Loaves+Fishes Jan-Mar 2014

You must try Yong Luan’s Pastel Goreng, Indonesian Chicken Puff!
The Covenant Community Methodist Church Magazine
Avoid
Workplace
Pitfalls
HOW TO
HELP YOUR
CHILDREN
MANAGE
STRESS
IS EVERY
CHRISTIAN
A DISCIPLE?
Eating and
Cooking
Together as
a Family
MICA (P) No: 104/03/2013
LOAVES+FISHES
JAN/MARCH 2014
Enlarged
Regular Feature:
GETTING TO
KNOW YOU
DavidWee:
RECALLED
TO SERVE

I WILL PRAISE YOUR NAME*
Reginald Chan
Mark Masillamoney
Kevin Lam
You founded the world
With Your breath.
The heavens praise
Your mighty works.
You call out each star
By their name.
Your power, the skies,
They all proclaim.
Great are you, Lord.
You have restored my life.
I will praise your name
And I will lift my voice.
I will sing of your great love.
You are my Lord, my all.
Jesus, your name is mighty,
Your name is holy,
Your name is wonderful to me.
Jesus, your name brings power,
Your name beings wonders.
Jesus, your name is worthy
To be praised.
* From Offerings: You are Worthy
(See page 42)
STARS:SCOTTCRESSWELLCCBY2.0,Man:BARTCCBY-NC2.0
JenRockCCBY-NC-SA2.0
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR A NEW CCMC LOGO
Are you inspired?
As the name of our church signifies, God has raised a covenant community of
believers in CCMC where we are to live in convenantal relationship with the Lord
and with one another. Our scriptural inspiration is drawn from both the Great
Commandment and the Great Commission: To love the Lord our God with all
our heart, our soul, our mind and our strength, and to love our neighbour as
ourselves; and, seeking always to make disciples of all believers.
Acknowledging that God’s Kingdom has been inaugurated in our midst,
we seek to embrace that Kingdom culture and its values by striving to love as
true disciples of Jesus in Growth, Fellowship and Service.
CCMC would like to invite you to design a logo that embodies
this church vision of making everyone a disciple of Jesus Christ.
+
This call for a logo design is open to all CCMC members and their families and
friends, including pastors, leaders, staff and their families.
Submission deadline: 31 July 2014
Contact the church office at admin@ccmc.org.sg for details requirements.

3
CONTENTS
MOVING TO NEW
RESPONSIBILITIES
Farewell Interview with
Pastor Khoo Kay Huat
6
JOHN SUNG
The Man, His Legacy
18
STRESSED OUT
BY GROWING UP
20
ME?
A DISCIPLE?
14
RECALLED
TO SERVE
Pastor David Wee
9

4 5
Loaves + Fishes is published
quarterly by Covenant Community
Methodist Church
Level 4, Methodist Girls’ School
11, Blackmore Drive
Singapore 599986
Tel: 64669652 Fax: 64667470
Email: admin@ccmc.org.sg
www.ccmc.org.sg
MICA (P) No: 104/03/2013
Printed by Oxford Graphic
Printers Pte Ltd
EDITORIAL
COMMITTEE
Editor
Rev John Benedict Foo
Editorial Advisor
BG David Koh
Managing Editor
Goh Eck Kheng
Members
Chong Cheh Hoon
Leanne Pattiselanno
Artists
Abigail Goh
Gillian Goh
Contributors
Raymond Chow
Chung Kong Mun
Adeline Ee
Anita Fam
Grace Foo
Grace Ng
Lester Ng
April Ong
Ong Yong Luan
Clarissa Soo
Tan Buck Chye
Joshua Tan
Miriam Wun
Yap Kian Seng
Wendy Yeap
ON THE COVER
Pastor David Wee and
his wife, Jessie.
Photograph by Sandy Chian
esus' departing words to his early disciples before his
ascension were, “Go and make disciples of all nations….”
The call to discipleship has never been clearer and
stronger than now. God’s vision for Covenant Community
Methodist Church is to raise a community of faithful disciples in
intimate covenant relationship with God and actively living out
the Great Commandment and Great Commission.
“Discipleship” is going to become the byword for everything
we do here at Covenant Community. After all, it is a biblical
thing to do since being a Christian is synonymous with being
a disciple, and the New Testament records more than two hun-
dred and fifty times that the term “disciple” is being used when
referring to believers.
Simply put, a disciple focuses on these three things:
Growth - We experience authentic spiritual growth and ma-
turity in our individual lives. Our personal faith becomes rele-
vant in our daily living. We consistently grow in godliness and
in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus. We develop a
greater desire and deeper yearning for the living presence of
God in our lives. We become more sensitive to the Holy Spirit
as we wholly depend on God for guidance and empowerment.
Fellowship - We enjoy intimate fellowship of Christian love,
encouragement and mutual support. We recognize the impor-
tance of being in the Body of Christ. We actively seek ways to
enhance the fellowship by our presence and participation.
Service - We engage in joyful service to touch lives and im-
pact them for eternity. We employ our time, talents and treas-
ures in our ministry for the edification of believers and the sal-
vation of the lost.
God is calling CCMC to become a godly people of power and
influence. By being divinely transformed and supernaturally
empowered, we are letting the presence and power of Christ
shine through us for the glory of God.
Let us experience the reality and challenge of becoming true
disciples of Jesus Christ together.
Rev John Benedict Foo
MAKING
DISCIPLES
REGULARS
Ask Abigail 35
Crafts for Kids (pull out)
Crumbs 48
Good Things 40
Kitchen 46
Manga Hero 32
News Bites 42
SOAP 27
Songs & Singers 34
Food for Thought 31
To the Point 17
ENLARGED
REGULAR
FEATURE
Getting to
Know You
45
RECIPE FOR
FAMILY BONDING
Binding Family Ties
in the Kitchen
36
LOAVES+FISHES FEEDBACK
Loaves+Fishes wants to hear from
you on a number of levels.
We are looking for people to
join our editorial committee to plan
and publish the magazine.
We are looking for people to
contribute to the magazine on an
ad hoc basis. If you have a recipe to
share, a testimony (short or long)
to give, something to publicise in
the Good Thing pages, news to
report, a Christian principle to edify
our readers with, or any other
piece of writing, we say "thank
you" to you in advance.
LET'S BREAK
BREAD
TOGETHER
39
We also want to hear from
you about what you think about
Loaves+Fishes.
Tell us what you like and what
you don't. Tell us about what you
want in future issues. Is there
an article about a particular
subject you'd like? Let us know. Is
there a word that you would like
illuminated by the Word through
the To The Point Bible study page?
Let us know too.
Help us make this magazine
always relevant to you. Email us at
ccmcloavesfishes@gmail.com.
PITFALLS IN
THE WORKPLACE
28
RENEESUENBYCCBY-NC-ND2.0

6 7
Moving to New
Responsibilities
A farewell interview with
Pastor Khoo Kay Huat
grown up to be young adults,
thus becoming a layer of leaders
and disciple-makers for the next
generation. I have been privileged
to see many of the youths grow up
to be outstanding, mature disciples.
Credit must go to the OC leaders
who have put in time, heart and
even tears into these young lives.
Share with us three principles of
church ministry, learnt from your
time in CCMC, which you will use
in your future ministry.
Building great people is more
important than building a "great
church". If we do ministry just to
achieve a dream or a goal, we would
have missed out on the essence of
ministry, which is all about people.
Be less task-oriented, more people-
oriented.
Be noble. Never ever lower
ourselves to some form or even
appearance of carnality, no matter
what happens. We are God's
children, we should act no less. For
myself, it is an acknowledgement
of my weaknesses, so I must keep
reminding myself of this.
Steward what we have, no
matter how insignificant it is.
Sometimes, the little seeds that we
steward have the ability to grow
into something spectacular. We
must never question whatever God
gives us, even if it may initially be
illogical.Itwasinthesmallestthings
that I found greatest joy and fruit.
What will you miss in CCMC?
Many things! The many experiences
of God: lessons learnt, His presence
in certain "moments". The church
family. The food. The long and
sometimes intense meetings! Even
the quiet mornings before school
starts, where I ready myself for our
school ministry via chapel.
Please share two specific mem-
ories which you value from your
ministry in CCMC.
There was a particular OC Camp
How did you discover your calling
to full-time Christian ministry?
I first dreamt about my calling when
I was 16. In the dream, a church
member asked me to baptize him!
I thought I had been serving too
much in church but many others
came around to encourage me to
serve in full-time ministry, without
them knowing that I had the dream!
The final confirmation came
when God convinced my mother
that this was the path for me. God
certainly answered every excuse
and reason that I came up with to
avoid pastoral ministry!
Where have you served to date?
I was serving in Wesley since my
teenage years. After going to Trinity
Theological College, I returned
to Wesley as a pastor in 2005. I
was posted to CCMC in February
2009. I have been posted to Bedok
Methodist Church.
You are the Director of Youth
Ministry in TRAC. Tell us about
your ministry there.
Truthmin's main mission is to help
youthsandyouthministriesinTRAC
through worship, discipleship,
leadership development and dis-
cerning culturally relevant methods
for ministry.
The ministry has a number
of TRAC-wide programs and
events. Trackers is a three-month
discipleship program for youths
and young adults, culminating
in mission trips to various Asian
countries. Fusion is an annual event
where more than 1,200 youths
gather for a time of worship and
learning from the Word. Fuse is a
monthly prayer meeting. Fulcrum is
a training program catered to youth
workers. We are also involved in CD
projects that encourage youth to
write worship songs (See page 40).
How has OC changed in your
years of ministry with them?
For one, the older youths have
((IF WE DO
MINISTRY JUST TO
ACHIEVE A DREAM
OR A GOAL, WE
WOULD HAVE
MISSED OUT ON
THE ESSENCE OF
MINISTRY, WHICH
IS ALL ABOUT
PEOPLE.
))
SANDYCHIAN

