THE MAGAZINE OF FAITH METHODIST CHURCH | MCI(P) 095/03/2014 | Aug 2014

Impacting communities in the region

Anchoring in Christian fellowship

through small groups

01 Pastor’s Reflections

05 One Jam Nurturing our Leaders of Tomorrow

08 Grocery Shopping

10 Anchoring in Christian Fellowship Through Small Groups

20 The Attic Library Turns 10

22 A Banquet to Celebrate the Community God Placed Us In

24 Abide to Abide TTB leaders fix their eyes on Jesus

26 FaithActs Celebrates its 10th Anniversary With The Community

28 Decoding the PDPA

Editors: Audrey Mok Andrea Low

Contributors: Carol Wee

Chen Kah Min Derek Hum

Edwin de Souza Enoch Tanamas

Gabriel Chua Jimmy Png Joash Lee

Low Hwee SianMark Lee

Pauline Shan Pee Lay Hoon

Phoebe Yee Rev Wendy Tay

Shirley Ng Vincent Lim

Wong Kron Joo

16Impacting Communities In The Region

400 Commonwealth Drive Singapore 149604Tel: 6471 9420 Fax: 6475 3339 Email: mail@faithmc.sg Website: www.faithmc.sg

This publication is for internal circulation among the congregation of Faith Methodist Church. Views expressed in Faithlink are of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Church and the Editorial Board.

2Anniversary

Celebration –We turned 48!

Pastor’s ReflectionsEphesians 4:2-6 (NIV)Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

In this fast-paced world full of impatient people who are perpetually short of time, we see fine-dining restaurants gradually giving way to fast-dining casual cafes and fast-food joints. Speed is the order of the day. Hooked to our smartphones, we multi-task while we dine, searching for updates and expecting to be updated constantly. We are obsessed with keeping up with news, trends and developments because we think change is the only constant and no one can fight the relentless onslaught of change.

It is therefore highly comforting to know that there is another constant in this ever-changing world that we can totally depend on – Our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus, who is never-changing in this ever-changing world. He who is always steadfast and faithful, is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

However, what is also true is that the evil one hasn’t given up either. In fact, the prince of darkness is working harder than ever. He knows the return of the resurrected Christ is the end of all things for his dark domain so he is clocking double shifts to destroy this world God so loved. Satan, who fell from heaven, constantly prowls like a roaring lion to see whom he may devour. He is the enemy of everyone and everything that is on God’s side (1 Peter 5:8).

Hence as Christians, we cannot afford to be complacent. We must vigilantly have a spiritually combative mindset and be of sober spirit. But we are not alone and we are not without divine assistance. Jesus, who has won the battle on the cross, has promised us that we are already victorious through Him and that we are more

than conquerors. We just need to stand on the essential doctrines of our faith and be united against our common enemy (1 Corinthians 1:10; 1 Peter 3:8).

This unity is attained when we as the Church of Jesus Christ grows in spiritual maturity. Unity and maturity are the result of our joint submission to God’s commands and our mutual, loving admonition in word and deed. It has always been God’s intent to bring all of those who are His children into one mind, one fellowship and the unity of the faith. The task for each of us today is to allow ourselves to be malleable clay in God’s hands (Isaiah 64:8).

The logic is clear: If we’re all of one mind, if we’re all of one spirit, and if we make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace, we can be so much more efficient and effective to do God’s work as His salt and light.

Yet God wants us to be peacemakers so that we are in the state of mind to discern how deceitful our enemy is. You see, while a discerning church will know that our war is not with each other but ‘he’ who is in the world; it takes a united church to stand against the seeds of discord sown by the enemy.

So stand ready, with truth as a belt tight around our waist, and with righteousness as our breastplate, we can be more than conquerors through Him who loves us (Romans 8:37).

As one united Church, let us exercise the power and the authority that we have through Christ Jesus. “Fear not,” our Lord said, “for I am with you.” (Isaiah 41:10).

Rev Edwin Wong Pastor-in-Charge

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Faith celebrated her 48th year anniversary in July with a combined service held at ACJC. Housing the congregation from all five services under one roof was significant as we came together to mark the start of a new year as one big family. Bishop Dr Wee Boon Hup brought to us the message on family values and joined in as we celebrated with song and praise unto God, heartfelt prayers and a delightful lunch after the service. The celebrations continued on into the afternoon with a family bowling event held at Safra Mount Faber. It was an afternoon of excitement as teams engaged in friendly competition, celebrating the anniversary with great fun and fellowship.

