The NOW Generation - Bedok Methodist Church

BRIDGES
Bedok Methodist Church • A Children’s Ministry Newsletter for Parents • For Internal Circulation only • Issue 15 • September 2009
By Dr Cheah Fung Fong
God is doing a wonderful ministry among
children all over the world today. We
hear of children having firsthand encounters
with God in worship, intercession,
prophecy and evangelism. We asked Dr
Cheah Fung Fong to share insights on
this amazing movement of God, and the
role we Christian parents can play.
ALL through history, God has used children and youth in His
plans and purposes for His people. God spoke to Samuel when
he was just a child, raising him to be a prophet. Josiah came to
the throne at eight years of age and turned a whole nation back
to worshipping God. David was a youth when he challenged
Goliath. Mary, while in her teens, was chosen by God to bear
the Saviour of the world.
supplication….I suppose such
a visitation of children has not
been known in England these
hundred years….the fire kindled
and ran from heart to heart till
few were unaffected…..Thus
the flame spread to those of
riper years.”
In the 1900s, the revival in Scotland, Wales and America all
began with prayer, led by youth like Donald Phail, Evan Roberts
and Samuel Morris.
God continues to move amongst children today. In the United
States, Esther Ilnisky runs the Children’s Global Prayer
Movement. Esther’s vision is to mobilise children worldwide to
pray for revival in their generation. Through the use of simple
prayer tools like globe balls and prayer spinners, children are
taught to intercede for the nations.
Through the march of time, God continued to move among
children, using them to speak His message of truth to their
generation. John Wesley described, in his journals, how children
were impacted by the Holy Spirit as revival spread through
England in the 1700s. He wrote on Sept 6, 1773: “Presently the
Holy Spirit fell upon the children….and the Spirit of grace and
Irma Chon is the pastor of Children and Youth at Cornerstone
Christian Fellowship in Hilliard, Ohio. She leads a weekly
intercessory group for children from pre-school to 12 years of
age. The children pray for the nations, children at risk, their
families, schools, friends and themselves. Each month carries
a different prayer focus. Children are taught to have time with

FEATURE
Abba. They read God’s
Word and learn to listen to
the Lord speaking to them.
They also record their quiet
reflections with the Lord in
their journals.
Lenny LaGuardia serves as the children’s pastor at the
International House of Prayer in Kansas City where 24/7 prayer
has been going on since September 1999. Weekly meetings
are held where children come together to worship God and
pray. Children are also encouraged to attend the 24/7 prayer
sessions in the main church prayer rooms together with their
parents. They are trained in worship and dance ministries as
well as in prophetic prayer, ministering together with adults in
prayer teams.
In Australia, Jane Mackie runs the Children’s Prayer Network.
Now in its fourteenth year, children and youth meet weekly
and are discipled in their walk with the Lord. They meet in
accountability groups and spend time in prayer and worship.
The children also go on overseas trips where they learn to
minister and lead other children and youth in prayer ministry.
In England, Chrissie Wilkinson leads the mobilisation for prayer
for children at risk, under the auspices of Viva Network. She
observed that during the worldwide Day of Prayer for children
at risk, the majority of intercessors had been children at risk
themselves!
Reports from Argentina estimated that some 5,000 children
have been mobilised to pray!
In Africa, Gerhad Botha leads
the South African Children’s
Prayer Network, which runs
kids boiler rooms, where
children gather together to
pray. In some Muslim and
animist nations in Africa, Christian
groups minister sensitively to
the villages, especially to the
children, who are taught to pray.
As these children begin to pray,
God moves: tribal feuds come
to an end; dry, blocked wells
spring forth with water; militant army soldiers come to the Lord;
unbelieving parents also begin to confess Jesus as Lord and
Saviour, and villages are transformed!
The story of God’s movement continues in Asia. In Chennai,
India, Father Anton Cruz runs Royal Kids Ministry which
operates an orphanage and a school that minister to the
children of the lowest caste
of Indian society. He has
some 8,000 children in his
charge. These children are
trained as worship leaders,
dancers and intercessors.
Each morning at school,
children stand in front of flagpoles flying flags of different
nations, and pray for these countries of the world. They man
telephone lines where people call in with prayer requests which
are then shared with other children to pray through.
