What Shall We Be To One Another? Bishop Launches Church Redevelopment Project A Legacy For The Future APR/MAY/JUN 12. New Church Building

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1 APR/MAY/JUN 12 Vol.28, No.2 Private circulation only New Church Building What Shall We Be To One Another? Bishop Launches Church Redevelopment Project A Legacy For The Future

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3 IONAL TSPIRIT-LED, RELA APR/MAY/JUN 2012 Contents TRINITY METHODIST CHURCH 6 Jalan 5/37, Petaling Jaya Tel: , Fax: admin@trinitypj.com At Your Service Pastor In Charge : The Rev Dr Timothy Ong Associate Pastor : The Rev Ting Moy Hong Ministry Staff : Mr Rick Tan & Mdm Janet Leong Services and Activities Sunday Worship Service (Traditional) 8.30am Worship Service (Contemporary) 10.45am Worship Service (Chinese) 10.45am Worship Service (BU Methodist Centre) 10.45am Worship Service 6.00pm Sunday School (all ages) 8.30am Sunday School 10.45am Monday Sanctuary Choir Practice Tuesday MSF Meeting Study Groups / Talks Wednesday Bible Study Manna Prayer Group Counselling (The Oasis) Prayer Meeting Thursday Bible Study Friday MPS Chapel Service Prayer Meeting Live Wire HEALTH Y C HURCH Saturday Prayer Watch Counselling (The Oasis) Boys Brigade Girls Brigade Baptism/Membership Class Methodist Women (3rd week monthly) MAF (4th Saturday monthly) MYAF MYF 8.00pm 10.30am 8.00pm 9.30am 10.00am 2.00pm 7.30pm 8.00pm noon 8.00pm 8.00pm 7.00am 2.00pm 2.30pm 2.30pm 2.30pm 3.30pm 4.00pm 5.00pm 6.00pm Pastoral Message 2 What Shall We Be To One Another? Church Redevelopment Project 4 Planting The Seeds For Growth 6 Bishop Launches Church Redevelopment Project 8 A Legacy For The Future Feature 11 A Natural Chapel Of Rock 12 Speaking Up But Watch Your Step 13 Ageing As A Spiritual Journey 14 Let There Be Peace On Earth 15 Call For Churches to Unite 16 Look Up Easter In Wellington Home Fellowship 19 A Beautiful Sweet Smile 20 I Feel Peace And Joy 21 Emmanuel God With Us Testimony 22 Testimony Of My Mother Announcement 23 Church Announcements MSF 24 21st TRAC MSF Annual Camp Good Food, Good Company And Guess Who Could Sing? Sunday School 28 A Letter To Mum For Mother s Day A Letter To Dad For Father s Day editorial B O A R D Datin Dr Ng Sook Ming Mdm Jessie Thaw Chin Sooi Mdm Louise Tay Gaik Lan Ms Liew Pooi Lin Ms Grace Choong Mrs Lily Ch ng Mr Rick Tan Teng Kim Editorial Notes: The Editorial Board reserves the right to edit all articles submitted. It does not guarantee that all articles submitted will be published. Deadline for articles to be sent in for July/August/September issue : 10th September Articles should be confined to two printed pages or not more than 1,200 words. The Publication Committee of the Clarion seeks the cooperation of all involved in the different ministries of the church, and appeals for submission of reports and testimonies on activities carried out. Relevant articles and testimonies will encourage and inspire church members in theirjourney towards spiritual growth. CLARION APR/MAY/JUN

4 PASTORAL MESSAGE What Shall We Be To One Another? By Rev Ting Moy Hong When was the last you took time to call to mind the people in your lives and reflected upon their influence on you? None of us exist nor develop as a person in a vacuum. If we would carefully ponder upon those who have had shaped us, we would see how much who we are have much to do with those who have spent time with us, cared and influenced our thinking and living. Jesus Christ chose the twelve. He spent about three years with them. He lived with them. He ate with them. He spoke to them. He listened to them. He taught them. He demonstrated to them the ministry they were to do later. He loved them. He bore with their personal ambitions and idiosyncrasies. He sent them out to teach, to heal, to do His ministry. He was disappointed with them. He was deserted by them. He laid down His life for them. He did not give up on them. He reached out to them. He encouraged them. He instructed them. I have always wondered what the thoughts of the disciples were, on Good Friday night, and even on the confusing Easter Morning. Did it ever occur to them that through them, the church of Christ would rise, that the Gospel of Christ would be brought to all nations. My take is they most probably did not think so. Yet, what they did not fully realize was that Jesus influence upon them was irreversible. Recently, my sisters visited me during their school holidays. We talked about our mother who died about three years ago after many long years of suffering the effects of hereditary ataxeia. During one of our intimate conversations I shared with them that I see our mother s lasting influence upon me in many ways. Interestingly, my sisters readily agreed with me. I told them that I suppose I could not escape her influence as among my siblings, I spent the most time with her when we were much younger. I still remember her pep-talks, her counsels, her stories, her faith, her tenacity in difficult times, her quiet trust in the Lord and patient bearing with her long and debilitating illness. She taught us in her own ways, firm and loving to worship and honour God. She insisted that we give one tenth of our earnings to the church. To be sure, my mother had her aspirations about me although I am not sure if she had intended it that her influence lasts through. As I reflect, I think I was not as aware as I am now the depth of mom s footprints in my life. Surely the Lord has blessed me with many other people who had cast their influence PASTORAL & MINISTRY TEAM Rev. Dr Timothy Ong Pastor-In-Charge Rev. Ting Moy Hong Associate Pastor Mr Rick Tan Ministry Staff Mdm Janet Leong Ministry Staff 2 APR/MAY/JUN 2012 CLARION

5 upon me in small and big ways, making contributions to my belief, my thinking and my responses to life. I know that who I am has so much to do with these people the Lord has given me and that led me to think that I too knowingly and unknowingly would also have influenced those around me. Parents, you have immense influence upon your children. Your follow-ship of Jesus Christ, your way of life, your faith, how you live out your faith, your decisions, how you spend your monies, how you regard the poor and defenceless, how you respond to the challenges of life, your relationship with others and your values cast a huge influence, much deeper than you imagine, upon your children. Here, if I may say is where the primary platform for spiritual formation and where disciples of Christ are being formed. At the recently concluded TMC Family Camp, we were reminded of the authority of parents over their children. I like to think of it as the powerful source of influence that parents have on their children, grown or otherwise. Parents continue to influence their children even after they have passed on from this side of eternity! As members of the church, we are reminders to one another that we are primarily the disciples of Jesus Christ. Our life calling and purpose is to follow Christ. Younger Christians and youths look out for disciples of Jesus Christ amongst the leaders and elder members of the church. They search for mature disciples of Christ who could be their spiritual mentors who would show them the way of following Christ in their challenging world. They need the elders of the church to explain how being disciples of Christ is more than coming to church on Sundays and participating in some of the church activities, by their lives and the manner by which they discharge their church membership vows. They need to see the correlation between spiritual maturity and Christlikeness. I have a question can they rightly expect to find mature disciples of Christ amongst the older members of the church? In many ways, when our youths ask the question, it is a reason for rejoicing because they have asked a good question. This question albeit a legitimate one should however not stop any of us from seeking to grow as disciples of Christ and help others follow Christ. Generally and at all times, we can choose to be the Christ-like influence (and we can be by the enabling of the Holy Spirit) upon those around us with our thoughts, speech (written or verbal) and responses to life. John Wesley, a name we are familiar with, ensured the continual nurturing required of new Christians so that they may continue to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ and life of holiness, organized them in small groups calling them the classes and bands. Read more in John Wesley s Accountability Discipleship Groups: Discipleship Articles/John Wesley s Accountability Discipleship Groups/ and John Wesley Small Groups: jsp?id= In small groups - where we make time to meet as regularly as weekly, where we give ourselves opportunity to be continually nurtured spiritually, where we allow others to encourage us and affirm with us our gifts to serve, where we allow others to look out for us, we pray for one another there we provide a platform/infrastructure for growth in our discipleship. To this end, Rev Dr Timothy Ong, I and a team of others have begun working towards encouraging all of us to be part of a small group. We will be approaching some of you to consider taking on small group leadership and be equipped for the role. We look forward to you welcoming this effort to be part of a small group life. Indeed it is our hope that disciplemaking and intentional discipleship after Jesus Christ be a distinct mark of Trinity Methodist Church. We have just launched the TMC Redevelopment Project on 10 June The leadership of the church sincerely believes that this is an investment that is ours to make for the next 50 years of ministries of Christ in and through TMC. This is a physical investment which is hoped to facilitate the ministries of Jesus Christ which we are called to as His followers or disciples. The physical investment would be successful when we do not fail in our discipleship in and after Christ. CLARION APR/MAY/JUN

