Living Praise Presbyterian Church (hereafter: LPPC) has a short and brief history. As the church grew, it became apparent that the church direction had to be strengthened and unified. From this, came the realisation of the three mission statements of LPPC — Building up, Reaching out, Passing down. As the church has been diligently building up its members through continued study of the Word, it is important to begin a transition into the second phase — Reaching out.
The first phase entailed the development of members as well as leaders to be stewards of God’s Word and to have adequate knowledge. This could be done internally, provided with excellent teachers of the Word. However, the second phase has always been a weakness in LPPC. With such a short history, the church has not been able to develop a tradition and culture of spreading God’s Word through good works to the community around. Besides the administration to the partner school Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Primary School, LPPC does not have any significant inroads into providing services for the communities around.
It is with this backdrop that we can view a problem that the secular society currently faces — an ageing population. Singapore’s average life expectancy is ever increasing, sitting at 82 as of 2010. This number is only set to increase further as people start to lead healthier lives coupled with medical advances. It is therefore worth looking into solving both of these problems at the same time. I propose the encouragement of members of LPPC to develop a sense of community spirit by engaging in the silver sector.
A further elaboration of the reasons why this course of action is supported can be summarised as such — Demographics of LPPC, Ministries LPPC are already engaged in, and Opportunities to import lessons learnt.
Firstly, LPPC largely comprises families with middle-aged heads of family. There is a large and sizeable population of children and youth. However, it is readily apparent that the youth and children are segregated from the rest of the church, with little interaction between the young and the elderly. Efforts have been made to encourage intermingling and better communication, however, these efforts will not succeed without further action. For example, weekly lunches that are provided for members in order to encourage fellowship after service are unable to provide an extra push for members to mix around. It is important then, to foster a better sense of belonging in the church through activities that break through this barrier.
Secondly, LPPC is already heavily involved in ministry to the Kuo Chuan schools. As LPPC is situated within KCPPS, LPPC is tasked with ministry and chaplaincy for KCPPS. Through this work that LPPC is already involved in, we have gained experience in ministering to the younger demographic. This is extremely beneficial in our planning of children’s events and the carrying out of Sunday School. However, this has the added and hidden downside in causing us to neglect and overlook the older demographics. It is a common myth that only the young should be targeted when spreading the gospel, as the Grace of God is limitless — Jesus died for every single person on Earth. Hence, LPPC should also look into developing an elder ministry in order to ensure no one is neglected.
Thirdly, there are plenty of opportunities for us to import what we will learn from such an experience. Caring for the elderly and ministering to them will impart valuable lessons to young and old alike. It would encourage the youth to communicate more with the elderly and in turn, generate an empathy for the aged society in Singapore. It would also be useful in tackling the growing apathy amongst youth towards local community involvement — an ironic development as the number of youth embarking on overseas service trips are on the rise. The adults of LPPC would also gain an increased understanding of how to care for the elders, a useful lesson as their parents approach those ages themselves. Overall, there is a hope that the lessons that we can take back will enable LPPC to become a community oriented and more empathetic family.
Therefore, I propose a monthly programme where LPPC volunteers at a local home for a short period of time after service. It should be regular but not too frequent, in order for members to slowly warm up to the idea, without getting a burnout. A monthly programme would be a good method of introducing the idea to the congregation, without taking an overly committed step. It would also be best if the programme was conducted after service on Sundays. The rationale behind this, is that many people are unwelcome of the idea of spending an extra day outside, especially during the weekends. A short service and volunteering activity after service on Sunday would be more welcome as people would not be required to make an extra effort to get out of the house, reducing the barrier to acceptance of the programme.
The programme would entail a slow ramp up from easy to more advanced activities in order for the participants to gain experience first before developing themselves further. Simple activities in the beginning that do not require much training and foreknowledge include simple interactions with the elderly. Even a short yet sincere chat with the elderly can make a great impact on the elder’s wellbeing, improving their mood and benefitting their psychology.
In the future, as the participants gain more exposure, it would be hoped that they would partake in training to play a bigger role in eldercare, such as learning how to transport non-ambulant elders and even how to accompany them on their daily physical exercises. The eventual hope of this programme would be to encourage members of LPPC to be more sensitive to the plight of elders in the community, as well as within the congregation.
