Silent Prayer & Meditation Prelude Call to Worship. Opening Song Be Still (for the Presence of the Lord) Opening Prayer Gloria Patri

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1 VOL XXXXX NO. 20 ORDER OF SERVICE 9.00 am/11.00 am 14 May 2017 Worship Leaders: Cynthia Wee & Ps Asst Marianne Wong Speaker: Ms Seah Jiak Choo Prayer : Ps Asst Marianne Wong Scripture Readers: Karen Er/Tan Gek Kee Silent Prayer & Meditation Prelude Call to Worship Opening Song Be Still (for the Presence of the Lord) Opening Prayer Gloria Patri Responsive Scripture Reading Romans 12:1-18 Worship in Songs Let Us Adore/Sing Hallelujah (medley) God Our Father, We Adore Thee Wonderful Merciful Saviour Day by Day Offertory & Thanksgiving Prayer Before You I Kneel (A Worker s Prayer) Doxology Congregational Prayer & Announcements Scripture Text Mark 3:13-15 Message Living Out Our Calling: Being, Doing, Blessing Closing Song Christ Be in My Waking Benediction Three-Fold Amen Worshippers are invited to come forward for personal prayers with elders/pastors in the front pew. (FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION ONLY)

2 1. Introduction Living Out Our Calling: Being, Doing, Blessing Mark 3:13-15 We are rightly concerned about our purpose and calling in life. Calling is fundamentally not about work, career, or even vocation. It is about three R s. 2. The Three R s God s calling for each one of us is fundamentally a calling to: a. Relationship with Him b. Rest in Him c. Reflect Him to others When we live out the three R s, what happens? a. In our being, we become more Christ-like. b. In our doing, we act out of love. c. In who we are and what we do, we bless others. 3. Conclusion Discussion Questions 1. What do the three R s mean to you? 2. How would you practise the three R s in your life? 3. What would you say is God s calling for your life? 4. How would you live out that calling in your current circumstances? - 2 -

3 PRAYER PAGE Prayer does not mean simply to pour out one s heart. It means rather to find the way to God and to speak with Him, whether the heart is full or empty. ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer ~ PRAY FOR THE WORLD 1. THE WORLD SUMMIT in Defense of Persecuted Christians convened on MAY 10-13th 2017, in Washington, DC by the BILLY GRAHAM Evangelistic Association. Hundreds of Christian Leaders and victims of Christian Persecution joined hands with Christians and many denominations of the Christian faith to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ, and to hear firsthand reports of the suffering taking place around the world. Pray that through the SUMMIT more Christians will be made aware of the sufferings persecuted believers worldwide are undergoing and pray for them. 2. Thousands living in Eastern Canada, the mid-west of the United States, and in northern Guangzhou are evacuated from their homes due to heavy rainstorms. May God have mercy on them and may they receive help and relief from this crisis. 3. In light of rising radical groups which could threaten public security & order and endanger the unity in South-east Asian countries, pray for continued political stability in the region. PRAY FOR MOTHERS Thank God for all mothers for their love, care, examples and sacrifices. Pray for mothers to: guide, cherish and nurture their young children in the faith; have daily wisdom to parent & influence their teenagers; be strengthen by grace to face each day s challenges; and have worshipful reverence to the Living God. May God be their source of spiritual & physical strength daily. PRAY FOR CHURCH MINISTRIES Games Day: Commit to God the weather on 20 May as Carmelites and friends gather for a time of fun & fellowship at International Christian School. Pray for a good time of bonding. ConnectUs: Uphold the workshop Uniquely You DISC & Spiritual Gifts on 27 May, praying for good responses and for a day of discovering uniqueness and spiritual giftedness. Pray for Cynthia Wee the instructor, for God s discernment and empowerment. AGM & Anniversary Service 28 May: AGM is a legal requirement and supplements the ACM held on 1 Jan. Pray for a smooth proceeding of the meeting. Ask God to bless the combined anniversary service following the AGM. Uphold Snr Ps Boon Leong (speaker), worship leader, Dn Adrian Wong and translators Rina Teo & Brian Hwarng, as well as children s speakers: Mr and Mrs Mathew (Primary 1-5s), Sharon Auyang (Preschoolers) running the children s programme concurrently. May the Spirit empower each as they prepare to speak/lead worship/translate, and may God speak to each of us too on our commitment as members of the local church. May all who attend be encouraged and recharged. Children Ministry: Commit the Vacation Bible School team of co-workers to God asking for wisdom, creativity and grace as they prepare to teach the Bible Stories, lead in learning centers, games or worship. Ask God to prepare the children s hearts to receive His word and to respond to the gospel. Pray particularly for the salvation of unchurched children. Church Camp: Continue to lift up the Camp and the organizing committee in prayer 1) Ask God to grant wisdom, joy, strength and health to committee as they look into all the final details and logistics of the camp; 2) That speakers speak God s word with sensitivity and passion (Dr Chris Gnanakan {adults & youth}, Ps Jabez & Sarah {primary children}, Evandreas Teguh, Cristine Joy Sy & Margaret Ong {preschoolers}); 3) Campers to experience God, and to commit to live for Christ. 4) Holy Spirit to fill every person and every part of the camp. Come, join our prayer warriors in Room #03-06 on 7.45 pm! - 3 -

