LIVELINE Issue 12

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liveline活力线ISSUE 12 | OCT 2009

www.aldersgate.sg

SEX and THE PaREnTWho should be responsiblefor inculcating good valuesin your children? ... p. 10

Plusyou'RE a STRawbERRyFragile and easily bruised when under pressure? God is the answer ... p. 22

THE dangERouS woRld widE wEbA few tips on how to protectyour kids online ... p. 30

(Yikes!)

... p.16

THE MICHAEL JACKSON TO REMEMBER ...p. 23

Aldersgate Methodist Church雅德门卫理公会

98 Dover Road Singapore 139647tel 6773 1964 | email [email protected]

www.aldersgate.sg

done reading this magazine?Pass it on to a friend, family or a colleague

OCTOBER 2009 | aldersgate.sg | 01

Editorialforeword

LiveLine is a publication of Aldersgate Methodist Church, Singapore.

Views expressed in LiveLine belongto the contributors’ and do not

necessarily reflect that of the churchor the editorial team. Materials inLiveLine may only be reproducedwith permission from the editorial

team or the contributors.

advisors

Pastor Chiang Ming ShunPastor William Sam

editor in chief

Leslie Chiang

managing editor

Shirley Pee

editors

Andrew Ang Geraldine Ang

Tiffany AngGracia ChiangTeresa ChongDerrick HoLoh Ka Wai

Rudy David WongYip Poh Lin

contibutors

Pastor Chiang Ming ShunPastor William Sam

Beverly AngDavid ChanEric ChiokAlvin ChuaDerrick Ho

Mark MasillamoneyShirley PeeCharlie TanTong Su Yee

Teresa WilbornWong Chong Kai

Wendy WongGordon Yuen

张慧芬

photography

Jacob Kong

in THiS iSSuEOCTOBER 2009 | IssuE 12

CONTRIBUTING TO LIVELINEIf you have enjoyed reading LiveLine and want to contribute a short write-up on your Bible reflections, your Pastoral Care Group (PCG) activities or even share a great place to shop, do drop us an e-mail to let us know. We’ll be most happy to liaise with you for your valued contributions. You can send your contributions

to [email protected]

Designed by christine chan

Printed by pica digital pte ltd

03 METHODIsT MINuTEFind out how the Methodist Church in Singapore elects Bishops and Presidents.

04 AROuND ALDERsGATEBeverly Ang shares her retreat experience at the Montfort Centre; Derrick Ho reflects on serving in LiveLine; and learn more about AMC's outreach efforts in Cambodia.

20 LIFEsTORYWong Chong Kai and Wendy Wong share their journey to becoming parents.

22 sHOuTOuTDavid Chan talks about the failings of the 'Strawberry Generation'; and, how should we remember Michael Jackson? Mark Masillamoney gives his take.

24 TRAVEL TALEsTong Su Yee shares her experience of travelling with a good friend in Cairns.

29 ALL ACCEssGordon Yuen discusses Internet safety; Eric Chiok gives his take on Lakewood Church's latest music compilation; SKS Books recommends some good reads; and Geraldine Ang shares a few ideas on where to go and what to do during the December holidays.

Regulars

10 THE FIRsT CuRRICuLuMPastor Ming Shun talks about being responsible parents and how strong families with strong values affect society.

13 sACRED PARENTINGPastor William Sam gives his take on how to be a good parent.

Features

On the Cover

I remember the days when parenting to most just meant providing simple food and shelter; children were left very much to their own devices. With

no television or computers to turn to, they only have friends, together with whom they’ll dream up games to fill their days. They learn to share and to look out for each other. They also learn to cope with their studies with little or no help. They grow up generally independent, reliable and resourceful.

In this day, parenting is much harder. Beyond providing food and lodging, we supply in abundance entertainment devices, we worry incessantly about their academic progress, their emotional states, their friends, the pimples on their face and in extreme cases, we even map out their

entire lives. We want the best for them.But what’s not to be neglected is the

right values that must be inculcated in them. In this issue, Pastor Ming Shun talks about how strong families with strong values affect society at large and shares the hows and whys we should equip ourselves in order to play this role more effectively (Page 10).

My friend’s child, at 7, already knows he’s going to Oxford University and everything is done for him to ensure he gets there. Is this part of the reason for the rise of the 'Strawberry Generation' (2)?

It is no surprise that our children lap up all the online entertainment so eagerly. The internet is both a boon and a bane. Parents who are concerned about their

children’s exposure to objectionable material online can consider Gordon Yuen’s practical suggestions on how to manage (Page 30).

Working on this issue of LiveLine reminds me once again, of our Father’s love for us – “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!” Matthew 7:11

So as we strive to be good parents, bringing up children in the ways of the Lord, remember that all the goodness that we want for our children, our Father wants for us also. And all that we want from our children, our Father wants from us also.

Shalom.

Becoming a Better Parentby shirley pee

FACE OFFWhat happens when your parents want to be friends with you on Facebook? Will you say yes? ClaRa ToH, dEREk lam and RaCHEl Tan share their thoughts about being friends with their parents/children on Facebook.

16

OCTOBER 2009 | aldersgate.sg | 03

BLEssED TO BE A BLEssING

今年是个多姿多彩的年头。在我们欢庆教会30周年的当儿，我们盼望透过大而显著的形式与我们周围的人分享上帝所赐的福。

因此我们在这一整年里进行30项实际的祝福行动,使我们的社区受惠,使荣耀归给上帝。我们派送空纸箱给即将搬迁的杜佛路居民；我们也提供小盒子让会友装满礼物,送给一所儿童之家；此外我们还筹款帮助贫困的中学生。

远在柬埔寨金边，我们开设了第一间卫理公会宿舍。那是一所特别为柬埔寨人开办。由柬埔寨人经营的柬埔寨宿舍。

上帝仍然以厚恩待我们。今年我们为雅德门卫理公会第一部福音车“丹福”举行奉献礼。我们将在10月开音乐演奏会，将我们教会全新的电风琴奉献给主。

这令我想起先知玛拉基的话。“万军之耶和华说：‘你们要把当纳的十分之一，全部送入仓库,使我家中有粮；借此试验我，看我是不是为你们敞开天窗，把福气倒给你们，直到充足有余呢。’”(玛拉基书3:10)

我们的上帝何等可畏！祂竟然说“试验我！”并准备敞开天窗把福气倒给我们。祂实在是慈爱又慷慨的上帝。

因此我们也理当作感恩的群体，慷慨地将神的爱与祂的道种在这世界。

We are in the midst of a rather eventful year. As we celebrated our 30th anniversary, we

sought to share God’s blessings to ev-eryone around us in a big way.

We launched our 30 Blessings Projects, a year-long effort to favour our community in concrete ways and glorify God. We handed out card-board boxes to help Dover residents pack and move to their new home. We gave boxes for members to fill with goodies for a children’s home. We collected money for needy secondary school students. We also opened the first Methodist Hostel in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. This is a Cambodian hostel run by Cambodians for Cambodians.

God has continued to bless us richly. This year we also dedicated our

first church van, Denver. In October, we will have a night of musical perfor-mances to dedicate our church organ.

This reminds me of what the prophet Malachi wrote,

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” (Malachi 3:10)

What an awesome God we have! He says, “Test me!” He stands ready to open the floodgates of heaven to pour out blessing. He truly is a loving and generous God.

We, in turn, should be a grateful people who generously sow God’s love and Word in this world.

from the desk of

Pastor Chiang Ming Shun蒙恩。授爱。齐祝福

牧师的反思：

Pastor’s Methodistreflection minute

Two students at the Cambodian Methodist hostel (Read more on page 6).

雅德门卫理公会第一部福音车“丹福”

02 | liveline | OCTOBER 2009

All ordained ministers who have been Elders for at least 10 years are eligible for election as President or Bishop. Elections for both positions are held every four years.

The President is elected by delegates at the Annual Conference while the Bishop is elected at the General Conference by delegates from the three Annual Conferences.

There is no nomination process or campaigning. During the Conferences, the inspi-ration of the Holy Spirit is invoked and all delegates vote by secret ballot. A list of all eli-gible Elders is shown. The Elder with at least two-thirds of the vote becomes President or Bishop for a term of four years. Voting is continued until someone has two-thirds of the vote. A President or Bishop may hold office for a maximum of three terms or twelve years in total.

