Individuals or Connect Groups that wish to purchase hardcopies may do so from physical Christian bookstores or online stores (Amazon, Bookdepository, Blackwells, etc)
Individuals or Small Groups who wish to purchase hardcopies may do so from physical Christian bookstores or online stores such as Amazon, Bookdepository, Blackwells, etc)
Sun, Feb 9, 2020 | The Imitation Of Christ & The Transforming Power of The Holy Spirit | 2 Cor 3:18; Gal 2:19, 20 | Work of the Holy Spirit series | Rev Dr Daniel Koh
Sun, Feb 9, 2020 | Transformed into the Likeness of Christ | 2 Cor 3:12-18 | Work of the Holy Spirit series | Rev Jeremy Ong
Sun, Feb 2, 2020 | The Holy Spirit & Life | John 3:1-20 | Work of the Holy Spirit series | Rev Dr Chiu Ming Li
Sun, Feb 2, 2020 | Uncovering Ancient Wells | John 4:1-26 | Work of the Holy Spirit series | Rev Wendy Watson
Sun, Feb 2, 2020 | Transformed By The Work Of The Spirit | John 3:1-21 | Work of the Holy Spirit series | Rev Jeremy Ong
Sun, Jan 26, 2020 | Open To God Who Speaks | 2 Tim 3:14-17 | Work of the Holy Spirit series | Rev Dr Chiu Ming Li
Sun, Jan 26, 2020 | Open To God Who Speaks | 2 Tim 3:14-17 | Work of the Holy Spirit series | Rev Benjamin Fong
Sun, Jan 19, 2020 | The Presence & Power Of The Holy Spirit | John 1:32-33 | Rev Dr Daniel Koh
Sun, Jan 19, 2020 | The Power and Presence of Christ | John 1:32-33, Acts 10:37-38, Rom 8:26-27 | Work of the Holy Spirit series | Rev Wendy Watson
Sun, Jan 12, 2020 | Vision 2020 | Rom 5:1-5 | Rev Jeremy Ong
Sun, Jan 12, 2020 | Vision 2020 | Matt 3:13-17 | Rev Benjamin Fong
Sun, Jan 5, 2020 | A Loving Rebuke | Rev 3:14-22 | Rev Dr Chiu Ming Li
Individuals or Small Groups who wish to purchase hardcopies may do so from physical Christian bookstores or online stores such as Amazon, Bookdepository, Blackwells, etc)
Please also note that using onlyTraceTogether via app or token remains mandatoryfor admission into church. Only under certain circumstances will check in using your NRIC be allowed, at the discretion of our screening crew.
Click HEREfor the FAQs on TraceTogether only Safe Entry.
From 24 Apr 2021, SafeEntry Gateway will be implemented as an additional mode of check-in to church. Click HERE or the banner for more information on SafeEntry Gateway usage.
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To remain connected to one another digitally during this period, we recommend using the following platforms to set up and host an online meeting with your small group, fellowship group or committee:
In the meantime, all Pastors, Pastoral Team Staff, Admin and Support staff remain contactable via email or mobile phone. This is with the exception of urgent pastoral care or assistance that may require staff presence, with existing precautionary measures set in place.
All our in-person services are suspended from 22 May-13 Jun 2021.
Join us at these times for the online stream of our English Worship Services: Sat:5.00pm | Sun:8.30am, 10.30am, 2.30pm & 5.00pm.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel where you can also access our weekly church concerns videos.
Getting the most out of your online worship experience
1. Put God First Be intentional about availing yourself for the entire stream of the worship service. Seek to arrange your time that day around worshipping God alongside the church community through your online experience, rather than your other priorities. Resist the temptation to make yourself “lord” of the Lord’s Day.
2. Prepare your worship space Choose a space that is conducive for you to engage in online worship. Is it suitably quiet and tidy? Are you able to enhance the atmosphere with a lit candle or by dimming the room lights?
3. Prepare your body Physical circumstances put us in the right frame of mind. Before tuning in to the online stream, satisfy your body’s needs (eg, bathroom, hunger). Avoid snacking during the stream. While you need not be dressed in the clothes you would usually wear for Sunday service, simple actions eg, washing your face, changing into a clean shirt etc. can help you feel refreshed and ready to worship.
4. Gather together Wherever possible, gather with members of your household to worship together. The worship experience is best participated when worshippers do so together as a family.
5. Be present Whether we are participating in the church service onsite or online, our posture in worship should not differ. This is time you have set aside to connect with Christ. Resist the urge to multitask while worshipping. Close the other apps on your computer, especially instant messaging and social media. While family needs (e.g. care of infants or the elderly) are legitimate reasons for pausing the stream, do endeavor to return as soon as possible.