4 Memories of Mt Carmel Part I The Church Takes Root Over the next 3 weeks, we are featuring a 3-part article by one of our pioneer generation of Carmelites, Dr Chua Choon Lan. With the hard work and dedication of this generation, God has made what Carmel is today. The articles are not meant to recount mere history but God's grace and provision, as well as the challenges faced and sacrifice made by the earlier generation. May we draw precious lessons from our roots to spur us on beyond Jubilee! - Ps Boon Leong It is hard to believe we grew up in an era when life was sunnier, simpler, easier and happier (The Daily Mail 13 April 2016). Did our generation snooze through that decade known as the Swinging 60s? And missing all the fun and excitement in letting that lost golden age slip through our fingers? That decade unfolded with Western Europe recovering economically. Following post-war reconstruction of the 50s, the working class could own a radio, television, refrigerator and motor vehicle. Two superpowers were launching spacecrafts with monkeys in orbit, followed by astronauts as they raced for the moon. The popular culture was pushing the boundaries in dress, music, drugs and sexual behaviour. The miniskirt came into fashion and was touted a symbol of liberation. For a brief period, the androgynous look was the rage - when a 17-year-old Twiggy, sporting her short hair and stick-like figure, became the hot model of the day. Elvis Presley, the king of pop, returned to the music scene on 23 March 1960 after serving military service in Germany where ominously, a sergeant introduced him to amphetamines. He was handsome and clean-cut at that time and teenage girls swooned at his appearance. The establishment and certainly the church were scandalised by his sexualised pelvic gyrations. The Beatles burst into the world scene in Feb 1964, appearing on the Sullivan Show watched by 70 million people. They soon became the dominant force in Rock & Roll music, and their songs resonated with the youths, including Singaporeans. I remember hiking with the scout group and singing Hang Fai Di La Wei (Cantonese lingo for Walk Faster, Won t You?), a humorous rendition by composer-singer Seong Koon Low Won of the Beatles song, Can t Buy Me Love. Their outrageous hair-style (fairly decent by today s standards) was derided by our school-teachers as looking like a mop covering the head. Beatlemania epitomised youth rebellion. The Singapore government got into the act with its long hair will be served last policy, forcing the Bee Gees and Led Zeppelin to cancel their gigs for refusing to cut their hair to approved length. Religion was rendered irrelevant by the counter-culture reaction against social norms. Christianity was derided as having had its days of respectability and social appeal in England between 1800 and 1960, and began to go into terminal decline in the early 1960s. Philip Larkin, the English novelist and poet declared disrespectfully, Sexual intercourse began In nineteen sixty-three. Between the end of the Chatterley ban And the Beatles first LP

