“Give thanks with a grateful heart,

give thanks to the HOLY ONE.”

PHOTO: GNANAMANI ARULDASS

WITH grateful hearts to our Heavenly Father, the ladies from the three Annual Conferences gathered on Jan 3, 2009, at Sophia Blackmore Hall, Methodist Centre to thank Him for His loving kindness and tender mercies that are shown towards us every morning supplying His blessings and provisions to meet our needs.

This was testified by three ladies from each Annual Conference: Mrs Rosie Leong (Trinity Annual Conference), Mdm Wong Ing Eng (Chinese Annual Conference) and Mrs Irene Jeevaratnam (Emmanuel Tamil Annual Conference). One shared how serving God in the WSCS has blessed her in areas of her prayer life, missions and leadership ability. It undoubtedly deepened her faith and love for God and others.

The afternoon also heard Mrs Gnanamany Philip, Vice-President of ETAC WSCS, give the message on our theme for 2009, “Go Forth – Be My Disciples” (John 15:8 and Matthew 28:19). We were reminded to have a more focused attention on discipleship.

As disciples of Christ, she said, we were called into discipleship to emulate and imitate our Lord by committing ourselves to the suffering and living a sacrificial lifestyle of servanthood. This had to be evident in three aspects of our lives: abiding in His word, loving one another and bearing much fruit.

Our guests were the TRAC President, the Rev Dr Wee Boon Hup, and Mrs Wee and the CAC President, the Rev Dr Chong Chin Chung. The event ended with intermingling of the ladies in warm fellowship over tea.

As we gather at the beginning of each year in such manner, we remember the roots of our rich heritage. God has blessed the labour of our women throughout these 100 years.

As we celebrated in the hall named after the very woman missionary, Miss Sophia Blackmore, who came to Singapore in 1887 to work among women and children, we remember her as well as the dedication, faith and love of several other Methodist women like Miss Marie Oldham and Miss Helen Loomis.

The sending of Miss Blackmore to Singapore was made possible by Miss Mary Nind’s donation to the Women’s Foreign Missionary Society. The Chinese-speaking women members of the church then were called the “Dorcas Society” while the English-speaking, Malay-speaking and Tamil-speaking were known as the “Ladies Aid Society” which later became “Women’s Society of Christian Service”. Later these groups were united as Singapore District Women’s Society of Christian Service. We have indeed much to thank God for nurturing and sustaining our work these 100 years.

As a united body of women in The Methodist Church in Singapore and affiliated to a world sisterhood of Methodist and Uniting Church Women (WFM & UCW), we pray that God will continue His good work begun in us to help women grow in the knowledge and experience of God as revealed in Jesus Christ, to equip them with the skills for better service and to go into the world to serve their families, churches and communities.

By God’s grace, the WSCS will embrace the unique race He has marked out for us, keeping our focus on Jesus, and progressing closer to Him, our source of faith, purpose, courage and direction.

Dorothy Lim is the President of the General Conference WSCS and Teo Li Bee is the Vice-President.

A section of the well turned out Thanksgiving Fellowship. In the front row, from right are, Mrs Teo Li Bee, Ms Dorothy Lim, the Rev Dr Chong Chin Chung, the Rev Dr Wee Boon Hup, Mrs Wee, Mrs Irene Jeevaratnam, Mdm Wong Ing Eng and Mrs Rosie Leong.  – GC-WSCS picture.