MCI (P) 161/04/2014

PresbyterianExpressBurning but not consumed

Dearly beloved EP Family,

The focus of this issue is prayer and I would like to share with you my personal experience of the

need for pastors to pray for their congregation and for congregations to pray for their pastors.

From the epistles of Paul, we learn that the great Apostle often prayed for Christians (eg. Col 1:9, 1Thess 3:10, 2Thess 1:11), and asked Christians to pray for him (eg. Colossians 4:3, 1Thess 5:25, 2Thess 3:1). He also urged Christians to pray without ceasing (1Thess 5:17) and pray for all people (1Tim 2:1).

Having Paul’s prayers and appeals for prayers preserved for us in the Bible shows the importance of mutual prayer support between the pastor and the congregation he is ministering to.

Oct 19

Editor in chiefRev Vincent Lee

Editorial TeamRev Dr Adrin Muñoz, Rev Darryl Chan, Preacher George Ang, Rev Peter Chan,Rev Dr Peter Poon, Rev Jackson Wan, Preacher Timothy Ho, Elder Aaron Tan

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Artwork by

Moderator’s HeartbeatPrayer-Driven Ministry– A Pastor’s Experience ..........................................1-3

Special FeatureRenewing our Understanding on Prayer ................4-8

Church NewsLearning Conversational Prayer ...........................9-11

ContentsChurch News

Godly Slave of God ...........................................12-13

EP Churches Prayer Survey ................................14-15

EP’s New Singles Ministry: Connecting ..............16-19

The Transforming Power of the Cross .....................20

When I was a student in Bible College, a guest speaker who was a pastor-mentor spoke to us during chapel hour. He said that his job is simply getting his mentees (pastors) to do the basics, for example “to do prayer”

I was shocked and surprised because I had expected a mentor to the pastors to teach very advanced and complex leadership skills needed for church ministry. However, based on his experience in the field, he told us that very often the cause of a pastor failing in his ministry is not the lack of leadership skills but prayerlessness.

But I did not quite believe him until I became a pastor.

A Pastor’s ExperienceA Pastor’s ExperienceBy Rev Vincent Lee (Toong Chai Presbyterian Church)

Prayer-Driven Ministry

Moderator’s Heartbeat

When I completed my theological training, I was quite confident that if I skilfully organized the programmes of the church and faithfully preached the Word, the church will be fine.

Soon after, I realized that organizing the church and preaching the Word were not enough to lift Christians from their struggles or to move the church forward. There were just too many problems in their lives and in the church.

Thus I found myself on my knees pleading with God on behalf of the members of the church, and my prayers got longer and longer as the days went by.

However, based on his experience in the field, he told us that very often the cause of a pastor

failing in his ministry is not the lack of leadership skills but prayerlessness.

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My prayer life went through a series of changes. I began to pray as I walked, I prayed as I jogged, and I even prayed as I drove. Still I felt something was missing and Paul’s request for prayer came to mind. So I began to request prayer support from my church members and even Christians outside our local church to pray for me.

I was especially encouraged and empowered by the elders and deacons who prayed with me and for me sometimes in the early hours of the morning.

Those were the times when conflicts were resolved. Those were the times when ideas for ministry were rejected or accepted. Those were the times when fear turned to faith. Those were the times when real battles were fought and won on our knees. And, in fighting the spiritual battles through prayer together, we became more and more united in ministry. As I look back on the past years of ministry in the church, I must humbly say that it was prayer that saved and sustained the ministry of the church, not leadership skills or programs as I initially thought. The conflicts we resolved and the peace we restored in the church were accomplished by the power of prayer.

I thank God for this journey of learning about prayer in church ministry. It was the church, both the pastor and the congregation, seeking God, desiring God, coming to God and depending on Him that shaped and sustained the church ministry in a spiritually hostile environment.

Therefore, it is our commitment to prayer that determines the effectiveness in ministry. As the saying goes: “More prayer more power. No prayer no power.”

What followed was something of a surprise because I not only began to understand and believe what the pastor-mentor said pastors need to do prayer, but I realised why Paul would ask Christians everywhere to pray for him.

This is what happened: When I started spending time in personal prayer for the church, I experienced God’s peace and calm in doing ministry and serving the people. But it did not last very long. I soon felt the spiritual battle raging in the church.

I could see that there was an increase in the struggle for the souls of our people in and outside the church. I became more aware of the dark and evil powers at work behind events that look so seemingly innocent, and the unmistakable work of the devil actively trying to stop us from fulfilling the great commission.

What Paul said in Ephesians 6:12 became more real to me than ever: 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 (ESV)

Dearly beloved, I urge you to take prayer seriously and do it regularly and diligently, individually and collectively, so that our lives and our church can stand against the spiritual forces of evil in and around us.

