St. Andrew’s Mission Hospital (SAMH) for the building of a nursing home

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27 September Count Me In PSW Consecration Service

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6 April (6-13 Apr) Study trip to Providence Mount St Vincent, Seattle, & Kotoen, Tokyo

2017

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23 April PSW Fundraising Gala Dinner

17 June Capital grant approved by MOH

16 July Artist impression of completed PSW released

5 October PSW Fundraising Charity Golf @ SICC 9 November Receipt of Grant of Written Permission from URA 11 September-3 November Open tender for construction; 27 bids received

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16-17, 23-24 December Come Home This Christmas; final Christmas celebration utilising the old open-air carpark before the commencement of PSW

MILESTONES

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MILESTONES SJSM CHURCH

2018

January-March 1st batch of Befrienders trained 3 March Groundbreaking + Groundbreaking Service @ Glory Sanctuary; 3D model revealed to public 3 March Heartbeart’s We Love Dover tarmac mural; goodbye to SJSM open-air carpark

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April Piling phase begins; announcement that our Madras Thorn tree (estimated to be almost 100 years old) would be conserved; preservation of of St John’s Garrison cross 2

10 May PSW Fundraising Gala Dinner 23 July Signing of MOU with St. James’ Preschool Services (subsequently renamed Anglican Preschool Services), for running of a preschool and childcare centre

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31 July Fundraising crossed $30M 5 October PSW Fundraising Charity Golf @ SICC December Cross100 by Steven Kang raised $25K

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MILESTONES SJSM CHURCH

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2019

2 March 1st Kampung Gathering; 50+ attendees 23 April PSW Fundraising Gala Dinner 4

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17-19 May Celebration of Hope 29 June Announcement of Operation Home Stretch (final phase of fundraising, to end 31 Dec 2019)

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29-30 June Family Svc + Heartfriends 20th Anniversary 21 September PSW Engagement Weekend; 320 volunteer signups 17-27 Israel Trip 7 December Dover Celebrates Christmas @ Blocks 3 & 4

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27 December PSW Building Comm hosted 300 migrant workers for lunch 9

MILESTONES SJSM CHURCH

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2020

February Fundraising officially paused with $40.4M raised & $6M in savings from original budget March Completion of Church Annexe, installation of exterior cross

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9-12 April Holy Week held online for the 1st time 28 June 1st online Annual General Meeting 20 August PSW Outreach via cells November Major structural works completed; dedication service for SJSM Childcare Centre’s preschool classrooms December Mechanical & engineering works 95% completed; remaining architechtural work (interior fittings, floor finishing etc.) ongoing December 1st hybrid Christmas celebration 31 December 1st online Covenant Service 10

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MILESTONES SJSM CHURCH

2021

January SJSM Childcare Centre operational @ Preschool classrooms (30 kids) 1-4 April Holy Week hybrid services 22 April Completion of SJSM Village through obtaining of TOP 26 June SJSM Village Thanksgiving Svc 12 July Admission of 1st Nursing Home residents

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Our

Enduring Vision To be a witnessing community of praying and caring worshippers who base their lives on Scripture and move in the power of the Holy Spirit to reach a world in need of Christ.

Our

Jubilee Vision

For every SJSMer to BE TRANSFORMED (METAMORPHOUSTHE) into a FRUITFUL TREE that through ABIDING and PRUNING, bears the FRUIT of:

MATURITY (Christlikeness)

MINISTRY (serving with love)

MISSION (reaching the lost)

MATURITY

Voices from the

Frontline We hear from a couple of prominent leaders on the ground on how the initial implementation of the new cell zonal system is working out, and how SJSM’s Jubilee Vision is being incorporated into cell life.

“The cell group system is a very effective small group system that has been operating for quite some time in SJSM,” says Wong Kin Nyen, who is both a Cell Leader (Zone 2) and a Parochial Church Council (PCC) member. “Designed for the provision of pastoral care to church members, it has been a very good platform to nurture, equip, and disciple members so that they can grow not only in spiritual maturity, but also in service, and into effective witnesses for Christ.”

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MATURITY

BEING OUR BROTHERS’ KEEPERS

“The Jubilee Vision of a thriving Discipleship Ecosystem is aimed at streamlining and refining the church’s support structure to make the cell system even more effective, and to provide better support for new and changing needs in the cells,” Kin Nyen says. “To that end, I think SJSM has an established, tried and tested, effective outreach/ discipleship system with proper follow-up protocol and a nurturing framework. The imagery of planting seeds, and nurturing new believers into setting down roots and producing fruits to establish a flourishing Christian community is an excellent crystallisation of what most of us have already been trying to achieve in varying ways.”

“It’s important to actively involve our cell members in running cell activities, so they can take ownership and put into practice what they have learnt. This enables them to grow deeper and stronger in their spiritual and community life, and helps us to identify and groom potential new leaders. Role modelling is a critical aspect, too.”

“The Outreach system includes the highly effective Alpha programme, regular Gospel services, Friendship Evangelism, and more. My cell, which has done several Alpha runs, has grown and split into two groups. Our mentoring programme has also enabled us to raise several cell Word study facilitators, cell worship chairpersons, musicians, and potential cell leaders. Mentoring is key for effective discipleship.

“I think God has used COVID-19 to remind us all to dig deep and build relationships, and that at the end of the day, relationships are built oneto-one. We shouldn’t be hard up on wanting to snap back to past patterns, when we could freely socialise in large groups. Fact is, the past is a good memory, but we have to move forward with reality.

Cell is going to be a hybrid, limited in-person/largely online experience for the foreseeable future. We do what we can with what we have, and when we can, keeping the mindset that we are here to learn more about Jesus together.

“We can also sum up the end goal of the Jubilee Vision as ‘leave no man behind’,” says Gerry Ong, Cell Pastor and Cell Leader (Zone 7). “What’s critical is to remember that cell is about building spiritual relationships centred on Christ; if God is not in the picture, it’s just another social gathering.

“Whatever system it is, the end motivation is to rally God’s people together, account for every one of them, and point them God’s way,” Gerry adds.

“A tangible way of understanding this concept is to ask yourself if you know how or what to pray for someone. If you don’t, you need to find out. Call them. It’s not about being close to or best friends with everyone, but about honouring our shared responsibility as parts of the body of Christ. In particular, remember the quiet ones, the ‘invisible’ ones, and your leaders, who are usually walking a pretty lonely and stressful path and/or being targeted by the Enemy.”

“I advocate one-to-one selective mentoring for a season for a specific purpose, instead of the current peer support group system that is practised across the board involving all members in a cell,” Kin Nyen says. “A tailored approach to discipleship is more effective and purposeful, provides an environment for deeper sharing, and puts less strain on the leaders. For example: To train a new Assistant Cell Leader, pick a committed, willing member with potential and mentor her; if someone has a specific need, journey with them with a specific goal over a season, to see him grow stronger in that particular area. The Cell Leader can then prioritise and manage his limited time and resources more effectively.”

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MATURITY

SCOPE, SCALABILITY, AND STRUGGLES

“As covered in the following article,” Kin Nyen says, “the zonal system essentially is about appointing full-time pastors to look after cell group clusters, so that they can provide more dedicated pastoral care as compared to the previous system, in which the clusters were looked after by lay cell pastors.”

“The intent and direction is that in each zone — numbering about 200 members — we should now have a better balance and mix of generation bands and giftings,” says Gerry. “This is absolutely good in theory, but things that seem great in theory don’t always translate seamlessly into the practical sphere. We do have concerns about a few things that we hope our pastoral leadership will be monitoring and making adjustments for as we work things out together.”

“To be fair,” says Ong Pei Chi (Page), also a Cell Pastor and Cell Leader (Zone 7), “we are aware that it was to help those cells that were struggling, that the zonal system was thought up. And we appreciate that. But months down the road from the initial execution, we’re still not sure it was necessary to overhaul everything instead of simply strengthening support for those cells or clusters that needed it.”

“In the cluster system, which was generally thriving though we all agree it needed some tweaks, there were three to five cells per cluster, and most of the leaders would approach relevant pastors for help with different areas of ministry according to their personal giftings or specialisations,” Gerry explains. “For each Zone Pastor now, even though they are dedicated full-time to this role, to be accountable for about 200 individuals with a wide diversity of pastoral needs seems like a big stretch.

“There’s also scalability and agility to consider. With smaller groups, it’s easier to go in and make adjustments when necessary, and it’s also easier to stretch and support when groups need help or dissolve for whatever reason. With several groups in each large boat, it’s harder to navigate such challenges effectively. We think this is too big an undertaking to expect the Zone Pastors to shoulder, actually. We’re honestly concerned about their mental, emotional, and even physical health.”

“The ideal situation is for all the cells within a zone to regularly share experience, expertise, and resources so that newer or less equipped cells can grow to become more effective; resources can also be pooled to run Alpha and other activities.

The new framework is a good development that is designed to facilitate and encourage this, but it does take time to develop and deploy well-trained and experienced Zone Pastors who can each look after a Zone comprising eight to 10 cells,” Kin Nyen notes. “I personally think the zonal system should be able to operate effectively once the church is able to fully deploy the required number of trained and equipped Zone Pastors.

“Every cell operates with some level of uniqueness because God has created each of us differently and we all have different life experiences. It is therefore important to allow the cells leeway to operate with some level of independence and be creative, and accommodate differences in the way they are run, due to their varying contexts and needs. In the Kingdom of God, there can be unity and harmony in diversity.”

“At some point it may be wise to pause, take a few steps back, and consider whether the right stakeholders were consulted, or their input given sufficient weightage, in the original decisions made,” Gerry says. “I invite all the pastors to be in cell, because they too need community support. At the end of the day, we are united in wanting to build the Body of Christ, His people — and we all know Jesus spent most of His time with and among people.”

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MATURITY

Building a

Fellowship

of Disciples

Here’s a quick recap on the newly established foundations for SJSM Village. If we all get on the same page and work together to improve, despite differences in opinion, that will really help to build a dynamic community of impactful believers!

WORDS ANNABELLE BOK

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ost of us are aware of the structural changes to the church office and the cell ministry that have been rolling out in stages since January 2018. Some, like the introduction of the cell rhythm and cell Word material, ministry reorganisation, and the introduction of the cell zonal system, have been more noticeable than others. One unmistakeable change has been the rebranding of our Host team, complete with their clearly identifiable uniforms!

As the months rolled on, with our plans constantly buffeted by changing COVID-19 safety regulations, you might have wondered what, if any, of these changes have actually been executed. You might also have wondered whether they are relevant to the new normal of online services, safe distancing, virtual non-congregational meetings.

Personally, and especially as a relative newcomer to SJSM (I joined the church in late 2017), I had some gaps in my understanding of how all the pieces fit together, why our leaders felt the changes necessary, and what they hope said changes will achieve. An opportunity to speak with Ps Joshua Sudharman (our vicar from 2012 to 2021), Ps Alvin Toh (our vicar as of 1 July 2021), and Richard Lau (our Executive Pastor) was very welcome, as they helped clarify a lot of things for me — I hope this helps you too!

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FORWARD PLANNING — A VILLAGE OUTLOOK Asked to explain what most of us remember as “that matrix diagram”, Ps Joshua said, “the cell system and zone structure need to settle down before we can realise the full potential of the new structure”. This is partly because they have built-in feedback loops and resource centres which, when properly in place, are meant to bolster the pastoral leadership team’s overall ability to provide pastoral care across our multi-generational congregation’s diverse spectrum of needs.

While this has been delayed mainly by COVID-19 and its impacts, another factor was the time it took to explore and understand the Zone Pastor role — for existing staff members who took on this new responsibility as well as for potential and new staff. The leadership team couldn’t just create a new job description based on theoretical ideals and simply post a recruitment notice; they wanted fellow SJSMers who understand our culture and ethos in these positions. Having Zone Pastors who are in full alignment with the vision they have put forward will help us to support one another better in our shared efforts to become a fruitful community of invested believers.