Shalom Dementia Care Fellowship is a monthly gathering for persons with dementia and their caregivers. This program is designed to enable church volunteers to connect with persons with dementia using activities that promote their psycho-social, mental and spiritual well-being. This fellowship is based on the Alzheimer’s Disease Association’s (ADA) Community-Based Activity Program for Seniors with cognitive impairment and dementia (CAPS) that was launched in BRMC in May 2019.
JOIN OUR MONTHLY GATHERINGS
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, our fellowship group has moved online where we gather with our brothers and sisters with dementia and their caregivers to worship together.
We also organise online visits to seniors in their homes for our volunteers to foster closer relationships with persons with dementia and their loved ones.
We welcome all caregivers of seniors with dementia to journey with us through our monthly fellowships.
GET INVOLVED
Interested volunteers must go through a basic training course prior to serving and should expect to commit one day a month for the monthly fellowships.
1. What is dementia?
Dementia is an umbrella term that covers a wide range of symptoms, including memory loss and mental decline due to damaged nerve cells in the brain. Dementia affects individuals differently in their thinking, behaviour, feelings, memory, and movement. Simply put, the normal functions of the brain are disrupted.
There are many causes of dementia, eg, a stroke may damage nerve cells. We should gently refer a person who show signs of dementia to a specialist doctor in geriatrics to confirm the diagnosis of dementia, so that we can best walk with the person in this difficult journey.
2. Is dementia common? Yes, it is, especially among the elderly. One in ten Singaporeans aged 60 and over has dementia. For those over 85, it is one in three.
However, it is not as common as the other chronic health conditions among seniors, such as high blood pressure; high blood cholesterol; cataract; joint pain, arthritis, rheumatism or nerve pain; and diabetes.
3. Does dementia cause individuals to lose their God-given dignity?
No
Every person is created by God “in His image” (Genesis 1:27). God sees in every one a resemblance to Himself. However, we must never presume humanity to be identical to God. Only Jesus bears “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being” (Hebrews 1:3).
God’s love is unconditional, not dependent upon our intellect, abilities, accomplishments, possessions, not even our spirituality. After all, God so loves humanity that He gave His only Son Jesus for the salvation of all who believe in Him (John 3:16).
So we must remember that the loss of memory and other thinking skills do not diminish the high regard God has for humanity. Instead, just as Jesus has loved us, so must we love our neighbour (John 13:34), even our friends and loved ones with dementia.
4. How can the church help families cope with dementia?
Coping with dementia is challenging for both persons with dementia and their caregivers. Deterioration of mental function, loss of social roles and personal autonomy are especially devastating for many seniors who have had successful careers or have close family ties. They describe their experience as alienating, apathetic, boring, depressing, dominating, embarrassing, frightening, frustrating, hopeless, irritating, lonely, meaningless.
A Christian psychologist asserts that “A community formed by the gospel has the potential to transform Alzheimer’s care.” A government study of seniors in Singapore validates this conclusion:
It is evident that participation in religious activities is an important factor in the lives of older Singaporeans such that even those who are sick, as defined by their chronic conditions, who tended not to participate in other social activities, continued with their religious participation. … As such it is worthwhile (to) harness the potential of these religious platforms to enhance the social connectedness of older Singaporeans.
The goal of Shalom Dementia Care Fellowship is to be a place of support in our church for persons with dementia and their caregivers.
God cares for His people by building up His church to grow in spiritual maturity and nurture wholeness in every relationship through Christ (Ephesians 4.11- 13). The focus of our Fellowship is on people in their current circumstance, to promote healing and wholeness, to enable him to live a full and fruitful life.
So the thrust of our interaction is not just to promote cognitive connection but also foster spiritual transformation, by re-kindling hope and awakening growth. It is our prayer that those cared for will live a life filled with “personal meanings and larger purposes beyond themselves that motivate them to reach out to respond to the needs of others,” and become part of a mutual caregiving community (Rom 1.12).
5. Why has the church embarked on this pastoral care ministry?
We believe the church can prepare every family to face the challenges of dementia by nurturing in them a deep spiritual connection with Jesus.
Through the teaching and preaching of the doctrine of suffering, lived out in the life of the church, the church prepares families with dementia to grow in spiritual maturity, and continue to see God at work even in their darkest moments. Like the early apostles, they can see that God uses suffering for His purpose (Acts 14:22) – counting suffering as a privilege for God’s glory.
The culture of caring and serving in the ministries of the church provides a platform to teach and nurture the values that gives resilience to those with dementia and those who are caring for them.
The church is a place for all to worship and spiritually encounter God. Here even those with dementia have a place for worship.
A significant number (34%) of Singaporean seniors over 60 years suffer from loneliness.Many of them have dementia while others are their caregivers. Jesus commands His disciples to reach out to the “least, lost and last”. Through the Fellowship, we aspire to reach out to families with dementia so that no one will not be left out of the church’s community life.
