ALDERSGATE November - December 2017 Aldersgate In and Around Bi-Monthly Issue is also available at www.aldersgate.sg 1
26 Nov (Sun) 8.30am / 10.30am (English) Welcome him Mr Andrew Tay 10.30am (Mandarin) Restoring Hope to Ex-Offenders Rev Don Wong 10.30am (Youthphoria) Integration Sunday for P6 Sermon Series Advent (03 Dec to 24 Dec) 03 Dec (Sun) 8.30am / 10.30am (English) Helpers And Blue Collar Migrant Workers Rev Dr Lorna Khoo 10.30am (Mandarin) The Coming Kingdom Rev Dr Norman Wong 10 Dec (Sun) 8.30am / 10.30am (English) Partnering The Poor Mr Joseph Chean 10.30am (Mandarin) Ms Anna Loo 10.30am (Youthphoria) Mr Sam Choo 17 Dec (Sun) 8.30am / 10.30am (English) The Church And Missions Bishop Dr Chong Chin Chung 10.30am (Mandarin) Caring for The Vulnerable: Minority and Migrants Ms Anna Loo 16-19 Dec Youth Camp 22 & 23 Dec (Fri & Sat) 8.00pm (English) Long Time Ago in Bethlehem Pre-Christmas Special Event and Carolling P U L P I T C A L E N D A R 2 24 Dec (Sun) 10.30am (Combined English/ Mandarin) Christmas Today Rev Dr Lorna Khoo 31 Dec (Sun) Service for Residents of Bethany Methodist Nursing Home 3pm (English) Mr Rufus Chan 07 Jan (Sun) 8.30am / 10.30am (English) Luke 1 Rev Dr Lorna Khoo 10.30am (Mandarin) Rev David Ho 28 Jan (Sun) 8.30am / 10.30am (English) Luke 4:1-13 Rev David Ho 10.30am (Mandarin) Ms Anna Loo 10.30am (Youthphoria) To be confirmed 25 Dec (Sun) 10.30am (Combined English/ Mandarin) The Three Wise Women of Christmas Rev Melvyn Mak 31 Dec (Sun) Watchnight Service Open Topic 10.45pm (Combined English) Rev David Ho 14 Jan (Sun) 8.30am / 10.30am (English) Luke 2 Pr Wendy Chiang 10.30am (Mandarin) Ms Anna Loo 10.30am (Youthphoria) To be confirmed 31 Dec (Sun) Open Topic 10.30am (Combined English) Pr Wendy Chiang 10.30am (Mandarin) Open Topic Rev David Ho Sermon Series Sabbath Lifestyle 2018 21 Jan (Sun) 8.30am / 10.30am (English) Luke 3 Rev Dr Lorna Khoo 10.30am (Mandarin) Mr Martin Yong 10.30am (Youthphoria) To be confirmed 04 Feb (Sun) 11 Feb (Sun) 8.30am / 10.30am (English) 8.30am / 10.30am (English) Luke 4:14 - Luke 6:11 Luke 6:12 - Luke 7:35 Rev Dr Lorna Khoo Rev David Ho 10.30am (Mandarin) 10.30am (Mandarin) Rev David Ho Dr Ho Weng Kin 10.30am (Youthphoria) To be confirmed Speaker / Sermon Topic is subject to change without prior notice
Aldersgate Praise Centre Ms Eunice Lai Children s Day APC celebrated Children s Day in October and the teachers put together a programme where they compiled photos of themselves with different funny face filters and the children had to guess who they were. They had so much fun guessing the weird and funny photos and matching them to the teachers. It was then followed by appreciative messages their respective teachers wanted to convey to their classes. Pastor David Ho from AMC came to give a prayer of blessing over the children before they got to enjoy a Children s Day feast. Upcoming Events For the December school holidays, APC has arranged activities such as making their own costumes in Zootopia Dress-up, DIY Memory Cards, and re-enactment of the Karate Kid movie. The children will also learn more about going green and different insects life cycles. The Centre will also be bringing them for a movie, a trip to the airport and a learning journey to the Science Centre in November and December. Our annual year-end concert will be held on 14 Dec in the AMC Sanctuary. The children will be performing skits, as well as songs and worship they learned during their Friday praise times. In January 2018, we will be welcoming new Primary 1 students to the Centre. 3
Chinese ministry Mr Martin Yong Mid-Autumn Evangelistic Event, 23 September Thank God that the Presidential Election polling day did not happen on 23 Sep, so the Mid-Autumn Festival event could proceed as planned. With God s blessings, at least 280 adults and 42 children attended this event. The event started with a sumptuous dinner. Special counters, i.e. Riddles, Chinese Tea and Chinese Calligraphy, were set up. 4