The entire transformation plan (and in fact, the Metamorphousthe theme that has carried us through the past five years) had its genesis in our inaugural Discipleship Symposium back in 2015. Ps Joshua notes that “John 15, on the vine and the branches, was an anchor text” which provided the main metaphor in our leadership’s understanding of discipleship; this then led to the “3M” aspects of fruitfulness: maturity, mission, and ministry.

And so, since 2016, a transitional set of Transformation Teams comprising both staff and lay representatives has been praying for discernment, undertaking research, going on learning trips, and holding in-depth discussions on how best to integrate the church with the final finished result of Project Spring-Winter — SJSM Village. Having to make space for and allocate resources to Chaplaincy for one, while streamlining processes and reporting by flattening the staff hierarchy and reducing the number of disparate work groups, required some lateral thinking and an almost complete overhaul of the organisation chart. (Recall Ps Joshua’s 2020 AGM Chairman’s Address.)

Now, with SJSM Village coming to life right before our eyes, it’s a lot easier to see how our leaders had the integration of our church with the Village and its many facets and entities in mind when they envisioned the final result of these changes.

MATURITY

New Organisation Chart Vicar PCC

(VO) Vicar’s Office

(CFDC) Chinese Fully-Developed Congregation

(PLT) Pastoral Leadership team

Chinese FDC Management Committee

PSW Office

(PC) Pastoral Connexion Group Zone Pastors

Congregational Pastors

8 Cell Zones

(CO) Church Operations Group

Tamil

Filipino

(SF) Spiritual Formation Group

Indonesian

Nextgen

(O&M) Outreach & Mission Group

Pastoral Matters Non-pastoral Matters

Old Organisation Chart SJSM AGM Vicar

PCC

Vicar’s Office

Edification

Adult

Missions & Ethnic Outreach

Community Services & Dover

Next Gen

Operations

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MATURITY

MEETING REAL NEEDS The diagrammatic representation of the new structure might look complicated, but it can be boiled down to a very simple basic concept — meeting people’s real needs through the lens of “in-reach” (Spiritual Formation Group: addressing current concerns and equipping our people for the future) and “outreach” (Outreach & Missions Group: sharing God’s love with our immediate neighbours and beyond). The Church Operations Group provides the structure and platforms for everything that’s being carried out.

The fact that 90 percent of SJSM’s members are part of the cell ministry logically means that a greater share of our pastoral and discipleship resources should be directed towards providing them with pastoral care: facilitating fellowship, relationship building, mentoring, and building of identity and community. The new structure supports this spectrum of care by catalysing a rearrangement of priorities: That’s why the Pastoral Connexion Group — comprising the cells, NextGen, and Ethnic Congregations — is placed to intersect the programme-based groups at multiple nodes.

The Zone Pastors are a channel for lay members to put forward a variety of ideas and initiatives that can impact the church as a whole, instead of simply waiting to go along with whatever is decided for them. “What we’re trying to do is to promote greater collaboration, while putting the pastoral care needs of our cells foremost. We’re trying to customise our efforts to equip our members to what they are indicating that they need and want, instead of just providing what we think they should be picking up.

Look at it as having more touchpoints for feedback and suggestions from the ground, and better access to resources,” Ps Alvin says.

AN ENGAGED, EMPOWERED COMMUNITY As Ps Joshua first explained in his 2020 AGM Chairman’s Address, because the Zone Pastors are fully invested in getting to know and shepherding the members under their care, they can accurately facilitate accurate and timely communication between our members and our staff and leaders.

Accordingly, time, effort, and resources can be channelled into organising activities and courses that match our peoples’ needs and interests, increasing their personal capacities to initiate and drive ground-up ministry efforts.

SJSM is a pretty large church, so without dedicated eyes and ears on the ground, it’s not that easy for our leaders to understand where the congregation is at: what our concerns, desires, and needs are with regards to our spiritual growth and avenues to serve, and how we prefer to be engaged. Our cell leaders and cell pastors do their best, but as the majority hold other heavy responsibilities, it’s difficult to ensure that members are cared for equably without these leaders being stretched too thin.

So come on, jump in and get involved! As a friend and fellow SJSMer once told me: If you want to see a difference, then get in and make a difference.

• Join the church staff (www.sjsm.org.sg/church-recruitment.html) or take up a role in the Nursing Home (www.sjsm.org.sg/nh-recruitment.html) • Join a ministry! Contact us at www.sjsm.org.sg/get-in-touch.html or respond to one of the various recruitment Notices in our Bulletin (www.sjsm.org.sg/weekly-bulletin.html) • Join a cell: cell@sjsm.org.sg • Get equipped: Bookmark www.sjsm.org.sg/courses.html and avail yourself of the various courses and workshops that we arrange, even as the new feedback loop system sorts itself out. In due time, you’ll be able to have a say in what’s planned and provided!

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MINISTRY

Serving in the Midst of a Pandemic Think of church, and one usually thinks of services, outreach events, and prominent ministries (e.g.

Worship, Hospitality, Missions). But there’s a sizeable group of Operations staff and servers who are quietly working in the background to ensure that things run as they should — or are able to run at all.

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n 2019, the nationwide Celebration of Hope event — which saw crowds thronging the National Stadium — commanded our attention through the middle of the year, and the rush and excitement of Dover Celebrates Christmas took us through to 2020. Lee Chee Sheong, SJSM’s Group Head for Operations, recalls how the work by New Wineskins Transformation Taskforce was also introducing changes to the staff structure, which necessitated adjustments to work with new teams and under new leaders. “We were also moving and settling into the newly renovated Level 4 office,” he says. “Changes had been made

to the set-up and layout to promote openness and bonding. In short, there really was quite a lot going on to begin with.”

Nigel Sim, Head of Communications, recalls how in mid-February 2020 “there was reason for caution as we kept an eye on news updates while determining next steps”. As SJSM continued to pray against the spread of COVID-19, various precautions were also being implemented that kept in step with government measures. MOH’s advice was that worship services could continue so long as appropriate measures were put in place. But it was impossible to know what to expect.

IN THE TEETH OF THE STORM “Our small Communications team was tasked to get worship services live-streamed within less than a week, because we wanted to give members who were unable or unwell the choice of attending services online,” Nigel says. “Up until that point, we had never live-streamed a service. But thank God; certain capabilities were already in place. It was not a perfect set-up, but we went live that weekend (15/16 February).”

“The impacts of COVID-19 really hit us in midMarch 2020; that was when all the regulations and health screening requirements kicked in,” says Ashley Tan, Team Lead for Admin & Events Management (AEM). “Everything was totally new to us and had to be picked up and built from scratch in a very short time — setting up electronic declaration forms, purchasing thermometers, reconfiguring the basement carpark, cordoning off areas, and setting up screening stations…

“Milton (Wee, Team Lead for Facilities & Security), Jonathan, and Poh Chye really had their hands full with space allocation for safe distancing, setting up of barriers, and disinfection of public spaces and high-touch surfaces, while also supporting construction-related concerns with regards to Project Spring-Winter, so AEM closed ranks with them and shouldered whatever we could.

“Then the Diocese called for all parishes to cease onsite services for two weeks… and then the Circuit Breaker happened.”

“In the weeks leading up to the Circuit Breaker, SJSM went from fully onsite to fully online,” Nigel says. “Then, when onsite services were allowed to resume, we moved from Circuit Breaker to Phase 1 to Phase 2 in a matter of three weeks, finally settling on a hybrid of onsite and online services. Everything changed in 2020 — Holy Week, AGM, Christmas. I’m grateful for my colleague Han Hwee, who soldiered along with me to facilitate video recording and streaming during those challenging months.”

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MINISTRY

LEARNING THE WAVES, FINDING STEERING ROOM Since June 2020, volunteer management has become a new (and growing) job scope for both AEM and Comms. “The constantly evolving list of restrictions and safety measures from the authorities has meant that the team has to stay on their toes and react very quickly, and take on additional responsibilities and roles,” Chee Sheong says. “Communications, in particular, had to be stepped up — to staff as well as parishioners — on matters related to COVID-19, and changes to our services.”

Ashley and team urgently needed to start soliciting help to man sufficient screening stations to allow service attendees to enter the worship halls in a timely manner. The constantly evolving situation meant that service capacity, and the number of services run, could never been relied on as a longterm fact. AEM also had to work closely with the Host teams to ensure as seamless a progression as possible from screening stations to worship venues.

For Nigel and team, the additional load of weekly streaming of E2 services from March 2021 could not have been managed without the support of volunteers who came alongside to facilitate online hosting, and run streaming and camera operations. Such skills and know-how are not common knowledge, so merely recruiting servers wasn’t enough. Time had to be invested in training and easing new helpers into the roster, and also in cultivating a sense of community and ownership among them. In May, having to begin live-streaming both SES and E2 weekly meant that these efforts proved invaluable.

“Across churches in Singapore, I think few would raise their hands and say they are experts in this relatively new area of online church. Many of us in communications and media ministries just had to get it done and learn along the way,” Nigel says. “Technical solutions typically span more than one field of expertise and regularly get updated, so set-ups have to be fit for the requirements of a particular church and the capacity of its ministry teams. While COVID-19 has nudged many of us into new territory, it’s great to see teams in different churches sharing learning points and helping others get livestream-ready. May God continue to guide us as we serve Him together.”

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MINISTRY

DEVELOPING A STORM STRATEGY The foreseeable future involves keeping up to date with “governmental policies around pandemic/endemic management, and vaccination-related protocols, which of course affect the way we plan and execute worship gatherings and non-congregational activities”, Chee Sheong says.

And while it is easy to get caught up in all the administrative and technical details that comes with being part of Operations, Chee Sheong is clear in his conviction that what his team does “indirectly supports the vision of the church, by freeing the pastoral and ministry staff from administrative matters”.

“Ministries come and go, but the function of operations remains — the support of an organisation,” he says. “And staff in Ops are also called to be salt and light to the world — we can show Christ to the contractors, vendors, and suppliers we work with. This helps to open doors for ministry to them.”

Ashley sees AEM’s role as “providing back-end support”. “While this often requires restructuring of our portfolios in order to make ourselves available to come alongside the more front-facing ministries in their work, we choose to look at things in a broader manner and embrace the new realities of SJSM Village,” she says. “We will go further, take the initiative, and go the extra mile — because we know who we’re doing it for.”

“The metaphor of the church as one body with many parts (1 Corinthians 12:1526) guides the teams working to serve the church,” Nigel says. “As we transition into operating as a church within SJSM Village, it is clear that various ministries and corporate entities have interconnected relationships and common objectives. The complexities of this new season require more integrated approaches which build on the strengths of our various components. As we serve and aim to do good, we take heart from the words with which Bp Rennis chose to end his pastoral note to the Diocese on 4 April 2020:

Entering Uncharted Waters

A

lpha needs no introduction: it’s been successfully run in SJSM for more than 10 years, although recent structural changes and the onset of COVID-19 in Singapore have resulted in it looking a little different now. In fact, 7 February 2020, which was the day of the 2020 Alpha Intro Dinner, was also when the Singapore government announced the nationwide risk assessment level to DORSCON Orange. The dinner went ahead as planned with regulatory safety measure in place, but sessions were temporarily suspended thereafter.

Since September 2020, Alpha has been running on a hybrid format — sessions are held online via small groups, with Holy Spirit Day continuing to be conducted onsite (with up-todate safe distancing measures implemented, of course!). Decentralisation sacrifices some of the excitement and momentum of a churchwide effort, but it also opens the way for more flexibility and personalisation, as well as opportunities for creativity.