5 Frank Colton invented the first commercially available oral contraceptive, Enovid in Sexual behaviour was progressively liberal after National Health Service made the pill available to the UK general public in The first James Bond movie, Dr No in 1962 glamorized the suave debonair who could mix business with casual carnal pleasures and still deliver the results. For those who pooh-pooh the influence of the media on life and morals, it is interesting to note that recently MI6 Intelligence Agency was recruiting and specified that those looking for a James Bond-type career did not need to apply. The Swinging 60s? Lost Golden Age? Not really in my life as far as I m concerned the whole thing was just a media myth, remarked an unnamed woman in Sheila Hardy s book, Women Of The 1960s: More Than Miniskirts, Pills And Pop Music (reported by Dominic Sandbrook, The Daily Mail 13 April 2016). Perhaps, as the British Empire dismantled in the 60s, the media wistfully recollected only seminal moments when Britain led the world in music, fashion and style (besides gloriously winning the Football World Cup). There was selective amnesia about reduced British military and economic influence, culminating in the painful devaluation of the pound in Jan Notwithstanding the popular hype, the reality in Asia and Africa is people were struggling with poverty, inequality, injustice and political upheavals. We remembered life was without frills in the early 1960s in Singapore. Most families were frugal as the GNP per capita was less than US$320. Sure, there were teen dance parties, cabarets for adults (replaced now by karaoke lounges, discotheques and nightclubs). A large proportion of the populace lived in over-crowded housing except for the educated and more affluent class. There were 20,000 farms on the island (Jurong, Kranji, Choa Chu Kang, Sembawang, Tampines, Ponggol, Pasir Ris) and their dwellers were considered country bumpkins who only visited the city folks on special occasions like weddings and Chinese New Year. The Singapore Improvement Trust (predecessor of HDB) was making slow housing progress with 23,000 low-rise flats in Tiong Bahru, Kim Keat/Whampoa, Farrer Park, Guillemard, Pickering Street, Redhill and Alexandra areas. The population in 1960 was 1.64 million and teeming with school-going children though living quarters seemed more claustrophobic than with today s 5.6 million stacked nicely in high-rise pigeon-holes. Economic uncertainty was weighed by several major events the Indonesian Confrontation ( ), separation from Malaysia (1965) and announcement (1967) of British withdrawal of troops which put the jobs of 20,000 people at risk. In this setting, Mt Carmel was started as a children s Sunday School on 4 Dec For two preceding years, the late Uncle Robert Ong, then in his late twenties, had been laying the groundwork offering free tuition with bible lessons to neighbourhood kids. He spotted the needs of a generation sent to English stream schools by mostly Chinesespeaking parents. This shift to English reaped tangible returns when Singapore later plugged into the international financial and commercial markets. It served God s purpose too. In the 1960s and 1970s, Inter-School Christian Fellowship (ISCF), Scripture Union (SU), Youth for Christ (YFC), Navigators were very active in reaching the students. Mao Zedong unknowingly played a part in God s plans when he expelled missionaries from China, for these displaced missionaries helped in establishing beachheads throughout S E Asia

6 There was a constant turnover of kids attending except for a few stayers like Lee Lian Song and his brother Lian Huat, and Mary Lew. The adult pioneers discussed the drop-out phenomenon and started a Teenage Service on 1 st Nov 1963 as they felt Sunday School was not meeting the needs of kids who progressed to secondary school. Providentially, along came several promising secondary students between 1964 and 1966 : Lim Meng Kin, David Wong, Patrick Chiang, Richard Ang, George Tan, Tommy Woo, Deborah Pang Eng Ngoh, Alice Pooi, Priscilla Ng, Cecilia Lim, Joyce Chua, Jenny Tsang, Lee Sook Cheng, Minnie Mok etc. With this crop, the work finally took root and the flood-gates were opened. The spurt in growth must have cheered the pioneers, namely Robert Ong, Eio Eng Hua who recruited medical student, Ang Beng Chong; and other SS teachers who came from Life Church/Galilee Church to help (Gan Sai Ling, Maureen Leong, Han Soon Juan, Steven Kwan, as well as the organist, Victor Kam). What was Mt Carmel like back then? Neighbourhood Church We went to a church near our house, even though it was in a crammed HDB hall and not a proper church-building. Life B-P Church might be nicer and more awe-inspiring but far away. Galilee B-P Church worshipped in a breezy sea-side bungalow at Pasir Panjang but Mt Carmel was where our school-mates and neighbourhood friends were. We were in our comfort zone. It was also novel to invite friends to an unusual church setting. Anyway, it didn t cost a cent to walk to church (incidentally, in those days daily school pocket money was 50c to $1). After Redhill neighbours complained of noise disturbances, the culprits simply re-located to impose on fresh unsuspecting neighbours at Robert Ong s new home, a three-room flat in Rumah Tinggi on 1 st Oct But as the group burgeoned to about 40 students/ss teachers each Sunday, Robert Ong stumbled upon an untenanted shophouse nearby, available for $240 per month. It was destined to be our flagship for the next 18 years. Mt Carmel Gospel Mission was started on 26 April 1967 at Block 61 Lengkok Bahru, and looked invitingly spacious especially as it could lay claim on a small vacant grass plot next to it. For a time, neighbourhood courting couples frequented the dim enclave but they disappeared soon after probably because of the mosquitoes but the new noisy kids on the block might have been a factor. There was some unhappiness among the teens about the propriety of emptying the meagre Building Fund of $640 (donated by the SS teachers, actually) to help pay for the HDB deposit. The pastors and elder from Life Church were firmly against approaching Life Church to donate pew benches and pulpit while we held back available funds the illustration given was that no benefactor would give a beggar any bread while he held 640 loaves possessively under his arms. Much grumblings about being roughshod went on behind the adults backs. The result was closing of ranks and a sense of comradeship. Anyway, the idealistic young people later decided the Building Fund should be renamed Development Fund to allow for a wider use of funds. Talk about good governance... The Ong family were persuaded by Rev Timothy Tow to relocate and occupy the Lengkok Bahru office as bedroom and partition off one-third of the hall for living space. The - 6 -