WE’VE TURNED

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Photography: Joash Lee, Jimmy Png, Gabriel Chua, Edwin de Souza

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Photography: Joash Lee, Jimmy Png, Gabriel Chua, Edwin de Souza

48th Anniversary Family Bowling Event

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Toddlers putting their hands together in prayer, kindergarten kids learning God’s word through Bible stories told creatively and primary school children bringing these stories to life through craft work and singing praise songs as one big family. These are common sights every Sunday at Faith Methodist Church. For many decades, children of Faith have been learning about and growing their love for God through Faith Sunday School, which was re-branded in 2007 as SUN JAM, the Sunday arm of Faith’s Children Ministry, ONE JAM.

Many are unaware and some joke about it but ONE JAM actually stands for ‘One Jesus and Me’, which aptly reflects its mission to reach children for Jesus, helping them to become fully-devoted followers of Jesus Christ. In Psalm 78:4, we are called to reach out to the next generation, “...we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power and the wonders He has done.”

For that, the Children’s Ministry has been at the forefront of Faith for it believes that our children of today are our Church leaders of tomorrow. It is never too early to nurture our children to be in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ and that is the ultimate goal at SUN JAM. As many would know, however, it is not easy managing children. At SUN JAM, as in any other Ministry, it takes a willing heart to serve the Lord. Pearly Sim, the Pastoral

Nurturing our Leaders of Tomorrow ONE JAM

By Enoch Tanamas and carol WEE

Praying together at SUN JAM@11

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Rosie Lee from Jolly@AC (SUN JAM@10) shares the simple joys she experiences from the young lives she has touched, “It is rewarding when we see simple things like a child putting his hands together to pray or to praise the Lord.” Janice Choo who teaches at GEMs added, “Seeing the children accepting Jesus, taking God at His Word, without question, has modelled childlike faith in me and reminds me constantly that the Kingdom of God belongs to those like these.”

For many others like Morica Chia who also teaches at Jolly@AC (SUN JAM@10), the rewards also come from helping each other grow in the Ministry. She said, “It is a joy to see volunteer leaders grow in the Ministry. We really see this as a work of God.” ReenaHo who now facilitates and prepares lessons for the

Primary school children at SUN JAM@11 agrees, “In addition to seeing the children change, the teachers also take a step of faith and do new things.”

On facing and overcoming challenges

With rewards, come challenges. At SUN JAM, the challenges go beyond trying to capture the attention of active children. Needless to say, it is the hope of all SUN JAM teachers that the lessons learnt do not remain lessons from books but lessons that can be applied. Pearly adds, ‘’It is not just about head knowledge,

Team Member who oversees Faith’s Children Ministry adds, “While it is a joy and a privilege to be used by God to do His work with children, it is also an awesome responsibility. Today, by God’s grace, we are thankful for the many volunteers who dedicate their time, effort and love to spread God’s word to over 350 children.”

Faith’s SUN JAM programmes

Faith’s SUN JAM programmes are designed for children aged two to 12 years old (Jolly: 2 – 4 year olds; Kindergarten: 5 – 6 year olds; and Primary: 7-12 year olds) and also include the ‘God Enables Me’ Ministry, in short GEMs, which cater to children with special needs. Programmes are held at both Commonwealth and ACJC except for GEMs which is only held at SUN JAM@10 at ACJC.

Interview: The minds of teachers

For Richard Kooi who teaches at Jolly@CW (SUN JAM@8), “it is important to reach out to the children of this generation and not lose them. The burden

is on us to impart the word of God to our children. We have been given the opportunity to teach young lives, so we will need to handle the word of God with care. As much as possible, we try to point the children to God in small little ways.”

Often times, the actual fruits of labour may not be immediately seen or seem insignificant. Yet, this has not deterred the volunteers who recognise the need to sow the seeds of faith for the longer term. Even then, volunteers also understand that, truly, nothing is too insignificant when it comes to touching the lives of those they have the opportunity to reach out to.

Handicraft session at GEMSBonding with the children at SUNJAM@8

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more importantly it’s about the transformation of the heart for Jesus.” On another level, it is also the hope for ONE JAM volunteers that parents see the need for their children to grow spiritually and to leverage on SUN JAM programmes to nurture their faith.

God’s design for families as described in Deuteronomy 6:6-7 is for parents to be the primary spiritual nurturers for their children, “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts, Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

Engaging with parents

On the importance of partnership with parents, Pearly said, “Our role in the Children’s Ministry is to partner with parents to give our children a solid foundation of bible truths through an engaging experience and help parents become better equipped to live out these truths and values at home.” Morica added, “Parents play a very big role in growing the child in faith. We only showcase the lessons but what really happens is at home.”

Many of the SUN JAM volunteers have been serving in the Ministry for a long time, some for over 20 years. Apart from SUN JAM teachers, worship leaders and musicians, ONE JAM also has volunteers in Community Outreach and ‘Redeeming a Generation’, in short RAG Creative Outreach. By God’s grace, as the number of children that are ministered to both through SUN JAM and community outreach programmes has increased in recent years, the Ministry constantly requires the help of even more helpers and teachers to continue spreading God’s word to our children.

