Recently I have read a classic entitled "Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom. I have heard of it since a long time ago but never have I take the time and action to read it. Finally the chance came when Chon Thye, my colleague told me that he had the book and I borrowed from him.
The beginning of the book is inviting and interesting.
"Chapter One: The Cirriculum
The last class of my old professor's life took place once a week...The class met on Tuesday...The subject was The Meaning of Life. It was taught from experience.
No grades were given, but there were oral exams each week. You were expected to respond to questions, and you were expected to pose questions of your own...
No books were required, yet many topics were covered, including love, work, community , family aging, forgiveness and finally death. The last lecture was brief, only a few words.
A funeral was held in lieu of graduation.
Although no final exam was given, you were expected to produce one long paper on what was learned. That paper was presented here.
The last class of my old professor's life had only one student.
I was the student."
As I read Chapter One, many thoughts and questions started to appear.
We teach Maths, Science, English and Chinese in our school cirriculum in equipping and preparation our children to provide for themselves when they grow up. Where then do we go for our lesson on "The Meaning of Life"? Isn't it something important and significant enough to be taught? Unless it is not as important as learning of hard skills taught in mainstream schools?
How can we know if we pass the tests and exams on "The Meaning of Life" lesson?
What differentiates between those who pass or fail?
What are the merits and demerits of enrolling in such a course?
What difference does it make whether you enroll in such a lesson or not?
What are the syllabus covered under such a programme?
Can there be anyone who is qualified to teach such a topic?
I welcome postings and comments of thoughts and insights to my questions.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Came across an article today which serves as a good primer for the church to start thinking proactively and to anticipate opportunities (areas of God's working in Singapore) that come with an aging population.
The church can certainly make use of the opportunity (indicated in bold below) to outreach, make a difference and impact lives.
__________________________________
27 May 2009
The Straits Times
Forum
Missing: Social software for the elderly
The 'hardware' required to meet the needs of a boom in elderly population, outlined by Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan in last Thursday's report ('S'pore gears up for silver tsunami'), is staggering in cost and manpower and will burden future generations.
In just five years, for instance, Singapore needs to have 2,000 more nursing home beds, train a large number of health-care personnel and set up complex financial schemes to cope with the expenses.
Are there other strategies which we can adopt to minimise the impact?
Perhaps, we still have time to look deeper into the development of the social software needed to alleviate the oncoming shock waves.
For example, Health Ministry estimates put the number of elderly people suffering from dementia to rise from the current 20,000 to 45,000 by 2020.
In my interaction with retirees, I found that their common problem is the lack of a sense of purpose in life. There is nothing they can look forward to in their daily lives. Such emptiness and hopelessness can cause depression and eventually, dementia.
Keeping retirees socially connected and providing them with mental challenges is necessary to maintain their overall health; and this is where social software schemes, which mobilise mass involvement, or social enterprises can make use of their skills and experiences.
All these can keep them mentally alert and physically healthy.
Many social schemes and enterprises require creative design and innovative organisation and may not necessarily involve substantial costs.
On the other hand, they can contribute much social benefits and to national well-being.
President S R Nathan's Address to Parliament stressed the need for new strategies to cope with the new economic environment, and an ageing population is a challenge facing us.
We must mobilise every able person to work together to create a new social structure in which the elderly can live in dignity and self-respect.
Jackson Chia Sze Soon President Active Retirees' Association
The church can certainly make use of the opportunity (indicated in bold below) to outreach, make a difference and impact lives.
__________________________________
27 May 2009
The Straits Times
Forum
Missing: Social software for the elderly
The 'hardware' required to meet the needs of a boom in elderly population, outlined by Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan in last Thursday's report ('S'pore gears up for silver tsunami'), is staggering in cost and manpower and will burden future generations.
In just five years, for instance, Singapore needs to have 2,000 more nursing home beds, train a large number of health-care personnel and set up complex financial schemes to cope with the expenses.
Are there other strategies which we can adopt to minimise the impact?
Perhaps, we still have time to look deeper into the development of the social software needed to alleviate the oncoming shock waves.
For example, Health Ministry estimates put the number of elderly people suffering from dementia to rise from the current 20,000 to 45,000 by 2020.
In my interaction with retirees, I found that their common problem is the lack of a sense of purpose in life. There is nothing they can look forward to in their daily lives. Such emptiness and hopelessness can cause depression and eventually, dementia.
Keeping retirees socially connected and providing them with mental challenges is necessary to maintain their overall health; and this is where social software schemes, which mobilise mass involvement, or social enterprises can make use of their skills and experiences.
All these can keep them mentally alert and physically healthy.
Many social schemes and enterprises require creative design and innovative organisation and may not necessarily involve substantial costs.
On the other hand, they can contribute much social benefits and to national well-being.
President S R Nathan's Address to Parliament stressed the need for new strategies to cope with the new economic environment, and an ageing population is a challenge facing us.
We must mobilise every able person to work together to create a new social structure in which the elderly can live in dignity and self-respect.
Jackson Chia Sze Soon President Active Retirees' Association
Monday, May 25, 2009
Reflection - God's Purposes in Our Lives
Since we are recently on the topic of pondering over God's will for our lives as Christians, I am posting up this article in order to gain a holistic favour of God's will for our lives. I remember coming into contact with this concept of the five giants in this world when Rick Warren came to Singapore some years ago to share about "Affluence and Influence". His sharing was one of the best and most illuminating sharing that had made a difference in my life as a Christian. I would consider his sharing as important and foundational teachings in order for Christians to understand the holistic will of God.
_____________________________________
Facing the world's five giants!
by Rick and Kay Warren
The world is full of problems. Some are small and some are huge. As Kay and I considered the problems facing the world today, we concluded there are five giants -- five pervasive problems that affect billions of people.
These are the ones we want to tackle, believing God gets the most glory when we attack the biggest giants. These problems are so huge that they can only be addressed with total dependence on God and with all of us -- your congregation and mine, Christians all around the world -- working together to confront them.
Here are the giant problems, as we see them:
1. The first global giant is spiritual darkness.
Here’s a startling truth: Billions of people have never even heard the name of Jesus Christ. Three thousand distinct people groups around our world wouldn’t even know the name of Jesus if they heard it.
“Who is that?” they’d ask. “What’s so significant about that name?”
These people know nothing about Jesus or about God. If you were one of those who had never heard the name of Jesus, wouldn’t you want somebody to come tell you about our Savior, our Lord? The Bible says in Romans 10:14 (NCV), “Before people can ask the Lord for help, they must believe in him; and before they can believe in him, they must hear about him; and for them to hear about the Lord, someone must tell them.”
The greatest giant in our world today is the fact that billions of people do not know Jesus Christ.
2. The second giant we want to tackle is the lack of servant leaders around the world.
Around the world, there are plenty of people in leadership who abuse their power. Many refuse to use their power for the good of their people -- instead they choose to use it for themselves. This has created chaos in the world.
Leaders must have moral basis. They must have wisdom. Proverbs 11:14 (NLT) says, “Without wise leadership, a nation falls.” Proverbs 16:12b (Msg) says, “Sound leadership has a moral foundation.” And Zechariah 10:2 (TEV) says, “People wander around like lost sheep. They are in trouble because they have no leader.”
In the developing world there are 2.1 million pastors and church leaders. Of those, 1.9 million have never had any training at all. Not only have these leaders not gone to seminary or Bible school, they haven’t even gone to high school or primary school. They have no training whatsoever -- and yet they lead the church. This must be remedied.
3. The third giant we’re going after is poverty.
More than half of the world -- that’s three billion people -- live on less than two dollars a day. One-sixth of the world’s population lives in slums. Those are heart-breaking statistics. Proverbs 28:7 (NIV) says, “The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.”
