At the request of the President of the BoE we are updating the church and its leadership of our development since Simon stepped out into freelance retreat work wef 1 Jan 2009. The year started with anxiety to locate our next flat before it was made clear that we were to transit to a “stepping stone” in Sengkang with Rinda’s sister and brother-in-law. Since mid-Feb we have been in this part of the world as the new town here is huge, and still growing, as compared to Bukit Batok and Bukit Panjang where we lived in the past 24 years.
16-18 March - The New Year started out slow as the 1st retreat took place only in mid-Mar with St John’s St Margaret’s with a 3-day retreat for beginners. There were 17 attendees from various churches as it was opened to non-SJSMers.
30 March – This was a Quiet Day with Alpha Singapore office staff at The Nest as part of their ongoing soul-caring for the staff.
April - In April the 1st 5-day Silent retreat took place at The Nest, 8-12 Apr with a group of 5 retreatants as we traced the footprints of Jesus in the last 6 days of His Passion Week beginning with Mary’s posture of anointing His feet with pure nard. This was followed by a Quiet Day on 18 Apr at the FMM House @ Holland Road for a cell group of 32 ladies. April ended with a Soaking Night for WRPF’s Worship Team on 30 Apr at the Church’s premises.
9-11 May – This weekend retreat at Montfort Centre went to a cell group from SJSM. Members were predominantly retirees and semi-retirees who had a very profound encounter with the Lord through the life of Peter.
20-23 May – We were at Pulai Springs, JB, with the Alpha Singapore office for their annual staff retreat. This is our 2nd year in running a retreat for the workers of which we are grateful to be a blessing to them in return as they continue to bless Singapore with the Alpha Course.
June - This is a quiet month with only a 3-day retreat for Fountain Gate Ministry, 19-21 June at Montfort Centre. FGM specialises in Counselling and Inner Healing. This retreat was for their volunteers.
July - The month started with a mini 2-day retreat for WRPF’s worship team of 15 at LifeSprings. Theme was “TIP-WIP” and though the retreat was short, the Lord was mighty in our midst! Life stories were shared and team unity brought to another level.
Month ended with a 24-hour program catered for group of 6 bank staff from RBS. This has been a follow-up from a lunch time talk in early-June. This was a highlight for me as it was good to be able to step into the banking scene again after 21 years to feel the pulse of the marketplaces. It was in that lunch meeting that I could see what the Lord has done in me that’s priceless. I saw also the needs of the Church in the marketplaces.
Work in Progress – This very much sums up what the year has been for Simon. While it is a well-deserved “sabbatical” rest after 29 years of ministry, it is also a “transitional” phase where he is learning to take it slowly and in tandem with the Lord. What’s immediate is to settle our housing matters and have the physical office set up.
What’s in the pipeline is the design of the ministry website and the unveiling of the ministry name in due time. The manuscript for the book launch is completed but in a kind of “cold storage” while we wait for the right editor to come alongside and help us in this.
Thank you for upholding us in prayers. Please continue to do so even as we learn to transit. What’s ahead we don’t fully understand. But Who’s ahead, that we do know fully. And to follow Him, regardless, is our intent.
Simon and Rinda