So if you have a love for children and would like to play a part in nurturing them, come and join ONE JAM (please contact Pearly at pearlysim@faithmc.sg); guidance will be provided for interested volunteers. As Pearly encourages,

“All that is required is a heart that loves God and a passion for moulding young lives for Jesus Christ.”

We thank all who have dedicated themselves to serving the Lord through ONE JAM.

Bible Storytelling for 2-4 yr olds at SUN JAM@10

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Grocery Shopping

Once again, it was the time of the week to maintain order in the house. Things were running low and out at home. I went through the “inventory” in the kitchen and very quickly a list was drawn. While my older son was still in school for his extra-curriculum activities, my younger son came along with me to fulfill the “mission” - groceries shopping.

By rEv WEndy Tay

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but only a pretense. Secondly, to be devoted to one another. Thirdly, to honor the members in the household of God. To honor is to accord recognition and to show appreciation. To accord means to acknowledge that every family member has Christ in the heart and recognize the work of God in his or her life. Honor must be above self just like Jesus humbled himself and exalted God (Philippians 2:4-6).

Jerome thought about his family first when he walked down the aisles in the supermarket. He remembered and recognized each member’s specific favorites and the family needs, and selected the items without any hesitation. He was expressing his love in practical actions and his devotion to the family impacted the shopping trip for me. My mission was to tick off my checklist but Jerome’s mission that day was about love in action.

Can we imagine what the church would be like when every member strives to think of his or her neighbors first above self, honoring each another with faithfulness, courageously walking in openness of the truth by clinging to what is good and finally, intentionally celebrating the joy of uplifting one another with kind words and actions?

Who wouldn’t want to belong to such a church family and celebrate life together when “one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad?” (1 Corinthians 12:26).

Yes I was glad indeed.

Especially with my breakfast the next morning, herb bread personally picked out by my little boy.

Armed with the list, I was ready to march towards the specific aisles to start the replenishment operation. Then came the voice of a seven-year-old, saying “Mummy, let us start from the first row. Here.”

Holding the basket in his hand, Jerome went straight to the first row. He walked down the row slowly, looking at the items on the shelves and eventually came to the bread section. He started picking out items off the shelf, saying “Kor Kor (brother) will like these cookies and cream bread. Mummy, this is your herb bread.”

He continued to comb through the rest of the aisles, picking out items for members in the family whom he knew would like to have and need them, saying, “Oh, Grandma will like these sour cream potato chips!”

“Need to buy more sausages for us. That’s for breakfast.”

What was my son’s mission in that grocery shopping trip? Why did he walk aisle by aisle? What compelled him to pick out specific items off the shelves for his family members?

It’s about love. And more.

Mother Teresa once said, “Prayer in action is love, love in action is service.” She has always believed in demonstrating her love in action rather than just by words only. Her words spoke of expressing love and the ways of expressing love. To her, service is about love having its impact and being of value to others.The Apostle Paul gave a similar challenge to the church in Rome to impact and be of value to one another through love in action. He called for humble service to the body of Christ and wrote:

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” (Romans 12:9-10)

Believers are members of the family of God. Here, the apostle Paul defined love in a community context with practical applications. Firstly Paul urged the church family to be sincere. If not, it is not real love

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By chEn Kah min

We arrived in Singapore two years ago, after residing in Shanghai for over 12 years. Our first priority was to find a church for the family, and discern God’s purpose for us in this new season. We visited many churches in Singapore, both mega and small, and were certain that Faith MC is the church that God has led us to. During our first visit to Faith MC, we were warmly greeted by Pastor Ben at the welcome corner. We were touched by his zeal in reaching out and caring for our needs.

With a family of two children age 9 and 17, our needs were unique and varied. Our elder child, Eugene, was searching for a vibrant youth group. Our younger son, Samuel, needed a Sunday school that fit his education background. Lastly, Sun Sun and I knew very well that we needed the fellowship, discipleship and care of a small group. Amazingly, our faithful Father knew all our needs before we asked, and fulfilled them all at Faith MC. It didn’t take long for Esther and Kron Joo to come forward and take the effort to make Eugene feel at home in The Tacklebox (TTB). We were grateful, as we knew how difficult it was for Eugene to leave behind all his best friends in Shanghai, and feel accepted in another group of youths, whom he had not grown up together with.

Our younger son, Samuel, has also settled down in Sun Jam amazingly well. Again we are thankful to Him for John Kan. John is a humble brother who has patiently taught and encouraged Samuel to play the drums. Samuel knew

Anchoring in

FELLowShIpthrough small groups

Christian

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nothing about drums when he started with Sun Jam. Today he is faithfully serving in Sun Jam’s children music ministry, playing the drums on most Sundays. Praise Him!