6 CHURCH REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT Planting The Seeds For Growth By Mr Andrew Wong From the past will come the future; what it holds, a mystery, unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see. In the bulb there is a flower; in the seed, an apple tree; In cocoons, a hidden promise: butterflies will soon be free! In the cold and snow of winter there s a spring that waits to be, Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see. This Hymn of Promise was playing in my head as Trinity Methodist Church Petaling Jaya unveiled the launch of the Church Redevelopment Project (CRP) and the Church Redevelopment Fund Raising (CRFR) programme during the Sunday 8.30am service on June 10, It was a day many members had been working hard for in the months prior from designing a logo that would represent the basis of the development, to planning for fund-raising events and even finding a suitable plant to represent the fruit of the labour. kindergarten block and a larger sanctuary in anticipation of an increase in membership. And increase it certainly has: from just 70 members, TMC is now 2,000-strong and almost bursting at its seams. Chuah said this generation is now tasked with emulating the founding fathers to plan for the next 50 years. The new development that includes a new kindergarten block and sanctuary is not for us but for our children and grandchildren to come he said. The species chosen (Bucida molineti) may not yield flowers or apples, but what it symbolises ought to bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit, if the new spaces being built in TMC are used to turn God s words into powerful actions. At the June 10 launch and unveiling of the redevelopment theme, Growing Trinity, CRFR committee chairman, Mr Chuah Ewe Teik, explained to the congregation that the logo with its blue wave signifies the power and strength of God with us while the TMC logo sitting on top of the plant represents the fruit that will be born in the future. In totality, he said the logo shows God with us; have faith in God, plant a new seed, let it grow, let us be united and let the fruit mature to serve future generations. The Petaling Jaya of 50 years ago and today is completely unrecognisable due to the march of progress, he said. However, at that time, Chuah said TMC s founding fathers were given the vision by God to expand to include a Church members looking at a scale model of the proposed development On the attitude we as TMC members ought to adopt to achieve the objective, Chuah quoting 2 Corinthians 9:7-8 said, Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. We need to stay strong by staying united and together, we can raise the funds to realise the development, he said. Bishop Dr Hwa Yung, who was invited to officiate the redevelopment launch, said in his sermon that staying 4 APR/MAY/JUN 2012 CLARION

7 Bishop Dr Hwa Yung being given a Growing Trinity gift by LCEC Chairman, Mr Tan Ean Chye Bishop Dr Hwa Yung placing the Bucida molineti in the ground united is important. However, he cautioned that church development can sap a lot of energy from it, leaving it exhausted emotionally and spiritually. The development must not cause this; instead it should energise the church remember what the purpose (of the expansion) is, which is to be a place (for more people) to worship God, to be a place of prayer and to be a place that will become a centre of Christian service and outreach, he said. We all know TMC went through a difficult process (during the initial stages of redevelopment planning), but God was good instead of this building project splitting the church wide open, it has brought you to the point of unity; working together. Following the Bishop s message, he together with Rev Dr Timothy Ong, Rev Ting Moy Hong, CRFR chairman Chuah and TMC leaders were led out past a Girls Brigade guard-ofhonour to the church grounds where the Bucida molineti was planted, witnessed by members of the 8.30am service. As they shovelled the earth onto the plant to mark the beginning of the development programme, the final verse of the Hymn of Promise played itself out in my head: In our end is our beginning; in our time, infinity; In our doubt there is believing; in our life, eternity, In our death, a resurrection; at the last, a victory, Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see. Pastoral and lay leaders (from left) Rev Dr Timothy Ong, Rev Wong Onn Thau, Bishop Dr Hwa Yung, Chuah Ewe Teik, Rev Ting Moy Hong, Tan Ean Chye, Tan Hock Wah, David Lee and Mary Bien CLARION APR/MAY/JUN

8 CHURCH REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT Bishop Launches Church Redevelopment Project By Datin Dr Ng Sook Ming 10 June 2012 marked a very important milestone in the history of the Trinity Methodist Church PJ. It was the occasion of the launch of the Church Redevelopment Project which occurred simultaneously with the launch of the TMC Building Fund. Since most of the activities pertaining to the above mentioned events took place during and after the 8.30am service, the following will be a fairly comprehensive account (together with lots of photographs) catering to those who were unable to be present so that they will not miss out on any part of our exciting journey. The 8.30am Service During the 8.30am service the Church Redevelopment Project was launched when our Pastor-in-Charge, the Rev Dr Timothy Ong, praised and thanked the Lord for that day. He declared that we wanted to dedicate this project to the Lord and that it was the Lord s project to be used for the advancement of His ministry. He announced that there would be a ground-breaking ceremony after the service. Rev Dr Ong invited the worshippers to join in the journey of the church redevelopment and informed them that they would be briefed on the project. To this end he invited Mr Chuah Ewe Teik, Chairman of the Fund Raising Committee to make his presentation. Mr Chuah s presentation served to launch the TMC Building Fund. It was very well-received as this was the first time that the congregation had been briefed in detail on the church redevelopment and they liked the transparency of the financial status. It was clear from their responses that they supported the redevelopment wholeheartedly. In keeping with the theme, Bishop Dr Hwa Yung delivered a sermon on, Which house will you build for Me. Referring to the building of the temple for the Lord, the Bishop taught that God condescended to His people s effort to give Him the best when they built the temple for the worship of Him even though He cannot be contained in anyway nor did He need them to build the temple. Bishop further shared the story of a little church in Sitiawan whereby the Lord chose to manifest His glory in a spectacular way, thereby, drawing many to the church. He impressed upon the church not to spend too much time in fund-raising but in ensuring that the ministries of the church are not neglected in the process. He urged members to contribute to build their church so that less time is spent on fund-raising. The Ground-Breaking Service Around 10am, after service ended, Bishop, together with our two pastors, made their way to the entrance of the loggia. They walked through a guard-of-honour formed by the Girls Brigade and to the accompaniment of a stirring march played by the Girls Brigade band. Rev Dr Ong started the service with a dedication: As God s people and as a church, we want to start all things right with God. Also this morning, we want to start it right as well for our redevelopment project. And at this time we want to dedicate our Redevelopment Project most importantly to God. We also remember the labours, the dedication of past pastors, lay leaders, members of this church who have built the buildings that we are still enjoying. Let us remember the words of the Lord to us, Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God. Psalm 48:1 How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even 6 APR/MAY/JUN 2012 CLARION

9 faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Psalm 84:1, 2 The Rev Ting Moy Hong, our Associate Pastor, continued by leading in the Call for the occasion: Dearly beloved in the Lord: For as much as devout and holy men and women have erected houses for the public worship and the work of God, and separated them from all unhallowed, worldly, and common uses, in order to fill men and women s minds with greater reverence for His glorious majesty, and affect their hearts with greater devotion and humility for His service; which pious works have been approved of and graciously accepted by our heavenly Father; let us trust that He will also favourably approve our Godly purpose of setting apart this place in solemn manner, that upon it there may be erected a building for the worship and work of God. Let us then faithfully and devoutly ask His blessing on this our undertaking. Next, Mr Tan Hock Wah, informed the people that the Bishop would be planting a tree signifying the launch of the Redevelopment Project and the start of our formal fund raising effort. He prayed to the Lord, thanking Him for the special day. He committed our building plans and our fund raising to our Heavenly Father. He prayed for the Lord s help that we may not forget Him in our busyness but to keep our focus on Christ. He prayed that as the tree grows, so too will our spiritual life grow from strength to strength along with it, united in Christ. Bishop Dr Hwa Yung then made the Declaration, To the glory of God, in the presence of this congregation, I now direct that ground to be broken for the Trinity Methodist Church s Redevelopment Project. Upon you as members of this congregation rests the responsibility and privilege to cause a church to rise here which shall be devoted to the honour and worship of the almighty God our Father, and to the glory of His blessed Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Bishop : That a church may rise here where little children shall learn to love God and grow in grace and goodness, and in favour with God and man, People : We break this ground today. Bishop : That a church may rise here where through the years youth shall come to worship, pause to pray and rise to serve, People : We break this ground today. Bishop : That a church may rise here where the weary and heavy-laden shall find the inner peace which the world can neither give nor take away, People : We break this ground today. Bishop : That a church may rise here where the Word of God shall be so read and preached that it shall become the Living Word, and the Sacraments so administered that all life shall become a sacrament, People : We break the ground today. Bishop : That a church may arise here where multitudes shall be refreshed in spirit, relieved from pain, released from bondage, and redeemed from sin, People : We break the ground today. Bishop : That a church may arise here where the grace of God may be manifest, making our human loves constant, our homes Christ-like, and our families creative centers of Christian witness, People : We break this ground. Bishop : That a church may arise here where all who bow in sorrow shall arise in faith in Him in whom to believe is life eternal, People : We break this ground. The main party then moved to the little roundabout in front of the loggia, the site of breaking the ground. The Ground Breaking Bishop was handed a small tree, Bucida molineti, which he held aloft and declared, Friends, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, I plant this plant as a symbol of the growth of the church. Will you all please pray that God will bless this effort not just in this planting but in the years to come of the work and ministry of this church. Amen. He then lowered the plant into the hole in the ground and shovelled in the first spadeful of earth to a round of applause. He was followed in quick succession by Rev Dr Timothy Ong, Rev Ting Moy Hong, Mr Chuah Ewe Teik, Mr Tan Ean Chye, Mr David Lee Kow, Mr Tan Hock Wah and Dr Mary Bien. Rev Ong addressed the crowd after the ceremony saying, Friends, this is just the beginning. We must continue to bring our prayers of support in every way and we look forward to this, the Redevelopment Project, all for the glory of God. Amen. CLARION APR/MAY/JUN

