Impetus (October 2024)
Modalities and Sodalities: Why the Local Church and Parachurch are Both Needed
Being part of FES, your various CFs are church-oriented and inter-denominational. When I was an undergrad, I didn’t think too much about these elements. However, in our deeply divided world, it is rare to have a setting like the CF where one can be exposed, equipped, and enabled to walk in the unity-in-diversity (not uniformity) that characterises the Body of Christ.
Your respective local churches are modalities – organisations open to Christians regardless of age, occupation, or life stage. Modalities are intended to be long-term communities throughout one’s life, showcasing the universal extent of the kingdom of God as they welcome and care for Christians across generations.
Sodalities, in contrast, serve a particular segment or need within the kingdom. For example, CFs cater specifically to tertiary students and their spiritual needs on campuses. Other parachurch organisations focus on missions or caring for the disabled. A sodality is meant only for a particular season or situation of life. Still, they too reflect the universal extent of the kingdom by bringing together Christians from diverse church backgrounds to collaborate. (Read this article for more information.)
Modalities have both breadth (wide-ranging demographics) and depth (long-term relationships). Sodalities too possess a different kind of breadth (gathering Christians from various circumstances) and depth (focusing intensely on specific issues, e.g. being salt and light on campus). Do you desire this kind of breadth and depth in your Christian life? If so, both modality and sodality are needed.
In my CF days, we had numerous discussions about the Bible and theology. But we also explored various ways to be disciples of Christ on campus. In this sodality setting, I gained insight into how my peers interpreted Scripture, and it challenged me to consider my views. Once at a CF meeting, I invited everyone to join in a responsive reading of the Bible. To my surprise, several had never heard of this term! This taught me to explain jargon clearly.
More importantly, these sodality interactions helped me recognise that behind every interpretation is an individual. Behind every position is a person valued and loved by Jesus. Should I not value and love them too, even if our positions differ?
Today, as a pastor, I appreciate when young adults from my local church engage and serve in CFs and other sodalities. These interactions with other Christians not only increase their knowledge but also enhance their wisdom, maturity, and unity.
I notice some local churches planting their own campus young adult groups. This is well-intentioned but unfortunately blurs the roles of modality and sodality. We need the breadth and depth of both. Sodalities like CFs support modalities by providing real-life practice in navigating unity in diversity and applying the gospel to their life stages.
Even after graduation, sodalities continue – workplace prayer fellowships, inter-church action groups, and inter-denominational mission agencies. All these are expressions of the kingdom beyond the local church. Will you engage with such sodalities after graduation, as part of your commitment to be salt and light in society?
Sodalities complement but do not replace the local church. Participation in a sodality brings valuable lessons that bless the modality. It would thus be a pity to remain only in a sodality without engaging deeply with a modality. My time in CF has helped me become a better church member, and now, a better pastor. I hope you will seriously respond to God’s invitation into full-time Christian ministry should He call you. But even if not, surely you desire the full breadth and depth of being in the Body of Christ? In that case, you must participate in both modality and sodality.
(The views in this article are entirely the author’s own and do not represent the official position of the Trinity Annual Conference or the Methodist Church in Singapore.)
Gilbert Lok
Gilbert graduated from NUS in 2008 with a degree in Economics. As a student, he served in various capacities in VCF. After graduation, he worked in the government sector before joining church ministry. He has been a pastor at Barker Road Methodist Church since 2020.
Ministry News
Leaders’ Party Part 3: Transformation
Leaders’ Party (LP) 2024 sought to explore the role of CF on campus through the lens of engagement and dialogue. The third stage, Transformation, follows two previous stages – Initiation and Expedition. It was held from 27 to 28 September; the first night on an online platform called GatherTown, and the second day at Trinity Theological College. The student leaders were invited to re-enter into conversation with their peers to relook and reinvent their processes and initiatives. Below two students share about how they’ve grown through LP.
Using GatherTown to simulate the conversations that happen on campus
Since the first LP, my journey as a leader has been transformative. I’ve learnt how to discover what my CF needs are, understand the importance of fostering genuine connections within my ministry and learn about the different types of leaders that make up my team. This growth has not only deepened my relationships with my team but also enhanced my ability to inspire and empower others.
The third part of LP offered a unique perspective and experience for dialoguing with fellow leaders about current generational trends. Using GatherTown (a video conferencing platform), we got to review what is happening on our campuses, as well as the different needs of students. There were also interactive activities to find out how different leaders view different statements concerning this current generation of Christian students. Another highlight for me was the activity on problem-solving, where we, as a group of school leaders, explored different issues that could happen in our campus ministries. Engaging with fellow leaders allowed us to align our goals and share diverse perspectives, which fostered a sense of unity and purpose. Such collaboration is vital for navigating the challenges we face and ultimately drives our ministry forward.
