The sentence, “You must be the change you want to see in your life” is often attributed to the late Mahatma Gandhi, the great social activist and strong advocate of personal empowerment. Regardless of who actually wrote this, it reflects a positive change that I do see in my clients from time to time.
Relationships
My daughter has gender dysphoria and wants a sex change surgery
My 17-year-old child has gender dysphoria. As my husband and I are Christians, we have tried our best to share with her about what the Bible says about sexuality and at the same time show her love and acceptance. She has pleaded with us to allow her to go for a sex change surgery and because we refused, she has become distraught and engages in self-harm. Our relationship with her has become very strained. We brought her to see a counsellor but the sessions end up as heated arguments because she will not accept our views and feels that we are imposing our Christian beliefs on her. As parents, we are at our wits’ end. It pains us to see her struggle mentally and emotionally. We also struggle with guilt and wonder how things have turned out this way. ~ Help
Do I bring my daughter to visit a friend whose adult child has a live-in partner of the same sex in their home?
A friend has a daughter who is lesbian and has a live-in partner … in my friend’s home. My friend is Christian but her daughter is not. My question is not about my friend’s or her daughter’s choices, but mine, as a parent. Should we bring along my primary-school aged daughter to visit her during Christmas and Chinese New Year, as we used to do? Part of me does not want to expose my daughter to a non-Christian model of family, but yet, to shield her from it seems futile. ~ Awkward
My recently widowed father is dating a woman who is younger than me
I am in my 40s and married with teenage children. My mother passed away from illness about six months ago. Recently, I found out that my 75-year-old father is dating a foreign lady who is younger than me. He introduced her to us at a family dinner and privately told us that that he plans to let her move into our family home. He then asked me to clear out my old room so she could move her things in. I was very angry and upset. I also do not feel comfortable with this lady, and I feel suspicious of her. I expressed caution to my father, but he is totally caught up with her. I understand my father is grieving, lonely and seeks companionship, but I want to protect him from being taken advantage of. ~ Suspicious
When honouring one parent upsets the other
Honouring our parents is the fifth of the Ten Commandments. While some of us may struggle with keeping this commandment completely and constantly, my client had a particularly tough challenge—how to honour one parent without upsetting the other.
Is an Advance Medical Directive appropriate for Christians?
Is an Advance Medical Directive (AMD) allowed in a biblical world view, if we acknowledge that God is in control of our lives? I am going for a surgery and want to be prepared so that my family does not have to face difficult decisions or financial burdens as I am already in my senior years. ~ Singaporean senior
If a spouse agrees to divorce, would it mean he doesn’t believe that God can heal the marriage?
From what I understand, divorce is permissible if one party commits adultery and wants to divorce their legal spouse. If the spouse agrees to the divorce, would it mean he/she does not believe that God can heal the marriage? On the other hand, if the spouse does not agree to the divorce, is he/she being stubborn and overly optimistic? In what circumstances would God not want the spouse to divorce the party who continues to commit adultery? ~ Wondering
P4 son is asking for a mobile phone
My son has been asking me for a mobile phone after seeing his peers owning one. He is in Primary 4 and I only intend to get him one when he is in Upper Secondary. How should I educate him that he can own a mobile phone but only when he is much older? ~ Wondering Father
My friend keeps cancelling our meetups
I have a friend who keeps postponing our meetups. Each time, she will say that she is busy with her work or she has prior engagements. I usually find myself the one who initiates. Even when she makes plans, she doesn’t follow through. Should I continue to ask this friend out? ~ Tired Girl
Breaking up before breaking down
A woman in her late twenties sought counselling for her relationship with her boyfriend. In their nine years together, they were twice on the verge of breaking up. On both occasions, she initiated it because of his addiction to pornography. The woman was torn between her unhappiness over his habit* and her feelings for him. These feelings were kept going by his promises to kick the habit and his threat to harm himself if she left him.
More
流行文化中的基督：基督徒的指南
当流行文化以轻慢、片面，甚至扭曲神学的方式描绘基督与基督教信仰时...