凡受按立成为巡回长牧十年或以上者，都有资格成为会长或会督候选人。这两个职分的选举每四年举行一次。年议会的会长是由该年议会投票选举选出；会督则是在总议会中由三个年议会的代

表选出。选举过程中并没有提名或竞选活动。在年议会会议中，代表们靠圣灵的

感动,以秘密投票的方式选举。候选人的名单被列出.中选的会督（或长牧）必须获得总议会（或年议会）出席代表人数三分之二的多数票。两个会督与会长的任期同样都是四年一任。投票必须继续进行,直到有候选人获得三分之二的多数票为止。会长或会督如果获选，可以连任两次，任期最长为十二年。

Q

问

A

答

How does the Methodist Church in Singapore elect Bishops and Presidents?

新加坡卫理公会如何选出会督与会长？

HAVE YOUBEEN

NAUGHTYOR NICE?

CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICE

December 25

(English/ManDarin coMbinED sErvicE)

But whoever holds out to the end will be saved.

matthew 24:13, tev

See church bulletin for more details.

04 | liveline | OCTOBER 2009 OCTOBER 2009 | aldersgate.sg | 05

happenings in and

Earlier this year, I decided to take a step of faith by enrolling in AMC’s Bap-tism and Membership class, conducted by Pastor Ming Shun. I had previ-

ously been baptised as an infant, but now at age 19, I felt ready to publicly declare my faith and allegiance to God. This time, however, the confirmation would be out of my own free will, instead of it being solely based on my parents’ decision. To prepare for the momentous event, I found myself attending an overnight retreat at Montfort Centre in March.

ThE mONTfORT CENTREMontfort Centre, an idyllic building tucked away in tranquil surroundings made it an ideal place for retreat and personal devel-opment programmes. From the moment I stepped into the compound, I keenly felt

God’s presence. The rooms were simply furnished, but comfortable and cosy. Each room even exuded a personal touch, with the occupant’s name displayed on the door, as well as a welcome note, towel, flower and biscuits. This was hospitality at its best, and it aptly reflected God's goodness and generosity towards Man.

a NEw aNd ENRIChING ExpERIENCEOver the two days at Montfort, we under-

went an intensive but highly interesting crash course on Methodist doctrine, his-tory, beliefs, and origins. This gave us a complete picture of our faith and the denomination which we belong to, so as to groom us into well-informed members of the Methodist church.

For most of us, however, the high-light of the Montfort stay was the Silent Retreat held the next morning. Before breakfast, we were given the opportunity

to spend some time with God in com-plete silence. Armed with our bibles, writ-ing materials and journals, we were told to meditate on 1 John 3:11–1 John 5:12 on our own.

I had never participated in a silent retreat before, so this was a new and enriching experience for me. With noth-ing to distract me, I was able to give God 100%, spending a good half-hour feasting on the natural beauty around me. God revealed Himself to me through the tran-quillity of my surroundings — the pale sil-ver moon, the aroma of the coffee, and the clean architecture. It made me feel incredibly loved by a God so great and majestic, and I literally felt enveloped in His beauty, love and grace. The silence made me even more sensitive to God’s presence in my surroundings, and to His beauty. That morning, I was able to fully comprehend the lyrics, “You are beauti-ful beyond description, too marvellous for words.”

IT IS wELL wITh mY SOULThe silent retreat did a world of good for my soul. With no distractions on-site, I was able to be rejuvenated and enlight-ened by God. In my heightened state of sensitivity to His still, small voice, I man-aged to glean many insights from the allocated passage...which also happened to be about love!

Furthermore, I was given the opportu-nity to witness first-hand God’s love man-ifested through a fellow human being at breakfast. The elderly caretaker of Mont-fort demonstrated God’s love through his humble service as he cheerfully prepared delicious food for all of us and uncom-plainingly washed all our dirty dishes. It was personally profound for me as I felt God was showing me what He wanted me to emulate. In a sense, God’s word, which I had been reading prior to break-fast, came fully alive throught the seem-ingly nondescript caretaker.

My Montfort experience was an alto-gether beautiful one. I feel happy and blessed that I went, and I would like to strongly encourage my fellow brothers and sisters to do likewise if presented with the opportunity. Do not hesitate, because truly, nothing beats slowing down, listen-ing to the Father’s voice, and retreating into His arms of love.

God revealed Himself to me through the tranquillity of my surroundings — the pale silver moon, the aroma of the coffee, and the clean architecture. baPTiSm & mEmbERSHiP ClaSS

see Page 33 for upcoming dates

Beverly Ang shares her retreat experience at the Montfort Centre

MINISTRY FOCUS

Retreating into His Arms of Love

June 2006. I had just returned from an 'escape'. Tired and over-stretched in many ways, having the opportunity to go on a six-

month student exchange programme in the U.S. was just the breath of fresh air I had needed. I came back recharged, but lost. I remember stepping back into church feeling somewhat out of place — the church had grown much through the Forty Days of Purpose (40 DoP) cam-paign during which I was not around.

It was also just about then that LiveLine was launched. Flipping through the pages, I found myself drawn to the magazine. I later found out that the magazine had been 'contracted' out to a designer. Having taken a class in magazine design while in the U.S., I thought: “Hey why not see if the LiveLine team needs another designer”. So Leslie graciously took me in and the rest is history. Since then I have been helping to sub-edit and design the magazine.

Designing LiveLine, for me, has a surprisingly therapeutic effect. However, it would be a lie to say that serving in the magazine was always wonderful. Sure, working with a team

of great minds is invigorating but at the same time, it also meant that there were trying moments — we’d ‘fight’ over how topics should be covered, why this page was designed this way. Words were scrutinised, photos questioned, and through it all, surely egos were bruised.

Amidst the differences, the one thing the team has never failed to keep in mind is that this magazine is ulti-mately written and designed to advance the kingdom of God. And through the process, we — the tools — get sharp-

ened by Him, and by each another.

Today, I am back in the U.S. pursuing my Master's degree. And as I reflect on the past three years, it’s amaz-ing to see God’s design in and for my life, as I serve to design His magazine. The trip in 2006 was not only a good repose; it was His way of preparing and equipping me for a new ministry as well.

As I spend the next couple of years away, I am burdened for the magazine but excited

to see what He has in store. To quote the lyrics, “He works in ways we cannot see”, the best way is to walk in faith and follow His designs.

Derrick Ho reflects on serving in LiveLine

The one thing the team has never failed to keep in

mind is that this magazine is ultimately written and designed to advance the kingdom of

God.

Derrick poses with two mules in front of the University of Missouri Alumni Center.

by HiS dESignSaroundaldersgateSPECIAL 30TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS PHOTO GALLERY .... SEE PAGE 8


It all started with a vision.

More than a year ago, Dr Seet Ai Mee had a dream — the Lord showed her a house where students coming

to study in Phnom Penh from provinces throughout Cambodia could live.

Having attended the Methodist Girls School in Malacca as a young girl, Dr Seet saw the value of a Christian home for students. Through the dream, she felt the Lord was showing her a way to help young Khmer students.

After months of searching, AMC found a newly constructed house that seemed perfect. Located only minutes from the Methodist School of Cambodia, the house is also near the Royal Univer-sity of Phnom Penh and a few other insti-tutions of higher learning. When pictures were emailed to Dr Seet, she immediately recognised the house in her vision…it was pink! She had not shared the colour of

the house with anyone, so her vision was once again confirmed by the Lord.

In God’s perfect timing, prices fell due to the economic recession and a two-year lease was negotiated. By network-ing with other Singaporeans supporting hostel ministries, AMC was able to quickly recruit Khmer Christians to provide man-agement, supervision and around-the-clock care as house leaders.

Students coming from Methodist communities across Cambodia will be given priority to stay at the hostel, but it is open to all. Students will contribute towards food and utilities while AMC will cover the rent. Devotions are held each morning and mission teams will conduct discipleship training quarterly.

Cambodian Methodist pastors have long expressed deep concern that stu-dents coming from distant villages for tertiary education needed help to safely

transition from rural to urban living — a Methodist Hostel in Phnom Penh was the answer to their prayers!

In August, the first Methodist Hostel in Cambodia was formally dedicated by Bishop Robert Solomon. Rev Ming Shun and Rev William, Dr Seet and I represent-ed AMC at the service. Local students provided songs of praise and testimony as more than 50 guests gathered to wit-ness this joyful occasion.

