The vision to establish the Singapore Mission School in Laos (SMS) was planted in the hearts of a group of Christian Singaporeans living and working in Laos in the early 2000s. In 2010, the vision took shape in the form of daily English enrichment classes for children between the ages of four and six years. Full day school in English and Lao started later that year.
The role of a worship leader
Who qualifies as a worship leader? This is a question frequently raised in discussions at workshops on worship leading. Worship leading usually falls on people who are skilled in music or gifted with a good voice. But more than skills and personality, the worship leader’s role extends beyond “performance”.
When doing your utmost still isn’t enough
Life’s stories do not always have happy endings. Often, the endings are unexpected. Now this may fly in the face of some of us who consider ourselves somehow protected or blessed in life. Some believers may also hold fast to God’s promise in Jeremiah 29:11 of his plans to prosper and not to harm.
Struggling to trust God in providing a life partner
I’ve had a few failed relationships and I seem to be unable to meet the right one. Friends or peers around me are all happily married with kids, and I feel like I am the odd one out. When I attend weddings, I genuinely share the joy of the couple, but I try not to be reminded of my singleness. Sometimes I struggle because I have been trying to be faithful to serve God and trust that he will give me the best, but my Mum (who is not a believer) especially wonders why my powerful God is unable to provide. How can I cope with my struggle to trust that God is good and believe that he wants the best for me, despite not seeing signs of the right one on the horizon?
Is it weird I don’t have a BFF?
I have a couple of good friends, some that I can share things with. However, I do not have a best friend. Also, though I have many friends from different social circles whom I meet with occasionally, I don’t have one particular close-knit group that I often hang out with. I have been wondering for years: Is it normal not to have a best friend at all, or a close-knit social circle? Is there anything wrong with me or my personality?
Bringing seniors back to school – Intergenerational Learning at MGS
Methodist Girls’ School (MGS) turns 136 years old this year. During its Founder’s Day celebrations on 25 July 2023, in continuing the pioneering spirit and legacy of its founder Miss Sophia Blackmore in present times, the school will be launching a first-of-its-kind Intergenerational Learning Centre located on a school campus in Singapore.
Equipping volunteers for pastoral care to the elderly
It is a known fact that Singapore’s population is ageing rapidly. By 2030, 25 per cent of our population is expected to be 65 years or older. In fact, 1 in 10 of those aged 65 and above will most likely suffer from some form of dementia. The statistics point to an urgent need for us to better equip ourselves in caring for the elderly.
Are intergenerational mentoring and relationships possible?
In the 1950s, sociologist David Riesman coined the term “the lonely crowd”, in part to describe collectives of people who live according to common traditions and conforming values, but who barely know or like each other. I fear the church is in danger of becoming just such a lonely crowd.
Songwriters gather to craft a new Alleluia
Budding songwriters from Methodist and non-Methodist churches across Singapore congregated in Changi Cove Hotel for a songwriting retreat, called “The Faith We Sing” (TFWS), on 22 and 23 April 2023. The 2-day event, organised by the Methodist School of Music (MSM), was centred on the theme of families.
To those not celebrating Father’s Day
I have nothing against Father’s Day. My family just never had the practice of celebrating it—along with other occasions like Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day. Maybe it was because my parents were not the sentimental sort. The most we did was to attend the big, extended-family dinners my uncles or aunties would throw for my grandfathers on both sides.
MPSPL and MSM team up to design new music programme for Methodist preschools
Music is an art that offers many proven benefits for the learning and development of the child. Research has shown that exposure to music from early childhood helps children speak with clearer articulation, develop varied vocabulary and grow depth in socio-emotional understanding.
Biblical grandparenting: Rejoicing, Role and Responsibilities
“Congratulations, Grandpa Ho. Welcome to the club!” With these well-wishes from brothers- and sisters-in-Christ, I was pleasantly inducted into the grandparents’ club on the day my granddaughter was born last year. My wife and I had long been awaiting this day. As a family, we were overjoyed, to say the least.
Celebrating God’s design for marriage and family at CAC’s Loving Families Carnival 2023
The Chinese Annual Conference (CAC) May Day event has traditionally been a platform for special topical discussions and training, but this year, May Day took on a different purpose. When CAC President, Rev Dr Goh Nai Lat called for a meeting with the chairpersons of CAC Boards to discuss an all-of-CAC response to the changes in the law last year, it was clear that the family had to be at the centre of CAC’s response.