It’s easy to live in a bubble and think the rest of the world lives like we do. When we go about our daily lives forgetting how most of the world lives, we tend to judge people for being poor. Job 12:5 (GW) says, “A person who has an easy life [that would be you and me] has no appreciation for misfortune. He thinks it is the fate of those who slip up.”
Tell that to the parents of 10 million little girls who’ve been sold into prostitution in Southeast Asia. Their families exist in such grinding poverty they see no other way to feed their families than to sell their little girls into prostitution. It’s a horrible existence.
4. The fourth giant we want to attack is disease.
Billions suffer the effects of famine and drought. They are homeless, hungry, and helpless. They’re ill. We can do something about that.
Psalm 38:6-11 (GW) says, “I am bent over and bowed down very low. ... My insides are filled with burning pain, and no healthy spot is left on my body. I am numb and completely devastated. ... I’ve lost my strength. Even the light of my eyes has left me. My loved ones and my friends keep their distance and my relatives stand far away because of my sickness.” We have seen the effects of poverty as we've traveled. We’ve seen the effects of people with HIV/AIDS. The stigma is enormous. People are abandoned by their own families. Their bodies slowly waste away from opportunistic infections. As Christians we cannot ignore these people.
Ezekiel 34:4 (TEV) says, “You have not taken care of the weak ones, healed the ones that are sick, bandaged the ones that are hurt, brought back the ones that wandered off, or looked for the ones that were lost. Instead, you treated them cruelly.”
5. The fifth giant we want to tackle is ignorance.
Over half the world is still illiterate. How can a country grow and be strong economically when its citizens can’t read, can’t write, and don’t know the fundamentals of math and science that we take for granted? It’s no wonder these countries aren’t strong. Hosea 4:6 (NIV) says, “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.” There’s a desperate need for teachers and schools and materials to help people grow. These five giants can be toppled. We can make a difference. In a future issue, we'll talk about why the church is the perfect tool for toppling giants.
_____________________________________
Facing the world's five giants!
by Rick and Kay Warren
The world is full of problems. Some are small and some are huge. As Kay and I considered the problems facing the world today, we concluded there are five giants -- five pervasive problems that affect billions of people.
These are the ones we want to tackle, believing God gets the most glory when we attack the biggest giants. These problems are so huge that they can only be addressed with total dependence on God and with all of us -- your congregation and mine, Christians all around the world -- working together to confront them.
Here are the giant problems, as we see them:
1. The first global giant is spiritual darkness.
Here’s a startling truth: Billions of people have never even heard the name of Jesus Christ. Three thousand distinct people groups around our world wouldn’t even know the name of Jesus if they heard it.
“Who is that?” they’d ask. “What’s so significant about that name?”
These people know nothing about Jesus or about God. If you were one of those who had never heard the name of Jesus, wouldn’t you want somebody to come tell you about our Savior, our Lord? The Bible says in Romans 10:14 (NCV), “Before people can ask the Lord for help, they must believe in him; and before they can believe in him, they must hear about him; and for them to hear about the Lord, someone must tell them.”
The greatest giant in our world today is the fact that billions of people do not know Jesus Christ.
2. The second giant we want to tackle is the lack of servant leaders around the world.
Around the world, there are plenty of people in leadership who abuse their power. Many refuse to use their power for the good of their people -- instead they choose to use it for themselves. This has created chaos in the world.
Leaders must have moral basis. They must have wisdom. Proverbs 11:14 (NLT) says, “Without wise leadership, a nation falls.” Proverbs 16:12b (Msg) says, “Sound leadership has a moral foundation.” And Zechariah 10:2 (TEV) says, “People wander around like lost sheep. They are in trouble because they have no leader.”
In the developing world there are 2.1 million pastors and church leaders. Of those, 1.9 million have never had any training at all. Not only have these leaders not gone to seminary or Bible school, they haven’t even gone to high school or primary school. They have no training whatsoever -- and yet they lead the church. This must be remedied.
3. The third giant we’re going after is poverty.
More than half of the world -- that’s three billion people -- live on less than two dollars a day. One-sixth of the world’s population lives in slums. Those are heart-breaking statistics. Proverbs 28:7 (NIV) says, “The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.”
It’s easy to live in a bubble and think the rest of the world lives like we do. When we go about our daily lives forgetting how most of the world lives, we tend to judge people for being poor. Job 12:5 (GW) says, “A person who has an easy life [that would be you and me] has no appreciation for misfortune. He thinks it is the fate of those who slip up.”
Tell that to the parents of 10 million little girls who’ve been sold into prostitution in Southeast Asia. Their families exist in such grinding poverty they see no other way to feed their families than to sell their little girls into prostitution. It’s a horrible existence.
4. The fourth giant we want to attack is disease.
Billions suffer the effects of famine and drought. They are homeless, hungry, and helpless. They’re ill. We can do something about that.
Psalm 38:6-11 (GW) says, “I am bent over and bowed down very low. ... My insides are filled with burning pain, and no healthy spot is left on my body. I am numb and completely devastated. ... I’ve lost my strength. Even the light of my eyes has left me. My loved ones and my friends keep their distance and my relatives stand far away because of my sickness.” We have seen the effects of poverty as we've traveled. We’ve seen the effects of people with HIV/AIDS. The stigma is enormous. People are abandoned by their own families. Their bodies slowly waste away from opportunistic infections. As Christians we cannot ignore these people.
Ezekiel 34:4 (TEV) says, “You have not taken care of the weak ones, healed the ones that are sick, bandaged the ones that are hurt, brought back the ones that wandered off, or looked for the ones that were lost. Instead, you treated them cruelly.”
5. The fifth giant we want to tackle is ignorance.
Over half the world is still illiterate. How can a country grow and be strong economically when its citizens can’t read, can’t write, and don’t know the fundamentals of math and science that we take for granted? It’s no wonder these countries aren’t strong. Hosea 4:6 (NIV) says, “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.” There’s a desperate need for teachers and schools and materials to help people grow. These five giants can be toppled. We can make a difference. In a future issue, we'll talk about why the church is the perfect tool for toppling giants.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
The Church – the greatest force on Earth
I came across this article just recently and thought that it's a pretty great article to ponder over, especially when some of us may be having second thoughts and are disillusioned towards church being an institution from God to bring about His will.
The Church will last for eternity, and because it is God’s instrument for ministry here on Earth, it is truly the greatest force on the face of the Earth. That’s why I believe tackling the world’s biggest problems – the giants of spiritual lostness, egocentric leadership, poverty, disease, and ignorance – can only be done through the Church.
The Church has eight distinct advantages over the efforts of business and government:
For example, about 100 million people in the United States went to church this past weekend. That’s more people than will attend sporting events in the United States throughout this year. The Church is the largest force for good in the world. Nothing else even comes close.
2. The Church provides for the widest distribution.
Consider this: The Red Cross noted that 90 percent of the meals they served to victims of Hurricane Katrina were actually cooked by Southern Baptist churches. Many churches were able to jump into action faster than the government agencies or the Red Cross. Why? The Church is literally everywhere, and Christians who could provide help to the Gulf Coast communicated with Christians in need of help so relief could be sent immediately.
3. The Church provides the longest continuation.
Why? Because it’s the Church that Jesus established, and it is indestructible. The Bible calls the Church an unshakable kingdom. In Matthew 16, Jesus says, “I will build my Church and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” All the powers of hell – in other words, no hurricane, no earthquake, no tsunami, no famine, no pandemic, no army will ever conquer the Church established by Jesus Christ.
4. The Church provides the fastest expansion.
In one country that is closed to traditional Christian missions, more than 60,000 house churches have been started in one province by the work of lay people, no different from the people who fill your church sanctuary every weekend.