As for my wife Sun Sun and myself, we thank God for the Anchorage Small Group. It’s the small groups that make a large congregation like Faith MC feel like a family. It’s also through the small group that we can count on fellow brothers and sisters in Christ for prayer, support and encouragement. We are excited that the group has recently embarked on a series of disciple making efforts. From Adopt-a-block in the neighboring communities, to the recent mission trip to Cambodia, it’s exciting to witness how our group has grown. Although this is a small step, it’s an important first step in responding to Jesus’s Great Commission for us to bring the good news to every nation. As we follow and obey His command, I’m certain that He will greatly bless the small group and draw us closer to Him.

In addition to our personal growth in Christ, there are other light-hearted moments too. We’ve regularly met as a small group family for outings.

From a day trip to a nearby farm in Kranji, to a weekend Penang trip for food, we’ve had great fun and laughter growing together as a group. You have to join a small group to experience this!

On a more serious note, I truly encourage everyone to join a small group. But more importantly, I want to encourage all of us to join with a right heart attitude. I’ve been deeply blessed by my small group, but I’ve also learned that for all of us to be blessed, every member, myself included, is accountable to creating a loving, hospitable, intimate and authentic environment where everyone can come together, and share freely, confidently, openly, without the fear of being condemned. This responsibility does not lie on the small group leader alone.

If every member joins a small group with a common attitude, and commit to helping each other to grow in intimacy with God, we’ll truly be able to answer the call of ‘Transforming Lives, Changing the World’.

Glory to Him!

through small groups

Men of ‘Anchorage Small Group’ having fun cruising in Penang

Reaching out in Cambodia

Enjoying Penang with my small group

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Whazzup!Baptism, Confirmation and Membership (24 -25 May 2014)

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Whazzup!

Photography: Edwin de Souza, Jimmy Png, Mark Lee, Pee Lay Hoon

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Whazzup!Camp Wacky and Science Power Lab (June 2014)

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It was a cold and rainy morning in the village when I received this verse via text message from a friend at Faith. I was preparing to move on to the next Karen hilltribe village in Mae Hong Son, Thailand, which is said to be more rural, colder, malaria-prone and with no electricity. The fear of the unknown made me quite nervous that morning. However, God spoke through the Bible verse and gave me a sense of assurance, reminding me that He has called me to complete this task of researching on Christian faith’s role in development work of World Vision (an international Christian child-focused non-governmental organisation) in communities of Thailand.

Once I entered the hilltribe village, a sense of peace came over me – I was pleasantly surprised that my homestay family is Christian and we were able to give thanks for food during my first meal with them. That same evening, I attended a home-based devotion with the village church members after walking through mud and jungle in the darkness – it reminded me about the cost of following Jesus! I knew that God’s protection was over me even though the environment was more challenging. I had to look beyond the physical discomforts and remember that my life is “worth nothing to me”, and that I have to “complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me”, as mentioned in Paul’s words.

I have been to many rural villages in Asia, but the 10-day rural life was somehow different and life-

changing for me – each day was filled with divine appointments, new learning experiences, new friendships and understanding of the people’s religious beliefs (the communities have a mixed of Animists, Buddhists, Catholics and Christians). It was also emotional – depressing after looking at the empty eyes of the Buddhist monk whose words were of hopelessness towards the world; and at other times very encouraging after listening to many testimonies of villagers who decided to abandon their Animistic and Buddhist beliefs to follow Christ in faith.

Even though I was in the so-called ‘poorest of the poor’ areas, the villagers are the happiest people I have met. I was deeply touched by their simplicity, sincerity and ability to survive despite the physical difficulties that they face. What else can I say but give thanks to God for bringing me through the life in the rural villages. I am not sure how I survived the icy cold showers, electricity outages for days, walking on slippery mud in slippers in the rain, drinking mountain water, and eating village food (I really love Karen hilltribe food and I ate big plates of rice like the locals at every meal!) - I did it all these with joy by the grace of God!

footstepsWalking in Jesus

reaching out to the poor

By PhoEBE yEE

Phoebe is currently a missionary intern with International Missions (IM) and pursuing a Masters in International Development Studies at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand. She is also interning with World Vision Foundation of Thailand, where she is researching on the role of Christian faith and the foundation’s development work for her Masters thesis.