Christ in pop culture: A Christian’s guide
When popular culture portrays Christ and Christianity in ways that are irreverent, incomplete, or...
Do our attachment styles predict our responses to conflict?
Several psychological theories have been developed to explain how human beings behave, including ...
Yet I Will Not Forget You: Can the Church Faithfully Remember People with Dementia?
In Singapore today, dementia is quietly becoming a reality for many families. According to the 20...
Caring for those living with dementia: How Yong-en’s person-centred approach brings dignity and hope
At Yong-en Care Centre’s Dementia Day Care in Chinatown, staff go beyond clinical care to h...
Leaving the ivory tower: A bishop’s case for Asian Christianity
From a Colombo Plan scholar to schoolteacher, pastor, seminary lecturer and bishop, Bishop Emerit...
Do animals have a place in God’s plan?
Even a cursory reading of the Bible reveals the important place that non-human animals have in th...
“I was a condemned case.” In prison 4 times, caned 15 times, he thought he would die a drug addict
Bruce was a man hardened by drug addiction and repeated incarceration. A Primary Six drop-out and...
What tending a garden taught me about rest, healing and trusting God
When Dennis Tan reluctantly took over an overgrown garden, he expected more exhaustion. Instead, ...
人工智能与上帝的形象：是什么成就了我们的人性？
作为受造物，人类为受造物与造物主之间存在一个“本体性的鸿沟”。与...
Finding peace in a world of conflict: A Christian perspective on navigating uncertain times
How do we respond when the world draws lines in the sand? How do we fix our eyes on Jesus, the Pr...
On “deifying” AI
On 18 October 2025, BBC published an interesting article on its website entitled “People ar...
Wesley’s social holiness: Why true Christian faith is never private
As we approach the final weeks and months of 2025, we find ourselves in a world that continues to...
Providing care to kids in need of a home away from home
Two pastors from Barker Road Methodist Church (BRMC) and their wives have opened their homes to v...
God’s quiet, persistent call to ministry
In 2025, a total of five Members-on-Trial (MOTs) were admitted. From chasing corporate success to...
The Christian mind
Perhaps the most profound challenge to the Christian mind is secularism, that is, the marginalisa...
At the end of 2025, dare we hope?
As we approach the final weeks and months of 2025, we find ourselves in a world that continues to...
All I did was sit: A Christmas story based on Luke 10:38-42
A charming Christmas story based on Martha and Mary in the Bible by award winning author, Pauline...
A Christmas to remember: Methodist Christmas events 2025
Celebrate the season with these Christmas events, brought to you by our Methodist churches and ag...
Holy silence and the state of the soul
One of the most important virtues in Christian spirituality that the Church has treasured and cul...
Partnering with World Vision to create better futures for children
Through World Vision Singapore, children and families in 23 countries have benefited from program...
The grieving Christian
Grief is a universal human response to loss. While most commonly associated with losing someone d...
Faith and grief
Grief is a universal human experience. The loss of a loved one often leaves deep emotional, psych...
In memoriam: Mrs Gnanamany Philip’s life of service was grace in action
In 2021, Mrs Gnanamany Philip told Methodist Message that her goal in life was to be a “Bib...
The sacred work of church communications
Church communications should be seen as a ministry, not just as a mouthpiece for church announcem...
The Church must recognise the complexities of suicide
In 2020, the Singapore government decriminalised suicide attempts. This move was made based on th...
Building a media army for the Lord
Joash Lee is a media professional. After working for several years in Faith Methodist Church as a...
The Christian as citizen
This year, Singapore celebrates its 60th year of independence, marking six decades since its sepa...
Majulah Singapura: Methodist contributions in building up a young nation
The year 2025 marks 60 years of nation building for Singaporeans; at the same time, we commemorat...
From prison gate to church door: Partnering Prison Fellowship Singapore to serve the last, least and lost
The Christian’s lifelong mission is to imitate Christ who came into our world to save sinne...