10 CHURCH REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT A Legacy For The Future By Datin Dr Ng Sook Ming That a Church may rise here so that declared our Bishop Dr Hwa Yung solemnly and the congregation appropriately responded: We break this ground today and following a series of further declarations and responses, our Bishop concluded this solemn ceremony by planting a tree (Bucida molineti) symbolizing the ground-breaking ceremony and the launching of the TMC Building Fund and a new chapter in the history of our beloved Trinity Methodist Church, Petaling Jaya began! Introduction It was on Sunday, 10 June 2012, immediately after the 8.30am worship, that this important and historical event for our beloved church, Trinity Methodist Church, Petaling Jaya took place. It marked the occasion of the launching of the Redevelopment Project, the Fund Raising Project and the beginning of a long journey into the future, an ambitious plan to leave behind a legacy for our youth, our children and future generations of members of our Church. Mr Chuah Ewe Teik, Chairman of the Church Redevelopment Fund Raising Committee Mr Chuah Ewe Teik, Chairman of the Church Redevelopment Fund Raising Committee, speaking on behalf of the LCEC, the Church Redevelopment Project Committee and the Fund Raising Committee, began the day with a short presentation covering an overview and rationale for the project and some of its financial aspects. The Logo - Growing Trinity He started the presentation by introducing the logo, depicting our redevelopment project and our theme for the fund raising campaign. He explained that the strong blue wave represents the power of God sweeping through our church, calling us to sow seeds for further growth in spirituality and Christian services. The small plant represents the beginning of our growth into the next 50 years and beyond as we prepare a Christian foundation for our youth and the generations to come. From the plant rises the TMC logo, fruit-like, representing the fruit of our labour, hopes and faith, which result in a bigger, stronger and more spiritual church. This logo, he said, will be used in all aspects pertaining to the redevelopment project. A Trip Down Memory Lane From the logo, he aptly took the congregation down memory lane by showing a picture of old Petaling Jaya, taken 50 years ago and drove home the message that no one could have imagined or predicted the phenomenal growth that has taken place within a span of 50 years. He told the congregation that TMC was dedicated also about 50 years ago. It started humbly in what is now our Church Hall with about 70-odd members our founding fathers. In those days they had no computers, no , no Facebook, no iphones, no ipads, no hand-phones, no TV, no air-conditioners. BUT they had great visions for the future and they had plans for growth, he added. They shared the same Christian interests as we do today. They shared a desire to strengthen personal spirituality, to spread the word of God and to extend Christian services to the community. They placed their hopes and faith in God. 8 APR/MAY/JUN 2012 CLARION

11 Old Petaling Jaya Old Church Hall They donated about RM126,000 and made a bold decision to build this small church and bought this large piece of land in preparation for the future. Driving home his message on leaving a legacy behind, he reiterated that 50 years ago, our founding fathers sowed the seeds for growth. They were thinking of us, and today we are benefitting from the seeds they sowed. Without mincing his words he told the congregation: Today we are sitting on a piece of prime land worth at least RM50 million which we would never ever afford to buy now! Trinity Methodist Church Today From 70-odd members we now have 2,000 members. We have a beautiful air-conditioned, almost sound-proof sanctuary for us to worship in. We have four services every Sunday and every day of the week we have activities for all age groups focused on strengthening our faith and spirituality. We are busy learning the word of God, living the word of God and spreading the word of God. live long enough to find out whether our decisions today are the correct ones for tomorrow. He stressed that we need to place our hope and faith in God and prepare the foundation for future generations. To leave behind a new legacy, just like what our founding fathers did for us. He announced that this redevelopment project has the blessing of our members, our Bishop and the top echelon in TRAC. Our church has therefore decided to proceed with the redevelopment. A Platform for Growth This is what the new building will look like. New building TMC today We continue expanding our Christian services to the community. This mission has since transformed thousands of lives through areas such as spreading the word of God, education, social outreach, youth development, caring for the infirmed and counseling. The Uncertain Future Our country is changing, our laws are changing, the Federal Constitution may change and we cannot know or even predict what the future will be like..., he declared. Only God knows the future. We can only wish and hope. Many of us may not A Case of Sooner than Later Why must we redevelop now and not wait for our next generation to do it in 50 years time? The answer is obvious. At a conservative estimation of 5% inflation per year, in 50 years time, this same building costing RM15 million today will escalate to RM164 million. We will be leaving a heavy burden for the next generation to bear. They will never be able to build a new church on their own, just like we would never be able to buy the prime land TMC is sitting on today. Therefore RM15 million is not such a big number when compared to RM164 million. You should also remember that our founding fathers invested about RM126,000 and today our land is worth more than RM50 million. This comparison CLARION APR/MAY/JUN

12 CHURCH REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT 10 and cost escalation is therefore quite realistic. TMC Building Fund Elaborating on the status of the TMC Building Fund, he showed the following slide, which was self-explanatory: Capped at RM 15,000,000 10% Contingency RM 1,500,000 Est. Total Cost RM 16,500,000 Funds Available RM 7, Funds Needed RM 9,500,000 He announced that through the years, the Church has been putting aside funds for the redevelopment project. We now have RM7 million in this fund and all it takes is to raise another RM9.5 million to leave a legacy for future generations our youths, our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. He made no qualms about it when he said, This is our church! This is the legacy we want to leave behind! The funding must come from us! The Call for Support Twice he asked the worshippers at the 8 30am service, CAN WE DO IT? and twice the answer resounded, YES! YES! the second louder than the first. He received the same enthusiastic response from the 10.45am Chinese service and the 6pm English service on the same day. On 17 June when he delivered his presentation to the 10.45am English service, the response was just as positive and enthusiastic. Encouraged by the affirmative support for the church redevelopment project, he then called for financial support from members. Donations and Pledges Members are encouraged to make enquiries on pledges and donations from officials manning booths in the loggia. He further called for support for other fund raising projects. Cash to be placed inside the TMC Building Fund envelope provided; Cheques to be made payable to TMC Building Fund ; Pledges Pledge forms can be obtained in the loggia on Sundays and from the office on weekdays. Members have the option to spread their pledges across calendar years 2012, 2013 and Money Cans can be obtained in the loggia on Sundays and will be collected in November 2012, exactly six months after the Money Cans project was launched; APR/MAY/JUN 2012 CLARION Other Fund Raising Projects these will include selling commemorative items and organizing a Charity Golf Competition. Musical performances from the world-famous Madrigal Singers, Charity Dinners and many more are in the pipeline. In Giving - our Bible says: Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you. Deuteronomy 16:17 Pre-launch Pledges and Donations The enthusiastic and energetic Chairman of the Fund Raising Committee was visibly touched when he announced to the congregation that even before he stood up to make his presentation, many members of the church, upon hearing that the redevelopment project was going ahead had voluntarily come forward with almost a RM1,000,000 in pledges and donations. A Legacy for the Future In summarizing his presentation Mr Chuah again referred to our founding fathers of the Church, praising them for their vision, their plans for growth, their hopes and faith in God and thanking them for the legacy they left behind for us. He further reiterated that the redevelopment project is meant for our future generations and called for the church to stay strong and united, to sow a new seed, to move forward for the future, to have hope and faith in God. He exhorted the congregation to give generously to the TMC Building Fund so that someday our children, our grandchildren and our great grandchildren can say: Thanks to our forefathers who had great vision, faith and fortitude and thanks to God who inspired and helped them, we have this great legacy in which to worship God, to help Him with His work and to spread His word. He concluded by seeking congregational agreement to what he had just presented to which he received a thunderous, YES! THE ENTIRE CHURCH SAID AMEN TO THE REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT. ALL GLORY BE TO GOD