7 young people were appalled by this proposal as they felt it would inconvenience the Ong couple and their 3 children. Besides, it would negate the whole purpose of having more space for activities. They held their pow-wow at the Redhill School tuckshop and appointed the late Stephen Kwan to be their adult spokesman on the twin issues of HDB deposit and Ong occupancy. But the big-guns from Life Church were apprehensive that young people gathering in an empty shophouse during the weekdays would arouse neighbourly suspicion and fuel gossips of impropriety. Uncle Ong and his family adjusted poorly to the new environment with its lack of privacy (and the mosquitoes) and moved out a year later. For years thereafter, several cohorts of Carmel youths passed through the portals and never betrayed the trust of the adults. As a result of this episode, the youngsters decided they should have a say in the affairs of the church hence the tradition of a strong lay-involvement in Carmel. Today, the house-church model is no longer a viable option due to strict Building & Construction Authority (BCA) rules. Anyway, Christians are spoilt for choices. Families are prepared to drive half-way across the island to attend a church that suits them. The church wins if it provides better child-care facilities or toddlers club, or the better Sunday School or a more vibrant youth service. Walking Isn t Just For Exercise Walking is good for spiritual health, not just good for the heart. After tidying up the place and keeping the planks in Rumah Tinggi, we would leave together for a 2-3 km walk home to Redhill Estate in straggling groups of 2s or 3s. Those were good times for fellowship and for talking about our faith and our experiences, about becoming more spiritual and finding love, joy and peace in Christ. More students came from Prince Charles/Prince Philip low-rise flats and the Bukit Ho Swee area after Lengkok Bahru premise opened for business. We gave the roadside hawkers (at Jalan Tiong/Tiong Bahru Rd junction) a little morale boost before walking home. For a time, the hawker stalls with low stools was a good stopover place to discuss religion with newcomers/friends or talk about church, Christian literature, etc. Later, when the roadside hawkers were re-sited, we adjourned to nearby coffee-shops, nicknamed Hotel Malaysia, Shangri-La for easy identification of assembly point. It was our version of the golfers watering hole. The young people were greatly blessed from sauntering together, and unknowingly, were encountering Christ as did Cleopas and the disciple on the Emmaus Road (Lk 24:13-32). It came naturally because everyone either walked home or to the bus-stop. No-one had parents with cars to fetch them or the ready resources to take the cab. There is a pithy Christian aphorism, Faith can move mountains, but don t be surprised if God hands you a shovel. We were scrawny and without much experience or resources, but none of us tried to whistle in the dark and holler words of faith. Instead, we just used the shovels given to us. Chua Choon Lan Survivor from Redhill Days To be continued next week

8 The Board of Elders commends to members the following nominees for re-election as deacons at our AGM on 28 May 2017 : Agus Djunaedi and Foo Kim Peng. Dn Agus Djunaedi Proposer: Eld Ho Peng Kee Seconder: Dn Wong Wei Ern Adrian Dn Agus has served in Session since May He was our Church Treasurer from May 2011 to December Currently, apart from serving as Clerk of Session, he is a member of the Overseas Missions Ministry and leads the SEEDS Ministry. If re-elected, he will continue with these roles. He is married to Ki Jin and they have one son, Marcus. Dn Agus has worshipped in Carmel since 1998 and works in the finance industry. Dn Foo Kim Peng Proposer: Dn Lai Pak Wah Seconder: Dns Samantha Tsang Sow May Dn Kim Peng, has served three terms in Session since May As deacon in charge of the Overseas Missions Ministry since 2008, he faithfully leads a team of dedicated committee members in undertaking the strategic and operational aspects of Carmel s Overseas Missions Ministry. If re-elected, he will continue to head this ministry. He and his wife Meng Hah are very hospitable, hosting the monthly committee meetings with a sumptuous dinner. They have 3 sons, Evan (married to Carol Tan), Ryan and Darran. Dn Kim Peng has worshipped in Carmel for more than 25 years and works as a consultant