Fulfilling your role as Christ’s ambassadors
An ambassador is an official envoy of a country, tasked with representing it by speaking on its b...
A leadership roundtable with three kings—Saul, David and Solomon
How does a child of God operate in a world which rewards visibility, certainty and control? Havin...
“Did God love my children less?”: A discovery of purpose and faith amidst trials
Benjamin Tan, CEO of World Vision Singapore, started his career in the corporate world and held s...
Social media and your body image
Our mental health appears to be under siege now maybe more than at any time before. In particular...
His praise your loosened tongues employ
Almost overnight, the lives of Ms Crystal Goh, 38, and Ms Emily Lim-Leh, 53, changed because of s...
Our identity in Christ
We live in a culture which, despite its obsessive preoccupation with identity, is suffering from ...
Intentional love: Strengthening the heartbeat of Christian community
In a world that celebrates the loudest voices and those with stellar achievements, it is easy, ev...
Sharing life, health and peace through Jesus
Imagine having to submit an essay to your school principal every month, the said principal having...
Rehabilitation doctor wakes up from a coma after nearly 5 years
Dr Preima Doraisamy shares her story of God’s miraculous healing from a coma with Methodist...
From inclusion to belonging
How does the Church go beyond an attitude of inclusion, and ensure those with disabilities and sp...
In conversation with Dr Eunice Tan on neurodiversity education and the Church
Special needs education is a growing field in Singapore. Dr Eunice Tan, who heads the Special Edu...
The neurodivergent believer and the body of Christ
Many of us are able to sense that someone is “different”, but do we understand that d...
More than human
In a secular (and some might add post-Christian) culture, where the Christian vision of the futur...
The Christian’s battle against addiction
God has given humanity the gift and mystery of life. From birth, life thrusts on us the need to s...
A testimony: The miracle I saw
In January 2022, I woke up one morning to find the world a blur. When I could not read the small ...
“His ways are better than our ways”
Choe Peng Sum, new ACS BOG chair and veteran hotelier, talks about the new ACS Academy and God at...
World Vision Singapore: A commitment to support learning needs of children in out-of-home care
Twelve-year-old Alex (not his real name) has faced significant challenges throughout his life. Di...
Whatever happened to sin?
It is said that the birth of the modern and postmodern era has resulted in the demise of many con...
What the GC WSCS women are made of: Sugar and spice, and everything nice?
I had mixed feelings, of anticipation and slight apprehension, when I was assigned to cover the G...
First things first
There is perhaps no better time to examine our priorities than at the beginning of a brand new y...
Called to pastoral ministry
Meet the Members-on-Trial who were admitted in 2024 to their respective Annual Conferences.
...The Bible doesn’t talk about global warming and recycling, so what should we do?
In this 9-part series, The Methodist Church in Singapore shares reflections on its Social Princip...
Let every heart prepare him room: Methodist Christmas events 2024
Ring in the Christmas cheer this season with uplifting events from our Methodist churches and age...
Grandpa’s Greatest Gift
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! JJ learns that his grandfather did not always ...
The Bible doesn’t talk about stocks, bonds and bitcoins, so what should we do?
It is imperative that we apply a biblical framework when we consider The Sphere of Economics. Eco...
Stewardship of the truth
The topic of good stewardship prompts me to reflect on an important aspect of stewardship that ha...
Why should churches care about mental health?
Over the last few years, I have facilitated an annual workshop on mental health for Methodist you...
The long road to healing
Jane’s story of her horrific abuse at the hands of her father was published in Methodist Me...
Are John Wesley’s words to modern Methodists about community life still relevant today?
Every Christian aspires to obey God, avoid evil and do good. But some modern-day predicaments are...
Wokeness and the Church
The theme that the editors of the Methodist Message have assigned for this issue, “The Sphe...
Our Stories, His Glory – Legacy stories of God’s goodness
By December 2024, a total of 26 stories will be told in Our Stories, His Glory 2 (OSHG2), a legac...
What does it mean for the Church to be “in the world but not of the world”?