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If we’re going to tackle global giants like poverty, disease, or illiteracy, then we must be part of something that’s growing faster than the problem. The Church is doing just that!
5. The Church provides the highest motivation.
We’re motivated to keep at the hard work of ministry because we love God, and our love for God compels us to love other people. It is love that never gives up; it is love that keeps moving forward despite the appearance of impossible odds; and it is love that outlasts any problem.
6. The Church provides the strongest authorization.God authorized the Church to take on global giants, such as spiritual lostness, egocentric leadership, poverty, disease, and ignorance. With God’s authorization, the outcome is guaranteed to be successful.
When you know that God has authorized you to do something, you don’t worry about failure because God doesn’t sponsor flops. If God says we’re going to do it, it’s going to happen. It is inevitable. In fact, the Bible teaches that God will give us his power to complete the task. This is God’s way - ordinary people empowered by his Spirit.
7. The Church provides the simplest administration.
The old wineskin of command and control won’t work well in the 21st century. The organization of the future is the “network.” And there’s no better worldwide network than the Church, where every member is a minister and empowered to do what God wants done.
The P.E.A.C.E. Plan
Consider it this way – tens of millions of Christians in millions of small groups that are part of churches around the world can take on the global giants with no other authority than that given from Jesus Christ. In other words, we have God’s permission and we have God’s command to do it. There is no need to seek permission from anyone else.
8. The Church provides for God’s conclusion.
When you consider these eight advantages, think about the exponential explosion of ministry when millions upon millions of small groups in millions upon millions of churches organize in such a way that each person can do their part in attacking the five global giants.
What do you think could happen if God’s people prayed against these global giants, prepared for action against these giants, and then moved through faith to tackle these giants?
We may look at these problems and think, “These are too big! How could we possibly solve them?”
But with God, nothing is impossible – and if we all work together as his Church, we’ll see these giants falls just as Goliath fell when faced with David’s obedience to God.
Pastor, it is a great privilege and an awesome responsibility to lead a local church. God wouldn’t have placed you where you are if he didn’t believe you could handle the task before you. You play a vital role in tackling these global giants. It is my privilege to co-labor with you.
The Church – the greatest force on Earthby Rick Warren
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The Church is everywhere in the world.
There are villages that have little else,but they do have a church.
Rick Warren
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The Church is the most magnificent concept ever created. It has survived persistent abuse, horrifying persecution, and widespread neglect. Yet despite its faults (due to our sinfulness), it is still God’s chosen instrument of blessing and has been for 2,000 years.
The Church will last for eternity, and because it is God’s instrument for ministry here on Earth, it is truly the greatest force on the face of the Earth. That’s why I believe tackling the world’s biggest problems – the giants of spiritual lostness, egocentric leadership, poverty, disease, and ignorance – can only be done through the Church.
The Church has eight distinct advantages over the efforts of business and government:
1. The Church provides for the largest participation.
Most people have no idea how many Christians there are in the world: More than 2 billion people claim to be followers of Jesus Christ. That’s one third of the world’s population! The Church has about a billion more people than the entire nation of China.
For example, about 100 million people in the United States went to church this past weekend. That’s more people than will attend sporting events in the United States throughout this year. The Church is the largest force for good in the world. Nothing else even comes close.
2. The Church provides for the widest distribution.
The Church is everywhere in the world. There are villages that have little else, but they do have a church. You could visit millions of villages around the world that don’t have a school, a clinic, a hospital, a fire department, or a post office. They don’t have any businesses. But they do have a church. The Church is more widely spread – more widely distributed – than any business franchise in the world.
Consider this: The Red Cross noted that 90 percent of the meals they served to victims of Hurricane Katrina were actually cooked by Southern Baptist churches. Many churches were able to jump into action faster than the government agencies or the Red Cross. Why? The Church is literally everywhere, and Christians who could provide help to the Gulf Coast communicated with Christians in need of help so relief could be sent immediately.
3. The Church provides the longest continuation.
The Church has been around for 2,000 years. We’re not a fly-by-night operation. The Church has a track record that spans centuries: Malicious leaders have tried to destroy it, hostile groups have persecuted it, and skeptics have scoffed at it. Nevertheless, God’s Church is bigger now than ever before in history.
Why? Because it’s the Church that Jesus established, and it is indestructible. The Bible calls the Church an unshakable kingdom. In Matthew 16, Jesus says, “I will build my Church and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” All the powers of hell – in other words, no hurricane, no earthquake, no tsunami, no famine, no pandemic, no army will ever conquer the Church established by Jesus Christ.
4. The Church provides the fastest expansion.
Did you know that every day 60,000 new people come to believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior? By the end of today, thousands of new churches will be started throughout the world, and that will happen tomorrow and the next day and the next.
In one country that is closed to traditional Christian missions, more than 60,000 house churches have been started in one province by the work of lay people, no different from the people who fill your church sanctuary every weekend.
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If you’ve got a problem that’s growing at a rapid rate, then you need a solution that will grow even more rapidly. For instance, HIV/AIDS is growing at an incredibly fast rate in the world. Yet thank God, the Church is outgrowing the disease, so more and more believers can help minister to those with HIV/AIDS.
Rick Warren
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Why is fast expansion important? If you’ve got a problem that’s growing at a rapid rate, then you need a solution that will grow even more rapidly. For instance, HIV/AIDS is growing at an incredibly fast rate in the world. Yet thank God the Church is outgrowing the disease, so more and more believers can help minister to those with HIV/AIDS.
If we’re going to tackle global giants like poverty, disease, or illiteracy, then we must be part of something that’s growing faster than the problem. The Church is doing just that!
5. The Church provides the highest motivation.
Why do any of us do what we do in ministry? It’s not to make money, not to make a name for ourselves and not for duty to our nation. We do it out of love. Jesus stated it as the Great Commandment: “Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.” We wouldn’t do the hard work required to tackle these global giants for money, for fame, or for anything else. It just wouldn’t be worth it; we’d quit before the end.
We’re motivated to keep at the hard work of ministry because we love God, and our love for God compels us to love other people. It is love that never gives up; it is love that keeps moving forward despite the appearance of impossible odds; and it is love that outlasts any problem.
6. The Church provides the strongest authorization.God authorized the Church to take on global giants, such as spiritual lostness, egocentric leadership, poverty, disease, and ignorance. With God’s authorization, the outcome is guaranteed to be successful.
When you know that God has authorized you to do something, you don’t worry about failure because God doesn’t sponsor flops. If God says we’re going to do it, it’s going to happen. It is inevitable. In fact, the Bible teaches that God will give us his power to complete the task. This is God’s way - ordinary people empowered by his Spirit.
7. The Church provides the simplest administration.
The Church is organized in such a way that we can network faster and with less bureaucracy than most governmental agencies or even well-meaning charities. For instance, the organizational structure at Saddleback, which is based on the New Testament model, holds that every member is a minister. Each person in our church family is encouraged to use his or her own S.H.A.P.E. (Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, Experiences) to do what God has called him or her to do. There is no bureaucracy or hierarchy. There isn’t a single committee, and the process doesn’t require a long list of approvals.
The old wineskin of command and control won’t work well in the 21st century. The organization of the future is the “network.” And there’s no better worldwide network than the Church, where every member is a minister and empowered to do what God wants done.
The P.E.A.C.E. Plan
Want to learn more about Rick Warren’s historic plan to tackle the global giants of spiritual lostness, egocentric leadership, poverty, disease, and ignorance? Check out Purpose Driven Ministries’ P.E.A.C.E. Plan Web site.
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Consider it this way – tens of millions of Christians in millions of small groups that are part of churches around the world can take on the global giants with no other authority than that given from Jesus Christ. In other words, we have God’s permission and we have God’s command to do it. There is no need to seek permission from anyone else.