The opening of this hostel coincides with AMC’s 30th anniversary, and the church’s anniversary theme “Blessed to be a Blessing” shines forth on a brilliant yellow banner hanging prominently near the entrance.

aGapE II paSTORaL CaRE GROUp IS an open-cell designed to care and help people cope with their problems and walk with the Lord. It also emphasizes worship, prayer, sharing and fellowship and serves as an extension of the pasto-ral care ministry of our local church.

The members of the cell provide a listening ear and offer a helping hand for those who need assistance. We visit

the sick in the hospitals and homes, comfort the lonely, evangelise the lost and minister to the inmates in charity institutions. One of the most frequented nursing home is the Bethany Methodist Home. Our generous members also do-nate food and other daily essentials to the needy.

Praise God for helping the members understand the meaning of service and ninety percent of them serve as ushers or befrienders.

As Lisa, one of our members, puts it, “God’s love is radiated through mem-bers of our PCG. Let us share this love to the larger world beyond the church body.”

关怀牧养小组分享

agape ii pastoral care group | by charlie tan

以马内利/合一组 | 张慧芬

在教会中我们看到许多我们称之为“弟兄姐妹”的脸孔，但行动上我们有否真把他们当弟兄姐妹？我常发觉自己没有做到。但与我有同感者别气馁，因为我们有神的帮助，也有小组来实践爱的功课。

从英国回来后，我们全家参加了两个小组，旧的小组重组后，我们就参加了由叶定带领的“以马内利/合一组”，参加的大多是青年人，所以永坚和我算是“老青年”。组员体恤我们家有大有小，就一个月来我们家聚会一次，每次都有很好的学习。

对我而言，最大的收获是更认识几位弟兄姐妹。以

前，一些青年如浩智、思捷、叶定等对我来

说只是教会中的脸孔，礼拜天微笑打招呼的对象，没有什么“血肉”，有点像两维的纸人。在小组中，有了交

谈、代祷的机会，渐渐地，组员开始有

血有肉，是真实的人了。而且和美婷、志刚、

宜樟、文辉等也有真诚的分享，所以除了叶定和永坚所教授的圣经知识十分精彩之外，人与人之间距离的拉近是最宝贵的。

你们当中有人可能还记得一位去世了四、五年的苏爱婆婆，请让我分享她的一点事迹鼓励大家。婆婆当年和我们一起参加“爱家组”，她老人家七、八十岁，华语不灵光，行动不方便，但小组聚会她绝少缺席。虽然我们查经她可能听不太懂，但她总是专心聆听，有时分享一些人生感言。最令我感动的是，当我怀孕不适得卧床时，行动不便的她走了不少楼梯来探望我；我坐月时她还煮鸡酒亲自拿来给我吃。这就是一家人。

弟兄姐妹，如果我们每一个在小组中都这样真实地关怀他人，在教会中也如此联结，你说，我们的小组、教会会不会讨神的喜悦？

从一张脸孔到一家人

CAMBODIA OUTREACH

Good Things Come in PairsAs part of AMC's continued outreach to Cambodia, we opened a ministry hostel in Phnom Penh and ran a computer camp for youth from Prek Omperl

Starting up a computer, using a mouse – it’s hard to imagine a day without doing these in Sin-gapore. But for youths from rural

Cambodia who have not used a desktop before, it’s all foreign. Our task was to in-troduce basic computer skills to youths from Prek Omperl.

The Methodist School of Cambodia (MSC) was our training venue and when the youths came, I must say I’ve yet to see more keen learners than them. They dragged their feet to tea breaks and sprang back to the computer lab before the break was over.

Despite their unfamiliarity with the English language, they valiantly took notes and reviewed them before they slept. Those with a better com-mand of the language would often help translate for those struggling to keep up. And, the results showed. By the end of the camp, the youths knew the names of the different computer parts, learnt terminolo-gies and even created Powerpoint presentations complete with animation!

Before the trip, we had learnt that there was no internet access at the MSC computer lab but we asked…and received generously. Eventually, we were able to chat with members of Youthpho-ria and Philip Khoo’s Disciple One class online. The event that left an indelible mark on me was the Korean-style prayer that was offered up together with those at FirePlace via the webcam.

I left Cambodia feeling burdened — there is much to be done. The comput-ers at MSC are old. Children need educa-tion. Many still do not know Christ. Yet I feel hopeful. Many churches are sending teams to Cambodia. Much has been done and God-willing, more will be done.

TEACHING TECHNOLOGY

A DREAM HOUSE by Teresa Wilborn

Cambodia ouTREaCH inFoIf you wish to contribute in any way, please contact Teresa Wilborn [email protected]

CloCkwiSE FRom ToP lEFTCambodian students participating in the computer camp; students at the Methodist hostel; Daniel with a group of students; The pink hostel in Dr seet's dream; Cambodian youths show-off their artwork created using Ms Paint; Dany at the computer; Rev. Phillip Lim and Dr. seet at the opening of the Methodist Hostel.

Ilearnt that

the ability to smile and appreciate what

we have does not depend on the external factors and abundance of materials but on the depth of trust and hope

in our Lord in our hearts. — lisa tan,

computer camp team member

PASTORAL CARE GROUP SPOTLIGHT

by shirley Pee

a LISTENING EaR + a hELpING haNd

AROUND ALDERSGATE


30 Years of BlessingsAMC CELEBRATES


ThefirstCurriculum

{ by pastor chiang ming shun }

Parents need to take on the responsibility of inculcating good values in their children so that they may

walk on the path of righteousness

THE FIRST CURRICULUMIn his book, Risk-Proofing Your Family, Dr. Donald Joy writes of the “First Curriculum”, a powerful unwritten curriculum that en-compasses the life experiences of a child. He uses that term to refer to the three gifts of Parents, Intimacy and Sexuality in the Im-age of God.

Today, I think the first curriculum for children should be right values, and two key values are Accountability and Responsibil-ity.

The Bible tells us in Proverbs 22:6, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”

THE PATH TO RIGHTEOUSNESSWhat is the way a child should go? It is his or her own God-created unique way. It does not mean the child is allowed to run amok, but instead, to grow into all that God wants the child to be.

This is only possible if there is account-ability and responsibility in the family. Par-ents have to be accountable to their children. As Josh McDowell and Dick Day put it in their book, How to be a Hero to Your Kids, this means that parents have to be humble and submissive enough to give their children permission to “call [them] to account” when parents act in an unloving, irresponsible manner. As children watch parents being accountable, they learn to be accountable.

Parents are also responsible for their children. Parents are responsible for loving them sacrificially, providing for them, edu-cating them, and moving them to faith in God. As children grow older, they will learn and assume that responsibility for them-selves. Children must become responsible on their own, so that what they do with their lives and the choices they make will be re-sponsible ones.

To teach accountability and responsibil-ity, there must be strong relationships. Par-ents must be Available to show Acceptance, Affection and Appreciation. Read the book by McDowell and Day to see what these mean in detail. What is essential is time - parents must spend time with their children.

It is parents who must transmit values. The Bible tells us in Deuteronomy 11:18-19, “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

THE DUTCH MODELWhat then will the outcome be?

Netherlands has one of the lowest teen-age pregnancy rates in the world. It is claimed that Dutch sex education is more open, ex-plicit, graphic and delivered in schools from an early age. This is a myth.

Sex education may have very little to do with it. Published and unpublished research indicates that sex education does not reduce sexual behaviour among teenagers and may even contribute to increased sexual activity among girls. In the same way, health educa-tion on tobacco and dieting may not change lifestyles for the better. Knowing something and acting on that knowledge are two differ-ent things.

The facts are that Dutch parents are free to set up their own publicly-funded in-

dependent schools according to their own beliefs and values. In the Netherlands, the influence of the churches and involvement of parents are also much stronger.

In addition, the Dutch have stronger fam-ily structures and more traditional patterns of family life compared to other European countries. Perhaps this is why they also have a lower proportion of single-parent families, out-of-wedlock births, and divorces.

Strong families with strong values do affect how the whole society turns out. Therefore parents must be more involved in instilling the right values in children. That must be their responsibility.