“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me — the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.” Acts 20:24

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in the Region

impacting communities

HIGHLIGHTS FROM ACTS 1:8 TRIPS

IN MAY-JUNE 2014

By Wong Kron Joo

loW hWEE sian

PaulinE shan

vincEnT lim

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This is our third medical mission trip to Myanmar in partnership with Grace of God Church in Shwepyithar township near Yangon. The living conditions are harsh and many villagers do not have the means to seek medical treatment. In collaboration with a GP and eye specialists from a Burmese clinic, the team treated 571 patients by operating a two-day medical clinic at a local church compound. Beside medical treatment, the team also set up a prayer station to pray for the patients; an evangelistic station to share the gospel with pre-believers and a follow-up station to share how to live the spirit-led Christian life for the believers. We praise God for the opportunity to pray for the pre-believers, share the gospel with them and we’re thankful to share that there were 336 indications with desire to know more about the Christian faith!

As Dr Jonathan Yeo has aptly put it, “Though the medical component of this mission may appear to be important, it is to me just a means to bring together the villagers so that besides physical needs, their other needs – emotional, spiritual and mental well-being can be met. The physical treatment is really a bridge to meeting spiritual needs.”

The team also conducted a two-day English programme for 45 children from four homes. These homes are where the team has extended their support to cover the children’s needs.

The team conducted two days of teacher’s training for members of the local church in the main town county, which is mainly populated by farmers from the hill tribe. This was their first teacher’s training and through this, the local church hopes to train teachers to nurture the next generation of youth and children.

Through a special prayer session, the team had the opportunity to pray for members who have committed themselves to serve as teachers as well as for a group of children ages 3 to 14. Hearing the heartbeat of the members and children through their prayer concerns like family, sickness and persecution was very heart-wrenching. The team was encouraged by the local church’s faith in God despite the difficult circumstances and challenges they faced daily and their hunger to learn more about God.

Children are indeed a blessing and they are used by God to remind us of how amazing He is. The team shared that they were sent at such a time like this to encourage and support the local church and journey alongside them as they step out in faith to start the children ministry.

The team thanks God for the ministry opportunity to work alongside this group of local partners and prayerfully seek His direction in areas where we can support them effectively in making a difference in this community.

“The team thanks God

for the ministry opportunity to work

alongside this group of local

partners ...”

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A team of six visited our IM worker Doris Chan in Phnom Penh and conducted prayer walk with her in the vicinity of three villages. The aim of this trip was to support Doris in surveying the ground in order to better understand the needs and wait on God to reveal the specific place with potential for church planting work.

The team distributed food items to every household during the visitation and had the opportunity to pray for each household. Through the prayer walk, the team saw the needs of villagers ranging from physical health to spiritual healing, in particular the long period of dry spell which affected their livestock and crop.

Through this prayer trip, precious faith lessons were learnt as Yew Hua said, “My faith was tested to a greater level when a villager requested prayer for her teenage daughter who was blind... In Singapore, I would pray for a skilful eye surgeon to restore sight and provide financial means; there I could see that there is no medical intervention available and one has to have faith in God and pray for healing even for illnesses such as fever and rashes.”

God hears prayers offered up in faith. A day after the team returned home, there was a heavy downpour of rain which came not only to bring relief to the villagers and their farmland, it also brought forth hope that God will bless these villagers with the good news of Jesus Christ!

“God hears prayer offered

up in faith.”

The Attic Library@AC

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The team was certainly impressed to see how God has worked in many ways through a passionate and dedicated group of local leaders and workers in reaching out to the slum community. The team had the opportunity to observe how social programmes like free school and home industry when intentionally structured, could bring about the transformation of lives through meaningful relationships. The innocence of the children, the responsiveness of the youths and the compassion for the “fatherless” society spoke volumes of the great needs in this community.

Over the few days, the team was moved by the local workers’ efforts and commitment to care for the children, youths and families in the slum community. They conducted parents’ meetings to discuss how to meet the needs of the poor families; they reached out to the street kids and conducted youth camps to inspire them; they visited homes regularly to help the needy and simply shared the love of God with them. Their lives and ministry truly reflected what it meant to be salt and light of the world.

The team of 12 comprised mainly TTB team leaders who worked hard to share the importance of serving others with needs by cooking and serving dinner to 40 villagers from DonTaNin, northeast Thailand. Along with this act of servitude and a silent performance titled “Serving the farmer”, the team also prayed for the local church members that they may continue to serve others with Christ as the example. Hungry for God’s word, the local church members were deeply encouraged through the sharing of Word and testimonies from fellow brothers and sisters from the Faith family.

The team also bonded with the school students through the English teaching programme and invited them to join the three-day youth and children camp based on the theme on servanthood. On the last day of the camp, a youth stepped forward to receive Jesus Christ into his life. For many years, he had been participating in the church activities and for the first time he decided to follow Jesus! Two other youths rededicated their lives to Jesus.