While SJSMers have been a little slow to support this new incarnation of Alpha, ministry lead Trixie is hopeful that it will gain traction among our cell groups given more time, and eventually take off. We look forward to seeing God raise more Alpha Champions in our midst!

‘I close with a text from Scripture that binds us all in common faith and duty: …He (God) has said: I will never leave you nor forsake you.’… Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. 21

MINISTRY

Inspiring

T

Evangelism

he roots of SJSM’s nascent, somewhat enigmatic Evangelism Ministry (EM) are intertwined with various events, initiatives, and task forces — inevitable, really, since sharing the Word is an intrinsic part of discipleship. Comprising a small team of Evangelism Champions (ECs), the EM has been working to imbue our community with a strong sense of the importance of lifestyle evangelism, and its dependence on two factors: the Holy Spirit’s leading for effectiveness and sustenance, and a supportive Body Life (namely cell groups) to motivate and sustain members in their outreach lifestyle. To this end, the EM prays and hopes for more ECs to arise from cell groups and other small groups in our community, and for members to embrace their strong identity in Christ.

Inspired by what God had done through the 2019 Celebration of Hope (COH), the EM continued the strategic framework P.E.G. (Pray. Engage. Gather) and this has seen it launching the Evangelism Talk Series (ETS; from October 2020 to March 2021) to inspire and equip SJSMers, curating the MyStoryHisStory testimony archive to allow for sharing and conversation starters, and leading the first Zoom-based Centralised Cell Prayer Gathering of 2020, with the theme of “Show us the Father!” to keep our focus on the One and Only who is able to open eyes to the truth.

May more prayers rise God-ward for a proactive personal evangelism by whatever means — online and/or in-person — to happen among us.

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The dream is to spark a self-sustaining understanding of the necessity of sharing the gospel in the hearts of our members, such that being an SJSMer becomes synonymous with having an evangelistic mindset and lifestyle. The Gospel is the greatest news we can ever tell. Therefore, we must evangelise urgently and purposefully.

We can bring people to have a divine encounter with God the natural way* or /and the supernatural way. Whichever way, when we move in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, He will bring about healing and salvation of souls to Christ. And until such time as this vision comes to fruition, the EM will bear the torch, invite cells groups to catch the flame, and work together towards fulfilling SJSM’s mission of being a witnessing community of praying and caring worshippers who base their lives on Scripture and move in the power of the Holy Spirit to reach a world in need of Christ.

How strongly will SJSM flex her evangelism muscle?

Well, church leaders, pastoral and zonal leaders, church and cell members and small/ministry groups, the answer is in our hands, as we learn the secret of yielding ourselves to the control of God’s Spirit that we might do God’s work in God’s way.

*More can be found in the ETS resources.

Those interested can write to evangelism@sjsm.org.sg Visit www.sjsm.sg/stories.html to share any testimonies from the MyStoryHisStory testimony archive.

MINISTRY

He has been, and is,

Faithful

SJSM’s Tamil congregation has seen first-hand that the Lord’s steadfast love never ceases and his mercies upon us never come to an end.

GREAT IS HIS FAITHFULNESS We celebrated our 10th anniversary on 26 May 2019 in a grand way at Glory Sanctuary. Archdeacon Wong Tak Meng was the guest of honour and speaker; Revd Andrew Raman represented SJSM; Ps Steven (SAIB Chairman), Ps Lawrence who worked with Revd Solomon to establish the Tamil congregation, and other Tamil pastors came to grace the occasion.

We began with 40 volunteers in 2009. Now we have our own baptised and confirmed members, and are about 100-strong. We thank God for His grace and mercy, which helped to establish us. For one, we now have our own worship team comprising worship leaders and musicians. We had struggled in this area until God brought us a gifted musician, John Charles, who trained our worship leaders in singing and also taught guitar and keyboard to our members.

Our children’s Sunday School and youth ministry run every Sunday at 9.15am, and over the past two years we have seen about eight baptisms. We are thankful that He is continuing to add to our number.

“

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 3:22–23

DISRUPTIONS AND SILVER LININGS The global pandemic disrupted both our normal way of life and our worship services. Being unable to meet physically onsite caused great distress and discouragement among our members at the start.

Initially, too, services were being pre-recorded, and the video files sent to our members to view on Sundays. But God provided a new tool to engage our members.

COVID-19 brought a new way of worshipping — via social media. We’re thankful that though one door closes, God opens a new one. Using Zoom, we can conduct services and engage with our members in real time.

We thank God that though we cannot meet physically, we can meet virtually. And it’s not only our local members who join our services, but also their friends and family members in India. This has greatly encouraged and lifted our members’ spirits.

THE VALUE OF DISCIPLESHIP One thing we learned through COVID-19 is that our discipleship efforts among our members have not gone to waste. We are seeing the fruits of this training: In all the ups and downs of the pandemic thus far, our members have not lost heart, and have kept strong in their faith. Earlier in 2021 when restrictions were lifted and we could hold onsite services, every one of them came back with great joy. Their faith in Christ had not diminished — in fact it had grown stronger.

In this year of SJSM’s Jubilee, our vision is to see our congregation being effectively discipled and rooted deeply in Jesus Christ. We thank God for his faithfulness to us.

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MINISTRY

A Missional Outlook This exemplary group of faith-filled, God-focused disciples has learnt to look beyond themselves, finding their anchor in His unchanging grace and sure promises.

T

Above: Congregation members having fun at one of the last big gatherings they were able to have, back in 2019.

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the Filipino Ministry has come a long way in its 30-odd-year history: from a small volunteer group of staff and laity ministering to domestic helpers who accompanied their employers to church, to a congregation of 100 comprising domestic workers as well as PMET expatriates, with a fulltime staff pastor. Membership tends to be transient, but its leaders and servers are committed to do whatever they can to disciple and equip their flock in their spiritual walk.

“COVID-19 pushed us to internalise our faith and personal relationship with God,” says Juanita Dicen, Congregational Pastor. “In fact, our Discipleship Group has come out stronger, finding ways and means for members to reach out to one another.” This includes praying and trusting God for favour with and understanding from domestic workers’ employers, especially — seeing almost full online attendance at both worship services and cell meetings, which have largely been held over Zoom, has been heartening.

But not everything has been easy or smoothsailing. “It is heartbreaking when members’ families back home experience crises, like illnesses or deaths,” Juanita shares. “Many Filipinos working in Singapore are parents, wives, and husbands, who have not been home for more than a year or so.

A number of them have lost loved ones but been unable to return home due to restrictions related to the pandemic.” Gathering in church (though this is more difficult now) and having fellowship with and support from brothers and sisters in the faith has made a big difference to them.

Members have also found the capacity to look beyond themselves and their immediate families. “A number of us have started partnering and helping churches, and starting ministries, in our hometowns via online platforms. This has also allowed us to continue supporting the three churches that members of our congregation planted years back,” says Juanita.

“Going forward, we need to continually refresh ourselves in the Lord. We’re called to disciple and equip Filipinos working in Singapore, so that they can serve God and also do likewise with others that they meet at their workplaces; we’re also part of the Lord’s work in the villages we come from, back in the Philippines — so that our families and communities back home will know Jesus as their Saviour. It’s a high calling and we intend to honour it.”

MINISTRY

Holding Fast to Hope The Indonesian Fellowship has been a haven for its community, but much prayer and support is needed in these trying times.

WORDS ONG KUNG YEW

A LIGHT AND A GUIDEPOST Since its inception in the mid 1990s, SJSM’s Indonesian Fellowship has provided a warm community and a family-away-from-home for Indonesians who work and live in Singapore. While there are exceptions, the majority of our members are domestic helpers for whom a safe place to relax and fellowship is hugely important. In fact, the Fellowship ministers to a combination of Christians and non-Christians.

They come and go due to the nature of their work (many leave Singapore when their contracts end), but many of them remain in contact with us even after returning home to Indonesia.

Often, what matters is presence and being available: Prior to joining our Fellowship, one of our members had been in depression and had even been entertaining thoughts of suicide. But she chanced to see one of our church’s banners next to the bus stop on Dover Avenue, stating that the Indonesian Service was on at 11am. She decided to attend the service, and stayed with us for a year before moving on.

“

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me — Matthew 25:35

”

PRAYER SUPPORT NEEDED The COVID-19 pandemic has been a very challenging period for members of our Fellowship. Some of their employers do not allow them to leave their homes even on their days off, so even when we are able to have onsite meetings, they are unable to attend. During the months when services were being conducted online, not all our members could attend as many lacked Internet access; some of their employers were also not allowing them time off to attend.

We earnestly seek your prayers for these precious souls as they do their best to manage their work and their relationships with their employers during this trying period. Pray for their faith to be sustained, and to even grow stronger, despite the movement restrictions that they are facing.

Members of the Indonesian Fellowship are very relational. They love having fellowship lunches. Outings and picnics are important to them. Above is a snapshot from a picnic session to celebrate Christmas 2020 outside the Chinese Garden at Jurong Lake.

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MINISTRY

Adapting

&

Growing

J

WORDS & IMAGES SJSM CHINESE CONGREGATION

anuary 2020, when COVID-19 broke out in Singapore, was the first time that not a single guest registered for Alpha course. The church’s atmosphere was starting to be tense.

In February, as required by the government, we began conducting temperature screening and providing hand sanitiser for our members. Online service registration via Google Forms was set up, and the 9am Sunday service was streamed on Facebook Live as a trial.

The World Health Organization’s announcement on 11 March that COVID-19 was now classified as a pandemic, and the subsequent decision was made to suspend all onsite services across the Diocese, posed us a great challenge.

In order to allow more of our members to participate in our online services, we created our own YouTube Channel so as to stream our service videos.

At the first online service, our peak attendance was only five persons. Rev Thong rallied our members, and the next service saw a great increase to 139 attendees! Thank God! The government’s declaration of the Circuit Breaker period from 7 April to 1 June meant 2020 was the first time that Good Friday and Easter Sunday services had ever been held online.

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Since we could not physically gather, we started a YouTube Sharing & Testimony initiative. We invited our members to participate by submitting entries, so as to cheer one another on, and to maintain their relational connections within the church. To date, we have over 50 videos featuring words of encouragement, testimonies, musical pieces, Bible readings, prayers, photo albums, and more.

April to July 2020 also saw us using the Zoom platform for our Annual General Meeting, children’s Sunday School, Youth Fellowship, as well as cell meetings. In collaboration with YMCA and the larger SJSM family, our young adults also distributed dinner packs to needy Dover residents.

When Singapore entered Phase 2 of Reopening from 19 June 2020, onsite services could finally resume! Online registration was shifted to JotForm to provide a better experience for our members. And as members could not sing their hearts out during the worship services due to safety restrictions, the music ministry decided to pre-record worship sessions to help members better experience God during service.

We also decided to make a bold move and try out online Alpha. From mid-August 2020, the Alpha team participated in training, sent out flyers and registration forms, and encouraged our members to invite new friends. And at 2pm on Saturday, 3 October 2020, the 38th and first-ever online Alpha in the history of SJSM’s Chinese Congregation kicked off. About 20 new guests registered for the course, and five eventually received Christ.

As we entered 2021, God through Rev Thong led the us to start a Saturday service. This new arrangement not only solved our earlier problem of limited time to run two services on Sunday, but also created a new time slot choice for our members.

The evolving pandemic has required the Chinese Congregation to adapt. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12:10, “When I am weak, I am strong”; in this odd and unusual time, we overcame many weaknesses to became strong by God’s grace! All glory be to God and our Lord Jesus Christ!