In Singapore, a national children’s praise event called ARISE!
was held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in 2002. This saw
thousands of children and their families coming together to
worship God. In 2003 to 2004, the Methodist International
Prayer Conference was held. A concurrent Children’s Track saw
300 children gather to learn about prayer and worship. In 2007,
a 24/7 prayer event for
children was held which
saw children, youth and
their families gathering
to pray for various
issues including schools,
churches, Singapore, the

nations as well as family relationships. From 2007 to 2009,
children also met to pray during the annual Global Day of Prayer
meetings. In March 2009, the first National Children in Prayer
Conference was held, which saw 500 children and adults come
together to listen to the Lord and to intercede for Singapore and
the nations.
What can we, as parents, do as we hear of how God is moving
amongst children today? Our RESPONSE should be:
1. To be a ROLE MODEL for our children of a living faith in our
Lord. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)
• Gather the children at the start of the day in prayer. In
my family, we start the day with a shared devotion in
the car as we drive the children to school.
• At the end of the day, gather the children again to
thank the Lord for the day gone by, to share successes
and struggles, to bring thanks, praise and supplication
before the Lord together as a family. As children see
how we lift up our struggles and challenges to the
Lord, they too will learn to do the same. Answered
prayer becomes a joyous moment shared by the whole
family.
• Encourage children to pray aloud. Like a baby learning
to talk, their initial prayers will be short one-sentence
prayers, which will progress to longer sentences and
prayers.
• Read the Word of God together as a family. Memorise
Scripture together. These verses and Bible stories and
principles will be recalled in quiet moments and in
times of challenge and will be the beacon to guide
them.
• Take your children along with you to prayer meetings
and pray with them during these prayer meetings!
The prayers of the children are heard by the Lord too!
(Matthew 11:25)
2. To RELEASE our children to serve the Lord now.
• Believe that the Lord has plans for your child. Help
your child to discover his talents and gifts and help
him develop them through appropriate training.
• Encourage your child to serve the Lord in simple ways
that are available in your church’s Sunday School.
Some examples are singing in the children’s choir and
dancing in the dance teams.
As E. M. Bounds has said, a praying Samuel was the result
of a praying Hannah. Hannah prayed hard for a child and God
answered her prayer. In the years that she had Samuel with
her while weaning him, she must have been a role model of a
prayerful life to her young son, teaching and training him in the
ways of the Lord. When the time came, she released him to
serve the Lord in the temple. Samuel ministered before the Lord
while he was still a young boy.
Nothing can stop the children as our Lord moves them to serve
Him! The disciples could not stop the children from coming to
the Lord, who told them to “let the children come”. (Mark 10:13-
16) The Pharisees could not stop the children from praising God
in the temple: “From the mouth of babes and infants you have
ordained praise.” (Matthew 21:15-16)
The children are no longer
the next generation.
They are the now generation.
God wants to use them now.
- Elizabeth Kotlowski
Dr. Cheah Fung Fong has been involved in
Children’s Ministry for the past 14 years. She is
the Chairperson of the Trinity Annual Conference
of the Methodist Church of Singapore (TRAC)
Board of Children’s Ministry. She is married to Dr
Chris Cheah and they have three children in their
teens.

Children In Prayer Conference
By Kuek Shee Cher
Shee Cher, fresh from attending the Children In Prayer (CIP) Conference with her
son, returns to share about the simple and marvellous ways she has witnessed
children in prayer at both the personal and national level.
“MOM, your prayer worked!” my nine-year-old son exclaimed
excitedly as we were travelling in our car. The heavy downpour
was reduced to a light drizzle. It was as if the tap of rushing
water from heaven had simply been turned off. Our family of
three was grateful to be able to continue on the road with much
ease, and reach our destination in time. The Lord of the rain
and sunshine had just answered the prayers of His children!
I mulled over my son’s words again: “Your prayer worked!” He
understood. Simply worded prayers could be powerful prayers,
when they were accompanied by child-like faith. They had such
a significant and spiritual effect! I believed my son was reminded
as much as I was of the lessons we had learnt on prayer during
the Children In Prayer Conference (CIP) held at Fairfield
Methodist Church on March 14, 2009.
I was refreshed by the message on “Lord, Teach Us To Pray”,
delivered by Mr David Leong, the executive director of Scripture
Union Singapore, at the conference. It was based on the Lord’s
model prayer in Matthew 6:9-12 and Luke 11:2-4.
When Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them to pray, He
taught them to:
• keep themselves humble;
• keep their prayers simple;
• keep their prayers God-focused using a model prayer,
or the Lord’s Prayer.
church and community through prayer. That day, I was a teary
eye-witness to the immense work God was doing.
The CIP Conference drew to a close as both adults and children
united to pray in earnestness with this stirring chorus:
For every time I pray
I move the hand of God
My prayer does the things
My hands cannot do
For every time I pray
The mountains are removed
The paths are made straight
And nations turn to You.
© 1981 Ng Wah Lok & Voon Yuen Woh
Indeed, God’s hand has been moving hearts all over the world.
God’s children, regardless of age, race, status, denomination
or gender, are gathering to pray in unity and with a sense of
urgency for the needs of the world. God’s children, even the
little ones, can do the impossible and reach the unreached on
their knees! Indeed, tall mountains can be removed and crooked
paths can be made straight when God’s children pray!
The CIP Conference opened the gateway of understanding for
me to God’s work of wonders among children. WOW! Work
of Wonders! All over the world, God has been raising and
empowering children to be agents of transformation for the
Young prayer warriors hard at work

EDITORIAL
Do we sometimes think that children are too young
to understand what the Christian faith is all about,
too young to have a personal encounter with God, too
young to be led by the Holy Spirit?
Our Lord Jesus apparently did not think so. He said to
Zhong Kai and friends with a prayer globe
Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 4:12: “Don’t let anyone look down on
you because you are young, but set an example for the believers
in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” Children should
not be despised because they are young. They are capable of
spiritual understanding and worshipping God in spirit and truth.
They can be partners with God as prayer warriors for the lost
and needy, as well as be His salt and light in a dark world.
Your child can be a CIP (child in prayer) in many simple ways.
Encourage him to:
1. Observe what is happening around him and pray for his
situation as God leads.
2. Pray short and specific prayers daily for both self and
others.
3. Join the BMC Prayer Sparks, a children’s prayer group,
which meets on the second and third Sundays of every
month, from 10.00 am to 10.30 am.
4. Take part in any prayer event such as the Children In Prayer
Conference or Global Day of Prayer 2010.
Kuek Shee Cher is a music instructor. She
is married to Roger and they have a son,
Zhong Kai, 9. She serves as a facilitator in
Prayer Sparks and on the Bridges editorial
team.
His disciples when they rebuked people who brought
little children to Him: “Let the little children come to
Me and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom
of heaven.” (Matthew 19:14)
In this issue of Bridges, we stand in awe and are filled
with joy at what God is doing in the midst of children
around the world and even right here in our local
church. Children’s lives have been impacted as they
experience encounters with the Living God. They have
obeyed the prompting of the Holy Spirit and stepped
out in child-like faith to act and pray for others.
May you be encouraged by what God is doing among
the children. Our prayer is that this will stir up in you
a desire for your own encounter with the Living God.
For when we encounter Him, we cannot help but fall
on our knees in worship and adoration.
The Editor

A Parent’s Identity in Christ
By Karen Teo
How often do we tell ourselves, “I’m a lousy parent”, “I’m not good enough”, or
“Mrs X seems to have it all together”. Karen Teo’s testimony draws us back to the
basics of not looking at WHO we are, but WHOSE we are.
I WAS very excited at the thought of joining the Bridges
Newsletter publication team in the Children’s Ministry.
However, in the few days leading up to the first publication
meeting, my excitement started spiralling downwards into
feelings of apprehension and inadequacy. By the time
it came for me to start my journey to the meeting, all I
could feel was my unworthiness to serve in this ministry.
I had been thinking about how I could contribute in the Bridges
team during the week. Somehow, the more I thought about it,
the more my thoughts strayed towards my children. It seemed
to me that my home was not in a very good “order”, so how was
I to contribute anything positive to the newsletter?
My first and second sons fought a lot. Having grown up as
an only child, my idealistic view of siblinghood was one where
unity and harmony prevail for, at least, the most part of their
lives. My children were, however, very far away from this
“model” I had in mind. It led me to think about my own parenting
ability. What was I not doing right, I frequently asked myself.