It is my prayer that all the EP pastors and congregations will be able to support each other in prayer and enjoy the goodness of prayer-driven ministry. 2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speakCol 4:2-4 (ESV)

Those were the times when fear turned to faith. Those were the times when real battles were fought and won on our knees. And, in fighting the spiritual battles through prayer together,

we became more and more united in ministry.

I could see that there was an increase in the struggle for the souls of our people in and outside the church. I became more aware of the dark and evil powers at work behind events that look so seemingly innocent, and the unmistakable work of the devil actively trying to stop us from fulfilling the great commission.

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Dear friends in the English Presbytery,

As you pick up this newsletter, you might be thinking, ‘Why do we need another article on prayer. Do we not all already know how

to pray? And do we not already belong to a praying community?’ The thought, too, crossed my mind. Are there not already numerous articles, books, dissertations and conferences on prayer? Do we need yet another article on prayer?

However, as we pause to ponder, we might agree that the subject of prayer has an element of mystery about it so much so that while, at times, we think we know how to pray yet, at other times, we feel that we still do not know how to pray.

That might be the disciples’ predicament as they ask Jesus to teach them how to pray (Luke 11). Did they not all grow up in a religious environment of prayer? Might not at least several of them have prayed regularly in their homes and at the temple? Why then did they ask Jesus to teach them to pray?

I wonder what your past experience of prayer is. I grew up in a church environment and was taught the Lord’s Prayer (in Teochew) from an early age. Then, shortly after, I learnt about the ACTS way to pray. That is, begin with Adoration, then Confession, followed by Thanksgiving and then move on to Supplication. It was a formula for prayer – and a good one. But sometimes, it became mechanical and merely a way to transact with God. After all, that was the point of my supplication wasn’t it? For some, that formula for prayer became a PIN for an on-demand transaction with God, akin to the pressing of the panic button in pressurizing moments.

But is that what prayer is to be? What do you bring to the act you call prayer?

By Dr Jimmy Tan (Trinity Theological College)

Special Feature

Retrieving an Old Understanding of PrayerPerhaps we might need a renewed understanding of prayer in order to truly pray. However, it is not a new understanding we seek but an old one we retrieve –indeed a very old one.

In this article, I wish to retrieve the understanding that prayer is fundamentally conversation with God. This conversation expresses the life we have in God–first brought about through the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and now sustained by the empowering grace of the Holy Spirit. It evinces a lived reality that emerges from a living relationship with the triune God.

This proposed theme is not without difficulties. Unfortunately, too many conversations break down today. So we struggle to imagine how we can have a meaningful conversation with God through prayer. Then, there is the concern that treating prayer as conversation with God might render communications with God as casual and too egalitarian. I hear these concerns and propose that when we have a right understanding of our life in God and prayer that ensues from it, these concerns will be addressed.

To do so, I will draw from a Church Father and from John Calvin for they ground us in that understanding of prayer. To begin with, John Chrysostom, the fourth-century early Church Father, in his homily on Prayer as the light of the soul remarked that ‘the highest good is prayer and conversation with God, because it means that we are in God’s company and in union with him.’

John Calvin echoes this perspective when he describes the practice of prayer as “a communion of men with God by which, having entered the heavenly sanctuary, they appeal to him in person concerning his promises in order to experience, where necessity so demands, that what they believed was not in vain, although he had promised it in word alone” (3.20.2).

Prayer as conversation with God rests upon a right understanding of God and the spiritual union that God draws us into. Rather than presumption, it rests upon profound doctrinal truths about God and the relationship we now have with God.

Indeed, against the frightful backdrop of a morbid fear of God at the time of the Reformation, Calvin urged the believers to quite a drastically different way to approach God! He urged them, by prayer, to spiritually enter the heavenly sanctuary to speak with their heavenly Father in person!

Then, there is the concern that treating

prayer as conversation with God might render

communications with God as casual and too

egalitarian. I hear these concerns and propose that when we have a right understanding

of our life in God and prayer that ensues from

it, these concerns will be addressed.

However, as we pause to ponder, we might agree that the subject of prayer has an element of mystery about it so much so that while, at times, we think we know how to pray yet, at other times, we feel that we still do not know how to pray.

PrayerRenewing our Understanding on

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Special Feature

Confidence to Converse with GodThe confidence to do so rests in Calvin’s understanding of our life in God. It is the spiritual union that we share with God when he put us right with himself by uniting us to Jesus through the faith-engendering help of the Holy Spirit, so that the life of God becomes operative in us (see Institutes 3.2; 3.11). In other words, we who previously were in enmity with God because of sin are now restored to communion with God through the saving grace that came through Jesus Christ.

Prayer is therefore the expression of this restored communion with God. This spiritual reality gives us the needed confidence to approach God. We now relate to God not as frightened strangers from afar but as freed children from within the home.

