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T h e n e w s l e t t e r o f P r i n s e p S t r e e t P r e s b y t e r i a n C h u r c h 77 Prinsep St. S(188649) Te l : ( 6 5 ) 6 3 3 7 0 5 9 5

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MESSENGERJanuary - April 2020 F o r i n t e r n a l c i r c u l a t i o n o n l y

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January - April 2020

(Continued on Page 2)

In just a couple of months into the new decade, COVID-19 has swept through the world and has grabbed the headlines of almost every news report whether in print or online. From the WHO website, the latest update as of 11 April, 2020: 1,524,161 confirmed cases and 92,941 deaths (https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019). Looking at the next couple of weeks, the figures look very likely to keep rising for quite a while more.

It is little wonder that fear has gripped most parts of the world, driving many into almost irrational behaviour such as fighting over toilet paper, and panic buying of essential goods. Some have commented that COVID-19 is infecting minds, more than it is infecting bodies. Stock markets have gone mad; the airline, tourism and other hospitality businesses are on the verge of collapse; people’s jobs are being threatened, and everywhere we see how it is bringing out the worst in people.

Life at this stage is no longer business-as-usual with all the measures that have been put in place to stem the spread – social distancing, avoidance of physical contact, ceasing of large group activities, cancellation of sporting and cultural events, and so on. Some countries have imposed a complete lockdown, and most countries have imposed strict border controls to reduce imported cases. Everywhere there is a sense of gloom and doom. One of our young adults aptly commented on her Facebook feed, “So basically 2020 has been cancelled.”

In times such as these, what should the Christian response be?

Steer Away from Misguided FearThe underlying factor for all the panic and overreaction

is fear. We have been created with an inbuilt ability to perceive danger which induces fear both as a physiological reaction, as well as an emotional reaction. Of course, there is nothing wrong with fear as it is an important survival tool that causes us to be cautious and avert harm when we are threatened. However, when fear is caused by misperception and misguided truth or knowledge, it can be destructive psychologically, emotionally, and socially, leading to irrational behaviour.

By Elder Aaron Tan

It is important to understand what is happening through reliable sources, and heed medically sound advice. It is one thing to be not afraid, and another to be unwise. The former keeps us calm and rational in our actions; the latter can cause harm to ourselves and others – which is not loving our neighbour at all. That said, sound knowledge will offer us physical safety but may not necessarily afford emotional or spiritual protection. This is where we need to come back to God’s Word and claim His unfailing promises. God’s Word says, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). And in Philippians 4:6-7 it says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” In our darkest moments God’s light shines the brightest and we know that He is utterly reliable. In times like these, we learn to trust Him knowing that He is sovereign over all and He is sovereign over our lives.

Be Salt and LightFrom a position of security, firmly planted upon the Rock

of Ages, we can then confidently and compassionately reach out to a world that is so desperately looking for anchors, to be a place of refuge, a fortress of safety. All through history Christians have been used by God to be the channel for His love in the face of the gravest suffering. One may recall the Bubonic Plague that swept through Europe and Asia claiming an estimated 30-60% of Europe’s population. It was at that time that the Reformer Martin Luther argued that Christians have a dual duty to care for those whom God has placed in our path through our vocations, alongside a duty to care for the people when God has placed in our stewardship, and he refused to flee the Plague, though strongly urged by concerned colleagues, and he chose to stay to minister faithfully.

Of course we cannot be reckless but must take all the necessary precautions and be socially responsible while we minister. As COVID-19 wears on, many will wear out. There

Is COVID-19 bringing out the worst in us or the best in us? Some thoughts on the Christian response to this 21st century plague

Spreading Faithinstead of Fear

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(Continued from Page 1)

A Personal Note

Chia Gaik Bee20 March 2020, updated 11 April 2020Do you have any feedback on The Messenger? Do let us know at [email protected]

the team Editor ~ Chia Gaik Bee • Writer ~ Ruth Boey, Ng Keng Gene • Sub-editors ~ Debbie Chai, Dorothy Tan & Wang Su Chen • Elder-in-Charge ~ Elder Long Seh Wei • Art Direction ~ Serena Lim • Coordinator ~ Edmund Chan • Printing Co-ordination ~ First Step Communications

will likely be many who may go into depression and feel socially isolated because of social distancing. The elderly folk from Sarah Senior Activity Centre, for example, have stopped all their activities and may feel lonely at home. Now is the time we need to rise up to put love into action. Now is the time that being salt and light for the world is even more needed than ever.

May we rise up to stand in the gap and lift our prayers for God’s mercy to stop this plague just as Aaron did in Numbers 16:48. May God cause many hearts to be turned to Him as we reach out in love and bear witness for Him, even as we turn to Him ourselves and acknowledge our own frailty and our need for Him. Let us trust God, take care, keep calm and carry on (Chan, D., 2019). Amen.

Headline NewsHow the world has changed in just a few short months! On 31 December 2019, China alerted WHO about several cases

of unusual pneumonia in Wuhan. Three months on, there are hundreds of thousands of confirmed infections and thousands of deaths worldwide, and a pandemic has been declared. Some countries have closed their borders and have locked down as governments clamp down to contain the infections.

The pandemic has also affected PSPC as a place of worship and a community of believers. This issue has two parts: Before, from page 11 onwards, where the usual events took place, now a distant memory; After, from page 1-10, which is this strange state of livestreamed sermons with worship services being suspended, staying and working from home and home-based learning. All of us have been affected in one way or another. In these pages, The Messenger captures some of these moments in the life of PSPC, groups and individuals.

When church services were suspended, the initial decision was to postpone the Messenger to May. However, several days ago, we decided to go ahead with an e-newsletter for the first time, so that congregants could still have an Easter issue. A number of changes had to be made - personal details removed, permission sought from contributors, and a quick update to the current situation. With the rapid developments, I would like to say a big thank you to Keng Gene, who rapidly got in touch with several congregants to share their experiences at very short notice and so speedily. And so, you have in your hands the first ever e-issue of the Messenger, to keep us connected while we are at home!

In the midst of the restrictions, there are also opportunities to do things differently. For the HELLO Class, a number of domestic helpers are not able to attend class, as they may be looking after elderly folk who are more vulnerable. Hence the facilitators started small group WhatsApp classes (see page 4). Some cell groups have also gone online to continue meeting (page 5). Though it can’t fully replace being physically present together, it does enable some people to join in who might otherwise not be able to participate, such as helpers who only have one day off a month, or parents of young children who would normally not be able to attend cell groups.

Serving our Community, Blessing the WorldPSPC’s theme for 2020 is Serving our Community, Blessing the World. One of the ways in which PSPC serves our

community is through the New Life Ministry, which works with Prison Fellowship Singapore to share the gospel with current and former prison inmates, and their families. In this issue, Helen Ong-Yeo, Wong Kiat Luan and Victor Lim share about their involvement in this ministry (see pages 16-17).

Inspired by the book “Ten Fingers for God” by Paul Brand, Bernice Heng spent 3 months in India working with leprosy patients. On page 12, she shares how she saw God’s hand at work in this place.

BB90The Boys’ Brigade in Singapore celebrated its 90th Anniversary in January (page 17). This is a significant event for PSPC

as it is the birthplace of the Boys’ Brigade movement in this country. It is also the reason that PSPC was designated as a national monument. In the earlier decades, the Boys’ Brigade was church-based, and many of the Boys came to Christ and became members of PSPC. Similarly, when PSPC started its Woodlands - Adam Road Ministry (WARM), the Boys’ and Girls’ Brigades were a key part of the outreach, and formed a key part of what is now Adam Road Presbyterian Church.