As we move through this year, I’m excited to apply these insights and continue cultivating a culture of support and growth. I look forward to leveraging the connections made and strategies shared, as we all strive to lead our CFs with integrity and impact.
Roysten Kong
SP CCF, Computer Engineering Year 3
Problem-solving and brainstorming together (Vanness and Roysten are second and fourth from left respectively)
Have I been able to bring shalom to my CF, and my campus?
Ever since attending the “Engaging Campus” session at the first part of LP, I have been reflecting on it regularly, especially as I plan out our CF’s activities for the upcoming year with the Exco. I often ponder not only about how the question applies to myself but to our CF as a whole – in what ways can the CF members and even non-members feel blessed and discover the shalom that is found only in God? We sought to include the idea of bringing shalom into our direction for this academic year, which can be found below:
Building a Christian community founded on Christ’s love that grows in the Christian faith, lives out Scripture, and serves others, both within and outside the community.
Actualising their solutions in the form of a booth
The third part of LP further urged us to contextualise our initiatives and not merely repeat what has been done before. Without disregarding the wisdom that has been passed down to us, we were reminded to be critical and examine whether our annual direction and programmes speak well to the current generation of CF members and bring shalom to them. Just like how the previous leaders have put a lot of thought into forming various CF activities, we ought to not fall short in terms of passion and efforts in attempting to bring shalom to the CF and campus.
While the definition of bringing shalom is rather open-ended – to share a few of my interpretations: showing God’s love to everyone, becoming the salt and light of this world, being there for the lonely or depressed, guiding the spiritually lost, etc – I pray that God guides us in everything we do such that He may use it for His glory and as a blessing for others, to bring shalom.
Vanness Valentino
NTU ISCF, Materials Engineering Year 3
Cultivating a Christian Mind
FES organised a faith and academics conference titled “Cultivating a Christian Mind” from 13 to 14 September 2024 with around 80 students and 19 academics in attendance. The conference sought to provide a platform for students to engage with relevant topics that relate to their role as learners who are actively seeking the shalom of the university. To that end, staff workers Gabriel, Kee Wei, Lim Jie, and Zephy shared their journey as learners through a vodcast on the evening of 13 October. On 14 October, we gathered in person at Singapore Bible College (SBC) to hear more about how Truth relates to Christian Shalom from various speakers before breaking into our different disciplines to dialogue and contextualise what we have learnt. Below two students share their reflections from the conference.
From the presentations made by all the speakers, I learned how modernist and post-modernist ideals have shaped our worldviews, and how Christians should respond from a biblical perspective. Upon exploring the threats and opportunities for Christians in academics, I was able to reflect more about these topics and how my faith can be anchored amidst an ever-changing world. I also enjoyed hearing from people in similar fields when we split into discussions by our disciplines, with our facilitator Yue Han posing very thought-provoking questions and encouraging us to create safe spaces for non-Christian friends around us to ask and share their views on religion. After the conference, I felt inspired by the mindset that we should always live life incarnationally, living out God’s love and prioritising His mission to spread the good news wherever we can. It was also quite life-changing to pray with someone from my faculty, and see God working in our school.”
Interactive vodcast on our journey as Christian learners
Caitlyn Chew
NTU ECF, Art, Design, & Media Year 2
Attending the conference brought to light the deeper significance behind my goals and motivations for pursuing tertiary education. Before the conference, I found myself caught in a relentless cycle of striving for academic excellence, overwhelmed by the pressure to accomplish too much during my university years. This was largely driven by a fear of falling behind my peers or not securing a prestigious job upon graduation. However, as a Christian, the purpose of education should transcend personal gain or recognition. Our academic pursuits should not be measured by accolades or career milestones alone. We should also consider how the ideas we are exposed to can equip us to serve God more effectively in the diverse roles we will occupy throughout our lives Ultimately, our education should empower us to live out our faith, using the skills and knowledge we gain not for personal elevation, but for the greater glory of God and the advancement of His kingdom.
Jewel Lee
SIT CF, Speech and Language Therapy Year 2
FES’ first conference on faith and academics, organised in partnership with SBC
Engaging Workplace
This yearʼs FES-GCF Annual Thanksgiving Dinner was held at YWCA on 6 September. Members of GCF, graduates of FES, friends of FES and GCF, students, and staff, gathered for a pleasant evening of fellowship and reunion. The highlight of the evening was the announcement of GCFʼs new focus on Engaging Workplace. It was pointed out that engagement should be a mindset and a lifestyle as we seek to serve God through our work with a kingdom perspective. Below is a quote (edited for brevity) from Dr Leow Theng Huatʼs opening exhortation to integrate our faith with our daily work.