13 FEATURE A Natural Chapel Of Rock By Mdm Louise Tay If only rocks could speak, they would be able to reveal to us the wisdom of time events and secrets that took place throughout their existence of millions of years! I have always marvelled at their durability and how they could withstand the test of time, though sometimes having to change shape due to their exposure to the forces of nature. I had the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of rocks on a trip to the Macedon Ranges in Victoria, Australia, recently. It was a very cold morning on the day of our visit to the famous Hanging Rock area and that got me thinking imagine if one were cold and alone, living in the highlands among a pile of rocks, with only the sounds of animals and insects to keep one company throughout the night, what would one do? I guess one could build a huge bonfire and get drunk and waking up the next morning feeling really lousy, and that too provided one had a good supply of booze. Or one could talk to God and invite Him in as one s friend! We are told in the Bible that one would be able to hear God if one is still and quiet and that He would provide for us. Isaiah 4:6 says: There will be a booth for shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain. This was what I believed a lonely bushranger found when he was living among the rocks. There was evidence that God provided him a refuge up in the highlands. A huge pile of rocks was pushed up from the earth s interior into the surface some six million years ago following a volcanic eruption but due to the process of erosion brought about by the changes in weather, the rocks broke and rolled Beautiful and ageless huge pieces of rocks shaped by the process of erosion down the hill, creating an artistic display of shapes. It was like a display of rock art and tourists were drawn to the wonderful formations. Looking at creations like these simply makes one marvel at God s hand in this. God allows the forces of Nature to shape the rocks, re-emphasizing the smallness of our existence. The rocks have been there for six million years! Even trees outlive men and could survive for hundreds of years. Being dwarfed by the rocks and trees, I realized that we are just tiny specks in God s universe. There is a greater purpose and we are part of God s plan. All we have to do to know more about this plan is to Be still, and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10 The lonely bushranger must be scruffy and dirty as people called him Mad Dog Morgan but local history said he came to the area during the gold rush in the 1830s and out of poverty, lived in a hollow cave. There is a lookout point near his cave that is named after him. Near the cave is a wonderful collage of rocks named The Chapel. There are no chairs or benches for one to sit while praying but it is quiet there and I want to believe that the bushranger found peace with God among the rocks. This group of rocks must have provided a good refuge for the lonely bushranger as it is like an enclosed shelter, shielding one from the harsh weather and one gets a wonderful view of the sky above. This serves as a good place to talk to God. If you are inside these rocks, you will be able to see light shining down from the heavens, lighting up the darkness around you. The Chapel... a group of rocks that offers a refuge for the cold and lonely. CLARION APR/MAY/JUN

14 FEATURE Speaking Up But Watch Your Step By Mr Patrick Chen Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? Matthew 7:3. Do not judge, or you too will be judged Matthew 7:1. The above verses are often used to caution others not to criticize or judge others. However, very often, this caution has been so much over-emphasized and misused that we have become fearful to the extent of becoming totally mute even when we see something is not right or a wrong has been committed. Some of us have been made to feel that we are just as sinful and not righteous enough to speak up. So does it mean only those without sin can speak up? But who is without sin? None of us. Remember what Jesus told the crowd of people who wanted to throw stones at a prostitute. In John 8:1-11 Jesus said: Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. And in 1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. So we are all sinner. Does this mean we cannot speak up against evil or wrong-doing? If that is the case, then our leaders and those whom we criticize will have a field day doing whatever they please. Another reason for not speaking up is because of obligation, or beholden to those for favours done. This is indeed a dangerous situation to get into as it literally shuts the mouths of those who have obligations. To put it bluntly, it is like selling your soul to the devil as you have no more self-respect or dignity left. For instance, if your employer offers a job to one of your family members, will you not feel obligated to him and thus will most likely not oppose him in his decisions, even if they are bad and unjustified? Therefore, do not get into a situation where you cannot say your piece. Accept any favour or help without strings attached. Certain people consider others speaking up as questioning their performance, especially if the substance of speaking up is against their way of doing things. And one of the responses we get is that we must have faith in the people whom we have elected. This must be a very naïve attitude. In other words, we should not question their actions and accept whatever that is being dished out. Are the elected members so infallible? Take the present political scenario as an example. Are we to swallow lock, stock and barrel whatever that is said or offered by those in authority? We would have done just that had it not been for the Internet. If one cannot accept criticisms then one should not stand for election. Still yet another response is that we should not rock the boat or we should close one eye because we want to show love. So we seal our lips and allow the infestation to spread, to spread until a crisis explodes in our midst, and then we pretend it never happened or we sweep it under the carpet. Jesus said in James 5:19 that, My brothers, if anyone should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back. Some may want to confine the truth to the word of God, but I believe that it should encompass the word of God as well as any form of dispute or disagreement. So to me, SPEAKING UP is not an option. When we live in a community or society, we become part of it, and speaking up is never an option. If we do not speak up, the gangrene of wrong-doings will take root and spread and we will be guilty of allowing the wrong to perpetuate. Bishop Dr Hwa Yung, in his article on Christians and Nation Building published in the August 2010 issue of Pelita, cautioned us of the danger of remaining silent and not making a stand in face of rampant evil. He made this statement because of the many happenings in our country today. He noted that in the past Christians have generally kept a low profile, but this is fast changing, and that evangelicals in the non-western world are increasingly getting involved in politics. He then concluded that, Christians need to avoid merely knee-jerk reactions, but to think hard about how we respond. However, speaking up alone is like a voice in the wilderness with no one bothering to listen. But if the voices are many and persistent, the desired effect will eventually be achieved. As an example, the many voices via the alternate media and blogs that condemned the inaction of the authorities over certain cases have brought about the desired results, that is, the combined voices have forced the authorities to take action. However, when speaking up, we must WATCH OUR STEPS. Obviously we must have our motives right. Matthew 18:15-17 tells us how we should go about doing it. If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. By Christ s example we can see three distinct methods of Christian conduct during times of disagreement. First, we 12 APR/MAY/JUN 2012 CLARION

15 find Christ making simple, truthful statements as in his dialogue with Pilate. We see Christ recognizing a desire for truth, and respecting it. He then engages in discussion and offers responses to Pilate s questions. With Herod, Christ remains silent, knowing that no good could come of any kind of discussion. In essence, as believers, we are to utilize discernment in recognizing the state of mind of those we disagree with, and by following Christ s example, either speak the truth without argument, engage in discussion, or simply remain silent. The events discussed above, can be found in the accounts of Christ s trials in Mathew 26 and 27, Mark 14 and 15, Luke 22 and 23, John 18 and 19. Finally, speaking up and making your requests known does not mean that your suggestions or requests will be entertained in toto. The implementation of any suggestion will depend on a number of factors. Some of these factors include viability, benefits to the majority, financial constraints, workforce constraints and long-term benefits,etc. For instance, if someone asks me to organize a trip to Timbaktu, I will need to make a survey regarding viability and interests. If the response is poor, obviously I have to shelve the proposal. The point is that as leaders we need to look into all requests and suggestions, irrespective of how trivial they are, and come up with an explanation if the requests or suggestions are rejected. Ageing As A Spiritual Journey Even in your old age and grey hairs I am He. I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you. I will sustain you and I will rescue you. Isaiah 46:4 God has a clear and specific purpose in our later years. A brilliant move on God s part is to make us young and impetuous in the beginning of our lives and to slow us down in our later years. This gives us the opportunity to re-think about what is really important at the end. Our loneliness is an invitation to increase our dependence on God, and also usually not until our own resources are exhausted and our options have run out. We may not fully understand the different seasons of life unless we meditate on what we have planted in one season. Whatever we planted in one season may not bear fruit until the next season. What dies in one season may emerge as life in the next. I have a friend whom I have known since we were kids. We grew up together. In time, when we finished school, we grew apart. I used to send Christmas cards to him and invite him to attend church programmes, but he turned down all my attempts to bring him to Christ. Then one day his father passed away and I attended his funeral. I had the opportunity to renew my friendship with him. He was pleased to see me and we talked about our life encounters. We talked about life after death and how Jesus died on the cross to save the world from sin and that salvation through Jesus Christ was free for us to choose. A few months passed then one day, I received a call from him when he told me that he wanted to know more about Christ. I was amazed how God worked through death and brought forth a new life. To age is to be able to embrace both anguish and deep joy as part of the spirituality of our ageing journey! A godly believer finishes life with calmness, dignity and grace. We are looking forward to finish life well By Mr Peter C.N. Tan and to be with Jesus. We need to live every day as if it was our last because tomorrow may not come. Finishing well is relevant to young and old. The end of life may come unexpectedly. God wants us to finish well because He loves us and He will sustain us. He had promised Moses this and it also applies to us. Serve the Lord faithfully and keep growing spiritually, then whether we die early or late in life we will finish well. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 2 Corinthians 4:16-17 Attaining old age is a blessing from God. Most of us would rather grow old than die young. We must live life to the fullest, without being grumpy, set in our ways, and being disagreeable. Live one day at a time in handling physical decline. Jesus told us not to worry about tomorrow and then concluded with the statement, Each day has enough troubles of its own. Matthew 6:34. Trust in God. He will provide what we need. He has told us that He would not let us be tested without giving us all the grace we need to go through it. Jesus promised to be with us all the way. We honour the Lord, bear a good testimony, and add much enjoyment to our later years when we obey Christ s instructions to live one day at a time and to let tomorrow take care of tomorrow s problems. Praise the Lord for His undying love. Run the race of life in Christ. This must become our daily goal. Confess our sins, trust God for strength. Use discipline and self-control. Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is uncertain, today is here. Use it wisely. CLARION APR/MAY/JUN

