On women making a difference in their lives

THE "Women Making A Difference" seminar, organised by the General Conference Women's Society of Christian Service (GC-WSCS), gathered more than 130 women at Sophia Blackmore Hall, Methodist Centre, on March 17, 2007.


They listened to three Methodist women leaders share their experiences on how they made a difference in their lives in the corporate world and in church leadership.


Mrs Tan Ee Leng, who worships at Wesley Methodist Church, shared her initial struggle to be a volunteer in the hospice ministry, which started her on the road to volunteerism.


Speaking on the topic "Social Holiness", she said she was not "a natural leader" but allowed God to use her to lead others to take part in social concerns and outreach in the many facets in the ministry of the Methodist Welfare Services (MWS).


She felt her experience in making a start to volunteer created a passion for caring and working towards assisting the poor and the needy in society. She is now the Chairman of the MWS.


Mrs Sally Chew, Director of International Relations and Study Services at Temasek Polytechnic and Chairman, Board of Directors, Greenfleaf Centre for Servant Leadership Asia, spoke on "Emerging Leaders".


Having experienced an intense journey of overcoming mistakes and reaping rewards of her constant focus and ready attitude to change in leadership, she encouraged the women to work together.


She is the Vice-President, International Girls' Brigade (GB) and President of GB Singapore. She is also the Lay Leader and Chairman of the PPRSC of Toa Payoh Methodist Church.


As a mother of six children, a corporate leader and a church leader, she was undeniably an inspiration to the seminar participants.


Mrs Patricia Khoo, Chairman of Finance, GC-WSCS and Chairman of the Local Church Executive Committee of Pentecost Methodist Church, spoke on "Stewardship and Finance."


She is Director, Business Development Institutional of Lion Capital Management Limited. She touched on financial planning in the home, and her discussion on personal management on budgeting and investments held the audience captive as pitfalls and traps of credit spending were revealed.


"Women Making A Difference" is the theme for the World Federation of Methodist and Uniting Church Women for the quinquennium 2006 - 2011.


The seminar was part of GC-WSCS' mission to work with women all over the world towards the "Millennium Development Goals" set by the United Nations.
Those who came gained a better insight into the work of the WSCS and the women were challenged to make a difference in their lives with the help of God and support of WSCS sisters in the sisterhood's motto, "To Know Christ and To Make Him Known".

The seminar participants were challenged to make a difference in their lives. - WSCS picture.