Remembering Our Past, Inspiring Our Future

Saltshaker February 2016

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Article Author Page
Let there be Light – The Lunar New Year (English & Chinese) Eddie Goh 2
LO-HEI! The Christian Way – Possible Christian Practice and the Tossing (English & Chinese) 4
Fishing for Souls Mary Foo 8
No Monkey Business Ong Hon Yuh 10
Companions in Christs(CIC) – Rev Paul Nga, Lee Park Ming 11
Spiritual Disciplines – That First Sabbath Kwa Kiem Kiok 12
Baby Talk – Don’t Touch! Tricia Tong 14
Precept Upon Precept 2016 16
DISCIPLE 1 – Facilitated by Rev Paul Nga & Philip Khoo 17
In and About TMC – OSC Christmas Party and MWS Bursary Awards; Rev Peter Goh’s Retirement Service; Christmas Celebration for Domestic Helpers; Mandarin  Service Baptism; Christmas Service 2015 including Children’s Baptism; Reception of New Members 18
Celebrating 60 Years of God’s Faithfulness – TMC60 Timeline 20
The 60-Minute Blessing 21
The  First Decade. 1956 – 1966 22
1956. Small group of married couples in Serangoon Garden Estate envisaged a Methodist Church; Malaya Annual Conference at Ipoh appointed Syn Wai Yin (a senior Trinity College student to begin work in Serangoon Gardens). Dr F Olin Stockwell, lecturer of Trinity College, provided spiritual leadership
1957. First meeting of Small Group; First Sunday service by Mr Syn Wai Yin at the home of Mr and Mrs Tong Kum Toh at 85 Cowdray Ave; First Sunday School class at home of Mr and Mrs Tan Hoay Gie at 15 Huddington Ave with Mrs Nancy Lee as Superintendent; First service at St Peter’s Church; TMC was officially constituted as part of the Singapore Methodist District of the Malaya Annual Conference; Rev Syn Wai Yin left for further studies; Mr Kenneth Chellappah succeeded Reverend Syn as a Student Pastor with Dr F Olin Stockwell as Associate Pastor, Mr Denis C Dutton as Student Assistant. 22
1958. WSCS was inaugurated with Mrs Daisy Chellappah as its first President; Mr Tong Kum Toh was elected by Quarterly Conderence as Chairman of the Church Building Fund Committee; Church purchased a piece of land at Lichfield Rd for $60,000 . 23
1959. Church Fair was held at St Peter’s Church to raise $2,500. First Methodist Church, Kalamazoo, Michigan, donated US$5,000; Mr Larry Cheah Chee Yoon was appointed Pastor and Rev Christopher Smith (Methodist Church of Great Britain and lecturer at Trinity College) was Associate Pastor.
1960. Easter Day, members pledged $11,000 towards Building Fund; Trinity Methodist Youth Fellowship (MYF) was formed with Ms Lucy Lau as First President; Mr Willaim Lim of Malayan Architects Co-partnership was engaged to prepare building plans; Rev Christopher Smith was appointed Pastor by Annual Conference with Mr Peter Lee, Trinity College student, as Associate Student Pastor.
1961. First MYF meeting with Dr Olin Stockwell preaching; Membership increased to 57 and debt for site was fully settled. Board of Trustees of the Methodist Churh loaned $60,000 for the building project.
1962. The Official Church Board accepted a tender of $66,000 for construction of the Sanctuary; Second Grand Fair was organised under patronage of Mrs Celeste B Amstutz; Ground Breaking Service; Construction work started the next day under the supervision of Mr Tong Kum Toh and Mr P Sathiasingam; Candlelight Watchnight Service and a farewell dinner to Rev and Mrs Smith were held. 24
1963-1964. Church was declared open by Bishop H B Amstutz.  Lay leader, Mr Andrew Lee and Trinity student Mr Tang Kin Wah took charge of church services; Membership increased to 69 and Sunday School attendance grew; Grand Fair was held under the patronage of Mrs Eileen Smith to raise Building Fund.
1965. Dedication ceremony for the Church was officiated by Bishop Robert F Lundy; Rev Chew Hock Hin was appointed to TMC where he served 5 years. A full church choir under Mrs Chew Chin Jin was formed.
Pastors in the first decade 25
The Old Guard- Lawrence and Catherine Pang Lim Sue Yien 26
The Old Guard – Violet Kwan Rose Tan 30
Where Disciples Make Disciples- Seeing Christ in You Rev Dr Lorna Khoo 32
60 with TMC- Me? Sixty? Koh Soo Yee 34
60 with TMC – 60 is the new 40 Victor Cheong 36
Bibliotheque – TMC Resource Centre 38
Marriage Preparation Course (MPC) 39
Back Cover – Events 40