16 FEATURE Let There Be Peace On Earth By Datin Wong May Lian Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me; Let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be, With God our creator, children all are we, Let us walk with each other in perfect harmony. Let peace begin with me; let this be the moment now. With every step I take, let this be my solemn vow; To take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally. Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me. This beautiful and meaningful song by Jill Jackson Miller and Sy Miller was written in The song is usually associated with country singers. Jackson, who was said to be suicidal after the failure of a marriage, later said that she wrote the song after discovering the life-saving joy of God s peace and unconditional love. I remember flipping through the hymnal and my eyes were caught by the words of the hymn. If we want peace we must start with being peaceful ourselves. If we want to be forgiven of our sins by God we must first forgive the other person. God is our creator so we must walk together in harmony and make a vow to live in peace eternally. The Golden Rule is in Luke 6:31: Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. In 2007, there was a campaign by a Pennsylvania woman to persuade churches to sing this song at the close of the Sunday service nearest to the anniversary of 9 /11 and to establish a tradition of Peace on Earth Day. Within a matter of 10 days I heard the hymn Let There Be Peace On Earth being sung three times, on 24 Feb 2012 when I attended the funeral of Mrs Elsie Tan, on 3 March at the World Day of Prayer service at KL Wesley and at the Sunday service on 4 March in Trinity Methodist Church, Petaling Jaya. Why am I so touched by this? Was it a coincidence or was the Lord telling us something? The Lord has a plan for us all. before you were born I set you apart. (Jeremiah 1:5b) Funeral of Elsie Tan, wife of Dr Edward Tan, the first LCEC Chairman of TMC PJ. During the funeral service, among the hymns sung were Let There Be Peace on Earth and a prayer by St Francis of Assisi put to song, Make Me A Channel Of Your Peace. The prayer goes like this: Lord, make an instrument of thy peace; Where there is hatred, let me sow love Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light And where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek To be consoled as to console; To be understood as to understand; To be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive. It is in pardoning we are pardoned And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. The Scripture reading was taken from Colossians 3:12-17 As God s chosen people clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love which binds them all in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you are called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom and as you sing psalms, hymn and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God the Father through him The song, prayer and scripture reading emphasize faith, hope, forgiveness, understanding, pardon, love and peace of Christ. Why did Mrs Elsie Tan think of sharing at her funeral the hymns and scripture - messages that promote love, joy, peace, hope, pardon, forgiveness, kindness, patience, gentleness, compassion and understanding? World Day of Prayer of 2012 The World Day of Prayer (WDP) was a day when Christian women worldwide came together to observe a common day of prayer each year. The women initiated a variety of cooperative activities in support of women s involvement in mission. Throughout the entire day on the first Friday of March, we collectively prayed all over the world, beginning with the first sunrise and ending at the last sunset. Our prayers followed the sun s path around the globe. WDP s motto is Informed prayer leads to prayerful action. Through World Day of Prayer, women affirmed that prayer and action were inseparable and that both had immeasurable influence in the world. The WDP this year was celebrated by more than 170 countries which were part of this movement. The theme was LET JUSTICE PREVAIL and the women of Malaysia were chosen by the WDP International Committee to prepare the worship service. One of the hymns sung was Let There Be Peace On Earth. If we wanted justice we must make sure that we be just ourselves. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. (Luke 6:31) The next day, the fourth of March, Sunday, Rev Ting Moy Hong preached the sermon Agree to Disagree in the Lord. 14 APR/MAY/JUN 2012 CLARION

17 Exhortations The scripture reading was Philippians 4:1-3 Therefore my brothers, stand firm in the Lord, dear friends! I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. Paul is pleading with Euodia and Syntyche two groups of people in the church to agree with one another. Paul is asking his yokefellows, including Clement and his fellow workers the third group to be reconcilers and to persuade the two groups to agree with one another, to try and patch the differences. Towards the end of the service, Let There Be Peace On Earth was sung. Epilogue: On 27 May a musical offering was given by the 5B HF. Again, we heard Let There Be Peace On Earth! And LET IT BEGIN WITH ME! In Malaysia today, yes, indeed in the world today the Golden Rule should be practised, Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. Call for Churches to Unite Pastor Andy Chi s message at the SIBKL Global Day of Prayer, held on Day of Pentecost on 27 May 2012 and organized by the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship. Mrs Janice Leong gives a report of what Pastor Chi said What brought about Pentecost? In Acts:2, the people were all gathered in one accord and in one place. The Global Day of Prayer is to bring transformation for the nation by uniting in prayer. People of God need to come and pray in unity. It is through unity that transformation happens. While we have made some progress, it is not enough. We seem to offer excuses to make real commitments. Do we wait till our churches are burnt, or should we wait till calamity strikes to unite and humble ourselves? The circumstances or situations we are in right now, the political scenario that we are living in all can disappear in the blink of an eye. The only group of people who can bring hope to this nation is the church. Are we coming to the Year of Jubilee with clarity or with darkness? The clarion call to the church is not for more prayers but to unite. Without unity we will have no spiritual authority to change the destiny of Malaysians. Though time is short, we need to act fast. What must we do to unite? We need to repent. We need to humble ourselves. May God break our pride. May we forget who we are and to commit ourselves to unity. Before we change the nation, we need to change ourselves. Judgement begins at our church before He judges the nation. How can we ask the nation to change when we are still quarrelling, saying bad things about one another? How can God judge the nation without judging us? It is time to seek the Lord. The greatest enemy is not the nation, it is us. Can the church be born again? It is not that God is powerless. It is through us that God judges the nation. 2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sins and will heal their land. The problem is not outside the church but within the church. Whatever troubles we see outside, God is able to change. What God is looking for is for His people to put differences aside and come together to pray. Spiritual authority is anchored in humility, reconciliation and unity. We can no longer be in two minds. Will we unite or will we not? Is He faithful or is He not? God cannot answer our prayers if we have doubts. If we commit ourselves to unite, make it happen. Will we be able to make a difference? We have far more important things to do than to cause division. We have to cry out to God to unite us in one voice. SIBKL Pastor Dr Lew mentioned that churches in Indonesia (including Catholic churches) were all united in prayer. We must cry to God for unity in all our churches. The enemy always likes to cause division. The only way to break this is to pray for unity among all denominations of churches in Malaysia. What shall we do? The battle belongs to the Lord. Be faithful and obedient to God. Keep on praying for unity. CLARION APR/MAY/JUN