So why not go learn more about good Christian parenting? Read a few books. At-tend some courses. Train yourself to train your children in the right values.

says in Proverbs 17:6, “Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.”

We all know how important families are. Parents want to bring up their children well, and make a real positive difference in their lives. They want to be proud of their chil-dren, just as children are proud of their par-ents. Grandparents want to be surrounded by happy grandchildren. The world certainly needs upright and godly families to positive-ly influence society and culture.

Unfortunately, perhaps the reverse is more commonplace — society and culture

influence upright and godly families, and not for the better but for the worse.

THE ISSUE OF SEX So much has already been written and said about the influence of the media and Holly-wood on the way we view sex. Sex is no longer a special intimate act of a married couple. It is a casual encounter between strangers; an experiment in depravity and debauchery; an alternate lifestyle choice.

We now give children technology which opens them to sexual wantonness. Pornog-raphy is so readily available on the internet

that even primary school children can look up free porn on computers.

We have also read stories of chat rooms that allow sexual predators to meet chil-dren. Too many teenage girls have no com-punction chatting up strange boys/men and meeting them for sex.

Even ordinary teens are experimenting with sex earlier. According to The Straits Times article, “Sex Talk is Where the Atti-tudes Start” (18 Aug 2009), virginity is even sold on eBay.

THE ROLE OF THE PARENTWho teaches children about these things? More and more often, we expect schools to. Schools in Singapore engage external ven-dors to teach our children internet safety and sex education.

What has happened to the role of the parent?

Maybe it is because we have world-lead-ing schools that take children away from the home for an extended period, so much so that parents leave it to the schools to bring up their children. Teachers are now expected to not only cover curriculum subjects, but be mentors to build character and mould lives. After all, our world-class economy requires parents themselves to be away at work for most of the day and into the night.


sacred Parenting by Gary L. Thomas was one book that took the flight with me to Phnom Penh, Cambodia

for the Methodist Hostel Dedication.Just as the safety video finishes, I

found myself reading what the author described as ‘spiritual oxygen’.

The author relates what Dr. Kevin Leman once told him:

Parenting is like an airline emergency. Before take off, every plane passenger is instructed that if oxygen masks come down, parents should put on their own masks first before attending to their kids.

Why? Because in an emergency, kids need their parents to be able to think clearly and act effectively. If we don’t take in oxygen, our thinking will grow fuzzy, and

our kids who are dependent on us to get it right will ultimately suffer.

What’s true in the air physically is equally true on the ground spiritually. If we neglect our own ‘spiritual oxygen’ — our walk with God — our motivations will become polluted. Our ability to discern, empathize, encourage, and confront will waste away.

I’m reminded once again of the impor-tance of maintaining a close walk with God if I truly desire to parent well.

I have bought a few gifts for both my girls in my recent trip to Cambodia. But the message I received from the Lord on this missions trip is that the best gift I can ever give to my children will be a solid walk with God.

Go Dutch

source: united nations population fund; world bank.

According to the 2008 State of World Population report issued by the United Nations Population Fund, the Netherlands has the lowest teen birth rate among the six European nations with the highest gross domestic products. There is an average of five births for every 1,000 women between the ages of 15 to 19.

Births per 1,000 women aged 15–19

2479 6 9 5 5

GERMANY FRANCE U.K. SPAIN ITALY NETHERLANDS SINGAPORE

Sacred ParentingThe secret to good parenting stemsfrom maintaining a close walk with God

by pastor william sam

If we neglect our own ‘spiritual oxygen’ — our walk with God — our motivations will become polluted. Our ability to discern, empathize, en-courage, and confront will waste away.

the Bible


在前往柬埔寨金边参加卫里公会宿舍奉献礼的行程中，葛芮汤母斯(Gary L. Thomas)著作的书《为人父母的神圣职责》(Sacred Parenting) 成了我在空中的旅途良伴。

当机上的飞行安全短片播映结束时，我刚好在阅读书中作者形容为“心灵氧气”(spiritual oxygen) 的一段内容。

作者阐述了凯文雷曼博士 (Dr Kev-in Leman) 曾对他说的话：“为人父母就好比飞机紧急事故。飞机起飞前，乘客都会被提醒：如果氧气口罩自动落下，家长们应该自己先戴上口罩，然后才帮孩子戴上。”

为什么？因为在紧急事故中，孩子们需要父母以清晰的思路和有效的行动帮助他们脱离险境。如果我们不先确保自己有充足的氧气，我们的思考能力就会变得模糊，而需要我们指引的孩子最终将受到伤害。

飞机在空中的紧急情况，同样适用于人们的心灵。如果我们忽略了自己的“心灵氧气”— 与神同行 — 我们的动力将会被削弱。我们的辨识力、同理心、鼓励人和应变的能力都会减弱。

我再次被提醒: 要成为一个真正称职的家长，与神保持亲密关系非常重要。

我从柬埔寨买了一些礼物给我的两个女儿。然而，神在这趟短宣给了我新的亮光：我能送给孩子的最佳礼物，乃是我与神的亲密关系。

为人缺乏爱心，不负责任。当儿女看到父母承担责任，他们会效仿。

此外，父母也必须为儿女尽责。他们务必以舍己的爱爱儿女，供应他们、教育他们、引导他们信靠神。儿女长大后才晓得对自己负责。他们必须成为对自己负责的人，这样他们才会对自己生命中所行的事，以及他们所作的抉择承担责任。

要灌输承担责任与责任感，家庭关系必须和谐。父母一定要愿意表达他们对儿女的接纳，关爱与欣赏。有关这几方面的详解，请阅读麦道尔与戴迪克的书。关键在于父母一定要花时间陪儿女。

向子女灌输价值观的应当是父母。如《圣经》申命记11章18-19节所说：“你们要将我这话存在心内，留在意中，系在手上为记号，戴在额上为经文。也要教训你们的儿女，无论坐在家里，行在路上，躺下，起来，都要谈论。”

荷兰为模范根据以上所述，结果会怎样？

荷兰是世界拥有最低青少年怀孕率的国家之一。有人说那是因为荷兰人的性教育较为开放、写实，而更早被学校采用。那是虚实。

研究显示性教育并非能降低青少年的性行为，甚至有提高少女性行为的可能。这如同关于烟草及节食危害的讲座不一定能为生活方式带来良性的影响。知与行是两回事。

荷兰家长能根据个人的信仰及价值观自由的成立公立学校。当地教会及家长的参与性也更高。

如此可见，与其他欧洲国家相比，荷兰人拥有更加坚固的家庭结构及传统的家庭生活方式。也许这也是荷兰单亲家庭、未婚生育率及离婚率较低的原因。

整个社会的健全与否，取决于灌输正确价值观并稳固家庭关系。

因此家长应当更积极地对子女灌输正确的价值观。这必须是他们的责任。

何不提升自己亲子关系的属灵知识呢？阅读几本好书、参与一些课程，教育自己以教育孩子正确的价值观。

第一堂课章明

舜牧师

岑建良牧师

父母务必以舍己的爱爱儿女，供应他们、教育他们、引导他们信靠神。

为人父母的神圣职责

如果我们忽略了自己的“心灵氧气”－与神同行－我们的动力将会被削弱。

要孩子们走当行的道，父母必须付起向子女灌输正确价值观的责任

言17章6节说：“子孙为老人的冠冕。父亲是儿女的荣耀。”

我们都知道家庭的重要性。家长希望采

取正确的方式养育子女，为他们生命带来正面的影响。子女能让父母引以为傲，父母也期盼成为子女的荣耀。同样的，祖父母希望老来有着快乐孙子女的陪伴。这个世界确实需要正直敬神的家庭正面的影响社会及文化。

不幸的是，也许相反的情况更为普遍—社会及文化给正直敬神的家庭带来了负面的影响。

现代青少年对性的观念关于媒体及好莱坞对性观念的影响众所周知。性不再是已婚夫妇之间亲密的体现。它成为了陌生男女之间萍水相逢的行为；成为了堕落淫逸的试验；成为了另一的生活方式。

