WELCOME TO LIVING HOPE METHODIST CHURCH!
May
you hear the Lord’s heartbeat and move in His love
as you
join us for services, cells, outreach, ministry and mission.
God bless you!
Rev Dr Lorna Khoo
Pastor-in-Charge
Updated: 21.12.2007
A SHORT HISTORY OF OUR CHURCH
Early in 1989, some members from Wesley Methodist Church met regularly for prayer and Bible study in a member's home at Tampines New Town. Tampines was then a new and growing estate. The group had the vision of planting a church in that region of Singapore. Their vision coincided with the vision of the Trinity Annual Conference (TRAC) of the Methodist Church in Singapore. Hence in August 1989, a meeting of Methodists living in Tampines was held at the Church of Christ the Redeemer. This led to the formation of Tampines Outreach Project (TOP). Rev Dr George Wan Tian Soo was appointed by TRAC to oversee this pioneer work. About 18 Methodists and their families (plus some people from other denominations) residing in Tampines came together to form the first congregation of TOP. Sunday Services were held at the Salvation Army premises at 5.00pm. Fellowship dinners, small group meetings and synchronized prayers were the mainstay of the outreach project. The Church Family Camp was at Golden Sands Baptist Centre in Port Dickson.
In January 1991, the church moved into St. Georges Chapel. Sunday Service was at 8.15am. On 1st November 1991, TOP became Tampines Methodist Church with 42 adult members. A Family Service Centre in Tampines with the help of Methodist Welfare Services was started.
In 1995, Rev. Michael Wong was appointed as Pastor-in-charge. Evangelistic video shows, outreach programmes and annual church camps were some of the events of the church life. The highlights of the congregational life were the church camps where members became bonded as a family.
In the year 2000, Rev. Dr. Lorna Khoo was appointed as Pastor-in-charge. 59 intercessors from Wesley Methodist Church covenanted themselves to pray for the 54 members of Tampines Methodist Church that year. Some came and helped us during that year and a few joined as members.
We started Year 2000 with the theme, "Jesus is Lord" and we sought to let Him be Lord of our Church in giving us directions regarding what He wants us to be and do as a congregation. We were given Isaiah 54 : " Sing, O barren one who did not bear; burst into song and shout, you who have not been in labor! For the children of the desolate woman will be more than the children of her that is married, says the Lord... ." It was a verse that gave us hope and a new perspective regarding the future.
During our prayer meetings, we began to hear from the Lord regarding major paradigm shifts:
Our territorial commitment: Changi, parts of Tampines and parts of Simei. Our Church's role: as a congregation, we are to pastor Changi, parts of Tampines and parts of Simei (not simply exist as a Christian fellowship with the pastor as its chaplain)
Our calling: to minister to prison releasees and families of prisoners.
Method of mobilizing our people: by becoming a cell church (not just a church with cells)
What is vital for the life of the church: Prayer covering of the intercessors who are our 'commandos'. Our first group of key intercessors received intensive training which lasted for 12 sessions.
In 2000, the churches in Changi (Salvation Army Changi Corps, Changi Baptist Church, Changi Christian Fellowship and us) linked up and formed the Changi Geonetwork. Prayer meeting was held once a month. Joint church camp and projects like LOVECHANGI with bazzaar to raise funds for light-up Changi during the Christmas period to bring more business and blessings to the shopkeepers were organised.
The LCEC was revamped to include hands-on ministry areas. The Church was in transition. We became a cell church instead of a church with cells.
The church office was relocated from Tampines to St. Georges Chapel grounds. Huddled in one 20-foot and one 40-foot containers, we set up office and a meeting room for some of our ministries.
As a result of these paradigm shifts, Tampines Methodist Church was renamed LIVING HOPE METHODIST CHURCH in 2001.
A second bilingual service – English and Hokkien began at the Changi Chapel, anchored by our Hokkien Cell and our theological student.
MOVING INTO A NEW LOCATION
For about 15years since our congregation was started, we borrowed premises -from the Salvation Army and later, from the Military Christian Fellowship- for our worship services. Interestingly, both places were in Changi. All we had in Tampines was a rented office and that, for a season.
As mentioned above, in the year 2000, when the congregation was only 54 in number, the Lord gave us a God-sized calling. He gave us Isaiah 54. He told us that our territorial commitment would be more than Tampines but would include the whole of northern Changi, parts of Tampines, parts of Simei, Kampong Kuantan (West Malaysia ) and East Timor. We were pulled by Him into the prison ministry, seeing that all the prisons in Singapore will be in Changi by 2008.
When the Housing and Development Board (HDB) opened the tender for a piece of church land at Tampines Street 33 in 2001, we did not know about it. There were several bids but none fulfilled the minimum expectations of the HDB. The tender was reopened in July 2002. When the leaders of our church saw the location of the land on the map, we all exclaimed:" It is of the Lord!". This Tampines land was flanked by Changi on one side and Simei on the other. The Lord had set apart this land for us! Praise be to Him. The churches of the Trinity Annual Conference (TRAC) came together to help us buy the land and build the sanctuary. We are truly grateful.
We moved into our new church building in December 2004.
THE FUTURE
A
huge task lies ahead of us.
The church does not exist for
itself. It exists for Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Lord of
Living Hope Methodist Church. We pray for sensitivity to His
heartbeat.
We pray that we will become a courageous, obedient and disciplined army for Him to use- in loving outreach to heartlanders, prison releasees and their families, to the East Timorese. He has called us to be intercessors, spiritual watchmen, servant-ministers to these communities.
Among other things, we hope to set up
a senior enrichment programme
a tuition centre
ministries for healing/inner healing/counselling
Chinese/dialect outreach with focus on the poorer segments of society
youth work
support network and resources for prison releasees and their families
24 hour prayer/intercession location
pet friendly areas (annual "Blessing of Animals" services)
THE CHALLENGE
As we look at what God has done in our midst over the past years, we sensed that this church has 3 “Ps” in its DNA :
PRAYER
PRISONS
POOR
Living Hope Methodist Church has a intercessory calling. It also has two key ministry challenges- to reach the prisons and the poor in our community.
The new church building is just a means for us to be His blessing. Do pray with us, join us to be His blessing in the places that He has called us to!
God bless.
Rev Dr Lorna Khoo
Pastor in Charge
Living Hope Methodist Church