My thoughts then progressed to my eldest boy, who is currently
the most challenging of my three sons to manage. He had, of
late, been presenting emotional and behavioural challenges,
especially in school. Again, I wondered about my effectiveness
as a parent. I was doing all I could, but somehow, the challenges
just kept coming. The inadequacy, the guilt, the helplessness
started piling up. By the time I reached my maiden Bridges
meeting, I had a defeated spirit. I felt unworthy to serve
in a ministry that was meant to minister to fellow parents.
As we prayed together as a team, I was also reminded that
as God’s children, we are not given a spirit of fear, but one of
power, love and discipline (2 Timothy 1:7). I was not to harbour
feelings of defeat, helplessness or guilt. Furthermore, Christ
was to be my source of wisdom and instruction in bringing up my
children (Ephesians 6:4). Suddenly, I felt the burden of inadequacy,
guilt and helplessness diminishing and being replaced by hope,
love and peace. I now know that God, who is the all-seeing One, is
there for me to rely on when the going gets tough with my children.
As I sat nervously through the meeting, my mind was a
blank. However, as the meeting progressed, the team members
started to share their personal experiences and challenges.
They made me realise that I was not alone in my parenting
struggles. I could see that the team drew their strength from
God through their struggles, from moment to moment. My eyes
were suddenly opened – my feelings of unworthiness and defeat
were lies that served to uproot and derail my identity in Christ.
As the team members shared their God encounters through
their own parenting struggles, I was in awe of how big a role
God had played in parenting their children. I admired how much
they turned to God for wisdom in guiding their children and
how freely they approached the throne of God to talk to Him
even about the smallest detail about their children. I could see
that because of this, they could manifest that God-given peace
and joy, and even thank God, whatever situation they and their
children were in.
I realised that they had invoked their position in Christ in their
parental capacity (Hebrews 4:14-16). It was then that I was
reminded that as a parent, I was free from condemnation. Not
even my worries for today nor fears about tomorrow for my
children could separate me from God’s love (Romans 8:31-
39). My guilt from thinking I was not the best parent could not
separate me from God’s love. I was heartened to know that God
still stood by me, though at times I felt like I had failed Him in my
appointment as a parent.
As for my worthiness to serve God, He reminded me
through the team members’ prayers that we have all
been redeemed and forgiven (Ephesians 1:6-8). We
have been justified and made righteous through Christ
(Romans 5:1). How God saw my service in ministry was
not dependent on who I was or how talented I was in that
area, since I would fall short in every way. My service in
ministry was, however, an expression of worship to my God,
who has done so much to redeem me and provide a way back
to Him.
This experience has made me realise the importance of
knowing our position and inheritance in Christ. The more
firmly rooted we are in this knowledge, the more we are able
to ward off doubt and other fiery arrows of condemnation or
guilt that come our way in our parenting journey with God.
Karen Teo, a homemaker, is married to
Melvin Tay and they have three children –
Justin, seven, Ethan, four, and Asher, one.
She serves in the choir and the Bridges
Newsletter team.

KIDS ON MISSION
Shining for Jesus
By Linda Cheam
Children’s Ministry Trip to Manila, the Philippines, 8 - 13 December 2008
“In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
Our Children’s Ministry children certainly shone for Jesus in Manila. They cooperated, worked and performed enthusiastically with the one
aim of bringing the love of Jesus to the slum children and the poor living in Manila.
Hosted by Oikos Helping Hand Ministry, our team of 13 adults and 17 children performed skits and mimes, led in praise and worship, shared
the gospel story, did arts and craft, prayed for individual children, gave hygiene talks and distributed gifts and food rations.
Our children’s eyes were opened to an unfamiliar world of poverty and suffering, yet they also learnt and saw for themselves that joy and
happiness are not dependent on material blessings or their physical
surroundings.

Children in Prayer
By Ivy Wong
Our BMC children at prayer and intercession?
Yes, be amazed! Ivy Wong
gleans biblical principles on teaching
our children to pray and shares exciting
testimonies of our very own children at
prayer.
Praying from the heart
CHILDREN should be taught to pray from young. The earlier
their hearts are captivated by God and connected to Him in
prayer, the less likely they are to be captivated by the world.
Many of us want our children to learn to pray and to pray well.