18 FEATURE 16 Look Up By Mrs Jessie Chiew In life, we learn to trust God with all our heart and not to lean on our own limited understanding. When we acknowledge God in everything we do, He will direct our path. God has made us in His image and filled us with the fullness of His love. We are very much a part of Him and precious to Him. God desires nothing more than for us to live in close relationship with Him, to allow Him to sustain and succour us. Nowhere is our need for God more acute than when life throws us a curve ball and devastation brings us down to our knees. When we hit rock bottom, our inner voice prompts us to just look up Our heavenly Father watches over us like a shepherd watching his sheep. He never slumbers but stays ever vigilant to our call for help. He knows what we need even before we ask Him. He knows us better than anyone else can know us. God has personally experienced loss and sadness. He understands. He is ever ready to draw us close to His bosom to commiserate and to minister to our every need. Like a mother hen to her chickens, He wants to hide us under His wings to shield and protect us until the storm passes us by. We are precious to the One who made us. We are the apple of His eye. He has known us from our mother s womb. He is the One who shapes us and brings us out safely to live in this world when we are completely formed. God knows each of us by name. He knows the number of hairs on our head. He has even engraved our names on the palm of His hand. In God we live and move and have our being. He continues to sustain and richly provide us with everything we need. Everything we have in this life comes from God. Nothing belongs to us. Like the doting father, God desires to give only good gifts to His children, only in His own way and in His own time. We know that every perfect gift comes from God. Our heavenly Father stays with us and within us when we invite Him into our lives. We do not have to go anywhere to look for Him. He has promised never to leave us nor forsake us and we know for sure that He will never leave us in the lurch. God has made us who and what we are today. Ever mindful of us, He surrounds us with people near and dear to us to shower us with glimpses of His great love for us. Nothing can compare with God s immeasurable, everlasting and eternal love for us. Nothing can separate us from God s perfect love for us. Our heavenly Father is the Almighty God who created heaven and earth. He is all-knowing, all-powerful and ever-present within us. All things come under Him and He stays in full control. As His children, we are reminded not to be anxious APR/MAY/JUN 2012 CLARION about anything but to surrender all anxieties and sadness to Him for He cares for us. God asks us not to let our hearts be troubled but to lean on Him to let His power course through our bodies so as to allow His peace to lodge in our hearts. God s ways are not our ways. His ways are higher than our ways. God sees things from afar and He sees the overall picture. We are unable to grapple with things in the abstract as we only know and experience what we go though from day to day. Conscious of God s selfless and unconditional love for us, we know in our heart of hearts that all things happen for the good of those who love God. He is our heavenly Father who always acts with wisdom, prompted by His inexhaustible love for us. Our benevolent Father has only plans to bless us and not to harm us. He has nothing but our best interest at heart all the time. Knowing how much we mean to God our heavenly Father calls for us to respond in kind. As His beloved children, we are called to live lives worthy of Him and to live life to its fullness. We learn to count our blessings every day, giving thanks to God for every little thing He has given us. We ask for God s grace to walk humbly and close to Him so as to feel the beat of His Fatherly heart. Acknowledging God s control in our lives enables us to walk forth boldly, knowing that God is in charge. He is the One directing our steps, holding us by the hand to ensure that we do not fall headlong should we stumble. We do not fear because He stays with us through all time. All-knowing and All-loving Father, thank You for coming to let us know that we can come to You anytime and all the time. Knowing You as the Ultimate Goodness and Overwhelming Love working in our life enable us to come to grips with any sadness that weighs us down May everything that happens in our life be a learning experience to draw us ever closer to You. Grant us the wisdom to see things through Your eyes, and the grace to walk humbly with You, knowing that You are always in control. Our solace comes only from You. You are the balm for our soul. Amen. Sharing God s love over the loss of 3 pre-term babies

19 FEATURE Easter In Wellington By Mrs Betty Hor I was in Wellington from mid- March to April, visiting my younger son, Cecil, and his wife, Su-lynn, who had just been blessed with a baby girl. To me, she was special, truly God s gift to us through answered Haere mai ki tenei Whare Karakia prayers of the many friends who Welcome to this House of Prayer helped. Baby-minding was pretty relaxing, and I had lots of time on my hands to catch up on my Lent Meditation daily, as it was the Lent season then. Holy Week was soon upon us I told Cecil that I would like to attend worship service on Good Friday & Easter Sunday, at the least.i could see many churches nearby, the nearest one being a Catholic Church just across the street, where they live. However, we googled and managed to locate a Methodist Church in the city. Of course, I would prefer to attend the worship service in a sister church. On Good Friday, I was there for the 10am service at Wesley Church at Taranaki Street. I met up with the Welcome Team of Lucy & Rachel Tevita, and John Wood, who warmly introduced me to the Ministry team of worship leaders. It was indeed a very mixed group of liturgists whom I met with. There were Samoans, Fijians and Tongans besides the Kiwis. At first, I could not tell one from the other, as they looked pretty much the same to me. They took turns giving their presentations in their own languages, but we sang all the hymns in English. At the closing, we were invited to say the Lord s Prayer in whichever language we felt most comfortable with. I was very intrigued by this mixed race of people worshipping together so fervently. I decided to go back again for their Easter Service. This time around, I was mesmerised by the beautiful voices of the Tongan Choir, who sang the Introit, followed by the Samoans, who sang the hymns so melodiously. I found out that the Fijian Congregation at Wesley Church started off in the late 1970 s as a small fellowship group, but it has since grown in numbers, and is now a registered Wesley Church Taranaki Street Wellington, NZ congregation under the New Zealand Methodist Conference. They are served by lay preachers, and their worship services conducted in Fijian follow the same procedures used by the Methodist Church of Fiji and Rotuma. On first Sundays, they join the combined parish service of Holy Communion. The Samoans, however, arrived at Wesley Church in December 1951, and quickly joined in church and Bible class activities. The Wesley youth made special efforts to help them feel welcome, and by late mid-1950 s, became an inseparable part of young people s activities. The Samoan congregation has continued to grow over the years, and now has services in the Samoan language every Sunday at 2pm, except on first Sundays when they also join in the combined parish service of Holy Communion. Their motto is ia Keriso Ua tasi tatou which means We are one in Christ. The Tongan Congregation meets for services in the Tongan language each Sunday at 12 pm, except on 1st Sundays, where they take part in the combined parish service with the others. They have a very good choir, open to all, and a brass band, too. I felt very spiritually uplifted after the joined service of Holy Communion with them. Before leaving the church, I walked around talking and taking pictures with them, trying to distinguish one group from the other. I can tell how to, now. Multi-cultural: Worshippers of various races come together to praise God during the Good Friday and Easter services CLARION APR/MAY/JUN

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21 HOME FELLOWSHIP A Beautiful Sweet Smile Translation of the Mandarin testimony by Mrs Helen Choy Subang Jaya Home Fellowship It was a cold evening in a place far away. My grandpa (yeh-yeh) had been lying on an icy bed in an unfamiliar hospital for the past month. His eyes were filled with tears. He held his hands tightly from morning till night, praying; praying very hard for God to give him enough strength to be able to travel back to his own warm home Malaysia. It was to be my last day taking care of yeh-yeh in the hospital as I was to fly back to Malaysia the next morning. My heart ached. It was evening and I still had not heard from my uncle. Should I fly back or not? My heart sank and I was frightened. How could I leave yeh-yeh alone in this far away hospital? Yeh-yeh had a stroke and he could not speak. Even if he could, nobody would understand him as this was a hospital in a small town in England called The Milton Keynes Hospital. I looked anxiously at the clock on the wall. It was 10pm. Still, there was no phone call from my uncle. I panicked and I cried uncontrollably. The hospital sent a lady counsellor who held my hand and told me not to be scared because God could hear my cry. She shared a verse with me: I prayed to the God of heaven and the King granted (my request) (Nehemiah 2:4, 8). It was 10.30pm. The hospital s telephone rang. In the silence of the night, the ringing was exceptionally loud. I knew God was granting His promise. He had heard my prayers. Yes, it was my uncle who managed to rush back from the United States. My heavy heart was lifted and I thanked God. From that moment, I knew God was always around to look after us, wherever we are He will always be there. It does not matter when; He is always there patiently listening to our cries and our prayers. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry Psalm 34:15 I told yeh-yeh that I would be returning to Malaysia the next day. Yeh-yeh was very reluctant to let me go. He held my hand firmly but I said to him, Yeh-yeh, I must go home because I have to settle all the insurance matters. As soon as I have finished sorting out everything I will come back immediately to take you back. Yeh-yeh, you must be strong enough to take a flight home. Yeh-yeh nodded his head and gave me a faint but beautiful, sweet smile. I kissed him good night and I left for home the next day. The one week I was in Malaysia, I was so busy with the insurance company, meeting and discussing all the matters relating to yeh-yeh s policy, such as the claim for his huge medical fees, his flight arrangements, his safety and many other things. I was exhausted but I knew God was there to give me unlimited strength! Finally, the hospital from London rang and informed me that yeh-yeh was fit enough to fly, on condition that special arrangements must be made and he must also be accompanied by a doctor and a nurse. I prayed to God. I thanked Him for His mercy. I knew He is always there to give me unlimited strength to struggle through all the hardships and difficulties. God had also granted His kindness as the insurance company had generously paid for all the medical bills and expenditure as well as made all the arrangements to fly yeh-yeh home safely. They had even efficiently arranged for an ambulance to transfer yeh-yeh to University Hospital for follow-up treatments. I praised the Lord for all His promises and for His grace and mercy to help me in my time of need. Oh Lord, I am grateful and sing praises to you: It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High (Psalm 92:1). God has granted peace in yeh-yeh s beautiful, sweet smile a smile that we had not seen for a long, long time. God had said: I will never leave you or dessert you (Hebrew 13:6). Yeh-yeh arrived home safely. Although he did not live to celebrate Christmas with us, I know his sweet smile will always remain in my heart forever. At the same time I must not forget to give thanks to God for His indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15). CLARION APR/MAY/JUN