我们给予孩子现代科技，也掀开了性放纵的途径。色情作品在网上垂手可得，甚至连小学生也能通过电脑索取免费的色情信息。

在报章里，我们也看到性犯罪者利用清谈室与儿童接触。愿意与陌生男士闲聊并发生性关系的少女更是不计其数。

一般的青少年性行为也趋向低龄化。根据《海峡时报》2009年8月18日的报道，甚至有女子在网络拍卖贞操的惊闻。

父母亲的角色关于性这方面的课题，究竟是谁在教导孩子呢？家长把责任交托于学校的

现象越来越普及。本地的学府也因而转向外来机构为孩子提供网络安全意识及性教育的课程。

是什么改变了父母亲的角色？或许是本地顶尖学府无形中把父母

和子女的距离疏远了，导致父母没法儿，只好交由教育界来带大子女。如今，教师除了得灌输课业内容，还得培养品格、塑造生命。毕竟我们的世界级经济也要求父母日以昼夜地忙着工作，没时间陪子女。

第一堂课Dr Donald Joy 在《风险防范你的家庭》写道了“第一堂课”，指的是包含孩子成长期间不成文但极为重要的经验。其中包括家长、亲密关系及上帝形象中的性别。

今时今日，我认为孩子们上的第一堂课应包括正确的价值观，而其中两个便是负责与责任感。

箴言22章6节说：“教养孩童，使他走当行的道，就是到老他也不偏离。”

孩童当行的道什么是孩童当行的道？这指的是上帝为他或她个人精心设计的道。这并非表示随意纵容子女，而是让他们成为上帝喜悦的儿女。

家庭成员必须承担责任并培养责任感，这才可能做得到。做父母的应当向儿女负责。正如麦道尔与戴迪克在他们合著的《如何成为你儿女心目中的英雄》一书中所写的：父母必须放下身段，且存顺服的心，容许他们的儿女“要求父母解释”为何他们行事

荷兰在最富有欧洲国家中，青少年生育率最底

根据联合国人口基金会2008年的调查报告显示，荷兰在六大国内生产总值(Gross Domestic Product)最高的欧洲国家当中，青少年生育率站最底。在每1000名15‑19岁的荷兰少女中，平均只有5人生育孩子。

英国西班牙新加坡意大利德国法国荷兰

来源: 联合国人口基金会；世界银行

1名生育孩子的少女

2479 6 9 5 5

（即每1000名15－19岁的少女）


✒ PoPulaR onlinE TERminology | 网上的常用词汇 AFK Away From Keyboard (unable to answer messages) 离开电脑(表示暂时无法回应) BFF Best Friends Forever 永远的好朋友 BLOG A personalised web log 个人的网上博客 FACEBOOK Online social networking site 社交网站 FYI For Your Information 供参考

face

What do you do when your youth spends too much of their free time online?

Go find out why they park themselves in the cyber world. Better yet, get an account on a social networking website and send your children a friend request. Having an account on Facebook is hardly useful unless your kid accepts your friend request. How-ever, fret not, our straw poll of 27 youths show that 65 percent of them are willing to add their parents as friends on Facebook.

Clara Toh, 42, parent and full-time church staff, Derek Lam, 17, student, Anglo Chinese Junior College and Rachel Tan, 14, student, Bukit Merah Secondary School, share their views on how Facebook may be used to connect two generations.

当你的孩子花太多时间上网时，该怎么做？

快点找出他们恋上网络世界的原因，如果能通过社交网站和孩子做朋友，就更好了。然而，单是在Facebook上有户头，并不足够，还必须让孩子接受你要做他朋友的邀请。事实上，我们向30名青少年所做的抽样调查显示，64％愿意让父母成他们Facebook上的朋友。

父母上网拉近和孩子间的关系，是否会适得其反呢？这里让我们听听一名家长和两名学生谈他们对父母子女间用Fa-cebook沟通的看法。受访的是全职教会事工Clara Toh（42岁）、英华初级学院学生Derek Lam（17岁），及红山中学学生Ra-chel Tan（14岁）。

Interviews by aLVIN ChUa

off


✒ IMO In My Opinion 我的看法 TMI Too Much Information 太多资讯 TTYL Talk To You Later 迟些再谈 TWITTER A micro-blogging site where users post tweets or messages containing up to 140 characters 微型博客平台，可用它向追随者发放140个字母以内的简讯 YOUTUBE A video sharing site 分享录像短片的网站

aRE you FRiEndS wiTH youR CHildREn on FaCEbook? Yes, Thank God both my children are willing to add me into their Facebook life. Amen!

wHaT madE you STaRT uSing FaCEbook?It was mainly to connect with my friends from Australia, USA, Malaysia and Canada, to know how they are doing by seeing the photos they posted on Facebook. A long-lost friend that disappeared for 28 years, found me on Face-book. We started chit-chatting and we plan to meet up with my St. Nicholas Girls School classmates in November.

Facebook is also good for airing your thoughts and letting all your friends know how you feel. It provides a platform that allows you to play games and challenge others. It's a website that you can chit-chat with people you seldom talk to face to face and a website that you can also use to encourage people when they are down.

do you THink FaCEbook iS uSEFul in REaCHing ouT To youR CHildREn? Yes, definitely. Rachel (Clara’s daughter) was away for a Student Exchange Programme in Germany for four months. Facebook was a tool that allowed me to see what was going on over there. We also played Typing Race online — Rachel, Reuben and myself for a family time!

wHaT do you THink iS THE biggEST REaSon moST adolESCEnTS will noT wanT To add THEiR PaREnTS on FaCEbook? Most of the adolescents do not want their parents to know their "secret" life — who their friends are and what they talk about. They think it is a disgrace if their parents chit-chat with their friends. Some of them may have photos with their boyfriend or girlfriend that cannot be "exposed" to parents. They think that adding their parents on Facebook will intrude their privacy. You have to have a pretty good relationship before your children are willing to add you as friends on Facebook.

你是子女在 Facebook 上的朋友吗？是的。感谢上帝，我的两个孩子都愿意让我加入他们的Facebook名单。阿门。

你是怎么开始用 Facebook 的？主要是用来联络我在澳洲、美国、马来西亚和加拿大的朋友。看着他们放上Facebook的照片，就知道他们过得怎么样。我们也在网上聊天，还计划在11月和圣尼各拉女校的老同学聚会。

Facebook也是抒发想法的好地方，能让所有的朋友知道自己的感受。它也提供了一个平台，让你和朋友一起玩游戏，挑战对方。在网上，也能和平时没什么机会见面的朋友聊天，还有在朋友心情差时，鼓励他们。

你觉得 Facebook 对亲子沟通有效吗？这是肯定的。我的女儿Rachel在学生交换计划下，到德国4个月。Facebook让我看到她在那里的情况，我们全家还一起上网玩游戏，享受家庭时间。

你觉得青少年不想把父母加入Facebook的主要原因是什么？多数孩子不想父母知道他们的“秘密”生活，包括他们的朋友是谁及他们的谈话内容。在他们看来，如果父母和他们的朋友聊天，会让他们丢脸。他们和“男朋友”或“女朋友”的照片，也不能在父母面前曝光。他们认为把父母加入Facebook，会侵犯他们的隐私，因此，你必须先有良好的亲子关系，孩子才愿意让你成为他们Facebook上的朋友。

Clara Toh42 | Full-time AMC staff & Mom

A long-lost friend that disappeared for 28 years, found me on Facebook. We started chit-chatting and we plan to meet up with my St. Nicholas Girls School classmates in November.

wHaT do you THink iS THE biggEST REaSon moST adolESCEnTS will noT wanT To add THEiR PaREnTS on FaCEbook? Teenagers don’t want to add parents because they don’t want their parents to see everything they do. They are probably afraid that when their parents see some pictures, they may get the wrong idea. If friends have pictures of them going clubbing, parents may think they are a bad influence. Parents may also start asking more about their children’s friends. Lastly, Facebook is geared towards the younger generation. It may not be suitable for parents of an older generation.

你觉得青少年不想把父母加入Facebook的主要原因是什么？他们不想父母知道他们做的每一件事。他们可能担心父母看到某些照片后，会产生误解。比如朋友放了一些上夜店的照片，父母可能会认为他们是损友，还会问长问短的要知道更多关于朋友的事。何况Facebook是为年轻一代而设的，可能不适合年纪较大的父母。

aRE you FRiEndS wiTH youR PaREnTS on FaCEbook? I would love my mother to be my friend on Facebook because it is quite cool. Then she would know what I’ve been doing through my pictures. If she comments on my pictures, my friend would see that she is hip like us too.