As conversation with God, prayer understands the act to be one that brings us to greater heights of the knowledge of God or deeper depths of discerning the heart of God. Rather than surface conversation, it draws us into deeper communion with God our Father.

It is likened to the restored relationship of the father and the prodigal son. The son who is now returned to the home of the father goes on to be in communication and communion with the father – within the home, as a son would.

Can you imagine what it would be like if the restored son never resumed his communication with his father despite being restored to his home? Or that he would speak to the father only in times of great distress or only at certain fixed points of family contact? It would be very strange, wouldn’t it? Yet this is the picture some among us live with!

That is why we must re-picture the practice of prayer as family communication with God and not as something we do only in desperate moments or out of duty. For this reason, Chrysostom goes on to explain that prayer is something ‘that comes from the heart and not from routine: not the prayer that is assigned to particular days or particular moments in time, but the prayer that happens continuously by day and by night.’

Perhaps an illustration from Scripture might help to further flesh out what conversation with God looks like. We are familiar with the burning bush account in Exodus 3. There Moses saw the phenomenon of the burning bush. He drew near to see. Then God called out to Moses from within the bush. God revealed who he is, what he is concerned about and proceeds to send Moses on a mission. What transpired in that intervening time was a conversation between God and Moses in which Moses freely expressed his fears to God – and to which God responded with the assurance of his abiding presence.

The episode illustrates what a sacred conversation with God looks like. It involves hearing from God, responding to God and moving forward with confidence in God. Our prayer life can similarly evince these dynamics. For example, we hear from God through his inspired Word, we speak to God about them, and then hear what God is saying to us concerning all that confronts us. Prayer becomes that living conversation with a living God – through his living word and by his living Spirit. Much like what the psalmist does in the psalms: hearing, speaking, waiting in silence, and moving forward with confidence in the Lord’s promise.

It is this same understanding that moved Calvin to describe prayer as the chief exercise of faith. For Calvin, the life we embrace from God by faith must be sustained by the same faith that God gave to birth it. The exercise that does this is called prayer. In other words, when we pray, we exercise our faith and begin to live into the life that we have in God – like Moses talking with God or the prodigal restoring the conversation with his father. By faith, we go into conversation and communion with God.

Faith and PrayerThis might explain why Calvin dedicated the two longest chapters in the Institutes of the Christian Religion to faith (3.2) and prayer (3.20). It is because faith and prayer are intimated connected. Calvin defined faith as: “a firm and certain knowledge of God’s benevolence toward us, founded upon the truth of the freely given promise in Christ, both revealed to our minds and sealed upon our hearts through the Holy Spirit” (3.2.7).

From this perspective, prayer is an exercise in faith when we speak to God about the given promise in Christ. Our confidence rests in the fact of God’s benevolence. And it is a confidence which the Holy Spirit seals upon our minds and hearts. For this reason, some have come to describe Calvin’s spirituality as a spirituality of Word and Spirit.

Prayer is therefore the expression of this restored communion with God. This spiritual reality gives

us the needed confidence to approach God. We now relate to God not as frightened strangers from afar

but as freed children from within the home.

For this reason, Chrysostom goes on to explain that prayer is something ‘that comes from the heart and not from routine: not the prayer that is assigned to particular days or particular moments in time, but the prayer that happens continuously by day and by night.’

The episode illustrates what a sacred

conversation with God looks like. It involves

hearing from God, responding to God and

moving forward with confidence in God. Our prayer life can similarly evince these dynamics. For example, we hear

from God through his inspired Word, we

speak to God about them, and then hear

what God is saying to us concerning all that

confronts us.

Special Feature

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Prayer as conversation with God therefore plumbs the riches of a living relationship with God as informed by Scripture and aided by the Spirit. So we learn to speak to God with confidence about all that pertains to life. Like confident children would with their parents.

The point is that prayer is the real-time expression of a real and thriving relationship with God – called into existence by God himself, entered into by faith through the grace God supplies, and sustained by these same dynamics. Prayer, therefore, is the on-going practice of these realities. In other words, prayer is not only called upon in emergencies nor entered into only in ‘religious moments’ but is the very ‘spiritual bio-sphere’ of a real and living relationship with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Put once more in familial terms, it is liken to the communion a family shares that comes from deep, and deepening, family relationships. They are founded on love, facilitated by communication, and made full through communion, which is the shared presence and purpose in a home – sometimes even without the use of words.

The Contemplative Atmosphere for Communion with GodConsequently, for Calvin, prayer as conversation with God is not casual speech but the contemplative atmosphere in which we deepen our life in God. Just as conversation involves speaking and listening, the practice of prayer implies that we learn to speak as well as listen to God–both with and without words.