8 9
where we created this activity
called the "Experience Museum",
patterned after the Holocaust
Museum in Israel. It presented
the various aspects of our lives
as disciples, such as service
through social concerns and
prayer. Although it wasn't done
as excellently as we had hoped, it
has become a spiritual milestone
for me, as it prepared me for some
really out-of-the-box ideas that I
am doing now with Truthmin.
During a warmth lunch, I was
pleasantly surprised and blessed
when church members had
specifically kept some food for the
different people involved in service,
who had to come down late for
lunch. That is what we call "family".
YouintroducedSOAPasamethod
of doing daily devotions to CCMC.
Has SOAP made a difference to
you personally?
I think reading the Word of God is a
fantastic thing, a heavenly privilege.
((TO BE ABLE TO
PROCESS AND HEAR
GOD SPEAKING
THROUGH HIS
WORD HAS BEEN
AN ENORMOUS
BLESSING TO ME.
))
So, to be able to process it and hear
God speaking through the Word has
been an enormous blessing to me.
In the 16+ months of doing SOAP, I
have had a lot of rock bottom valley
and mountain top experiences. The
Word has been a balm in the tough
times, guidance in the uncertain
times, and great affirmation in
joyous times.
What life lessons have you learnt
for yourself in the years you have
been at CCMC?
Besides the three principles men-
tioned before, there are these:
1) Relationship with God is more
important than ministry. Ministry
without relationship is a facade and
hypocrisy.
2) In a far deeper measure,
I learnt that God will provide
for every need, whether it is
encouragement, wisdom or even
finances.
3) The heart is deceitful above
everything else. I must constantly
scrub my heart.
What untapped potential do you
see in the people of CCMC?
I guess the same applies to the
universal Church: To achieve
maximum potential is to first
discover what God has put in us
in terms of callings and gifts. This
comes from walking with Him and
being able to hear His voice. After
that, it is a matter of obedience,
in following through with His
directions. And God will certainly
bring us to the fullness of life and
the future that He promises us.
What is your prayer for CCMC as
you prepare to move to a new
place of ministry?
That CCMC will be a Godly example
of what a covenant community
should be like.
How can we pray for you now?
Pray for wisdom and anointing in
life and ministry. [+]
HOW CAN I KEEP FROM SINGING*
Robert Lowry
My life flows on in endless song;
Above earth's lamentation
I hear the sweet though far-off hymn
That hails a new creation:
Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear the music ringing;
It finds an echo in my soul –
How can I keep from singing?
What though my joys and comforts die?
The Lord, my Saviour, liveth;
What though the darkness gather round!
Songs in the night He giveth:
No storm can shake my inmost calm
While to that refuge clinging;
Since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth,
I lift mine eyes; the cloud grows thin;
I see the blue above it;
And day by day this pathway smoothes
Since first I learned to love it:
The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart,
A fountain ever springing:
All things are mine since I am his –
* From Offerings: You are Worthy
(See page 40)
CASHLUNACCBY-NC-SA2.0

10 11
Pastor David Wee
RECALLED
TO SERVE
How did you discover your
calling to full-time Christian
ministry?
At my mother's deathbed, when I
was 16, she told me to enter Trinity
Theological College (TTC). I took
it with a kilo of salt and kept quiet.
Five years later, my home church,
Paya Lebar Methodist Church, had
a leaders retreat at Telok Paku,
Changi, and I heard my leaders
affirming the decision to sponsor
someone to fulltime studies at TTC.
In the quietness of my heart,
I knew it was meant specially for
me. One member of the church
had studied in TTC and never
completed it and they were
disappointed. Therefore, for them
to make this important decision
was definitely crossing a big hurdle
and indeed God-directed.
I spoke to Rev George Wan and
he affirmed my calling.
Outline for us where you have
served to date.
1976 August - Assistant to the
Pastor, Wesley Methodist Church.
1977 September - Senior Pastor,
Barker Road Methodist Church.
1983 January - Senior Pastor,
Bedok Methodist Church.
1990 January - Senior Pastor, Christ
Methodist Church.
1995 January - Pastor-in-Charge,
Wesley Methodist Church.
1999 Sabbatical.
2000 January - Pastor-in-Charge,
Fairfield Methodist Church.
2004 July - Missionary Pastor with
the British Methodist Church in
Hull, West Circuit.
2008 August - Pastor, Barker Road
Methodist Church and assigned to
Holland Village Preaching Point.
2013 January - Retired Pastor
2014 February - Pastor, Covenant
Community Methodist Church.
Tell us about your ministry in
Iban missions.
I first got involved with the Ibans
in 1975 when I was given three
months Field Education Work
in Kapit, Sarawak. After that, I
led teams there to conduct the
Youth Leaders and Sunday School
Teachers' training programme.
In 1981, during the training
programme, I felt the Lord moving
me to challenge 10 of the Iban
youths to serve Him fulltime. At
the end of that camp, I pulled them
aside and spoke to them about the
situation and need in the Sarawak
Iban Annual Conference (SIAC) and
all of them committed themselves
to serve the Lord. I praise God
that, today, seven of them are
still serving as pastors; one had
transferred out to the Sidang Injil
Borneo (previously known as the
Borneo Evangelical Mission) while
two have passed away.
When I came back from UK
and learned that TRAC had
stopped supporting them, I was
disheartened but not defeated. I
felt the Lord challenging me to go
back and help them.
So, when it became clearer
that Holland Village Preaching
Point was going to become a
Local Conference (ie a full-fledged
church), I prepared myself for
retirement. The timing could not
be more perfect. I was better able
to assist in putting into place
connections for the training of the
Iban Children Ministry and Youth
Ministry. I ran the Pastors' School
this May with our Conference
President.
In 2013, when I retired, I got Dr
Cheah Fung Fong in to help them
with the Children's Ministry, and
the Trackers to help with the Youth
Ministry.
Friends and relatives have
donated about RM$100,000 for
the pastors' salary. (Note that
after serving more than 30 years,
the Iban pastors are still getting
RM$1,200 per month!)
This year, I am looking at
churches to twin with Iban
churches and to help the Sarawak
(( AT MY
MOTHER'S
DEATHBED,
WHEN I WAS 16,
SHE TOLD ME TO
ENTER TRINITY
THEOLOGICAL
COLLEGE. I TOOK
IT WITH A KILO OF
SALT…
))
(Top) On the Kapit River,
Sarawak, late 1970s.
(Above) Marrying Yeo Eng
Chian and Karen at Wesley
Methodist Church, 1996.
SANDYCHIAN

12 13
Iban Annual Conference to raise
funds for their new church building
project in the new residential
township of Sibu Jaya. They started
with about 20 worshippers in a
shophouse and, today, there are
more than 120 people worshipping
there. They will raise 60% for this
building project and will need help
with the remaining 40%. The cost
is estimated at RM$1.2m. I am
excited about the potential of this
ministry. They need our help.
Has the Methodist church com-
munity changed over the years?
If so, how?
Change is a necessity as long as it
does not affect doctrines. In a way,
we are all changing all the time.
As we grow older each day, our
body changes, whether we realize
it or not. The same is true of the
Methodist Church in Singapore
from worship style to ministry
emphasis.
The TRAC Methodist Book
of Discipline has been so
transformed. Very creatively, the
Methodist Youth Fellowship has
been transformed into the Youth
Ministry, for example. We have a
danger of wanting to copy mega
churches and slowly lose our own
Methodist identity. Authority of
people in positions have been
diluted, from Bishop to President
to District Superintendents.
Structurally, when I first entered
the pastoral ministry, it was the
Bishop who appointed us pastors
to the churches. After that, it was
the President, and his District
Superintendents would execute his
directives. Pastors would provide
leadership in local churches. Today,
pastors are becoming like "office
CEOs".
These changes are not
fundamentally important as long
as the biblical contents remain
and are taught correctly in our
churches. These are structural
changes I am talking about.
Once, we were a Methodist
Church for the middle and lower
income. Today, we have become a
community of higher and middle
income, which would explain why
Methodist Welfare Services is
doing well, and a number of our
Methodist Churches have good
social outreach programmes.
We must never forget that Jesus'
ministry was to those with
needs – spiritual, emotionally,
psychological, mental, physical
and financial, especially the poor.
It is important to have a wholistic
ministry, one that is balanced.
Tell us three principals of church
ministry which you have learnt
from your time as a pastor.
My own outlook on ministry
has changed. I used to think of
myself as being a pastor of the
local church I am appointed to.
But after serving at Fairfield MC,
my understanding changed. I
now see myself as a pastor of the
community where the church is.
People are important, not
numbers. We can grow the church
but if the personal touch is missing,
the church is lukewarm or dead.
The clergy and the laity
must work hand in glove. When
professionalism gets into the
church life and ministry, then the
church has become an organization
and not the living Body of Christ.
Yet, at the same time, this does not
mean we do thing with an attitude
that condones sub-standards. In
the old hymn, "Give of your best to
the Master", the key word is "best".
I gave my best when I was working
in a secular job for five years
before entering the ministry and
I must continue to give even more
while serving the Lord.
I remember having some duties
at the Padang on Singapore's
National Day during my NS days.
To receive the President at 9
am, we had to turn up for duty
smartly attired at 6 am. That was a
privilege of duty.
So, where is God in our lives
on weekdays and Sunday as
pastors, Lay Ministry Staff and
church members? In the past, you
only have the pastor and the lay
leadership. Today, we have opened
the "Lay Ministry Staff" and "Lay
Executive or Professional Staff"
window. This can create a tension
over time because the Lay Ministry
Staff stay longer in the church than
the pastor and the pastoral role
can become blurred. So, this may
result in people asking "What do
the pastors actually do?"
What do you miss in your old
areas of ministry?
I miss being a pastor of a
small church – knowing every
member and ministering to them
individually. Today, most of our
churches have over 500 members
and even though it may have two
pastors, the struggle to relate, to
connect, to minister, is there.
Mission ministry to the Ibans
is where my heart beats most.
Every trip, including those that just
requires my presence to take facts
and photos for the records, give me
joy as I have the opportunity not
only to update information but to
relate and build bonds of Christ's
love and fellowship with our Iban
brothers and sisters.
I miss Barker Road Methodist
Church, my first pastorate. It has
a special place in my heart as I
remember learning and growing
together with the members, and I
appreciated the godly and loving
leaders there. Many held high
positions in life but I felt greatly
cared for and respected as they
supported me, a green horn, in the
pastoral ministry. I felt blessed.
Share two memories which you
value from your ministry.
There are simply too many
wonderful memories to pen. But
let me share these two:
I observed and learned with
great admiration the preaching
ministry of Rev Dr Tony Chi on my
first appointment to Wesley MC.
I am still an imperfect preacher
today, not because of him, but
because of my own limitations.
The second one was at Barker
Road MC. After Jessie delivered
our first born son, Jed, the ladies
came to visit and saw me washing
nappies and cooking in the kitchen.
They rallied around and got me
a washing machine and arranged
some ladies to cook and deliver
some food to us at least two to
three times a week. Jesus was
there for us through their kind
gestures and help.
What is the effect of daily devo-
tions in your life and ministry?
It is dynamic and uplifting. First,
the Word of God is so relevant in
all circumstances and situations in
life. Sometimes, you find words of
encouragement and, at other times,
assurance or even correction.
I have my own days of feeling
up as well as feeling down. Yet, God
speaks lovingly and gently. I used to
be an impatient youth and a fighter,
and I literally had fought bare fisted
with other youths. God's Word
changed that.
In the past, I memorized
scripture. But now that has
changed to knowing God through
His Word rather than just knowing
scripture.
What life lessons have you learnt
in your years of ministry?
God must come first before
anything else. Love people, not
things, including material wealth.
Rules and governance are there
to help us, not to bind us. It is a
privilege to serve, and so serve
with joy.
What are your prayers for CCMC
as you join the church as a new
place of ministry?
That we will build a good, healthy
relationship with MGS and make an
impact on the students, teachers,
staff, vice-principals and principal.
That we will fulfill God's
purpose in building a congregation
of disciples of and for Jesus Christ.
That God will use our different
giftings and strengths to unite and
make us shine for him in the Bukit
Timah community.
How can we pray for you?
For health. For wisdom in man-
aging time as I take on different
roles as pastor of CCMC, Director
of Seniors Ministry in TRAC, and
keeping an eye on Sarawak Iban
missions. To fit in quickly and be
a help to the pastors, the pastoral
team, the church leadership and
the membership. [+]
((PEOPLE ARE
IMPORTANT, NOT
NUMBERS. WE
CAN GROW THE
CHURCH BUT IF
THE PERSONAL
TOUCH IS MISSING,
THE CHURCH IS
LUKEWARM OR
DEAD. ))

