20 February 2022 l 137th Anniversary Combined Worship Services
Wesley Methodist Church celebrated its 137th anniversary by giving praise for God’s preservation, provision and protection, and looking forward to a new season in Church Directions.
The whole family of Wesley — from the children and youth to the seniors — gathered in one body online and in person, to join in the joy of God’s faithfulness to our church.
The strains of the violins from the Wesley String Ensemble and Wesley Young Ensemble, with the melodies of the organ and flute, combined with the voices of the choir, provided a rich musical setting for the service.
In the Hall, the Prayer & Praise team led the congregation in a heartfelt, spirit-filled worship session.
Online, the Virtual Choir gave a rendition of the response hymn, In My Life, Lord, Be Glorified, in three languages — English, Mandarin and Filipino — in an acknowledgment of the congregations at Wesley.
Looking at God’s preservation, with thankful hearts for our forebears — all who had served the church, over the 137 years — we are reminded that “since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses … let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Heb 12:1-2).
This spirit of gratefulness extended to the dedication of our church staff, as Pastor-in-Charge Rev Raymond Fong thanked them for their commitment and sacrifices in serving together with our pastors and leaders, to strengthen our ministry and service, particularly amid the challenges of the pandemic.
Lim Jia Ying and Lim Jia Xin from the Sunbeams Chi Rho presented a spirited reading of Matthew 5:1-16. The sermon, titled Intentional Discipleship At Its Best — Happy Disciples, delivered by Rev Stanley Chua, TRAC President, outlined the need and essential principles for living a genuine Christian life (Matthew 5-7), as illustrated in the Beatitudes.
It reminded that only the pursuit of a deep relationship with Jesus will last eternally and taught what it means to be truly blessed.
Believers are to develop healthy spiritual eyes and a whole-hearted devotion to Jesus so that others can see Him in our life.
Looking forward, giving thanks for God’s provision, Pastor Raymond launched Directions 2025: Intentional Discipleship — Take the Next Steps, signalling a new season of discipleship, which would take us through different steps of maturing our faith in the next four years.
In this on-going pandemic, we commit to God the protection of our church, community and the nation, and trust in His leading and grace as we embark on a new journey of deepening our faith and supporting one another on the road towards Christian perfection.
To God be the glory for the things He has done — in the Methodist Church in Singapore, our nation, our church, families and communities, and in each of our lives — how great Thou art!
Photos by Goh Cheng Joo and Ian Goh.
For Sermon video, notes and reflection questions>>Intentional Discipleship At Its Best – Happy Disciples