After dinner, the adults proceeded to the Sanctuary for the programme. A few ladies demonstrated the Praise Dance. Many of the guests were fascinated and joined in the exercise too. After worship, Mr Png Zhong Hua ( 方钟桦 ) shared his testimony of how he became a Christian. During his sharing, he sang a few popular secular and Christian songs. About 40 adults came forward to receive Christ after the altar call. All praise to God! An invited speaker, Ms Lorita Lim of Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF), and our very own members facilitated a children s programme.. The children had the opportunity to learn some simple balloon sculpture, listen to the Good News and take part in a lantern procession at the school compound. After the programme, the guests were invited for mooncake tasting and tea. 5
CALEB85 Mrs Diana Chong Third Quarter Birthday Celebration On 24 Sep, Caleb85 celebrated the birthdays of members whose birthdays fell in the months of July, August & September. It was a joyful time celebrating during the tea break/ fellowship time together with the participants of the Rummy-O match. Rummy-O Friendly Match On 24 Sep, Caleb85 organised a Rummy-O friendly match for the first time. We had 12 participants 8 from AMC and 4 from Methodist Church of the Incarnation (MCI). The match started at 1.30pm and ended around 4.30pm. After a few rounds, the winner was from MCI, the runner-up from AMC and third position also went to someone from MCI. It was an afternoon of fun and laughter because it was a friendly match. Thank God for a blessed time to have our members and members from a sister church coming together to share experiences and getting to know one another. 6
Knowing The Holy Spirit On 20 Oct, four members attended the teaching by Ps Irene Thung Knowing the Holy Spirit organised by TRAC GYM school for seniors. The talk covered: Who is the Holy Spirit; The Holy Spirit in the Old and New Testament; The Holy Spirit today; and Things the Holy Spirit does today. 7
prayer ministry Mrs Denise Lim Ministry Tuesday, 31 October Rev Ming Feong Ching, who is in charge of TRAC Prophetic Ministry, senses that our time for breakthrough is here. She explained four biblical keys for breakthrough in prayer: 1) Seek God s agenda 2) Do not settle for second best 3) Find others who can agree with you in prayer 4) Prepare our mind for breakthrough. Rev Ming and the 10-member prophetic team prayed for the 25 people who attended the meeting. 8
Missions Dr Linus Chua AMC Medical Outreach to Timor Leste AMC sent its first medical mission team to Timor Leste from 4 to 11 Nov. We did medical screening for Grades 1, 7 and 8 students in Dili as well as medical consults and health education talks in Gleno and Hatolia localities in Ermera district. We will be planning at least two medical trips per year for a sustainable medical and health project. Anyone (do not need medical background) interested in serving, please email aldersgatem@gmail.com or speak with Andrew Khor, Keith Tan or Evelyn Kong. 9
marketplace ministry Mr Luke Loh Lunch Time Talks @ One-North Aldersgate Marketplace Ministry organised a lunch-time talk on 29 Sep at JTC The Meeting Point. The hall was packed with about 60 people who were also treated to a free lunch, drinks and dessert. The speaker was Mr Lucas Chow, a former CEO of Mediacorp and SingTel. He is known for his commitment to Christ and to charitable works. In his talk, Mr Chow shared a summary from the National Survey of Christians in the Workplace. This survey was conducted to understand how Christians here view their working life, including the challenges and aspirations they have as Christians in their marketplace, as well as the spiritual support they receive from their church. Prior to this, there were no statistics for this. Key findings from the survey are that the majority of our fellow Christians in Singapore do not feel inhibited to identify themselves as Christians nor to share their faith at their workplaces. However, there is a cry for Christian mentoring at their workplaces, especially among the younger people who are feeling stressed and those who feel that they are at the bottom of the food chain. Distilling insights from the survey findings, a church and marketplace task force has been formed to formulate and execute plans to better mobilise church resources to minister to marketplace needs, such as through appropriate marketplace events and mentoring. Each participant received a survey summary booklet as well as another booklet entitled Perspective on Marketplace Ministry by Love Singapore. 10