Although part of the village is receptive and welcomes church-organised activities, another area of the village is still considered hard ground. We avail your prayers for those in DonTaNin who have received Jesus into their lives to persevere in their faith journey. We continue to trust God to raise up godly servants who will serve Him by bringing the gospel to their neighbours.

For opportunities to serve in the International Ministry and enquiries, please contact Pauline Shan at paulineshan@faithmc.sg

The Attic Library@AC

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In February 2004, the Attic Library officially opened its doors at the top floor of the new church building in Commonwealth (CW). This marked a significant milestone in the library ministry which started more than 30 years ago. During the early years, we had a separate book library housed on the 3rd floor of the old building and an audio library which operated at the back of the old sanctuary. Every Sunday, you would see librarians carrying out trays of cassette tapes from the cupboards and setting up at the open area outside the former kitchen, which served as the gathering place for the congregation after services.

Fast forward to 2014 – We now have a permanent place to call home, a place where the people of Faith MC and QCMC can enjoy a quiet moment, listening to the latest Christian music and browsing the many books and magazines; the children have a special corner where they can kick off their shoes to watch a cartoon or to read with their parents.

Over the past 10 years, God has blessed the library in many ways. In the first year of operation at the Attic, we had 524 library members, which have now grown to over 1000 members. The collection at CW has expanded from 1,900 to over 6,000 materials comprising books, magazines, CDs and DVDs. To cater to the congregation at ACJC, the Attic Library@AC was set up in 2006. We extended the library at

ACJC in 2012 to include Chinese language materials to reach out to the Mandarin service congregation there. God has also blessed us greatly by providing many committed librarians, some whom have served with us since the library operations at the old church building.

As a Ministry, we took up the challenge of ‘Transforming Lives, Changing the World’ when seven librarians went on a mission trip to Phnom Penh, Cambodia in August 2011 to start a library at the Upper Room, an outreach ministry started by our IM worker Doris Chan.

The Attic Library turns10 By audrEy moK

The Attic Library@CW

Library at the Upper Room, Cambodia

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As part of the 10th anniversary celebrations this year, we organized several activities, including a thanksgiving session for the volunteers, a members’ appreciation session and an outreach event for the congregation which comprised library tours, a movie screening and membership drive.

As we look forward to another 10 years ahead, we would like to thank our volunteers for their dedicated service, our members for supporting the library and most importantly, we thank God for his continuous provision and guidance. We will continue to serve Him by providing the congregation a conducive environment with good Christian literature and multimedia resources, to help enable, equip and enrich their FAITH journey and transformation.

‘‘“I count it a privilege to have been part of the library ministry. It had allowed me the opportunity to work with books, something which I love. I remember vividly growing up, I had spent many days at the National Library. Looking back, I count those as some of the happiest moments of my childhood. I am glad to have served in the Attic Library and

played a part in impacting our church members.”

– Larry Lai, a pioneer librarian at

the Attic Library who now serves

with the Mandarin Ministry

‘‘“My children literally grew up with the Attic Library. On every trip to the library, we would use up the quota on all our library cards to borrow children’s books and DVDs. It is a good resource for children’s materials that emphasize biblical and moral values presented in an easy to understand and enjoyable manner. We would like to encourage more parents to bring their children to the Attic Library to help

them build a good biblical foundation.”

– Goh Teck Jin, whose family have

also been members of the Attic

Library@CW since 2004

’’“We are thankful to have a library at ACJC for the congregation worshiping here. It is challenging to operate a mobile library but this has also meant that we could bring it nearer to our church members. The library is at the void deck where the congregation gathers for fellowship after service. Many visit the library because it is accessible and are able to find

valuable resources for their faith journey.”

– Lum Lai Har, head of the Attic

Library@AC

Our annual librarians’ gathering

The Attic Library@AC

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On 19th July 2014, close to 1,200 members of the community and Faith MC came together to enjoy a sumptuous meal together as one family. A double celebration, the community banquet was organised to commemorate Faith MC’s 48th anniversary and FaithActs’10th anniversary. Faith members had the opportunity to invite the families they were reaching out to through the ‘Adopt-a-Block’ Outreach and spend quality time with them through a delicious meal and rich conversation. What started out in 2002 as a Chinese New Year project to bless the neighbourhood with the gift of mandarin oranges, has now grown into an extensive and impactful community outreach involving 58 small groups at Faith.

God provided another amazing outcome from the ‘Adopt-a-Block’ initiative – in 2010, Faith started its very own Mandarin Service to meet the needs of the many Mandarin-speaking members of the community and new believers. This month, we have introduced a new bus route for residents with key pick-up points in the neighbourhood to ferry them to our Mandarin Service at ACJC on Sundays. This trial route will run from mid-August to end December, and you will receive more details on this in our weekly bulletins and information stands.