你是父母在 Facebook 上的朋友吗？我希望妈妈能成为我Facebook的朋友，这样很酷。这么一来，她就能从照片中得知我在做什么。如果她在我的照片上写感言，我的朋友会觉得她和我们一样时髦。

raChEl TaN14 | Secondary school student

DErEK laM17 | Junior college student

face to faceDo adolescents want to be-friend their parents on Face-book? Will they restrict their parents' access to their Face-book accounts? Alvin Chua sur-veyed 27 youths from the ages 10 to 19 to find out.

65

48

ONEin threeof those surveyed cited 'privacy' as the main reason why they do not want their parents to view their Facebook pages, Twitter accounts and blogs.

of those surveyed would add their parents as friends on Facebook.

of those surveyed would limit their parents' abiity to view their account if they were friends with one another on Facebook.

%

%

CHONG KAINEVER GIVE Up IN pRaYER“God can do it! God will do it! God has already done it!”

We learnt this simple but power-ful lesson through a Maureen Onions seminar. The desire to have a child was still very strong despite previous disap-pointments.

In September 2000, we gathered a group of friends to pray specifically for a child. Soon, Wendy was six weeks pregnant without seeking any fertility treatment! We were overjoyed with this wonderful piece of news! Yet, the following 27 weeks were a journey of faith, and the birth of Samuel was truly a miracle.

Throughout the pregnancy, fear was our greatest enemy as past experiences haunted us. When she was 12 weeks pregnant, Wendy had heavy bleeding. We were fearful that the worst might happen. Many thoughts ran through my mind but Philippians 4:6–7 gave me the peace within, assuring me that the Lord was in control of the situation.

An ultrasound scan a couple of days later found no traces of blood clots. The doctor could only explain that “Some-one up there took them away”. Deep down in our hearts, we knew that God was the only one who could perform such a miracle.

Wendy went through a few more emergencies, the most critical ones were experiencing contractions in the second trimester, and another bout of heavy bleeding at week 30. And in one of these episodes, I broke into cold sweat at the sight and smell of the pool of blood on Wendy’s bed. But Wen-dy’s faith and her words, “Don’t worry, I know it’s not time yet” were extremely reassuring.

Throughout these episodes, 1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your cares upon Him, for he cares for you” reminded us to trust God. It was such personal encounters with God that carried us through.

❇ ❇ ❇ ❇

WENDYGOd'S LOVE ThROUGh hIS pEOpLEIt was during these trying times that we experienced God’s love through a group of dedicated and God-fearing brothers and sisters. They provided tangible emotional support and practi-cal help like bringing food, standing by

CK’s side even in the middle of the night when we were going through critical episodes. Most importantly they prayed diligently with us for our unborn child at every stage of his development. They were pillars of strength and were always there for us.

One important lesson we learnt was not to ignore my husband’s emo-tional needs. Very often, I received all the attention and love but CK expe-rienced joy and anxiety equally too. Our prayer group recognised this and attended to CK’s needs. We are very grateful to them.

❇ ❇ ❇ ❇

GOd — OUR maSTER hEaLERIndeed God is good — all the time. He watched over the safe delivery of Sam-uel on 11th May 2001. Though born 7 weeks early, he was healthy and well. And his first cry was loud and strong — very reassuring for us!

Throughout this pregnancy, God has personally evidenced Himself as our comforter, redeemer, our chief phy-sician. He has healed us and restored our faith.

❇ ❇ ❇ ❇

For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully

made; your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.

— psalms 139:13–14

Wong Chong Kai and Wendy Wong have always wanted to start a family but it hasn’t been an easy journey to parenthood. Several fertility treatments over a period of six years yielded only pain, an-ger and four pregnancies, three of which ended in miscarriages. The fourth pregnancy was heartbreak-ing as Isaac was stillborn and Claire returned to the Lord after 17 hours. But God has been good. Eight years have passed since the birth of a child, Samuel, and here the Wongs share their journey of faith as a source of encouragement to couples in similar situations.

❇ ❇ ❇ ❇

WENDYSURRENdER aNd GIVING IN TO GOdChong Kai (CK) and I had never experi-enced such an emotional roller coaster before. We were exceedingly joyful each time we conceived but numer-ous episodes of threatened abortions (bleeding) set fear in us.

The most heartbreaking moments happened when my water bag ruptured prematurely at 16 weeks and 23 weeks for the 3th and 4th pregnancy respec-tively. The foetuses were still alive in me, but as a mother, I could not protect them at all. The water bag was their only protection and without it, every movement I made (turning my body, eating etc) was actually hurting them. I cried out to the Lord with all my heart for days and nights. Infection and fever set in inevitably and our dreams for our children were all dashed.

Well-meaning relatives and friends tried to console us saying, “It’s alright”, “It’s ok”, “Try again, you are still young”,

not knowing how much it hurt to hear such words.

Yet, God used the departure of Claire and Isaac to surface the hurts, bit-terness, self-pity that I had harboured all these years. I felt that I had to sur-render or be consumed by all that I

was feeling. So we decided to trust and believe, praying: “God you can heal us! God you will heal us! God, we thank you that the healing process has already begun! Amen.”

❇ ❇ ❇ ❇


ABOVE: The Wongs (samuel, Wendy and Chong Kai) vacationing in Hokkaido, Japan in 2008; samuel Wong was born on May 11, 2001.

The foetuses were still alive in me, but as a mother, I could not protect them at all.

birth pangsA painful six-year journey filled with heartache and tears culminates in the miraculous biRTH oF a CHild

by wong chong kai and wendy wong

LIFESTORY

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question you'd like answered?

Send them in to Liveline at [email protected]

and we'll get them answered.

aterm that originated in Taiwan, "Strawberry Generation" was fre-quently used to refer to young adults born in the 1980s. People of

this generation are said to be fragile and easily bruised when faced with pressure, just like strawberries.

These young adults have common observable weaknesses such as the inability to manage stress, the lack of money management skills and a conspic-uous absence of a plan for their future. All these add up to them being a potential burden on the society when this genera-tion moves into their golden years.

Living for the here and now, they’re concerned mostly with the pursuit of their own happiness and material com-

forts. Some who perceive themselves inferior or are unable to take the stress of demands and expectations choose an early end to their lives.

One possible cause for the rise of such a generation could stem from the changes in the social and economic environment. In the last few decades, the family structure has evolved dramati-cally — large extended families became small nuclear ones; family sizes shrunk; mothers joined the workforce and left their homes in the charge of domestic help; fathers worked long hours and are often away from home. Children grew up with little supervision and even less parenting.

Parents, laden with guilt for not spending time with their children would tend to spoil them by trying to do

everything for them, some even to the extent of mapping out their children’s entire lives.

With everything being taken care of, they have no need to take ownership of their future and not having experienced hardship, they are ill-equipped to handle finances or the stress that comes with tough times.

There is an urgent need to inculcate values of Resilience and Appreciation to help this generation cope. We cannot shield them forever. They have to take the first step to assume accountability for their lives. It is important that they learn to appreciate the small things and not to take anything for granted. When they are able to do that, they will remain positive in the midst of challenges and struggles. While we live in a world where change is the only constant, the Straw-berry Generation needs to know the One who holds tomorrow and the Bible gives us a heartening message:

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:7-9

In knowing God, they can, in the midst of facing pressures in life, trust that God’s all-surpassing power will turn situations around in His time so that His power and glory will be revealed. While they may be pressed on every side, perplexed, persecuted and struck down when the going gets tough, they can continue to show resilience in their lives, knowing that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and who have been called according to His purpose.


SHOUTOUT

While we live in a worldwhere change is the onlyconstant, the Strawberry

Generation needs to know the One who

holds tomorrow.

genius or insanedon't touch meThe problems facing the overprotected young adults of the STRawbERRy gEnERaTion and how God can help

by mark masillamoneyby david chan

The Rev. Al Sharpton once told Michael Jackson’s children, “Wasn’t noth-ing strange about your Daddy. It was strange what your Daddy had to

deal with. But he dealt with it anyway.”I grew up listening to Michael Jack-

son’s music and I would remember checking out the album credits to see who was involved in creating it. From what I gathered, he surrounded him-self with the best songwriters, produc-ers and musicians of his time.

With MJ’s passing, the music indus-try lost one of its greatest talents and a generation is left to mourn the death of an icon.