Cell group ministry Pr Wendy Chiang Converge Celebration Dinner, 3 November Forty Cell Leaders came together for a thanksgiving meal to close the year. Some praise and dream reports of cell life in 2017 include: I m thankful for the cooperation and enthusiasm each cell member contributes towards cell life. I m thankful for a smooth transition of CG leadership. When the group grows, I grow. I cherish the effort taken by each member to connect with God and each other. I dream of cells making more efforts in outreach to the community. I dream of more members stepping up to become CGLs. 11
treasure island Ms Yuen Wai Mey Children s Day Celebration, 8 October expression of this year s Children s Celebration theme One Body Together. We hope to see greater engagement of children with youth, the children s parents and the larger church. It conveys to the children, youth and adults a strong biblical message that children are very much part of the church family. This truly is a delight in the eyes of God. Praise God that this year, Youthphoria coorganised the Children s Day Celebration with us and took charge of the games. This collaboration was mutually beneficial. For Youthphoria, it provided an avenue for the lower secondary youth to develop their leadership and relational skills. For the Church School, it provided an opportunity for the children to interact with our youth, who serve as role models of elder brothers and sisters in Christ. The children had an enjoyable time playing on their favourite bouncers and doing the obstacle course. Everyone was also treated to ice-cream, which was served by an icecream man from his push-cart. It was wonderful to see the children and youth interacting together and enjoying one another s company. It was an excellent 12
Saying Thanks, 5 November The P6 class did a ministry project to thank Youthphoria for organising the Children s Day games. They led the Church School children in making thank-you cards for the youth helpers. Each youth helper was given a personalised booklet of these thank you cards. Surely, this initiative of the P6 children testifies to the years of tender love and nurturing by the Church School teachers. All praise and thanks be to God for these fruits. Church School Stewards Planning Retreat, 5 November The Church School stewards gathered together for a time of encountering God to perceive God s heartbeat for the Church School ministry. In Ps David Ho s devotion, he shared that the Church School is in a new season. This requires a new team that knows its calling, has certain character and competency, with godly chemistry, is Christ-like and exercises collective leadership. Wai Mey then led the stewards in a time of discussion in small groups. The groups deliberated on two main questions: 1. What does it mean for the Church School to be a place of encounter? 2. How can we fulfil the purpose God has given us? Some common points surfaced from the discussion. These points will be followed up on by a core team. We ask for your prayers as the Church School navigates a new season. Pray also for the formation of a strong, united team to fulfil God s specific call for us. 13
discipleship & nurture Pr Wendy Chiang Baptism and Membership Class (Oct Nov 2017) This cohort of 36 participants consists of a good mix of young and older learners. They are attentive, energetic, participative and are excited to become part of the local church. Let us look forward to receive many of these friends as they commit to Christ and the church on 17 Dec 2017. 14