14 15
es, if you are a Chris-
tian, you are a disciple of
Christ. In Matthew 28:19,
Jesus commanded his dis-
ciples to "make disciples of all na-
tions, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit". That Jesus linked mak-
ing disciples with baptism is sig-
nificant. This means that when we
commit ourselves and proclaim our
faith in Christ, we are also commit-
ting and and proclaiming ourselves
as Christ's disciples.
What does it mean to be a disci-
ple of Christ? The scriptural refer-
ence that comes to me immediately
is Luke 9:23. I have always believed
that this verse carries the essence of
becoming a disciple of Christ. Here,
Christ lays down the conditions for
anyone who aspires to become His
disciple.
Then he said to them all: “If
anyone would come after me,
he must deny himself and take
up his cross and follow me. For
whoever wants to save his life
will lose it, but whoever loses his
life for me will save it.
(Lk 9:23,24)
This is my understanding of
being a disciple of Christ based on
Luke 9:23.
Denying self means total surren-
der to God – “Not my will but yours
be done” (Lk 22:42). It implies com-
plete obedience to the will of God.
We are no longer in control of our
own lives but we allow Jesus to rule
in our lives.
Gal 2:20 says that we are cruci-
fied with Christ, which means we
die to our old selves and become
alive in Christ. We are to be a liv-
ing sacrifice to God (Rom 12:1,2).
We allow Christ into our lives to
take over ownership completely.
We must be willing to let go of our
selfish desires and be committed to
doing his will. Christ now sits on the
Y
((TO FOLLOW
CHRIST IS TO
ALLOW HIM TO
LEAD US AND
GUIDE US; TO
FOLLOW AFTER HIS
HEART AND HIS
WAYS.
))
by Raymond Chow
A disciple?
Me?
throne of our lives and rules over
our lives. There is no holding back
anything from him. All that we have
and all that we are are to be used for
his glory and purpose.
Taking up the cross means to
be willing to bear the same burden
and sufferings that Christ has gone
through. The cross symbolises sur-
render, sacrifice, suffering. Christ
commited himself to sacrificing
himself and suffering for our sake
so that he can save us all from our
sins. This is also an act of obedience
to God’s will – to fulfil God’s pur-
pose no matter what the cost.
Bearing the cross also means
doing what Jesus would have us
do. Jesus surrendered himself to-
tally to his Father on the cross. It
also means being willing to give our
lives totally for God’s purpose and
will.
The cross also symbolises salva-
tion and redemption. Jesus loves the
world so much that he is willing to
give his life to save the world. Like-
wise, when we take up the cross, we
are also allowing Christ to lay the
burden and passion of saving souls
upon us. We must have the same
passion for souls as Christ has and
be a witness to the world for Christ
regardless the cost.
To follow Jesus is to allow him
to lead us and guide us; to follow
after his heart and his ways. When
we follow Christ, there is no turning
back. Disciples of Christ have only
one purpose, and that is to please
their master and to go where Christ
would have them go and do what he
would like them to do. It also means
imitating Christ in our character, at-
titude and behaviour.
A disciple has no rights to him-
self as he has willingly submitted
himself to his master. In order to do
that, he must know his master well
and have complete trust in him. He
wants to learn as much as possible
from his master and do his master
proud. For a disciple of Christ, there

16 17
is only one master and Lord and
that is Christ himself. Our loyalty
and devotion must be to him and
him only. Christ requires complete
allegiance and obedience.
The word “disciple” comes from
the word “discipline”. There can be
no discipleship if there is no disci-
pline. Following Christ is not just a
hollow or idealistic concept. It re-
quires concrete action on our part.
It requires daily discipline, disci-
plining our thought life, our behav-
iour, abiding in his Word, worship-
ping him in spirit and in truth, and
praying unceasingly.
Spiritual discipline has to be-
come a way of life. A disciple of
Christ reflects the likeness and glo-
ry of Christ. He upholds the prin-
ciples and values of Christ. He is
proud to be associated with Christ
and would only boast about his
master and not himself. He must
give all glory to his Master and
serve his Master with humility and
diligence.
CCMC has embarked on the vi-
sion of reminding every believer
that we are disciples and disciple
makers. It is the high calling that
Christ called us to.
What would a church be like if
there is no disciple? It would not be
a church at all! On the other hand,
if the church is filled with Christ's
true disciples, can we imaging how
powerful and dynamic the church
would be?
I believe we will see God’s pow-
er and presence manifested in our
midst in far greater measure when
we are a church committed to dis-
cipleship. There will be fruitfulness
and growth and the church will
glow and grow. I strongly believe
that being a disciple of Christ and
making disciples for Christ should
be the underlying heartbeat of all
we do. It is a vision that is clear,
concise and powerful!
I remember reading the clas-
sic book In His Steps by Charles M
Sheldon. In the story, the question
((FOLLOWING
CHRIST IS NOT
JUST A HOLLOW
OR IDEALISTIC
CONCEPT. IT
REQUIRES
CONCRETE ACTION
ON OUR PART.
))
"What would Jesus do?" and liv-
ing out the answer transformed a
whole church and impacted those
each member came into contact
with.
May we seek God's perfect will
and do what Jesus would have us
do. For a disciple of Christ is a fol-
lower of Christ: A Christian.
We need to ask ourselves a very
fundamental question: Are we con-
tented just to be a church goer or do
we live as disciples of Christ? This is
a important choice that no one can
make for us but only we can make
for ourselves.
I hope we will all make the right
choice and be committed to follow
it through by the empowerment of
the Holy Spirit. [+]
Raymond Chow is a lay ministry
staff at CCMC.
by GOH ECK KHENG
EVERY CHRISTIAN IS
A DISCIPLE
Matt 28:19-20
"Therefore go and make
disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name
of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit
and teaching them to obey
everything I have com-
manded you. And surely I
am with you always, to the
very end of the age.”
for you. By this My Father
is glorified, that you bear
much fruit; so you will be
My disciples.
John 13:34-35
A new commandment I
give to you, that you love
one another: just as I have
loved you, you also are to
love one another. By this
all people will know that
you are my disciples, if you
have love for one another.
John 13:14-15
If I then, your Lord and
Master, have washed your
feet; ye also ought to wash
one another’s feet. For I
have given you an exam-
ple, that ye should do as I
have done to you.
I John 2:3
Now by this we
may be sure that we
know him, if we obey
his commandments.
1 Peter 1:15-16
but like the Holy One
who called you, be holy
yourselves also in all your
behavior; because it is
written, "You shall be holy,
for I am holy."
DISCIPES HAVE HELP
John 14:26
But the Helper, the Holy
Spirit, whom the Father will
send in My name, He will
teach you all things, and
bring to your remembrance
all that I said to you.
Disciple
To The Point
DISCIPES HAVE JOY
IN ABIDING
John 15:9-14
Just as the Father has loved
Me, I have also loved you;
abide in My love. If you keep
My commandments, you
will abide in My love; just as
I have kept My Father's com-
mandments and abide in
His love. These things I have
spoken to you so that My
joy may be in you, and that
your joy may be made full.
DISCIPLES SHARE CHRIST
Matt 28:19
Go therefore and make dis-
ciples of all nations, baptiz-
ing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit…
17
HOW disciples LIVE
Matt 5:14a, 16b
“You are the light of the
world.... let your light shine
before others, so that they
may see your good works
and give glory to your
Father who is in heaven.
John 15:1-2, 5, 7-8
"I am the true vine, and
My Father is the vinedress-
er. Every branch in Me
that does not bear fruit
He takes away; and every
branch that bears fruit He
prunes, that it may bear
more fruit.... I am the vine,
you are the branches. He
who abides in Me, and I
in him, bears much fruit;
for without Me you can do
nothing.... If you abide in
Me, and My words abide in
you, you will ask what you
desire, and it shall be done
THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP
Mark 8:34-35
When He had called the
people to Himself, with His
disciples also, He said to
them, “Whoever desires to
come after Me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross,
and follow Me. For whoever
desires to save his life will lose
it, but whoever loses his life
for My sake and the gospel’s
will save it.
THE PURPOSE OF
DISCIPLES
1 Peter 2:21
For you have been called
for this purpose, since
Christ also suffered for you,
leaving you an example for
you to follow in His steps
John 8:12
When Jesus spoke again
to the people, he said, “I
am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will
never walk in darkness, but
will have the light of life.”
TRUTH AND FREEDOM
FOR DISCIPLES
John 8:31-32
So Jesus was saying to
those Jews who had
believed Him, “If you
continue in My word, then
you are truly disciples of
Mine; and you will know
the truth, and the truth will
make you free.”

18 19
Many of us have heard of great
evangelists like Billy Graham and
Billy Sunday, but probably few
of us have heard of a man whose
relatively short fifteen-year minis-
try has and will impact China and
South East Asia for generations to
come – Doctor John Sung.
Doctor Sung was born as Sung
Shang Chieh in 1901 to a Christian
family. He was raised in Hinghwa,
Fukian, China. His ministry started
when, as a young boy, Sung would
go around every Sunday with his
father who was a pastor. When his
father was absent, Sung would step
into his shoes as the substitute
preacher, and this earned him the
nickname "little pastor".
One day, Sung felt a calling from
God to go to America for further
studies. At that time, this was
almost unheard of, especially since
Sung's father earned a mere 30
dollars a month. However, Sung felt
convicted to go and nothing stood
in his way. With herculean effort
and a lot of fundraising, Sung man-
aged to raise the dollars needed to
pay for a trip to America.
In America, Sung studied at
the Ohio Wesleyan University and
The Ohio State University. He was
a brilliant student and took just
seven and a half years to earn his
doctorate in Chemistry.
Despite all his intelligence and
qualifications, Sung had already
chosen the path he wanted to take.
Back in China, he rejected an offer
from Peking University which came
with a lucrative salary. He also
rejected a research fellowship in
Germany. While contemplating his
future, he had discerned God say-
ing to him, "What shall it profit a
man if he gain the whole world and
lose his own soul?" (Mark 8:36).
So, he gave himself to the preach-
ing of the Gospel.
For a large part of his evange-
listic work, Sung was a member of
an evangelistic group known as the
Bethel Band. This preaching band
consisted of Sung, Andrew Gih,
Philip Lee, Frank Ling and Lincoln
Nieh. They travelled all over China,
spreading the gospel. Sung and Gih
were the main preachers.
Known for his energetic preach-
ing style and dramatic delivery,
Sung’s fame spread like wildfire
across China. During gospel servic-
es, he encouraged the congregation
to confess and come right with
God. This firebrand’s charisma
was very amazing and hundreds of
people, believers and non-believ-
ers, would repent of their sins and
let Christ into their hearts at every
service.
On one occasion, at a confer-
ence where Sung preached, all the
provinces in China but one was
represented among the congrega-
tion. The numbers in the congrega-
tion were far more than
the location could hold. This was
a common occurrence at many
services when Sung preached.
As quoted so aptly from his
biography by Leslie T. Lyall, “Those
were hallowed days of blessing and
great joy. It was more than ever
clear that Dr Sung was an instru-
ment God has raised up for such a
time in history of the nation and of
the Church in China.”
During his preaching days, Sung
visited Singapore a total of seven
times. Thus, his messages did have
a huge impact on our very own
country as well.
Yet, despite all his achieve-
ments, Sung was far from a perfect
man. One of his shortcomings was
his lack of social graces, and he
was known to be rather curt and
unsociable. Furthermore, he often
spent long periods of time away
from his family and left his wife to
handle family affairs. Unfortunate-
ly, sacrifices had to be made for
Sung’s amazing work.
Once, Sung was sent to a mental
asylum for 193 days by seminary
authorties because his passion-
ate preaching caused them to
think that he was out of his mind.
During that time, he read the Bible
40 times from cover to cover! He
became grounded deeply in God’s
Word. This was a turning point in
Sung’s life as he fully committed
himself to God’s work, and he real-
ised that God had given him those
193 days to rediscover himself and
to have a spiritual walk with Him.
In fact, this period sets the stage
for what was to be one of the great-
est revivals ever witnessed in Asia.
Sung died at the age of 42 from
intestinal tuberculosis. Till his very
last day, he continued to praise
God and relied on him for strength.
Even in his dying days, he contin-
ued to preach, speaking in sitting
or lying position because of his
great discomfort. Though his body
was weak, the fire in his eyes
continued to burn with that same
passion for God that everyone
had become accustomed to. As a
Chinese saying goes," Life is like a
candle. Its quality isn't measured
by its length, but by the amount of
light it shines onto others."
Doctor John Sung was a man
who leaves behind a great legacy,
and the impact of his ministry will
be felt for generations to come. He
was an inspiration to all who met
him. John Sung is someone I would
truly call a bright candle. [+]
Kevin Tong worships in OC at CCMC.
(( Sung visited Singapore a total of
seven times. Thus, his messages did
have a huge impact on our country.
))
JOHN SUNG
The Man, His Legacy
KEVIN TONG