In his heyday, Michael Jackson was a role model to many. Some of his most popular songs are meaning-ful and encouraging ballads. From "We Are The World" to “Man in The Mir-ror” to “Heal The World”, these songs espoused positive messages of hope and change.

MJ also tried to do his part for char-ity. He was a humanitarian and philan-

thropist, supporting more charities than any other pop star. Worldwide, a total of 39 charitable organizations benefited from his generosity through donations and sponsorships.

But, the King of Pop himself was no stranger to controversy. The press descended upon his every move like a pack of wolves.

In MJ’s later years, his bizarre per-sonal life filled the tabloids and gossip columns, overshadowing his music. His attempts to modify his looks through multiple plastic surgeries, the sensa-tional child molestation trial and his troubling behaviour took a toll on him and his music career.

However, even with all his flaws, Michael Jackson inspired genera-

tions of people to love more and fight less. He made people laugh, hope and aspire for better things. The singer also used his celebrity status to spotlight charitable work.

Just like Noah, whom God found to be righteous and blameless, was also a drunkard. David, the “man after God’s heart,” committed adultery and mur-der. Yet God used the imperfection in them in His own way.

I believe that the God who makes no mistakes used MJ for something despite his failings. At least, for the generation that I grew up in, he will be remembered as the man who used his God-given talent to touch a hurting world and brought us joy through his music.

Which miCHaEl JaCkSon should we remember: the charitable musical virtuoso, or a man, tragically flawed?

Even with all his flaws, Michael Jackson inspired generations of people to love more and fight less.


TRAVEL TALES

Two friends, Tong Su yEE and bEvERly ang, discover the natural beauty of Cairns, Australia through captivating sea-walks, breathtaking cable car rides and more...

by tong su yeewonderstruck!High flyersBeverly Ang and Tong su Yee parasail over the waters of Cairns, Australia.


beverly and I had been good friends for quite a while, and since we were both waiting to enter university — overseas, in her case — we thought taking a short

vacation together would be a great way to bond and strengthen our friendship. After discussions with our parents, we both de-cided that Cairns, home to the Great Bar-rier Reef, would be our perfect getaway destination. To minimise hassle, we pur-chased a 4D4N packaged tour from Chan Brothers.

There were some concerns about H1N1, but that did not dampen our spir-its and enthusiasm. We prayed for physical protection and good health before depart-ing for Australia. Upon our safe return, we both agreed that we made the right choice taking this short holiday together. The enormous fun we shared and the strength-ened friendship were altogether an unfor-gettable experience.

once we were in cairns, we literally swung into full gear from the word “go.” Af-

ter checking into the Shangri-La Hotel, we immediately got the concierge to help us reserve an adventure package comprising three exciting back-to-back water activi-ties — jetskiing, parasailing and bumper tube rides.

Water sports never fail to send adren-aline gushing through my veins. At one

point, we were driving so fast that we went flying into the water. By the time we were done jetskiing, we were having so much fun that we were raring for more.

Parasailing was absolutely exhilarat-ing, though a little scary for someone with a mild phobia of heights like me! When I was hoisted 100 metres above the vast ocean, I had a bird’s eye view of everything below me. It was a magnificient sight. I’m

almost sure seagulls wouldn’t trade being a seagull for anything else!

on our second day, we boarded the big Cat, a huge ferry that brought us to Green Island. This island lies smack in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef. At Green Island, we were transferred to a “semi-submarine.”

Above the water surface, it looked like any ordinary boat, but the interesting part was the lower half of the vessel. Submerged below the water, the lower deck had glass walls built all around it. Seated in the lower deck, we were treated to a diver’s view of the coral reefs and marine life.

Though the semi-sub was a novel ex-perience, Beverly and I decided it would be more fun to get ourselves wet exploring the

underwater world. Neither of us had snor-kelled before, so it was quite a thrill to don on snorkelling gear and take in the pretty sights of colourful corals and exotic fishes in crystal clear waters.

Enthralled by the underwater world, we decided to go the distance and experi-ence what it was like to walk among the fishes and corals. Sea-walking, however, was an activity that incurred significant extra charges. But, we figured: how many opportunities does one get in a lifetime to stroll along the floor of the Great Barrier Reef?

We decided to give it a try and the expe-rience was uniquely fun and indescribable. It felt almost like we were walking on land, except that we had on huge astronaut-like helmets that pumped oxygen in to help us breathe normally underwater. With the guidance of a professional scuba diver, we managed to get up close and personal with some rare inhabitants of the coral reef. We could also touch many of the fishes that swam close to us.

the last full day of our trip saw us

heading up to the Kuranda Rainforest which was situated outside of Cairns’ city area. The day was relatively laid back, as we sat on a vintage train that took us through winding tunnels and over bridges into the depths of the rainforest, more than 1,000 feet above sea level. We wandered around the village shops and tried some delicious fruit pulp ice cream before hopping onto the Army Duck Rainforest Tour — a World War II amphibious vehicle — to explore the nature park.

Highlights of the tour included a per-formance by Pamagirri aboriginal dancers, boomerang and spear-throwing demon-strations, and a visit to the Koala and Wild-life Park. We rounded off the tour with a scenic cable car ride down the mountain before returning to Cairns by coach.

although our trip was a short one, it was nonetheless, a fantastic vacation. Ev-ery day that I was in Cairns, I was over-whelmed by God’s creations: the Great Barrier Reef, the Kuranda Rainforest, which stretched for endless miles. I had been to the Great Barrier Reef with my

family five years ago but I never got to ex-perience its beauty in such close proximity. The corals that cover the entire ocean floor and the diverse marine life simply left me in awe of God’s magnificent creations.

I was truly glad that I went on this trip with Beverly because we did many activi-ties that I would ordinarily have been too afraid to try. Both of us had an insane amount of fun and good food, so much so that we hardly had any disagreements. This trip made me thank God for friends because it was a completely different and positive experience travelling with a good friend instead of family members.

Every day that I was in Cairns, I was overwhelmed by God’s creations: the

Great Barrier Reef, the Kuranda Rainforest, which stretched for endless miles.

FRom ToP lEFT1. Corals in the azure waters of the Great Barrier Reef; 2. Giant lizard in the Koala and Wildlife Park; 3. Enjoying fruit pulp ice cream in Kuranda Village; 4. Marina across the shangri-La Hotel; 5. One of the many catamarans that dot Cairns’ waterways; 6. Green Island-bound; 7. Jetskiing; 8. su Yee with a wallaby; 9. Panaroma of the beach; 10. Train tracks in Kuranda Village.

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TRAVEL TALES


ALL ACCESSTECh TaLK How to ensure that your kids are safe online ... p30 | mUSIC CD selections for all ages ... p31 | BOOKS Three good reads for your nightstand ... p32 | LIfESTYLE Ideas on where to go and what to do

this upcoming holiday season ... p32 | EVENTS Find out about the Music Festival and more ... p33

➺ pluck at haji lane: more on page 32 in lifestyleGet up to date information about lessons and sermon topics.Read what the youths are saying on their blog.Share articles from LiveLine with your friends.


Before writing this article, I was under the impression that there are numerous web applications and methods out there that

parents can easily utilise to implement measures that will prevent their kids from accessing undesirable materials online — bad content that kids might deliberately search for or stumble upon. However, it quickly became clear to me that it is an impossible task for any application, or even several applications working in con-cert, to be absolutely effective in ensuring safety on the Internet.

While there are no bullet-proof solu-tions to Internet safety, here are a few things that parents should be aware of when attempting to safeguard their children from accessing harmful content online:

EmaILThere just isn't any application that

can satisfactorily prevent a child from sending or receiving emails that might potentially contain objectionable materi-als because filenames can be easily dis-guised.

SEaRCh ENGINESAlmost all children surfing the Inter-

net use search tools like Google, Yahoo, and the like. The search results almost always include some form of objection-able material, even if the websites pur-port that they only allow the child to play innocent web-based games.

Although website warning tools like "Web of Trust" can identify and classify questionable sites, there is no stopping the child from clicking on the web links. In this case, what would be most beneficial for parents would be to automatically prevent

music

Internet SafetyA PARENT's GuIDE TO

This is the perfect album for the little ones. A com-pilation featuring popu-lar radio hits that contain positive lyrics and catchy tunes, iShine Jamz includes some of the most popular songs from Christian radio, such as Chris Tomlin’s "Indescribable" and Audio Adrenaline’s "Big House". In addition, High School Musical’s "We’re All In This Together" and the timeless classic "That’s What Friends Are For" by Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Dionne Warwick can also be found in this album.