We want our children to be equipped with the know-how of
prayer and to pray eloquent prayers. What we sometimes fail to
realise is that it is not the techniques or words we use in prayer
that matter. Prayer is a matter of the heart.
Loving God through prayer
A good prayer is one that flows spontaneously from the heart
of the person who prays. After all, prayer is about relationship.
It is the outpouring of one’s heart to God our Father. Some of
the best prayers are really the overflow of emotion from the
innermost depths of our being. In prayer, we learn to grow in
love in that relationship and in that process, move from distance
and fear of God to honesty, boldness, openness, vulnerability,
trust and intimacy.
The kind of prayer that reaches God’s heart is not necessarily
one which sounds impressive to human ears, but a sincere one
from the heart. So often in our attempts to craft our prayers, we
take the focus away from God. Children should be encouraged
to pray short, honest and simple prayers, with the emphasis
on what is on their hearts. We can teach them to unmask their
feelings and thoughts in prayer so that they come to God with
a truthful and sincere heart. I believe if our children are
able to build a strong relationship with God in prayer
10
while they are young, there is a better chance of them turning to
God in the tumultuous years of adolescence and adulthood.
Loving God and others through prayer
In prayer, children learn to love God and love others. Without
love, our prayers will sound like a clanging cymbal. Love for God
and for others must be the motivating force for us to approach
Him in prayer for a person or a particular situation. Having said
that, we cannot love God enough. So does that mean we are
not in the position to pray? Surely not! The good news is that
approaching God in prayer with the attitude of a child wanting to
commune with his beloved Dad will always lead to a deepening
of our relationship with Him. And likewise, when we consistently
pray and intercede for others, it will lead us to love them more.
With that in mind, it is so important that we pray often if we
want to fulfil the greatest commandment of loving God and our

neighbours. Children have a tremendous capacity to love. Can
you imagine the potential for a child to grow in love and intimacy
with God if he cultivates the habit of talking regularly to God
from a young age? Here, I am reminded of the conversational
relationship the prophet Samuel had with God since he was a
child. This must have been instrumental in him becoming God’s
anointed and trusted servant later on.
Children at prayer
Little children, great faith
“Let the children come to me, never send them away, for the
kingdom of God belongs to men who have hearts as trusting
as these little children’s. Anyone who does not have that
kind of faith will never get within the kingdom of God.” (Luke
18:16-17, TLB)
Jesus always welcomed children wherever He went. He had a
special affection for them, because children have in them an
inherent quality that pleases God – childlike faith. “For without
faith it is impossible to please God.” (Hebrews 11:6, NIV)
It does not matter if a child is smart or not, active or quiet, shy
or bold; the Bible says as long as he is a child, he will have this
thing called childlike faith. This is a precious asset as far as
God is concerned. The only problem is that it disappears with
time. So parents, make the most of your children’s childlike faith
before the cynicism and caution of adulthood set in.
Prayer Sparks in session
At Prayer Sparks, a children’s prayer group in the Children’s
Ministry, we have the privilege of seeing children rise in faith as
they grow in their prayer life. They have progressed from praying
simply for their tests and exams, to petitioning for the salvation
of their unsaved relatives and grandparents, and to interceding
over global concerns such as war and natural disasters. The
gradual shift in prayer focus requires them to take a step of faith
and at the same time, moves them from self to others. It also
stirs in them compassion for people suffering in other places.
As the children expand their horizons, they begin to believe that
their prayers can make a difference to things happening around
the world. In 2007, we saw the children boldly interceding for
a group of Koreans being held hostage by terrorists. They were
thrilled to read in the newspapers a few days later that some of
the hostages had been released. That particular incident gave
their faith a big boost. I am sure they were more than glad to
be counted with the many others around the world who were
praying for the hostages. Indeed, childlike faith is the trust to
believe that “all things are possible” with God. It is this “faith
factor” that released Jesus’ power to heal the centurion’s
servant girl and the woman suffering from a haemorrhage.
Children praying at the cross
Prayer Sparks has over the years journeyed in prayer with a
number of people who were suffering from physical
illness. One of them was Mrs Christie, grandmother of
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former Prayer Sparks children, Ashvin and Veena Amudhan.