2120
Wendy Yeap is a school counsellor,
mother of two grown-up children,
and a member of CCMC.
Children encounter different pres-
sures in the course of their primary
and secondary school days. In a
psychosocial stage model, the main
challenge of children in primary
school will be "Industry vs Infe-
riority", meaning to say that the
children either has the motivation
to master new skills to achieve
their goals or they might lack the
motivation to achieve.
In early adolescence (12-18
years), the main challenge will
be "Group Identity vs Alienation
(Peer Pressure)". This means their
desire is to feel accepted by their
peers but, unfortunately, some feel
alienated.
I have found this model to be
very helpful in understanding the
development of children, although
I do find that behaviour changes
can already be detected in children
even before the age of 12. That
is why the Parenting Teenagers
Course by Relationship Central, the
ministry arm of Alpha, caters to
parents whose children are from 11
to 18 years old.
One reason why pressures arise
is developmental. The other reason
is environmental. Actually, these
reasons are interlinked.
Children have the motivation
to master new skills to achieve
their goals if they feel confident
that they have the ability to do
so. Those who are brought up in
a secure home environment will
have an advantage. Pressures arise
when the aptitudes for skills that
the children have are not valued
by society. Those who do well are
usually those who have aptitudes
for literacy skills, sports and social
conformity.
Young adolescents who need
to belong to peer groups may feel
the pressure to conform, leading
them to sacrifice their individuality,
personal aspirations and goals.
Those who do not feel accepted by
their peers may, in the longer term,
find difficulty in developing social
support networks. This may affect
their physical and mental health.
Parents can give children a
secure base in dealing with these
pressures. One way to do this is
to have the same caregiver for at
least the first three, preferably five
years, of the children's lives. The
caregiver needs to be attentive
and responsive to the children too.
Those who depend on a "team"
of caregivers, should work well
together with them so that every-
one has a similar style of communi-
cation and belief about caregiving.
Affirm and celebrate all efforts and
achievements of the children, even
for skills that are not valued by
society. Supervise and set appro-
priate boundaries for teenagers
but do not be over-restrictive or
over-permissive. If possible, make
the home a welcoming place for
their friends as well.
I like this quote by Dr Huang
Wei-Jen, a clinical psychologist and
a faculty member of Northwest-
ern University Feinberg School
of Medicine, "Listening is loving.
Empathy is healing." We can help
our children by fostering a warm
atmosphere at home, by being
loving, accepting and empathetic.
Do not be the expert but be curious
when asking questions. When they
have a secure relationship with
you, they would usually ask you for
advice.
Our children's needs are for sig-
nificance – do they matter and are
they loved– and security. So focus
on connecting with our children
rather than forcing compliance.
Paul's attitude towards the Thessa-
lonians gives us a biblical picture of
parenting.
... but we were gentle among
you, like a mother caring for her
little children. We loved you so much
STRESSED OUT
BY GROWING UP
that we were delighted to share
with you not only the gospel of God
but our lives as well, because you
had become so dear to us.
(1 Thessalonians 2:7-8 )
... For you know that we dealt
with each of you as a father deals
with his own children, encouraging,
comforting and urging you to live
lives worthy of God, who calls you
into his kingdom and glory.
(1 Thessalonians 2:11-12)
I remember that when my
daughter was in secondary school,
she once shared with me, on our
drive home, a problem she was
having. I cannot remember what
it was about but she was very
troubled. When we arrived home, I
left the engine running so that she
could continue telling me her story.
I nodded and tried to convey my
empathy, while listening lovingly.
I think I said something like “it
must have been a bad situation.”
She looked at me and asked if that
was all I had to say. So I asked if
she would like my advice. She said
yes, and that was my opportunity
to share with her my opinion and
experience.
In short, focus on the par-
ent-child relationship so that you
can help your children face their
pressures. You can learn more on
this subject in the book Effective
Parenting in a Defective World by
Chip Ingram.
CLARISSA SOO is a former teacher
with two children in primary school.
She is also a member of CCMC.
In terms of academic pressure,
children want to do well. They have
to do well. They don't want to go
into a "bad" class the following
year. The subjects in themselves
may not be easy too. I actually
think Science and Chinese are
challenging if the children do not
What pressures do
children face today
and what can parents
do to help their kids
deal with them?
Clarissa Soo, GRACE
FOO, Wendy Yeap,
APRIL ONG and Grace
Ng share perspectives.
ABIGAILGOH

22 23
(( WE DON'T
REALISE THAT
WHAT WE SAY
UNINTENTIONALLY
BECOMES THE
SOURCE OF
PRESSURE FOR THE
KIDS.… HAVING
SAID THIS, I MUST
QUALIFY THAT
"PRESSURE" IN
ITSELF IS NOT
ALWAYS A BAD
THING.
))
get sufficient external help. In
secondary school, children not only
have to do well in their exams, they
also have to deal with growing up
issues. The need to have a clique of
good friends is very real. In co-ed
schools, boy-girl relationships put
a lot of pressure on the children.
Schools have recognition systems
and awards for those who do well
as leaders or in their CCAs. It can
be difficult for some kids who are
mediocre and don't get the awards
and are never "recognised" pub-
licly.
I'd blame parents for the
pressure which children face, if I
could. We don't realise that what
we say unintentionally becomes
the source of pressure for the kids.
Setting goals for our kids like, "you
need to get into a good class next
year", "you need to get all band
1s", "you need to do piano exams",
"how come you can't be the highest
in class?" are all not necessary
comments. Having said this, I must
qualify that "pressure" in itself is
not always a bad thing. How we
create that pressure is important.
I'd rather the child set her own re-
alistic goals. It could well be a Band
2 for Chinese because that's what
she is capable of after working very
hard at it.
I like to emphasise the journey
and the process in helping chil-
dren deal with pressures – not the
result. I believe in being respon-
sible and diligent. If you do well,
good for you. If you don't do well
in the eyes of your classmates and
teachers, I tell my kids "It's ok. No
worries. You've done your best".
I encourage my kids to follow
their interests and passions. And
this will help them enjoy their jour-
ney in life, be it in school or out-
side school a lot more, and hence,
with less pressure. Isabelle loves
swimming and wants to train many
times a week in the evenings and
comes home at 8.30 pm. I allow
her. Darryl wants to learn electric
guitar, drums, take art classes and
play lots of soccer. I let him. I do,
however, insist on Isabelle learning
piano. She "hates" it but I give her
no choice because I believe in the
value of music. How do I relieve
her of the pressure? She has piano
lessons only once a month and she
plays only pop songs of her choice.
I say there is no need to take any
piano exams.
We can help our children man-
age pressures for themselves by
providing them with the necessary
skills and strategies. Time-manage-
ment and discipline is important. I
keep teaching them this. We teach
them godly values. We tell them
that we all have different gifts, and
we don't need to answer to anyone
but God. We just do our best.
Isabelle has handbell and swim-
ming activities and she just asked
to join softball. I know that it'll be
pressurising and stressful if she
took on softball. So, I had to talk
through my thinking with her. I'm
hoping this would, in turn, teach
her that we can't have everything
we like or want.
I've always taught my kids that
God makes us all differently. We
are unique. Hence, we don't need
to be good in everything or in most
things. Over time, we will find out
what our gifts from God are. Also,
we don't need to be top in class
or in school or anywhere. We just
work hard and do our best.
APRIL ONG, a member of CCMC, is
a working mom with a daughter
in primary school and another in
secondary school.
I think the big pressure is about
having friends and being accepted.
It is faced by children throughout
their school years and, for some of
us, even when we are older!
The challenge for parents is to
be sensitive enough to help our
children by listening to them when
they face these pressures and yet
not over compensate or over react.
The paradox is that these
pressures can arise when parents
encourage their kids to think inde-
pendently and express their views
such that they may seem different
from their peers. Personality traits
also come into play.
To mitigate this, we need to
encourage and teach our kids to be
open to accepting people who are
different from them – in appear-
ance, in views and in tastes.
Just as we have had to learn to
fend for ourselves and to cope with
such pressures, we need to trust
that our children will likewise go
through the heartaches and pains
that come with these pressures un-
scathed. As parents, we still need
to keep watch but we must not
over react to the degree that we
prevent our children from learning
to deal with such situations for
themselves.
The fact that we are all equal
in God’s eyes and that Jesus came
so that all may be saved is a great
principle. It is an important teach-
ing point on love and acceptance
for our children.
GRACE FOO is a Christian Ministry
Worker with four children, three of
whom are teenagers.
Children feel a strong pressure to
be like others and to be well liked.
Notwithstanding wanting to be
fashionable, they hate to stick out,
be singled out – be the odd one, the
misfit, the uncool one.
Hence, primary school children
obey teachers because they think
that disobedience would make
them stand out in an extremely
embarrassing manner.
For secondary school students,
they may follow the group they
hang out with, and do things they
normally wouldn't have done, and
be so protective of their friends
(as in not allowing their parents
to criticize their choice of friends)
since these friends accept them
(read:likesthemfor"whotheyare").
These pressures may arise
because the children's emotional
needs have not been met early in
life. Sometimes in parenting, espe-
cially in the case of the first child
in the family, parents are unable to
respect the child's point of view.
To them, it's a case of "we know
better".
So, as parents continually try to
mould the child into a shape that
they can accept, the child will start
doubting her ability to choose well,
and would rather hide behind a
group that is liked. They demon-
strate a belief in group intelligence,
and will go with the crowd. They
start to think that since their
parents choose almost everything
for them, why can't they at least
choose their own friends.
Thus, to help their children,
parents may first need to help
themselves. Parents should get
trained to a heightened level of
awareness of their own blind spots
and gain greater sensitivity to-
wards the needs of their children.
There is no resource better than
God. If our children know God and
walk with Him, we know that they
are in safe hands. We have far too
many children in churches who
have an "inherited faith", but not
a personal faith. Hence they need
"bribes", "rewards", or even coer-
cion to get them to go to church.
We need to trust our children
to God. Consider this application
of Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the
Lord (for the education/upbring-
ing career path of your children)
with all your heart, and do not rely
on your own understanding (nor
being reliant on the wisdom of the
world); think about Him in all your
ways (walk with the Lord yourself,
setting the pattern for your chil-
dren) and He will guide you on the
right paths."