young adults ministry Mrs Cindy Ling Conversation with L.T. Jeyachandran, 12 September The young adults had a rigorous apologetics session titled How to Defend our Faith in Today s Day and Age. L.T. Jeyachandran taught the young adults to engage in conversations at concept level rather than emotional level to avoid emotional escalation in religious discussion. The conversation can be continued through illustrations, leaving the other party to draw specific conclusions on their own, allowing space and giving respect. The teaching was followed by an exciting time of questions and answers. Many of the young adults left the session with mind-blowing replies which may require further digestion. All in all, the young adults community worshipped the Lord with our minds all night. It was a fruitful session. 15
youthphoria Mr Joel Tan / Mr Christopher Chng Youthphorians serving at Youth Sunday, 8 October Gathering together to serve the young, Youthphorians volunteered to help facilitate the Children's Day celebration for the Primary and Kindergarten children. The kids were brought to multiple fun stations to play many games and activities. Many had fun prancing in the castles, hooking fish for points, teaming up in groups to blow paper boxes across strings and more. Free ice cream brought smiles and sweetness to the children, who enjoyed it tremendously. While it was tiring to prepare for the event and serve all day, seeing the smiles on the children's faces and the joy expressed made it all worthwhile. The World He Loves, 22 October Youthphoria had the pleasure of inviting Preacher Wendy Chiang to speak during our Youth service. She preached a sermon entitled The world He loves. Her thought-provoking message sought to remind us about how much God loves us. Until we come to understand how much we have sinned against God, we would never know the extent of God s love for us. Having reminded us of this and deepening our understanding of God s magnanimity when He chose to rescue us from the chains of sin and death, Wendy helped put things in perspective. It was a good reminder of how we need to confess, repent and turn away from evil and go back to God. We praise God for Preacher Wendy and her wisdom to preach the word of God faithfully to us! 16
Animal ministry Rev Dr Lorna Khoo 17
sports ministry Mr Fu Siqiang Aldersgate Youth Football Club The Aldersgate Youth Football team, trained by Mr Steven Black and a team of dedicated volunteer coaches, played a friendly game against Bukit Batok East CSC. The AMC Youth Football team emerged victorious with a score of 7 2. Please keep the team in prayer as they continue to reach out to youths. If you can support the team in any way, please contact Steven Black at stevenblack8857@gmail.com. For more details about AMC U16 soccer team, do visit them at https://www.facebook. com/amcyfc/ Football 18 Participation in the Crossroad Cup League came to a close after the AMC football team lost narrowly to AMK Bethesda Church in the semi-finals with a score of 0-1. The AMC Football Team finished the season in fourth position this year. In addition, some of our AMC players have attained the following awards: Top Scorer: Saravanan Nadarajah Golden Glove: Fu Siqiang Most Valuable Player: Poon King Yau (2nd runner up)
Basketball Interest Group The basketball sessions continued to take place in September and October, with some regular players turning up these sessions. We pray that more people across all ages will join the basketball sessions and get to know one another better through the game. Our last session for the year will be held on 19 November, 3pm to 5pm at the sheltered basketball courts of Fairfield Methodist School (Primary). We will be taking a break in December, as many will be away for their holidays. Badminton Interest Group Apart from our regulars, people from the Tuition Ministry have joined us for a game of badminton after their hard work in the morning. We will be taking a break in December as many will be away for their holidays. We welcome people of all ages and skill levels as badminton is a relatively easy and popular game among the young and old alike. We hope to see more people and especially new faces! If you are keen to know more members through the game of badminton, do join us when we re-start our sessions next year. For more details about the interest groups, you may visit us at Facebook page under AMC Sports. Alternatively, please contact Siqiang at 9815-0751 if you are planning to join us. 19