MINISTRY

我们想起2020年1月，疫情在本地爆发后， 启发首次无人报名，教会气氛开始紧张起来。 根据政府的要求，我们在2月份开始为崇 拜参与者量体温和提供消毒液。我们也借用 Google Form 进行网上登记，和Facebook Live直播早上9点的C1 崇拜。 当世界卫生组织在2020年3月11日宣布冠病 为大流行病的时候，教区决定暂停所有的实体 聚会。这是本堂前所未有的大挑战。 为了让更多会友可以上网参与崇拜，我们创 立了自己的YouTube Channel，直播崇拜的 录影。还记得首次的YouTube直播，网上只有 5人参与。之后，在汤牧师的大大鼓励之下， 下一次的线上崇拜参与者人数竟升到139人！ 感谢神！ 政府宣布在2020年4月7日开始阻断措施， 我们也在本堂历史中首次进行受难节和复活节 的线上崇拜。 在不能聚会的情况下，教会推出了 YouTube 分享与见证视频活动，鼓励会友参 与和投稿，借此给彼此打气，让教会在疫情当 中保持连接。从当时到今天，我们所制作的视 频已超过50个，内容包括鼓励的话，见证，弹 奏，献诗，读经，祷告，照片集等等。 从4月到7月，教会开始借用 Zoom 平台进 行会友大会，也在线上重新开始了祷告会，儿 童主日学，少年团契和各小组聚会。我们的青 年区也在5月份和YMCA及牧区配搭，到杜弗 分派晚餐。 在阻断措施解封的进行下，实体崇拜在7月 终于恢复了！为了让会友顺畅的登记崇拜，我 们把网上登记移到更好的 JotForm 平台 。音

乐事工也开始了赞敬录影和制作视频，让会友 在无法高声敬拜的崇拜环境中，能有更好的感 受和体验。 因疫情措施的限制，教会决定大胆尝试线 上启发课程。从8月中旬，同工们开始参加培 训，发放宣传单和报名表，鼓励会友邀请新朋 友报名。2020年10月3日，周六下午2点，圣 约翰圣玛格烈堂第38期启发课程，也是本堂历 史上第一次线上启发，正式开课！新朋友报名 人数达到16-25位，其中5位决志信主。 进入2021年时，神借着汤牧师，带领华文 堂开始了周六崇拜。这个新的安排不只解决了 主日不能允许同时进行2堂聚会的问题，也让 会友和新朋友多了一个崇拜时段的选择。 在疫情当中，华文堂需要应变。使徒保罗在 哥林多前书12章10节这么说，“因我什么时候 软弱，什么时候就刚强了”。这一年，我们真 的是经历了许多软弱，也因神的恩典，在软弱 中我们刚强了起来！荣耀归于我们的神和主耶 稣基督！ 27

MINISTRY

Embracing

Change

Rolling with the punches, and giving members space to make suggestions, try, and fail; Heartbeat’s ethos has the potential to become SJSM’s heartbeat — if we’re willing to take the risk.

I

t’s a no-brainer that usage of technology was the big thing this period, with the first sharp plunge triggered by 2020’s Circuit Breaker. But nearly every ministry group in almost every church has been going online too, so what makes Heartbeat any different?

OWNERSHIP TIED TO INITIATIVE “The novelty of virtual services and cell meetings waned along the way, especially since youth generally need to experience things hands on to be inspired, but it was very encouraging to see many of them starting to think of ways to engage one another online,” says youth pastor Allen Lim. “One of the things they started was regular weekday worship sessions that were streamed live on Instagram; another was group exercise/ workout sessions over Zoom. Not everyone participated in everything, but it was good to see them taking ownership and not leaving things to the leaders to implement.”

Not surprisingly, a number of negative behaviours reared their heads: “There was a loss of the sense of the sacred, particularly during the period when services were prerecorded playbacks. Some of the youth were distracted, or displayed consumerist behaviour, seeing services as just another YouTube video to view on demand.”

Understandably, there was some uncertainty about how the hastily restructured year-end camp would be received in its allnew hybrid format — sessions were conducted via Zoom, and campers met in small groups in one another’s homes. But Camp X blew expectations out of the water — albeit in an understated way. Post-camp, the committee unanimously agreed to continue the camp’s theme and focus on family relationships, and follow-up has been happening quarterly in small groups. Some cells are choosing to keep meeting in one another’s homes.

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EVERY YOUTH A STAKEHOLDER Allen feels that the past two years have shown that “those who struggle the most are those who are most resistant to change”. “Meaningful meetings can be conducted online. Fellowship can happen; community can form. We need to be willing to use whatever methods we can to come together, and be willing to let the youths try things on their terms.”

COVID-19, he says, is an “exercise in challenging our assumptions”, and not just about the form that ministry takes. Even in terms of encouraging community involvement, it’s less about pointing them towards opportunities than it is about finding out the needs that resonate with their gifts and passions. For example, some of the youth who have shown preaching potential are being groomed for it.

“We talk about discipleship, about engaging and supporting the youth — it’s not a top-down thing. It doesn’t work that way,” Allen says. “What they need is spiritual friendship from adults who will journey alongside them and give common sense advice where appropriate. The youth have great capacity and passion to serve; what they need is guidance, not restrictions.”

CampX being hosted in various homes meant that the youths got to know not only one another better, but also one another’s families; this also provided them with more time in safe and comfortable spaces.

MINISTRY

Negotiating

Change T

Growing up is complicated enough without having to deal with the fallout of a global pandemic — thank God for Teen Encounter!

een Encounter (TE) has come a long way to where it is today — and it’s still in the process of being fine-tuned. The age group it ministers to (youngsters aged 11 to 14) is characterised by varied and rapid changes: growth spurts, hormonal changes, development of abstract cognition… tweens are busy discovering their personal identity and place in the world.

NAVIGATING ROUGH SEAS “The major challenge we faced in 2020 was, of course, having to suddenly shift from onsite to online when COVID-19 hit. We had to quickly learn how to use Zoom and other online tools,” says ministry leader Richard Kwan. “On top of that, we’ve also had to re-craft the curriculum, within a very short time, to make it more suitable for online delivery. A lot of time and effort also goes into searching for appropriate and suitable media.”

Holding TE online allows for greater flexibility in terms of the programme and creative use of videos and games. Breakout for discussion is more efficient and is are no longer constrained by size of rooms that are available. However, response has been mixed; while some kids are thriving, others seem easily distracted or are harder to engage with.

“We’re thankful that the parents have been very supportive, despite of the changes and disruption to their busy schedules. It was also very encouraging and heartening to see parents dropping off their kids, even though they couldn’t attend adult services themselves, due to the limited onsite attendance.”

Richard shares.

A 2020 Miracle: TE’s SES congregation has historically been its smallest group, but it reported 4 salvation responses.

Bonding outside of regular TE hours is highly encouraged, between tweens and teens as well as with adult servers, as it prepares them for a better transition into Heartbeat.

CASTING BUOYS, LAYING ANCHORS Developmental experts concur that while at this age, young adolescents’ brains are beginning to grasp concepts like action and consequence, their lack of experience still impedes their judgment and decision making. Stability and support is needed to help them sort things out and grow in confidence, and one way this can happen is through guided programmes.

“A lot of our kids come from pretty well-off families, so we want to expose them to the fact that not everyone is as privileged,” Richard says.

“Getting them involved in serving the community — organising games for Junior Church, interacting with kids from Heartfriends BASC, undertaking outreach programmes in Dover, helping out in the Nursing Home at some point — is part of discipleship and developing a missional mindset.

“We hope to inspire our young people to look beyond themselves and realise that even though they are young, they can also contribute and make a difference. We believe that they can grow in kindness, generosity, hospitality, and more. Two fish and five loaves, placed in the hands of Jesus, can be multiplied to feed five thousand!”

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MINISTRY

Perspective

is Everything To SJSM’s Junior Church leaders, choosing to see things through the lens of Mark 10:14–15 is what makes all the difference.

From top: The December 2020 Holiday Programme introduced crafts like terrarium-making, as well as the process of planting, germination, and transplanting.

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W

hat do you see when you look at a child? For Junior Church (JC) ministry leaders Victor Cheong and Kerine Au, the answer is “limitless potential”. Even struggling with a perennial manpower shortage, and with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic disrupting lesson plans and programmes, their boundless positivity has led to SJSM’s children’s ministry meeting some really impressive achievements and milestones.

INCULCATING A VILLAGE MENTALITY Kerine and Victor have taken pains to remind the children and their parents that church is about more than one’s regular ministry group, and that investing in the next generation’s spiritual growth and discipleship is a priority.

While SJSM’s monthly all ages worships and periodical Family Services are a step in the right direction, a lot more can be done to involve the children; and the mentality of many of our grown-ups could do with a bit of expansion.

MINISTRY

“

Let the children come to Me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.

— Mark 10:14–15

Clockwise from top left: Craftwork to illustrate the road to Calvary on Good Friday; paper propsfor use in worship actions and dance; Palm Sunday artwork

Evangelistic community events anchored

by JC in late 2019 (the Watermelon Party and the Christmas Service) saw Kerine’s team working hand in hand SJSM’s Tamil Congregation’s children’s ministry, and external partners and speakers like Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) and David Leong. “It’s important to see ourselves as part of the Body; kids shouldn’t be discounted, and in fact can be bridgebuilders. In fact we encourage and enable them to serve — even preschoolers are serving as co-worship leaders, helping to collect offerings, and playing different roles in their activity groups,” Kerine says. “We also encourage the kids to care for one another, and for the older ones to sit with and help the younger ones,” Victor adds.

”

PRACTISING INCLUSIVITY Since 2020’s Phase 1 reopening, JC (Primary)’s Rainbow Connection programme has seen two children from SJSM’s special needs fellowship joining its class at SES twice a month, where care is taken to engage them without singling them out as different. The result? One of the kids’ two younger siblings, who previously didn’t really want to attend JC, now clamour to attend every week! “Moving forward, we hope to include and integrate special needs kids into JC as a matter of course,” Victor says. “This is still in the planning stages and we’re inviting trainers to come and equip our servers.”

“We’re also gearing up to organise more activities and events that involve SJSM Village, like inviting the students from Little Seeds Preschool to join us for special events like Mother’s Day, Children’s Day, Chinese New Year celebrations,” Kerine says. Victor is planning to work with Heartfriends BASC to involve more children and families from the Dover community when it’s finally allowed again, and mentions a few successful JC classes to which elderly SJSMers had been invited. This reminds Kerine about JC (Preschool)’s Intergenerational Day in 2019: “It was planned as a lead-in to our eventual involvement with Village activities. Children and the elderly need to and benefit from interaction with one another, and the kids need to know that growing old is normal and part of God’s plan. We also hope to engage the nurses, and childcare and preschool teachers, albeit in different ways.”

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MINISTRY

From top: Children responding to the statement: “Holy Spirit gives me power!”; active class participation during a lesson on forgiveness.

EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY Closing ranks and pooling their resources and know-how was what enabled the JC team to weather the storm of 2020’s Circuit Breaker period and come out stronger.

“Somehow we managed this massive coordination effort that produced the wellreceived Kids@Home activity funpacks, and online services complete with, video recording and editing, and fun interactive elements,” Kerine says. Now, she adds, they are ready and able to toggle between onsite and online lessons on short notice.

“In line with our early 2020 launch of the Parent Partner Programme, whose premise is that family is the first line of foundation builders in building up our kids in God’s Word, we’re also doing our best to equip parents with online resources to help facilitate these lessons at home. God sent us the right helpers at the right time too — people like Ong Wai Kin and Clare Chao — and it’s amazing how our servers are so natural in front of the cameras. Our efforts have been well-received by the kids, so that’s been really encouraging.”

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INSPIRATIONAL EXPOSURE “Growth in ministry, mission, and maturity is SJSM’s Jubilee vision. We want to encourage parents to come alongside us and be the main educators and disciplers for their children.