24 25
((YOUNG
ADOLESCENTS
NEED HELP
TO LEARN TO
BETTER APPRIASE
EMOTIONALLY
CHARGED EVENTS
IN A WAY THAT
THEY BECOME
MORE ABLE TO
DEAL WITH THE
PROBLEM AT
HAND.
))
GRACE NG is the principal of Meth-
odist Girls' School.
In middle to late childhood (6-10
years old) children are more aware
of their strengths and weaknesses
– that they may do well in certain
tasks but poorly in others.
They acquire both the cogni-
tive ability and the opportunity to
compare themselves against their
peers and, as a result, their self-as-
sessments gradually decline from
the overconfidence of the pre-
school years to levels that are more
accurate.
Here, as children face increas-
ing expectations and begin mas-
tering new skills, they soon learn
that recognition from adults can
be gained through their academic,
athletic, artistic, communal perfor-
mances, and more.
They pay extra attention to
their relative proficiency in do-
mains that are of personal value
to them, and they become high-
ly vulnerable as they may lose
confidence if they recognise their
shortcomings in relation to others.
Increasingly for children, the
transition to school becomes a
source of stress. Cross-cultural
studies show that many children
across different countries perceive
school as a source of trying and
stressful experiences.
There is an increasing tendency
and need to base one’s sense of self
on how one performs in relation
to other peers, with an increase
internalisation of others’ standards
for performance.
The increased expectations
with regard to intellectual ability
and achievement, coupled with
peer relationships, makes late
childhood a stressful period for
many of them.
This period of time is the step-
ping stone, where adults can help
children find niche arenas where
they can develop to be particularly
successful.
To facilitate their sense of
self-efficacy, children need to be
recognised for their efforts, thus
praise of their efforts and accom-
plishments from adults would
be good for maintaining positive
self-esteem across all areas – phys-
ical, social, academic.
In the process of growing up,
children observe role models from
whom they learn coping strategies
and which they apply to similar sit-
uations thereafter. An example can
be how they use similar verbal ex-
pression of anger as compared to
physical forms of expression when
faced with peer conflicts, if their
parents do the same during family
conflicts. Children need to be con-
tinuously trained to be skilled in
controlling their affect and also in
expressing them appropriately.
Parents should ensure that the
home environment facilitates equal
opportunities and participation
among siblings.
Early and young adolescents
(10-14 years old) start to increas-
ingly base their self-evaluations on
their appearance and popularity.
This is usually tied to body image
issues pertaining to increased
dissatisfaction in appearance and
attractiveness.
Self-esteem issues with regard
to dissatisfaction with the body
and negative body image are more
pronounced in young girls.
Boys in this age range tend to
have a higher overall sense of self-
worth as compared to the girls, as
they are more likely to over-
estimate their abilities, while girls
underestimate theirs. Girls face
more difficulty accepting criticism
and failure.
Boys perceive themselves as
better athletes, and have greater
self-confidence in their capacity
to control the world and solve
problems, versus girls, who are
more apt to think of themselves as
more well-behaved in school and
more competent and considerate
in social relationships.
Young adolescents begin
to struggle with questions of
self-identity and the need to fit into
the adult world. In this process of
defining themselves independently
from their parents, young adoles-
cents may often turn to media as
sources of self-socialization and
of messages about their identity
in terms of gender, sexuality, and
ethnicity.
This time phase, characterized
by an abundance of sexual chang-
es due to puberty, also marks the
beginning of a lengthy process of
learning how to manage sexual
feelings such as sexual arousal and
attraction, developing new forms
of intimacy, and learning skills to
regulate sexual behaviour to avoid
undesirable consequences.
Their perception over the im-
portance of friends and the devel-
opment of higher-level intimate
friendships where levels of inti-
macy, self-disclosure and loyalty
among friends are high.
Adolescents in this age range
are extremely vulnerable to stress,
due to the school transition that
they would make from primary to
secondary school. This is known
as the top-dog phenomenon – the
potential effects of adolescents
moving from the highest position
in the hierarchy to the lowest posi-
tion when transiting into second-
ary school.
Research shows how self-
esteem is relatively higher when
they are in their last year of pri-
mary school and they enjoy school
more than in their first year of
secondary school. Adolescents in
earlier years of secondary schools
have been reported for more disci-
pline problems than young adoles-
cents in primary schools.
There might be fads and con-
formity in dressing and communi-
cation styles. Coupled with height-
ened concern over how others
evaluate them, they start to ex-
perience peer pressure. A desire to
be part of the “in” crowd may also
cause some adolescents to lead
“double lives.” They may display
entirely different sets of behaviour
in different environments.
With the onset of puberty and
its accompanying hormonal chang-
es, young adolescents face frequent
fluctuations in mood, emotional
upheavals and contradicting ten-
dencies. During this time, adoles-
cents would find themselves oscil-
lating between opposite extremes,
experiencing laughter one moment
and melancholy the next. As their
bodies undergo rapid changes, they
may start to feel self-conscious,
awkward, and perhaps, alienated
from their own bodies.
Peers also become potential
sources of aggravation due to feel-
ings of humiliation and anger that
arise from peer conflicts.
This transition can be made less
stressful if young adolescents have
positive relationship with friends
and undergo the transition in car-
ing and supportive schools.
Young adolescents need help to
learn to better appraise emotional-
ly charged events in a way that they
become more able to deal with the
problem at hand.
They need opportunities for
exploration of identity, their beliefs
and future directions, and also
guidance in terms of conflicting
identities.
Older adolescents slowly estab-
lish a sense of identity – a self-con-
structed definition of who they are,
what they find important, what
they believe, and what they want to
do in life.
Also equally prominent in this
phase where adolescents prepare
to enter adulthood is the desire for
autonomy – the ability to govern
oneself, make independent deci-
sions, control one’s feelings and
choose one’s values.
For older adolescents, the de-
velopment of autonomy must come

26 27
Here are some tips to parents of early and young adolescents
to promote the teenager’s social and emotional success.*
• Support and praise your child’s efforts and accomplishments.
• Listen and openly talk with your child.
• Recognise that your teenager’s feelings are real and be careful
not to minimise or dismiss them.
• Understand your teenager’s need to be like his peers.
• Tolerate (within reason) your teenager’s developing likes
and dislikes in clothes, hairstyles, music.
• Encourage your teenager’s goals, plans for the future.
• Spend time together as a family.
• Educate your teenager about risks associated with alcohol
and drug use.
• Talk with your teenager about the physical changes in
puberty that affect height, weight, and body shape. Avoid
critical statements or nagging about eating, weight or
appearance.
• Be involved in your teenager’s school life and attend events
and parent-teacher conferences.
* Source: Developed by the Life Education Committee of
Kankakee and Iroquois counties with funding from the U.S.
Department of Education’s Grant to Integrate Schools and
Mental Health Systems.
SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL
SUCCESS FOR TEENS
in a constructive way, where there
should be a balance between the
adolescents’ needs to assert their
individuality and the need to re-
main close and connected to their
parents. The process of exploring
autonomy therefore allows adoles-
cents to identify their own choices,
instead of over relying on those
imposed by authority figures.
In late adolescence, individuals
become increasingly aware of the
social norms related to sex and
sexuality – the extent to which ad-
olescents perceive that their peers
are having sex, using protection,
sexual permissiveness, and so on.
This might pose a great problem
as this age range is a period where
adolescents’ susceptibility to peer
pressure is at its peak.
As adolescents start participat-
ing in romantic relationships more
seriously, they draw from their
previous social experiences with
family and friends. In late adoles-
cence, they become increasingly
vulnerable to emotional volatility
– they more frequently report feel-
ings of loneliness, embarrassment
and anxiety, together with extreme
mood swings.
While emotional volatility
might have stemmed from hor-
monal changes that occur during
puberty in early adolescence, emo-
tional volatility in late adolescence
might have more basis in the is-
sues related to independence and
environmental factors where new
anxieties and pressures like fitting
in, achieving good grades and peer
conflicts which are intensified dur-
ing adolescence may contribute to
a high level of stress.
As adolescents move towards
adulthood, they gradually begin to
work toward their own goals. They
want to be respected as young
adults and sometimes will resist
a controlling adult. Most impor-
tantly, they need an environment
that stresses honesty, fairness and
responsibility. [+]
ADELINE EE
Jesus, Our Rest
S: Matthew 11:28-30
Come to me, all you who are weary
and burdened, and I will give you
rest. Take my yoke upon you and
learn from me, for I am gentle and
humble in heart, and you will find
rest for your souls. For my yoke is
easy and my burden is light.
O: Jesus calls all who are weary
and burdened to come to him,
be like him, and learn from him.
A: Jesus was very active in preach-
ing, teaching, healing the sick, and
dealing wisely with cunning Phar-
isees. Yet, in doing all these things,
he was always very restful, never
LEE YIN SIAU
His Easy Yoke
Matthew 11:29
Take my yoke upon you and learn
from me, for I am gentle and hum-
ble in heart, and you will find rest
for your souls.
O. Jesus wants us to surrender our
burdens to him and to rely on him,
taking on his yoke instead of strug-
gling on our own. When we learn
BO CHAI HIAH
Guard Our Hearts
S: Matt 15:18
But the things that come out of the
mouth come from the heart, and
these makes a man “unclean”.
O: The heart is where we have
our beliefs, attitudes, convictions,
emotions and will. God looks at our
heart. In the Sermon on the Mount,
the root of murder is anger, and
that of adultery is lust. The secret
places of our hearts determine our
words and deeds.
A: We must guard our hearts for
it is the wellspring of life. As our
heart is deceitful above all else, we
need God’s word and Spirit to lead
us. As a parent, I need to address
the heart issues of my child and
not get overly concerned with
external behavior.
P: Lord, we commit our hearts to
you. Let it not be hardened due to
disobedience. Give us a heart in
tune with you. Amen!
SOAP
Many from CCMC have found
that using the Life Journal
Reading Plan, also known as the
SOAP method of daily devotions,
has drawn them closer to God
as they read scripture expecting
God to speak.
Postcards with the scriptures
for SOAP readings are regu-
larly distributed in CCMC. You
can also access the Life Journal
Reading Plan by downloading
the You Bible app on your phone.
Here, we share how the same
passage spoke differently to
three people.
TAN BUCK CHYE
Come to Jesus
S: Matthew 11:28
Come to me, all you who are weary
and burdened, and I will give you
rest.
O: Jesus was probably referring to
the heavy spiritual burdens and
yoke of Old Testament laws laid on
by the Pharisees.
A: 'Come to Jesus' is to believe and
trust him. Powered by His Holy
Spirit, we will be carried in the
arms of Jesus rather than laboring
by the efforts of our fallen self.
P: Each time I am down, I look to
you Lord, and know that I am loved
by you. Nothing else matters. I will
be still and know you are God.
worried, stressed or desperate.
Jesus, who is restful yet effective,
lives in us too. We can look to him
let him lead and guide us, we can
flow with him in a restful peace, to
be effective and fruitful wherever
we are.
P: Dear Lord, help us to draw our-
selves out from this world, to place
our hearts in seeking rest in you. In
Jesus' name, Amen.
and submit to his way, by his grace,
we will find peace and rest.
A. God never guarantees that
believers will have a stress-free
life. But he promises that we can
exchange our yoke for his, that we
will always have help. Whatever
yoke we are carrying, even if we
like to imagine that our yoke is the
heaviest, we are never alone when
we surrender and let him takeover.
P. Thank you Lord for Your grace
which is more than sufficient for
each and everyone of us. You will-
ingly bear our burdens when we
ask, though we often wallow and
complain. Help us, in all humility,
to focus on your mighty strength
and your glory, and give thanks for
your easy yoke!