8. The Church provides for God’s conclusion.
Since we believe the Bible is God’s Word, we already know the end of history. Jesus said in Matthew 24: “The good news about God’s Kingdom will be preached in all the world to every nation, and then the end will come.” It is inevitable and unavoidable.
When you consider these eight advantages, think about the exponential explosion of ministry when millions upon millions of small groups in millions upon millions of churches organize in such a way that each person can do their part in attacking the five global giants.
What do you think could happen if God’s people prayed against these global giants, prepared for action against these giants, and then moved through faith to tackle these giants?
We may look at these problems and think, “These are too big! How could we possibly solve them?”
But with God, nothing is impossible – and if we all work together as his Church, we’ll see these giants falls just as Goliath fell when faced with David’s obedience to God.
Pastor, it is a great privilege and an awesome responsibility to lead a local church. God wouldn’t have placed you where you are if he didn’t believe you could handle the task before you. You play a vital role in tackling these global giants. It is my privilege to co-labor with you.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Just Thinking Aloud - Strategic Direction Should Be Proactive in Meeting Future Needs/Issues?
Just saw this article today and together with the rest of the article posted on my blog, the articles pointed out some emerging trends pertaining to our society. We as Christians are part of the society and such trends would in fact affect the church.
I'm thinking aloud on the role of church leadership pertaining to identifying and spotting social trends, and knowing such impacts to church and the lives of the members. Should strategic direction and initiatives be casted proactively so that as a church we could anticipate changes and progress steadily to meet the challenges, or should we always react at the last minute to changes around us?
E.g. Silver tsunami is inevitable and will hit Singapore and the church. What will the impact be to the church? How should the church respond? Are we prepared now? How can we bridge the gap?
2009 is the Year of Preparation. What are we preparing for?
_________________
21/05/09
The Straits Times
S'pore gears up for SILVER TSUNAMI
- 2,000 more nursing home beds in five years
- Eldersave, ElderShield, Elderfund being developed
- Manpower expansion and training in health care
By Salma Khalik, Health Correspondent
IN THE coming decade, Singapore's health-care system will come under pressure from an ageing population coupled with an increase in mental ailments.
To cope, the Health Ministry will add more than 2,000 nursing home beds over the next five years - with about half devoted to the care of the mentally ill.
In the Health Addendum to the President's Address at the opening of Parliament on Monday, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan spoke of the need to prepare for a 'silver tsunami'.
The population here is ageing rapidly. The number of people who are over 65 years old is expected to treble to 900,000 by 2030 - from 300,000 today.
This is the driving force behind the development of a second heart and cancer centre, a new general hospital in Yishun and another in Jurong, and the expansion of the National University Health System's dental centre.
'We will increase our subventions to intermediate and long-term care facilities to help them meet growing patient needs,' said Mr Khaw.
These include community hospitals, nursing homes and hospices. New rates for community hospitals will take effect on July 1, that will see total subsidy go up by 15 per cent.
Work on five new nursing homes will start within two years, including a 300-bed home for patients with psychiatric problems to be ready by 2012.
Dr Tan Weng Mooi, chief operating officer for the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) said such a home is an important part of integrated community care for patients suffering from schizophrenia, mental retardation or bipolar disorder.
She said: 'IMH's philosophy is that those with mental illness should be allowed to stay on their own or with their families for as long as possible.'
But there might come a time when they need full-time care, but because their conditions are stable, do not need to be warded at IMH.
There are now three nursing homes that cater to such patients.
Another two new homes, each with 250 beds, will be designed for people suffering from dementia.
These homes will also take in other elderly patients.
A Ministry of Health spokesman said there are now about 20,000 elderly people in Singapore with dementia.
'This is estimated to increase to about 45,000 by 2020,' she said.
People with dementia suffer from loss of memory to the point where they are no longer able to do simple things like dress themselves or even eat. If diagnosed early, there is medication that could slow the progression of the disease.
Nursing homes for them need to provide lots of cues - such as signs, colour code and even music - to connect particular rooms with certain activities.
The ministry will also be releasing two plots of land for the building of private nursing homes. And it will help two existing homes run by voluntary welfare organisations (VWO) to relocate to new and larger facilities.
To help patients pay for all these services, the ministry will develop the 3Es - Eldersave, ElderShield and Elderfund.
Elderfund, set up as Medifund Silver in 2007, helps the elderly poor pay their hospital bills, while ElderShield is insurance for severe disability.
Eldersave is a new concept to help young people set aside enough of the Central Provident Fund money to provide for their health-care needs when they are old.
With so much in the pipeline, the ministry says it will need to recruit 4,500 people over the next two years, with 2,000 job openings in the next 12 months.
'Manpower expansion must precede infrastructure expansion,' the minister explained.
Manpower training in health care will be given a boost when the third medical school at the National Technological University opens.
Mr Khaw also touched on palliative care or the management of pain, and the need to let the elderly sick die with dignity, a theme he has touched on several times this year. He said: 'We will also build up capabilities on end-of-life care and expand the pool of palliative care specialists.'
I'm thinking aloud on the role of church leadership pertaining to identifying and spotting social trends, and knowing such impacts to church and the lives of the members. Should strategic direction and initiatives be casted proactively so that as a church we could anticipate changes and progress steadily to meet the challenges, or should we always react at the last minute to changes around us?
E.g. Silver tsunami is inevitable and will hit Singapore and the church. What will the impact be to the church? How should the church respond? Are we prepared now? How can we bridge the gap?
2009 is the Year of Preparation. What are we preparing for?
_________________
21/05/09
The Straits Times
S'pore gears up for SILVER TSUNAMI
- 2,000 more nursing home beds in five years
- Eldersave, ElderShield, Elderfund being developed
- Manpower expansion and training in health care
By Salma Khalik, Health Correspondent
IN THE coming decade, Singapore's health-care system will come under pressure from an ageing population coupled with an increase in mental ailments.
To cope, the Health Ministry will add more than 2,000 nursing home beds over the next five years - with about half devoted to the care of the mentally ill.
In the Health Addendum to the President's Address at the opening of Parliament on Monday, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan spoke of the need to prepare for a 'silver tsunami'.
The population here is ageing rapidly. The number of people who are over 65 years old is expected to treble to 900,000 by 2030 - from 300,000 today.
This is the driving force behind the development of a second heart and cancer centre, a new general hospital in Yishun and another in Jurong, and the expansion of the National University Health System's dental centre.
'We will increase our subventions to intermediate and long-term care facilities to help them meet growing patient needs,' said Mr Khaw.
These include community hospitals, nursing homes and hospices. New rates for community hospitals will take effect on July 1, that will see total subsidy go up by 15 per cent.
Work on five new nursing homes will start within two years, including a 300-bed home for patients with psychiatric problems to be ready by 2012.
Dr Tan Weng Mooi, chief operating officer for the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) said such a home is an important part of integrated community care for patients suffering from schizophrenia, mental retardation or bipolar disorder.
She said: 'IMH's philosophy is that those with mental illness should be allowed to stay on their own or with their families for as long as possible.'
But there might come a time when they need full-time care, but because their conditions are stable, do not need to be warded at IMH.
There are now three nursing homes that cater to such patients.
Another two new homes, each with 250 beds, will be designed for people suffering from dementia.
These homes will also take in other elderly patients.
A Ministry of Health spokesman said there are now about 20,000 elderly people in Singapore with dementia.
'This is estimated to increase to about 45,000 by 2020,' she said.
People with dementia suffer from loss of memory to the point where they are no longer able to do simple things like dress themselves or even eat. If diagnosed early, there is medication that could slow the progression of the disease.
Nursing homes for them need to provide lots of cues - such as signs, colour code and even music - to connect particular rooms with certain activities.