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11 3 items from Chef Benny Se Teo added to the library: 1) CMfC : Benny Se Teo (DVD), 2) Books : One More Chance by Colin Cheong & 3) Honest Good Food by Benny Se Teo. Books by Malaysian Writers added to the library: 1) Passing The Baton by Anthony Loke Y F, 2) I Have Played The Fool by Ong Meng Chai, 3) Discerning God In Our Life by Voon Choon Khing, 4) David, A Man After God s Own Heart by Anthony Loke Y F, 5) Brookes, The British And Christianity by Tan Jin Huat. Another book by Rev Robert M Solomon added: Following Jesus In A Fallen World. Creation and Impact Magazines are also added. The Church Library needs 3 more volunteers to facilitate a roster. Called to serve in the library? Contact Leh Tee at Reminder :- Library s operating hours is: Sunday 10:15 am to 11:00 am. NEXT SUNDAY 21 MAY 2017 MINISTRY INVOLVEMENT 1ST Service MINISTRY INVOLVEMENT 2nd Service Ushers Praise 1 CG/Dover CG Tsame CG Refreshment Bt Batok CG Worship Leader Chew Leong Ho Congregational Prayer Rev Jabez Chia Musicians Kelly Ng Scripture Readers Serene Lim Goh Swee Hong Welcome Corner Tan Choon Kiat Sim Chui Hoong/Joyce Lin Librarians Cheang Siew Eng/Kristin Cheang AVA Crew Michael Teo/Alan Tan Low Ek Yong/Tan Chay Hoon Please make all cheques, including those for the Development Fund, payable to Mount Carmel BP Church Ltd (exact payee name must be stated on the cheque). Please note that NO receipts will be issued for cheques received by the Church below $5,000 except upon request. All Offerings and Pledges to Mount Carmel BP Church Ltd is not tax deductible

12 Dear guests, we trust that you have a meaningful time of worship. We invite you to join us for Welcome Tea in the Fellowship Hall. TODAY Mandarin Service Chapel am Rhoda Fellowship ACE Room am Worship Leader: Alicia/Olive Speaker: Chan Kum Soon - Is Your Feet Beautiful? (Isaiah 52:7) Youth Service Chapel pm Speaker: Tee Eehan - Gospel and Evangelism (Roman 1:16-17) Remnant Korean Service Chapel 2.30 pm SEMS Service Sanctuary 7.45 pm Ushers: Ladies Com & H2H Ladies/Grace CG Refreshments: Shalom CG AVA: Peh Chee Siong/Peter Go/Sam Kong Choy/John Tan/Francis Tay Welcome Corner: Steven Wong/Tan Mun Kiat/Dn Jonathan Lum/Sunny Yap Librarians: Chee Leh Tee Thanksgiving Flowers: Goh Hoi Lai/Florence Ling Kelly, Glen & Chelsea Ng THIS WEEK Wednesday, 17 May 7.45 pm ACE Room: Prayer Meeting Chairperson/Devotion: Margaret Ong Thursday, 18 May - No Thursday Men s Group (TMG) Thursday 8.00 pm ACE Room: Choir Practice Saturday, 20 May 5.30 pm Chapel: SES Worship Leader: Young King Chew Congregational Prayer: Jaclynn Tan Speaker: Rev Daniel Chua - Reconciled by Christ (Ephesians 2:11-22) NEXT SUNDAY 21 MAYM AY,, 2017 English Services Hope Sanctuary 9.00 am/11.00 am Speaker: Rev Daniel Chua - Reconciled by Christ (Ephesians 2:11-22) Mandarin Service Chapel am Rhoda Fellowship ACE Room am Bible Study i/c Tee Lin Youth Service Chapel pm Speaker: Rev Jabez Chia - Reconciled by Christ (Ephesians 2:11-22) Remnant Korean Service Chapel 2.30 pm SEMS Service Sanctuary 7.45 pm PASTORAL TEAM Senior Pastor Rev Oh Boon Leong boonleong@carmel.sg Missions & Strategic Planning Rev Peter Teo peterteo@carmel.sg Ladies, ConnexUs & Rhoda Ps. Assoc. Ang Lee Luang leeluang@carmel.sg Children Ps Asst Margaret Ong margaret@carmel.sg Youth & Family Rev Jabez Chia jabez@carmel.sg Young Adult & Youth Ps Asst Marianne Wong marianne@carmel.sg Pastor-at-Large Rev Daniel Chua daniel@carmel.sg SEMS Ps Asst Joyce Goh joycegoh@carmel.sg Mandarin Service Rev Johnny Tee johnny@carmel.sg Rev Goh Ngiam Heng ngiamheng@carmel.sg Remnant Korean Service Rev Ezra Jang ezrajang@gmail.com BOARD OF ELDERS Eld Bruce Lockhart (BOE Chairman) hisbl@nus.edu.sg Rev Oh Boon Leong (Session Moderator) Eld Yeo Siew Yam ysywpl@gmail.com Eld Ho Peng Kee pengkeeho@gmail.com Rev Peter Teo Rev Jabez Chia