28 29
((i find so much
meaning because
I know that i am
doing something
of eternal value…
i am asked to
plant the seed.
))
(Left) Christina, top left,
with the Praise Club of
ACS(P).
And whatever you do, do it heart-
ily, as to the Lord and not to men,
knowing that from the Lord you will
receive the reward of the inher-
itance; for you serve the Lord Christ
(Col. 3:23-24)
In creation, God demonstrated
that he believes in work. He is the
Master Creator. Thus, all legitimate
work reflects the activity of God.
We honour him when we reflect
his life through our work and how
we work. Indeed, the Hebrew
word, avodah, used to describe
work assigned to Adam in the Gar-
den of Eden, also means worship.
Yet, we struggle and do not
always find joy in work and the
work place. Here, we examine the
various pitfalls that contribute to
this.
unbiblical view of work
Do we segment our faith life from
our work life?
All work is "fulltime Chris-
tian service". There should be no
distinction between secular and
sacred work.
God is not just interested in our
'holy activities' pursued within the
church community, but all our ac-
tivities, including work, as his holy
people. Work is thus our ministry
and calling.
God has called each of us to our
work and we are called to view our
work as a ministry unto Him.
May the favor of the Lord our
God rest upon us; establish the work
of our hands for us – yes, establish
the work of our hands. (Ps 90:17)
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. (Col
3:17)
unholy union
with the world system
One of the greatest pieces of
work described in the Bible is the
building of the Tower of Babel.
But it was not work that was
pleasing to God. In the project, the
Babylonians' goal was to estab-
lish themselves, make a name for
themselves, entrench themselves
as objects of honour and fear, and
reach heaven in their own way.
This Babylonian system of work
and competition is prevalent in the
self-centered secular approach to
work and business today.
The Hebrew word, avodah,
mentioned earlier, has a third
meaning: to serve.
Service gives a much-needed
perspective to work of every kind
as it shifts the focus from self –
power, glory, independance to
cooperation and coexistance with
others.
unholy alliances
The Bible has many accounts of
people who dishonoured God by
making unholy alliances.
Here's one from 2 Chronicles
20. Jehoshaphat, king of Judah,
made an alliance with Ahaziah, the
king of Israel who was guilty of
wickedness. Jehoshaphat agreed
to construct a fleet of trading ships
for Ahaziah. After these were built,
Eliezer prophesied against Jehos-
haphat, saying, "Because you have
made an alliance with Ahaziah, the
Lord will destroy what you have
made." The ships were wrecked
and were not able to set sail to
trade.
We must ensure that our work
alliances uphold Christian values,
work ethic, and bring glory to God.
confidence in self
Success boosts confidence, es-
pecially when it comes from
planning, sweat and toil. It has
the tendancy of making people
place more reliance in their own
strength and abilities alone rather
than seeing God as the source and
where our provision lies.
Unless the LORD builds the
house, its builders labor in vain. Un-
Sins of the Marketplace
Os Hillman •
PITFALLS
A T
T H E
W O R K
P L A C E
by GOH ECK KHENG
Based on an article
by Os Hillman in
Charismanews.com

30 31
less the Lord watches over the city,
the watchmen stand guard in vain.
In vain you rise early and stay up
late, toiling for food to eat – for he
grants sleep to those he loves.
(Ps 127:1-2)
independent spirit
Established business principles.
Experience. What was taught in
professional courses. Advice and
consultation. These are some of the
things that help us make decisions
in the course of everyday work.
It is all too easy to make pre-
sumptions, assuming, even believ-
ing, that we are doing God's will
when we have never waited or
listened to his instructions.
As much as God has given us
brains and the ability to acquire
and use knowledge, how wonder-
ful it is that we can still rely on him
for guidance and direction.
Trust in the Lord with all your
heart and lean not on your own
understanding; in all your ways
submit to him, and he will make
your paths straight. Do not be wise
in your own eyes; fear the Lord and
turn away from evil. It will be heal-
ing to your body and refreshment to
your bones.… (Proverbs 3: 5-8)
But they soon forgot what he
had done and did not wait for his
counsel. In the desert they gave in
to their craving; in the wasteland
they put God to the test. So he gave
them what they asked for, but sent
a wasting disease upon them. (Ps
106:13-15)
building our barns
at the expense of god's house
This point comes from the book of
Haggai. The Jews had been allowed
by the king of Persia to return to
Jerusalem to rebuild God's temple.
Work was started but the Samar-
itans caused all the work to come
to a halt. Sixteen years went by and
the people became more interested
in working on their houses than
rebuilding the temple of God.
The prophet Haggai then
encouraged God's people to finish
rebuilding the temple, saying that
the problems the Jews were facing
was due to their laziness in the
things of God.
We must be careful that we
do not become so engrossed in
building our own kingdoms at the
expense of building the Kingdom
of God.
This is what the Lord Almighty
says: "Give careful thought to your
ways. Go up into the mountains and
bring down timber and build the
house, so that I may take pleas-
ure in it and be honored," says the
Lord. "You expected much, but see,
it turned out to be little. What you
brought home, I blew away. Why?"
declares the Lord Almighty. "Be-
cause of my house, which remains a
ruin, while each of you is busy with
his own house. Therefore, because
of you the heavens have withheld
their dew and the earth its crops.
I called for a drought on the fields
and the mountains, on the grain,
the new wine, the oil and whatever
the ground produces, on men and
cattle, and on the labor of your
hands. (Hag 1:7-11) [+]
((AS MUCH AS
GOD HAS GIVEN
US BRAINS AND
THE ABILITY TO
ACQUIRE AND USE
KNOWLEDGE, HOW
WONDERFUL IT IS
THAT WE CAN STILL
RELY ON HIM FOR
GUIDANCE AND
DIRECTION.
))
+From time to time, I will ponder
about life and the various ways we
can get stuck in discouragement or
despair. That is not necessary. All
it takes is a change in perspective.
In God's time and wisdom, we all
can learn to re-direct our energies
toward constructive thinking and
helpful living. Here are 14 thoughts
which can help us change our
perspectives.
1) It doesn't matter if the
plans you have made have failed
miserably; it matters more that
you have given your best and have
succeeded in trying.
2) It doesn't matter if your
superiors constantly complain or
criticize your work; it matters more if
you can distinguish the constructive
from the destructive, and respond
humbly.
3) It doesn't matter if you've only
got a C in your mid-terms; it matters
more if you become more resilient
to try again, and aim for an A in life.
4) It doesn't matter if all the
world's a stage and everyone seems
to be mere players; it matters more
if the world stage is your chance to
be the best player you can be.
5) It doesn't matter if you do
not know what to do with your life;
it matters more if you do not stop
seeking and searching for your calling.
6) It doesn't matter if people
brand you a failure in things you
do; it matters more if you see each
failure as a step toward success
waiting to happen.
7) It doesn't matter if you feel
inadequate every time you go to
Bible study; it matters more if each
time you go, you learn that only in
God, one is adequate.
your life in the past had been
wasted; it matters more if you
recognize that there are still many
years left to try living well again.
9) It doesn't matter if you
cannot remember all the Ten
Commandments; it matters more if
you put into practice what you CAN
remember.
10) It doesn't matter if you
feel your spiritual life is stagnant;
it matters more if you not only
recognize it, but is prepared to do
something about it. You can start
with praying first.
lonely, or think no one seems to be
listening to you; it matters more
if you know that God listens even
when the world turns away. Jesus
knows what loneliness is all about.
12) It doesn't matter if you have
not brought anyone to Christ in the
past; it matters more if you learn to
shine wherever you are, that you
are part of the sowing, watering, or
cultivating. Let someone else do the
harvesting while you do the planting.
13) It doesn't matter if you feel no
one appreciates you, or thanks you
enough; it matters more if you appre-
ciate others and thank God more.
14) It doesn't matter what you
think about yourself; it matters more
what God thinks about you.
Food forThought
BY YAP KIAN SENG
Fruit is always the miracu-
lous, the created; it is never
the result of willing, but
always a growth. The fruit of
the Spirit is a gift of God, and
only He can produce it. They
who bear it know as little
about it as the tree knows of
its fruit. They know only the
power of Him on whom their
life depends.
~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer,
The Cost of Discipleship
Action and contemplation
are very close companions;
they live together in one
house on equal terms. Mar-
tha is Mary's sister.
~ Benard of Clairvaux
Our works do not ennoble
us, but we must ennoble our
works.
~ Meister Eckhart
Discipleship is a daily disci-
pline; we follow Jesus a step
at a time, a day at a time.
~ Warren Wiersbe
IT DOESN'T MATTER