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Greetings from your friendly masked

temperature takers!

The use of reusable cups has been

suspended - but we can still do our bit

for Creation Care by bringing our own cups!

Marking attendance...

No more pew Bibles or hymnals

Coming to church on Sunday

COVID-19 ~ Keep Calm and Carry OnPhotos by Chia Gaik Bee, Andrew Ong & Nicholas Smith. Words by Chia Gaik Bee

On Friday 20 March, after the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth met with Christian leaders on the COVID-19 situation, Pastor Darryl announced the suspension of Sunday worship services and programmes for two Sundays, 22 and 29 March. Word was spread to congregants through WhatsApp, Facebook, emails and the church website.

However, the church had already been working on building our livestreaming capacity. Just the week before, the

link was sent out to congregants for testing, and when the announcement came, we could respond quickly. Two days later, on 22 March, Sunday worship services were suspended for the first time, and the English and Chinese services were livestreamed. As at 7.20pm, there had been 1,411 hits on

YouTube for the English service, and 169 for the Chinese service. The communications were very effective, as only two congregants had to be turned away that first Sunday morning.

When PSPC Sunday Worship Service Went Virtual...

Behind the scenes, the PA team...

....the worship team

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Interviewed by Chia Gaik Bee

Messenger: How has the HELLO ministry been affected by the COVID-19 situation?

Colin: It has understandably seen a drop in participation since we restarted classes at the beginning of the year, for a few reasons.

Many employers are fearful of their helpers going out and coming into contact with potential COVID-19 infected folk either at church or in their usual meeting places after the HELLO class. This is especially so for those caring for the young and elderly in their households. Many helpers are also exclusively looking after the vulnerable elderly who do not want to attend church for fear of being infected and are hence unable to come out to attend class.

Messenger: How did the ministry respond to this challenge?

Colin: The HELLO facilitators saw the COVID-19 situation as an opportunity to go online with a virtual format that was based on WhatsApp.

A new lesson format was created. It is lighter in content and was pushed out on WhatsApp directly to our class members. The first few lessons were piloted in mid February.

About two HELLO facilitators look after about four class members in a WhatsApp group. The members are expected to read the passages and seek clarifications or ask questions about the verses. They then answer the questions set for them. They also share any concerns so that we can pray with and for them.

HELLO, WhatsApp!The Messenger interviewed Dr Colin Koh, one of the facilitators of the HELLO ministry which reaches out to foreign domestic workers and other migrant workers in our midst through English classes, on the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the ministry.

Messenger: How is this working out?

Colin: So far a few HELLO class members have responded to the new format and are actively participating in the lessons. Some have not responded or have chosen to leave the group.

Messenger: What’s next?

Colin: The HELLO class hopes that we can eventually create materials that can be online. This is especially useful for our students who have only one free Sunday a month and lose out on the continuity of the lessons.

For 2020 we are looking to create new materials on two main themes: 1. Self-esteem: What the Bible tells us 2. Women of the Bible

If you know of a migrant worker who may be interested in the HELLO Class, or if you would like to be involved, contact Mary Chhuani at [email protected]

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By Adriel Yeo

On 14 Feb 2020, Gan Kim Yong, the Minister for Health, met with the heads of churches to discuss the COVID-19 situation. The advice given by the Health Minister was to carry on with services, with the added precaution of advising members not to come should they feel unwell or perhaps to explore the possibility of additional timings. The other advice given was to consider alternatives to high-touch practices such as passing the offering bags or greetings.

Fortunately, on the week prior to the meeting, PSPC had already suspended the shaking of hands during greetings as well as the physical distribution of hymnals. Temperature taking had also been implemented with the precautionary measure that anyone with a temperature of 37.5 degrees and above had to be sent back home. Registration forms were also provided for the purposes of contact tracing including the use of online registration via QR code. However, the latter was found to be unfeasible.

With one week of advance trial, the leadership fine-tuned the process of temperature taking further. One of the difficulties we had was crowd control, seeing that members could enter from two entrances. This was particularly messy especially during the period between the end of the 8.45am service and the start of the 11am service. During that period, people would both exit and enter church at the same time. This made temperature taking more confusing and keeping track of members entering PSPC more difficult. Entering from both sides also meant more manpower requirements since temperature takers had to be stationed at both sides of the entrances. The other difficulty we faced was keeping track of the people who entered while at the same time making sure that those driving in to park did not ‘slip’ away without their

PSPC’s Responsetemperature being taken.

The result of the fine-tuning process was to streamline the entry to one side while making the other side the exit. Further, in order to prevent the case of people entering church immediately after parking, the side gate was locked so that all members had to go through the same path for their temperature taking. The side aisle of the sanctuary was chosen because it provided shelter for temperature taking should there be rain.

Following the release of the National Council of Churches of Singapore’s (NCCS) advisory letter on 15 Feb (on Saturday evening) which encouraged churches to resume services, the pastoral staff together with the admin staff also came in to church early on 16 Feb to print out the advisory letter for distribution so as to assure congregants that the continuation of services was fully in line with the advice of both the Health Minister and NCCS. With the increase of infected cases in Singapore, PSPC also put together a taskforce made up of health care professionals together with Rev Darryl to monitor the precautionary measures taken and provide advice accordingly.

One of the options explored was e-offering. This option was considered with the hope of completely minimising any contact with the offering bag. Members of the EDC also attended workshops on live streaming as a contingency plan.

As of now, what we see in church has been put together over a period of 2 to 3 weeks with lots of discussion and brainstorming during this time. At the end of each week, the pastoral team will come together to further brainstorm and review the process to see how it can be fine-tuned even more.

COVID-19

Compiled by Tay Bee KiatA Cell Group’s ResponseOn 5 March 2020, Bee Kiat and Li Li’s cell group met online for Bible study via Zoom. How did they find it?

Diana: Tele-BS is a great alternative that enables more people to meet and have fellowship when circumstances don’t permit face to face meetings. Although it cannot completely replace meeting physically, it provides an occasional reprieve for individuals who are unable to meet physically for various reasons.

Glen and Adeline: Pleasantly surprised that the session went quite well and even some CG members who were not able to join for a long time due to family commitments were able to have this e-session with us.

Shu Ching: For us it is a new experience. But I liked the fact that we could do Bible study from the comfort of our own homes and we could involve others who have difficulty joining us for various reasons. Definitely can do it again!

Shu Hui: Easy and fun tool to meet everyone online, great conversations!

COVID-19

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By Diana WongHow It Has Impacted MeI prayed and deliberated about going to church on Sunday because my mode of transport exposes

me to a lot of people as I travel on the MRT. Being in a vulnerable age group, I have to be more aware of staying safe not only for myself but for the sake of my family. I have, however, managed to worship my Lord and Saviour by participating in online church services. I do miss interacting with my church buddies. Having to also practise social distancing, I miss having outings with my family.

Our cell group met via a video conferencing app for the first time on Sunday 8 March after a long break. It was challenging for me as I’m not good with anything digital. Our lesson went well and we were able to interact, sharing our burdens and our happy moments. Being online serves us well during such times. We still can have continuity as what we always have done during our Bible study time. But, of course, it’s nothing like being in our classroom in church physically interacting with one another and warmly supporting each other’s needs.

