24th August Reflections

I hope you have been following the daily devotions at Praydos. Since I have been sharing regularly from Scripture there, I will use this space instead to share some thoughts about the life of our Church.

Let me begin with something quite close to our hearts—why we may need to consider running only one Service every Sunday.

With the Tolentinos returning home, Zimrah is feeling fresh pressures in covering two Services. And come September, Yohan and Mary will also be heading back to the Philippines. Paolo and Hannah have been serving sacrificially—often every Sunday—covering multiple roles in worship leading, singing, drums, guitar, and keyboard across both Services. We can imagine the challenge it will be for others to step in and fill these many gaps.

This brings back memories of my own early years of serving in church after graduating from NUS. Being a foreigner then, I had fewer social ties and domestic obligations. The church was truly my family, and I poured much of my time and energy into its ministry. Even so, I noticed that local members were no less committed—only more tied down with the responsibilities of daily life.

Indeed, many churches here have been blessed by “foreign talents” who could devote themselves to areas of service where locals found it harder. We must not overlook or take for granted the vital role our foreign brothers and sisters play—not only in church but in every sphere of our lives. I should add how thankful we are, too, for the dedicated care workers who help us with the elder-care needs of our parents. As loving as we are as children, we could not meet all these needs without them.

Another reason to pause and reflect is the integration of our Filipino community. We rejoice to see how this has grown over time, especially since the 11:30 Service began. What once looked like a “Filipino Service” has become more integrated with the rest of MPCC, as we now share the same sermon series, and I minister at both Services in the same way. Pastor Jocelyn has been deeply dedicated in pastoring the Filipino community, and with her retirement in 2026 on the horizon, this ongoing integration makes even more sense.

That said, our original hope for the 11:30 to be an “international” Service has not fully materialised. Its strong Filipino presence has meant that, to many, it still feels like a Service for one community. This makes it difficult to bring guests to this Service or for non-Filipino worshipers to integrate.

Bringing these two realities together—our stretched manpower and the call to deeper integration—it does seem strategic and pastoral to consider recombining our Services for now. One united Service would truly be “international,” with English as the common medium. Zimrah teams could focus on one Service. The dance ministry at 11:30 could bless the whole congregation. And of course, we remain open to starting another Service again in God’s time, should the need arise.

So these are my thoughts. Please continue to pray with us as the staff and PCC weigh the options. We value your reflections and ask for your prayers as we seek God’s wisdom together.