Being one of the featured bands at this year’s Festival of Praise, Delirious needs no introduction. This latest CD/DVD set will probably be the band’s last release after a 15-year run. Deliri-ous’ signature British rock brings tremendous energy into worship, and this live recording embodies that effect at its best. Featur-ing familiar tracks such as "History Maker" and "Rain Down" the album also includes "All God’s Chil-dren" — a simple track beautifully delivered with a children’s choir.

This compilation brings us the best of worship music from Lakewood Church — a megachurch based in the U.S. in Houston, Texas. The album features two talented worship leaders, Israel Houghton and Martha Munizzi.

Houghton has a knack for writing worship songs that

are lyrically simple and true to the promises of the Bible while Munizzi delivers with powerhouse vocals. Together with an energetic band and a gospel choir, nothing brings out cel-ebratory worship more. Plus, their songs carry a strong groove driven by acoustic guitars that will leave the Word ringing in your head for days. Check out all-time favourites such as "Friend of God", "You Are Good" and "All About You".

iShINE JamZ VOL 1Various Artists

mY SOUL SINGSDelirious?

BETTER ThaN LIfE: ThE BEST Of LaKEwOOd LIVE

by Eric Cheok

such sites from being displayed on the child's monitor when he or she is googling.

There are a variety of software programs and applications available online that have the capability to enable site-blocking but they are not foolproof either.

CONTROL mEaSURESIt is hardly difficult for children to use proxy sites to

circumvent restricted sites that parents have been taught to apply control measures on, either in the web browsers or in the operating system itself (for example, the Parental Controls feature found in the Mac operating system). Even if the child doesn't know, he or she can easily look up the "How-tos" on the Internet or seek the help of a more tech-savvy friend.

mOBILE GadGETSThe mobile phones and handheld game consoles that

parents provide for their children — even without internet access — are also not immune to the exchange of undesir-able materials. Kids today have a digitally-enabled network of friends who readily share all manner of fun stuff via Bluetooth or USB devices. While most materials, thankfully, are innocent and entertaining, we do still hear about adult content being aired on TV Mobile, or school kids being found with inap-propriate material in their mobile devices.

There is clearly a dire need to help our children steer clear of unsavoury material and limit them to appro-priate content. In addition to making use of technol-ogy to protect our kids, here are a few steps that

parents can undertake:

COmmUNICaTIONEducate, openly discuss and come to an agreement with

your children that you will monitor their access to the Internet and all of the electronic devices that we entrust them with. As parents, it is our responsibility to regularly take the time to check them on their digital footprints, and when necessary, advise and even admonish.

RULES aNd GUIdELINESAt times, we need to do what we need to do, even if

it means implementing electronic curfews, usage boundar-ies and digital reviews. Such reviews can take place through active and mutually agreed upon logging of the child's Internet journeys on chats, searches, sites visited, and mobile phone usage and content.

➽ moRE inFoFor a suggested list of logging options and applications, please visit the church website at www.aldersgate.sg

by Gordon Yuen

tech talk

Lakewood Church

ERIC'S CHOICE

➽ wHERE To gETFeatured CDs are available at sKs Books Warehouse6227-9700 | www.sksbooks.com

OCTOBER 2009 | aldersgate.sg | 3332 | liveline | OCTOBER 2009

books

lifestyle

upcomingevents

by SKS Books Warehouse

living wiTH QuESTionSby Dale FincherIn Living with Questions, philosopher, storyteller and motivational speaker Dale Fincher, brought up seven core life-defining questions that teens and youths commonly face. He provides us with a practical and personal approach to these questions: Do what I think really matter? What is Truth? Is God there? Has God spoken? Am I important enough? What’s so great about Heaven?

More importantly, we get to learn how to live the questions with Jesus who will give us freedom and strength to live the answers.

EvERyTHing CounTSby steven CaseSteven Case's Everything Counts is a year’s worth of devotions for radical liv-ing based on the Oswald Chamber’s clas-sic My Utmost for His Highest. Chamber has touched many generations with his godly insights through his work and Case has updated and distilled these insights with the new generation of readers in mind in this new adaptation.

By reading this book, Case hopes his audience's souls will be inspired and stirred in the same way that the daily devotional classic by Chamber has for the past few decades.

iT'S EaSy bEing gREEnby Emma sleethMany books have been written about being green but this book is like none other — it is not only written by a teen for teenagers but it is also written from a Christian perspective. Whether you are new at ‘going green’ or a pro at it, Sleeth has plenty to offer as she gives lots of tips on how we can serve God by saving the planet that He has entrusted to us.

This book will not only change your attitude towards global warming but it will also provide a variety of ideas on how to restore this paradise in a way God desires.

Ready for the December holidays? Lifestyle editor Geraldine Ang has a few ideas on how and where to spend some of that break time

Tired of shopping at departmental stores? Take a walk down Haji Lane, a small back alley tucked away in the Arab Street area, and you will find yourself surrrounded by quaint little stores selling a variety of unique and hard-to-find items.

Pluck is a small retail store on Haji Lane that all fashionistas and vintage lovers should check out. Independently-owned, it not only carries a good selection of designer apparel, accessories and bags, it also sells furniture, wallpaper and other decorative items for your home. This place also has a full-service ice cream parlour where you can sit down and savour their homemade ice cream and desserts. Pluck's ice cream flavours are anything but ordinary; they range from cookies 'n' cream to soursop to sea salt caramel.

A street filled with edgy and quirky vintage shops, Haji lane provides a boutique shopping experience with a unique twist

Vintage point

Rock & Roll

Break a Tile

PluCk31/33 Haji Lane, s189226 (Near Bugis MRT station)6396-4048 | www.pluck.com.sg

Nanette Zehnder, owner of mosaic workshop and two-time cancer survivor, decided to spread her love for mosaic art by offering classes to both adults and kids. Sign up

for one of Zehnder workshops (adult classes start at $150)and create a unique piece of mosaic artwork for yourself or someone special!

inTune music School is a one-stop shop for all things music. The school provides a wide range of courses — take your pick from pop vocals, pop songwriting, pop violin, musical vocal and more . If you are all about rock 'n' roll, pick up the bass guitar, drums or electric guitar at the academy of Rock.

inTunE muSiC SCHool50A Prinsep Place, #02-01, Prinsep street, s1886806336-0335www.intunemusic.com.sg

moSaiC woRkSHoPBlk 207 Henderson Road, #03-07, s159550 9070-4443 | www.mosaicworkshop.com.sg

aCadEmy oF RoCk187/189 Thomson Road, Goldhill Centre, s3076306250-8987 | 6356-8987www.academyofrock.com.sg

OCTOBER23.10 Music FestivalBaptism/Membership class

30.10 Baptism/Membership class

NOVEmBER04.11 LCEC Meeting

08.11Family Life Talk

13.11 – 14.11 Baptism/Membership Retreat

NOVEmBER CONT...15.11 Family Life Workshop

23.11 – 26.11TRAC 34th Session at Bedok Methodist Church

dECEmBER25.12 Christmas Day Service*

31.12 Watchnight Covenant & Holy Communion Service*

MUSIC FESTIVALHIGHLIGHT

fRIdaY, OCTOBER 23 | 8 p.m. | amC SaNCTUaRY

Come join us for a time of worship and thanksgiving as we dedicate the new classical organ for God's work.Our guest organist for the dedicatory recital is Dr Evelyn Lim, an inspiring teacher on the staff of the Methodist School of Music (MSM) and curator of the Esplanade pipe organ. The programme for the evening will include choral anthems, and music by our string instrumentalists and 'ringers' from the MSM handbell ensemble.

Come and be blessed; bring your friends too.

visit www.aldersgate.sg for more updates

An Evening of Hymns and Sacred Music

leaRN

CRaFT

ShOp

* english/mandarin combined service

➽ wHERE To gET Featured books are available at sKs Books Warehouse | 6227-9700 | www.sksbooks.com

LIVELINE Issue 12

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Transcript of LIVELINE Issue 12