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Yishun Methodist Mission: Called to a place of its own

On 25 Nov 2012, Yishun Methodist Mission (YMM) became the 46th local Methodist church in Singapore.

Called to the north
YMM’s roots go back two decades when a group of nine, under the leadership of the Rev Chua Ooi Suah, began meeting at the BB and GB Campsite near Sembawang Park in 1994. These pioneers were led to begin Chinese mission work in the northern part of Singapore.

As a preaching point of Hinghwa MC (HMC), members reached out to the Mandarin- and dialect-speaking residents.

In 1997, a group of English-speaking members from HMC led by Pastor Benny Ho also went northwards to start English mission work.

At the time, less than 15 per cent of the population in the north were Christians. God gave the pioneers a vision and mission to plant a church that would make a difference in the Yishun heartland.

As God called YMM to make a territorial commitment and claim on its neighbourhood, the church began using the Yishun 10 Cinema for worship services in 1997.

A place to call our own
The journey towards having a place to call our own was one of faith, unity and commitment as a church.

Though nine units of one wing of A’POSH Bizhub, a light industrial building, had been bought in 2010, the process of legitimately entering the premises was challenging.

While building construction was taking place during 2011 and 2012, the church earnestly sought the Lord’s favour with the relevant authorities.

December 2013 saw us holding our first combined service at A’POSH. There was such joy and thanksgiving as we beheld what God had done. Thereafter, the Chinese Service remained in A’POSH Hall 1 while the second hall was prepared for the English Service.

In April 2014, we entered our premises fully, having met all the legal requirements for limited use of light industrial buildings for religious purposes. We thank God for His favour and grace.

God blessed us to do more for Yishun!
With our own place, we now have freedom to try out new things, including:

• First baptism service using an indoor pool on Easter Sunday
• First indoor Family Fun Fair
• First fundraising dinner at our premises

With access to better facilities, Ministry committees can also do more:

Missions
We started partnering Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church in their short-term missions to children and youth in China.

Witness and Evangelism
We identified 11 HDB blocks to visit and bless. We presented our neighbours with mandarin oranges for Chinese New Year, air-plants for Easter and mooncakes for the

Mid-Autumn Festival. We have been greatly encouraged as residents start to recognise our church.

Outreach and Evangelism
We sponsored a third Girls’ Brigade Company in 2013, making a total of six Brigade Companies in three neighbourhood schools in Yishun.

Discipleship and Nurture
We have stepped up programmes to develop leaders and equip members to better serve in the heartland to which God has called us.

As we celebrate our second anniversary as a local conference this month,  what more can we say but that God has indeed blessed us.

“May the favour of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us – yes, establish the work of our hands.” (Psalm 90:17)

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CONTRIBUTE * towards raising the remaining $878,084.00 for our premises (as of 10 Oct 2014)
JOIN * us in reaching out to the community through working with youths and children in schools and educational centres
PRAY * for us as we strive to be a called, caring and sacrificial community, transforming lives and impacting Yishun through Christ

Photos courtesy of Yishun Methodist Mission

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Yeo Cheng Suan is Christian Ministry Staff with Yishun Methodist Mission.

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