But we lament that many fractured and fragmented contemporary families do not know nor experience this. Hence it is so difficult for many to perceive or even believe that prayer can be an expression of a living relationship with God. Perhaps the same is true of the church gathering when we speak only in clichés, on the surface, and relate to each other only on a transactional level. When that happens, we remain so far removed from the life-giving communication and relationships that we so long for in a faith community.

What then might prayer as conversation with God do for us – or to us? It can return us to the true communion that we long to have with God, from which we discern the very heart of God, and from which we live with purpose in the world. Practicing prayer as conversation with God also helps to restore us to authentic relationship with each other – for that is an outcome of an authentic relationship with God.

There is much more to be said about prayer as conversation with God. Nevertheless, I hope that this brief article has given you a glimpse of what our life in God in prayer can be. Hopefully, it will spur you on to begin to converse with God.

Put once more in familial terms, it is liken to the communion a family shares that comes from deep, and deepening, family relationships. They are founded on love, facilitated by communication, and made full through communion, which is the shared presence and purpose in a home – sometimes even without the use of words.

Special Feature

Within a few days, I managed to “swallow up” the whole book. Frankly speaking, I enjoyed the practical aspects mentioned

in this book. It is no doubt that your obstacle to praying aloud can readily be removed having applied the simple basics recommended by Ms Rosalind Rinker who testified how “Conversational Prayer” when properly followed can enhance one’s prayer zeal and adventure. Prayer can never be dull anymore once you have got the hold of it. I would like to now introduce the recognition of your identity in Christ. All of us, who are born-again Christians, would very well know that each of you is a child of God. As a child of God, it is our joy and privilege to address God as our Heavenly Father. We need to begin to relate with God with the child in us wanting very much to converse with God our Heavenly Father. The child-like faith in a faithful God is required in prayer.

Before we go into the methodology of conversational prayer, let me explain what conversational prayer is. “Conversational Prayer is spontaneous, childlike prayer poured out from our hearts directly to the heart of Jesus. It is shared prayer by a group of brothers and sisters praying aloud together to Jesus as a child would pray.” With the help of the Holy Spirit and through a lay leader in the group, praying conversationally may be acquired and achieved. In Psalm 62:8, we are encouraged to trust God at all times, to pour out our hearts before God and to acknowledge that God is our refuge.

– Rosalind Rinker

By Preacher George Ang (True Way Presbyterian Church)

Book Review on “Learning Conversational Prayer”

“Conversational Prayer is spontaneous, childlike prayer poured out from our hearts directly to the heart of Jesus. It is shared prayer by a group of

brothers and sisters praying aloud together to Jesus as a child would pray.”

As a child of God, it is our joy and privilege

to address God as our Heavenly Father.

We need to begin to relate with God

with the child in us wanting very much

to converse with God our Heavenly Father.

The child-like faith in a faithful God is required in prayer.

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Church News

Here is what the author has taught me: There are only four simple steps in conversational prayer. First, we recognise the presence of our Risen Lord Jesus. Second, we articulate aloud to our Lord Jesus our worship, praises and thanks. Third, we admit our need for forgiveness, healing, guidance, or help of any kind. Fourth, we pray for one another.

The key thing is to keep each prayer short. The purpose of having short prayer is for the sake of having everyone participating in the praying. Every prayer is valid and viable. Through simple, short prayer, we encourage each other to pray. As we pray, being conscious of the people next to us, we demonstrate the true notion of “loving one another”. Everyone in the group gets an opportunity to pray. No one person dominates the praying in the group. The focus of praying has always been on our Lord Jesus as well as on the people around whom our Lord Jesus loves.

In these four steps, in the beginning, we focus on Jesus and welcome Him, audibly and silently (Jesus Is Here!). Then, we give thanks to Jesus for being here with you and with us and also mentioning the names

Through simple, short prayer, we encourage each other to pray. As we pray, being conscious of the

people next to us, we demonstrate the true notion of “loving one another”. Everyone in the group gets an

opportunity to pray.

group. Everyone is conscious of the presence of Jesus in our midst. Jesus hears and answers prayers. In a group, everyone gives attention and acknowledgement to the person next to us in their praying. There is no sharing of prayer requests in such kind of praying. Each person prays a short prayer regarding his or her need. No one is supposed to comment on others’ prayers. Each person courageously articulates their short prayer before a gracious and loving Lord Jesus.