When the members are more attuned to the less visible members in society around them, they would be more willing to extend a helping hand where ever they deem fit. It would also be increasingly beneficial for members to understand elders and better equip ourselves with communication skills, even as our own congregation starts to age. Hopefully, this programme can serve as a bridge to close up the age schism in the congregation. As we are called to be salt and light of the Earth, it is paramount that we do not keep the Light hidden under a basket, but to actively seek to share our blessings. Through our works and a volunteering spirit, it could be possible to interest others in the Word of God and enable us to share the Gospel with the community around us.
A further elaboration of the reasons why this course of action is supported can be summarised as such — Demographics of LPPC, Ministries LPPC are already engaged in, and Opportunities to import lessons learnt.
Firstly, LPPC largely comprises families with middle-aged heads of family. There is a large and sizeable population of children and youth. However, it is readily apparent that the youth and children are segregated from the rest of the church, with little interaction between the young and the elderly. Efforts have been made to encourage intermingling and better communication, however, these efforts will not succeed without further action. For example, weekly lunches that are provided for members in order to encourage fellowship after service are unable to provide an extra push for members to mix around. It is important then, to foster a better sense of belonging in the church through activities that break through this barrier.
Secondly, LPPC is already heavily involved in ministry to the Kuo Chuan schools. As LPPC is situated within KCPPS, LPPC is tasked with ministry and chaplaincy for KCPPS. Through this work that LPPC is already involved in, we have gained experience in ministering to the younger demographic. This is extremely beneficial in our planning of children’s events and the carrying out of Sunday School. However, this has the added and hidden downside in causing us to neglect and overlook the older demographics. It is a common myth that only the young should be targeted when spreading the gospel, as the Grace of God is limitless — Jesus died for every single person on Earth. Hence, LPPC should also look into developing an elder ministry in order to ensure no one is neglected.
Thirdly, there are plenty of opportunities for us to import what we will learn from such an experience. Caring for the elderly and ministering to them will impart valuable lessons to young and old alike. It would encourage the youth to communicate more with the elderly and in turn, generate an empathy for the aged society in Singapore. It would also be useful in tackling the growing apathy amongst youth towards local community involvement — an ironic development as the number of youth embarking on overseas service trips are on the rise. The adults of LPPC would also gain an increased understanding of how to care for the elders, a useful lesson as their parents approach those ages themselves. Overall, there is a hope that the lessons that we can take back will enable LPPC to become a community oriented and more empathetic family.
Therefore, I propose a monthly programme where LPPC volunteers at a local home for a short period of time after service. It should be regular but not too frequent, in order for members to slowly warm up to the idea, without getting a burnout. A monthly programme would be a good method of introducing the idea to the congregation, without taking an overly committed step. It would also be best if the programme was conducted after service on Sundays. The rationale behind this, is that many people are unwelcome of the idea of spending an extra day outside, especially during the weekends. A short service and volunteering activity after service on Sunday would be more welcome as people would not be required to make an extra effort to get out of the house, reducing the barrier to acceptance of the programme.
The programme would entail a slow ramp up from easy to more advanced activities in order for the participants to gain experience first before developing themselves further. Simple activities in the beginning that do not require much training and foreknowledge include simple interactions with the elderly. Even a short yet sincere chat with the elderly can make a great impact on the elder’s wellbeing, improving their mood and benefitting their psychology.
In the future, as the participants gain more exposure, it would be hoped that they would partake in training to play a bigger role in eldercare, such as learning how to transport non-ambulant elders and even how to accompany them on their daily physical exercises. The eventual hope of this programme would be to encourage members of LPPC to be more sensitive to the plight of elders in the community, as well as within the congregation.
When the members are more attuned to the less visible members in society around them, they would be more willing to extend a helping hand where ever they deem fit. It would also be increasingly beneficial for members to understand elders and better equip ourselves with communication skills, even as our own congregation starts to age. Hopefully, this programme can serve as a bridge to close up the age schism in the congregation. As we are called to be salt and light of the Earth, it is paramount that we do not keep the Light hidden under a basket, but to actively seek to share our blessings. Through our works and a volunteering spirit, it could be possible to interest others in the Word of God and enable us to share the Gospel with the community around us.
Adriel Seah
STEP 2015
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