Interviewed by Chia Gaik BeeEscaping the ChaosCOVID-19

Messenger: Your sons were due to come back to Singapore for a break on 23 March. However, they returned earlier than originally planned. Was it your decision or did the university send them back?Nancy: Ha ha! My elder one Jarod decided to return 2 weeks earlier as lessons were sparse and he had more or less submitted some important essays. Moreover, many lessons were cancelled or were placed online as some teaching staff had gone on strike. I was very happy to have him back home early.However, my younger one, Joses decided to stay on to complete more essays and return on 23 March. I was beginning to worry, as I knew the situation in the UK would get much worse - it was just a matter of time. But, knowing my son is a man now, I respected his decision as there were no cases in Durham then and the UK was not in that bad a situation yet. However, I changed my mind on 12 March.

Messenger: What happened?Nancy: On 12 March, when Jarod was already in the air on his way back, I received a text from my group of Mummy friends.Initially, I did not pay much attention as I was busy. But when I saw that the UK would be locking down on 23/24 March,

the exact date of his flight, I knew God wanted me to act fast to bring Joses back home ASAP. I gave Joses no option but to call the airline up immediately and return on the next available flight.

Messenger: How did Joses react?Nancy: God somehow helped and Joses was very obedient! No argument at all from this young man who was happily

having a meal with his friends. I really thank God for giving me that window of time with no patients to treat and that it was a breeze to handle Joses. I then went to work with peace of mind that he would fly out of the UK on that same evening. Jarod landed on 12 March and Joses on 13 March.

Messenger: So they would have just missed a few weeks of school?Nancy: Thank God it’s Easter holiday break for the UK students anyway. They just exited earlier. It was an easier decision than if the term was just starting, like in Australia. However, even if the term was on I would have brought my sons back ASAP as Singapore is well prepared with a system in place to cope, and Singaporeans are united. The welfare of the children should be top priority; the rest can wait. Children are under our wings and at this difficult time, parents have to decide. In my case, the dates on the map were what God wanted me to see and to act on. The good news for now is that their exams will be online and the boys do not have to return to the UK till the next academic year, which is in October.My nurse who is a non-believer said to me that my God helped me and protected my boys. I am amazed by His works. She said, “I know your God is good to you!” Amen! I am so awed. May all glory be to God!

Messenger: What was the experience like for Jarod and Joses?Nancy: To them the situation was not so bad as they did not get to see the worst. They returned before the government made the announcement to get all the overseas students back, so they did not go through the hassle of trying to get flights and the chaos at the airport. They trust the Singapore medical support more and of course they feel more secure on home ground.

Jeffrey and Nancy’s sons, Jarod and Joses, are students in the UK. With the escalation of measures to control the COVID-19 situation, students studying overseas have been greatly affected. Nancy shares her experience with The Messenger.

Screenshot from www.wionews.com

COVID-19

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By Ng Keng Gene

On 3 April 2020, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced ‘circuit breaker’ measures to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus. At the time of writing (9 April), Singapore is in Day Three of our version of a lockdown. It will last till at least May 4. Our virus lexicon has grown: educational institutions have moved to full Home-Based Learning (HBL), employees of companies deemed non-essential are working from home (WFH), many businesses are temporarily closed, some migrant worker dormitories have been gazetted as quaratine areas. Failure to adhere to social distancing rules is punishable by law. Countless crowdsourcing initiatives have sprung up to help the most vulnerable

in society tide through this unsettling period. As a church, PSPC-goers have attended three livestreamed services, with at least another three to go. The Messenger catches up with church-goers amidst the outbreak to find out how they have been adjusting to the changes.

Living in Strange Times

Por Por Dorothy (Retiree) On Stay Home Notice (SHN) in a hotel. Those returning from the United States and United Kingdom from March 26 onwards had to serve their 14-day SHNs in dedicated hotels. Since April 10, all returning Singaporeans have had to serve their SHNs in hotels.

I arrived in Singapore from the United Kingdom on 29 March. Everything was very orderly at the airport, there were officers lining up from the plane’s door to the waiting room where we passengers waited for others to alight. Soon after, we had to fill up forms; no swab tests were conducted, but there was a temperature-taking exercise. After a wait of about 20 minutes, we cleared the immigration counters. I was allocated an officer, who accompanied me to claim my baggage, and then to a vehicle that was waiting and ready to go. I had the officer and driver “all to myself” as we were not allowed to share transport with other passengers. When I got to the hotel where I would serve my SHN, the check-in process was very quick! It was also the last human contact I would have for the next 14 days, as all meals are hung on the room door, and fresh linen is left outside our rooms. Although I’m used to staying quietly at home, and I have my quilting materials to keep me company, two weeks without human interaction can be a little intimidating! Please pray that those of us on SHNs will have peace and be faithful to Him in all situations. Thank you!

(above) Por Por Dorothy’s SHN room, and (left) a fresh set of linen from the housekeeping team.

COVID-19

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Amanda (Secondary School teacher)It was initially difficult to cope as things have been

moving rapidly since the April 3rd announcement that we would be going on full home-based learning (HBL). That said, the one day of HBL we had last week helped greatly, and on hindsight was a good “trial run” for us to transit into full HBL for the coming three weeks. The challenges included getting familiar with the online teaching platforms ourselves, and then teaching our students how to log on to them and observe the right etiquette during online classes. HBL is definitely not just about e-learning!

There was a running joke in the staff room that teachers engage in panic-printing instead of panic-buying. Many of us were at the printing room in the days before schools closed to ensure that our students had adequate materials to last them for three weeks. We also try to be mindful with screentime limits, so the students don’t have to spend the whole day staring at their devices. I believe that the human touch is important in teaching, such as being physically present with the students, and to have that taken away by HBL has been challenging; the quality of human interaction we have with our students is different now. I think even students feel it too – some of them were quite sad during the last two days of school, exclaiming that they would miss seeing one another in school and spending time as a class. They even used it as an “excuse” to be very participative in my class, claiming that they knew I would miss their chatter starting from Wednesday. Unsurprisingly, they were right, haha! When I arranged for a class meeting online on Thursday, some of my students were relieved, and quick to express how much they had missed one another, even though it has only been two days of full HBL. Some sheepishly shared that they had been video-calling each other throughout the day to maintain a sense of normalcy in peer interaction!

For teachers, our calling remains the same whether in the classroom or on HBL: we must be creative with how we want to engage the students. The syllabus content remains the same, but we need new ways to bring that across to the kids and help keep up with the rigour of learning even when

at home. I think it helps students greatly when the routines they have in school are replicated at home. Parents who are at home with their children can support their learning by helping them get used to HBL routines. A good balance between work and rest is important, so the children won’t get burnt out while working, and so that their attention during lessons is maximised. I hope everyone knows that teachers are trying our best as well! We’re all trying to support our students to the best of our abilities, and care for them during these times, while embracing the new technology that comes with conducting HBL. I’ve been encouraged by teachers who have been actively sharing resources with each other online. There is a sense of unity among members of the fraternity, and the sense of camaraderie is comforting. During this time, I have been considering what it means to care for my students virtually, and I pray that I’ll have wisdom and strength to care for my students through new means. Please also pray that teachers can manage the uncertainty and even embrace the circumstances we are under. There are opportunities for both teachers and parents to teach students new things, like life skills, and I hope we will be alert to them!