In such kind of praying, the strengths are that the people will be more ready to utter their prayer and you would see authenticity in their praying. The people who are praying would not feel intimidated by others. There is more transparency in such praying and it helps to unite the family together. Each person talks with Jesus from the bottom of their hearts. The weaknesses which I see through this kind of praying would be the limitation of praying slightly longer prayers. Praying a short statement of prayer may not help much in praying more in depth-type of prayers. The other disadvantage is that you may lose the ability of bringing new topic to pray about. One must be quite conversant with the current news around them in order to be eloquent in praying conversational prayer. In terms of Biblical support of this type of praying, there is nowhere exactly in the Scripture that advocates it. The author anchors it on Matthew 18:20 which we know that the context of this passage is more in the event of a dispute happening between members in a community of believers. Some may not agree with what the author’s view in regards to applying the 2-or-3 principle into the gathering of believers. Nevertheless, apart from this verse, the application of conversational prayer does play a part in the prayer life of the community of believers. The testimonies found in the book would be of great interest to you.

The people who are praying would not feel intimidated by

others. There is more transparency in such

praying and it helps to unite the family together.

Each person talks with Jesus from the bottom of

their hearts.

of those beside you, thanking Him for them to be here with you praying (Thank You, Jesus!). Then, each prays for himself or herself [telling Jesus your problems, asking Jesus for forgiveness, guidance, healing] using the pronouns: I, my, me (Help me, Lord!). Finally, pray for each person by name when you pray; give thanks when someone prays for you (Help my brother, my sister, Lord!).

There is no need to hurry in this kind of conversational prayer. Every person is focusing on Jesus in their praying rather than on the

In these four steps, in the beginning, we focus on Jesus and welcome Him, audibly and silently (Jesus Is Here!). Then, we give thanks to Jesus for being here with you and with us and also mentioning the names of those beside you, thanking Him for them to be here with you praying (Thank You, Jesus!).

The other disadvantage is that you may lose the ability of bringing new topic to pray about. One must be quite conversant with the current news around them in order to be eloquent in praying

conversational prayer.

Having said all these, I would encourage all of us to give yourself the benefit of the doubt to explore the possibility of reading this book for yourself to discover the gems which I personally had discovered. May you let the many wonderful testimonies which has thrilled me to thrill you so that you will eagerly embark on reading this book with the hope of applying it! I hope that I have whetted your appetite in wanting to take hold of this book and reading it for yourself. May this book review enable us to have our prayer life alter for our good and for the glory of God!

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Church News

Guarding the gospel requires that he value sound doctrine; that he avoid godless chatter, flee stupid quarreling, both which lead to godless behavior and to the loss of faith.

The EP Co-Workers’ Retreat was recently held at the Renaissance Hotel, Johor Bahru. It saw 77 delegates from 15 churches from

English Presbytery and 2 from the Chinese Presbytery. With children and others, there were 141 of us.

The committee flew in the Rev Stuart Coulton, principal of Sydney Missionary and Bible College, to exhort us with a sermon series from 2 Timothy. The young pastor mentored by the Apostle Paul was entrusted with responsibilities stemming from the much he was given. Timothy was to fan to flame “the gift of God” by guarding the gospel, boldly proclaiming it, and suffering for it. Guarding the gospel requires that he value sound doctrine; that he avoid godless chatter, flee stupid quarreling, both which lead to godless behavior and to the loss of faith. Timothy must hold fast to the word and not downplay sound doctrine.

This translates for us the importance of gently instructing the flock entrusted to us while avoiding the youthful desire of winning arguments. For although one can win with wit and logic, it doesn’t serve the saints. Instead, one ought to have a sound biblical theology and always be a ready expositor of God’s word in any situation, faithfully preaching the counsel of God.

Coulton exhorted us to “watch our life and doctrine”, quoting Robert Murray M’Cheyne’s “My personal holiness is my people’s holiness” and led us to a checklist of “Sins in the Ministry” that one must kill with God’s enabling. For a complete list, see https://au.thegospelcoalition.org/article/sins-ministry-killing-today/.

Lastly, perseverance in the ministry cannot be overstated. Paul likens himself as the drink offering, alluding to his suffering, but also to his humble sacrifice. His sacrifice is not the “biggie”; Christ’s is. And when there’s nothing in the ministry but discouragement, our hope rests in God and in the crown of righteousness He has in store for those who long for the Lord’s appearing. Some have found the sermon series to be clear and faithful to the texts and provided things to mull and pray over.

Godly Slave of GodBy Rev Adrin Muñoz (Adam Road Presbyterian Church)

A talk on ministering to the downcast, anxious, and suicidal was held. Rev Coulton gave the biblical insight into mental health while Gerard Das, a Christian counsellor, gave the practical resources to help people who ideate suicide.

Though the Bible does not directly address mental health issues, Rev Coulton pointed out that they are mentioned within the wider context of one’s relationship with God and His world. God reveals His character, His purposes, and His promises. He comforts the downcast with the hope of the new heaven and new earth found in Christ, and this Christian hope tells us then that the present life is the worst things can ever get. We were also reminded that though suicide is sin in that it is the taking of human life that rightly belongs to God, it is nevertheless not an unforgivable sin.