22 TESTIMONY I Feel Peace And Joy By Mdm Angie Ng It has been two years since the start of the Chinese service at TMC and two years since I accepted Christ as my Lord and Saviour. God has indeed blessed our service. It started with about 20 worshippers but today the Church Hall is almost full. If we are dependent on human effort alone, such a rapid growth would not have been possible. Without the help and blessing of Jesus Christ, our leaders would not have been able to achieve such results. Our Heavenly Father did not only bless the service, He also helped us with our fellowship activities. During one of the home fellowships the speaker, Dr Wong Chew Ming, shared about working for God. I then realized that to be a good Christian we have to care about others and also to learn God s words in depth. I hope, in future, that through fellowship we will be able to bring more people to Christ. Personally, I also hope that I will be able to spread the Good News to non-believers. Two years ago, before I became a Christian, I was very busy working as a car salesperson. Every month I had a sales quota and as a result of this had to work very hard practically non-stop. There was no time for rest. I could not afford to take a break as I was worried about achieving the monthly target all the time. The work pressure was tremendous and I had no peace of mind. After I accepted Christ, I gradually felt peace and joy. I feel this peace and joy because Jesus Christ is the only God. I pray for those who are close to us and hope that they will come to know God and find the same peace and joy as I have. 20 APR/MAY/JUN 2012 CLARION

23 TESTIMONY Emmanuel God With Us By Mdm Shirley Chong Last Christmas Day, I attended a home fellowship with my husband and son. We were each asked to bring a gift along for exchange at the party. When the time came, I had no expectations on what I would receive. Upon receiving our presents, my son unwrapped them immediately. My son received a set of colour pencils and some stationery which he liked very much. My husband received a CD of hymns and I received a phosphorescent cross. The sister who had contributed the gift asked whether I liked it. I could not reply as I was worried that my husband would not like the gift as he was not a Christian. Should I keep the cross or give it away? When we reached home, my son was excited over the presents. He played with his colour pencils and asked that we play the CD of hymns. He then requested us to hang the cross on a wall in the dining room. Surprisingly my husband did not object to this. When I saw this I was very relieved. I thank and praise the Lord for this, as to me it was nothing short of a miracle. I truly felt God s presence. O Lord, I want to thank and praise You because You are truly a living God. CLARION APR/MAY/JUN

24 TESTIMONY Testimony Of My Mother By Jessica Bong My mother came from China. Her name was Liew Ngu Moi. At the age of 17, she was sold as a bride to my father in Kuching, Sarawak. In those days, arranged marriages of this kind was quite common. After her marriage, my mother raised a family of nine children and I am the eighth child. My family was not a Christian family and my mother was also not a Christian. About four years back at the age of 85, after a fall, she became ill and was then bed-ridden. She was frequently in and out of hospital undergoing blood transfusions as she was found to be anaemic. Doctors could not find the reason for this. During that time, she began to see many bad spirits disturbing her. She even told my family members who were taking care of her of such spirits sleeping beside her or wandering around. Some of the family members had goose pimples when they heard this. As I am staying in KL, I often talked with her over the phone and slowly I told her about Jesus. I said to her that if the bad spirits disturb you, pray to Jesus. She fell into coma on one occasion due to very low sugar level and was taken to the hospital. The doctor gave her an injection and told my family members that if she did not regain consciousness within 2 hours, there was nothing else they could do. My sister called me and immediately I knelt down to pray to Lord Jesus and cried out to the Lord to save her. My mother managed to regain consciousness and she told me what had happened to her. During the time when she was in a coma, she said that she was in a distant place where there were mountains and oceans everywhere. She walked and walked but could not get anywhere. Suddenly, she saw a bright light and was drawn to it. (This happened at the exact time when I knelt down to pray to Jesus.) She kept on walking towards it and she saw a church. She described to me that she saw some people making coffee on the right while some children were playing basketball on the left. This may sound like Trinity Methodist Church, PJ to us. But the thing is my mother had never been to TMC at all. She continued to walk into the Church and there she saw a bright cross and was greeted by someone who said to her, This is where you will stay from now onwards, and at that moment she woke up from the coma. After this incident, my mother was not disturbed by the bad spirits anymore. She also did not need to go to the hospital for blood transfusions that frequently. Over the phone, I taught her to say a simple prayer and told her that she could pray to Jesus for anything. My mother began to pray to Jesus every night and day without fail. However, she did not have the chance to go to a church as my other family members were not Christians. There was once when I got back to Kuching to see her. I guided her to say the Sinner s Prayer and she accepted the Lord as her personal saviour. My mother was called home to the Lord on 29 January In her final days, a few weeks before her passing, she became very very ill. She had been in and out of the hospital many times during this period. Her face, legs and body had become swollen. Despite all this, my mother would pray to Jesus saying, Lord Jesus, please take me with you and remove me from this suffering. Most of my family members are Taoists and therefore my mother was not able to get baptized. A good Christian neighbour in Kuching knew about this and that my mother had accepted Jesus as her saviour. In a desperate move on her way to visit my ailing mother during a rainy day, she collected the rain water and secretly baptized my mother with it. The neighbour did this secretly as she was afraid that my other family members might not agree to what she was doing. Three days before my mother passed away, my sister who was outside in the hall heard my mother talking. My sister 22 APR/MAY/JUN 2012 CLARION

25 went to her room and asked her, Are you calling me for something? My mother told her that she saw the Lord Jesus and was talking to him. My sister asked, Where? Jesus is here beside me, my mother answered, pointing to her bedside. My sister asked her What are you talking to Jesus about? But my mother did not answer her but continued to speak with Jesus even after my sister had left her room. My sister later told me that my mother was talking to Jesus using an unfamiliar language. Probably, my mother was speaking in tongues with the Lord. A day after this incident, my mother was rushed to the hospital. The doctors had told my family members to prepare for the worst as all my mother s internal organs had failed and there was nothing else they could do. At that time, my mother could hardly speak or talk. However, with all her strength, she spoke to my sister-in-law these last words, It s time. Quickly take me home! They brought her back home in an ambulance and she slipped into coma without ever regaining consciousness. That night, she was called home to the Lord. I believe that the Lord Jesus was waiting for her at her death-bed to take her into his mansion that had been prepared for her. Jesus said, In my father s house there are many mansions and I will go and prepare a place for you. I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, ye may be also. Each of us has that mansion specially prepared for us by the Lord. All we need to do is to believe in Jesus and trust him as our Lord and Saviour and He will surely bring us there someday. In one of the beatitudes, Jesus said, Blessed are those who are pure in heart, for they shall see God, and Jesus also said, Those who have seen me, have seen the Father, for I and the Father are One. The wonderful thing is, my mother had personally seen the Lord Jesus and even talked with him before she was called home. I also hope that in my last days, I will have the chance to see Jesus in person and talk to Him just like my mother did before being led home by Him. My advice to all who still have a mother or father is this, Treasure them and love them while you still can, for they will not be with you on this earth forever. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. ANNOUNCEMENT We warmly welcome the following into the family of Trinity Methodist Church, Petaling Jaya. Baptism (Adult/Youth) 1. Chan Chiang Heng 5. Natalie Ng Tsin-Yi 2. Eric Poon Kuan Kit 6. Serena Wong Tet Peng 3. Joyce Tien Siew Ling 7. Tham Wai Yew 4. Maryanne Ong Bee Len 8. Tung Kam Kai Confirmation 1. Roy Goh Yak Poo 4. Payalingam@Rajasingam 2. Khoo Swee Yen 5. Wilson Chee Chun Yew 3. Lok Siew Poh 6. Stephanie Ong Hui Min Baptism (Children) 1. Chloe Chung Looi Wen - Daughter of Maryanne Ong Bee Len 2. Jemima D G Jayatissa - Daughter of D G Erwin Surinder & Reena Menon 3. Nyckita Wong Ming Hui - Daughter of Wong Wai Kin & Hany Choles Wenda Naning Reception into the Membership (Transfer) 1. Charles Lai Voon Ming (from St. Francis Xavier Church, PJ) 2. Chieng Lay Fang (from St. Francis Xavier Church, PJ) 3. Geh Soon Ee (from Wesley Methodist Church, Taiping) 4. Goh Chiew Eng (from Wesley Methodist Church, Taiping) 5. Molly Yuen Mui Chan@Yuen Yai Thye (from Life Methodist Church, Puchong) 6. Sivaram A/L Ramakrishnan (from Cheras Baptist Church) 7. Wong Winnie (from Life Methodist Church, Puchong) Reception into the Membership (Baptized/Confirmed): 1. Chan Chiang Heng 8. Natalie Ng Tsin-Yi 2. Eric Poon Kuan Kit 9. Payalingam@Rajasingam 3. Goh Roy Yak Poo 10. Serena Wong Tet Peng 4. Joyce Tien Siew Ling 11. Stephanie Ong Hui Min 5. Khoo Swee Yen 12. Tham Wai Yew 6. Lok Siew Poh 13. Tung Kam Kai 7. Maryanne Ong Bee Len 14. Wilson Chee Chun Yew Called Home to Eternal Rest Jesus said, I am the resurrection and I am life. Those who believe in me, even though they die yet shall they live. And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. I died, and behold I am alive for evermore, and I hold the key of hell and death. Because I live, you shall live also. - The Word of Grace (UMH pg. 871) The following members of Trinity PJ have been called home to eternal rest. Our condolences to their family members. Mdm Tan Kim Neo Called home on 24th March 2012 Mr Tong Yin Kan Called home on 27th March 2012 Mdm Loke Wai Yoke Called home on 7th April 2012 Mdm Ding Peek Hoon Called home on 14th April 2012 Mr Kamalandran, Chinniah Called home on 13th May 2012 CLARION APR/MAY/JUN