An empty bench, with social distancing markers, in Amanda’s school. Students typically gather at such benches on school days.

Angeline (Secondary School Principal)Events took an abrupt turn right after the Chinese New

Year break. With the tightened safety measures, we stopped having mass assemblies, mass events and external learning journeys. Subsequently, even CCAs were stood down after the March holidays. Truth be told, all these programmes were what the students enjoyed most about school and they had all been taken away. And social distancing was a tough act for these teens!

As the Principal, together with my teachers, we try to maintain a sense of normalcy for the students and at the same time, educate them about the virus, what they can

do as individuals and how they can show care for the community. I always asked my students – how can we be others-centred in this crisis? A class decided to write cards of encouragement to the healthcare workers working in NCID and TTSH. A member of the public also wrote in to commend my students’ enthusiasm in participating in a community event to write notes for healthcare workers. This crisis has provided many valuable teaching moments for my students.

At the same time, my staff and I started refining our business continuity plans. We know that school closure could be an eventuality if the situation worsens. But at

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school, we know this should not be a first-response measure even though there were loud voices demanding for school closure. When school closes, students from disadvantaged families will be most hard hit. Do they have a conducive home environment to do their home-based learning (HBL) when a big family is squeezed into a tiny flat? Do they have access to computing devices and internet access? Will there be enough food on the table? Will they have adult supervision at home?

Teachers also have to grapple with new realities in teaching and learning. While HBL is not new, as the school has held at least one HBL day a year, this is the first time that many young teachers are handling a prolonged school closure. Some of them were still students when schools were closed during SARS! A number of my teachers also have school-going children of various ages. Stress levels are definitely high when you are trying to conduct a live lesson with a class of forty while your child is wailing in the background! So parents, I hope you show some grace to your children’s teachers. HBL will never be the same as teaching in the classroom but this is the best that we can do now.

And for the record, as the Principal, I do not get to work from home. I still manage the school daily with skeletal manpower. I monitor the daily participation rate of my 1,200 students very closely, especially those that we have identified as high-needs. We certainly do not want to lose them by the time school reopens. My own children are doing their HBL independently at home and I had to apologise

to my younger child’s teachers when they sent me HBL instructions for her – I am not home with them! My two girls are as different as chalk and cheese. One loves to be home and is savouring every moment; the other is dying to go out and lamenting that her grand plans of a big birthday bash are dashed! Guess who?

Let’s all do our part during this circuit breaker period by staying home. Pray especially for school-going children from more vulnerable and disadvantaged backgrounds, that they will be kept safe and engaged in learning.

Kum Chuen (Business owner) Kum Chuen and his wife Connie run a bookshop located in a tertiary institution. His shop has been closed since March 16.)

Before the circuit breaker measures were announced, we had already been closed for about three weeks as a faculty member in our institution had tested positive for the virus. As many of the institution’s students come from abroad, and purchase materials from our shop, the border closures have badly affected us, and left us without income for at least a month. For now, I will be spending time at home, and preparing for if we were to open again. Perhaps it’s an opportunity for us to review how we have been running the business as well; we had been planning to set up a website for the store so the “break” gives us some time to work on that and fine tune other processes. It’s also a time for us to think of what we can do besides what we’ve been doing – after all, we’ve been open for about 20 years, and it’s the first time we’re forced to close in this manner. Please pray that we will be innovative and creative, especially as we learn how to adapt when we are able to open for business again! We are very dependent on the presence of foreign students, and even if we are able to open the shop, the students might not be travelling into Singapore for courses just yet.

Rachel and Rebecca hard at work at home.

(above) Kum Chuen’s shop, with Connie hard at work at the workstation.

(left) A surprise visit by Rev Joe Mock in 2019.

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Timothy (Student in London)Why did you decide to stay? How is the mood where you are?• Personally, I didn’t think that there would be an advantage

going home to Singapore. I also have some projects to complete later in the year so I decided to stay in London. The recent surge in imported cases also somewhat put me off getting on a 13-hour flight.

• London is alright at the moment. There have been several incidences involving international students but thankfully, I have not encountered anything of that sort. London is generally quite a relaxed city and when reports of the first cases in the UK appeared, nothing really seemed to change. However, over the last few weeks, the social distancing and self-isolation measures have been taken pretty seriously and people are much more cautious now. All but essential shops and services have been closed for some time and there has been a reduced service on public transport. All church services have been suspended or moved online too.

Do you still have classes? How are you spending your time at home/how long have you been in isolation for? How are you feeling? Has it been difficult without social interaction?

• The universities have spent the last few weeks preparing to move a lot of the content online. There haven’t been scheduled classes but things will start to ramp up in the next couple of weeks. We’re also currently on Easter break so there will definitely be more to do when term starts up again at the end of April. All face-to-face exams have also been cancelled for now with many being postponed or moved online.

• I’ve spent most of the last 3 or so weeks at home catching up on work – really! We’re able to leave our homes to go to the supermarket and exercise so I try to make the most of that as the weather has been fantastic lately! I still meet up with friends virtually and I have online meetings too, so there’s still a lot to be done and I’m keeping busy.

How can people in church pray for those who are overseas, like yourself? • Pray for God’s protection over those overseas, especially

those working on the frontline in other countries. I have quite a number of friends, both local and international, working in the coronavirus wards all over the UK so their safety is definitely something I think about.

Tim on Skype with his church batchmates on April 6.

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By Debbie Chai

She has seen countless days of suffering; yet she counts her blessings. She has known pain and discomfort like few others do; yet knowing Jesus is what she clings to. And, as if one illness isn’t enough to batter her body, she has battled BOTH autoimmune disease AND cancer, not separately, not briefly, but all together, over a long stretch of time; yet to her, it is the Lord who battles for her, moment by moment, day by day.

She is Frances Koh, whose name we’ve seen in the bulletin time and again needing the prayers of the church. And why not? Though she’s been a trooper of indescribable proportions, bearing an onslaught of assorted physical afflictions, the Apostle Paul tells the body of Christ that we are to bear one another’s burdens (Gal 6:2), and he even asked the Thessalonians to ‘pray for (him)’ (1 Thess 5:25). And so we do, for Frances, but do we know the extent of what she’s had to endure?

More than two decades ago, like a bolt from the blue, she was diagnosed with SLE – Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, an autoimmune disease where the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s healthy tissue, any tissue in any part of the body. Known as the ‘Disease of a Thousand Faces’, there is no remedy for this malady, only medication for life, requiring constant physician care and monitoring because, unlike paracetamol, steroidal use must be tailored to the individual, down to the last milligram. That can be tiring, going to the hospital every few weeks or months, waiting an hour or more to see the doctor for a few minutes, getting poked with needles in the name of blood tests, waiting for medication at the pharmacy – it’s a whole-day affair – and then the daily intake of meds and watchfulness for anomalies in bodily functions, like internal bleeds and infections of all kinds. It can be most tiring, and often is.

For an active person like Frances, such a change in life and lifestyle must have been a challenge, to say the least. But in her own words, ‘a positive attitude is very important … by staying positive, half the battle is won.’ That, and prayer, have been her go-to in this journey of faith and hope, of bearing her cross, and following Jesus.