Although our children had not met Mrs Christie, they prayed
fervently for her whenever Ashvin and Veena requested for
prayer. Mrs Christie was so touched that she made a visit to
Prayer Sparks after she was discharged.
to have the children pray for CM Sunday. I thought: Why don’t I
let them put into practice what I had taught them about hearing
God? I must confess that at that point, I had little confidence
that the children would respond, but I thought there was no
harm in giving it a try.
Another person whom we prayed for was our very own church
member, Mrs Winnie Neo. Besides praying for her, the children
also made cards to encourage her. Winnie, too, subsequently
paid a visit to the children. Such gestures greatly affirmed in the
children the benefit of prayer.
More recently, the children prayed for Ms Carolina Koh, the
beloved aunt of Prayer Sparks children, Charilyn and Angelyn
Ong. The children laboured in prayer from the time she was
diagnosed with lymphoma cancer until she was called home
in August 2008. It was almost a year of journeying together in
enduring prayer.
Children hearing God and receiving visions
Our children will prophesy and see visions
“And afterward I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons
and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.” (Joel 2:28, NIV) The book of
Joel says that in the last days our children will prophesy and
see visions. Indeed we are in the last days. Our children will
increasingly operate in the gifts of the Holy Spirit as they draw
near to God.
We got the children to enter a time of being quiet before the
Lord and invited the Holy Spirit to come and speak to each
child. The children were then asked to record on paper anything
they were impressed with – be it a verse, a simple word, a
phrase or a picture. To my pleasant surprise, almost all the
children wrote or drew something. We collected the slips and
passed them to the CM leaders.
A few days later, to my amazement, the CM leaders came to
me with much excitement. They had just held their own prayer
meeting and prayer walk for CM Sunday. They told me that the
words, verses and visions they received during their prayer time
matched perfectly with those received by the children!
For example, at the leaders’ prayer meeting, one of them had
felt led to declare words from Psalm 96:7-9 to give God the
glory due His name. Later, they were amazed to find that these
were the same words 10-year-old Daniel Wong had recorded
from Psalm 29. Another child had also received impressions
from the Lord and drew footsteps leading to a cross. At their
prayer meeting, the CM leaders had done a prophetic act of
walking from the sanctuary doors to the altar, symbolic of people
following Christ. It was amazing! That day, God taught me not
to underestimate the ability of children to hear and receive from
the Spirit of Truth Himself.
The week before Children’s Ministry Sunday in September
2008, the Prayer Sparks children were going to meet
on Sunday. Somehow, God impressed upon my heart
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A child’s impression from God of footsteps to the cross

Just like babies listen and watch us speak well before they
themselves are able to utter a word, likewise we are to expose
our children to prayer way before we expect them to be able to
pray. Sometimes we have children who are at a loss for what to
say. For such children, we can let them read out sample prayers.
It can be some months before a breakthrough happens. Parents
and adult leaders need to be patient and keep exposing them
rather than “force” it out of them. Sometimes our impatience
and high expectations hinder their attempts to pray.
Charilyn at the Children In Prayer Conference
One child who has grown tremendously in prayer is Charilyn
Ong, 12. I remember that when she first joined Prayer Sparks
as a pre-schooler, she was hesitant to pray. By exposing her to
others’ prayers, she gained boldness over time and began to
say simple prayers. Soon we discovered her gifting in seeing
visions. The ease with which she received impressions and
visions at every opportunity surprised us – be it praying for
her family or at children’s prayer conferences. Charilyn’s older
sister, Angelyn, 14, was also one of the key prayer warriors in
Prayer Sparks during her time in CM, moving strongly in the
area of intercession at the tender age of 12.
I believe that the family played an important part in influencing
both Charilyn and Angelyn’s prayer lives. Their progress in prayer
is due largely to the good example set by their parents, who
themselves are great prayer warriors. They have intentionally
integrated prayer into their family lifestyle.
Parents can be effective models for children in prayer in a very
spontaneous and unconscious manner. For example, when we
drive past a road accident scene, we can say a prayer for God
to help the injured person, or if our child’s schoolmate is sick,
whenever possible, we can lay hands on the child’s tummy and
pray a simple prayer for healing. Our children will pick up these
habits and in time, we will catch them doing the same.
Would you have praying men in our church?
We must have praying mothers to give them birth,
Praying homes to colour their lives,
And praying surroundings to impress their minds
And to keep the foundations for prayer lives.