As Jesus and his
disciples approached
Jerusalem, Jesus
sent John and Peter
into the city to make
the preparation for
the Last Supper
[Lk 22:8].
During the Last
Supper, John sat
next to Jesus. When
Jesus said that one
of the dsiciples
would betray him,
John leaned on
Jesus and asked,
"Lord, who is going
to betray you?'
[John 21:20]
John, together with Peter and
James, fell asleep as Jesus prayed
at the Garden of Gethsemane.
[Mark 14:33]
John was the only one
of the 12 disciples
who was with Jesus at
the foot of the cross.
There, Jesus asked
John to look after
Mary, the
Lord's mother.
[Jn 19:25-27]
John was filled with the Holy Spirit with the other disciples at
Pentecost [Acts 2:4]. He was with Peter at the healing of the lame
man in the temple [Acts 3]. He was thrown into prison with Peter
because of their faith in Chirst and testified before the Sanhedrin
[Acts 4]. He and Peter visited the newly converted in Samaria [Acts
8:14].
John, along with Peter and another disciple named James were re-
ferred to as "pillars of the church" [Gal 2:9]
John wrote the Gospel of John, and I, II and III John. While in exile
on the island of Patmos, he wrote the Book of Revelation [Rev. 1:9].
THE APOSTLE JOHN
Manga by GILLIAN GOH
John was the son of Zebedee. His
brother was the Apostle James.
They were fishermen, partners of
the Apostle Peter, who caught fish
in the Sea of Galilee [Matt 4:21].
John was mending nets with James in a boat when Jesus called
them to follow him. So, they got out of the boat, left their
father and the hired workers, and went away with Jesus to be his
disciples [Mark 1:19-20].
John was one of
the three disciples
(with Peter and
James) to witness
the raising of the
daughter of Jairus
from the dead
[Mark 5:37-43].
As Jesus travelled to Jerusalem,
he sent messengers to a Samaritan
village to make preparations for him.
When the Samaritans rejected Je-
sus, John and James said, “Lord, do
you want us to tell fire to come down
from heaven and consume them?”
Jesus rebuked them. [Lk 9:51-6]
He was also with Peter and James when
they saw Jesus transfigured so that his
face became bright like the sun and his
clothes shone like light. They then saw
Jesus talking to Moses and Elijah. [Matt
17:1-2]
Jesus gave John
and James the
name Boanerges,
which means
“sons of thunder”
[Mark 3:17].
When Mary Magdalene
told John and Peter
that Jesus' body was
missing, John outran
Peter and was the first
to look into the empty
tomb. He was among
the discipes who
first saw the
risen Christ.
[Jn 20]
JOHN

34 35
Dear Abigail,
I am so happy that we now have
three pastors in CCMC. Each of them
are men of stature.
Zacchaeus Yao Ming
Dear Zach Yao Ming,
Indeed! Our pastors are men of
stature. You can say that we have
Large Ling, Junior John and wee
Wee.
However, 1 Samuel 16:7 tells
us that height and appearance are
not important to God. "For the Lord
sees not as man sees: man looks on
the outward appearance, but the
Lord looks on the heart.”
We thank God for the goodness
of the hearts of our pastors.
Love and Peace,
Abigail
Dear Abigail,
There has been a great deal of
discussion about the Noah movie.
What do you think?
Floating About
Dear Floating About,
Here's what I think:
(1) Don't miss the boat.
(2) Don't forget that we're all in the
same boat.
(3) Stay fit. When you're 600 years
old, someone might ask you to do
something REALLY big.
(4)Buildyourfutureonhighground.
(5) For safety's sake, travel in pairs.
(6) Speed isn't always an advan-
tage; the snails were on board with
the cheetahs.
(7) When you're stressed, float
awhile.
(8) When the doo-doo gets really
deep, don't sit there and complain
– shovel!
(9) No matter how bleak it looks,
there's always a rainbow on the
other side.
(10) Plan ahead. It wasn't raining
when Noah built the ark.
Yes or Noah?
Abigail
Dear Abigail,
Will you suggest some hymns for the
Gold Years Ministry (GYM) service?
Tone Deaf
Dear Tone Deaf,
Just a Slower Walk with Thee
Give Me the Old Timers' Religion
Blessed Insurance
Golden Girl Abigail
Dear Abigail,
There has been so much talk about
Discipleships in CCMC lately: Disci-
ple I Class, Disciple II Class, Disciple
Making.... Shouldn't we take a reality
pill? How can we mere mortals live
up to the Disciples of Christ? They
are Saints, after all.
Get Real
Dear Get Real,
The disciples were a ragtag bunch
of ordinary folk, including fisher-
men and a tax collector (Matt 4:18-
22, 9:9), who made commitments
to follow Christ. After that,
(1) They squabbled over who
among them was the greatest (Mk
9: 33-35).
(2) They shooed away children to
wanted to be with Jesus (Lk. 9:50).
(3) They were thick, and didn't al-
ways understand what Jesus taught
them (Mark 8:19-21).
(4) Jesus himself called them
men of little faith (Mt. 17:20, Lk.
12:22,28, Mk. 4:40, Lk. 8:25).
(5) Jesus told them time and again
about his suffering and death but
they didn't get it (Matt 16:21-23).
(6) They dozed off when Jesus
asked them to pray with him at his
deepest point of need (Matt 26:
36-45).
(7) Peter denied Jesus three times
in one night (Lk 22:54-62).
(8) Thomas doubted that Jesus had
risen from the dead and demanded
physical proof (Jn 20:24-29).
Yup, let's get real. These men
were like us until they were trans-
formed by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2).
The Disciple Abigail
ASK
ABIGAIL
ABIGAILGOH
Songs & Singers
34
Bon Jovi’s rock anthem, Livin’ on a Prayer, almost never saw the light of
day. Back in the Eighties, Jon Bon Jovi, the band’s leader, initially thought
that the song too ‘soft’ for Bon Jovi’s hard rock image. It was only after
co-writers Richie Sambora and Desmond Child re-arranged the music with
different bass lines, drum fills and a talk-box guitar solo, giving it an edgier
sound, did it make it into the 1986 milestone album, Slippery When Wet.
The song tells the story of Tommy and Gina, a working-class couple
faced with hard times and yet determined to overcome their situation.
Sambora shared, “The storyline is about working class families, much like
Jon and mine as we were growing up. We were lower-middle-class kids. We
respect our parents and our roots so it was natural to write a song about
how we grew up. In a way, the characters represented our parents and their
eternal hope and optimisim.”
Therefore, beneath the driving bass lines and heroic guitars of Livin’
on a Prayer is a song about relationships and hopes. Sambora went on to
say, “The message is very simple – if you love each other, care about each
other, and support each other, that’s it, that’s all that matters… it’s about
an atypical relationship where people stick together no matter what. That,
unfortunately, doesn’t happen to most people these days.”
The message of hope and treasuring relationships was poignantly
conveyed when Jon and Richie perform a cathartic, stripped down, acoustic
version of Livin’ on a Prayer for the 2001 America: A Tribute to Heroes live
telethon in support of the first responders who had lost their lives in the
9/11 attacks. The concert was lauded by Rolling Stone magazine as one of
the 50 moments that changed Rock and Roll.
The universal appeal of the song also comes from its timeless message
of struggling to succeed. Sambora said, “I’m grateful that we’ve gotten this
far. I’m a guy who grew up on a dead-end street next to a swamp... and I
literally climbed out of it.”
However, even when success is achieved, it can never be guaranteed to
last. In 2006, Heather Locklear, Richie Sambora’s wife of 10 years, filed for
divorce. As recent as June 2013, Sambora pulled out of the band’s Because
We Can world tour citing “personal issues”. The grapevine says that Jon and
Richie had fallen out over money.
While Livin’ on a Prayer refers to “prayer”, Jon Bon Jovi said in a 2007
interview in TIME magazine, he said that the song is “non-denominational”
and that he is “very open-minded when it comes to religion”.
Therein lies the difference for Christians as we journey down life’s road.
Rather than a general faith in the goodness of humanity, we can draw our
strength from goodness of a living God.
The sentiment of the song takes on deeper meaning when we think
about the Apostle Paul’s own writing in 2 Timothy 4:7, “I have fought the
good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” In this way, Livin’
on a Prayer need not be a song that is about placing faith in humanity alone,
but about a personal relationship with a God who watches and cares over
us, our relationships and our aspirations. With Him, even though we are
only halfway there, and we can keep on living – on a prayer. [+]
LIVIN' ON A PRAYER
BON JOVI BY LESTER NG
EARLMCGEHEEBYCC2.0

36 37
Chopping, whisking, whipping, mash-
ing, kneading – the hum of a busy
kitchen is music to my ears. Even
though it is rife with constant activity,
it is personally rather cathartic to be
in the midst of all that bustle.
Cooking has always been, to me,
a solitary endeavor where I can zone
out for a while and dive into the
pleasurable activity of making some-
thing delicious. I have always found
it intrinsically satisfying about being
able to personally oversee a process
from start to finish though I certain-
ly have those days when I switch to
autopilot mode and just want to get
dinner on the table and fill hungry
bellies before the protesting begins.
While I have always enjoyed the soli-
tude of working in the kitchen, I have
tried to make a conscious effort to in-
clude my sons, Zachary, 6, and Eli, 3
when I cook. I love the idea of being
able to spend quality time with them
while still being able to complete my
mealtime tasks.
Getting my boys into the kitchen
all started as a practical solution to
having to juggle cooking while en-
tertaining and minding my then one-
year-old Zac while we were in Spain.
My husband, Lenard’s hours in school
stretched from the early morning to
well into the night, so Zac and I spent
most of the weekdays more or less
on our own. Finding creative ways
to keep the little guy busy became
necessary if I wanted to get anything
done during the daylight hours.
Even though Zac was too little at
the time to fully comprehend what
“helping mummy” in the kitchen
meant, it didn’t stop him from want-
ing to be involved. As he was still
crawling then, he’d sit on the floor
and play with the pots and pans I
wasn’t using. He was quite satisfied
with the vegetable scraps I’d give
him to work with for his own concoc-
tions. I loved being able to maintain
that contact with him even in my tiny
kitchen and yet keep him out of my
hair long enough to get dinner ready.
As he got older and masak-masak
with scraps no longer cut it with him,
I started experimenting with other
ways to get him involved in “real meal
preparation” like spreading his own
peanut butter on his bread for break-
fast, helping me pour and mix ingre-
dients when possible, or making sim-
ple crackers to go with soup. When it
was too challenging to include little
hands, I’d make some simple home-
made Playdough so there’d be some-
thing to keep them working alongside
mine with less intrusion in the things
we planned to eventually eat.
I was really excited when Eli was
old enough to join his big brother and
me at the kitchen table. His favourite
activity by far is chopping so when-
ever I’m working on a soup where
everything ends up in a blender any-
way, he’s the first one at the work-
bench with a butter knife in hand.
It’s because of him that I try to keep
scraps (like carrots that are too soft
or mushroom stems) in the fridge for
occasions when he wants to get in-
volved but the actual work calls for a
more delicate touch. Now that I have
two assistants on hand at any one
time, the challenge lies mostly in con-
flict management since they ironical-
ly end up squabbling over who has
more “work” to do! Still, that does
not deter my efforts to get my chil-
dren involved in kitchen work. In fact,
there are lots of benefits to sharing
the cooking experience with children
regardless of their age or gender.
Cooking together is an opportuni-
ty to impart important life skills that
will come in handy when they even-
tually have to fend for themselves.
Instead of letting my children’s col-
lege experience be their first taste
of having to find their way around a
kitchen, equipping them with the ba-
sics like how to pick the best-quality
ingredients, following a simple reci-
pe or even cooking eggs gives them
a head start to being more at ease
with preparing meals. Learning to
cook together with us may liberate
them enough in the kitchen that they
find the pleasure in getting creative
((COOKING
TOGETHER IS AN
OPPORTUNITY
TO IMPART
IMPORTANT LIFE
SKILLS THAT WILL
COME IN HANDY
WHEN THEY
EVENTUALLY
HAVE TO
FEND FOR
THEMSELVES.
))
Building family ties in the kitchen.
LEANNE PATTISELANNO
RECIPE FOR
FAMILY BONDING
ABIGAILGOH