26 MSF 21st TRAC MSF Annual Camp 2012 By Mr Michael Ang This year the 21st TRAC MSF Annual camp 2012 was held in Johor Bahru. Organised by the Wesley Methodist Church JB Chapter, the camp took place at the M-Suites Hotel from 6th 9th March About 270 participants took part in the Camp and TMC PJ sent 39 delegates. The theme of the Camp was The World is My Parish and the main speaker was Bishop Dr Hwa Yung. Over three sermons Bishop led us through the history of the Methodist Church from its humble beginnings till the present day worldwide phenomenon. Bishop s first sermon was titled, Wesley and the Methodist Revival, and as he proceeded we began to understand the rationale of the Camp theme. Most of us were clueless about the early Methodist Church and so we found Bishop s sermon enlightening. He kept as enthralled as he gave insights and anecdotes about John Wesley and early Church fathers. It was difficult, sitting in air-conditioned comfort among friends, to imagine the incredible loneliness and hardship as Wesley went on horseback from post to post on bad roads if indeed, they can be called roads. In spite of all these trials and tribulations, he and the early fathers soldiered on and we are the result. Bishop s other two sermons were The Role of Small Groups in Wesley s Discipling Process and The Challenge of Revival. Another speaker was the Rev Peter Goh from Trinity Methodist Church Singapore who delivered two sermons. Through intelligent use of Ecclesiastes 12:1-14, he delivered a sermon, Active Aging with Grace. The message was interspersed with good advice on, you have guessed it - how to age gracefully. His second sermon, Ageing as a Spiritual Journey was inspired by Isaiah 46:4. This talk had a lot of statistics on our ageing population and the message was 24 APR/MAY/JUN 2012 CLARION

27 that with our faith the Lord will help and guide us through the ageing process. An event that we look forward to every year was the fellowship night and this year was no different. This is a time when we can let our hair down, behave like a group of raucous teenagers and have fun. TMC, PJ had, with the help of Mrs Maureen Szetho staged a song and dance item. Maureen provided the music, You Will Show Me The Path Of Light, an adaptation of Psalm 16 to which we sang while six of our ladies manipulated three long silk scarves in a dance choreographed by Maureen. Rehearsals were hilarious as they struggled with the scarves which attempted to strangle them at every turn. But when it mattered, on fellowship night, the scarves behaved themselves and our ladies danced beautifully and received lots of whistling and hooting. The rest of us were dressed in the costumes (provided by Maureen) from Experiencing God The Musical and we were a sight to behold. When we finished, there was loud applause and shouts of, Encore! It was easily the best item in the concert. Thank you, Maureen. When the Camp was over, the memories that were etched foremost in our minds were those of the Johore MSFers themselves. They had pulled out all stops to make sure that that everything ran smoothly. They were friendly, courteous, helpful and always smiling. Thank you all for making the Camp an enjoyable and a spiritual experience. John Wesley would have been proud of us. We have shown him that indeed, the world is his parish. CLARION APR/MAY/JUN

28 MSF Good Food, Good Company And Guess Who Could Sing? MSF Mother s Day and Father s Day Celebrations By Mdm Peggy Yeo MSF Trinity held a combined Mother s and Father s Day celebration lunch on June 10, 2012 at Pantai Seafood Restaurant. About 160 MSFers attended the function. Lunch was scheduled for 12.30pm but our seniors, always enthusiastic (as usual), arrived well before that. To keep them entertained, song sheets were provided and they were led in a sing-along by Mdm Chew Paik Yeng and Mr William Ong with Ms Jackie Tong at the keyboard. The Rev Dr Timothy Ong and his lovely wife Dorcas arrived at 12.20pm. The Rev Ting Moy Hong was unable to make the lunch, this being Girls Brigade Week and she was the pastor-in-charge at the 10.45am service. Lunch was slightly delayed to accommodate the 10.45am worshippers. At 12.50pm our President, Mr Peter Chen, gave a very short speech of welcome when he also thanked us for our support. He then invited Pastor Timothy to say grace. Lunch then started. We had a soup, chicken, deep-fried pork ribs, assam fish, soft tofu with bak choy, ostrich in dark sauce, butter prawns, fried pumpkin with salted eggs, and finishing off with fresh fruits for dessert. Simply scrumptious! We paid RM20 for all these. The actual cost per pax was RM22 with a benefactor, who does not wish to be named, paying the difference. Thank you, Sunny. After lunch the fun started. Jackie had entertained us with her singing during lunch. Peter made an announcement that to show our appreciation he would pass the hat (bucket) round and the proceeds would be donated to the Church Redevelopment Fund. Church redevelopment was very much on our minds. Earlier, at the 8.30am service, Mr Chuah Ewe Teik, Chairman of the Fund-Raising Committee, had made an excellent presentation on the redevelopment and had appealed for donations. He had made a deep impression on the members of the congregation with his presentation. In fact the man of 26 APR/MAY/JUN 2012 CLARION

29 the hour himself was also present at the lunch and he said, Excellent idea! From Jackie s singing we collected RM530. Well done! Peter then invited Pastor Ong to give us a song and Pastor said, No, no, no! I can t sing! But Peter persisted and said he would donate RM100 to the redevelopment fund and would pass the hat round again. The MSFers noisily showed their approval. How could Pastor refuse? So, In the line of duty. Pastor Ong sportingly took the mike. What a surprise it was. We all know that Pastor Ting can sing and now we were finding out that Pastor Ong can sing too. He selected John Denver s Country Road and we clapped in time and joined in the chorus. As he wiggled and jiggled his way through the song, he came across as an eminently likeable cool dawg. The song cost us RM1,500 and it was worth every cent. As a result we collected a total of RM2,030 for the fund. Thank you, Pastor and thank you Jackie. It was time to go home and we left reluctantly. Once more the seniors had a very enjoyable time. Good food, good company and good entertainment. What more could we have asked for? I would like to thank all those who have made this event yet another resounding success. Special thanks goes to Mr Patrick Chen and his kakis Mrs Vera Chen and Mrs Lucy Kok; also to Mr Loh Ray Mun for the photographs. CLARION APR/MAY/JUN

30 SUNDAY SCHOOL Written by Maureen Szetho on behalf of the Sunday School kids A Letter to Mum for Mother s Day Dear Mum, I know it s hard to be a mum From the sacrifices that you make; Always the last to go to sleep And the first to be awake. You do all the needful things Which no one wants to do. You never say how hard it is Or how long you re working too. You make sure I have all I need And those I don t as well. You find ways to make me happy; I know, I can tell. You care for me when I am sick, Give courage when I fear. You make me do my homework And you wipe my every tear. There are times I make you worry And give you trouble too. But your heart is so forgiving And will somehow see me through. I see you pray for me each night With tears upon your eye. I m sure God hears the words you say; He knows how hard you try. Today, I ll write and make a list Just so I can recall How wonderful you are to me, the best mother of all! So thank you my dear mummy For the precious love you give. I ask God to give you strength and joy And many good years to live. Love, Sunday school kids A Letter to Dad for Father s Day Dear Dad, God gave me a special person To provide for me each day. Someone strong yet tender, Who will always lead the way. Surely you know dear daddy, Of course, it must be you. Who else will be my pillar, The hero I look up to? Who else will pick me up For the many times I fall? And whisper gently in my ear, Don t cry, just stand up tall. From you I learn to be responsible, To never give up on things. No matter how hard the situation Or the diffculties it brings. Because of you I ve learnt To work hard and be strong. To depend on our loving Saviour When things go very wrong. I forget sometimes your loving heart Can feel much pain and sorrow. Even then you face each morning Like it s a new tomorrow. You help me be accountable For all the things I do. To go to God for everything And trust Him just like you. Of all the people in the world, For this I m really glad, I cannot find a better person I want to call my dad! Love, Sunday school kids 28 APR/MAY/JUN 2012 CLARION

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