The ministry will also be releasing two plots of land for the building of private nursing homes. And it will help two existing homes run by voluntary welfare organisations (VWO) to relocate to new and larger facilities.
To help patients pay for all these services, the ministry will develop the 3Es - Eldersave, ElderShield and Elderfund.
Elderfund, set up as Medifund Silver in 2007, helps the elderly poor pay their hospital bills, while ElderShield is insurance for severe disability.
Eldersave is a new concept to help young people set aside enough of the Central Provident Fund money to provide for their health-care needs when they are old.
With so much in the pipeline, the ministry says it will need to recruit 4,500 people over the next two years, with 2,000 job openings in the next 12 months.
'Manpower expansion must precede infrastructure expansion,' the minister explained.
Manpower training in health care will be given a boost when the third medical school at the National Technological University opens.
Mr Khaw also touched on palliative care or the management of pain, and the need to let the elderly sick die with dignity, a theme he has touched on several times this year. He said: 'We will also build up capabilities on end-of-life care and expand the pool of palliative care specialists.'
Reflection - A Holistic Understanding of God's Calling
I was reflecting on the following above when I read Huaqiang's blog posting dated 18 May 09, concerning The Great Commision. Below are my comment in response to his entry.
_________________
Bro,
Thanks for your sharing on our fundamental. A good reminder of what we are actually called to be as children of God. Our ultimate end goal is to build strong and biblical christians who loves God and people wholeheartedly. In order to fulfill this goal, there are many different components involved, planting churches, outreaching, discipleship, etc.
Since we are along this line of reflection and thoughts, I have considered some verses and questions in an attempt for all of us to “consider” a larger and more encompassing worldview of God's will for us.1. How can we as Christians be balanced and move in step with Holy Spirit to fulfill the Great Commission in being urgent but at the same time not being too compulsive and overlook other areas of importance as instructed by the bible? The part of fulfilling the Great Commission in our lifetime - Is it specifically mentioned by the bible or is it advocated by man? There is definitely a difference between desiring to fulfill, willing to fulfill versus “die die” must fulfill in our lifetime.
2. 2 Tim 3:17, Eph 4:12-13 – We as Christians are called to works of service (to do something) so that the body of Christ (church) may be built up until we all reach unity in faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature (essence of discipleship), attaining to the whole measure of fullness of Christ. Essentially, we also have the calling of building the church strongly through discipleship. To me, this shows me a glimpse of how church growth should be like – Not through conversions after conversions of new believers but with no matured Christians to take care of, but with the following:-
i. Effective and efficient system, processes and structure to facilitate containment of growth
ii. Christians with strong character, wisdom and competencies to contain the growth
iii. Wise board strategic direction from leadership to mobilise everyone to serve together
In essence, the church delivered “great performance” in fulfillment of its mission, making deep and heartfelt impacts in changing lives of people and finally one that is “enduring and sustainable” in a long run. Our present church leadership will not be there all the time. Fulfilling the Great Commission means continuity – when the present leaders are gone, there are replacements from people on the ground. Some questions I asked aloud – Who are the new and uprising leaders nowadays in church, district, sub-district, unit and CG? Are they really competent as compared to the old guards? How long on the average does it takes to develop a leader? Given that our church size is about 4000 in congregational size, how many pastors, DLs, SDLs, Uls, CLs are needed for optimal functioning? How many actual leaders do we have now and what is the gap? What are we doing now to plug this gap? Are the leaders and members aware of such gaps? Are there any attempts to help all of us to see the actual gaps?
3. The bible also mentions specifically of:-
i. Jer 29:11, 1 Cor 12, Eph 4 - Specific plans for individual with different giftings and talents to serve differently
ii. Matt 25:14-30, Luke 19:11-27 - The concept of stewardship; The need for us to be faithful to ultilise our talents, giftings which God will call us to be accountable for. How does such different giftings play a part in Great Commission?
iii. Matt 13:8, 23 – Concept of different aptitude given by God (Some bear fruits of thirty, sixty or hundred folds)
From i, ii, and iii, from the interaction of all these factors, how would the picture of a strong and biblical church who is in God’s be like? Does this picture comes naturally or it is achieved through cautious, meticulous, disciplined, and prayerfully planning and following of God’s leading? What’s the balance between responsibility of leaders in chartering directions of growth VS initiatives by members to meet certain gaps in human needs? How should church leadership lead church growth in such a way to facilitate such unity in diversity of service to meet different needs? What are the critical areas confronting us as a church now for us to continue to move towards a glorious church?Further thoughts that I have yet to pen down in details include “Understanding what is meant by Kingdom of God and for us to expand the Kingdom of God”. I welcome further thoughts and inputs to this comment.
_________________
Bro,
Thanks for your sharing on our fundamental. A good reminder of what we are actually called to be as children of God. Our ultimate end goal is to build strong and biblical christians who loves God and people wholeheartedly. In order to fulfill this goal, there are many different components involved, planting churches, outreaching, discipleship, etc.
Since we are along this line of reflection and thoughts, I have considered some verses and questions in an attempt for all of us to “consider” a larger and more encompassing worldview of God's will for us.1. How can we as Christians be balanced and move in step with Holy Spirit to fulfill the Great Commission in being urgent but at the same time not being too compulsive and overlook other areas of importance as instructed by the bible? The part of fulfilling the Great Commission in our lifetime - Is it specifically mentioned by the bible or is it advocated by man? There is definitely a difference between desiring to fulfill, willing to fulfill versus “die die” must fulfill in our lifetime.
2. 2 Tim 3:17, Eph 4:12-13 – We as Christians are called to works of service (to do something) so that the body of Christ (church) may be built up until we all reach unity in faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature (essence of discipleship), attaining to the whole measure of fullness of Christ. Essentially, we also have the calling of building the church strongly through discipleship. To me, this shows me a glimpse of how church growth should be like – Not through conversions after conversions of new believers but with no matured Christians to take care of, but with the following:-
i. Effective and efficient system, processes and structure to facilitate containment of growth
ii. Christians with strong character, wisdom and competencies to contain the growth
iii. Wise board strategic direction from leadership to mobilise everyone to serve together
In essence, the church delivered “great performance” in fulfillment of its mission, making deep and heartfelt impacts in changing lives of people and finally one that is “enduring and sustainable” in a long run. Our present church leadership will not be there all the time. Fulfilling the Great Commission means continuity – when the present leaders are gone, there are replacements from people on the ground. Some questions I asked aloud – Who are the new and uprising leaders nowadays in church, district, sub-district, unit and CG? Are they really competent as compared to the old guards? How long on the average does it takes to develop a leader? Given that our church size is about 4000 in congregational size, how many pastors, DLs, SDLs, Uls, CLs are needed for optimal functioning? How many actual leaders do we have now and what is the gap? What are we doing now to plug this gap? Are the leaders and members aware of such gaps? Are there any attempts to help all of us to see the actual gaps?
3. The bible also mentions specifically of:-
i. Jer 29:11, 1 Cor 12, Eph 4 - Specific plans for individual with different giftings and talents to serve differently
ii. Matt 25:14-30, Luke 19:11-27 - The concept of stewardship; The need for us to be faithful to ultilise our talents, giftings which God will call us to be accountable for. How does such different giftings play a part in Great Commission?
iii. Matt 13:8, 23 – Concept of different aptitude given by God (Some bear fruits of thirty, sixty or hundred folds)
From i, ii, and iii, from the interaction of all these factors, how would the picture of a strong and biblical church who is in God’s be like? Does this picture comes naturally or it is achieved through cautious, meticulous, disciplined, and prayerfully planning and following of God’s leading? What’s the balance between responsibility of leaders in chartering directions of growth VS initiatives by members to meet certain gaps in human needs? How should church leadership lead church growth in such a way to facilitate such unity in diversity of service to meet different needs? What are the critical areas confronting us as a church now for us to continue to move towards a glorious church?Further thoughts that I have yet to pen down in details include “Understanding what is meant by Kingdom of God and for us to expand the Kingdom of God”. I welcome further thoughts and inputs to this comment.
