Church Life

Mental Health

Hope does not put us to shame

I have depression and no one in church knows. Some of the adults have asked about my health, noting that I look tired, grey and wane. But how do I come clean about my condition when anxiety is...

Dating

One girl’s guide to dating well in church

“Oh, we’re just talking.” We’ve heard it many times – maybe even said it ourselves. But here’s a question: Are we scared of commitment? Because “we’re just...

Mental Health

If I don’t show up

Some nights, before I sleep, I browse through my phone calendar. (Not the best way to deal with insomnia, I’ll admit.) I have little reminders set up for almost every day of the month. They...

Real Life, Real People

I thought I knew love, until it almost destroyed me

I love people. From a young age, I poured my life and heart onto others, especially the boys I was leading in church. As their mentor and older brother, I tutored them, played sports and music with...

Apologetics

Don’t depend on the church to give you all the answers

Christianity is sometimes described as a metaphorical lens. C S Lewis wrote: “I believe in Christianity as I believe the sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it, I see...

Singlehood

Redeeming broken dreams: A journey of spiritual motherhood

“Sometimes when I see kids running around, I imagine them as my own,” Deb remarks. She gazes into the distance through moist, red eyes. Coughing out a few girlish giggles, she quickly...

Mental Health

How are you? No, really: How are you?

It’s a rainy Sunday morning and the guy on stage is giving his usual welcome-to-church spiel and, like he does every week, he refuses to let us sit down. Before we all get comfortable in our...

Church Life

There is a place to be vulnerable

“I’m not comfortable to share this with you/everyone, but I’ll let my mentor know.” I’ve been hearing this phrase quite often. I usually nod my head in sympathy. Yeah,...

Real Life, Real People

The unwilling, unlikely leader

At the age of 20, I became one of the youngest leaders in Singapore nominated to sit on the Local Church Executive Committee (LCEC), the decision-making board that governs each Methodist church. I...