But subsequently, cancer was added to the mix of ailments. At first, 4th stage colon cancer, diagnosed in February 2009; then liver cancer, also in February, but of 2012. That’s probably enough cancer for any one lifetime, yet it didn’t stop there for Frances. In August 2013, she had to undergo a thoracotomy in the left lower lung, and then in June of 2014, she underwent another lung procedure, this time in the left upper lung apex, and was diagnosed with lung cancer. In addition to tumours being removed, as well as diseased lobes of the liver and lung, Frances also had a total knee replacement, colonoscopy, and rod-and-screw implants to hold her spine up and keep it from

A Francescan Faith collapsing as a result of yet another cancer diagnosis and treatment – that of her bones.

I don’t know about you, but listing these has already put a weight on my heart like a hundred-kilo barbell, never mind the actual walking through the valley of the shadow of cancers galore and an assortment of medications, not the least of which being chemotherapy, from which Frances nearly entered into glory years ago. But now, as I write this in early February 2020, she has chosen to abandon herself wholly to the Hesed of God, His lovingkindness, mercy, and grace, to release her from this mortal coil and enter into His glorious presence in His time. For her cancer has metastasised irreversibly, and morphine is her only drug of choice.

In the face of such travails, you’d think a person would be scraping the bottom of the barrel for any ounce of joy or hope. Not Frances. For sure, she’d likely be cranky and irritable when pain is relentless, as would anyone in her shoes, however godly; but underneath such momentary fractiousness, lies the foundation of a permanent, solid trust in her heavenly Father, for He is her very lifeline.

There can be no doubt that Frances has persevered through dark days of insufferable inconveniences and excruciating pain over these many years, enduring all her treatments’ side effects, like fatigue, nausea, and ulcers that impede food intake and nourishment. There is no doubt in my mind that she has run with perseverance the race that’s been marked out for her; she has undoubtedly fixed her eyes on Jesus, scorning her tribulations, and joyed in Him despite her inexplicable plight. And I believe this is because she has considered her present sufferings not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in her (Rom 8:18).

Frances’ hope has been built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. Her faith looks up to Him, dear Lamb of Calvary. For her eyes are trained on His unfailing love, on His constant care and provision for her, and on Him who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

And so she ceaselessly gives thanks and praise to God as His child, anchored immovably in Him so that the tempests of ill-health cannot toss, shake, unravel, or uproot this ‘Francescan’ faith.

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By Bernice Heng

Last year, I took leave from work between July and September to embark on an ‘observership’ programme at the Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore, in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The idea of going to the Dr Paul Brand Centre for Hand and Leprosy Reconstructive Surgery (HLRS) stemmed from the book “Ten Fingers for God” which was given to me by a senior colleague when I had just started my specialty training almost 5 years ago. I had previously shared bits of my work experience in the Sunday bulletin on 24 Nov 2019. In this article, I will be sharing how God taught me important lessons even during seemingly routine days at work.

I am pretty much a bookworm (especially when not pressured to study for an exam ), so it was a pleasant surprise when another senior gave me the book, “The Gift of Pain”, co-written by Dr Paul Brand and Philip Yancey. In this book, Dr Brand describes India as the “land of poverty and omnipresent suffering”, where “pain can be borne with dignity and calm acceptance”.

“The Gift that Nobody Wants”Pain? It is irritating. As healthcare workers, we are attuned

to detecting it. We ask patients about their pain score, offer medications, or even resort to invasive procedures to rid that discomfort. “Vali”, which means pain in Tamil, was the first word that I learnt even before going to India. My colleague told me that all I needed to “survive” in running clinics was point to the different parts of the hand and ask “Vali?”

Looking Beyond the Pain– Seeing the Hand of God

Pain is definitely not something that most of us would count as a blessing. However, I started to appreciate how God created pain as our body’s protective mechanism to warn us of the external dangers that could harm us. That lesson came in the form of treating patients with leprosy, a condition so rare in Singapore. Dr Brand pioneered the work of reconstruction in leprosy patients; hence CMC saw throngs of these patients daily.

Leprosy is an infectious disease that can cause permanent damage to the skin, nerves, and eyes. As the bacteria infects the nerves, it causes numbness of the skin being supplied by that nerve. Imagine not being able to experience physical touch!

Hence, patients often get admitted with painless foot ulcers that do not heal. Why? Because the disease deadens their ability to sense pain. With no pain, their bodies fail to detect a nail or an infection on the sole of their foot. My colleagues and I would take turns daily to clean the ulcers. Sometimes I would feel embarrassed when I ask the patient (out of habit): “Is it painful?” “No, doctor I cannot feel,” even as I continued to debride to the bone.

Pain takes many forms; beyond physical pain, there are components of emotional, mental or spiritual pain. When God challenges me in my daily life, it is easy to blame and doubt. With this new perspective, I remind myself that when our circumstances may seem uncomfortable, chaotic, and completely unfair while suffering in the moment, God wants us to know that we can trust Him in the midst of it. He’s on

Taking the College Bus to the hospital everyday Public market in Vellore

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guard, looking to strengthen us for what He sees coming. It’s a process that doesn’t usually feel good at the time, but God assures us it will be good in time.

“Learning to Befriend pain” I learnt that it is compulsory for every patient admitted

to CMC Hospital to have a “bystander”- in essence someone who could be accountable for the patient. Often in Singapore, we have trouble finding a “bystander”. Updates are usually conveyed over the phone, and in some cases of long term hospitalisation, some families become uncontactable. In India however, I saw extended families literally moving into the ward. Family members fed the patients using their own hands instead of using cutlery, slept on mats under patients’ beds at night, and stood sentry during the daytime to care for their sick relatives. What stood out to me was the sense of community, as family members from neighbouring beds would come over to lend an extra hand to transfer a new patient.

This entire experience also taught me that ministering to a suffering person requires no professional expertise. I had difficulty with the language there. Google Translate was my best friend. More often than not, I found that I had little to offer besides my presence. I was pushed to learn how to bring comfort to patients via non-verbal means, be it a simple smile or doing their dressings a bit more gently.

2 Cor 1:3-4 (NIV) “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” We have been empowered by the Holy Spirit to be a light to the world. May we continue to be sensitive to the needs of our colleagues, friends, and family especially in their time of need.

Time flies and it has been nearly six months since I returned from India. Sometimes my mind wanders off to CMC and to my fellow doctors, nurses, allied healthcare workers and those patients whom I have met. I miss the rolling hills that were just out of the front gate of my hostel; that “beep beep” from the autocars and the traffic jams caused by a cow crossing the road. It was a once in a lifetime experience and I have no regrets.

I thank God for my family and friends who covered me in prayer and supported my seemingly crazy ambition to go there for three months on my own. Guess what? I did not fall ill there. God is good. Last but not least, a shout-out to my husband Barry who kept the home together and went through great “pains” to personally deliver almost 20kg of “comfort” food midway through my posting.

May God heal our deepest hurts and use the bad in our lives for good. And may we rely on Him more and more

each day as we continue to be a light to bring comfort to those whom He has entrusted to us. Amen!

My hand surgery family in CMC hospital

Family support from back home

Buildings at the nursing college

First time donning a sari for Sunday serviceMy boss cooking appam for me in his home for breakfast with his family

Visiting Mahabalipurram in Chennai when I got a visitor from home!

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Daisy ChinWhen I first saw the blurb in the church bulletin last year,

my heart skipped a beat. It was approaching the final month leading up to my first year anniversary of focusing on What Matters (aka leaving the Corporate World) and one KPI (Key Performance Indicator) that I had set for myself still eluded me. I had loosely termed this as “Discover the link between emotional and spiritual life and do something about mine!”