Every Christian aspires to obey God, avoid evil and do good. But some modern-day predicaments are...
Can patriotism be Christian?
What does it mean to love one’s country and one’s nation? Does it mean that we should...
The Bible doesn’t talk about 21st century politics, so what should we do?
Every Christian aspires to obey God, avoid evil and do good. But some modern-day predicaments are...
We are not a company
When I was serving as a pastor in a church, I was very much struck by the pastor and author John ...
Workplace inclusivity: Voices from the field
Workplace inclusivity for persons with disabilities (PWDs) has made some strides in Singapore, th...
AI and the future of work
Even a cursory glance at the plethora of articles on online news media platforms will show just h...
She deals with death daily while serving grieving families
When most people think about memorial sites at Old Choa Chu Kang Road, The Garden of Remembrance ...
The Bible doesn’t talk about toxic social environments of today, so what should we do?
Every Christian aspires to obey God, avoid evil and do good. But some modern-day predicaments are...
A ministry of reconciliation
Eugene Toh, 43, is the Chairperson of the Board of Governance of Methodist Welfare Services (MWS)...
ACS Oldham Hall Hope Fund celebrates 10 years of sheltering and nurturing Singaporean youth in need
Malcolm Chua’s parents divorced when he was seven years old. “Things just worsened as...
MCS response to UMC’s repeal of the ban on gay clergy
Last week, the United Methodist Church (based in the United States) lifted its long-standing ban ...
新加坡卫理公会对美国联合卫理公会废除同性恋圣职人员禁令的回应
上周，美国联合卫理公会（UMC）解除了长期以来对同性恋牧职人员的禁令...
The Bible doesn’t talk about 21st century family struggles, so what should we do?
Every Christian aspires to obey God, avoid evil and do good. But some modern-day predicaments are...
Seeing the disabled in God’s image
In the past few decades, a number of churches across the different denominations have issued offi...
Ohana: Nobody gets left behind or forgotten in God’s family
Every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month, those who serve in the Ohana Ministry of Sengkang Methodis...
Whither the Church and disability ministries in Singapore?
Have you entered a church where people with and without disabilities worship God in “harmon...
Gatekeepers launches a new meeting place in the heart of the CBD
The new leadership of the nearly 50-year-old marketplace ministry seeks to continue the mission o...
Saints in the marketplace
In the past few decades, there has been an avalanche of excellent books on marketplace ministry s...
How three outreach ministries in AMKTMC grew
For churches in the Emmanuel Tamil Annual Conference, the Tamil-speaking congregations are well-p...
Chasing a pipe dream
Organists are a rare breed in Singapore. Find out how the Head of Piano & Organ at the Metho...
Work as the Christian calling
In 1947, the famous British novelist, playwright and critic, Dorothy Sayers (1893–1957), made t...
A faithful and unchanging God
The new year has dawned upon a world that remains restive and anxious. The wars in the Middle Eas...
Called to serve
Meet the Members-on-Trial who were admitted in November 2023 to their respective Annual Conferenc...
The Christmas hymn with no manger, angels or shepherds
One of Charles Wesley’s most endearing Christmas hymns is surely “Come, Thou Long Exp...
The Gathering of the Gifts
A Christmas story told from the point of view of the wise men, who brought extravagant gifts of g...
O Come All Ye Faithful: Methodist Christmas Events in Dec 2023
Ring in the Christmas cheer this season with uplifting events from our Methodist churches and age...
Back to the garden: Growing with your spouse
When David Ang was 24, he saw a photograph of a girl in his friend’s photo album. He was at...
Marriage: Contract or Covenant?
Since the sexual revolution, which burst onto the scene in Western societies during the 1960s, th...
Ten marriage myths you may have fallen for
Fake news has become so prevalent that even reputable news outlets must check their sources and t...
God is in the valley with me – A trauma survivor shares her story
This is the true story of Jane (not her real name), who worships at a Methodist church. She share...
A healthy theology of healing
One of the most influential voices in the Word of Faith Movement is that of the late Kenneth Hagi...
