Loving God, Uniting Generations, Transforming Communities
Loving God
God is the beginning and the end of all things – the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last. He is first in rank, honour, power, authority and glory. We have been called to put God first in every aspect of our life. But this would only feel like a burden if it is done without love. How then, do we grow to love God? It can only be through spending time with Him.
In today’s context where so many things compete for our attention and the hours in a day do not seem enough, we need to make a conscious effort to set aside time to spend with God. This could be in the form of daily Bible reading, daily prayer and conversations with God, committing to a Life Group, and attending Worship Services faithfully.
Technological advances have made it incredibly convenient for us to attend Worship Services remotely – whether at home or overseas. While this has helped those who are medically or physically unable to attend Worship Services on-site and helped us connect with church members who are overseas, it is not to be taken advantage of. It is important to continue attending Worship Services on-site for the following reasons:
- Because God says so (Heb 10:25)
- To teach the next generation to love the church through observation of our actions
- Because iron sharpens iron (Pro 27:17)
- To participate in corporate worship as a congregation of believers
- To hear the preaching of the Word (Heb 4:12)
- To partake in Holy Communion corporately (1Cor 11:20-22)
Uniting Generations
Being a family church, we have multiple generations spanning across a wide age range worshipping together. Each generation views and experiences God differently. What may appear to be an act of sacrificial love by one generation, may come across as rude and callous to another. The only way to bridge this gap is to communicate and make friends across generations.
Intergenerational community that is clearly described in Titus 2, is a part of God’s vision for the church. It paints a beautiful picture of loving friendship across generations. While spending time with people of different generations might bring to light differing preferences and beliefs, it can also lead us back to God’s Word as these conflicts expose blind spots in our generation.
In recent years, there has been a lack of intergenerational bonding, and there is a great desire to return to a multigenerational community in COS. We recognise the importance of inculcating and fostering this culture within the church. In order to create opportunities to bring different generations of the church closer together, there will be more combined Worship Services, prayer meetings, mission trips, and other church-related activities. As members of this family church, let us seek to create a common identity. Let us craft a new language that can be used across all generations that tells others “this is who we are”.
Transforming Communities
Presently, COS supports and is involved in the following community outreaches:
- Tung Ling Community Services
- Tung Ling Student Care Centre
- Tung Ling PreSchool Education
- Tung Ling Counselling Centre
- St Luke’s Hospital
- St Luke’s ElderCare
We thank God that despite our limited resources and circle of influence, God has used our community outreaches mightily to reach out and significantly transform our community. We are also thankful to be able to launch Tung Ling Counselling Centre in 2021 and convert Tung Ling Kindergarten into Tung Ling PreSchool Education last year.
During Jesus’ ministry, He taught the disciples how to view and treat those in poverty or who are in need. “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.” Pro 19:17
It is clear in the New Testament that this ministry is not an obligation for individuals, but also an obligation for the church. Today, with increasing poverty, violence and injustice in the world, the role of the Church to embrace, engage and be an agent for transformation becomes more important than ever. The Church is called to make the world a better place for all by upholding justice, peace and harmony. This is only possible with you. We urge you to set aside time and resources, however much or little you are able, to find out more and get involved in one of our community outreaches.