Gerard helped us looked at a list of stressors church members may face, e.g. grief, illness, marital problems, miscarriage, unemployment which may lead to suicidal thoughts. A look at such a list helped us all see that many in our fold do undergo such trouble. Then he asked us to imagine if people who undergo such stress have assurance that the church is a place where the sick and the healthy are not divided, where there are people who are ready to come alongside the struggling to offer a listening ear, give practical help, encourage, pray and sing, among others. The exercise was a wake-up call for the church to be disciples who are willing to bear each other’s burden and provide hope and communal support. Many found the talks on suicide ideation helpful and wished that there was time for case studies for equipping.

And to minister to the 30 children who joined the retreat with their parents, David and Cynthia Leong ran the “Pistiselpisagape” programme, and that with help from a few teens and tweens. The combination of dynamic praise and worship, group activities, and Bible story-telling taught the children servanthood exhibiting faith, hope in, and love from the Lord Jesus Christ.

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Church News

EP ChurchesPrayer Survey

By Preacher Tim Ho (Bukit Batok Presbyterian Church) and Rev Jackson Wan (Ang Mo Kio Presbyterian Church)

We are called to be a people of prayer. The Old Testament depicts many wonderful stories

of patriarchs and prophets speaking to God, often times interceding for God’s people. The Psalms have a collection of beautiful prayers before God. In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus taught His disciples to pray (Matthew 6, 21-22, John 16:23-24, etc.) and led an exemplary prayer life (Matthew 26:36, Luke 5:16, 6:12, etc.). This was resounded by those who came after Christ, continuing in the emphasis on prayer from the epistles (Ephesians 6:18, Philippians 4:6, James 5:13-14, etc.).

So how are we doing in our prayer life in church today? Also, how are we doing in comparison to fellow churches in the approach to prayer?

In July 2019, the EP Express Committee sent an invitation to all the EP churches to survey their frequency and approach to prayer. 13 of our EP churches responded. We hope that from this survey, we can find out where our churches stand when it comes to prayer, and we can perhaps provide data, encouragement and motivation towards the conduct of prayer in our EP churches.

Here are some of the findings from that survey.

Let’s Look at Our Prayer Meetings (Qn 2, 3, 4)Someone once said the strength of a church isn’t in its attendance at a regular Sunday worship service, but rather in its prayer meetings. With the main area

our church neighbourhood and community. 9 of our churches involve the meeting praying for church decisions, 8 of us pray for world affairs, and 5 of us include spontaneous open prayer.

Most of our churches include a segment for the sharing of personal thanksgivings or prayer requests at the end. The approach for these prayers includes praying corporately or in small groups.

How Else Do We Pray? (Qn 7, 9)Besides the regular prayer meetings, our EP churches organise other forms of prayer activities. These prayer sessions include pre-Sunday service prayer, pastoral prayer during Sunday worship service, post-Sunday service prayer, prayer walks, prayer-on-sites, corporate church prayers, ministry-level prayers, small group prayers, and prayer chains over text messaging platforms such as WhatsApp.

All 13 EP churches responded that there is an intentional prayer segment in some small groups where all members are involved with prayer. A couple of our churches indicate a regular prayer time for their leadership and an elders’ fortnightly prayer meeting too. One church shared how their Ladies’ Ministry uses an online prayer link where prayer items can be shared with confidentiality so that those with access can keep in prayer.

Leaders Who Pray (Qn 8)A well-known local pastor once taught that “a leadership that prays together, stays together.” For most of our churches, our church leaders pray weekly (mostly by the staff) and monthly (mostly during EDC).

One church indicated that the staff prays through a Church Prayer Guide at the end of each weekly staff meeting. Another church indicated that their leadership gathers for an hour to pray every 1st Saturday at 7am!

How We Can Pray (Qn 10)During the survey, we asked our EP churches for any advice they would share with fellow churches regarding prayer.

One church suggested having different ongoing yearly topics or themes for prayer meetings. This church also suggested including morning prayers before Sunday worship services, intercessory prayers during Sunday worship services, and an annual prayer retreat that inculcates teachings on prayer to promote prayer understanding and prayerfulness. There is also the suggestion for the voluntary formation of prayer groups by church members.

One church balances monthly prayer focus by alternating between “internal focus” prayers (i.e. church and ministry related matters) with “external focus” ones (i.e. socio-cultural-demographic issues). Another church prays for missions during prayer meetings and gets members to respond to missions from such prayer meetings. Another church uses the LoveSingapore 40-Day prayer guide for synchronised small group prayers. Yet another church suggested using social media chat groups for prayers.

In conclusion, we thank God our EP churches are a praying lot. From corporate prayers at prayer meetings and weekly worship services, to small groups through social media links, to leadership leading in prayer, and to individuals who participate in these prayer activities; our churches continue to provide platforms for our members to reflect, understand, and pray.