38 39
with food. Teaching them to choose
healthful eating that takes some ef-
fort over immediately gratifying, less
nourishing options may also help
encourage them to learn to love the
bodies they have been blessed with.
Cooking is a great teaching tool
and an opportunity for family values
to be reinforced and built on. Since
the start of the year, we have been
working on a few simple “house
rules” we, as a family, plan to keep
in order to maintain a happy home
environment. Basically, these house
rules include exercising patience with
one another, speaking with kindness,
picking up after ourselves and taking
care of each others’ things. Working
on a meal together is really the per-
fect opportunity to emphasize and
train these key areas since taking
turns, being polite and respectful of
each person’s work space and learn-
ing to clean up afterwards are part
and parcel of the experience.
Spending time together working
side by side in the kitchen is an inval-
uable opportunity to pass on family
traditions particularly during special
occasions. My maternal grandmoth-
er or ‘Nana’, as I called her, cooked
using her gut instinct almost all of
the time. Trying to recreate her sig-
nature dishes without having actu-
ally witnessed her in action means it
is nearly impossible to replicate that
distinct flavor. I regret not having
spent more time observing her in the
kitchen so I’m now making a more
conscious effort to document, and
perhaps later on, teach my favour-
ite recipes my own children. In the
meantime, I want to make cooking
together an experience that leaves
a happy trail of memories and expe-
riences. Besides, it's a fact that chil-
dren are more likely to eat what they
have helped to make.
The best part of cooking together
as a family is that it gives everyone a
sense of accomplishment, especially
little ones. Being able to participate
a basic daily activity builds their con-
fidence and their willingness to offer
help can make a difference. Zachary
and Eli really like knowing that they
are being of service to me and they
feel proud of the contribution they
have made. Being able to cook to-
gether is so important to me person-
ally since I am also given the chance
to demonstrate the patience (es-
pecially when clear instructions are
ignored) and graciousness (so what
if the carrots aren’t chopped in pre-
cisely the same shape?) I want my
children to mimic.
So how can you get cracking with
the seemingly daunting task of get-
ting everyone involved in the kitchen
to work? Here are some pointers that
might make the impossible more do-
able and practical:
1. Designate a day for family cook-
ing. It could be once a week, or once
a fortnight or even once a month but
choose a day when everyone’s sched-
ules are the least harried.
2. Keep things simple. Whether
you’re a seasoned cook or a new-
bie, remember that cooking solo is
quite different from having all hands
on deck and it may sometimes take
longer. Pick easy to prepare recipes
and save those more elaborate men-
us for when you have more time.
3. Plan ahead. There is really
no need to spend hours on end in
the kitchen. Having a plan of action
makes things more convenient and
less stressful. Decide beforehand
who can do what portion of the cook-
ing to minimize confusion.
4. Remember your end goal is
more about being able to spend
quality time together rather than the
quality of the food or the punctuality
with which you start your meal.
It really doesn’t matter if you have
managed to pull off a five-course
meal or a one-pot supper. Having this
time together should really be about
realizing the gift God has given in the
form of each family member and that
as you pause to give thanks to Him
for His provisions, all will know that
these blessings come from our Father
in heaven. [+]
There are many episodes in the gospels where
Jesus communed with his followers over a meal.
Consider the feeding of the multitudes, the break-
ing of bread at Emmaus, the Last Supper, and the
picnic on the shore after the ressurection. Commu-
nity time over food is clearly important to the Lord.
Even on a human level, sociologists have found
that where husbands and wives have a strong mar-
riage, where parents have better relationships with
their children, families were more likely to have
family dinners. That is to say, the practise of family
meals is an indicator of the family health.
Eating together as a family – when members
gather, talk and share values in the process – is an
effective way of building a strong family culture.
How then, can we break bread together in an inten-
tional way?
Try to eat together regularly. Make this a priority
and schedule work and activities around family
meals. It does not have to be dinner. It could be
breakfast, lunch, or even dessert. Stories abound
where busy, high-powered executives go home for a
meal and then return to work.
Impractical, you say, when parents work late,
son has football at 6 pm and daughter has tuition at
7. Where evenings are crazy, perhaps mornings are
not so much. Even when mornings and evenings
are bad, everyone can take a break from their own
((COOKING IS A
GREAT TEACHING
TOOL AND AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR
FAMILY VALUES TO
BE REINFORCED
AND BUILT ON.
))
activities and gather for a snack as a family before
bedtime. The key is to make time to come togther as
a family regularly for bonding time.
Say grace. Giving thanks before eating emphasis-
es gratitude to God, and is a simple way of pre-
senting your family together before the Lord. Take
turns to give thanks. Even the youngest child can be
taught to give thanks with a set prayer. Alternative-
ly, grace can be sung.
Breeding good manners. Eating together is per-
fect for teaching children manners, either explicitly,
or by example. It will help them cultivate a polite
and refined mindset that will go far beyond the
meal table.
Have meaningful conversations. Don’t ask ques-
tions that can be answered with a simple 'yes' or
'no'. Ask open-ended questions about their day.
Families with older children may discuss current
events and issues.
Sharing family history, stories from your grow-
ing-up years, and teaching points from your experi-
ences will interest your children. Simply put, if you
are real and open with your kids, they will be open
and real to you.
All this can happen quite naturally and spon-
taneously over a meal – when the physical, moral,
intellectual and spiritual health of every member of
a family can be nourished. [+]
LET'S BREAK BREAD TOGETHER
ABIGAILGOH

40 41
PrOF BRAWN
Professor Brawn is a smart, kind
and strong superhero created by a
child with a learning disability. The
professor is the face of Professor
Brawn Cafe, a social enterprise
which provides affordable good
food prepared and served by a
workforce comprising people
of different abilities, ages and
socio-economic backgrounds.
Its values are quality, dignity and
inclusiveness.
The cafe was started by parents
and friends of special needs people
in 2009. They wanted to make a
difference to those who need a leg
up in society by providing jobs,
showing the special talents of
special needs people, and raising
awareness and supporting the
cause.
Besides bistro favourite like
fish and chips, gourmet sausages
with rosti, black miso cod fish and
waffles with ice cream, Professor
Brawn Cafe also sells attractive
notebooks and T shirts designed by
those with special needs.
The cafe has two outlets,
#02-78/79 Novena Square, 238
Thomson Road Singapore 307683
and 10 Circular Rd, Singapore
049366, convenient for family
meals and work-day lunches.
|| Anita Fam
do you HAVE
GOOD THINGS TO SHARE?
Send your recommendations to
ccmcloavesfishes@gmail.com
Good Things
BIBLICAL DESIGNS
In early 2010, graphic designer
Jim LePage started Word, a pro-
ject where he created at least one
design for every book of the Bible.
Then he met Troy Deshano, an il-
lustrator who had a similar interest
in the Bible and design, and from
their friendship came Old & New at
http://oldandnewproject.com.
Good Things
YOUR FAITH ON YOUR SLEEVE
FaithClothes is an online store
owned by Jessica and her father,
Kevin. She designs the patches
used to decorate the hoodies and
pullovers while he handles the
business, logistics, and sourcing
for the shop.
"Our apparel designs are
born from a desire to share our
faith with others," they share.
"We want our designs to spark a
conversation, but in a more subtle
way than the "t-shirt evangelism"
that seems to make up much of the
TRUTHMIN's OFFERINGS
In 2010, Truthmin – TRAC Youth
Ministries – launched "Even the
Rocks Cry Out" (ERCO). An annual
worship songwriting project, it is
aimed specifically to encourage
and cultivate songwriting within
Methodist youth. In just these few
years, more than 100 songs have
been submitted by the youth of our
churches.
From this effort comes Offer-
ings: You are Worthy, a profes-
sionally produced compilation
featuring the music and voices of
Methodist youth.
The CD is available from SKS
Bookstore, Trumpet Praise and
other good Christian bookstores,
and tracks may be purchased from
Apple iTunes Store and halomedia.
asia.
Offerings will certainly encour-
age the church at large to sing
songs written by this generation,
for this generation.
|| Goh Eck Kheng
Old & New Project is a platform
for graphic artists to show works
based on Biblical stories and pas-
sages. The website is a curated col-
lection of designs by international
illustrators, artists and designers.
Every weekday, a new artwork con-
tributed by one of selected artists
is posted on the site.
The aim is to make both the art
and Biblical text accessible to all,
no matter how much or little they
know about theology. It is not an
attempt to convert. It is a new look
at this old book by artists from all
types of faith perspectives.
The Old & New Project recog-
nises that one of the biggest draw-
backs of contemporary Biblical art
is that much of it is very proper.
Thus, some of the art and writing
for Old & New may contain all sorts
of 'improprieties', including sexual
references just like the Bible itself.
Every design, such as 'Tongues
of Fire' by Brian Danaher below,
is available for sale as prints at
http://society6.com/oldnewpro-
ject. All proceeds go to charities
from around the world.
|| Miriam Wun
Christian apparel market."
They testify that their patch
designs provide a personal
reminder of Christian testimony
and have started many conver-
sations about faith. So go ahead,
wear your faith on your sleeve!
|| Goh Eck Kheng
THE LONG RIDE
On 18 March 2014, two middle-
aged men on motorbikes roared
out of ACS(I) to begin a 23,000-km
journey across 17 countries to
Stockhom via Indo-China, China,
Central Asia, and Eastern Europe.
Philip Iau and Mikael Hartman
are not on this journey for a lark.
They are breast cancer specialists
with the National University
Hospital on a mission. Iau is Head
& Senior Consultant, Division of
General Surgery, and Head, Breast
& Trauma Services, while Hartman
is Senior Consultant, Breast &
Trauma Services, Department of
Surgery.
By this endeavour, they aim to
raise awareness of breast cancer
issues in developing countries
with large rural populations where
the lack of financial and healthcare
resources, cultural habits, and
late detection of breast cancer
are barriers to treatment and
cure. Working with a network of
collaborators, they are conducting
public seminars, undergraduate or
post graduate teachings, and other
activities to meet local needs.
At the same time, the two
doctors aim to raise their own
awareness about what problems
undeveloped Asian populations
face in treating and reducing death
from breast cancer.
The Long Ride is scheduled
to end on 15 June 2014 and
the journey, so far, has had its
adventures, including sandstorms
and panic attacks.
You can follow The Long Ride
by logging onto http://longridess.
com/, http://longridess.blogspot.
sg/ and https://www.facebook.
com/LongRideSS
You may also wish to make a
donation to breast cancer research
at http://medicine.nus.edu.sg/
medsur/TheLongRide/index.htm
|| Goh Eck Kheng
BOUND TO BE GOOD
Helena Cho has been crafting
bracelets, embossed with scripture,
for men and women since 2011.
For her, it is a way of spreading
positive and inspirational messag-
es. Helena said: "I love being able
to inspire people to be the very
best version of themselves."
Her company, Good Work(s)
Make a Difference, has pledged
25% of its net profits to charity
and supporting needy communi-
ties around the world.
https://www.etsy.com/sg-en/
shop/GoodWorksBracelets
|| Goh Eck Kheng

Loaves+Fishes Jan-Mar 2014

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