Inspiring Story of a Devoted Mum - Thank God for Mummies!
20/05/09
The Straits Times
Kevin's a grad, thanks to mum
She quit job to be full-time caregiver to son, who has muscle-wasting disease
By Yeo Sam Jo
WHEN Mr Kevin Lee Yue Hong went on stage to collect his diploma in Temasek Polytechnic's auditorium yesterday, he shared the limelight with his mother, who was pushing him in his wheelchair.
And the certificate he received might as well have been shared with her, too. For three years, Madam Tay Et had a full-time 'job' accompanying her son to all his classes.
Mr Lee, 20, has Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a disease characterised by the rapid wasting of the muscles and limited mobility.
The graduation yesterday was an achievement for both mother and son, as his diploma in Internet and multimedia development was a culmination of their hard work.
When Mr Lee was diagnosed with DMD and became wheelchair-bound at 10, his mother quit her $1,000-a-month job at a manufacturing plant to become his full-time caregiver.
He could mostly manage on his own in primary and secondary school, with classmates helping him up the stairs. But his condition deteriorated after he entered the polytechnic, so Madam Tay decided to attend school with him.
Mr Lee gradually lost the ability to write and draw, and his speech became increasingly slurred. He began typing all his assignments on a computer. For exams, he would read out his answers to his teachers. By the end of 2007, he needed a portable ventilator to help him breathe.
Every day, his mother, a 52-year-old housewife, would wake up at 6.30am to get him ready for school. She would clear the phlegm from his throat, brush his teeth, feed him breakfast, bathe and clothe him, then take him from their Pasir Ris flat to Tampines in a London cab.
Madam Tay would also go with him to all his classes. There, she would prop him up against a table, ensuring he had a bolster for a cushion. She would help him to the toilet, collect notes on his behalf, and feed him when he was hungry.
'She was like our classmate,' said Mr Lee's classmate Nur Ashikin. 'She was always there for him, and the rest of us were really touched to see that.'
The one thing the Mandarin-speaking housewife could not do was help him with his lessons.
'I felt bad for not being able to help him more,' she said. 'But I have no complaints. I know I had to be there for him.'
To aid Mr Lee, the school let him have a room where he could lie down between classes as he is prone to fatigue. He was also given extra time to complete his assignments.
Despite his difficulties, he was very much a part of the class. Classmates and teachers said he would joke with them and participate in presentations.
'He inspires us lecturers and his classmates,' said his course manager N. Vijayan. 'He never gave up despite his condition.'
At yesterday's ceremony, Mr Lee could not stop smiling.
'I am excited that my hard work has paid off,' he said. 'But I couldn't have done it without my mum. She's like my buddy and I want to share this diploma with her.'
A cartoon and anime fan, he hopes to become an animator some day. But rather than put his mum through school again, he is pursuing the idea of attending online degree courses in multimedia.
'I am proud of him,' said Madam Tay, as she fought back tears. 'He wants to further his studies, but I'm not sure if we can afford it.'
His polytechnic education was paid for with savings. The family gets by on the $1,200 that Mr Lee's father brings home every month as a salesman. Mr Lee has a younger sister in Secondary 3.
The fighting pair refuse to believe doctors who tell him he has till maybe the age of 30 to live. Madam Tay said: 'Doctors tell me that one day, he will not be able to sit up at all. But I busy myself with chores so I don't have to think about it.'
The Straits Times
Kevin's a grad, thanks to mum
She quit job to be full-time caregiver to son, who has muscle-wasting disease
By Yeo Sam Jo
WHEN Mr Kevin Lee Yue Hong went on stage to collect his diploma in Temasek Polytechnic's auditorium yesterday, he shared the limelight with his mother, who was pushing him in his wheelchair.
And the certificate he received might as well have been shared with her, too. For three years, Madam Tay Et had a full-time 'job' accompanying her son to all his classes.
Mr Lee, 20, has Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a disease characterised by the rapid wasting of the muscles and limited mobility.
The graduation yesterday was an achievement for both mother and son, as his diploma in Internet and multimedia development was a culmination of their hard work.
When Mr Lee was diagnosed with DMD and became wheelchair-bound at 10, his mother quit her $1,000-a-month job at a manufacturing plant to become his full-time caregiver.
He could mostly manage on his own in primary and secondary school, with classmates helping him up the stairs. But his condition deteriorated after he entered the polytechnic, so Madam Tay decided to attend school with him.
Mr Lee gradually lost the ability to write and draw, and his speech became increasingly slurred. He began typing all his assignments on a computer. For exams, he would read out his answers to his teachers. By the end of 2007, he needed a portable ventilator to help him breathe.
Every day, his mother, a 52-year-old housewife, would wake up at 6.30am to get him ready for school. She would clear the phlegm from his throat, brush his teeth, feed him breakfast, bathe and clothe him, then take him from their Pasir Ris flat to Tampines in a London cab.
Madam Tay would also go with him to all his classes. There, she would prop him up against a table, ensuring he had a bolster for a cushion. She would help him to the toilet, collect notes on his behalf, and feed him when he was hungry.
'She was like our classmate,' said Mr Lee's classmate Nur Ashikin. 'She was always there for him, and the rest of us were really touched to see that.'
The one thing the Mandarin-speaking housewife could not do was help him with his lessons.
'I felt bad for not being able to help him more,' she said. 'But I have no complaints. I know I had to be there for him.'
To aid Mr Lee, the school let him have a room where he could lie down between classes as he is prone to fatigue. He was also given extra time to complete his assignments.
Despite his difficulties, he was very much a part of the class. Classmates and teachers said he would joke with them and participate in presentations.
'He inspires us lecturers and his classmates,' said his course manager N. Vijayan. 'He never gave up despite his condition.'
At yesterday's ceremony, Mr Lee could not stop smiling.
'I am excited that my hard work has paid off,' he said. 'But I couldn't have done it without my mum. She's like my buddy and I want to share this diploma with her.'
A cartoon and anime fan, he hopes to become an animator some day. But rather than put his mum through school again, he is pursuing the idea of attending online degree courses in multimedia.
'I am proud of him,' said Madam Tay, as she fought back tears. 'He wants to further his studies, but I'm not sure if we can afford it.'
His polytechnic education was paid for with savings. The family gets by on the $1,200 that Mr Lee's father brings home every month as a salesman. Mr Lee has a younger sister in Secondary 3.
The fighting pair refuse to believe doctors who tell him he has till maybe the age of 30 to live. Madam Tay said: 'Doctors tell me that one day, he will not be able to sit up at all. But I busy myself with chores so I don't have to think about it.'
Parents Unaware of Kids' Net Risks
I've included the following article below as it may be interesting to some brothers and sisters, e.g. married couples who are thinking of having kids in future and those who are serving in Hope Kids ministry. It highlighted some of the pressing issues to do with the internet and our children. Hopefully all christian parents, bro and sis serving in the children ministry would be aware of such issues and take proactive actions to protect the children
_______________________
20/05/09
The Straits Times
Parents unaware of kids' Net risks
Study presses need for online monitoring
By Serene Luo
MANY parents in Singapore and across the globe have little idea of what their children are up to online, a worldwide survey has found.
They do not know whether their children have been a target of cyber-bullying, Internet paedophiles and online fraudsters, or have been exposed to pornography - or how their children are coping with these if they have become victims.
Ask parents and 92 per cent of them will say they have set ground rules for using the Internet. Ask the young ones, on the other hand, and only 66 per cent say these rules exist, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has found.