Church is about fellowship and support, so this is important in the creation of a true community and ecosystem,” Kerine says. “We’ve facilitated parents in bringing their kids along on mission trips with great success, and although such things are now curtailed due to COVID, we can still involve kids in missions — the Village can be our mission field, and the kids can also do things like make thank-you cards for our expat brothers and medical frontliners.”

“It’s the best when they get to see their parents serving, and setting a good example,” Victor says. “Seeing how much you love God and how serving Him and others is an important part of your Christian walk is the best way to teach your children to do the same.”

Join us in discipling our little ones!

JC (Preschool), ages 3–6: Email kerineau@sjsm.org.sg JC (Primary), ages 7–10: Email victorcheong@sjsm.org.sg

MISSION

When ‘Going’ Can Mean ‘Staying’

Find out from Revd Andrew Raman, SJSM’s Missions Pastor, and Care Connexion Leaders Gavin Chew, Leo June Kit, and Vernon Martin, what missions really is, and how everyone — yes, literally everyone — in SJSM can play a part in it.

M

ost of us first heard about Care Connexion (CC), also known as our missions department’s Guest Workers Outreach (GWO), when it launched a coordinated effort during 2020’s Circuit Breaker period to care for the migrant workers in the dormitories, supporting them with basic supplies that their financially strapped employers were struggling to provide.

Ramadan (23 Apr–23 May) saw many SJSMers rallying to the effort, ferrying suhoor meals to the Muslim workers at 3am. English classes were also provided over Zoom, as an upskilling option as well as a respite from the stresses of social isolation and loss of work.

Since Phase 2 of Singapore’s reopening (19 June 2020), CC has maintained contact with our expat brothers by continuing to drop off comfort snacks, drink sachets, and other care pack items. Whenever possible, we take time to chat, getting to know them individually as peers and equals to build authentic friendships anchored in God’s unconditional love for all mankind. We’ve also engaged the fun factor — recreational activities including games and movie screenings, and carnivals and funfairs in conjunction with festive celebrations, have been well-received.

“

Missions choices are not based on what is exciting, or exotic, trendy, or ‘a good opportunity’. We go where people deeply need God’s love and the support of godly community, to do the necessary, the ordinary, the mundane.

— Leo June Kit

”

Above: Guest workers pose for a photo at a Christmas event in 2020, held at Kaki Bukit Recreation Centre

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MISSION

Friendship has opened the door for us to pray for the brothers, giving them glimpses of how Christians relate to God. This unobtrusive way of sharing our Father’s heart has led to some of them actively asking for prayer, for help in overcoming challenges as well as for blessings at happy events like a child’s birthday. We’ve even seen some healing miracles happen! Earlier this year, we also had the privilege of facilitating a Bible story reading and discussion group with a few of the brothers.

While the heightened safety guidelines at the time of production are making engagement a little difficult, Vernon is hopeful that things will get better soon. “We are thankful that God opened our eyes to how foreigners working in our midst are our neighbours too, and that He’s placed it in our hearts to serve them in this way,” he says. “It hasn’t just been because of COVID-19; my family has been interacting and sharing food with those in our neighbourhood since 2017. But when lockdown happened and those of us who travelled for missions could no longer do so, God opened this door for us to serve in a local mission field.”

How you can serve • Join us on Befriending Visits • Pray with us for our expat brothers (join our WhatsApp group) • Serve at ad-hoc events and activities, e.g. practical workshops, games events (current need: pro bono services by doctors and dentists) • Contact us via www.facebook.com/ CareConnexionSg, careconnexionsg@ gmail.com, or 9368 8494 (Gavin; WhatsApp or Telegram)

Above: After completing English lessons conducted by SJSMers, a guest worker proudly receives a certificate of completion and presents a card of thanksgiving to the teachers

GROWING A MISSIONAL CHURCH Aspect of missions

What it involves

Going (short-term) Preparation, and going out to witness Going (mid- to long-term)

Anyone who is physically able and is willing to share God’s love with the nations Anyone whom God has ‘called’ or has been given the burden/ conviction to go

Supporting missionaries, e.g. through financing their studies/travels

Anyone and everyone

Mobilising

Supporting missions by spreading awareness; encouraging both Goers and Senders

Anyone and everyone

Praying

Interceding for missionaries and mission fields

Anyone and everyone

Sending

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Who can do it?

MISSION

WHAT MAKES MISSIONS MISSIONS?

“To quote John Piper, ‘missions exists because worship doesn’t’,” Ps Andrew says. “God made us and calls us to worship Him. We who’ve found this highest fulfilment should want it for others — not in a forced manner, but in presenting a true picture of Him to them via His impact on our own lives, and enabling their coming to worship the God who loves them, the Father who wants to adopt them.”

“Missions goes where the gap between God and people is widest,” Gavin adds. “In our local context, the gap is small. People can walk 10 minutes to the nearest church, and most have friends who are Christian. (“And there’s access to gospel messages in both English and Mandarin on all kinds of media,” Ps Andrew quips.)

Missions goes where people can live and die and never meet a Christian, where they can live their entire lives without a chance of hearing the gospel.”

“The emphasis is the intentional crossing of cultures with its accompanying challenges,” Ps Andrew says.

“Educational, financial, and sustenance needs are doorways, but the crux is that if someone does not cross cultures to reach them, they will never know the gospel. Japan, for example, is a highly developed, wealthy nation but there are few Christians among them. So this is a land where there is a huge gap and a great need for missions work.

“Generally, our efforts engage people who are culturally similar and who are within casual reach — family members, friends, colleagues, neighbours. With the expat brothers/guest workers, there’s a big cultural, linguistic, and social gap to bridge. They are in a very different situation from us. It’s impossible to go in among them as if ‘we’re just like one of them’. No, we have to put in effort to understand them, walk in their shoes, feel their pain—this cannot be irregular or quick. It needs to be intentional and over a significant period of time.”

“The heart of it is simply loving our neighbour,” June Kit says. “If you love someone, you want the best for them, you want them to taste the good things you have. If we strive to love our neighbour, we’ll inevitably end up sharing the gospel with them — first through our lives and then through our words. They’re not projects or targets for evangelism. There is no deadline or endpoint in mind, no strings attached and no expectations. We don’t go in saying ‘I’m just here to support your physical needs for a particular crisis period’, ‘I’m here to be your friend for two weeks’, or ‘I’m here until you convert (or I give up)’.

“Their choices are theirs. Even if they decide eventually — after years of our ‘investment’ into them — that our faith is not relevant to them, we continue loving them, and praying that the Holy Spirit will move them. Because it is God, not us, who works in hearts.”

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MISSION

Our Conscience, Hands, and Feet

By God’s grace, Heartfriends has become a vital part of the Dover community — it’s time more SJSMers learnt what they do and get on board.

S

ay “Heartfriends”, and most people immediately think “KopiStop” — but the ministry is really about much more than that, even though the onset of COVID-19 has pushed many of these activities into hibernation. These days, due to gatherings being proscribed, Heartfriends Community Services (HCS) has shifted its efforts to running “Kopi Stop Lite”: distributing about 65 food packets to less privileged households in the area (Blocks 1–5, Dover Road) on Saturday mornings.

The first Saturday of every month sees the Heartfriends Befrienders (a pioneering group of staff and volunteers who have become household names in the area) making their rounds as well, keeping tabs on about 30 listed households. They can no longer hold dance/exercise programmes or other group activities due to safe distancing measures, but home visitation, and assisting the elderly and disadvantaged with clinic/hospital appointments and home repairs/improvements, has intensified in recent months.

Quite often, Heartfriends’ outreach to the poorer residents, usually the elderly or handicapped, involves meeting their financial needs. In this respect, the Heartfriends staff is grateful for the expertise and help of SJSM’s Financial Hardship Relief Committee (comprising SJSMers) which lends support in the disbursement of funds. In 2020, many SJSMers gave towards this cause.

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From top: Breakfast deliveries are now the mainstay of “KopiStop Lite”; popular pre-COVID activities included interactive sing-alongs; BASC provides children with a safe space as well as a routine, which includes meals, rest, homework and play time.

MISSION

CREATIVE SERVICE COVID-19 has also seen the emergence of what the team affectionately dubs “Philip’s Home Services”. Staff member Philip Mok has always played a key role in caring for destitute men in Dover, but the pandemic has seen this resourceful gem expanding into all sorts of DIY home repairs and moving services, which are greatly appreciated by the community as many cannot afford to hire help every time they need it.

“It’s interesting how this situation reminds me of the circumstances recorded in the Book of Acts,” muses ministry leader Ds Bessie Lee (Group Head, Outreach & Missions).

“Just as persecution and trouble had thrust the early Christians out from their large gatherings in Jerusalem, taking the gospel into foreign places and homes, this ‘forced diaspora’ due to the current COVID-19 safe measures against gatherings in public places has resulted in us engaging in more in-depth interactions with people in their homes.”

There are residents, she explains, who welcome the Befrienders into their homes for chats and occasionally for prayer, when they show up at their doorsteps.

HCS’s “COVID-era Highlights” • End-2020 to early 2021: 5,900 Heartfriends calendars gifted to Dover and GhimMoh Link residents • 2021 Chinese New Year Blessing: 5,900 goodie bags containing ang bao packs gifted to residents in Dover and GhimMoh Link • 2021: Grocery vouchers gifted to needy families for Hari Raya; 670 neighbouring households gifted with a box of masks each & invited to the virtual opening of SJSM Village.

From top: Meal distribution during the 2020 Circuit Breaker was helped along by volunteers from both the English and Chinese congregations; free haircuts have also been provided by our volunteers.

BEFORE- AND AFTER-SCHOOL CARE (BASC) Heartfriends BASC, while part of HCS and largely directed by a Management Committee appointed by SJSM’s Parochial Church Council, was jointly started by SJSM and the Dover RC, and also reports to the Ministry of Social and Family Development.

It’s a major node in the community network, as the BASC staff and volunteers have since its inception been actively engaging and connecting with the student’s families and the families in the Dover neighbourhood.

Programmes and events, like the twicea-week evening outdoor games and chat sessions, and Ice Cream Truck Days, were highly popular and used to attract significant crowds in the community. Outings, Durian Fiestas, Christmas parties and year-end concerts etc. were organised, and families of the BASC students were invited to join in. These days, centre manager Julia Loy and her team are working hard to think outside the box to find ways to maintain the relationships they’ve built with their students, their families, and the Dover community, since face-to-face and physical interaction have been curtailed.

Highlights (June 2019–June 2021) • Sat, 29 June 2019: HCS’ 20th Anniversary celebration (theme: Inclusiveness) • Sun, 7 Dec 2019: Dover Celebrates Christmas • Oct 2020: 12 laptops purchased for students’ use in the centre using funds bequeathed by the BASC’s 1st Chairman, Mr Chew Eng Wah’s family 37

MISSION

PRACTICAL CARING “Our first priority when the Circuit Breaker (CB) was declared was making sure that each of our kids, especially those on financial assistance, had laptops for Home-Based Learning,” Julia shares. “Tapping on the church’s cell network helped us get enough machines for the 10-odd children who needed them. We then moved to organise grocery drops to households whose breadwinners we knew were out of work — here, too, the cells proved indispensable.

“The two months of CB was a long time for us to not see kids that we were previously interacting with almost every day from Monday to Friday. We didn’t think a grocery drop would mean much to a primary school kid so once a week, we would also send a fun meal (e.g. fast food, and not merely nutrition-forsurvival) to them. This small gesture was to let them know that we were thinking of them.”

THINKING AHEAD “HCS has served the community well and gained a good reputation, especially among residents in the Dover area, but there are many impediments to our work because, as an entity, HCS is neither registered nor recognised as a social service,” says Ds Bessie.

“The social service landscape is evolving as we speak, and in order for SJSM to continue the good work done and the ground gained over 20 years, we are looking to register HCS under the umbrella of Singapore Anglican Community Services. This will help our standing when we work with the government and other social service agencies.”