More can be done in answering the call towards prayer. We hope that these platforms do not merely facilitate a response for our call to prayer, but will serve as avenues to inculcate our members into a prayerful life that emulates Christ.

of prayer for churches lying in its prayer meetings, the survey began from the outlook of each church’s regular prayer meetings. How often do our EP churches hold their prayer meetings? Ten of the churches indicated they hold prayer meetings on a monthly basis. That is about more than 83% of the EP churches who responded to the question. One EP church has her prayer meeting on a fortnightly basis.

6 of our EP churches estimated about 11-20% of their congregation attend their prayer meetings. One church estimated about 21-30% of her congregation attend prayer meeting, while another church estimated a 31-40%. The other EP Churches estimated far lower than 10%.

Most EP churches (exactly ten of the churches which responded to this particular question) have a range of 1.5-2 hours in their prayer meetings. The others indicated an hour or lesser.

What Do We Do in Prayer Meetings (Qn 5, 6)All 13 EP churches who responded to the survey expressed that our prayer meetings include worship - praise and thanksgiving unto God. Two churches have a time of devotion before praying for ministries. All 13 EP churches pray for our unwell and hospitalised members, as well as for our church/ministry leaders.

Most of us (10-12 churches) pray for church events, ministries, for matters concerning Singapore and for

A well-known local pastor once taught that “a leadership that prays together, stays together.”

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Not FunnyWhat did the male mousedeer say to the other (only) female mousedeer on Noah’s ark? Answer: “Remember when you said you wouldn’t date me if I was the only mousedeer left in the world…?” What holiday do single people celebrate? Answer: Independence Day. Said one single to another, “Yes I DO have a girlfriend from another nation.” Replied the other, “Sure, from imagi-NATION!”

But- being single may not be a laughing matter, if one still hopes to find that significant other who has eluded one for so long. And questions about whether this is God’s plan for one to remain single can cause some dents in one’s faith. And because we are in Singapore with a rapidly aging population, the urgency to find one’s soulmate is drummed into us constantly by family-friendly government policies and “government matchmaker” SDU (Social Development Unit).

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Church News

Even more worrying, population figures released by the government last September 2018 showed that more Singaporean women across all age groups are staying single compared to a decade ago. In fact, the most noticeable was the ladies in the age group 25-29 years, where it was discovered that the proportion of single women had increased from 60.9% in 2007 to 68.1% in 2017, a whopping 7.2% increase. Another age group of ladies also presented statistics of concern- more older women remained unmarried, where the proportion of single ladies aged 30 to 34 years went up 3.9% to 32.8%, while those aged 40 to 44 years increased by 3.8% to 18.1%.

What about men? The population study showed that a higher proportion among those aged 25 to 29 years were staying single- from 77.5% in 2007 to 80.7% in 2017. As for those men aged 35 to 49 years, the proportion rose slightly, between 0.2% and 1.9%.

Those men aged 30 to 34 years remained constant, a marginal decrease of 0.3% down to 40.5% in 2017.

(Acknowledgment - ST report by Rachel Au-Yong “More women in Singapore staying single across all age groups”, published 27 Sep 2018.)

What does the Bible say?Curiously but happily, the NT speaks positively of singlehood (1 Cor 7:7, Matt 19:11 for example). Paul himself reminds of the godly advantages of being single like him (1 Cor 7). Yet, the Bible also acknowledges that singlehood is a difficult choice, and for many, they might feel that it’s a difficult situation thrust upon them rather than by choice. Starting from Adam and Eve (Gen 2:18), practically all the patriarchs in the OT were married (many to more than 1 wife, but that’s not the subject of this discussion!), Jesus’ first miracle of drawing wine out of water was at a wedding, Revelation speaks to us about the wedding of the Lamb, and so on and so forth. Many therefore hold the belief that our God uses the family unit – one man + one woman (Matt 19:3-6) – as the primary means to extend His creation on earth (Malachi 2:15).

Thus, for me, launching the EP Connecting Ministry with Rev Peter Chan (Bethany Presbyterian) earlier this year was my long overdue step in faith concerning the Christian singles community. Together with a team of like-minded Christian married couples from other EP churches (Bethany, Bukit Batok and Hope),

we ran 2 events on 1 May and on 9 August 2019, with the aim of helping Christian singles connect with other Christian singles in a safe environment beyond the 4 walls of the church that they regularly attend.

The 2 EventsThe event on 1 May 2019 drew an overwhelming response of 144. Although we targeted the event at EP singles, we eventually invited CP (Chinese Presbytery) members and regular worshippers and also agreed to accept non-Presbyterian Christian singles.