The long wait between classes notwithstanding (they were at least two weeks apart), we (Andrew and I) took a long hard look at our schedules for the four-month period and decided that we could work this around our ferrying-the-kids commitments. In the weeks leading to the EHS course, I googled and chanced upon the e-book by Peter and Geri Scazzero but just did not want to run ahead of the class so I peeked once in a while, read or listened to snippets so as not to steal away the fun of self-discovery. And boy, was it a journey, both for myself as an individual and for the family!

Eight Sessions was all the time commitment required – or so I thought – but with the twice daily Offices, and personal studies between sessions… nothing was dreary. As one who is a self-professed organised mess, the discipline this brought gave structure and a safe refuge in the daily grind. I have learnt to “slow down” emotionally in order to develop a rhythm of thanksgiving and reflection too… and not just “rush through” even my supposed rest periods so as to get on to the next activity or study or appointment through the day.

I had expected to become more self-aware and introspective during this course but each Session challenged my beliefs and worldview – not in a negative way. Sometimes, there was confirmation of what I already knew of but most times, I have had my initial thoughts challenged.

One particular area that was personally challenging for me to face up to was Session 5: Enlarge Your Soul through Grief and Loss. Loss is often associated with “Death” and the reason for the pain is because this death is “Terminal” and in our bid to cover the grief and loss, we often numb them to hide these real emotions. In working through a table of what events could have grieved us at particular times in our lives, this surfaced rather raw feelings of inadequacy and challenges. This time, rather than bury them under the guise of either self-blame or blaming others, we were led to pay attention to the emotions and to name it/them. Drawing from Matthew 26:31-44 (the study passage for this Session), I saw how my impatience and deliberate actions (just like

A Journey of Self-Discovery

Peter’s arrogance that he would never disown Jesus) instead of waiting in the confusing in-between robbed me of the joy of waiting on God and seeing Him work through my own grief and pain and turning it into something good.

I know that I am a work-in-progress, His work-in-progress. These four months spent with my EHS classmates, Pastor Kelvin and Debbie Chen brought me to a keener realisation of who I am emotionally and to a less biased uncovering of my true motives that had led to my actions in the past. It has provided a safe environment to explore deep-seated emotions, reflect on God’s words about one’s relationship with God, with others and with oneself.

This is a course for the individual who has lost his or her way; it is also the course for the Christian who feels that he is now plateauing in his walk and does not see the need to “rock the boat”.

In the sharing of our lives too, God provided a glimpse of how a healthy Christian community should and can be – with emotionally healthier individuals who are then spiritually healthier individuals!

Peter LimWhen I first heard of the Emotionally Healthy Spirituality

book and the course itself, I immediately wanted to be a part of it. I was then going through a phase of my life and ministry reflecting on the meaning and purpose of what I was doing and why I was living the way I did. I was then seeking clarity on my existence as a believer in Christ. Little did I know then that this course would make such an impact. I got much more than I was ready to receive. I had an encounter with both my God and myself! I got to know God in a deeper way, but more importantly, I encountered my true self; someone I was not ready to meet! Thus, the road of self-discovery has begun and I have not regretted embarking on this exciting journey. My God journeys on with me down this exciting walk of self-discovery. May I invite you to consider coming on this journey too!

The EHS course has challenged me to make a courageous examination of my own life, the motivations that drive me to do what I do or, say what I say, in how I live my life in the presence of God and others. This is a course about being truthful to oneself in the way we live our lives in church, at work and at home. It is about being consistent with one’s true self and with Scripture. It is also about making time for

Daisy Chin and Peter Lim joined in the pioneer group for the Emotionally Healthy Spirituality (EHS) class conducted by Pastor Kelvin Chen and his wife Debbie in 2019. Here they share their experiences and reflections.

‘It’s impossible to be Spiritually Mature while remaining Emotionally Immature’ - Peter Scazzero

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rest, enjoying God and being together with those whom the Lord has given to us as family. It is about slowing down. As a result of this course, one new habit I have developed is to turn off my phone after 8pm if I am home from work earlier or by 10pm if there is really something urgent for me to do or if I arrive home after 10pm. Also, I will not turn on my phone any time before 6:30am. In the past, my phone was always on 24/7. This change is really very liberating!

As I reflect on my life and the conflicts I have had with myself, my co-workers and those around me, the EHS course has revealed to me that I should boldly examine my own emotional health and maturity as I reflect on my spirituality in relation to the challenging circumstances I encounter daily. The question I end up asking myself is: while I strive so hard to be spiritually mature, how is it that I can miss out on

my own emotional maturity? How did I end up divorcing the two? The EHS course has taught me that both my emotional maturity and my spiritual health are tied up together as one and are not two different components of my life. They must be taken together. While I think of myself or someone as “immature”, what do I really mean? Am I referring to the emotional or the spiritual? According to Peter Scazzero, the author of the EHS book, we need to look at the two as a whole. In fact, our emotional wellbeing will define how we mature spiritually! Agree? Disagree? Be courageous enough to come and attend the course for yourself when it is next run to find out! I trust that you would be richly blessed through it!

Thank you Pastor Kelvin and Sister Debbie for putting this course together! I have been richly blessed through it.

Photos by Michael Goh and Mary Chhuani

PSPC Thanksgiving Dinner andWatchnight Service 2019

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New Life Ministry

By Helen Ong-Yeo

I joined the PFS Family Care Home Visitation Team in early 2016 as a follow-up to the Angel Tree Project held in late 2015. Moved by the Spirit to do more

beyond delivering the Christmas hampers and handwritten cards, I partnered Ms Doreen Lai to serve as a volunteer. As volunteers, our primary role is to periodically visit families of inmates assigned to us by PFS. The assignment of families factors in our availability and readiness. These visits take place every one or two months for each family. Prior to the visits, we were briefed by PFS on our roles, the boundaries, the expectations, and the sensitivities involved. We were also given the necessary training before these visits.

Through the visits which provide the platform for befriending the families, whom I will refer to as “beneficiaries”, we often gather updates on their needs and concerns, and subsequently highlight these to PFS for their follow-up. Short visitation reports are also submitted to PFS. One of the most common requests is for financial assistance. For that, we also work with the beneficiaries to fill up an Income & Expense Form periodically, so as to report on their financial status for PFS’s assessment and review. As most of the beneficiaries assigned to us are elderly parents who live on their own, we occasionally need to make transport arrangements for them to attend PFS or church-organised activities and their personal medical appointments.

Before all these start to sound overly administrative or even technical, I want to say that, based on my past four years interacting with the beneficiaries, all these voluntary “acts of service” possibly amount to nothing if we do not sincerely extend the hand of friendship to them. I am saying this not because I think or know I have done a fantastic job in befriending or supporting them, or that I have seen insincere volunteers in action. Rather, I have learnt that beyond their physical and material needs, and even the need for reconciliation with their children, more often than not, what the beneficiaries really

Beyond the Angel Tree Projectneed is to experience hope and love.

I grew up in a relatively sheltered environment. So, for the first half of my life, I had been primarily concerned about my own needs and problems. Becoming a teacher has taught me what selflessness means and definitely humbled me. Becoming a Christian and learning to be a true disciple of Christ has also, over the years, shown and convicted me that the source of my love for others has to be God. As I listened to the beneficiaries’ hurts and disappointments, I began to question how I could, besides listening, help them feel just a little better. I also wondered if all that I do could actually make any real difference to them. After all, truth be told, I struggled even to keep up with the monthly or bimonthly visits.