Julia agrees that making sure we keep our community presence is important. “It’s always easier for the church to go out into the community, than for people from the community to venture into the church. In that, HCF is the bridge between SJSM and its neighbourhood, and it’s really precious that the people here already know us, and trust our intentions.”

“The residents around us respect us,” Ds Bessie notes. “The opening of SJSM Village, with its Nursing Home, Little Seeds Preschool, and Senior Daycare Centre are highly anticipated. Residents have approached us asking if they can stay or work with us, and this ties in well with the Project Spring-Winter vision in meeting the needs of the community. It sounds trite, but it’s true: People won’t hear what you have to say until they know that you care. And that’s what HCS is about.”

To find out more or sign up to serve: Heartfriends Community Services www.sjsm.org.sg/heartfriends.html 6777 0934 doverheartfriends@sjsm.org.sg Ds Bessie: bessielee@sjsm.org.sg

Clockwise from top left: When possible, outdoor activities are organised for the kids; our friendly BASC staff and volunteers; friendship is what makes community!

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Heartfriends BASC www.heartfriendsbasc.org.sg 6776 4906 info@heartfriends.org.sg Julia Loy: julialoy@sjsm.org.sg

MUSINGS

Playing God’s Long Game Our Chaplain reflects on the launch of SJSM Village, and what it bodes for our community.

WORDS REVD DINO THANGAMANY

GAME OVER; GAME ON! It’s been philosophised that we’re all players in the game of life. In that light, Project Spring-Winter (PSW) was probably an unexpected response to the obstacle thrown into SJSM’s gameplay by that fateful URA letter back in 2015.

With the ending of PSW, comes the beginning of SJSM Village — out of a storm of highs and lows, interruptions, COVID-19, and more. With the issuance of the Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP), smiles and congratulatory pats are freely given; the joy that accompanies the successful completion and inspection of the new buildings is not unlike that experienced by parents at the arrival of a healthy newborn. Truly, the PSW team deserves huge thanks. Each member should be proud of what has been achieved in such a short space of time. Yes, Jesus Christ our Lord has been glorified yet again!

But a birth is not a standalone event. It is both an ending and a beginning.

THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN New parenthood signals the start of a long journey that demands copious amounts of patience, care, attention, affection, and compromise. And in these challenging times, our stewardship of SJSM Nursing Home and Little Seeds Preschool is not unlike the parental effort — fighting the odds to give the best possible care to the sick, the needy, and the widow, to bring the unconditional love, tender mercies, affectionate attention, and patient, nurturing presence of our Lord Jesus Christ into their lives.

Gaining access to an individual’s personal world is an enormous responsibility and privilege. It’s something that chaplains, nurses, and preschool teachers share and share alike. Nurses today are uniquely positioned for a prominent role in the health policy arena; and here in SJSM Nursing Home, their voices cannot be heard enough! Likewise, teaching preschoolers is not just a job — it’s a life’s calling to mould inquisitive young minds in preparation for the future.

Not all of our nurses or teachers or our 266-odd residents will be Christians, but each is a child of God made in His image, and deserving of care and attention — especially during these pandemic-riddled times when isolation is common and anxiety is rife.

STAYING AHEAD OF THE GAME A chaplain’s purpose is to listen, care for, and respond appropriately to residents’ needs. He also provides moral and religious education, pastoral counselling, advocacy, family support, and crisis intervention; and facilitates community services, cultural activities, and humanitarian programmes. His presence and involvement is a visual reminder of ‘the holy’.

Chaplaincy is a ministry of presence and availability.

Caring for older adults with dementia, cognitive deterioration, or declining heath of any kind, is challenging because these conditions affect multiple aspects of their lives — not just their ability to take care of themselves. The gift of patience and presence assures them that they have a friend with them.

Chaplains are expected to be sensitive to the personal, moral, and spiritual needs of all individuals for whom they have responsibility; we have always been characterised by a common commitment to cooperation without compromise. While we are religious leaders endorsed by a religious community, we are committed to ministering to and facilitating the free exercise of religion for all persons in our jurisdiction. They will never be asked to violate their religious convictions, or be pressured to violate their spiritual convictions.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN Standing alongside the nurses and the teachers, a chaplain’s most important healing act is to empower each individual to access her own spiritual and religious coping strategies. This is the heart and challenge of chaplaincy; in quiet confidence we surrender each situation, challenge, and resident into the hands of the ever-present Holy Spirit.

The nurturing, guiding Holy Spirit will be keeping a watchful eye on the teachers and children; perhaps even dancing to the laughter, giggles, and shrieks of the little ones! Preschoolers are just beginning their educational careers, and with godly support from their teachers, an early enthusiasm for learning stays with them through universities and beyond. The chaplain who walks with the teacher walks with the child, too: What joy, to contribute to multiple fruitful life journeys!

Right: Old and new with a old, storied tree as the central point: Glory Sanctuary, the Annex, and part of the Nursing Home building as seen from the new driveway/roundabout.

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MUSINGS

Milestones of a Different Kind A church community’s shared milestones are not only physical or practical (e.g. site changes, leadership transitions); in fact, one might argue that spiritual milestones are really much more important.

D

aren Ng, our People’s Warden, and Prof John Lim, our Vicar’s Warden, have been part of SJSM since the 1970s.

As long-time members, servers, and leaders, their personal histories and journeys are closely intertwined with SJSM’s, giving them a unique perspective on developments that have been key to our growth as a church.

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BUILDING BLOCKS OF COMMUNITY “A key event that has turned out to be very significant, even critical, to the growth of the church, was the start of the cell group ministry in the 1980s under Rev Roger Campbell, and the way that it really just took off, and continues to this day,” John continues. “We have always been a family church with a firm ongoing commitment to sound Biblical preaching; spiritual renewal came through the charismatic movement in the 1970s, and the cell group movement has defined us since the 1980s.

“Looking back over the history of the cell group ministry, even with the creation of the new zonal system, we have never really been overly dogmatic or rigid about the individual cells’ programmes. But without the cell ministry, I don’t think SJSM would have grown as much. Through cell groups, we have experienced years of growth, with a deepening of our prayer life and our worship ministry.”

“The cells are arguably the pulse of the church.

They take ‘church’ beyond the Sunday worship services, and it’s also how people connect,” says Daren; to which John adds: “The cells are among the things that the Lord laid in place in advance, and they have been instrumental in helping us go through the COVID-19 pandemic because there are still opportunities to gather, even virtually when physical meetings have not been possible.”

MUSINGS

LOOKING BEYOND THE PHYSICAL “Initially, we were a very small comfortable church and viewed as being ‘upper middle class’. When the first HDB flats in Dover started coming up around us, there was initially some concern about a social divide but we opened up and integrated into our growing neighbourhood,” John shares.

“There was the 18-year journey involving the need to change SJSM’s Temporary Occupation Licence of this plot of land to a 30-year lease, and several changes and plans and adjustments that involved much prayer and pain, before Christ Sanctuary was completed in 2005. Then Project Spring Winter hit us like a bombshell; it has completely changed the life of SJSM, and been a major theme for us over the past decade.

“There’s also the fact that each time a new vicar has come in, it’s always been that the Lord put the right person there for that season. And they’ve all been such different personalities. After Rev Roger Campbell, Rev Soh Chai Ann brought the church into a season of major growth with a focus on missions. Bp Rennis was next and as our Vicar for nearly 20 years, greatly influenced the overall spiritual and physical development of the church.

Ps Joshua brought us through PSW. And now with Ps Alvin—what’s the next phase, we wonder?

“In my sermon in January at the start of this Jubilee year, I shared that we must not forget the lessons of the past. In moving forward, we face the danger of being blind to who Jesus is and what God is doing in our midst. To recognise the Lord’s hand at work over 50 years, in the development of our land and our history, is only one part of the story. What is fundamental and critical is to embrace the liberty and the life that Jesus offers to us and through us. We must affirm one another, so that we do not dishonour or displease our Lord by wronging each other.”

“God directs us through events to our current calling,” Daren adds. “If we lend our ear to Him, we can usually hear His call quite clearly. And if the church has the courage and the wherewithal to obey and follow, that is what will really define the future of SJSM. We look back to learn and relearn our lessons, and God is in the process of renewing us over and over again.

“As humans, we see this as uncomfortable, but to God, it’s a necessary process of change. We’ve been ‘kicked along the path’ so many times that we’ve learnt to see beyond the discomfort and our own limitations, and come to expect God’s enabling, anointing, and bestowing of knowledge, wisdom, discernment, and more. Over time, we learn to appreciate such lessons.”

THE MORE THINGS CHANGE… Daren notes: “It’s significant that the largest amount of change and of new direction comes in a time when we’re under the most restrictions and with lowered engagement opportunities during this pandemic; God has ordained that we should be more active in a season of enforced inactivity. We’ve certainly found ourselves having to learn a lot of new things, and do things that we have no experience in. Such is the journey that we find ourselves on. Consider this current calling to serve both the young and the old: How does God take a laid-back bunch of people and thrust them into the forefront of service? This is where we find ourselves today.”

“COVID-19 has provided us with a whole new dimension of meaning and ministry that is still in the process of defining our Jubilee journey,” John says.

“We’ve long had a strong outreach focus, and we have connected over the decades with our neighbourhood through social services, which will now move into a whole new level through SJSM Nursing Home and Little Seeds Preschool.

“PSW is radically changing us, and on a totally different order of magnitude than we first imagined, when we thought we were finally ready to embrace it. The majority of our nursing home residents will probably be those with dementia. It’s a big challenge that the Lord is pushing on us, but I believe He will give us the means to rise to it. We always think we can plan things to suit ourselves, but God doesn’t work that way. He’s always surprising us.

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MUSINGS

“Look at the fact that SJSM Village was supposed to launch last year—it’s significant that this was delayed to the middle of our Jubilee year, in the midst of a pandemic. The confluence of all these things… there are a lot of things we don’t fully understand, but if we look at God’s trajectory, it’s clear that we are in the process of being moulded.

“When we were in the design stage, we thought

everything was so tight in comparison to other nursing homes in Singapore because of the small building footprint. But visiting it now, there’s just such a sense of space. A sense of how God amazes us and gives us more than we expect. Yes, we’re in transition, but He has encouraged and strengthened us all this way, and His plans are so much bigger than ours. What else is lying around the corner?”

…THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME “The joy of being ‘called’ by God, includes being ‘enabled’ by God, in spite of our limitations. God also strengthens SJSM by bringing new additions to the church — the right persons at the right time,” Daren says. These ‘new members’ draw us, lead us, even drag us, to where God is taking us.

“SJSM’s journey is not only to learn to accept and embrace God’s call, but also to ‘Be Transformed’ along the way.

“And we’re coming to a point where instead of dreading the next change, we can have a Christlike calm as we encounter new surprises. We’re leaning to have the excitement of anticipation as we look to what God has for us next. Over time, we learn to fall on our knees and not off our chairs” Daren quips.

“It strikes me how much God loves us despite our weakness and complacency, how He still wants to make more of us and transform us into something new. He has been taking us on a metamorphousthe journey since Day 1; He has been at work even while we were unaware,” John muses. “Over the years, the Lord has injected various groups of people from different backgrounds into our midst, and they have injected new life into SJSM which

has helped us to keep moving.

“I feel that most of our older members are not resentful of newness and change. There’s something special in the quality of fellowship in the life of SJSM, but there’s also always been openness to welcome new people, and to work together. It’s a very different church now in many aspects. But there’s still this strand of faithfulness, of people who’ve remained since the church was established 50 years ago. There will definitely be more differences when onsite activities resume and life ‘restarts’ (again), but I think there will be a different order of growth—not just numerically.”