Join us in prayer as we continue to focus on building deeper relationships and introducing new and impactful initiatives to reach out to the community for Christ. For more information, please contact Patrick Chua at patchua@faithmc.sg

By andrEa loW

A banquet to celebrate the community

–Richard Lee, Anchorage small group

“The event was a great success. The residents were very happy and enjoyed themselves tremendously. Hope this can be a yearly event.”

–Humphrey Hum, Jedidiah small group

“Our table was filled and blessed. We had a chance to get to know them (residents), understand their needs and share with them what Faith MC and FaithActs can offer. They are appreciative of our efforts to reach out to them and are open to experience our hospitality and friendship.”

–Aaron Ho, TeamVision small group

“I’m glad that we can bring joy to the residents around our church. Our group has adopted Blk 32, first to the fifth floor, and so far the residents are thankful and appreciative of what we are doing. As we grow closer to them, they are naturally more receptive to us. We look forward to reach out to them, and may hearts be won for Christ and lives be changed.”

–Kelvin Khoo, Alps 1 small group

God has planted us in

“The community banquet was well attended by residents and it showed success in Faith’s ‘Adopt-a-Block’ outreach. Besides the sumptuous dinner, our small group also informed residents of FaithActs’ WOW activities starting in September and tuition programmes for those with school-going children. This event had helped us to know the residents better especially those who have specific needs, and opened an opportunity for us to spread the Good News to them at the correct timing. In God we trust.”

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toab deab dettB leaders fix their eyes on Jesus

On the morning of 4th of July, 25 of our youth leaders from The Tackle

Box (TTB) – myself included, along with fellow Methodists from other 21

churches trooped through the lobby of the Renaissance Hotel in Johor

Bahru. We were soon greeted by a row of pastors and mentors from other

Methodist churches who cheered and clapped with wide smiles as they

welcomed us. We were each prayed for before entering the main hall for the

next three days of the 2014 Young Methodist Leaders Conference.

Those prayers were answered. Over the course of the three-day conference,

the plenary speaker Rev Dr Chua Chung Kai from Covenant Evangelical Free

Church shared God’s Word and his many insightful testimonies indeed spoke

to us. We were blessed by different workshops spanning themes such as

the consequences of compromise, how to be a second chair, implementing

change through the power of the Spirit, the need for unity in the Church and

the call to preach the Word of God. We were also blessed by the fun and

committed mentors and wonderful people in our discussion groups. The

conference’s theme was ‘Abide to Lead’ and through the insightful sessions

and meaningful conversations, God blessed us with valuable takeaways:

20-year old Alethea our youngest youth participant from Faith, shared that

she “finally understood from God what it means to be a Christian – the

importance to know God personally, rather than to know about Him.” In her

own words, she said, “God was speaking to me a lot about knowing Him

and seeking Him before I get anything else done, because if I fail to do so, I

will be serving out of my own strength and won’t even know the real reason

as to why I serve.” Alethea is currently serving in the Music Ministry and is

a Small Group Leader.

Caleb, a Small Group Leader who is currently serving in M@TCH as an

usher says that he “always knew what it was like to be loved widely… But

God showed [him] what it meant to be loved deeply by Him.”

For Wei Jie, currently serving as Level Coordinator, he reflected that it was

about refocusing on God and placing Him above all things. He said that he

has learnt to “love God over ourselves, over our ministries, over our work,

over our failures and successes.”

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And for others, it was simply a time of coming back

into the presence of the Lord and being refreshed by

His Spirit. Yun Ying, ministry leader of Mission For

Christ, shared that for her “it was a refreshing time

of resting in the Lord and worshipping Him during

the soaking sessions.”

Nevertheless, everyone encountered God personally.

Many of us were reminded once again not to fall

into the trap of focusing too much on the doing

just like Martha in the Bible. Such ‘doing’ includes

worrying over preparing lessons, setting directions

and planning for youth events, and easily forgetting

that God is the source of all things.

The youths were reminded again to be childlike and

experience the joy of just sitting in the presence of

the Father in Heaven to enjoy Him. That image is

one of abiding rest, wonderful intimacy, trust and

security. Although the theme was ’Abide to Lead’,

we learnt that we really ought to abide to abide.

Essentially, it means that abiding in God comes

first, and everything else flows from there.

Without a doubt, there is much more to say and

there were so many things God had revealed

to the 25 of us. Certainly, we all left edified and

encouraged. Each of us came home with spiritual

lessons and deposits that God had placed in our

hearts. Ask any of us, and we would be pleased to

tell you more.

By dErEK hum, ThE TacKlEBox

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By shirlEy ng

its 10th Anniversary with the communitycelebra tes

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FaithActs celebrates 10 years of serving the community in the spirit of thanksgiving to God for His faithfulness.