Healing beyond the physical
At TRAC Healing Ministry and Cairnhill Methodist Church, we have seen God heal all kinds of sickn...
Tips to teach preschoolers the Word
Experienced educators at Methodist Preschools share tips on teaching Bible stories and Bible- bas...
Reading, meditating, hearing and doing
Christians from across the different ecclesiastical traditions—Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Pro...
By means of grace – How Disciple Agency is helping Christians live out Acts 2:42
We are all familiar with this Bible verse, or should be, for it is one of the seminal verses unde...
Yong-en Care Centre: Of good friends, teachers and church buildings
When Yong-en Care Centre was set up in 1996, it served the flats around Chin Swee Road, Jalan Kuk...
The Church’s role in being salt and light in the world
In his great Sermon on the Mount, Jesus uses two metaphors to describe his Church: salt and light...
Hospitality as justice: Addressing homelessness in Singapore
In the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy’s (LKYSPP) inaugural street count of homeless p...
New Age seductions
According to a study conducted by the Pew Research Centre, roughly six in ten American adults who...
Embracing dyslexia helped her find her calling as a palliative care nurse while serving the needy
Initially labelled as lazy in school because of her poor grades, Emily Yap felt indignant and hur...
Are intergenerational mentoring and relationships possible?
In the 1950s, sociologist David Riesman coined the term “the lonely crowd”, in part t...
From earth to eternity
As I write this, my elderly mother is in hospital again. There are purple bruises on the back of ...
Biblical grandparenting: Rejoicing, Role and Responsibilities
“Congratulations, Grandpa Ho. Welcome to the club!” With these well-wishes from brothers- and...
The storied self – Reflections on ageing and the elderly
The phrase “silver tsunami” is often used to describe the extraordinary rise in the n...
5 things I’ve learnt from the first year of motherhood
It’s still early days in my parenthood journey, but I feel like God has filled the first ye...
God’s preventing grace
As we observe Aldersgate Day this month to commemorate Wesley’s transformative experience o...
Stars, planets and aliens: All in a day’s work for this theologian
If you look at Rev Prof David Wilkinson’s CV, the first thing that strikes you is that he i...
Our business is doing God’s Kingdom work
In Matthew 6:33, Jesus tells us “… seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, a...
The Christian business leader
In the past several decades, there has been a steady stream of books on business leadership.
...Every member in ministry
One of the many problems that have arisen in some churches in America due to the Covid-19 pandemi...
3 signs that you’re burned out from serving
29 September, 2010. That was the day I realised I was burned out. As a young Christian undergradu...
Clashing generations: Intergenerational challenges in the Church
Anyone who has served in a church ministry is likely to be able to share an anecdote or two about...
Your worth is not dependent on your ability, or your disability
Rev Lai Kai Ming, who is the pastor overseeing the Children and Youth ministry at Barker Road Met...
The Wesleyan Quadrilateral: What is it and is it relevant today?
How do Methodists do theology and approach issues? When Methodists try to answer questions about ...
Hymning our spiritual heritage
Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs have been an integral part of the life of the Christian Church ...
Behold, I am making all things new!
Our world at the beginning of 2023 is pretty much the same as it was at the end of 2022.
...Answering the call
We hear the stories of two newly ordained Elders and one Member-on-Trial, all of whom were confer...
Should Christians make New Year resolutions?
Making New Year resolutions may have once been a more serious practice. Reflecting the optimism o...
Charis MC’s outreach ministry joins hands with other organisations in Joo Chiat to reach out to migrant workers
On a Sunday night, among the neon- lit signboards and back alleys along Joo Chiat Road, Gladys Ha...
O Come All Ye Faithful: Methodist Christmas Events in Dec 2022
This is the first Christmas since Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted. Many churches have resu...
A theology of Christmas carols
I hope lovers of Christmas carols will forgive me for saying that not all carols are created equa...
Behind-the-scenes: The making of the John Wesley graphic novel
“I grew up Methodist and attended Methodist schools but didn’t know much about the li...