It was then that I began to pray to God for help. I also started to pray for the beneficiaries and occasionally pray with them during the visits, pointing them to our God of hope who is also our ever-present help. Over the years, I also learnt that while I could not help solve their problems directly, I could brighten up their day by having lunch with them, by remembering their birthdays, by giving them a call when I could not visit, and by sharing my own life experiences with them so they too could be my friend.

Recently, my mum passed on. When one of the beneficiaries found out, she asked me why I didn’t inform her. At that moment, I could really feel her concern. Separately, another beneficiary observed and expressed his concern that I had lost weight and asked me to eat more. For a moment, I was reminded of my late father. In reaching out to those in need, I myself was encouraged.

People need people, and people need the Lord. PFS Home Visitation has shown me that many needs are real and near. A little love, a little time, a soft word, a silent prayer – perhaps that is all one needs to hold on and carry on. The many unmet needs also remind me how abundantly blessed I am, and perhaps the best thank you I can give to God for His amazing grace is to in turn bless others He has placed in my path (1 John 4:7-9).

New Life Ministry (NLM) is an arm of the PSPC Love in Action social concerns ministry. It works in close collaboration with Prison Fellowship Singapore.

NLM aims to reach out and share the gospel with inmates and bring holistic restoration to the inmates through the knowledge of salvation in Jesus Christ. We reach out to inmates and families through the following:- In-care service: Reaching to inmates through Chapel service conducted in the prison.- Family care service: Visiting the families of inmates and supporting them through friendship and love.- After-care service: Supporting ex-inmates through fellowship and discipleship.

We need volunteers in the following areas:- To accompany Peter Lim to visit ex-inmates and to run errands from time to time.- In-care befriender: To befriend inmates during Chapel service in prison, on the first and third Sundays of the month.- Home visitation team: Drivers are needed to accompany families to medical appointments and deliver groceries.- To help in personal discipleship and follow-up of ex-inmates.

If you would like to find out more, do speak to Peter Lim, Fiona Toh or Shih Kiat or send an email to [email protected]

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By Wong Kiat Luan

A Happy Walking Stick

My early experience with an ex-prisoner whom I got to know through Peter Lim, our PSPC’ prison ministry worker, was not a happy one — my flat was burgled in 1984 and I lost collector’s items dear to me. Then in 1986, which was a happy year because it was the year of my baptism into the faith at PSPC and marriage with my lovely wife, yet again, the same ex-prisoner came uninvited and stole my wife’s gold dowry of sentimental value.

However, one Sunday, when I saw that Peter Lim, who is visually impaired, confidently managing the PA sound system, I realised that I ought to be able to serve God in some small way. So I began a fresh association with the prison ministry. My earlier association with the New Life Ministry (NLM) had always been related to food because I enjoyed being a volunteer in the kitchen whenever they organised outreach events. It brought me much joy to see our guests enjoy the events that had been organised for them.

In November 2019, the NLM core team asked if I could serve alongside them by accompanying and assisting Peter when he does his visitations to the after-care brothers. And so I took on a new role in becoming a walking stick for Peter.

The first adventure I went on with Peter was to attend a subordinate court hearing of a brother. I was glad for the opportunity to be able to observe and understand the orderly court proceedings.

Then in January 2020, Peter booked me again and we visited another brother at Pelangi Welfare Home. When we asked this brother if there was anything that he needed, his request was very simple. He only asked for a copy of “Daily Bread” and chicken rice. After that, we proceeded to Cherry Home to visit another brother who had just completed his rehab programme. Because of his good conduct and completion of the programme, we gave him a treat at a nearby eating place. These two visits made me realise that our little acts of kindness can go a long way in bringing much joy and hope to someone.

My next adventure is to attend the Easter Chapel at Changi Prison. I am not sure what to expect but I have been assured that there will be peace and order. So I am trusting God that there won’t be fights or rowdy behaviour which we usually see in TV dramas. I’ll put on the armour of God, pray and go!

Though my experience of being a walking stick has not been long, I trust that God will use this humble walking stick to help me show our love-in-action to the after-care brothers whom we are reaching out to. Let’s go forth and serve the community and bless the world.

Chatting with... Victor LimBy Jasmine Yeo

How did you get involved in the ministry? Through the encouragement of Peter Lim.

What is your involvement? I am basically a befriender.

How long have you been involved?Since August 2015.

What is your biggest motivation during in-care service? At the start the inmates will be cold towards you. They need some time to absorb your presence, get used to you and finally trust you. To trust you enough to tell you their problems and eventually to ask you to pray for them. That was my biggest motivation.

What has been your biggest disappointment?To see an inmate going back to prison shortly after release. They face tremendous challenges outside Changi and it is easy to succumb to their old ways. They display so much strength and promise during chapel service in Changi but eventually some don’t make it after release.

By William Wong, BB Asia Representative

God’s faithfulness continues to be seen in the recent 90th year Founding Anniversary of Boys’ Brigade Singapore on January 12, 2020. Held at Prinsep Street Presbyterian Church, The Boys’ Brigade

Asia Executive Committee and Officers from other Asian Member Countries were blessed to be invited and to celebrate with alumni and current BB members, the goodness of the Lord in the BB Ministry in Singapore.

The guests worshiped together and listened to the sermon by Reverend Kelvin Chen, taken from the scripture from Genesis 18:1-8. He spoke about loving others beyond ourselves like how the Lord had demonstrated to us. Loving others generously because we have been loved was the main point of the sermon and the testimony of this message could already be seen in the lives of everyone who celebrated that day. Passing on that love for the

(Continued on Page 16)

The Boys’ Brigade in Singapore:

Celebrating 90 Years of God’s Faithfulness

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ministry and passion for the advancement of Christ’s Kingdom, generation after generation of BB members has led to this wonderful milestone in the ministry in BB Singapore.

After the sermon, an award ceremony to announce the winners of the logo design competition for the 90th year Founding Anniversary was held. The creative ideas of the winners were true to the theme of the 90th year Founding Anniversary: “BB Through the Generations, For All Generations”, and were well-executed.

BB Asia President, Sunny Wu, presented a token of appreciation to Prinsep Street Presbyterian Church for their continuous support of the BB Ministry.

As the service ended, the guests were invited to a lunch fellowship to continue the celebration of the wonderful event in the ministry of BB Singapore. Officers and members from different generations and companies spent that afternoon rejoicing and celebrating the joyous moment.

The 90th year Founding Anniversary of BB Singapore was nothing ordinary. It was a reminder of God’s faithfulness to those who keep on with the advancement of His Kingdom. BB Asia is blessed to have the continuous support of BB Singapore and Presbyterian churches. They serve as an inspiration to everyone, members and member countries of BB Asia, to stay faithful to the object of the Boys’ Brigade, and touch lives through the generations.

The guests parted ways, filled with new encouragement and strength to continue the ministry of Boys’ Brigade.