“Since the early days, many of the parents would know one another. Both our mums knew each other well and would meet to pray for each other; and now their sons do likewise,” Daren adds, “defining SJSM as a ‘generation to generation’ church, and that is special and to be cherished.

“Discipleship in the community will continue to stretch and grow beyond anything that we can imagine or plan,” John says in summary. “The Lord is the only true Discipler, and as long as we listen humbly and obey, all will be well. He’s not finished with us yet.”

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MUSINGS

Sharing our Shared History In a community, individual stories make up the whole — so let’s hear it from the Project Spring-Winter (PSW) Executive Team!

S

JSM Village has come to life, and both the Nursing Home and Little Seeds Preschool are up and running in their new premises. We’ve all become quite familiar with PSW’s major milestones over the years, but the team that saw the project through has kept a relatively low profile. Here, we ask them to share significant memories, experiences, and takeaways from their involvement.

John Suan Project Executive Director, 2015–1 May 2016 It was more of a surprise than anything else to have been part of PSW, actually.

God has a sense of humour. You move out of Singapore, you think a chapter of your life is over, but you never really know when God will float up pieces of the past and ask you to pick them up again. I’d actually only come back from Canada to spend time with my son who was doing his National Service, when Bp Rennis asked if I was available to help out by working with Ps Joshua to kick off PSW: pull a team together, set out working pieces and get gears in motion, appoint architects, supply a working brief, ensure that subcommittees are in place, etc.

As ex-Group CEO for SAMH and SACS, I’d had opportunity to serve the Diocese, but at a certain distance. PSW was different, up close and precious; doing it with Ps Joshua and Bp Rennis, with whom I go back a long way, was a real joy.

I particularly treasure the shared thinking process; it was beautiful to see this coming together of like-minded individuals, this shared grappling with the concept of social work from a service perspective, of building both hardware and software. I also enjoyed helping the architectural team understand our hows and whys—it helped that a few of them were SJSMers as well—and then seeing PSW come alive in the drawings.

I handed the reins over to Michael Wong and left Singapore just before the final goodbye to the old open-air carpark, but I’ve remained in the project group chat, so I’m aware of and in touch with PSW’s progress. I like to think that I’ve always been there whenever any of them needed a sounding board. All in, I’m just really grateful to have been a part of this process.

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MUSINGS

Michael Wong Project Executive Director, 2 May 2016–present

Megan is pictured centre, in white tee.

Three important concepts stand out to me as I reflect on the whole of my PSW experience: 1. The Lord provides. There were anxious moments when supplies were disrupted, and concerns about possible escalating cost to the construction budget during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

However, as God had shown us at the beginning of the project (by bringing in a substantial unsolicited donation even before we launched any fundraising efforts), He has provided us with many cost savings throughout the project.

2. God’s Perfect Timing. As can be expected, the COVID-19 lockdowns also caused unexpected delays to the project. While we were getting anxious and trying to do whatever possible to hasten up the works, we were reminded that God determines the pace as He knows the end from the beginning!

3. Building Relationships. Projects have an expiry date, while relationships last forever! I’ve been sensing that God wants us to build relationships as our key priority, and that the rest of the project management would fall into place. And in the course of this project, He has brought many people from different background in — consultants, contractors, guest workers, government inspectors, church volunteers, fellow church workers, nursing home and childcare stake holders, Dover residents from the neighbouring HDB blocks, and many more!

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Megan Ching Project Executive Administrator, August 2015–September 2017 Coming in to PSW from a highly structured workplace, it was initially challenging to be in a very fluid set-up, reporting to a committee of volunteers while embedded in the church staff team. Also, the design phase — initially expected to last three to four months — stretched over a year, with more than 27 iterations (various changes were made to strike an equilibrium between the committees’ prayerful discernment of God’s intentions and the constraints of regulatory requirements and costs). I spent many quiet moments alone in the office crying out to God in the face of various work challenges, while grappling with the fact that my father was critically ill from a bad fall that happened shortly after I had started.

During one of these dark moments, God showed me a vision of Himself as Creator, calling things into being. I was standing beside Him on an elevated plane. As His call reverberated into the dark expanse, a light shone in the horizon, revealing the many people of various races and ages who had come to heed His call. Some well-dressed, some in simple clothing; some carrying heavy burdens; some wandering, some striding purposefully. As they came to the source of the call, many dropped their burdens, their movements becoming synchronised with the rhythm of the call. It was as if God was the great conductor, orchestrating a huge display of a much larger scale and duration than what we see at the National Day parade.

This vision sustained me, informed me of the functioning of the body of Christ, and defined my work in PSW. From this vantage point, I was convicted to continue recording the PSW Main Committee’s meeting proceedings and to pray for God’s vision to come to pass even after I vacated my official position to attend to more pressing family needs upon my father’s passing. I am part of the PSW intercession group that has been meeting since December 2015, and continues to meet monthly to intercede for PSW to this day.

MUSINGS

Thomas Lim PSW Project Manager, October 2017–3 October 2021 Facilities & Security Team Lead, 4 Oct 2021 It has been a privilege and a great blessing to be able to use the skills and expertise God has given me to support the PSW construction work. The journey was challenging especially in the midst of the COVID-19 situation. But by the grace of God, everything fell in place in His perfect timing. While there are still some matters to be resolved and challenges in the integration of managing the facilities of the new Village, I draw from the faith God has given me through witnessing how He has blessed the project thus far.

Pauline Myat Account Executive, June 2017–present It is no coincidence that I am part of the PSW team.

It was God’s plan from the beginning.

I moved to Dover in June 2014. My block is just across the road from SJSM. I was then working in the commercial sector, but I really wanted to use my skills to contribute to the Kingdom of God. So I started applying for accounting jobs in churches. SJSM was one of the churches that I wrote in to. When I sent in my CV, PSW had not yet officially started. There wasn’t even an official vacancy in this area.

Almost exactly a year from the date of my application, I received an interview invitation from SJSM. I was in Myanmar at the time and was not really keen to respond, but my sister informed me that this was “the church nearest to home” of all that I had applied to. I flew back to Singapore for the meeting. The second interview was done online as I was back in Myanmar. Before I got any official notice from SJSM, I dreamt of HR introducing me to various church colleagues, room by room. When I received the offer letter, I realised that my starting date was exactly three years since I moved to Dover. And when HR brought me on my orientation, everything looked just like it had in my dream!

Waiting for the lift on my way to work every morning, I’ve watched the space transform. I’ve prayed for all the people working on the site, and everyone who has been a part of the PSW process.

It’s been my vision to see the elderly and children coming together at church, as well as nurses from multiple countries. I thank God for the opportunity to work on PSW. He has guided me throughout all these years, through His Word and also my colleagues.

Victoria Yap Assistant Project Manager, October 2017–31 May 2021 Being part of the PSW project team has been a privilege. Looking back now, close to the end of PSW, it has been like having a front-row seat to seeing God work His miraculous ways, moment by moment, year by year. I’ve never encountered a project that lasted this long, nor one that faced as many challenges as this one did; yet, I felt so much peace throughout. It was never about us; it was always about Him. I can’t really go into details as there’s simply too much to praise God for, and we’ve also always known, deep in our hearts, that PSW would be completed in His perfect timing.

“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.” (Psalm 20:7) The building project is now in the process of being wrapped up, but God’s work is ongoing. May we continue to trust in Him, as we enter into the new season of seeing how He will shape the life of SJSM Village; moment by moment, year by year.

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MUSINGS

Pressing In Before God gets ready to do a great work, He always sets His people a-praying. As Andrew Murray says: “It is in intercession that the church is to find and wield its greatest power.”

WORDS BRENDA GOH, TEAM LEAD, PRAYER & INTERCESSION

A

t our February 2020 Pastoral Prayer Leadership (PPL) meeting, we had a strong inkling that 2020 would turn out to be a different and difficult year. At that time, COVID 19 was still well under control in Singapore, though by contrast, it was already raging in China, having first surfaced in Wuhan in late 2019.

But even prior to this, ever since the outbreak, one phrase that we had consistently received from the Lord was “the Body of Christ”. We discerned that God was speaking to His people. He was on the move. Shaking, shifting and sifting. And a global crisis was a defining moment for the Church to wake up.

The following words and visions received at the February 2020 PPL confirmed the shakings and siftings: 1. a vision of a burning candle, but with a flickering flame, with the sensing that the wick must be trimmed so that it can burn more brightly; 2. a vision of a long-handled frying pan tossing food over hot fire, with the sensing of shaking and tossing; 3. vision of a diamond master examining diamonds to separate the real from the fake; 4. several other visions involving cutting and stripping away (some received in subsequent months).

Combined with Hebrews 12:26-28, received at the same PPL, we discerned that cosmic shaking had already begun — not least through the virus. Things that can be shaken will be shaken. Only the eternal, the things that cannot be shaken, will remain. God was doing a new thing in our midst. Pruning, refining, and purifying His Church to “rightly represent Christ, being ready for the harvest and fit for battle” (LoveSingapore).

God was preparing us for greater things to come!

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Over and over again, we have seen the Spirit of God uncovering truths and stripping away human ego, vain conceits, and false securities.

This was a call to wake up. To align and agree with God. To worship Him acceptably, with reverence and awe, for He is a consuming fire.

MUSINGS

PRAYER — THE FAITH-FUELLED RESPONSE The days that followed were unfamiliar and unprecedented. A small virus turned the world upside down. Economies were battered, travel plans were grounded, and working and living norms changed.

Lockdowns were imposed. Those were very challenging times for everyone, no less for the Body. And as case numbers rose exponentially in the foreign workers’ dorms, a concerted call for repentance

by Christian leaders was made. Prayer groups sprouted up. The recognition that we desperately needed God was fuelling prayers and intercession. In the darkness, light was shining.

In response to a 24-hour round-the clock prayer initiative led by LoveSingapore, 62 from our prayer training pool signed up to pray round the clock on every Wednesday.

Other churches also took up the baton to pray round the clock on other designated days. This marathon prayer movement lasted several months, upheld and sustained by the grace of God. In the midst of the pandemic, we learnt that the trials of life were taking us to places in prayer where we had never been before.

Note in Acts 2 that prayer precedes Pentecost. Before God does a great work, He always sets His people a-praying.

Having received Psalm 110:3 at the end of 2020, we believe God is at work, gathering and preparing His army to arise and shine as His revival firehouse of prayer. God is a God of battles. He is a Person of war. One of His Names is Jehovah Sabaoth (Lord of Armies/Hosts). Disciples in the dew of youth are being summoned, willing and ready to lay down their lives as Christ’s freewill offerings in His day of battle.

Hear what Andrew Murray says: It is in intercession that the church is to find and wield its highest power.

In the midst of darkness and death, His light shines the brightest. He is raising His army to fight and contend on their knees for revival and for the many unsaved souls in our midst.

FOLLOW — FURTHER UP AND FURTHER IN In His mastery of time, and the long reach of His purpose, we believe this may well be God’s appointed season for SJSM and Dover.

“It is the time to favour her, the appointed time has come.” These words from Psalm 102:13 echo in my heart, as I write this.

Psalm 102 has been received more than once during our prayer walks around SJSM Village/Dover in the past several months.

The walks were initiated by Him, to prepare the “way of the Lord”. He yearns to fill every heart, every home, and our community with more of His glory.

In His providence, all this coincides with SJSM’s Year of Jubilee. In His timetable, it’s a new beginning, even as in the New Testament, the Lord Jesus proclaims a new beginning through His offer of divine deliverance.

His thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His ways higher than ours, so let’s stay in tune with the Holy Spirit and in touch with the ground to see how things may develop in the days ahead. He has led us through our PSW journey; doubtless SJSM Village will remain a catalyst in His hands to revive us, reform the community, and release a new evangelistic movement in the midst of the pandemic.

On our part, we must continue to press in and pray. Revival will not come cheap.