“In Jesus, we see a God who, in his unimaginable condescension and grace, has exalted lowly and sinful human beings to be his “co-workers”. In Jesus, we see a God who has ordained that our human contributions matter; that, in a mysterious harmony, it has to be 100% God and 100% human. If we have a more adequate view of God, we will find the encouragement to constantly offer up our meagre five loaves and two fish and wait patiently to see what Jesus can do with them. We will understand, by faith, that our labour for the Lord is never in vain. God is pleased to use our efforts to effect change, even in the most stubborn of workplaces. In the end, our efforts will find their final flowering and completion, as the good we have done here and now reverberates forever in the renewed heavens and renewed earth.”
Gathering of all ages at the Annual Dinner
Ask the Church
Perspectives on Young Adult Engagement
In 2022, the National Student Council (NSC), which comprises the chairpersons or representatives of each CF, sought to strengthen the relationship between the local churches and CFs with a focus on our shared mission: young adult engagement. However, the lack of formal understanding of the perspectives of churches, particularly regarding young adults and their needs, made it hard to engage the church meaningfully.
Thus in 2023, the NSC leaders set out to ask churches about their young adult engagement. They interviewed a leader of their respective local church, asking questions that covered the following:
• Needs of their young adults
• Strategies and challenges in ministering to the young adults
• Stances on external communities
Thus far, the student leaders were able to interview leaders of ten churches from different denominations. Across the churches interviewed, the perspectives on young adult needs and strategies used varied very widely. Some focused on the need for the Word of God, personal discipleship, and service in church to encourage a sense of belonging, while others recognised the struggles of transition, aspirations of attaining achievements, and the need to grapple with how their faith made sense in contemporary society. Leaders from the two Indonesian churches surveyed expressed a stronger need to create a sense of community among their congregants since most of their young adults are international students.
The current sample size is still small, but this ongoing project has managed to provide specific data on churches where the student leaders come from. Moreover, it was an opportunity for students and church leaders to converse over mutual concerns. The ongoing efforts of the NSC to explore how our CFs can partner with local churches can be found in the last section of this newsletter.
GS Page
General Secretary
I introduced the National Student Council (NSC) in the previous issue of Impetus along with its current coordinators, Sybil (SP CF) and Ashley (NP CF). One of the strategic issues that the NSC is looking into is improving the relations and partnerships between CFs and the local churches. It is no surprise that there exists a spectrum of views that students have about the church. Similarly, there is a range of perspectives that the church has about FES and student ministry. In the ideal scenario, both the church and student ministry work together for effective witness on the campus. In the problematic scenario, the church and student ministry misunderstand each other only to the detriment of our students. Our student leaders have thus taken the initiative to clarify and communicate the purpose of CFs in relation to the local church, particularly in the key areas of leadership opportunities, faith and life integration, and exposure to interdenominational and global Christianity. This project has seen steady development amid the busyness of student schedules. The hope is that this project will offer greater clarity for CFs and the Church in its mission and witness for student ministry.
Upcoming and Ongoing
In this final quarter of 2024, FES prepares for its regular season of camps. Please pray for the camp committees in their planning and preparations. Pray for camp participants to experience the value and ministry of Scripture and to grow in their love for the Word of God. There are five upcoming camps in December and January:
1. NTU ISCF Bible Camp (7–10 Dec)
2. Studying the Word Altogether (SWAT, combined University Bible Camp) (26–31 Dec)
3. Chinese Work 4-Denomination Youth Leadership Camp (26–28 Dec)
4. Chinese Work Combined University Bible Camp (early Jan 2025)
5. SIM SCF Bible Camp (24 Jan 2025)
Finance and Fundraising
As of September 2024, FES has received $1.25M in regular donations against a $2.2M annual budget. As a missional organisation, FES relies on contributions from our alumni and graduates to sustain our student and graduate work. As we come to the final quarter of 2024, there are two specific and urgent needs that I would like to appeal for contributions:
- Annual Wage Supplement (AWS) – $150,000
FES tries its best to give its staff at least one month AWS each year. However, this depends on the amount of financial support FES has received throughout 2024 to determine the final AWS that it can afford for the staff. Please pray and consider contributing to this need to support the livelihood and well-being of our staff as we continue to navigate the inflation rates in the economy. - Office Renovation – $30,000
FES is renovating its office space at North Bridge Centre (NBC) to improve its conduciveness for meetings and ministry. The main renovation is for the Conference Room and involves replacing the ceiling and flooring, as well as improving the soundproofing in our rooms. Please pray and consider contributing to this project to improve a space that is regularly and heavily utilised for student and graduate ministry.
The best way to give is through Bank Transfer or PayNow, but you may also do so through cheque and standing instruction.
Account Name: Fellowship of Evangelical Students
Account Number: DBS 0330-16390-8
UEN: S60SS0021F002
To write a cheque, please make it payable to: Fellowship of Evangelical Students.
For Standing Instruction, please visit: https://fellowship.sg/participate/support-regular
Blessings
Jeremiah Goh
General Secretary
Impetus is published every two months. For enquiries, email connect@fellowship.sg
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