Reminiscing about the past at the BB 1st Company Heritage Corner

Blowing the candles on the birthday cake: Sunny Wu, BB Asia President; Tan Kok Kia (seated), oldest BB Boy, who joined BB 1st Coy in 1936 when he was 12 years old; and Lee Soo Ann, BB Alumni 1st SA Patron

BB Asia Singapore representative, William Wong

(centre) with BB 1st Company

members

BB Alumni, 1st SA family photo

with BB Members from all across Asia

(Continued from Page 15)

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BB1J 2020 ~ 1st Quarter Update

Lee Leng teaching the P3-P5 Boys

Kok Choo teaching

the P6 Boys

By Ho Yew Keong

Teacher Samuel leading

the Boys in games before

parade

BB 1J started off the year with a BB Day parade at school on 10 January 2020.

We thank God for our 10 new Boys - 9 P3s and 1 P4 who have joined us.This brings us to a total of 26 Boys. However, 8 of the Boys are in

P6. So by April, beginning of Term 2, we will be left with 18 Boys, a good number to focus our activities and efforts on.

The main activity for March would have been the Adventure Quest for the P6 Boys, which is a prerequisite for their Gold Award, the highest award for primary school. However, due to Covid-19, this challenge has been cancelled. BB Week has also been postponed to a later date due to Covid-19.

Kok Choo and Fei Mei are in charge of training the P6 Boys in first aid, knot tying, tent pitching, map reading, drill and BB history. The Boys have learnt these before. So this serves as a revision for them before they embark on the challenge. Although the Adventure Quest has been cancelled,

we intend to have a mini challenge among the Boys. And we will recommend the winners to HQ for the Gold Award.

The rest of the Boys are doing their White and Green badgework. Lee Leng has completed the White Badge (4 lessons) with the Boys on BB history and basic drill. I will cover the Green Badge (4 lessons) on sharing and caring for others through BB Cares and BB Share-a-Gift.

I have revamped the programme a bit to include a short time of games to get the Boys warmed up. We have about 15 mins for games or exercise which is conducted by the teacher in charge, a short sharing (devotion), followed by the lesson proper for another 45 mins, and drill before dismissal. I have also introduced a Muster parade every 1st Friday of the month, so that the Boys can get used to wearing the BB uniform.

Do continue to pray for wisdom as we share the Good News with the Boys. We will not be able to do it directly, so wisdom is needed as we think about how we can bring the message across to them. Pray for more ideas as to how to keep the Boys’ interest growing.

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MINISTRY CORNERCChhiillddrreenn’’ss

By Ruth BoeyWhat does Easter mean to our Sunday School Kids?

Here at PSPC, many of us are familiar with the biblical story of Christ’s death and resurrection, and what it means that Jesus has conquered death. But have you ever wondered if our Sunday School kids think about Easter the same way?

We hit the (church) grounds with a refreshingly candid interview of Sunday School kids aged 5-11, asking the questions: What do you know about Easter? What does it mean to you?

Kudos to the children for bravely speaking their thoughts, even if they didn’t know the “right” answer. We were rewarded with gleeful expectations of sugary treats, but also surprisingly mature and thoughtful insights about what Easter means to the kids. We say - good job to the Sunday School teachers, parents and church family for raising honest, joyful, godly kids!

Easter means EASTER DAY! It is

coming soon. ~ Sandra (K1)

It is the day we were cleansed of our sins forever... ~ Sophia (Primary 3)

Easter is on the 12th of April. It is when Jesus

won the war against sin and evil...

~ Isaac (Primary 5)

It makes me dream... of chocolate and

cute bunnies.. ~ Danielle (Primary 2)

Easter is … When the Easter Bunny will come! ~ Ye Tong (Primary 2)

It is the day Jesus was born. Oh no that’s not

right. It is the day Jesus was resurrected. And also

chocolate bunnies... ~ Lily (Primary 3)

Easter is when Jesus died on the cross. And then he rose again

for our sins.. ~ Gabrielle (Primary 3)

Easter is when Jesus rose from the

grave. Also Easter eggs! And the Easter bunny will come! ~ Noah (Primary 5)

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PSPC Updates(November 2019 - Present)

Weddings

Hi there! We are Lee Weiyong and Cheryl Teo. We have been attending PSPC for about two years and got married on 30 November 2019. It has indeed been a blessing to attend PSPC and to grow in the Lord, especially through the Discipleship Class. We hope to continue to grow here in PSPC!

We are Ocean Wong Hoe Xian and Lynn Chan Lih Lin and we were happily married on 20 February 2020. After dating for eight years since junior college, we were both baptised in PSPC at Easter last year. Lynn grew up as a GB Girl supported by PSPC, and she brought us to this very church that she felt the most familiar with. We are now finally married and excited for our married

life, but there is nothing more satisfying than to know that we will be serving God together and God is with us to overcome any obstacles we might face in our marriage. Thank you to PSPC and our Clementi Cell Group for all the support we have received.

New Birth

Parents: Stefan Huan and Ying Ying

The good Lord blessed us with our second child on

29 December 2019, a beautiful baby girl that we

named Faith Sofia Huan. It took us a lot longer to

find a suitable name for her. But when we saw her,

we knew that Faith was the name for her. The Lord

has given our family so many blessings and love. Our

family tag line is now Christian Faith.

By Alan YeoPSPC Christmas Service 2019

22 the MESSENGER


Upcoming PLH Events22 Mar PLH Outing10 Apr Easter Retreat24 May PLH Games Day10-14 Jun Church Camp (TBC)28 Jun Youth Sunday26 Jul Missions Month Movie22 Nov PLH Outing29 Nov Seniors’ Graduation & Sec 1’s Welcome4-6 Dec PLH End-of-Year Camp

The Prinsep Lighthouse Newsletter

Orientation Day Camp 5 Jan 2020

We are 2020 PLH Youth Committee. Tobias (Chairman) Emily (Vice-Chairman) Luke (PA i/c) Victoria (Befrienders i/c) Joanne (Befrienders) Benedict (Befrienders) Russell (Admin i/c) Daniel (Admin) Yang Yang (Social Media i/c) Joy (Social Media)Joshua (Worship i/c) Ryan (Worship) - missing from photo

For us, being in PLH means being part of a community in which we can grow in our Christian faith alongside fellow like-minded youths. To this end, we hope to develop PLH into a close-knit yet receptive community where everyone feels comfortable enough to be authentic and vulnerable with one another, through the fostering of bonds that will not only support us in our individual walk with God, but also last beyond PLH.

We are honoured to have this opportunity to serve in PLH, and we’ll do our best to make this a fun and meaningful year for the ministry! So, look forward to an exciting line-up of camps and events in 2020, and we’ll see you around.

Cheers,YC 2020

In line with our PLH Mission to live His life, and share His Word, we will be embarking on the following study series that will equip youths with a good grounding in God’s Word, whilst encouraging them to practise spiritual disciplines.

As part of this year’s church theme of “Serving Our Community, Blessing The World”, PLH will be organising activities to enable our youths to serve their peers and community, while blessing them. Similar to previous years, we will also be conducting fellowship activities and teaching sessions on topics and issues on faith relevant to youths.

PLH Study SeriesHospitalityEmotional Spiritual HealthWestminster Shorter Catechism7 Churches of Revelation

PLH Topical SessionsLadies & GentlemenSpiritual Disciplines

PLH kicked off the new year with an orientation day camp filled with fun and games. We would also like to extend a warm welcome to our Secondary One Juniors who have just joined us!

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Cancelled. Meeting online instead!

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the˜˚˛˛˚˝ ˙˚ˆ - pspc

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