E. M. Bounds
Praying Samuels come from praying Hannahs
Teaching children to pray starts at home. Prayer is caught
more than taught. Where else can children be better mentored
in prayer than in the home? As parents, we have to be the
first to influence our children when it comes to prayer. I am
encouraged that a good number of parents in BMC have been
good examples for us. Recently, I was teaching the children
about “postures in prayer”. When I asked the children if they felt
tired after kneeling, little Christie Lim, eight, said: “No, because
Mummy taught us to do that at home.”
Ivy Wong is the head of Prayer Sparks, the children’s prayer arm of the
Children’s Ministry in BMC. She is married to Winston and they have three
children: Sophie, 22, Adriel, 19, and Daniel, 11.
For more information on Prayer Sparks, please contact Ivy at 94373747.
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KIDS TALK
God Encounters
Here are testimonies of BMC children’s encounters with God.
Cliff Seow, P4
When I was young, I was always scared of
the dark. But one Sunday at church, my
Sunday school teacher, Aunty Sabrina,
taught us to give our fears to God. After
that, I prayed and gave my fears to God.
That night, I realised that I had no more fear of the dark. I thank
Aunty Sabrina for teaching and praying for us. I also thank God
for delivering me from my fear. From then on, I became closer
to God and stronger in my faith.
Geraldine Chong, P6
Last year, at a children’s session at
BMC’s Worship and Prayer Conference,
the Children’s Ministry taught us about
Hearing God. We were divided into small
groups to practise hearing God. At that
time, I had eczema, a kind of skin disease. During one of the
activities, I mentioned I had eczema, so everyone in the group
prayed for me. After that week, my eczema never returned. And
I know it was God who healed me.
Justin Tay, P1
God is very important, more important
than Lightning McQueen, as God is
a jealous God and we should not be
worshipping idols. (Editor’s note: Lightning
McQueen is a Disney car character, one of
Justin’s favourite toys.)
Christie Lim, P3
Last year on January 20, Aunty
Sabrina taught us about talking to
God during the 8.30 am Sunday
School. We were asked to lie down on
the floor in Judah Hall and picture what God was showing us. I
saw a flame coming down on me. I knew it was the Holy Spirit
because something in my head told me so. I drew this
picture of the flame in my journal. When I told my mother about
this, she was amazed because she saw the same image of
flames descending on the people during the 8.30 am service
she was attending at the same time. God wanted to encourage
both of us with the same vision of Him blessing our church!
Timothy Tan, P2
I had an encounter with God during my
Chinese exam. One of my classmates
asked me for answers for two of the
questions. Without much thought, I just
showed her my answers because I thought
God says we should help one another.
After the exam, I went for recess. Suddenly, there was a voice
that spoke to my heart. I knew it was God speaking. He told me
that what I had done was wrong. Then I went to a corner and
asked Jesus to forgive me. After that, that same voice told me
to tell my teacher what had happened.
I went to my classmate and told her what I would do. Then I
went to tell my form teacher about the whole incident. After
checking with my classmate the facts, she told us what we did
was wrong. She then informed the Chinese teacher who would
be marking our papers. The Chinese teacher told us the school
would probably deduct our marks and give us demerit points.
Upon hearing this, I was not really scared because I knew God
had forgiven me. That evening, I went home and told my parents
what had happened. They too forgave me and taught me the
proper ways of helping friends.
But God is good. I was surprised when my form teacher
informed me later that the school had decided not to punish
us because this was our first offence. I am thankful to God for
speaking to me. I am also grateful to God that my school did not
punish me in the end.
14

A Mom’s God Encounter
Cheryl Tseng, Mother of Megan Chan, P2
Some time in mid June, I suddenly developed a pain that radiated from the back of my neck all the way to my right hand and
fingers. The pain caused me sleepless nights. I went to see a Traditional Chinese Medicine physician. The pain was somewhat
relieved but not completely gone. However, nothing prepared me for what took place on 5 July.
That Sunday, I did not make it for corporate worship as a very severe pain had kept me awake the night before. The pain
reminded me of childbirth contractions; in fact it was so unbearable that I could barely talk. I just curled in bed and thought I
was going to die. I even contacted a doctor from church to see if it was serious enough for me to be warded into a hospital.
