Learning about marriage
Board of Family Life (BoFL) Building Up Your Family: Step-By-Step Webinar Series 2021
The first two webinars of the BoFL 10-session webinar series 2021 were conducted on the topic of marriage. Here are some of the key takeaways from both talks.
Marriage is built on the creation of God.
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Gen 1:27)
“Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.’” (Gen 2:18)
God, not your spouse, is the Lord of your life.
You are two imperfect people coming together; recognise that only God can fill the void within your hearts and satisfy your deepest longings and needs.
God is the establisher of marriage.
Seek and depend on God, for He is the source of love and wisdom; the provider of direction and growth; and the giver of the Holy Spirit who guides us.
Cultivate a HERO in marriage, one of Hope, Encouragement, Resilience and Oneness.
Walk with God together. Pray together.
Develop a new “we” identity as Mr and Mrs.
“So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” (Matt 19:6)
Commit your marriage and family to serving God.
“But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Jos 24:15b)
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matt 28:19–20)
10 tips on Family Communication
1) Listen when others are speaking [Prov 18:13]
2) Be prudent in speech [Prov 15:23, 28, 29:20]
3) Speak the truth in love [Eph 4:15]
4) Don’t use silence as a weapon
5) Know when to quit a fight [Prov 17:14]
6) Respond in love and kindness [Prov 15:1]
7) Don’t nag [Prov 10:19]
8) Admit your wrongs and forgive the wrongs of others [James 5:16, Eph 4:32, 1 Cor 13:5]
9) Restore using words of encouragement and edification [Gal 6:1, 1 Thess 5:11]
10) Try to understand other’s opinion and seek the interest of others [Phil 2:1-4]
The above contents were taken from the webinars Marriage Established by God (神所设立的婚姻) by President Rev Gregory Goh and Stronger Together: Discovering the Powerful Identity of Marriage & Family by Timothy and Patsy Tan. Upcoming webinars will be conducted on the topics of parenting teens, fathering and mothering. Follow CAC BoFL Facebook (@cacbofl) to get the latest updates and information on the webinars!
Board of Laity (BoL) LCEC Induction for New Leaders:
Training and equipping new leaders
Since 2013, the Board of Laity of Chinese Annual Conference (CAC) has run the Local Church Executive Committee (LCEC) Induction once or twice yearly. The session welcomes both new and long-time LCEC members, Members-on-Trial (MOTs) and pastors. It aims to provide a better understanding of the way LCEC should function so that newly-elected members may quickly and effectively integrate into the system of leadership in their local churches. This year, the trainers and attendees met online on Zoom on 10 July 2021. The Board is happy to see the participation of close to 60 LCEC members from the CAC, Emmanuel Tamil Annual Conference (ETAC) and Trinity Annual Conference (TRAC) churches.
The main trainer, Ms Kwok Wan Yee, shared that all leaders must understand their calling as they serve, the concept of connexionism as a Methodist distinctive, as well as the organisational structure of MCS. Using examples and multiple choice questions (MCQs), participants were engaged in active learning about the conduct of LCEC sessions according to The Book of Discipline.
As Christian leaders, we are also to recognise that our identity lies in Christ—as disciple, servant and friend. Even as we serve, we must not neglect our discipleship, for it is in Christ that we shall find wisdom, strength and truth. Spiritual leadership is where we open ourselves to the guidance and leading of the Holy Spirit, keeping God in the conversation and communal discernment. This will ensure that our leadership role is performed in servanthood and dependence on the One who gives wisdom and strength.
If you are a member of the LCEC and you have missed the session, we are glad to share that the session’s recording and PowerPoint slides are available to you online, upon request. Please email resources.cac@gmail.com or submit your request via https://www.cac-singapore.org.sg/enquiry.
We give all glory and thanks to the Lord for being the head of the Church and for loving and caring for us through the generation of people He has raised up to lead His Church. We eagerly invite you to join us in praying for the following:
- for the Lord to continue guiding, empowering, inspiring our leaders through the Holy Spirit as they serve His Kingdom
- for the well-being and godly leadership of our pastors, Presidents and Bishop
- for Methodist churches and leaders all around the world to stick close to the heart and will of God as they influence and contribute to the running and development of Methodist churches
Other than LCEC Induction training, BoL will also be conducting a Nominations Committee training (providing guidance on identification, preparation and election of members for serving), PPRSC training (providing greater understanding of Human Resource matters in the church context), Christian leadership training (happening next year) and PEAKS Personality Profiling training (leadership development based on this internationally acclaimed tool, developed by Dr Shirley Lim).
Trainings will be publicised to churches via email and they will be open to relevant individuals from CAC, ETAC and TRAC churches.
By the Chinese Annual Conference (CAC) Communications Team / Photo and graphics from BOFL webinar courtesy of the CAC Communications Team