Technological prudence
Since the dawn of what some scholars have called the modern Internet in the 1990s, the lives of m...
Digital disruptions and innovations for the post-pandemic Church
We are living in the frothing confluence of massive social, philosophical, ecological, economic, ...
Spiritual friendships
One of the many issues that the coronavirus pandemic has brought to our attention is the importan...
“We are not alone. Our kids are not judged here.”
The GEMs (God Enables Me) programme run by the Children’s Ministry at Faith Methodist Churc...
The story of the Methodist Message
So runs the tagline under the masthead on the cover of the inaugural issue of The Malaysia Messag...
Leaving a life of addiction
My name is Hannah Chun and I am married with four children. I spend most of my time with my famil...
A sacrament of divine love
As I write this article, many churches in Singapore are welcoming the return of their members to ...
How does meritocracy fit into our Christian worldview?
The Merriam-Webster dictionary refers to meritocracy as a “system, organisation, or society...
A Christian Response to the Repeal of Section 377A of the Penal Code
At the National Day Rally this year, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced the Government’s ...
Onward, Christian Soldier
I did not expect to receive an overseas education, much less to serve full-time in the Singapore ...
Roe v. Wade: What does the Lord require of us?
On 24 June 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States of America reversed the decision in Roe v....
Youth Ministry: What the pandemic taught us
Abraham Sui is the Chairperson of Youthphoria, the Youth Ministry of Aldersgate Methodist Church. I ...
On nurturing the young
An article published on the CNA website in 2021 states that according to the Singapore Census 2020, ...
Here, for a Purpose
Methodist Girls’ School celebrates her 135th anniversary this year. Commemorating Founder’s D...
Father’s Day musings – Striking a balance between work, ministry and fathering
Paul Khoo, 45, is a familiar figure in Christian fathering circles. He is one of many key volunteers...
Look, it’s a pangolin! On attentiveness and wonder for creation
Have you ever seen a pangolin in the wild? The two times I encountered a pangolin in the wild, I was...
Virtuous Living and Creation Care
The question that is receiving some attention among politicians, policy-makers and stakeholders i...
KKMC: God’s faithfulness through the generations
In the middle of Little India, an elegant white building stands at a clearing where narrow roads ...
The sacrament of the ordinary
Some Christians are prone to think that the Christian life is a series of spiritual “mountaintop...
A mother’s story: Hope comes with small steps
“When Lucien was a newborn, I had prayed to God to not let him grow up so fast, so that I could en...
Have you gone back to church?
Bishop Dr Gordon Wong preaching at Wesley Methodist Church on Easter Sunday It’s been two weeks si...
Making missions a vision for children
The team that produced Clean Hands, Pure Hearts and Beautiful Feet Daniel could not wait to tell the...
Just a hallucination?
In the fifteenth chapter of Paul’s first letter to the Christians at Corinth, we find the earliest...
The Jesus Prayer
Lent is an important season in the liturgical year because it invites Christians to observe and comm...
Keep calm and carry on serving others – A life gifted to serve
Henry (front, 3rd from right) and Mary (back, 5th from right) with Rev Philip Lim (front, middle) at...
Give your child a distinctive Methodist Preschool education
Space Buds programme Parents in Singapore are spoilt for choice when deciding the preschool to send ...
On saving the family
One of the most worrying developments that we witness in the West and also in some affluent countrie...
Three ways to have a better Lunar New Year
Ps Ian Wong, his wife Eeleen, and their four beautiful daughters To the Chinese brothers and sisters...
A time for meaningful conversations
Lunar New Year, in the recent few years, has become a season of poignant reflection for me. It was d...
Wesley on the Church
For many Methodists, John Wesley is a theologian of the Christian life par excellence. Wesley’s en...
Remember who we are
Bishop Dr Gordon Wong preaching at the opening service “Lord, what happened to all these churches?...
Nothing to do but to save souls
Hakka Methodist Church As the rousing outro of “Give Us a Vision” faded away, which signalled th...