Seeing me in such pain, Megan, my 8-year old daughter, felt helpless. However, she remembered a song she had just learnt
at the IBLP (Institute in Basic Life Principles) camp and started singing it. Till this day, I remember the words:
Elohim, Elohim, the God who made and chose me,
Adonai, Adonai, my Master and my King,
He is my El Roi, the God who sees me always.
Jehovah Raah meets my every need,
A gentle shepherd who will love and lead.
After singing, Megan closed her eyes and recited Psalm 20:1 (NKJV): “May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble; May the
name of the God of Jacob defend you.” Then she prayed that God would take away the pain. She later checked with me if the pain
was still there. From seeing the agony from my face, she knew better. She then exclaimed, “Hey, how come my prayers don’t
work?!” On hindsight, it was funny, but the pain was so intense I did not think much of it then. Not giving up, Megan repeated
the song, quoting Psalm 20:1 again, and asking God to heal me. Once more, she checked with me to see if the pain was gone.
I managed to shake my head to indicate a “no”. She did not give up still. She repeated yet again with her praise and prayer. As
mysteriously as it came, the pain then mysteriously left me. I heaved a sigh of relief and thanked my daughter for praying for me.
Was I glad that I sent Megan for the IBLP camp just two weeks prior to this incident! There she learnt the precious power of
prayer, and exercised it when the need arose. I was both surprised and humbled that God would use a child to intercede for
me. I am amazed till this day. No wonder Jesus says in Matthew 18:1-6 (NIV):
“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child
and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you
will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of
heaven. “And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones
who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the
depths of the sea.”
15

CM ANNOUNCEMENTS
Senior Vacation Bible Camp 2009
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so
we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)
How wonderful that we are all beautifully and perfectly crafted by our Creator!
His design for us and for our lives is perfect for His holy plan – which is to do
good! Parents, your children are MASTERPIECES! Let them come to this
year’s VBC so that they will learn through games, interaction and lessons, how
wonderfully precious they are, and how they can be a blessing to others.
Date: 2 to 5 December (Wed to Sat)
Duration: Stay-in camp
Venue: Bedok Methodist Church, 86 Bedok Road, Singapore 469371
Age Group: Primary 1 to 6
Cost: Cash payment of S$50.00 per child (Fees include materials and meals)
Enquiries: Stephen Chan (96875237) stephenchan_@hotmail.com / Dorothy Tay (96869876) dotty241@singnet.com.sg
Junior Vacation Bible Camp 2009
During this camp, children will learn that Jesus is their Shepherd, who will
guide them and take care of their daily needs when they put their trust in Him.
The programme will include stories, craft, songs and games for the children.
If you have children, relatives or friends who are preschoolers, then this camp
is for them!
Date: 3 to 5 December 2009 (Thu to Sat)
Duration: 9.00 am to 5.30 pm
Venue: Bedok Methodist Church, 86 Bedok Road, Singapore 469371
Age Group: Children between 4 to 6 years (born 2003 to 2005)
Cost: Cash payment of S$30.00 per child
(Fees include materials, lunch and snacks)
Enquiries: Linda Thong (65450296 / 94898024)
Jessica Yong (63881641 / 98262586)
Registration for both camps begins on 27 Sep and closes on 25 Oct on a first-come-first-served basis. Registration forms are
available at the Vacation Bible Camp registration counter at the fellowship deck on Sundays or BMC office (64413452) and BMC
Kindergarten office (64458048) on weekdays.
Bridges aims to provide the links and resources for every parent to be actively involved in raising godly, moral and balanced children in an increasingly complex
world today. If you have any questions or comments, please write to us at:
Bridges Newsletter
Bedok Methodist Church
86 Bedok Road Singapore 469371 Email: bridges@bmc.org.sg Bridges is also available online at http://www.bmc.org.sg/resources.htm
Editorial Committee
Sabrina Ng, Lim See Keen, Yeo Pik Yee, Karen Teo, Linda Cheam, Kuek Shee Cher and Johnson Tan
CM Matters
Children between ages 3 and 12 are invited to join our Children’s Ministry every Sunday. We have two sessions, one at 8.30am and the other at 10.30am.
These sessions coincide with the services.
CM 16 Key Personnel Mrs Mabel Lam (Superintendent) 97928161