Local Church Executive Committee (LCEC) Mr Loo Ming Yaw LCEC Leaders Retreat, 14 & 28 October The LCEC gathered on two Saturdays to spend some time in retreat and to think through AMC s fundamental purpose. Cognizant of the special place that the Lord has placed us in the Dover area, the leaders prayed over and deliberated on the core purpose of the church. Ps Lorna Khoo shared with the leaders about the missionary and international DNA of the church in its early beginnings as well as God s miraculous provision that led to the establishment of AMC on the grounds of the Fairfield schools. Following from this, the leaders discussed what it means to be the church of the encounter and realise the importance of encountering God in His breadth and depth through our activities, programmes and initiatives. The leaders also spent time to think through how their various ministries contributed to the vision of AMC being a church of the encounter and how their programmes and activities are aligned to the vision. 20
Staff Training Training on use of fire extinguishers for staff, 31 October Ps David Ho conducted training on How to use a fire extinguisher for the AMC staff team and two APC staff on 31 October 2017. The staff members were taught about different kinds of fire and the type of fire extinguisher to apply. Every staff also was given the opportunity to try out the fire extinguisher. After the hands-on session, all staff were taken around the church premises to see where the fire extinguishers / fire hoses / emergency exit signs are located. 21
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AMC Communications and Caleb85 present Only limited to 30 people! Date: 21 Jan 2018 (Sunday) Time: 1.30pm (Light refreshment/lunch provided by Garden of Remembrance) Please register at the Information Counter. For more information, please contact Clara Toh @ 9644-5436 25
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Congratulations Mr & Mrs Goh Sheow En on the birth of their baby girl Miss Hannah Goh Le En on 29 Sep Mr & Mrs Fu Siqiang on the birth of their baby boy Master Fu Shaoyi on 06 Nov 2017 ~ Wedding ~ 30 Sep 2017 - Billy Fok Kam Luen and Joanna Han Hui En 27
Our Sunday Services English (Traditional): 8:30am English (Contemporary): 10:30am Mandarin: 10:30am Youth Service (Youthphoria): 10.30am Church School (Treasure Island): 8.30am & 10.30am Contacts Pastor-in-Charge: Rev Dr Lorna Khoo pastor.ic@aldersgate.sg Pastor: Rev David Ho davidho@aldersgate.sg Pr Wendy Chiang (Discipleship & Nurture, Cells, GB, Cluster C) wendychiang@aldersgate.sg Ms Anna Loo (Chinese Ministry) annaloo@aldersgate.sg Yuen Wai Mey (Children, Missions [admin]) waimeyyuen@aldersgate.sg Christopher Chng (BB, Youth) chrischng@aldersgate.sg Helpful info Church Office Operating Hours Monday to Friday: 8.00am 5.30pm Saturday: 9.00am 1.00pm Sunday: 8.00am 1.00pm Note: Staff Meeting on every Tuesday from 10.00am till 11.30am. Church office will be closed for staff lunch together from 11.30am till 2.15pm. (Subject to change without prior notice) Closed on public holidays except for Church Services. Church Opening Hours Monday to Friday: 8.00am 10.30pm (booking till 10.00pm) Saturday: 8.30am 10.30pm Sunday: (booking till 10.00pm) 7.00am 6.00pm (booking till 5.30pm) Closed on public holidays except for Church Services. Mr Thiruselvam S/O Govindaraju (Prayer, Pastoral Care, Hospitality & Security) thirug@aldersgate.sg Clara Toh (Communications) claratoh@aldersgate.sg Han Suat Hoon (Administrator) suathoonhan@aldersgate.sg Catherine Chia (Lay Executive Staff) catherinechia@aldersgate.sg Gloria Ho (Lay Executive Staff) gloriaho@aldersgate.sg Daphne Wong (Lay Executive Staff) daphnewong@aldersgate.sg Editorial Team for In and Around: Rev Dr Lorna Khoo, Rev David Ho, Pr Wendy Chiang, Tan Chiu Ai, Andrew Ang, Gracia Chiang, Lorraine Seah, Dawn Seow, Aldersgate Methodist Church 98 Dover Road, Singapore 139647 Tel: 6773-1964 Fax: 6773-3194 email: contact@aldersgate.sg Website: www.aldersgate.sg 28