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MUSINGS

The Only Mark of a Disciple WORDS MICHAEL TAN, PCC MEMBER

John 13:34-35

John 15:12-13

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

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From my earliest encounters with the Christian faith more than four decades ago, I had always associated it with love; more precisely, that God is love. I was probably not alone as most people from the outside looking into the church would describe our faith as one characterised by love.

It is therefore somewhat sad that four decades later, from the inside for so long now, my faith’s interaction with love does not seem tenuous or entwined enough. Yes, I have mellowed, probably kinder, slower to anger, more considerate of others, actively serving in church etc. but these do not add up to me as one that is driven by love. Sadly.

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12

Jesus’s final words to His disciples before His betrayal were very pointed, leaving no wriggle room for misunderstanding: if the world were to know we are His disciples, the unmissable and unmistakable trait would simply be that we love one another.

I think what Jesus was saying was that even if His disciples did not get all that He shared in His three years of life and ministry with them, the sum of all that He was teaching them would be adequately manifested when His disciples love one another. A love that makes one willing to lay down his life for a friend, which He was about to demonstrate first-hand for them shortly.

MUSINGS

1 John 4:19-21 We love because he first loved us. 20If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

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Romans 2:28-29 For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. 29But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God. 28

There is a real danger when one is “wellchurched” (one such as I), that one winds up (inadvertently?) preferring behavioural change over genuine transformation. Why is that so?

Because like the Pharisees of old, it is always easier to change the externals, while the old man inside of us, the “Adam”, becomes merely dormant, not dead. We busily serve and get involved in all and sundry in church but the love for fellow disciples is not growing in us.

What are the tell-tale signs?

When we want to get the first and last word in, when we serve someone and we grit our teeth because of how difficult they are and that they do not know we are tolerating them literally for “God’s sake”, or when our thoughts and actions remain mostly guided by what they mean for us, or for our interests. When we find it hard to remember to deny ourselves first, take up our cross before we live each day, until we simply sidestep these conditions precedent, carrying on with our hurried harried lives.

When my heart does not ache, much less break, for the hurt people around me suffer from. When my thoughts for each day are more preoccupied with tasks than people. When I am seriously trying to do good but the people I do them for become mere fleeting faces in the blur of life.

What happened to “rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15)? These are what disciples engaged deeply in each other’s lives do, those who share their brother’s weal and woe. Do we?

You see the Apostle John in his later epistles elaborated that since God is love, we cannot say we love God and hate our brother. Of course, most of us hopefully have few that we hate within the body of believers. But not hating our brother does not cut it with our Lord. Jesus commands us to love one another like He loves us. That’s a very high bar; unattainable without His Spirit working in us and we yielding to the Spirit and not fighting or quenching Him. So the progression appears clear. If our desire is to grow in love for God, it begins with us loving our brother (or sister) first.

They are our “training ground” before we can decently love our neighbour the way God wants us to. And when we grow in both these aspects, loving brethren and loving neighbour, then we are truly making progress toward loving God. And becoming Jesus’s disciples. A difficult process? For sure it is. But that is how God moulds us to become like Jesus. That is how iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17) to become more effective instruments in the Master’s hands.

It requires us to let God transform us, it requires unhurried time before Him, meditating on His Word and heeding the still small voice of the Spirit. It then requires obedience and boldness to live out what He convicts us to. And to do this within His body of believers, all on a common course toward Him. We cannot gravitate towards the lowest denominator here; it will surely cost us our lives living for Him instead of for ourselves.

Would you care to come on the journey?

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

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MUSINGS

The Last Word Our new vicar, Revd Alvin Toh, wraps up this special transitional issue of In Review with a closing address.

WORDS REVD ALVIN TOH

“

Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

—Isaiah 43:19

I

f there’s any word that can summarise what has happened over the past 1.5 years, it might be the word ‘disruption’. COVID-19 had taken centre stage, and disrupted everything else from the mundane to the extraordinary. The everyday mundane of handwashing and hygiene has been spotlighted as critical in combating the viral spread. The extraordinary events of the year, from the Tokyo Olympics to civil unrest and climate changes, were overshadowed by the growing COVID-19 infections, reaching 196 million cases worldwide and 4 million deaths globally by mid-2021.

But if there’s another word that can also encapsulate all that has happened, it is the word ‘new’. This past 1.5 years has seen the world adapt to and experience new things… from the mundane to the extraordinary. We have done things we have never done before, innovated new ways of connecting and getting things done, and settled into

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”

a ‘new normal’ in our daily lives. We’ve since found ourselves accepting (or tolerating?) the necessity of developing new ways of conducting our daily and routine affairs that we would never have imagined ourselves ratifying before COVID-19 hit.

I still believe that while COVID-19 is not directly from God — for God is good, and the source of all goodness and order, not evil and chaos — He has used it to work His sovereign purposes, and to achieve His aim of “doing a new thing” in the world today.

For us in SJSM, God’s word from Isaiah 43:19 has been central in two very important journeys of transformation: both Project Spring-Winter as well as our Jubilee Vision. This verse was prophetically released very early in SJSM’s Metamorphousthe journey, and it has continued to make unexpected appearances over the years, through various platforms. And as we can all see, this shared journey has since led us into the many new things that have sprung up in our midst.

MUSINGS

A NEW PARADIGM My predecessor, Ps Joshua, was very much inspired by the Lord to lead SJSM into an extremely well-crafted Jubilee Vision 2021, in which he prophetically proclaimed “SJSM to be a thriving discipleship ecosystem, and every member a fruitful tree”. This was a major thrust for the whole church to be involved in discipleship, both at the corporate as well as the individual level.

This didn’t come about because SJSM failed to be involved in discipleship before: Many of our members will gladly testify as to how they came to Christ and were discipled in SJSM in their early years of growth through Alpha, cell groups, solid Bible-based teaching from the pulpit, Know-TheWord classes, and more. Indeed, many disciples, leaders, full-time workers, and clergymen have been raised through SJSM! Jubilee Vision 2021 presented us with a more structured and intentional way to approach discipleship, identifying and zooming in on a few aspects at the church’s corporate level, and also outlining for the individual the need for balanced growth through what we call the 3Ms: Maturity, Ministry, and Mission. It projects a new paradigm of growth and discipleship that we are still discovering and understanding the length, breadth, and depth of. The 3Ms have provided a way for us to understand how we grow and serve in SJSM, and as you would have noticed, this also provided the framework for the very issue of In Review that you are reading now, as well as the lenses for us to view all that has transpired in the past year.

We draw from the imagery of an ecosystem the understanding that discipleship is neither done in a silo, nor in a linear one-track fashion; it is dynamic, and grows organically via a complex web of relationships within a community that cannot be fully defined, systematised, or restricted. Although it is true that spiritual growth occurs more organically than mechanically, there are some structures and handles that can be put into place to help guide and facilitate such growth.

In view of this, we look forward to how the Discipleship Roadmap that is being put together as part of Jubilee Vision 2021 will serve SJSM in the years to come. It’s being designed to guide and nurture growth, and to facilitate the work of the Holy Spirit in growing disciples, shaping leaders, and preparing future full-time workers, missionaries and clergymen for the fields that are ripe for harvest!

A NEW VILLAGE A major paradigm shift that the Lord has effected in our midst is the birthing of SJSM Village, and a vision of how He will use SJSM Village to disciple SJSMers.

And He chose to use the disruptions caused by COVID-19 to time it exactly in the middle of our year of Jubilee, as we celebrate 50 years of God’s work in and through SJSM. We see the fingerprints of God in every twist and turn that Project Spring-Winter (PSW) has experienced, from the very beginning to the day the Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP) was obtained… this nine-year labour of faith and love that has resulted in SJSM Village.

What was previously an empty and ‘barren’ open-air carpark, is now a 273-bed Nursing Home, a Senior Care Centre with capacity for 80 individuals, and a connecting Church Annex building that houses a childcare centre which can accommodate up to 154 children in its full-day preschool. What was once ‘barren’ and occupied solely by lifeless vehicles, will now be bustling with life and life-giving intergenerational activities and interactions, even as we nurture the young and care for the elderly. As the Lord declared in Isaiah 43:19b: “I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” — this has become very true for us in our PSW journey.

THE LAST WORD? PSW is by no means the last word, nor the completion of what God wants to do in SJSM. The adventure and journey of following and becoming like Him continues, dare I say into even greater heights and deeper depths than ever before — but only if we are willing to go where the Holy Spirit leads. Having tasted His goodness and experienced His faithfulness this past year (and indeed, these past 50 years!), would we even be tempted to choose otherwise?

So join me as we stride into this next lap of SJSM’s journey together, into what God has for us as a church. And let us continue to write this story of God in SJSM together — loving, sharing, serving, and making “HIStory” together. Amen.

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DIRECTORY EMAIL ADDRESS Vicar

Revd Alvin Toh

alvintoh@sjsm.org.sg

Cindy Lee

cindylee@sjsm.org.sg

Ven Wong Tak Meng

takmeng@sjsm.org.sg

MINISTRY

MINISTRY TEAM LEAD

EMAIL ADDRESS

Information Technology

Lee Chee Sheong

info@sjsm.org.sg

Communications

Nigel Sim

communications@sjsm.org.sg

Facilities & Security

Thomas Lim

facility@sjsm.org.sg

Finance

Soo Khian Seng

Admin & Events Management

Ashley Tan

Human Resources

Koh Peck Hoon

hr@sjsm.org.sg

Chaplaincy

Revd Dino V Thangamany

dinot@sjsm.org.sg

Heartfriends Community Services

Ds Bessie Lee

heartfriends@sjsm.org.sg

Missions

Revd Andrew Raman Suppaiyah

missions@sjsm.org.sg

Evangelism

Ps How Kim Chin

evangelism@sjsm.org.sg

Alpha

Ps Trixie Chin

alpha@sjsm.org.sg

Boys’ Brigade/Girls’ Brigade

Jimmy Ong

jimmy@sjsm.org.sg

Worship Services

Ps Allen Lim

worship@sjsm.org.sg

Christian Education

Connie Lim

ce@sjsm.org.sg

Family Life

Christy Or

flm@sjsm.org.sg

Hospitality

Ps Chua Kim Yien

kimyien@sjsm.org.sg

Counselling

Nancy Loh

nancyloh@sjsm.org.sg

Prayer & Intercession

Brenda Goh*

prayer@sjsm.org.sg

Zone Pastors

—

cell@sjsm.org.sg

Tamil Service

Revd Solomon Periyanayakam

solomon@sjsm.org.sg

Filipino Service

Ps Juanita Dicen

juanita@sjsm.org.sg

Indonesian Fellowship

Sally Ho*

sallyho@heartfriends.org.sg

Heartbeat

Ps Richard Kwan

heartbeat@sjsm.org.sg

Junior Church

Kerine Au

juniorchurch@sjsm.org.sg

Vicar’s Office

GROUP

Church Operations Group (CO) Group Head: Lee Chee Sheong

Outreach & Missions Group (O&M) Group Heads: Ds Bessie, Revd Andrew Raman (Deputy) & Revd Dino Thangamany (Deputy)

Spiritual Formation Group (SF) Group Head: Ps Allen Lim

Pastoral Connexion Group (PC) Group Head: Revd Alvin Toh

*Lay volunteer

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info@sjsm.org.sg

ST. JOHN’S – ST. MARGARET’S CHURCH (ANGLICAN) 30 Dover Avenue, Singapore 139790 6777 0934 info@sjsm.org.sg www.sjsm.org.sg & www.sjsmvillage.org.sg

MCI(P) 059/05/2021.

Published by St. John’s – St. Margaret’s Church (Anglican) Copyright © 2021 by St. John’s – St. Margaret’s Church (Anglican) All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of St. John’s – St. Margaret’s Church (Anglican).