Hope

At Wesley's death on 2 March 1791, Methodism had grown to 294 preachers and 71,668 members in Great Britain, 19 missionaries and 5,300 members on mission stations and 198 preachers and 43,265 members in America.

As Methodists, hymnody is more than musical faith expression—it is theology set to music. Having served in the music ministry since the millennial turn, sacred music has helped deepen our faith. A decade ago, heeding the call to "sing to the Lord a new song", we started composing pieces that we hoped would reflect timeless Christian truths, faith journeys and spiritual struggles.

In 2007, Chiew Poh's husband was diagnosed with terminal cancer and she plunged into an existential crisis, paralysed by an unshakeable grief. Just as they were losing all hope, a profound encounter with Jesus Christ transformed their lives.

Elliot* remembers the day his world shattered – when his wife of 12 years called in November 2022 asking for a divorce. "Two days later, she packed her things and left for her hometown, walking out on me and my son," he shared.

I was born and raised in a Hindu family. As a teen in the 1980s, I had no knowledge about Christ nor did I have any Christian friends. I even told my mother that I would never marry a Christian, but God had different plans for me.

Another quadrennium of The Methodist Church in Singapore (MCS) will end at the close of this year. Outgoing leaders, Alvin Tan and Col Quek Koh Eng, share their thoughts.

Mdm Sun Chun Yan was just 37 years old when she stepped into the role of full- time caregiver to her husband, Mr Sim Chek Kwang, after a stroke left him paralysed on his right side.

Five years ago, 64-year-old Mr Chong Moon Yeen was behind the wheel of his taxi when he unexpectedly suffered a stroke. He was rushed to the hospital and spent several days in a coma in the ICU. The stroke had caused a blood clot in his brain, and to relieve the pressure from the swelling, doctors had to perform a delicate surgery, removing part of his skull. Once stabilised, Mr Chong was transferred to MWS Bethany Nursing Home (BNH) – Choa Chu Kang, where he began his long journey of recovery, receiving round-the-clock medical and nursing care, as well as therapy.

The Covid-19 pandemic is a social and an economic crisis just as much as it is a health one—its repercussions, severe and far-reaching, are being felt across the world. The effects are felt unevenly across societies. The Wellcome Global Monitor 2020: Covid-19 Report, the largest study of its kind, found that the pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on low-income countries and people with low incomes across all countries.

"Hello! Welcome to church!" This might be what you'll hear me say a lot of times on a Sunday as an usher. Welcoming all who attend Sunday service and directing them to their seats is essentially what ushers do. However, there's a lot of thought that goes behind how ushers work together to provide the warm atmosphere as the first point of contact, when someone enters the sanctuary.

Mental health issues in the workplace are such an important concern nowadays. Whether it is open articulation or implicit concurrence, when one talks about the workplace and mental health, the word "stress" comes to mind.

When the Covid-19 pandemic struck and Singapore introduced the circuit breaker in April 2020, Bobby*, who worked in the banking sector, still had to report to the office to manage daily operations. His parents and parents-in-law, who normally helped care for his young children before the pandemic, were unable to assist during this time. Balancing work responsibilities and family life became exceptionally difficult for Bobby and his wife.