The ITU, the technology arm of the United Nations, revealed this and other findings in conjunction with World Telecommunications and Information Society Day last Sunday.
The day was marked in Singapore yesterday by about 80 industry professionals at a gathering organised by the Association of Telecommunications Industry of Singapore (Atis).
Other findings by the ITU include:
- One in three teenage girls who go online has been harassed in chatrooms, but only 7 per cent of them tell their parents because they do not want to lose their Internet access.
- One in five children is being targeted by a sexual predator or paedophile each year.
- Three-quarters of children are willing to share information about themselves and their families online in exchange for goods and services, such as contest prizes or downloads, opening themselves to cybercriminals who use the information to steal money or their identities.
The numbers from the survey are not specific to Singapore, which has one of the highest Internet and mobile penetration rates in the world, but these issues are likely to be encountered in the country as well, some industry players say.
Atis has urged parents to play a larger role in teaching their children to stay safe while online.
Its president, Mr John Shaznell, said some parents were 'thinking like dinosaurs' in their detachment from the Internet and needed to be educated.
'We parents have put so much faith and trust in schools, but we don't know what our own kids are doing,' he said.
Senior social worker Vivienne Ng said some parents contributed to the problem by treating the computer as a babysitter.
'They believe that it's better their child is at home and online rather than outside mixing with bad company. But online, you're exposed to anything and everything and everyone,' said the staff member of Hougang Sheng Hong Family Service Centre.
She said she had come across seven-year-olds visiting porn sites. The words 'sex' and 'porn' are easy to spell, she said, and a search engine like Google is all a child needs to enter that world. Some even swop stories about their online findings with their friends at school, she added.
Ms Ng is starting a support group for parents whose children are glued to their computers.
Mr Eugene Seow, who chairs the National Internet and New Media Advisory Committee, said what many people did not realise was that content seen online could affect a child's values and behaviour.
The executive director of Touch Community Services, a promoter of cyber-wellness, urged parents to get themselves educated on cyber-wellness before their children are exposed to the Internet.
Parents need to 'get there first', he said, so they can pass on the right values instead of letting their children absorb it on their own.
Separately yesterday, the ITU launched worldwide a draft document containing recommendations for parents, telcos, Internet operators and governments. The Child Online Protection initiative is open for feedback from the public between now and the end of next month. Its suggestions include the setting up of a national sex-offender database and denying offenders access to websites popular with children.
_______________________
20/05/09
The Straits Times
Parents unaware of kids' Net risks
Study presses need for online monitoring
By Serene Luo
MANY parents in Singapore and across the globe have little idea of what their children are up to online, a worldwide survey has found.
They do not know whether their children have been a target of cyber-bullying, Internet paedophiles and online fraudsters, or have been exposed to pornography - or how their children are coping with these if they have become victims.
Ask parents and 92 per cent of them will say they have set ground rules for using the Internet. Ask the young ones, on the other hand, and only 66 per cent say these rules exist, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has found.
The ITU, the technology arm of the United Nations, revealed this and other findings in conjunction with World Telecommunications and Information Society Day last Sunday.
The day was marked in Singapore yesterday by about 80 industry professionals at a gathering organised by the Association of Telecommunications Industry of Singapore (Atis).
Other findings by the ITU include:
- One in three teenage girls who go online has been harassed in chatrooms, but only 7 per cent of them tell their parents because they do not want to lose their Internet access.
- One in five children is being targeted by a sexual predator or paedophile each year.
- Three-quarters of children are willing to share information about themselves and their families online in exchange for goods and services, such as contest prizes or downloads, opening themselves to cybercriminals who use the information to steal money or their identities.
The numbers from the survey are not specific to Singapore, which has one of the highest Internet and mobile penetration rates in the world, but these issues are likely to be encountered in the country as well, some industry players say.
Atis has urged parents to play a larger role in teaching their children to stay safe while online.
Its president, Mr John Shaznell, said some parents were 'thinking like dinosaurs' in their detachment from the Internet and needed to be educated.
'We parents have put so much faith and trust in schools, but we don't know what our own kids are doing,' he said.
Senior social worker Vivienne Ng said some parents contributed to the problem by treating the computer as a babysitter.
'They believe that it's better their child is at home and online rather than outside mixing with bad company. But online, you're exposed to anything and everything and everyone,' said the staff member of Hougang Sheng Hong Family Service Centre.
She said she had come across seven-year-olds visiting porn sites. The words 'sex' and 'porn' are easy to spell, she said, and a search engine like Google is all a child needs to enter that world. Some even swop stories about their online findings with their friends at school, she added.
Ms Ng is starting a support group for parents whose children are glued to their computers.
Mr Eugene Seow, who chairs the National Internet and New Media Advisory Committee, said what many people did not realise was that content seen online could affect a child's values and behaviour.
The executive director of Touch Community Services, a promoter of cyber-wellness, urged parents to get themselves educated on cyber-wellness before their children are exposed to the Internet.
Parents need to 'get there first', he said, so they can pass on the right values instead of letting their children absorb it on their own.
Separately yesterday, the ITU launched worldwide a draft document containing recommendations for parents, telcos, Internet operators and governments. The Child Online Protection initiative is open for feedback from the public between now and the end of next month. Its suggestions include the setting up of a national sex-offender database and denying offenders access to websites popular with children.
Food for Thoughts - Morning Devotion
Cut your morning devotions into your personal grooming. You wouldnot go out to work with a dirty face. Why start the day with theface of your soul unwashed? – Robert A. Cook
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Which Biblical Verses Summarises Your Life?
Recently I have been doing a lot of online quizes in facebook to know more about my own personality, values, motives and being. It's quite interesting to note the different metaphors and objects that are used to describe me. I guess that all these intriguing descriptions of me serve to highlight God's marvelous work in me and making me the only unique Dehua in this world. I'm so glad that even if we were called to become more and more like Christ in our character and attitude, we can still retain our individual being and not to conform to be uniform as Christians. There are also examples in the bible of characters who are known uniquely by one aspects of their character, instead of them being good in everything like Jesus. E.g.
Abraham - Father of Faith
Moses - The most humble man in the face of earth
David - A man after God's heart
Last week, I was having a discussion with Tracy on this topic of God's life purpose for us. I asked her what her favourite verse was and she mentioned that she had plenty. I explained to her that the reason I asked her was because there are different callings and individual life purposes for different christians. Not everyone ended up doing the same thing in order to serve God and to fulfill our life purposes. And there is an interesting correlation with some biblical verses we like and the type of christians we'll become. Take for example Pastor Jeff. His favourite verse is Acts 20:24 "However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." As we reflect on this verse, we can see that there are a lot of his characteristics that are in alignment with the verse.
Upon reflection, she agreed and shared with me her favourite verse which symbolises her life. As for me, my verse would be Philippines 1:9-11
"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight..."
It is not sufficient to love with our hearts only. A lot of times Christians love deeply and fully with their hearts but hurt and anger a lot of people along the way as they had not thought through fully and clearly some of the consequences and implications of their actions. While their motives are good, that doesn't mean that the method in which they show "love" is acceptable and blameless. E.g. a loving mother who cares and loves so much for her children that she refuses to allow them to experience hardships and failures in life to mould their character, or even the recent AWARE saga, which a group of Christian sister come together to want to take over AWARE in order to protect the children from their sexuality education programme. If our love for the other parties are genuine, we'll love them to the extent of being inconvenience to ourselves and think about the implications and consequences of our actions - that the love we show them makes them feel respected, loved and convinced of our love to them. As we mature in Christ, our love also matures with knowledge and depth of insight and wisdom.
"...so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God."
Loving people through having knowledge, biblical wisdom and thinking through properly, so that we would discern what is best for the people we love and may be pure and blameless in the eyes of people and God. Our fruits will then come and fill us, from Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.