EP’s New Singles Ministry

By Neoh Sue Lynn (Deacon, Bukit Batok Presbyterian Church)

CONNECTING

Curiously but happily, the NT speaks positively of singlehood (1 Cor 7:7, Matt 19:11 for example). Paul

himself reminds of the godly advantages of being single like him (1 Cor 7). Yet, the Bible also acknowledges that singlehood is a difficult choice, and for many, they might feel that it’s a difficult situation thrust upon them rather

than by choice.

Figure 1: Gender details of actual participants at event

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Church News

As the reader can see, women significantly outnumbered men, no surprise. Also interestingly, half were aged 30 and below, when we had expected the more mature folk to be the larger cohort. 20% of the sign-ups were from non-Presbyterian churches, which indicated a common need across all churches for this ministry. We did have to set rules on eligibility e.g. only those never-been-married or who had been widowed could participate. We did not have any declared divorcees sign but would have had to engage their pastors if there were, prior their joining.

The focus of the 1 May programme was the 1:1 segment, where 1 gentleman got to meet up to 7 ladies while each lady got to meet up to 4 men, due to the gender imbalance. Many responded in a survey that the 1:1s was the most attractive part of the programme. The half day event was held at YWCA at Fort Canning and actual turn-ups comprised 116 persons, with the bulk of the 20% drop from registration numbers being largely due to registrants being declined by our committee on various grounds, plus no-shows on the day itself.

When we organized the second event on 9 August 2019, our committee decided on a half day event again, but this time outdoors. Dressed in red and white to celebrate Singapore’s 54th National Day, we hiked from Vivo City through Labrador Park, ending at City Beach Resort. The programme this time focused on small group game interactions and a presentation on dating etiquette. The registration number shrank by half to 64 and the gender imbalance grew even more unfavourable. We also raised the minimum age from 18 to 21 years. The following statistics were gathered.

Many therefore hold the belief that our God uses the family unit – one man + one woman (Matt 19:3-6) – as the primary means to extend His creation on earth

(Malachi 2:15).Our committee put down the lower interest to the long weekend our event preceded, i.e. many had taken the opportunity to travel. The age ranges were narrowed as part of the feedback we had taken on board from the inaugural event, in order to better match singles to other singles closer to their age range. It was also interesting to us that the age range of sign-up’s was more distributed compared to the 1 May event. The 9 August event however saw an increased uptake from non-Presbyterian churches, now making up 27% of registrants.

What next…?It is clear to our Committee that there exists a real need for a Singles ministry, and specifically one that has marriage as its goal. And that this need is not confined only to EP or even CP but to many other denominations. A recommendation was made to the EP to formalize the singles ministry, widen the publicity, and partner with other churches beyond the PCS.

It is clear to our Committee that there exists a real need for a Singles ministry, and specifically one that has marriage as its goal.

Figure 2: Registrants from Presbyterian churches vs those from non-Presbyterian churches

Figure 3: Gender details of actual participants at event

Figure 4: Registrants from Presbyterian churches vs those from non-Presbyterian churches

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By God’s grace, the Presbyterian churches of the Singapore English Presbytery, as one body of

Christ, was able to gather together once again during 2019 Holy Week to commemorate the sacrificial death of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

We thank God for the kind hosting of the 2019 Holy Week Convention by Orchard Road Presbyterian Church on Wednesday 17 April and Thursday 18 April. We also thank God for the third day of the convention that we had on Friday 19 April at the Singapore Expo. Our heartfelt thanks also go to the worship teams of Ang Mo Kio Presbyterian Church, Living Praise Presbyterian Church and Glory Presbyterian Church for leading us in worship, songs and praises.

We had about 500 attendees on each of the first and second days, and about 3,500 on the third. We thank God for the many who re-dedicated their lives to God, and for those who expressed a desire to know more about God.

Church News

The speaker at the convention, the Rev Dr Patrick Fung, General Director of OMF International, gave us much insight through his series of inspiring messages based on the theme, The Transforming Power of the Cross: The death of Christ has given us 1) new life (Eph 1:1-10), 2) new community (Eph 2:11-22), and 3) a new standard (Eph 4:1-16).

A New Life – God, through the cross, has redeemed us, for us to live a holy and blameless life under His lordship for His glory, which is His grand redemptive plan to bring all believers together with Christ as the head. Therefore, we believers, have to live in surrender to Christ’s lordship.

A New Community – God, through the cross, has torn down the barrier that divided the Jews and Gentiles. There is now no longer any hostility between the two groups. In Christ, every believer is a member of His family in His grand redemptive plan.

A New Standard – God, through the cross, has called us to spiritual maturity. In Christ, God has called the Church back to HIS (Humility, Integrity and Simplicity). Humility and purity, as well as integrity and simplicity, must be evident in the Church.

Praise the Lord for the transforming power of the cross!

Soli Deo Gloria!

By Preacher Herna Kong (Orchard Road Presbyterian Church)

The TransformingPower of the Cross