We would like to give thanks to God for the Faith family who initiated the ministry of FaithActs in 2004 as a youth drop-in centre. God’s unceasing providence and Faith Methodist Church’s strong support saw FaithActs expanding her programme in 2009 to include the seniors, and in 2012, incorporating the subsidised marriage preparation course as part of the Family Life programme.

To mark the start of a year of anniversary celebrations, a charity dinner was held on 24 May 2014 at Suntec Convention Hall with special guests Mr Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Social and Family Development and Second Minister for Defence and Dr Chia Shi-Lu, Member of Parliament for Tanjong Pagar GRC and FaithActs Patron gracing the event

The night’s event was filled with tremendous joy, giving thanks to God for the amount of $300,000 donated to FaithActs over a period of three years by Faith Methodist Church. This fund would be channeled to bursaries and scholarships for youths, and to offer life skills training and upgrading for beneficiaries, staff and volunteers. The Faith family also sponsored power bank portable chargers as a gift for the dinner’s 1,000 guests as a 10th Anniversary gift.

As part of the 10th Anniversary, FaithActs celebrated the opening of its new office at Block 50 Commonwealth Drive with a ceremony held on 19 July 2014 in the company of FaithActs Patron, Dr Chia Shi-Lu. Our guests then joined the Faith family and neighbourhood residents at a Community Dinner to celebrate the occasion with a hearty meal and engaging performances.

Continuing the celebratory mood, our 10th Anniversary will culminate on 4 October 2014 with a Community Health Screening.

Upon reflection, we want to acknowledge God’s grace and Faith Methodist Church’s unwavering support that has seen FaithActs to this milestone. It will remind us again to press on towards our future knowing full well who is behind us to “impact, change and transform lives.” All glory to God for this great 10 years and beyond.

“We would like to give thanks to God for the

Faith family who initiated

the ministry of FaithActs in 2004

as a youth drop-in centre.”

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Lately you may have come across the term PDPA in church and externally. What is PDPA all about? We cut through the clutter and address the most frequently asked questions on this new terminology.

what is pDpA? Does it have anything to do with a personal device like a pDA?PDPA stands for Personal Data Protection Act. It is a data protection law that consists of various rules around the collection, use and disclosure of personal data. Basically, the law recognises the rights of individuals to protect their personal data, including the rights to access, collect and disclose personal data for legitimate purposes.

why was the pDpA set up?In today’s world, vast amounts of personal data are collected, used and transferred across organisations. This trend is expected to grow exponentially as the processing and analysis of large amounts of personal data become possible with increasingly sophisticated technology.

With such a trend comes growing concerns from individuals about how their personal data is being used. The PDPA comes in to address these concerns and build the individual’s trust in organisations that manage data.

I always hear the term DNC when pDpA is mentioned. what is DNC?The PDPA in Singapore provides the setting for a national Do Not Call (DNC) Registry. The DNC Registry allows individuals to register their Singapore telephone numbers to opt out of receiving marketing phone calls, mobile text messages such as SMS or MMS, and faxes from organisations.

when did the pDpA start?The PDPA has been introduced in phases in Singapore. First the DNC Registry came into effect on 2 January 2014. Following this the main data protection rules of the PDPA came into effect on 2 July 2014. This allowed time for organisations to review and adopt internal personal data protection policies and practices, to help them comply with the PDPA.

what is Faith MC’s policy on pDpA?As a large church with close to 1,800 members, we ensure that our data collection process is handled securely and carefully. We maintain strict security systems designed to prevent unauthorised access to your personal information. Our policy is to collect personal information that is relevant and required for us to provide the spiritual oversight as a Church and will never disclose your information to third parties such as vendors and contractors. All pastoral and administration team members are required to observe our confidentiality obligations upon joining the service. In addition, we may be required from time to time to share your information with The Trinity Annual Conference, The Methodist Church in Singapore and members of the Local Church Executive Committee.

For more information on the PDPA, you may refer to our guidebook at www.faithmc.sg/DPP or the Personal Data Protection Commission Singapore website at www.pdpc.gov.sg.

By andrEa loW

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Every Reason to be Jubilant!

Register for the one-day conference and be

received as a member of Faith Methodist

Church by the end of the day!

In the lead up to our Jubilee Year, we will be

holding the one-day membership conference

once every quarter till July 2016.

Jubilee is all about setting people free

and we want to encourage you to consider

membership prayerfully and join us in Faith!

Look out for registration details in end August!

For more details, speak to your small group leader

ONE DAYM E M B E R S H I P C O N F E R E N C E

COMING SOON!

or email BaptismMembership@faithmc.sg

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Transforming Lives, Changing The World