What's your biblical verse in life?
Abraham - Father of Faith
Moses - The most humble man in the face of earth
David - A man after God's heart
Last week, I was having a discussion with Tracy on this topic of God's life purpose for us. I asked her what her favourite verse was and she mentioned that she had plenty. I explained to her that the reason I asked her was because there are different callings and individual life purposes for different christians. Not everyone ended up doing the same thing in order to serve God and to fulfill our life purposes. And there is an interesting correlation with some biblical verses we like and the type of christians we'll become. Take for example Pastor Jeff. His favourite verse is Acts 20:24 "However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." As we reflect on this verse, we can see that there are a lot of his characteristics that are in alignment with the verse.
Upon reflection, she agreed and shared with me her favourite verse which symbolises her life. As for me, my verse would be Philippines 1:9-11
"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight..."
It is not sufficient to love with our hearts only. A lot of times Christians love deeply and fully with their hearts but hurt and anger a lot of people along the way as they had not thought through fully and clearly some of the consequences and implications of their actions. While their motives are good, that doesn't mean that the method in which they show "love" is acceptable and blameless. E.g. a loving mother who cares and loves so much for her children that she refuses to allow them to experience hardships and failures in life to mould their character, or even the recent AWARE saga, which a group of Christian sister come together to want to take over AWARE in order to protect the children from their sexuality education programme. If our love for the other parties are genuine, we'll love them to the extent of being inconvenience to ourselves and think about the implications and consequences of our actions - that the love we show them makes them feel respected, loved and convinced of our love to them. As we mature in Christ, our love also matures with knowledge and depth of insight and wisdom.
"...so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God."
Loving people through having knowledge, biblical wisdom and thinking through properly, so that we would discern what is best for the people we love and may be pure and blameless in the eyes of people and God. Our fruits will then come and fill us, from Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.
What's your biblical verse in life?
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Being Salt and Light in a Pluralistic Society
The AWARE saga finally ended last Saturday with the failure of the leadership coup led by Josie Lau. The widely publicised issue has drawn many thoughts and comments from Singaporeans of different walks of life, backgrounds and religions. As this issue settles and everything returns to normal, there is no doubt that we will again experience controverises of such kind, especially from different groups with different motives, agendas and causes. As Christians, we are called to be the Salt and Light of the society, and to uphold God's will and love in this society that is shared by pre-believers with different values and beliefs. How can we ensure that we are sensitive to feelings of pre-belivers, as well as not being in a position to forsake our calling as the Salt and Light? I believe that as a Christian community, we can draw some important lessons from the AWARE saga.
Proverbs 19:2 - It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way. As Christians, we need to have the knowledge - understand the workings of our society well, to know what means are appropriate and acceptable in the society, and to know where to go, which authorities to approach in order to raise our concerns over certain matters. The society whenever we like it or not is a secular one, comprising of people with different values and beliefs.
While Josie Lau and the rest of her committee members from the same church disagreed with the contents taught in the sexuality education offered by AWARE, there are other avenues which are more appropriate to address their disagreements. Using the means, that is, attempting to take over control of AWARE whose vision and mission are totally outside of the issue of contention is certainly a poor way of justifying the ends. Moreover the takeover process isn't one that is transparent and percieved by others to be honorable.
1 Corinthians 9:22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.
No matter how Josie Lau explained the legitimacy (in line legally with AWARE's constitution) the entire takeover process had been, ultimately it is the perception that counts. I do not agree that we should conclude on things based on perception but in reality that is how the world works. As Christians, we do have a choice - to accept that since the world behaves like this, we should be wise to use a means that is helpful and useful in engaging the world, or to disregard how the world works and continue to use whatever means which we are more comfortable with as Christians.
In addition, I wish to point out the fact that in a secular society, we do face disadvantages as Christians when trying to get people to be opened to our explanation over the beliefs we hold. People would have certain assumptions of us when they know that we are Christians and sometimes, such assumptions would not help us to get our messages across to other people. We need to be mindful of the existence of such communication gaps and not to let other people, or media play up the fact that we hold certain views because we are Christians. Being a Christian isn't the only identity we have. We all are Singaporeans and belong to the society of Singapore. Therefore I am concerned too over certain initiatives that would affect the social fabric of Singapore's society. We ought to rely more on universal values that is shared by the society in order to engage everyone, e.g. pro-family value (esp in Singapore), etc. Such engagement would be helpful and people will see Christians as being contributive to the society, rather than being divisive and enforcing its belief on other people.
Finally, quoting DPM Teo Chee Hean's comment on AWARE saga to Straits Times on 3 May 09:
"...I think that there will always be differences in society; it is a question of whether we can deal with them in a sensible way, learn how to accept one another's differences and still work together for the good of this society. There are people in our society with different views and if...we push them too hard, there will be a push back from the other side. You are not going to resolve some of the differences because they are strongly held and you risk polarising society if you push too hard.
I think if you believe that what you are doing is right, well, live a good life, do good work and persuade people by how you work and live rather than pushing your ideas in a much more pushy way. I think there are ways where we can engage with society and still live with our differences."
We should let our lives and consequences speak for the beliefs we hold, and progressively influence people towards our cause.
Proverbs 19:2 - It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way. As Christians, we need to have the knowledge - understand the workings of our society well, to know what means are appropriate and acceptable in the society, and to know where to go, which authorities to approach in order to raise our concerns over certain matters. The society whenever we like it or not is a secular one, comprising of people with different values and beliefs.
While Josie Lau and the rest of her committee members from the same church disagreed with the contents taught in the sexuality education offered by AWARE, there are other avenues which are more appropriate to address their disagreements. Using the means, that is, attempting to take over control of AWARE whose vision and mission are totally outside of the issue of contention is certainly a poor way of justifying the ends. Moreover the takeover process isn't one that is transparent and percieved by others to be honorable.
1 Corinthians 9:22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.
No matter how Josie Lau explained the legitimacy (in line legally with AWARE's constitution) the entire takeover process had been, ultimately it is the perception that counts. I do not agree that we should conclude on things based on perception but in reality that is how the world works. As Christians, we do have a choice - to accept that since the world behaves like this, we should be wise to use a means that is helpful and useful in engaging the world, or to disregard how the world works and continue to use whatever means which we are more comfortable with as Christians.
In addition, I wish to point out the fact that in a secular society, we do face disadvantages as Christians when trying to get people to be opened to our explanation over the beliefs we hold. People would have certain assumptions of us when they know that we are Christians and sometimes, such assumptions would not help us to get our messages across to other people. We need to be mindful of the existence of such communication gaps and not to let other people, or media play up the fact that we hold certain views because we are Christians. Being a Christian isn't the only identity we have. We all are Singaporeans and belong to the society of Singapore. Therefore I am concerned too over certain initiatives that would affect the social fabric of Singapore's society. We ought to rely more on universal values that is shared by the society in order to engage everyone, e.g. pro-family value (esp in Singapore), etc. Such engagement would be helpful and people will see Christians as being contributive to the society, rather than being divisive and enforcing its belief on other people.
Finally, quoting DPM Teo Chee Hean's comment on AWARE saga to Straits Times on 3 May 09:
"...I think that there will always be differences in society; it is a question of whether we can deal with them in a sensible way, learn how to accept one another's differences and still work together for the good of this society. There are people in our society with different views and if...we push them too hard, there will be a push back from the other side. You are not going to resolve some of the differences because they are strongly held and you risk polarising society if you push too hard.
I think if you believe that what you are doing is right, well, live a good life, do good work and persuade people by how you work and live rather than pushing your ideas in a much more pushy way. I think there are ways where we can engage with society and still live with our differences."
We should let our lives and consequences speak for the beliefs we hold, and progressively influence people towards our cause.
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